October 19, 2018 at 11:17AM Listen, I get it: If you’re having a nice and relaxing night out, enjoying some, say, spaghetti bolognese, you might not be itching to hear the ins and outs of my latest BMs. In fact, even if you’re not consuming a meal that closely resembles diarrhea, you may not want to hear it. This preference is totally reasonable; some people are simply poop people and others aren’t. And after enough double dates that have left me and my husband feeling like third-graders who got caught giggle-whispering curse words by a friend’s parent (i.e., someone who finds the behavior so unfunny but isn’t going to punish you for it), I’m more than aware that there are also poop couples and distinctively non-poop couples. That said, most poop couples start out as non-poop couples until someone breaks the ice—or, er, cuts the cheese. In my case, the event happened early on and I was the culprit. We were watching a movie one night in his bedroom, and when he got up to adjust something on the TV screen, I thought I’d pull a fast one. It might’ve been zippy, but jeez did that silent sucker linger. Sure, I was embarrassed! Being the first to fart is similar to being the first to say “I love you”; even if you can’t possibly hold it in, it’s scary business. But just like how one “I love you” often leads to a whole avalanche of ‘em, one fart is well…let’s
Tag: Well+Good
I exclusively use drugstore products and my skin has never looked better
October 19, 2018 at 11:10AM Hi, my name is Zoe Weiner, and I am a skin-care addict. My beauty cabinet currently looks like the stuff that #shelfie dreams are made of, and on a given day, my regimen costs upwards of $1,600 because I slather on between 12 to 15 products, including a $200-plus essence, a $158 lactic acid treatment, and a $125 botanical serum. So…yeah, despite the fact that my routine is stacked and wildly effective, you wouldn’t exactly call it “wallet friendly.” Confronting a pile of empties, however, I was faced with the decision between buying pricey replacements and paying my rent (obviously, I was forced to pick the latter), so it got me to thinking: Is all of this really worth it? My skin looks pristine, but could I achieve similar results without a hefty price tag? To find out, I decided to hit the drugstore to buy up under-$40 elixirs. My mission? To see if they could make my skin look as glowy as pricier counterparts. With stores like Target and CVS becoming more committed than ever to making clean, effective products accessible to customers and with new affordable brands popping up on the daily, the search was actually kind of a piece of cake. And much to my delight, when I walked into my mom’s house for a visit after five days of using exclusively drugstore diamonds, her first question was: “What have you been doing to your skin?” Clearly, the regimen was paying off. Here’s how to
*This* exercise will give you the biggest calorie afterburn
October 19, 2018 at 10:47AM The last time you boiled a kettle of water, you probably noticed that the kettle (and contents) stayed hot long after you turned off the flame. The same thing happens with your body when you’re done with a tough workout. Often times, even though we’re already done with the heavy effort and onto the next task, our body continues to burn calories long afterward through the “afterburn effect,” otherwise known as excess post-exercise consumption (EPOC). “It’s how your body recovers after a workout,” says Amanda Schreiber, a certified athletic trainer (ATC) at Bespoke Treatments in Seattle. “In order to recover completely, your body must replenish its oxygen, ATP, and creatine stores as well as remove lactic acid and repair of muscles. All of these tasks require energy and therefore burn calories.” So even though you may be sprawled out on the couch ready to start your next Netflix binge, your metabolism is still stoked. Granted, not all workouts equal the same amount of caloric afterburn. “The type of exercise, workout intensity, duration, gender, and level of physical fitness affect the amount of calories burned post workout,” says Schreiber. In other words, the higher your workout intensity, the more you will burn afterwards. High intensity interval training such as Tabata (20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, for 8 rounds) creates the most ideal conditions for high caloric afterburn, says Schreiber. It sounds good in theory, of course. But how many calories are we really
I *think* it’s possible to go apple picking without Instagramming it—but had to check with an expert to be sure
