Índex per April 2020 a Shape

For your firmest, strongest core, start from within. You’ve heard plenty about how keeping your waistline under 35 inches is best for your heart—it basically equates to having less abdominal fat, including the dangerous kind around your organs (aka visceral). That’s where doing intervals comes in. In a recent study in Frontiers in Physiology, healthy young women who did cycling workouts with 30-second all-out sprint intervals (SIT)or four-minute high-intensity intervals (HIIT) lost a significant amount of abdominal fat in two months. One benefit of going hard is that it boosts catecholamines, hormones that mobilize abdominal fat to be burned—more so than staying at a steady pace, says Tom Hazell, Ph.D., a kinesiology professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. “This increase in catecholamines likely helps increase fat oxidation in…

The fluctuations your body experiences during pregnancy and postbirth are a wild ride. This infograph can help clarify the shifts that some of the key hormones—estrogen, progesterone, and oxytocin (aka the cuddle hormone)—will undergo throughout this time and what that means for your well-being. Just remember to direct some of your nurturing urges to yourself too, says Jennifer Ashton, M.D., an ob-gyn and the author of the new book The Self-Care Solution. “If you’re not taking good care of yourself, it’s tougher to take good care of others.” ESTROGEN Like progesterone, estrogen rises with ovulation and cranks up during pregnancy, but the boost is much larg-er, says endochrinologist Deena Adimoolam, M.D., a spokeswoman for the Endo-chrine Society. Estrogen is meant to create a “lush cushion and lining for the pregnancy,”…

Gail Taylor never planned to be a farmer. After earning a degree in foreign policy, she worked in Guatemala. But when she returned home to Washington, D.C., in 2005, Taylor volunteered at an organic farm in Maryland. “I wanted to learn where my food comes from,” she says. She fell in love: “Farming was like putting on a glove that fit.” Today Taylor, 42, owns Three Part Harmony Farm, where she grows organic kale, chard, salad greens, radishes, and carrots. She also works to promote racial equality in food production and holds down two other jobs to make ends meet. “Growing vegetables is not lucrative,” she says. “But it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.” She explains: What has growing food taught you about yourself? “I like to say that…

Keri Russell is someone you can have a beer with. (She’ll take a Peroni, thanks.) Someone who, even after a good 15 years in Brooklyn, still exudes the sunny, girl-next-door ease of her roots out West, by way of Arizona and Colorado. The “uniform” she’s wearing today at an elegantly hip Italian restaurant she frequents is what she describes as “Sam Shepard from The Right Stuff”: a buttery leather bomber from Celine, rolled-up Gap khakis —“the ones I wore on an adventure trip with Bear Grylls” (YouTube it)—Rag & Bone T-shirt (she’s friends with the designer; their kids go to school together), and leopard-print kitten heel Aquazzura booties. It was actually Matthew Rhys, her partner of six years and former costar on The Americans, who coined the look, and…

BE WATERPROOF NEAL SCHULTZ, M.D. Dermatologist ELLEN MARMUR, M.D. Dermatologist MELISSA KANCHANAPOOMI LEVIN, M.D. Dermatologist NUNZIO SAVIANO Hairstylist GITA BASS Makeup artist MONA GOHARA, M.D. Dermatologist ELIZABETH K. HALE, M.D. Dermatologist SARAH LUCERO Makeup artist JENNY PATINKIN Makeup artist TINA TURNBOW Makeup artist DENDY E. ENGELMAN, M.D. Dermatologist KRISTAN SERAFINO Hairstylist JENN (makeup), KRISTIE (brows), and ASHLEY (hair) STREICHER Owners of Striiike beauty studio BE STRONG + WELL JEN WIDERSTROM Consulting Shape fitness director, trainer, life coach ADAM ROSANTE Strength and nutrition coach CEDRIC X. BRYANT, PH.D. Exercise physiologist MICHELLE LOVITT Celebrity trainer JORDAN METZL, M.D. Sports medicine physician MICHELE OLSON, PH.D. Clinical professor of sport science SHAUN T Celebrity trainer ALEX SILVER-FAGAN Nike Master Trainer HARLEY PASTERNAK Celebrity trainer MARTIN GIBALA, PH.D. Professor of kinesiology JAY WRIGHT Trainer,…

FIRST, A PRIMER on the meaning of clean beauty, which can be confusing. Some brands define it as being free of chemicals like petroleum and phthalates, while others have extensive ingredient and packaging standards. “My definition of clean is creating responsible formulations that use safe ingredients, whether they come from synthetic or natural origins,” cosmetic chemist Gloria Lu says. A more holistic viewpoint: “We take into account the sourcing, safety, sustainability, ethics, and transparency of the brands we sell,” Credo cofounder Annie Jackson says. There is no “clean” certification (at least not yet), but many companies have their own standards, and some retailers position themselves as gatekeepers. Read on for our edit of the newest options. Hair Shampoo is typically formulated with 80 percent water. To offset that, OWA Haircare…

Coffee was mentioned four times in our chat with this time-strapped mom of two. “There is one thing I am never giving up, and that’s my coffee. But I also value my smile, and I get a lot of confidence from it,” says Gellar, who adds that she counteracts any staining with Colgate Optic White Renewal toothpaste ($8, drugstores). She prioritizes her skin too. “As soon as I walk in my door, I give my kids hugs and then go straight to the bathroom to wash my face. I probably started this ritual while growing up in New York City, where you constantly feel dirty when you walk outside,” Gellar says. “Then I make sure to massage Olay cream all the way from my face to my neck and chest.”…

