November 28, 2018 at 09:30AM Everyone has had that instant moment of regret after seeing someone’s less-than-stellar, fake-excited response upon opening a gift you gave them. Sure, you may have been really pumped about that new activewear set—and even considered keeping it for yourself!—but you already know an “it-just-didn’t-fit-right” excuse is in the near future. (Honestly, it’s already giving me flashbacks to when my parents misheard my Backstreet Boys CD request for the Beastie Boys.) Now, if only there was an easy way to prevent the disappointment altogether…. This year, the online thrift store thredUP is saving you a whole lot of hassle (and money!) by releasing some insider intel on the most-purged holiday gifts. In January, the site sees a 60 percent increase in never-worn items for sale—that’s approximately 250,000 new-with-tags additions, which are most likely things people got for the holidays and didn’t want. Some of those items might not be too surprising with the number-one unwanted item being J.Crew cardigans, followed by ASOS maxi dresses, Banana Republic ruffle dresses, and Victoria’s Secret swimsuits. But two popular wellness-y items also didn’t make the cut: No one wanted Lululemon cutout shirts or Nike sneakers, either. So, what should you be getting your friends and family this year? The brands with the least regret—also known as the items thredUP receives without the tags attached that people have already worn and loved—are from Everlane and the outdoors-centric company REI, as well as Citizens of Humanity and designers like Prada, Gucci, and Coach. But if you’re still totally unsure what
Tag: Well+Good
12 foods that are good for your heart (including, yes, avocados)
November 28, 2018 at 09:27AM Here’s a shocker: According to new research published in the journal Circulation, 31 percent of people hospitalized for heart attacks in 2010-2014 were young women. Add to that the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, and it should be pretty clear to everyone that heart problems are not just an old dude thing. Thankfully, there are some simple tweaks most women can make to ensure their heart stays healthy, like combining cardio and weight training, having mind-blowing sex, and doing household chores (honestly I’m less excited about that one). But experts agree that eating certain foods can also nourish your ticker in a major way, and can help reduce your risk of having things like high cholesterol and heart disease when eaten as part of a healthy lifestyle. Here, two doctors share 12 foods that are good for your heart as well as how to eat them to reap the benefits. While “heart healthy” doesn’t always translate to delicious (looking at you, whole wheat pasta), consider these legit-delicious picks added to my regular meal prep rotation: 1. Salmon “With its appealing hue and buttery texture, salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids,” says Jaclyn Tolentino, DO, of Parsley Health. “Increased consumption of salmon has been proven to decrease inflammation, triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and your risk of stroke or heart failure,” thanks to the presence of those fatty acids, adds Elroy Vojdani, MD, IFMCP, functional medicine practitioner and founder of
These 5-ingredient vegan rice krispie treats are about to become a year-round staple
November 28, 2018 at 09:02AM Growing up, my mom made Rice Krispie treats on the regular. That melt-in-your-mouth, ooey-gooey combo of cereal and marshmallows was basically a kid’s dream come true—not to mention the perfect option to jazz up with food coloring and festive sprinkles for literally any holiday, ever. Unfortunately, it’s been a while since I’ve had the staple: It isn’t exactly the most vegan-friendly—or even healthy—dessert in existence. That is unless you switch things up a bit. Normally, the treat is made with a whole lot of butter, the aforementioned crispy cereal, and plenty of marshmallows—which are not only a no-go for vegans since they contain gelatin, but also not great anyway since they have 29 grams of sugar per cup. (Eek!) But leave it to Caitlin Shoemaker of the vegan food blog From My Bowl to create an equally delicious mix using a wholesome combo that lets you revisit your childhood in the best way. View this post on Instagram A little chocolate never hurt nobody …and it certainly took these Healthy Vegan Rice Crispy treats to the next level Have you tried these yet? The base recipe has only 4 healthy ingredients + is sweetened with fruit! Get the full printable recipe via the link in my bio or at https://frommybowl.com/healthy-rice-crispy-treats/ #FromMyBowl A post shared by Caitlin Shoemaker (@frommybowl) on Nov 27, 2018 at 1:09pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js The simple 5-ingredient recipe results in treats that are still pure sticky goodness thanks to Medjool dates and almond butter, and
The essential oils that can calm emotional inflammation on the spot
