January 01, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC The new year—and in this case, the new decade—is the perfect time to start fresh in your fitness routine. But according to research from the running and cycling app Strava, January 19th has been dubbed “quitter’s day,” because that’s the day people are most likely to give up on their fitness-related New Year’s resolutions. It makes sense. What might have seemed manageable when you had all of that January 1st energy can feel impossible two weeks later once the reality of dragging yourself to the gym in the cold kicks in. But fear not: We’ve got a program that will help you stick to those fitness resolutions not only for the entire month of January, but for the rest of 2020 and beyond. It takes 28 days to form a habit, and this four-week plan sets you up to do exactly that by giving you simple challenges that work with whatever exercise style (and schedule) you prefer. The goal isn’t to lose weight or to work out more, but rather to help you get excited about movement and mix things up a bit. To start things off, you’ll take a fitness test that will establish your baseline so you can set your goals. Then, each day will present a new activity in the strength, cardio, or recovery departments to help you reach them. The program officially starts on January 5th, which should give you a few days to get everything you’ll need in
Category: Your Healthiest Relationship
If you’re looking for a less-is-more $4 solution to skin care, it’s time to get ‘slugging’
January 01, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC I only buy Vaseline when my skin looks like it’s been through the shredder, and that’s how I started slugging. After a no good, very bad cold, my nose and mouth were dry and chapped to tatters, but my go-to lip balm had been contaminated with sick-kid germs, so I’d tossed it. Left only with a tub of petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline), I started Googling how it could help my cause and wound up on a Reddit thread all about “slugging.” Slugging is a K-beauty practice that simply means layering on the (notoriously thick) moisturizer overtop your entire skin-care routine. Vaseline has been around for 100 (I repeat: 100!) years, so while “slugging” itself is a new-ish concept, for all intents and purposes, people been doing this for years—even dermatologists. “I’m obsessed with using Vaseline as a facial moisturizer,” says board certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. While Dr. Gohara doesn’t slug (or apply it quite thickly all over the skin), she does apply it every day. “I use it morning and night, but I don’t slug. I just use small amounts to repair my skin barrier. In small amounts, it rejuvenates and hydrates the skin to help it glow.” Now the fine print: If you have dry skin, slugging is great because it creates an occlusive (locked-tight) barrier that traps other skin-care ingredients within the skin. Using it in large amounts (as with any skin-care ingredient), however, isn’t advisable. Research from the Journal of
The flexitarian diet lets you go mostly plant-based without *totally* ditching burgers
January 01, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC If there’s one food lesson we learned this year, it’s the importance of plant-based eating for health and the environment. But it’s one thing to know that eating fewer animal products and more plants is associated lots of benefits—from reduced risk of heart disease to better digestive health—and another thing entirely to commit to it 100 percent. Sometimes you just need a real beef burger, you feel me? If you feel seen by the above, then you’d probably be down with one of the buzziest eating plans right now: the flexitarian diet. The term has been around for about a decade; it was coined by dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, in her 2008 book The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life. But it’s something that really started to pick up steam in the healthy community in recent years, as more and more people became aware of the health and environmental consequences of eating tons of meat. “The flexitarian diet gained momentum because it’s perfect for those looking to increase consumption of plant-based foods without having to commit to a 24/7 vegetarian or vegan lifestyle,” says Charlotte Martin, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CPT. Also, with sustainability efforts on the rise, many people are looking for ways to decrease their carbon footprint, and reduced meat consumption is definitely one of those ways. But how does this eating plan work, and is it too good
The mental health benefits of exercise are worth their weight in sweat
