October 02, 2018 at 05:34AM As founder of the crazy-popular blog The Stripe and host of the Bad on Paper podcast, Grace Atwood is constantly on the go. But whether she’s at a yoga retreat in Sweden or snapping picture-perfect selfies for her 107,000 Instagram followers, the Brooklyn-based wellness aficionado always prioritizes self care. “As I get older, I’ve realized I can’t be a good friend, daughter, sister, employee, or boss without taking care of myself first,” Atwood says. “It’s kind of like that airplane-safety video: You have to put your own oxygen mask on before anyone else’s.” And while self care still gets a bad rap for skewing toward the indulgent, being time consuming, or manifesting as prohibitively expensive, the soul-nourishing rituals certainly don’t need to be. “Who has time to spend an extra hour every day dry-brushing their skin and then rubbing themselves in essential oils and then meditating for an hour?” Atwood questions. “Sometimes [self-care] means doing things like paying your bills on time so you’re not stressed, regularly going to the doctor, and actually getting enough sleep and exercise. It’s about putting in the work to ensure you’re well taken care of physically, mentally, and spiritually.” —Grace Atwood, founder of the Stripe Still, she’s always always been into beauty, pampering, and preaches the importance of taking care of yourself without feeling guilty about it. Interestingly enough, it’s advice she didn’t prioritize for herself until after the 2016 election. “When life is challenging and there’s a lot going on in
Tag: Well+Good
Ummm, a lot of maple syrup isn’t vegan—here’s why
October 02, 2018 at 03:00AM Since honey is a no-go and standard white table sugar (and brown sugar, too!) uses bone char—AKA ground up animal bones—to get that bright white color, it’s not uncommon for vegans to sweeten up cookies and stir-fries alike with the fall season staple of maple syrup. The only problem? The healthier alternative might not be the animal-byproduct-free safe bet you assumed. While the sap itself is totally dependable for vegans—it’s simply tapped from maple trees, after all—the problem originates in how the final product is made. After the sap is collected, it’s taken to the sugarhouse to be boiled down—a process that evaporates the water and caramelizes the sugar, leaving the mixture nice and thick. To reduce the foam on the syrup, conventional producers tend to add in a sneaky ingredient that’s far from vegan-friendly to get the job done. “Sometimes animal fat is used in the production of maple syrup to defoam the product after it’s been boiled,” says plant-based nutrition coach Courtney Pool. What’s worse is the ingredient isn’t even listed on product labels, so people could go their entire pancake-loving lives without knowing they’re actually eating lard. “Sometimes animal fat is used in the production of maple syrup to defoam the product after it’s been boiled.” —Courtney Pool, plant-based nutrition coach There is good news, though: You don’t need animal fat to make maple syrup. The sweet stuff can be defoamed using vegetable-based products instead. So how do you know if you’re choosing the right container? Basically, just pay
The secret beauty-boosting supplement you didn’t know about
October 01, 2018 at 06:30PM The answer to head-to-toe radiance might not live in your beauty collection. No, you don’t have to spend time at the spa buffing, steaming, and soaking in ancient salts to get closer to dewy skin, lustrous tresses, and healthy nails, either. A little-known way to promote a serious glow is taking silica, the mineral supplement touted as an all-purpose beauty booster. The naturally occurring mineral is an essential component of elastin—a protein in your connective tissue and dermis—and collagen, meaning it could help your skin’s ability to self-repair. TLDR: It’s a player in the skin elasticity game. In supplement form, like Flora’s plant-derived FloraSil capsules, the youth-boosting element is designed to strengthen hair, skin, and nails from the inside out—no matter your age. “FloraSil has made being 61 feel amazing,” says Eloise DeJoria, Flora Ambassador. “The plant-based silica helps rejuvenate collagen production naturally so I can more readily see the difference it makes. I love having stronger nails, smoother skin, and faster-growing hair.” Simply put: You could level up your usual get-glowy routine (as in, jade rolling and retinol) with this under-the-radar supplement. Scroll down for reasons why this all-star mineral is so easy to overlook—and the benefits that back up why you shouldn’t. Photo: Flora Why you’re likely deficient in silica For a clue as to why you’re not getting a substantial amount of silica on your own, take a look at your diet. Even though you’re loading up on omega-3 fats, iron, and protein
80 women got together in NYC to try on bras—and it was actually fun
