November 27, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I was 19 years old when I first heard the term “freshman 15.” My physician tossed the words at me over her clipboard as part of a well-worn speech about “making healthy choices,” “watching how much you drink,” and “exercising often” as a shiny new college student. I remember rising from the examination table and thinking that my body—the one that was apparently the wrong size—had made the paper lining it crinkle too much. I remember discovering a newfound anxiety around food. But mostly, I remember an unrelenting shame that clouded a time otherwise characterized by freedom, new beginnings, and self-discovery. We’re living in a time when body acceptance dominates advertisements splattered across billboards, in subway trains, and even on fashion runways. And yet the idea that an adult woman should remain the size of a teenager endures. Since 2004, Google searches for “freshman 15” have reliably spiked each August through November—and it’s high-time this harmful narrative got canceled. “It’s important to keep in mind that weight is a characteristic, not a behavior.” —Judith Matz, LCSW The idea of the freshman 15 relies upon the outdated belief that weight is the best indicator of well-being, says Judith Matz, LCSW, therapist, and co-author of The Diet Survivor’s Handbook. The word “skinny” isn’t synonymous with “healthy”—and we need to stop treating it like it is. “It’s important to keep in mind that weight is a characteristic, not a behavior,” she says. Wellness doesn’t mean the
Category: Your Healthiest Relationship
What you should eat before a flight to avoid traveler’s constipation
November 27, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Holiday travel is stressful enough without having your G.I. tract turn against you (unless you want to hide out in the bathroom while visiting your relatives). But traveler’s constipation is real and can happen anytime you’re outside your normal routine. Time differences, not drinking enough water, and eating processed foods from an airport kiosk all mess with your digestion. One step you can do to prevent traveler’s constipation, according to Seattle-based registered dietitian Ginger Hultin, RD is starting your day out with a few digestive keys that will work in your favor. While you can’t control what you will and won’t have access to once you hit the road, the hour before you leave for the airport is your time to set your body up for success. What you should eat to avoid traveler’s constipation 1. oatmeal “A powerhouse way to start the day, oats are versatile, delicious, and great for the gut,” Hultin says. (If you think oatmeal is boring, these recipes will prove you wrong.) The reason, Hultin says, oatmeal can help prevent constipation is because it’s full of fiber. “Oats contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which keeps things moving through the gut even when you’re traveling she says.” To increase the fiber content, add nuts, seeds, and berries. 2. chia seeds Whether you add a serving of chia seeds to your oatmeal or opt to add them into a smoothie or even on top of eggs, they’re another food
This futuristic biohacking workout gives you a week’s worth of training in a 40-minute sesh
November 27, 2019 at 12:01PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb9Pkgb6hu0] Ever wonder what biohacking your workout looks like? Check it out, here. If there were a gym in a Star Wars movie, it’d probably feature biohacking fitness technology and out-of-this-world weight training machines that use artificial intelligence. Sounds incredibly futuristic, right? Except it actually exists right now, and it’s in Beverly Hills. Upgrade Labs, a wellness center for biohacking your body, is the latest out-there fitness phenomenon that our very own Ella Dove checks out in Well+Good’s YouTube series What the Wellness. The idea behind the body-boosting hot box is that it uses really high-tech machines to help you get the most out of your workout in as little time as possible. I’m talking 12 minutes on a machine that replaces a week’s worth of strength training and 21 minutes on another that’s equivalent to two hours of cardio. Got your attention? The technology is personalized to your body, and tailored to you on a cellular level for a workout that will give you just what you need in the blink of an eye. Dove’s sweat sesh begins with a stretching, boosted by an infrared light that gets the body nice and warm. Next up, she spins on an AI-enhanced spin bike, knocks out her strength training for the week with some pushing and resistance training, and goes through cold compression HIIT (you’ll have to see it to understand it). “I feel like James Bond,” says Dove in the middle of her
The case for taking yourself on a solo date—no matter your relationship status