November 28, 2018 at 08:34AM One of the fastest ways to alter your mood is by simply sniffing an essential oil. The botanical extracts are small-but-mighty tools that can do everything from de-stress you from a hectic workday to lull you into a peaceful sleep (I’m looking at you, lavender) to add some pep to your step, no caffeine needed. But there’s one situation for which I haven’t yet found the perfect scent: sadness. And then I learned about blue essential oils. I already knew that blue ingredients in skin-care products are great for inflammation, but, as it turns out, those essential oils are also particularly healing for emotional inflammation, as well. “Any time you use an essential oil that’s blue, it’s great for the skin—de-puffing, reducing swelling, itching, all of that. And it’s really reparative,” explains Amy Galper, board-certified aromatherapist and founder of the New York Institute of Aromatic Studies. “It’s not only for our skin, but for our moods. There’s something about the scent of blue oils that really just calm downs any emotional inflammation.” This means everything from heartbreak to grief or just, well, feeling sad. “There’s something about the scent of blue oils that really just calm downs any emotional inflammation.” —Amy Galper To reap this benefit, look for yarrow, blue tansy, or blue (AKA German) chamomile—but yarrow is a special pick. “In traditional herbal medicine as well as in aromatics, yarrow is known as one of the best wound healers out there—it has this real reputation,” says
7 converted rental properties that will make you feel like you’re living in an HGTV show
November 28, 2018 at 07:08AM When you’re planning a vacation, a common course of action is to book your rental spot or hotel room, then make a long list of all the must-see tourist attractions that you want to visit during your stay. But what if you could score a two-for-one deal? Well, thanks to some converted properties available for rent, it’s more than possible to hunker down in one of the coolest—and, TBH, most Instagram-worthy—attractions around, wherever you may be. Vacation rental platform HomeAway features a number of converted, unique homes in destinations worldwide. There’s a converted windmill in Greece, complete with a lavish private pool and sea view; a home in Costa Rica, built inside an airplane, with the jungle just outside your window; and a train caboose in North Carolina, with a backyard full of buffalo to ogle. So the next time you’re looking for an unforgettable travel experience, it’s safe to say these are some of the best to start with. Check out the converted vacation rentals that double as cool tourist attractions. Photo: HomeAway 1. Converted theater in Lee, MA Back in the day when it functioned as a theater, this space hosted some pretty impressive visitors, including President McKinley, inventor Nikola Tesla, and mathematician Lord Kelvin, according to its listing. But now you can rent out the 7,700 square root playhouse that’s filled with fine art, two kitchens, seven sleeping areas, an in-house yoga studio, and tennis courts—not to mention lakefront access for some serious R & R. Average
How to nail crow pose without face planting on your mat, according to a yoga instructor
November 28, 2018 at 06:41AM Crow pose (AKA bakasana) is a hard-to-nail arm balance that’s on many yogis’ bucket lists. Those who’ve mastered it swear that it’s all about perfecting your form, but for the rest of us, the pose often serves as a call to go splat right on the mat. However, with some simple tweaks, you don’t have to expect to face plant every time you try the pose. Like all tricky yoga poses, crow pose requires a little extra finagling and some serious technique. According to obé yoga instructor Francesca Valarezo, who’s leading the next Well+Good Retreat in Miami, anyone from yoga-nubes to bendy Insta-yogis can fall victim to improper form. Valarezo’s good-form solution is to incorporate two yoga blocks into your bakasana training: one for your forehead and one for your feet. How exactly do you do crow pose with two blocks? First, place one block horizontally on the ground and stand on it, feet one to two inches apart, with the palms of your toes resting comfortably on the block. Then, place the second block at its highest setting three feet from the block you’re standing on, so that it’s about two feet from your head. Place both hands down on the ground so you’re creating an equilateral triangle between your hands and the tall block, making sure that your wrists are in line with your elbows. Then lift your hips (if you’re tight, you’ll feel this stretch in your hamstrings) and bend your arms straight back at the
Please meet the love of my life: the coat I’ve worn every winter for nearly 10 years
November 28, 2018 at 06:27AM Every woman has those power pieces that supercharge her personal style. And we’ve found, by walking up to enough strangers on the street (and women in our own office), that if you gas her up, she’ll share her best fashion advice with you. We’re collecting these pearls of wisdom in a new series, Good Style. Today our Senior Food and Health Editor Jessie Van Amburg waxes poetic about the one winter coat that’ll always have her heart. Here’s a fun fact about me: I never owned a real winter coat until I was 18 years old. No, my parents were not horrible, neglectful people straight out of Oliver Twist—we lived in Los Angeles, where it rarely ever gets below 50 degrees, even in the winter. I had peacoat-type jackets, and lots of sweatshirts and sweaters…but no winter coat. But then I went to college in Boston, and my flimsy $30 jacket was not going to cut it for a frigid East Coast winter. So for Christmas during my freshman year, my mom got me a beautiful red wool car coat. I have worn this coat every single winter since—going on a decade now. I get compliments on it all the time. And every time someone asks me where I got it, I proudly say, “Land’s End.” Photo: Jessie Van Amburg No, Land’s End is definitely not the sexiest of brands. It doesn’t have the tried-and-true caché of L.L. Bean (why people get so lit over those duck
