December 23, 2019 at 03:42PM by CWC Ten years ago, boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle and Pure Barre were few and far between, “clean beauty” was of interest to just a niche audience, and we only wore leggings—gasp!—to the gym. Now, the wellness industry is worth an estimated $4.5 trillion—and all projections indicate it will continue to balloon in the coming years. When we look ahead to 2020 and beyond, the below 27 people are poised to be the driving forces behind innovation and advancement in this booming wellness space. Their brands, inventions, and organizations are changing the way we eat, move, and think—and they have their sights set on helping everyone, regardless of age, location or socioeconomic status, live a well life. Wellness is not—and should not be—an exclusive lifestyle for the 1 percent, and these influential people have made it their mission to make wellness practices accessible and available to more people than ever before. Learn their names now, you’ll be hearing much more from them. Keep reading to meet the Changemakers, the most influential people in wellness in 2020 (in no particular order) 1. Nicole Cardoza Founder and Executive Director, Yoga Foster Founder, Reclamation Ventures “All of us inherently have the right to feel good,” yoga instructor and entrepreneur Nicole Cardoza has said. And she’s made it her goal to share well-being practices with communities that are often left out of the wellness conversation, including people of color and children living in urban areas. Yoga Foster, Cardoza’s
Category: Vegetarians
Given everything we learned about food this year, here’s how we’ll be eating in 2020
December 23, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC If you want to adopt a healthier way of eating in 2020—but you’re totally confused about what that even means—it’s not just you. The nutrition news space is about as noisy as Times Square on New Year’s Eve, and it can be hard to discern the facts from the fads. Luckily, several studies published in 2019 made it clearer than ever which foods promote health and longevity, making it hopefully a bit easier for us all to make dietary decisions in the new year and beyond. Here, we distill the findings of 2019’s most notable nutrition news into easy-to-follow meal planning tips. As you’ll see, they telegraph several truths loud and clear: You can’t go wrong if you’re eating lots of plants, following Mediterranean diet guidelines, and avoiding processed foods. Follow these suggestions, and you can rest assured that you’re eating in a way that’s actually approved by science (even if it’s not the diet du jour on Instagram). 1. Prioritize fruits, veggies, and grains in the name of planetary (and personal) health Concerned about the climate crisis? Same. But this year, we learned it’s possible to make a difference by consciously planning our meals. A large-scale analysis published in October showed that vegetables, fruit, and whole grains are the three most sustainable foods a person can eat. Not only are they nutritious—they’re the foods to load up on for a healthy gut and cardiovascular system—but they also have a 40-times lower environmental
This foolproof hair gloss repairs and defines natural curls without any frizz in sight
December 23, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC After my mom finally cracked and let me get a keratin treatment in high school, I lived the dream of any 16-year-old that’s in a codependent relationship with her flat iron: I had glossy, Cher Horowitz-straight hair for a full year, without any hot tools required in my a.m. routine. The treatment’s effects ended up lingering for several years, and by the time I turned 19, I actually started to miss my curls. Now, after much experimentation with curl gels, oils, and other hair goos, I’m really just starting to embrace my hair’s natural waves. So for a present this year, I’d really love to try Oribe Curl Gloss ($42). The bottle itself resembles the one in The Little Mermaid that Ursula uses to whip up Ariel’s mermaid-to-human potion—and what’s inside Oribe’s concoction is just as transformative. It’s a vegan styling product that contains aloe vera, a strand-repairing superstar, and moisturizing panthenol, which works to volumize each curl with care. Its formula is also hair-inclusive, offering shine and definition to all kinds of curls, spanning from “wavy” to “coily,” according to the brand, plus it’s made to protect your ‘do from the sharp UV rays of the sun (an environmental threat Ariel definitely didn’t consider when she decided to ditch the tail). Best of all though—and this is key, folks—Oribe Curl Gloss works just as well on air-dried hair as it does when blow-dried by a diffuser. Sure, piles of products exist to tackle curls,
These are the healthiest foods to eat during winter, according to a dietitian
December 21, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC If you plan on leaving your home anytime in the next three months, chances are, you’re going to cross paths with some pretty nasty germs. Even when they know better, the truth is, the majority of people under the weather still go to work sick. (And to the grocery store sick. And the gym sick. And on and on and on.) Given that we’re in prime flu season right now, it’s no surprise that one of the first questions that came up during a recent Ask Me Anything in Well+Good’s Facebook group Cook With Us with registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, was how to use healthy winter foods to keep from getting sick. Given that a high proportion of the body’s immune system is actually located in the gut, it’s a very good question; the food-immune system connection is real! “While everyone is coughing on you, you can protect yourself with food,” Beckerman answered in response to the question. “Your gut plays a role in protecting your immune system.” How exactly? These are the top foods she recommends for keeping your immune system in top shape all winter long. Winter foods to keep you healthy 1. probiotic-rich foods Yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut all land on Beckerman’s list of foods to add to your grocery haul during winter. “It’s important to have plenty of probiotics to support the gut,” she says. The three listed above are all high in the good bacteria that
Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory food pyramid isn’t a diet—and that’s why dietitians love it
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:
There’s a lot of personalized vitamin companies out there—here’s how they compare
