Freelancing and Health

Workout Highlights Nov 4 – Nov 10

Paul Roberts — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 10:45:11 -0800

Key workouts: Mon (practice your muscle-up scaling), Tues (practice Clean & Jerk), Wed (work on your Pose running) and Thu (practice double unders and pull-ups). Saturday should be a fun workout for everyone.

Key Point: This week features a lot of pull-up style movements so do extra mobility tonight on forearms, lats, and biceps. Start using your hand cream now.

Mon: Gymnastics

Box Jumps and Bar Muscle-up. This is a key workout to attend to improve your mechanics on a challenging pullup.

Tue: Heavy Day – WL

3 Squat Cleans + Jerk. Improve your mechanics on this Oly Combo.

Wed: Run Metcon

Running and Dumbbell Lunges team up in a familiar Hyrox-style combo. Challenger Bonus: Ring Pushups, Hollow Rocks, and a Death by Reps Finisher

Thu: SW, Dubs, P/U Triplet

A new “Fight Gone Bad” style triplet with three moves and 4 rounds. Great workout to improve your dubs and pullup volume.

Sat: Partner – Endurance

Hit some big numbers in an I-Go-You-Go 25-30 WOD with squats, rowing, and sit-ups

Workout Highlights Oct 27 – Nov 3

Paul Roberts — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 00:34:06 -0700

Workout Highlights
Oct 27 – Nov 3

If you can only make five classes in the next eight days, these are the classes to attend. Tomorrow’s 8AM OnRamp workout features the popular requested Heavy Day & Metcon combo. This week we are offering a free Challenger Class (Wed). Everyone is invited to join Coach Laura for the Capital Run which meets at 7AM next Sunday.

Sun: Oct 27: Heavy Day + Metcon 8AM

Squat Cleans & Thrusters followed by “All out Fury” – a Metcon of wall balls and double unders.

Monday: Oct 28: Heavy Grace

30 Clean and Jerks tip the scales at 155/225.

Tuesday: Oct 29: Rowing Burpee Brigade

Partner row with 10 burpees every 2 for 30 minutes. For distance.

Wednesday: Oct 30: Challenger Classic (Free*)

The return of the classic speed work combo of 800m and 400m runs. When you’re done… a bout of “Half Cindy” awaits. When you’re on the floor… join us for 3 minutes of L-Holds. Free class for all CrossFit members with at least 3 month’s experience.

Sunday: Nov 3: Run Club – Capital Run (Free*) 7AM

Join the Run Club as we take on the Nation’s Capital in our two-bridge monument run. Free for members with a CrossFit Membership.

Toes To Bar (T2B) – 6 Tips and Progressions

Paul Roberts — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 08:37:43 -0700

Toes to bar is one of my favorite core exercises in CrossFit, but it took me a long time to really master it. This article features demonstrations on all the progressions for toes to bar, plus eight great tips to help you improve and also protect your hands.

Paul on Toes to Bar

Value of Learning The T2B Gymnastics Skill

Training Power

Toes to Bar (T2B) quickly training the core, hips, shoulders, and grip. The speed at which this exercise can train and stress these muscle groups cannot be replicated by machines or other conventional “core” exercises.

Progression

The kipping toes to bar (KT2B) is a great progression tool for other gymnastics skills like the kipping bar muscle up and ring muscle up.

Movements Standards & Cues

Thumbs around the bar at all times
Active shoulders throughout the movement
Push the bar hard with your shoulders
Push yourself away from the bar as you bring your legs up
Keep your shoulders active as you pull your legs back down
Timing is critical when stringing them together.
Practice one kipping toes 2 bar / one kipping knee raise or beat swing until you get the proper rhythm.
It’s a skill… practice, practice, practice. Find a coach to help you.

Hand Protection

Chalk

Chalk is necessary on Toes to Bar type movements. Without chalk, the oils in your hands will make the bar slippery. Chalk also reduces damage to your skin from swinging in the bar.

Grips

Grips are massively helpful for Toes to Bar. They significantly reduce damage to your hands, reduce pain, and reduce fatigue. We sell the leading two types of grips… Victory Grips and Bear Komplex. Anyone that wants to try out them out, just ask a coach to try them out.

Gloves

Gloves do not work well for CrossFit. They bunch up and make the bar wider in your hands. No professional athletes or CrossFit coaches recommend using gloves in CrossFit. Save the gloves for Planet Fitness.

Progressions for the Toes To Bar

Kipping Toes to Bar is the Rx’d version in most cases. Progressing this skill up is generally done by wearing lifters or simply doing larger sets.
Strict Toes to Bar is generally done as a training exercises since it’s slower than the kipping version and require more effort.
Kipping Knees to Elbow is almost as difficult as the Toes 2 Bar. The main advantage of this variation is that it doesn’t have the same posterior chain mobility requirements as the Toes to Bar
Kipping Knee Raise: provided you are strong enough to hold yourself on the bar… this is an excellent scaling for more people. It directly builds the kipping mechanic and with practice… easily translated to the full toes to bar.
Hanging Knee Raise: This version is very commonly done… but not very effective for much of anything. It requires minimal effort and does not help you build the skill for the full version of the movement.
Beat Swing: this technique helps you practice and learn the kipping mechanic.
Supine Toes To Bar: this technique helps you build the core strength to do a full toes to bar. Try to keep your legs straight and knees locked out the whole to reap the maximal benefit.

CrossFit Shoe Guide

Paul Roberts — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:29:58 -0700

This in-depth CrossFit Shoe Guide will help you make the right decision as to which shoes / sneakers are best for your CrossFit classes. Whether you are just starting out or been CrossFitting for years, this guide provides a great deal of first-hand information not available anywhere else. Inside, we review seven types of shoes for CrossFit: trainers, lifters, inserts, hybrids, road running shoes, trail running shoes, and barefoot shoes. We cover the categories and provide you with specific model recommendations based on our experience.

About the Reviewer / Author

The first thing you should consider when reading any review is who is writing it. I CrossFit, practice yoga, and I run both on the trails and on the street. I take care of my feet and have incredible balance from doing so. I’m 5’4″ and 175 lbs. I wear a men’s 9 wide and generally prefer sneakers having a wider width.

And unlike 95% of the other sneakers guides out there, this article is written by a Level 3 CrossFit coach with 10 years of experience coaching CrossFit Classes. The article also isn’t sponsored in any way, nor did I receive any sneakers in exchange for featuring them in this article.

I wrote this article, because I love CrossFit and I want to share my 12 plus years of experience with you. I’m 43 years old, and I’m in the best shape of my life. Why? Because I’m disciplined in my training, have an amazing community at Sand & Steel, and I’m committed to learning as much about CrossFit as I can. I hope you find this article helpful!

Paul Roberts, Level 3 CrossFit Coach at the Savage Race.

CrossFit Training Shoe (“Trainers”)

Trainers are your bread and butter CrossFit shoe. Trainers are absolutely essential for CrossFit. CrossFitting without trainers is like playing soccer without cleats. I mean you can do it… but you are just exposing yourself to more risk of injury and leaving a great deal of performance on the table. Running shoes and general sneakers don’t have the necessary density in the foot bed to perform weight lifting correctly. They also don’t have the right kind of support for weight lifting either.

What Trainers Should I Buy and How Much Do They Cost?

In my opinion (and I have CrossFitted in well over 100 pairs of sneakers) there are only three choices in 2023.

With millions of people CrossFitting, the CrossFit shoe market is quite competitive. As of the date of publication of this article, the Metcon 8, Nano X2, and Nobull Trainer are the best shoes I’ve used to date.

Nike Metcon 8

Of all the shoes available, I think the Metcon Amp 8 is the single best shoe right now. It balances everything properly and is my choice for a heavy weight lifting workout when I can’t wear my lifters.

The fit on the Nike Metcon 8 is a little snug on the uppers. I wear “ultra-light” to “light” running socks with them and they fit just fine.

Reebok Nano X3/X2

The Reebok Nano has been with us for 13 generations and has at times been the best trainer available. It has also been terrible at times. The most recent Nanos are the best ones I’ve used and they bring back the love I had for the 3s and 4s.

Compared with the Nike Metcon 8, the Nanos are my choice for conditioning based workouts like box jumps, double unders, and lighter lifts. That’s not to say you can’t lift heavy in the Nano’s, I just prefer the Metcons.

Reebok markets the Nano X3 has a revolutionary shoe with it’s compressive heel for running. The technology works if you are a bad runner. Good running form has the athlete mid-foot strike and kiss the floor with his or her heel. It’s not necessary to make a compressive heel if you are running correctly. Most poor to moderate runners heel strike, in which case the Nano X3 is a little more forgiving.

The Nano X3 is not a running shoe, it’s a swiss army shoe, and its good at that particular role.

Reebok Nano 2

I haven’t tried the Nano 2s, but from what I’ve read, they are similar in design and technology to the Nano 3s. I’m not 100% sure why Reebok decided to take a step backwards with this shoe (although the Nano 3s were very impressive when they first came out.) If I wasn’t happy with the fit of the X3 or Metcon 8 (or hated the design), I’d try out the Nano 2.

Nobull Trainers

The new Official shoe of CrossFit… only third on the list? The current generation of their trainers uses older technology. Maybe 3-5 years old. When they came out, they were the best shoe around. Better than the Metcons and Nanos of that time. But, Reebok and Nike did not rest on their laurels and they built a better CrossFit shoe.

What about the Trainers+? Nobull makes a trainer+ shoe with more advanced technology. The toe box and top is very narrow. The shoe is actually far superior to the regular trainer, but it doesn’t fit me and doesn’t fit people with normal width feet. If you have narrow feet, it might be your best choice.

TYR Trainers (CXT-1)

I haven’t worn these shoes and I don’t know anyone who has them. So I can’t comment on them. I suspect they might be similar to the CrossFit Nano 2.0. I’ve read good things overall, so they are definitely worth your consideration.

Innov8

I bought a few pairs of Innov8s about 4-5 years ago (around the time Reebok was making the dreadful Nano 5’s and Nano 6’s). I’ve never been impressed with the Innov8s and haven’t used them since. They are not used by many athletes at our gym. I don’t know if Innov8 has improved their CrossFit shoes, but I’d be surprised if they were on par with the Metcon 8 or Nano X2/X3.

Lifters

Nike Romaleos 4

I have been lifting in the Romaleos for many years. They have consistently provided everything I’ve wanted in a lifting shoe… with the exception of the $200 price tag. Are they worth it? Yes. If you want to lift better at the back squat, front squat, clean, jerk, or snatch. Lifters are much more stable than trainers and far more effective and helping you deliver power to the bar. I have the 3s and they are really good. Although I believe most people prefers the 4s and 2s over the 3s.

TYR L-1 Lifter

I haven’t tried the TYR model yet, but I did just order them! From what I’ve read, they are slightly softer and more flexible than the Nike Romaleos. They also have a special wide toe box which sounds great to me. I just ordered them in Wodapalooza Purple. Definitely a love or it hate it design. The TYR L-1 Lifter comes more conservative colors as well. I’m expecting great things from these shoes. I suspect they’ll be better in CrossFit based workouts, but not quite as good as Romaleos for heavy back squats. We’ll see.

Nobull Lifter

The Nobull Lifter is a newer model weight lifting shoe. They came out maybe 3 years ago. If the Romaleous and the TYR didn’t fit me, I’d try out these. When they first came out they were like $225. The newest model is at a jaw dropping $299. I know that sounds like a lot, but these one of the nicest looking sneakers / shoes I have ever seen. I might have to try them on at the CrossFit games. From the reviews I’ve read and the pictures, these shoes seem to have a narrow toe box, so they probably will never be a shoe I’ll purchase.

Reebok Legacy Lifter III

I had the Legacy Lifter Is for a while. I picked them up at a discounted price. In truth, I never really liked them. In nearly all comparisons, I found my Nike lifters to be a better shoe for me. Maybe the new Lifter III is better. There are many people who like them.

Adidas Powerlift III and V

Narrow toe box. I cannot even get my feet into these shoes. The people I know who use them have bunions. I don’t know why shoe companies continue to make narrow toe shoes. So unless you are sporting some super skinny feet, I’d recommend you try something else.

Do Win / Innov8 Fast Lift

Do Win makes a less expensive lifting shoe. One of the members in my gym have them and they really enjoy them.

I don’t know anyone sporting the Innov8 Fast Lifts, so I don’t have any first hand information to share.

Inserts – Versalift & Hyperlift

These are inserts for your trainers. They are specially designed to decrease th

Three Keys to Improving at CrossFit

Paul Roberts — Sun, 28 May 2023 12:05:09 -0700

Improving your health through CrossFit is a long term commitment. Like all forms of fitness, CrossFit takes consistency and practice to get it right. A great coach can go a long way to helping you make the right decisions early on. But with the adrenaline flowing and loud music pumping, even the best intentioned CrossFit athlete can make the mistake of prioritizing intensity over proper mechanics and rigorous consistency.

And yes, when you step into our gym… we expect a lot. We are going to push you hard in our CrossFit Classes. But we are going to insist you do every rep correctly, and we are going to make sure you can execute that proper technique consistently.

Do we Want you to Do it Right or Do it Fast? Yes.

More specifically, we want you to build flawless Mechanics because power, efficiency, and safety come from flawless mechanics. Practice your technique so have rigorous Consistency in every single rep. When you can achieve both, then we want you to push Intensity to your maximum threshold.

CrossFit Defined

CrossFit is constantly varied functional movement at high intensity. The goal of CrossFit is to develop increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. By design, CrossFit improves your health and slingshots your performance.

CrossFit Diet

The Foundation of CrossFit is a quality diet. In 100 words, it’s as simple as eating meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar while keeping intake to levels that support exercise but not body fat is a dietary formula for elite levels of fitness.¹ Take the right supplements, and determine your caloric needs, and lock it in every day. Nutrition is the foundation of CrossFit and we offer Nutrition Lab and the Weight Loss Challenge to educate you and keep you motivated to improve.

CrossFit Programming

CrossFit’s formula for exercise is similarly elegant, practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean & jerk, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand and holds. Bike, run, jump rope, row, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.²

CrossFit is Difficult by Design

CrossFit incorporates technically demanding movements because these are the movements that provide the greatest fitness benefit. We don’t use machine for squats, we don’t use ellipticals to replace running, and we certainly don’t have a dip machine when we have rings. We don’t dilute CrossFit down to make it easier. We teach you from the ground-up in CrossFit OnRamp how to perform these movements with sound mechanics, precision consistency, and lightning intensity. It is this process of training your body to perform these movements which forever changes you for the better. We cannot make easier and expect the same results. But we can teach you how to build the strength and neural competency to master these exercises.

Time Domain

Whatever the workout type (weightlifting, gymnastics, or monostructural – running / biking) – we’ll do it hard and fast. And we’ll do it for long durations, medium durations, and sprints in as many combinations and variations as we can conceive. That is the formula that Greg Glassman (our founder) laid down 20+ years ago. And is the time-tested formula that works for athletes of all ages.

Movement Quality is King

It’s Mechanics before Consistency, and Consistency before Intensity for a reason.
Safety. But what is Intensity in a CrossFit Workout?

It’s the weight on a barbell clean;
It’s the scaling for the pull-up;
It’s the height on the box jump;
It’s how fast one can move with sound mechanics & precision consistency under maximal effort.

The Athlete That Prioritizes Movement Quality Before Intensity Always Wins in the End. We’ve been coaching CrossFit for a long time. We’ve seen thousands of members come and go. The ones that have made the most improvement invariably have the best technique. And they built that technique by prioritizing mechanics over intensity.

The Tale of Two Elizabeths

Elizabeth is one our benchmark workouts. It’s 21 barbell cleans + 21 Ring Dips, 15 barbell cleans + 15 ring dips, 9 barbell cleans + 9 ring dips.

For Time: 21-15-9

Barbell Power Cleans 135lbs ♂ /95lbs ♀
Ring Dips

Meet Anne — Our First Athlete

Anne scales to a lighter weight on the clean so that she can maintain her mechanics on the second pull. When she reaches exhaustion, she rests until she performs the exercise safely. She scales the ring dips to a banded ring dip, even though she can get a few unassisted ones completely correctly. Using the band allows her to complete full range of motion and keep the rings steady throughout the workout. She pushes hard and fast through the workout, but wasn’t able to beat her personal best this time around.

Anne is CrossFitting the right way. She is prioritizing the principles of mechanics and consistency before intensity. Even though her performance today didn’t exceed her personal best, she is following the CrossFit prescription. Her adherence to the CrossFit prescription will maximize her improvements in her fitness and health in the long run.

Meet Bob — Our Second Athlete

Bob performs the workout as prescribed using the Rx weights. As he fatigues, his elbows drop on the catch in the barbell cleans forcing him to decelerate the bar with his wrists. He also is unable to maintain spinal extension on the first pull of the clean after the second round. This leads him to pull the bar with a rounded back on some of the last reps.

Confident in his ability to complete unassisted ring dips (and against the advice of his coach) he proceeds to Rx the ring dips as well. His first few reps start out strong, but his form quickly suffers. His depth starts to deteriorate and loses the ability to maintain his shoulder positioning throughout the press.

But, Bob is no quitter. He gives it his best effort and is rewarded with a PR — knocking off 10 seconds from his personal best.

Bob has strayed from the CrossFit methodology. He has prioritized intensity over mechanics and consistency. His overconfidence in his abilities causes him to do partial range of motion in the ring dips. His lack of consistency in the clean leads him to execute some faulty reps on the clean.

Cheating range of motion to improve your overall time only hurts Bob in the end. His 10 second P/R with reduced range of motion isn’t a true personal record.

Bob having a sore back from the cleans decides to take two days off to recover. Anne though is properly recovered and shows up to class the next day.

Athletes Like Anne Outlast and Surpass Athletes Like Bob

Athletes like Bob become frustrated with their lack of performance, constant joint pain, and grow weary of listening to their coach’s suggestions about scaling. Athletes like Bob do not CrossFit very long. Whereas athletes like Anne continues to improve for years. The 45-year-old Anne’s in our gym outshine the 25 year old Bob’s everyday of the week.

Work smarter, not harder. Leave your ego at the door, do the exercises correctly, prioritize full range of motion, execute correct sequencing, and pursue proper mechanics. Listen to your coach. It’s our job to protect you and help you choose the best scaling for your workout. Ultimately, it’s your decision, but we always have your best interests in mind. Athletes that practice the basics before progressing to more challenging skills invariably improve faster.

CrossFit Champions train this way — you should too.

CrossFit Level 1 Manual ↩
CrossFit Level 1 Manual ↩

Weight Loss Challenge Spring 2023 Results

Paul Roberts — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 10:44:10 -0700

Here are your six finalists for the Spring 2023 Weight Loss Challenge. We are real people with full time jobs and commitments just like you. Our community is stronger with more positive, supportive people, so sign up today.

Our six Finalists share their weight loss tips and reveal how they lost an average of 120 pounds in 90 days.

Our Fall 2023 Weight Loss Challenge starts this August.

Our Finalists

Alex Morales

Our featured athlete for this post is Alex Morales. Alex lost a total of 25 pounds and improved his rolling mile time on long runs by about 4 minutes a mile. As his coach, I’ve been exceedingly proud watching him getting thinner every week. His improvement in CrossFit and support to newer athletes is commendable.

The Sand & Steel Weight Loss Challenge Finale is April 1, 2023 at 10AM. It is open to all members, please come out and support our athletes!

Alex, the Sand & Steel Fitness community thanks you for all that you bring to our CrossFit gym. We wish you the best of luck this Saturday. – Coach Paul

Read Alex's Story

Weight Loss Challenge (WLC): Goals

Lose 10 pounds in three months, fit in all the size Small shirts I got from each 2022 Spartan Run.

WLC: Challenges

Coping with hunger between meals and with avoiding food items that have been part of my diet for years (alcohol, bread, candies, cheese, chips and restaurant foods). Figuring out how to hit macros while maintaining my caloric intake goal of 1483 kcal/day (not counting calories gained from exercise/being awake).

WLC: Strategy

Start by making better dietary habits such as eating more vegetables, food better food substitutes for current dietary habits (swap white rice with quinoa) and removing: alcohol, bread, corn products, cheese, candies/sweets and eating more vegetables. Use Nutrition Lab to learn how make better food choices (when I’m away from home or need to snack on something) and learn how to manage my caloric intake/nutrients/macros. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes each day, ideally going to the gym at least 4 times a week.

WLC: Results

Started at 184.5 lbs. (as measured during Dr. Appointment on 1/6/23). As of 3/25/23 – 159.6 lbs.(as per home weight scale, generally not super accurate, – the InBody Scan will decide my fate).

WLC: Conclusion

After about a month of this challenge, I immediately noticed that I had more energy throughout the day. I started hitting new PR’s for the majority of the lifts we’ve been doing. When I run, my feet don’t fall asleep and I haven’t cramped, even during the longer trail runs we’ve been doing. During gymnastic style movements, I can do harder scaling options (toes to bar instead of hanging knee raises; getting closer to hand stand walks). I fit in every size small shirt I’ve bought. I’ve become accustomed to my new diet and have no trouble avoiding the food items I set out to remove (with the exception of quesadillas after our RockNRoll Half Marathon). I have a much easier time figuring out what I should be eating when I feel hungry or when I’m at a restaurant and consistently feel satisfied by each meal without feeling bloated.

WLC: Parting Thoughts/Advice

Nutrition Lab was a big help in figuring out how to tailor my meals and food choices to accomplish my goals. Honestly, some of it is common sense (candy/bread = bad; kale/broccoli = good), but figuring out how to put everything you need into one meal in a way that is satisfying and filling is a challenge. Once I got the hang of piecing meals together, it was a matter of taking on the mental challenge of staying away from those bad food items. Aside from gunning for the grand prize (since my old gym bag broke and this new one looks fancy), the support I get from everyone at the gym and from my family has been essential in motivating me to stick with new diet. Working with people who want to improve themselves and who support your self-improvement have made this challenge highly rewarding and exceptionally memorable.

Doug Hurson

Credit. Greg Glassman (with revisions by Coach Paul). CrossFit Level 1 Manual

How to Get Better at Running for the CrossFit Athlete

Paul Roberts — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 08:48:06 -0800

Straight-up and unabashed Coach Paul answers the tough questions about running for the CrossFit athlete. Questions like: whether you really need to run to do well in CrossFit. Or, why CrossFit will help you run better with fewer injuries. Plus, Paul shares some of his best videos and tips on mobility for running and running technique, including his top 18 Stretches and Mobility Drills for Running.

Comprehensive and filled to the brim with useful content, this article provides tips and training methodology for getting better at running and run-based WODS for the CrossFit Athlete.

Reasons CrossFitters Don’t Like Running
Integrating Running and CrossFit
Running for Masters CrossFit Athletes
Why Did you Start CrossFit?
- How Much Running is there in CrossFit?
Final Thoughts on Running & CrossFit

Reasons CrossFitters Don’t Like Running

The CrossFit community has been split about running for a long time. Just take a look at the various comments about running in this reddit post. Some people like running and some people hate running. There are four primary reasons people say they don’t like it:

It’s too hard for them
It causes them pain
I’m more of a “strength” athlete
Running isn’t a Part of CrossFit

Running is Too Hard for Me

Running will be hard, just like any other activity, when you don’t do it often. Think back to the very first CrossFit class you ever took. How hard was that? If you want to get better at running, you need to run more frequently. So, stop cherry picking around the running WODS in your box. You will continue to “suck at running” if you avoid it.

Running is a Skill

If you want to improve your Olympic lifts, you need to practice. If you want to improve your handstand walk, you need to practice. And yes, if you want to improve your running, you need to practice. All great runners practice running.

Most people cannot do double unders without a lot of practice, yet some people are naturals. Running is just like that. If you aren’t a natural runner, you can still get better if you practice.

How Often do I Need to Run if I am doing CrossFit?

I recommend you run twice a week. One run should be an interval-based run, like what you might do in a class. For example:

5 Rounds for Time

400M Run
15 Overhead Squats

Does that workout look familiar? It should, it’s the CrossFit Girl Nancy.

The second run should be a long run. Something between 1-2 hours. Running twice a week will be sufficient for most people to improve your CrossFit engine. Plus, running twice a week consistently is enough to improve at running. Yes, three time a week would improve your running more quickly, but there are some many things to practice at running.

When Should I do my Run?

If you CrossFit 5 days a week, like I do, it’s hard to fit it in. Avoid running the day after you do any strength training workout as running can blunt the recovery cycle. I run on Saturdays after my CrossFit WOD. I do mobility and recovery on Sundays.

Running Causes them Pain

Pain in your feet, ankles, knees, etc. are all signs that you:

Do not know how to run properly or you can’t execute proper running technique
Do not have the right running sneakers for your running style or body-type
You are not doing the proper mobility work for your feet and calves

You should not be in pain when you run. If you are in pain, find a CrossFit coach that specializes in running and mobility. He or she will be able to pinpoint the reasons you are in pain, and help you get better.

Running Technique

There are many articles and videos on running technique. As a starting place, please check out these articles on Running Pain and Running Technique.

Personally, I teach and use the Pose Method of Running. I also follow Brian Mackenzie’s techniques (which borrow very heavily from the Pose method). Here are some great videos Brian filmed many years ago. And while they are incredibly low budget videos, the information Brian Mackenzie is very accurate, and still true to this day.

Mobility for Runners

Here’s a video that I put together on the Top 18 Stretches for Ankle and Calf Mobility.

In addition to dedicated Calf and Ankle Mobility, I also recommend you take yoga class or stretch classes such as our FireFlow Yoga or Beyond Stretch.

If you are in Mobility debt (e.g0,. not been doing your mobility work for a while), you’ll need to take a few personal training sessions or private yoga sessions to jump start your mobility training.

I’m more of a “strength” athlete

So what? Just because you are better naturally at some things than others, doesn’t mean you can’t improve. I’m more of strength athlete too (Bench 315, Squat 425, Deadlift 415) and I enjoy running. You can too.

Impact of Being Overweight

I hate to say it, but a lot of “strength” athletes are overweight. Not everyone, but a good portion of them. Running like most bodyweight based exercises (pullups, jump rope, pushups, etc.) is much more difficult if you are overweight. You would be surprised at just how much 10 pounds matters. Buy yourself a 20 pound weight vest (I recommend TacTec or Hyperwear Elite) and add 20 pounds and try some running, pullups, and pushups. It’s much harder. So if you are 20-40 pounds overweight, maybe it’s not that you are bad runner, maybe you need to focus on your nutrition a little more?

Look at any race from professional ones to recreational ones. The winners of all these races are slender people. It takes more work to move a great mass. It’s just physics and it makes a bigger difference than you might expect.

Integrating Running and CrossFit

Running has been an integral part of CrossFit since 2001 (e.g. from the very beginning). If you look at Greg Glassman’s earliest WODS, they incorporated running all the time. From the Broomstick Mile to the early Girl WODS like Nancy above, running has always been and will always be a part of CrossFit.

Running is in the CrossFit Games

Running and sprinting has always been a part of the CrossFit games. Below, I linked some examples of competitions including running.

Here’s a running WOD in the 2015 CrossFit Games

Pro CrossFit Athletes Are Very Fast Runners

As you can see from the times posted in the Capitol WOD in 2022, many CrossFit athletes can run a sub six-minute mile. With the exception of dedicated runners, a sub six minute mile is very fast by all measures. I’d love to run under a 7 minute mile personally. The women’s times are similarly impressive. The same rings true for our masters athletes as well.

Running has Always Been a Part of CrossFit

Running is a part of CrossFit, and if you aren’t running, you aren’t doing CrossFit right. But don’t feel bad about that. I didn’t run for a long time because of the reasons above. Any you know what, when I read the empirical evidence behind why athletes should run when they do CrossFit, and I learned how to stretch and mobilize my soft tissue properly, I got better at running and I got better at CrossFit.

If your CrossFit box doesn’t teach and program running and/or doesn’t have a running program… maybe it’s time you looked around for a better box.

How Does Running Make you Better at CrossFit?

Improve oxygen usage in the muscles
Increase heart’s mass and volume
Improve ventilation in the lungs
Reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Improves recovery and helps prevent overtraining

Running builds your engine. If you want to dominate any of the endurance wods in a competition or your class, you need to run and row. Simple as that. Notice, I said run and row. Rowing is not a replacement for running.

How Does CrossFit Make you Better at Running?

Running requires a balance between posterior strength, good mobility, strong core stretch, and good hip strength. People get injured running all the time, because of poor mobility and lack of strength in these areas. CrossFit improve the function of these key areas, so that you can run better with less pain.

I ran long before starting CrossFit, and I’d always get injured because of the aforementioned reasons. I could never run more than 2 months without getting a hamstring pull, foot pain, etc. I gave up running and move to CrossFit, because I wasn’t a good runner. Two years ago, I decided I’d give running another shot. Armed with all the knowledge and strength CrossFit has given me, I’m happy to say that I’ve been running consistently for 20 months, and I haven’t had one injury running. Not even a little one. I haven’t had any injuries from CrossFit either. When done correctly Running and CrossFit form a perfect pair.