October 19, 2018 at 10:40AM According to my own newsfeed, 7 out of 10 Katies and 4 out of 5 Jessicas have already posted an apple-picking Instagram this fall. It’s an autumnal inevitability at this point that come September, well-filtered women in cable-knit sweaters or plaid tunics (depending on the temperature) and booties (no matter the temperature), will star in essentially the same photo. There they are, reaching for the fruit, and year after year, I’m at a loss for understanding why. First, a Don’t @ Me Clause: My personal brand of basic is more of the millennial-pink, brunch-going kind. I’m not above boarding planes, trains, and boats essentially just to spend $20 on avocado toast at a bubblegum-tinted greasy spoon—I may even photograph my plate before eating. My issue with the annual onslaught of apple-picking (and it’s cousin, pumpkin patch) ‘grams is more about how particularly disingenuous it all fells. The pretense of the photo is devoting an entire day to an errand that could be settled in a quick grocery run that you probably wouldn’t even take because you probably don’t even want to bake that pie. Unlike my affinity for overpriced avocado toast, which I’d honor regardless of social media (hey, a gal’s gotta eat!), this brings about the question of whether you’d even go apple picking if not for Instagram? Turns out, you might not. Seasonal FOMO (Fear Of Missing Orchards) is to blame Well, it seems FOMO is to blame for this whole phenomenon, according to
How to finally stop pesky razor bumps in their tracks
October 19, 2018 at 09:33AM I remember the first time that I got razor bumps. As with most people who experience the skin woe for the first time, I was utterly confused—I had just shaved in order to reveal a super-smooth bikini line and hairless legs, only to see strange, unsightly red bumps appear shortly thereafter. Despite aspirations of smoothness, bumps can happen—quite easily, in fact. They’re strange and can be confusing to treat, since they’re not exactly pimples or ingrown hairs or even dermatitis—so I sought expert insight to figure out WTF they are anyways. First of all, rest assured that they’re extremely common (I, for one, probably get them every time I shave). “We are mammals and covered with hair follicles,” says Purvisha Patel, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. “Razor bumps typically occur after shaving over hair follicles. The follicle then has inflammation, irritation, and possibly a micro-infection within it as the hair tries to grow back.” You’ll recognize them because they can be itchy, tender, and can even result in scarring. For the full rundown on the skin woe—plus how to treat and prevent it—keep scrollin’. What exactly are razor bumps? Essentially, razor bumps are itty bitty infections. “They’re a small infection in the follicle that causes a red bump,” explains Manon Pilon, author, renowned skin-care expert, and medical aesthetician. “It may be an ingrown hair or folliculitis.” While you may mindlessly shave in the shower—chances are you have it down to a
The main ingredient in your smoothie actually shouldn’t be fruit, says one all-star dietitian
October 19, 2018 at 08:01AM When you’re craving a smoothie while you’re out and about, getting your nutrient-rich pick-me-up is generally as simple as hitting up your favorite juice shop and placing an order for your go-to mix. Unfortunately, even though sipping on the brightly-colored beverage might make you feel like you’re the Queen of Health, one common mistake could be snagging your worthy royal goals. Many popular smoothie-slinging businesses—whether it’s Starbucks or Jamba Juice or any other retailer—offer tasty mixes primarily filled with fruit. While fruit is a great part of every rounded diet, one registered dietitian says you could benefit from going back to smoothie basics and totally reimagining the composition of what even makes a healthy blend. Well+Good Council member McKel Hill, MS, RD, says that to make your smoothie total nutrition #goals, it should be made from mostly veggies. “Most smoothies you get at local juice shops and smoothie bars can be loaded with excess sugar,” the all-star nutritionist writes in a recent Instagram post . “Instead, aim for 50 to 70 percent of the volume of the smoothie to be made up of veggies—like spinach, kale, zucchini, and cauliflower—then the rest healthy fats, protein, and fruit.” View this post on Instagram Did you know most smoothies you get at local juice shops and smoothie bars can be loaded with excess sugar? From using apple juice as a base instead of water or almond milk, to adding several servings of fruit, to literally adding sugar to it! Making smoothies at home
Why can’t Team USA gymnasts (and all female athletes, for that matter) catch a break lately?
