November 18, 2018 at 11:20AM Photo: Grand Central Life & Style When actress Jennifer Esposito was diagnosed with Celiac disease seven years ago, she was understandably frustrated (Why does seemingly everything delicious have gluten?!), but determined to get to the bottom of her health issues. After cutting out gluten completely, she discovered she had even more food sensitivities. Even certain vegetables could make her feel sick. Eventually, she discovered a leaky gut was creating an overzealous immune response in her body and that, in order to heal her gut, she’d need to focus on anti-inflammatory foods —no gluten, of course, but also no dairy, or even soy. At first, Esposito says her new anti-inflammatory meal plan took a lot of joy out of cooking and eating. But, after enough experimentation in the kitchen, she was able to find a way of eating that worked for her life. She shares recipes and stories from this journey in her new cookbook, Jennifer’s Way Kitchen: Easy Allergen-Free, Anti-Inflammatory Recipes for a Delicious Life. The book is designed to arm people with food sensitivities with an optimistic (and delicious) way forward. One of the most challenging times for sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet is during the holidays. “It’s a time when people with food allergies can sometimes get depressed, and I totally get it,” says Esposito. “In the beginning I shied away from a lot of the events, and that’s hard to do.” Missing out on celebratory parties and family get-togethers just because of your diet is
Tag: Well+Good
Olive leaf extract is an anti-inflammatory wonder you’re probably overlooking
November 18, 2018 at 04:37AM It’s no secret that the oil from olives is full of health benefits. The stuff is a staple of the Mediterranean diet—those who follow the eating plan have been shown to live longer. But there’s a lesser-known byproduct of the plant that could bring a major boost to your life: olive leaf extract (OLE). Olive oil and olive leaf extract “are both products of the olive plant, but the leaves contain much higher concentrations of the therapeutic substance oleuropein than is found in the fruit where the oil is derived,” says Charles Passler, DC, a nutritionist and life coach. Oleuropein, for those of you wondering, “is an immune booster with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities,” he says. There are three ways of getting your fix of OLE according to Dr. Passler: in supplement form, in a tea, or topically in a cream. A pill, capsule, or tincture offers the highest dosages of oleuropein. Teas, on the other hand, “are mostly for disease prevention because their content of oleuropein is usually much lower than is found in supplements” Dr. Passler says; however, he says that replacing your green tea with olive leaf extract tea is still beneficial since it has twice the amount of antioxidants. And if you’re dealing with a wound, acne, or irritated skin, Dr. Passler says a topical OLE cream can be helpful. But before you start any new treatments or supplement routines, first consult your doctor. Below are 8 olive leaf extract benefits to know about. Photo: Photo:
Dreading Thanksgiving dinner is so 2016—this year it could be *really* festive
November 18, 2018 at 04:24AM Good news: The cosmic conditions for Thursday are majorly supportive of positivity and enthusiasm, says astrologer Jennifer Racioppi. But there’s a lot more happening this week besides turkey and family time—here’s her best advice for everything from Friday’s new moon to the most auspicious day of the year (mark your calendar for Sunday!). Monday, November 19 With Thanksgiving preparations competing with the demands of a short work week, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed this Monday—even more so given that Mercury, the planet of communication, travels retrograde. With the moon waxing in take-charge Aries, you are capable of getting a lot done, anyway. The key to capitalizing on your ability to slay today? Do. Not. Rush. I know, I know, with so many things needing attention how can one not hustle? The phrase “go slow to go fast” rings exceptionally true now. The key to capitalizing on your ability to slay today? Do. Not. Rush. Take your time, and focus on precisely what is in front of you. And, most importantly, make time for your workout. Mars, the planet of action, makes a sharp angle to Jupiter today, meaning you can spend your energy unnecessarily fighting drama, or you can channel it with precision. Be the channel and slay. (Exercise and mindfulness support you to do just that!) Tuesday, November 20 Emotional health, a critical component of physical fitness, sometimes requires a healthy and cathartic cry. Today might be one of those days. With the sun in Scorpio,
Under the weather? Here’s how to tell if you can still go for a run
November 18, 2018 at 02:00AM Runners can be pretty stubborn when it comes to their schedule—as in, it’s hard for an obstacle to prevent them from hitting the pavement. Drizzling outside? The paths will be clear. Forget headphones? Sounds like a great way to zone out for 30. When it comes to running while sick, however, the situation gets a little more foggy. On the one hand, you feel not so great, and running isn’t exactly the number one thing you should do with your time. But on the other, you hate to miss an endorphin-boosting sweat sesh, no matter what the conflict du jour may be. (Personally, I hit the treadmill while sick, so I’m guilty of the aforementioned stubbornness.) This is, of course, in terms of non-severe illnesses—you should definitely ditch running when afflicted with something more serious than a cold or flu. In the past, I’ve heard a saying that if your sickness is from your neck and up, you’re okay to run—anything below that (i.e. your chest) means you should take a rest day. But to truly determine when, on your level-of-sick spectrum, it’s still okay to run and when you should actually stay in with Netflix, I consulted the pros. “It really depends on what kind of sickness you’re dealing with,” says Robert Segal, MD, physician and founder of Medical Offices of Manhattan and co-founder of LabFinder.com. “Bottom line is that there’s a reason why nature made us feel sick and you should listen to your body.