Does CrossFit Build Your Running Base?

CrossFit Workouts also build your engine. CrossFit published a study showing the average heart rate of people doing Cindy vs just running.

The graph says it all, CrossFit workouts increase heart rate more than running.

Does CrossFit Alone Make You Better at Running?

CrossFit improves all things needed to run better. Power, strength, endurance, speed, balance and coordination. The International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance analyzed the improvement of dedicated runners vs. runners that split their time between running and CrossFit. All athletes ran at least 10 miles a week.

The study compared changes in running performance (5-km time trial) and fitness (maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max] and body composition [BC]) between polarized training and CrossFit Endurance (CFE) in recreational runners. 21 participants completed 12 wk of CFE or polarized endurance training (POL). Both groups trained 5 day a week. POL ran 5 days a week, whereas CFE ran 3 days a week and performed CrossFit 3 days a week. Intensity was classified as low, moderate, or high (zone 1, 2, or 3) according to ventilatory thresholds. POL was prescribed greater volume, distributed as 85%/5%/10% in Z1/Z2/Z3. CFE emphasized a lower volume (110 [18] min·wk−1) distribution of 48%/8%/44%.

Results: POL ran 283 (75.9) min·wk−1 and 47.3 (11.6) km·wk−1, both exceeding the 117 (32.2) min·wk−1 and 19.3 (7.17) km·wk−1 in CFE (P < .001). The POL distribution (74%/11%/15%) had greater total and percentage Z1 (P < .001) than CFE (46%/15%/39%), which featured higher percentage Z3 (P < .001). Time trial improved −93.8 (40.4) s (−6.21% {2.16%}) in POL (P < .001) and −84.2 (65.7) s (−5.49% {3.56%}) in CFE (P = .001). BC improved by −2.45% (2.59%) fat in POL (P = .02) and −2.62% (2.53%) in CFE (P = .04).

The magnitude of imp

2023 CrossFit Open Exercises and Workouts Predictions

Paul Roberts — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:28:06 -0800

CrossFit Open Top 20 Exercise Predictions

Predictions for the 2023 CrossFit Open based on current programming preferences from CrossFit HQ, the history of CrossFit Open exercises, the CrossFit Journal, CrossFit Open Equipment List, and CrossFit social media.

Originally published February 3, 2023
by Coach Paul

CrossFit Open 2023 Exercises (High Probability)

85-100% Confidence that we’ll see these exercises at these weights

Rowing

Wall Balls (20/14) at 10’/9’

Burpee Wall Walk

Ring Muscle Ups (Chest to Bar for intermediate)

Barbell Snatch or Barbell Clean 135/95

Barbell Thrusters

Dumbbell Snatches 70/50, Dumbbell Thrusters (I hope not) or Dumbbell Shoulders to Overhead

Kettlebell American Swings 70/53

Toes 2 Bar

Double Unders

Box Jumps or Box Jump Overs

Possible, but less likely

I’d be surprised to see more than two of these exercises pop-up

Dumbbell Clean and Press

Kettlebell Goblet Squats 70/53

Dumbbell Clean and Jerk (might be better than the snatch)

Burpee Box Jumps (don’t think we’ll see this one.)

Ring Dips & Bar Muscle ups

Deadlifts (not likely since rowing is almost guaranteed)

Burpees

Wall Walks

Step Ups

CrossFit Workout Predictions

Even tougher to guess than the exercises are the WODS. We’ll see how close I get.

Open Workout 23.1 (predicted)

For Time: 21-15-19

Box Jumps 30/24

Kettlebell America Swings 70/53

Row for Calories

Open Workout 23.2 (predicted)

AMRAP 12 minutes

6 Burpee Wall Walks

9 Barbell Clean 135/95

12 Toes 2 Bar

Open Workout 23.3 (predicted)

16 Minutes Complete
4 Rounds of

50 Wall Balls 20/14

100 Double Unders

Then

3, 6, 9, 12, 15….

Dumbbell Thrusters 70/50

Rings Muscle-Ups

FBI PFT Physical Fitness Test

Paul Roberts — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 06:54:43 -0800

This article discusses the requirements for passing the PFT, provides insight into the more difficult aspects of the test, and provides a summary of Sand & Steel’s services that will help you pass the test.Information for this article comes from the author’s own knowledge of CrossFit and Personal Training with specific reference to the FBI PFT materials.

Requirements to Pass the FBI PFT

Passing the PFT requires that you accumulate at least twelve points with at least one point in three events and no less than a zero in any event. Scoring a negative score in any of the four events is a failure. TRP candidates must score at least 20 points and must also complete the fifth event, pullups.

FBI Physical Fitness Test Events:

Sit-ups for maximum reps in one minute

Timed 300-meter sprint

Pushups for maximum reps

Timed 1.5-mile run

Pullups for maximum reps

Training Options to Help You Pass the PFT Test:

Personal Training: Our strength and conditioning program was specifically designed to help members succeed in the ACFT, FLETC, local police force, and the FBI tests. Paul, the author, built this program for the sole purpose of helping members improve situps, sprinting, pushups, running, and pull-ups. As those five movements patterns are helpful to non-military as well, the Strength & Conditioning program is well suited for intermediate to advanced athletes. Sand and Steel’s Strength & Conditioning Program focuses on improving bodyweight strength, speed, and explosiveness.

CrossFit: our CrossFit program is especially well suited to improve core strength, burst speed, and shoulder strength. We incorporate pullups, pushups, and sit-ups every week.

Specialty Classes: Our Arms OCR class is specifically designed to improve shoulder strength, FireFlow yoga improves the core and single leg stability, Butts and Guts will build the sprint speed and core strength, Trail Running will provide the endurance. The FBI physical fitness test is a quality, well balanced exam. Of course, our specialty classes cover these exercises. With over 30% of our members working for the government, military, or police, we build out programming to support our member’s goals.

Workout Plans: Want to do our Strength & Conditioning program on your own? Just sign-up for our Workout Plans membership.

Special Event

In March, Sand and Steel will be hosting a live PFT test. You’ll be able to get scored and recommendations on training for those events that are challenging for you. Just be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive an invitation.

First name or full name

Email

PFT Male vs Female Scaling

The harder events for most people will be the 1.5 mile run and the pushups. Male versus female scaling for the pushups and sprint are accurate based on the average population. Many females are very fast at the 1.5 mile distance and strong at sit-ups in under a minute. Most likely there is no need for a different standard in those events. Some organizations like the Army don’t apply a different standard for women as a woman is expected to do the same work as a man. Other organizations recognize that men will be faster or stronger at some physical tests and so it’s better to have different scalings. If opportunity to be employed is the goal, it’s probably best to have different male / female standard. If public safety is the main goal, probably one standard is better.

PFT Test Biases and Overall Comments

With just 4 or 5 exercises, the PFT does a good job of balancing test difficulty with effectiveness. The exercises require little skill to perform. Taller athletes will generally outperform shorter athletes on this because of the run. However shorter athletes maintain an advantage on situps and pushups. The main weakness of the test is that it does not test strength in the Creatine Phosphate system like ACFT does. Paul would like to see a 3 or 5 max rep deadlift on this test as well. But that would require a lot more equipment and the challenges associated with a hex bar versus a standard barbell. As a consequence leaner athletes will outperform strength athletes on this test. Still a power athlete, like Paul, can still do very well on this test. As a baseline assessment for qualifying for a position, it’s a good test and easier to administer fairly.

Sit-ups:

Bent knee with bottoms of feet on the floor (not butter-fly style.) In addition, a partner acts as assist by anchoring-down your feet (this makes the situ-up much easier.) Sit-ups are performed with the arms crossed. Elbows touch mid-thigh and shoulder blades touch the floor.

Compared the CrossFit standard ab-mat sit-up, the FBI PFT sit-up has a much shorter range of motion and greater leverage. It is significantly easier than the CrossFit standard. With this easier variation, the author, Paul, can easily score 75+ reps in the time allotted.

Score Female Male
-2 <29 <31
0 30-34 32-37
1 35-36 38
2 37-40 39-42
3 41-42 43-44
4 43-46 45-47
5 47-48 48-49
6 49-50 50-51
7 51-52 52-53
8 53-54 54-55
9 55-56 56-57
10 >57 >58

300M Sprint:

The FBI test unlike the ACFT and other related tests has candidates run the 300M sprint on a track. The 300 meter sprint is an excellent test of anaerobic lactic (glycolytic) energy system. Sprinting takes a combination of technique, practice, and training to perform at peak levels.

Paul, the author, is a trained sprinter and can run a 300m dash on a track in 38-39 seconds. Doing so requires practice, glycolytic threshold training, yoga, and single leg stability work. While everyone can run, there is quite a lot of technique that goes into sprinting efficiently. At 200m+ efficiency becomes critical.

Score Female Male
-2 >67.5 (seconds) >55.1 (seconds
0 67.4-65.0 55.0-52.5
1 64.9 52.4-51.1
2 62.4-60.0 51.0-49.5
3 59.9-57.5 49.4-48.0
4 57.4-56.0 47.9-46.1
5 55.9-54.0 46.0-45.0
6 53.9-53.0 44.9-44.0
7 52.9-52.0 43.9-43.0
8 51.9-51.0 42.9-42.0
9 50.9-50.0 41.9-41.0
10 <49.9 <40.9

Pushups:

The FBI test uses the classic style pushups which allows rebounding off the chest. Like other tests, they are looking for an unbroken effort.

Paul, the author, is especially strong at pushups (boasting a bench press well over 315 lbs). Nevertheless, knocking out 71 plus pushups in a row is no small feat. As compared to the sit-ups and sprint, this test is more difficult to score a perfect 10.

Score Female Male
-2 <4 <19
0 5-13 20-29
1 14-18 30-32
2 19-21 33-39
3 22-26 40-43
4 27-29 44-49
5 30-32 50-53
6 33-35 54-56
7 36-38 57-60
8 39-41 61-64
9 42-44 65-70
10 45+ 71

1.5 Mile Run:

1.5 miles is a common distance among armed forces and is a logical distance to include when performing field tests… too long to sprint, but not so long to take too much time.

Although an avid trail-runner and obstacle course racer, long distance running has never been Paul’s strongest metric. Paul’s best 1.5 mile time is 10:30 putting him around 5 out of 10.

Score Female Male
-2 >15.00 >13.30
0 14:59-14:00 13:29-12:25
1 13:59-13:35 12:24-12:15
2 13:34–13:00 12:14–11:35
3 12:59–12:30 11:34–11:10
4 12:29–11:57 11:09–10:35
5 11:56–11:35 10:34–10:15
6 11:34–11:15 10:14–9:55
7 11:14–11:06 9:54–9:35
8 11:05–10:45 9:34–9:20
9 10:44–10:35 9:19–9:00
10 <10:34 <8:59

Pullups

The pull-up test requires a basically strict pull-ups. The test calls for no swinging or jerking of the body or use of the legs in an effort to propel the body upward. So strict or mostly strict pull-ups will be needed.

20 strict pull-ups is challenging, but not to the same degree as the pushups. Most Rx CrossFit athletes can easily push through this number of pull-ups. Strength to body-weight ratio being the crucial factor on pullups. 0-1 pull-ups nets men a score of zero… interesting choice and one that I’d agree with. Muscling out one pullup for a man shouldn’t score you much. They get harder after the second rep.

Score Female Male
0 0 0-1
1 1 2-3
2 2 4-5
3 3 6-7
4 4 8-9
5 5 10-11
6 6 12-13
7 7 14-15
8 8 16-17
9 9 18-19
10 >10 >20

FBI PFT Final Thoughts

Overall, the PFT is a well-balanced, well thought out test. Sand & Steel’s personal training and CrossFit programs are well adapted to help score extremely high on this exam and help you set a standard of excellence as you begin your FBI career. Consider reserving a Welcome Pack today, and we’ll take you through the test, find you baseline score, and help you prepare for this test.

January Specialty Classes Programming

Paul Roberts — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 09:15:00 -0800

You asked: Paul, could we please see the entire month of programming for the specialty classes so I can determine which CrossFit workouts to attend versus the Specialty Classes?

Answer: You got it. Here is our complete January Calendar for PowerFit, Arms OCR, Butts & Guts and FireFlow.

More Questions:

What about Trail Running?

Undecided as of right now. Please message us on the Trail Channel on Discord to determine our schedule.

I don’t see this Trail Channel. That means Paul has not provided you access. DM him on Discord and he’ll add you.

What about Butts & Guts?

Butts and Guts will alternate monthly with Arms OCR.

What about CrossFit Beginner?

We have added more CrossFit All Levels Class that beginners are invited to attend. Stronger athletes are recommended take our regular CrossFit Classes.

What about Beyond Stretch and Sunday Yoga?

We will update SugarWOD once I have programming from Olivia and Jen.

Is this set in stone?

Definitely not. This workout plan is subject to change, always check SugarWOD for the latest information.

I am not a member… can I subscribe to this programming?

Yes. Any non-member can gain access to our complete workout programming by signing for our workout plans membership. If you buy any T-Shirt or apparel, you get your first month of workout plans free.

January 2023 Specialty Class Programming

Track: Specialty Classes
Date: Tuesday, Jan 3, 2023

Arms OCR 01: Box Jumps and Muscle-ups

– RX –
For total reps:
EMOM 14
Min. 1 | :30 box jumps (24/30 in)
Min. 2 | Muscle-ups

– INTERMEDIATE –
For total reps:
EMOM 14
Min. 1 | :30 box jumps (20/24 in)
Min. 2 | Low ring muscle-up transitions

– BEGINNER –
For total reps:
EMOM 14
Min. 1 | :30 box step-ups (12/20 in)
Min. 2 | Banded pull-ups

Scoring: Reps

Track: Specialty Classes
Date: Wednesday, Jan 4, 2023

PowerFit 01: 50 Back Squats

For Time
50 Reps at 225 / 185
For each break 10 to Boats

Scoring: Time

PowerFit 01: Low Bar Back Squat 3×5

Low Bar Back Squat for load:
#1: 5 reps
#2: 5 reps
#3: 5 reps

Scoring: Load

Track: Specialty Classes
Date: Thursday, Jan 5, 2023

FireFlow Yoga: Foundations Flow

FireFlow Yoga is the same for all of January

Ocean Breath- Ujjayi Pranayama (3 Minutes)

Part A – Standing Balances and Introduction to Transitions
1. Standing Twist in Warrior I Position
2. Warrior Pose I Virabhadrasana I
3. Warrior Pose II Virabhadrasana II
4. Warrior Pose III Virabhadrasana III
5. Standing Split Pose
6. Revolved Lizard Lunge
7. Lizard Lunge
8. Plank
9. Four Limb Pose
10. Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana
11. Down Dog
12. Three Legged Downward Facing Dog Pose Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana
13. Revolved Straddle Pose R
14. Upavista Konasa
15. Revolved Straddle Pose R
16. Upavista Konasa
17. Revolved Straddle Pose L
18. Three Legged Downward Facing Dog Pose Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana
19. Down Dog
20. Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana
21. Four Limb Pose
22. Plank
23. Lizard Lunge
24. Revolved Lizard Lunge
25. Standing Split Pose
26. Warrior Pose III Virabhadrasana III
27. Warrior Pose II Virabhadrasana II
28. Warrior Pose I Virabhadrasana I
29. Standing Twist in Warrior I Position

Part B Intermediate – Seated poses to mobilize hips and quads.
1. Awkward Pose – Utkatasana
2. Crane Pose – Kakasana
3. Cow Face Pose – Gomukhasana
4. Firelog Pose + Twist – Agnistambhasana
5. Baby Cradle – Hindolasana
6. Bridge Pose – Setu Baddha Sarvangasana
7. Wheel Pose Urdhva Dhanurasana
8. Boat – Navasna
9. Plow – Halasana
10. Hero – Virasana
11. Bow – Supta Navasana
12. Camel – Ustrasana
13. Chin Stand – Ganda Bherundasana
14. Child’s Pose – Utthita Balasana
15. Supine Spinal Twist Pose I,II – Supta Matsyendrasana I, II
16. Revolved Abdomen Pose – Jathara Parivartanasana ROS
17. Supine Spinal Twist Pose I,II – Supta Matsyendrasana II
18. Child’s Pose – Utthita Balasana
19. Chin Stand – Ganda Bherundasana
20. Camel – Ustrasana
21. Bow – Supta Navasana
22. Hero – Virasana
23. Plow – Halasana
24. Boat – Navasna
25. Wheel Pose Urdhva Dhanurasana
26. Bridge Pose – Setu Baddha Sarvangasana
27. Baby Cradle – Hindolasana
28. Firelog Pose + Twist – Agnistambhasana
29. Cow Face Pose – Gomukhasana
30. Crane Pose – Kakasana
31. Awkward Pose – Utkatasa

Yoga Flow – First Sunday of January.

Shoulder/ upper body focused class. So a lot of shoulder, heart, and chest openers!

– Start seated
– Centering/intention
– Head rolls, each direction
– Seated twists
– Seated side stretch
– Seated cat/cow
– Hero pose
– Toe stretch, clasp hands behind back open chest and heart
– Down dog
– Forward fold
– Half lift
– Forward fold with clasped hands
– Vinyasa
– Low longue with clasped hands
– Dynamic half spilt
– Vinyasa
– Pyramid, hands each side
– Vinyasa
– High longue
– Humble warrior
– Warrior II
– Dynamic in/out of warrior II
– Reverse warrior
– Extended warrior (bind)
– High longue
– Arm down, longue twist
– Repeat each side
– Vinyasa
– Childs pose
– Thread the needle
– Camel pose
– Childs pose, knees closer together to release back
– Forward fold each leg
– Forward fold both legs
– Reclined pigeon
– Reclined pigeon twist, repeat each side
– Last moves
– Savasana

Track: Specialty Classes
Date: Tuesday, Jan 10, 2023

Arms OCR 02: No Where to Run

Nowhere to Run

Our Health & Fitness Goals 2023

Paul Roberts — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 10:56:25 -0800

Setting Goals is a Key Aspect for Improving Your Health and Fitness

As your coaches, it’s very important for us to know what your goals are. So please take a minute and write them down. Paul will be personally contacting everyone that submits their goals to help you with you with planning. Please make sure your goals are SMART and FAST (see examples below).

Our Fitness & Health Goals 2023
Please fill out the form below to add your goals to our Commitment Board for 2023.

Name(Required)
First Last
Email(Required)

Phone(Required)
Please Enter Your 2023 Goals(Required)

As an example, here are Paul’s 2023 and 2022 Goals

Paul’s 2023 Goals

Complete all Iron Star Games and CrossFit Games events at Rx under the time cap.

Get down 165lbs (lose another 15 pounds) by April 1, 2023.

Complete Spartan Race Palmerton under 4.25 Hours

Complete Murph at the Rx under an hour.

Squat Clean 250 LBS

Paul’s 2022 Goals Were

✔ Run a half marathon (I ran 4 of them).
✔ Lose 20 pounds
✔ Complete every obstacle in a Spartan Race
✔ Master the double under
✔ Chain toes to bar
✔ Link muscle-ups
✔ 1100 pound combined deadlift, bench, and squat
✔ Handstand Walk 50 Feet
✔ Chain 4 Bar Muscle-ups

CrossFit – What it Means Join a CrossFit Gym

Paul Roberts — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0800

CrossFit in 100 Words

“Constantly varied functional movement at high intensity” — It says it all, but it’s so much more. CrossFit has been Forging Elite Fitness™ since 2001 and can be used to accomplish any goal, from improved health to better performance. The program works for everyone — people who have never worked out and those who have trained for years share equally in the benefits of CrossFit.

A Look Inside

No gimmicks — just effective fitness, knowledgeable coaches, and a community that cares.

Are You Intimidated to Join?

CrossFit Members Talk About Being Intimated to Start CrossFit

Why Do I CrossFit?

Real Stories from Real People – Why I CrossFit

Why I Coach CrossFit

Why We Coach CrossFit

My CrossFit Coach

CrossFit Coaches have a Unique of Inspiring you to reach past your fears. We experts at modifying workouts so that you can make the best of your fitness experience.

Setting Goals in CrossFit

You Set the Goal, We Build the Plan, Together We Achieve More.

The Journey From Member to Coach

More than half of our Coaches started at Sand & Steel as a member. We pay it forward to teach and inspire others.

Reviewed: Haven Athletic Gym Bag For CrossFit and Trail Running

Paul Roberts — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 09:59:07 -0800

We reviewed the Haven Athletic gym bag for both CrossFit and Trail Running. This large duffle bag has built-in organizers, strong zippers, and non-collapsing design. Although expensive at $299, it makes no compromises in terms of equipment organization and protection. It easily is the finest gym bag we have reviewed.

We are proud to offer the Haven Athletic gym bag featured here as our grand prize for the 2023 Weight Loss Challenge. Please visit them at Havenathletic.com.

Haven Athletic Gym Bag for CrossFit

Easily fits: lifters, chalk bag, rock tape, wrist wraps, bar grips, deadlift wraps, knee pads, elbow pads, two belts, shaker bottle, and a jump rope with room to spare.

Haven Athletic Gym Bag for Trail Running

Easily fits: trail sneakers, recover sandals, 6 gels, two bottles of electrolytes, sunblock, anti-chaffing gel, bug lotion, spare set of clothes, changing towel, running cap, and water bottle. I can even squeeze in a full size running backpack.

The CrossFit Mindset

Paul Roberts — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 09:10:44 -0800

A positive mindset gives us the courage to start.
But it’s the unbreakable spirit that empowers us to finish.
We are a Team. Pay it forward. Support others. And cherish the Community.

Is CrossFit and Personal Training For you?

The number one thing a new member needs is a positive mindset and the internal desire to improve. External motivations (my husband or father wants me to get in shape) rarely works. Getting in shape requires commitment, consistency, preparation, and an overarching desire to improve oneself.

The number two thing a new member needs is a willingness to embrace the process without being singularly focused on a specific goal. Getting in shape is a dynamic process often involving setback and adjustments to goals as changes in life affects progress. A new member that is singularly focused on a goal like losing 20 pounds often gets discouraged when he or she encounters their first set back.

Make your Weaknesses Your Strengths

Not a good runner? Neither was I, but I started a trail running class anyway.

Have the flexibility of a tin man? So did I, but I started practicing yoga so I would improve.

Unhappy with the way you look? So was I, but I committed to the Weight Loss Challenge.

Suck at muscle-ups, double unders, etc.? Signup for the Iron Star Games, and we will work on them together.

Scared to try CrossFit? Ten years ago, so was I.
-Paul Roberts

Make 2023 Your Year to Shine

Do you want 2023 to be the year you finally get in shape? Then you need to stand up and fight for it. Success takes more than than showing up. It takes commitment, it takes discipline, and it takes consistency. And when you put in the work and start to see the results, the whole experience might just become fun.

Work Hard, Learn from our Coaches, and Most of All … Have Fun

Thankful

I wish you all an amazing Thanksgiving… get recharged … and come back with a positive mindset. Because I have a bucket of fun waiting for you when you get back!

My Goals for 2022 are:

✔ Run a half marathon (I ran 4 of them).
✔ Lose 20 pounds
✔ Complete every obstacle in a Spartan Race
✔ Master the double under
✔ Chain toes to bar
✔ Link muscle-ups
✔ 1100 pound combined deadlift, bench, and squat

Weight Loss Challenge Fall 2022 Results

Paul Roberts — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 10:14:00 -0800

We are proud to introduce our five weight loss competition finalists. Win or lose, all five of these competitors took home better health, more energy, and better fitness. Please read about their journeys, and come vote for a winner at the 2022 Weight Loss Challenge Finale. 9AM, Sunday November 20, 2022. Food and InBody’s will be served!

Anthony M.

My Weight Loss Journey I came into the challenge with some strongly held preconceptions about weight loss and nutrition. But with the help of the Nutrition Lab and Coach Paul’s guidance, I came to understand where I was wrong or skewed in my thinking. More importantly, I realized that no matter how educated you are on nutrition and fitness, without a disciplined regiment and structured plan (and maybe some competitive motivation), bad habits and social/environmental temptations quickly derail your progress and make you think you “hit a wall.”
Strictly discussing weight loss, I started at 175.8lbs on 1 September (photo 1) and was able to drop 10lbs to 165.8 by 21 October (7 weeks) (photo 2). After that, I was derailed by some planned and unplanned factors, namely an injury and a 2-week visit by family from abroad that included trips to NYC, Philly and Miami, and some indulging in things like alcohol, extra calories, carbs, refined sugars, and processed foods & very little sleep. Despite all those NO-NOs, the foundational knowledge and discipline the WLC had instilled in me kept from going too far off the rails (gained 3-4lbs) and getting right back into the groove when I got back home and my injury healed up. I have 2 weeks left to hit my 90 days, and even with the above set backs, I believe I can still hit my goal weight of 160lbs by the end!
-Anthony

Elga O.

My Weight Loss Journey: I hit my minimum goal of reaching 160 lbs on day 48. But I almost immediately bounced back up to the low-mid 160s and stayed there for a few weeks. I suspect my scale may have been malfunctioning on that dip. But if you take a look at my graph, you can see that, despite severe ups-and-downs along the way, I’m continuing on a pretty consistent downward trajectory. This week I’ve consistently dipped back into the 150’s, with top weights in the very low 160’s. I am confident that, by the end of the 90 days, I will be squarely and entirely in the 150’s (note that my 90 days ends on December 3rd, and the official finale is on my Day 77).

More importantly, I’m feeling pretty good. My pants are less uncomfortable (though they are falling down now, doh!), I have more energy, my back pain has lessened some, and my endurance is up. Also I now find rope climbing way easier than I did in the spring!
5 Tips that Worked for Me:
Avoid Addictive Foods: I removed alcohol, chocolate, cookies, ice cream, and any other sweets I might use to replace these items (such as donuts, cupcakes, etc)
Calories: Stay below 1,800 calories per day
Steps: Take 15,000 steps per day – OR – 12,000 steps per day if also doing 30 minutes of exercise that doesn’t count steps (weightlifting, yoga, biking, etc).
Run at least once every 2 days
Rewards Based TV. If I hit every single other goal for the day, I can watch more TV than 1 hour of TV at the end of the day.
Consistency. Through Nutrition Lab, I built my own rules, and was very diligent in following. Here’s a link to my spreadsheet. I did some informal color-coding to help visualize my progress. Green means I hit my goal. Yellow means “borderline, questionable, or close.” Red means failure. Teal means above-and-beyond awesomeness. Note that there is very little red on this chart!
-Elga

Katie M.

Top 10 Rules Overview – Nutrition Alexandria VA

Personal Training Certifications

Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a minor in Marketing

CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

CrossFit Programming

First Aid, CPR, and AED Certified

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I was born & raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico & had lived almost all of my life on my homeland. Fitness was not always in my life but I got into it after some traumas I had as a kid. I have a brother & all of my parents friend’s would acknowledge my brother as the skinny son & me as the fat son. Obviously that would create some bad & negative thoughts on myself. When I started college & working on my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing, I started my fitness journey. Why? Because I was dedicated in changing the “Fat Son” to the “Fit Son”, in which I achieved after a couple of months. Everything starts with our why, let your journey start the same way! My why was because I wanted to show that I could. What will be your why?

My Passion:
Fitness & exercising is the biggest part of my life. For me is a way to have time to myself & makes me feel happy. But the biggest passion is to change the lives of everybody I have coached. It is very satisfying to see the happiness & the progress in people. From being a witness of people having progress in the gym to having progress out of the gym.

My Experience:
I have been training for 9 years & coaching for 4 years now. I have the CrossFit Level 1, CrossFit Programming & Spot The Flaw certificates. I have coached a wide & diverse group of individuals. My personal goal is to tailor each workout specially for the wants & needs of each athlete I encounter. I am currently studying & preparing myself for the Crossfit Level 2 certificate.

About Me

Which superhero character would you be?
Batman
What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas
What song can you listen to on repeat?
Sacrifice – The Weeknd.
PFKNR – Bad Bunny
What would be your last meal?
Tostones de pana, Ribeye Steak & avocado.
What are you unusually good at doing?
Power Cleaning, cooking & eating.

Why Should I Work on My Mobility and Flexibility?

Paul Roberts — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0700

Read the Chalkboard — I can’t make it any simpler than that. If you aren’t working on your mobility, you are leaving reps and pounds on the table. If you want to get: Stronger, Faster, Leaner, you need to focus on your technique and optimize your mobility. QED

#BeyondStretch #FireFlow #Mobility #CrossFit

Using Mobility, Corrective Exercises, and Range of Motion

To Improve Mobility & Range of Motion

To mobilize stuck tissue we use flossing, joint distraction, gapping, and self-myofascial release.

For Flexibility and stability: we use Yoga and FireFlow.

Functional Range Conditioning and Kinstretch: techniques to help close the Active Passive Range Gap.

