April 03, 2019 at 08:51AM by CWC You don’t need a groundhog to tell you when spring is coming when you have seasonal allergies. The instant the weather starts getting nice and the grass starts getting greener, I experience a not-so-fun parade of symptoms: sneezing, runny nose, itchy throat, congestion, and—my least fave—red, itchy eyes. Because of how irritated my eyes get, it’s not uncommon for me to have an I-just-got-done-crying look on the most pollen-heavy days of spring. Aka not a fun look for anyone. And according to docs, there’s a simple explanation for why it affects me and other lucky allergy-ridden folks so much more than any other symptom on the list. “The eyes are the hardest area to control seasonal allergy symptoms because they’re a mucus membrane that’s outwardly exposed. The pollen can easily contact the eyes, even more easily than getting into your nose or your lungs.” says David Wertheim, MD, chair, division of allergy and immunology at ProHEALTH Care, a network of urgent-care clinics and health-care providers. Airborne pollen directly contacts the conjunctiva (the clear, thin membrane that covers the inner surface of the eyelids), Dr. Wertheim says, and “causes localized release of allergic mediators, like histamine. This is the same process that causes a runny nose and sneezing.” It doesn’t take long after contact for the problems to begin. Once those allergens hit your eyes, Richard Davidson, MD, an ophthalmologist with UCHealth, says they “cause the conjunctiva on the surface of the eye to
Tag: Media
3 actually compelling reasons to resist the urge to Google your date before meeting IRL
April 02, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC While in the deep end of New York City’s dating pool, there were two things I did before every single rendezvous: shave my legs and internet-stalk my date ahead of time. I couldn’t help myself, and even though I’m now in a committed relationship, I still can’t (I Google everyone else’s dates before they meet). It’s just too tempting not to scope out these people pre-date given the tools we have at our fingertips—social media profiles, employment info, and, hell, even their “reputation score” (don’t ask) can come up in a flash if you so desire. And, it seems, everyone does. But, just as Googling certain things can just make matters worse—ever have the Internet diagnose you with a fatal illness when you simply have a cold?—stalking a potential romantic interest rather than giving them the benefit of the doubt and simply judging them when you meet in person can pose some downsides. People can’t resist doing it for a variety of reasons, one of them being control. “Stalking, in whatever form it takes, ultimately reflects an attempt at controlling the outcome of the date,” says Clara Artschwager, modern dating and lifestyle coach. “We stalk in hopes to glean information about a person in advance of actually meting them to—ideally—avoid some sort of discomfort.” That discomfort can mean a slew of things, like an awkward date (the worst) and getting hurt. And so, says Artschwager, the reason so many daters task themselves with
3 reasons this holistic doctor wants you to reduce stress for your gut health
April 01, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC If you’re visiting the bathroom more than you’d like on the morning of a make-it-or-break-it presentation or the evening of a highly anticipated Bumble date, it’s no coincidence. Turns out a literal gut reaction to nerve-racking situations is super common, says holistic psychiatrist Ellen Vora, MD. “There is a direct and powerful relationship between stress and gut health,” Dr. Vora says. “Stress compromises the health of our digestive tract in a variety of ways.” That means on days when your Google cal is booked solid, GI issues may ride shotgun. But don’t freak: We teamed up with RenewLife®—the high-potency probiotic supplements for a vibrant gut—to help you embrace the calm and reap the stomach-soothing perks. Scroll down to find out the gut-health bonuses of staying stress-free. Photo: Unsplash/ Pablo Merchán Montes 1. You could cut down on the bloat (and related GI distress) Consider this: When you’re properly fueled and well-rested, there’s nothing stopping you from being a rock star at work. Your body’s digestion system is the same. When stress or extreme fatigue enters the equation, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating can too, says Dr. Vora. “In order to secrete digestive enzymes and properly digest our food (and thereby optimally absorb and assimilate nutrients from our food), our nervous system needs to be in the parasympathetic state (i.e., relaxation),” she explains. Committing to daily acts of kindness toward yourself like being realistic about your daily goals and taking regular breaks can help keep
The next generation of feminists slaps down “boys will be boys”
