February 06, 2020 at 06:37PM by CWC At 91-years-young, Lloyd Black—a retired teacher in Semmes, Alabama—just became Member of the Month at his local Anytime Fitness. After gym manager Ashley Seaman congratulated Black in a Facebook post, his thrice-weekly exercise habit went viral—and frankly, have you ever been more inspired to make time in your schedule to sweat? “I had reached the point where simple chores, like yard work, I could no longer do and therefore I started [going to the gym] and it has really helped,” Black told Good Morning America. “I am also motivated by my daddy. He was a man who never gave up and so I hope I’ve inherited some of his traits.” It’s fair to say that Black takes after his father: he’s been spotted kicking it into high gear on the treadmill, taking on the leg press machine, and yet more upper body devices. And to make matters even more impressive, Black performs his entire routine in overalls and Sketchers. Because, really, who needs all that fancy-schmancy gear, anyway? “I don’t feel very comfortable being in the limelight, but if it encourages someone else then I’m willing to do it,” Black said. He’s definitely encouraged those of all ages to get moving, but his message may prove especially important when it comes to exercise for older adults According to Harvard Health, studies have shown that strength, stamina, and flexibility decrease in adults over the age of 55 as a direct result of aging. To combat
Category: Your Healthiest Relationship
Why isn’t anyone talking about prenatal depression?
February 06, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC When Hitha Palepu was pregnant with her second child, she experienced two significant—and scary—panic attacks. “The second panic attack happened when I was at the end of my first trimester,” she recalls. “I think it was work stress, the stress of taking care of a precocious three-year-old, marriage, travel, and growing a human on top of it all. I took on too much, and it all came crashing down around me.” That’s when Palepu, an investor and author, had a breakdown. “I was in hysterics,” she says. “I knew I wasn’t okay; I didn’t feel right.” Palepu called her father-in-law, a psychiatrist, who suggested she may be experiencing prenatal depression. The condition is one Palepu had never heard of, but it’s certainly not uncommon: According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), between 14 and 23 percent of women will struggle with some symptoms of depression during pregnancy. Additional research has found prenatal depression (also referred to as antepartum depression) to be most prevalent during the third trimester, followed by the first trimester. “To have this person put a name to it validated what I was feeling,” says Palepu, who sought support from her obstetrician and a therapist following her discussion with her father-in-law. So, if nearly a quarter of pregnant women may experience feelings of depression during pregnancy, why aren’t we talking about it more openly? What exactly is prenatal depression? Like clinical depression, prenatal depression is a mood disorder
Only 2 beauty companies made the A-List of a major sustainability report
February 06, 2020 at 05:53PM by CWC As we evolve into more conscientious consumers, more and more brands are formulating products with ingredient lists that are cruelty-free, vegan, and environmentally responsible. With a climate crisis upon us, shopping sustainably isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. And out of thousands of companies considered, a new sustainability report only gave straight A’s to two eco-friendly beauty brands: L’Oréal and Unilever. CDP Global, a non-profit organization that aims to help create a sustainable economy by measuring and understanding the environmental impact of major entities like companies and cities, released its 2019 report examining how companies impact the climate as well as forests and water security. More than 8,000 companies disclosed sustainability data to CDP. Nearly all reporting companies submitted figures on climate change, while numbers on water security and forests were disclosed by 29 percent and 6 percent of companies, respectively. Lancôme, Kiehls, and Urban Decay are among the 36 brands owned by L’Oréal. 2020 marks the fourth consecutive year the company earned A’s in all three categories. The brand is committed to zero-net emissions by 2050, says Alexandra Palt, executive vice president and chief corporate responsibility officer at L’Oréal. “Climate change is no longer a distant or future generation problem,” said Palt in a press release. “L’Oréal was one of the first companies to set ambitious CO2 reduction targets in its industrial activity and to achieve them. However, this is not enough. We have to go
The calorie is out, and qualitative eating is in. Finally.