Your gut microbiome does way more than aid digestion. It affects your brain, stress, sex, metabolism, immune system, and hormones, according to a report in the journal FEMS Microbiology Reviews. “The bacteria in our guts release chemicals and hormones that influence our health and how we think and feel,” says Marc Tetel, Ph.D., a neuroscience professor at Wellesley College. The key is to keep your bugs healthy and balanced so they perform at their optimum level. Get started with this three-point plan. EAT PROBIOTICS FOR A GOOD MOOD More than 90 percent of your serotonin—a hormone and neurotransmitter that governs your well-being—is produced in your gut, says Omry Koren, Ph.D., a microbiome researcher at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. If your microbiome is out of whack, serotonin levels may drop,…

Follow the Rule of 20 Traditionally, people in the Blue Zones eat a plant-based diet and use about 20 healthy ingredients at a time, according to Buettner. Sticking to a set menu of foods may help keep their immune systems strong and protect against overeating, he says. Key ingredients include the foods shown here, along with sweet potatoes, one of Buettner’s favorites. Crunch More Cruciferous vegetables—broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts—are packed with vitamins, have been shown to protect against heart disease and cancer, and help ward off damaging oxidative stress, Buettner says. These crunchy veggies also contain a compound that appears to help regulate the thyroid, he adds, which may slow down metabolism and help us live longer. Grow Good Bacteria Fiber helps our gut bugs thrive. These bacteria produce…

Ten minutes into my first pole workout class a decade ago, my jitters disappeared, and it felt like being in a playground as a kid. Today I teach those classes—for my day job I’m a dental hygienist—and compete as a pole athlete at tournaments (stage name: Tristabel). A dance at double intensity A pole workout is a mix of upper-body strength, cardio, and flexibility combined with music. But you don’t have to be strong, thin, and flexible or a dancer. Just try, and you’ll lose yourself in it. Connecting on another level For a long time, I stood at the back of classes. But like a lot of the women I teach, I started to look at myself differently in the mirror. Rather than feeling embarrassed, I began celebrating my…

AT A MINIMUM, a clean formula is free of potentially toxic chemicals. (What’s considered toxic is self-regulated by beauty companies.) A clinical formula has scientific research that proves its effectiveness. Combine the two and you get a new booming category known as “cleanical” skin care that’s safe and delivers results. Why the sudden popularity? Consumer demands for such formulas are at an all-time high. “That’s caused brands to source more sustainable raw ingredients and to rigorously test what they can do for the skin,” says Christin Powell, the CEO and a cofounder of Kinship, a new clean-beauty brand. “And it’s inspired cosmetic chemists to innovate and formulate more creatively.” Another shift: “There has been a realization that some lab-made synthetic ingredients are perfectly safe and may sometimes be more…

Your book, Sicker, Fatter, Poorer, is about the dangers of hormone-disrupting chemicals. What makes these substances so harmful? Hormones are natural signaling molecules, and synthetic hormone-disrupting chemicals scramble those signals and contribute to disease and disability. We know of about 1,000 synthetic chemicals that do that, but the evidence is strongest for four categories of them: flame retardants used in electronics and furniture; pesticides in agriculture; phthalates in personal-care products, cosmetics, and food packaging; and bisphenols, like BPA, that are used in aluminum cans and thermal-paper receipts. These chemicals can have permanent consequences. Male and female infertility, endometriosis, fibroids, breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, cognitive deficits, and autism have been directly or indirectly linked to them. How do these chemicals get into our bodies? We absorb them through our skin. They’re…

EATING CLEAN has changed. Rather than the minimalism that was popular a few years ago, the approach is now about enjoying what you put into your body and allowing yourself indulgences, says Carolyn Brown, R.D.N., a nutritionist in Denver. That means focusing on whole foods but also leaving room for treats you love. “When you know where your food is coming from, you’re more connected to nature, your meals, and yourself,” she says. This can help you reframe your entire food experience and make it positive and pleasurable. “It’s a lifestyle approach that makes you feel amazing,” Brown says. You’re energized, motivated, and happy. Here’s how to achieve it. Make Meals the Main Event Thanks to our multitasking, on-to-the-next-thing culture, eating often becomes more about working or scrolling than…

Orange Fizz Pour 1 ounce Empress 1908 gin and ½ ounce St-Germain into a champagne flute. Holding the glass at an angle, carefully pour in 4 ounces sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange half-moon in the glass. Grapefruit-Honey Tipple Pour 2 ounces Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose, ¾ ounce honey, and ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice into a shaker. Add ice, and shake vigorously for 8 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a dried-lemon wheel. Tequila Breeze Pour 2 ounces reposado tequila, ¾ ounce fresh lime juice, and ½ ounce blue agave syrup into a shaker, andadd ice. Shake vigorously for 8 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a blistered shishito pepper (lightly seasoned with sea salt).…

GLUTEN-FREE HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES WITH TART YOGURT SWIRLS START TO FINISH: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES SERVES: 12 CUPCAKES 2 cups finely ground almond flour¾ teaspoon kosher salt¾ teaspoon baking powder¼ teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon3 large eggs¾ cup light brown sugar1 very ripe large banana, mashed (½ cup)½ cup finely chopped fresh pineapple½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract¾ cup chopped toasted pecans FROSTING ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt4 ounces cream cheese, softenedPinch of kosher saltEdible spring flowers, for garnish 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place paper liners in a 12-cup cupcake tin. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. 3. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl…