August 14, 2019 at 05:57AM by CWC Go to college, get a degree, and start working your way up the ladder in your chosen field… forever. How many times have we heard this career-path advice? And how many of us now feel, well, stuck? According to Sinead Bovell, a lot. The founder of WAYE (that stands for “weekly advice for young entrepreneurs,” btw) counts model, MBA holder, and tech evangelist among her own varied hats, and just dropped three key steps to unlocking your career path at our Wellness Collective event with Athleta. “You are not confined to a job or industry simply because that is what you have done up until now,” says Bovell. “Your dream job should be an extension of yourself and who you are, and that usually means you will have to create it yourself—but don’t be afraid to do that!” ad_intervals[‘415326_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘415326_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); To do so, imagine it’s 10 years in the future and your friends and family are giving a toast in your honor—specifically about your achievements. In an ideal world, what would they be saying? The key to this exercise is removing the usual roadblocks (ahem, imposter syndrome) and thinking through what this vision of your own success would really look like. Nothing is off limits—just jot down your answer. Now that you’ve zero-ed in on this dream goal, write down the short- and medium-term steps you can take to make this 10-year
Category: You and your body
This 8-minute morning stretch routine will wake you up when you don’t have time for yoga
August 14, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC In theory, getting up early for a pre-work yoga class is never a bad idea—it can help to undo the tech neck, tight hips, and lower-back aches brought on by the daily grind and intensified by long stretches of time in bed. But let’s be real: In an era when being “tired all the time” has its own clever acronym, an extra hour in bed often wins out over warrior poses at dawn. Fortunately, you don’t have to fully sacrifice lithe, flexible muscles in favor of a full eight hours of sleep. According to Samira Mustafaeva, a former world-champion gymnast and founder of the SM Stretching studios in Los Angeles and Russia, all you need is an eight-minute morning stretch sesh to set you up for a more limber day. “Stretching can be done at any time of the day, but the morning is especially great because it awakens your muscles from slumber and gets you ready to go about your day,” she says, adding that a shorter routine is actually better because your joints will be stiffer after sleep. This is especially true if you’re starting as soon as you get out of bed, without a workout as a warmup. “Doing a few stretches in the a.m. with no prior workout is fine—just don’t do anything too sharp or pull too hard,” she says. “Push yourself as far as you are comfortable, without any serious discomfort, to wake up the body.” ad_intervals[‘413212_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]
Is your resolved argument really over if you still have bad lingering feelings about it?
August 14, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Stale, negative energy. That’s the best way I can describe the situation of having made up with your partner after a fight, and the bad feelings continue to linger. Relationship arguments are extra confusing to settle when your head and heart don’t forgive and actually let things go at the same time. Because though on face value, you’ve each said what you need to say and heard what you need to hear, settled the issue, and are cool again with each other, you’re not quite there yet 100 percent and earnestly. And when your partner tries to extend their olive branch even further, sending you a cute meme or a text, no part of you wants to respond. Is it rude to ignore? Are you still angry? Could this mean the issue isn’t even resolved properly? First, know that this continuum of feelings is oh-so normal, and there’s a difference between a cooling-off period and subjecting someone to the silent treatment. When what you’re experiencing is a simple, healthy cooling off period, the two of you maybe just need some emotional and physical space or some time apart. ad_intervals[‘409486_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘409486_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); The silent treatment, though, is kind of a no-no. When done with intention, it functions as a passive-aggressive mechanism to control and punish your partner, and can even be a sign of narcissism. Furthermore, one 2017 study points out that in the
Here’s how to know if that snack you’re eating is actually a legit meal
