October 29, 2018 at 06:30PM Whether your ideal vacation includes camping in a local state park or traveling across the world, it’s pretty undeniable that travel is the gold standard for unwinding and taking time for ourselves (people don’t hoard vacation days for nothing!)—which makes it a powerful self-care practice. But finding the time (and money) to dedicate to travel can feel like an impossible task when you’re juggling a full life. To help you figure out how to make travel-life balance work with a budget in mind, Sarah Marks, a psychiatry resident in New York City and the blogger behind Travel Beyond Size, shares her secrets on why she’s such a travel advocate and how she makes her adventures more budget friendly. “Travel is an essential and powerful wellness practice.” “Travel is an essential and powerful wellness practice as it allows you to immerse yourself in new experiences that may be challenging and unfamiliar,” Marks explains. “This in turn builds resiliency and flexibility which are strengths you can apply in your everyday life to keep you well.” So how does she make it work logistically? A master of squeezing in vacation days whenever possible, Marks breaks down time off into two one-week trips and one two-week trip per year (so she isn’t missed at work for too long), and then uses long weekends for local excursions. But if traveling abroad for vacation multiple times a year sounds overwhelming or local travel is more interesting, she totally gets you. “I think people should
Category: City
Here’s what your gas says about your health
October 23, 2018 at 03:30AM Even if hardly anybody admits it, everyone farts. But how much is normal? And can you learn something about your body from the way you pass gas? Robin Berzin, MD, CEO of the functional medicine practice Parsley Health, says flatulence can help you assess what’s going on with your health. Here, the Well+Good Council member explains why you’re tooting—and how you can use your newfound fart I.Q. to become even healthier. Gas, flatulence, farting—call it what you want. Everyone does it; everyone pretends not to. But paying attention to your gas instead of ignoring it could help you uncover information about your body and lifestyle that you can use to resolve gas and bloating for good. At the most basic level, gas is excess air trapped in the intestinal tract, but it comes from two different sources. First, you naturally swallow air while chewing, eating, drinking, and swallowing. The gas from this is usually odorless and made up of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. The average healthy person passes gas between seven and 20 times a day. Second, gas is a metabolic byproduct of digestion, produced when bacteria in your large intestine feed off of foods that were not well digested in your small intestine. Certain foods like cruciferous vegetables, beans, and lentils sometimes cause more gas because they’re high in indigestible fiber and contain specific complex carbohydrates that your gut microbiome thrives on. The gas produced by the fermentation of this indigestible food
How to finally stop pesky razor bumps in their tracks
October 19, 2018 at 09:33AM I remember the first time that I got razor bumps. As with most people who experience the skin woe for the first time, I was utterly confused—I had just shaved in order to reveal a super-smooth bikini line and hairless legs, only to see strange, unsightly red bumps appear shortly thereafter. Despite aspirations of smoothness, bumps can happen—quite easily, in fact. They’re strange and can be confusing to treat, since they’re not exactly pimples or ingrown hairs or even dermatitis—so I sought expert insight to figure out WTF they are anyways. First of all, rest assured that they’re extremely common (I, for one, probably get them every time I shave). “We are mammals and covered with hair follicles,” says Purvisha Patel, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. “Razor bumps typically occur after shaving over hair follicles. The follicle then has inflammation, irritation, and possibly a micro-infection within it as the hair tries to grow back.” You’ll recognize them because they can be itchy, tender, and can even result in scarring. For the full rundown on the skin woe—plus how to treat and prevent it—keep scrollin’. What exactly are razor bumps? Essentially, razor bumps are itty bitty infections. “They’re a small infection in the follicle that causes a red bump,” explains Manon Pilon, author, renowned skin-care expert, and medical aesthetician. “It may be an ingrown hair or folliculitis.” While you may mindlessly shave in the shower—chances are you have it down to a
Patterned tights are the only thing your legs need to take your summer dress obsession in to fall