Muscle activation and corrective exercises: we use isometric exercises and exercise bands to improve the mind-muscle connection.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching: to retrain the brain’s connection with muscle to improve the brain’s confidence and control over muscles with allows for improvement of flexibility.

Partner Stretching: through using a coach to help stabilize and direct stretches, the athlete is able to improve the function of the stretch and focus on the intended muscle and joint group.

Passive Flexibility Range Defined: Relative ease and the degree to which you can move your bones with respect to one another with assistance based on the tightness of the related muscle groups.

Active Range Defined: Relative ease and the degree to which you can move your bones with respect to one another under your own power using only the related muscle groups.

Active Passive Range Gap: Passive Flexibility minus Active Range. The bigger the gap — the more prone to injuries you become.

Mobility Defined: the overall range of motion and control of that range of motion across broad areas of movements. So it’s how much overall flexibility you have and the degree to which you can control it.

We measure current mobility and static motor control through screening. We improve the tightened areas through our mobility programming to mobilize and strengthen the tight and weakened areas. We find and address all the elements that limit movement and performance including short and tight muscles, soft tissue restriction, joint capsule restriction, motor control problems, joint range of motion dysfunction, and neural dynamic limitation. In short, mobilization is a tool to globally address movement and performance problems.

We find and address all the elements that limit movement and performance including short and tight muscles, soft tissue restriction, joint capsule restriction, motor control problems, joint range of motion dysfunction, and neural dynamic limitation. In short, mobilization is a tool to globally address movement and performance problems.

Humans have tightness where the body senses weaknesses or lack of strength in a muscle. To improve mobility, we have to reprogram the brain’s connection with deactivated muscles. In essence, we force the brain to create new software (neural pathways to control muscles), so that the body can allocate new hardware (muscle tissue.)

Got an injury? An unstable shoulder? A painful knee? Catch up with Coach Paul as he breaks down the formula to help you move better.

The Magic of Mobility

Every Injury is Important. Every Body Move Differently. Everyone has a different history. Yet, different as we are, all of us are designed to move the same way. Having worked with over 1000 members over the past 10 years, coach Paul has boiled down his formula for helping you move better.

The Magic Of Mobility 5 Step Process

1 Address the Complaint:

Where does it hurt? How Does it Hurt? When does it hurt?

2 Find an Exercise or Pattern:

Find an exercise or pattern:

with limited motion;

that causes some pain;

that has less strength; or

that has less control.

3 Observe the Movement Fault:

Test and evaluate all the surrounding tissues up and down the chain of movement. For example, does the right side of your neck hurt? We might:

Check your pec minor for tightness;

Check your triceps for weakness;

Check your serratus for motor limitation.

4 Treat the Most Likely Suspect:

Treat the most likely suspect. If it’s weak, we strengthen it. If it’s down-regulated, we activate it. If it’s tight, we stretch-it or mobilize it.

5 Retest your Pattern:

Does pain decrease? Does the range of motion increase? Does your form look better. Do you have more control? If it gets better, we do more of the same. If it gets worse, try a different technique or go to your secondary suspect.

It’s Time to Start Moving Better

Mobility Lab
5.00 out of 5

Mobility Lab provides training and instruction on how to recover faster, strengthen weak links, improve flexibility, and gain resistance to injury. Mobility Lab is the Stretch Better, Recover Better, Move Better, Mobility Class.

$39.00 Per Month
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The above video takes you through how to prepare and write a lesson plan for a CrossFit strength and conditioning workout.

Strength and Conditioning CrossFit Workout

WOD 9: Push Press

Push Press for load:
#1: 5 reps
#2: 5 reps
#3: 5 reps

WOD 9: Wall Walks and Chinups

4 Rounds for Time
5 Wall Walkups
10 Chinups

Writing a lesson plan for this CrossFit Strength and Conditioning Workout

We start with our White Board Overview… this is what you tell the member about the workout.

Whiteboard Overview 3 Minutes

This is a strength conditioning workout that has a challenging gymnastics based metcon after a heavy barbell lift. We’ll be doing the pushpress and then wall-walks in combination with a chinups. Upper body focused workouts with a high demand on the core stability and shoulder endurance.

General Warmup 7 Minutes

If we have a max effort workout, we will want some kind of warm up our shoulders as well as our core. So, we can think about some positions that will help warmup up those muscles. We also have a lot of shoulders here with the wall walks and chin-ups.

We’ll we want to pick some of these similar type patterns to the exercises in the workout. Bear crawls and ring rows are a great option here that also work as potential beginner level scaling.

So one option is

2 Rounds of this for time/quality. Time Cap of 5 Minutes

32 feet of Bear Crawl
20 Ring Rows
12 Feet of Beast Walk
20 Ring Supinated Rows

So we have two Animal-Based Movements and two row movements. Excellent low skill warmup that raises the metabolic rate and warmups up the appropriate muscle groups.

Because we’ll need to teach the movements, we’ll spend 8 minutes total to the warmup section.

Specific Warmup 10 Minutes

Pushpress

We need to teach the mechanics of the Push press. 4-5 minutes should be enough to cover that in a one-on-one session. If the member has trouble learning it… or scale down is the strict press. We also have to allocate about 3 minutes of time to rack and barbell setup.

Wall Walk

We need to go through the movements standards and scale the movement to the level of the athlete by shortening the distance or lowering the max height to climb with the feet.

Chinups

The chin up chin ups a fairly simple movement. We need to check range of motion and scale the exercise. Common scalings are banded chin-ups, jumping chin-ups or TRX supinated rows.

Workout Time Limits

Strength Portion 8 Minutes

The push press will be easy to scale because we are doing a max load workout. If the movement is too complex to learn, we will scale to the strict press or use dumbbells.

8 Minutes to do 15 pushpress is a little tight on time, but such is often the case with a strength and conditioning workout. True max weights require very long recovery times.

Metcon Portion 12 Minutes

The wall walk and the chin ups need to be done a certain speed otherwise the member won’t finish. So we set the scalings and test. Before we can determine scaling for this portion, we need to determine how long this workout should take. Stronger athletes should be able to go unbroken the first two rounds and then probably break up the sets in the last two rounds. So five wall walks will take maybe 90 seconds at most. And then 10 chin-ups maybe another minute. So we have two and a half minutes. Times four gives us 10 minutes as an ideal time to complete. We can set the cap at 12 minutes.

For our Prove it Round, we need to verify whether the member likely has this work capacity. So we could check whether the member can do 3 wall walks and 8 chin-ups unbroken in under 90 seconds? If not, scale down the exercises to something the member can complete unbroken.

Checking your Timing

If we add up all the times above, we have 40 minutes of workout time programmed. This gives us five minutes for cooldown and mobility.

Cooldown and Mobility 5 Minutes

We’ll want to stretch and mobilize front deltoids and biceps for a workout like this. We can do

Front deltoid lacross ball roll
Lions Pose for the forearms and biceps

These are sample exercises that you can do. Always make adjustments for the member as needed.

Final Model Lesson Plan for this Workout

Whiteboard 3 Minutes

This is a strength conditioning workout that has a challenging gymnastics based metcon after a heavy barbell lift. We’ll be doing the pushpress and then wall-walks in combination with a chinups. Upper body focused workouts with a high demand on the core stability and shoulder endurance.

Warmup 7 Minutes

2 Rounds of this for time/quality. Time Cap of 5 Minutes

32 feet of Bear Crawl
20 Ring Rows
12 Feet of Beast Walk
20 Ring Suppinated Rows

Specific Warmup 10 Minutes

Teach the mechanics for the push press. 4 Minutes of work. Loading, J-hooks, and equipment. 8 Minutes Total
Teach standards for the wall walk. 3 Minutes. Scale the difficulty by either shortening the distance or lowering the max height to walk to. Beginners might just to a plank walk with their feet on the wall.
Chinup. Check range of motion. Scale the exercise to banded chin-ups or jumping chin-ups or TRX Supinated Row if the chin up is too difficult. 3 Minutes

Scaling 3 Minutes

Prove it Round to check scaling.

Three Wall walks and 8 chin-ups. That should be completed unbroken.

Strength Workout 8 Minutes

3 x 5 Push Press for Load. Substitute DB for newer athletes or people with a known shoulder weaknesses.

Metcon Workout 12 Minutes

Try to complete the metcon in under 10 minutes. Time cap of 12 minutes.

Mobility 5 Minutes

Focus stretches on biceps and shoulder

Examples:

Shoulders: front deltoid rolling with lacrosse ball
Lion Pose for forearms and Biceps

9 Corn Salads for Summer

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:31 -0700

Bushels upon bushels of corn waiting to be husked are a sure sign that summer is here. While a good old straight-up cob is a pleasure and a seasonal rite, corn has a sweetness and a savoriness that’s too good not to spread around.

Fresh-off-the-cob corn pairs and contrasts beautifully with other summer produce, practically demanding to be tossed into a colorful and chunky salad.

There are are near-infinite ways to build corn salads, so we’re all for experimentation in the kitchen (or hovering, licking your fingers, over your outdoor grill). Here are some of our favorite recipes to make this veggie the corn-erstone of summer eating.

Got ears coming out your ears? Try these 9 corn salad recipes

Tomato, tomatillo, and corn salad with avocado dressing
Fresh corn and tomato salad
Maque choux
Charred corn and zucchini salad
Honey lemon shrimp and corn salad
Mexican quinoa salad with corn and black beans
Garden fresh corn salad
Elote corn salad
Sweet corn and arugula salad

1. Tomato, tomatillo, and corn salad with avocado dressing

Juicy, crunchy, and creamy, this salad combines the tartness of tomatillos with sweet corn, cool jicama, and meaty tomatoes. The whole thing’s topped off with a thick, smoky avocado-chipotle dressing (that happens to be vegan!).

Get our tomato, tomatillo, and corn salad with avocado dressing recipe.

2. Fresh corn and tomato salad

Simple yet stunning, this easy salad goes with anything grilled, and is perfect for picnics too. Try it with heirloom tomatoes or sweet orange Sungolds — but to preserve their texture, don’t add the tomatoes until you’re ready to serve. (Same goes for the fresh basil.)

Get our fresh corn and tomato salad recipe.

3. Maque choux

Maque choux — a corn salad featuring the Cajun “holy trinity” of onion, green pepper, and celery — is a Southern classic. (And it’s “mock shoe” to all you non-Louisianans.)

This recipe gets a boost from crispy okra, cream, and bacon. Pair it with Cajun shrimp or jambalaya for a summertime jamboree, y’all.

Get our maque choux recipe.

4. Charred corn and zucchini salad

Zucchini and corn are a pairing that sings of summer. But what really sets this recipe apart is the crisp layer of char you’ll get from grilling your corn ahead of time. (You could even repurpose leftover grilled corn — if such a thing exists — from your last barbecue.) The zingy chopped cilantro and feta cheese don’t hurt the flavor profile, either.

Get the charred corn and zucchini salad recipe.

5. Honey lemon shrimp and corn salad

If you’ve never tried the chili-lime deliciousness that is Tajin seasoning, let this summery corn entree be your introduction. (Don’t worry, honey sweetens up the spice’s signature kick.)

In this main dish salad, you’ll also get a hefty dose of protein from shrimp and 7 grams of fiber from the rainbow of corn kernels and other veggies.

Get the honey lemon shrimp and corn salad recipe.

6. Mexican quinoa salad with corn and black beans

The Southwestern salad gets an upgrade! Built around the usual suspects of corn and beans, this one introduces quinoa for a healthy, protein-packed twist, while a light, cumin-dusted vinaigrette lends a kick. Upgrade the nutrition (and the Southwestern flair) even further with sliced avocado, a sprinkle of cotija, or chopped fresh tomatoes.

Get the Mexican quinoa salad with corn and black beans recipe.

7. Garden fresh corn salad

Bright, light, fresh, and crisp, this salad combines corn with a garden’s worth of veggie pals, including radishes, cucumber, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. What better way to celebrate summer’s bounty?

Get the garden fresh corn salad recipe.

8. Elote corn salad

Grilled Mexican street corn is a crowd-pleasing summer barbecue side, but turn it into a salad and it’s even easier to serve and enjoy. Prepare to share the recipe because everyone will want it.

Get the elote corn salad recipe.

9. Sweet corn and arugula salad

It’s easy, it’s vegan, and it gives you a hefty serving of leafy greens — this one checks all the boxes. Just shuck a few ears of corn, pair with peppery arugula and colorful red onion and bell pepper, and dress with an easy-peasy vinaigrette. Whole foods for the win!

Get the sweet corn and arugula salad recipe.

Bottom line

Summertime picnicking, potlucking, and plain old dinner-ing can always use a side (or main dish) with sweet, crunchy corn. We’re convinced the salads above will have you thinking of “corny” as a very good thing. Oh, and if you could use some help shuckin’? Try our tips for removing kernels like a pro.

8 Delicious Ways to Enjoy a Loaf of Challah

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:31 -0700

Mariela Naplatanova/Stocksy United

Challah is a bread that’s steeped in tradition, holding a symbolic place at Jewish Sabbath meals and in the Rosh Hashanah spread.

But beyond its religious significance, challah has a universal appeal, with a fluffy texture and eggy richness that can be exquisite even in non-kosher dishes. It’s ideal for sweets like French toast and bread pudding, and can also add an extra layer of decadence to savory sandwiches and bready casseroles.

Ditch the squishy supermarket slices and make your own challah (recipe below) — then use it as your soft-as-a-pillow bread of choice in the additional recipes we’ve lined up.

8 challah recipes to take you to bread heaven

Homemade challah
Roasted peach and dulce de leche bread pudding
Egg in a hole
Challah breakfast casserole
Mushroom and gruyere bread pudding
Summer berry pudding
Spinach and artichoke grilled cheese
Nutella-stuffed French toast

1. Homemade challah

Making any delicious challah recipe requires you have a loaf to start off with. Just in case you don’t have one handy (or if you wanna make one that puts the grocery store variety to shame), our recipe for homemade challah will set you on the right track.

Get our challah recipe.

2. Roasted peach and dulce de leche bread pudding

There are tons of options for enjoying summer’s bounty of stone fruits, but we can’t think of a better way to use them up than this peachy special occasion bread pudding. If you’ve got a challah loaf that’s starting to turn stale, an armful of cream, eggs, and butter will hide those rough edges in a jiffy, turning them into something luxurious and dreamy.

Get our roasted peach and dulce de leche bread pudding recipe.

3. Egg in a Hole

Toad in the hole, eggs in a basket, badger in the cave (OK, we may have made that one up) — whatever you like to call a hollowed-out slice, challah is especially suited for the task because of its eggy-bread-on-egg action.

Four simple ingredients are all it takes to whip up this classic, but feel free to add sliced avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, or a side of bacon for extra oomph.

Get the challah egg in a hole recipe.

4. Challah breakfast casserole

Challah could be your best friend when looking to feed brunch to a crowd. Just let chunks o’challah soak overnight with some sweet Italian sausage and its drippings, plus onions (or shallots) and cheese. The next morning, pop the savory combo in the oven for a stove-less recipe that makes more than enough to go around.

Get the challah breakfast casserole recipe.

5. Mushroom and gruyere bread pudding

Challah’s richness can also help you add a bit of decadence to an otherwise simple meal. The meaty mushrooms and melty cheese here certainly don’t hurt. This savory bread pudding can serve as a side dish or be the star with a simple salad to prop it up.

Get the mushroom and gruyere bread pudding recipe.

6. Summer berry pudding

Treat challah like a sponge and you’ll be vastly rewarded. It’s a pro at soaking up sweet fruit juices, like in this cheerful berry-laden summer pudding. Bonus: The pudding is way easier than it looks, since it’s a totally no-bake dessert.

Get our summer berry pudding recipe.

7. Spinach and artichoke grilled cheese

You can’t go wrong with grilled cheese of any persuasion. But grilled cheese on challah with spinach and artichokes? That’s a whole other level of delish.

The hint of sweetness in challah makes it perfect for experimenting with salty-sweet combos. Here, a classic grilled cheese takes on new life as a baked casserole featuring the tried-and-true flavors of everyone’s favorite dip.

Get the spinach and artichoke grilled cheese recipe.

8. Nutella-stuffed French toast

One more plug for French toast. You can make any recipe for it with challah, but this stuffed version crosses the line into dessert territory… especially if you serve it with a scoop of ice cream. Even unadorned, this marriage of molten chocolate and crisp, fluffy bread is just about the most lavish thing that could happen between two slices.

Get our Nutella-stuffed French toast recipe.

Bottom line

Challah ain’t your average bread. With its light sweetness and eggy texture, it does double-duty as both a vehicle for desserts and the perfect foil for savory ingredients. Whatever the bready recipe, we say holla for challah!

The *Berry* Sweet Benefits of Strawberry Leaves

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:31 -0700
Strawberry leaves aren’t quite a health superfood, but they may have several health benefits that make you think twice before de-leafing ’em. We walk through their benefits and ways to use them.
Olga Moreira/Stocksy United

Strawberries are one of the most popular berries. They’re sweet, red, and have been a go-to topping for desserts since long before processed sugar existed.

When eating strawberries, most opt to remove the leaves. Is this an unnecessary waste though? Turns out strawberry plant leaves aren’t merely edible — they’re packed with a bunch of healthy feel-good body benefits.

Yup, you were today years old when you learned that strawberry leaves are fully edible AND they’re good for you. If you’ve got strawberry leaf questions you’re in the right place — here’s everything you need to know.

Strawberry leaf benefits: Are they good for you?

Strawberry leaves aren’t quite a health superfood (they’re no goji berries or spirulina), but they may have several health benefits that make you think twice before de-leafing your strawbs.

Like a lot of “hey we’ve been eating this wrong” food health stuff, research into strawberry leaves isn’t extensive —despite strawberry plants being used medicinally since ye olden days.

To sum up the science, studies that exist indicate that leaving the leaves on your strawberries ain’t the worst idea. It might even be a good one.

1. Strawberry leaves may improve heart health

Berries have been touted as a heart-friendly food by dietary scientists for several decades — strawberries very much included.

Berries contain lots of polyphenols like anthocyanins, which are organic compounds proven across multiple clinical trials to reduce the risk of heart complications. Many trials included strawberries, both fresh and freeze-dried, as well as liquid polyphenol extracts derived directly from strawberries.

Fun fact: The leaves of strawberries contain way more polyphenols than the flesh. If you’re using strawberries as an ingredient in, say, a hearth health-boosting smoothie, leaving on the leaves will increase the ba-thump ba-thump benefits you feel with each beat.

2. Strawberry leaves might reduce blood sugar

There’s evidence strawberry leaves reduce blood sugar levels. This is great for folks with conditions like type 2 diabetes who carry a higher risk of hyperglycemia (aka dangerously high blood sugar levels).

Polyphenols can tip their hat again here — they’re behind this benefit too. Clinical trials like this one from 2015 found strawberry leaf extract high in polyphenolic compounds significantly reduced blood glucose levels in rats with diabetes. Rats obvi aren’t people, so human trials are very much needed, but the results are promising.

The theory is that polyphenol-rich strawberry leaves influence carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and as a knock-on effect help keep blood sugar levels under control.

Are strawberry leaves the future of type 2 diabetes treatment? Probably not, but having a bowl of leafy strawberries after a high-carb meal like pasta is already being recommended by some dietitians.

3. Strawberry leaves reduce oxidative stress

It’s no news that strawberries are swimming in antioxidants, but the fact most are found in the leaves and not the fruit might come as a surprise.

Researchers estimate that the antioxidant capacity of strawberry leaves is up to six times higher than the flesh of the berry itself. This isn’t just true for strawberries either — research from 2016 suggests that leaves are where the antioxidant party tends to be for most berries.

The bioactive compounds (those lil polyphenols again) found in strawberry leaves can help reduce free radicals that cause oxidative stress.

Just like every benefit on our list, if you’re using strawberries for an antioxidant boost, leaves-on is the way to go.

4. Strawberry leaves boost your immune system

Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for a healthy immune system. Good thing that strawberry leaves are almost as rich in vitamin C as the berry bit of the plant then, isn’t it?

It varies plant to plant, but a 100-gram (g) serving of strawberry leaves contains an average of 138 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, not much lower than the 224 mg in 100 g of the fruit.

Strawberries continue to be investigated for their benefits as an immune-boosting functional food. The combo of vitamin C and polyphenols is known to help the body maintain its defenses.

Regular strawberries in your diet could help keep those sick days down, and including the leaves will only increase the benefits.

5. Strawberry leaves might have anti-microbial properties

There’s some evidence that strawberry leaves have anti-microbial properties too. But more research is needed to confirm if it’s true and, if it is, whether these effects are enough to make a song and dance about.

As it stands, some research has found that strawberry extracts inhibit the growth of various viruses, bacteria, and pathogenic microbes. The evaluation used strawberry extracts though, and while investigations like this one from 2014 suggest the chemical composition of strawberry leaves is a recipe for anti-microbial benefits, studies that test this theory are still scarce.

Ways you can use strawberry tops and leaves

The easiest way to get strawberry leaves into your system is to eat strawberries and leave the leaves on. Pretty easy.

But if you want to use them as an ingredient on their own, you def can. You can find dried strawberry leaves and liquid strawberry leaf extract online or at health food stores.

As for foods and recipes you can add strawberry leaves to, here are a few of our faves:

1. Make strawberry leaf tea

Herbal teas are good for the body and soul, and dried strawberry leaves can be added for both an additional health boost and for a bit of mild fruity flavor.

2. Whip up a smoothie

Strawberries go great in smoothies, and so do their leaves! You can add a bit of strawberry leaf to your smoothie by leaving the leaves on the strawberries you already include, or adding a little dried leaf or extract to your mix.

They work with green smoothies too, especially as an added kick for a kale–spinach combo.

3. Toss them in a salad

Fresh strawberry leaves make a great addition to leafy salads. The flavor’s light, so it won’t overpower the hero of your dish, but it’ll add a grassy, fruity edge that’ll bring out both the natural earthy undertones and zesty fruity currents in your other ingredients.

4. Add ’em to your booze

If you’re looking for a little extra something for your mojito or summertime cocktail, strawberry leaves work wonders. To make life extra easy you can use strawberry tops saved from strawberries you eat (if you don’t want to eat the leaves).

Safety, side effects, and risks of strawberry leaves

Strawberry leaves are safe to eat. There’s no risk from consuming dried or fresh strawberry leaves — they’re not poisonous and have no side effects.

But — as with most things — allergic reactions are always a possibility. And while fatal allergic reactions to strawberries are rare, they’re not unheard of. Here are some signs of allergic reaction to look out for:

hives
itchiness
soreness in your mouth
lightheadedness
breathing difficulties
anaphylaxis

If you have any of the above reactions, stop eating ASAP and seek medical attention.

tl;dr

Most people throw away the leaves when they eat strawberries, but strawberry leaves aren’t bad for you — they actually have a bunch of potential health benefits including improving heart health, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, boosting the immune system, and reducing blood sugar levels.

Strawberry leaves can be eaten fresh or purchased dried, or as a liquid extract/tincture. They make a great addition to smoothies and cocktails, but the most common way to consume them is as an ingredient in herbal tea (which means you get the added health boosts of herbal teas, too).

9 Best Wool Dryer Balls for 2022: Do They Really Work?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:31 -0700

If you’re looking to get your laundry next-level soft and fluffy while steering clear of chemicals, wool dryer balls might be on your radar. These compact orbs, made from sheep’s wool, are meant to be a natural, reusable alternative to conventional fabric softener sheets or plastic dryer balls.

Only thing is… are they as incredible as some people claim?

The truth is there’s not a ton of evidence out there to say for certain whether wool dryer balls work and if they’ll for sure do as good a job as fabric softeners.

But we can take a dive into how they’re meant to improve your laundry, what the general consensus seems to be on how well they get the job done, plus some product picks to try. So let’s get to it.

A quick look at the best wool dryer balls

Best rated: Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls
Organic option: SnugPad Wool Dryer Balls
Most responsibly sourced: Friendsheep Eco Wool Dryer Balls
Cutest: Wooly Heroes Dryer Balls
Best storage option: East Cobb Products Wool Dryer Balls
Best budget pick: Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls
Best scented: Nellie’s Lamby Wool Dryer Balls
Best on Amazon: Woolzies Wool Dryer Balls
Best for pet hair: Ecoigy Wool Dryer Balls

Sooo.. do wool dryer balls work?

Dryer balls, in general, work by “disrupting” your laundry load.

Basically, they bounce around between clothes to keep fabrics from bunching or balling up. That’s supposed to speed up drying time, stop static from forming, boost softness and fluffiness, and reduce wrinkles. Some people say they get pet hair off of clothes too, but that’s kinda TBD.

Wool vs. plastic dryer balls and dryer sheets

There are plastic dryer balls out there — plus good ol’ fashioned dryer sheets — so why wool in particular?

Turns out the stuff is hella absorbent, so it could cut your load’s drying time down by a lot.

It’s also a sustainable, renewable material that’s good for the planet. It’s also a smart option for people with sensitive skin since wool is hypoallergenic.

In comparison, plastic dryer balls work pretty similarly to wool ones — although they’re not as straight-up environmentally-friendly as wool, they don’t leave any annoying wool fibers behind and can last a long time. They are harder, though, and can make it sound like someone is tumbling a bunch of bowling balls in your dryer. Wool is definitely quieter.

Meanwhile, dryer sheets don’t check off many of these boxes at all: They’re single-use, making them both more wasteful and more expensive, and the fragrances and chemicals added to help them soften fabrics and eliminate static can be super irritating to sensitive or allergy-prone skin.

How we chose

Before we tell you which wool dryer balls we think are worth checking out, here’s how we narrowed this list down of our top favorites:

Construction. Your wool dryer balls should be made of — you guessed it! — wool, so we checked to be sure that our suggested products are all 100% wool construction. If the wool comes from New Zealand, aka the wool capital of the world (that’s not an official title, we just made that up because of all the sheep), then it got bonus points.
Durability. No one wants their wool dryer balls falling apart after just three or four months. We tried to find dryer balls that could last you at least two years, if not longer.
Quantity. What good is one wool dryer ball? No good at all. We also looked for balls sold in packs of four or six, to maximize the bang for your buck.

Pricing guide

Prices are for 6-packs.

$ = under $10
$$ = $10–$20
$$$ = $20–$30

The best wool dryer balls to buy

If you want to try adding wool dryer balls to your laundry, you’ve got loads to choose from. (Heh, sorry.) Most of the options are billed as extra-large, meaning they’re a little larger than a tennis ball, and come in packs of six, which manufacturers say is enough for a very big load of laundry.

Best rated wool dryer balls

Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls

Price: $$
Quantity: 6
Colors available: white, gray smiling sheep, marching penguins
What we like: These are handmade in Nepal and extra durable
What we don’t like: They’ve gotten some complaints of creating more static

More than 58,000 satisfied Amazon shoppers agree that these WDBs do great things for their laundry. Made from 100 percent premium New Zealand wool, they’ve actually won awards for their greatness.

Each extra-large ball is a little bigger than a tennis ball and designed to last for two to four years, depending on how often you do laundry. And if you like to support socially responsible businesses, this brand is for you. Smart Sheep’s balls are crafted by women in Nepal who are paid a living wage.

Shop now at Amazon

Best organic wool dryer balls

SnugPad Wool Dryer Balls

Price: $$
Quantity: 4, 6, or 8
Colors available: white
What we like: No odor, no lint, no problem(s)
What we don’t like: They’re on the pricier side

Earth-conscious shoppers will appreciate that these WDBs are made from 100 percent organic New Zealand wool that’ll perform for up to four years.

The brand claims the balls will help your clothes dry 25 percent faster, and they’ve earned over 32,000 positive reviews on Amazon. They come in a standard 6-pack, but if you don’t do a ton of laundry, you can also get a 4-pack.

Shop now at Amazon

Most responsibly-sourced wool dryer balls

Friendsheep Eco Wool Dryer Balls

Price: $$$
Quantity: 6
Colors available: multiple
What we like: Handmade in Nepal, fairly traded, and sun-dried without chemicals
What we don’t like: Pricier than similar styles and brands

Here’s another pick made from 100 percent organic New Zealand wool. This one claims to speed up drying time by 20 to 40 percent while helping fabric avoid wrinkling, tangling, and twisting so you don’t have to spend time ironing.

But the thing that really makes them stand out? They’re handmade by women in Nepal under ethical working conditions, so the women are paid a fair wage and the materials are all fair-traded.

The balls are even sun-dried to avoid the use of any chemicals in the manufacturing process. They even have the eco-friendly Leaping Bunny certification to back them up.

Shop now at Amazon

Cutest wool dryer balls

Wooly Heroes Dryer Balls

Price: $$$
Quantity: 6
Colors available: penguins, cows, and other animals
What we like: Organic, with lots of BOGO discounts available
What we don’t like: Some users complain that the balls shed fibers

Snap these up if you ever do laundry with a kid… or you’re just a kid at heart.

These — you guessed it — 100 percent organic New Zealand wool balls boast cute animal faces, but still get the job done. They claim to slash drying time by up to 40 percent and last up to 1,000 dry cycles.

