August 07, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Laura Mael was 41 when she started experiencing heavier periods than she’d ever had before—like, way heavier. When she brought it up to her gynecologist during her annual checkup (along with some other new symptoms she was experiencing, like her skin feeling super hot), her doctor wasn’t surprised. “You’re going through perimenopause,” she said matter of factly. While menopause is often talked about, perimenopause—the time before menopause when ovarian function starts to decline, causing gradually lower levels of estrogen—is an often-overlooked part of the reproductive health conversation. Yet it can have a huge impact on the lives of those going through it. According to Maribelle Verdiales, MD, an OB/GYN and naturopathic doctor at CNY Fertility in Atlanta, Georgia, perimenopause symptoms can include heavier (or lighter) periods, more intense PMS, weight gain, lack of sex drive, and vaginal dryness. Those symptoms are all the more difficult to address when you have no idea to expect them in the first place. ad_intervals[‘409696_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘409696_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); “Someone at 38 may feel young, wild, and free. Then, two years later, they’re seeing these signs of accelerated aging, which also indicates a decrease in their fertility,” Dr. Verdiales says. “It can be a very difficult transition for a lot of women.” “I just felt like, Wow, I’m officially old“ Registered dietitian Jennifer Scheinman, RD, struggled with low energy levels, stubborn weight gain, and hormonal imbalances shortly after she turned
Category: You and your body
3 relationship pros dish on whether watching porn can be considered cheating
August 07, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Buckle up, because I’m about to admit something I’m kind of ashamed about: I used to check the browsing history on my ex-boyfriend‘s computer. It was out of sheer curiosity, I swear—and the only thing I (continually) saw was porn. Lots of it. I never spoke with him about my snooping habit, but in retrospect, I probably should have owned up to the secret surveillance and also communicated my feelings about what I found. One reason I didn’t? When I brought up his screen habits to friends once, they let me know they’ve experienced the same thing—meaning, my stance on the matter aside, watching some extracurricular porn did seem to be a normal thing to do within the confines of my social circle. (Side note: It seems snooping around a partner’s private property was also normal in my social circle, but that’s a whole other story.) Though we had varying opinions about what it meant in the scope of our respective relationships, we did land on one common question we weren’t sure how to answer: Is watching porn cheating? ad_intervals[‘411406_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘411406_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); It’s tricky to draw conclusions from the event of watching porn—especially since there’s no set-in-stone definition to explain cheating behavior. “Fighting over one person in a relationship watching porn has definitely become more and more common, because it’s a topic that falls into a gray area of relationship rules,” says Maria
Almost 40% of people still have a major misconception about washing their faces
August 07, 2019 at 12:16PM by CWC People rave about that special time of the day when they get to unhook their bras and let their chests breathe. And, I mean, same. But I have to admit: for me, personally, wiping off my makeup and cleansing my face feels even better. I can almost feel the stress of the day spilling down the drain along with my BB cream, mascara, and eyebrow pencil. Then, a nagging voice in the back of my head whispers: Is my skin clean, actually? I’m not the least bit alone, according to a recent survey conducted by skin care brand Cerave. Of the 2,000 adults polled, 37 percent said that they consider their skin “clean” when it felt tight, but derms say that’s far from the truth. “After washing your face, the skin should feel light and soft, but not tight,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD. “There is a perception that tight and dry equals clean, but it really represents post wash dryness, which is harmful to the skin.” The skin barrier is packed with natural oils that serve to protect your complexion from the harsher factors of your environment. Over-washing strips said oils—which is (obviously) not the way to give your skin a glow up. ad_intervals[‘413673_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413673_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); “After washing your face, the skin should feel light and soft, but not tight.” —Joshua Zeichner, MD Instead, Dr. Zeichner says your goal with each cleanse should be
This is the best way to get into pigeon pose to get that ooey gooey hip stretch
