September 12, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I discovered something new about myself today: I am a “reluctant pacer.” If you’re thinking, “WTF does that mean?” you’d be forgiven as I, too, would have had no clue prior to a lengthy and fascinating deep dive into a new quiz launching today from NYC-based women’s wellness center Tia. It centers around a concept the company’s chief medical officer Stephanie McClellan, MD, has termed “stress signatures.” Based on a combination of bench research and clinical practice, Dr. McClellan has found that women tend to fall into one of four categories (or “stress signatures”) when it comes to how their brains and bodies respond to chronic stress: the vigilant sprinter, the vigilant pacer, the reluctant sprinter, and the reluctant pacer. The 82-question quiz, which feels similar to a Myers-Briggs test, presents a range of statements like, “I retain fluid when I’m stressed” or “I like to start my day with intense exercise,” and has you choose whether that is never, rarely, sometimes, usually, or almost always true for you. At the end, you are matched with your stress signature and sent via email recommendations on what that means and lifestyle things to help with it. The goal is to help women more effectively manage their stress, Dr. McClellan tells me. “The point of outlining the stress signatures is so that women can recognize these broad-stroke clinical guidelines and actually intervene in a way with intention, whether it’s the food they eat, or their sleep
Category: You and your body
Checks+Balanced: How a 27-year-old freelancer in San Fransisco finances her wanderlust to travel the world
September 12, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Even in a world where questions about menstrual cups and the ins and outs of sex are completely (and blessedly) normal, somehow the ever-ubiquitous use of money remains a touchy subject for many. People want to live their healthiest life ever, but—#realtalk—it can add up. Have you ever wondered how your colleague who makes less than you do (or so you think) can afford to buy a $5 matcha and a $12 chopped salad every day? Or how your friend’s budget allows her to hit up $34 fitness classes three times a week? It’s enough to make anyone want to ask, “Ummm, excuse me. How do you afford that?!?” That’s where Well+Good’s monthly series Checks+Balanced comes in. By lifting the thick, tightly drawn curtain to expose how much women of varying income brackets spend on wellness, we’re spreading transparency and hopefully providing some inspo that’s possible to copy. Because no matter how much you make, it’s possible to cultivate healthy habits that work within your budget. This month, meet Michelle, a 27-year-old living in San Francisco who prefers the freelance life to a full-time gig largely because of the flexibility to travel it affords her. Check out how she juggles her responsibilities as a contract-based project manager, fitness trainer, and travel blogger. (She has great tips for how to travel cheap!) Keep reading to see her spending habits. Here, a 27-year-old fitness trainer and freelance project manager living in San Francisco shares her creative tips for financing her world travels. Graphic: Well+Good Creative
The 3 telltale signs it’s time to find a new shampoo, according to hair experts
September 12, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Out of all my personal care products, shampoo somehow gets picked last in dodgeball. As in: I almost could care less about which product I’m using to clean my hair with, as long as it’s getting all of that gunk/dirt/sweat off of my scalp. So I basically switch shampoos whenever my bottle runs out. This is a mistake. As we’ve learned, your hair can actually get used to the shampoo you suds up with, and you should pick certain ingredients based on your particular hair type’s needs. Regardless—your strands can actually tell you when they want (or need, really) a new shampoo. If you listen to them, kinda like if you read your daily horoscope, you can learn some stuff. “I’m a firm believer in switching between shampoos to keep a healthy balance between clarifying your scalp and not quite stripping all of the essential oils off of your hair,” says celebrity hairstylist Michelle Cleveland of Hair Addict Salon. So an actual shampoo wardrobe isn’t such a bad idea. Curious if it’s time to go shopping? Look for the three telltale signs, below. 1. You’ve got gunk: Sounds gross, but after a while, your shampoo won’t be able to do its job at 100-percent, because as mentioned, your hair gets used to the one you use. “A good sign that your shampoo has stopped working is when you still feel build-up after freshly washing your hair,” says Cleveland. “This means your shampoo has stopped
You’re totally being judged for your swearing habit—but it can work in your favor
