December 19, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Sugar, chronic stress, and environmental toxins all contribute to inflammation—your immune system’s response to irritants in and outside of your body. Your internal systems use inflammation to protect you, but when the relationship gets thrown off balance, it can affect your overall health. That’s why registered dietitians Wendy Lopez, RD, and Jessica Jones, RD, hosts of the Food Heaven podcast, recommend one anti-inflammatory food list to their clients again and again. In a recent episode, Jones and Lopez, joined by guest Hadis Ghoghaie, RDN, referenced an anti-inflammatory food pyramid created by Andrew Weil, MD, founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. “It’s great because it’s not a diet. It’s not saying you have to eat this or not that. It’s really just different foods to add to your diet for more variety. It has a really large number of vegetables [in it], and I tell people: ‘Listen, if you can even add two vegetables or three a day, that’s great,’” said Ghoghaie. The pyramid doesn’t restrict your diet; instead, it suggests foods to add for their anti-inflammatory effects. “It is becoming increasingly clear that chronic inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses—including heart disease, many cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease,” writes Dr. Weil on his website. He offers an in-depth breakdown of how to create an entire diet that keeps inflammation protecting your body rather than harming it. But Ghoghaie, Lopez, and Jones agree:
Category: Beauty
Our devices have made us digital hoarders, even if we claim to live minimally
December 17, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC I currently have 14,394 unread emails in one of my inboxes, a barrage of files cluttering my laptop desktop, and hundreds of thousands of photos (including screenshots I’ll surely never need to see again) on my iPhone. If these digital files were physical documents, they’d be swallowing my home whole. And while I definitely don’t need all (or even most) of them, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to delete the extraneous files. It seems that the advent of cloud-based storage has expanded the scope of hoarding disorder beyond stockpiling just material goods. Now, we’re all just a bunch of digital hoarders, clinging to matter with no critical mass. Mayo Clinic defines hoarding disorder as “a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.” Digital hoarding is a relatively new subset of the condition—officially, at least—as it was first identified as a thing in 2015 by researchers in Amsterdam. “Patients with digital hoarding as a symptom of hoarding disorder experience a very high urge to collect and save their digital data,” says one of those researchers, psychiatrist Nienke Vulink, MD, PhD. “They feel an intense connection with their belongings—in this case, digital data—and are not able to throw things away.” Dr. Vulink says more research is needed to better understand the symptoms of digital hoarding, and how to treat them. What we know about digital hoarding Nick Neave, PhD, director of a hoarding research group at the
This Greek super ingredient is your next go-to to help with nausea and other stomach problems
December 16, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC For the last 10 years, it seems the term “superfood” was on everyone’s tongue (and in everyone’s smoothie). But those superfoods? Fruit with deep blue or vibrant red hues, greens with a hearty, leafy texture, or seeds only found deep in some remote village in Peru. Yet there’s one the world has seemingly missed, although its existence has benefitted and been harvested by Greeks for more than 2,500 years, and first mentioned even centuries before by ancient Greek physicians Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Galenos. Mastiha is a sap that drips from the pistacia (or mastic) tree and hails from one part of the Greek island Chios, in the northern Aegean Sea near Turkey. The sap (pronounced: mas-tee-ha and also known as mastic) hardens in the shape of semi-translucent waxy tears that somewhat resemble tiny pieces of rock candy, and it has been used for centuries to aid in digestion, stomach issues, skin problems, and more. The resin is traditionally chewed as a gum to freshen breath, as well. “Chios mastiha has a long history of being used as the first natural chewing gum, and that alone is interesting,” says Artemis Kohas, founder of mastihashop in New York, who also notes that it was used as a spice for dishes and a natural remedy for ailments. “Add in that the resin comes from one island on the planet, must be hand-cultivated (making it fair trade), is [currently] run by a cooperative, and has many recognitions
CoverGirl is launching clean makeup, including a $10 “skin milk” foundation we can’t put down