August 07, 2019 at 11:50AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1gEGLtF1p0] Ready to open up your hips? Watch how to do pigeon pose the right way, here. There are yoga poses I dread in my practice (I’m lookin’ at you, chair pose), and there are others that I can’t wait for the instructor to call out. As a runner with ultra-tight hips that stay sore 24/7, pigeon pose has become one that my body feels like it needs to untangle some of the tension that my long runs bring on. So, you can find me jumping into the hip-opener just about as quickly as the instructor calls it out. But according to yoga pro Tess Koening, how you get into the stretch is half the battle. The most common mistake she sees comes from not starting in the correct previous pose to set yourself up for success (find out which one by clicking the video above). Instead, she notices that a ton of people enter the pose “from the ground up.” This can put undue stress on your knees and it collapses your core without really opening up the hips or stretching anything. Womp womp. ad_intervals[‘413518_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413518_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); “The thing about pigeon pose is that it’s a hip opener, not a knee stretch,” says Koening. “It might touch other parts of your body, but you really want to make it about your hips.” After all, the hips are pretty much mandatory in so many of
Amazon Storefronts is my new favorite place to find cool healthy snacks
August 07, 2019 at 11:42AM by CWC Leisurely strolling through the supermarket aisles is nothing short of meditative experience for me. Somewhere between the ever-expanding alt-noodle offerings and row after row of bright produce, I miraculously become chill—at least temporarily. And now that the evolution of the World Wide Web has brought food utopias to our fingertips (hello, Thrive Market), I can feel the very same calm while surfing the net. And lately: the grocery section of Amazon Storefront has been my dot com of choice for doing just that. The idea behind Amazon Storefront is to spotlight small brands with products made in America across all retail categories. Influencers and small business owners alike have been asked to curate shopping lists. (Gluten-free food blogger Nicole Cogan, for example, just launched her very own section.) For now, the grocery aisle is small (only about two pages worth), but each item is a good litmus test for the healthy things people are snacking on right now. Plus, it’s a treasure trove for finding your new pantry go-tos. ad_intervals[‘413595_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413595_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Ready to shop Amazon Storefronts like a frugal foodie? Here are our top 3 picks to add to your cart Buy Now Barnana Organic Plantain Chips $14 (pack of 4) Buy Now True Made Foods Original Veracha, Vegetable Sriracha $8 Buy Now VAHDAM, Assorted Loose Leaf Tea Sampler $20 While you’re shopping, stock up on these minimally processed snacks and other
8 foods for liver health that nutritionists want you to eat every day
August 07, 2019 at 11:00AM by CWC Of the five vital organs, the liver stands out as the fuzziest in my high school bio memories. It doesn’t have its own songs à la “Achy-Breaky Heart.” And, let’s face it, it will never be the brain of the entire operation. Yet nutritionist Charles Passler, DC, founder of Pure Change, is pretty keen on giving the organ (which sits right above your stomach, BTW) a rebrand. Why, you ask? The liver plays a vital role in shepherding out what your body doesn’t need. “When the liver is working optimally, it can take toxins stored throughout your body, convert them into their water soluble form, and efficiently excrete them from your body,” explains Dr. Passler. With the right food on your plate, he says, you can more easily flush out foreign chemicals—like the ones you pick up from the environment, beauty products, or processed foods. The American Liver Foundation’s healthy eating guidelines echo Dr. Passler’s points. It also recommends a diet rich in fiber sourced from fruit, veggies, and whole grains. Small amounts of non-red meat, as well as low-fat dairy and healthy monounsaturated fats (like avocado!) are also on the menu. ad_intervals[‘281756_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘281756_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Follow those broad nutritional guidelines and you’re already off to a good start—but let’s dive deeper on the foods the liver really, truly loves. Keep reading for 8 powerful liver cleansing foods to give your bod an assist. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRmu4NiJWK8]
This dress is basically the leggings equivalent of formalwear, and I never want to take it off
August 07, 2019 at 11:01AM by CWC As soon as the summer hits its dog days, I’ve got exactly two criteria for whatever clothing I put on my body: It’s gotta be comfortable, and it cannot, under any circumstances, show sweat. That’s it. Whether or not something is cute doesn’t matter nearly as much as its ability to mask my pit stains, so I usually wind up staying in my workout clothes as long as humanly possible. Case in point: This morning, I went to three bustiness meetings in leggings and a top. While it probably wasn’t the most professional thing I’ve ever done (and definitely wasn’t the best idea for the sake of my nether regions), frankly it was necessary for running around New York City in 85 percent humidity But thankfully, for the sake of my career and personal style, I discovered an article of clothing that not only checks my “comfortable” and “sweat resistant” boxes, but also happens to be cute and work appropriate. Enter Rec Room, which makes the dress of my dreams out of what can only be described as the most comfortable fabric ever to grace this earth and my skin. ad_intervals[‘413563_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413563_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); Rec Room was created with the idea that women deserve to feel as comfortable they do in their workout leggings in everything else that they do, and launched a line of dresses to prove it. The founders call their products “everywhere wear,”
