February 07, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC If you’ve never been able to touch your toes, fear not: It’s totally possible to increase flexibility. But like getting stronger, faster, or better at anything in your life, you’ve gotta work at it, and that starts with targeting the right muscles. Certain spots in our bodies get tighter than others, mostly because of the way we use them on a day-to-day basis. And considering the large majority of us spend hours on end hunched over our desks, we tend to wind up feeling inflexible in a lot of the same places. While I won’t go so far as to call sitting the new smoking, sitting is responsible for issues like hip pain and spine compression because of the way it crunches up our bodies. And if you don’t stretch things out regularly, it can leave you with too-tight muscles that can mess with your overall flexibility. The best way to limber up, then, according to stretch pros, is to hit those spots one at a time. “Go up through the body and thinking about what sitting hunched over shortens,” says Aaron Alexander, author of The Align Method: 5 Movement Principles for a Stronger Body, Sharper Mind and Stress-Proof Life. “Then, go through with a stretch routine and open those things up.” Even if you aren’t particularly worried about figuring out how to increase flexibility to, say, drop down into the splits, loosening these muscles is still really important. “There’s nothing separating flexibility from
Category: Your Healthiest Relationship
There are 3 different friend types, and knowing yours can lead to more fulfilling relationships
February 07, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC I could plot out a linear map of the course my life has taken to this point based solely on a handful of close friendships. Even though each pal is a unique snowflake, the retrospective viewpoint I now have has distilled the reality to me that most of these friends are more similar than they are different. Because of this, I contend that there are certain types of friends, and, just as is the case with romantic relationships, we all have certain preferences that dictate our platonic compatibility. Since I’m no social science expert, I sought the intel of someone who is to make sure my theory holds up. And lo and behold, clinical psychologist and friendship expert Miriam Kirmayer, PhD, says there are indeed different types of friends. (So, maybe I am a social science expert?) Furthermore, these archetypes hold the power to teach us about who we are and what we seek in others. “I do think there’s something to be said for the fact that there are certain people who we click with better than others. And that’s true of love, friendship, and even when we’re choosing a therapist,” Dr. Kirmayer says. “There are just certain people with whom we feel at ease, we feel safe, we feel comfortable. And that comfort can come from many different places.” As far as determining which types of friends most resonate with us, Dr. Kirmayer says it has a lot to do with
How your perception is your reality, according to psychologists
February 07, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC There are two types of people in this world: those who view the glass as half-full, and those who see the glass as half-empty. This phenomenon is called perception, and our perceptions profoundly impact how we experience life. “Perception molds, shapes, and influences our experience of our personal reality,” says Linda Humphreys, PhD, a psychologist and life, relationship, and spirituality coach. “Perception is merely a lens or mindset from which we view people, events, and things.” In other words, we believe what we perceive to be accurate, and we create our own realities based on those perceptions. And although our perceptions feel very real, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily factual. Dr. Humphreys says that our past experiences greatly influence how we decode things. Certain people, things, and situations can trigger you to interpret things through a positive or negative lens based on those past experiences. If you’re the type that leans more toward the glass-half-empty perspective, don’t worry. Although it does require some work, your perception is something you can change because we choose how we see things. That power is in your hands (er, mind). Keep reading to learn more about the pros and cons of this way of thinking, how it impacts different areas of life, and what actionable steps you can take to change the way you view yourself, other people, and life in general. The pros and cons of negative perception Your perceptions influence all areas of life. “The totality of your perceptions— regarding yourself, your life,
3 easy habits to add to your routine if your new year’s goals could use a boost
