27 chilled soups, next-level deodorants, and a how-to guide for the vegan curious

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July 13, 2020

Yes, the hot hot heat is here. We managed to duck into some AC long enough to bring you the best post-workout drinks, next-level deodorants, and a quick start for the vegan-curious (why should we try it, and how?). Tip: Costco is on board, too. And if that's not enough: ice cubes made with fruit, and 27 delicious cold soups! Know someone who would enjoy TheSkinny and this week's tips? Just forward this email, and they can sign up here. 

New to TheSkinny? If so, a little about us: we look for the stories of the week that matter, so you can sleep in. Or make tea. Or simply procrastinate getting up. Think of us as your casual hang, but trusted resource, for the need-to-know scoop to inspire your day. Thank you for signing up!

VEGAN 101

Vegan curious? Some quick tips 

Image by: Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

TheSkinny: Are you “vegan curious?” As the longstanding joke goes: "How do you know if someone is a vegan? don't worry, they'll tell you!" You don't need to be "that person" to kick your health in the right direction by eating more plant-based foods. Or, maybe you’ve already gone vegan and need resources to inspire interested friends. Read on for our quick-start guide. 

Spreading the word: Vegans themselves will admit they may talk about it too much, but this Guardian article makes the case that: Why shouldn’t they? Eating more plants and vegetables is good for your health, and eating less meat is good for the planet. And even being a “part-time vegan,” by following a less strict flexitarian diet, has multiple health benefits. Mark Bittman claims he lost 20 pounds in three months by being “vegan before 6:00.”

Make it easy: This 101 from Happy Cow: The Veggie Blog outlines 10 reasons why you need to eat more plant proteins, but they also have a app that finds vegetarian and vegan restaurants in your area. Very cool. We also love the Vegans, Baby destinations guide, which will take you to vegan destinations from the Jersey Shore all the way to Bangkok. Finally, Sweet Potato Soul shows us how to do a vegan shop for $35/week in NYC.

Eat this, not that: If you’re ready to experiment, here are eight easy vegan swaps, which include something we’d never heard of: Aquafaba, which is the liquid in chickpeas that can be made into a whipped cream substitute. Meatless MacGyver!

Try this: consider your favorite non-vegan "essential" then ask a vegan friend to direct you to their favorite vegan swap—and just try it! We said we’d never go near vegan cheese, but our mind was forever changed after trying Two Boots’ Pizza vegan offerings with non-dairy cheese.

Forgo the meat family pack on the next trip to Costco; behold, 20 vegan products at Costco the experts at VegNews are stocking up on. What we learned: Hummus Pods should be on your next passed hors d’oeuvres menu, almond-based dips are a thing, and Hippeas chickpea puffs are “taking the world by storm.”

And if you want to waste some time catching up on vegan memes, Bored Panda has compiled the best of the best for your scrolling pleasure.

DRINK THIS

The best, and some surprising, post-workout drinks

Image by: RSP Nutrition

By: Mona S. Cabrera, MS RD

TheSkinny: We strive to bring easy-to-digest, expert vetted advice to our readers, so we were beyond excited to hear that Mona S. Cabrera, MS, RD, wanted to submit a guest post. Thanks, Mona! You can follow her @healthycrush101 for daily tips and inspiration in your feed, such as: how to overcome fear and actually enjoy your next BBQ party.

So, you just came out of a sweaty, butt-kicking workout and aren’t sure what to eat or drink: so you just grab water to rehydrate, right?. Although water is good for hydration (that’s no secret) the below recommended post-workout drinks will help with your recovery time plus provide hydration.

First off, when to hydrate: The two-hour post workout window is the optimal time to replenish your energy with carbohydrates—and repair/help build the muscle fibers that were broken down using protein.

• While Gatorade, or similar sports drinks, are popular—and effective due to their ability to provide hydration, energy and electrolytes—but I prefer athletes to make their own. Gatorade is high in added sugars, artificial colors and flavorings, and these ingredients can lead to gastrointestinal distress, bloating, and headaches.

• Chocolate milk is an excellent post workout drink as it is rich in vitamins and minerals such as  calcium and vitamin D, and it provides  protein and carbohydrates to replenish energy and rebuild muscles. Plus, it’s cheap and readily accessible—a win-win. Chocolate milk is preferable to regular milk due to its optimal post workout 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein, but if you’d prefer to skip the extra sugar, regular milk is also a solid choice.

• Orange juice is a great source of energy replenishment post workout and has more potassium than most sports drinks. For a quick recovery protein drink, combining OJ with protein powder will give you the one-two punch of carbohydrates and protein you need.

