January 28, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC

Once upon a time not so long ago, the words we used to talk about our complexions revolved around physical markers. It was dry, oily, red, scaly, congested, or some combination of all of these things. In a fairly recent phenomenon, however, there’s been a shift. The way that we talk about skin has largely come to mimic the way that we talk about mental health. Adjectives previously reserved to describe an individual’s personality or emotional state are now tapped to talk about how our largest organ is looking and feeling. We say it’s stressed out, tired, temperamental, angry, irritated, and the list again goes on (and on and on). But what exactly is the reason behind this, and why does it matter?

The mind-skin connection really all boils down to biology. “We know from a medical standpoint that the brain and skin have a common embryonic origin,” explains Josie Howard, MD, a San Francisco psychiatrist with an expertise in psycho-dermatology. According to her, that means that when an embryo is forming in the womb, similar cells are involved in the creation of both the brain and skin. That link continues to manifest in very apparent ways throughout our lifetimes. “The history of skin and mental health isn’t a short one,” says Richard Fried, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and clinical psychologist in Yardley, PA. “One hundred years ago it was stated that acne causes more [mental] suffering than [physical suffering]. Within the past few decades, we’ve [recognized] the more subtle interactions between stress and skin,” he says.

Most directly, stress affects the skin through a hormone known as cortisol, which is often referred to as the “stress hormone.” When it flairs up for fill-in-the-blank reason (work, relationships, you name it), cortisol spikes and the skin responds. It’s been well documented that the uptick in this hormone can leave your complexion feeling dull, dry, or broken out, but these days we’ll probably just say it’s looking “burnt out” rather than using those physical monikers. “The language we use [to describe skin] is paralleling an interest in the mind-body connection,” says Dr. Howard. It’s a sign that, not only do we know that the skin is part of a connected system, we’re able to more actionably take charge of what we need to do for skin to feel better.

And mainstream brands are taking note. Walk into a Sephora these days, and you’ll see a slew of products meant to tackle stressed-out skin and even dermatologist-led brands like Dr. Dennis Gross are working on solutions to meet modern needs presented to skin. “The positive is that we’re shifting away from using symptoms to describe skin and focusing more on the cause, which gives you more control,” says Dr. Howard. “If you say your skin is red, then that’s unexplained and out of your control. But if you say it’s stressed, then it allows you to think about the fact that maybe it’s a reflection that you’re stressed and what you need to do to address this. Shifting from the symptom to the cause can be empowering.”

However,  projecting all stress and anxiety onto skin isn’t always productive. Dr. Howard cautions that there’s a potential for over-thematization in describing skin this way. “People will say, ‘oh my skin is stressed,’ because really they’re stressed and they’re projecting it onto something tangible,” she explains. Rather than getting a facial or buying an expensive cream every time you deal with the impacts of stress on skin, she adds that it’s, instead, more important to get to the root of whatever your stress may be, so that you can deal with it and it won’t continue to show up to pester you.

The bottom line? “We need to be mindful about how a shift in language shifts the focus of our attention, and make sure that’s done in a positive and productive and empowering way,” says Dr. Howard. Go ahead and call your skin stressed or freaked out or temperamental instead of dry or dehydrated, but be sure to consider why that is and address that from both the inside and out.

Think your skin is stressed out? Here are five ways that a dermatologist says to spot stressed-out skin in the wild and this is the way that one dermatologist is working to make stress-out skin a thing of the past.

January 28, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC

It’s safe to say that for a long time, “healthy” food didn’t always make the mouth water. Watery, low-fat milk, rubbery tofu with no seasonings, and stomach-churning macrobiotic salads were long the staples of health-conscious households, none of which were about to win any Michelin stars.

While culinary science has certainly improved leaps and bounds since the bland tofu dogs of the ’90s, the perception that healthy eating requires a bit of a flavor sacrifice endures; that to make the healthiest possible choices, you have to be okay with eating vegetables that you can’t stand, or forever eschewing desserts in favor of “healthified” versions that taste like dirt. But some nutrition experts argue that eating for pleasure, and what you love, can actually be super healthy.

“I think it’s really important to promote a greater sense of enjoying food in American culture,” says Brad Turnwald, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of psychology at Stanford University. “In other cultures that also have a lot less chronic disease than we do—France is kind of the canonical example—they eat for pleasure there, and they [generally] don’t have this labeling of certain foods as ‘good’ and certain ones as ‘bad.’ Food is meant to be enjoyed.”

That idea—of eating for enjoyment—is “a critical piece that health professionals [have unintentionally] screwed up on for the last couple decades,” says Christopher D. Gardner, PhD, director of dies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and a professor of medicine at Stanford University. The healthcare system is focused on diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, he says. Because those illnesses are impacted by food and nutrition, society has come to think that “we’re enjoying ourselves way too much with sugary, fat, salty things. We should eat healthier things that have less of this and less of that, and deprivation, and don’t do that. Pretty negative, right?”

However, consider this mind-blowing idea: You can eat for pleasure and eat healthfully at the same time. The two concepts are not mutually exclusive. In fact, you’ll probably end up maintaining a healthier diet in the long run when you eat foods that make you happy. “I became an RD because I love food,” says BZ Nutrition owner Brigitte Zeitlin, RD. “Food should taste good. … I think that is what food is all about.”

“Food is nourishment in a lot of different ways. It is actual nourishment for our bodies, but it also nourishes our soul a little bit, and we should be eating foods we like, foods that feel good to us.” —Brigitte Zeitlin, RD

This isn’t just wishful thinking—there’s evidence that supports people being more inclined to make healthy choices when they think that choice will taste good. Dr. Turnwald recently co-authored a study with Dr. Gardner and several others that looked into the idea of taste-focused versus health-focused versus basic labels in college dining halls. (For example: are people more likely to choose and eat more carrots if they’re labeled “Twisted Citrus Glazed Carrots,” “Nutritious Vitamin-Rich Carrots,” or just “Carrots”?) According to the study, across five school sites and 137,842 diner decisions, “taste-focused labels increased vegetable selection by 29 percent compared with health-focused labels and by 14 percent compared with basic labels. Vegetable consumption also increased by 39 percent.”

“What we saw,” explains Dr. Turnwald, “was that paying attention to the flavorful components is most effective when the vegetables are actually prepared deliciously—so when they’re served with a sauce or multiple herbs and flavor combinations. Even though that might add a little bit more calories than eating a raw carrot, you enjoy it so much more and you’re not in this mindset of restriction when you eat it, that that’s a more sustainable strategy.”

Additionally, cutting out the foods you like, or forcing yourself to eat “healthy” foods that you hate, likely won’t help you stick with any healthy habits for the long haul. “A lot of the research on dieting and how many diets fail for people tells me that [for] any strategy to work sustainably for years and for people to work into their lifestyles, the food has to taste good,” says Dr. Turnwald. If you’re forcing yourself to eat kale because you heard it’s more nutritious than spinach, you’re probably going to stop eating it entirely and thus not enjoy any of its health benefits—when you could be getting similar benefits from a food that you genuinely do like.

Plus, feeling like certain foods are “bad” or “off-limits” can lead to unhealthy eating patterns of restricting certain foods, then binging on those foods, then overcorrecting back to restriction again—hardly optimal for mental or physical well-being.

“In the past we’ve said, ‘Do you want the tasty choice, or the healthy choice?’” says Dr. Gardner. “That’s ridiculous.” What we should be thinking about instead, he says, are creative ways to have the tastiest food possible that’s healthy and environmentally sustainable. (Really, the best of all worlds.)

So how to put the “eating for pleasure” concept into practice? Here are some pointers from the experts.

1. Eat what tastes good to you

Groundbreaking, right? Fitness bloggers and Instagram influencers have been touting the idea of “food as fuel” for a while, and while that’s not wrong—food both literally and figuratively makes us run, Zeitlin points out—that doesn’t mean you have to eat the “most fueling” superfoods even if you hate them. Kale and quinoa are not universal requirements of a healthy diet.

“You should be eating the vegetables that you do like, the types of protein that you do like,” says Zeitlin. “If you don’t like fish, then no amount of stuffing your face with salmon is going to make you like fish. There are other healthy choices that you can eat that you would enjoy more. If you are someone who prefers chicken or you prefer turkey, that’s great. Eat those things. You don’t have to eat salmon to be healthy.”

One note here: At the same time that you’re hat-tipping your preferences, recognize that your preferences may change, and you should be open to trying new—and old—foods on occasion. “Maybe the food that you didn’t enjoy eating when you were 7, you now do enjoy eating it at 27 or 37,” says Zeitlin. Adventure is pleasurable, too, right?

2. Focus on flavor, and don’t sweat overmuch about preparation

Another thing we’ve gotten wrong in this whole idea of eating healthy foods is that you need to eat them the most healthy way, says Dr. Turnwald. “So if you’re going to have carrots, they should be raw and not cooked with too much oil or butter and not too much salt. If you’re going to have a salad, don’t use much dressing. People think that if you do that, you might as well have a cheeseburger or something, but that’s really not the case,” he says.

Just making the effort to eat the healthy food, and eating it often, generally matters more than the specific way it’s prepared—so don’t stress overmuch about that (unless you’re finding that you’re only eating deep-fried vegetables).

3. Indulge, damnit! (Just know that it’s not always the same thing as eating for enjoyment)

Another thing society has gotten mixed up on is this idea that indulging and eating for enjoyment are one and the same. You should by all means eat brownies, or French toast, or whatever it is that makes you happy. That’s indulging. You should also eat Brussels sprouts if you enjoy those. And therein lies the difference.

“Sometimes eating for pleasure can get a little bit confused with the ‘treat yourself’ mentality,” says Zeitlin. “Indulging is part of healthy living, right? It’s part of healthy eating. Restriction is not part of healthy eating. But you want to be mindful of how frequently you’re indulgent. I love chocolate chip cookies. They make me happy. Living a healthy life, I can’t eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

At the end of the day, we can’t overlook or underestimate all the different reasons why we eat, and what we gain from food beyond nutrition. “Food is nourishment in a lot of different ways,” Zeitlin says. “It is actual nourishment for our bodies so that our heart beats and our mind works and we can walk from A to B. But it also nourishes our soul a little bit, and we should be eating foods we like, foods that feel good to us.” Amen.

Another thing impacting our genuine enjoyment of food: diet culture. And if you’re looking for a way to jazz up your vegetables, you’ll want to try this delicious, nutty sauce.

January 28, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC

Sometimes, I feel a bit… off. I might spill coffee, break a dish, get honked at and flipped off, hurt a loved one’s feelings, and struggle to write even the most basic of sentences, all before 10 a.m. Then, an unexpected bill arrives in the mail, a job gets canceled, a friend surfaces a seemingly-sudden but actually-long-buried grievance, I’m forced to flake on something important, and my car breaks down, all before 10 p.m.

At times like these—which are rare, but less rare than I’d like—I start thinking about my “energy,” and how I need to somehow drag it out of the gutter. This impulse could also be understood as the need to cleanse my aura…assuming I actually understood what that means. Or knew what an aura was/is.

“Our ‘aura’ is our energetic body, and in my opinion it is a colorful reflection of our emotional body as well,” Reiki master Julie Civiello Polier tells me. “With our ever-changing emotions, the colors of the aura shift too.” She explains that she imagines the aura as a sort of bubble inside of which the body lives. It might be responsible for the “vibes” we give off, which is why it’s important we keep it in good shape. “This bubble is our responsibility to keep free, clean, and intact,” says Polier.

Hm, okay, but like, how does one keep their bubble well-maintained? Polier explains below.

3 quick ways to give your aura a quick scrub in order to be the best you

1. Breath work

“There are a million and one ways to breathe, and almost as many breath exercises for cleansing, so here’s one: begin with three deep and slow breaths in and out through the nose, watching your belly rise and fall; breathe in deeply through the nose and exhale in tiny, sharp breaths, pumping the diaphragm; continue inhaling and exhaling in these same tiny and sharp breaths, all the while pumping the belly,” Polier says. “This is called Kundalini‘s ‘breath of fire.’”

She recommends continuing this exercise for up to three minutes, or as desired, paying attention to what you feel in the process. “This is a great way to strengthen your aura so that you are able to clearly distinguish which feelings, thoughts, and sensations are yours from another’s. Often empaths and highly-sensitive people can take on others’ feelings and experiences as their own because they intuitively pick up the energy from other people simply by being in proximity. This breathing exercise cleanses and releases anything that is not ours to harbor in our bodies, so we can experience more freedom and presence,” says Polier.

2. Free-form writing

For this exercise, Polier recommends you find a space where you won’t be distracted, ideally a private space, and encourages you to turn off your phone. You can light a candle if that appeals to you, and then grab some loose leaf paper and your favorite writing utensil. “This is very important because you don’t want to reread this someday, so do not free form write in your journal,” she says.

If you prefer to work within a “container,” Polier suggests setting a timer; she usually chooses 10 minutes. “Write whatever thought comes first, which may even be, ‘I don’t know what to write…’,” she says. “Soon, words will flow out, sometimes so fast and so furiously your handwriting isn’t even legible nor recognizable.”

Once the timer goes off and/or you’re beginning to feel tired, stop. “If your timer goes off and there is still energy surging, and you’re still writing quickly and have a lot more to say, restart your timer,” she says. “I notice I’m finished when I’m very tired and my hand starts to slow down.”

It’s important, she notes again, not to reread what you’ve written. “It’s meant to be released, not ingested again,” she explains. “Burn or shred your pages to continue releasing your body, mind, and spirit of the energy you no longer need.”

After you’ve discarded your pages, there’s one final step, which Poiler says is more important than it probably sounds. Wash your hands and voila—a shiny aura awaits.

3. Smudging

“Another wonderful way to cleanse the aura is to light sage or palo santo and waft the perfumed smoke around your body, circling your head and then outlining your silhouette and front body, back body, and under the feet,” Polier says. “If you’d rather not have smoke about, trace around your body with a selenite crystal instead, and this works beautifully as well.”

If you’re interested in diving deep on the former, here’s a full guide to smudging, according to a pro. If the latter is more your speed, a selenite lamp couldn’t hurt in terms of enabling some full-time aura maintenance—especially if you, like me, live in Los Angeles, where someone is always laying on their horn and flipping you off as your car breaks down in the middle of the freeway.

Need more help? Here are 7 more crystals that’ll help you emanate feel-good energy. Plus, find out how to keep a bad horoscope from harshing your vibe.

January 28, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC

Watching the Super Bowl game at a party is fun, but let’s be real—the bigger draw tends to be all the incredible food. And while most spreads are made up of fried, super salty, and perhaps greasy offerings, it doesn’t have to be so. Some easy swaps can make your spread a bit better for you, if you’re looking to go that route.

Whether you’re into wings, artichoke dip, nachos, or all of the above, these healthy Super Bowl recipes belong on your must-make and must-try list. Just be prepared: Once your guests get a taste, they may never want to leave.

Whip up these healthy Super Bowl recipes for your party

1. Cauliflower buffalo wings

If you love cauliflower gnocchi, then you’re really going to love these crispy cauliflower wings that are smothered in delicious sauce.

2. Sun-dried tomato and basil pinwheels

These healthy sun-dried tomato and basil pinwheels only take a few minutes to make, but they’ll impress your entire party.

3. Vegan kale artichoke dip

Get in your veggies with in this dairy-free artichoke dip that’s made from cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, and plenty of greens.

4. Black bean and brown rice sliders

Your guests will gobble up these little sliders that feature a black bean and brown rice patty and basil aioli topping.

5. Vegan baked taquitos

These taquitos get their crispiness from baking, not frying. And there’s no meat to be found: The plant-based “ground beef” is made from cauliflower, mushrooms, and other veggies.

6. Brussels sprouts wings

Cauliflower is cool and all, but you can also make mouth-watering wings with Brussels sprouts using a crispy breadcrumb coating.

7. Butternut squash tots with spicy maple mustard

Bake up a batch of tots using vitamin-packed butternut squash. Paired with a three-ingredient spicy maple mustard, they’re truly mouth-watering.

8. Vegan nacho cheese sauce

Making a vegan nacho cheese sauce is easier than ever when you have cashews on hand. Combine them with nutritional yeast, some veggies, hot sauce, and a twist of lime, and you’re good to go.

You better add this vegan buffalo dip to your list, too:

Here’s how to make healthy avocado deviled eggs. Then put together one of these impressive charcuterie boards.

January 27, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC

If your best friend gets back with her garbage ex, would you feel guilty and blame yourself for not talking them out of it? It’s one thing to own up to your part when you’ve actually done something wrong, it’s another thing to assume blame for things out of your control. If you find yourself doing a lot of the latter, you’re not alone. This is the phenomenon known as “personalization,” and it’s not the best thing for your mental health.

“We can’t control other people’s thoughts, behaviors, choices and actions, or the outcome of any interpersonal situation,” says licensed psychotherapist Joyce Marter. “You can never cause somebody to behave poorly—that’s their choice.”

Personalization can actually stem from lowered self-esteem, according to Marter. “We all have different aspects of our life that we feel more or less confident in, and it would be in those less confident areas that we would be more susceptible to personalization,” she says. In other words, when you’re not feeling so great about yourself, you’re more likely to believe that when bad things happen it’s somehow your fault. But this “self-flagellation” isn’t helping anyone. “You’re beating yourself up, you’re putting yourself down, and it can lower your mood,” she says. “It can distort the situation so that you’re not seeing it accurately.”

To do less personalizing, Marter says you have to become mindful of your self-talk.

“Any negative messages that you’re giving yourself like, ‘this is my fault, I’m to blame, this is because of my inadequacies that this has happened,’ those should be red flags that you are personalizing,” she says. We all have that inner critic, Marter explains, and we have to try to turn it down.

You’ll also want to get a handle on what’s beyond your control and zoom out from situations where you find yourself personalizing. “Some healthy detachment is useful for all of us,” she says. “It doesn’t mean that you don’t care about the situation, [it just means] not going to take it on.” Talking to someone removed from the situation, like a therapist, friend, or family member, can help you see things more clearly. She says you can also try mapping out the problem.

“Some healthy detachment is useful for all of us. It doesn’t mean that you don’t care about the situation, [it just means] you’re not going to take it on.” — Joyce Marter, licensed psychotherapist

“Whenever [my clients] are having a situation that they’re upset about, I encourage them to write down everything about that situation that’s within their control on one piece of paper,” she says. “On another piece of paper, [I encourage them to write down] everything that is out of their control.”

Keep in mind that your emotions are always in your control, and you can’t give other people power to determine how you feel about yourself. “Always hang on to your strength and your confidence and and all about you that is smart and beautiful and capable and wonderful, even if you’re experiencing some sort of challenge at home or at work,” she says.

If you tend to personalize, don’t beat yourself up. Marter says that personalizing is normal and means that you’re willing to look at yourself and try to see where you messed up. You’ll just want to make sure it doesn’t get out of control.

“It’s understandable that people go through that, and you just need to really compensate with a lot of self care and positive self-talk,” she says.

Our beauty editor’s Mental Health Monday routine:

Here’s 10 ways to stop feeling guilty, and boost your self esteem.

