September 15, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC When it comes to savory dishes, you’ll be hard up to find a recipe that doesn’t call for garlic and onions. Seasonings have salt and pepper; vegetables have garlic and onion. The duo works in virtually any dish to punch up the flavor. You don’t need to be a Cooking Channel devotee to know that if something tastes bland, it’s because it needs more garlic and onions. But as it turns out, the reason why garlic and onions are in seemingly everything isn’t just about taste. One study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that alliums—bulbous plants such as chives, leeks, and yes garlic and onions—enhanced the bioavailability of zinc and iron in foods. The researchers found that when alliums were added to foods made with grains or pulses, they helped make the two nutrients more readily available in the body. Zinc is an important nutrient for keeping the immune system functioning and iron is essential for the production of hemoglobin in blood, which transfers oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. So ensuring they are bioavailable is a pretty big deal. Want to reap the benefits in a big way? Try one of the recipes below, all of which are bursting with garlic and onions Photo: Hummusapien 1. Healthy salmon corn chowder This twist on a classic corn chowder is a Mediterranean diet win. Besides garlic and onions, it’s full of other antioxidant-rich veggies, and the salmon is
Category: You and your body
Here’s exactly what to do if your plant’s leaves turn yellow, according to professional plant moms
September 15, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Whether you’re a bonafide plant lady or a known succulent killer, you know that caring for your plant babies is not an easy feat. You can do all the right things—feed them water, put them near a window, incorporate them into your self-care routine, give them names and tell them how beautiful they are every morning (just me?)—and yet, sometimes your plant’s leaves start turning yellow. To help solve our plant conundrum, we turned to a couple of green-thumbed pros to find out why (dear God, why?) those plant leaves are turning yellow (there are seven common reasons) and what you can do to keep your potted pals looking lush and oh so green. Here are 7 reasons that could explain why your plant leaves are turning yellow 1. The plant needs more water One of the things that can cause plant leaves to turn yellow is that the plant’s roots aren’t getting enough water. This can happen if you’re just watering the top of the soil. To fix this, Joyce Mast, Bloomscape’s “plant mom,” recommends soaking the bottom of the plant by filling up your sink with 2-4 inches of water and setting the plant in there for 30 minutes. This will allow it to soak up the water from the bottom. Next, drain the sink and let the plant rest there for a bit to let excess water trickle down. Repeat every four weeks. 2. The plant is overwatered The color
A dermatologist says it’s “mandatory” to do one thing before your brow wax
September 15, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Going to get your eyebrows waxed is a fairly mindless experience. All you’ve gotta do is tell your waxer what you want, then sit back, relax, and muscle through the pain for like, six minutes, before the entire thing is over and you’re on your merry way. There’s literally nothing to think about except whether you want to opt for an additional lip wax, and what kind of snack you’re going to treat yourself to after the appointment…right? Well, not exactly. There is actually one thing that should be top of mind that you probably haven’t considered, and that’s your skin-care routine. “Many people make the mistake of not thinking about how their skin type and skin-care regimen can affect their brow shaping experience,” says celebrity eyebrow artist Robin Evans. Some ingredients that raise a red flag? Retinoids and alpha hydroxy acids, which can make skin more sensitive and change the way it reacts to the wax. “I do a verbal consultation with my new clients, to see if they’re using Retin-A or Differin (both are retinoids), AHAs, or have recently had peels, so I can decide if I need to be more careful with the waxing—or not wax at all,” says Evans. These products make skin more sensitive, which means that, in addition to ripping out your brow hair, the wax could also take off some skin. “Retinoids decrease the thickness of the stratum corneum which is the outermost layer of the skin,”
Boost your balance *and* lower body strength with the pendulum lunge
