Tag: Well+Good

February 28, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC I spent 16 years (from 2002 to 2018) at Columbia University as a resident, fellow, and practicing reproductive endocrinologist. In my time there, I watched approximately 90 residents get their starts as OB/GYNs, but only a handful of us were Black. Recent research echoes this dynamic: As of 2017, less than 6 percent of physicians and surgeons in the U.S. were Black. In my practice, I’ve heard countless patients of minority backgrounds (particularly Black women) say that they’ve been wanting to see a doctor who shares their background and have been searching for that fit—sometimes for many years. Why? Black women of all socioeconomic strata are impacted by racial bias in medicine and beyond—and much of it boils down to systemic injustices, stereotypes, and outward appearances. Though we’ve certainly made progress since the studies on Black patients without consent from the mid-20th century, we still have a very long way to go. Without increased representation of persons of color as health-care providers and more education about racial bias, the cycle of disparity is perpetuated. But just because this might be the current reality doesn’t mean that Black women can’t have positive medical experiences. By unpacking the issues and learning where they stem from, Black women can better advocate for themselves—and have others advocate for us, too—in the future. The real disparities that exist in Black women’s health When there’s a health disparity in a specific population, that means that a specific group of

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February 28, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC Check out the purported benefits of most of your favorite, most effective skin-care products—from your AM acid peel to your PM retinol treatment—and you’ll likely discover that it stimulates skin cell turnover. The phrase is thrown around all the time, and touted as one of the most important elements in dealing with pretty much any skin concern, but what the heck does it actually mean? To put it simply: “Cell turnover is the continuous process of shedding dead skin cells and subsequently replacing them with younger cells,” says board-certified dermatologist and Curology founder David Lortscher, MD. This process is the “holy grail of healthy skin,” as Rhea Souhleris Grous, Aesthetics Director at Union Square Laser Dermatology puts it, because the process makes skin look shinier and tighter, and gets rid of fine lines and wrinkles more quickly. “If you don’t cellular turnover, you have a buildup, and it’s like a traffic jam at the surface,” says Dr. Grous. That stagnation can lead to issues such as acne, hyperpigmentation, milia, and uneven texture. In order to understand why this cell turnover is critical to dealing with these issues—and to overall skin health, in general—let’s kick it back to high-school biology and break things down a bit further. Every cell in your body has a life cycle, and in the case of adult skin cells, that cycle lasts around 28 days. (It slows down when you get older, but more on that later). New skin

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February 28, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC For a quick refresher on middle-school-level mythology, the term “aphrodisiac” comes from the Greek goddess Aphrodite, ruler of love, pleasure, passion, and beauty. So aphrodisiacs are, then, agents of arousal. But if oysters and other edible aphrodisiacs of the like don’t do it for you, you’re in luck, because there are other options—one of the newest being Bloomi Arousal Oil ($58), a get-you-in-the-mood blend of botanicals that aids with pleasure and passion. Bloomi Arousal Oil is meant to enhance sensitivity, increase natural lubrication, and intensify orgasms. That’s great if you—like a great many number of vulva-owners—are contending with a low sex drive, wetness, or just can’t go from 0 to Austin Powers in two seconds. The natural blend is also great for those who have sensitive skin. “Most products on the market in this category contain harsh preservatives, chemicals that can sting or irritate the vulva, or fragrances that simply don’t need to be in the formula,” says sexologist Rebecca Alvarez Story, founder of Bloomi, adding that since vulva skin is so absorbent, she recommends using as gentle a formula as possible. Bloomi’s formula includes squalane, organic apricot oil, plum kernel oil, and pumpkin seed oil. There’s also exotic-sounding ingredients like damiana, which has been noted to promote better orgasms. There’s angelica root, which supports the arousal process. And there’s wolfberry, which is reported to enhance overall sexual stamina. “Increased circulation in your vulva and clitoris helps to promote your natural wetness and ability

