November 14, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC I’ve never been a great sleeper—truly ever. I recently asked my mother if I slept well as a baby, and her response was a very quick “no,” in the weary tone of a person recalling a past trauma. “Because I couldn’t fall asleep or because I couldn’t stay asleep?” I asked. “You couldn’t fall asleep. I tried everything. Sometimes if I rocked you really hard or vacuumed, that would work,” she said, in one long, suffering sigh. In the years since, I’ve tried a veritable laundry list of methods to fall asleep, including but not limited to: melatonin, CBD, ASMR, listening to Michelle Branch’s Hotel Paper, and dousing myself and my bed with essential oils. (The amount of lavender I have used is truly something.) These strategies have helped to an extent, but haven’t yielded entirely satisfying results. But then I was introduced to hypnosis for sleep, and my luck turned around. A small 2014 study from the University of Zurich, Switzerland of 70 women in their early twenties found that “young, healthy, suggestible females” (it me) who listened to audio hypnosis before sleeping had 80 percent more slow-wave sleep (the deepest level) than those who didn’t, and spent 67 percent less time awake, trying to sleep. The National Sleep Foundation also lists auditory hypnosis as a helpful tool for falling asleep. Sure, it’s not a new finding, but since it’s certainly new to me, I finally decided to try it one fateful
Tag: Well+Good
What’s the real difference between a fetish and a kink?
November 14, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC It wasn’t until I recently attended a class titled “Working Out the Kinks” at a sex-education and wellness retreat a few months ago that I finally learned the key differences separating a kink from a fetish. And, as a professional sex writer, that’s saying something. I always knew the two weren’t exactly synonymous, but I also couldn’t give a precise explanation as to how they’re different. Similar to the situation of being asked what a certain word means, and then using other similar but not exact words as the description, I realized then that I had been unintentionally using “fetish” and “kink” interchangeably—and was I ever incorrect in doing so. So in the spirit of spreading awareness, below, get the full rundown on what is a kink, exactly, and how it can be different from a fetish. Then—for the fun part—learn how to incorporate either into any relationship safely. What is a fetish? A fetish is the sexualization of something that’s typically non-sexual, and that, by itself, is an object of fixation, says Francisco Ramirez, a sexual-health consultant and teacher of the class I joined. “For example, if massaging someone’s genitals with shoes is a fun turn-on, it might be considered a kink,” he says. “However, if the shoe on its own is a turn-on, and it feels like a necessary part of your sexual repertoire, it might be a fetish.” Common examples of fetishes include leather, latex, a particular penis size, or
Water lily seeds are the Ayurvedic popcorn alternative taking over the snacks aisle
November 14, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Protein bars are the secret weapon for on-the-go healthy eaters, but anyone who eats them regularly knows that protein bar fatigue is real. That’s why you should explore the chip aisle next time you’re at the grocery store. (Yes, seriously.) It’s where you’ll find your next surprising protein fix: popped water lily seeds. A traditional snack in India, water lily seeds are the pea-sized kernels that are collected when water lilies shed their seeds once a year. When popped like popcorn, they just happen to be a satisfying, nutrient-rich, crunchy snack. Even though water lily seeds have long been a mainstay in India, it’s only in the past two years that they’ve become more widely available in the U.S. in the form of healthy popcorn-esque snacks. Nadine Habayeb, the co-founder of Bohana Life (the first water lily seed snack brand to enter grocery stores) says she thinks the trend is hitting in the U.S. now for a few reasons. “With the rise of a few trends such as grain-, corn-, and gluten-free, Americans’ favorite snack, popcorn, is not feeling the love it once used to,” she says. Habayeb adds that more people in the States are learning about Ayurveda and open to trying more Eastern practices and foods—thus making them more open to trying foods like water lily seeds. “Water lily seeds are one of the most prescribed seeds in Ayurveda because of their nutrient profile, making them beneficial for all body types,”
Sebum plugs are a mysterious type of pimple—here’s how to deal
