October 01, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC If brunch is the highlight of Sundays, the lowlight is the lethargic feeling you get after scarfing down a plate of heavy food. And while we’re all for afternoon naps, sometimes sluggishness just doesn’t jive with your productivity goals for the day. The solution? Healthify your favorite dish, of course, starting with the queen of brunch: eggs Benedict. Give this café classic a paleo makeover with this simple recipe, using sweet potato toast for the base and a lighter hollandaise sauce to (generously) drizzle on top. The most important part of this whole DIY brunch sitch (besides the fact it helps you avoid waiting in a line that stretches down the block) is choosing the right eggs to star in your masterpiece. That’s why we teamed up with Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs—whose mission is to bring high-quality organic eggs from small family farms to homes across the country. Because organic does taste better. Jesse Laflamme, chief executive farmer at Pete and Gerry’s says to look for four things when shopping the egg aisle: the USDA Organic seal, the Certified Humane Free Range seal, rich golden yolks, and thick shells. If your carton checks those boxes, you’re set to start cooking a next-level healthy brunch. Watch the video for a step-by-step recipe for making eggs Benedict at home in your PJs. https://content.jwplatform.com/players/abqrEa01-AjgxWzQ7.js Continue Reading… Author Well+Good Editors | Well and Good Selected by CWC
Category: You and your body
This 4-ingredient homemade makeup remover can actually take care of business
October 01, 2019 at 02:30AM by CWC A beauty commandment we can all agree on: Take your makeup off before bed. If not for the sake of your nightly skin-care ritual, for the sake of your very delicate face: Because skin absorbs leftover product, sleeping in the stuff (for shame!) can clog pores, worsen acne, and keep skin cells from shedding through the night, causing dull skin. The second order of business is to find a makeup remover that actually takes all your stubborn makeup off—without the same effort required to scrub a plate crusted in goop. And on days when you discover you’ve pumped your last drop of your beloved micellar water, or if you’re looking for a simple potion that won’t dry out your skin, homemade makeup removers can come to your rescue. What you need for DIY makeup remover While many store-bought products use soaps and surfactants to loosen the surface tension of the water, making the molecules “slipperier” and therefore better able to sweep away dirt and oils, homemade recipes count on oil to dissolve makeup, says Kelly Dobos, cosmetic chemist and president of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. Oils—like coconut, olive, argan, and more—are often used as the base of DIY removers because, Dobos says, “like dissolves like.” Foundation, mascara, and lip products often contain waxy or oily ingredients, which oils can thus take on. Just remember: Coconut and argan oil can clog pores, so if you’re prone to acne, opt for hydrating olive oil
It’s time we all learned the 5 rules for apologizing like an adult
October 01, 2019 at 02:19AM by CWC “There’s no ‘but’ after ‘I’m sorry” was my mom’s favorite axiom throughout my childhood. She meant, of course, that atonement should never come with an excuse tacked on the end. My sister and I rolled our eyes each time she recited her mantra, but eventually we learned to say our sorries in three syllables. Mom wasn’t wrong. According to psychologist Nancy Irwin, PsyD, a member of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, that’s how to apologize like an adult. First, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what constitutes an “I’m sorry.” Psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD, says it’s pretty straightforward. “An apology is when you recognize that you’ve done something that hurt someone or caused them trouble. It can be anywhere between something little, like ‘Sorry I forgot to put more paper in the printer,’ to a public apology for actions that hurt a lot of people, like a celebrity or brand doing something culturally insensitive,” she explains. (I don’t know about you, but I can think of a few public figures who could stand to join the latter category.) “To apologize authentically, we have to take a hard look at who we are in that situation.” —Aimee Daramus, PsyD Feeling the need to make amends can be sparked by different circumstances, but most of the time, Dr. Daramus says it comes down to putting a Band-Aid on the gaping wound of a hurt relationship. “We apologize to heal relationships that are important, to
7 farm-to-table restaurants in NYC that make sustainable eating easy—and delicious
