November 03, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Strengthening your muscles and joints are fundamental for your fitness game. Duh. But one muscle that no one talks about? Your breathing muscles, which you should be working to boost your capacity for cardio endurance. Known as your “intercostal muscles,” your breathing muscles are located around your ribs and help you breathe easier. “[They] help make up the chest wall and protect the lungs,” says Kasey Kotarak, trainer and coach at Fit Body Boot Camp, adding that they play a very important role in the mechanical aspect of our breathing. They help to expand and shrink the size of the chest cavity, adds Steve Stonehouse, NASM, a coach and director of education for Stride. And when you’re doing a cardio workout, you’re obviously breathing a lot harder than, say, when you’re sitting on the couch binge-watching 90 Day Fiancé—which is where intercostal strength comes into play. “The intercostal muscles make it possible for the larger air flow required for cardio, and also work to allow an increased breath rate,” says Kotarak. So these muscles are helping your body adjust to all of the inhaling and exhaling required during a cardio workout. “Without these muscles, your body wouldn’t be able to adapt to the physiological changes that come with exercise,” she adds. “Stronger intercostal muscles can help increase your stamina, endurance, and reduce shortness of breath.” Um, wow. Your diaphragm, which activates your parasympathetic response, is also important for your breathing-during-workouts game, and is the
Tag: Well+Good
The surprising restorative power of a self-care box
November 03, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Even if you’re generally the happiest person on the planet, you can’t escape bad days. Work drama, waking up late, the weather, struggling with a chronic illness, or literally no reason at all—it happens. Because bad days don’t discriminate and can strike at anytime, you have to be prepared—and one unbeatable battle weapon to combat them is something surprising: a self-care box. At Chronicon, a conference for the chronic illness community organized by Nitika Chopra, a group of the panelists was asked how they cope with bad days when they’re in that low spot that, in the moment, feels impossible to snap out of. And Mira Mariah, a tattoo artist and disability activist in New York City, said she always has a self-care box on hand that’s filled with all the tools to help turn her day around. “A huge part of my survival depends on my comfort and joy, so have tools around you that bring you comfort and joy. That can be face mists or a really good blanket. Or a very awesome sweatshirt or things that make you more comfortable,” she says. “I really encourage people to find five items and make them accessible. I keep mine under my bed so I don’t need to get out of my bed to retrieve them—I can just flip this box up and pull all these things out. They’re my special items that are only for special bad days.” Having a box filled
5 myths about nail health you need to stop believing
November 03, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Some people go their entire lives believing myths that just aren’t true. Case in point: Going outside with wet hair isn’t actually going to make you sick, even though you may have heard it growing up as you ran out the door to school. Or that workouts don’t have to leave you sore to be effective. Same goes for many of the nail-health mantras you’ve committed to memory. Between spots on your nails showing up due to nutrient deficiencies or having to give your nails a breather between manicures, these are the top nail health myths Nadine Abramcyk, co-founder of tenoverten, wants you to stop believing right this second. These are the myths about fingernail health you need to stop believing 1. White spots on your nails are a sign of a calcium deficiency It’s just not that complicated. Instead, it’s more likely it’s damage to your nail. “White spots on nails are typically caused by an injury to your nail,” Abramcyk says. “With that being said, in some cases it can be a type of mineral deficiency, although that’s rare.” 2. You need to let your nails “breathe” If you’re currently giving your nails a breather between manicures, there’s really no need. “Letting your nails breathe is indeed a myth since your nails technically get all of their oxygen from your internal blood flow,” she says. 3. You need to trim your cuticles If you’re not into trimmed cuticles, don’t do it.
