July 18, 2019 at 10:02AM by CWC I’ve been on the same page with Awkwafina for a while. Long before she revealed that we share the same anxiety coping mechanism. We’ve never met, but when she was a fledging feminist rapper and I was a fledgling feminist magazine editorial intern, we were in the same place one time in 2013. I was grumpily giving out gift bags at an event, and she graced us with a dope track about her vagina. A flawless performance didn’t reveal any nervousness she says she felt at the time, but the crowd’s positive reaction quelled her anxiety. “I’d never gotten a reception like that before,” she said in an interview the next day with Character Media. “They were literally laughing at every single line. What I like is making people laugh.” Awkwafina recently sat down for Hi Anxiety, a new YouTube series from Hearts and Minds, and shared how she handled—and still really handles—all those anxious feelings. ad_intervals[‘409047_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘409047_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); “The way that I dealt with anxiety or losing my mom was not holding that sadness in, which I think was my instinctual response,” she says. “Letting it out was really helpful, like actually talking to people about it. And I actually did develop humor, I think as some sort of defense mechanism. It made me appreciate like, making people feel joy.” LOL am I being punked? This is me. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2FE_htVAL4] I’ve used
Category: Relaxation
These 5 Minerals May Be Why You Feel Great After Swimming In The Ocean
July 18, 2019 at 12:12AM How the minerals in seawater—like magnesium, chloride, and sodium—benefit our health, including their relaxing, mood-boosting, and blood-pressure-regulating properties. Continue Reading… Author Gretchen Lidicker, M.S. | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
What the heck are Kegels, and are they ever truly useful?
July 17, 2019 at 08:52AM by CWC As far as incognito exercises go, nothing flies under the radar quite like Kegels. At any given moment, someone in direct proximity of you might be flexing their pelvic floor muscles and you wouldn’t even know. it. If you ask any OB/GYN, they’ll tell you the benefits of the subtle muscle contraction known as Kegel exercises are the fitness equivalent of a fire emoji for your nether regions. First, the basics: What are Kegels, anyway? Developed in the 1940s as a non-surgical method to prevent urinary incontinence by—you guessed it—American gynecologist Arnold H. Kegel, MD, the exercise has long been embraced by the medical community for its effectiveness in strengthening the pelvic floor. “Many people are taught that the strength is gained through contracting these muscles only—or doing high repetitions of contractions—but in order to do them properly, the contraction must also be followed by a full release,” says OB/GYN Adeeti Gupta, MD, founder of Walk In GYN Care in New York City. Like performing a perfect abdominal crunch, contracting the muscles on the way up is just as important as slowly releasing them on the way down. Only, in this case, I’m talking about the muscles from your pubic bone to your tailbone—not your abs. ad_intervals[‘408607_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘408607_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); The reasons to exercise your pelvic floor are plenty. “This network of muscles is responsible for holding all the organs of the pelvis bowl
It’s no coincidence that America’s most-stressed city gets the least amount of sleep
July 15, 2019 at 09:49AM by CWC Let’s be honest: stress is a part of life. No matter your zip code, mental health maintenance is an ongoing project. But after an in-depth look at the headspaces of people across America, WalletHub has named Detroit, Michigan, as the winning (losing?) city in the United States of Stress. To boot, the city also received the lowest average amount of sleep per night. Coincidence? We—and researchers—think not. First thing’s first, it’s important to note that the group of experts culled national data from 182 cities to reach this conclusion using 39 metrics that fell under the categories of stress, financial stress, family stress, and health and safety stress. The amount of adults who clocked an “inadequate” amount of sleep fell in the “health and safety” bucket. Folks living in Detroit slept about half as much on average as those Overland Park, Kansas (the city that slept the most, on average). ad_intervals[‘408098_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘408098_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Detroit’s residents certainly aren’t alone. About 7 to 19 percent of Americans chronically miss out on sleep. And even though stress was just one of 39 metrics in the case of WalletHub’s study, The American Psychological Association reports that the two are inextricably intertwined. Twenty-one percent of American adults report feeling more stressed when they don’t log enough shut-eye, and 45 percent of adults feel even more stressed if they don’t get enough sleep. A lack of sleep also ripples
