Ever since I was a young tomboy who routinely wore oversized soccer shorts, I’ve always felt an urge to punch things during frustrating situations or periods of anger. Yes, I am well aware that this makes me sound aggressive, but I’ve never punched a human being and am generally well mannered. My only victims have been bedroom walls, pillows, and couch cushions, occasionally resulting in hand pain that I instantly regret as embarrassment from my rage and tantruming washes over me.
After my boyfriend witnessed one of my recent pillow-punching sprees, he suggested that I try a boxing class (or 20) as a new venue for releasing my negative energy. If I enjoyed throwing punches so much, I might as well be hitting a bag with gloves on and optimizing my workout, he reasoned. This seemed like a natural fit for me, so I enrolled in my first TITLE boxing class, which was my favorite price: free.
Since I’m not the cardio queen I once was, I opted for the 30-minute evening class on a Friday after work. After a day filled with meetings and a gnarly commute, I was more than ready to let my fists fly.
The moment I pulled into the parking lot, however, I couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated. Would there be real boxers here? Would I look like a total weakling? Could I even move the bag with one of my punches?
After a couple minutes of worrying, I called my ultimate ride-or-die chick, my momma, to ask her if I should even walk inside. “You’ll feel so much better after you take this class. You know you will,” she assured me confidently. As the saying goes, momma knows best. Her words fueled my fire as I entered the boxing gym for the first time.
Since this was my first boxing class, I needed to learn how to properly wrap my hands to support my wrists and prevent any broken bones. I had purchased wraps on Amazon prior to class, but most boxing gyms, including TITLE, provide wraps for purchase.
After meeting my instructor, she showed me how to properly wrap my hands and wrists, taught me the basic punches that would be used during class (jab, cross, hook, and uppercut) and gave me a pair of boxing gloves still wet with sweat from another human being.
I cannot lie…the sweaty gloves grossed me out. I immediately grabbed some disinfectant wipes that were hanging on the wall and began wiping down the inside of each glove. I know a badass boxer probably wouldn’t be fazed by this, but I’m a newbie and I couldn’t ignore it.
The class began with 10 minutes of cardio to warm up and after about five minutes of non-stop action, my face was as red as a cherry tomato. This warm-up was definitely not for the faint of heart since it involved continuous movement. One moment we were sprinting, then doing jumping jacks, bear crawls, burpees, and beyond. I could tell my instructor was going to push me, and I enjoyed the challenge.
Following the cardio portion of class, we did four consecutive three-minute boxing rounds—throwing different combinations of punches and doing footwork around the bag. After the first two rounds, I realized what a full-body workout boxing can be and gained a new respect for those who pursue this sport on a competitive level. I can assure you, boxing is way harder than it looks on television! I finished all four rounds and loved being able to punch the bag as hard as I possibly could without experiencing pain in my hands, or the embarrassment of punching inanimate objects in my home.
The ass kicking—I mean, workout—ended with seven minutes of ab exercises using medicine balls and a healthy amount of glute bridges, which got my buns burning. I love doing ab exercises and my yoga practice definitely came into play here, making this the easiest portion of the class for me by a landslide. I was extremely glad that I chose to start with the 30-minute class because I truthfully don’t believe that I could have worked out at this level for 60 to 75 minutes.
Drenched in sweat with my baby biceps popping for the world to see, I headed home to shower off. It was when I first raised my arms to lather my shampoo that reality struck: I’m gonna be sore tomorrow. My body was not deceiving me, and my arms (mainly the outside of my biceps and forearms) were sore in places that I didn’t know existed. I don’t want to sound dramatic—I was still able to raise my arms to get dressed and style my hair—but I could definitely feel the impact of the workout on my upper body for the next two days.
Overall, my first boxing experience was a great stress-reliever and a fantastic full-body workout. My personal recommendations for anyone who is considering trying boxing for the first time are to hydrate properly before and after class, focus on your breath during your punches, and ask someone knowledgeable at the gym or studio you choose to teach you how to wrap your hands and wrists properly to avoid injury. Don’t be afraid to start with a shorter class and work your way up. Happy hitting!
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Tag: Featured
In my previous life as a sales manager, I worked out of a small cubicle in a windowless warehouse office.
Sterling Cooper, it was not.
We worked straight from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and just like my personal hero Dolly Parton sang, it really was all taking and no giving. We didn’t even have a break room, which was totally fine because we didn’t get a lunch break anyway. Even if we did, most of us worked through lunch—as 62 percent of American office workers do, my coworkers would snarf down midday meals between meetings and phone calls.
But I drew the line at sad desk lunch, so I just wouldn’t eat at all. I’m pretty sure my crash office diet resulted in what I can only assume was acute pancreatitis or a stomach ulcer (I can’t be sure because my job didn’t offer insurance, so I never saw a doctor. For the record, I don’t recommend self-diagnosing.).
Take it from me, ladies: Your health is more important than your work inbox.
My own wake-up call came when I read an article that said sitting is the new smoking. Gross, right?
The minute I saw that, I decided to make a change in my work life and my health life. I set reminders to drink water and move around every hour. And yes, I even started eating lunch at my desk for the sake of my health.
Now I work from home, but it’s just as easy to forgo your health in a home office. I recently noticed I was slacking in the workday health department, so I talked to Dianna Leyton, a marketing manager in Richmond, Virginia, who has also decided to make her work health a priority (all while slaying at her 9-5 job).
Here are her favorite tips for staying healthy and strong when you work in an office:
Get better sleep at night.
“If you stay up all night before a workday, you’re going to be exhausted all day long,” says Leyton. “Get a good night’s sleep, and you’ll start your day feeling fresh and energized for the day ahead.”
Leyton admits she has a hard time winding down before bedtime; to tire herself out, she makes sure to log a good workout in the evening, so she’s ready when bedtime rolls around. But if you like working out in the morning, you can still get a good night’s rest. Try to stay away from all your devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime (do-not-disturb mode can still let important and emergency calls through) and ready your mind and body for sleep with a calming bedtime yoga flow.
Practice self-care.
“Self-care during the workday is important. Sometimes I eat lunch at my desk so I can go get a mani-pedi during my lunch break or take a walk in the park,” says Leyton. “When I do something for myself during the workday, I feel better all day long.”
See? Leyton turned sad desk lunch into a rewarding experience by using her lunch break to treat herself to something fun. Think about some of your favorite relaxing activities, and figure out how to incorporate them into your workday. Simple acts of self-care can have a positive impact on the choices you make throughout the day and can even result in greater productivity at work and at home.
Get a work spouse.
“I started doing the Whole30 program with a co-worker so that we hold each other accountable over our eating habits,” says Leyton. “It makes it easier when you have someone else passing on the free Friday donuts!”
It’s true, having an accountability buddy at work can help you stay on track with diet and exercise in the office, but having a work bestie is also great for your overall work performance and mental health, according to a recent Gallup poll.
Not sure how to turn Susan in payroll into your new bff? It’s just like dating; at first, finding out which co-workers you’re most compatible with might be a little awkward, but over time, you’ll be able to forge real friendships that have lasting benefits for your health.
Take the longest route to the printer.
“I know getting your steps in sounds a little trite, but I really do try to count my steps during the workday,” says Leyton. “I take walks during lunch, and I try to take the least direct route to meetings and the copy room to maximize my step count. I just make sure to give myself extra time, so I’m not late!”
Wearing a step counter can open your eyes to how many steps you’re actually taking at work. You might be shocked to find that even though you are exhausted when 5 p.m. rolls around, you only took a thousand steps!
To increase your step count during the day, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk around the printer while you’re waiting for that 90-page document to print. Set a reminder to get up and walk to the break room (for water!) every hour. You’ll be surprised at how many more steps you’re getting in every day when you’re making a conscious effort.
Shop online. Yes, really.
Okay, so this last tip comes from yours truly. You’re welcome.
A study conducted by Brent Coker at the University of Melbourne found that workplace internet leisure browsing (WILB)—like shopping the latest Amazon deals or scrolling social media—can actually increase your productivity at work.
Bless you, Dr. Coker.
So, if you’ve been plugging away at a project for several hours, it’s okay to take a break and scroll through that cute guy from the gym’s Instagram. Just make sure you don’t accidentally deep like one of his pics!
Being empowered to make choices about your health is the ultimate glow-up for 2018. The latest way to stay up to date (and keep yourself in optimal health) involves a whole lot of data—from when to expect your next period to how sleep and exercise are affecting your mood.
Enter femtech apps.