September 12, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Ever let an F-bomb slip in front of your boss and immediately feel mortified about how they’re now perceiving you? Do they think you’re crass? Out of control? Rude? Unprofessional? Perhaps they have some other reaction that still paints you in an unflattering light? As someone who curses quite a bit around my friends but rarely (purposely, at least) in front of those not within that inner circle, I experience this anxiety spiral every now and then because I’m, in fact, not a robot, and sometimes I use parts of my vocabulary among company not meant to hear it. It’s not that I’m ashamed to be someone who uses curse words, but when I say one of those four-letter terms in certain settings, the result feels like showing up to a black-tie event in a Halloween getup, having confused it for a costume party: embarrassing and kind of cringeworthy for everyone around. Do people really care, though? According to linguistic experts, it really depends context. “Swearing is a complex human behavior, one very dependent on contextual variables: who, what, where, when, why,” says psychologist Timothy Jay, PhD, a world-renowned cursing expert (yes, really). Linguist Kirk Hazen, PhD agrees: “Change a variable, and you change perception of swearing. Any curse word can be used for camaraderie, for insult, or for intensification,” he says. “[How it’s perceived] all depends on who is doing the talking and who is doing the listening.” The experts say several
The most effective way to warmup for a workout will take you straight back to elementary school recess
September 12, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC When I got onto the treadmill last night to start my Peloton-guided HIIT run, I expected the usual warm-up moves that would get my muscles lubed up for sprints… like high knees or butt kicks. I definitely didn’t expect to… skip. But that’s just what Peloton tread instructor Andy Speer had me (and the countless other runners following along with him) do. And so there I found myself, smack in the middle of a gym at rush hour, skipping on the treadmill while the people next to me were most definitely giving me the side-eye. As silly as it seems, though, skipping’s got some serious street cred. “Skipping is a great movement to prepare the body for running,” says Leanne Pedante, certified running coach and head of training program for Stride. “Skipping forces the body to practice sharp, efficient muscle actions that you need when you run fast: knee drive, propulsion, core control, and arm drive. And skipping drills increase flexibility in the hamstrings, glutes, and shoulders, while warming up other key muscles like your quads and calves.” So yeah, skipping’s legit. While it may just feel like you’re prancercising (do click on the YouTube link if you’re not familiar—you certainly won’t regret it), skipping is doing your bod a whole lot of good in priming it for mobile, sleek, efficient movement… aka running. Also, let me tell you: It’s not as easy as it felt when we were kids. According to Pedante,
Here’s what the proposed ban on e-cigarettes means for CBD vaping
September 11, 2019 at 11:12PM by CWC During an Oval Office briefing on Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that the administration will propose a ban on flavored e-cigarettes. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will institute the policy within the next couple of months, reports CNN, but the question of what that will mean for brands selling vaporizers filled with CBD or vitamin cartridges (rather than those filled with tobacco and nicotine) remains to be seen. The administration’s promise comes in response to the more than 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with e-cigarettes in the U.S. alone—six of which have now proved fatal. While medical professionals have yet to establish a definitive cause of the sickness (which manifests in symptoms like shortness of breath, pneumonia, fever, fatigue, and more), one theory posits that the vitamin E infused in vaping liquids could be causing the illness. It’s important to note, however, that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation has not yet linked every case of illness with a single substance. Still, since many of the affected patients reported using liquids that contain cannabinoid products like cannabidiol (or CBD, a non-psychoactive element of the cannabis plant) and tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC, the plant’s intoxicating chemical), the question of whether the ban will extend to these types of products as well is a good one. And while we won’t know the answer definitively until the FDA releases the new guidelines
Why you should treat all of your relationships like fruit salads instead of smoothies
September 11, 2019 at 10:17PM by CWC Healthy relationships have been described many ways throughout the course of human history, but a new analogy comes straight out of Hot Girl Summer. According to Dan Siegel, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, we should think of our relationships as fruit salads and not smoothies. You may be thinking, “I’ve never thought about any of my relationships as a smoothie, does this apply to me?” Also: “Now I’m hungry and feel compelled to buy a $12 smoothie from Whole Foods.” First, yes it does. And second, I love this journey for you. I also love this analogy, because it involves two of my favorite things: chopped fruit and talking about my failed relationships. Essentially, what we’re supposed to get is that a “smoothie” relationship is not healthy because you blend together and lose yourself in the relationship, while a “fruit salad” relationship allows you to maintain your independence and sense of self while still being connected to your partner. “We are often taught that romantic relationships should ‘complete us’ or be our everything,” says Dee Stacey, certified sexual health educator for Blume. “But this isn’t actually a healthy relationship practice!” We’ve been fed (ha!) this idea that true love means you simply cannot go on without the other person. While it can feel good to “blend” into another person, it will not feel good to lose your identity. While it can feel good to “blend” into
