February 21, 2020 at 08:30PM by CWC https://content.jwplatform.com/players/lD90xBWT-AjgxWzQ7.js For me, routine is everything. I want to know what I’m eating every day (I show up to restaurants having read the full menu), what my weekend plans are (five days early), and I absolutely cannot see a movie in theaters unless I’m there an hour before showtime. Since I’m a little too in control, I decided to add “trying new things” to my list of new year’s goals. (You’re welcome, 2020 Alex.) First up: Getting on the kombucha train. For some reason, I had never gotten in on the fermented drink movement, but in the spirit of stepping out of my comfort zone, I’ve been sipping on KeVita’s probiotic drinks as my go-to post-workout bev (PSA: they’re pretty delicious). The next frontier for trying new things: my workout routine. I’m typically a treadmill-only kind of gal, so to switch it up, I challenged myself to try my first ever megaformer workout class at Lagree New York. I won’t lie to you, I was more than nervous (think, going to your first gym class in middle school nervous)—but once I met with Lagree founder Laurie Benenati, who showed me how the looks-like-a-torture-device machines work and explained each of the moves, I felt so much more at ease. Okay, I don’t want to give up too much juicy (very, very sweaty) info on how my megaformer workout went, but tune in to see if I killed it or not. Here’s a small hint,
Tag: Well+Good
When Instagram ‘wellness influencers’ sound like the pro-anorexia blogs that fueled my eating disorder
February 21, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC My best friend’s Instagram “discover” page is full of photos of golden retrievers. My mother’s, of inspirational quotes superimposed onto nature scenes (you know the ones). Whenever I open up my favorite app, however, I’m immediately bombarded with videos of women with four-packs demonstrating workouts, or perfectly-lit images of green juices. The algorithm’s not wrong—I am always double-tapping and saving posts of exercises I can do while traveling, of healthy recipes, and new smoothies to try. Like my BFF’s puppy pics and my mom’s quotes, Instagram is just showing me more of what I usually engage with. For the most part, I enjoy discovering new #fitchicks and influencers I can follow for on-the-fly wellness advice. But in a social media environment where one doesn’t need a medical degree in order to dish out advice to tens of thousands of people, it’s important to be wary. For as many times as I’ve found myself finally learning the proper form of an exercise, I’ve also been led to a page with captions that any registered dietitian would deem ludicrous, or in some cases, even dangerous. I’ll point to a recent “health trend” that has disturbed the internet: dry fasting. A step beyond buzzy-as-of-late intermittent fasting, dry fasting not only requires abstaining from food (already a slippery slope) but also from water for a set period of time. Dozens of reputable health experts, even ones who support some form of intermittent fasting, have denounced dry fasting
The heart-healthy, plant-based breakfast a cardiologist eats every day
February 21, 2020 at 06:40PM by CWC When it comes to heart health, most of the advice from doctors is a long list of “don’ts.” (Don’t eat too much red meat. Don’t eat sugar. Don’t eat processed foods.) All good advice, of course, but it leaves me wondering what to eat for a heart-healthy breakfast. If you want to start your day off with a meal that’s working in your heart’s favor, cardiologist Ashok Mittal, MD, who works at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute in Florida, has a heart-healthy breakfast recommendation: oatmeal. It’s full of cardiovascular benefits, he says. Need an easy go-to recipe? Try overnight oats: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQXOn_ConL0] Dr. Mittal tells the Miami Herald that he switched to a plant-based diet because of the benefits connected to cardiovascular and overall health. “The hardest thing for me to give up was milk in my coffee and eggs in the morning,” he says. Now, Dr. Mittal starts his day by eating oatmeal splashed with almond or soy milk and a side of fruit. One reason oatmeal is makes such a good choice for breakfast is that the beta-glucan in oats works in favor of blood pressure by helping to reduce cholesterol. Oats also have antioxidants. And of course another big benefit of oatmeal is that it’s high in fiber, which most specifically benefits the digestive system, but is connected to better overall health, including maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism. All fruits and vegetables have antioxidants, so Dr. Mittal’s
The habit Susan Miller wants you to adopt to make it through Mercury Retrograde unscathed
February 21, 2020 at 05:30PM by CWC When I recently chatted with astrologer Susan Miller of AstrologyZone about Mercury retrograde effects, she offered up some interesting perspective that goes beyond the common themes of communication, travel, and technology problems. Mercury retrograde, she says, is can be summed up as a series of micro-inconveniences that don’t necessarily have an earth-shattering impact on your life so much as add up to a constant stream of eye-roll-worthy events gone wrong. Because of this, she has a blanket piece of Mercury-retrograde-survival advice that could benefit everyone: double-check everything. “Mercury is just contractual, everyday things, but also silly things, like leaving your paycheck in the Xerox machine, and now everybody knows what you make because you were, for some reason, Xeroxing it,” Miller says, adding that this situation encapsulates the issue of not paying attention that’s rampant during Mercury retrograde season. “You get distracted. You run away. You leave things. You leave, especially electronics, in cabs in in airplanes and things like that.” “You get distracted. You run away. You leave things. You leave, especially electronics, in cabs in in airplanes and things like that.” —Susan Miller, astrologer So during Mercury retrograde transits (and there are three of them this year, folks), adopt the habit of double-checking that you have everything before you go anywhere: Your phone, your iPad, your wallet, your keys—all of it. That’s because we’re all simply more forgetful during these moments of cosmic chaos thanks to Mercury retrograde effects. And, when
Sure, eating less meat is trendy, but is it actually healthy?