October 18, 2018 at 11:06AM I stopped wearing pants when I was 14, and ever since, cold weather dressing has been a special conundrum since it involves figuring out myriad ways to keep my legs warm under dresses and skirts. On a practical level, it requires learning how to layer without bulking myself up to look like the Michelin man. Style-wise, it’s pretty difficult to not feel like I’m in a rut or look like I’m repeating the same outfit over and over again (even if DVF says it okay) because all anyone can see are my black tights and winter coat. Recently a slew of well-dressed strangers on New York City sidewalks showed me the solution—patterned tights. As the temps have finally dipped, I’ve started to notice that every outfit that stops me in my tracks involves a pair of bold, patterned, and textured tights. And TBH, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of this sooner—a pair of bold tights might actually solve 80 percent of my winter wardrobe issues. That’s because they do three things: 1. Add an interesting element to an otherwise everyday coat. 2. Make you look put together with minimal effort. 3. Keep your legs warm, duh! So last week when I walked by an Urban Outfitters mannequin wearing plaid blue tights, I bit the fashion bullet and bought a pair. Once I got over my fear of bold prints and finally convinced myself that I could pull them off, I wore them with a plain black outfit (the
Trading your old clothes in for cool new ones is a dream fashion brands are making a reality
October 04, 2018 at 12:47PM The fashion industry is doing more every day to change its reputation as one of the chief sources of pollution and waste in the world. (Finally.) H&M is expanding its eco-conscious offerings to help meet its goal of using 100-percent sustainable or recycled materials by 2030. Casual-cool clothing brand Re/Done is creating new jeans out of old denim, and Urban Outfitters has a line dedicated to repurposing secondhand clothes. There’s still a long way to go, but all these are starts that deserve a slow-clap as they address one major issue: 84 percent of unwanted clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators…even when it’s donated instead of thrown out. This week, two more mega brands joined the good fight: Online consignment shop thredUP and sustainable womenswear line Reformation, which launched a new joint recycling program on October 2. Now, savvy shoppers can visit thredUP’s website and order a thredUP x Reformation UPcycle kit. Once you receive yours, you fill it with clothing you’re ready to part with (from any brand!) and send it back to the company. The clothing will then go through its regular resale vetting process—they’ll return pieces that don’t meet their quality requirements to the customer or recycle them responsibly so they don’t end up in a landfill. For clothing that passes the test, shoppers can choose between a certain monetary amount or Reformation credit. ThredUP expects to continue rolling out similar initiatives with other brands throughout 2019. Although this is one of the most recent (and buzziest) initiatives, it’s not the
There’s now an official start date to cuffing season (and hey, you’ve got time)
October 03, 2018 at 11:58AM Every year as the season changes and the winter coats and heavy-quilts get lugged out from storage, singles are faced with the choice to either endure the cold temps alone—bring on the merino wool—or embark on a winter-inspired quest to find a snuggle buddy. Tis (almost) cuffing season, after all—you know, the time of year when, according to Urban Dictionary, “People who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves along with the rest of the world desiring to be ‘cuffed’ or tied down by a serious relationship.” If you’re still wondering why it’s called cuffing, it’s a derivative of “handcuffing,” because you’re basically shackling yourself to another person for a season. (And they say romance is dead.) The hosts of the Save The Date Show podcast, Imani and Kandice, understand the struggles of singledom—which they portray through LOL-inducing memes and oh-so-real-checklists. And they definitely get the appeal of coupling up in cold weather. After all, hygge-ing, cuddling up in front of the fire, and romantic-comedy marathons are better with an S.O. But they have one message for you: Relax, you’ve got time. View this post on Instagram Uh oh… the seasons are changing. You got your roster organized ?? How do you narrow your options? What characteristics do you look for in your cuffing season partner? • • We discussed cuffing season last year around this time in episode 8. Catch up on that and our latest episode TODAY! Tag a friend! • • #dating
The new earring trend that turned up all over the streets of Fashion Month
October 03, 2018 at 09:04AM It’s official: We’re living in an era of anything-goes fashion. Thanks to social media, you can now source style inspo for so. many. places. So, whenever any one trend starts standing out (looking at you, athleisure) it attracts attention. One thing I kept noticing during my endless scrolls through street style photos from the fashion shows this past month were women wearing diamond strand earrings. Think: tennis bracelets but for your ears. These swinging statement earrings add a glittery finishing touch to high-fashion outfits, as well as an unexpected embellishment to streetwear styles. These swinging statement earrings showed up on lobes in New York City, London, Milan, and Paris. And their universal appeal isn’t just geographic. They added a glittery finishing touch to high-fashion outfits, as well as an unexpected embellishment to streetwear styles. While I’m sure at least some of the well-heeled women who attend fashion shows were wearing actual diamonds, in all likelihood, at least a few strands of sparklers were actually diamantes (or adorned with artificial gemstones like cubic zirconia). Either way, they were the coolest new accessory I clocked all month, making them my biggest fall earring trend for 2018. Better yet? They’ll still be in style come holiday season. 8 strand earrings to shop now and still wear later Buy Now Swarovski Fluid Drop Pierced Earring $299 Buy Now Baublebar Charlotte Drop Earrings $38 Buy Now Swarovski Fit Clip Earrings $129 Buy Now Gigi & Joux Ella Diamond And Sterling
