Friday, August 30, 2019
Thursday, August 30, 2018
The Ultimate Fall Bucket List
As summertime comes to an end, we’re looking forward to crisp outdoor runs, feeling cozy in fleece and flannel, and roasting s’mores over the fire. But while it can be easy to get caught up in the gooey chocolate-marshmallow goodness of one of our favorite cool weather treats, there’s a lot more autumn-themed fun you can have that actually boosts your health too.
From apple picking to pumpkin carving, we made a list of 19 healthy fall activities for you to add to your bucket list this season. Use these ideas to get closer to Mother Nature, try out delicious seasonal recipes, and find new ways to have a blast with friends and family.
Expand your palate with a new fall recipe
As the trees turn to yellow and orange hues, the shelves of the supermarket follow suit. Incorporate fall staples like squash and sweet potato into your cooking to break out of your go-to routine and make the most of what’s in season.
Go apple picking with family and friends
The only thing better than biting into a crisp, juicy apple is doing so right after you’ve picked it off the tree. Apples are a low-calorie, high-fiber snack, and their natural sweetness is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Run (or walk) a fall road race
Whether you’re in it for the competition or the camaraderie, running a road race is a great way to get involved in your local athletics community (and give your legs and lungs a solid workout too). If you’re not up for the race but still want to be a part of the action, volunteer to hand out water or help clean up.
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Carve pumpkins and roast the seeds
There’s something satisfying about getting elbow-deep in the slimy orange guts of a pumpkin. This year, go one step further and separate the seeds from the slime and roast them to make a healthy snack to tuck into your purse or pocket.
Go for a nature walk and enjoy fall colors
Our senses go crazy for fall. From the sound of leaves crunching underfoot to the sight of brightly colored foliage, there’s nothing quite like it. Make an effort to get outside and take in all the beauty. Plus, research shows that being in nature helps us de-stress.
Turn pumpkin into a kitchen staple
Pumpkins grace us with their presence for only a few months each year, and there’s much more you can do with this fiber-filled fruit than make pumpkin pie. Take full advantage of the flavors of the season by adding naturally nutrient-rich, low-calorie pumpkin to dishes like hummus, ravioli, soup, muffins and more.
Make spiced apple cider
Summer calls for lemonade, winter screams hot chocolate, and during fall we get to warm up to crisp spiced apple cider. In just 30 minutes, you can make this low-fat, low-sodium drink that’ll leave your taste buds feeling festive.
RELATED: 7 Things to Do This Fall for Better Health
Rake leaves into a giant pile to jump into
It can be daunting to exercise outside as the air starts to chill, but if you can’t bring yourself to layer up and go for a jog, grab a rake and get your heart rate up by simply clearing your yard. Once you have a big enough pile, run, jump and let a cloud of leaves cushion your fall.
Get lost in a corn maze
Challenge your kids to a race through a corn maze; you’ll prove that breaking a sweat doesn’t have to be a chore. Last one there is a rotten pumpkin!
Organize a game of touch football
Bundle up and get family and friends moving with a little healthy competition. Make sure to set ground rules, like no tackling or pushing, and take this opportunity to teach your kids the basics of throwing the pigskin.
Visit your local farmer’s market
Fall at the farmer’s market means much more than gourds galore. Stock up on fresh-baked pumpkin bread, seasonal beetroot hummus, homemade butternut squash pasta, and, of course, locally grown produce.
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Take indoor activities—like reading—outside
In summer we complain that it’s too hot, in winter we say it’s too cold, but in fall we have no excuse to stay cooped up inside. Take a good book and a blanket outside and cozy up under an orange-tinged tree.
Ride your bike around the neighborhood
As soon as the snow starts to fall, we have to say so long to our two-wheeled form of transportation. Take a long, energizing ride before it’s too late and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the season.
Make vegetarian chili
Warm your tummy with a hearty bowl of vegetarian chili, a plant-based alternative to this traditional cold-weather dish. This low-calorie, low-fat recipe is exactly what you want to be slurping next to the fireplace.