November 27, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC The crisp air of a New York City autumn screamed romance. I could feel it on the sliver of exposed skin between my tight black turtleneck dress and black suede boots while I passed leaves in hues of orange and yellow. I strolled past the famed Dakota building on Central Park West, the fluted intro of “Strawberry Fields Forever” serenading me from inside Central Park. I was with my perfect New York date, who happens to be…um, me, Mary Grace. It amazes me that amid a with “Thank U, Next” and “Truth Hurts” topping charts, we have yet to talk about how mastering the solo date is step one in learning how to be happy alone. If you find yourself unexpectedly single, there might be this drive to go bold and book a solo trip. And, if you can swing it, that’s a great option. But, if you find yourself unexpectedly single and also broke, the solo date can serves as a small-scale version of a fulfilling adventure that can help you learn how to be happy alone. First, how do go about taking myself on a date? The design and rules are simple: Think about what you’d love to do on a Perfect Date—whether that includes things you’ve never done before or tried-and-true activities you really love. For me, a great-date format is Central Park in the fall, spending an hour meandering through the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most decorative rooms, and
The skeptic’s guide to gratitude that won’t make you want to roll your eyes
November 27, 2019 at 02:10AM by CWC One New Year’s Eve ten years ago, Janice Kaplan, journalist and author of The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life, realized that she just didn’t seem to feel fully joyful no matter the circumstances in her life. She resolved to spend a year living gratefully (i.e. practicing gratitude) to see what would happen. Her conclusion? “Usually it’s not the events themselves but how we think about them,” she says, can disproportionately impact how we feel. Of course, to the most skeptical of us, Kaplan’s experience (while absolutely valid) seems pretty par for the course with the gratitude crowd. Big, earth shattering revelation plus promise to change for the better apparently equals a more enlightened, grateful self. Yes, there is so much legitimate research about how gratitude can genuinely benefit one’s health and well-being. But if you’re experiencing family problems, work stress, physical or mental health issues, the idea of just being “grateful” can often feel…well, ridiculous. That’s an attitude Kaplan has seen first-hand after writing her book. She’s noticed a tendency to shun the idea of gratitude. “We seem to think that being negative is seeing the reality,” she says. “But it’s really hard to move forward when everything you see is terrible.” If you want to reap the benefits without journaling or saying affirmations in the mirror, this is the gratitude training guide for you. Keep reading for how to develop a regular gratitude
How to hold a squat for twice as long, according to a personal trainer
November 27, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Like planks or a sit-ups, squats are an essential movement. I can’t remember the last time I went to the gym and didn’t do at least one squat. If you want to learn how to hold a squat longer (and get a lot stronger in the process), Tatiana Lampa, a trainer with Training with T, says you do just that with a few easy moves. “Some people may only feel their quads doing squats,” says Lampa. When you’re only using one muscle group, the workout becomes a. harder, and b. less effective. “Once you’ve gotten the hang of three strengthening exercises, you’ll be able to recruit all three major muscles [required for a squat]—the glutes, the quads, and the hamstrings.” Ready to become a super squatter? The 3 moves that will help you hold a squat longer [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OfycnUL0h8] 1. Pause squats Lower down into a normal squat position, then hold at the bottom for three seconds. “This is important to build awareness,” says Lampa. In other words, your body will start to learn how it should feel at the bottom of a squat. 2. Negative squats Doing your workouts in slow motion can challenge your muscles to see every move anew. Squats are no exception. “Slowly go down to your squat for three seconds then stand up tall and squeeze your glutes,” says Lampa. “The more you incorporate ‘negative’ exercises the stronger you’ll get!” 3. Hip thrusters Lampa declares hip thrusters her very favorite
Why you should eat an egg each night before bed
November 27, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Is a hard boiled egg the best bedtime snack? Nick Bitz, ND, naturopathic doctor and chief scientific author at YouTheory, makes a strong case for eating an egg (boiled, poached, or sunny-side up) when the moon is high in the sky. Eating an egg as a source of protein before bed could help you sleep better, he says. “I’ve found that if you eat a little bit of protein at night before you got to sleep—maybe about 6 grams of protein, which is the equivalent of an egg—it gives you a nice blood-sugar balance through most of the night,” said Dr. Bitz at the most recent Well+Good TALK in New York City. Women are particularly susceptible to glucose dysregulation, he explained. In response, the body produces cortisol (the stress hormone), which can wake you up. “I’ve found that if you eat a little bit of protein at night before you got to sleep… it gives you a nice blood-sugar balance through most of the night” —Nick Bitz, ND Just 6 grams of protein can set you up to sleep through the night, but if you’re not too keen on scrambled eggs after dark, you can snack in other forms. A handful of cashews, a large scoop of Greek yogurt, or 1/2 cup of roasted chickpeas does the trick as a bedtime snack with a serving of protein. With any luck, a little protein before bed will help you sleep all night long. Eggs