February 07, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC We’re one month into the new year, which means it’s time to check the pulse on the goals you set for yourself in January. Are you on track and totally crushing them? Or did you abandon ship on day two? Somewhere in between? If your ultimate wellness plan isn’t going as successfully as you, well, planned, Brigitte Zeitlin, RD and Manitoba Harvest have some advice for using February as a blank slate for starting fresh with your goals—beginning with assessing how achievable they are. “An all-or-nothing approach can leave you feeling overwhelmed with so many changes that it becomes exhausting to keep up,” Zeitlin says. “Small changes actually leave you feeling more invigorated about reaching your goals.” “Small changes actually leave you feeling more invigorated about reaching your goals.” Instead of trying to totally revamp your whole life (I’m going to go to the gym every day forever), focus on making small healthy lifestyle changes that are easier to maintain (I’m going to add one more workout per week). And just like that, February just became your new favorite goal-setting month. Keep scrolling for 3 of Zeitlin’s go-to healthy lifestyle changes that will help you hit your wellness goals. Switch wine night to a workout Just because you’ve decided to prioritize your health doesn’t mean you have to swear off your social life and move into the gym (pls don’t). Instead of leaving the group chat at the first mention of happy hour,
8 easy high-protein plant-based meals you can make in your Instant Pot
February 07, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC When trying to focus on plant-based eating, getting enough protein is often a top concern. Sure, you’ve probably heard that foods like tofu, beans, and chickpeas are good sources of the nutrient, but the advice often stops there. What’s less clear is how to cook with them in ways that actually gets you excited about meal time. But this is another cooking problem your Instant Pot can handle with ease. The multi-cooker makes quick work of the conundrum, helping to clear your mind (and schedule) so you can focus on things that are on your metaphorical plate, not your actual one. Of course, the proof is in the pudding. Rounded up here are eight plant-based high-protein meals, all that make good use of the Instant Pot. Bookmark it so that’s it’s handy for when you need it during meal prep planning or busy weekdays. 8 vegetarian high-protein meals you can make in your Instant Pot Photo: Well-Plated by Erin 1. Vegetarian chili Because chili often uses a base of beans, it’s one of the best high-protein plant-based meals there is. Besides the beans, this recipe also calls for quinoa, sweet potatoes, and red bell peppers, all of which are good sources of fiber, too. Not only will feel powered up, your gut will be pretty darn happy, too. Photo: Food Faith Fitness 2. Meatless meatloaf How exactly do you make meatloaf without meat? With an alt-meat substitute, of course. Vegan “beef” products have
How connecting with my spiritual side has helped me better manage my anxiety
February 07, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC Full disclosure: I overthink everything. Literally—from what foods I should eat to how many articles I can write a day as a freelance writer, it’s all chaos in my mind. Many times, my fear of the future paralyzes me to the point where I can’t make a single decision on my own. According to my therapist, my anxiety comes from the fear that I can’t control everything. But life obviously doesn’t work that way, and there’s so much unknown that it really affects me—think losing my appetite, crying, having a panic attack, and being unable to sleep. Regular therapy sessions had been helping me manage this pretty well in my adult life. That is, until I ended a very intense romantic relationship last year. This person had issues with emotion, and I often had no idea where I stood. His constant disappearances and on-off periods of distance would send me into a tailspin. I would stay up until odd hours of the night wondering what he was doing while he was out drinking until 5 or 6 a.m., and I was always stuck in a loop with the irrational part of my brain telling me I just wasn’t good enough for someone to give me consistent love. I know now that this isn’t true; that he was pretty much a classic case of avoidant attachment style, but living through it was a nightmare. When we finally broke up, I don’t think I got
This $6 drugstore ‘body conditioner’ is your in-shower dry skin solution
February 07, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC You know how sometimes, no matter how much water you drink, you can never seem to quench your thirst? The same can happen with your skin—especially in this freezing, dry time of the year. All of your usually dependable body lotions and oils can kinda, sorta alleviate some dryness… but nothing has worked for me like Olay Rinse-Off Body Conditioner ($6). The new product is a rich, moisturizing conditioner that you apply to your body in the shower and rinse after washing, just like you would with a hair conditioner. But even though you’re rinsing it right off, that hydration isn’t going anywhere—the formula’s packed with the most skin-moisturizing, healing ingredients you can get, including petrolatum (a dermatologist-fave), niacinamide, and shea butter. Much to my utter shock, when I stepped out of the shower post-conditioning, my skin felt silky-smooth and somehow softer than it feels after my go-to body lotion. Photo: Olay “In-shower conditioners are really good, especially since you use them in the shower when you’re already wet, which helps your skin absorb that moisture better,” says Shirley Chi, MD, a Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist. “I’d say for most people, this would be a really great option for the winter. Shea butter and petrolatum are great moisturizers, and niacinamide is great for anti-aging, which will benefit your entire body.” Another key part of the product’s formula? Dimethicone, which is a type of silicone that acts as a barrier to keep your skin hydrated,
I tried 3 morning routines, and they worked so well I’m still waking up at 4:45 a.m.
