October 29, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC In my 20s, sleep was my last priority; not only was I uninterested in it, but I honestly didn’t seem to need that much of it. Despite working seven days a week, I still had the energy to stay out most nights until well past midnight and wake up early to hit the gym before heading into the office. Sure, I woke up with makeup smeared all over my pillow and relied on coffee so heavily it was essentially my signature accessory, but somehow, I lived that way for the better part of a decade. Now I look back on those days and mostly I think: How?! and Why tho?! Now, despite being in bed before 11 p.m., trying to squeeze a gym sesh in before work is a rarity; virtually every time my alarm goes off, that extra hour of sleep wins out. It’s not just a me thing, either: Now, when I text my friends to see if they want to meet up after work on Friday, the response I’m usually met with is, “Sure, but can it be around 6?” And the women I know who are older and going through perimenopause and menopause often complain about being tired all the time. To find out if energy depletion and aging are inevitably linked, I called up women’s health physician and The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution author, Aviva Romm, MD. What she told me, I’ll admit, took me by surprise. Technically, no: Feeling more tired
Tag: Well+Good
This bath brand is determined to make showering feel less like a chore and more like dancing in the sprinklers
October 28, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC Whether it’s in a Turkish hammam, a Japanese onsen (or hot spring), a Russian bath, or—in my case—a cramped New York City apartment-sized shower, bathing is universal. Even though it’s become a ritual in so many cultures, in day-to-day life, it often feels more like a chore. Cleansing our bodies seems to be the lowest rung on the self-care totem pole, with skin care and hair treatments stealing all the spotlight. Bathing Culture, a new-ish personal care brand, wants to change that and bring the joy back to showering. “Bathing is a uniquely shared human experience,” says Tim Hollinger, the brand’s co-founder and CEO. “It’s a moment to relax and have fun and be joyful as we all get clean.” The brand wants your bathtub to be a place you look forward to getting into, and so they concocted body-care products to spice things up while you’re in there. “One of the most sold personal care products by volume in the United States is actually body wash—but we saw it wasn’t something people were really paying attention to,” says Hollinger. “No one was really elevating it, especially in the realm of not only personal health but planetary health.” Photo: Bathing Culture Since Bathing Culture itself hails from northern California, they wanted to somehow bottle that essence up—so people can channel a downpour in the Redwood Forest from their shower stream. “We love going out to hot springs or taking outdoor showers or hiking
Whether you love leggings or hate them, you need these wear-everywhere lounge pants, like, yesterday
October 28, 2019 at 10:30PM by CWC My mom has always been my wide-legged pant fashion icon. She owns no less than five pairs that billow out into vibrantly-hued patterns, and she rocks the look on a regular basis. But even though I’ve admired her look since I could say the word “style,” I’ve never quite nailed the Bohemian-casual OOTD myself—I was always a “wear leggings everywhere” kind of girl. All that changed, however, when Lively’s The Lounge Pant ($45, sold in sizes XS-L) found its way into my closet, and gave my dozens of pairs of black leggings a real run for their money. Lively designates the swooshy pants “leisurée,” and the name is apt. They exude the kind of effortlessly chic vibes you see on the twisted streets of Paris, and come in pink, navy blue, and white for whatever mood may strike you. For casual work days, they pair simply with a favorite tee or turtleneck. And yes—they look 100 percent profesh in the office. But I’ve quickly found ways to wear them everywhere (and I mean everywhere) I go. Because Lively’s pants are made of 100 percent cotton, they add a level of comfort to every single situation. In September, I flew home for a wedding and had the most snuggly airplane ride of my life in the blush pair. Just last week, I wore the navy ones to yoga class and got no less than five compliments from my leggings-clad counterparts. And, of course, I
Everyone’s buzzing about “serum oils,” but where the heck do they go in your routine?