Shop now at Amazon

Wool dryer balls with the best storage option

East Cobb Products Wool Dryer Balls

Price: $$
Quantity: 6
Colors available: white
What we like: Easy to access and portable
What we don’t: Some reviewers say the balls aren’t super helpful for wrinkles or static cling

More New Zealand wool at work here! These claim to cut your drying time anywhere from 20 to 40 percent and are meant to last for two to four years.

But their best feature is the felt container that comes with your purchase. It’s a neat, easy way to store the WDBs right on the shelf in between loads.

Shop now at Amazon

Best budget wool dryer balls

Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls

Price: $$
Quantity: 6
Colors available: white
What we like: An affordable but no less effective option
What we don’t like: A few reviewers say the balls don’t do a great job at removing pet hair

These balls claim to cut drying time while nixing wrinkles and lint. And over 52,000 Amazon reviewers agree that the balls get the job done (and we say that is a very nice price tag).

Also nice: The balls come in a convenient canvas storage bag.

Shop now at Amazon

Best scented wool dryer balls

Nellie’s Lamby Wool Dryer Balls

Price: $
Quantity: 1
Colors available: white
What we like: Choose from a few different scents that will last through 50 loads
What we don’t like: Only one per package

If sweet-smelling laundry is your jam but you don’t want to use chemical-laden dryer sheets, give one or two of Nellie’s scented wool dryer balls a shot. Not only is the amount of scent totally customizable, but it also comes from lavender essential oil…and that’s all, folks.

These scented dryer balls work the same way as Nellie’s unscented ones, so you can add as many scented ones to your laundry as you want (Nellie’s suggests just throwing one in with four or five regulars for a large load, but you can use more if you want extra-scented laundry).

And if lavender isn’t your favorite scent, Nellie’s makes these in citrus, bergamot, rose and lemongrass varieties, too.

Shop now at Amazon

Best wool dryer balls on Amazon

There’s more to puppy parenting than fresh kibble and snuggles. Are you in the right living sitch to take on a new (furry) roommate? Take this quiz to find out.

All About Animal-Assisted Therapy

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
If you’ve ever felt comforted by your family pet, you’ve had a glimpse into the benefits of animal-assisted therapy.
Animal-assisted therapy is using an animal as part of goal-oriented therapy sessions. There are psychological and physiological benefits to animal-assisted therapy.

The American Humane Association defines animal-assisted therapy on their website as:

“A goal-directed intervention in which an animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical healthcare treatment process. Animal-assisted therapy is delivered or directed by a professional health or human service [professional] who demonstrates skill and expertise regarding the clinical applications of human-animal interactions.”

Facts about animal-assisted therapy

1. There’s no singular nor standardized approach to animal-assisted therapy

Therapy animals support the therapeutic process rather than leading it. A therapy animal could be involved in a wide range of therapies. Examples include equine therapy for kids with anxiety and canine therapy for childhood trauma.

The therapy animal might simply be in the session to offer comfort. Or, it may take a more active role, like when a therapy client interacts with the animal by grooming it or walking with it.

2. They’re not service animals

Therapy animals and service animals have different roles.

Service animals are trained to perform specific tasks for people with conditions that are challenging to manage. Service dogs can be a huge gift in helping these folks live functional lives, says Teresa Lodato, a certified professional co-active coach out of Alamo, California.

“A therapy animal, on the other hand, is used for specific tasks like education (or) stress relief,” she explains.

“One way to identify which is which (is that) service dogs work solely for their human companion. Therapy animals are handled by a human but are providing therapy or education to a third person or party.”

Therapist Dr. Monika Kreinberg of Mind Wellness Center adds that “service dogs can provide many different types of services [such as guiding] the blind or alert[ing] for diabetes and seizures.”

But she clarifies, “An animal used within the scope of therapy — its role is to assist with the processing of emotions. Therapy animals are often used as extra help to connect with clients and help them go through the motions of therapy.”

3. Animals used for therapy include more than dogs and horses

Since pet therapy animals don’t need task-specific training the way service animals do, there are more kinds of animals that can participate.

Nurse practitioner Becky Morrison says, “my English Mastiff is a visiting therapy dog and personal therapy dog. In Alberta, Canada, we have the PALS program — Pet Access League Society — dogs and cats are certified as visiting therapy animals.”

Dogs, cats, and horses aren’t all, though. Other animals therapists may use for animal-assisted therapy include:

birds
rabbits
ferrets
guinea pigs

4. They help folks with a variety of causes and settings

Animal-assisted therapy isn’t always at a clinician’s office.

“We go into various healthcare settings from hospitals, hospice, nursing homes, shelters, even the airport,” Morrison says of her visiting therapy dog.

Sessions can be individual or for groups and can happen in many different locations, such as:

libraries
schools
outdoors
rehabilitation centers
correctional facilities

Benefits of animal-assisted therapy

“Using animals in therapy can be highly effective,” says Kreinberg.

A therapy animal provides a safe topic of conversation to kick start the connection between therapist and client. In addition to being a source of comfort and pleasant distraction, the animal creates a talking point to spark engagement.

In addition to increasing social interactions, the benefits of animal-assisted therapy include human-animal interaction that can reduce emotional arousal and anger, according to 2019 research.

There are medical benefits, too.

A 2018 study shows that seeing and touching animals can trigger positive physiological changes, including higher levels of:

serotonin
endorphins
oxytocin

A reduced baseline cortisol level is another benefit.

Research from 2016 has also linked animal-assisted therapy to improved blood flow in people experiencing heart failure. It may even reduce blood pressure for some people.

Does animal-assisted therapy really work?

It’s helpful, according to Kreinberg. She says she often brought her therapy dog along on child abuse cases at Family Court. Kreinberg says her dog helped connect with children who lost trust in adults due to abuse.

Research from 2016 pinpoints the therapeutic bond as being one of the most important factors in therapy success. In other words, being able to trust your therapist matters. Animals can help to foster this trust.

A 2019 abstract covering seven studies examined canine-assisted psychotherapy for youth 10–19 years old experiencing mental health issues. It found that canine-assisted psychotherapy had a positive impact on behaviors and conditions like:

internalizing disorders
anxiety
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
anger
externalizing disorders (external-facing impulse challenges like conduct disorders)

The mental health benefits of animal-assisted therapy for kids go even further.

A 2015 study linked therapeutic time with animals to reduced pain levels after surgery. Children hospitalized for cancer treatment also experienced reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol, thanks to time spent in animal-assisted therapy.

Let’s recap

Animal-assisted therapy can provide both mental health and medical benefits.

Unlike service dogs, animal-assisted therapy animals don’t receive person-specific training. However, they should have basic training and socialization to stay calm and manageable.

Because there aren’t specific tasks they need to learn, more types of animals can participate in animal-assisted therapy.

Your insurance may not cover animal-assisted therapy, but it’s worth looking into. Sessions can range in price from $100 to over $300, depending on what the session entails and who’s in charge. You may be able to get a lower rate if you’re willing to work with a clinical intern rather than a licensed therapist.

If you’re interested in trying animal-assisted therapy, having a conversation with a doctor or mental health specialist is a good place to start.

This article was originally published on PsychCentral.com. To view the original, click here.

8 Reasons To Listen to Your Kid and Get That Pet

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Pets might be a lot of work for families, but they can also be very good for your kid’s mental and physical health.
Carol Yepes/Getty Images

When it comes to childhood milestones, there’s one that we don’t talk about as much: the moment our child asks us to get them a pet.

Maybe it happens after they watch the Sesame Street episode where Elmo finds a puppy or after they go to a friend’s house and play with the new bearded dragon their family just got.

But chances are, it will happen. Do you know what you’ll say?

As long as your family has the means and resources to take care of a pet and no one in the house is allergic, you might consider saying yes since pets can be very good for a child’s well-being.

How can having a pet during childhood be important?

Pets are influential since they can play many roles in your child’s life. These include being a cuddle buddy, playmate, friend, and comforter.

Pets teach kids responsibility, but they’re also there to console your kid when they feel down. Plus, some can run around with your child when they need a friend that can keep up while they play.

Other more sedentary or container-bound pets provide consistency. Domestic animals can also reinforce some of your parental lessons, like those about sharing, self-esteem, and empathy.

Pet benefits on child development

Whether it’s a dog, cat, bunny, or reptile, pets can have very real and positive impacts on a kid’s emotional and physical development. Here are some of those benefits:

Emotional regulation

“Humans have two systems of regulation: co-regulation and self-regulation,” explains Kristen Antonio, licensed clinical counselor and school social worker from Massachusetts. “When children are born, they are biologically adapted to seek out the co-regulation from their caregivers.”

This is why infants calm down when they’re held. But over time, they learn ways to self-regulate or self-soothe. One of the major benefits of growing up with pets, Antonio says, is that they give the child practice in learning both these skills since pets can both provide comfort and be comforted by the child.

Pets and mental health

Pets offer humans of all ages connection, which several studies have shown can greatly improve our mental health.

A 2015 study, for example, found that growing up with a childhood dog correlated with lower rates of anxiety in kids, while a 2013 study found that dogs reduced how often military veterans with PTSD felt lonely, worried, or irritable.

“Having a pet to interact with helps children with stress management,” explains Mayra Mendez, licensed psychotherapist and program coordinator at the Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, California, “[because] play with a pet releases tension.”

A 2015 review of studies showed that dogs and horses have been found to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. They have also been shown to reduce PTSD symptoms. This is why they’re often used as part of therapy interventions by mental health professionals.

“When I worked in a children’s hospital, pet therapy visits were definitely a highlight for our patients,” explains Jackie Tassiello, a licensed board certified art therapist who works with children. “Pets can offer us play, humor, connection, and an emotional anchor during stressful times.”

“Children can learn to self-soothe, rest, and cope better with a pet,” she adds.

Pets can teach social skills

Companion animals can be emotionally supportive and present with kids, but they also need things in return, such as love and care. That’s why they can help the child better learn how to interact with other living things.

“Pets offer vital lessons around boundaries, connection, respect, and empathy,” explains Tassiello. “Pets need care and connection, which activates the ability [in kids] to act in empathetic, compassionate ways and form strong bonds.”

In other words, pets help teach kids how to trust and form healthy attachments.

“Play with a pet allows for the opportunity to engage in companionship and builds capacity for reciprocity and give and take,” Tassiello adds.

Pets can influence behavior

Depending on what kind of pet you get, you might also help teach kids tolerance and acceptance.

“Pets have many needs and their own distinct personalities,” explains Tassiello. “They get scared, make mistakes, and some may have particular strengths and weaknesses.”

As a result, kids learn that they cannot control others.

“Children not only learn to be kind, but they may also take in lessons around tolerating differences, embracing imperfection, forgiveness, and taking on multiple perspectives.”

Pets can improve communication skills

“Pets help children think and problem solve by interacting, playing, and [caregiving],” says Mendez. “Language and communication skills are enhanced and the process of teaching the pet tricks and positive behavior provides children with the opportunity to practice clear, accurate, and meaningful communication skills.”

This is also why there are programs devoted to helping elementary school-aged children improve their reading skills.

Dogs are non-judgmental, comforting friends that will patiently listen, which gives children more self-esteem.

Pets teach life skills

Since pets are living, breathing animals that have needs, children can learn responsibility and dependability when they help care for them.

“For instance, if I am out with my kids and we need to get home to take our dog out, I am modeling for children how to think about and empathize with another living creature who is dependent on us for care,” explains Antonio.

Plus, she continues, “Pets are also a beautiful source of empowerment for children who move through this world feeling quite disempowered in many spaces [because] to have a pet that they feel a sense of responsibility for is a beautiful way to help children build interpersonal skills that empower themselves and others.”

For example, when training a dog, you can’t just say “no” and expect the dog to adjust its behavior. You have to give the dog positive reinforcement for the behavior you do want to see. This teaches kids to manage expectations in a consistent, loving way.

Learning about loss and grief

Pets often become integrated family members, so when they die, they can teach the whole family lessons about how to deal with grief.

“Pets teach us that loss is complex, change is difficult, and that everyone’s healing is unique and personal,” says Tassiello. “Children benefit from having a say in how they want to process the loss and remember their pets and having a caring adult ask about their needs as they heal.”

This helps kids learn coping skills and the importance of building and relying on their support system when they need it.

They encourage activity

Some pets, like dogs, require regular walks and outdoor time. This can encourage children to be more active and outdoorsy than they might otherwise be, which can benefit their health.

Pets can benefit kids’ physical health in other ways too. For example, one 2017 study found that babies with pets in their homes are less likely to develop allergies since they’re exposed early in life to allergens like pet dander or dirt that pets bring inside.

Is there a best type of animal for childhood pets?

It’s true that some pets are more engaging to children than others. You may choose a pet based on considerations such as:

home space
budget
family schedule (if your family is rarely home, a low-maintenance pet may be best)
your child’s level of comfort with critters and waste cleanup (some pets need live food, like worms, crickets, or mice)

A dog is more likely to play with a child and encourage them to be active since they need regular walks. A cat will be slightly more independent and can teach children to take responsibility for feeding it while allowing them to learn about the cat’s boundaries around how it likes to be pet or touched.

A guinea pig is good for cuddles and eats lots of fruits and veggies, which may encourage healthy snacking in your kid.

At the end of the day, the biggest benefits to children are going to come from the pet that your child and family bond with the most.

See Healthline’s in-depth resource for the best pets for children.

Let’s recap

Pets are definite commitments for families. They require care for years and sometimes decades at a time.

But if your family has the means and time and no one is allergic, these companion animals can be beneficial for kids during childhood. They can provide mental and physical health benefits and help foster emotional regulation, social skills, responsibilities, and other skills in kids.

Next time your child asks to get a pet, consider the benefits as you weigh the decision. You might find that everyone in the family could benefit from having one.

This article was originally published on PsychCentral.com. To view the original, click here.

Cat Lovers, This Is How a Feline Friend Can Boost Your Health

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Cat enthusiasts, did you know how these elegant feline friends can enrich your life? Sure, cats are adorable when they cuddle with you, and it’s so heartwarming to watch them curl up into a lazy ball on your bed. But how do they improve your health? Read this Spotlight to find out.
“The cat,” wrote author Muriel Spark in A Far Cry from Kensington, “will settle down and be serene, with a serenity that passes all understanding.”

“And,” she writes, “the tranquility of the cat will gradually come to affect you, […] so that all the excitable qualities that impede your concentration compose themselves and give your mind back the self-command it has lost.”

“[A cat’s] presence alone is enough,” she says. “The effect of a cat on your concentration is remarkable, very mysterious.”

Cats are often hailed as pets that can soothe and bring calm. That is, perhaps, why places such as cat cafés — where anyone can go and stroke or cuddle a cat while having a soothing drink — are so popular wherever they open.

However, aside from enthusiastic reports from cat owners about all the benefits of interacting with felines, what health and well-being benefits can we actually expect cats to bring?

In this Spotlight, we give you an overview of what scientific studies say about how cats can enrich our lives and boost our health.

‘A soothing massage for the soul’

Who among us hasn’t had the experience of being all set to do some business, only to fall into the deep Internet hole of cute cat videos? Such clips are so addictive, often the focus of many an hour spent procrastinating.

As research has shown, however, there is a good reason why we get hooked on cat videos: they can make us happier and help keep negative emotions at bay.

“Even if [individuals] are watching cat videos on YouTube to procrastinate or while they should be working, the emotional pay-off may actually help people take on tough tasks afterward,” says study author Jessica Gall Myrick.

Moreover, a survey conducted by the Cats Protection feline charity in the United Kingdom in 2011 found that people who spend time with cats or kittens report feeling calmer and less upset.

Of the cat owners who participated in this survey, 87 percent believed that sharing their lives with a cat improved their overall well-being, while 76 percent felt that their cats helped them cope with daily stress much better.

“Sitting with a relaxed purring cat at the end of a hectic day is a soothing massage for the soul,” explains Beth Skillings, a clinical veterinary officer at Cats Protection.

“Perhaps this is because the reassuring hum is generally associated with calmness and gentle communication, or perhaps it is because the frequency of the vibration is in the range that can stimulate healing.”

—Beth Skillings

Indeed, although we may think of many cats as aloof and lacking the empathy usually associated with dogs, felines may actually be able to understand when their owners are feeling down and react accordingly.

So suggests a study published in the journal Animal Cognition in 2015. Authors Moriah Galvan and Jennifer Vonk found that domestic cats can read humans’ facial expressions to distinguish certain emotional cues, which may allow them to respond on a case-by-case basis.

Benefits for the body

Cats can also bring physical health benefits to their owners. For instance, one study that Medical News Today previously covered found that people who live with cats have a lower risk of experiencing a heart attack.

While this may simply be because “cat people” are naturally calmer and better able to handle stress, it is quite possible that having a feline friend is soothing and reassuring, and this ultimately contributes to protecting heart health.

Another study that MNT covered argued that infants who grow up with furry pets, including cats, are less likely to develop allergies and obesity.

This, the researchers explain, may be because infants exposed to such animals had more abundant populations of two gut bacteria — Ruminococcus and Oscillospira — which appear to have protective effects.

Early exposure to cats is also associated with a lower risk of asthma in children, according to research published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology last year.

The authors believe that this is due to the fact that interaction with cats contributes to children’s absorption of a type of sialic acid, which does not naturally occur in the human body but which does appear to regulate inflammatory reactions.

How cats can ‘train’ us to do well

Aside from the psychological and physiological benefits that they bring, it turns out that cats can also influence our behaviors and personalities and help us do better in life.

Recently, a study suggested that cats can actually contribute to a person’s financial success in a completely unexpected way: by infecting them with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

This type of infection, known as “toxoplasmosis,” does not normally have many ill effects on adults, but it has, on occasion, been tied to serious health problems in the case of small children and individuals with a weak immune system.

However, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have now found that T. gondii can actually make people more likely to take the sort of risks that may lead to financial gain.

According to the study, people who been exposed to this parasite are “1.4 [times] more likely to major in business and 1.7 [times] more likely to have an emphasis in ‘management and entrepreneurship.’”

Cats also help improve behavior and social interaction in children who live with disorders that may affect their ability to “read” others’ emotions and respond to them.

In fact, a study published earlier this year found that children with autism spectrum disorder who grow up, and bond, with kittens display better behaviors, as the cats provide valuable emotional support.

“It seems that cats in families with an [autism spectrum disorder] child often provided valuable bonding, attention, and calming affection to the child,” the researchers write.

Cats’ contribution to research

Finally, cats might also provide valuable contributions to medical research, since some of the health problems that affect them are very similar to those that can sometimes affect people.

Just like humans, cats can also become infected with an immunodeficiency virus: the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

Interestingly, recent advances in FIV research could actually help experts better understand HIV, too.

In a study published in March 2018, researchers discovered why cats with FIV might develop resistance to antiretroviral therapies, which reduce virus levels in the blood.

The authors believe that their new discoveries could actually help experts develop better HIV therapies for humans, so that therapy resistance would no longer be an issue.

Cats may be able to contribute to the greater — medical — good of mankind in other ways as well, however.

Research conducted at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, NH, argues that the parasite that can cause toxoplasmosis — T. gondii — could be used to create a vaccine against various aggressive types of cancer, including melanoma and ovarian cancer.

In their study, the researchers modified T. gondii to allow it to stimulate the human body’s natural immune response, focusing it on attacking cancer cells.

The mutant version of the cat-borne parasite, the authors report, “is the microscopic, but super strong, hero that catches [aggressive cancers], halts their progression, and shrinks them until they disappear.”

So, the next time you turn your nose up when taking your used cat litter to the trash, just take a moment to consider that this isn’t just poop — it may actually hold the key to the next big breakthrough in clinical research.

This article was originally published on MedicalNewsToday.com. To view the original, click here.

Owning a Pet May Help Keep Your Mind Sharp as You Get Older

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

A new study has found that owning a pet may help delay cognitive decline as we grow older.
The greatest effects of pet ownership were seen after 5 years.
Study authors say it is too early to recommend pet ownership to protect cognitive health.
However, they do advocate for programs that help older adults keep their current pets.
Other ways to keep your brain healthy include physical exercise, socialization, and playing games.

Owning a pet may help you delay cognitive decline as you age, researchers say.

They found that pet ownership was especially beneficial for working verbal memory, like memorizing word lists.

According to the study’s first author, Jennifer W. Applebaum, sociology doctoral candidate and NIH predoctoral fellow at the University of Florida, this is important because approximately 50 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 50 own a pet.

Previous research on the broader health impact of pets has been somewhat inconclusive, she said, but not enough attention has been paid to the relationship between pet ownership and cognitive health.

“If long-term pet ownership does provide a protective effect for cognitive health, it would add to the evidence that public policy should support keeping pets and owners together,” said Applebaum.

Tracking pet ownership’s effect on brain health

Applebaum and her colleague, Dr. Tiffany Braley, associate professor of neurology and clinical neuroimmunologist at the University of Michigan, who was the senior author on the paper, analyzed cognitive data on more than 1,300 adults for their study, which is to be presented in April at the American Academy of Neurology’s 74th Annual Meeting.

Study participants were involved in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study that is tracking the lives of U.S. adults ages 50 and older.

People who were already experiencing cognitive decline before the study were not included.

More than 53 percent of the people in the final sample were found to own pets.

Dogs were the most commonly owned pet, followed by cats. People also owned a variety of other pets, including birds, fish, hamsters, rabbits, and reptiles.

Owning a pet for at least 5 years gave the strongest benefit, researchers wrote. When compared with people who did not own pets, it delayed cognitive decline by 1.2 points over the 6 years of the study.

In addition, improvements to cognitive health were reported to be “more prominent” for Black adults, college-educated adults, and men.

Pet ownership may boost brain health, but more research is needed

Braley was careful to note that this study can’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship between ownership and cognition, but these findings provide early evidence that suggests long-term pet ownership could be protective against cognitive decline.

“If indeed there is a causal link between pet ownership and cognitive health,” said Braley, “physical inactivity, cardiovascular disease/high blood pressure, and chronic stress (which are all linked to cognitive decline) could be plausible pathways.”

The physical activity associated with owning a dog could also benefit cognition and physical health by improving cardiovascular health as well as through other mechanisms, she said.

Braley noted previous research has also found links between interacting with a pet and stress reduction, as measured by reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure. Both of these effects could have a long-term impact on cognitive health.

The participants who owned pets generally were of higher socioeconomic status as well, according to the study write-up. This might also account for the fact that their cognitive health fared better since they had more income and were more likely to see a doctor.

However, more research is needed to better understand these associations, Braley said.

Should you consider getting a pet?

Before you consider getting a pet, however, Braley and Applebaum both want you to know it’s premature to recommend pet ownership specifically for brain health.

“Despite the compelling associations identified in this study, additional work is necessary to understand the relationship between pet ownership and cognition,” said Braley.

“However, if a causal relationship exists between pet ownership and cognitive health, such data would provide further support for the development of programs to support older adults who are interested in maintaining or initiating pet ownership,” she added.

Applebaum further explained this could occur via public policy and community partnerships.

“An unwanted separation from a pet can be devastating for a bonded owner, and marginalized populations are most at-risk of these unwanted outcomes,” she said.

Steps that could be taken toward this goal, according to Applebaum, could include such things as regulating or abolishing pet fees on rental housing, especially in low income communities or Communities of Color; providing foster or boarding support for people who have a health crisis or other emergency; or free or low cost veterinary care for pet owners with lower incomes.

Other ways to boost your brain health

If you are interested in protecting your brain health but pet ownership just isn’t right for you, there are other activities you can try.

Dr. Douglas Scharre, a neurologist and director of the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said that the more you exercise your brain, the better.

This can help build new connections between the nerve cells of your brain, he explained.

“Physical exercise and socialization are two excellent ways to stimulate your brain,” said Scharre.

“So are other puzzles, games, problem-solving activities, dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, and sports,” he added.

Dr. Nikhil Palekar, medical director of the Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and director of the division of geriatric psychiatry, said recent research has shown that word games like Wordle and number puzzles like sudoku are a great way to keep your brain active.

Adults 50 and older who play these types of games on a regular basis have better memory, attention, and reasoning skills as well as improvement in speed and accuracy, said Palekar.

This article was originally published on Healthline.com. To view the original, click here.

What’s the Best Music for Reducing Cats’ Stress Levels?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
New research finds that ‘cat-specific’ music, which speaks to the felines’ preferred tempo and vocal range, is best at reducing the animals’ stress levels.
Music benefits humans’ health in a variety of ways. Reducing pain, anxiety, and lowering stress levels are just some of the ways in which music is good for us.

Brain studies have even shown that music can help in the treatment of brain seizures and aid recovery after a stroke. Music can also help improve a person’s memory.

But does music benefit the health of animals in the same way as humans? More and more research has focused on this in recent years — particularly on the stress-reducing effects of music in dogs.

Now, new research — appearing in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery — focuses on the stress-lowering effects of music in cats.

But the new paper does not just inquire about any type of music — instead, building on previous studies, the authors of the new paper assessed the effect of cat-specific musical sounds on the felines’ stress levels.

Amanda Hampton, from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, is the first author of the paper.

Creating ‘cat-specific’ music

Hampton and colleagues have built on previous work, which had shown that felines are responsive and remain responsive to the sound of music even when they are under general anesthesia, for example.

Other research has examined the specific types of music that cats respond to and found that classical music is more likely to induce relaxation than pop music or heavy metal.

Furthermore, Hampton and team used previous studies to determine and provide “cat-specific” music, or music that felines tend to prefer. According to studies referenced by the authors, cats prefer music made with cat vocalizations; they also have their own preferred tempos, as well as preferring normal vocal frequencies.

Humans tend to prefer music with a beat that is similar to a person’s resting heart rate and with frequencies that fall within the human vocal range.

But for the current study, cat-specific music consisted of ‘melodic’ lines based on cat vocalizations, such as purring. Also, the frequencies were similar to feline vocal ranges, which are two octaves higher than those of humans.

Cat-specific music may reduce stress levels

In the new study, Hampton and colleagues enrolled 20 domestic cats and played them 20 minutes of cat-specific music, classical music, or no music, at random veterinary visits, 2 weeks apart.

To test the felines’ stress levels, the researchers used cat stress scores — which evaluated the body posture of the cats and their behavior — as well as cat handling scores, which referred to how the cats responded to the handler.

The scientists also drew blood samples from the felines and assessed their ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes as a physiological marker of stress.

The results showed that cat-specific music might indeed lower stress levels, as the scientists found associations with lower stress scores.

As the authors write, “Listening to cat-specific music prior to, and during, physical examination was associated with lower [cat stress scores] and lower [handling scale scores],” compared with classical music or no music at all.

However, the music “had no effect on the physiological stress responses measured by [neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio].” The researchers think this might be because 20 minutes was not long enough of a period to affect this marker.

Hampton and colleagues conclude:

“[C]at-specific music may benefit cats by decreasing the stress levels and increasing the quality of care in veterinary clinical settings.”

This article was originally published on MedicalNewsToday.com. To view the original, click here.

Is It Good to Sleep with Your Dog in Bed?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

People love sleeping with their dogs, and it’s safe to say the feeling is mutual.

Often considered part of the family, the chemistry between dogs and people is undeniable. That’s why 56 percent of dog owners report sleeping next to their dogs.

Cuddling up with your four-legged pal feels good, but it’s not without problems, including sleep interruptions.

Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping with your dog, plus tips for getting a peaceful night’s sleep together.

Potential benefits of sleeping with your dog

Pets benefit their people in many ways. Whether sleeping with your dog or cat enhances those benefits is up for debate and may depend on your personal circumstances.

May not decrease sleep quality

Having a dog in bed can affect your sleep. Of course, there are other contributing factors, such as the number of people and pets, pet size, and bed size. It all has to sync up.

A small study of adults found that people sleep just fine with a dog in the bedroom but less so when the dog is actually in the bed. A good solution may be to keep a dog bed beside your own.

Other research found that when compared with cats and other people, dogs in bed were perceived to be less disruptive to sleep.

If you wake up refreshed and aren’t fatigued during the day, your dog is probably a good sleeping buddy.

Provides comfort and security

A 2018 survey of adult women showed that a dog in bed is associated with comfort and security more so than sleeping with another person or a cat. It’s a feel-good thing, particularly if you’re lonely or separated from your dog most of the day.

Boosts mental health

Pets help relieve stress and anxiety. They foster social and emotional connections, which can affect mood and overall mental health.

A 2012 study showed that human-animal interactions may benefit stress-related factors, such as:

cortisol
heart rate
blood pressure

There’s limited evidence showing they may help:

reduce stress-related factors such as epinephrine and norepinephrine
lower aggression
enhance empathy
improve trustworthiness and trust in others

A 2016 study suggests that for people with long-term mental health problems, pets should be considered a main source of support.

Sleeping next to your furry friend may help reinforce those benefits.

Potential side effects and risks of sleeping with pets

While dogs can make good sleep companions, there are other factors to consider.

May decrease sleep quality

Dogs are always on the alert, so they’re light sleepers.