Search the App Store for any number of women’s health needs like period tracking, pregnancy, sexual health, or birth control, and you’re likely to be scrolling for a while. These apps are a huge part of women’s healthcare in 2018. Danish entrepreneur Ida Tin calls this niche technology femtech, and it generates billions of investment dollars a year.
Tin is the co-founder and CEO of period-tracking app Clue and claims femtech’s popularity is due to the number of women who want more personalized choices. Femtech allows technology—which we’re already using in daily life—to address the complexities of women’s bodies and shed light on topics once considered taboo, like menstruation and sexual health.
“Reproductive health is an incredibly foundational and central part of our lives, but there’s a real lack of clarity for women,” Tin told Code Red Co. last year. “These misconceptions and stigmas exist because of a lack of research into, and understanding of, menstruation.”
With everything from weekly updates during pregnancy to trusted sexual health info at your fingertips, femtech apps have a lot to offer. Here are six apps that will give you a better understanding of your health, help you connect with other women, and keep you safe along the way.
[sol title=”Clue” subheader=”Period Tracking”]
Clue is one of many apps helping users track their menstrual cycles. However, it is set apart by being the highest ranking free period-tracking app according to the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a publication of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The study scored more than 1,000 apps based on accuracy, features, and functionality and Clue earned the highest score of those evaluated.
With Clue you can track your period and fertile windows and document moods, pain symptoms, exercise, medication, and sexual activity to gain a better understanding of your own personal patterns.
Available for iOS and Android.
[sol title=”Maven” subheader=”Making Healthcare More Accessible”]
Lack of access to healthcare services is one of the biggest women’s issues we face. From the inability to attend regular medical appointments to financial barriers to affording standard care, women are struggling to keep themselves healthy. Enter Maven, an app that connects users with medical and mental health professionals via video call or private message.
You can book an appointment with a doctor, nurse practitioner, midwife, nutritionist, lactation consultant, or licensed counselor directly through the app. The appointment costs vary, from $18 for a 10-minute appointment with a nurse practitioner or midwife to $70 for a 40-minute appointment with a mental health professional. They’ll also write you prescriptions, so you’ll never have to go without birth control, no matter your state legislature’s feelings on it. Unfortunately, most insurance companies won’t accept claims from Maven, so you’ll likely have to pay out of pocket. Still, increasing the potential for access is something we’re definitely happy to get behind.
Currently only available for iOS, but appointments can also be booked online for those without an Apple device.
[sol title=”Eve by Glow” subheader=”Pregnancy Prevention”]
Glow, an enterprise that creates “personal health tracking products [to] illuminate health through data,” offers several femtech apps including Glow, an ovulation and fertility tracker focused on supporting women who are trying to conceive. Glow also offers Nurture for pregnancy tracking and Glow Baby for baby’s first year.
Eve by Glow offers similar features as other period trackers but is geared more toward women trying to avoid pregnancy. Eve allows you to track your cycle and sexual activity while also connecting you with trusted information on health and sex brought to you by Bedsider, a birth control support network operated by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Available for iOS and Android.
[sol title=”The Bump Pregnancy Countdown” subheader=”Planner, Prenatal Health Tips, and Product Reviews”]
From the people who brought you the wedding planning website The Knot comes a one-stop-shop for expectant moms.
The Bump Pregnancy Countdown app features a planner with information and even suggested questions for prenatal doctor’s visits, a catalog of baby products and reviews, and a question tool that allows users to get quick answers from other moms as well as medical experts. HealthyWay’s audience development strategist and resident momma-to-be, Ashley, says she likes that “it tells you both what is going on with your baby and also what you can expect week-by-week to happen to your body during pregnancy.”
Available for iOS and Android.
[sol title=”Hey! Vina” subheader=”Community Building”]
Hey! Vina is like Tinder, but for female companionship. It uses the same “swipe right” idea to help you find new friends and join communities of like-minded women. The app, which is available only to self-identified women, suggests friendship matches based on mutual Facebook acquaintances, proximity, and results from various personality quizzes.
We all know how difficult it can be to find and maintain adult friendships, and Hey! Vina makes that process a little easier.
Available for iOS and Android.
[sol title=”SafeTrek” subheader=”That Secure Feeling, Just a Button Away”]
SafeTrek was founded in HealthyWay’s hometown: St. Louis, Missouri, and while we love giving a shoutout to local businesses, that’s not the only reason we’re recommending this personal safety app.
Though it wasn’t necessarily designed specifically for women, nearly all of this app’s 250,000 users are women. What sets SafeTrek apart from other safety apps is that you don’t have to bring the phone to your ear or even remove it from your purse or pocket to operate it. When you’re in a situation where you could feel vulnerable—walking alone to your car at night, for instance—this app may offer you some peace of mind. All you have to do is press the app’s center button while en route. Once you reach a safe place, release the button and enter a PIN. If the button is released and no PIN is entered, the app will immediately contact police and send them to your location.
Do we love that the burden of women’s safety nearly always falls on women? Nope. But there’s no doubt we feel a little safer knowing this app has our backs.
Available for iOS and Android.
I’m definitely a beauty junkie, which means you can name a product—from eyeliners to highlighters to my-lips-but-better lipsticks—and I surely have at least a few different options. But when I’m traveling, that goes out the window: I pare down my skin and makeup routines to the bare essentials so I can fit everything I need in a single carry-on. When I have to get smart about what I pack, I go simple with a few tried-and-true products that can do more than one thing. Hey, we multitask at work all the time—why not during our skincare routines too?
Whether you’re looking to save cash by killing two birds with one stone or you’re just trying to minimize your makeup bag for simplicity’s sake, it’s time to look at products known for their versatility. From multi-use to multitasking, here are five beauty products to make sure you have on hand.
1. Ouai Rose Hair & Body Oil
This haircare brand from celeb stylist Jen Atkin is my favorite answer to the What the hell do I do with my hair? question. I have major waves and curls, and the best way I’ve found to tame the frizz is with Ouai’sRose Hair & Body Oil. Once I realized I could put it on my legs post-steamy shower, my life was changed.
The absinthium, shea, and rosehip oils moisturize and hydrate; the subtle rose scent is an added bonus! And since Ouai never tests on animals, this is a head-to-toe oil you can truly feel good about.
2. Milk Makeup Holographic Stick
We’ve all heard of the NARS Multiple, and it’s a classic for a reason. But if you’re looking for an animal-friendly, eco-conscious alternative, Milk Makeup’sHolographic Stick is the vegan answer to your prayers. The highlighter, which comes in three shades—Supernova, a holographic purple; Mars, a shimmery peach; and Stardust, a sweet pink—will work wonders on your entire face.
Lightly swipe Supernova across your lids and cheekbones for a poppin’ highlight or use Stardust to get matchy-matchy on your lips and apples of your cheeks. For a summery glow, use Mars over all three.
3. Glossier Balm Dotcom
It’s the cult-fave product from a cult-fave brand: Glossier’sBalm Dotcom is touted as a universal skin salve, and it certainly lives up to its reputation. Use it to repair [linkbuilder id=”6481″ text=”cracked lips”], chapped cheeks, and frayed cuticles. The waxy texture sits on your skin, ensuring moisture is locked in; use it over your favorite lip balm or hand lotion and you’ll be fixed up in no time.
The balm comes in six flavors—two of which give a sheer wash of color—and is addicting enough that you’ll want one in every purse you own.
4. Son & Park Beauty Water
Sephora only sells two products from Korean beauty brand Son & Park, which is a shame, because their Beauty Water is a must-have in my beauty arsenal. This multitasking master—which comes in the sleekest packaging ever—can be used as a cleanser, a toner, and an exfoliant gentle enough for everyday use. It creates a smooth base for applying foundation when used during the day, and at night it’s a relaxing way to take it all off.
It’s formulated with lavender and rose waters and orange and papaya extract, which will make your skin look brighter than ever—all thanks to a little water.
5. Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial
Unlike the other products highlighted, this isn’t a multi-use product, but it is a damn good multitasker. Korres’Wild Rose Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial is a powerful mask packed into a little jar that you use—as the name implies—while you’re sleeping. If you’re getting lax on your skincare routine or jet lag has you running a bit behind, try an overnight facial to restore some lost luminosity.
The cruelty-free and eco-friendly Greek beauty brand created this sleeping mask with wild rose oil, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, which together deliver a serious dose of hydration and radiance you can see as soon as you wake up.
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My first yoga class was one of the most boring experiences of my life.
It took place in the basement of a church in small-town Ohio. My teacher was a young man who, as far as I could tell, was completely committed to austerity. Over the course of 90 minutes, we practiced maybe…five poses? I didn’t come near to breaking a sweat (in fact, I had to add layers). He did a lot of demonstrations and drew stick figures on a chalkboard to help us understand energy flow and muscular activation. It was very, very serious. Later I learned this was hatha yoga. Hatha is the root of most types of yoga popular in the West, but we practiced it extremely slowly in this particular class.