February 06, 2020 at 11:18PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIrRsGzTU9w] Swatch a thousand foundations? Set your alarm for 2:30 a.m. in the name of nailing the morning routine? Sleep with a robot? Testing the latest and greatest that wellness has to offer is just another day on the job for Zoë Weiner, Well+Good beauty and fitness editor. In our latest YouTube show Zoë Tries It All, we’re taking you along for the ride to see firsthand how we try and test the buzziest things wellness has to offer, so you can have nice things without having to try it all yourself. The morning routine is pretty much wellness 101, and no one has a better mastery of waking up early and having a day before their day actually begins than celebs. Some “greet the sun,” others meditate in the wee-hours of the morn (so chill of you, Jennifer Aniston), and the most extreme set their alarms for 2:30 a.m. to pray, eat two breakfasts, go to cryotherapy, and have a round of golf all before the sun’s rays stretch above the horizon (you know what you did, Marky Mark). In the inaugural episode of Zoë Tries It All, I set out to test the most extensive celebrity morning routines to give you the definitive ranking of them in order of the most-to-least painful ways to start your day. Before we get to that, a confession: I am decidedly not a morning person. Most days, I try to make it to the gym before
I’m an endurance athlete, but running a short race was harder than the marathon
February 06, 2020 at 07:30PM by CWC Long distances get all the glory. Marathon training, in particular, begs for praise. After all, a cool 20-mile training run over a weekend adds up to two or three weeks worth of cardio for some. But the thing about running marathons is this: After a while, you want a new challenge that doesn’t require you to go to bed at 8:30 p.m. on a Friday night, so that you can train for four hours the next morning. So, when a friend asked if I wanted to run the Brooklyn Mile, I agreed—albeit, hesitantly. Because, running short distances can actually be harder than hitting the pavement for 26.2. While long runs are about endurance and require you to think about pacing over the course of a few hours, short runs are all about speed and require you to give an all-out effort over the span of mere minutes. Sure, it’s all running, but the challenges presented by the two are worlds apart psychologically and physiologically. As an endurance athlete, I wondered: Could I do it well enough to be proud of? As I clicked to register for the race, I felt the same twinge of anxiety that I felt when I signed up for my first marathon back in 2012. And I immediately knew two things: I was going to need to set a goal, and I was definitely going to need a coach. What it’s like to run fast Fairly quickly, I turned
Trader Joe’s new vegan chicken-less seasoning goes with *everything*
February 06, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC Vegans might not eat chicken, but—surprise!—some of us still love the taste of chicken seasonings. It doesn’t matter whether it’s nostalgic chicken noodle soup, perfectly-crispy tenders, or chicken and veggie skewers… it’s all delicious and easy to make plant-based. And with a new seasoning blend from Trader Joe’s, you can get that beloved chicken flavor in a few quick shakes. Trader Joe’s Vegan Chicken-Less Seasoning Salt is essentially a super-affordable vegan chicken bouillon, minus the animal products. While there are similar products on the market—my go-to being the highly-rated Orrington Farms Chicken Flavored Broth Base & Seasoning ($6)—this one is a fraction of the cost at just $2 a bottle. It also has a short ingredients list (sea salt, onion powder, spices, turmeric, and garlic powder) and contains 320 grams of sodium per 1/4 tsp serving. “This seasoning is a fun way to get those flavors we associate with chicken, even in vegetarian and vegan recipes. If you’re planning on adding this to your meals, I do have a few words of caution. Because of the sodium, go light. It’s the same thing I would tell you to do with the salt shaker,” says Amy Gorin, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area. “With that being said, I like that the blend includes other spices with proven benefits, including inflammation-helping turmeric. I’d suggest adding a dash of black pepper along with this in order to get the max