January 27, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC

American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins wrote the lyrics, “everybody cut loose, footloose” for the 1984 film (must I specify?) Footloose. Almost 40 years later, Bomont has been conquered, the movie’s remake has been released to mixed reviews, and now it’s time we start setting loose our other limbs. Meet arm dancing, the dancer-approved way to strengthen your arms without picking up a single weight.

“Every style of dance has a type of ‘arms,’ in both aesthetic and movement,” says Donna Flagg, a dancer, ballerina, and stretching instructor at New York’s Broadway Dance Center. “You could take any of them and create an upper body workout, but ‘arm dancing’ per se is an unweighted exercise for your arms.”

By moving for a sustained period of time (anywhere between one to 10 minutes), you work up a burn that runs from your shoulders to your fingertips. “You’ll see really great shoulder development because the weight of the arms challenges the shoulders’ strength the most,” explains Flagg. That’s because you target the teeny, tiny muscles of your upper arms, forearms, and shoulders that help you perform everyday tasks like carrying your grocery bags.

“Arms can be heavy if you don’t put them down for a rest,” says Flagg. “So that is where the resistance comes into play.” If you’ve ever French-braided your hair and felt the sheer torture of pulling off the ornate work with your hands overhead, you know exactly what I mean.

That’s enough talking—let’s get to the arm dancing with 3 moves to get you started

1. Up and downs

Fairly straight forward, this move involves standing up and extending your arms into a T-shape. Then, simply move them down five inches, and back up.

2. Arm circles

If you’ve watched The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, then you may already know arm circles by heart. But if you haven’t, the instructions are simple enough to figure out. Extend your arms out to the side and draw circles in the air with your fingers clockwise, then counterclockwise.

3. Swimmers

“Put your arms straight out in front of you and open them straight to the side. Your arms are going to start to feel very heavy and the key is to not let them bend or collapse,” says Flagg.

Dance your heart out:

If your legs need to stretch too, try stretches for your hamstrings or quads. 

January 27, 2020 at 09:32PM by CWC

Pop quiz: Where do you think you’ll find more toxins—indoors or outdoors? Answer: Indoors. It sounds crazy, but it’s true (yes, even if you live in a big city). And believe it or not, the ingredients in your average cleaning products aren’t exactly helping your efforts to live a cleaner lifestyle.

“Cleaning products are a common source of environmental pollution, because their ingredients don’t need to be disclosed or tested for safety,” says Sophia Ruan Gushée, author of A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures and creator of the Ruan Detox Immersion. “Plus, cleaning products often require plastic containers, which increases our production and disposal of plastics.”

So what are you supposed to do? Live in a dirty house, or use toxic products to “clean” it up? According to Gushée, there’s a third option. “The best solution is a DIY cleaning approach, because it’s safest for humans, and you can buy safe ingredients in bulk to cut costs and carbon footprint,” she says. (It’s like arts and crafts, but way better for the planet.)

Her DIY all-purpose cleaner uses just five ingredients that you can probably find lying around your house somewhere already.

At our recent Wellness Collective event with Athleta, Gushée taught the attendees how to make her go-to DIY all-purpose cleaner, using just vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, water, and essential oils (most of which you can probably find lying around your house somewhere already).

And if you want to stock up, these ingredients work well solo, too. “Hydrogen peroxide is an excellent replacement for bleach,” Gushée says. “It whitens whites, disinfects, and reduces the risks of unintended cocktail effects that can occur when [traditional cleaning] compounds like ammonia and bleach combine.” Plus, essential oils cut out the need for fragrance, which Gushée says is an ingredient to avoid whenever possible.

Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, grab a glass spray bottle, and mix everything together, using two parts water for every one part hydrogen peroxide. Gushée suggests starting with five ounces of hydrogen peroxide, then adding the water, followed by the vinegar and baking soda.

It almost feels too simple—but trust us, it does the job. Finish your non-toxic concoction off with a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and voila, you’ve officially cleaned up your cleaning routine.

Want more Wellness Collective? Click here for more wellness intel.

January 27, 2020 at 08:30PM by CWC

Even if sustainability is your jam—your crisper is full of “ugly” produce and you use a canvas tote when shopping in lieu of plastic bags—cooking with every part of the vegetable, as sustainability experts often recommend, can still be a little intimidating. Sure, you love veggies, but there are some parts of them that really don’t look like they should be consumed. (Corn cobs? Come on.) Even if they do, you have no idea how to make them taste good.

Fortunately, some people have built a living figuring how how to use every single part of produce—and are happy to share their no-waste tips with the masses. Here, Reilly Brock, the content manager at Imperfect Foods, and Pulp Pantry CEO and founder Kaitlin Mogentale, share intel on how to use every single part of six popular veggies.

Scroll down to see how to cook with vegetable scraps.

Leeks

Brock loves cooking with leeks because they have a subtle sweetness and a bit of a bite. Most recipes call for the stem of leeks, which means that healthy eaters may just throw out the leaves and bulb of the plant without a second thought. However, Brock says you can truly cook with all three parts of the vegetable. “The leaves have the same sweet flavor as the rest of the plant—similar in taste to green onions—and taste amazing in vegetable stock,” he says.

Brock and Mogentale both keep a plastic bag in their freezer, which they continually fill with veggie scraps because so many other often discarded parts of veggies can be thrown into stock, adding flavor and nutrients. “You can also use the leek bulb in stock too, and in fact they’re often used in ramen,” Brock says.

As for the meaty middle of the plant, Brock is a big fan of grilling it in warm weather and slow roasting it during milder months. “When you slow roast leeks, they almost caramelize in texture and are just to die for,” he says.

Carrots

You surely already know what to do with carrots—eating them solo or with hummus, roast with spices, grate into a salad or dressing. But the carrot tops themselves aren’t quite as intuitive to use, despite being 100-percent edible. “One popular use for carrot tops is incorporating them in homemade pesto, but there’s a trick to it: you have to blanch them first,” Mogentale says. (Blanching is a cooking technique where you boil vegetables for a just a few minutes, then immediately cool them in ice water to stop the cooking process.) This is because carrot tops are super hard to blend when they’re totally raw. But once they’re blanched and blended with your other pesto ingredients, they add another layer of flavor that compliments basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and garlic perfectly.

As for carrot leaves, Brock says they can be used in place of parsley. “You can blend them right up and use them in a pesto or a chimichurri sauce,” he says. He recommends using lemon juice to balance out the earthy taste of the carrot greens when whipping up your sauces.

Beets

Beets’ stalks and leaves make up the bulk of the vegetable, but they are rarely given the same attention as the roots. “Beets are in the same family as chard, so you can actually use the stalks the same way,” Brock says—they can be chopped and added to salads or sautéed with other veggies. As for the leaves, Mogentale says she likes to incorporate them into soups and macro bowls in place of kale.

