November 21, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Meet Wellness Collective, our immersive curriculum with Athleta that hooks you up with actionable advice from the smartest experts and brand founders in wellness right now. Get the goods at our monthly event series in New York City plus our online one-month wellness plans. Here, holistic aesthetician Shani Hillian answers your most-pressing questions about winter skin care. It’s the ultimate winter skin-care conundrum: You know you’re supposed to slather on all the hydrating products to keep the cold air from drying out your skin, but anything more than a barely there moisturizer sends your complexion to breakout city. So what are you supposed to do? You asked for tips on finding that elusive winter glow, and holistic aesthetician Shani Hillian answered, sharing intel on how her “keep it simple” skin-care philosophy can help even the most troubled complexions. “When a client approaches me with a skin ailment they are struggling with, whether it be acne, eczema, or dermatitis, my main goal is to do less,” Hillian says. “Our skin is so delicate, and when an unexpected skin condition occurs, the worst thing you can do is start treating it with three different products all at once.” Scroll down for more of her top tips for winter skin care so you can glow all season long. 1. Opt for a water-based moisturizer Sorry—if you were hoping to ditch moisturizers completely to avoid breaking out, Hillian nixed that idea right away. “The biggest misconception is that folks think they don’t need
Category: Your Healthiest Relationship
3 feels-so-good exercises that’ll decompress your spine for a happy back
November 21, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC I hate to say it, but my back probably spends the majority of the day in a not-so-good posture. From slouching at my desk to being sprawled out on my couch watching reality TV, you could say my spine isn’t the picture of perfect health… and that’s mainly due to all of that compressing that I do to it. Compressing your spine is like crumpling damp clothes into a ball—it makes a mess, and throws proper alignment all out of whack. “Oftentimes, back pain sufferers simply feel crunched—as if the weight of the world is hanging from their shoulders, causing immense pressure upon their spines,” says Chris Tomshack, DC, founder and CEO of HealthSource. “In a way, they’re not wrong. Gravity is one of the factors of disc degeneration, herniated, bulging, and slipped discs, as well as sciatica, and the debilitating pain that often comes as a result.” Your answer to preventing these crunched-up woes? Decompression, which involves doing stretches and exercises that elongate your spine. “If you feel like something could ease the pressure simply by helping you stretch and pull, there are simple spinal decompression exercises you can do at home,” says Tomshack. Here are his go-to spinal exercises you can do anytime, anywhere to decompress your back for a healthier posture. 1. Cat stretch: This basic yoga move is so good for your spine. “The cat stretch helps to increase circulation in the spine while strengthening the muscles surrounding it,” says
The overlooked importance of testosterone in women
November 21, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Testosterone has long been stereotyped as the alpha male hormone. It was long thought (and still is, in some circles) as a key factor as to what makes a person a man versus a woman. But as our understanding of gender has evolved, so too has our knowledge about testosterone. See, in reality, testosterone is one of the body’s main sex hormones—for everyone. And it can have major health implications (good and bad) for people who don’t identify as men. Here, leading hormone experts explain everything you need to know about testosterone, including the role it plays in women’s bodies and what happens when it’s out of balance. The role testosterone plays in women and people with uteruses “Testosterone is one of the most well-known sex hormones in the body, along with estrogen and progesterone,” says integrative doctor and hormone expert Arianna Sholes-Douglas, MD. It is crucial for the development of the penis and testes, sperm, and even muscles and bones. While people with uteruses generally have much lower levels of testosterone overall than people with testes, the Big Three sex hormones all work together, she says; if one is out of balance, it will affect the levels of the others. Testosterone is important for sex drive and desire in people with uteruses; too little, and someone might have a harder time feeling aroused or in the mood. “The medical community has known for a long time that low testosterone is connected to
Want to de-frizz strands in no time flat? Try avocado oil for hair
