March 30, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC I never crave vegetables on Mondays. On the first day back on the clock after a relaxing weekend, my stomach growls for sweet treats rather than greens. But Jessica Alba‘s holistic nutritionist, Kelly LeVeque, has a solid green smoothie recipe to fuel herself through the week so she can enjoy a chocolatey reward once Friday hits. If you know anything about LeVeque, it’s that she loves her Fab Four Smoothies. While she recommends them to all her clients—Alba, included!—she practices what she preaches. While there are plenty of more decadent smoothie options in her repertoire, she saves them for after she loads up on vitamins and nutrients. “I normally go green on Mondays and work my way into that chocolate peanut butter cup by Friday,” she writes on Instagram. And what better way to increase your veggie intake—and fight off work-week anxiety—than a “spa smoothie”? To kick off her Mondays, LeVeque drinks up a mix that’s loaded with plant-based protein, healthy fats, and energizing citrus. Basically, it’s just the kind of pampering your body needs to make it to Friday. When there’s no time for cucumbers on your eyes, you blend them up for breakfast with this green smoothie recipe. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kelly LeVeque (@bewellbykelly) on Mar 25, 2019 at 6:52am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Kelly LeVeque’s spa smoothie 1 serving vanilla protein powder (20 to 30g) 2 Tbsp chia seeds squeeze of lemon juice handful of
Category: Relaxation
How to deal when you love your single status, but your mom does not (and lets you know it)
March 29, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC I have near-daily phone calls with my mom, and odds are strong that somewhere between “How’s the weather?” and “What’s for dinner?” she’ll check in on my relationship status…as if that’s the kind of thing that magically changes overnight. And something tells me I’m hardly alone in my efforts to field and squelch relationship questions from well-intentioned but sometimes overbearing (sorry, Mom!) parents. I know my mom wants the best for me, but I’ve been into flying solo as of late; sleeping diagonally on the bed, not worrying about a complicated strategy for my DM game, and having all the time for gal-pal cauliflower pizza parties and Netflix has been super fulfilling for me lately. Apparently, it’s not so fulfilling for my mom—but experts say the underlying reason for her nosy Qs isn’t necessarily because she doesn’t approve of the single life. Encouraging us to date, or even going as far as trying to set us up, is often just an effort to end what parents perceive as our sadness for not having a partner locked down. In fact, says psychotherapist Aimee Barr, LCSW, this common plight may be just be the result of a simple generational divide. “Most of our parents grew up in a time when the cultural expectations were different around dating and marriage,” she says. Especially if your parents are still married, they might not realize how much the conversation around relationships has changed. “If you feel pressured, uncomfortable,
The skin-care brands from around the world that editors are loving right now
March 29, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC My favorite thing to do when I visit another country (aside from eating, taking in the sites, and eating some more), is to scope out the beauty products. I’m a big believer that you can learn a lot simply from perusing a foreign beauty aisle, whether or not you wind up stashing some of your finds into a suitcase and taking them home with you. While traveling full time over the last three years, I made it to 22 different countries—which means I shopped the shelves of (at least) 22 different beauty destinations. And let me tell you: I found some real drugstore diamonds and luxury wins. From the water-based skin-care in France to, well, everything I could get my hands on in Japan, I always left each place with a carry-on that was a whole lot heavier than what I’d left home with. The good news? Some of the best beauty brands I found while scouring the world actually happen to be available right here in the United States—no plane ticket required. Scroll through for some of my all-time faves. Photo: Elemis United Kingdom: Elemis Ultra Smart Pro-Collagen Complex 12 Serum, $335 The British-owned brand Elemis made its way to the United States a couple of years ago, and found all the praise from shoppers at places like Ulta, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus alike for its superfood-packed, results-driven formulas. This Neiman Marcus exclusive is the newest entry in the line. The creamy serum
The Best Workout To Do The Morning You Travel & The Day Before
March 29, 2019 at 03:03AM You’ll be relaxed and flight-ready in no time. Continue Reading… Author Ray Bass | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
This Cozy U.K. Home Will Make You Want To Paint Your Walls, STAT
March 28, 2019 at 02:09AM An interior design student lets us into her super-relaxing sanctuary. Continue Reading… Author Emma Loewe | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
9 natural remedies for constipation that’ll do you a solid
March 27, 2019 at 11:03AM by CWC There’s no beating around the toilet bowel on this one: Constipation is flat-out horrible. It feels uncomfortable, makes you bloated and probably pretty crabby (just me?). And while in the midst of a BM dry spell, when all you want is some freaking relief, you might feel like the only troubled pooper in the world. But that’s where you’re wrong. Some 42 million Americans suffer from constipation, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases—and if you have fewer than three bowel movements per week, stools that are painful and difficult to pass, or feel like you’re just not getting it all out, all signs point to you being one ’em. Not to worry, toilet-challenged comrades, because there are a wealth of reasons that may explain the poop-light plight. “For the most part, constipation is caused by poor diet, not enough fiber, too much fiber without enough water, and physical inactivity,” says nutritionist Maya Feller, RD. “For the most part, constipation is caused by poor diet, not enough fiber, too much fiber without enough water, and physical inactivity.” — Nutritionist Maya Feller, RD. If you suspect your constipation is caused by a larger issue (Feller elaborates that certain medications can slow the digestive tract, and conditions like pelvic-floor dysfunction and inflammatory GI diseases can be at play, too), it’s important to get to the doctor stat. Otherwise, a few simple lifestyle tweaks could go a long way for pushing