Before you jump on the ginseng bandwagon, be sure you know its benefits—and side effects
November 17, 2018 at 05:00AM Adaptogens have recently become the buzziest thing in mainstream wellness, but in Chinese and Ayurvedic cultures, their health benefits have been touted for centuries. Take ginseng. It’s long been used in Eastern medicine, but Western science has only recently started looking into its benefits by comparison. As more people around the world start working with the plant, it’s important to understand both how it can boost your health, as well as its side effects, says Dana Nahai, RDN. First of all, when speaking about ginseng, Nahai notes that we’re talking about a specific Panax variety, which is native to China, Korea, and North America. “It’s bitter on the palate, and the pharmacological effect is far more potent when used as a tea, tincture, or powder than when infused, fried, or eaten raw,” she says. And when you’re looking for the herb, “quality and bioavailability count for everything,” she explains, adding that you should do your research on the herb or supplement before you buy it. The registered dietitian nutritionist advises buying the whole root intact. Read all about ginseng’s supercharged benefits below. 1. It combats inflammation “Ginsenosides, the class of plant that ginseng belongs to, may have anti-inflammatory effects, according to experimental results in Journal of Translational Medicine,” Nahai says. The research suggests that these ginsenosides target immune system pathways that ultimately combat inflammation. 2. It’s a potentially natural stimulant for focus and attention “Ginseng acts as a natural stimulant and is prized for its effect on
One of Meghan Markle’s fave brands is now making workout clothes
November 17, 2018 at 04:00AM Since becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle has stuck mainly to solid-colored clothing in neutral tones. But now that one of her favorite fashion lines, Veronica Beard, is making eye-catching athleticwear, I wonder if she’ll trade her all-white workout style for something less subtle? Known for its effortlessly chill aesthetic, the American brand, which Markle’s worn for years reports People, has collaborated with Bandier on a collection of workout clothing and streetwear that’s sold exclusively by the upscale active fashion boutique. Right on trend, the collection is full of leopard-print separates like joggers and high-waisted leggings, as well as camo tracksuits, and a version of Veronica Beard’s signature Dickey Jacket. How do I describe the Dickey Jacket (pictured above), which the brand calls “the first piece of our uniform?” Technically, it’s two pieces: a hooded dickey (as in a faux zip-front sweatshirt) that buttons into a tailored Scuba Jacket. Together, they give the appearance of wearing a hoodie under a blazer without the added bulk of shoving your sweatshirt sleeves through slim-fit armholes. (Never a fun exercise.) In all, the eight-piece collection ranges in price from $88–$600 and up to a size 12 or XL. Several sizes of the line have already sold out, but you can sign up for Bandier’s waitlist if you want to be notified with items are available again. The collection is being sold at Bandier’s brand-new flagship store in New York City, as well as online. Continue Reading… Author
What the heck is an aura, and what do all the pretty colors mean?
