October 30, 2019 at 05:30PM by CWC As 12 active wildfires burn throughout California, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes to temporary shelters. Churches, fairgrounds, community centers, and other spaces have been converted quickly into safe havens. These shelters are outfitted to provide comfort and a sense of community after catastrophe tears through routine, says American Red Cross director of disaster public affairs Nigel Holderby. “The Red Cross works closely with emergency management officials to develop plans before disasters and during emergencies, all while continuously coordinating relief services with local emergency operations centers,” Holderby tells Well+Good. “Regardless of who takes the lead for sheltering in a particular community, the Red Cross is there to support in a number of ways. For example, we can provide food, as well as supplies like cots and blankets.” The efforts of the Red Cross don’t end with physical safety. The organization also staffs shelters with caretakers ready to help carry the emotional weight of evacuation. “We also offer other services, such as health and emotional support, spiritual care, family reunification, relief supplies, and recovery assistance,” she says. “A nationwide network of thousands of Red Cross disaster mental health workers are trained to work collaboratively with local mental health resources to provide emotional support to disaster victims and responders.” Support means different things to different people—and volunteers at evacuation centers do their best to cater to as many definitions of a home away from home as possible. Volunteers do
Category: Your Regeneration
Apple is paying attention to the noise around you—here’s why you should, too
October 30, 2019 at 04:33PM by CWC Apple AirPods are the best-selling wireless headphone in the world. Whether you love ’em for making your time at the gym more seamless, for sharing a bud with a friend, or for getting in the zone at work, they’ve pushed the boundaries of audio-enhanced experiences. With the Wednesday release of the AirPods Pro ($250), Apple introduces noise cancelling into the already advanced technology of the buds. The latest AirPods allow the user to toggle between three listening modes: “off” (which doesn’t manipulate the sounds around you), “transparency” (which allows you to tune in to your music and the world simultaneously), and—the standout feature of Apple’s new product—noise cancellation (which dismisses any sound not found on your playlist). Like a technological magic trick, the noise-cancelling ear buds take in the sound around you and adjust it for a crisp, uninterrupted listening experience. “An outward-facing microphone detects external sound, and AirPods Pro then counter it with equal anti-noise, canceling outside noise before you hear it. An inward-facing microphone listens inside your ear, enabling AirPods Pro to also eliminate unwanted internal sound with anti-noise,” explained Apple in a press release. And get this: the noise cancellation adjusts sound 200 times per second. The AirPods Pro are an appropriate follow-up for the new Apple Watch Series 5, which introduced a feature designed to keep you aware of harmful levels of noise. When your watch alerts you to an unsafe decibel of noise, you can now put in
Cancer took my breasts, but it didn’t get to take my right to feel good in a bra
October 30, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Fashion designer Dana Donofree found a lump in her breast the day before her 28th birthday. She was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma —making her one of the 12,150 women under 40 who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year—and underwent a bilateral mastectomy, six rounds of chemo, and a year of drug treatment. After reconstructive surgery, she was shocked that she couldn’t find a single bra that made her feel comfortable and confident. So she decided to create one for herself, and her company AnaOno was born. “Try a sports bra.” That was the advice my doctor had when I told him none of my bras fit after my mastectomy. I was 28 years old, and fighting aggressive breast cancer. My other option, according to him? “Wear nothing at all.” It felt weird to ask a doctor for advice on how to buy a bra, since that’s not something I ever would have done before cancer, but none of my old bras (or old clothes) fit me the right way. Since I no longer had natural breast tissue that was soft and pliable—instead I had implants that did not move—tops didn’t fit right and bras didn’t fit my new shape at all. Plus, there are certain things you need from a bra after a mastectomy. You want to have something soft, especially immediately after your surgery—underwire is completely out. You can’t have molded cups, either, because you want something flexible that will
Vitamin C is a skin-care superstar, but if it’s irritating your complexion, there’s an easy fix