November 14, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC I hate to be the one to introduce you to “sebum plugs,” but if I can’t un-hear it, neither can you. Unsure as to what it was myself, I asked some experts to explain, and it turns out you can take the term literally. “Generally speaking, a sebum plug is an accumulation of the skin’s natural oils within your pore,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. Basically, the sebaceous glands—which accompany every hair follicle on the body—create an oily liquid (sebum) that, when mixed with dead skin cells and bacteria, plugs the pore, says dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD. “Sebum plugs are essentially the foundation of our blackheads and whiteheads, and often even our painful cysts,” she says. Dr. Nazarian describes them as “thin waxy strands” (when pulled from the pore), which are typically light in color but turn dark upon oxidation—which is why they’re then called blackheads. In fact, Dr. Zeichner admits the distinction between the two is not all that solid. “The definition is definitely a gray zone, and it is not clear whether it differs from a true blackhead,” he says. Regardless, sebum plugs can be found anywhere on the body, though they typically plague people on the nose, chin, and forehead. Here’s the right way to layer your beauty products: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgq640YmGjI] Common medicinal topicals are the best treatment option for sebum plugs. “Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that helps remove excess oil and exfoliate dead cells from the
Bergamot is lauded for its scent, but it does amazing things for skin, too
November 14, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC We demand a lot from our beauty products. Of course, a product needs to do its job, but it also has to look, smell, and feel good while getting to work in our complexions. It’s rare to find a single ingredient that has figured out how to do all three at once, but bergamot—which you’ll find just as frequently in your skin-care formulas as you will in your fragrances—has somehow managed to fill that tall order. Bergamot is a fruit that looks like the result of a love affair between a lime and an orange, and gives off a sweet-yet-bitter (and sorta-kinda spicy) citrus scent that has a number of benefits. “Emotionally it’s thought to help calm stress and nervous tension, and spiritually it’s often spoken of as a supporter of self. Overall bergamot is a wonderful balancer that helps encourage healing in combination with our own rhythm,” says ONDA Beauty founder Larissa Thomson. Studies have shown that bergamot essential oil can decrease stress and anxiety, making it great for sniffing at your desk during the day or dripping a few drops into a diffuser while you sleep. It’s frequently used as a top note in fragrances (like Tom Ford Neroli Portfino, $150, which happens to be one of my favorites), and pairs well with florals and spices. But bergamot’s calming scent isn’t the only thing the ingredient is lauded for: It’s got antibacterial and astringent properties, which means it can be used
Sorry protein bars, but the banana is the MVP of pre-workout snacks
November 14, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC When you think of workout snacks, one word typically comes to mind: protein, protein, protein. People load up on whey powders, munch on nuts or grass-fed beef jerky, or stash some protein bars in their gym bag. Protein is the watchword, friends. But we’ve all been wrong about our pre-workout nutritional needs this entire time. Because today I learned that the best snack to eat before exercising for energy, endurance, and recovery has nothing to do with anything protein-related at all. Apparently, we should all be eating a banana before we work out. Wait, why bananas before a workout? The TL;DR version: the banana’s nutritional profile is just what the RD ordered for a snack that provides the energy required to get through those tough, sweaty workouts. “A medium banana is nutrient rich, providing 24 grams of carbohydrates—14 of which are sugar and three of which are fiber,” says Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. “The fiber in bananas, along with the gram of protein, keeps the rest of the carbohydrate from being absorbed too rapidly, but there isn’t so much that the food will sit in your stomach,” she says. That may sound like a lot of carbs at once, but Jones says you need that digestible fuel right before you exercise. “The energy you absorb into the blood stream—ingested as both fructose and starch—is able to either get to muscle cells or maintain blood sugar levels, depending on how much carbohydrate
6 questions to ask yourself before booking that ‘Eat Pray Love’ trip, according to a travel coach
November 14, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC In a perfect world, solo travel is an indescribably empowering experience of a lifetime. You embark on this exotic adventure filled with architectural beauty, decadent meals, and Javier Bardem. Yes, the idea of a solo trip glorifies leaving your life behind, only to return once enriched by a kind, wonderful world. Don’t overthink it! Be bold! Buy the damn ticket! Cut to: you halfway across the world with a pack of feral dogs standing between you and an outhouse. The secret to solo travel is that it isn’t necessarily something that you should do alone—or at least not something that should make you feel alone. But it totally can—trust me. According to Dylan Grace Essertier, a travel coach who focuses on guiding clients through their emotional, spiritual, and literal journeys, solo travel has a way of deeply changing us. But it requires some soul-searching that goes beyond asking yourself “Where do I want to go?” “If approached with the right mindset, this type of travel can be more than just time spent away from ‘real life’ but an incredible opportunity to reconnect with who you are, what you want, and create shifts that make way for new career paths and possibilities once you return home,” says Essertier. What to ask yourself before you embark upon solo travel 1. “What’s great in my life right now?” “I don’t believe in travel as a way of ‘escaping’ since as I’ve learned through my own experience as