September 15, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC When it comes to building up your lower body, lunges are all-stars. You only have to do a handful of them to start feeling the burn. But amping things up with a variation of the move could help increase your strength and boost your balancing skills in the process. Unlike a regular lunge, the pendulum lunge involves one foot staying on the ground as the opposite leg alternates between a forward and reverse lunge—the ultimate test of balance as you’re trying your hardest not to fall over. “This movement is effective as it trains strength, balance, and control—muscle acceleration and deceleration—in multiple directions,” says Gideon Akande, personal trainer and founding instructor at Shadowbox Chicago. “The more you perform and perfect this movement, the better your proprioception, spacial awareness, and overall athletic ability will be.” At first, the pendulum lunge can be hard to nail down. Once you do, you’ll be reaping benefits far beyond a tighter toosh and super-toned legs. Here’s exactly how to do one at home, according to Akande. How to perform a pendulum lunge Start with your feet side by side. Step into a forward lunge, bringing your back knee toward the ground. Be sure that your forward knee stays stacked above the same-side ankle. Without lifting your back foot, explode into a reverse lunge with your forward leg. The legs have now switched between forward and back in the transition. Repeat the pendulum motion for 8 to 12 reps per side
Dentists actually *don’t* want you to brush your teeth after eating these foods
September 15, 2019 at 12:02AM by CWC Today in things you didn’t know you were doing wrong but are: brushing your teeth. I didn’t expect to get into a debate about teeth brushing habits well, ever, but here we are don’t @ me. Apparently there are people who brush their teeth after eating breakfast, instead of first thing in the morning like a normal person. This is apparently the hill I have chosen to die on today. But, there is some wisdom to brushing before you eat. When you brush your teeth after eating certain foods, it can wear away your enamel more quickly than if you had just brushed when you woke up. (Again, like a normal person.) Dr. Brian Kantor, cosmetic dentist of Lowenberg, Lituchy & Kantor in New York City, says that brushing your teeth right after eating anything acidic or high in sugar is bad for your enamel. “Foods with low pH levels—acidic foods like citrus fruits and juices—are especially bad,” he says. “We should also be wary of sugary foods that can stick to your teeth and remain in your mouth even after brushing, such as sucking candies, can do a lot of damage over a short period of time.” These foods soften your tooth enamel, so when you brush right after eating them it can wear it down. “Rinsing with water after you eat or drink anything acidic is a great way to remove food particles and harmful acidic materials from your mouth.” To
This avocado hummus recipe means never having to make hard choices again
September 14, 2019 at 10:01PM by CWC I’m notoriously bad at making decisions. Like, I will do anything to avoid it. Even choosing what to eat for a snack can be a challenge: sweet, salty, sour… IDK, help. But I’m happy to say I’ll no longer have to play a solo game of rock-paper-scissors while standing in front of the fridge ever again—at least when it comes to choosing between hummus and guacamole. Because it just so happens that they’re better together. With avocado hummus—also known as guacamummus or hummamole—you’re truly getting the best of both worlds. Aside from being able to dip into maybe the creamiest concoction ever, it’s also seriously healthy. The guacamole brings on plenty of healthy fat from the avocados, and the hummus is loaded with protein from the chickpeas. Now that I think about it, why were we ever eating them separate in the first place? While you can totally grab both dips from your fridge and mix them together, Lisa Rinaldi, the Montreal-based food blogger behind Riri’s Recipes, recently shared an avocado hummus recipe of her own. It only takes 10 minutes to make, is loaded with flavorful, health-boosting ingredients like garlic and turmeric, and stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to five days. Your only challenge will be trying not to eat all of it in one sitting. View this post on Instagram RUN, not walk to your kitchens to make this avocado hummus It is SO flavourful and easy to make (no cooking
Psst, guess what? You can totally wear concealer without foundation—here’s how
September 14, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC Concealer is kind of like your favorite skin-care serum: You can’t really see it, but it does some heavy lifting behind the scenes. Once blended under your foundation, it chameleons those uninvited pimples, dark spots, or bits of redness away. Oh and wouldn’t you know, it can still act like an invisibility cloak for your blemishes should you decide to skip the base makeup—if applied correctly. Follow the below tips for using concealer without foundation—which the pros call “spot concealing”—from top makeup artists, and you’ll be able to avoid looking like a splotchy, half-filled-in paint-by-numbers. 1. Set your skin The first step, according to celebrity makeup artist Aliana Lopez, is to make sure your skin is prepped and moisturized. “This will help [the concealer] glide on and blend effortlessly,” she says. 2. Pick the right shade People are often told to use a concealer that’s a bit lighter than their foundation, but Jeannie Vincent says that’s a myth that can lead to the “dreaded blotch effect.” To find the right shade and “ensure the closest match” to your skin tone, she says, “be sure to test the product in as close to daylight as possible…The concealer should basically disappear into your skin.” 3. Go Goldilocks on coverage When you’re using concealer without foundation, it can be tempting to pick the strongest one out there—but Vincent says to go for, at most, a medium-full coverage option. “A full AF concealer will look straight up weird—unnatural—when