From this experience, my understanding was that all styles of yoga were dull and rather gloomy, but good for me—like flossing or doing a self-breast exam.
Then I tried vinyasa yoga, and oh my, my life was changed.
The practice—in which poses are strewn together in a gorgeous sequence—was like dancing on my mat, like swimming without water. (In fact, vinyasa means to arrange in a special way.) Sun salutations had me reaching up, down, forward, back, jumping, and folding, but the sequence wasn’t set, like it is in ashtanga yoga. The teacher would choreograph a sequence based on what we were working toward—an arm balance or a hip opener—with each pose building on the other.
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I was a professional dancer at the time, and this yoga style fit my physical instinct like a glove. During my first class, I noticed my shin—my shin!—was sweating. When class ended, I felt utterly high. A few years into this practice, I started teaching, and I loved figuring out how to lead students from one pose to the next.
Some time later, I got injured dancing, and vinyasa yoga no longer felt good. I needed to move much more slowly—to breathe through poses, to put more emphasis on alignment, to scale way back. I needed to be more careful with my body—something I didn’t feel like I could do at the pace at which I’d been practicing. I returned to the style of yoga I’d done with my original church-basement instructor, and it suited me much better.
What’s the best kind of yoga for me?
There are myriad forms of yoga, and while they (almost) all come from the same root, they are practiced quite differently. All the different types of yoga offered at studios and available online satisfy different needs, personalities, and physical limitations. Here are a few thoughts from various yoginis on why they love the style of yoga they’re currently practicing:
Iyengar
This is the type of yoga for you if you’re after a deep, detailed emphasis on alignment. Many props are employed during Iyengar classes, and it’s great if you have an injury or want to start very slowly, with a firm grounding in anatomy.
Natalie Levin, RYT-200, has been teaching and practicing for almost 20 years and says:
Iyengar yoga has the most detailed attention to alignment included in the embodiment of every pose. There is no whipping through the poses to see how much you can sweat. It is a deep, powerful attention to the breath and the most subtle movements of the muscles and tendons that requires effort, both mental and physical. I don’t experience this in any other style of yoga.
Iyengar yoga challenges me to slow down enough to actually use the props correctly and when I did, I remember feeling a freedom that I could not experience with my own body unaided. The specificity of the instruction from the rigorously trained Iyengar teachers is awe-inspiring.
Bikram
Otherwise known as hot yoga, practitioners of this style of yoga move through the same 26 postures in a room that’s heated to over 105 degrees. Bikram is good for people who can withstand heat and like a repetitive workout.
Cynthia Kay, yoga practitioner, says:
I didn’t know anything about Bikram yoga when I started—it was near my house and it seemed like a good way to shed some postpartum weight. I noticed improvement right away in my flexibility, strength, posture, and mood. That motivated me to go back more often. I soon had the series memorized, and I could get into a moving meditation in class. Everyone around me doing exactly the same thing created a great energy. Of course not every class is this great meditative experience—some classes I can’t clear my head and I struggle with the heat and the length of the postures—but when I miss a few a classes and then finally get back to it, it feels like I can move again!
Jessica Lattif, yoga practitioner, shares:
Bikram Yoga seems like the right kind of exercise for me, in that it plays to my (few!) physicals strengths: flexibility and balance. For some reason, I’m a person whose body responds well to sweating a lot, and Bikram gives me that without me having to do exercise that I’m terrible at and hate—like running.
It forces me to be present in the moment by combining yoga postures with intense physical circumstances (heat), which doesn’t leave room for my mind to wander. Overall, I felt joy and relief when I discovered Bikram as an intense form of exercise that I could do well and enjoy. I’ve never been particularly athletic, but being able to keep my breathing steady, hold my balance, and stay present in the classes makes me feel like I have a superpower.
Anusara
This is an alignment-based style of yoga that uses a conceptual framework of loops and spirals that are already naturally occurring in the body to work toward healthful alignment of the spine and extremities during asana. Unlike some more body-centric types of yoga, Anusara is a heart-based practice, meaning each class focuses on a theme and is geared toward cultivating a particular quality that will enable the practitioner to feel greater peace of mind both during and after the practice.
Lauren Jacobs, RYT-200, says:
I think people with injuries, arthritis, and osteoporosis can benefit from Anusara because it intrinsically utilizes therapeutic principles to align joints, vertebrae, and bone structures. It can also help people with hectic, stressful lives who want a calming practice because it focuses on cultivating beneficial heart qualities. So while it is not ideal for cardio or big-muscle building, it is ideal for muscle lengthening, long-muscle building, alignment, and balance as well as centering and relaxation.
When I walk out of class (whether learning or teaching), I feel physically and emotionally open. My body feels stretched, strengthened, and aligned and my mind feels centered, calm, clear-headed, and one with all that surrounds me. There is a sense that both my body and inner heart are safe, and that the practice helps my body and inner heart be more aligned in the world.
Restorative
The restorative style of yoga is wonderful if you really need to de-stress and rest your body. You will hold supported poses (usually lying down, but sometimes sitting or kneeling, like in child’s pose) for long periods of time in a darkened room. Props are employed so the body can fully relax. A restorative yoga class is a huge treat on a Sunday.
Sonya Kurapatwa, E-RYT-500, a teacher who has been instructing dance for 28 years and yoga for 10, shares:
Coming from a dance background, I was hesitant at first to dive into yoga. What could a bunch of still poses offer to someone whose interest was in movement and expression? When I was exposed to a flow-based, vinyasa-style practice, I discovered there was a style of yoga-asana that allowed me to move and breathe and express myself in a way that was entirely different from dance, and by far more kind to my body.
But, all things in balance, I also required practices that pulled me out of my urgency to move and taught me the skill of stillness. That interest led me to practice Yin and restorative yoga—two very different styles with very different intentions which are often confused with one another because of the priority they put on stillness. It was stillness that had been missing in my life as a dancer.
Now I understand I require movement and stillness both. I need effort and ease both. Sthira [steadiness] and sukha [ease]! One approach without the harmonizing force of the other only feeds imbalance, so I practice and teach classes in hatha vinyasa and restorative and Yin, and I encourage students to practice a variety of styles in order to create their own interpretation of harmony.
One last thought from Steffany Moonaz, PhD, RYT-500, a yoga teacher who specializes in yoga for arthritis: You don’t actually have to choose. Really! Moonaz says:
Yoga practice is not a one-size-fits-all. And any individual person benefits from a different approach to practice depending on stage of life, energy level, time of day, health, and well-being. There are a variety of yoga practices and variations for each practice that can be used in various combinations for the greatest benefit. To suggest that one approach is always best is to overlook the wealth of yoga’s long and beautiful history.
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Chances are you’ve come across the concept of fat-burning foods if you have any interest in weight loss or just following a healthy diet. The most common examples of supposedly fat-burning foods include foods that burn more calories than they contain and foods that “kickstart” your metabolism so that you’re able to burn calories more efficiently.
But do fat-burning foods really exist, or are they simply marketing hype? And if they do exist, what do they actually do within the body, and which foods fall under this category?
Fat-Burning Foods: Fact or Fiction?
The concept of fat-burning foods isn’t a new one. In fact, Julie Kostyk, a registered dietitian with Pure Nutrition in Victoria, British Columbia, says that “Working as a dietitian for over 12 years, I have most definitely heard the common misconception that certain foods can ‘burn fat.’ I have heard this specifically in regards to things like cabbage soup (especially if it’s spicy!) and have also heard the common belief that foods such as celery actually have ‘negative calories.’”
Kostyk refers to a HuffPost article by fellow registered dietitian Abby Langer, who wrote, “No food burns fat. Not belly fat, not bum fat, not any fat. Even if a food increases your metabolic rate slightly—like caffeine, for example—it’s unlikely to result in perceptible weight loss. If it worked, no one would be fat! End of story.”
Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for permanent weight loss—especially not in the form of foods that can magically make your body burn fat faster. Some sources even imply that eating junk food can be “canceled” out by eating fat-burning foods before or after a sweet or salty treat. But the reality is that calories are calories, no matter where they come from.