These acne body washes are the in-shower equivalent of an appointment with Dr. Pimple Popper
August 07, 2019 at 10:24AM by CWC I can wax poetic all day long about the army of beauty products you should use on your face when you’ve got acne. Say the word, and I’ll recite my personal Ted Talk about the ingredients to slather on breakouts, why you should keep your fingers off of your face, and which pimple patches are worth slapping onto your zits. But treating body breakouts is a whole different matter (buttne, anyone?). While the remedy to face acne is a complex situation and depends on the type, the basis of your body zit conquest all starts with a good ol’ acne body wash. “You really have to depend more on a cleanser [with body acne] than applying topical leave-on products simply because leave-on products don’t come in a volume sufficient to treat areas like your back and chest,” says Loretta Ciraldo, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Loretta skin care. “So body wash becomes very important for body acne, where, unlike on our faces, the wash would be the only thing you’re using to clear acne.” Besides that, certain acne leave-on ingredients include benzoyl peroxide, which she points out would impact your clothing. Hence why a solid body cleanser is pretty much all you need (you know, as opposed to spot treatments or masks or serums). ad_intervals[‘413090_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413090_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); Also, the skin on your body is different than the skin on your face.
Use ‘soul medicine’ to remedy to that all-too-common ‘meh’ feeling and vibrate higher
August 07, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC I’m deep in an inexplicable funk of “meh” when I meet Lalah Delia, spiritual writer and author of the forthcoming book Vibrate Higher Daily at the Self-Care Summit put on by women’s networking platform Create & Cultivate. I can’t figure out why I feel this way—it doesn’t seem as though anything’s changed or suddenly gone wrong in my life, and that lack of understanding makes shifting back into a better place even tougher to wrap my mind around. I figure this is an issue Delia can help me navigate, given that her entire brand focuses on the notion of “vibrating higher,” which sounds like exactly what I feel like I need to do. So, I decide to learn more. The first thing Delia tells me is that the state of my spiritual health may explain the source of my funk, and, at first, I assume she’s either referring to my 19-year absence from church or my unholy thoughts about the hot priest from Fleabag. Turns out, I’m wrong on both accounts. “Spiritual health, for me, is being in harmony and in touch and in balance with a higher vibrational self and then also with my higher power,” Delia says. “So to feel like there’s a flow going, there’s no stagnation.” BINGO. Stagnation is exactly what I’ve been feeling. Not necessarily externally—I’ve been busier than ever and seem to be making progress toward my bigger goals—but on an internal level? I feel a little…stale. ad_intervals[‘411332_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] =
Everyone at my gym is sipping coffee mid-workout, and nutritionists told me why
August 07, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC I’ve noticed a new trend in the gym of late, that’s become about as pertinent as one-shoulder sports bras and wide-leg yoga pants: People drinking coffee during their workouts. As a morning-exercise fan, I’ve always gulped down a cold brew before hitting the megaformer, which RDs say is totally fine. Chugging a cup mid-routine, though? That seems like some next-level commitment to the caffeine habit, so I had to know from the pros if it was a good idea—or even okay at all. “Caffeine is a stimulant. It stimulates the nervous system and makes us more awake, and it can also stimulate your nervous system, heart, and other systems in your body, which can help with physical performance during your workout,” says Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, CDN . The fitness world seems to agree with that sentiment. “At about 100mg of caffeine per cup, coffee can provide a nice lift in energy and alertness for a person’s workout when consumed prior to—or at the beginning of—a workout,” says Andy Coggan, CSCS, CPT, NASM CES, Director of Fitness at Gold’s Gym. He adds that it can also assist in nervous system arousal and mobilizing fat cells for energy consumption, but these benefits are best reaped when you’re downing your coffee 15 to 30 minutes before you hit the gym, or as early into the workout as possible. ad_intervals[‘412315_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘412315_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); “Every body is different, and how