How to give a killer maid of honor speech that’ll actually benefit your career
November 28, 2018 at 03:00AM Being a maid of honor comes with some major responsibilities: planning a bachelorette party, shopping for the dress, and, of course, making a meaningful speech at the reception. Regarding that last line item on the to-do list of the bride’s right-hand lady, the and nerves and stakes are both undoubtedly high, but the payoff can be huge—in more ways than one. Turns out that special, tearjerking speech can actually be repackaged and repurposed in a way that’s totally useful. (And no, not in the same vein as a bridesmaid’s dress you can “totally shorten and re-wear!” Cue: eye roll.) Not to be hyperbolic or anything, but a MoH speech can make or break a wedding—and a friendship, for that matter. But when you get the skills necessary for an epic oration down pat, you can also apply ’em to your job, thus propelling your career to new heights. Upcycle your killer MoH speech for career gains The key to a great MoH speech is zeroing in on the positives and not paying attention to bumps in the road, even if for comic relief, says lifestyle and etiquette expert Elaine Swann. “You should focus on the positive traits of the bride, the couple, and how much positivity and hope they bring to others.” Wendy Toth—career coach, Power Suiting founder, and two-time maid of honor—echoes that sentiment, adding that you should “never want to publicly embarrass” the bride. But sometimes it’s tough to decipher whether a certain anecdote
Why being born in a Mercury retrograde is actually awesome for your personality
November 28, 2018 at 01:00AM Tell any astrologically-versed gal that her birthdate just so happened to coincide with the notoriously turbulent planetary event known as Mercury retrograde, and she’ll likely assume her life is destined for disorder. According to rockstar astrologer Susan Miller, however, the opposite is actually true: Being born during one of these thrice-yearly celestial occasions basically makes you #blessed in the personality department. Why? The cosmos will conspire to make you more philosophical. “Don’t worry—I was born in Mercury retrograde,” said Miller at a recent event in New York City. “It makes the baby more philosophical because they’re always going back to look at things.” In other words, MR children use retrospection to inform their present decisions, making them the Platos of the current era. (I mean, I’m just guessing—since no one actually knows Plato’s real birthdate.) “It makes the baby more philosophical because they’re always going back to look at things.” —astrology Susan Miller Just in case you’re not quite sure what exactly Mercury was up to on the day you entered this world (I mean, fair), you can easily search to see if you’re one of these profound individuals by using this online tool. Just enter your D.O.B. and scroll down to the Mercury section to see if the planet was “direct” or “retrograde” during that time. For fun, I did a little digging to find out which celebs possess cosmic gene of sorts. Among them, you’ll find Julia Roberts (October 28, 1967) and Angelina Jolie (June 4, 1975). Sounds about right,
The ingredient swaps our editors swear by to healthify their favorite holiday dishes
November 27, 2018 at 06:30PM Food is arguably the best part of the holidays, but making sure the menu caters to your specific dietary preferences (especially when you’ve got lots of them) can feel like a lost cause. Good news: Partaking in the holiday smorgasbord doesn’t require swearing off all your festive faves or accepting an impending stomach ache—because we polled Well+Good staffers to find out how they turn classic meals into healthy holiday recipes with just a few tweaks. And no, you don’t have to hit up obscure health-food stores to find the ingredients, because they’re all available at your closest Kroger. Our editors’ top tip? Opt for organic ingredients whenever possible to give a little extra health boost to any dish—yes, even desserts—and try keeping recipes as simple as possible (shout out Kroger Simple Truth® foods for making organic and natural options more accessible). Scroll down to find out the simple ingredient swaps Well+Good staffers use to up the health factor of their fave holiday recipes. “My family’s biggest holiday tradition is the monstrous appetizer spread before our meal. You can always find a bowl of spinach and artichoke dip somewhere in the room, so I try to give this one a healthier spin by keeping it to only five ingredients: spinach, kale, almond milk, and nut-based shredded cheese. Just mix it together, pop it in the oven, and this dish stays classic even when it goes dairy-free!” — Lexi Chianese, Sales + Marketing Assistant “Growing up, my mom was