January 01, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC That exercise is good for you is not exactly a revelation; however, according to research, the more you know about those benefits, the more likely you’ll be to engage in physical activity. And you might be surprised to read how the mental benefits of exercise stack up against the physical. If you, like me, consider watching Jeopardy or playing Candy Crush to be mental exercise, you may be thinking about things all wrong. According to Gregory Scott Brown, MD, FAIHM, founder and director of the Center for Green Psychiatry, physical activity actually grows the brain in size, just like it does your muscles. It also increases the brain’s complexity. “Aerobic exercise, specifically, has been found to lead to an increase in blood flow in brain regions like the hippocampus, an area involved in learning, memory, and controlling stress,” he says. “Some theories suggest that exercise increases a protein called brain derived neurotrophic factor which supports brain health, improves cognitive skills, and helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.” So, physical exercise not only upgrades your brain to make you “smarter” but also enables better moods. “We know that exercise decreases our risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but it also decreases our risk for developing depression and it may help reduce symptoms of burnout, stress and anxiety,” says Dr. Brown. He tells me that really any type of exercise—cardio, yoga, or strength-training—helps improve mental wellness, so it’s dealer’s choice. “When it
The vegan version of the most Googled recipe of 2019 is packed with protein
December 31, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC When you think of the most Googled recipe of 2019, what comes to mind? Well, if a perfectly crisp cauliflower crust, creamy pasta dish, or mouth-watering dessert came to mind, you’re wrong. It was actually shepherd’s pie. Yep, the bland-looking dish packed with minced meat, gravy, and mashed potatoes. If you’re a bit surprised… me too. But clearly people are really into their shepherd’s pie! I’d really like to one-up those many searches with a healthier, prettier, and completely vegan vegan shepherd’s pie that’s loaded with plant-based protein. And leave it to Ella Mills, the plant-based cookbook author behind Deliciously Ella, to do just that with her take on the traditional recipe that uses sweet potatoes and black beans, leaving you energized after devouring the dish rather than weighed down. “This is my favorite Shepherd’s pie recipe, and it’s such a crowd-pleaser.” —Ella Mills of Deliciously Ella “This is my favorite Shepherd’s pie recipe, and it’s such a crowd-pleaser,” she wrote on her website. “The beans are sautéed with red onion, garlic, maple, coriander, lime juice, spring onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes until they’re soft and full of flavor. Then they’re baked under a layer of sweet potato mash.” Vegan shepherd’s pie takes more of a time commitment than something like pasta, but the finished product is impressive. Between the wholesome ingredients, herbs and spices, and many protein- and fiber-filled plants, this recipe is 100 percent worth the hype. For the full recipe, head
The one product a dermatologist won’t get on an airplane without
December 31, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Airplane cabins are notorious for sucking all the moisture out of your skin, leading to dryness, breakouts, and other woes you definitely don’t want to deal with after arriving to your final destination. The lack of humidity in the cabin wreaks havoc without proper airplane skin-care products. “Cabin air is often less than 20 percent humidity, whereas at home, humidity is 30 percent or more,” says Gretchen Frieling, MD, a board-certified dermatopathologist. “That means that skin will lack moisture and dry out faster.” While there are plenty of ways you can help combat the issue—like in-flight masking (looks weird, works amazing), post-flight exfoliation, drinking tons of water, and “staying away from drinks that dehydrate the skin, such as alcohol,” Dr. Frieling says—one of the quickest and easiest tactics is having a hydrating facial mist on hand. Photo: Tatcha “To keep my face hydrated, I love my Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist Mini,” says Dr. Frieling. “It has natural oils, algae, hyaluronic acid, and is appropriate for every skin type. It’s also non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and cruelty-free. Bonus: You can even use it on hair to give it extra sheen.” To keep your skin moisturized, Dr. Frieling recommends shaking the mist gently and spritzing it on your face two to three times from about six inches away. “When inflight, use it anytime your face feels dry, or upon landing when you want to look and feel refreshed,” she says. You can also use it before applying
Food nutrition labels are getting a big makeover in 2020—here’s what the changes mean for your health
December 31, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC Walking the aisles of your fave grocery store isn’t all that different from treasure hunting: You have to shift through a fair share of junk to find gems that are both nutritious and delicious. Most healthy eaters know that if you only pay attention to the front of the package, you’re likely to end up with fools’ gold thanks to clever marketing disguised as healthy claims. The real treasure is revealed by reading the nutrition label and ingredients list on the back of the package. Most of us are pretty familiar at this point with what that nutrition label looks like. But in 2020, you’ll notice that it looks a bit different, thanks to a requirement from the Food and Drug Administration three years ago that is finally going into effect. As of January 1, 2020, all food and (non-alcoholic) drink manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales are required to have nutrition panels reflecting the new changes. (Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales have until January 1, 2021 to comply.) This is the first time the label is being changed since 1993 (!!), and you possibly have already seen some brands update their packaging to reflect the new requirements. There are 10 total changes between the old nutrition panels and new the new ones, including three biggies that really stand out: total calories are in a bigger font and serving size requirements have changed, added sugar