‘I’m a registered dietitian, and this is how I build my Thanksgiving plate’
November 26, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTwzed12Xk8] Check out the healthy Thanksgiving foods that this RD makes sure to prioritize on Turkey Day. Thanksgiving is to food what the Super Bowl is to football: the biggest moment of the year. What other day is exclusively reserved for cooking and eating, no other activities required? Truly a special day on the calendar for any food lover, particularly if you’re a fan of pumpkin pie and stuffing. In the latest episode of You Versus Good, registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD shares some helpful intel on how she builds her plate on Turkey Day to help balance fully enjoying your favorite Thanksgiving food without worrying about potential upset stomach later in the evening. Her first tip: get a serving of fiber ASAP. While your eyes may go straight to the stuffing, Beckerman recommends starting with a bit of salad. That way, you’ll definitely get some fiber—the key to keeping your digestive tract running properly—before you get too full and skip it altogether. (It’s a tip gastroenterologists can get behind, too.) While Beckerman emphasizes that you should absolutely dig into your Thanksgiving faves and not deprive yourself, keeping the portions moderate will keep you from overloading your stomach (hey, there’s always leftovers), and starting with salad will help prevent your eyes from being bigger than your stomach. Watch the video above for more tips, including how white turkey meat compares in nutrition to dark meat, how to keep your gravy low
Here’s what it truly means to follow a sustainable diet that’s good for you *and* the planet
November 26, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC When it comes to choosing a healthy eating plan, there’s a lot of questions someone may ask themselves. Does my body feel its best without animal products? Did our ancestors have it all figured out? Can I really live without cheese? But the most pressing question in 2019: is this truly a sustainable diet? Indeed, there’s a preponderance of evidence that all of us need to change our ways in order to curb the worst effects of climate change. Just Tuesday, the UN released a damning report saying that carbon emissions continue to increase globally, and seven of the world’s biggest economies (including the US) are not doing their part to help. It doesn’t help that 10 percent of American greenhouse gas emissions come from the agricultural sector—leading many healthy eaters to wonder how their food impacts the planet. That’s where the buzzy planetary health diet, or climate diet, comes in. Introduced by 37 doctors from 16 countries in the journal The Lancet earlier in the year, it offers up a researched-backed eating plan for how to eat healthy in a way that minimally impacts the planet and ensures that it will be habitable for future generations. But given that the ground-breaking report is…incredibly long, we decided to get some practical intel on what a truly sustainable diet looks like from registered dietitian and The Conscious Dietitian blogger Sharon Palmer, RD. She breaks down the planetary health diet so that you can build
3 tips for making your skin-care routine super sustainable, according to clean-beauty maven Josie Maran
November 26, 2019 at 07:20PM by CWC Be honest: How many times have you thought that switching to a sustainable, clean skin-care routine means giving up on the next-level glow you’re chasing? Hold on to your jade roller—because according to Josie Maran, founder and CEO of Josie Maran Cosmetics, the two aren’t mutually exclusive. “We as beauty consumers have been taught that if you go green and clean you will have to sacrifice the performance of the products,” says Maran. “But this is not true anymore—people like me have committed their lives to finding better, healthier ways to create beauty with a conscience, and with quality and efficacy in mind so you can have what I call ‘chic-ological’ beauty.” (Add that to your beauty dictionary stat.) To help you kick off your earth-friendly skin-care regimen, Maran has a few sustainability tips to make the process as smooth as your future complexion. Keep scrolling for 3 skin-care sustainability tips to help give your routine a clean makeover. 1. Donate, send, or up-cycle your empty containers Before you get to the products to add to your collection, first rid yourself of the stuff you’ve already used. Through Josie Maran’s partnership with TerraCycle, you can send in your empties to be given a new life—which is crazy easy yet totally impactful. “You’re ensuring your waste will be properly recycled and that you’re doing your part to live a more conscious and sustainable lifestyle,” says Maran. But if you’d rather keep a few jars, Maran