September 04, 2019 at 08:41PM by CWC When I was seven, a camp counselor at the Warwick, Rhode Island YMCA taught me how to make a friendship bracelet. She gave me three different colored strings, and demonstrated the “four” pattern I had to follow to tie each individual knot. My first foray into crafting my own was total crap, but I triple-knotted that thing within an inch of its life and wore it until it was so faded and frayed that my mom made me cut it off because it was embarrassing her. (And also, it smelled.) But man oh man, did I love it… and the hundreds of other friendship bracelets I made from the years of 1999 to 2006. So this summer, when I saw everyone on Instagram shelling out over 40 bucks a pop to stack their arms with the multicolored string bracelets in the latest nostalgia-centric style trend, I thought, “pshht, I could do better than that” and ordered myself a 13 dollar kit of string and beads on Amazon. When it arrived, I posted up on my couch in complete silence, tied six pieces of string around my toe—the way my counselor taught me to—and got to work on a chevron pattern. By the time I looked up, three hours had passed. I hadn’t checked my phone once (no small feat for someone who averages 193 pick-ups per day, according to the Screentime app), and the intense anxiety that I’d been feeling about work/never finding a
Category: You and your body
A dietitian’s hunger scale makes ‘listening to your body’ so easy
September 04, 2019 at 07:31PM by CWC Hunger cues are kind of like micro-flirtations. That is, they’re subtle (sometimes to a frustrating degree). Even if I’m 98 percent sure that my body’s begging for fuel, I’m never sure whether a snack or meal is in order. Which is why, with the help of a few dietitians, I set out on a quest to equip myself with the self-awareness: “Am I hungry?” Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition tells me that first, it’s important to understand how hunger cues function. “A hunger cue is your body’s way of telling you that it needs energy. Hunger cues also help you to know when you feel full and should stop eating,” she explains. “Hunger cues are regulated by hormones in your body—including the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and the fullness hormone, leptin.” Apart from those two, you may also feel something called “hedonic hunger,” which refers to your desire for salty, fatty, or sugary foods. “Hunger cues are regulated by hormones in your body—including the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and the fullness hormone, leptin.” —Amy Gorin, MS, RDN When too many hours have passed since your last meal, your body will raise one or more red flags. “Physical signs of actual hunger include lack of energy, a growling stomach, or headache,” says Gorin. In other words, you may find yourself throwing an internal hissy fit until you can nuke your lunch or get your hands on a piece of fruit. In the the most ideal
The 4-ingredient, protein-packed soup recipe I begged an Italian chef in Tuscany to share with me
September 04, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC After returning back stateside from the picturesque hills of Tuscany, people usually rave about the pasta, pizza, gelato and other well-known Italian-cuisine staples they enjoyed. Not me. The high-protein dish—bowl, to be more precise—that stole my heart the second I took a whiff of it simply doesn’t fit in with those other must-eat meals. What could possibly compete with gnocchi, fusilli, and penne, to permanently imprint itself in my memory, you ask? A cannellini bean soup so divine that I followed a waiter into the kitchen and asked (er, begged) for the Italian soup recipe from the chef. It all started when we sat down for lunch in the teeny-tiny town of Parma, just a short drive from the villa my family called home for the week. People around us chatted and shared enormous plates of pasta and broke out in fits of laughter. It wasn’t just lunch on a Tuesday—it was midday happy hour. If you’ve ever spent time eating your way thorough the Italian countryside, you know that each contorno (as side dishes are called in the boot-shaped country) is a mini-masterpiece—and that section of the menu is exactly where I found my sacred soup. Served up in a steaming bowl, the beans didn’t look special, but as I dipped my spoon in the half inch of broth to scoop some up, I took a deep inhale. An earthy aroma wafted into my nostrils; if some genius food scientists somehow bred
This new startup is helping women ease menopause symptoms through food
September 04, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Aside from prescription meds, there have traditionally been few options for treating symptoms of menopause—night sweats, free-falling libido, vaginal dryness, and the like. But food can also be a helpful ally during this under-recognized phase of life, and one new startup is making it easier than ever for menopausal and perimenopausal people to get the nutrients they need to thrive. Following five years of research and development, WeTheTrillions is the first meal-delivery company to create customized, research-backed menus for clients’ specific health needs—including food for menopause. While other meal plans targeting menopause, such as the one from BistroMD, are marketed primarily for weight management, WeTheTrillions designs its dishes