The beet roots themselves can be eaten raw, added to salads, or roasted with spices and topped with olive oil. Or, blend them up and enjoy in a smoothie or gazpacho.

Corn

Hopefully we don’t need to tell you how to enjoy corn. But you probably don’t do anything with the cob though, right? Whether you’re grilling, boiling, or roasting, the kernels are scrapped off and the cob is thrown right in the bin. But Brock, of course, has a delicious way to make good use of it.

“Corn cobs are an overlooked wonder ingredient,” he says. “You can simmer the cobs in water with some onion and basil and you’ll end up with this rich cob essence that taste like sweet corn.” Brock incorporates the cob water in polenta or risotto dishes to add more flavor. The more you know.

Kale

Kale salads are a staple in many healthy eaters’ diets, but typically, only the leaves of the plant are used while the stems are quickly discarded. “Kale stems are really rich in fiber, so I like to freeze mine, slice them thinly, and add them to smoothies,” Mogentale says.

Brock says kale stems can also be pickled. “Because of their earthy taste, I recommend pickling them with spices like coriander, mustard seeds, or chili flakes, which will help balance out the flavor,” he says.

In general, both Mogentale and Brock say what’s most important when it comes to cooking with vegetable scraps is keeping an open mind and a willingness to get creative. “Just start experimenting,” Mogentale says. “When you start looking at the parts of your vegetables that are usually discarded and start brainstorming news ways to cook with them, it really opens up a whole new world of discovery.”

Try this smoked Spanish paprika on top of your veggies to add a little kick. Or, pair them with this healthy dip.

January 27, 2020 at 08:21PM by CWC

Like most people, I tend to stretch the tightest muscles in my body (in my case, it’s my quads) as much as humanly possible to find some sort of relief. Before runs, you can find me doing that classic heel-to-butt stretch as a way to lengthen the muscle and get ready for the effort to come. However, it recently came to my attention that soreness isn’t always an indicator that a muscle needs to be stretched. It can also be an indicator that the muscle itself isn’t strong enough.

“A lot of times, chronically tight muscles are tight because they’re weak,” says Meghan King, DPT, a physical therapist with Spear Physical Therapy in New York. “We get people who say that they stretch their hamstrings all the time, and they never get any more flexible, for instance. But that’s often an indication that their hamstrings might be weak and that’s what’s causing the tightness.” My mind is blown, HBU?

This happens, says King, because muscles are commonly tapped to do movements that they don’t fully have the strength required to do. For example, say you’re going up stairs and recruiting your quads and calves to do the work, but mid-way they reach their performance capacity. “If the muscle only has 80 percent of the strength that it needs to do that task, it feels overworked, and the result is some tightness,” says King.

When this happens, it’s easy to go into full-on stretch mode to try to loosen things up and get you ready to perform. Instead, King recommends working with a physical therapist to identify the specific muscles that need to be strengthened, and the proper ways to do this. “Seeing a physical therapist is a great way to get that strengthening going,” she says, noting that a professional can help you to design a fitness program to properly target the correct muscles.

If you’re looking for ways to boost your strength, keep on scrolling for series specific to your legs, arms, core, or full body. Once you’ve wrapped your sweat sesh, then start incorporating stretches into the mix to make sure that the muscles remain loose and mobile.

Core
One our our favorite things about this core workout with yoga instructor Andrea Russell is that it’s a full-body flow that also helps to strengthen the core muscles, while also giving you a nice stretch in the process.

Arms

If you find that your muscles in your arms are frequently tight, and you don’t have free weights handy, reach for a resistance band. This super speedy arm-focused sweat sesh from Sweat with Bec trainer Bec Donlan will get your arms burning and strengthened in no time at all.

Legs

This glutes and leg-heavy workout is perfect for runners (like me!) who are looking to engage their bottom halves ahead of working out to help that heavy-legs feeling following a workout. To strengthen your legs if they feel tight, go through this series led by Nike Master Trainer Traci Copeland.

Full body

Tackle full-body strength with one single 10-minute workout. Body By Simone founder Simone de la Rue will take you through a heart-pumping series that’s meant to help strengthen all the muscles in your body. Run through it once to get a gauge of which muscles need to be strengthened.

BTW, these are five pro-approved exercises that will help fix a glute imbalance and help relieve lower back pain. And here’s what to know about the Theragun Liv percussive therapy device, which can also help with your recovery routine. 

January 27, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC

Celebrity deaths happen often, and often unexpectedly, leaving fans who didn’t personally know the deceased in a confused cloud of grief. Because logically, it doesn’t seem to make a whole bunch of sense to feel sad about losing someone you didn’t actually know. Still, when news broke that basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his 13 year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant (who was a rising hoops star herself), had been killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, it was yet another reminder of how quickly life can be taken. Bryant was an unquestionably complicated figure in the NBA. But, on the court, he spent 20 seasons leading the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships, and proving himself to be one of the most competitive and hardest working athletes of his generation (let the 2000-2003 “three-peat” stand as proof). In the aftermath, coaches, and teammates expressed their grief and shock to the news—but so, too, did fans who had never met Bryant.

Pros say this reaction to mourn an athlete or a celebrity makes sense, especially when the person was someone we admired and who is inextricably tied to certain memories or moments in time. Like, yep, sports stars we grew up watching, TV heartthrobs we pined over, and musicians who soundtracked our seminal milestones. Our relationships with celebrities don’t necessarily follow typically understood measures of time and space, making them seem subconsciously immortal to us in a sense. “They’re never supposed to die, and they’re always 25 in our heads,” says Seattle-based therapist and grief counselor Jill Gross, PsyD. “When they die a little part of us dies, too—our innocence dies with them.”

Still, she says, “anytime we feel grief, it is valid.” So whether Bryant’s death affected you, or you can recall the way you felt when you heard about the passing of, say, Heath Ledger, or Aaliyah, Luke Perry or Prince, or Anthony Bourdain, understand that your emotions are or were absolutely valid. After all, people can impact you even if they don’t know you. “Feelings are important, and they’re not to be ignored,” says clinical psychologist Natalia Skritskaya, PhD of the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. “Feelings are signals—if you feel sad about a loss, it’s a signal it had some meaning to you.”

Dr. Gross herself felt the loss of David Bowie when he passed way in 2016. “I grew up with him. He was a big part of my teen and young-adult identity and my love of music,” she says. “There’s a comfort knowing certain people are in the world, and when they’re not anymore, we have to rearrange the pieces of our life that don’t include them anymore.”