December 16, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC As more and more makeup products straddle both the makeup and skin-care categories, it’s becoming easier to add pigment while nourishing your skin in one fell swoop. Now, with CoverGirl’s Clean Fresh line, the trend is coming to a drugstore near you. Launching today, CoverGirl—one of the most iconic makeup brands in the United States—introduces a four-product collection of easy-to-use, clean makeup essentials that function as the “jeans and T-shirt”of your makeup bag. As with all CoverGirl products, Clean Fresh is cruelty-free, plus the line is vegan and formulated without parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, sulfates, fragrance, or mineral oil to give consumers cleaner options for their skin. CoverGirl’s four-product Clean Fresh collection functions as the “jeans and T-shirt”of your makeup bag. In the line are the Skin Milk ($10), a super sheer foundation spiked with aloe vera and coconut milk (real talk: I can’t put it down); the Cooling Glow Stick ($9), which functions as a highlighter or shimmery bronzer depending on the shade you go with; the Lip Oil ($11), a non-sticky lip treatment with pigment; and the Cream Blush ($9), a high-pigment punch to your cheeks (though can work on your lids and lips if you want) that contains hyaluronic acid for moisture. The foundation comes in 14 shades, but according to the brand it matches 99 percent of all skin tones and undertones because of its shade adaptability—aka since the formula is so sheer, it melts into your skin so that
This lymphatic drainage-boosting face roller doubles as a piece of art
December 15, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC In between a full-time grad program, an internship, and hours of weekly freelance work, my skin has not been thriving. The end result of zero time for self care has resulted in quite visible signs of stress, and so dark circles and dullness have gotten quite comfortable on my face—which doesn’t leave me holly or jolly this holiday season. This is why the only present that I want this year is a stunning face massage tool that’s fit for an empress. I want (need, really) to be pampered, and this Kindred Black Huizache Wood and Obsidian Face Massage Tool ($95) looks like something Cleopatra herself would have kept on her vanity. You may be thinking, “What’s the fuss? Rollers are everywhere.” I hear you, but this roller is different. Yes, lymphatic drainage is the beauty industry’s hot ticket treatment these days, and I could pick up a jade roller or a gua sha stone from just about any store I walk into. But this massage tool is a piece of art. Kindred Black’s facial massager has a hand-carved handle made from gorgeous huizache wood, which makes it look like an ancient beauty relic unearthed from an archeological dig. Then there’s the black obsidian stone that not only looks lavish, but is a crystal known for deep healing powers on the psyche. Sourced from Mexico and hand-crafted in a workshop “near the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacán,” according to the brand, the roller lets
7 easy ways to upcycle your brown paper grocery bags into wrapping paper
December 14, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC While I do my best to use reusable bags, I admit I often forget them at home. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a stack of brown paper grocery bags from Trader Joe’s waiting to be recycled. But why not give them another life as an eco-friendly wrapping paper for the holidays? There are so many different ways to upcycle brown paper bags. You can paint them, attach evergreen sprigs with string to give your presents a brand-new look. If you’re in need of some inspiration, these are some of the cutest—and easiest!—paper bag wrapping ideas to try this season. The best paper bag wrapping paper ideas Photo: Lovely Indeed 1. DIY botanical wrapping paper Grab a few sprigs of berries or some evergreen on your walk, attach it to your gift with string, and you’re good to go. Photo: Almost Makes Perfect 2. Brushstroke gift wrap For a quick design, create simple brushstrokes on your paper bag wrapping paper with a square edge paint brush. Photo: Splash of Something 3. Paper straw stars Give those paper straws sitting in your cupboard a new life by creating this simple star design for the front of your gifts. Photo: Fellow Fellow 4. DIY Christmas tree gift toppers All you need to do is go outside and pick up some sticks then wrap them with embroidery thread to create these cute Christmas tree gift toppers. Photo: Something Turquoise 5. Word search gift wrap Turn
The serum so hydrating, you’ll ditch your moisturizer (even in the dead of winter)
December 14, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC I don’t ask for much. When the holidays come around and my family asks what I want, nothing ever comes to mind. “Barry’s Bootcamp classes?” I inevitably shrug. But this year, I’m taking a stand. To whomever is looking to buy me a gift: I really, really want—nay, need!—the Monastery Flora Botanical Cream Serum ($118). I’ve written about my love of multitasking beauty products plenty of times, because I am a relatively low-maintenance kind of gal. The faster I can get ready, the better. So when I discovered a serum that could also serve as a moisturizer—knocking out yet another step of my streamlined skin-care routine—I immediately put it on my wish list. It’s literally a cream and a serum, which would whittle my regimen to a commendable three steps. Three! As we all know, a serum is meant to bring real changes to skin: It’s the product filled with the active ingredients such as vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, and the list goes on and on. The Monastery Cream Serum contains a skin-care cocktail of multiple weights of hyaluronic acid (that plumps both the skin’s surface and deeper layers of the epidermis), fruit and floral extracts to calm and nourish skin, and ellagic and ximenynic acids to brighten. Thanks to the creamy texture, the serum hybrid can also stand in as a moisturizer, helping to build the barrier of skin while also giving it multiple active ingredients. When you swipe it onto your