Your 5-step guide to keeping your meal-prepped salad fresh, according to a dietitian
September 14, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC Even if the rest of your life seems to be in disarray, grabbing a meal-prepped salad out of the fridge for lunch somehow can make you feel like you have it all together. It radiate vibes of, I am someone who meal preps on Sundays. I’m an organized boss. The downside of pre-prepared salad: It tastes great the first day or so…until it starts to get limp and soggy. A fork full of wilted lettuce is just…sad. Fortunately, registered dietitian and meal prep expert Lindsay Livingston, RD, has some tips on how to keep the salad in your fridge fresh for longer than just a few days. How to keep salad fresh when you’re meal prepping 1. Keep the dressing separate According to Livingston, drowning your greens in dressing ahead of time is a sure way to shorten a salad’s lifespan. “You want to keep the dressing separate until right before serving,” she says. Invest in a small container that you can pour your dressing in versus pouring it onto your greens during meal prep or in the morning before you head out the door. “Another option is to make mason jar salads and layer the dressing at the very bottom, toppings in the middle, and greens on top and then dump into a bowl and mix just before serving,” Livingston adds. 2. Dry your greens thoroughly before putting them away Drying your salad base after washing it—whether it’s between towels or with
3 back extension exercises that whisk away the effects of sitting at a desk all day
September 14, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC I’m surprised that my back isn’t permanently in the shape of a C by now. The majority of the time, I’m hunched over my desk as I type away all day, or I’m curled up on the couch as I binge-watch something on TV. So night-after-night, I turn to back extension exercises to help me counter all of the curved spine sitting I do each day. “Spinal extension is the opposite of spinal flexion, which is curling forward—think crunch or articulation,” explains Helen Phelan, a health coach and Pilates instructor. “In extension, the spine is bending backwards, recruiting the muscles that are responsible for standing, lifting objects, and overall spinal movement like twisting.” If you’re anything like me, pushing your shoulders back to engage the trapezius muscles doesn’t come as easily as rounding them. “Back extension is a movement that’s more limited and comes a lot less naturally,” says Jeff Brannigan, program director at Stretch*d. If you’re not combatting all of that arching with back extension exercises, you’re most likely going to wind up with an imbalanced body. “Spinal extension helps correct this muscular imbalance that’s basically unavoidable in the modern world.” —Helen Phelan “Daily life can encourage the development of imbalances in the front and back body,” says Phelan. “Spinal extension helps correct this muscular imbalance that’s basically unavoidable in the modern world.” Her take? There’s a high chance people aren’t extending their backs nearly enough for good spine health. And “enough”
Everything to know about what makes an uber-ambitious Capricorn personality tick
September 14, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC If you were born between December 22 and January 19 (AKA smack-dab in the midst of the holiday season), you’re a Capricorn. And just like with every other sign in the zodiac, Capricorn personality traits have their own special flavor. Sure, your whole birth chart will reveal more nuanced details about what makes you tick, astrologically speaking, but your sun sign (what you consult when you check out your horoscope) can still fill in a lot of the blanks. So whether you’re a Capricorn yourself or there are a few special sea goats in your life you’d like to better understand, it’s worth checking out what astrologers identify below as unique facets of the Capricorn personality. These details—traits, strengths, weaknesses, compatibility with other signs, ideal career paths—are great to bookmark for knowing what really makes this Earth sign happy. Key Capricorn personality traits Ruled by the planet Saturn, which represents the limits of space and time, “Capricorn is born with a keen awareness of this Earthly limitation and is thus determined to make things happen during its lifetime,” says astrologer Elisabeth Grace. “They’re known for their serious focus, especially in youth.” “Capricorn is born with a keen awareness of this earthly limitation and is thus determined to make things happen during its lifetime. They’re known for their serious focus, especially in youth.” —astrologer Elisabeth Grace Olga Verk, astrologer at Not Retrograde, adds that Capricorns feel most comfortable when they have set rules to