The ‘breakup rule’ is BS—here’s what it really takes to move on
November 02, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC There’s no known antidote to heartbreak. When someone you love suddenly exits your life, your friends and family may comfort you with the “breakup rule”: the idea that it takes half the length of any relationship to mend the metaphorical cracks in your heart. Yes, it’s soothing to believe that your pain will have a definitive expiration date (no question!) but experts say the rule is more lore than law. “I don’t believe the standard equation is applicable to most breakups,” says relationship expert Susan Winter. “The time it takes to recover from a breakup depends upon the depth of your emotional investment.” Instead of time, she says recovery comes from the meeting of resilience and opportunity. “If one is resilient and has a positive attitude, moving forward is the next logical step. Additionally, if one has ample opportunity to meet a partner, moving on is far easier. The difficulty lies in a lack of resilience, combined with lack of opportunity. This is when people get stuck,” she explains. Science has shown us why heartbreak hurts so much. fMRI studies have revealed that the brain experiencing heartbreak operates similarly to how it does when we’re in physical pain. And still more fMRI studies have shown that the devastate feeling activates the same mechanisms in the brain associated with the withdrawal symptoms of drug addiction. “The time it takes to recover from a breakup depends upon the depth of your emotional investment.” – Susan Winter,
The 3 most important things a dermatologist says to look for when choosing a serum
November 02, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC If we had a dollar for every time we heard a dermatologist suggest using a serum, we’d be happily retired on a Tahitian beach right about now (covered in SPF, of course). Seriously, in the—very, very—saturated beauty product world, serums remain one of the most important players. And while yes, they technically may not be a bare necessity in the way a cleanser or sunscreen is, they’re essential if you want to incorporate a lot of skin-care ingredients into your complexion (and quick!). “Serums are unique in that they’re highly concentrated, cosmetically elegant, and easy to layer,” explains board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. “This means you only need a little bit to get the benefits of the active ingredients, and you can use it alongside your usual skin care routine without incident.” Not only are they more concentrated, they also penetrate deeper into the skin and are more stable, allowing them to work more effectively than other products. Here’s what to know about using one that’s packed with vitamin C, straight from Dr. Gohara: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0sqKBXyjls] “Serums deliver active ingredients past the superficial layer of the epidermis and are usually fat-based, which helps stabilize and preserve the important ingredients until they can be absorbed by the skin,” says Sheel Desai Solomon, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist in North Carolina. A quick note on application: Because they’re so light, serums should go directly onto clean skin, before any other products. The only drawback? There are
What a happiness expert does to snap out of a bad mood
November 02, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC Sure, it sounds like it would be nice to walk around in a constant state of bliss like a Disney character, chirping birds following you around. I mean, given the choice, almost everyone would choose to be in a good mood over a bad one. But life isn’t so saccharine sweet. Blame your boss, the weather, your period, whatever—it’s 100 percent normal to be in a bad mood every now and then. (Yes, even for people who go to yoga four times a week and sip green tea instead of coffee.) Even happiness therapist and The Sunny Side Up author Lauren Cook wakes up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes. The difference between Cook and the average Jane is that Cook knows the psychological tools that can be used to snap out of a bad mood quickly. Here, she shares her secret so we all can benefit. How to get a mood boost, according to a happiness expert 1. Make self-care an everyday habit According to Cook, the key to being less prone to getting a bad mood in the first place is incorporating self-care into your daily routine. “This doesn’t mean scheduling a bubble bath or face mask every day, although incorporating that every now and then is not a bad thing,” she says. “Self-care can look like setting boundaries by saying no, working out, and having time to do something you enjoy, whether that’s watching a favorite show or
Hummus is more than a crowd-pleasing party dip—it’s a nutritional goldmine
November 02, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC It’s safe to say that hummus has reached cult-favorite status in the snack department, even spawning creative variations in all sorts of different colors and flavors including avocado, beet, chocolate, and ice cream hummus (yup, that’s a thing!). As delicious as those iterations may be, there’s nothing like the creamy, garlicky original. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s not a party until hummus has made an appearance. (What on Earth will you dip your baby carrots in?) Of course, nothing is perfect—not even hummus. And it’s easy to wonder how something that tastes so good could even be healthy. So for the sake of journalism, we asked three nutrition pros this very question. The short answer: yes, hummus is indeed a healthy snack (cue sigh of relief) thanks to its good-for you ingredients. Here, the experts break down the nutritional benefits of hummus, the healthiest way to eat it (or buy it, if you’re in a pinch), and the many ways you can enjoy your hummus. Hummus nutrition benefits: what’s the lowdown? Although there are many variations of hummus, traditionally, it consists of just six ingredients: chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and tahini. Each one of those ingredients is packed with nutritional benefits. Chickpeas, the primary ingredient in hummus, are a great source of fiber and protein. “Hummus is loaded with dietary fiber which is a key factor in gut health,” says Alison Cody, certified holistic nutritionist
Are carbs friend or foe when it comes to brain health?