No lie: There’s about to be an F45 on every corner
October 02, 2018 at 09:30AM Just two years ago, Well+Good predicted that the Aussie fitness franchise F45 Training would explode in a big way. And with plans to open hundreds of new studios internationally in 2018, it’s fair to say it’s well on its way to becoming the next boutique workout model to enter the mainstream, alongside Orangetheory, CorePower Yoga, and Pure Barre. Since we last caught up with its founder Robert Deutsch, F45 has sold 1,300 studio franchises around the globe—570 of those will open in the United States, according to Forbes. And this is just a warm-up: Deutsch says plans are in the works to expand everywhere from Canada to Europe to Asia in the near future. The 45-minute, team-based HIIT workout has tons of devotees (celebs like Hugh Jackman and Nicole Richie are fans), and class types rotate. There are currently 31 different workouts (buh-bye, boredom!) and each class has a name and focus: The “Gravity” class, for example, is focused on bodyweight strength training. The F45 signature combo of HIIT, circuit training, and functional movements is a part of each one. Variety is part of why Deutsch thinks F45 has captured the hearts (and dollars) of fitness fans across the globe. “When we first started the business, we only had five [types of classes],” he says. “We’re adding 1,000 new exercises each year and new equipment. The workout really does have a huge amount of innovation to it.” Photo: F45 Hundreds of new F45 Training locations will open worldwide in
5 hot-off-the-runway athleisure trends from the Off-White fashion show in Paris
September 28, 2018 at 10:03AM Designer Virgil Abloh doesn’t follow fashion trends. He sets them. It’s why luxury brands trying to embrace athleisure and street-style lovers in need of new inspo follow his every move. After all, his collections are harbingers of where the fastest growing fashion category is headed. So it makes sense that Abloh’s Off-White ready-to-wear show yesterday for Paris Fashion Week was a good place to look for spring/summer ’19 athleisure trends. He collaborated with Nike again for this go-round on the runway, for which he had the concrete floors of the Garage Amelot painted to look like an indoor race course. (Track-and-field was the theme of the collection.) The models, a mix of pro catwalkers and pro female athletes, included Vashti Cunningham, the 20-year-old U.S. Olympic high jumper who’s as well-known for her athleticism as she is her personal style. While Abloh’s unexpected casting choices grabbed headlines, inclusivity wasn’t the only newsworthy aspect of show. Scroll down to see five athleisure moments that were statement makers as well. Keep an eye out for these 5 brand-new athleisure trends. Photo: Richard Bord/Getty Images 1. Pointed-toe sneakers As if to signal the chunky sneaker trend is coming to an end (sigh), Abloh sent down the runway several pairs of retro kicks with a modern twist: a narrowed toe curve. It’s a common shape in boots and heels, but sneakers? Okay, Abloh, we get your, ahem, point. Athleisure is refining its fashion game. Photo: Kay-Paris Fernandes/Getty Images 2. Peekaboo sports bras Cropped sports
Is fashion’s latest obsession with cowboys just channeling the Wild West energy of today’s cultural climate?
September 26, 2018 at 05:12AM A couple of months ago I noticed that my artist friends residing deep in Brooklyn had switched out their French-inspired berets for something more unusual—flat-rimmed hats and bolo ties. At first, I merely took notice and stuck to my shoulder padded leisure suits—New York fashion can be especially eclectic. Slowly but surely, however, an aesthetic, which is best described as Marie Kondo’s minimalism meets Debbie Winger’s Sissy in Urban Cowboy, has seeped its way into one major fashion collection after another. Designers’ latest obsessions with western wear confused me at first. But I’ve since come to the conclusion that an unclear future has people collectively looking back at times that seemed equally untamed for guidance. (Hindsight is, after all, 20/20.) It could explain why the last major western resurgence happened during the 1980s when the winddown of the Cold War, coupled with the Iran Contra Affair, Aids epidemic, and the War on Drugs left the state of our union uncertain. The biggest difference between then and now—or the actual period of the Wild West from 1865 to 1895—is that today, is that women aren’t just adopting the fashions of the era, but the attitude as well. “We’re at a moment in our history in which there’s a strong focus on women and our experiences, and you see more women taking the lead in social movements and positions of political power” says Francis. “Fashion isn’t completely disconnected from what’s going on in the world and maybe