Can’t decide where to go on summer vacation? Let Astrocartography be your guide
March 27, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Some people feel like they need a vacation when they get home from vacation. But what about the decision fatigue that plagues globetrotters on the front end of the planning game? After all, it’s exhausting to simply choose a travel destination in the first place. To soak in the hot springs of San Miguel de Allende or swim with the pigs in the Bahamas? Northern lights or southern lights? (Champagne problems, I know.) But recently, I learned about an astrology discipline that’s speaking to my own indecisive, wanderlusty soul: astrogeography, which, as astrologer Dara Dubinet explains it, is “the astrology of place.” Put simply, astrologers believe different places on Earth hold different planetary energies for each person, based on where and when they were born. The intel can provide insight into the best and worst places for you to live and travel, energetically speaking. So, if you, say, studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia, and felt a new rush of confidence there, it could be because that city lies on your sun line. (“Lines” are latitude lines that correspond with the major celestial bodies, and they’re different for everyone depending on that person’s natal astrology chart.) Or, conversely, if you recently moved to New York City and you’ve felt overworked and weighed down ever since, it could be because the Big Apple’s on a Saturn line for you. “Any time we’re thinking of relocating, traveling, holding a retreat, or having a wedding, it’s good to
How to communicate with your spirit guides, according to a medium
March 26, 2019 at 07:11AM by CWC I was in the middle of a phone conversation with spiritual medium Erika Gabriel, talking about how to communicate with spirits, when she suddenly told me she was getting a message from my grandmother (who had passed away a couple of years ago). “Your grandmother wants to say something to you,” she says, as I’m taken off guard. “She’s telling me to ask you why you aren’t married yet—she really wants to see you married and settled down with a family.” Let me tell you—I was shook. I’m not alone, as we lose loved ones, some of us are interested in communicating with others in the spirit world, and Gabriel’s job is to act as a guide. She’s well-versed in communicating with those who have moved on, which is what I came to her for. To begin with, though, it’s important to fully know what spirits are in the first place—and what they are not. Now, it’s important to note that not everyone believes this world exists, but for those who do, there are certainly things to get straight. Here are the most important details to note, according to Gabriel. First things first: What are spirits? “There are such things as ghosts,” says Gabriel. “I’m going to start there. Ghosts or those types of spirits are usually the first things that people bump into because they’re stuck here on the Earth plane.” She explains that the “bumping into” feeling is essentially that energy
7 bathing traditions from around the world that are worth traveling for
March 25, 2019 at 11:04AM by CWC In my opinion, no travel itinerary is complete without a trip to the local spa. Wellness practices are a unique way to experience hyper-local traditions, often with native ingredients—think Manuka honey in New Zealand or Aruban aloe. From luxury spas to neighborhood bathhouses, experiencing local bathing rituals is a pretty great way for wellness travelers to see the world. That said, if your favorite part of a vacation is the hotel room tub, why not opt for a traditional bathing experience instead? To inspire wanderlust and celebrate bathing cultures that dot the globe, read on for insight into what seven spa baths look like in different locales. View this post on Instagram Do you love those Bali spa treatments as much as we do? @glodayspa_bali is definitely our favorite! They’re offering hair salon, spa, and massage in Sanur, Seminyak, Canggu and Nusa Lembongan. . . . . . #bali #explorebali #baliholiday #baliguide #balibaby #balilife #balidreaming #balispas #spaday #balispaguide #balispa #nailartist #flowerbath #hairstylist #balimassage #massage #hairandmakeup #weddingday #baliwedding #makeupartist #balibody #glodayspabali #globali #glodayspa #glocanggu #gloseminyak #baliflowerbath #flowerbathbali #balispatreatment A post shared by 360 Bali Guides (@360bali) on Dec 22, 2018 at 8:00pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js Balinese flower baths Yes, the famous flower baths of Bali make for an amazing Instagram photo, but there’s much more to the tradition than just posing in a floral-covered tub. In Balinese culture, traditionally, flower baths were used as healing rituals, in addition to a luxe spa day. Spend some
Your no-nonsense guide to pegging, from sexperts who know the ins and outs
March 25, 2019 at 10:04AM by CWC Since sex-ed left a ton of us high and dry (like, very dry) when it comes to implementing info we can really use, let’s just cut right to the chase about pegging: “The term refers specifically to a sexual practice in which a woman performs anal sex on a man, using a strap-on dildo,” says sexual-wellness expert and director of education at sex-toy brand Satisfyer Megwyn White. The term was born in 2001 as a result of columnist Dan Savage’s contest for coining a term to describe strap-on play between a woman and a man, because at the time, it was somehow a dictionary blank space. But as pegging has continued to make its way into the popular conscience (thanks, Broad City!), queer and non-binary folks have started using the term, too. “It’s become a more fluid term as gender boundaries have become less rigid,” says brand manager at luxury sex-toy company LELO. And it’s good news, considering the healthy effects experts say pegging allows for. First, there’s the physical pleasure to account for: For men, pegging targets the prostate gland (essentially the male G-spot), and many describe the resulting sensation as a full-body orgasm, says Alicia Sinclair, sex educator and CEO of anal-sex-product company b-Vibe. “It’s usually different than other orgasms. It’s full-force.” While she adds that the pegger may also find the act to be physically stimulating in addition to empowering, pegging can notably cater to the general health of any