November 02, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Carbs just can’t catch a break. For decades, they’ve been looked at with a skeptical eye, deemed the culprit for weight gain. Then the ketogenic diet came along and had experts proclaiming that not only could carbs keep people from achieving their weight loss goals, but they also aren’t great for your brain either. Experiencing brain fog? Oh, that’s because of carbs. Feel sluggish around 4 p.m.? Probably because you had carbs for lunch. It’s undeniable that what you eat affects brain health both in the short and long terms. We know that foods high in omega-3 fats, vitamin B12, zinc, magnesium, and iron (all key components of the almighty Mediterranean diet), can boost your mood in the short term, provide energy, and also ward off cognitive decline later in life. But where carbs fit into the equation is less clear. Here, three experts—a functional neurology expert, an expert in nutritional biochemistry, and a registered dietitian all shine light on the carbs-brain health connection, both short- and long-term. Carbohydrates and cognitive decline The basics of carbs and brains: glucose—a type of carbohydrate—is your brain’s preferred energy source. Your brain needs some amount of carbs to properly function. But then things quickly get more complicated. “Simple carbs, like bread, pasta, soda, or juice, are absorbed quicker in the body, which means they can provide a quick boost of energy, but it also [can cause] a blood sugar imbalance, since those levels will go up
Tina Fey wants you to know what ‘chipple’ means—because it makes complaining so much less stressful
November 02, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC We’ve all been guilty of an “I love them, but” type of ramble at some point. It’s the kind you reserve for the need to assert that you’re a good person despite the complaint you’re about to share. To accomplish this, you list out a number of positive attributes about the subject of your vent. It’s a common practice, but wow, is it time consuming. Ever wondered how to complain kindly and, more importantly, concisely? You’re in luck, because Conan O’Brien invented a word to expedite your preamble: chipple. What is chipple, you ask? In a recent episode of O’Brien’s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, guest Tina Fey professed her love for it, calling it, “a super, super useful word in any workplace,” she says. According to O’Brien, the word was born thanks to his friend Robert Smigel, former Saturday Night Live writer and voice of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog who’s known for his uncompromising work ethic. He was often complained about for various reasons, and staffers would try to soften their blows with professions of “how we all love Robert, and he’s a comic genius and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Eventually, O’Brien decided to speed up the process. Chipple takes the place of the long and exhaustive “I love them, but” prelude to a complaint; it cuts to the chase. “I would always say, ‘Do we have to do the whole preamble? Because it takes time, and we all
The healthy baked good a French nutritionist eats for breakfast
November 02, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC The quintessential French breakfast typically involves café au lait and a big flaky croissant. At least that’s the stereotype. And yet, the truth is that the healthy food revolution has rocked France, too, which makes that stereotype rather démodé. French singer-songwriter and fitness influencer Jess King recently told Well+Good that her go-to breakfast is typically a breakfast bowl with chia seeds. This doesn’t mean healthy French eaters have given up pastries completely. First, they appreciate the fact that moderation is key, and second, just like healthy foodies elsewhere in the world, they know the value of smart substitutions. French nutritionist Claire Power’s vegan banana buckwheat breakfast cake is a prime example. Not only is it loaded with protein, it’s nut-, egg-, dairy-, and gluten-free. (How’s that for checking all the boxes?) “I am all about healthy recipes that are vegan but also lower in fat and sugar than normal recipes,” Power says. “I want to create cakes that make me feel good and that are good for me while also being delicious and kid-friendly.” She also adds that another one of her goals is to show how easy healthy eating can be. Besides bananas—which are totally having a moment right now BTW—Power uses buckwheat flower, coconut milk, and a few smart sweeteners, such as maple syrup and vanilla. (Head to her site for the full recipe.) It may not be a flaky croissant, but this French breakfast pairs just as well with that