One 2020 study shows that having a dog in bed increases human movement. This can potentially disturb sleep, but those people rarely remember waking up due to dog movement. This research was conducted on a very small sample of women and may not apply to a wider population.

A dog that snores, slobbers, or overheats the bed is probably not an ideal sleep mate. You may wake up still tired or longing for a daytime nap.

Cats are nocturnal, so they can be challenging nighttime sleep partners. They may want to play or even purposely wake you up.

May aggravate allergies

Pets can carry allergens like dust and pollen into your bed. This can aggravate severe allergies and asthma.

May spread disease

Bacteria, parasites, and fungi can all spread from dogs and cats to humans. Germs can spread through:

touching feces
licking the face or an open wound
scratches
bites

In the United States, the risk of disease from sleeping with your pet is low, with most risk coming from:

fleas and ticks
ringworm
skin infections due to mites

May cause injury

A dominant or aggressive dog in the bedroom is a significant risk for dog bites, especially for children.

Does your dog sleeping in bed give them dominance over you?

There’s no evidence to support the theory that allowing your dog in bed will make them feel dominant.

Some dogs growl or bark when you approach the bed because they may view their sleeping spot as territory to be guarded. Consistent training can break this habit.

Should dogs sleep in children’s beds?

Kids and pets make wonderful companions, but children are more susceptible to germs than adults, particularly if the pet tends to lick.

Aggressive dogs may be especially dangerous to children, and it’s more difficult for a child to get quality sleep with a pet in the bed.

Pets shouldn’t sleep with an infant. If you’re not sure your little one is old enough to have a pet in bed, talk to your child’s doctor.

How to sleep with your dog in bed

If you share a bed with someone else, it’s important that they agree with the sleeping arrangements. Here are more tips for achieving nighttime harmony:

Walk your dog before bed.
Train them to wait for permission to get on the bed.
Be consistent with rules. If you don’t want your dog on your pillow or under the blankets, make no exceptions.
Discourage aggressive behavior by removing your dog from the bed.
Visit the veterinarian for regular checkups and vaccinations.
Use preventive flea and tick treatments.
Deworm as advised by your veterinarian.
Wash your hands after cleaning up after your pet.
Change your sheets and bedding regularly.

When things hit a snag and a good night’s sleep can’t be had, have your dog sleep elsewhere until you work things out. Get advice from a veterinarian or professional dog trainer.

When you shouldn’t let your dog in your bed

Even if you enjoy having your pet in bed, it’s not always a good idea. In some cases, you’ll need to put a temporary hold on bed sharing. In other cases, it’s best avoided altogether. If you have serious health issues, ask your doctor if it’s safe for your pet to sleep in your bed.

Consider sleeping without them if your pet:

is a new addition and hasn’t had a checkup or vaccinations
isn’t potty trained or has diarrhea
has worms, mites, fleas, or ticks
bites or scratches
moves around a lot
snores
is a big drooler
is very large

Or if you have:

a sleep disorder or are a light sleeper
severe allergies
a compromised immune system or serious health issues
an open wound

Takeaway

Many people look forward to snuggling up with beloved animal companions. Pets have been known to affect sleep. But for many people, the emotional benefits balance any negatives. It all comes down to personal choice.

When weighing pros and cons, consider your health, your dog’s health, and quality of sleep. Take up problems or concerns with a doctor or a veterinarian.

If your dog is well-behaved and you wake up feeling refreshed, then roll over and let them hop in.

This article was originally published on Healthline.com. To view the original, click here.

Could Probiotics Benefit Cats?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Probiotic supplements have become increasingly popular in the United States, and a recent study asks whether cats could benefit from them. Though the results hint at certain benefits, the authors call for more work.
Now available in a range of products, including drinks, breakfast cereals, and yogurts, probiotics promise improved digestive and overall health.

However, scientific support for these claims is scant, though research indicates that probiotics can help treat or prevent some specific conditions, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Regardless of the sizable holes in the evidence, the use of probiotics in the United States quadrupled from 2007 to 2012.

Although scientists are skeptical about the benefits of commercially available food-based probiotics, there is no doubt that the bacteria that reside in the mammalian gut are vital for the health of the gut and beyond.

As the authors of a recent study explain, gut bacteria can boost an animal’s immune defenses, improve digestion, and aid energy metabolism.

Conversely, studies have shown that in cats and dogs, dysbiosis — alterations in the normal gut flora — can cause intestinal inflammation and stress-associated diseases.

Probiotics and fecal quality

Recently, a group of researchers decided to investigate whether a probiotic could influence “nutritional conditions and fecal quality in healthy cats.”

They decided to investigate this topic because, “Although several scientific studies reported beneficial effects of probiotics on gut health in human beings and dogs affected by [gastrointestinal] disorders, few studies on cats have been performed.”

In farmed animals, probiotics are used to increase production and, as the authors explain, there is “an increasing interest in their supplementation in human and companion animals’ diets.”

To investigate, the researchers selected 10 healthy adult Maine Coon cats. The scientists fed all of the animals the same diet, and they gave five of the cats a strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus. This species is common in cats, dogs, and humans.

The scientists published their findings in the BMJ journal Vet Record Open.

Earlier studies have found that L. acidophilus boosts the performance of egg-laying hens and improves chickens’ gut health.

Assessing improvements

Throughout the 5-week trial, the scientists weighed the cats. They also checked their body condition using the Nutritional Assessment Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, which was designed by the American Animal Hospital Association.

The authors explain that this method is “the most widely used method for assessing cats’ nutritional status.”

The scientists also assessed fecal firmness using the Nestle Purina fecal score system and measured fecal moisture levels in the laboratory. These assessments are considered a good measure of an animal’s gut health.

All of the cats remained healthy throughout the study, with no side effects, and maintained an ideal body composition. Similarly, the scientists found no difference in weight among cats in the control and probiotic groups.

However, the feces of cats in the probiotic group was less moist and of a higher “quality” than that of the control cats. Overall, the authors conclude that “Cats in the [probiotic] group showed drier feces, compared with cats in the [control] group.”

As expected, the feces of the cats in the probiotic group contained higher levels of L. acidophilus, which indicates that the supplementation was having the desired impact.

The feces produced by the felines in the probiotic group also had lower levels of coliform bacteria such as Escherichia coli — indicating, the authors believe, “that probiotics have a slight protective effect on invasive bacteria species.”

Of course, a study involving just 10 cats over a handful of weeks does not provide enough evidence for solid conclusions. Scientists will need to do much more research before they can assess whether there are any true benefits.

It is worth noting that, as the authors write, “The possible causes of soft feces in cats and dogs are still debated.”

Also, all of the animals were healthy and remained so throughout the study; the authors write:

“Further studies with a larger sample of healthy cats and a comparison with cats experiencing [gastrointestinal] pathology could be carried out to investigate the effect of the tested strain on carnivore dysbiotic gut.”

Although the stool quality of the cats in the recent study was improved by some measures of gut health, this does not mean that, overall, the cats who received probiotics were healthier.

As with probiotics for human use, this area needs much more research.

This article was originally published on MedicalNewsToday.com. To view the original, click here.

Treating Your Dog with CBD

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

Design by Alexis Lira

CBD and dogs

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a type of chemical naturally found in cannabis. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it’s nonpsychoactive, which means it won’t produce a “high.”

Research on CBD is in its early stages, but some studies and anecdotal evidence have found that it may be helpful in treating conditions like anxiety, pain, cancer, and arthritis. CBD pet products are marketed as a natural way to treat these conditions in dogs, making pet owners curious.

It’s important to understand that just because these products are for sale doesn’t necessarily mean they’re considered safe or beneficial for pets.

Currently, there are no CBD products approved by the FDA for use in animals — as a drug or as food. Given that, this article will cover current research into CBD use for dogs, as well as explain the possible risks and benefits to help you make an informed decision.

What stance do veterinarians take on CBD?

A recent survey of 2,131 participants conducted by the VIN News Service found that 63 percent of veterinarians reported that they were asked about CBD oil for pets at least once a month.

But veterinarians aren’t always willing to discuss it — those who advise clients on using CBD for their pets can risk penalties and license suspension in some states.

In other states, veterinarians have a little more freedom. California recently passed a law that prevents state regulators from penalizing veterinarians for talking with clients about using cannabis for their pets, including potential side effects and toxicities.

Other bills like this are in the works, but for now, don’t expect your veterinarian to recommend CBD products, and definitely don’t expect a prescription.

Even in states where medicinal cannabis is legal, the existing laws only allow for a human healthcare provider to prescribe cannabis to people. They don’t authorize veterinarians to administer, dispense, prescribe, or recommend such products for use in animal patients.

TAKEAWAY

Because there’s little research on CBD for dogs, and its safety and efficacy is unknown, you should always talk to your veterinarian before giving your dog CBD. Know that in some states, your vet may not be able to provide a professional recommendation or opinion.

Uses of CBD in dogs

Research done on CBD and humans has shown that it may be effective in treating epilepsy, anxiety, irritable bowel disease (IBD), and chronic pain. But only a few reliable studies have been done on the effects of CBD in dogs.

One study from 2018 sought to assess safety, anti-inflammatory properties, and anti-pain properties of a CBD oil in dogs with osteoarthritis. Researchers gave dogs doses of 2 or 8 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight.

Eighty percent of the dogs showed improvement in their pain and mobility, as measured by two veterinary resources — the canine brief pain inventory and the Hudson activity scale. However, it’s important to note that this study was funded by a CBD producer, so the results may be biased.

A small study published in 2019 found that epileptic dogs given CBD in addition to seizure medication had significantly fewer seizures than those that received seizure medication and a placebo.

However, similar numbers of dogs in both the CBD group and the placebo group responded to treatment and had decreases in seizure activity. The authors recommended further testing before reaching any definitive conclusions.

While these studies and others like them could give a window into CBD’s medicinal potential for dogs, more studies are needed to confirm this research.

Ways to give CBD to dogs

CBD for pets comes in many forms, like treats, oils, and creams. But research on the efficacy of each method is sparse.

One Colorado State University study from 2018 on dogs with epilepsy found that CBD oil, given orally, was more effective than a cream or gel capsule. However, more research is needed before any conclusions can be made.

How much to give a dog

The previously referenced 2018 study on dogs with osteoarthritis showed that the most effective dose for increasing the dogs’ comfort and activity levels was 2 mg per kg of weight.

However, because this study may be biased, and because other data on CBD dosage for dogs is sparse, this shouldn’t be considered a dosing recommendation.

Every dog will respond differently, which is why it’s important to start with a small dose, monitor your pet’s results, and adjust from there. Most products will offer dosing suggestions, but keep in mind that these are developed by the manufacturer.

Since CBD isn’t regulated, there’s no way to tell how much is safe and effective to give a dog.

Tips

Start with a low dose.
Monitor your pet’s reactions.
Increase doses slowly if needed.

How to choose a product

Because the FDA doesn’t currently regulate CBD, there’s a lot of variability in products on the market. That means that certain CBD products for humans and pets are more effective than others.

A good rule of thumb when selecting CBD products is to look on the product’s website for “certificates of analysis” and other evidence of third-party testing. These certificates tell you things like if products are pesticide and heavy metal-free and if the quality is as advertised.

You may also want to consider whether a product contains THC in addition to CBD. Currently, there’s even less research on the effects of THC in dogs than there is on the effects of CBD.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) lists THC as a toxic substance for dogs and cats. Although the lethal dose of THC is more than 3 grams per kg, negative effects may occur at lower levels.

Make sure you research each brand before purchasing, and consult a veterinarian about the side effects and toxicities that these products may cause in your pet before treating.

How does CBD affect dogs?

If you give CBD to your dog, watch for signs of a positive or negative reaction.

For example, if you give CBD to your dog 20 minutes before a firework show and find them lying comfortably during the festivities when they’d otherwise be cowering under a bed, the CBD has probably been effective.

Or, if your dog’s arthritis has been causing mobility issues, and after about a week of CBD. they’re able to run and jump like they used to, chances are high it’s doing something.

As for negative effects, look for excessive panting, lethargy, vomiting, dribbling urine, and loss of balance. If your pet is exhibiting any of these symptoms, they may have consumed too much and may be experiencing toxic effects.

In this case, it’s best to visit your veterinarian. They’ll be able to help you regardless of whether they’re willing to discuss CBD with you.

Takeaway

Overall, it’s important to recognize that research on CBD in pets is sparse. CBD isn’t currently regulated by the FDA, so there may be safety issues if products are inaccurately labeled. On the other hand, anecdotal evidence and some preliminary studies suggest that CBD may be useful in treating certain conditions in animals.

If you decide to try CBD for your dog, talk to your vet first. Then start with a small dose and carefully monitor your pet for positive or negative effects.

Is CBD Legal? Hemp-derived CBD products (with less than 0.3 percent THC) are legal on the federal level, but are still illegal under some state laws. Marijuana-derived CBD products are illegal on the federal level, but are legal under some state laws. Check your state’s laws and those of anywhere you travel. Keep in mind that nonprescription CBD products are not FDA-approved, and may be inaccurately labeled.

This article was originally published on Healthline.com. To view the original, click here.

10 Warning Signs You Should Take Your Dog to the Vet

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

When to worry about your pet

Your dog is part of the family: They are your best friend, they eat your leftovers, and they accompany you on morning walks. But your dog can’t complain, so how do you know when to seek medical help? How can you tell if that limp signifies a sprain, or that sneeze requires an antibiotic?

Learn the warning signs that mean you should take your pet to the vet.

1. Odd eating habits

It’s not out of the ordinary for your dog to skip a meal or two, especially if it’s hot outside — but any more than this should be a red flag that something’s off. Two days without eating is a clear sign that your dog needs an examination.

Some diseases cause dogs to develop unusual eating habits. If your dog is usually well-behaved but begins raiding the pantry or garbage, you should take them for a checkup.

2. Excessive thirst

It’s important to know about how much water your dog drinks each day. A dog that drinks more water than usual could be developing kidney disease or diabetes. You’ll be able to tell if your dog is drinking too much water if you have to refill the water bowl more than normal, or if they have an excessive amount of urine, need to go outside more often, or have accidents in the house.

3. Rough or dry coat

A dog’s coat should be thick, shiny, and soft. A coat that’s dull, rough, dry, or has bald patches could indicate that something isn’t right. The wrong kind of food, an allergy, or a skin disease could be the culprit. Either way, a trip to the vet is a must for a questionable coat.

4. Seeming sluggish and tired

Lethargy is a sign that something may be troubling your dog. A lethargic dog may be uninterested in playing, going for a walk, or participating in activities they usually enjoy. Normal fatigue or sore muscles can sometimes be due to high temperatures, but you should see a vet if symptoms persist for more than two days.

5. Vomiting

Occasional vomiting isn’t unusual for dogs. Animals may vomit to get rid of something that doesn’t agree with them. But some vomiting should concern you. For example, you should call the vet immediately if your dog:

vomits frequently or several times in a row
vomits blood
has a fever

Severe vomiting could also cause dehydration or diarrhea, so seek treatment early.

6. Unusual stool

A dog’s stool is a good indicator of their overall health. A healthy dog will have small, firm, moist stools. Dry, hard stools may be a sign of health maladies, dietary problems, or dehydration. Take your dog to the vet if they have any of these symptoms:

worms noted in the stool
diarrhea for more than 24 hours
straining
blood or mucus in the stool

7. Sudden weight loss

Even in an overweight dog, sudden weight loss should prompt you to take them to the vet. Losing weight quickly and unexpectedly could indicate a serious health condition. If your dog drops in weight by 10 percent, bring it to your vet’s attention. In small dogs, this may be as little as a 1-pound weight loss.

8. Cloudy or red eyes

Cloudy or red eyes, squinting, or excessive discharge from your dog’s eyes could indicate an infection or injury. Make sure you bring your dog for a checkup right away. Diseases affecting the eyes can progress rapidly and cause blindness. Medication can be used to cure an infection or alleviate clinical signs.

9. Scooting or dragging rear

If your dog is scooting or dragging her rear on the floor, she may have worms, blocked or infected anal glands, urinary tract infection, or diarrhea.

10. Emergency symptoms

Take your dog to the vet or an emergency vet clinic if they show any of the following symptoms:

open wounds or possibly broken bones, such as from being hit by a car or other trauma
stopped breathing or unconsciousness
repeated vomiting or vomiting blood
seizure
sudden collapse or difficulty breathing
bleeding from their mouth, nose, or eyes
possible poisoning from eating something toxic
extreme pain, seen as whining or shaking
hard and swollen abdomen

Get more information

Due to a dog’s survival instinct, they will work to appear healthy on the outside. It’s important as a pet owner to be observant and aware of the subtlest changes. You know your dog better than anyone, so if something seems wrong, take them to the veterinarian for a checkup.

This article was originally published on Healthline.com. To view the original, click here.

Catnip: What Do We Know About the Feline Drug?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
The internet is rife with funny cat videos showing their reactions to a plant commonly known as “catnip.” What is catnip, does it affect all felines, is it safe for cats, and should humans use it? This Special Feature investigates these questions and more.
Nepeta cataria, or “catnip,” is an herb belonging to the same plant family as mint. Although it originated in parts of Europe and Asia, the plant is now common across several continents, including North America.

Because, like regular mint, catnip proliferates easily, many cat owners grow the plant in pots as a special treat for their feline friends.

As part of the mint family, fresh catnip also smells minty, though this is not the case for the dried catnip sometimes present in commercial cat treats or toys, which may smell more like dried grass.

Why is catnip such a special treat? People who share their life with a cat will know that this plant often has a marked, and sometimes very funny, effect on these beloved animals — not unlike the effect that a mild recreational drug might have on humans.

Do all felines react to catnip? Why does this plant affect cats, exactly? Is it really akin to recreational drugs? Read on to find out.

1. Why does catnip affect cats?

In his book Intoxication: The Universal Drive for Mind-Altering Substances, psychopharmacologist Ronald Siegel estimates that around “70% of domestic cats respond to catnip,” and that those who do have reached sexual maturity. Cats reach sexual maturity at around 6 months of age.

Cats who react to catnip will sniff the plant, or any toys that contain it, and then start chewing on it. Following this, they may start rubbing their head against the plant or toy, and then roll or flip from side to side.

“Both of [my cats] love it, and it makes them go crazy,” one reader told Medical News Today. “[The female] likes to lick it, then she attacks the toy it’s on, often adopting the bunny leg attack. [The male] goes more soppy with it, often rolling around with the toy in his paws,” they said.

Although in most cases, when it does affect them, catnip stimulates cats in a pleasurable way, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals deem it “toxic to cats.” They warn that some domestic felines may experience adverse reactions after coming into contact with this plant. These effects can include vomiting and diarrhea, as well as states of sedation.

Some cats may even become aggressive when they encounter the plant. Another reader told MNT that she avoids giving her cat any catnip for this very reason. “[My cat] just gets a bit like she wants to fight me [and] starts punching my foot,” they said.

For the many cats that respond well to catnip, Siegel notes, this may be “an example of animal addiction to pleasure behavior.” Both male and female cats respond to catnip in a way that is reminiscent of sexual arousal among these felines.

Because of these similarities, some researchers have suggested that the plant may once have been a timely and natural enhancer of reproductive behaviors.

“These displays have prompted naturalists to speculate that catnip once served the evolutionary function in the wild of preparing cats for sex, a natural springtime aphrodisiac.”

Ronald Siegel

He explains that the molecules that carry catnip’s scent, called terpenoids, are what causes the reaction. Catnip features a specific type of terpenoid called nepetalactones. These molecules, Siegel explains, can be toxic. However, they are usually harmless in the quantity in which they are present in catnip.

Cats absorb nepetalactones by sniffing the catnip. The molecules then bind to olfactory (smell) receptors in the nose, which send additional signals to the amygdala, which are two small clusters in the mammal brain. These are linked with both the regulation of emotions and some sexual behaviors.

2. Why do some cats not respond?

About 30% of domestic cats have absolutely no reaction to catnip. One MNT reader exclaimed that it “has no effect on [her cat] whatsoever!”

Why does catnip affect some cats but not others? The difference, Siegel argues, lies in cat DNA. Some cats inherit the “catnip sensitive” gene, while others simply do not.

“The reason for the failure of some cats to become even the least bit excited about catnip and for the exaggerated reaction of others is genetic,” he writes.

“Cats can inherit a dominant gene that guides the reaction to catnip,” adds Siegel. He adds that some studies have demonstrated that the offspring of cats sensitive to catnip are also sensitive to this plant, and that those of cats with no reaction to it also will not respond.

In addition to this, he says, some felines may become avoidant of catnip if they have had a bad experience with it.

For instance, notes Siegel, if a feline has sniffed or chewed on catnip and then injured itself, in the future, it may turn around when encountering the plant, instead of jumping at the occasion of accessing the stimulant.

3. Does catnip affect other felines?

If catnip can have a striking effect on domestic cats, does it also affect larger felines, such as lions, jaguars, and tigers?

The answer is “yes” — and it seems to act, to a much lesser extent, on other cat-like mammals that are not actually felines.

An experiment conducted in the early 1970s at what is now Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee found that lions and jaguars were “extremely sensitive” to catnip.

Some of the tigers, cougars, and bobcats at the zoo also responded to catnip, though not at all strongly. The two cheetahs on site at the time showed no interest in the plant.

Other animals have shown curiosity about catnip, though to a much lesser extent than domestic cats.

Non-felines that have shown an interest in catnip include civets, which are carnivorous animals native to Asia and Africa that look like cats but belong to a different family, called Viverridae.

4. What other stimulants affect cats?

Though catnip is by far the best known cat stimulant, researchers have noted that there are many other plants that can alter felines’ moods and behaviors.

Siegel, for instance, speaks of matatabi, or silver vine (Actinidia polygama). This is a plant native to areas of Japan and China. In an experiment at Osaka Zoo in Japan, large felines exposed to high quantities of the active substance in matatabi showed signs of intense pleasure — and addiction.

“This plant contains secondary compounds closely related in chemical structure and behavioral activity to nepetalactones,” Siegel explains.

“After an initial exposure, the [large] cats became so eager for more that they would ignore whatever else they were doing — eating, drinking, or even having sexual intercourse — whenever the chemicals were made available.”

Ronald Siegel

One 2017 study confirmed that matatabi can be just as, if not more, effective than catnip when it comes to stimulating domestic cats.

The study’s authors also identified two more plants that had a similar effect: Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis).

Almost 80% of the domestic cats in this study reacted to matatabi, and around 50% of cats also responded to Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root.

Matatabi, the study authors also note, actually elicited a response in 75% of the domestic cats that had no reaction to catnip.

“Olfactory enrichment using silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle, or valerian root may, similar to catnip, be an effective means to improve the quality of life for cats,” the researchers conclude.

5. Is catnip safe for humans?

Although humans tend to buy or cultivate catnip purely for the entertainment of their feline friends, some people think that the plant can have a soothing effect on their own minds.

For example, some people like to brew catnip tea, and some have even tried rolling the plant into cigarettes and smoking it. “It makes people feel happy, contented, and intoxicated, like marijuana,” an older study notes.

As a supplement, people have also used catnip to treat symptoms such as coughs or toothaches, and as a digestive aid.

Is it safe? This much remains unclear. So far, there has been little research into the effectiveness or safety of catnip when it comes to treating various conditions in humans.

Some specialists suggest that catnip can cause contractions of the uterus, so they recommend that pregnant women avoid this plant.

Given the scarcity of evidence regarding the safety of this plant, however, our readers may be better off saving it for their cats’ enjoyment — that is, if they are part of the majority that do appreciate it.

This article was originally published on MedicalNewsToday.com. To view the original, click here.

A Short Leash Between Pets and Mental Health: 10 Benefits

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Pets can have a huge impact on our mental well-being. Here are just a few of the ways they help make us feel happier and healthier.
Westend61/Getty Images

Pets are more than just cute, cuddly critters that we enjoy spending time with. After all, there’s a reason pet people often describe their cat or dog as part of their family: They make us feel better when they’re around, both physically and emotionally.

“Historically, the therapeutic benefits of animals are documented maybe earlier than most are aware of,” explains Dr. Larena Davis, counselor and clinical director for The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper. “Ancient Greeks found that horses appeared to lift the spirits of those very ill.”

“Another significant documented use in history,” she continues, “was in medieval Belgium when humans and animals were rehabilitated together, which showed that companionship has a positive effect.”

Even early anthropological research has found cats domesticated themselves starting in South Asia and befriended humans for a mutually beneficial relationship!

Today, scientific research continues to document these kinds of positive effects. Here are just a few that have been shown:

1. They help us feel loved

“Pets can increase our dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin levels,” says Davis, and these hormones, she says, make us feel good or happy.

Oxytocin, for example, is often called the “love” hormone because it fosters the development of bonds with others, including our babies. And researchers have found that when dogs and people look at each other or interact with each other, they both get a surge in oxytocin.

2. They make us feel less lonely

Pets are our companions — they can make us feel loved and accepted, no matter what.

“No matter where you are in life, pets are excited to love you and be loved in return,” explains Davis. “They don’t care how much money you have, where you live, or what you do. They just love you.”

“Love and the need to be loved is a basic and primary human instinct,” she continues. “Pets provide infinite amounts of love that combat feelings of stress, loneliness, sadness, and other negative emotions.”

People can talk, touch, and cuddle with their companion animals.

This is one reason why so many people adopted pets during the pandemic lockdowns — and according to a 2021 study from Malaysia, pets seemed to boost mental health and well-being during those periods of isolation.

Evidence-based guidance, up-to-date resources, and first-hand accounts to help you in your mental health journey.

3. They can help lower your blood pressure

Decades of research have found a correlation between lower blood pressure and pet ownership.

For example, an older 1988 study, found that petting dogs could help lower people’s heart rates and blood pressure, while a 1992 Australian study found lower blood pressures in pet owners than those who didn’t own pets, even if they had similar BMIs and socioeconomic profiles.

A 2002 study of married couples and a 2007 study of elder adults also found lower levels of high blood pressure.

Other research has found pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels and heart attack patients live longer if they have a furry friend at home.

That’s why the American Heart Association states that having pets — especially a dog — could reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

4. They lower stress and anxiety

Pets can help people worry less, which has a beneficial effect on stress and anxiety levels. Plus, “interacting with animals can decrease levels of [the stress hormone] cortisol,” says Davis.

A 2015 study found that growing up with a pet dog was associated with lower levels of childhood anxiety.

And a 2018 study found that therapy dogs helped stressed university students.

5. They encourage you to go outside

Certain pets, like dogs, need time outdoors, so if you have a dog, you’re more likely to leave the house and get fresh air.

This can be especially beneficial for people living with some mental health conditions.

“For some people,” explains Dr. Melissa Geraghty, a psychologist in the Greater Chicago area, “having a pet can make the difference between staying isolated at home and venturing out with their pet.”

6. They get us to exercise more

Certain pets, such as dogs, require regular exercise, which means that you too might get more exercise as a result.

“Dog owners walk an average of 22 more minutes per day than non-dog owners,” says Tasha Holland-Kornegay, a mental health counselor licensed in North Carolina, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, and Georgia.

She emphasizes that exercise itself can be very beneficial for mental health.

Even a short walk around the block has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and negative mood.

7. Pets can reduce feelings of depression

Dogs and horses have been found to help reduce feelings of depression, which is why many therapists and psychiatrists sometimes use them as part of therapy.

8. They can help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder

Dogs — particularly service dogs — are often prescribed for veterans with PTSD because of research that found them to be a very beneficial part of recovery.

A 2018 study found that service dogs can help alleviate the symptoms of PTSD in veterans by lowering their depression, improving their resilience, reducing loneliness, and improving their overall psychological well-being.

A 2013 study found similar benefits, that dogs reduced feelings of loneliness, worry, and irritability.

9. They help take care of us

Service dogs can also help people manage psychiatric or medical conditions by performing specific tasks.

For example, “people with service dogs know that their dog will alert them to seizures,” says Geraghty. “This takes an enormous level of stress off a person as they can feel more confident that their canine friend is watching over them.”

10. They help us feel happy

For example, a 2016 study of 263 American adults found that pet owners were more satisfied with their lives than those who didn’t have pets.

The best type of pet for mental health

Pets of all types can help give people companionship, comfort, and a sense of routine. But you may still have some questions related to your mental health:

Is one animal better than another to boost my mental health?

Most of the research has focused on the mental health benefits of horses and dogs.

For example, a 2016 study found dog owners had the highest overall feelings of well-being, compared to cat owners and non-pet people. This could be for a lot of reasons, says Davis.

Yes, cats can be more autonomous, while dogs generally aim to please, and are pack animals, but the greater sense of reward may be because they require more responsibility. Davis notes you might feel a bigger boost to your self-esteem because you’re taking care of them and getting outside more.

However, for some people that added responsibility might be too much, especially if you have physical limitations that slow or prevent your ability to give the dogs the care and exercise they need.

In that case, a lower-maintenance pet — such as a cat — might be better.

Does it matter if I have a standard pet, emotional support animal, or psychiatric service animal?

Service animals and emotional support animals often have specialized training to attend to folks’ specific needs.