October 01, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC It’s no secret that the food industry has a big sustainability problem. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, around 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide come from the food system (and farm animals in particular create 40 percent of methane gas emissions in the United States). There is no one cure to this very large issue, but there are a few ways people can contribute to a more eco-friendly food system—like prioritizing farm-to-table food and restaurants. It’s not just a buzzword. Essentially, “farm-to-table” describes food and restaurants that use local (and often in-season) ingredients, whether that’s vegetables grown on a nearby farm or meat from a small area rancher. The movement has been around since the ’30s, but it’s seeing new life as more and more people are interested in eating sustainably. Experts argue that using local ingredients when they’re in season is better for the environment, since it requires less transportation (and thus creates a smaller carbon footprint). Many also argue that this is a healthier option for consumers, since produce in general retains fewer nutrients the more time there is between harvest and consumption. To make this work, chefs maintain a direct relationship with their farmers and purveyors, and often prioritize vendors who use organic and sustainable farming methods. Speaking of organic, here’s the deal with that whole “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” thing: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncHSaA0-Chg] Certainly, some places just use this term as a buzzword. But legit farm-to-table restaurants
7 signs your can-do attitude is actually ‘toxic positivity’ in disguise
October 01, 2019 at 01:30AM by CWC I once had a glowingly perma-happy friend that pushed away conflict and negativity like Play Doh; to this day, I remember my friend’s smile, and her ulcers. Newsflash for the uninformed: toxic positivity can be mega harmful to your body and your mind! And of course I’m Team Doom and Gloom, so I embrace this school of thought. But for those with a sunny disposition, it may hard to see if your positivity has turned nuclear. Well, kind of hard. Writing for The Psychology Group, Samara Quintero, LMFT, CHT and Jamie Long, PsyD, help identify what toxic positivity is, and where it could be hiding. Now to be clear, toxic positivity isn’t as simple as just being so gosh darn pleasant. They define toxic positivity it as an “excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations,” noting further that “toxic positivity results in the denial, minimization, and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience.” To wit, you’re a person. You’re not a millennial pink “Good Vibes Only” throw pillow. Sometimes things are terrible and it’s more effective to allow yourself or your loved ones to speak your truth. If you bottle things up, well, it can cause real stress on the body and the mind. And if you tell your friend that “everything happens for a reason” when some moron in a Hummer steamrolled their corgi, Waffles, you’re going to get hit upside the head. So how do you spot the
What to know about skin hyperpigmentation and how to get rid of it in no-time flat
October 01, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Much like fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation is a common skin concern that most folks associate with the face—not the body. Believe it or not, though, hyperpigmentation (spots or specks that appear darker than the rest of the skin), doesn’t discriminate and can appear just about anywhere on the face or below the neck. We know what you’re probably thinking: Oh give me a break. And we’re right there with you. It’s already annoying enough that we have to worry about dark marks and discoloration on our precious complexions—but our entire bodies, too? It feels like a helluva of a lot of ground to cover. The good news? Hyperpigmentation causes and treatments are fairly similar for the face and the body. We know because we tapped two board-certified dermatologists for their expert insight on the matter, and they came through with all the details. Without further ado, find a full breakdown on body hyperpigmentation—including causes, solutions, and rare cases you should know about—below. What is hyperpigmentation and why does it happen? Hyperpigmentation is loosely defined as darkened patches or spots on the skin and runs the gamut from sun spots to acne scars to freckles. As Sejal Shah, MD, a New York City dermatologist, puts it matter-of-factly: “Hyperpigmentation refers to excess pigmentation, which appears as dark spots on the skin.” This excess pigmentation occurs when the skin produces more melanin, which for those unfamiliar, is the pigment that’s responsible for giving skin its
Are you a narcissist or just self-involved? A narcissism expert explains the difference
October 01, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC I used to laugh off my constant self-doubting and self-obsessing with, “Well, you know me, I’m a narcissist.” I said it lightheartedly yet matter-of-factly, as if to communicate something factual and completely devoid of controversy, like “I’m a journalist,” or “I’m a Taurus,” or “I’m more of a rosé girl.” That’s because as a millennial, narcissism just seemed to be part of the package for me. But as time passed and I remained very self-absorbed, I became self-conscious and eventually began to worry that I’m a full-blown toxic narcissist who everybody hates. My existential worry about whether I am a narcissist or not led me to take a psychologist-vetted quiz, to ask the opinion of my co-workers (and essentially anyone else who would listen), and to do endless amounts of internet research. Finally, over some Thai food, my friend Tiffany offered her opinion: “You’re not a narcissist, you just have anxiety.” …Oh. I already knew the second part but never thought to relate the two conditions, let alone consider the situation of accidentally confusing the two. But then I introspected: I write for a living, and often about myself. I don’t have problems sharing details about my life, choices, and opinions, but—OMG, am I overdoing it? Is this current piece boring? Because why would you care about what’s going on in my specific head? Are you sick of me? Should I shut up? See, clearly I deal with anxiety, but the root of
