October 24, 2019 at 09:44PM by CWC You can buy period products in a variety of colors as long as you select a shade of pink or purple—you know, “girl” colors. This marketing strategy symbolizes a conscious decision to leave people who don’t align with the traditional idea of a “woman” out of the conversation about menstruation. With a step toward inclusivity, maker of tampons and pads Always announced its decision to remove the female symbol from packaging of so-called “feminine hygiene products” in order to recognize transgender and non-binary customers. Transgender activists and allies publicly asked Proctor & Gamble, which owns Always, to redesign the pad’s wrapper without the symbol, reports CNN. The company issued a press release explaining that its new packaging would to bolster the inclusivity of their products by removing the feminine “Venus” symbol. “For over 35 years Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so,” Procter & Gamble said Tuesday in a statement. “We’re also committed to diversity and inclusion and are on a continual journey to understand the needs of all of our consumers.” Every company’s current emphasis should be to fulfill the needs of diverse consumers, says Joanna McClintick, LCSW, youth sexual health educator at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City. “The simple fact of having a period can be traumatic or gender dysphoric for young people in the gender nonconforming and trans-male or -masculine communities,” says McClintick. “It can cause disappointing
Category: Your Regeneration
Keep foundation from sliding off your face by noon with these pro-approved hacks
October 24, 2019 at 08:05PM by CWC Personally, I like to envision a world in which women no longer feel the need to slather “imperfect” (read: human) skin with foundation; however, in the interim, I swear by the stuff to even out my super sensitive, rosacea-prone, acne-scarred complexion. In fact, I rarely leave the house without a coat of fresh spackle, but somehow, a few hours after I’ve painstakingly (okay, haphazardly) applied foundation, it does a disappearing act. I then end up staring at my blotchy reflection in the bathroom mirror, cursing my too-small purse for being unable to fit the fix. Some formulations are longer lasting than others—try these oil-free pro picks, for example—but experts tell me there are also tricks of the trade to keep foundation from sliding off the skin. The key is to start thinking about your foundation well before you apply it; below, four steps to everlasting perfection of the skin (or a close approximation of such, at least). Photo: Stocksy/Studio Firma 1. Consider your moisturizer According to Merrady Wickes, a makeup artist and beauty director for The Detox Market, long-lasting foundation starts with your choice of moisturizer. “Beyoncé’s makeup artist, Sir John, recently revealed he doesn’t moisturize her before performances because the moisture in her primer and foundation are enough, and he doesn’t want anything sliding around.” While I wouldn’t recommend skipping hydration on the daily, you should consider the textures of your layers, your skin type, and the current season. For example, if
The ‘Core Four’ foods you should always mix and match for a quick healthy dinner
October 24, 2019 at 07:37PM by CWC To my dismay, there’s no perfect formula for a quick healthy dinner. Dreaming up healthy meal ideas often involves improvising with the ingredients you have on hand, but Nutrition Stripped blogger McKel Kooienga, MS, RD, a member of the Well+Good council, says that all good-for-you dishes share four elements in common. Kooienga’s The Method program (set to launch next week) names the Core Four foods you should use to compose each and every plate: healthy fats, protein, non-starchy carbohydrates, and starchy carbohydrates. “Overall, when you create meals with this macronutrient balance, you’re creating a meal where nutrients are more likely to be properly absorbed (such as fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants with healthy fat), blood sugars can become more stabilized, the meals are very versatile and flexible,” she says. Because even the most well-balanced dishes require that extra je ne sais quoi, Kooienga’s new program offers an added “Optmizer Option,” for the dips, condiments, garnishes, dressings, sauces (like this cheesy, “liquid gold”), herbs, and spices. Adding this component to the Core Four tips the scale to make dinner go from “yum” to “DAMN.” In its simplest form, a Core Four meal might include wild rice, chicken, green beans, and almonds, but there’s more than enough room to get creative. Need proof? Check out Kooienga’s recipe for a quick healthy dinner: Fall Core Four Grain Bowl In this recipe, the dressing contains the healthy fats, maple tempeh is the protein, quinoa is the starch, and roasted butternut squash
I found a yoga mat that turns into a full gym in seconds