• Protein shakes are a fast, nutritious meal that can be used on the go or after a workout. One of my favorite whey protein powders is RSP Nutrition TrueFit protein powder. It contains 25g of grass-fed whey protein, a superfood blend of fruits and vegetables, prebiotic fiber, MCT oil, and probiotics, to fulfill complete nutrition needs. It also doesn’t have artificial ingredients. Drinking a protein shake mixed with fruit within 45 minutes after a workout is optimal for nourishing, repairing and building muscles. 

• Beet juice is an optimal post-workout drink (but also pre-workout, since it has been shown to improve exercise performance through increased nitrate plasma levels). Beets are a rich source of potassium, an electrolyte that needs to be replaced after exercising—because it’s lost through sweat—and they’re packed with vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and sodium...so drink up! A small research study showed that drinking beetroot juice increases plasma nitrate levels and boosts physical performance.

• Finally, water: Hydration needs are unique to every athlete, but here’s a calculation: For every 10 to 20 minutes of exercise, you should drink 7-10 ounces of water or a sports drink. You can estimate the volume of fluid your body requires to remain hydrated while exercising by weighing yourself before and after exercise. For each pound lost during activity, drink an additional 16 oz. of fluid post-workout.

PANTRY RAID

Chilled soup recipes from around the world

Image by: Damir Spanic on Unsplash

TheSkinny: We know that a steamy bowl of canned soup isn’t likely on your summer menu, but because soup cans are everyone’s pantry go-to…we couldn’t write this week’s Pantry Raid without referencing the news that Progresso is cutting 40 flavors (though, we couldn’t find a list of which ones). Remember those bare, coronavirus-at-its-peak grocery shelves with only a couple sad clusters of unsold varieties? Safe to assume those won’t be returning. And the ones in for the long pantry haul? See if you can make an educated guess by consulting this round-up of the best Progresso soups, or this ranking of popular canned soups—from worst to best.

But really, the story now is summer soup (aka “cold soup.”). This Food & Wine round-up features 27 soups (for hot days) from around the world, including: Smoky Salmorejo, Persian Yogurt Soup, Chilled Tomato Soup with Parsley-Olive Salsa, and Almost-Instant Chilled Borscht.

IT'S THE PITS

Expert reviewers swear by these new AHA deodorant serums

Image by: Billie on Unsplash

TheSkinny: If, like us, you thought an aluminium-free deodorant could never quite stand up to its counterparts, prepare to be surprised. Or even…shocked by the slew of raving beauty editor reviews for the latest Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) deodorants. And when two of our favorite beauty brands, Kosas and Nécessaire (we’d highly recommend the former for its groundbreaking tinted face oil, and the latter for “The Body Wash”) launched AHA deodorants—we were extra intrigued. The idea behind these launches is that the creators have drawn from skin care knowledge with the idea of “treating your body like your face.” And AHA is a common skin care ingredient, due in part to its ability to soften and refine skin.

Skin care gets technical fast, but the short story—per dermatologists—is: These acids work to lower your skin’s pH, which creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria. In short, they can stop odor-causing bacteria from forming in the first place.

Editors from Byrdie to Purewow and many others have personally tried and endorsed several of these products, saying they do in fact work (meaning: combat stink.) But it is important to note that they are not antiperspirants. Also importantly, most reviewers said they left no “white gunk,” on underarms or streaks on clothes, and no yellow stains on white shirts. We know, it seems too good to be true. Read the reviews yourself, here!

Finally, a hot tip: Even with NYC in the 80s/90s this week with a dew point inching up to past 70, we are still trying to walk as much as possible. However, with heat and friction comes…chafing and “fire thighs.” After talking to a couple friends, it seems that we are the only ones who didn’t know that a swipe of deodorant on your inner thighs is all you need for prevention. Others disagree, and The Strategist has laid out all the best options from bands to balms. But if you’re already chafed and are looking to treat mild, or more severe cases (we’re talking “bacterial colonization”), Allure’s advice from dermatologists will help return your thighs to their former chafe-free self.

OHM...THERE'S MORE

• Regular ice is so square. Incorporate fruits, veggies, herbs or tea into your cubes with this guide from Real Simple (and we can personally attest for the effectiveness of these ice trays).

• Aerosols, droplets, & fomites…oh my. With the continued discussion surrounding COVID-19 transmission, we appreciated this simple explanation of these three modes, courtesy of NPR’s Goats and Soda.

• For panting pups: People says that this water bottle will transform walks with your dog, thanks to its innovative way to keep them hydrated.

• This doctor's 60-second video with a hack to make your face mask fit better went viral on TikTok (we tried it!)

• From Wisconsin to Cuba: The drink “bartenders love to hate” is now a new La Croix seltzer flavor.