Losing Weight Without Relying on Foods That Burn Fat
Losing weight and then maintaining your weight is a lifelong process that can only be achieved with a healthy diet and regular exercise—not by relying on fat-burning foods. Kostyk offers “some words of wisdom that I share often with my clients, which come from a very well-spoken and intelligent obesity researcher/medical doctor, Yoni Freedhoff: ‘The more weight you’d like to permanently lose, the more of your life you’ll need to permanently change.’ It really speaks to the fact that ‘Your best weight is whatever weight you reach when you’re living the healthiest life you actually enjoy.’ (Another one of his fabulous quotes).”
Finding Value in Fat-Burning Foods
Just because a food doesn’t literally burn fat doesn’t mean it can’t add value to your existing diet. There are many foods labeled as having fat-burning properties that have plenty to offer in terms of nutritional value and their ability to help you feel fuller longer.
Kostyk regularly enjoys and recommends certain foods you might find on a fat-burning foods list, but for different reasons:
In terms of my own personal favorite low-calorie, satisfying snacks, I tend to go for either ½ cup cottage cheese, which has only ~100 calories but 13–15 g of ‘fill-you-up and keep you full’ protein, or I also like celery sticks with 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter, which not only provides some fiber and protein (which help to fill you up) but also some healthy fats that also help to increase satiety. Personally, I find that snacks that take longer to eat (e.g., chewing celery) fill me up better than the equivalent number of calories consumed in a short period, such as in a beverage or something softer that slips ‘down the hatch’ with minimal chewing!
She also likes to supplement her smoothies so that they’re more filling:
Another tip I use myself is to add a few heaping tablespoons of a ‘health mix’ into my smoothies or yogurt to help fill me up with good sources of healthy fats, fiber, and protein. The recipe comes from a fabulous fellow RD, Helene Charlebois, and the basic mixture is made up of equal parts of: chia seeds, ground flaxseed, oat bran, and psyllium husk. I make a large batch and keep it in my fridge in a Mason jar to add to items I eat daily. I like how it helps to thicken up smoothies and it definitely helps to keep me feeling full and satisfied. The high fiber content can also help keep your digestive tract healthy.
Foods Commonly Labeled as Fat-Burning (That Have Plenty More to Offer)
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1. Cinnamon
Craving something sweet and comforting? Try adding cinnamon the next time you’re about to eat some fruit (apples, pears, and unsweetened apple sauce taste delicious when they’ve been covered with a light dusting of cinnamon).
Although cinnamon is often praised for its fat-burning abilities, the truth is that consuming this spice hasn’t been proven to make you lose weight. It should be noted, though, that recent studies on mice show early promise for cinnamon having a positive metabolic effect. In theory, it could potentially help lower blood sugar levels in a way that is comparable to prescription drugs.
These studies on cinnamon are still in their infancy, but the possible benefits of making cinnamon a regular part of your diet could have far-reaching effects in terms of its anti-aging properties and high antioxidant levels. -
2. Vegetable Soup
Naturally low in calories, packed with nutrients, and immensely filling, vegetable soup is a great choice for a snack any time of day. A 2005 study actually confirmed that “consuming two servings of low energy-dense soup daily led to 50% greater weight loss than consuming the same amount of energy as high energy-dense snack food.”
Try sipping on a cup or two of vegetable soup an hour or so before you plan on eating a heavier meal. Studies have shown “that consuming soup as a preload can significantly reduce subsequent entrée intake, as well as total energy intake at the meal.” Choose a store-bought vegetable soup or try making your own using the easy recipe at the end of this article. -
3. Cottage Cheese
It’s time to reacquaint yourself with cottage cheese! This is a fabulous source of protein (a single cup contains over half your recommended daily amount) along with vitamin B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, and selenium. Regular consumption of cottage cheese (in addition to other high-protein dairy products) has been lauded for its favorable effects on weight loss in women.
Cottage cheese can be eaten on its own, but it becomes an extra tasty snack when topped with your favorite non-starchy fruits and vegetables. Cottage cheese can also be a valuable source of healthy probiotics. In a study of overweight women, half of the subjects were given a probiotic containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus and the other half were given a placebo. Over a 24-week period, women who had taken the probiotic had lost twice as much weight as the women who had been given the placebo.
Although the particular probiotic strain used in the study is only found in Nestlé products, scientists hypothesize that these results could be replicated using other naturally occurring probiotics found in dairy products. -
4. Celery
Celery has never been able to shake its popular reputation as a so-called fat-burning food despite the fact that science has concluded time and time again that this is false. Even if celery were a negative-calorie food, you’d have to eat an incredible amount of it to produce any noticeable weight loss results.
As registered dietitian Alix Turoff cautioned in a Food & Wine article, “While you might burn a few extra calories eating foods such as celery or grapefruit (another negative calorie food), this won’t replace an exercise regimen. You’d have to eat a TON of celery to get any sizeable calorie burn. Instead, eat foods like celery because they are low calorie foods to fill up on and when you’re full, you’re less likely to eat the higher calorie foods like cookies or pizza.”
If you’re going to eat celery, do it because you actually enjoy it as a crunchy snack. And try adding some hummus or Kostyk’s favorite accompaniment, a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. -
5. Grapefruit
Grapefruit has been thought of as a fat-burning food for almost 100 years, when the grapefruit diet (also known as the Hollywood diet) first started making the rounds in the 1930s. Followers of this short-term diet claim that grapefruit has special enzymes that when eaten at certain times (usually before a meal) can help your body burn off fat.
The reality is that the grapefruit diet works because you end up in a serious calorie deficit, consuming only 800 calories a day—not because of any magical fat-burning properties. Grapefruit has recently made headlines once again, this time with claims that grapefruit could lower blood sugar just as well as prescription drugs for individuals who have type 2 diabetes.
An article on the UK National Health Service website calls some of these results into question, however, saying that these conclusions are misleading because the testing had been conducted on mice in a controlled laboratory setting and the study itself had been funded by the California Grapefruit Growers Cooperative. In short, don’t look to grapefruit as a miracle weight loss food. Enjoy it because it’s delicious, very low in calories, and high in vitamins A and C. -
6. Green Tea
A hot cup of green tea is the ultimate pick-me-up during afternoons at the office that seem like they’re dragging on forever. Green tea consumption has been credited with accelerating weight loss and helping those stubborn pounds stay lost for good, but what does the science have to say about it?
The truth, it turns out, is complicated. Some studies support claims that green tea plays a role in weight loss, but the results have been based on very small sample groups. It seems that the caffeine in green tea has a larger role than the tea itself and that results are largely dependent on how much caffeine the participants normally consume.
A study of 76 overweight and moderately obese subjects found that for those individuals with low regular caffeine consumption, green tea had a positive effect on weight maintenance (and made no difference for subjects who regularly consumed high amounts of caffeine). Green tea is rich in polyphenols, which are a particularly powerful form of antioxidants. The effects of these antioxidants have been studied extensively on animal models and are widespread, including potentially positive effects on certain types of cancers, stomach ailments, and other chronic illnesses. -
7. Berries
When it comes to eating berries, the sheer variety is enough to keep you snacking happily for a long time. Whether you love strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or any of the other fruits from the berry family, you can always feel good about including them in your diet.
Although berries are not the fat-burning food that some sources promise, a recent study has shown that eating fruit can prevent weight gain from occurring. Strawberries and blueberries were actually credited as being some of the most beneficial fruit in this study, along with apples, pears, and peppers.
What makes this study so interesting is the fact that subjects in the study could still be eating the same number of calories as before, but when the calories came from fruit, the subjects still lost weight. Scientists aren’t sure whether to attribute these findings to the fruits and vegetables themselves (it’s also important to consider outside factors such as the lifestyle and educational background of the subjects involved), but they do feel confident recommending that people eat more fruits and vegetables based on fiber and nutrient content. -
8. Spicy Peppers
If you love to pile on the spicy peppers, you’ll be pleased to learn that scientists are currently studying the effects of capsaicin (the chemical in hot peppers responsible for the sensation of heat) on weight loss. Animal studies have shown that capsaicin has a positive metabolic impact on genetically diabetic mice and demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties.
A small study conducted on 34 human subjects showed a potential link between capsaicin consumption and increased energy expenditure, which led the subjects to burn more fat as fuel. Not a fan of fiery foods? Dihydrocapsiate is a non-spicy chemical that’s also found in chili peppers, and its thermogenic effects are similar to that of capsaicin. -
9. Chicken Breasts
Chicken breasts are loaded with protein and can be prepared in a number of different ways to suit every taste and every budget. Protein is associated with increased satiety after a meal, which makes it ideal for both meals and snacks. Chicken breast is also a good option for individuals with diabetes, as it helps to lower the glycemic load of the meal. For best results choose chicken breasts without the skin, and opt for organic poultry whenever possible.