October 24, 2019 at 07:06PM by CWC You’ve probably seen your fair share of at-home gym set-ups. Typically, they have a few things in common: They’re super expensive and they take up way too much space. Well, I’m happy to report that I’ve discovered a genius product that makes it easy to work out from anywhere without draining your bank account. The Flobody Gym is essentially a yoga mat with about a dozen hidden bonuses. It’s kind of like Mary Poppins’ magic bag, but better. At a glance, Flobody Gym ($119) looks like a thicker rolled-up mat. But it comes complete with removable weights, resistance bands, handles, and foot and hand straps that allow you to get the boutique studio treatment whenever you want, whether you’re into Pilates, yoga, HIIT, and more. A piece of equipment with so much going on might seem like it would be a nightmare to put together, but that’s not the case at all. It’s hard to believe something so compact packs in so many tools, yet it does. From the moment you take the Flobody Gym out of the box, it’s incredibly easy to use—and anything you’re not quite sure about is explained in the detailed instructions and set-up videos available. It’s like a puzzle piece that fits together perfectly, and because of that, it’s just as effortless to roll out and use as it is to put away, making it a breeze to store it in your closet between uses or take it
Here’s what kind of magnetic Scorpio you are, according to your moon sign
October 24, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC It’s totally fitting that Halloween falls during Scorpio season—after all, this is the zodiac sign that’s associated with mystery, transformation, and all things occult. But those born between October 23 and November 21 have far more layers than their sign’s spooky stereotypes alone suggest. “Scorpio energy is very deep,” says astrologer and women’s empowerment coach Natalia Benson. “They are known to be quite sensitive, but are also very strong-willed, intense people.” In other words, these intuitive water signs are anything but one-dimensional—and Scorpio moon signs add even more complexity to the astrological profile. What’s a moon sign, you ask? Essentially, it’s the sign the moon was in when you were born, and it represents your inner world—your emotions, your deepest desires, and the qualities of your subconscious mind. While your moon-sign traits aren’t usually the first thing people notice about you, they do impact the way in which your sun sign is expressed. So a Scorpio with a fire-sign moon may be extra emotive and intense, while one with an air-sign moon likely keeps their strong feelings closer to their chest. To learn your moon sign—and those of your Scorpio friends—input your birth date, time, and location into a free natal chart generator, like this one. Then, read on to find out what the different combinations of Scorpio moon signs mean. Learn exactly what kind of Scorpio you are, according to your moon sign. Graphics: Well+Good Creative Scorpio with an Aries moon Benson
The most comfortable (and *really* cute) podiatrist-approved boots for fall
October 24, 2019 at 05:40PM by CWC I know what you’re thinking—the words “podiatrist-approved” and “cute” are oxymorons, but hear me out. First of all, you know what’s not cute? Limping around a decade from now due to the bad shoe choices of your relative youth. Meanwhile, what is cute is investing in a good pair of fall boots you can actually, you know, wear—not just for a couple of hours or a couple of months, but for many seasons to come. (Sustainability for the win!) So while I’m not necessarily going to ask a podiatrist to go shopping with me, I am going to turn to such experts for advice on how to keep my feet safe and my footwear functional. Of utmost importance is heel height, says Yolanda Ragland, DPM, a New York City-based podiatrist, foot surgeon, and founder of FixYourFeet.com. “Wearing a completely flat boot is not good for the foot because it can cause plantar fasciitis and provides no support for the arch,” says Dr. Ragland. “Wearing a boot with a heel that is too high is not good because you can wind up getting pain in the ball of the foot—you’re increasing your chances of ankle sprains and plain-old stress in the foot in general.” Choosing a moderate-to-low boot heel is the best option, then, and Jacqueline Sutera, DPM, a podiatrist with NYC-based City Podiatry recommends sticking with block heels with a max height of 3 inches. “The higher the heel ,the more your weight
3 ways to improve your knee stability to move better in your day-to-day life
October 24, 2019 at 04:01PM by CWC Remember that song “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”? Sure, it teaches children about anatomy, and gets them moving a bit, but the more I started to think about it (don’t ask me why it was on my mind), I realized that these parts of our body are somewhat ignored in our fitness routines—yet they’re important. Big toe flexibility is crucial, your shoulders are the steering wheel of your body, your head holds your brain, and your knee is center to every movement you do. Think about it: Your knees are the all-important joint that’s smack in the middle of your legs, so their stability and overall strength makes for smoothly functioning gams that can, well, take you wherever you need to go. To be more technical: “A stable knee is a knee in which all ligaments and surrounding muscle groups are intact, healthy, and strong enough to support body weight during movements and activity,” says Jeff Brannigan, program director at Stretch*d in New York. Stability in your knees, of all other joints in your body, is even more important because you’re utilizing them with literally every step that you take—so they’re the most prone to get injured. “The knee is already vulnerable to injury, so when the integrity of the joint is compromised, the risk for injury skyrockets,” says Brannigan. Not that any and all movements take a toll on your knees. Brannigan points out that the knee is especially vulnerable when it’s moving in