March 29, 2019 at 11:33AM by CWC In Amy Schumer’s new standup special on Netflix, Growing, she gives props to younger feminists: “They came along and they’re like, ‘Hey have you been getting sexually harassed like this your whole lives?’ And we’re like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, you wanna do something about that?’ And we’re like, ‘Oh yeah!’ We’re all so used to it.” Well, score one for the kids because it was a banner week for healthy boundaries. Leading the way, a group of teens from Maryland collectively said “thank u, next” to an age-old beauty pageant in the form of a list that circulating at their school ranking the girls on a scale of 1-10 based on looks, the Washington Post reported. They fought back, demanding disciplinary action and persuading administrators to hold a public assembly where the list could be discussed among all the students involved. “It was the last straw, for us girls, of this ‘boys will be boys’ culture,” one student said. “We’re the generation that is going to make a change.” That’s bold thinking in a world where being a “ten,” a “seven,” or a “four” is such a ubiquitous concept that even apps like Tinder reportedly assign users an attractiveness score to serve profiles to others. It’s coded into our lives, which may be why if you find yourself shrugging right now about the Maryland teens’ situation (“Is it that big of a deal?”), that would be understandable. But you’d be
How to deal when you love your single status, but your mom does not (and lets you know it)
March 29, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC I have near-daily phone calls with my mom, and odds are strong that somewhere between “How’s the weather?” and “What’s for dinner?” she’ll check in on my relationship status…as if that’s the kind of thing that magically changes overnight. And something tells me I’m hardly alone in my efforts to field and squelch relationship questions from well-intentioned but sometimes overbearing (sorry, Mom!) parents. I know my mom wants the best for me, but I’ve been into flying solo as of late; sleeping diagonally on the bed, not worrying about a complicated strategy for my DM game, and having all the time for gal-pal cauliflower pizza parties and Netflix has been super fulfilling for me lately. Apparently, it’s not so fulfilling for my mom—but experts say the underlying reason for her nosy Qs isn’t necessarily because she doesn’t approve of the single life. Encouraging us to date, or even going as far as trying to set us up, is often just an effort to end what parents perceive as our sadness for not having a partner locked down. In fact, says psychotherapist Aimee Barr, LCSW, this common plight may be just be the result of a simple generational divide. “Most of our parents grew up in a time when the cultural expectations were different around dating and marriage,” she says. Especially if your parents are still married, they might not realize how much the conversation around relationships has changed. “If you feel pressured, uncomfortable,
Queer Eye knows that OG HIIT studio Orangetheory still offers of the best sweaty workouts in the country
March 28, 2019 at 10:54AM by CWC When the Fab Five of Netflix’s Queer Eye give something their gold star of approval, the logical next step is to hop on the bandwagon yourself. Now that season three is streaming on Netflix (hallelujah), my queue is basically fodder for how to live my best life. And if I took anything out of contestant Robert’s episode, it’s that I really need to get in on buzzy HIIT workout Orangetheory. It’s no secret that Orangetheory Fitness is one of the fastest-growing boutique workout franchises in the country—1,000 locations and counting so far, plus almost 300 international outposts. It seems like studios are opening on practically every corner (and even into hotels). Suffice it to say, plenty of people are talking about taking a class at the moment, but chances are that few are saying it’s easy. (As Robert says in the Queer Eye episode: “No one could have gotten me to go work out, except two sexy dudes and some orange machinery.”) So, if you’re headed to one for the first time and feeling a bit nervous, there are some key things you can keep in mind to make it feel less, well, intimidating. For starters, know that the workout was specifically designed so anyone could do it. In fact, Orangetheory Fitness co-founder, Ellen Latham says she just finished training with a 78 year-old woman who does the class 3 times a week. Talk about #goals. Here are four things every newbie should know before your
Opposites definitely attract, but the verdict’s still out on whether that translates to long-term love
March 28, 2019 at 08:18AM by CWC Three of the four people I’ve most recently dated have been, more or less, my exact opposite. Where I’m bubbly, they exude subdued confidence. Where I love the hustle, they live for the weekend. Where I get excited for a night of Netflix and chill, they prefer the bar with friends. It seems pretty obvious, based on my pattern, that I agree with what 80 percent of people think: opposites attract. But, why is that? To compensate for qualities we subconsciously feel we lack? To push our boundaries? Because we don’t really like who we are? And, like, should opposites attract? Because my track record of 100 percent of relationships having ultimately ended doesn’t lead me to think so. According to experts, a lot of the attraction has to do with having a healthy sense of curiosity. “Difference is compelling,” says relationship therapist Shadeen Francis, LMFT. “People who make us feel curious are the ones who hold our attention. It makes us want to get to know them, understand them. In fact, the newness of the qualities can even skew lust-worthy. “It’s easy to eroticize things we are not, or not ready to be right now,” says integrative holistic psychotherapist Rebecca Hendrix, LMFT. Being able to decipher traits you find intriguing simply because they’re different than your own from ones you desire in a partner is crucial. The attraction could also be emotionally-driven, stemming from the belief that the other person’s complementary features could