“Souper” Filling Vegetable Soup
This recipe for vegetable soup is endlessly adaptable based on your own preferences and what’s in your fridge at any given time. You can make your own vegetable stock or buy a good-quality version for this recipe. This recipe will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days and can be frozen for future snacks.
Yields 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable stock (homemade or store-bought version such as Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base)
- 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 4–5 cups chopped non-starchy vegetables (check out this definitive list)
- Juice of half a lemon or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Optional ingredients
- Shredded chicken breast
- Fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, dill, and thyme)
- Cooked rice or quinoa
- Cooked small pasta
Special equipment
- Large stock pot
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Can opener
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Long wooden spoon
- Citrus juicer (optional)
Method
- In a large stock pot, heat the vegetable stock over medium-high heat until it’s simmering.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes and chopped vegetables to the simmering stock and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes (longer for heartier vegetables). If using any of the optional ingredients, add them at this time.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve piping hot on its own or as a side to your regularly scheduled meal.
The Important Truth About the Fat-Burning Foods Trend
It would be fantastic if fat-burning foods were a reality. The idea of eating snacks that actually burn fat would be incredible, if only because it would allow those looking to lose weight to get some extra help from the foods they were eating. In reality, weight loss requires permanent changes to your diet and exercise regimen.
While a stick of celery or half a grapefruit might not actually burn fat, they are definitely a nutritious addition to your diet thanks to their fiber and vitamin content. Instead of viewing these foods as cure-all ingredients, look at them as a means to take care of yourself and treat your body with respect (which is the most important part of any lifestyle change).
In the Pacific Northwest, the arrival of spring is marked by two events: the sudden burst of cotton candy-colored cherry blossoms and the appearance of outdoor farmers’ markets. Whether you’re a diehard supporter of your local market (by this point, your favorite vendors know you by name) or you’re thinking about visiting one for the first time, we have all the tips you need to navigate the farmers’ market like a pro!
Why shop at farmers’ markets?
Shopping at farmers’ markets is, first and foremost, a fantastic way to support your local economy. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, vendors can potentially earn upward of 90 cents on the dollar for their wares due to the fact that their processing, marketing, and distribution costs are much lower or completely absent (this is compared to an average of 15.6 cents per dollar that farmers earn from food sold in supermarkets). Choosing to shop at farmers’ markets is also a great way to enjoy the best of what’s currently in season, often at a lower price than you’ll find in grocery stores.
Get to know your local vendors.
Getting to know your favorite vendors is also a major perk to shopping at a farmers’ market. Think of these people as experts: Not only do they grow, harvest, and prepare the food themselves, they’ll also know exactly what to recommend based on your tastes or what’s at the peak of its growing season.
Many vendors are more than happy to offer a sample of their wares, just be mindful of proper farmers’ market etiquette and avoid helping yourself without asking. If the stall is busy, try not to hover or engage the farmers in prolonged conversation; they still have a job to do!
To haggle or not to haggle?
If you like to haggle it’s definitely best to do so toward closing time as it’s the time of day when vendors are more likely to sell leftover goods at lower prices. Keep in mind that farmers aren’t required to haggle (after all, this is how they make their livelihood) and never attempt to barter if the vendor is busy with other customers. Again, the better you know the farmer, the better your chances are of getting a good deal on those leftover heirloom tomatoes when the market is about to close for the day.
Cutting Costs: How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck
Fresh produce is almost always cheaper when it’s at the height of its season and farmers will sometimes sell overstock at a reduced price. Fruits and vegetables that are deemed “unattractive” may also be discounted and once they’ve been cut up no one will know the difference (all they’ll be able to taste is perfectly ripe produce). Baked goods, prepared foods, meat, fish, and alcohol can be on the pricey side, so stick to the basics if you’re shopping on a budget.
Is the produce at farmers’ markets organic?
If you regularly shop for organic produce and this is an important factor for you, make sure to check with someone at each stall to see if what they’re selling has been certified organic by the USDA. It’s important to consider the fact that organic certification can be incredibly costly for farmers and many of them essentially grow their produce organically but aren’t able to afford the actual certification. Although they might not be certified, chances are that produce bought from a farmers’ market is locally grown with care and attention to soil, growing methods, and heirloom varietals.
What to Bring to the Farmers’ Market
Shopping at farmers’ markets is a very different experience than shopping at a grocery store and can be very enjoyable if you’re prepared. Make sure you bring reusable bags or a basket. A small carry-cart on wheels is super helpful if you’re planning on buying a week’s worth of food. Recycled jars and other containers are environmentally friendly and can also be helpful if you’re shopping for bulk goods.
Don’t assume that vendors will take credit cards (although some do). Bring cash instead (this can also be helpful if you’re trying to stay within a certain budget). Finally, give yourself plenty of time to look around before you begin buying; you’ll have an easier time refining your shopping list and finding the best bargains.
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When this year started, you probably had some sort of fitness-related goal, right? (We definitely did!) As we’re really digging into 2018, we’re still chasing those goals—and trying to look good while doing it. Our top tip for an easy way to feel fit? Pick up a few new pieces of work-to-workout attire; it’s certainly been helping us up our style game in the gym (and everywhere else).
Get on the fit and fab train by incorporating these athleisure trends into your wardrobe. After all, keeping it sporty and comfortable 24/7 is the dream!
What is athleisure anyway?
At its core, the athleisure trend involves wearing gym clothes outside of the gym—in a fashionable way. The term athleisure has been around since the early aughts but didn’t become a global trend until fall 2014, when the world decided leggings and a hoodie could be worn in a fashion-forward way. (Thank you, Vogue.)
When we think athleisure, visions of yoga pants, leggings, and sports bras dance in our heads, and shopping bags from athletic clothing companies like adidas, Nike, lululemon, and Athleta abound. Pair one or two of those items with some casual closet staples and you’ve got yourself a solid athleisure outfit.
If you haven’t seen women wearing sneakers and sweat-wicking tops everywhere from school to the grocery store, you haven’t been looking. Women’s willingness to take these sporty essentials out of the gym and studio is why athleisure has become—and remains—so popular.
This trend has been seen all over the globe on everyone from big name celebrities to fashion bloggers to your co-workers. Personal trainer Massy Arias even kicked off 2018 in an athleisure outfit on New Year’s Eve when she paired athletic leggings with metallic sneakers, a crop top, and an edgy metallic jacket.
True, some people may say the trend is dying, but a glance around during any shopping trip or coffee run will show you otherwise. If you’re late to the athleisure party, have no fear; we’ve got your back. Read on for our favorite pieces (and how to wear them).
How to Buy Athleisure (That Actually Looks Good)
The great thing about wearing an athleisure look is that you probably already have a gorgeous piece or two in your workout clothing drawer. Beyond those go-tos, we suggest you keep a few things in mind as you begin building your athleisure arsenal.
Ideally, your athleisure wardrobe should consist of functional workout wear. This is most important for leggings or yoga pants because these are items that can get worn out easily. Plus, they’re typically more expensive, meaning you won’t have as many leggings to swap out as you will cotton t-shirts or tanks.
Don’t forget to look for workout gear with interesting details. Shiny leggings that look like faux leather? You got it. Moto-inspired stitching or padding? Absolutely. These are the kinds of things that make an athleisure outfit look intentional, instead of like you forgot to change after spin class.
Athleisure That’s Worth the Splurge
We’re always on the hunt for the newest and best workout gear, and getting a stylish outfit out of the deal is an awesome bonus. That said, prepare to splurge on pieces that you’ll actually wear to work and to work out. High-quality leggings will never be a bad choice; cheaper leggings have a tendency to be see-through (or become see-through with regular washing), which isn’t ideal.
The same goes for yoga pants. “No athleisure outfit would be complete without yoga pants. I love my workout pants, but I often find them too constricting for leisurely activities. Yoga pants work better for me because they’re as comfortable as sweats but look cuter,” says NYC-based fashion blogger Claire Shay.
Other items, such as gym sneakers, jackets, and sports bras, are a great place to invest in your workout wardrobe. Ko Im, who is a yoga and meditation teacher and editor of NY YOGA + Life, says you always need a good sports bra for your favorite workout activity. “And socks—always need more socks.”
We also suggest splurging on pieces you know you’ll wear for years. If you’re just dipping your toes into the athleisure trend and your usual style doesn’t include workout gear, it can be better to save. But if you’re a regular gym-goer who’s ready to incorporate your love of function and mobility into your everyday (and night!) wardrobe, look at pricier athleisure pieces like leggings from Girlfriend Collective and Alo or a supportive bra from Vimmia.
Save your pennies on these athleisure pieces.