October 28, 2019 at 09:48PM by CWC In recent years, the Internet has run wild with things that aren’t quite as they seem. Is the dress black and blue, or white and gold? Is the shoe pink and white, or teal and grey? Is she saying “Yanny” or “Laurel”?! The trend has recently taken hold in the beauty world, too, with the serum/oil hybrid—a new product category that has us asking, “Is it a serum, or is it an oil?” Well, as with all of the other examples, this isn’t an “either/or” situation—it’s both. Which means figuring out where the heck to use it can be about as challenging as trying to convince your coworkers that the dress is, in fact, black and blue (and I will fight you on that). To understand what serums and oils do when they’re combined, it’s first important to understand how they function on their own. Serums, the central star of any skin-care routine, are known for having high concentrations of actives like vitamins, peptides, or AHAs/BHAs. They’re generally lightweight, which means they can penetrate the skin more deeply and deliver all of those important ingredients deep within its layers. Oils, on the other hand, tend to be made with essential oils and botanical ingredients, and are meant for locking in moisture. “Oils have larger molecules, so they can only penetrate the outer layers of the skin, which is what makes them different from serums,” says Cindy Kim, co-founder of Silver Mirror Facial Bar.
What it’s like to take a tour of the subconscious with a celebrity hypnotherapist
October 28, 2019 at 09:30PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEoeAUsOUI0] Does hypnotherapy work? Watch the full video to learn more about the practice. For a second, try and imagine that hypnosis isn’t the cliché with the swinging pocket watch we see in pop culture, but as the brain’s backdoor entrance to your heart’s desire. Because that exactly how it sounds in the latest episode of What the Wellness, Well+Good’s YouTube series that follows producer Ella Dove as she tries out various wellness practices to decide whether they’re weird or worth it. In this episode, we’re invited into Dove’s California home, where Kimberly Friedmutter, celebrity hypnotherapist and author of Subconscious Power: Use the Inner Mind to Create the Life You’ve Always Wanted, takes a tour of Dove’s subconscious mind to help her work through issues troubling her. First, some basics: Friedmutter uses hypnosis, a combination of relaxation and trance, during the session. The way this works, essentially, is that when you’re in the trance, a hypnotherapist can unlock certain aspects of your subconscious mind, a process Dove likens to an intentional guided meditation. “You have two minds, you have your conscious mind, and your subconscious mind,” says Friedmutter. “Your subconscious mind is all of the things that we do, all the things that we aspire to do.” That includes your goals, your intuition, your gut instincts—all of those inner desires exist in your subconscious mind. Prior to her session, Dove’s subconscious mind buzzes with thoughts about her recent cross-country move back to the city
You can blame your hormones for your gnarly period poops
October 28, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC Whenever my period is about to start, my gut recognizes its imminent presence well before I do. TMI, but everything (and I mean everything) I eat causes my stomach to throw a hissy fit. While the regularly-scheduled ordeal still makes me want to shake my fists at the sky and yell “Whyyyy???”, I now know that my hormones are to blame for less-than-cute period poops. At a panel for the launch of The Better Period Food Solution, written by Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, a panel of menstruation experts talked all things cramps, PMS, and more. The topic of digestion came up and Alyssa Dweck, MD, explained why your GI tract might turn against you in the days leading up to your cycle. “Right before your period, there’s a massive nosedive of estrogen and progesterone,” she said. (These two hormones are the main drivers of your menstrual cycle.) “Progesterone alters the motility of your intestines.” In non-doctor speak: Changes in progesterone levels can affect how well things move through your bowels. Specifically, the drop in progesterone right before your period can cause constipation, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. (Um, thanks a lot for abandoning me in my time of need, progesterone.) Ta-da: These are the best foods for easing period cramps: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRT2deFsRz8] Normally, I would say that knowledge is power. Unfortunately, while it’s frustrating to feel a lack of (bowel) control, Dr. Dweck says there’s not much you can do about it beyond taking extra care
Just a single extra serving of fruit per day can help keep your gut happy
October 28, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC When your digestive tract isn’t working at its optimum level, it’s likely everything will feel a bit…off. For many, that’s putting it mildly: Certain gut-health issues can interfere with daily living, in terms of both physical and mental-health-related effects. (Research supports a relationship between feeling depressed and suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.) To be sure, gut health is a complicated matter, and pinpointing what exactly may be causing distress in your body can require some detective work. But, a recent study offers some advice from which everyone can benefit. The study, published in the journal Gastroenterology, found that adding a serving of whole fruit and cereal grains to your diet each day can help reduce the disk of diverticulitis, which is a common inflammatory bowel condition that’s often connected to a lower-fiber, highly processed diet. The study’s big takeaway? Many Americans aren’t getting enough fiber, and that can lead to serious problems for your gut. But fiber from fruit can help. The actionable takeaway seems simple—eat fruit and grains—but it seems we do, indeed, need the reminder. Research shows a whopping 95 percent of Americans don’t get the recommended amount of fiber in their diet, which, per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is between 21 and 38 grams per day, depending on gender and age. “Low-fiber diets reduce the volume and water content of the stool. This predisposes to constipation that in turn increases pressure within the colon that can weaken the
We found the super-easy way to make your hair mask *so* much more effective
October 28, 2019 at 05:47PM by CWC You know those days where you run your fingers through your hair only to think it’s not hair but… straw? We’ve all been there—and those dry, damaged hair days are popping up even more now that the temperatures are dipping. Hence why I, for one, have been hitting up my trusty supply of hair masks for some TLC. Letting a nourishing mask melt into your strands always seems to do the trick, taking your hair from parched and frazzled to soft, bouncy, and full of life in a matter of minutes. But what if I told you that adding another quickie step into your hair masking routine could give you even better results? Using a hair mask in general is already doing your hair good, of course. But a simple way to one-up its effectiveness is by covering your hair with a hot towel while doing so. That’s because the heat and steam from the towel opens the cuticles of your hair, which then allows all the hair-boosting ingredients in your treatment to absorb better. “It also helps the mask make more direct contact with your scalp, making it more effective overall,” says celebrity hairstylist Kendall Dorsey, which means the mask-and-towel hack not only betters your hair’s health, but also makes sure any new growth is being taken care of from the very start of its journey. For extra-deep hydration, Dorsey says it’s best to leave your mask on for a total of
Psst, there’s a psychological reason we’re inclined to gossip
October 28, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC In its most straightforward form, gossip is simply talking about someone who isn’t present. It can happen through cupped hands into an ear, under industrial-strength blowdryers, via Slack at your office, or, really, in any number of other ways. But, fact remains that it certainly happens and nearly all people engage in it (or at least have done so in the past). But before you you bemoan the seedy nature of humanity given this reality, note that scientific research disagrees wit the dictionary’s negative-leaning specification that in order for material to be classified as gossip, it must be inclusive of sensational and/or highly personal facts. According to one extensive meta-analysis on gossip published in Social Psychology and Personality Science, gossip is often neutral or even positive, as in, not necessarily “reflecting badly on the target.” So, that’s good news, but I’m still left to wonder, Why do people gossip in the first place? “When it’s something light and fun, it can help people feel like they belong, because they share relationships, have shared experiences, and often shared values,” says clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD. This explains why it’s so satisfying to dish with a colleague about two other co-workers who are probably-definitely dating—even if you have no personal connection to anyone involved. The act allows us to form memories (even if they’re micro in terms of depth and importance) with whomever we’re sharing the gossip, which in turn, fosters a sense of belonging.
This is the optimal amount of time to rest between sets in order to build muscle, according to a trainer
October 28, 2019 at 04:18PM by CWC Going to the gym, grabbing some weights, and ripping out your reps day after day is going to help you build up some serious muscles. There’s no doubt about it. But if you really want to up your game, there’s one easy tweak you can do during your workouts to ensure you’re getting the best possible results: watch the clock. Whether you’re working on toning your arms with a pair of dumbbells or using one of the many machines, the easiest way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your reps is making sure you’re not underdoing (or overdoing) your rest period between sets. While most people tend to take just a few seconds before busting out another set, Betina Gozo, Nike master trainer, says it’s actually better to give your body much longer than that. “It’s best to rest about one to two minutes between sets, maybe even three to five depending on how your body metabolizes carbs for food energy, how many reps you’re doing, and how heavy you’re lifting,” Gozo says. “When you’re strength training, your body is utilizing the ATP [adenosine triphosphate] created by the phosphocreatine system, and it uses phosphagens to give you energy and power your movements. When focusing on hypertrophy, one to two minutes is enough time for the phosphagen stores to replenish, and if you’re focusing on true strength with only one to three reps, your body will need a bit longer because