Jumping rope is one of the most efficient ways to work out—here’s how to have good form
November 13, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3zgHI8QnqE] Some fun activities that you used to do as a kid actually have incredible merits as workouts (as much as that might shock your childhood self that was merely horsing around). Case in point? Skipping, playing tag, and—of course—jumping rope, which has been popping up in fitness studios all over the place. Returning to the rope may be intimidating if you haven’t done it since you were at recess, but it’s worth revisiting, because it’s the easiest way to spike your heart rate in a flash (while also working your entire body). That’s not to say it’s going to be easy, though. Superstar trainer Amanda Kloots, our Trainer of the Month and creator of the AK Rope workout, says there are plenty of ways to sabotage your jump rope workout, whether it’s through bad form or just not being able to get the rope all the way around you. So she highly recommends practicing everything before you even grab the rope to make sure you can really nail it like a pro. “Practice without it and get into the proper position,” she says. “Jumping rope is a rhythm—the rope hits, you jump. Your foot rhythm and your hand rhythm have to be the same.” Avoid the three most common mistakes that people make jumping rope, explained by Kloots in our latest episode of The Right Way, below. 1. Jumping too high: “You never want to jump higher than the rope is thick,” says
‘Body stress release’ breathing is like a good long exhale for every muscle
November 13, 2019 at 10:39PM by CWC After a year-long hiatus from meditation, I’ve finally made my way back to the daily practice of “tuning into my breath.” It now feels like I’m navigating the murky waters of my mind for the very first time. But one recent morning, a virtual instructor cued me through a back-to-basics “body stress release” meditation on the Inscape app. I instantly remembered how powerful a tool the ancient practice can be. From a comfortable sitting position, you slowly begin to tense your muscles one-by-one before releasing them with an exhale. “Progressive muscle relaxation is a deeply relaxing technique used by athletes and shared by psychologists to relieve stress and anxiety throughout the body,” Inscape tells Well+Good. “It is very useful for people who suffer from insomnia, students who have been over mentally stimulated, or anyone who needs to release any stress from the day.” When you intentionally tense and release a muscle, it breaks up your normal patterns of physical (and, on a deeper level, emotional) tension. “The act of tensing and releasing these muscles brings awareness to specific areas of our body, which helps reach a deeper mind-body connection,” says Inscape. In other words, the meditation for stress relief acts as a way for you to take back the reigns on how you’re feeling. Here’s how to use breathing meditation for stress relief “It’s nice to rest for a few breaths between each tensing,” says Inscape, “but it can actually be done very
Sorry, your houseplants aren’t cleaning the air in your home
November 13, 2019 at 10:03PM by CWC So you’ve turned your apartment into a greenhouse? That’s cool. If you love the jungle aesthetic and revel in living the life of a plant mom, more power to you. If you’re relying on houseplants that clean the air to remove pollutants, however, don’t hold your breath. Research published in early November in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology reviewed 30 years worth of studies. And the findings suggest that your collection of philodendrons and snake plants doesn’t have any significant impact on air quality in your home. “This has been a common misconception for some time,” said Michael Waring, PhD, an associate professor of environmental engineering in Drexel’s College of Engineering in a statement from the university. “Plants are great, but they don’t actually clean indoor air quickly enough to have an effect on the air quality of your home or office environment.” Your home’s natural ventilation dilutes pollutants too fast for houseplants to catch. You would need between 100 and 1,000 plants per square meter of floor space to match the efficacy of our home’s normal ventilation system, or even just an open window or two. You can blame all the misinformation about houseplants on Bational Aeronautics and Space Administration. Back in 1989, NASA declared that plants could be used to remove chemicals from the air. Unfortunately, the experiment was conducted in a lab and the scientists never looked at how plants interacted outside of that particular environment. Flash