Can’t decide where to go on summer vacation? Let Astrocartography be your guide
March 27, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Some people feel like they need a vacation when they get home from vacation. But what about the decision fatigue that plagues globetrotters on the front end of the planning game? After all, it’s exhausting to simply choose a travel destination in the first place. To soak in the hot springs of San Miguel de Allende or swim with the pigs in the Bahamas? Northern lights or southern lights? (Champagne problems, I know.) But recently, I learned about an astrology discipline that’s speaking to my own indecisive, wanderlusty soul: astrogeography, which, as astrologer Dara Dubinet explains it, is “the astrology of place.” Put simply, astrologers believe different places on Earth hold different planetary energies for each person, based on where and when they were born. The intel can provide insight into the best and worst places for you to live and travel, energetically speaking. So, if you, say, studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia, and felt a new rush of confidence there, it could be because that city lies on your sun line. (“Lines” are latitude lines that correspond with the major celestial bodies, and they’re different for everyone depending on that person’s natal astrology chart.) Or, conversely, if you recently moved to New York City and you’ve felt overworked and weighed down ever since, it could be because the Big Apple’s on a Saturn line for you. “Any time we’re thinking of relocating, traveling, holding a retreat, or having a wedding, it’s good to
The strategy for designing workouts you should steal from The Rock
March 25, 2019 at 10:23AM by CWC Whenever I need to reignite my commitment to going to the gym, my Netflix/Hulu/HBO streaming queues aren’t exactly my first stop for inspiration. Watching The Haunting of Hill House and The Handmaid’s Tale made me want to burrow beneath covers forever. And the weekend I watched Big Little Lies in its entirety, I don’t believe I moved off the couch. After watching Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s The Titan Games (which is now streaming on Hulu), however, my opinion on the power of television has forever been changed. If you haven’t yet caught an episode, allow me to IMDb-debrief you. During each episode, the strongest of the strong compete against one another in a course designed straight from Johnson’s imagination. There’s smashing, pushing and pulling, and other tests of brawn that would make Zeus himself break into a sweat. Even better, the people who come on the The Titan Games aren’t professional athletes. They’re average badasses who schedule fitness into their free-time (you know, just like you and me). After facing off against one another, the winner makes it to a final round where they compete to become the titan. There’s smashing, pushing and pulling, and other tests of brawn that would make Zeus himself break into a sweat. With his ebullient charisma and (yes) enviable muscle mass, Johnson has convinced me that setting up my time in the gym as an obstacle course will stoke my naturally-competitive nature while—hopefully—unlocking my untapped potential of
Think getting eight hours of sleep a night is just a dream? Here’s the science-backed way to do it
March 24, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC Is there anything more frustrating than lying in bed expecting instant blissful sleep, only to have your brain replay that one super embarrassing thing you did in high school? Yeah, it’s the worst. But when your options for shutting off your overactive mind aren’t much better (flipping on Netflix, counting sheep, or popping a sleep supplement that takes too long to kick in and makes you feel groggy the next morning) is sleeping for eight hours a night even possible? Liquid I.V. founder Brandin Cohen had the same problem: typical 21st-century sensory overload during the day leading to major sleep issues with no relief. Then, the lightbulb went on. He realized he could use the same breakthrough technology utilized in Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier to help people fall asleep faster. With the aim of helping people catch those elusive zzz’s, Cohen enlisted the help of medical director Brad Thomas, M.D. to explore the possibility. “Over a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis—and it’s killing us,” Dr. Thomas says. “Sleep affects us on so many levels. When you toss and turn all night, the next day can be brutal—your focus is off, you’re emotionally reactive, and your performance can really suffer. And long-term, you’re more susceptible to weight gain and serious illness.” Enter Liquid I.V. Sleep—a product that helps you fall asleep fast in a way those sheep never could. That’s right, your trusted source of mega hydration is using its groundbreaking Cellular