February 06, 2020 at 04:25PM by CWC You’ve heard the old adage: “calories in, calories out.” It’s the concept that a person can manage their weight by simply burning more calories through exercise than they consume in food—and it was one of the guiding forces in nutrition for the past twenty years. (Hell, a Reddit community named after and dedicated to the concept has over 24 million members.) For decades, people were fixated on calorie counts as a primary consideration for what they put on their plates. But we’re happy to report that this narrow mindset is something we’re firmly leaving behind in the new decade. “In recent years, there’s a recognition that not all calories are created equal,” says health coach and nutritionist Jess Cording, RD. “There’s a shift from just calories to factoring in satiety, blood sugar, and other factors that go into weight management [and healthy eating].” In 2020 and beyond, the emphasis will be on the full nutritional profile of your plate and how these foods support your brain, energy, gut health, and mood. A history of calorie counting While calories are also used in chemistry and physics, in nutrition, calories generally refer to the amount of energy that foods provide us. The concept of the calorie hit the mainstream in the U.S. in the 1920s with the publication of Diet and Health by Lulu Hunt Peters. The book, which praised the merits of calorie counting for weight management, went on to become the number-four nonfiction book
I’m a sexologist, and this is what I would look for before investing in a sex toy
February 06, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC You always remember your first. Something simple, perhaps with a wire (how quaint!). Or maybe it was battery powered with real batteries—AA and everything. The day that we bring home our first vibrator is a huge milestone, and that’s why if Old Faithful gets put out to pasture we become dizzy-headed. And even if it’s had many buzzy successors, if you’re buying a sex toy for the first time in a long time, where do you even begin? Gone are the days where you’re just going to pick up a Silver Bullet, a classic Rabbit, or a Bed, Bath, and Beyond “back massager” (lol come on) and call it a day. The sexual wellness space is dominated by women who recognize that the orgasm gap is bullshit, which is swell. But that presents a happy paradox: Too Many Sex Toys makes finding The One easier and harder. Also, let’s be real, when they’re retailing in the triple digits, you want to make sure you get back on your investment. Listen, you’re an adult now, one who deserves sophisticated, elegant, earthshaking orgasms. So we enlisted sexologist Alicia Sinclair, certified sexologist and creator of Le Wand Massager, to outline what to look for when investing in a sex toy. What to consider before buying a sex toy 1. The material For some of us, making sure there’s a checkmark next to “waterproof” is more than enough. In general, though, you should double-check that your next pleasure friend
10 easy-to-digest foods to eat when your gut is feeling out of sorts
February 06, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC Benjamin Franklin once said that we can only expect two things from life: death and taxes. Well, there’s actually a third thing that the Founding Father neglected to add to the list, and that is digestive issues. (Sorry, Ben, but you know it’s true.) Whether it’s an upset stomach, indigestion, reflux, nausea, diarrhea, or worse, food poisoning, these kinds of things can happen to the best of us, and they’re far from pleasant. Although there are many things you can do to improve your digestion, such as Ayurvedic breathing exercises, getting an abdominal massage, or even analyzing your poop, sticking to easy-to-digest foods is one of the best things to do when this happens. These types of foods, says Anabelle Harari Clebaner, RD, founder of Wellspring Nutrition, give your GI tract and bowels a break by not needing to work so hard to break down food when it’s already inflamed. It’s like the digestive equivalent of taking a sick day—you need to let your gut rest in order to heal. As a general rule of thumb, Brittany Modell, RD, founder of Brittany Modell Nutrition and Wellness, says that when dealing with digestive disorders or symptoms, it’s best to opt for creamy textured foods that are lean, contain reduced fat, and are low in fiber. But things that don’t get better after a few days likely require more help than a temporary diet change. “Gastrointestinal disorders are complex,” Modell says. “There is no one-size-fits-all
5 whisper-quiet hair dryers we can’t stop talking about
February 06, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC We’ve all been there: We’re at the salon getting our hair blown out or standing in our bathroom attempting to style our hair ourselves, only for someone to try to start a full-blown conversation amongst the racket. What usually ensues is a lot squinting and eyebrow raising in an often-failed attempt to actually hear what they’re trying to say. Of course, this wouldn’t be the case if hairdryers were even the slightest bit less noisy (and yes! quiet hair dryers do exist)! Fortunately for us, we live in an age where beauty technology is forever on the rise, and with that has come a series of hairdryers that are so quiet, you can still carry on a conversation. To save you from having to find device with a magical motor—one in which produces high-speed air at a lower sound decibel—I’ve done the hands-on research for you. Now, before introducing you to these must-try dryers, I want you to remember two things: A) A quiet hairdryer is still not 100 percent noiseless, it’s just noticeably less noisy than a regular dryer, and B) with lower sound often comes a higher price tag, but know that investing in one of these puppies will help make drying faster and more efficient. So, without further ado, shop five conversation-positive hairdryers below. Photo: Dyson Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, $399 This ultra-quiet hairdryer is a must-have among celebrity stylists all over the world—and for good reason. In addition to