There’s no need to drop a bunch of cash on a whole new chic athleisure wardrobe. Pieces you can save on are hoodies, joggers, sweatpants, and your collection of workout tees. Some of these (like cotton tees) you probably already have a whole bunch of. Im, for one, says not to waste your money on workout shirts: “You get freebies all the time and you get tired of wearing the same design anyways.”
These items are pretty much a dime a dozen, and a luxury pair of joggers probably won’t look significantly different from ones you can find at Target.
Our Fave Athleisure Product Picks
“I wear athleisure when I need to run errands or if I want to look cute but don’t feel like wearing a real outfit. Athleisure is also my go-to when I need to travel!” says Shay, who even wears athleisure to work—proving that she’s dialed in to the 24/7 athleisure life.
Here are our favorite picks to get you started:
Jackets
You can’t go wrong with a classic adidas track jacket—it’s an athleisure must-have, if you ask us. If you’re not digging the ’90s vibe, try this PUMA jacket instead. It has a boxy shape and reminds us of a bomber jacket gone sporty. You can wear it in the exact same way as the adidas jacket (without looking like you’re headed to a soccer match).
Shop Jackets:
Sweatshirts and Hoodies
If you’re going to wear a hoodie in a fashionable way, we suggest looking for interesting details. A plain old hoodie can do the trick sometimes, but if you’re feeling fancy, why not try out something a little different, like this twist front or criss cross sweatshirt? They do the same job but don’t look like the hoodies you stockpiled in high school. We also love this boat neck sweatshirt for understated French girl vibes and this cropped adidas hoodie for changing up the shape of an otherwise standard piece.
Shop Sweatshirts and Hoodies:
Leggings
If you’re buying leggings specifically for an athleisure look, go for something with a little more oompf than your plain old black leggings. We’re loving moto-inspired leggings: Check out this ultra-chic matte shine and mesh pair from Alo and this leather-look pair from HPE. Both pairs are so stylish that they can be worn from the studio to the streets with ease. If you want something that’s a little more basic but still great for everyday, opt for the Athleta Organic Cotton Be Present Tight.
Shop Leggings:
Joggers
Need a break from the leggings? Keep it loose and light with a standby pair of joggers. The tapered leg gives you more shape than your typical sweatpant, and they can be scrunched to emphasize a fun pair of shoes. We love these ultra-lightweight Outdoor Voices cropped joggers for spring and summer because you won’t get too hot. For a full-length pair, go for these lululemon joggers or the more budget-friendly adidas classics.
Shop Joggers:
Sneakers
Picking the right trainer is definitely dependent on comfort and the type of workouts you do, but when it comes to both style and function, we can’t get enough of these APL Running Shoes. (We’re loving those black-and-white speckled soles.) For something less suited to running but equally stylish, you can’t go wrong with the tried-and-true adidas Superstars or Gazelles in a fresh colorway.
Shop Sneakers:
Accessories
Gym accessories are typically limited to headbands and hair ties, but when you’re styling an athleisure outfit, your options are unlimited. To keep things sporty, we’re vibing with this Bando hat (to keep your post sweat-sesh hair locked down) and this neoprene backpack from Dagne Dover that can take you from work to gym and back again—a true athleisure power move.
How to Style Athleisure Pieces
Shopping is the easy part, but styling an outfit can be challenging if you aren’t used to the athleisure life. “Styling athleisure is so different for everyone because it’s such a diverse area of fashion,” says Shay.
We’ve broken down a few situations to help you come up with your ideal outfit:
Gym to Coffee
The key rule of thumb for all your athleisure looks: Make sure your athleisure gear isn’t dirty, sweaty, or smelly. If it was arms day and your fitness chic leggings are still clean and fresh, switch out that sweaty top for an oversized sweater and grab your favorite statement clutch bag to accessorize. You can pop out for that coffee and feel confident while doing it.
Create The Look:
A Night Out With the Girls
Comfy clubwear coming your way! Philadelphia-based fashion blogger Kylie Francis says, “Don’t be afraid to go out for a night on the town rocking athleisure! Style up a mesh tee and leggings with statement earrings and wedges and you’re good to go!” We also suggest cute joggers with a pair of pumps. (Trust us, it’s way more chic than it may sound.)
As for tops, you can try them in so many different ways. You could tuck in a slouchy tee, wear a cropped tank, or opt for a bodysuit that you can dress up with statement earrings or a bold bag. A night out dancing never felt so good.
Create The Look:
Date Night
Depending on where date night is, athleisure can totally work! Mini golf date, burgers and a movie, or trivia night at a local brewpub? Athleisure is absolutely a-okay. Think trainers, leggings, a tunic, and a jean jacket. It’ll definitely send that laidback vibe you’re going for. That being said, athleisure might not be the best choice for a more formal affair. Dinner at a ritzy upscale restaurant? Save the leggings for tomorrow morning.
Create The Look:
Wear to Work
Wearing athleisure to work depends entirely on your workplace dress code. If you have a strict business-wear dress code, don’t go around getting notes in your HR folder because you’re dying to test the athleisure trend. But for workplaces with relaxed guidelines, we suggest a cool pair of sneakers, your favorite skinny jeans, a tank of your choice, and a zip-up track jacket. Wear your hair in a ponytail and go for fun earrings!
If you can go all-out athleisure style, try Francis’ standard work outfit. She wears “leggings (think fun ones, like crop or mesh) and always pair them with a strappy back bra with a open back tee or sweater. And I always pair my outfit with my Nike Metcons, since CrossFit is my go-to workout!”
Create The Look:
Weekend Wear
Athleisure getups are perfect when you’re going for a casual, comfortable look. We love trainers, scrunched joggers, a plain white tee, and a utility jacket. It’s sporty and casual—but fashionable enough to look like you’re put together.
Create The Look:
Quick Tips: Athleisure Do’s and Don’ts
In the world of fashion, there aren’t really any rules! That’s even more true when it comes to athleisure. When the look is relaxed, so are the rules. Shay says, “I think the great thing about athleisure is that there aren’t any don’ts because you can do what you want with the style!” But we threw together a few tips that can help you get a handle on the trend. From there, you can get experimental and put your favorites together in new ways.
Do:
- Wear your athleisure look out and about before heading to the gym.
- Mix with other wardrobe staples. Class up your comfiest joggers with a pair of slick heels. Wear leggings and a sports bra with an oversized sweater.
- Take notes from Im, who suggests you pair the “sporty and the soft.” She says she likes to pair classic leggings with a cozy sweater, sexy top, or cool jacket and will finish the outfit with “a rockin’ pair of boots.”
Don’t:
- Wear your sweaty or stinky post-Bikram sports bra as a fashion statement.
- Wear old or worn workout shirts with jeans.
- “Be afraid to show off a fun sports bra with a really cool cutout back tank or tee!” This comes from Francis, who encourages everyone to make sure their bra is a good fit. Shay chimes in, “I find that athleisure outfits never look good on me when I don’t wear the right bra … Most workout tops are designed to be worn with workout bras or designed to have a bit of the bra peeking through for detail. Wearing the wrong bra can really damage that look!”
- Get too matchy. Francis advises against wearing a distressed tee with distressed leggings, for example. Instead, she suggests picking just one statement piece and rocking it with staple items.
Wearing your favorite workout gear as a fashion statement is a must in 2018. Not only can you wear athleisure trends pretty much anywhere—with the right forethought, they’ll look downright smashing. Use this guide to start you on your way to an all-athleisure, all the time personal style.
When my doctor wrote me a prescription for 10 minutes spent in nature each day, I thought she was joking. It turns out that an increasing number of medical professionals are prescribing ecotherapy—that is, contact with nature—for their patients. This could include anything from sports in outdoor environments to spending time with animals to hanging out in a park or garden.
While sunshine and fresh air might seem like a crunchy response to illness, there’s actually a great deal of research that suggests nature has a positive impact on people’s mental and physical health.
Studies suggest time in nature can improve the memory and cognitive function of people with depression. Group walks are also associated with a lower rate of depression, better mental well-being, and less perceived stress—in other words, people cope better with stressful life events when they intentionally spend time in nature with others.
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A number of studies have also suggested that gardens in hospitals have a number of health benefits for patients, particularly stress-reducing benefits. While there is a need for more research, nature-based therapy is often used to successfully treat people with stress-related illnesses.
Ecotherapy also includes animal-assisted therapy. Those of us with furbabies can attest to their abilities to heal and comfort, and science suggests the same. For example, various studies show that animal-assisted therapy can aid in treating depression, helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder, and comforting those with dementia.
But why is ecotherapy good for us? And how exactly does it work?