This resistance band back workout improves posture in 10 minutes flat
July 15, 2019 at 06:52AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqDl4nRHL0c] Welcome to Trainer of the Month Club, our brand-new fitness series, where we tap the coolest, most in-the-know fitness leaders to create a month-long fitness challenge. On Mondays, we have our “sweat drops” where you’ll get access to the week’s workout that you can follow along at home. This week, Bec Donlan’s working your back muscles with a fiery 10-minute resistance band workout. Regardless of how good I am about working out on the reg, the absolute one body part that gets ignored is my back. I’ll work my arms ’til they’re about ready to fall off and my core until it quakes, but when it comes to my back muscles, it’s outta sight, outta mind. This is not to my benefit, though. Even though I can’t personally see my back, it’s responsible for, well, keeping me vertical. And your back muscles are majorly in charge of your posture. So it’s a bright idea to not neglect those muscles back (ahem) there. In this week’s Trainer of the Month Club workout, Bec Donlan shares a short but effective (and sweaty… trust me) routine that involves a resistance band and your back, and you’ll also work your arms while you’re at it. ad_intervals[‘408040_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘408040_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); “We’re going to be working the posterior chain, which is so important for your posture, standing up straight, and just feeling good,” says Donlan. All it takes is a little
The secret to clocking hours worth of sleep in minutes? A yoga nidra session
July 15, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC There are two kinds of people: those who can hold a tree pose for days and those who have unfurled a yoga mat one and a half times and whimpered through each downward dog. As a member of that latter group, when I first heard about yoga nidra for sleep, I was skeptical to say the least, because even though I love myself some zzz’s, the only part of yoga I can get down with on the reg is the savasana portion. Well. Learning from a meditation practitioner that yoga nidra, an ancient meditation practice, is basically just that, led me to change my tune. “I’m someone who loves sleep, and I have had such a hard time with sleeping: My son is now 4, and I’m still not getting a full night sleep,” says Julie Sacks, certified vedic meditation teacher and founder of well-being company Vie. “And so, as a meditation teacher [I turned to] yoga nidra, which is an incredible meditation.” ad_intervals[‘406430_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘406430_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Yoga nidra is a guided meditative practice that aims to nudge you into a half-conscious state of “yogic” or “psychic” sleep. It’s been around for thousands of years, and research points to this waking rest giving you the benefits of several hours sleep in a few minutes. Below, learn how it works. Yoga nidra is meant to put provide your body with rest and rejuvenation That’s regardless of
How to use foods that make you sleepy to your advantage
July 12, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC From the parenting trick of lulling kids to sleep with a pre-bedtime glass of milk to avoiding caffeine after hours so you aren’t up all night counting sheep, there’s no denying that there’s a connection between food and sleep. Sometimes this is a gift, and sometimes it’s a curse. (Ever feel like you’re falling asleep at your desk around 2 p.m.? Something you ate for lunch could be the reason why.) So how do you hack your diet to work to your advantage? There’s definitely some helpful tips to keep in mind. Here, registered dietitian and Verywell Health general manager Rachel Berman, RD, gives the low-down on common foods that make people feel sleepy during the day, ones that could work to your advantage at night, and common culprits that could be keeping you up and interfering with your sleep. You’ll leave knowing what to eat, when, literally eating your way to a better night’s sleep. A pretty delicious remedy, right? ad_intervals[‘407136_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘407136_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Foods that make you sleepy during the day Not being able to keep your eyes open when you’re at work is the worst. Getting everything done on your to-do list can be challenging even when energy is on your side, but when it’s working against you? Woof. If you had a sugary granola bar or bagel for breakfast, you could find yourself wanting to take a nap a few