The 3 surprising parts of your face where you should always go light on foundation
September 30, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC Your foundation is the base of your entire makeup look, so if your application’s not down pat, it can wreck the rest of what you put on—concealer, blush, you name it. That’s why I copy foundation tips from makeup artists all the time to make sure my complexion’s perfectly primed. And yet—I still tend to get some cake-y action on certain spots of my face. “People tend to over-apply foundation to their T-zone area—meaning their forehead, nose, and chin—and that can cause the product to build up and become cake-y,” says Gabriel De Santo, makeup artist and CEO of Gabriel Cosmetics. “Skin problems, like excess oil or intense dehydration, tend to be amplified in that section of your face, which can also cause your foundation to appear uneven, cake-y, or flaky.” Ironically enough, the T-zone is the area that usually needs more coverage. Like, my chin has post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, the area around my nose gets red more than anywhere else on my face, and my forehead sometimes gets shiny—so I like to put foundation on those areas specifically. So what can ya do? “I think any area can look cake-y if the skin isn’t well hydrated, the makeup formula is wrong, or the application is too heavy,” says Merrady Wickes, makeup artist and beauty director at The Detox Market. “You want to go as lightweight as possible in areas where your makeup tends to gather or crease.” She also deals with broken capillaries around her nose
This just in: Nuts really *are* the healthiest snack
September 30, 2019 at 10:30PM by CWC Certain food trends come and go (remember when everyone was amped about banana milk?), but eating nuts, it seems, will never go out of style. Yes, they’re delicious and versatile, but as practically every nutritionist will attest, they come with lots of health benefits. A new study published this week in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention, & Health looked at the diet and weight of 280,000 people from three different data sets over the course of more than 20 years. Participants (all healthy adults) were asked every four years to report their weight as well as how often they had eaten a serving of nuts. Researchers found that eating more nuts over time (just a small handful, per NPR) was associated with a lower risk of obesity as people aged compared to those who had a more limited nut intake. Of course, this study does come with some caveats. Like many other nutrition studies, it relies on self-reported data, meaning we’re relying on people to accurately and honestly recount the things they ate. (Do you remember what you ate last Saturday for dinner? Neither do I—which is what makes self-reported data a bit tricky.) Additionally, the study authors note that the subjects were 97 percent Caucasian “with relatively higher socioeconomic status,” making the results of this large study potentially not as applicable to other populations. Speaking of nuts, this is the very best nut butter, according to an RD: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsASWf_1AG0] Still though,
The 800-pound gorilla in the room? Oh that’s your spirit animal, here to help you be a badass
September 30, 2019 at 10:23PM by CWC Ready to be brave? This month, you’ve got a big, strong ally in that department because “RockStar Shaman” Alyson Charles is sensing that the gorilla is here. And this spirit animal is here to help you upgrade your whole life. Last month was a powerful time of starting to really, truly take significant steps beyond old fear-based story lines in order for us to enter into new ways of feeling and living our lives. And with the rabbit spirit animal’s help, we were able to catch the old patterns quicker, and try our best to make new, elevated decisions that create higher-vibrational patterns for us! This month, October’s energies are also bringing forth a strong essence of bravery to release old (yet familiar and often very comfortable) ways of being. We can then walk through a portal and birth, getting acclimated to new feelings and new ways inside of us that are a match for the elevated romantic relationships, healthy love bonds, contracts, and careers that we are ready for! The most potent energetic aspect of October: dropping into the knowingness that our true home is within. And our dear gorilla spirit animal will be with us for this ride. This particular medicine can be tricky at times, though. The old, familiar patterns have a very sneaky way of luring and calling you back in. Stepping through these portals and truly birthing a new, higher energetic grid inside of you will require bravery, trust,