Our relationships with celebrities don’t necessarily follow typically understood measures of time and space, making them seem subconsciously immortal to us in a sense; they don’t age with us.

Mourning the loss of someone you don’t know but feel connected to looks a lot like mourning any other loss. “The same principles would apply,” Dr. Skritskaya says, adding that accepting your own reactions may be the key difference when the grief doesn’t feel quite logical to the person grieving. “It’s better to deal with it rather than push it away.”

And don’t forget to talk through your feelings—even better if you can do so with others who are navigating similar grief. Whether you attend memorials or join online forums, Dr. Gross recommends finding an outlet to connect with others about the person you admired and why they meant so much to you. Furthermore, donating to a charity that the celebrity was passionate about can be a helpful coping and healing mechanism.

But the most powerful thing you can do in the wake of a loss? “Feel your own aliveness,” says Dr. Gross. Maybe that means going on a walk or giving back to your community or going on the solo trip of your dreams—anything to reconnect with our spirit and return to the most vibrant and powerful iteration of your own being.

However, pay close attention to your feelings in case you continue to struggle. “Loss is a stressor and can trigger a number of health and mental-health problems,” Dr. Skritskaya says. If you’re grieving a loss and are showing signs or symptoms of depression, it’s important to seek the help of a mental-health professional.

Update: This post was originally published on April 14, 2019. It was updated with additional reporting by Ali Finney on January 27, 2020.

Here are some expert tips for dealing with ambiguous loss. Plus, the case for taking a griefcation to get away from it all.

January 27, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC

If you’ve scanned every corner of the produce aisle trying to scout out arugula with no luck, a trip to the eye doctor isn’t necessary. It’s not there, and you’re not the only one who hasn’t been able to find it. Veggie lovers all across the country, from New York City to Seattle, are experiencing the horrors of arugulaless shopping carts too.

The internet has been up in arms about the lack of the popular salad staple in grocery stores lately, even sparking a (pretty amusing) post on Reddit that dubbed the situation “The Great Arugula Shortage of January 2020.” While your other greens seem to be stocked and ready to eat per usual, there’s a simple explanation behind why this bitter variety is nowhere to be found: Austin360 reports prolonged, cool wet weather has damaged some of the prime growers’ crops, causing a shortage that either leaves the shelves empty or provides so little arugula that it’s sold out way too quickly. It’s like reliving the cauliflower gnocchi shortage all over again—something I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.

Luckily, there’s another way to score some greens if your local grocery store is lacking the veggie: head to your nearest farmers market. Even though mass producers are experiencing a lack of product, local farms are still going strong. Sure, this is a tough time—no one wants to go without their favorite type of salad. But for now, you might be better off grabbing the kale or spinach instead.

Top your greens—no matter the kind!—with this medicinal mushroom salad dressing:

These are the healthy dinner recipes doctors make every week—arugula salads, included. The find out how to make a vegan green soup that’s high in fiber, iron, and calcium due to being loaded with leafy greens and fragrant herbs.

January 27, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC

It’s no secret that being great at networking can open certain professional doors for you. If you know the right people and foster a community of supportive peers, by staying in touch, you might at some point be able to skip a few rungs on your ascent up the career ladder (or, at least, be able to save a lot of time being stuck on a rung where you don’t want to be). But even though being able to put networking tips into action can streamline your professional trajectory, that doesn’t mean it’ll be simple or won’t feel like work. If networking has ever left you feeling drained, exhausted, and unmotivated, you’re not alone: Networking in its traditional sense doesn’t pay off for everyone.

A recent small study of 59 employees found a relationship between networking and lower work performance among people who have a low need for affiliation. That is, those who don’t crave a sense of belonging or inclusion in a social group. The researchers call this effect “network extraversion bias,” and note that those who aren’t as innately social shouldn’t try to force themselves to network. “People…who generally show less inclination and appreciation for social involvement should not force themselves to engage in networking activities,” the researchers conclude.

But before introverts everywhere let out a sigh of relief and completely wipe their hands of networking obligations, a career counselor suggests considering how to approach it from a different angle. “I really do think networking is a good skill to develop, even for introverts or people who don’t crave social interaction,” says career counselor Dara Blaine. “They may just do it differently, and that’s a great thing.” Since networking is, at its core, a relationship-building endeavor, and relationships are key to accomplishing many career goals, the benefits outweigh the initial discomfort, she adds.

Other experts agree that since traditional tactics might not work well for all people, the key is to pinpoint alternative networking tips and strategies that work in accordance with each person’s preferences. That way, no one feels forced to do any single thing. Below, learn six of those alternative networking tips to reap the professional benefits.

1. Choose tasks that allow you to connect with others

Generally, people network because they’re seeking access to others in their field and want to make themselves known among those people. However, the previously mentioned study suggests that certain roles may be able to reap those benefits without requiring any active networking. “For example, holding a position which requires the dissemination of information within the organization,” the researchers write. That might be a personnel officer or office manager, for instance.

These types of positions not only provide access to valuable information, but also make you more visible. In other words, if you’re not someone who loves networking in its traditional sense, actively engaging in your workplace and choosing tasks that force you to connect or interact with other people can help you split the difference. It’s like networking by default.

2. Ask for feedback

The truth is, you don’t have to be a super-social person to network. One simple way to stay connected with your colleagues is simply to ask for feedback.

“Seek out feedback from your supervisor and colleagues for ways you can contribute more to the team,” Blaine says. Because whether you’re angling for a promotion or just fostering some good will, being a team player will liken you to your peers, who have their own network of peers. Furthermore, asking for feedback shows a manager that you care about contributing to the larger whole. And the intel you’ll glean can be personally useful: It tells you how to be a better worker, allowing you to build the right set of transferable skills you can bring to another job.

3. Go online

Online networking might be more palatable for those who dread in-person meetings. If this is you, consider joining a Facebook group that focuses on your industry, find groups on LinkedIn, or just connect with other professionals in your field via social media. See what other people in similar roles are sharing or talking about online, then contribute to the conversation when you can.

“Sending messages and sharing online content doesn’t require as much energy. It allows people to stay connected while showcasing their expertise to a large number of people.” —Nihar Chhaya, executive coach

“Sending messages and sharing online content doesn’t require as much energy,” says Nihar Chhaya, President of PartnerExec, an executive coaching firm. “And it allows people to stay connected to professionals in their industry while showcasing their expertise to a large number of people.”

