Tag: Well+Good

August 08, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC —When it comes to the first few months postpartum, everyone’s focus is almost always on the baby: how they’re sleeping, whether they’re eating enough, posing them for Instagram-worthy photo shoots in duckling-printed onesies. This fixation is pretty understandable—babies need a lot of care, particularly in the first few weeks. (Plus, they’re pretty damn cute.) However, that focus on baby means that postpartum care for mom—who just pushed out a brand-new human being or underwent major abdominal surgery with a C-section—is often an afterthought. Not only is it standard to be discharged from the hospital within 24 to 48 hours after delivery, you’re often not given any information about what to expect when you’re recovering. The reality that peeing for the first time since giving birth will burn like hell, that it’s normal to bleed for at least two weeks straight after a vaginal delivery (and that light bleeding and spotting can be normal for another six weeks), that you might develop hemorrhoids or have stitches from vaginal tearing during delivery… all of that is typically glossed over and left for new moms to discover (and deal with) on their own. ad_intervals[‘413798_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413798_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Chelsea Hirschhorn, a mom of three and CEO of baby brand FridaBaby, experienced this first-hand when she was pregnant, which is what inspired her to launch the brand’s newest line: Frida Mom, a collection of affordable, must-have postpartum essentials addressing

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August 08, 2019 at 12:38PM by CWC After four long years, I recently threw down some of my hard-earned money for a cleaning service because, well, I didn’t want my incoming roommate to think our apartment was a mold factory. I am, let’s say, a little not-diligent about wiping my counter-tops—the cleaner was in my kitchen alone for three hours. After this experience, I wanted to find a way to be less gross about the apartment, because you know, half a decade of bacteria build-up seems bad. That doesn’t mean I’ll be scraping out my fridge on the regular (lol) or doing my dishes every night (double lol), because who has time? Instead, I decided to develop a kitchen cleaning checklist that would help me tackle the germiest spots efficiently without having to spend hours at a time scrubbing away like a Brooklyn version of Cinderella. Obviously I’m not a cleaning expert, so I decided to call on Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of The Germ Files, to help me determine the dirtiest kitchen spots that need the most love. If you’re feeling like being a little less disgusting, feel free to dive in with me on this magical disinfecting journey. ad_intervals[‘413772_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413772_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’);}); } }, 100); Your kitchen cleaning checklist, based on the most germ-infested spots According to Tetro, the dirty four areas of your kitchen that should be cleaned most often are: The area around your kitchen sink Your cutting board The handle

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August 08, 2019 at 12:29PM by CWC Whenever I first start dating someone, I tend to romanticize their every action. (“Aw, he used my toothpaste and left a glob in the sink—how cute!”) Once we call it quits, the once rose-colored memories turn black. I can’t believe I’ve overlooked major (and I mean, major) warning signs, many of which screamed “You’re dating a narcissist!” through a megaphone. Praise be, it looks like that particular oversight may be in the rearview mirror. A very 21st century study of 1,087 men published in The Journal of Sex Research found that (hang onto your hats, singles) participants who reported sending unsolicited dick pics also tended to show the traits of narcissism. As if that weren’t reason enough to cancel those who send you junk mail without your consent, those particular individuals also “endorsed greater ambivalent and hostile sexism than their non-sending counterparts,” according to the study. You know, all the qualities you look for in a loving, caring, respectful soul mate. ad_intervals[‘413977_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413977_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); To come to this (obvious yet helpful) conclusion, researchers gave participants an online survey and a questionnaire that measured narcissism, exhibitionism, erotophilia-erotophobia, and sexism. And just like that, we had science to prove that no (no! no! no!), you should not hit send on that below-the-belt selfie. If you’re a narcissist trying to go undercover as a lovely human being, please, dear me—save it for your camera roll. To those

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August 08, 2019 at 11:18AM by CWC “It’s common for us to schedule a routine visit to the doctor when we aren’t feeling our best, so it should be common for us to check in with our mental health to ensure that we are physically, mentally and emotionally in tune,” writes author, expressive coach, and licensed social worker Minaa B. on a recent Instagram post. It’s true: a 2018 poll conducted by Well+Good found that of the 2,700 people surveyed, 95 percent struggle with stress and 92 percent struggle with anxiety. However, 20 percent had never shared their feelings about either because they believe such mental obstacles are no big deal. The daily grind has a way of distracting from the basic human need to take an emotional time-out. Now that mental health realness is the order of every day, caring for your brain should no longer be an afterthought. Still, it’s not always easy to separate yourself from a looming deadline or children who need your attention whenever your mental health comes calling. But these five questions (courtesy of Minaa B.) should be stashed in your back pocket for whenever that happens. A Q&A with your mental well-being isn’t an indulgence—it’s a necessity. Make an appointment to do it every single day. ad_intervals[‘413906_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413906_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); 5 mental health questions to ask yourself every day   View this post on Instagram   ✨ mental health check-in ✨ — it’s common