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February 28, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC Pisces (February 18 to March 20) are the psychics of the zodiac wheel, who tend to give more than they receive. When they do receive, though, it isn’t always to a positive effect. I lived with a Pisces for four years, and thanks to our close proximity and her strong sense of empathy, she caught a lot of my bad moods. Even when we were happy together and her natural state of being (funny, personable) was in tact, she was able to sense when something was really, really wrong. And she’s hardly the only empathetic Pisces of the world with super-psychic tendencies. So to better understand what makes these twin fish tick, below, learn about Pisces personality traits. Then get clear on how those traits translate to careers in which they thrive and types of people with whom they best connect. Key Pisces personality traits Mystical Pisces’ personality traits are generally linked to their ruler Neptune, the planet of spirituality. They’re the empaths of the cosmos, profoundly intuitive and psychic. Their strength is in their ability to feel deeply and be tuned in to others in a way that nobody else can can touch. “Because of this, they make great chameleons who can get along with a wide variety of people and find a way to flow with whatever life brings to them,” says astrologer Rachel Lang. “They are gracefully resilient and adaptable.” “Pisces make great chameleons who can get along with a wide variety

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February 28, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC When the temperature drops to hygge-optimal lows, but you’re forced to brave the cold for, you know, work and life, there’s really no better ally than a warm and cozy wool sweater. But, said sweater is almost certainly unwashable, which is an assertion I’ve made based on my personal experiences from trying, along with those of my peers. But, I recently learned two glorious tidbits about the matter while trying to learn (again) how to wash wool the right way: 1. It’s possible, and 2. It doesn’t require a trip to the dry cleaner. “Washing at home is actually better for wool knits compared to dry cleaning, which uses harsh chemicals that can damage the fabric over time,” says Gwen Whiting, co-founder of The Laundress. “You can and should wash knits like wool, cashmere, and blends from home to preserve the natural fibers of your garment.” “Washing at home is actually better for wool knits compared to dry cleaning, which uses harsh chemicals that can damage the fabric over time.” —Gwen Whiting, co-founder of The Laundress I’m not suggesting that the care instructions on your favorite garment are lying to you, per se, but there’s certainly a difference between dry-clean only and “dry-clean only.” That’s because it’s a little-known dirty secret of dirty laundry that you can probably at least hand-wash your delicate garments that boast that ill-fated tag. Still, wool is certainly a finicky fabric. According to the National Cleaning Association, putting wool in the dryer reverts

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February 28, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC If you have digestive challenges (and over 60 million people do), calming your gut can feel like a never-ending process of trial and error, but that could be because you’re looking at the wrong symptoms. For example, when you’re dealing with constant brain fog and lack of energy (on top of any tummy troubles), it can seem counterintuitive that what you really need to address is your gut health—instead of just opting for an extra shot of espresso. “People have that tendency to look for a quick fix [for their gut issues] instead of getting to the root cause, which takes a little more time and effort,” says Audrey Ross, naturopathic doctor and senior national educator at Country Life Vitamins. The truth is, the gut plays a role in almost every area of your health (more on that below), so tackling other health concerns before your digestive woes is basically like slapping a bandaid on a problem without figuring out what’s causing it. Tackling other health concerns before your digestive woes is basically like slapping on a bandaid. That philosophy is what led Country Life Vitamins to developing its Gut Connection supplements for gut health, which combine digestion-supporting prebiotics with other herbs to address your specific needs—so you can finally get to the bottom of your digestive issues once and for all.* All you have to do is take a moment to think critically about your diet, lifestyle, and any symptoms that indicate you’re anything

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February 28, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC Every year during cold and flu season, Edith Mirzaian, PharmD, the associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Southern California, finds herself setting the record straight—a lot. There are certain myths about colds and flus that never seem to go away, sticking around way longer than the actual viruses themselves. Of all the misconceptions Mirzaian hears year after year, there’s one in particular she’s confronted with day in and day out: Not knowing the difference between cold and flu. “Often someone will say that they have the flu when actually it’s a bad cold,” she says. It’s easy to confuse the two: After all, they’re both viruses. But Mirzaian says it’s important to know the difference because of one major aspect of prevention. What is the difference between cold and flu? Though they are both viruses, Mirzaian says there are some key differences between cold and flu, starting with the symptoms. “A cold comes on more gradually in the span of five to seven days, where you’ll start feeling the symptoms of the flu in a matter of hours,” she says. If you’re getting a cold, Mirzaian says the symptoms typically start with waking up with a scratchy throat or your head feeling heavy. The next day you may have a runny nose and start sneezing. And by the third or fourth day, congestion may start to develop. “With the flu, people tend to experience symptoms more immediately, which typically are a

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