August 14, 2019 at 02:01AM by CWC In this age of I’m-too-busy-for-an-actual-meal, we have become a society of snackers. (Shout out to everyone literally eating a snack right now as you read this.) Walk into any drugstore and there’s at least half an aisle devoted to protein bars. Even avocado toast has transformed into a gym bag-friendly morsel. There are so many snack options that it honestly wouldn’t be that hard to live off snack products alone, instead of taking the time to piece together an actual meal. The lines between snacks and meals is definitely blurred. To help bring some clarity, I called up Jaime Schehr, NP, RD, a nationally recognized expert in integrative medicine and nutrition. Simply put, she explains that a meal is meant to fill someone up longer than a snack. “A meal is meant to fill someone up for at least three hours and is going to have the macronutrients we need, which unless you are doing keto [or another very specific eating plan], that includes protein, carbohydrates, and fiber,” Dr. Schehr explains, adding that this primarily looks like something veggie-based paired with a protein. ad_intervals[‘415114_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘415114_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); “What I tell my clients is that if you have breakfast at 8 a.m., your meal should be comprehensive enough so that it fills you up until at least 11 a.m.,” Dr. Schehr says. If not, it likely isn’t hitting those macronutrient buckets she details. This doesn’t mean
Yes, your parents have a favorite child—here’s what happens when it’s not you
August 13, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC My little brother and I recently engaged in a heated conversation about who’s the favorite child between us and our two other siblings. We’re all grown adults, yet this debate has been ongoing for as long as I can remember. My mom, for one, denies any favoritism, but I suspect she’s trying to shield us from the rather obvious truth: she loves my eldest brother most. Science says I might be right, at least in terms of the fact that she has a favorite period. Clinical psychologist Alexander Bingham, PhD, says real research backs up the notion that parents prefer one kid. In one 2005 longitudinal study, for example, 74 percent of mothers admitted to having a favorite child while 70 percent of fathers confessed to such a preference. So, odds are good that my parents—and yours, too—prefer one of their kids over the others. Dr. Bingham says this favoritism happens for the same reasons all humans prefer certain people, and those reasons, he explains, tend to fall into one of two buckets: neurotic and healthy. In psychoanalytic theory, a neurotic need is something an individual develops to protect themselves (like, for example, a need for approval as a means to stave off anxiety). “For neurotic reasons, any person will like or favor people who pander to their neurotic needs and dislike people who do not do so,” Dr. Bingham says. “If/when these needs are not met, the favoritism ends, replaced by dislike
7 breakfasts for gut health that dietitians want you to eat ASAP
August 13, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC It’s a universally agreed upon truism that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (and there are some studies to back this up). But while most of us are pretty good about making sure our breakfast is high in filling protein and healthy fats, there’s one nutrient most of us are overlooking in our rush to get out the door: fiber. “Nine out of 10 Americans do not reach fiber goals with an average intake at 12-14 grams out of the 25-38 grams recommended by the US Dietary Guidelines,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, and author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. And fiber has a lot of health benefits to offer, especially first thing in the morning. “Fiber helps to normalize your bowel movements, preventing constipation and bloating, while also keeping you full for long periods of time. Fiber is also an essential part of healthy eating in general, as it reduces heart disease, regulates blood sugar, and helps to prevent GI cancers,” says Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, and owner of BZ Nutrition in NYC. ad_intervals[‘414600_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘414600_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Breakfast is a great time of day to pack in extra fiber, which not only makes your gut happy but also keeps you satisfied and less likely to reach for the office donut tray or candy bowl mid-morning, Harris-Pincus says. The same goes for protein and good fats, so pair them with those fibrous foods.