February 21, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC It started with the comeback of the Mediterranean diet. After being named the best diet of 2019 by U.S. News and World Reports, healthy eaters started searching for more ways to minimize meat consumption, getting their protein from other sources, like seafood and legumes. And while we’re only mere months into 2020, plant-based eating—where a person eats less meat and animal products in favor of more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes—is already proving to be the dominant eating plan of choice, not just a passing fad. There are many reasons that have led to the rise of more people minimizing their meat consumption. Many believe it to be healthier. Some are drawn to it because research has shown plant-based eating is best for the planet and the most sustainable way to live. Others give up meat (or animal products completely) because of ethical reasons and animal rights. Now eating less meat has become a hot topic in wellness and with all the alternative products on the market, living a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is easier than ever. But given that meat in particular is an excellent source of complete protein and iron, as well as other nutrients, the ascendence of plant-based eating has some people wondering if it’s even healthy to go, well, cold turkey. Here, plant-forward registered dietitian Amy Gorin, RD explains the health benefits of not eating meat, or minimizing meat consumption. She also gives expert tips on how to make
How a marketing manager making $125K snags free flights for her international vacays
February 21, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC Do you know how much money your friends make? What about how much their rent is or how much is in their bank accounts right now? I’m guessing no. Even in a world where questions about menstrual cups and the ins and outs of sex are completely (and blessedly) normal to ask, somehow the ever-ubiquitous use of money remains a touchy subject for many. People want to live their healthiest life ever, but—#realtalk—it can add up. Have you ever wondered how your colleague who makes less than you do (or so you think) can afford to buy a $5 matcha and a $12 chopped salad every day? Or how your friend is able to hit up $34 fitness classes three times a week? It’s enough to make anyone want to ask, “Ummm, excuse me. How can you afford that?!?” That’s where Well+Good’s monthly series Checks+Balanced comes in. By lifting the thick, tightly drawn curtain to expose how much women of varying income brackets spend on wellness, we’re spreading transparency and hopefully providing some inspo that’s possible to copy. Because no matter how much you make, it’s possible to cultivate healthy habits that work within your budget. This month, meet Erin, a 32-year-old marketing manager living in San Diego, California, who prioritizes healthy eating, fitness, and using credit card points for flights. Here, she reveals her expenses and how she affords her wellness habits. Keep reading to see how Erin hacks her habits (like by using credit card points for flights). Graphic: W+G
4 real benefits of crying that’ll make you feel great about *all* your feelings
February 21, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC A while back, I showed my parents a video of a baby moved to happy tears by his mother’s singing. This baby was just about like the purest, roundest, squishiest, cutest angel I’d ever seen, and his tears moved me to tears. And then my dad. My stoic mom stayed dry-eyed, but I digress. What’s good news for me, my dad, and this internet baby is that there are some real, tangible benefits of crying. Sure, for some, crying may conjure a sense of weakness, or feel embarrassing, or reflect being hyper-emotional. The people who feel that way, though, could stand to learn a lot about the benefits of crying, including the different reasons the biological function happens at all and when it might be cause for medical concern. Below, educate yourself on the little-known complexities of shedding a tear, and why doing so might just be good for you. Before we get into the benefits of crying, why do we shed tears anyway? Often the reason we cry is involuntary, depending on the type of tears you’re shedding. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, there are three types of tears, each of which serves its own purpose. Basal tears: This is a protein-rich liquid that your eye ducts secrete in order to lubricate your eyeball. These aren’t the emotive, streaming-down-your face type of tears, but rather an involuntary protective shield for your eyes against dirt and other irritants. Reflex tears: You