November 17, 2018 at 03:00AM “You’re super purple,” aura reader and psychic medium Mystic Michaela tells me while reading my aura. “You also have a lot of blue in you.” The purple, she tells me, means I’m intuitive (yup), creative (definitely), that I value learning (for sure), and am also very psychic (say what?). And blue means I’m a natural nurturer, healer, and giver with a desire to help people reach their potential, which she says explains why I moonlight as a life coach. There’s also red in my aura, she says—but that’s not supposed to be there. That means I’ve been letting logic guide me rather than my emotions and intuition both in life and in my business, which is not my authentic way of being (how on earth did she know?). Suffice to say, my first-ever aura-reading experience was pretty spot on. Curious to learn more about all things auras—what even is an aura, and what do the colors signify?—I called upon Michaela, as well as Mama Medicine founder Deborah Hanekamp, who reads auras as part of her healing offerings, to clear things up. Color me intrigued. What is an aura? The term “aura” is often thrown around haphazardly. But what does it actually mean? “An aura is your life force energy field around you,” Michaela says. “I see it in color. We all have our own inherent combination. It’s like a snowflake.” “An aura is your life force energy field around you. I see it in color. We all have our
Should you be exfoliating your feet? Apparently, yes
November 17, 2018 at 02:00AM In terms of my self-care regimen, one part of my body is definitely left out. Sure, I nourish my face, hair, and limbs with some beauty essentials, but the last thing—geographically and emotionally—I want to deal with are my feet. That’s especially true this time of year, when I simply shove my feet inside of a boot and forget that they ever existed anyways. Apparently, I’m doing them a misdeed, though—because I’ve stumbled upon a skin-care subreddit that’s all about the perks of exfoliating your feet. Exfoliation supposedly combats that gross roughness that you get all too easily. One Redditor concocted their own AHA peel of sorts, applying half a dropper of lactic acid on each foot, then waiting 30 minutes for it to dry. Once it had soaked in completely, they followed it with a rich cream and then socks, and awoke to smoother feet. When I read this, I thought it was super weird to do a facial skin-care step on your nasty feet, but even dermatologists agree that this is a good idea (is this some big secret everyone’s been hiding?!). “It is extremely important to make sure that the skin on your feet is exfoliated because they can get dry and cracked.” —Mona Gohara, MD “It is extremely important to make sure that the skin on your feet is exfoliated because they can get dry and cracked,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a Danbury, Connecticut board-certified dermatologist. “Using AHA and urea are my
Can’t keep up with the HIIT jargon? Use this glossary to skip the workout confusion
November 16, 2018 at 12:28PM The obsession with acronyms is real these days: There’s FOMO, JOMO, FOBO, as well as BDE and BBE. And the workout community is no exception. When it comes to increasing your heart’s BPMs, the shorthands all seem to be derived from one sweaty source: HIIT or high-intensity interval training. If you thrive on super-intense workouts that take your breath away in 20 minutes or less, HIIT and all its relatives might already be in your toolbox. Just in case you’re still confounded by the jargon though (EMOM, HILIT—what?), below you’ll find a master glossary of all your options so you can choose which one (or combo) is right for you. HIIT, HILIT, HVIT? Here’s how to decipher each heart-pumping workout. Photo: Getty Images/Aleksandar Georgiev HIIT Let’s start with the basics. HIIT is all about high energy output with extremely short recoveries in between each circuit. (Translation: The workout’s fly by, and could not be easier to squeeze into your day.) Pros will tell you that if you’re not dusted by the end of a 30-minute sesh, you might consider dialing up the difficulty—not the time—in your next session. One HIIT workout might take you from squats, to split lunges, to reverse planks, and so on. And the fun part of these workouts is that once you’ve mastered 20 or so moves, you can totally go freestyle and design your own workouts. HILIT If burpees are so not your cup of tea, you might just love HILIT (high-intensity, low-impact) workouts. HILIT is designed to
The trendiest vacation spot in the US is somewhere you’ve probably never heard of
November 16, 2018 at 10:19AM Okay, not to ruffle any geographic feathers, but Ohio isn’t exactly a common hot spot at the top of travel bucket lists. With the warm, sandy beaches of Florida, the mesmerizing cactus-lined hiking trails in Arizona, and the insanely-impressive food scene in Austin, there are certainly other destinations on your radar. But it might be time to re-examine your wanderlusting priorities; that midwestern state just so happens to be home to one of the most up-and-coming spots in the country. HomeAway‘s 2019 Trend Report looked at data from its domestic and international demand over the last year and found Hocking Hills, Ohio, is the fastest-growing destination. The growth of the area—which is nicknamed Southeastern Ohio’s “Scenic Wonderland,” BTW—has completely sky-rocketed, increasing more than 130 percent in the past 12 months, according to the vacation rental marketplace—which has more than two million places in 190 countries. And in the past three years, there was a 375 percent increase. Basically, if you want to visit, you better book a space to stay—stat. View this post on Instagram Is this your favorite waterfall? #Repost @broesue_photography A post shared by Hocking Hills Tourism Assoc. (@myhockinghills) on Nov 14, 2018 at 12:39pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js It really only takes one look at a photo of the area to understand what all the fuss is about. The destination—which is about an hour from Columbus—is home to a state park of the same name that’s all sorts of stunning. While you’re there, you can experience a