Science says this is the most popular type of cleanser in America
August 13, 2019 at 01:14PM by CWC Peek inside the medicine cabinet of nearly half of all women, and you’ll find one product in common: a foaming cleanser. According to a new Superdrug study of 1,140 people, a whopping 46 percent of women (and 34 percent of men) opted for a foam as their face wash of choice. And it seems it’s for good reason: “Foaming cleansers are easy to use to quickly and effectively remove dirt, oil, and even sunscreen from the skin thoroughly,” says Howard Sobel, MD, cosmetic dermatologic surgeon and founder of Sobel Skin. “Foaming cleansers used to have the reputation of over-stripping the skin of oils, but nowadays foaming cleansers are formulated to be hydrating and gentle enough for sensitive skin. It also gives a soft, cushion-y lather and it rinses cleanly.” In case you were wondering, the study found that facial cleansing wipes (43 percent), plain ol’ water (38 percent), and gel cleansers (35 percent) were the top picks after everyone’s favorite foam. ad_intervals[‘415181_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘415181_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); Because of their grease-lifting abilities, foaming cleansers are a great choice for anyone with acne-prone or oily skin, though Dr. Sobel notes that people with dry or sensitive skin might find them to be too drying. And the average price that people are spending on their cleansers? Eleven bucks, which makes sense considering derms say there is no reason to spend big bucks on a pricier option. Here, Dr. Sobel
4 do-anywhere stretches that will help you recover from any workout faster
August 13, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC By now you’ve learned the importance of spending a few minutes before every sweat sesh preparing your muscles with dynamic stretches—but what about after you’re done working out? Taking the time to loosen your muscles after an intense exercise is equally as important as warming them up before you begin. When you stretch after cycling, swimming, barre, Pilates, boxing, running, or even just walking, you enable your muscles to relax and recover faster. So, instead of skipping out of the studio as fast as physically possible following your workout, take a few minutes to really make the most of your sweat. To help you do so, ahead you’ll find four basic stretches that are guaranteed to help you recover faster. Do these and you’ll thank me in two days when you’re not sore AF. Hamstring stretch The back of your thigh, otherwise known as your hamstring, is notorious for getting tight and tense without proper TLC. That’s why Laurie Benenati, owner of the fitness studio Lagree NY, believes hamstring stretches are an absolute must. ad_intervals[‘403160_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘403160_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); To tend to the muscle, Benenati says to sit down on the floor and extend your right leg fully while bending the left leg so that the bottom of your foot rests against the right thigh just above the knee. “Inhale and exhale to hinge forward at the hips while keeping your butt on the floor,”
Work-life balance is dead—there’s a better way to think about your relationship with your job
August 13, 2019 at 12:51PM by CWC The idea of “balance”—once a buzzword in the wonderful world of wellness—has largely been abandoned. Now that the workforce has jumped ship on this restrictive 50-50 approach to juggling life and career, all of us need a new way to assess our relationship with work. One that doesn’t include the “B” word. A recent global study on this topic conducted by Kisi used metrics that suggest a way of rethinking how the two interact with one another. Taking into account the experiences of people across cities in the United States and beyond, the research looked at criteria you would expect in an assessment of employment (like hours worked per week, vacations taken, and length of commutes) with markers you don’t always hear incorporated in the conversation (like access to mental health care, gender and LGBTQ+ equality, amount of outdoor spaces, and wellness and fitness). On the world stage, Helsinki, Finland (hey, it is a Blue Zone) came out on top thanks to the city’s sky-high happiness score, impressive marks for wellness, and overall safety. Within the U.S., San Diego reigned supreme with access to outdoor spaces and high wellness and happiness scores. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Detroit and Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia, represented the lowest scores across all the categories that make your hustle and your life work in tandem. When you look at the data as a whole, you start to see a pattern: Locations where wellness
Move over Birkenstocks: Dr. Scholl’s are about to become the new, podiatrist-approved king of the ugly shoes
August 13, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC When you think of ugly shoes, your first thought is probably Birkenstocks. The sandals are one of the rare types of footwear that have been embraced by both the fashion crowd and podiatrists… which is saying a lot. When Birkenstocks came back into style I had a “hard pass” mentality, but now I’m used to them (I live in LA, after all, and they’re pretty much unavoidable). But as I was scrolling through the sandal section of Free People the other day—my summer shoe collection is woefully sparse—I noticed they were selling Dr. Scholl’s clogs. Are these a thing? I asked myself. A quick Google search confirmed my suspicions: They are very much a thing. Urban Outfitters even has an exclusive Dr. Scholl’s style. Dr. Scholl’s makes a ton of different types of shoes, but for the purposes of this article I’m going to focus on their OG slide sandals because they are the ugly-cutest ones and also the most comparable to Birks. To find out what makes these shoes so great from a foot health perspective, I asked podiatric surgeon Dr. Cary Gannon, founder of non-toxic nail polish brand AILA, to weigh in. ad_intervals[‘415019_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘415019_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); “The original Dr. Scholl’s slide sandals are ideal for foot health for two reasons: fit and function,” she says. “The slide sandals properly fit the foot by providing a wide toe bed that allows the toes