October 30, 2019 at 03:25PM by CWC “We don’t make vitamin C. It’s just us and the fruit bat that don’t make our own vitamin C—we’re the outliers,” says chemist and skin-care guru Marie Veronique, who has a highly-coveted eponymous skin-care line. “But we do know that vitamin C is very important for the skin.” That’s why there’s been an influx of vitamin C serums, moisturizers, and cleansers onto beauty shelves. This is a good thing, of course. Vitamin C is a beauty-boosting antioxidant that’s known for stimulating your skin’s collagen production, brightening dark spots, and repairing free radical damage. But skin-care specialist Kristina Holey, who works with Veronique, started noticing more and more clients with bad skin reactions from layering on the serums. “With this obvious rise of vitamin C products on the market, there was a direct correlation to these [irritation] responses to vitamin C,” says Holey. This led the skin-care duo to investigate what was up. At a basic chemistry level, your skin’s acid mantle sits at a pH of around 4.5 to a 5. And vitamin C is a potent acid, notes Veronique, so in order for it to best penetrate your skin, “it has to be at a pH level of about three (or more acidic),” she says. It sounds like a scary experiment to be slathering acids on skin but actually most active ingredients are formulated at a low pH, says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, of ingredients such as L-ascorbic acid, retinoic
What a day of healthy eating looks like in France, according to an international fitness influencer
October 30, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC For wellness-minded eaters in the U.S., a healthy grocery store haul may include cauliflower rice, oat milk, greens, and avocado (duh). But in other countries, the definition of healthy eating looks a bit different. Are the cult products we love here trending in other countries, too? How do people elsewhere shop, and do they care about meal prepping at all? Curious as to what grocery shopping looked like in a country best known for wine, baguettes, and brie (France, of course), Well+Good asked French singer-songwriter and fitness influencer Jess King—the founder of TLN 58, a personalized HIIT and meditation company—to show us what an average grocery shopping trip looks like for her, and what meals she makes at home. Allons-y! Ever wonder what healthy grocery shopping looks like in France? Scroll down to peak inside Jess King’s basket. Photo: Jess King; Graphic: Well+Good Creative Her food ethos King says when it comes to her personal food philosophy, she doesn’t adhere to a specific eating plan, but she does aim to make her meals both creative and colorful. “Eating locally grown fruits and vegetables feels nourishing, so I gravitate this way,” she says. “I don’t live by rules when it comes to food. I’m an intuitive eater and a highly active person; I listen to what my body needs. Sometimes it’s healthy, but not always.” She says that like most people, her schedule is jam-packed, so she plans her meals out in advance. (Yep,
Reparenting therapy can help you heal your inner child—here’s how
October 30, 2019 at 11:00AM by CWC Even if you can happily report having enjoyed the best-ever childhood, it’s safe to assume that there’s stuff—great and not-so-great stuff—that transpired in your early-on years that impacts the way you see the world, feel about who you are, and show up in your daily life. But no matter how deeply seated these beliefs and understandings are, you don’t have to carry them as emotional baggage forever: through reparenting therapy, it’s possible to learn how to parent yourself and also heal your inner child. “The inner child is the part of us who has unresolved issues, emotional wounds, or unmet needs,” says psychotherapist Nicole LePera, PhD, founder of The Holistic Psychologist. “Reparenting is how we ‘raise’ ourselves in adulthood to heal. It is based in the therapeutic model that understands our earliest attachments are the foundations for all relationships that we have in our future.” spiritual coach Candace Van Dell, who has a background in spiritual psychology, describes reparenting as observing your emotions without judgment and unconditionally loving yourself. She adds that attachment and abandonment issues, low self-esteem, codependency, and lack of self-love can all be manifestations of a wounded inner child. But reparenting therapy isn’t a tool reserved only for those who may have experienced childhood trauma (like abuse, neglect, or assault, for example). Rather, it’s a practice from which everyone can benefit because, as Van Dell points out, “no one had perfect parents.” “If we had parents without boundaries, who had
Never meal prep again with these RD-approved ingredients
October 30, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC https://content.jwplatform.com/players/pMwQyG2r-AjgxWzQ7.js Sticking to a healthy-ish diet usually means clocking in a few hours of meal prep (shout out to Sundays), but let’s be real: The whole cook, assemble, repeat thing can lead to burnout. Sammi Brondo, RD and author of The Essential Vegetable Cookbook isn’t totally on board with the meal-prep game either. (Don’t you feel relieved, already?) “I’m not really into meal prep and I don’t love spending hours of time in the kitchen,” she explains. “The key for me is to keep my kitchen stocked with items that are easy to prepare and help me feel good.” Her ingredient must-haves, you ask? “I love legumes like beans and chickpeas,” Brondo says. “They’re cheap, they’re shelf-stable, and they have a ton of protein and fiber, and they can really pair with anything to help make an easy meal in no time.” Brondo usually matches these fibrous ingredients with pre-cooked brown rice or quinoa for DIY grain bowls to last all week. The other must-be-in-fridge-at-all times in Brondo’s household is Lactaid milk, whether that’s drinking a straight glass or adding it to smoothies or recipes. “I love milk but as we get older it gets harder to digest and my husband has always been lactose intolerant,” she says. “We both love Lactaid because it makes it easy to still drink milk just without the lactose.” With just a few (affordable and simple) items to add to your grocery haul, you might just be able