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Incorporate cinnamon into your cooking
Cinnamon boosts satiety and is full of antioxidants, but if you need another reason to give it a try, its versatility is unbeatable. You can stir it into your coffee, add it to oatmeal, put a pinch on popcorn, sprinkle it on fruit, and much more.
Watch leaves change colors on a scenic hike
Explore nature in your area by venturing on a hike you haven’t done before. Make sure to wear adjustable layers to stay warm at the beginning and cool once you start to sweat.
Plant a garden of vegetables
Veggies like spinach, kale, arugula, collards, and more can be planted at the beginning of fall and harvested throughout the season. Before you plant, make sure to clear out any summer produce that’s no longer growing.
RELATED: 7 Fall Dinner Recipes That Cost Less Than $10
Volunteer with a local charity
Charities always need extra help as the holiday season approaches, and every group has something different to offer. Whether you prepare meals, walk dogs, or sort clothes, no good deed goes to waste. You can find out about local charities through websites like Charity Navigator.
Start a gratitude journal
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you might be feeling extra appreciative of everything that has happened this year. Write down one thing you’re thankful for each day to get perspective on what’s making your heart feel so warm and fuzzy.
Is It Bad to Work Out in Your Makeup?
Scrolling through our social media feeds, it’s not surprising to see our female BFFs and fitness influencers posting workout selfies while—yep—wearing makeup. We understand wanting to hide a daunting pimple or two, but going for a run or hitting the gym in a full face of makeup doesn’t seem like the greatest idea for your skin. After all, can a layer of product really allow your skin to breathe as you sweat through your favorite class?
But,what if you work out on your lunch break (we applaud you) and don’t want to remove your makeup just to reapply it an hour later? Is it that bad? Well, our experts really, really want you to think twice. Here, dermatologists explain why exercising in makeup is a huge no-no.
Exercising causes blood vessels to expand, increases blood flow to the skin, and opens pores. Sweat and bacteria get trapped under layers of makeup, preventing the skin from dissipating heat properly and leaving it prone to pore-occlusion (or becoming majorly clogged!), explains New York-based dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD. “The trapping of bacteria and sweat in the (now dilated) pores can enlarge pores over time and cause blackheads, while the trapping of heat can flare temperature-sensitive conditions such as rosacea, ultimately causing redness and uneven skin tone,” Dr. Nazarian adds. Bottom line: makeup covers up our sweat glands, which can clog pores and lead to acne or irritation, which is just so not worth it.
Although the goal is not to exercise in makeup, sometimes we are crunched for time or simply forget to take off our foundation before spin class (hey, it happens). For situations like this, it’s important to keep in mind that not all makeup is created equal. Dr. Nazarian tells us that if you have no choice or time to remove and reapply makeup when squeezing in a quick lunch workout, use makeup labeled as “non-comedogenic” (won’t clog pores) and stick to lighter powders as opposed to heavy oil-based liquid makeups. And if you do wear makeup during a run or class, be sure to wash your face immediately after with a gentle cleanser like unscented Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash ($6; amazon.com) or Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($14 for 3; amazon.com), Dr. Nazarian suggests. We also like these Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Clothes ($17 for 3 packs of 25; amazon.com), which are perfect for stashing in your gym bag to make the process even easier.
If you do have to wear makeup to the gym, keep your movements light so you won’t be dripping in sweat. But if you’re religiously wearing makeup during your workouts to conceal pesky breakouts or uneven skin, try switching over to a tinted moisturizer or a CC or BB cream, since they are usually very light, says Debra Jaliman, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. “Tinted products can add that hint of color and give you that glowy look without the use of makeup,” she says. For those who want to cover up acne or blemishes they’re insecure about, Dr. Jaliman suggests dabbing on a small amount of spot concealer instead of a heavy foundation.