4. Find your networking style

Not all networking is the same, says Chhaya. “Leverage methods to network that play to your strengths. Perhaps you’re a better writer or interviewer than a conversationalist. Offer to write an article about someone you want to network with or about a topic that piques the interest of certain networks.”

And to understand what your networking style is in the first place? Consider how you prefer to meet people in general, Blaine says. “Do you prefer larger crowds, more intimate gatherings, or one-on-one conversations? Do you feel more comfortable meeting people online or in person? Are there activities that you enjoy where you can connect with others more organically? Your preferences for how you like to meet people in general can help you figure out what might be a bit more comfortable for you as you begin to network,” she says.

5. Consider your career goals

If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want your career to look like down the road, networking may feel as though it lacks purpose for you. So, prior to networking, work to understand what motivates you and what you stand to offer. “The more you understand and can articulate your value, the more you will be able to identify opportunities and take advantage of them,” Blaine says.

When you have something to work toward, you might find yourself craving connections. And then, all of a sudden, networking may not feel like such a chore.

6. Lean into your listening skills

Whether you’re an introvert or simply don’t identify as a very social person, keep in mind that you still have valuable strengths to offer. For instance, listening skills are a serious asset in the world of networking.

“Many people approach networking with the mind-set of, ‘What’s in it for me?’ and launch quickly into a conversation about themselves and what they need rather than take the time to get to know someone else,” Blaine said. “This can be a turnoff to people.”

If you’re a good listener, this can help you flip the conversation and build rapport more quickly. It also alleviates the pressure to “sell” yourself to someone you don’t know. Even a brief conversation about the other person can build your confidence as well as give you the opportunity to connect the dots between what you have to offer and what the other person needs.

“Networking is simply getting to know someone else and inviting them to get to know you,” Blaine says. “The more open and diverse your network, the more opportunities you’ll have.”

Want more alternative networking tips? Here are a career coach’s tips for stopping your fear of rejection from getting in the way of your networking potential. You could also consider joining a co-working space—they’re giving networking a chic, empowering makeover.

January 27, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC

Do you ever feel so immersed in something you’re currently doing that the low-stakes goings-on in your life simply don’t matter, for once? You’re so body-and-soul focused on your Muay Thai class or your wine-and-paint session or your game of Tetris that the rest of the world fades away. If this isn’t resonating and you haven’t stopped multitasking since, like, 2015, pump the breaks, because it’s high time that you’re introduced to the glorious concept of a flow state of mind.

“As a concept coined by the field of positive psychology, a flow state is that space of joy and heightened focus that results from absolute immersion in a favored activity,” says clinical psychologist and author of Joy from Fear Carla Marie Manly, PhD. “Sometimes known as being ‘in the zone,’ a flow state creates a sense of oneness, with no division between the physical body, the mind, and the activity.”

Being “in the zone” is obviously great for productivity at work or nailing that hard-to-hold pose during yoga (ugh, handstand press). But it’s also a state of mind that can be blissful, therapeutic, and concentrated toward inner peace. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and even tap-dancing toward the threat burnout, here’s the 101-level advice you really do need for how to go with the flow (state).

How entering flow state of mind facilitates self care

Research shows that flow states can be helpful for reducing stress and anxiety, which makes sense since we’re not trying to do one thing while silently worrying about a laundry list of others. Rather, we are truly in the moment.

“The feel-good neurochemicals and positive state of being that result during flow states are incredibly beneficial for both physical and mental health.” —clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, PhD

“When we give our full attention to one enjoyable task, we allow the mind to stay in the present and become fully absorbed in something that feels tremendously enlivening.  It is in such states that we are, in many ways, our best selves,” says Dr. Manly. “The feel-good neurochemicals and positive state of being that result during flow states are incredibly beneficial for both physical and mental health.”

If that sounds equal parts great and elusive, that makes sense. So many of us have fingers constantly fidgeting on the keyboards of our phones and toggling between our 21 open browser windows, which is to say there are plenty of distractions pestering you on a day-to-day basis that can make entering flow difficult to manage. You, too, might have the ambition to write your novel. But the focus? Committing to monotasking like this requires diligence and, according to Dr. Manly, adhering to five basic principles can help.

5 steps to get into a flow state of mind

1. Know what you want to dive into

“Whether it’s riding a mountain bike, writing a book, or baking bread, know exactly what you want to focus on with all your body, heart, and mind,” says Dr. Manly.

It’s any activity you want, whether or not there’s an attached goal, which essentially means that the options are endless.

2. Create the space

This tip follows the same guiding principle that explains why I make my bed whenever I’m expecting a gentleman caller: You want to have energetic room to get what you need done.

“This means that you let go of other distractions and allow yourself to get ready to engage in ‘the one’ activity,” Dr. Manly says. “In short, attempts at multi-tasking will destroy flow, as will interruptions, such as friends stopping by.”

3. bring ample energy to the table

Resting up before you plan to tackle your flow activity can be helpful, especially if your intention is to meet a goal. “Make sure you’ve had a good night of sleep, since focus tends to be much easier when you’re well-rested,” Dr. Manly says.

4. Be nourished and hydrated

This is key because “flow can be disrupted by normal issues, such as strong hunger cravings,” Dr. Manly says. So fuel up, because ensuring you have energy stores is important for maintaining your flow.

5. Let go of everything, and allow yourself to dive deeply into your chosen activity

If all goes according to plan, you’ll naturally fall into the flow state and commit yourself to a task joyfully. Once you find a few processes or activities that can bring you into a flow state of mind, you’ll have a self-care reset button of sorts you can always call upon when life begins to feel overwhelming.

10 activity ideas to inspire a flow state of mind

Whether you’re looking for physical, psychological, or even personal-leaning ideas to get into a flow state of mind, you’re covered. For your consideration, check out 10 ideas below:

1. Crossword and number puzzles

No, they’re not just for your sudoku-obsessed dad. Rather, puzzles are great for everyone because they can help keep your memory sharp later in life. Treat yourself to a classic word or numbers game (depending on which section of the SAT you really thrived in).

2. Meditation

If you find yourself too in your own head when you try to meditate on your own, opting for a guided meditation with a soothing advisor and a few friends might just be the ticket.

3. Friendship bracelets

Yes, seriously—just take our associate beauty and fitness editor’s word for it. She’s a big fan of this summer-camp-approved practice, which can absolutely develop your sense of mindfulness.

4. Hair-braiding

Similarly meditative to friendship-bracelet-making, hair-braiding can hold the same mindfulness power.