Make this tiny tweak to your marinade to lock in flavor without compromising texture
October 30, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Creating a perfect marinade is like a work of art. With just the right ingredients, your protein of choice gets mouth-watering flavor and melt in your mouth tenderness. But if your marinade ends up making your meal chewier than you’d like, there’s a tiny tweak you should make to fix the problem. Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa chef Gabe Nabor recently tipped off my colleague to something I hadn’t considered: Salt draws out the moisture of the protein you’re marinating, which dries it out too much by the time its done cooking. And nobody likes dry, cardboard-esque food that can’t even be saved by a truckload of dipping sauces. Veggies and plant-based proteins aren’t immune either, which explains why my tofu sometimes dries out. Luckily, the tweak to a better marinade is simple. Instead of adding salt to your marinade, let your protein soak up all the other flavors while before cooking. Then, salt your protein to taste once it’s on your plate. You’ll be doing your health a favor by cutting down on sodium. And that’s what I like to call a dinner win. Olive works great as a base for marinades—and it’s great for you, too: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rof-B24i37s] By the way, Tofu is *not* boring—and we’ve got the recipes to prove it. And these are the ‘core four’ foods you should always mix for a nutritious meal. Continue Reading… Author Tehrene Firman | Well and Good Selected by CWC
Each zodiac sign rules over certain body parts—here’s what that means for you
October 30, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Astrology-rooted intel can help us decode whom to love, how to exercise, and even which plants to buy—but when optimized, it can help us learn so much more. That’s because each zodiac sign also connects to an anatomical part via body rulership, meaning, your sun sign may indicate certain strengths and weaknesses about who you are—and what might be working for you (and not!) at certain times according to your sign. “Years ago, in order to qualify as an astrologer, you needed to have an education that included the sciences, mathematics, a complete and thorough repertoire of herbs (including which herbs were best for each sign’s ailments), and a thorough understanding of the human anatomy,” says astrologer Carolyne Faulkner, author of Your Signs: An Empowering Guide for 2020. And although it’s wise to hold modern medicine widely practiced treatments in higher regard than astrology when it comes to understanding our serious ailments, knowing a bit about body parts-zodiac rulership might help explain certain gifts you may have, and also some recurring aches and pains. Below, Faulkner explains the body parts-zodiac signs connection—and what it may mean for you. Use your sign to learn what body-parts zodiac rulership may mean for you. Graphics: Well+Good Creative Aries: head Typically, rams think with their horns first and worry about the rest later—and body rulership helps to explain why. Aries rules the head and energy levels, which is why Faulkner suggests that the fire sign cools down
The Paleo diet is an inflammation-fighting super star—but it comes with some downsides
October 29, 2019 at 10:30PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGvJ61nBFBo] Bone up on your Paleo diet know-how with this video. While the first person who turned cauliflower into pizza crust deserves major accolades, other food “innovations,” like packaged foods loaded with sugars and additives, are ultimately a detriment health-wise. That’s why so many healthy eaters have adapted the Paleo way of life, eating only foods that were likely on the menu for our hunter-gatherer ancestors and nixing more “modern” foods like dairy, grains, and legumes. Surely a back-to-basics eating plan is the best way to eat, right? That question is the crux of the latest episode of You Versus Food. Host and registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, gives the pros and cons of following the Paleo diet, along with her verdict on if it’s worth the commitment. (It’s a life without cheese; you want to be sure.) One of the major pros of Paleo, Beckerman says, is that it can lower inflammation. “Because you’re cutting out foods that have sugar, alcohol, and gluten, Paleo could potentially reduce inflammation in the body, which could mitigate the symptoms of chronic illness,” Beckerman says. Another benefit: eating whole foods (as one does on the Paleo diet) can keep blood sugar levels stable, which better regulates energy and mood. In other words, this is one eating plan that won’t leave you needing a nap later. While it has some major pros, Beckerman says there are some downsides most people don’t fully understand. “The major