December 19, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC As a kid, the only vitamin dilemma you had to worry about was whether you were in the mood for an orange-flavored Wilma or a cherry-flavored Fred. As an adult, supplement queries are a lot more complicated. The logic of everyone—regardless of their eating habits and lifestyles—taking the same multivitamin every day is about as outdated as the Flintstones themselves. In the past few years, in-the-know wellness insiders have increasingly turned to personalized vitamin companies (which will send you packets of supplements based on your individual lifestyle, diet, and goals) as an insurance policy for their nutrient needs. But there’s not only the question what to take, but also who to trust: Unlike food, the supplement industry is widely unregulated—and that includes these “trendy” new companies. And with many of them charging per pill, it pays (literally) to do your homework before signing up for a subscription. Included here are the general guidelines to consider before you start shopping around and how some of the most popular vitamin subscription companies compare to each other based on price, what they offer, and commitment requirements. Keep reading for everything you need to know. General guidelines to consider Since vitamins are something you’re likely going to be putting into your body every day, The Vitamin Solution author Arielle Levitan, MD (who, full disclosure, is the founder of Vous Vitamins), says it’s really important to look into where the company sources its ingredients—and to make sure it
Why some healthy eating experts say intuitive eating is the future of nutrition
December 19, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Eat whatever you want, whenever you want—and improve your cholesterol and blood sugar levels while feeling happier and more confident about your body. Sold? That’s the promise behind “intuitive eating,” a term coined by dietian Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their 1995 book, Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program the Works. Although the theory is a bit more involved than that, this relatively straightforward approach to food may seem quite radical to many of us used to complicated diets with lots of rules about what you can and can’t eat (ahem, keto). While the concept has been growing more popular in recent years, (and has long been a mainstay of eating disorder recovery), intuitive eating started to attract more widespread attention after author Jessica Knoll credited it to changing her relationship with food after years of dieting in a June essay for the New York Times. But the philosophy is certainly older than this year. “Intuitive eating is reconnecting with a way of eating that always existed,” says Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, a certified intuitive eating counselor and owner of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness. What is intuitive eating? Most eating plans tend to have pretty particular rules, whether it’s sticking to a very specific amount of calories or macronutrients per day (like the ketogenic diet), completely avoiding entire food groups (like the Paleo diet), or eating only on certain days of the week or at certain times of the day (like various
The 9 most unexpected cooking secrets we learned this year
December 18, 2019 at 06:02PM by CWC Sometimes you learn a cooking secret that totally changes the game. Whether it helps you prepare an impressive dinner in record time or ups the flavor of one of your favorite dishes, finding good cooking hacks is like winning the lottery. And this year, we won a lot. From learning a healthy low-sodium way to season pasta water without salt to cooking Trader Joe’s famous cauliflower gnocchi like a boss, these are the secrets you should start using immediately. The best cooking hacks we learned this year 1. seasoning pasta water with seaweed Pasta tastes so much better when you salt it. The only problem? You’re really loading up on the sodium. For the same great flavor minus the sodium, simply grab some seaweed. “If you’re looking to reduce your sodium intake, you can add other types of seasoning to the water to help infuse your pasta,” says Whitney English, RD. “Bragg makes an awesome organic, vegan sea kelp blend that’s salt-free, yet provides that umami flavor thanks to the sea vegetables.” 2. ignoring the instructions on Gnocchi Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi stole everyone’s hearts this year. While it’s undeniably delicious, the instructions on the bag don’t do it justice. Instead, food blogger Nicole Cogan shared a alternative cooking method with the world: Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet, then add the gnocchi and sauté it from frozen to fresh. 3.Chopping a salad with scissors There’s a true art to
With mainstream dairy brands jumping on the oat milk bandwagon, what will happen to cow’s milk?
December 18, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Of the long (long) list of alternative milks on the market, oat milk is currently king. This year, oat milk sales reached $29 million—up from $4.4 million in 2017. While the OG oat brand darlings continue to expand (with Oatly rolling out ice cream and Rise Brewing launching canned lattes), brands that were once committed to cow’s milk are jumping on board the trend, too. Danone—one of the largest dairy businesses in the world—has recently shifted its focus to make oat milk-based projects a main priority. The company’s brands have launched not only oat milk, but also oat-based ice cream, creamer, yogurt, and lattes. Chobani, a brand that has long been a major player in the yogurt space, launched *three* oat milk-based products this month. Even The Dairy Farmers of America, a milk marketing firm, is coming out with a line of “blended” milks that are half dairy, half-plant-based (yes, including oat), spawning an entirely new beverage category. (FWIW, cult skyr brand Siggi’s launched its first-ever plant-based yogurts in December, although they use coconut milk instead of oat milk as the base.) With major brands once committed to cow’s milk now jumping on board the oat milk train, it raises major questions about dairy, such as how the new oat milk products compare nutritionally, and what will happen if Americans stop consuming dairy completely. Is oat milk even healthy? Check out the video below to see what a registered dietitian thinks: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L–bGxpHTVQ]
12 recipes that use the spicy Italian ingredient connected to longevity
December 17, 2019 at 07:05PM by CWC If you’re a fan of chili peppers, you’re in luck. Aside from bringing on the heat, new research shows they can also help you live longer—the best possible reason to spice up your life. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers looked into the health status and eating habits of more than 22,800 citizens of Molise, a region of Southern Italy, over an 8-year period. What they found is that consumption of chili peppers is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. On top of that, for those who ate chili peppers the all-cause mortality risk was 23 percent lower than who didn’t eat chili peppers. I mean, those stats are pretty impressive. And if you want to start reaping the longevity benefits of the spicy vegetable yourself, here are some of the best chili pepper recipes to get you started. The best chili pepper recipes to help you live a long, spicy life Photo: Fork in the Road 1. Fusilli pasta salad Fusilli pasta originated in Molise, so this spicy pasta salad recipe seasoned with crushed red pepper flakes is a must-try. Photo: Sonja and Alex Overhiser 2. Darn good vegan chili This wholesome chili gets a lot of flavor and spice from the solid dose of chili powder. Photo: Kim-Julie Hansen 3. Cinnamon-chili sweet potatoes with miso-ginger tempeh These cinnamon-chili sweet potatoes totally steal the show in this bowl. They’re anti-inflammatory, vegan, and