October 01, 2018 at 06:30PM When you think of the ultimate friend hangout, DIY facials, snacks, and multiple selfies probably factor into the mix. Not on that list? Getting fitted for a bra. But at our recent at our recent Girls’ Night In party, we had all of the above. We teamed up with Aerie to flip the script on everything meh you associate with bra fittings (awkward, confidence-killing, and just plain groan-inducing) by treating New York City women to an exercise in empowerment—and a comfy bra that makes them feel like the powerful change-makers they are. Oh, and the manis didn’t hurt, either. More than 80 women showed up to meet with Aerie’s bra fitting specialists (and soak up the sleepover vibes with mocktails, manicures, and meditation with Kelsey Patel) at a dreamy loft in Midtown. Many women found out they were actually an entire size different from the bras that filled their closets. The result? Surprise was the most common reaction among the women, many of whom found out they were actually an entire size different from the bras that filled their closets. “This was my first time getting a bra fitting,” one guest said. “Putting the Aerie bra on after taking off my current bra felt so perfect.” And there was more. “They took more time to actually measure me and explain why I was that size,” said one Well+Good reader who brought her mom as her date. “That was the best bra I’ve ever put on,
Set your 25-minute cardio sesh to Nina Dobrev’s pumped-up playlist
October 01, 2018 at 01:42PM If Nina Dobrev has 25 minutes between takes to squeeze in a workout, you’d better believe she’s throwing herself a dance party. “I dance a lot,” she tells me at an event in NYC last week. “To me, it’s the most fun, because you’re burning a lot of calories and you’re moving, but you’re almost tricking yourself. You end up working out every single muscle in your body, but it doesn’t feel like you’re working out. I like doing things that are fun—I don’t want it to feel like a chore.” For Dobrev, not only is the actual movement part of a DIY dance party appealing, but it’s also a great way to turn a sweat sesh into a double-duty excuse to hang out with friends and do something they all love. “I’ll plan a workout every day with somebody different and end up having fun and talking and catching up with people,” she says. “Time flies when you’re with friends, you don’t feel like you’re working out. You feel like you’re having fun and living life.” As part of her latest partnership with Reebok and Les Mills, Dobrev worked with Les Mills to come up with “BODYJAM,” a free, 40-minute dance-based workout that you can do anywhere—whether you’re hanging out at home or in a Hollywood trailer like she is. “It’s high-intensity, a lot of sweat, a lot of fun—the songs are catchy and cool,” she says. “We really tried to break down every move so that a dancer or non-dancer of any
Pinterest searches for ‘Aquaponic’ gardening are up 1000%, but what on earth is it?
October 01, 2018 at 12:46PM When prompted, most proud plant ladies will call aloe vera, rattlesnake plants, and marimosa moss balls their pets. And yet, to take that sentiment one step further, a new indoor foliage trend combines actual pets (fish) with the chlorophyll-munching variety. That’s probably why searches for the trend “aquaponic gardening” are up a whopping 980 percent on Pinterest. The name for this plant-obsessive practice is a mashup of “aquaculture,” meaning raising fish and “hydroponics,” meaning growing plants sans-soil, according to The Aquaponic Source. In practice, the two lifeforms work symbiotically: The fish provide an organic source of food for the fish (via their, er, poo), while the plants filter the chum’s H2O. The result? You get fresh, pesticide-free produce with a fish-friend to boot. While farms across America use the aquaponic technique to run large-scale, fish raising and veggie-cultivating operations, you can start a family-sized garden wherever you have a well-lit corner to house a mini-ecosystem in your home or backyard. Or, if your apartment is a den of darkness, you’ll just need to purchase a grow light instead. Once your tank has accumulated a diverse population, you might also be able to introduce fruiting plants like tomatoes or peppers. Meaning, you could home-grow your whole salad order, NBD. To skip the trouble of visiting PetSmart and Home Depot to collect a tank, fish, seeds, and the like, you can nab a starter kit on Amazon to take some of the legwork out of the setup. Then, all that’s left is
Chunky sneakers are the biggest athleisure trend of 2018
October 01, 2018 at 12:00PM Last December, when this story was originally published, its headline was: In defense of chunky sneakers, the comfiest footwear trend of 2018. Back then, the buzz around bulky kicks that could double as ankle weights was just starting to grow. Flash forward to today, and it’s now one of the biggest sneakers trends for fall—and the top athleisure trend of 2018. These days, just about every fashion girl from Los Angeles to Paris and beyond—think: Kaia Gerber, Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, and more—has laced up a pair of chunky sneakers, which you may remember originated in the ’90s when Fila introduced the OG of “dad shoes,” its Disruptor 2. Thanks to a renewed interest in fashions from that era, the Italian heritage brand is having a renaissance—it held its first fashion show in Milan last month and released an exclusive new capsule collection with Bandier, an upscale activewear boutique around the same time. High-end labels and classic sportswear brands, alike, helped the footwear style go from fad to mainstream by adding ultra-supportive sneakers to their collections in 2018. Some designers, like Stella McCartney, have streamlined the volume from those ’90s versions for a sleeker fit. Others fed into the nostalgia factor like Nike with its M2K Tekno, Puma and its Thunder, and Balenciaga with its Triple S. “The trend provides an opportunity to expand your sneaker collection beyond minimalist styles.” Celebrity stylist Jasmine Caccamo says that while the look may not be for everyone, it’s more versatile than you