October 19, 2018 at 07:11AM Let’s say you run an embattled athletic organization, and the press is covering your sport using superlatives like “unprecedented” and “breathtaking.” Only, the words refer to legal troubles, not your athletes. And let’s say that the young female competitors—who are the sole reason for your professional being—have lined up, one by one, in a court of law, to describe horrific, sexually abusive treatment they received by the team doctor who was employed for decades. What would you do? If you’re on the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors, you pick an interim president with baggage. Baggage that triggers a firestorm of criticism from Olympic champions like Aly Raisman, which ultimately ends the new HBIC’s tenure after five days. Yes, five. And it all begs the question: Why are these athletes having to come to their own rescue, yet again? Here’s what happened, specifically: Former US Congresswoman Mary Bono, who was appointed interim president October 12, has a history with the law firm that the athletes accuse of covering up the crimes of Larry Nassar, MD. Dr. Nassar—who is believed to have molested hundreds of girls and young women, including Raisman’s Olympic teammates McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas, and Madison Kocian—was sentenced in January to 40 to 175 years in prison for multiple sex offenses. Bono didn’t personally work on the case, but come on. How in the world did the organization think that hiring her would earn back the gymnasts’ trust? What must a bunch of America’s sweethearts
More natural light in your home means fewer germs—seriously, science says so
October 19, 2018 at 06:28AM There’s something truly magical about living in a home that has plenty of natural light. For one, it’s a total mood-booster having all that sunshine pour into your space on the daily, not to mention key in helping your indoor jungle thrive. (You’re welcome, monsteras.) That’s not all, though: according to new research, it can also help kill off germs. In a study published in the journal Microbiome, researchers tested the germ-busting theory by setting up miniature rooms with the same conditions as a typical normal-sized indoor room—from the temperature to humidity levels—and filled them with real dust from people’s homes. After 90 days, the rooms exposed to plenty of sunlight had half the viable bacteria—AKA bacteria that are able to grow—of rooms that were kept dark. The rooms with UV lighting, in case you’re wondering, had slightly fewer viable bacteria than those with natural light—6.1 percent as opposed to 6.8 percent. After 90 days, the rooms exposed to plenty of sunlight had half the viable bacteria of the rooms that were kept dark. “Sunlight is a central component of architectural design and has long been considered a potential buffer against the spread of pathogens in buildings due to its potential bactericidal effects,” wrote the study authors. “These results suggest that window-filtered light exposure, regardless of the particular transmittance profile, decreases the number of living bacteria in dust communities.” Just one more reason keep your windows streak free and let the sunshine in. Never dust
How to take Yale’s ultra-popular “The Science of Well-Being” course online for zero dollars
October 19, 2018 at 05:31AM Yale students aren’t just studying law, medicine, and other core college courses—as it turns out, some are looking for something a bit more meaningful. For example, after only a few days into the spring semester, 1,200 Yalies—AKA a quarter of the undergrads at the university—were signed up for a twice-a-week lecture with one main focus: teaching students to be happier. However, even if you’re not enrolled in the Ivy League institution, you can now take the class for *free*—right on your computer. According to The New York Times, the course, Psychology and the Good Life, is the most popular in Yale’s 316-year existence. In fact, enrollment is so high, it had to be moved to Woolsey Hall, which usually hosts symphony performances. The demand for the course, taught by psychology professor Laurie Santos, PhD, basically proves that college students, especially at institutions known for stress-inducing academic rigor, are prioritizing wellness. The online equivalent, “The Science of Well-Being” opens enrollment today. Once you’ve made an account online, you’ll have access to all the course materials without dropping the thousands of dollars that you would to walk the halls of the esteemed institution. If you do want to make things official though, you can opt to pay $49 for a certificate of completion to hang over your desk as a constant reminder that you’re more or less a wellness pro. “The Science of Well-Being” opens enrollment today. Once you’ve made an account online, you’ll have access to all the course materials without dropping the thousands
Finally, the psychological reasons men send those unsolicited dick pics
October 19, 2018 at 05:28AM There’s a time and a place for sharing private photos. For some people, it’s many years into an LTR, as a way to keep things sexy and fresh. For others, it’s in that early infatuation phase, when you just can’t get enough of your partner. But—bafflingly—it can happen shortly after “hello” (or swiping right). According to the 2017 Singles in America survey conducted by Match.com, 49 percent of women have received an unsolicited dick pic. And if you’re dating penis-having people right now, you’re probably sitting there thinking, Duh. “Guys would ask if I wanted to see their penis before I even met them,” says one New York City-based woman in her thirties about her online-dating experiences. “As if that’s the selling point for me: a picture of a semi-flaccid penis, in inevitably bad lighting, with bad cropping, and just all-around bad.” According to, oh, every brunch I’ve been to for the past couple years, dick pics are simply not the thirst traps these dudes clearly believe ’em to be. But what does science say? According to, oh, every brunch I’ve been to for the past couple years, dick pics are simply not the thirst traps these dudes clearly believe ’em to be. But what does science say? “Despite how common this behavior is, I haven’t really found any research that specifically addresses it,” says Harvard sex scholar Justin Lehmiller, PhD, writes on his site, Sex and Psychology. But he points out, “There’s a large body of research