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There’s too much Internet—with wonders like an insane treadmill dance to “Uptown Funk”—and too little time. That's why we curate a list of the best of the best (a.k.a. "the Greatist") things we've come across on the Web this week. In other words, it's the stuff we'd email/gchat/tweet/text you immediately if we were besties. While we'll never stop striving to bring our readers amazing content on a daily basis, we know not all the best stuff comes from us.
By now we know what foods to reach for and which ones to avoid when we wake up with our head throbbing after a night of drinking. But if you need any extra boost to make your hangover disappear (or just manageable), there are a lot of over-the-counter cures—everything from pills to sprays to (non-alcoholic) drinks. But these supposed quick cures aren't created equal. Luckily someone over at First We Feast volunteered to test them out and report back.
Naps, glorious naps. They can be the perfect thing for perking up and boosting creativity—until they turn into a multi-hour snooze fest. Use these tips from our friends at BuzzFeed—like propping up your pillow, which makes it less likely you’ll fall into a deep sleep—and start napping like a pro.
Stepping on the scale and seeing the numbers tick higher than usual spells doom and gloom for most of us. And yes, it’s OK to feel annoyed, upset, and frustrated. But in this installment of the Anti-Diet Project over at Refinery29, Kelsey Miller gives us some tips on how to handle weight gain in an adult manner.
Pizza is basically the definition of savory goodness on a plate. But gobbling up one too many slices is enough to put your digestive tract through the ringer. Thankfully chefs at one San Francisco bakery say they’ve found the key to stomach-friendly pizza: letting the dough ferment for a full day before giving it a toss and sticking it in a brick oven. The fermentation process introduces more bacteria into the dough that give your digestive system a helping hand.
We’ve only had to endure cold showers the few times our roommates took an extra long one—probably well-deserved karma for forgetting to wash the dishes the night before. But some people actually choose to take cold showers (even when hot water heaters are at the ready) for the health benefits of giving your body an icy shock. Studies have found it spikes your adrenaline, boosts moods, limits inflammation, and might even improve memory.
This series of GWODs was designed exclusively for Greatist by Bodeefit. For more information about the exercises in this workout, or to see video demos of each movement, follow the links below the graphic. Be sure to note the results of your workout so you can track your progress as you go.
Before you tackle this workout, try this quick and effective full-body warm-up. It's just five simple moves but hits every major muscle group and gets your heart pumping.
Complete 6 rounds of the following moves as fast as safely possible.
25 Bicycle Sit-Ups (per side)
20 Air Squats
15 Jumping Lunges (per leg)
Want to kick up the intensity? Hold lightweight dumbbells or kettlebells in both hands during the air squats and jumping lunges. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for a totally new (but equally awesome) GWOD!
It seems everyone from chefs to at-home cooks has a trick for making perfectly poached eggs. But the best-kept secret is this Calphalon pan. It’s a nonstick godsend to home-bound brunchers across the country, providing a no-mess, simple method to make four poached eggs at the same time—just add water!
Instead of dealing with plastic wrap or perfecting the egg-drop-into-boiling-water technique, all you have to do is plop those bad boys into a nonstick cup (go ahead and add butter, we promise we don’t tell) place the lid on top, and wait a few minutes. The end result is four evenly poached eggs that you can pass off to your friends as the product of your own prowess. (Just remember to hide the pan afterwards.)
But wait, there’s more! If you aren’t sold on this pan’s poaching abilities, remove the 4-cup top and it then doubles as a deep-walled, all-purpose pan for cooking everything from meat to gravy. We use ours to poach eggs in the morning, sauté kale for lunch, and fry fish for dinner.
This series of GWODs was designed exclusively for Greatist by Bodeefit. For more information about the exercises in this workout, or to see video demos of each movement, follow the links below the graphic. Be sure to note the results of your workout so you can track your progress as you go.
Before you tackle this workout, try this quick and effective full-body warm-up. It's just five simple moves but hits every major muscle group and gets your heart pumping.
Complete 21 reps of the following movements, then 15 reps, then 9 reps as fast as safely possible.
Elevated Push-Ups
Explosive Push-Ups
V-Ups
Want to kick up the intensity? Move your feet higher on the elevated push-ups. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for a totally new (but equally awesome) GWOD!
This series of GWODs was designed exclusively for Greatist by Bodeefit. For more information about the exercises in this workout, or to see video demos of each movement, follow the links below the graphic. Be sure to note the results of your workout so you can track your progress as you go.
Before you tackle this workout, try this quick and effective full-body warm-up. It's just five simple moves but hits every major muscle group and gets your heart pumping.