However, at the end of the day, the biggest boost to your mental health comes from bonding with your pet — so a “regular” pet can be just as beneficial.

Ultimately, “whichever animal a person feels connected to is the best animal for them,” says Geraghty. “For some people that is dogs, cats, birds, but for others it’s horses or lizards.”

What now?

Now that you know the many physiological and psychological benefits of bonding with a pet you might be encouraged to spend more time practicing mindfulness with yours or finding a pet that suits, soothes, and rejuvenates you.

This article was originally published on PsychCentral.com. To view the original, click here.

What Is the Difference Between Gumbo and Jambalaya?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

Whether you’re a New Orleans native or are just passing through, you’re near-guaranteed to run into two classic dishes: gumbo and jambalaya. These two Southern staples are both flavorful, hearty dishes associated with the Big Easy — and we wouldn’t turn down either — but what exactly is the difference between the two?

We’re breaking down the subtle contrasts between these iconic Southern stews.

What is gumbo?

Gumbo is a Creole dish descended from many different culinary heritages. A very hearty soup or stew, gumbo can contain a variety of different meat or seafood combinations — chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp, crab, and oysters are all very popular. It also frequently features okra and tomatoes.

Gumbo starts with what Louisianans call the “holy trinity” of vegetables (celery, bell pepper, and onion, for the uninitiated). It’s then thickened with okra, filé powder (a spicy herb made from grinding sassafras leaves), or a roux (a mix of melted butter and flour).

Some gumbo chefs let their butter and flour cook an extra-long time, creating a browner, more richly flavored “dark roux.”

There are tons of styles of gumbo — Cajun, Creole, and gumbo z’herbes (a meatless variation), to name a few. The recipe’s basic formula is easy to personalize based on taste. Gumbo is simmered for several hours and is almost universally served over rice.

What is jambalaya?

TBH, there’s lots of overlap in many jambalaya and gumbo recipes, as similar seasonings, broths, meats, and vegetables are used. Jambalaya is similar to gumbo in that it’s a stew made from meat and vegetables (and includes the “holy trinity” as a base).

That said, gumbo and jambalaya aren’t total twins. For starters, jambalaya doesn’t include the okra or filé powder as a thickener. In fact, most jambalayas don’t use any thickener at all — not even a roux.

The other primary difference between the two stews: the use of rice. Like gumbo, jambalaya is prepared with rice, but rather than sitting atop a bed of the grains, the rice is integrated into the stew itself.

Gumbo and jambalaya history

Some of the distinctions between gumbo and jambalaya may lie in their unique histories.

Early Spanish settlers in Louisiana brought with them the rice dish paella, which may have influenced the evolution of jambalaya. Like paella, jambalaya simmers rice along with other ingredients, often cooking meat separately by sautéing in a Dutch oven.

West African slaves in Louisiana introduced another precursor to jambalaya known as jollof rice. This traditional dish also cooks veggies, spices, and meat in a single pot with rice.

As for gumbo, there may be a link between this stew and the French bouillabaisse, or a traditional stew made by the Choctaw tribe. Intriguingly, though, the word “gumbo” comes from a West African word for okra — so it’s possible it has some African heritage as well.

Today, jambalaya and gumbo can contain any number of meats and seafood, including crawfish, shrimp, pork, and chicken, with varying levels of spice. Throughout the South, it’s hard to find any two cooks with the same recipe — to which we say “laissez les bon temps rouler!” The more variations, the better, y’all.

Bottom line

If you only remember one thing about the difference between gumbo and jambalaya, let it be that gumbo is served over rice, while jambalaya includes rice in the dish itself. But if you remember two things, add the fact that both stews have a rich heritage of both flavor and cultural influence.

Gumbo and jambalaya recipes

Wanna try your hand at gumbolaya? Wait, we mean jambo. Uh — you know what we mean. Check out these meaty, veggie, rice-y recipes.

1. Chicken and andouille gumbo

A gumbo base made of vegetables (onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, okra) and homemade Cajun seasoning make this a healthy recipe you can easily adjust based on your preferences. Substitute frozen veggies to save time.

Get our chicken and andouille gumbo recipe.

2. Slow cooker shrimp gumbo

If you’re looking for gumbo without the work (instead of a traditional gumbo roux, you brown flour in the oven before mixing with chicken stock), this recipe with andouille sausage and three pounds of shrimp is a winner. Use your slow cooker on a five-hour simmer for a fix-and-forget dinner that’ll make your house smell amazing.

Get our slow cooker shrimp gumbo recipe.

3. Easy chicken gumbo

A rotisserie chicken forms the base of this quick gumbo recipe that also includes 8 ounces of andouille sausage and chopped vegetables. By using the grocery store shortcut, you’ll shave a few hours of prep time and can be ready to eat in less than an hour.

Get our easy chicken gumbo recipe.

4. Chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya

An extremely filling dish that’s great for serving a crowd, this chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya has a ton of seasonings (paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black and white pepper, salt, cumin, oregano, thyme, coriander, ground mustard, and celery salt — sound like enough?). But feel free to break out the hot sauce if you like more spice.

Get our chicken and andouille jambalaya recipe.

5. Shrimp and okra gumbo with tasso

What’s tasso, you ask? It’s a type of cured pork often used in Cajun dishes. If you can’t find any at your local supermarket, feel free to substitute pancetta or diced ham. Any type you use will meld beautifully with the veggies and spices in this yummy gumbo.

Get our shrimp and okra gumbo with tasso recipe.

Should You Rinse Meat Before Cooking It?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

Should you wash meat before cooking or freezing it?

It can be so tempting when you yank your glistening T-bone from its sealed plastic package with a snap, or unwrap that drippy lamb chop from the butcher paper like it’s a gift.

But no. Just no. Do not rinse your raw beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, or veal before cooking it, says the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

In fact, though you might (understandably) rinse meat to clean it, doing so can lead to the opposite-of-desired effect. According to the USDA, cooks who rinse raw animal proteins increase the risk of cross-contamination in their kitchens, boosting the likelihood of food-borne illness.

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Here are the deets on why washing meat isn’t a good idea.

Rinsing increases the risk of cross-contamination

Julia Child and other well-respected chefs were historically in favor of washing meat (especially poultry). But while the queen of French cooking may have been right about a lot of things (like mixing oil and butter for sautéing or squeezing the water out of cooked spinach), science shows that certain best practices have evolved since Julia’s time.

Though some folks throughout history — and even some cultures today — may consider washing meat an important step in sanitary food prep, it’s not considered necessary in the 21st-century U.S.

Washing packaged raw meat isn’t an effective way to reduce bacteria. It could even make you more likely to get food poisoning.

Wondering how washing something can make it more likely to make you sick? Here’s the quick version:

Raw meat may contain bad bacteria (aka food-borne pathogens). Think: big baddies like Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, and E. coli.
Anything meat touches while it’s still raw (like other foods, surfaces, or kitchen tools) could become contaminated with these bacteria.
If you’re washing your meat under the faucet, the water can carry pathogens to your sink basin too.

Proper cooking will kill any bad bacteria in the meat and make it safe for you to eat. Sadly, you can’t say the same for your sink, counters, utensils, or cutting board. Any surfaces that came into contact with the raw meat could still contain bacteria and should be washed with hot, soapy water, rinsed, and then air- or paper-towel-dried.

Rinse and you may doom the quality of your meat

Another reason not to rinse: Excess moisture on meat’s surface thwarts the Maillard reaction. That’s the intricate chemical process that occurs when carbohydrate molecules react with amino acids, yielding the coveted sear on steak or other meats.

The interchange between carbs and amino acids produces hundreds of different chemicals, explains Harold McGee in his book On Food and Cooking — “pyrroles, pyridines, pyrazines, thiophenes, thiazoles, and oxazoles,” to name a few. These give a brown color to the meat along with rich, complex flavors.

The Maillard reaction begins at approximately 285°F (140°C). Water, which turns to vapor at 212°F, simply won’t get hot enough to allow the Maillard reaction to occur. That means a watery piece of meat won’t start browning until all the water is cooked off — but by that time your T-bone might already be well done.

Salt water soaks for meat are also unnecessary

Soaking meat in a highly seasoned brine is one thing (and is mostly all about adding flavor), but there are some who like soaking poultry, pork, and beef in salted or plain water for various other reasons. “This is a personal preference and serves no purpose for food safety,” the USDA says.

If you do choose to give your meat a bath as part of a recipe, keep it in the refrigerator until cooking time. This will help prevent cross-contamination when soaking and removing the meat from the water.

For people on a sodium-restricted diet, there isn’t any benefit to washing or soaking country ham, bacon, or salt pork, either. Very little salt is removed by washing, rinsing, or soaking a meat product. The USDA does not recommend it.

Another FYI: Some studies suggest that acidic solutions like vinegar or lemon juice may help reduce the number of bacteria on raw meat, but it’s not clear if they can kill food-borne viruses. Cooking your meat to the proper internal temperature is still the best way to kill harmful bacteria.

How to prevent cross-contamination

Cross contamination is bad news, folks. And washing meat isn’t the only way it happens. Here are our best tips to prepare meat safely.

Wash your hands and kitchen tools

If you’re preparing meat, wash your hands really well after handling it. According to the CDC, this looks like 20 seconds of washing with soap and warm water.

Why is this so important? Because unwanted germs can survive and thrive on your hands, kitchen tools, and countertops.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we can all use a hand-washing tutorial. So if you’re still puzzled about how to properly wash your hands, check out our cheat sheet. And again, remember to wash cutting boards, cutlery, and any other utensils you’ve used with hot, soapy water.

Keep ’em separated

Another helpful way to prevent cross contamination is to separate raw meat from other foods you’re storing or preparing. Here’s what that looks like:

When grocery shopping, when storing meat in the fridge, and while meal preppin’, keep raw meat (and its juices) away from foods that won’t be cooked.
If possible, use different cutting boards for raw and cooked foods (like one for veggies and fruit and another for meat and poultry).
Never put cooked foods back on an unwashed plate that held raw meat.

Chill or freeze leftovers within 2 hours

Saving food for later? Make sure you put it in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours. Bacteria that causes food poisoning usually multiplies quicker at temps between 40°F and 140°F.

This means that to chill or freeze leftovers, you should keep your fridge at 40°F or below and your freezer at a max temperature of 0°F. While your freezer at home isn’t powerful enough to kill harmful germs, it can maintain that food’s safety until you cook it or heat it up.

Other food safety tips

Hit the right temp

Cooking your meat and poultry at the right temp is super important to kill harmful bacteria. According to the USDA, meat and seafood are safe to eat only once they reach the following internal temps:

Beef steaks, pork, and lamb: 145°F
Fish and seafood: 145°F
Ground beef: 160°F
Poultry: 165°F

Pro tip: A food thermometer is worth the investment. It’ll help you measure the temp as accurately as possible so you don’t risk undercooking (or excessively overcooking) your supper.

Wash your veggies

You should def wash fruit and vegetables before eating them.

Raw fruits and veggies can carry dangerous bacteria (like Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria) that might make you sick. Produce can pick up these bacteria as a result of animal contact, toxins in the soil, contaminated water, or poor hygiene during handling.

Replace that dirty kitchen sponge

Sponges are hands down one of the germiest items in your kitchen. Bacteria can easily grow in the moist and dark crannies of a sponge — and research shows that even sanitized sponges can harbor scary amounts of potentially harmful bugs. Aim to replace your scrubbers approximately every week.

Bottom line

So in summation, nope, don’t rinse meat. In fact, once you lift it out of the butcher paper or wrench it from the shrink-wrap, simply dry off any existing moisture carefully with paper towels before putting it in the pan to brown. Then throw the towels away. And wash your hands really, really well, for a full 20 seconds.

Get yer meat on with tasty recipes

Now that you know what not to do, meat it up with some of these recipes.

1. Vietnamese shaking beef with filet mignon

Diversify your steak handling techniques. This tender meat gets a shake-up with just a few ingredients that aren’t hard to find.

Get our Vietnamese shaking beef with filet mignon recipe.

2. Adobo-marinated chicken tacos

With chicken, it’s often all about the marinade. For these tacos, chicken thighs sit in a smoky, flavor-packed sauce made in a blender before being grilled and stuffed into corn tortillas.

Get our adobo-marinated chicken taco recipe.

3. Grace Young’s stir-fried ginger beef with sugar snaps and carrots

Remember, don’t rinse the 12 ounces of flank steak you’re going to use for this gingery, deliciously crunchy meal that’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner.

Get Grace Young’s stir-fried ginger beef with sugar snaps and carrots recipe.

4. Baked cracker-crusted chicken tenders

Children love ’em, and admit it, so do you. These chicken nugget-like tenders are healthier (and much more delicious) than freezer and fast-food versions. Whip up some ranch dressing and you’re good to go for dipping.

Get our baked cracker-crusted chicken tenders recipe.

5. Slow cooker pork ramen

If there’s still a nip in the air — heck, even if it’s sweltering outdoors — you gotta try this ramen. Making its authentic flavor at home will save you the cash you would have dropped on a pricey restaurant bowl.

Get our slow cooker pork ramen recipe.

HM TEST: 6 Ways to Fit Fitness into Your Busy Work Schedule

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

Making time for exercise can be tough AF, especially if you have a busy work schedule. But even if your life is hella hectic, it’s uber-important to fit fitness into your daily routine. After all, you (and your body) deserve the best.

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Here are six simple ways you can make time for exercise, no matter how busy your life is.

The Good Brigade/Getty Images

6 ways to make time for exercise

Ready to get your sweat on? Here’s how you can make room for exercise in your busy routine.

1. Work out efficiently

Pick a workout that you can do almost anywhere. Ideally, this will be a form of exercise that doesn’t require much preparation (maybe save the windsurfing for the weekend).

To make the most of your limited time, it’s a good idea to opt for workouts that offer significant gains in a short time. Here are some top-notch options:

CrossFit
Tabata training
interval running
quick ab routine
weighted jump rope
bodyweight workouts
resistance band workouts
high intensity interval training (HIIT)

If you’re looking for a good bang for your workout buck, HIIT might be your best bet.

In addition to increasing overall strength, interval training workouts like HIIT have been found to increase aerobic endurance and oxygen uptake. That basically means it helps increase your body’s ability to take in oxygen and deliver it to your tissues.

2. Do what you like

Flexing your self-discipline muscles is often necessary when it comes to exercise. But TBH, there’s no point in doing something you hate. If you can’t stand running, don’t run! You’re much more likely to stick to a workout routine if you actually like it.

Make things easier on yourself by choosing a form of exercise that fits your lifestyle, personality, and taste. Not sure what you love to do? Don’t be afraid to experiment with different forms of exercise until you find what works best for you.

Remember, you don’t have to do an activity you hate.

3. Keep it competitive

Gym class dodgeball was lit. Keep that spark alive by adding friendly competition to your workouts.

Research suggests that competition can be a major motivator. According to a 2022 study, competitions that provide rewards can make exercise more interesting and fun. There’s also a chance it can inspire you to stick to your workout routines.

Whether you’re elite, beginner, or somewhere in between, there’s something for everyone. You might want to try:

fun runs
cycling events
CrossFit competitions
powerlifting competitions
long-distance running events
1:1 competition with a workout buddy
competitions at your local gym or fitness studio

Sign up, set a goal, and go for it! It might be just the push you need to stay in the workout game.

Pro tip: If you want to compete a bit with your friends and fam, you can download a fitness app that lets you keep track of each other’s stats.

4. Add it to your calendar

You might be more keen on exercising if you prioritize it as much as the other things in your life. If you unexpectedly had to pick up your kiddo from school and had no backup plan, how would you deal with the situation? Cancel a meeting? Take some work home with you?

The truth is that when we really need to, we get out of the office at the time that is necessary. So, make a schedule and stick to it. You deserve some you time.

5. Keep track of your activity

There’s an old saying that goes, “If you don’t measure it, it doesn’t exist.” While it’s a slight exaggeration, this phrase does have some truth to it, especially when it comes to exercise.

So take notes in your calendar every time you work out. Then add up your workout sessions at the end of each week, month, and year so you can monitor your progress and identify areas for improvement.

Measuring your activity levels (and, ideally, keeping notes on your progress) can help you stay on track and realize when you’re slipping before you’ve completely lost the habit.

Pro tip: If you’re not a fan of old-school note-taking, download a fitness app!

6. Choose something over nothing

You don’t need an hour — or even 30 minutes — to get an effective workout.

Some exercise is virtually always better than none. When done frequently enough as part of an effective program, short and speedy workouts can do wonders for both your body and your mind. Heck, even 7 minutes can make a difference!

So squeeze in fitness wherever you are, no matter how much time you have. Here are some tips to sneak extra exercise into your day:

Skip the elevator and take the stairs.
Use your lunch break to go for a brisk walk.
Park farther away from a building than you need to.
Deskercise or move around at least once per hour at work.
Do squats while your brush your teeth or while you wait for your morning coffee to brew.
Wake up 15 minutes early to stretch. You can also do some crunches, push-ups, jumping jacks, or lunges to get your blood pumping.

tl;dr

Finding time for exercise is one of the best investments you can make in your well-being. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy! Still, there are lots of easy ways you can fit fitness into your busy schedule.

Make the most of your workouts by opting for exercises that give you the most bang for your buck. Do your best to prioritize working out and focus on exercises you actually like. This will help you stick to your fitness routine.

What’s Your Self-Care Personality with PsA?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

Jimena Roquero/Stocksy United

When you think of self-care, your mind might float to a clifftop yoga retreat. Fancy! But self-care really covers anything that can help support or improve your health and stress levels. It can be anything from a bit of light stretching in bed to jumping on the phone with a friend.

Self-care is an important tool when it comes to psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Flares can be miserable, so it’s important to invest time and energy in keeping yourself healthy.

Showing up to your appointments and following your treatment plan are forms of self-care, but there are a lot of other ways to prioritize your well-being too.

So, how does your self-care measure up? Are you mayor of self-care city, or do you need a gentle nudge to spend more time on yourself? Take our quiz to find out.

Baked Donut Recipes That Are Easy As Pie

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

Football, backwards hats, bald eagles, and rock ‘n roll. The list of “American things” is seemingly endless, but perhaps the most widely adored food item from the good ‘ol USA (aside from apple pie and barbecue, of course) is donuts.

Honestly, have you met anyone who doesn’t like the sugary, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth texture of a hot glazed, raspberry jelly, or Boston cream? We’re betting you haven’t, which is why we are going all out to celebrate the national favorite with these easy, fry-free varieties.

Donuts

Whether you fear the fryer or are hoping to avoid oil for health reasons, check out the baked recipes below. Then prepare your taste buds for the familiar flavors you love so much. Homer Simpson would certainly approve.

9 baked donut recipes to rock your world

4-ingredient baked donuts
Vanilla glazed baked donuts
Baked French crullers
Strawberry baked donuts with strawberry glaze
Baked donuts with blueberries
Lemon poppy seed baked donuts
Banana bread donuts with browned butter caramel glaze
Chocolate cake baked donuts
Gluten-free vanilla cake donuts

1. 4-ingredient baked donuts

Who says buttery perfection needs to be complicated? These four-ingredient donuts prove that, sometimes, simple is best. This recipe makes an easy basic donut for beginners — but feel free to take it up a notch with chocolate frosting, sprinkles, or a caramel glaze.

Get the 4-ingredient baked donuts recipe.

2. Vanilla glazed baked donuts

Aside from the icing, nothing about these glazed cake donuts is “vanilla” in the metaphorical sense. Use a high-quality vanilla extract for depths of flavor way beyond boring.

Get the vanilla glazed baked donuts recipe.

3. French cruller

If you thought making French crullers in an oven was a an impossible task, think again. This recipe breaks things down for even the most amateur of newbs.

Get the French cruller recipe.

4. Strawberry baked donuts with strawberry glaze

We hope you like strawberries, ‘cuz these baked beauties double up on the summer fruit. The topping even uses real, fresh strawberries! These are as beautiful as they are delicious… which means they’re pretty freakin’ delicious.

Get the recipe for strawberry baked donuts with strawberry glaze.

5. Baked donuts with blueberries

We’re on a fruity roll! These bursting-with-blueberry donuts are surprisingly healthy, featuring whole wheat pastry flour and up to 1 cup of whole blueberries, for a total of just 117 calories per treat. (Yes, please!) Leave off the glaze if you’re looking to scale back calories or carbs even further.

Get the recipe for baked donuts with blueberries.

6. Lemon poppy seed

Lemons and poppy seeds are two things that are meant to go together — just like this donut and your stomach. Be sure to make an extra batch for work. Your boss should promote you right on the spot.

Get the lemon poppy seed baked donut recipe.

7. Banana bread donuts with browned butter caramel glaze

Banana bread is already amazing on its own, but a mashup of the favorite quick bread with donuts, plus a browned butter caramel glaze? Sign us up. (And why did we never think of this combo before?)

Get the recipe for banana bread donuts with browned butter caramel glaze.

8. Chocolate cake baked donuts

One look at these chocolate cake donuts and you’ll be sold. They’ve got that quintessentially crumbly, cake-like exterior, generously drizzled with a layer of vanilla glaze you could practically ice skate on. In fact, they’re basically Oreos in donut form, which means bye… nice chatting with you… we’re off to go make donuts.

Get the chocolate cake baked donut recipe.

9. Gluten-free vanilla cake donuts

Donuts are one of the saddest things to have to give up if you’ve gone gluten-free. Fortunately, there’s a workaround for GF folks: these fluffy vanilla cake donuts, which use use gluten-free flour. This blogger also offers several helpful substitutions if you need to keep other allergens (like dairy or eggs) out of your donuts.

Get the recipe for gluten-free vanilla cake donuts.

Bottom line

Taking oil out of the donut-making equation not only trims fat and calories, it can make for a significantly less messy prep. (Hot, splattered oil doesn’t tend to be anyone’s favorite part of frying.)

Besides, once you’ve slathered your confection in a sweet, finger-licking glaze, will you even miss the oil? We think not — but try these baked recipes to find out for yourself.

The Easiest Way to Make Cold Brew All Summer Long

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

For coffee lovers, cold brew is the all-star drink of summer. It’s not only the most refreshing way to enjoy coffee in warm weather, it’s less acidic than conventional hot coffee. Plus, the slow extraction of the cold brewing process results in a rich, smooth flavor.

But — as you’re prolly aware — swinging through the drive-thru for cold brew all summer long can really add up.

The surprisingly easy solution: Make your own brew at home! Going DIY saves major green, especially if you eschew fancy cold brew pitchers and machines. All you really need is a mason jar, a mesh sieve, and coffee filters. (We even have a trick for making sure it doesn’t get watered down.)

With coffee costs a-risin’, there’s no time like the present to channel your inner crafter to create a tasty caffeinated beverage. Here’s how to make your very own mason jar cold brew for sweet summer sipping.

Mason jar cold brew recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups coarsely ground dark roast coffee (freshly ground, if possible)
Cold or room temperature water (make sure it tastes good on its own)

Supplies

32-ounce mason jar
Fine mesh strainer
Coffee filter (or a few layers of cheesecloth)
Large bowl

Directions

1. Place the freshly ground coffee in the mason jar.

2. Add enough cold water to fill the jar halfway. Stir.

3. Fill the jar the rest of the way with cold water. Stir again.

4. Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. (You can experiment with different times depending on how strong you like your brew.)

5. When the brewing time is up, place the mesh strainer over a large bowl and line the strainer with a coffee filter. This is to keep the finer grounds from getting into the bowl.

6. Slowly pour the cold brew through the lined strainer. Discard the grounds or use them in your garden.)

7. Rinse out the jar and pour the coffee back in. Put the cap back on and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Variations

This mason jar how-to is really just a jumping-off point — you can adjust its ratio to use slightly less coffee. (Try 1 cup instead of 1 1/2.)

If you like, you can also try adding flavored sweetener (brown sugar and cinnamon, perhaps?) to your grounds during the steeping process.

Or, if you have a nut milk bag, put your coffee grounds in it before adding to the jar, topping it up with water, and steeping (so you can skip the straining step later).

This same cold brew process also works in a 32-ounce French press, in case you have one handy.

Finally, if you’re not sold on the taste of cold brew in general, there’s always traditional iced coffee! We’ve got DIY instructions for that too.

How to drink cold brew

Brewing in a mason jar will net you a potent cold brew concentrate, which you probably don’t want to sip straight (unless you’re one of those coffee connoisseurs).

Dilute it to more pleasant, palatable taste with additional water, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, almond milk, coconut milk, vanilla oat milk, or whatever else you like. (But dilute each glass rather than the entire batch at once, as that makes the flavor degrade faster.)

You can also add simple syrup or the sweetener of your choice to each serving. We vote for liquid sweeteners, since they dissolve faster.

Pro tip: Make coffee ice cubes while you’re at it

Using coffee cubes instead of regular ice is a simple-but-brilliant move that not only keeps your cold brew chilled, but prevents it from getting watered down as the ice melts. Use silicone ice cube molds for easy release.

Bottom line

You don’t have to be a barista to brew up coffeehouse-level cold brew at home. All you need is a mason jar and a little time. Tinker with the recipe above to find your sweet spot of grounds-to-water radio, steeping time, and flavor add-ins.

How to Grill Corn on the Cob: Which Way Is Best?

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

Gabriel Bucataru/Stocksy United

Summer corn is so sweet and tender you can easily (and safely!) eat it raw — but when you want to cook your cobs, just boiling can get boring. This year, when produce is at its peak, try grilling your corn on the cob for a little smoky, extra-summery flavor.

There are a few ways to do it, all of them easy, but of the two most common methods (husk-on or husk-off), one is superior. So fire up the grill! We’re showing you how to do it right.

Grilling corn with the husk

Lots of people swear by grilling corn in the husk — and we get it. The husk acts as a natural barrier to protect the delicate kernels while they cook, and effectively steams the corn while still imparting a faint hint of smoke.

Plus, cooking corn before shucking it actually makes removing all the pesky strands of silk easier. (And the peeled-back husks can make a nice natural handle.)

If you opt for this method, just first trim off any tangled, discolored silk at the top of the ears. Then place them on the grate of a gas or charcoal grill over direct medium to high heat. Let them cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Cool the ears enough to handle and strip off the blackened husk and silk. Then (optional but a major flavor enhancer) roll your corn in butter and seasonings and enjoy.

Tasty as in-husk grilled corn may be, if you’re a fan of charred bits and more pronounced smoky flavor, you may find this option a little lacking. The point is, after all, to grill the corn itself (not its outer container). That’s why we like the following method even more.

Grilling corn without the husk

For those who want more char, shucking the corn first is the only way to go.

You don’t need to stress about peeling off every last clingy filament of silk, since it’ll mostly burn off anyway, and you don’t need to season the corn first, although you can if you like. Just slick it with a bit of oil or melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stripped-bare corn cobs can be placed on the grate directly over medium to high heat too. Turn them periodically to get relatively even char on all sides, and they should be done in 10 minutes. If you didn’t season them first, roll them in butter and spices hot off the grill, and bite into a perfectly juicy taste of summer.

You could grill your corn in the husk, then peel it back and put the ears on again for another few minutes to pick up some smoke and color, but that’s complicating matters without much result.

What to do with grilled corn

You’ve shucked, you’ve oiled, you’ve grilled — now what?

Simply add some metal-pronged holders to each end and eat! (Even better if your holders are shaped like something goofy and fun, like a sombreros and boots combo.)

Grilled corn on the cob is, of course, also a great partner to any protein, from burgers to grilled shellfish, and fellow cylindrical summer icons, hot dogs.

When it comes to seasoning, if you want to branch out from plain old butter and salt, try these toppings:

Bacon bits
Elote seasoning
Garlic powder
Parmesan cheese
Seasoned salt
Chopped fresh parsley
Everything bagel seasoning

And if you don’t like gnawing on the cobs themselves, you can shave the kernels off to use in corn salads, salsa, pasta, pizza, soups, and any other dishes that could use pops of sweet, smoky flavor.

De-kernel your cobs in a bowl, as shown below, or use a Bundt pan to steady the ear and collect the kernels, as seen in our summer produce hacks. You can also grill extra ears, cut off the kernels, and freeze them for later use — after all, summer won’t last forever.

Grilled corn recipes

Nuts for corn? Check out the grilled recipes below for inspiration.

1. Grilled corn with cayenne, lime, and cotija

By now, you’ve probably tried the delicious phenomenon that is Mexican street corn (aka elote). But if you’ve never tried making it on your own, this recipe is an easy intro. It calls for grilling your corn in the husk, but for a nice blackening on the kernels, shuck it first.

Get the recipe for grilled corn with cayenne, lime, and cotija.

2. Grilled shrimp tacos with avocado-corn salsa

While you’re putting some shrimp on the barbie for tacos, might as well slap some corn cobs on there too. It’ll up the flavor ante on this south-of-the-border one-dish meal. With an ice-cold Modelo in your hand as you grill, you’ll be Insta-ready as the ultimate picture of summer.