While ecotherapy experts can’t pinpoint exactly why ecotherapy works, there are a few well-supported theories. In a meta-study, leading ecotherapy expert Craig Chalquist attributes ecotherapy to the fact that we’ve evolved to exist in natural environments. Remaining in urban areas is thus like taking an animal out of their natural habitat—we don’t adapt to it easily. “Disconnection from the natural world in which we evolved produces a variety of psychological symptoms that include anxiety, frustration, and depression,” he writes. “These symptoms cannot be attributed solely to intrapsychic or intrafamilial dynamics.”
In a world where we’re often looking at screens and processing a lot of stimulating information, nature can provide us with a much-needed break. Staring at your screen all day can be overwhelming, and a few minutes spent in the garden or park can give you time to relax and recharge.
Since most of us are stuck in offices for the majority of the day, it’s pretty hard to incorporate more nature into our weekdays. If you’d like to harness the de-stressing power of nature during the day, try some of the following ecotherapy activities:
- If possible, get outside during your lunch break. Instead of eating lunch at your desk or in the office break room, head to a nearby park or walk down a leafy avenue. Even a breather on the balcony or in a garden is a great way to get some quality time with nature!
- Get some houseplants to spruce up your work area. Indoor plants are shown to have a positive effect on our well-being. A recent study suggested that potted plants have a positive impact on job satisfaction, too.
- Try to spend a little time in nature before or after work. If possible, try walking or cycling to work. If not, have your morning coffee while sitting in a natural environment or read a book in the park after work.
According to many ecotherapists, ecotherapy should also include giving back to nature. This can be therapeutic in itself. For example, it can be super satisfying to work on a garden and see your handiwork come to life, and cleaning up a park can give you a sense of accomplishment. For this reason, activities like plogging (that is, picking up litter while jogging) can be beneficial to your health and the environment.
If you’re interested in giving back to nature while enjoying the benefits of ecotherapy, try activities like beach cleanups, working in a community garden, planting trees, or tending to a small indoor succulent garden. Want to get out and enjoy nature with others? Plan a hike or commit to taking your pup for a walk at least twice a week. Don’t have a dog? Meet up with a friend or neighbor who does.
Recreation.gov and the National Audubon Society also host excellent resources for finding inspiring outdoor destinations near you.
You recycle and compost. You keep A/C use to a minimum and barely drive. You’re a sustainable kind of woman—but now you’re wedding planning. (Congrats, by the way!)
You imagine a celebration with zero paper goods, reclaimed wood tables, a sustainable dress, herb centerpieces plucked from your garden, locally grown flowers…maybe something out in the woods? But how do you honor your environmental ideals while wedding planning—especially if you want a big one?
“Sustainability can mean a lot of things in the real world,” says Sasha Pollock, a climate policy consultant in Portland who had an eco-friendly wedding. “You have to consider it on a financial and personal level, too. How are we being environmentally sustainable while not making ourselves crazy and not spending a ridiculous amount of money?”
Her biggest wedding planning advice? Eliminate things that don’t matter to you. “Having a bunch of lavish flowers wasn’t a big deal for me. Neither was having a huge group of people who are all wearing the same dress, but having delicious food and really good drinks was a big deal, so that’s what we focused on financially.”
Kelsey Motes-Conners, a wedding designer and the founder and owner of Field: A Wedding Design Studio in Montana, agrees. She advises couples to work with one guiding principle: Decide what is really of value to you.
If you’re committed to a sustainable, eco-friendly wedding, wonderful! This might mean choosing a location that doesn’t force every person you know to fly 1,000 miles across the country; it might mean choosing locally sourced organic food that then gets donated to a homeless shelter; it might mean zero paper.
Unless you have an unlimited budget, you’ll have to make choices about where you want to put the bulk of your energy and finances, so sitting down and having numerous heart-to-hearts with your beloved (and perhaps a wedding planner!) will really help guide your choices.
Wedding Planning Step 1: Getting Started
If you want a giant guest list and party and have the means for it, go ahead, but there’s no need to go into massive debt while wedding planning.
Set a budget.
“One of the things that’s really difficult about setting a wedding budget is that people generally haven’t planned a wedding before,” explains Motes-Conners. It is not uncommon to find that the photographer who did your fantastic family portraits for a totally affordable price charges way more for wedding photography.
Motes-Conners says there are two ways to work within a budget while wedding planning, and only one is really effective: “Some people come to me before they’ve planned anything and say, ‘My budget is $20K.’ We can work within those parameters! But some fall in love with a space or launch into plans and book a venue before projecting all vendor costs.”
What happens then? Often there isn’t enough money left for…food. This is a particularly important part of sustainable wedding planning—some things will cost more (like food), but you might be able to save a bunch on other things (like going paperless or favor-less).
Pro Tip: If you know you want to work with a wedding planner, book her first, and have a transparent conversation about your vision, your budget, and what planning services will cost. Yes, this is an additional fee, but it might come out in the wash because of all the insider knowledge and the work they will take off your plate: “Planners have the best pulse on what venues and vendors will cost in their region.”
Don’t want a wedding planning expert by your side? That’s fine, but downloading a wedding planning calculator from your favorite wedding planning website might not be of much use. “Prices vary from place to place and venue to venue, so you need to get actual costs associated with particular vendors to set your budget.”
Bonus Pro Tip: “Your sanity is part of sustainability,” Pollock says. “If you lose it, it’s all for nothing.” Throughout the odyssey that is wedding planning, keep the marriage in mind, instead of laser-focusing on every small detail.
Use an app.
Wedding planning involves a lot of moving parts, so keeping all the information in one place (especially if you don’t have a planner) is key. Motes-Conners recommends Aisle Planner. She also suggests using websites that are local to your area instead of a giant well-known website, which are straight-down-the-rabbit hole fun. Not only will the finances be more accurate, but the advertisers on the site will probably also be local.
Create a wedding website.
This is an easy-as-pie way to keep people in the loop without having to send a gazillion follow-up emails or using a smidge of paper! (More on that later.) SquareSpace has a lovely template. Zola also provides clear, functional designs. And, of course, there are always the experts at The Knot!
Don’t forget about your mental health.
Has anyone told you wedding planning is stressful? Kidding! Everyone knows this!
A lot of the stress comes from—you guessed it—finances, and it can drive you to the brink. “The question of who is going to pay for what is more fluid now than it was 50 years ago,” Motes-Conners explains, “so often it comes with a different set of expectations.” In other words, when the father of the bride once paid for the whole thing, he had a lot of say. No more.
Pro Tip: It’s important to be clear about why you’re making these kinds of wedding planning choices—with yourself, with your partner, and with those contributing financially, especially if being sustainable is your top wedding planning priority.
“I always tell my clients to ask themselves, Why? Why this wedding for you?” This helps when you feel like you have to justify certain costs and decisions to those who might be helping you foot the bill. You want to be able to go to your parents, in-laws, or grandparents and say, This is why we’re doing it this way, This is what’s meaningful to us, This is what we want our day to be about. “That can soften the blow when your mom wants you to have four-tier lemon cake and you want a raspberry tart made by your best friend,” Motes-Conners explains. “You can frame it in larger context of what’s meaningful to you.”
Wedding Planning Step 2: Picking Your Vibe and Vendors
Even your venue will affect how environmentally friendly your wedding is. From multiple vendors coming to set up in the hours or even days ahead to guests who might be traveling across town or across country, all of it has an environmental impact.
Picking the Location
“Consider the guests’ air and car travel,” Motes-Conners says. “What might that carbon footprint look like?” It’s lovely to plan a low-key wedding with recycled paper, organic food, and few guests in the Bahamas, but what kind of environmental cost will it be for everyone to fly there? Is there a more central place that would be more environmentally responsible?
Then think about what the venue will require. Heating and cooling costs might come to around the same amount—a wedding in New York City in July or in January might amount to the same fees in A/C or heating bills!—but planning an outdoor wedding at least saves you some of that environmental impact.
That said, it’s not that simple. If you have a simple backyard wedding, you may not be heating an entire hall (hooray!), but you might be throwing away hundreds of paper plates, napkins, and even more plastic utensils and cups. You’ll have to weigh the cost and ease of using disposable supplies versus glass and china and choose the option that makes the most sense to you.
Pro Tip: In contemplating a venue, you want to consider where your guests will be staying. Can they stay on site or nearby to avoid driving to and from venue? Some weddings—at, say, a resort or a summer camp—are set up in such a way that most (if not all) guests stay on the premises. This obviously cuts down a lot on travel time and on fossil fuels!