At the end of the day, dermatologists agree that the best thing you can do for your skin is to completely remove makeup pre-workout. All. Of. It. Even seemingly minor threats like your perfectly winged eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick need to be wiped clean. “They’re likely to smear and smudge during a vigorous workout, and can clog delicate pores around the eyes and mouth, leading to styes of the eyelids and blackheads around the lips,” says Dr. Nazarian.
Want to break the dirty habit of sweating it out in a full face of makeup? We’ve got a couple of hero products that make cleansing on-the-go way more manageable. Our beauty editor loves Sweat Skin-Balancing Cleansing Towelettes ($18; anthropologie.com), which contain ingredients like coconut water and green tea to help quickly refresh and revitalize your skin pre- and post-workout. Plus, they’re individually packaged, so you can just throw one in your bag and forget lugging around an entire drugstore of products. St. Ives Glow Apricot & Manuka Honey Cleansing Stick ($8; amazon.com) is another easy and portable option—just dampen skin, massage face in circular motions with the stick, and rinse. You’ll never worry about spillage or a sticky situation in your gym bag.
Is there a link between acid reflux and palpitations?
Acid reflux and GERD are unlikely to cause heart palpitations directly. However, the same factors, such as eating certain foods, can trigger both acid reflux and palpitations. Acid reflux could also cause anxiety, which can lead to palpitations. Learn more about the link here, as well as how to treat palpitations.
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This 87-Year-Old Man Is Searching for a Job to Pay for Wife’s Medical Bills
The couple have sold off many of their possessions to help pay for medical bills.
To help pay for his wife’s mounting medical bills, Robert Blocksom is looking to come out of retirement. But instead of helping others with their financial planning as he had done for so many years, the 87-year-old is aiming to hit the road as a truck driver.
“I got a little bit of everything, but mostly I can’t walk very well, and I’ve had some breast cancer,” Robert’s wife, Jelaine Blocksom, tells PEOPLE. “I’ve just been diagnosed with asthma, so I’m having problems breathing. I was in the hospital twice last month. So it seems just about everything is falling off.”
The couple have sold off many of their possessions — including a mobile trailer — to help pay for medical bills since Jelaine’s health began to worsen, CNN affiliate WEWS News first reported. They also moved from their home in Middleburgh Heights, Ohio, and relocated to an apartment that’s easier for 87-year-old Jelaine to move around in.
As the news station noted, more and more Americans in their golden years are coming out of retirement to find work. Over the last 12 months, some 255,000 people 85 years old or older were listed in the workforce, according to the Washington Post. Many of these seniors took up jobs as farmers, ranchers, bookkeepers and accountants, and many, like Robert, are looking to become truckers.
“I’ve always liked driving, so I figured that I’d like to be able to make some money driving,” Robert told WEWS. “That would be the best way to do it.”
With the trucking industry experiencing a shortage of drivers, freight companies are welcoming of this influx of employees as they look to fulfill the demand of online retailers like Amazon, the station reported.
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Though Jelaine says she doesn’t like seeing Robert return to work, with their “really expensive” medical bills still growing, her loyal husband didn’t see another choice.
“I would hope he wouldn’t have to do that, but he sees that as a way out,” she tells PEOPLE. “It’s difficult, sure, but it’s harder on him because he takes care of me and the house. All I can do is make his meals for him!”
According to a Social Science Research Network study, the rate of seniors 65 and over who filed for bankruptcy rose almost 204 percent from 1991 to 2016. The study found that high health care costs, coupled with reduced incomes and a decline in pensions, have contributed to the trend of financially strapped retirees.
While the trucking business is known for its rough work schedule, Robert said he hopes to stay local and work weekends so he can continue to care for his wife. He’ll start taking his commercial driver’s classes in September.
A GoFundMe was set up on Wednesday to help raise $10,000 for the couple’s medical expenses.
When asked what she loves most about Robert over their 60 years of marriage, Jelaine said there were too many things to choose from.
“I can’t begin to tell you all that! I still love him as much as I did in the beginning, he’s a very good man, very honest, faithful, loyal,” she says. “All the good things you like in a man.”