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August 08, 2019 at 09:35AM by CWC As anyone who owns a cat can tell you, when you adopt a feline, your life changes in a lot of ways: You start talking to something you know will never reply in full sentences. Your Google search history starts including quandaries like “best organic cat food,” and “will my cat die because it ate part of my fern?” Your Instagram followers go up. When I adopted a little tabby-calico I call Evie six months ago, I expected plenty of these alterations to my life, but I didn’t anticipate that a cat could teach me so much about wellness. My cat has her wellness routine down. She wakes up (early) and the first thing she does is stretch, arching her back (cat pose, I get it now!) and then her front legs out long. Then, she vocalizes that she wants her breakfast; Evie is not afraid to ask for what she wants. Throughout the day, she alternates between lots of play time and meditation, staring idly through the panes of the sliding glass door, watching bugs fly around. Sometimes, she gets excited and I’ll rush over to see what the fuss is about. Most of the time, it’s literally a dust ball. She finds beauty in dust balls. This is transcendence, my friend. Evie also knows the importance of good sleep, of course. She doesn’t let anything get in the way of a good cat nap. ad_intervals[‘413842_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready)

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August 08, 2019 at 09:27AM by CWC If you woke up this morning with an uncanny feeling that today was bound to be a special one, you were onto something and would be wise to keep an eye peeled for four-leaf clovers and make a pitstop on your way home to play the Powerball. That’s because according to the universe, August 8 (8-8) is a lucky day. In fact, it’s one of the luckiest and “most magnificent” days of the year. “A double eight, as in 88, is said to bring double joy,” says astrologer Amy Zerner, co-author of Astrology for Wellness, who notes that that eight is an especially lucky number in China. (The Cantonese word for “eight” even literally sounds like the Cantonese word for “prosper.”) “The number eight is reflective of power, abundance, and success. Because its shape forms the sign for infinity, it also has esoteric significance.” Another reason the number eight is considered to be so lucky is because of its perfectly symmetrical shape—you can cut it in half in any direction, and the halves will mirror one another. “Perfect symmetry lends itself to perfect balance,” Zerner says. ad_intervals[‘413902_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413902_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); “This is one of the most looked-forward to of times, and is of special interest to all those seeking love.” —Kyle Thomas, astrologer So what does this mean (aside from a universe-sanctioned reason to test your odds on the lottery)? “Today’s number vibration, 8-8,

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August 08, 2019 at 08:32AM by CWC Some of the best breakfast foods—from sky-high stacks of pancakes to loaded breakfast burritos—are typically heavy on the gluten and sugar. But if you’ve been trying to figure out a new way to get creative with morning mealtime, drop the sweet potato and grab an apple. Apple toast, rounds, cookies, rings, donuts—whatever you want to call ’em, they’re all totally underrated. The crunchy fruit makes the ultimate vessel for basically anything you want to top it with, from nut butters and dark chocolate to coconut flakes and granola. If you’ve yet to feast upon the low-carb, gluten-free treat, here’s your chance: There are five tasty combos to start with that will leave you wishing you could eat breakfast every meal of the day. These 5 apple toast toppings are great for every craving Photo: Jamie Geller 1. Apple donut rings These apple rings get a nice crunch from some antioxidant-packed cacao nibs. ad_intervals[‘413876_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413876_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Photo: Rachel Schultz 2. Apple cookies Top your crunchy apple slices with a variety of nuts for a protein-packed way to start the day. Photo: The Healthy Hour 3. Sliced apple ‘donuts’ These apple rounds are slathered with ingredients like nut butter, homemade Nutella, and raw chocolate sauce for a melt-in-your-mouth combo. Photo: A Few Shortcuts 4. Healthy apple cookies Like keeping things simple? Then stick to PB, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips. Photo: Really, Are You Serious?

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August 08, 2019 at 06:55AM by CWC It seems like every time you open Instagram, there’s a new skin-care company trying to get your attention, and unfortunately, a whole lot of ’em are nothing more than pretty packaging and a solid marketing plan. So when we discover a new line of products that actually does what it says it will—with a dermatologist’s approval, nonetheless—we run to restock our beauty cabinets faster than you can say “sheet mask.” The latest brand to fit the bill? Ghost Democracy, which launched last week and offers dermatologically savvy formulas, none of which will cost you over $38. According to Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York City dermatologist, the demand for these types of products is on the rise. “Consumers are much more educated now than ever about what they’re putting into their bodies and onto their skin, and clean beauty is one of the fastest-growing skin-care trends right now—but not all products are created equally,” he says. “Clean ingredients and clean formulation unfortunately often come at a higher price tag.” ad_intervals[‘413345_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413345_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); View this post on Instagram Meet the crew. 🤝 Six exceptionally clean and effective universal skincare products that don’t break the bank. Keep it simple — we’ve got everything you need to achieve glowing skin. #ghostdemocracy . . . . #cleanskincare #skinlove #skincaredaily #healthyskin #nontoxicskincare A post shared by Ghost Democracy (@ghostdemocracy) on Jul 20, 2019 at 9:38am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Enter:

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