H&M’s eco-friendly fall collection wants your attention, conscientious consumers
October 01, 2018 at 12:02PM Fast fashion has never been synonymous with sustainability. Quite the opposite actually. But, as millennial shoppers (AKA these brands’ target audience) grow more conscientious with their consumption, that’s starting to change. Case in point? H&M is launching its first eco-friendly fall collection. The autumn/winter offerings are part of a Conscious Exclusive line, which the Swedish retailer introduced two springs ago. “It all started with a desire to create a statement coat in a sustainable material that could be worn for both those special occasions and day-to-day life, but then evolved into something more substantial,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M, in a press release. H&M’s designers used eco-friendly materials like recycled wool, cashmere, polyester, and Econyl, a fabric made from recycled plastic—plus, 100 percent organic fibers like silk—to create a 32-piece capsule of womenswear, lingerie, and accessories, ranging from a $15 pair of dusty-rose-colored underwear to a dolman-sleeved jacket ($300) embroidered with recycled sequins. The end result is as chic as it is sustainable. Photo: H&M The line is also proving that sustainability, in addition to innovative of-the-moment style, sells. The collection only dropped on September 27, but some items have already sold out, like a pair of statement clip-on earrings that resemble cascading orchid petals and a sweatshirt hood covered in black sequins. Other notable offerings, such as a cozy V-neck sweater and a velvet miniskirt aren’t likely to last long, either. That items are already flying off shelves bodes well for H&M’s bigger goals: It
If your Zodiac sign doesn’t quite fit you, this could be why
October 01, 2018 at 11:42AM Whether it’s an eager Aries, fair-minded Libra, or fiery Leo, some people couldn’t align more perfectly with their Zodiac signs, which of course means reading up on them daily. (Heck, it’s even totally socially acceptable to plan your self-care routine or pick out your mattress based on it.) But if you’ve never seemed to identify with one of the 12 sun signs, there could be a simple explanation for that: You might belong to the 13th. Okay, okay—a 13th Zodiac sounds a little crazy, but it’s a thing, and if you didn’t check up on it when the news rocked the celestial world a couple of years ago, I’m here to give you a gentle reminder. A shift in Earth’s axis actually increased the number of astrological signs to a baker’s dozen, and with that came Ophiuchus: a sign that’s meant for those born between November 29 and December 17. If you’re wondering how in the world it came completely out of thin air, that’s not exactly the case, even though it seems like it. According to NASA, the Babylonians who created the Zodiac knew Ophiuchus was a thing, but didn’t use it because they only wanted 12 constellations that would align with the 12 calendar months. (AKA you could have been living a lie for the past 3,000 years…or you know however many you’ve been around.) “Ophiuchus people have Scorpio’s magnetism and sexual allure. They are dream interpreters, passionate, and jealous. But like Sagittarius, they are also wisdom seekers, flamboyant dressers,
We went to Antoni Porowski’s new restaurant, and the menu caters to basically every possible diet plan
October 01, 2018 at 11:11AM Hear ye, hear ye, Queer Eye and healthy-eating fanatics: Your favorite, totally Fab food expert’s long-awaited restaurant is open for business starting today. And despite Antoni Porowski’s pretty strong obsession with all things avocado on the Emmy-winning Netflix show (I mean, no judgment at all—we’re biologically predisposed to love the green smash on toast, after all), the fibrous fruit is hardly the star of the menu at The Village Den, the fast-casual joint in Manhattan’s West Village. Rather, when we went to check out the airy, plant-laden eatery for lunch on opening day, it was clear that the salad-slinging spot’s central mission is to cater to a heavy handful of popular nutrition plans. Porowski—who previously told Well+Good that his eating habits include a combo of keto-style, Paleo, and veganism—may well have created the menu with himself in mind, because each offering is adorned with icons noting whether it’s Whole30, Paleo, ketogenic, plant-based, vegetarian, dairy, gluten-free, or detox (which seems to superfluously indicate the inclusion of a “detox powder” supplement). For example, a $7 oven-baked frittata impressively boasts six icons—holy health! Each menu offering is adorned with icons noting whether it’s Whole30, Paleo, keto, plant-based, vegetarian, dairy, gluten-free, or detox. The robust smoothie menu features a variety of the fruit and veggie usual suspects in some inspired concoctions like the Watermelon Spice, which includes, duh, watermelon, coconut water, strawberries, ginger, lemon zest, and mint. More specialized ingredients, like MCT oil, spirulina, and matcha, make an appearance in some