to help clients with a variety of concerns, from hormones to sleep quality to hot flashes. Each customer is paired up with a clinician who tracks their progress, and meals are also formulated to account for the client’s other health concerns. A menopausal woman with anemia and IBS, for example, would receive foods that can help on all fronts. While WeTheTrillions offers meal-delivery options catering to people from all stages of life, WeTheTrillions founder Lamiaa Bounahmidi says that menopausal and perimenopausal people are a particularly underserved market. “There’s a huge transformation in the body [in the run up to menopause], in terms of how carbs are processed, how bone health is impacting absorption of calcium, and things like that,” she says. “And most of the solutions are about giving drugs to trick the body, rather
Why we let our friends get away with behavior that’s breakup-worthy
September 04, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC It took me longer to break up with my ex-best friend than it did with, you know, any of the Mikes, Matts, and Daniels that I used to date. In retrospect, that’s weird because my BFF displayed the same the relationship red flags as most of my exes. She wouldn’t respond to my texts for days at a time, she flaked on our Valentine’s Day plans, she left me alone in a foreign country after I spent upwards of $1,000 on a plane ticket…. Well, anyway. Though I was in a very blurry, intense, and co-dependent Broad City-style frielationship, it is common to seek the same qualities in both a friendship and a relationship, right? Respect, love, trust, emotional and social support, affirmation, and commitment should exist in romantic pursuits and platonic ones alike. And if it’s a forever friend, not the fair-weather type you only see every six month because JOMO takes precedence, the expectations should be the same. So why is it that when our friends wave their red flags directly in our face, we’re more likely to put up with the nonsense? My guess is because sex isn’t there to muddle the situation, which also explains why my friend breakups hurt more than my romantic ones. Friendships form on the pure and unselfish foundation of people genuinely just liking each other, so when they end, it’s because that’s not true—and other factors like “timing” and “circumstance” and “goals” don’t really
The 3 most common mistakes this trainer sees people make in tabletop position
September 04, 2019 at 12:04PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBdY96ZoOgM] As incredible as yoga makes me feel, there’s a decent portion of the flow in which it feels like all I’m doing is trying not to fall. Between balancing poses like tree, single-leg asanas like warrior three, and gracefully moving between each position, yoga definitely challenges stability. This is why it’s so, so key to nail the most basic, foundational poses. One such important pose? Tabletop. Mastering tabletop, which is essentially quadruped position, means that you’re well-primed to move more solidly through your practice—especially since it’s the base of other poses like cat and cow and bird dog. “What happens with tabletop is that when you’re in the right position, you’re naturally able to support any instability,” says trainer Rahel Ghebremichael, a fitness pro who teaches at Modelfit. So getting your tabletop down means being better able to flow on more stable footing, whether you’re moving into downward dog or priming for something more advanced. Not only that, but doing tabletop the wrong way can mean not-so-comfortable consequences on your body (think back pain and unnecessary tension). Ghebremichael sees three main mistakes in tabletop form that can lead to this (check out what they are in the video above). But not doing tabletop the right way doesn’t just sabotage your yoga posture—it will also take away from having your core properly engaged… which you really want to be working in all of the tabletop-based yoga positions like bird-dog. In need of a
Mushrooms aren’t just for cooking—here’s why you’re about to put them on your face
September 04, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Grilled on skewers, whipped into an omelette, or acting as a vessel to stuff in even more veggies—is there any way you don’t love mushrooms? Newsflash: There’s about to be a new one, because they want in on your face. That’s right, the potential benefits of mushroom (and other forest-grown ingredients) are making their way into your skin care, and it couldn’t be happening at a better time. “Stressors from environmental pollution, digital pollution, and our fast-paced modern lifestyles [can] create barriers to the natural world and wreak havoc on our health and our skin,” says Natalie Pergar, lead skin care trainer at Eminence Organic Skin Care. So are Netflix and smog doing not so-great-things for your skin? Pergar thinks so—but says that exposing your skin to nature, like the Japanese practice of forest bathing, can help. “The Pure Forest Collection brings the restorative properties of the forest directly to the skin, allowing us to release the stress of urban living and reconnect with nature.” That’s why Pergar and the team at Eminence Organics took things back to basics with their latest collection. “The Pure Forest Collection [helps] bring the restorative properties of the forest directly to the skin, allowing us to release the stress of urban living and reconnect with nature,” she says. And the star ingredient? Mushrooms, of course—specifically supercharged reishi and snow mushrooms, both of which have been buzzed about for their potential radiance-boosting powers. Keep scrolling to learn more