Get the recipe for grilled shrimp tacos with avocado-corn salsa.

3. Corn husk-wrapped grilled halibut with charred corn salsa

Chris Rochelle

Just because you grill your corn sans husk doesn’t mean you have to throw the outer leaves away. Use them to keep meaty halibut steaks moist and intact on the grill! Then top them with the charred corn itself in the form of lime-spritzed salsa (which is also great in tacos, rice, burritos, enchiladas, and, well, pretty much anything else).

Get our corn husk-wrapped grilled halibut with charred corn salsa recipe.

4. Grilled corn salad with tomato and avocado

Sweet grilled corn kernels, bright tomatoes, and creamy avocado make an ultimate summer salad, and you can toss in any fresh herbs you have on hand. Arugula adds a nice peppery note to contrast the sweet and acidic flavors.

Get the grilled corn salad with tomato and avocado recipe.

5. Grilled corn with cornbread puree and popcorn

Ready for corn overload? This unusual recipe is for true corn-ophiles. It features the summer veggie in three (yes, three) distinctive forms: cobs, popped kernels, and a buttery sauce made from leftover cornbread crumbles. Don’t be surprised at the oohs and ahhs when you show up to the potluck with this show-stopping side.

Get the recipe for grilled corn with cornbread puree and popcorn.

How to Do the TikTok Sock Hair Curl Trick

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Forget bed head — this trendy haircare trick can give you salon-level curls overnight. And it’s pretty easy to do once you get the hang of it.
The power of a good hairdo is obvious. Freshly cut, blow-dried, curled hair can have you feeling like a Real Housewife straight out of glam.

But let’s face the facts: Hot tools damage hair. And it’s hard to get that fresh ‘do feeling without healthy hair.

So how do we get that TikTok-worthy hair without surface-of-the-sun heat? Enter: Sock curls.

This trendy haircare trick isn’t much of a secret: All you need to do is weave socks into your damp hair, and leave them there while it dries. It doesn’t even look (that) weird and is pretty easy to do — once you get the hang of it.

If getting fabulous beachy curls while keeping your hair looking healthy (while also putting the humble sock to work) sounds appealing, keep reading.

How to do the sock hair curl trick

So how do you pull off the perfect sock curls? And just how many pairs of socks are you going to have to buy?

Straightforward answer: Probably none, unless you exclusively own ankle socks. But let’s take a look at what you’re gonna need before we start getting into the deets of how to do it.

To get those perfect curls, you’re going to need:

4 to 6 socks (possibly more if you have thick hair), which are about the same length as your locks
a hairbrush
hair clips
hair ties
hairspray
a hair dryer (optional, and mostly if you want a bit more volume at your crown)

Everything in place? Excellent. Let’s get curling!

1. Make sure your hair is clean and damp

Give it a good wash, and towel-dry your hair until it’s no longer dripping wet — but just nicely damp. You could even use a spray bottle and just give it a good spritz if you prefer not to go through the whole washing routine.

2. Brush your hair through

Curls with tangles caught up in them? No thanks. Brush your hair now in order to avoid this tragic fate, and to make your hair easier to work with.

3. Divide your hair

If you’ve got fine to medium hair, you can probably divide it into at least four sections (front, back, and two sides). The thicker your hair is the more sections you’ll need, and therefore more socks.

Use your hair clips to keep these sections in place until you’re ready to weave in your socks.

4. Secure the socks

Choose one of your sections, grab your first piece of footwear, and use a hair clip to attach it at the toe end as close as possible to your scalp.

Don’t worry too much about placement here — you’re just trying to keep the sock nice and secure so you can weave your hair around it.

5. Weave each section of hair around the socks

According to TikTok, you’ve got two options for this part:

Option 1: Crisscross your hair around the sock

Divide the hair in the section into two halves, so you’ve essentially got two strands.

Weave them around the sock, one strand going over the top, with the other going underneath.

You’re curling them around the fabric, so your strands of hair are crisscrossing over each other. If the sock begins to look like a tube with a bunch of Xs down the sides, then congrats — you’re doing it right!

Option 2: Wrap your hair around the sock French-braid style

For this method, you’ll wrap each section of hair in one direction all the way down the sock.

Start with a 1-inch section of hair and wrap it around the sock away from your face. As you wrap and move down the sock, you’ll grab additional small sections of hair — kind of like you’re doing a French braid.

6. Tie it off

Once you’ve reached the bottom of your hair, you can tie it off in one of two ways:

Option 1: Wrap the curl up in the entire sock

If your socks are long enough, you can grab the open end of the sock and pull it over the entire curl to secure it. You don’t technically need a hair tie to do this, but it might fall out if you sleep in them.

Option 2: Secure it with a hair tie

Easy peasy. Just use a hair tie to secure the end of your hair to the sock.

8. Repeat for every section of hair

Unless you just want one curly section of hair (and that would be a choice), do the exact same for the other sections of your hair.

Grab someone to help you if doing the back section is tricky, and remember to tell them to start the weave as close to your scalp as possible, unless you’re going for curls that start further down the length.

9. Leave to dry completely

You can sleep with your new socky friends, or simply leave them in and go about your day, assuming that you don’t need to run to the grocery store, or have a Zoom meeting with your boss (camera off — they’ll never know). But make sure it’s totally dry.

10. Voila!

Remove the socks carefully, and admire your new gorgeous hair! Run your fingers through the curls in order to break them up a little, and use a little dab of hairspray just to keep them looking fab.

Does it work for everyone?

Sounds great, right? But does it work for everyone?

Pleasingly, the answer appears to be a resounding yes — every influencer in the land has seemingly given this a try, with hair types ranging from fine to thick and curly, and they’ve all had great results!

Fine hair seems to take to it best, and with the least amount of effort, but even people with thick hair have had their heads transformed.

If your hair is being particularly stubborn, using a long sock, then turning it inside-out to cover your hair once you’ve crisscrossed it, seems to tame even the most ferocious lock.

And best of all, there’s absolutely zero need to use any kind of heat on your hair — definitely a boon for our poor frazzled hairs. You can certainly use a hair dryer to get the whole process finished a bit faster (particularly nifty if you’re getting it ready for the day ahead), or if you want to add a bit more volume at the crown of your head.

But otherwise, you can absolutely braid the socks into your hair before you settle down for the night, and simply sleep your way through the whole thing while your hair dries sans heat.

Other heatless curl options

Socks aren’t your only option, bestie. Here are your other options:

Self-grip hair rollers. They’ve been around a while for a reason. These take some time to learn how to use properly — and might not be very comfy to sleep in — but they can help you achieve a blowout look without a trip to the blowout bar.
Twist rollers. These are a comfier alternative to self-grip rollers. They also make tighter curls.
Curling ribbons/headbands. These have gotten a lot more popular recently and a bunch of brands are creating their own versions. These are easy to use, comfy to sleep in, and the results are pretty good (this is our fave alternative to socks!).

tl;dr

Using socks to curl your hair might sound (and look) like fake news at first. But once you’ve seen the results from this TikTok trend, you’ll change your mind faster than Ross changed when he broke up with Rachel.

Simply braid those bad boys into your hair and leave it to dry off completely. Gently let it all out again, and you’ll be left with bouncy, beach-vibe curls that’ll have everyone thinking that you splurged on a salon trip or expensive curling iron — when it didn’t cost you a single penny.

Gettin' All Choked Up about the Nutritional Value of Artichokes

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Artichokes contain a lot of instant nutritional perks as well as potential long-term health benefits. They’re also extremely versatile when it comes to cooking options.
Plenty of folks have never thought to eat an artichoke, mostly because it has kind of a strange look and an even stranger name. Fair.

Well, to ensure you’re not missing out, we’re intro’ing this little green goodie with everything you need to know about its nutritional value and how it translates to health boosts for your body.

Slow down there… what’s an artichoke, again?

You might’ve seen artichokes referred to as globe artichokes, French artichokes, or green artichokes. You might’ve also seen them being called vegetables, but they’re actually a type of thistle, which has been around for thousands of years.

An artichoke is a bulb made up of its thorny outer leaves, feathery choke, and fleshy heart. The heart is at the base of the bulb and this is what you’ll be wanting. The leaves are inedible, as is the choke unless you’re using a baby artichoke.

Eaten raw, artichokes taste slightly bitter, similar to asparagus or celeriac. When cooked (more on that later), the bitterness gives way to a milder taste that’s not unlike boiled potatoes.

Nutritional breakdown of artichokes

They’re tasty and easy to find at the store, but are artichokes good for you? In short: yes! They pack a serious nutritional punch whether eaten raw or boiled up:

Raw (128g) Boiled (120g)
Carbs 13.4g 14.4g
Fiber 6.9g 6.8g
Protein 4.2g 3.5g
Fat 0.2g 0.41g
Vitamin C 15mg 8.9mg
Vitamin K 18.9µg 17.8µg
Vitamin B6 0.15mg 0.1mg
Thiamine 0.09mg 0.06mg
Riboflavin 0.08mg 0.11mg
Niacin 1.34mg 1.33mg
Folate 87µg 107 µg
Iron 1.64mg 0.73mg
Magnesium 76.8mg 50.4mg
Phosphorus 115mg 88mg
Potassium 474mg 343mg
Calcium 56.3mg 25.2mg
Zinc 0.63mg 0.48mg

That’s a mighty little thistle, once we compare some of these values to your recommended daily intake (RDI) of certain nutrients. Artichokes contain:

25% (raw) or 15% (boiled) of your Vitamin C DV
24% (raw) or 22% (boiled) of Vitamin K DV
22% (raw) or 27% (boiled) of folate DV
19% (raw) or 13% (boiled) of magnesium DV
12% (raw) or 9% (boiled) of phosphorus DV
14% (raw) or 10% (boiled) of potassium DV

Artichokes vs Jerusalem artichokes: Are they the same thing?

No. Jerusalem artichokes (sometimes called sunchokes) are a completely different genus to the tasty little critters we’re talking about here. They’re actually a type of sunflower. With Jerusalem artichokes, you eat the root, which has a sweet flavor and potato-like texture.

The health benefits of artichoke artistry

The healthy nutrient profile of an artichoke translates to a number of health benefits. For example…

Artichokes contain a boatload of antioxidants

Antioxidants protect against a huge range of health conditions by helping your body get rid of the toxic byproducts of processing oxygen. Artichokes are a potent source of antioxidants, meaning they could play an active role against:

Heart disease
Some cancers
Lung disease
Age-related eye disease

Artichokes can tell good cholesterol from bad

We’re reasonably sure that artichoke leaf extract plays a role in keeping cholesterol low – essential for your heart and your health in general. Better still, evidence suggests that the extract can balance the ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol and the ‘bad’ (LDL) type.

Get used to artichoke leaf extract. This is what most studies use when they examine the health benefits of artichokes. It’s a concentrated version, usually sold in pill form. Very little formal research has been done on the plant itself, but we can reasonably assume its health effects will be similar to the extract.

You may be able to regulate your blood pressure with an artichoke

Studies on animals and test tube-bound cells suggest that artichokes might help keep your blood pressure steady. We know they’re a solid source of potassium, which regulates the blood. Some research also hints that leaf extract helps your body produce eNOS, an enzyme which keeps blood vessels wide enough to facilitate a healthy flow of the red stuff.

Your liver could get a boost from artichokes

Recent studies indicate that artichoke leaf extract might be good for helping your liver function. It helps repair damage done to the liver, speeding up the rate at which tissue grows back. It also increases the rate at which you produce bile, helping flush toxins out of the liver.

As with most of these benefits, we need more research before we can say for sure how they work. At our current best guess, it’s the antioxidants silymarin and cynarin that are to thank.

Artichokes might be great for digestion and IBS

Because they’re so rich in fiber, artichokes help keep things moving along nicely as far as your digestion is concerned. In particular, a type of fiber called inulin is present in artichokes. This is especially good for promoting healthy digestion.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inulin appears to be good for regulating gut bacteria and easing the spasms that sometimes come with the condition. Overall, the existing evidence is looking good for artichokes and your digestive system.

You can keep blood sugar low with an artichoke (maybe)

Studies have hinted that artichoke leaf extract might play a role in lowering your blood sugar levels. However, what little research in this area we have tends to mix the extract with other plants. Other studies have taken place on rats, but not humans.

The strongest evidence we have suggests that the specific enzyme which turns starch into glucose (called alpha-glucosidase) might be the key. However, we need to know more before we can say how artichokes interact with that enzyme.

Artichokes (might) fight cancer cells

The high antioxidant content packed into artichokes gives it a healthy start as a cancer-buster. More detailed studies have suggested that the leaf extract might slow the growth of cancer cells. Others indicate that the extract could have potential in other cancer therapies.

But, it’s still very early days for this research. Most studies have been done either on rats or cells contained in test tubes. We need to know more about how exactly the extract affects cancer cells in actual humans.

Selecting a ripe artichoke

Artichokes are a very flexible food. You can get artichokes at pretty much any grocery store, but not all are created equal. To pick a nice ripe artichoke, look for:

Weight. A heavier artichoke means it’s still retaining plenty of moisture, meaning it’s closer to peak ripeness.
Sound. The leaves of a healthy artichoke should squeak against each other if you squeeze it. No squeak means dried-out leaves.
Form. A perfect artichoke’s leaves will be opened only slightly, without too much separation. If the leaves are opened up too much, it could be too old.

Finally, you might find an artichoke whose leaves are peeling a bit. These have been hit with a touch of frost, but they’re still perfectly fine to eat. In fact, some people insist that frost-kissed artichokes are even tastier.

How to prep an artichoke for the best cooking

Artichokes can be grilled, braised, or baked. Two of the most common (also quickest and easiest) ways to prepare an artichoke, however, are steaming and boiling. In either case, you’ll need to prepare it for cooking.

To do this:

Use a sharp pair of scissors to snip the thorny tips off the outer leaves
Cut off the tip of the artichoke (about an inch down) using a sharp knife
Pull off the small, looser leaves around the base and stem
Slice off any excess stem so you’ve only got about an inch sticking out of the artichoke’s base
Rinse your artichoke, making sure the water gets in between the leaves

To steam your artichoke (one per person):

Toss a clove of garlic (cut into two halves), a bay leaf and a slice of lemon into two inches of water
Put a steaming basket on top of the pot and boil the water
Place your artichokes into the steaming basket
Steam for 25-35 minutes until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off

If you prefer to boil your artichokes, do so in lightly salted water for 20-30 minutes. As with steaming, you’ll know it’s time to eat when the leaves are easy to peel off.

Once the heart is cooked, you can use it in:

Pasta dishes
Pizzas
Baking
Rice dishes
Soups
Salads
Dips
Salsas
Roasts

What’s the best way to store artichokes?

In an ideal world, you’ll be eating your artichoke on the same day you pick it up from the store. If not, it’ll last between five to seven days in the fridge. If you want to max out its lifespan, cut off a short length of the stem, sprinkle the fresh end with water, and put it in a plastic bag.

Don’t freeze uncooked artichokes, the taste and texture will really suffer. You can, of course, freeze them once they’re cooked. We recommend wrapping a whole cooked artichoke in foil before you put it in a freezer bag.

Possible risks of eating artichokes

Artichoke allergies are extremely rare, most people are at no risk from eating a cooked or raw artichoke. You may be at higher risk if you’re also allergic to other plants of the aster family (like daisies, thistles, sunflowers and kiwis).

Artichoke extract is more concentrated. It’s recommended that pregnant or breastfeeding women avoid the extract, but we don’t have enough data yet to say whether or not it’s safe.

Because artichoke leaf extract helps increase bile movement, you should probably avoid it if you have bile duct obstruction or gallstones.

Bottom line: This thistle deserves a lot more thought

Folk have been eating artichokes since the days of old, but we still need more research to know exactly how these delicious thistles really benefit our bodies. That gives them an air of mystery, but don’t feel put off trying them.

Their versatility and unique flavor might just make them your new best culinary buddy!

Tripping the Coif Fantastic: A Guide to Color Changing Hair Dye

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
“Mood changing” hair dye uses stabilized thermochromic ink molecules that shift when heated or cooled, creating a surreal color changing special effect.
As the saying goes, “life is too short to have boring hair.” From Billie Eilish to the Trolls, big hair energy is everywhere. But what look to choose? So many colors, so many styles, so many moods.

If your idea of “not boring” changes from minute to minute, color changing hair dye has you covered. Curious about dancing around the hair spectrum? Fantasy becomes reality in our guide to expressing yourself with color changing hair dye.

Illustration by Maya Chastain

What is color changing hair dye?

Thermochromic hair dye is a temporary hair color product that changes hue with even a subtle shift in temperature. Your coif literally becomes your real-time canvas depending on the temp. The tint will change with heat or cold, so a curling iron, some warm fingers, a cool breeze or a snowball to the head will all cause a colorful reaction.

Best part: no commitment. It’s even less permanent than semi-permanent hair dye. Some brands claim to rinse out completely with one hair wash, so color changing hair dye isn’t technically a dye. It’s what’s called an “overlay,” or a layer of color that sits on the surface of your hair strand. Sort of like makeup on your skin.

But, be sure to check that label. If the brand says “permanent” or “semi-permanent,” you’re dealing with color that’s going to stick around for a bit.

How does color change hair dye work?

The secret to color changing hair dye is thermochromic pigment, or color that changes with temperature. Remember those Hypercolor t-shirts that were popular back when Terminator 2 dominated the box office? Same premise. It’s the same tech that lets you know when your AAA battery is kaput or your beer is cold enough to enjoy.

Color change pigment is composed of molecules whose bonds react to temperature, changing their shape and stability when heat is added or taken away. When the temps change, the active molecules react. The dye molecules reflect more light when warmer and absorb more light when cooler. Voila! Color change “magic.”

How to apply color changing hair dye at home

At first, color change hair dyes were available only at salons. But a few companies now offer at-home kits for you prospective hair Picassos. Specifics might change from brand to brand, but here are the general steps for applying color changing dye:

Wash your hair and towel it dry. Avoid conditioners or any products that might get between the dye and the hair.
Put on protective gloves and something to protect your clothes, like a smock, a robe, or a towel.
Line your scalp with a light layer of petroleum-based ointment to prevent the dye from running onto your face or into your eyes. This reduces the chance that you might experience unexpected irritation.
Since this might get a little messy, pick a place to apply the dye that you wouldn’t mind cleaning up. (Bathroom? Garage? Back yard?)
Use the sponge applicator that comes with the dye or a fresh makeup sponge to apply the dye. Simply dip the sponge into the dye and brush onto your hair as desired. Unleash your inner artist!
Use an angled tint brush to help spread the color evenly through your hair. Generally speaking, lighter colored hair will show more vibrant results, darker hair will have a more subtle effect. (For those with darker hair who want to turn up the pop factor, consider pre-lightening your hair or even using lighter colored hair extensions to get a more obvious result.)
After you’re done applying, blow-dry your hair on a medium setting. This stuff is a little sticky, so a final blow dry will help chill out that tacky feeling.

Bonus tip: Use a stencil when applying the color with a sponge to create a bolder statement.

How to activate color change hair dye

Now for the Harry Potter moment! Any change in temperature will activate the color changing radness. The easiest and quickest way to get results is to use a hot hair tool like a flat iron, a curling iron or a hair dryer. You can use your tool (carefully!) sort of like a virtual crayon, applying the heat to specific spots on your hair will create trippy two-toned effects.

Like those mood rings that were all the rage around 1975, your body can also provide the heat. In theory, color change hair dye could change color when you blush. But it might be easier to let your fingers do the work. Smack those hands together and rub them really fast (like Mr. Miyagi taught you). Now see what happens when your hot digits interact with your thermochromic hair.

When you take away the heat, the color changes again. What takes away heat? Anything cold! (Do we sound like your high school chem teacher?) Grab an ice pack from the freezer and see what happens when you touch it to your thermally dyed hair. Even a blowdryer set to cool mode will work.

Remember you can’t always control when or where the color will change when you use color changing hair dye. If you step onto a sunny balcony after sitting in an air conditioned office, the color will change. If you go from a steamy subway platform into a frigid subway car, the color will change. Your “mood hair” will have a mood of its own when exposed to changing temps.

How to dye safely

Although dying your hair is considered safe, there are potential risks to using anything that might irritate your scalp. It’s important to make sure that your scalp is free of any wounds, sores or irritation before using any kind of hair dye. Adding dye to an area of your body that is already in trouble will only add more trouble.

Color changing dye is temporary, but prepping your hair by bleaching or highlighting too often can cause damage to your locks. Over-dyeing or using anything that irritates the skin on your scalp could lead to potential hair loss. One study suggests that you shorten your dyeing session by 25% so that you can lower your exposure to anything that might be harmful to your skin.

Also, when playing around with your prismatic locks, go easy on the heat. Flat irons and curling irons can fry your hair, so it might be a good idea to use a heat protectant spray. Don’t let playing around with color changing hair dye mess up your healthy hair care routine. But if you feel the fry, there are ways to help care for damaged hair.

And remember, it’s important to use high-quality hair products that don’t contain potentially harmful chemicals. Read those labels and know what you’re putting on your body. Again, anything that irritates your scalp is no good. Go for a product that has as few irritants as possible.

Bottom line

For a coif that changes on a dime, check out color changing hair dye. This temporary color overlay changes with temperature to create shifting hair color right before your eyes.

Relatively simple to apply, color changing hair dye goes on almost like makeup. Simply apply to freshly cleaned hair with a makeup sponge or angled tint brush then blow dry on low to clear out some of the sticky feeling of the dye.

You can enjoy playing around with your favorite heat tool or ice pack to create some prismatic fun or simply let the elements around you dictate the change. Your hair is your canvass and your imagination is the only limit.

Going Against the Grain: Here are the Details on Gluten-free Skin Care

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Gluten-free skin care is a viable option for those with celiac or gluten sensitivities. Just make sure the product you choose is labeled GF to avoid cross-contamination.
Forget your gluten-free pizza or pasta for a min — what’s the deal with GF skin care? Even though lotions, creams and serums made without gluten aren’t totally new, they’ve become increasingly popular in recent years.

But are they safe?

Basically, if you have an extreme gluten sensitivity and happen to get some moisturizer with gluten into your mouth, could you potentially have a reaction? We answer this question and more about gluten-free skin care products.

Anna Efetova/Getty Images

Reasons to go gluten-free with skin care products

Those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities may especially want to avoid cosmetics or skin care products with gluten – aka with the gluten protein that’s found in wheat, barley, rye, oats, or other grains.

Dermatologist Elaine Kung explains that gluten is used in some skin care products as a “thickener, emollient, volumizer, moisturizer, or exfoliator.” GF skin care products are formulated *without* this substance, which may make them more friendly to those with severe gluten sensitivities.

Kung explains that “using products containing gluten should not cause a typical systemic celiac reaction such as stomach pain, intestinal cramping, or nausea” by absorbing through the skin alone.

However, you could have a reaction if you accidentally swallowed some of that gluten-filled chapstick or moisturizer. For that reason, dermatologist Anna Chacon recommends that those with celiac or gluten sensitivities use GF lipstick and lip products since they’re easily ingested. “Hand creams can also cause problems if you are one to frequently touch your lips or are a nail biter,” Chacon says.

She adds that patients with active dermatitis herpetiformis, a manifestation of celiac that affects the skin, “should use gluten-free products to avoid contact with any open skin lesions.” Even though this type of celiac is also triggered via ingestion, it can trigger rashy patches on your bod that you def don’t wanna make worse.

What about those without gluten sensitivities?

If you don’t have an allergy to gluten, is there any reason to bother with that GF product life? Chacon says those with sensitive skin or eczema may find that using GF skin care “reduces redness, irritation, or breakouts due to the products containing anti-inflammatory properties.”

Chacon adds that GF products may also often be “rich in antioxidants, which aid in cell turnover, improving the skin’s youthful appearance and eliminating free radicals from UV rays, environmental toxins, and lack of sleep.”

What the science says about GF skin care

According to a 2018 review in the International Journal of Toxicology, the teeny-tiny amounts of gluten in the form of hydrolyzed wheat protein in makeup are too little to elicit hypersensitivity, and therefore is safe for use in cosmetics.

However, in a 2012 report from a meeting with the American College of Gastroenterology, researchers strongly recommended that cosmetics manufacturers indicate when products are GF and safe to use by people with celiac.

The rec was based on one case where someone with celiac had symptoms after using a lotion with wheat protein, and no longer had any symptoms after they stopped using it. Even though it’s only one instance, it may be better to be safe than sorry.

Soak it up: Can gluten be absorbed through the skin?

“Science tells us that the gluten present in topical skin care products cannot be absorbed through the skin,” Kung says. “The gluten particles are too large to enter your bloodstream.”

“Breaking out and suspect that a skin care product is to blame?” Kung asks. “The culprit might not be gluten.” Kung says that contact dermatitis could instead be the culprit. She tells us that common chemical irritants that trigger contact dermatitis include:

dyes
fragrance
lanolin
parabens
formaldehyde

“Besides these, contact dermatitis may be due to wheat or another grain that could cause a skin reaction.”

Read those labels: Sneaky gluten ingredients in skin care

So, if you want to avoid gluten in your skin care routine, you just make sure it’s not listed on the product label … right? If only it were that easy!

Here are some tips from the National Celiac Association to help you cut gluten out for good:

Check that ingredients list twice. Avoid the words “wheat,” “barley,” “malt”, “rye,” and “oat” — as well as the many, many ways they could be hiding in your product, listed below.
Find the full list. Sometimes the ingredient list in its entirety is too large to list on the product itself. In this case, look for a tear sheet or another off-packaging ingredient list to make sure everything checks out. If all else fails, you should be able to get one offline. If you can’t, you might want to just skip it.
Contact the company, JIC. If you’re ordering online, it might be worth sending a quick message to the company to ask whether their products have any wheat, barley, rye or oat derivatives.
Look for products labeled GF. This is prob the easiest route, TBH. A lot of companies are labeling their products these days.

Kung also helps us out by naming some of the many ways various by-products of gluten-containing grains are labeled (courtesy of the Gluten Intolerance Group):

Wheat

AMP-isostearoyl hydrolzyed wheat protein
enzyme-modified gluten
hydrolyzed wheat protein (HWP)
hydrolyzed wheat gluten
hydrolyzed wheat starch
triticum lipids
triticum vulgare
wheat amino acids
wheat bran
wheat bran extract
wheat germ extract
wheat germ glyceride
wheat germ oil or Tocopherol
wheat hydrolysate
wheat peptides
wheat starch

Barley or Malt

barley extract
Hordeum vulgare
malt extract

Rye

secale cereal

Oats

(“due to possible cross contact but could also be an allergen,” Kung explains)

Avena sativa
Avena sativa extract
sodium lauryl oat amino acid

Heads up: She notes that the ever-popular Aveeno line contains oats.

When in doubt, choose a product that’s labeled as gluten-free. These days, there are a lot of companies labeling their products, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of the equation.

You can also talk with your derm about finding a product that’s right for you.

Bye, barley: Best gluten-free skin care brands

Even if a product’s ingredient list checks out, there’s always a slight chance of cross-contamination from being produced in a facility with gluten. If you want to play it extra safe, consider shopping for your moisturizer, foundation, or lip product at one of these certified gluten-free brands:

BITE Beauty
Ecco Bella
Eos
Gabriel Cosmetics
Gluten-free Savonnerie
Green Leaf Naturals
Keys Care
Vanicream
Zuzu Luxe

Even though other brands may be mostly GF, this list only includes those that are confirmed GF by the company — meaning all products are produced without gluten and in a contaminant-free facility.

Concerned about your new powder or toner? You can also look up any product in this Gluten Free Product Directory online. Retailers like Dermstore and Target also conveniently let you narrow down products by which ones are GF.

What if you accidentally used a product with gluten?

Whoops — what if you accidentally say, licked your lips and swallowed some of that gluten-filled chapstick? First, stay calm — it’s most likely not a huge deal, and there are steps you can take to mitigate issues.

How to respond to a gastrointestinal reaction

Chacon says most symptoms of gluten exposure are digestive (like stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation) — you may also experience some “headaches, anxiety, or brain fog.” You’ll want to address these symptoms first. To do so, she recommends:

aggressive hydration to help flush out the system
lots of sleep to help the body recover
taking a detoxifying salt bath to stimulate the lymphatic and immune systems

If you have severe gluten sensitivity or are still experiencing symptoms after 24 hours, visit your doc.

How to respond to a skin reaction

What if you experience what Chacon calls a “gluten rash” (aka contact dermatitis herpetiformis) from ingesting gluten? In that case, here’s what she recommends:

Wash off the affected area of your skin with mild soap and water. And don’t reapply the product!
Use a cool compress to relieve itching and pain. Chacon also recommends applying aloe vera gel.
Take a warm (not hot!) shower or bath to prevent further skin irritation.
Take acetaminophen to relieve the pain.
Use a moisturizer with a “barrier” ingredient like dimethicone (like CeraVe) to protect the skin.
If your rash persists, visit a dermatologist. This type of rash is often treated by docs with the antibiotic Daspone.