Parsley tea isn’t the only way to reap the perks of the healthy herb
September 11, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnu3SWMzh5U] Parsley is more than just a garnish. Check out the health benefits in this video. When it comes to parsley, healthy eaters tend to use it in two ways: as a garnish, or to sip as tea. (We sure do love our herbal teas!) But before you start brewing yourself a cup, there are a few things holistic health practitioner Rachelle Robinett wants you to know about parsley tea. Like all plants, Robinett says parsley is full of vitamins and antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and K. However, she says parsley is unique in that it can impact kidney and liver function. “[Parsley is] sort of a purger and will remove excess water weight and act on those organs to release whatever they may be retaining,” Robinett says in the latest episode of Plant Based. This helps it act as a diuretic, which is why it has been such a popular herbal tea. However, drinking too much parsley tea can be problematic, Robinett says—it’s a diuretic, so you might lose too much water (and obviously, hydration is crucial). “You just want to be careful with it,” she says. Plus, Robinett says there are other ways to use the herb besides in tea form. Watch the video above for other, unexpected ways to reap the benefits of this herb—including a recipe for a delicious, parsley chimichurri. Way more exciting than tea, wouldn’t you say? Here are some other foods that are food
I’ve tested almost every Trader Joe’s beauty product, and this one is by far my fave
September 11, 2019 at 08:58PM by CWC Late last year, I had the immense pleasure of treating myself to an entire skin-care routine straight from the aisles of Trader Joe’s. And as my face and I quickly discovered, everyone’s favorite destination for everything bagel seasoning and cauliflower gnocchi happens to have some legit beauty offerings. One that I’ve been reaching for now that the skin seasons have started to shift from “humid and greasy” to “dry and chapped”? (Let us pause to mourn the end of summer.) The Nourish Hyaluronic Moisture Boost Serum. The serum was formulated by dermatologists with—you guessed it!—hyaluronic acid, which holds 1,000 times its weight in water and is a true hero when it comes to hydrating your skin. “Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that is produced naturally in the skin,” says board certified dermatologist Sheel Desai Solomon, MD. “It helps bring water and collagen together, and absorbs moisture into the skin to make it look revitalized and hydrated. The great thing about hyaluronic acid is that it works to replenish moisture that we lose with age, lack of hydration, or underlying skin conditions.” In addition to being wildly hydrating, the serum also #humblebrags about its ability to improve collagen production, brighten and firm skin, and create a protective barrier on top of your dermis. While I can’t speak to what was going on with my body’s collagen factory when I used the serum, I can tell you that after a week of regular use my
How to eat more fiber using a functional medicine doctor’s ‘3-to-1 rule’ at every meal
September 11, 2019 at 07:19PM by CWC Everyone, it’s time again we talk about the F-word. And by that I mean fiber of course. As one of the nutrient darlings, fiber has quite the impressive resume. It makes you feel satiated, revs up your metabolism, and keeps you full between meals. But since it can be hard to squeeze in your recommended 21 to 38 grams each day (that’s a lot!), functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, MD, has a trick for never falling short again. Since plants are humankind’s one and only source of fiber, Dr. Hyman points out that they deserve to take up the most room on your plate. “Non-starchy vegetables like spinach, asparagus, broccoli, and kale should make up 50 to 75 percent of your plate with a small portion of animal protein as ‘condi-meat,’” writes the doctor on Instagram. “Think of this as the 3-to-1 rule.” In other words, your plate should be three parts fiber and one part protein. Easy enough, right? How to eat more fiber using the “3-to-1 rule” at breakfast, lunch, and dinner View this post on Instagram And the average person doesn’t even come close to getting enough. Plants are living pharmacies that dispense natural substances with medicinal powers and chalk full of phytonutrients (phyto meaning plants); a group of chemicals essential to vibrant health that protect us from a long list of chronic ailments. They’re a huge reason why eating our veggies is important. Veggies