There are more vegan and plant-based products than ever—but don’t assume they’re all healthy
October 24, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC From lentil- and chickpea-pastas and cauliflower-based everything to alternative milks (so. many. alt. milks.), it’s clear that plant-based eating is more than just a trend; it’s here for good. After a long-held belief that meat should be the focus of their meals, Americans are leaning in to the scientific research that repeatedly finds that a plant-forward diet is the healthiest way to eat and giving veggies more real estate on their plates. Of course brands have taken notice and for the most part, that’s awesome. There are more vegan products on the market than ever, making it easier for consumers to up their plant-consumption, even if they don’t want to (or can’t) eat all vegan all the time. However, dietitians have a PSA to healthy eaters: not all foods marketed as “vegan” or “plant-based” are legitimately healthy. “Companies often use terms that cast a health halo around their product,” registered dietitian Debbie Petitpain, RDN says. When it comes to food confusion, you could say using “vegan” and “plant-based” is the new “natural.” Why not all vegan and plant-based foods are healthy While the term vegan is pretty straightforward (indicating that animals weren’t used to make the product at all), registered dietitian Amy Kimberlain, RD, CDE, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics media spokesperson, says that “plant-based” is more nebulous, which adds to the confusion when shopping for healthy foods. “[Different people] have different definitions of what it means,” she says, adding that it’s
How hiking Machu Picchu on my period taught me the power of gratitude
October 24, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I was in the middle of the Peruvian jungle when I finally started feeling like myself again after slogging through life on the heels of a recent heartbreak. Then I unexpectedly got my period. Let’s rewind: After my boss returned from hiking Machu Picchu with her husband, she kept saying how magical the experience was and that I should plan to visit soon. Not expecting her to say yes, I jokingly responded: “Okay, can I go next month? Will you give me the week off?” She paused for a second before replying, “Get your work done in advance, and go for it!” So I worked, and then I went. Energized by the last-minute trip I now needed to plan, I spent hours every night researching and soon felt like an expert in altitude hiking, Peruvian customs, and archaeology. I cashed in all my frequent-flier miles for a business-class flight, booked lodging at hostels, and built myself a custom weeklong itinerary packed with cultural experiences, adventure, and relaxation. My solo-travel goal was to heal and to reconnect with myself. I spent the first couple of days upon arrival in the main city of Cusco, Peru, acclimating to the altitude (and sipping plenty of pisco sours, the local libation of choice), and then I was ready for my four-day group trek to Machu Picchu. Despite my best-laid plans, after two full days of hiking, mountain biking, and white water rafting, I woke up on day
What you should know about sugar—according to a doctor
October 24, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC intro Today, the average American consumes almost 60 pounds of added sugar per year, which translates to about 17 teaspoons a day. Despite this mass overconsumption of sugar by Americans, it is well understood that eating too much sugar is bad for your health. It contributes to weight gain, cavities, acne and long-term health problems like type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver disease, heart disease, dementia, mood disorders, and metabolic issues. While most people know that sugar is not doing them any favors, the reality is much more serious than that: Sugar directly impacts your biology in addictive ways. Research presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual conference shows that sugar actually activates the reward center of your brain—the same one that lights up from cocaine and heroin. The stimulation of these neural pathways is reinforced every time we eat sweets and causes the brain to become increasingly hard-wired to crave sugar on a regular basis. Sugar directly impacts your biology in addictive ways. Even if you don’t think you eat a lot of added sugar, after you start to look at your diet, I bet you’ll find sugar is hiding in more places than you thought—like the smoothie you grabbed from the juice bar, the dressing at your go-to salad spot, the tomato sauce with your favorite dinner, and let’s not forget that after-dinner chocolate. If you just read that and thought, “Crap!” you’re not alone. It’s not your fault. We’ve all been