This paint company has your wellness in mind—here’s why that’s important
September 04, 2019 at 03:01AM by CWC You’ve been doing everything you can to make sure your home is as free of toxins as possible, creating a plant-filled indoor jungle to help keep the air clean and making sure your water is always filtered. One thing you probably haven’t thought about, though, is the paint on the walls within your sanctuary. You may not realize it, but paint, cleaning items, and many other common items emit gases called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can impact the air quality inside your home for years. That’s why Backdrop—quite possibly the most millennial paint company, ever—is bringing wellness to the forefront in the expansive world of home improvement in order to make sure adding a little personality to your home doesn’t come at a cost for your health. Backdrop currently offers 50 shades, all of which are low-VOC. A gallon of paint (packaged in a recyclable can) isn’t exactly cheap at $59, but the company is certified by Green Wise, which means the paint went through robust testing to ensure it limits VOCs as well as prohibits certain chemical compounds and heavy metals, including formaldehyde, phthalates, mercury, and methylene chloride. As an added bonus, all paints are also vegan and cruelty-free. View this post on Instagram @cocoandbreezy’s new backdrop 36 HOURS IN MARRAKESH @thelorca A post shared by BACKDROP (@backdrop) on Jun 14, 2019 at 12:02pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Before committing to a color, you can skip the messy paint samples and go for Backdrop’s
Ancient Greeks used personality types—and their model connects to MBTI, enneagram, and astrology
September 04, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Way back, before the cultural interest expanded for Myers-Briggs, enneagram, Helen Fisher’s romantic types, David Keirsey’s temperaments, and beyond, the ancient Greeks were already hypothesizing about personality types. Philosopher Hippocrates‘ temperament psychology posited that characteristics of personality are derived from different proportions of bodily fluids unique to each person: black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. Based on this measure, each person would fit into one of four temperaments. While the fluid concept didn’t hold up to scientific advances and discoveries, taking a closer look at temperament psychology and how its four types parallel in many ways to current standards of personality theory is eye-opening. Below, check out a description for each, how it connects to other personality indicators, and then learn how to discover your own. 1. Sanguine Sanguine personalities are bright, optimistic, cheerful, energetic, and spontaneous. They embody youth and are easily bored, preferring constant entertainment to sitting still. They prefer variety to stability, and often chase risk with a high tolerance for adventure. They tend to be very friendly and easy to be around, but they don’t always take things seriously. Fast facts about Sanguines: Element: Air Fluid: Blood Often embodying people who are: Myers-Briggs ESFPs; enneagram 7s 2. Phlegmatic Phlegmatic types are the likable peacemakers who are calm, cool, collected, and diplomatic above all else. They care a lot about others, but are also emotionally reserved and hide their feelings from those they care about. They are relaxed and
The 10 best healthy eats to buy at Trader Joe’s, according to a dietitian
September 04, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xXMWc_GKiI] Discover a registered dietitian’s affordable Trader Joe’s haul in this super fun video. Trader Joe’s is a goldmine for healthy food. Cauliflower pizza crust, sweet potato ribbons, white bean hummus…walking the aisles is like a scavenger hunt dreamed up by dietitians. There are so many great options, in fact, that even though TJ’s is known for affordable shopping, the total price of your bounty can add up. How in the world do you narrow it down? It’s a question we asked registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD in the latest episode of Well+Good’s YouTube series, You Versus Food. In the video—you can watch the whole thing above—she reveals her must-have picks. Her first favorite is the brand’s cult hit cauliflower gnocchi. “If you haven’t tried—or at least heard—of the latest TJ’s product making headlines around the world, then you’re possibly living under a rock,” she says. “It’s gnocchi made of heavenly puffs of cauliflower.” Alt-pasta that’s gluten-free, low-carb, *and* tastes good? Sold. You’ll also find frozen dark chocolate-covered bananas in Beckerman’s Trader Joe’s cart. “Frozen slices of cold bananas covered in dark chocolate? What more do you need?” she raves. “[There are] two major wins with this dessert: “One, because it’s frozen, you won’t be able to throw back that many without getting brain freeze. And two, you’ll be delivering the body with potassium and magnesium,” both nutrients that will help you wind down before bedtime. Her loot comes to a