I’m the biggest podcast fan I know, but the constant information in my ears stresses me out
February 06, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC I scheduled my podcast listening like I schedule my workouts: Book Riot on Monday, J Train on Tuesday, U Up? on Wednesday, That’s So Retrograde on Thursday. And so on, and so forth. The charismatic hosts of these shows stuck with me during my morning commute, while I sweat on the treadmill, and throughout any other pockets of free ear-space time I could find. Until I noticed a distinct change: As I offered my eardrums to more and more of Spotify’s lengthy list of titles ranging from comedy and horror to wellness, I realized that listening to podcasts all day turned them into something that harms, not helps, my mental health. It turns out that your brain can absolutely be overstimulated as a result of merely listening. “The constant listening of podcasts and music can definitely be problematic, as it can be a barrier to our ability to be fully present and focus on what is going on in the moment,” says therapist Michele Burstein, LCSW. “We definitely tend to pride ourselves on being multitaskers; however, if we are always doing so many things at once, it is nearly impossible to show up a hundred percent for anything.” It does make sense, then, that when you’re not giving the thoughts in your head the air time they demand, they can to pile up like paperwork that needs to be sorted. And when you put your head to your pillow after a long day or have a
How an RD stays energized all day—even when winter is hitting extra hard
February 06, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC Picture this: You’re at work. It feels like you’ve been there for days. You look outside to find near darkness, but the clock on your computer reads 4 p.m. What is this madness, you might be asking? Well, it’s February. The shortest month of the year can feel like the longest due to your sinking energy levels, temps that make you wonder if you’ll never be warm again, and the sun disappearing right after lunch. What gives, y’all? According to Jessica Beacom, RDN and co-founder of The Real Food Dietitians along with with Stacie Hassing, RDN, it’s vital to head into this time of year with a bright outlook. “I always approach this time of year with the mindset that this is only temporary,” she says. Sunny days, where art thou? “Lower energy levels and the desire to eat more cozy and comforting foods and sleep in more often is a normal response when our circadian rhythms are disrupted,” Beacom says. “Knowing that keeps me from getting down on myself since it’s not really lack of motivation, but rather biology at work.” See? You’re definitely not the only person craving hearty soups and endless naps. However, there are other things you can start doing this time of year to combat the midday slump (like trying Ocean Spray’s new hybrid drink made with real fruit juice and cold brew coffee) and feel energized to live your life, no matter how low the temps are
The 3-step facial formula that will stop breakouts in their tracks
February 06, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC If there’s one question that my friends ask me, their beauty editor BFF, about the most often, it’s “What type of facial should I get for my breakout?” I get it—when you’re faced with acne, it’s tempting to put your skin in the hands of an esthetician for professional-level help. But, if you’re mid-breakout, not all facial treatments are going to help—so you’re going to want to be sure you’re finding the right one. “Facials will extract dirt, impurities, dead skin, and product build-up, leaving the skin radiant and visibly clearer after one treatment,” says Vanessa Marc, a New York-based celebrity facialist. The one that best fits the bill for quashing acne? A triple-threat formula that features a chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and light therapy. “We highly recommend doing a medical grade chemical peel,” says Marc, who explains that these types of treatments kill acne-causing bacteria to help prevent future breakouts. San Fransico-based facialist and founder of Spa Radiance, Angelina Umansky, echoes this sentiment, saying that she “loves doing peels when a client is breaking out.” She’s a particular fan of using salicylic acid for the job because it “kills bacteria much better,” she says. Next comes microdermabrasion, which acts as a light physical exfoliant. “Microdermabrasion helps to get the chemical peel in a little deeper and helps with blackhead removal,” says Umansky. However, she warns that if it isn’t done correctly it can potentially backfire and spread acne, so you’ll want to make