This is how quickly skin dries out on a plane compared to on land
December 13, 2019 at 09:30PM by CWC I’ve never taken before-and-after selfies to document my transformation on a plane ride, but I’m sure the results wouldn’t be cute. Airborne conditions don’t exactly set you up to feel (or look) like your best self, and celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau names dry airplane skin as one of many sky-high plights. “It’s well known that airplane cabins have extremely low humidity [less than 20 percent], which leads to skin dehydration and dryness,” says Rouleau. “That’s because dry air will always seek moisture wherever it can get it, and that means it’s going to take it directly from deep within your skin. If you have a dry skin type, your skin will become drier. And it can even make oily skin oilier because when the skin has no water, it attempts to compensate for the dehydration by producing more oil—which is the last thing that oily skin needs.” Basically, cabin air does zero favors for any type of skin. In fact, New York City-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD says dryness is just the start. A plane’s atmosphere can cause a domino effect of skin woes. “Inflammation can promote acne breakouts by blocking your pores. Your skin is at risk for UV light damage on the plane, as you are much closer to the sun at 10,000 feet and UVA light can penetrate right through window glass,” he adds. (So make sure to slather on the sunscreen before your flight.) There’s no need to fret too much,
The sneaky reason your waterproof eyeliner isn’t staying put
December 13, 2019 at 08:26PM by CWC The eternal dilemma: No matter what type of eyeliner I use or how meticulously I apply it, somehow I wind up looking like a sad prom queen every time I leave the house. The worst part is that while people are happy to send me unflattering memes that remind them of my perpetually inky under eyes, they never tell me to actually fix my problem. So, I asked a couple of makeup artists if they could teach me how to do what every pre-teen on YouTube seems to have mastered, and they were kind enough to not only oblige, but also to make me feel better about myself in the process. For starters, Merrady Wickes, a makeup artist and beauty director for Detox Market, assures me this is a common dilemma more than a personal failing, which I appreciate. She blames genetics, which is unexpected but no less welcome. “As a makeup artist, I’ve noticed that those prone to eyeliner smudging typically (though not always) have bone structure that lends itself to this,” she tells me. “Whether it’s a hooded lid, or prominent cheekbones that are prone to being grazed by lashes, some people are just more susceptible to smearing.” Obviously no one can change their bone structure, so I’m stuck with that. When I press her on what I can change, she gives me an interesting and unexpected tip: While it might seem counterintuitive, reaching for waterproof formulas could be making the
Tap this back-pocket tip to take the pressure off navigating the holiday food scene
December 13, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Decked out in your most festive holiday attire, you consider whether to pour yourself a second glass of eggnog. As you poise the pitcher over your cup, you think, Well, I can only get this stuff once a year. In Instagram parlance: It me. Yes, we fully endorse pouring the eggnog (check out these dairy-free recipes). But according to Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, it’s this this once-a-year-opportunity mindset that trips up a lot of people when it comes to not waking up the morning after every holiday bash feeling totally, well, blah. At our latest Wellness Collective event with Athleta, Zeitlin shared the holiday eating tips that she personally uses to power herself through the season of cookies and eggnog. “The whole point of these events is to connect,” Zeitlin says. “We’re seeing our co-workers outside of the office to know them in a different way. We’re seeing family we only see once a year. These are the conversations and connections you want to focus on, because that’s what this time of year is all about. Keep in mind that the food is the background. It’s not the star of the show.” “Keep in mind that the food is the background. It’s not the star of the show.” By changing your mindset to view this as the season of connecting rather than the season of sugar overload for sugar overload’s sake, it can give “making the most of the holidays” a whole new meaning,