Going as fast as is safely possible, complete 5 rounds of the following circuit.
1-Minute Wall sit
25 Sit-ups
100-foot Bear crawl
Want to kick up the intensity? During the wall sit, hold a medium-weight dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for a totally new (but equally awesome) GWOD!
This series of GWODs was designed exclusively for Greatist by Bodeefit. For more information about the exercises in this workout, or to see video demos of each movement, follow the links below the graphic. Be sure to note the results of your workout so you can track your progress as you go.
Before you tackle this workout, try this quick and effective full-body warm-up. It's just five simple moves but hits every major muscle group and gets your heart pumping.
Perform each movement for a total of 4 minutes, alternating between 20 seconds of all-out effort and 10 seconds of rest. The total length of the workout is 12 minutes.
Jumping Squats
In & Outs
Flutter Kicks
Want to kick up the intensity? Wear a weighted vest during the jumping squats. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for a totally new (but equally awesome) GWOD!
There are times in life when we must find a way to sleep somewhere…unusual. Whether it's the middle seat on a transcontinental flight, a friend's lumpy couch, or even your office parking lot, sometimes we need to drift off in some pretty bizarre places. Read on for 16 totally doable (and actually effective) tips to help you get quality shut-eye absolutely anywhere.
Even if only for a few minutes, lying down at the airport can help trick the mind into understanding it's sleepy time. Once on the plane, get that nap on.
Chug plenty of H2O to avoid waking up parched at 3 a.m., especially after flying or drinking alcohol (two major causes of dehydration).
High altitudes and allergies are a one-two punch when it comes to travel congestion. Take preventative measures, such as over-the-counter decongestants or using nasal saline, to open up your nasal breathing passageways. This will help alleviate sinus problems which can keep you up at night.
There's no need to look fly when flying. An overnight flight (or bus ride, or train ride) is no time for sitting pretty. Dress for bed, since the idea is to actually go to bed, right?
Hooray for circadian rhythms! Even when you hit the road (Jack), stick to a standard bedtime routine and the cues will tell your body when it's time to chill out. To show jet lag who’s boss, stay awake until a normal bedtime (i.e. 11 p.m.) and get up at a reasonable hour. And avoid wacky napping: If your usual routine doesn't involve lounging on the beach and taking a two-hour siesta, don't be surprised if it's harder to snooze at night.
Increasing or decreasing activity levels can throw off the body's usual energy levels—and the same goes for the time of day when you work out. Try to stick to the normal workout schedule too.
Avoid unusual (i.e. spicy or just plain unrecognizable) foods on vacation. Heartburn is the mildest of the potential gastrointestinal repercussions—we won't go into any further detail. Be especially wary of tap water in other countries. The bathroom floor is not the most ideal resting place.
A very full stomach plus a horizontal position is a recipe for acid reflux. Which, unsurprisingly, can prevent restful slumber.
On vacation, an extra drink or two is a natural part of unwinding, but don't let an umbrella-clad beverage prevent good sleep. Alcohol can interrupt natural sleep patterns, so quit boozing several hours before bedtime.
Don’t try a new sleep aid (or any med for that matter) on day one of the trip of a lifetime. Unexpected side effects could affect sleep for the entirety of that grand European tour.
If it's a pre-planned slumber party, BYOPJ (bring your own pajamas). If you forget, ask your host for a blanket, appropriate sleep attire, a pillow, or anything else necessary to get snoozing. Being just a smidge uncomfortable can make sleep pretty hard to come by.
Research suggests 60 to 68 degrees is optimal for sleep, since it lowers the core body temperature and lulls us to slumber. No A/C? Crack a window to catch a breeze.
Strange sounds—even "soothing" white noise, if it's not the norm—can seriously hamper your ability to sleep. Use earplugs or headphones to mimic your ideal sleep situation at home or away. Or check out some apps that offer background noise to induce sleep.
Why won't that jerk of a cube mate turn off his desk lamp? Make like a Boy Scout and be prepared with an eye mask to cut the brightness, even when those overhead fluorescents are attempting to disturb sleep.
If an intense deadline means sleep loss, head to the parking lot and the comfort of the backseat for a quick nap. Bring a grown-up security blanket (sweater/pillow/blanket) to tell the body it's naptime.
Like savasana in yoga, paradoxical relaxation focuses on relaxing one body part at a time and could help the body slow down and relax—especially if you're trying to sneak in a quick nap between other tasks.
This article was originally published in March 2012 and updated in March 2015.