November 21, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Avocados are the Tom Hanks of fruits and veggies: They can do no wrong. They’re beloved by all and universally appealing. In the avocado’s case (because we all know why Hanks is great), it’s super delicious to eat (duh), really good for your skin, and even good for your hair. Yes, using avocado oil for hair benefits may be the least discussed perk of the fruit, but it’s definitely legit. “Avocado oil is an amazing oil for hair,” says Debbi Burnes, beauty expert and founder of Sumbody. “It has a high content of monounsaturated fat, vitamins E and D, and oleic acid, and is one of the very few oils that can penetrate the hair shaft and cuticle as opposed to just lying on top of the hair.” Because it can really get into your strands, it can work to moisturize your hair while reducing split ends and breakage. Most people will want to keep the oil away from the scalp since it can cause hair to look overly greasy, and because the bottoms of hair tend to be the driest (unless of course, you’re washing it out following or doing some sort of a scalp mask, as mentioned below, and then go ham). “In addition to the lipids, avocado oil contains fat soluble antioxidants and bioactive phytochemicals, including vitamin E and carotenoids, which help protect hair from environmental aggressors and pollutants that can make hair dry and brittle,” explains Paula Simpson, biochemist,
The official USA Gymnastics stretching sequence is a full-body workout on its own
November 20, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC For the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, stretching is as effortless as breathing. At the beginning of each training session, competitors complete a 20-minute warm-up to prepare them to take on the beam, the vault, the uneven bars, the rings, and the floor. And according to some of the world’s foremost coaches, gymnastics stretching is indispensable. “Most gymnastics coaches would agree that flexibility is an essential aspect of gymnastics training and performance,” wrote William Sands, PhD, USA Gymnastics director of research and development, and Jeni McNeal, MS, of the United States Elite Coaches Association for Women’s Gymnastics (USECA). “Flexibility is frequently included in talent identification and screening measures for gymnasts, divers, and dancers.” To find their balance, gymnasts spend a great detail of time strengthening in the warm-up as well. In fact, some people might consider the stretching sequence a workout in and of itself. Ready to try it? The USA Gymnastics stretching sequence the team does before every practice To follow the full warm-up of gymnastics stretching routine, visit USA Gymnastics. Round 1: Prep This section includes five minutes of either jumping rope or jumping to get your heart rate up at the start. The right way to jump rope: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3zgHI8QnqE] Round 2: Walk around the mat While you’re walking around the mat (or, you know, some other surface), you’ll complete mobility movements like toe stretches, shoulder circles, and trunk twists to get all your muscles warmed up. round 3: Cardio In
Derms say these super-common shower mistakes are the reason skin gets so dry
November 20, 2019 at 10:31PM by CWC Whenever anyone complains about dry skin on their bodies, they’re usually offered the same ol’ easy fix: Just put on some lotion. And sure, that helps… to an extent. But as any dermatologist will tell you, the key to fending off dryness actually starts long before you step out of the shower, and most of us aren’t doing ourselves—or our skin’s hydration levels—any favors with certain shower habits. In fact, there are a number of very common mistakes that could be contributing to those dry arms and flaky knees… only one of which has anything to do with the products you’re lathering up with. Here, board-certified dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, MD breaks down the easiest in-shower fixes for fending off dry skin so that your lotion won’t have to work quite as hard afterwards. Read your body wash label: Just like with your face, certain ingredients like salicylic acid and glycolic acid can dry your skin a bit. Instead, look for “nourishing” and “moisturizing” products with hydrating heroes like ceramides and glycerin, and anti-inflammatories like niacinamide or chamomile. Also try a soap-free cleanser, like Dove Body Wash for Dry Skin ($6) or Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil ($20), which is a favorite among derms. Turn down the heat: Luxuriating in a hot shower might feel amazing when it’s 10 degrees outside, but it’s not doing your skin any favors. “The issue with very hot showers is that they actually dry you out and can cause dry skin
The Korean concept of ‘nunchi’ lets you read any room effortlessly—here’s how to develop it
November 20, 2019 at 10:04PM by CWC Have you ever met someone with so much charisma and charm that they instantly change the energy of every room they enter? If you have, you know what it’s like to be in the vicinity of someone with “nunchi”: the Korean word to describe the ability to effortlessly tune into people’s thoughts and feelings. Euny Hong, the author of The Power of Nunchi, published earlier this month, says that unlike emotional intelligence, or EQ, (which primarily revolves around tapping into other people’s feelings), those with nunchi can take the temperature of an entire room and adapt their actions from there. “The people who do focus on the room are actors, directors, poker players, and other people who know that you can’t just focus on one person because it’s not really going to help you,” she tells Well+Good. “The people who do focus on the room are actors, directors, poker players, and other people who know that you can’t just focus on one person because it’s not really going to help you.” In addition, nunchi involves being quick on your feet as you move from location to location. That’s why, according to Hong, someone can’t have “good” nunchi in Korea, but they can have “quick” nunchi. “If you can figure out what’s going on, but it’s after the fact, that’s not as useful,” says Hong. A true master of nunchi can adapt to social situations on the fly to the benefit of those around