Takeaway

Gluten-free skin care is becoming increasingly popular. For those with celiac or gluten sensitivities, the main risk of using a product with gluten is accidental ingestion — not topical exposure. That’s because gluten can’t be absorbed through your skin.

To reduce the risk of reaction, though, use certified GF products, especially for areas around your mouth. If you have a gastrointestinal reaction to gluten, flush out your system by drinking plenty of water.

If you get a rash, wash off the offending product and soothe symptoms with OTC pain relief, a warm bath, a cool compress, and aloe. And don’t hesitate to visit a dermatologist if symptoms persist.

Cracklin' Clear: How to Clean Fireplace Glass

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Whether you use products in your home or brand cleaners, cleaning your fireplace glass is an easy way to give your space a subliminal upgrade while preventing unhealthy particles from building up.
Watching a roaring fire through dirty fireplace glass is kind of like watching a fireworks display on a cloudy night – womp, womp. The best way to bring cozy back is to clean that fireplace glass asap.

However, each type of glass contains slightly different materials, so cleaning each type of glass is going to be slightly different.

The glass doors on your fireplace are likely either ceramic glass or tempered glass. These types of glass can take both the heat and more than a few dollars out of your pocket. So instead of replacing them, give these cleaning methods a try.

Juan Moyano/Stocksy United

Cleaning the glass on a gas fireplace

A lot of people don’t realize it, but that white haze on your gas fireplace glass isn’t a charming faux holiday scene for window shoppers. It’s a buildup of combustion by-products. And you can clean that gunk right off.

Make sure to let your fireplace glass cool down completely before cleaning it. Sounds like a no-brainer but, hey, most coffee still comes with a “warning: hot” label. Once it’s cool to the touch, you’re good to go.

Step 1: Remove the fireplace glass

Cleaning your fireplace glass might be messy AF, so remove the glass if you can. This gives you much better angles for cleaning and lowers the chance you’ll create a messy scene on your floor. Most gas fireplaces have glass that can be taken out relatively easily.

Turn off your gas. A clumsy misstep could knock open a gas line, so don’t take any risks.
Lay down a towel that is larger than the glass. This protects both the glass and your floor.
You’ll be using some cleaning products, so crack open a window for some ventilation. Consider wearing rubber cleaning gloves to protect your precious digits.
Find the owner’s manual for your fireplace. It will most likely show you how to remove the glass.
If you can’t find it, no worries. Your fireplace glass probably has decorative grates that can be removed. Go ahead and take them out carefully.
Once the grates are out, look for simple screws to unfasten the glass or spring loaded fasteners that can pop open.
Remove the glass carefully. Be sure not to bump those fake logs! They’re positioned for safety reasons.
Gently place the glass on the towel, dirty side up obvi.

Step 2: Wax on, wax off

There are a lot of options for cleaning products made specially for fireplace glass. The simplest option for gas fireplace glass is a conditioning glass cleaner. Not really wax, but it looks a bit like car wax. The specific instructions may change from brand to brand, but generally, you’ll want to:

Squirt some of that cleaner onto a microfiber cloth. (Some brands suggest using a paper towel, but paper towels can sometimes leave streaks.)
Use circular motions to wipe down the fireplace glass.
Reload with more glass cleaner as needed.
Wipe down the glass cleaner residue with a clean microfiber.

Once the glass is fully dried, reinstall it, turn your gas back on and… voila! A crystal clear view of the cozy fire.

Again, each cleaner will have its own specific instructions. Make sure to take a minute to read them.

P.S. Avoid any abrasive cleaners or scrubbing pads. Those will leave your fireplace glass looking worse than when you started.

Cleaning the glass on a wood burning fireplace

Cleaning the glass on a wood burning fireplace door is a slightly different deal. For starters, the grime on wood burning fireplace glass is probably a lot… grimier. Caked on soot and ash might require a little more elbow grease.

Also, you probably can’t remove the glass doors. All good. Just lay down some towels or a drop cloth. Why? The cleaning options for wood burning fireplace glass tend to be more on the runny side. As you clean it, the glass will start to look like someone sobbing while wearing non-waterproof mascara, so protect your floor from this runny river of gross!

Here are a few options for tackling that ashy buildup on wood burning fireplace glass.

1. Use ash to fight ash

One of the best ways to clean ash is to use ash. Yep, that pile of ash that’s sitting in the fireplace is a shockingly good cleaner.

Ash is an ingredient in lye, the cleaning stuff your high school shop teacher taught you all about. When you mix ash with a little water, it creates a very mild abrasive that’s as effective as it is cheap.

So grab a wet cloth or newspaper (if you somehow haven’t digitized all your news sources) then:

Dab the wet cloth or arcane newspaper in the pile of ash.
Scrub the glass in a circular motion.
Repeat til you’re done and/or exhausted.

Don’t forget, burning wood creates particles that are harmful to your health, including the ash you’re using as a cleaner. Your best bet is to wear an N95 mask while cleaning so that you can filter out those nasty little particles.

2. Use a vinegar solution

Another cheap option for cleaning soot from fireplace glass is vinegar. White distilled vinegar is best. You can use it on its own or mix it with some warm water. There isn’t any set recipe for this concoction, but one cup of vinegar to three cups of water should work.

The easiest way to apply the vinegar solution is to use a clean (preferably new) spray bottle. Make sure to keep the vinegar away from your eyes and skin. Ouch. And never mix vinegar with other household chemicals. They do NOT play nicely together.

If you decide on the vinegar solution, here’s what to do to clean the glass:

Mix one cup of white distilled vinegar with three cups of warm water.
(optional) Add an additional ingredient (cornstarch or alcohol) for more cleaning oomph.
Do NOT add any other chemicals.
Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Spray on to the fireplace glass. Let it sit for about 30 seconds.
Wipe with a microfiber cloth.
Repeat until you’re satisfied and/or exhausted.

Pro tips for using vinegar as a cleaner

Add one of the following to this solution for an even stronger cleaner:

one tablespoon of cornstarch
a quarter-cup of rubbing alcohol

For getting at those super tough, caked on stains, do NOT use a razor. These blades can scrape off some of the protective coating of certain types of fireplace glass.

Instead, create a paste by adding your vinegar solution to some of that ash. Apply the paste liberally and let it sit for a bit before scrubbing clean with a microfiber.

P.S. This vinegar solution you created like a chem teacher is also great for cleaning other places in your home, like your toilet, sink or shower. It can augment or even replace most store bought cleaners.

3. Use commercial cleaner options

For those of you who aren’t into the DIY cleaner mixology, there is always the pre-mixed commercial stuff.

There are specific fireplace cleaners as well as oven cleaners that are effective at removing soot from other surfaces like your grill. When cleaning glass for a wood burning fireplace, make sure to opt for a cleaner that specializes in ash and soot.

Once you’ve picked your product:

Spray the cleaner on the glass.
Let it sit for at least 30 seconds.
Use a damp sponge, microfiber cloth or rag to clean off the excess.

Don’t skip any brand-specific instructions on the cleaner packaging. Also, it’s probably a good idea to wear dish gloves or rubber work gloves while handling these commercial cleaners. Some of them can be harsh on your skin.

What about Windex?

The O.G. version of Windex contains ammonia which is a no no for tempered glass. It can mark up the surface like an Etch-a-Sketch. Windex offers ammonia-free products, but nothing specifically for cleaning fireplace glass.

Health reasons for cleaning your fireplace glass regularly

Cleaning your fireplace glass is first and foremost an aesthetic perk. A charming fire glowing behind crystal clear glass is more vibrant than those 8 hour yule logs on YouTube.

But there are some health concerns at play here, too. The particles that are released into your home from wood burning fireplaces – the ones that eventually settle down as ash – are carcinogenic. The EPA points out that inhaling these pollutants can cause a bunch of health risks such as:

increased risk of heart attack
irregular heartbeat
heart failure or stroke
asthma or other lung diseases

If you have an old wood burning stove, it might be time to ditch it in favor of a gas stove or an EPA certified pellet stove which burns renewable pellets. You could try making your own DIY faux fireplace.

As far as how often to clean fireplace glass, you really only need to do it once or twice a year. The more often you do, though, the more buildup you’re preventing. That means less work time dedicated to your spring cleaning list.

To keep fireplace grime from building up on your glass:

Try using a magic eraser on the glass once a month.
Clean the glass with a vinegar solution regularly.
Make sure the gas lines on your gas fireplace are clear and in good working order.
If you have a wood burner, don’t let ashes sit for too long once they’ve cooled. Clean them out ASAP.

Bottom line

Whether you have a gas fireplace, a wood burning fireplace, a fireplace insert or a pellet stove, cleaning your fireplace glass is an important part in keeping your cozy home a healthy one, too.

For your gas fireplace, remove the glass (if you can) and lay it on a large towel. Then use a conditioning glass cleaner with a microfiber cloth to clean off that haze.

To tackle the ash and soot on wood burning fireplace glass, you can opt for a vinegar solution or the old school ash-and-water mix. In both cases, always protect not only your floor while cleaning, but your eyes, skin and lungs, too.

If you don’t want to play chem teacher, you can pick from a wide range of glass cleaning products that are designed specifically for fireplace glass. Read those labels, though. Some of them are designed for the residue from a gas fireplace, while other products are for a wood burner’s ash and soot.

Like cleaning your glasses or your car windshield, you might not realize how dirty it is until you see the results with crackling clarity.

Everything You Need to Know Before Trying CBDfx CBD Products

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700

If you haven’t tried CBD in an attempt to ease anxiety or get better sleep, are you even in 2022 yet?

JK, but srsly — though research is still in its early phases, scientists think cannabidiol (aka CBD) could possibly provide relief for anxiety, insomnia, pain, IBS, and various mood disorders. We need more research to know for sure, but early studies are promising.

Even though CBD is legal in the U.S., it can be tricky to pick out quality products that come from trusted, reputable companies — that’s why we’re trying to do it for you.

CBDfx has been in the CBD game a lot longer than most, which gives it some cred above others — but is it actually any good?

Here’s the deal.

CBDfx at a glance: The pros and cons

Here’s the good, the bad, and the so-so when it comes to CBDfx:

First things first: CBDfx as a brand passed our extensive vetting process for CBD brands and products. But not every one of the company’s products passed. (Want more info on that process? We dive into it below.)

Pros

Diverse range of products. CBDfx has lots of products at varying potencies with full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate.
Third-party testing. All products are third-party tested and you can download the deets that prove what’s inside online. Win.
60-day return policy. If you try a product and don’t love it, you can email the company to return it for a full refund within 60 days. The product has to be either unopened or only modestly used, though — so hang onto your empty bottles, folks!
Lots of great reviews. NGL, the reviews are good. Like many CBD companies, they seem to vet them — but they still have thousands of authentic ones from pleased customers, which is worth something.

Cons

Some products auto-fail our vetting process. Some CBDfx products have added vitamins and supplements, contain THC, are vape pens, or are formulated for pets, which make them auto-fail our vetting process. We’ll dig into why that makes them fail below.
Not certified organic. Even though most of the products are described as organic on the site, they’re not certified organic by the USDA. The company claims the products are still organically sourced, but we don’t know for sure without this cert.
A little pricey. Some reviewers complain that the prices are a little steep compared to other vendors, especially when you consider potency.

CBD Glossary

Need some help on the ABCs of CBD terms? We gotchu.

Cannabidiol (CBD). CBD refers to just one (of over 100) cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Cannabidiol doesn’t get you “high” but is known for its relaxing, pain-relieving, and other potential medicinal properties.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is another cannabinoid in the cannabis plant. This one gets you that “high” feeling, Pineapple Express style.
Terpenes. These are aromatic compounds found in the cannabis plant, which give the plant its natural aroma and flavor. They may also have therapeutic effects.
Flavonoids. Naturally occurring compounds in CBD that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Full-spectrum CBD. These products have all the naturally-occurring compounds found in the cannabidiol, including terpenes, flavonoids, and tiny amounts of THC. Legally, they have to have less than .3 percent THC.
Broad-spectrum CBD. The trace amount of THC is removed from broad-spectrum products. They still retain other naturally-occurring compounds, though, like terpenes and flavonoids.
CBD isolate. This is pure, 100 percent CBD — no terpenes, flavonoids, THC, or other compounds.

What is CBDfx?

CBDfx was founded in 2014 in Los Angeles, which gives it a bit of an edge over the surge of newcomers. Eight years might not be an impressive run for the average company, but in the newly blooming CBD market, it’s practically veteran status.

At the time, CBDfx was among the earliest companies to enter the market, and now says it’s the world’s second-largest privately held CBD company. The company has over 100 employees and specializes in full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolate products.

In that time, they’ve grown to offer a ton of products, from CBD tinctures to mushrooms to vape juices.

Reputation

CBDfx currently has an A+ rating on BBB and has been accredited since June 2021.

Reviewers comment on quick, easy deliveries and straightforward products that do what they claim. They have a couple of complaints of missing deliveries on BBB, but the company has since resolved the issues.

So far, CBDfx hasn’t been the subject of any lawsuits or received any warning letters from the FDA.

That being said, according to some anecdotal reports from places like Reddit, the company seems to vet the reviews on their site and doesn’t post any bad ones. Even though this seems to be a common practice out there on the world wide web, it’s def not ideal if you want the full picture of customers’ experiences.

CBDfx product quality and transparency

CBDfx is somewhat transparent about its products and manufacturing, but there are still a few missing pieces. We tried to fill them in.

Hemp sourcing and extraction process

Here’s what we know about CBDfx’s hemp sourcing and extraction process:

The company says its CBD products are derived from industrial hemp. This basically means they contain less than .3 percent THC in accordance with regulations put in place by the 2018 Farm Bill.
The company’s hemp is grown at its partner farms in Kentucky. They don’t name the farms, but state that they’re grown under strict, organic farming guidelines. (Again, we don’t know what these guidelines are, and the company is clear that their definition of organic is not certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.)
The brand says its hemp is non-GMO and pesticide-free.
CBDfx uses a supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) extraction process to extract CBD from hemp. This method can result in a product with fewer terpenes than other methods, but proponents say it’s a cleaner, greener way to process hemp since it doesn’t leave chemical residue behind like solvent-based extraction.

Third-party testing

CBDfx claims to third-party test its products eight times.

Products are tested by CC Testing Labs, an ISO 17025-accredited lab for things like ingredient accuracy. You can access the certificates of analysis (COA) for each product online or by scanning the QR on any product, which will tell you:

the CBD and terpene profiles
potency
any contaminants like foreign material, pesticides, microbials, and heavy metals

Heads up: We found that some batches of certain products show more than a 10 percent diff between the amount of CBD the lab found and the amount on the labels, while others are pretty close to as advertised. Either way, you can at least check for yourself.

Manufacturing standards

CBDfx says its products are produced in facilities that adhere to current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs). These are FDA regulations about production, processing and packaging.

CBDfx states that any reference to “organic” doesn’t mean the products are certified organic. That being said, according to the USDA, “products sold, labeled or represented as organic must have at last 95 percent certified organic content.” So, it’s kind of a legal gray area, TBH.

The company says that the organic designation refers to organic farming methods and techniques used by the company’s partner farmers — not USDA standards. Although it’s not totally clear what its definition of organic implies, it prob won’t hold up to those who are looking for that near-100 percent cert in their CBD.

Types of products and how much they cost

CBDfx offers lots of products in categories including:

edibles (gummies, cookies, drinks, etc.)
capsules and softgels
oils and tinctures
topicals (balms, oils)
beauty and wellness (face masks, cleansers, etc.)

Unlike other companies that focus on just a few types of CBD, CBDfx offers a variety of full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate products. So whether you prefer a product without any traces of THC or one that retains all the flavonoids and terpenes, they have you covered.

Product prices range from under $10 (like for a CBD cookie) to over $550 (for a potent tincture set). The brand offers frequent sales and promo codes, though, and also offers CBD bundles so you can get many products for a discount.

Note: CBDfx also offers products with THC, added vitamins and supplements, pet products, vape pens, and mushrooms. These products automatically fail our vetting process.

That’s for a few reasons:

THC isn’t legal everywhere.
Research on how CBD interacts with other vitamins and supplements (including things like mushrooms) just isn’t there yet.
We don’t totally know about CBD’s effects on pets.
Vaping comes along with some serious health risks.

Get started at CBDfx

Best CBDfx products

How we chose the best CBDfx products

The FDA hasn’t yet established standards for CBD testing and labeling, so the quality and potency of CBD products can vary a lot — even products from the same brand.

First off, we are confident recommending products from CBDfx because the company:

provides proof of third-party testing by an ISO 17025-compliant lab
uses U.S.-grown hemp
has not received an FDA warning letter
does not make any unsupported health claims
has a good track record with customers

But not *every* CBDfx product meets our standards. We only recommend products that:

don’t contain additional vitamins and supplements (like melatonin or vitamin B12)
have an up-to-date certificate of analysis (COA) — either unexpired or issued within the last year
contain no more than 0.3 percent THC, according to the COA
get passing results for pesticides, heavy metals, and molds, according to the COA
are accurately labeled for potency, within a certain margin of error (less than 30 percent)

If you haven’t noticed, we take this sh*t seriously. So you might not see every CBDfx product you’re curious about recommended below.

Best capsule: CBD Gel Capsules 750-1500MG

Price: $59.99-$99.99
CBD type: full-spectrum
Total CBD: 750 milligrams (mg), 1,500 mg
CBD per serving: 25 mg
COA: here

If you’re looking for your CBD simple, strong, and straight-up, these capsules are the perfect thing. They contain 25 mg per serving, which is ideal for peeps who’ve used CBD casually before.

They contain full-spectrum CBD and coconut-derived medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. According to the company (and some 2021 research), MCT enhances your body’s ability to absorb CBD.

They’re gluten-free and listed as organic by the site, but keep in mind that they’re not certified organic. (And the company’s definition of organic is unclear.)

Reviewers say they love taking them for things like anxiety, pain relief, and sleep support. They like that they have a barely-there scent and taste just fine. Basically, they’ll def get the job done.

Shop now at CBDfx.

Best gummy: Original Mixed Berry CBD Gummies 1500mg

Price: $54.99
CBD type: broad-spectrum
Total CBD: 1,500 mg
CBD per serving: 50 mg
COA: here

Hate downing capsules, oils, or tinctures? You just might be the gummy type.

Made with broad-spectrum CBD at 50 mg per serving, these natural mixed berry flavor ones are reportedly pretty tasty. (And heads up: Broad-spectrum products should technically be THC-free, but there’s still a chance there’s some residual THC in them.)

These vegan gummies are free of corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. They’re made with tapioca syrup and cane sugar, pectin, tri-sodium citrate, citric acid, natural flavor, and tomato lycopene for color.

Reviewers say they taste great and smell delish. Some complain about the high price point, though. Another says that they wish they had a healthier and more transparently natural alternative to tapioca syrup, cane sugar, and “natural flavors.”

FYI: According to experts, products that contain “natural flavors” can

A Beginner’s Guide to Building a Strength Training Plan

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:22:30 -0700
Everything you need to know about building a strength training routine that’ll help you meet your goals — plus sample workouts to get you started.
Illustration by Joules Garcia

So you wanna get stronger. But how do you build a workout program that’s not going to ruin your life, waste your time, or injure your entire body?

Also, how many reps and sets should you be doing? WTF are all those strappy contraptions at the gym? And why is that person grunting like that? (Should *you* be making noises like you’re trying to pull the sword from the stone?)

Anyone who has started weightlifting gets it — it’s hard to know where to start.

That’s why we got in touch with Ideen Chelengar, NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist, creator of Vices Fitness, and trusted TikTok fitfluencer. He has your back (and your triceps, biceps, quads, hams, etc.).

He filled us in on his foolproof “algorithm” for creating a strength training routine at various experience levels.

Here’s how it works.

What’s your goal?

First things first: You gotta set a goal. Whether you’re trying to accomplish something out in the world or in the gym, you need to dream it to achieve it.

“I would definitely say the first thing I ask someone before writing their strength program is just, what is their goal?” Chelengar says.

Common goals include:

improving general health
getting stronger in general
building muscle mass
losing weight
getting leaner or more toned
getting better at some task (i.e., powerlifting)

Based on that goal, Chelengar creates individualized programs for clients.

If you just want to get healthier, you won’t necessarily need to be doing super heavy lifting. But if you want to gain a bunch of muscle, you’ll want to consistently add volume (volume = weight x reps x sets) to your workouts.

If you want to lose weight, you’ll need to keep your calorie burn rate high. That might mean adding cardio to your routine or doing circuits to keep your heart rate up.

If you want to get leaner or more toned, you’ll want to increase the intensity of your workouts over time (either by increasing the speed of your reps, increasing the complexity of the movement, or adding volume) while also keeping your calorie burn rate high.

If you’re looking to powerlift, you’ll need to boost your raw strength and focus on lifting a lot of weight in repetitive movements like squats or deadlifts.

How experienced are you?

Next, it’s time to realistically assess your experience level with strength training.

Chelengar says that even if you’re a seasoned marathon runner or pro yogi, you’re still a beginner when it comes to strength training if you’ve never gotten intimate with a dumbbell set or comparable equipment.

So, you might be super fit, but building muscle is a whole ’nother thing.

Here’s how he broke it down for us:

Beginner. No matter how fit you are, if you’ve never gotten down with a bench press or other strength exercises, “your skill level with strength training is beginner, because you’ve never done strength training,” he says.
Intermediate. Obvi, a step up from beginner. “If you’ve done strength training a few months in a row and are pretty comfortable around the gym, that’s somewhere in the middle,” he says.
Advanced. Another step up. You’re advanced if you’ve “done multiple years [of strength training] in a row with 3+ strength training days a week” and are super comfortable around all the equipment, Chelengar says.
Super advanced. Like, athlete or pro level. “You’re at the level of a fitness instructor, you’re powerlifting for fun, or you used to play sports or something like that. That’s beyond just being comfortable in the gym — you know how to combine biometrics and strength training and how to condition at the upper-upper level,” he says.

If you’re a beginner, Chelengar explains, you’re not necessarily going to need to do as many days or go as hard as someone who’s more advanced.

When you’ve been in the strength training game for a while, you’re more likely to plateau and will need to shake things up more often and push to a higher intensity to reap results.

Where are you working out?

The next thing to determine is whether you’ll be working out at the gym, at home, or maybe a combo of both.

If you’re working out FH, here’s the equipment Chelengar recommends:

Adjustable dumbbell set. “If you have the means [and space] for it, an adjustable dumbbell set is probably the most versatile thing,” he explains. “You can find programs online for free that apply to it.” But if you don’t want to shell out for heavy weights, you’ll just need to get a little more creative with your programming.
Resistance bands. If you don’t go with an adjustable dumbbell set, he recommends getting some bands to add to your arsenal.
Mixing dumbbells + bands. Once you’ve been training for a bit, Chelengar recommends either complementing your dumbbell set with bands or, if you purchased bands, the reverse. “Some things you can do better with bands, some with dumbbells, and vice versa,” he explains.
A barbell and kettlebells are other really useful tools to pick up. But these are more of an add-on for down the road.
Medicine balls can be helpful for some exercises, but since dumbbells get most of the job done, they’re not required, Chelengar says.

If you’re hitting the gym, get familiar with what the following gym machines look like and where they’re located at your gym:

leg press
lat pulldown
cable biceps or triceps bar
chest press
rowing machine

As your comfort level increases, you can always get fancier with more complicated equipment.

How often should you work out?

The dreaded question that plays a huge role in what your plan looks like: How often should you be hitting the gym?

Truth is, research suggests that workout volume matters more than workout frequency. That means you can expect similar gains whether you’re doing 3 sets of squats in 1 day or 3 sets of squats over the course of 3 days.

But still, you can use workout frequency as a way to track your volume each week.

“Beginners, if you’re brand-new, you can get away with starting for the first 2 to 4 weeks with just 2 full-body sessions a week.” (A deep exhale for everyone who struggles to make it to the gym before work, y’all.)

After you’ve been sticking to your routine for at least a month, Chelengar might recommend these adjustments based on your goals:

If you’re a newb (present!) who just wants general fitness

You may want to bump up your 2-day-a-week regimen to 3 days a week and eventually even 4 days — especially if you want to incorporate strength training *and* cardio into your routine.

If you want to keep progressing your strength

Instead of adjusting your exercise program, the first thing Chelengar recommends is adding a fourth day. This is when you can start creating workout splits based on muscle groups.

“Maybe we do some lower pushes and upper pulls on Monday, then flip those on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday,” he says.

If you really care about building muscle

You’re going to have to keep increasing your intensity over time.

“Eventually, you’ll probably have to get to the point where you do 5 or 6 days a week once you start plateauing from 4 days a week,” he says.

“When we get in the 5- or 6-day-a-week category, programming has to get pretty technical in terms of either heavier and lighter days or adjusting muscle groups per day … That’s where a little more finessing is required.”

And regardless of your goal, remember to take breaks — you deserve it, and your muscles need it to recover. Chelengar recommends giving any muscles you work 48-72 hours of rest before workin’ them again. (So if you devote a day to your back and biceps, give them at least that long to recover before doing another day focused on back and biceps.)

A note on workout splits

Lots of peeps prefer workout splits that focus different days on different muscle groups — like push and pull days, upper body days, lower body days, etc.

But according to Chelengar, most of the general pop doesn’t need to be splitting up their strength training by body part. It’s only really necessary if you’re hitting a plateau.

“[Requiring] an entire day dedicated to each muscle group, you must have gone through at least a year, if not longer, of pretty aggressive strength training to the point where you’re getting a plateau from doing multiple groups in one day,” he explains.

For reference, Chelengar didn’t even do a single-muscle-group day until 5 or 6 years into training — and he definitely still got a lot stronger (just peep his TikTok

Parameter	Sickness	Wellness	Fitness
Body Fat (percent)	>25 (male) >32 (female)	~18 (male) ~20 (female)	~6 (male) ~12 (female)
Blood Pressure (mm/Hg)	>140/90	120/80	105/60
Resting Heart Rate (Pulse) (bpm)	>100	70	50
Triglycerides (mg/dL)	>200	<150	<100
Low-density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)	>160	120	<100
High-density Lipoprotein (mf/dl)	<40	40-59	>60
ECW/TBW (Inflammation)	>0.37	0.36-0.38	<0.36
SMM	<100	100-120	>120
InBody Score	<70	71-89	<90
Visceral Fat Level	>14	7-13	<7

Score	Female	Male
-2	<29	<31
0	30-34	32-37
1	35-36	38
2	37-40	39-42
3	41-42	43-44
4	43-46	45-47
5	47-48	48-49
6	49-50	50-51
7	51-52	52-53
8	53-54	54-55
9	55-56	56-57
10	>57	>58

Score	Female	Male
-2	>67.5 (seconds)	>55.1 (seconds
0	67.4-65.0	55.0-52.5
1	64.9	52.4-51.1
2	62.4-60.0	51.0-49.5
3	59.9-57.5	49.4-48.0
4	57.4-56.0	47.9-46.1
5	55.9-54.0	46.0-45.0
6	53.9-53.0	44.9-44.0
7	52.9-52.0	43.9-43.0
8	51.9-51.0	42.9-42.0
9	50.9-50.0	41.9-41.0
10	<49.9	<40.9

Score	Female	Male
-2	<4	<19
0	5-13	20-29
1	14-18	30-32
2	19-21	33-39
3	22-26	40-43
4	27-29	44-49
5	30-32	50-53
6	33-35	54-56
7	36-38	57-60
8	39-41	61-64
9	42-44	65-70
10	45+	71

Score	Female	Male
-2	>15.00	>13.30
0	14:59-14:00	13:29-12:25
1	13:59-13:35	12:24-12:15
2	13:34–13:00	12:14–11:35
3	12:59–12:30	11:34–11:10
4	12:29–11:57	11:09–10:35
5	11:56–11:35	10:34–10:15
6	11:34–11:15	10:14–9:55
7	11:14–11:06	9:54–9:35
8	11:05–10:45	9:34–9:20
9	10:44–10:35	9:19–9:00
10	<10:34	<8:59

Score	Female	Male
0	0	0-1
1	1	2-3
2	2	4-5
3	3	6-7
4	4	8-9
5	5	10-11
6	6	12-13
7	7	14-15
8	8	16-17
9	9	18-19
10	>10	>20

	Raw (128g)	Boiled (120g)
Carbs	13.4g	14.4g
Fiber	6.9g	6.8g
Protein	4.2g	3.5g
Fat	0.2g	0.41g
Vitamin C	15mg	8.9mg
Vitamin K	18.9µg	17.8µg
Vitamin B6	0.15mg	0.1mg
Thiamine	0.09mg	0.06mg
Riboflavin	0.08mg	0.11mg
Niacin	1.34mg	1.33mg
Folate	87µg	107 µg
Iron	1.64mg	0.73mg
Magnesium	76.8mg	50.4mg
Phosphorus	115mg	88mg
Potassium	474mg	343mg
Calcium	56.3mg	25.2mg
Zinc	0.63mg	0.48mg