5. Adult coloring books

Coloring in a really beautiful mandala can reduce anxiety and stress, but who says this activity needs to be specific to adults? To make babysitting your 5-year-old niece more bearable, getting out a Lisa Frank coloring book might well be a mood-boosting, flow-state-inducing move for you both.

6. Knitting

Knitting offers a whole slate of benefits: The occupational therapy keeps your brain busy, your hands nimble, and your loved ones in cozy outerwear, season after season.

7. Dancing

While you can always attend an actual dance class, taking center stage in front of your mirror when no else is home also counts.

8. Gardening

Those who lack a green thumb might find this premise overwhelming, so just start small. Even installing a window planter to ease into plant-motherhood can improve your concentration and your compassion.

9. Hula-Hooping

I personally swear by the calming monotony of this, and as an added bonus, the practice also offers the benefit of being amazing for strengthening your core.

10. Reading

Beautiful in its simplicity, getting lost in a good book provides for “mindful intention” that regulates the stressed parts of your mind by bringing your attention inward.

Join the 28-day ReNew Year plan for feelings here. And for another specific way to up-level yourself, learn how to toughen your emotional resilience. 

January 27, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC

Each and every winter,  we all inevitably face the same skin-care conundrum: How can you exfoliate your skin without drying it out even more than the combination of heaters, dry air, and cold weather already are?

It’s important to slough off dry skin cells all year long, but there’s a fine line between ridding your complexion of debris and compromising your skin barrier or making your face even more dry. This is where exfoliating cleansing oils come in, which have both exfoliating and nourishing properties in a single formula.

Oil cleansers, generally, are known for their abilities to rid the skin of dirt and oil (think of it as a “like dissolves like” situation). They’re particularly helpful for people with dry, flaky skin because, as board-certified dermatopathologist Gretchen Frieling, MD puts it, they “help clean the skin without leaving the face stripped of its natural oil and moisture.” And adding a physically exfoliating element into the mix, she says, “can be a great alternative for people who experience irritation from oil-free cleansers and harsher physical exfoliants.”

These oil cleansing products are gentle, yet effective, and offer the quadruple-whammy of removing makeup, clearing pores of excess oil and debris, wiping away dead skin cells, and nourishing skin. In other words, they’re giving your double cleanse a run for its money. Got oily skin? Despite what you might think, these cleansers can work for you too. In fact, they tend to help dissolve oils from your face while they cleanse, so most will leave you feeling clean and happy instead of oily and greasy. Try one out for yourself—especially right now, when your dry skin could really use the support—by way of one of these product picks.

Mara Chia + Moringa Algae Enzyme Cleansing Oil, $58

This multi-tasking cleanser does it all, including cleansing, brightening, and hydrating the skin. It’s made with fruit enzymes (which have a teeny, tiny granule texture) to exfoliate, and chia and moringa oils, plus marine botanicals and squalane, to leave skin nourished. Its exfoliating element is so gentle that it works for all skin types, but is still efficient enough to get the job done without much scrubbing required.

La Mer Exfoliating Oil, $125

If you like your exfoliants to be a little more intense (but not so intense that they’ll strip your skin), La Mer’s option is a perfect pick. It’s made with sugar and salt crystals, which help with the scrubbing, plus sea kelp fibers and the brand’s iconic “Miracle Broth” elixir oil, for a quenched, healthy glow.

Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil, $28

Not a scrub person? Try this chemical exfoliant oil, which uses ultra-gentle polyhydroxy acids to get rid of dead skin cells. This is your best bet for dealing with blackheads, which the combo of oil and PHAs will help pull from beneath the surface.

To keep dry skin happy and healthy all winter, derms say to look for these ingredients in your moisturizer. And if you’re only feeling dry in certain areas? Here’s how to spot treat dryness like a pro. 

January 27, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC

The idea of having one destiny seems at once awesome and claustrophobic to me. I’m stoked about the idea that my life (maybe?) has one purpose, but I also want to forge my own path ahead. So when an astrology-minded friend mentioned to me that the north node callout on my birth chart cosmically predicts who I’m destined to become, my interest instantly piqued, and I hopped on board a celestial journey of self-discovery with a fair bit of apprehension.

True to its name, your north node is your true north or your North Star, says intuitive astrologer and healer Rachel Lang. “It’s the point of destiny you continue to follow throughout your life. When you focus your attention on following the path designated by the north node, you feel more fulfilled and more purposeful—but it’s not easy. It’s the point beyond your comfort zone,” she says.

In the sky, this node is the point where the moon’s orbit intersects with the northern ecliptic hemisphere at the time of your birth. “Unlike other astrological points, it’s invisible, but that doesn’t mean it’s not significant,” says Lang. So, for example, my north node sits in my third house—or Gemini—which means my “purpose” in life is teaching, learning, writing, and spreading a certain message.

“When you focus your attention on following the path designated by the north node, you feel more fulfilled and more purposeful.” —Rachel Lang, intuitive astrologer

Of course, though, the jaunt to destiny has to start somewhere—and Lang says that’s where your south node comes in. The south node sits exactly 180 degrees away from the north and represents where your karmic journey begins. “It’s the familiar—where we came from,” says Lang. My south node sits in Saggitarius, so according to the moon, I come from a restless, seeking, and often estranged-feeling place.

“Often, we play a tug-of-war game between the north and south node throughout our lives. During the years when you have a nodal return, which is about every 19 years, you feel a sense of your destiny, and you can have fated events,” Lang says. And that makes sense, right? You have to know where you came from to get where you’re going.

How to identify your own north node (and your south node, too!)

To identify your north and south nodes, you’ll first need to run your birth chart via an app like Co-Star, a free online service (like this one), or with the help of an astrologer. You’ll then be able to identify your north node by a symbol that looks like a pair of headphones. Your south node will be the same shape in reverse, which looks a lot like a horseshoe.

From there, teasing out meaning is simple: Your destiny follows the traits of the house or signs in which it lands, and the same goes for your south node. If your north node is in Aries, for instance, your destiny will align with the attributes of Aries: major ambition, fearlessness, and leadership. In keeping with the traits of Libra, which would be the south node to an Aries north node, the universe will ask you to move away from playing the supporting role and taking the path of least resistance.

“The more you push beyond your comfort zone, the closer you get to fulfilling your north-node purpose,” says Lang. Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not you heed the call of your north node. Regardless, the notion that the universe made a plan for you the second you were born is pretty out of this world.

You can get on-demand astrology readings on your phone—here’s what it’s like. And if you’re brand new to this whole cosmos thing, here’s the A-to-Z guide you need for understanding all the celestial terms. 

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