‘I was diagnosed with PCOS in my twenties. IVF made it possible to have a baby’
November 20, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common medical procedure for infertility, which affects one in twelve women of childbearing age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even if you’ve done your research and know what it entails—a series of procedures where eggs are removed from a person’s body, fertilized by sperm to create embryos, and re-implanted into the uterus—a factsheet can only tell you so much. Here, Diane (last name withheld), shares her experience undergoing IVF. From how it affected her physically and emotionally to how much it cost, she holds nothing back. The big decision I was 19 when my husband and I got married—a very young bride. While we never actively took measures to prevent pregnancy, we didn’t start officially trying to conceive until I was 24. We tried for about two years. I would literally buy pregnancy tests in bulk from Amazon, but every time I took a test, it came back negative. Finally, I got a positive test. I was so excited that after two years of trying, I was finally pregnant. I had watched several of my other friends get pregnant so quickly; I didn’t know why it was so much easier for them than for me. I went to the health clinic to confirm that I was really pregnant, but my test there came back negative. That day at the clinic, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is one of
Listen up: These healthy nutrition plans could keep your hearing sharp
November 20, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC The fact that how you eat affects your mind and body is hardly breaking news. And if you’re not yet thinking about how the food on your plate impacts auditory health, you’re about to get an earful. A new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that specific diets may slow hearing loss with age. Past studies have linked certain nutrients and foods (such as folate, which is found in legumes, leafy greens, and elsewhere) to a lower risk of self-reported hearing loss, but the researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital sought to analyze how specific eating plans could affect hearing sensitivity. To do so, they set up testing locations at nine testing sites throughout the United States and trained audiologists to measure changes in people’s hearing thresholds over time. Over 20 years after the start of the project, researchers found that women who followed the DASH diet, the Mediterranean diet, and Alternate Healthy Index-2010 (a plan designed to combat chronic disease risk) were nearly 30 percent less likely to experience a decline in mid-frequency hearing (that is, the frequency of a human voice) than those who had less healthy diets. The odds were even lower at higher frequencies. “The association between diet and hearing sensitivity decline encompassed frequencies that are critical for speech understanding,” said Sharon Curhan, MD, who helped lead and author the study. Since Dr. Curhan and her team studied predominantly white women between the ages of 50 and
I had a session with a medical intuitive—here’s what happened
November 20, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC From shamans and toe readers to crystal healers and beyond, there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of woo-woo professions to explore. A medical intuitive, though, is one title that’s often met with outsize skepticism—and understandably so, given that it involves a self-appointed practitioner tapping into your energy and then providing you with intel about underlying emotional and physical situations they see. The thought of taking health advice from someone without a formal medical background can seem a little out there and certainly isn’t for everyone. But, as is the case with many alternative-healing methods, working with a medical intuitive isn’t meant to replace seeking more traditional-leaning diagnoses, testing, or treatment. Rather, a session with a medical intuitive who taps their spirit-guide posse for guidance is just another healing modality you can add to your wellness toolkit. “Being a medical intuitive means helping people discover the root cause of mild to moderate health ailments and prevent them before they begin,” says Amy Mercree, medical intuitive and author of A Little Bit Of Goddess: An Introduction to the Divine Feminine. So, seeing one can be especially helpful as a second, third, or fourth, opinion for finding a root cause to symptoms that have stumped other pros, or if you want supplemental support in healing after getting a diagnosis. I fall into the mystery-symptom camp. I’ve been dealing with chronic (and often debilitating) headaches as well as digestive issues for years and doctors have only