Beauty redditors are taking sustainability seriously—and the industry is listening
February 21, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC Editors may be the beauty industry’s traditional arbiters of taste, but in the digital age, Redditors are just as influential. A vast online forum with discussion groups dedicated to every topic imaginable, Reddit is stacked with highly engaged beauty communities whose members passionately swap acne hacks, holy-grail product recommendations, and skin-care science intel. When top Redditors talk, millions of beauty junkies listen—and lately, the topic of conversation has turned to earth-friendly makeup and skin-care solutions. At the beginning of February 2020, the moderator of r/AusSkincare—an Australian beauty subreddit with nearly 12,000 members—started a wiki for the community titled Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The page was created to be a permanent hub of information for those seeking to be more conscious beauty consumers in the wake of the Australian bushfires. “For a while, [climate] was a source of very high fear and anxiety for me and I felt quite hopeless in what I could do,” says 27-year-old Layla*, the moderator of r/AusSkincare. “As one of my greatest passions and love is skin care and makeup, I realized how much that industry contributes to waste and engages in practices which contribute to climate change. I wanted the wiki to be a way to channel my worry and frustration and provide small ways we can all make changes that are more sustainable while still enjoying a hobby we love.” FWIW: We expected to sustainability within in the beauty industry to reach a fever pitch this year, so
How to use a $20 cast iron skillet to prepare every meal
February 21, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC There’s something about using a cast iron skillet that seems so powerful. The skillets are heavy, can rust when not taken care of, and storing them involves oil. Andrea Mathis, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist from Alabama, assures me that cast iron skillet recipes are nothing to be intimidated by. “I have always been a huge fan of cooking with cast iron,” says Mathis. “Besides being nonstick, and super easy to clean, my meats tend to brown better and my veggies cook a lot faster.” Unless your skillet comes seasoned, like this Lodge 12″ Cast Iron Skillet ($23), you have to season it, which means sealing it with oil. “After washing my cast iron skillet, I make sure that it is 100 percent dry,” says Mathis. “I then spread a nice, thin layer of vegetable oil into the skillet. I use my hands to make sure the oil gets onto every part of the cast iron. Then, I bake the skillet in the oven at 350°F for about an hour or so.” Seasoning forms a natural, non-stick cooking surface and helps prevent your pan from rusting. You only need to season your new skillet once, but Mathis says you should apply a thin layer of oil after each use. “I always store my skillet in a thin layer of vegetable oil, because that’s what my mom taught me to do,” she says. “Doing this helps prevent rust, so your cast iron will last
What I learned about myself from going from brunette to blond (and back)
February 21, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC In midsummer of last year, I did something unprecedented to that point in my life: I—gasp—highlighted my hair. My curls are naturally a Rory Gilmore-shade of brown that I’ve never loved nor hated. But when I got the opportunity through work to go lighter under the careful stewardship of Biolage celebrity stylist Nick Stenson, it felt like one of those opportunities to change something about myself without really changing anything at all, because the psychological effects of hair color are just as important as the physical ones. One three-hour appointment later, I walked out with honey-blond highlights that made me want to tie-dye, listen to Joni Mitchell, and learn how to skateboard. In balmy, sticky June, the vibe fit. One appointment later, I asked for even more highlights and leaned fully into the blond living. Which, despite my kick-flip ambitions, actually looked a lot like my standard, brunette life. As the hot, hot months wore on and I learned the wonders of purple shampoo and brassy tone correctors, I started to notice that people said the same things about my newly-blond head again and again: “Oh! You went lighter for the summer!’ “Blond for the summer—good choice!” “Blond! And just in time for summer.” “Since we associate summer with fun and vacations, we might prefer more red or blond,—’fun’ colors,” explains clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD. “Dark hair might reflect the way that winter can feel a little more serious and you might