A healthy(ish) weekend in Napa and Sonoma, the twin valleys of wine and wellness
July 12, 2019 at 09:55AM by CWC Located just an hour north of San Francisco and home to more than 100 premium wineries and award-winning olive producers, it’s no wonder Sonoma Valley sees millions of visitors every year. Same goes for its sister region, Napa Valley, where more than 400 wineries await. Together, the two valleys form part of California’s lauded wine country, an oenophile’s dream come true that has become nearly synonymous with “bachelorette party,” “honeymoon,” and “R&R escape.” And while food and drink are surely some of the area’s most prized offerings, there is still plenty for health enthusiasts to do, taste, and see—ensuring the weekend is met with equal parts wellness and wine. Here are some of the best ways to unwind and recharge in one of America’s most beloved destinations. Where to Sleep LEDSON HOTEL Situated directly on Sonoma Square, this luxe property was built by fifth generation Sonoma farmer and winemaker Steve Ledson, who also designed the Ledson Winery—a 16,000-square-foot “castle” located 14 miles from town. The hotel features six rooms (each one named for a different member of the Ledson), and while each 400-square-foot space has a personality of its own, they all share the same high caliber comforts, from imported glass chandeliers and wood-carved ceilings to plush oriental rugs and luxury bedding. After a long day of activities, curl up by the fireplace at lobby level Zina Lounge, or watch the sun set from the venue’s ample sidewalk seating. ad_intervals[‘406849_div-gpt-ad-6934292-3’] = setInterval(function ()
Make those slow AF weeks speed up using a few psychological tricks
July 10, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC A week is seven days or 168 hours no matter how you slice it, but Mondays spent in the office still feel as though they must surely cover more minutes than Saturdays spent literally anywhere else. Turns out that sensation isn’t just time and space gaslighting you. Rather, there are many factors that make certain days and weeks feel longer and shorter. The most interesting reason, though? Fear. “If you’re in a state of fear or anxiety, time seems to stretch longer,” says psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD. “That’s probably because fear causes you to pay very close attention to detail, and the more complex and detailed your perception of events, the longer things seem to take.” Ah, so that’s also why—whether or not you’re in a state of fear or heightened anxiety—if there’s ever a week when you’re hustling to get through your to-do list that’s longer than those CVS receipt coupons you never use, it can feel like a century’s worth of time is passing. You have a lot of details to remember, and it takes a lot of time to take stock of each. Same goes for tasks that require attention to detail to ensure everything gets done well. And believe it or not, boredom can have the same effect because searching for any sort of stimulation necessitates close attention that makes time feel like time it’s slowing. “When you’re more relaxed and not that attentive, things seem to go faster,” Dr.
“Lazy keto” may be easier than regular keto, but don’t count on getting the same benefits
July 09, 2019 at 10:30AM by CWC Whether it’s from people in your virtual fit squad, your neighbor, or an influencer you follow on Instagram, it’s highly likely that you’ve heard someone going on and on about the benefits of the ketogenic diet. Keto devotees credit the low-carb, high-fat eating plan for everything from weight loss and better cognitive function to decreased anxiety. Here’s the thing though: There’s debate amongst health experts over whether sticking with the ketogenic diet long-term is actually healthy. And admittedly it’s not the easiest eating plan to follow. (Must…Not…Eat…Bread.) It’s no wonder many are starting to look into a tweaked version called “lazy keto.” Basically, lazy keto eaters cut carbs to less than 20 grams a day, but don’t follow any hard and fast rules when it comes to protein or fat intake. This means followers don’t have to keep a strict macros ratio in mind, which theoretically makes the eating plan easier. But what do health experts think of lazy keto? Here, a registered dietitian and a ketogenic expert both give their insight as to whether the tweaked eating plan is worth it—or too lazy to work. ad_intervals[‘406609_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘406609_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); How lazy keto compares to going all-out ketogenic The big question many have when comparing a traditional ketogenic diet to this more simplistic version is which one is healthier. As with any eating plan, Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, says the answer depends on your eating