I’m a massage therapist, and this pre-bed bodywork melts tension for better sleep
December 31, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC Next to my bed, there are three different bottles of CBD tinctures, two types of sleep-inducing gummies, some lavender essential oil, plus an eye mask and a pair of ear plugs. In other words, I have tried everything—including sleep apps, meditation, putting my phone in another room, and good old fashioned counting sheep—in pursuit of better sleep. One method worth adding to the arsenal that won’t take up any added space on the nightstand? A cranial sacral massage for sleep, which pros say can help you drift off to dreamland more easily. Cranial sacral massage, which can be done on your own or at the hands of a massage therapist, is a “non-invasive hands-on therapy that aims to enhance the body’s [own ability] to help relieve pain and dysfunction,” says Jelena Capkunovic, licensed massage and cranial sacral therapist at Exhale Spa, explaining that the method uses gentle, small touches to manipulate the joints and soft tissues in the skull and spine. “The therapist is trying to affect the pressure and circulation, or ‘balance the flow,’ of cerebrospinal fluids.” This helps the areas that frequently get tense as stress occurs throughout the day (the neck, shoulders, and head) to relax and return to a point of normalcy so you can sleep better at night. Small studies have found that cranial sacral therapy, was helpful in treating chronic neck pain, and while more research needs to be done to prove it an ironclad solution, many
The new class of lip glosses are just as hydrating as your go-to lip balm
December 31, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC We’re thankfully living during a time when most-every product in our makeup bags is skin-friendly. We have skin care-foundation hybrids, lipstick with skin-boosting ingredients, lip-to-cheek palettes spiked with serum-worthy ingredients, and at last, a hydrating lip oil gloss that’s packed with good-for-skin ingredients, while giving lips a shellac of pigment. “Lip oils tend to be more nourishing than traditional lip glosses since skin-care ingredients are in the formula versus traditional glosses where shine is the main goal,” says Jeannie Vincent, a Boston-based makeup artist. “These new options also tend to be less sticky, which is a nice alternative, since regular lip gloss has a pretty gluey reputation.” She points to the new-ish Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss, which has hyaluronic acid that works to “draw hydration back into the skin” and the Tower 28 Lip Gloss, which uses “various oils to moisturize like apricot, castor, raspberry, and avocado.” That said, if you go with a colorless option, she recommends topping your gloss with a waxy balm to seal in moisture because “an oil alone generally isn’t enough for the lips—you might lick it off or it will disappear after a while.” Her fave? Drugstore staple Moroccan Magic Rose Lip Salve ($4). As someone who ditched lip gloss after middle school, I’m a born-again shine fan, because these lip glosses douse my lips in hydration that is much needed this time of year. Keeps scrolling for the ones to grab next. Kosas Wet Lip
How to push yourself from your comfort zone, according to your Myers-Briggs personality
December 31, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC We all face personal challenges that make us feel deeply uncomfortable, and if these issues, habits, and traits go unidentified and unaddressed, they stand to stunt our emotional growth. Each Myers-Briggs type has its own unique pain points and areas for improvement. (Yep, even ENTPs, ESTPs, and ESFPs, who tend to act like they have none at all.) So, it’s certainly worth introspecting about your personality background as a strategy for pinpointing the most effective way to get out of your comfort zone. And, what better time than now to create new goals and eliminate the road blocks holding you back? So check out how to get out of your comfort zone based on your personality type. (Don’t know what your MBTI is? Read this first!) Below, find the best way to get out of your comfort zone, according to your Myers-Briggs personality type. Graphic: Well+Good Creative ISFJ: Ask for what you want You’re sensitive to being ignored or not heard, which often means you avoid speaking up for what you really want—whether it’s a raise at work, a change to your home life, or a commitment. Get out of your comfort zone and use your voice. You have a lot to say and a right to ask. ESFJ: Put yourself first You are comfortable putting the needs of others in front of your own. So, figure out what you need before investing more externally: Are you focusing so much on your friends