Picking the Caterer
You want the food to be good. For a lot of couples, this is a non-negotiable, and other areas can be cut back on to grow the food budget. But there are other food requirements to consider when it comes to eco-friendly wedding planning.
You can work with a caterer who sources locally and organically and who only uses produce that’s in season. A great eco-friendly caterer will help you shape a menu that’s seasonal to your chosen location. “These days, a lot of caterers are working with local farms and ranches and do a good job of focusing on more sustainable agriculture,” Motes-Conners explains. The same goes for local breweries and wineries.
“We made sure our caterer used non-disposable plates and glasses and the food was locally sourced,” Pollock says. “In some people’s minds, having a vegan wedding might be better. We had chicken and bacon, but it was sustainably grown.”
Be sure to ask the caterers what they do with the leftover food. Some will donate it to a homeless shelter or local food bank. Some will pack it up and give it to guests to have for lunch the next day. (But again: What is it being packed up in?) Some may even compost it. The bottom line: You don’t want all that extra stuff to end up in a landfill.
And if you aren’t into wedding cake? A few options: If you’re going really local, consider ordering various cakes, pies, donuts, or cupcakes from your favorite local bakeries. This way you have a variety! If you have friends who are wonderful bakers, ask if they will bake a cake or pie (or two!) as their gifts (you’ll have to ask a few baking friends). This can be an extremely meaningful contribution to the day.
Picking the Flowers
How “green” you can be when ordering wedding flowers depends entirely on where you are in the country and what time of year it is. If you’re looking at a January wedding in North Dakota, it might sadly be hard to find local flowers! “If you’re in New York, Seattle, or Los Angeles, for example, where you have access to a flower market, it will be much easier to be flexible about flowers in the way that you have to be if you want seasonal, locally grown flowers,” Motes-Conners explains.
The seasonality and availability of specific flowers naturally depends on moisture and weather in your area. If you have your heart set on something very specific as you’re wedding planning, your florist’s job is to make that happen, but that might mean flying it in from South America or the Netherlands, which will cast a large carbon footprint.
According to Motes-Conners, farmer florists are gaining momentum. In places with longer growing seasons, florists are branching out into farming so they can raise and grow flowers to design with. This is sustainable and gives back to local economy. But it comes with a different mentality—your priority is getting something local rather than the exact bouquet you want.
Wedding Planning Step 3: Choosing Your Crew
It is such an honor to be a bridesmaid—and sometimes, it is a royal pain in the you-know-what. Bridezillas. Money flying out of your bank account. Travel to various ends of the earth. Party after party—all of which you’re supposed to plan!
Generally your besties will be honored to help you with every step of wedding planning. They’ll probably look forward to celebrating you, helping you find a dress or pantsuit, and standing by you as you say your vows to your beloved. But not if you ask too much of them.
“Be really conscious of your expectations,” Motes-Conners says. “What are you asking people to do? Honoring people you love is wonderful, but there seems to be a trend of really overblown financial expectations—fly to the Bahamas for the bachelorette party, fly to Portland for the bridal shower, fly somewhere else for the wedding.” Most people in their twenties and thirties simply cannot afford this, and even if they can, they might not want to spend their hard-earned cash this way.
A few suggestions:
- Go first tier only. This might sound terrible, but only ask your very, very, very closest friends, and keep the number small—like three or four. Especially if you’ve all known each other for decades, it will likely create an intimate planning atmosphere.
- Forget about bridesmaids! This might seem radical, but I did it and it was wonderful. This isn’t to say that I didn’t have my sister and best friends supporting me, but I found it too difficult to choose and didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Instead I offered people honors that suited their personalities and skills: Read a poem, Hold a leg of the Chuppah, Read a blessing, Sing a song, Sign the Ketubah. Bonus: No one had to wear matching dresses.
- Ask your siblings! All of them—brothers and sisters alike. In theory, they will be there anyway, and there’s no logical reason why your sibling of a different gender shouldn’t stand up there with you.
- Only have a maid/man of honor. One person: your sibling or best friend. Simple.
Pro Tip: Don’t ask friends to be in your wedding party too early, especially if you’ll have a long engagement. What if you have a fight and the relationship deteriorates? You might have to ask her to “resign.” Yikes!
Wedding Planning Step 4: Getting the Gowns (and Tuxes)
This is the part many women love most during wedding planning: buying the dress. The most sustainable thing you can do is wear vintage, but there are plenty of sustainable wedding dress designers, and it’s great to put your money where your ethics lie. First and foremost, you need to choose what’s important to you. For instance, Pollock bought a new wedding dress, but her attendants wore dresses they already owned.
Everyone loves a wedding dress. Nobody likes the wedding dress prices. Let’s talk about other options:
- No carbon footprint option: The most sustainable (and cheapest) option? Let your bridesmaids wear dresses they already own. You can choose a color palette (say, fall colors) and let them go hog wild. If they want to buy something new, great! But it’s their choice.
- Renting: You can look into renting bridesmaid dresses from Rent the Runway or Vow to be Chic. Dresses that sell for hundreds or thousands can be rented for under $100.
- Menswear: Men can rent tuxes from Nordstrom’s The Black Tux. No need to spend money and cloth on something you’ll only wear once.
- Sustainable Materials: More and more dresses are being made from eco-friendly fabrics. A good place to start is Reformation, but H&M now has an eco-conscious wedding collection, too!
- Go Vintage: Wear something that’s already been worn! Cut up your mom’s old wedding dress, or dive into consignment or vintage stores.
Pro Tip: Beyond renting and buying used, it’s nice to think about small design houses and local designers, ateliers, or shops. In terms of carbon footprint, that probably has a smaller impact than renting because even when you’re renting a wedding dress, it’s probably being shipped back and forth for fittings and for the return, so it’s not as eco-friendly as you might think.
Wedding Planning Step 5: Sharing The News
Invites, RSVP cards, ceremony program, seating chart, menu—how much of this crap do you really need? Especially if you’re thinking about all that paper.
As with all things related to wedding planning, focus on your priorities. If you think you don’t need paper, beautiful place cards, or menus printed, don’t do it! Paperless Post has gorgeous invites (and people don’t have to send anything back in the mail!). You can put the seating chart and/or the menu on a big chalkboard.
That said, these things can be lovely if the aesthetic is something you’re drawn to, and you can go with 100 percent recycled products. “I’m a printmaker by training,” Motes-Conners says, “so I love to feeling of paper, love printing texture. And by and large, there’s not a giant amount of paper.”
Pro Tip: For the love of all things holy, do not include seeds in the invitation (or in anything else). You don’t always know what kinds of seeds you’re getting and whether they will be safe in a different kind of soil. It could be an invasive species not meant to grow there, and actually cause environmental harm!
Wedding Planning Step 6: The Big Day
Putting Your Face On
You made it! The big day is here! After focusing so much on sustainability, don’t forget about what’s going on your face. To keep the theme going, opt for eco-friendly beauty brands that are ethically produced (no animal testing!). We recommend Tarte: Their products are never tested on animals and their expansive vegan-friendly line uses plant-based ingredients chock full of minerals, vitamins, and essential oils for a glow you can feel good about.
Giving Out Favors
The only favors that are universally appreciated? Edible ones! Remember that your guests are often traveling by plane so it’s sort of, let’s say, inconsiderate to give them creams, gels, or liquids—so as nice as it is to get locally sourced honey or maple syrup, you have to think about how they’ll get it home. Edibles (I’m talking cookies, chocolate, tea, or coffee) also don’t leave a lot of plastic behind, and probably won’t end up in the trash.
Pollock made wedding crackers—by saving toilet paper rolls for six months! One night she and her fiance had friends over, and in three hours they assembled over 100. Inside they inserted a recipe for old fashioneds—their favorite drink. It took more planning time, but was totally worth it to them.
Wedding Planning Step 7: Finding Your Focus
In the midst of all this wedding planning, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the most important thing: your marriage!
For most couples, the wedding planning and the ceremony only marks the beginning of your partnership. “If the idea of having all these people that you love get together and witness the fact that you’re actually getting married is important to you, then it’s worthwhile to invest yourself emotionally—not just financially!— in your wedding,” says Motes-Conners. “Use it as an opportunity to connect with people in your life who mean something to you and your partner, and have it be a galvanizing moment amidst the chaos of all those people in one space. You get to determine how meaningful your wedding is and what it means.”
There is something unspeakably powerful about the people you love being there to witness you moving into this next phase of your life and knowing they will be there when things get tough. The onus is on you to set the tone as you’re wedding planning. The guests are making a major investment to celebrate you and it’s vital that you honor their commitment. “Your marriage and wedding are, in most respects, two different things, but where they intersect is up to you.”
