Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2022 i Women's Health

CARDIOLOGY Jennifer H. Mieres, MD Professor of cardiology, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; senior vice president, Center for Equity of Care, Northwell Health DERMATOLOGY Mona Gohara, MD Associate clinical professor, department of dermatology, Yale School of Medicine Ellen Marmur, MD Founder, Marmur Medical Joshua Zeichner, MD Director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City FERTILITY Sheeva Talebian, MD Fertility specialist and reproductive endocrinologist, CCRM New York FITNESS Ben Bruno, CFSC Certified functional strength coach and private trainer Betina Gozo, CFSC Certified functional strength coach; NASM corrective exercise specialist; Nike master trainer; creator of Women’s Health’s The Woman’s Guide to Strength Training Lauren Kanski, CPT NASM-certified personal trainer; functional strength and conditioning specialist; kettlebell skills specialist Sohee Lee, MS, CSCS Evidence-based fitness…

File this under: No problem a quick workout can’t solve. Exercising helps produce more natural tears and alleviates dry-eye symptoms, per new research from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. After a short treadmill run, study participants experienced a meaningful boost in tear quantity. The jog spurred the moisture boost, but any cardio sesh 15 minutes or longer will do, says study coauthor Heinz Otchere, a PhD candidate in vision science at the University of Waterloo. So do sweat it…the next time your peepers are parched.…

There are nearly 2,000 species of cacti, many of which are not only edible but very tasty. Nopales (a.k.a. prickly pears or cactus pears), with their consumable pads, have been central to Mexican identity for centuries. Legend has it the Aztecs chose to build their city where they witnessed an eagle sitting on a nopal. The sight inspired the city’s name, Tenochtitlan, which means “place of the nopal stone” and is now Mexico City. “Nopales, symbolically, represent resilience, as lifegiving plants that grow in the harshest climate,” says Regina Trillo, founder of Nemi Snacks, a company committed to making nopales easier to find and eat. (See “Prickly Plant Picks,” right.) That resilience is one reason the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization cited nopales as a promising crop amid climate change.…

1 Labels, Decoded The most burning Q (pun intended): Do makeup and moisturizer with SPF count as sunscreen? Answer: depends. The FDA regulates all products containing sunscreen, so first, look for an SPF value of 30 or higher (recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology). Next, scan the label for “broad spectrum,” meaning it protects against UVA and UVB light. Sweating or swimming? Make sure it’s water-resistant for some period of time, says Mona A. Gohara, MD, a WH advisor and an associate professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. 2 Application, Explained So, let’s say you have a foundation and a moisturizer, each with SPF 30. That number is assigned in the lab based on applying a certain amount of product per square centimeter of skin. In the…

GREAT VIBES I’ve woken up early my whole life. It comes from —sleeping past a certain hour was just not done in our house. Now, morning is my favorite time. I wake around 5 a.m. After a few seconds of gratitude, I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth while standing on a which has gentle spikes that hit pressure points meant to help circulation. I also scrape my tongue. (It’s an Ayurvedic practice to remove toxins.) Next, I go into my kitchen and make tea with coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds. If I can’t be bothered to deal with the seeds, I’ll pop in our , which has the same spices. I take the tea to my meditation area, where I practice for an hour and a half,…

1 Less Is More Fermenting an ingredient may mean that you need less of it to get the same, if not better, results than you would from its traditional counterpart. “If you ferment the plant’s extract [by adding bacteria or yeast and letting it work its magic], then you have more concentrated benefits,” says formulator Loretta Ciraldo, MD. 2 It’s Sensitive Skin–Friendly The ingredients also may become less irritating through the fermentation process, Ciraldo says. Certain one too harsh for you? The fermented version may be all clear. The reason for this is still TBD, but experts speculate that it could be because fermentation helps strengthen the skin barrier by supporting acidity levels. 3 Sustainability Matters Fermentation may offer a relatively “clean” and possibly more sustainable way of developing ingredients.…

“We don’t need to force ourselves to try and be perky or positive all the time. It’s okay to recognize that sometimes things are terrible; it’s all right to take a break and give yourself a moment to recover. For me, depending on my mood, that could mean meeting with friends to catch up, while at other times, it feels good to just light a candle and read a book. I’ve been trying to read more poetry as it’s a great way to unwind. I also turn my perspective around by—and it’s a little cheesy, but—thinking about that Mr. Rogers quote about looking for the helpers. If we look outward, there are always people trying to help; you just need to find them. I feel my most powerful when I’m…

1 SUPERNATURAL Detailed tutorials, four modalities (flow, box, stretch, meditate), current music, and a motivated community make these workouts great for newbies. ($9/month, getsupernatural.com, Meta Quest ½ compatible) 2 BODYCOMBAT If you’re familiar with the cult-fave Les Mills workout, you’ll love this boxing and power-focused sweat that works every part of the bod in a fun, effective way. ($30, oculus.com/experiences/quest, Quest 2 compatible) 3 AUDIO TRIP Crush targets to the beat of a hot soundtrack. Each song has a Cardio mode option for extra lunges, squats, and torso twists. ($20, kinemotik.com/audiotrip, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, Steam, and Viveport compatible)…

Take an extra tote to the market, because these colorful crops are *finally* in season. WH chatted with Yasi Ansari, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, about the benefits these beauts bring—from vitamins to major hydration—and we’re more psyched than ever to snack on ’em. Introducing summer’s superfruits.… 90% The water content of your average melon—watermelon tops the list (one serving has over half a cup), followed closely by cantaloupe. Source: USDA FoodData Central…

What Can I Pickle? Almost anything—seriously! Try stone fruit (like plums and apricots), jalapeños, cauliflower, cabbage, red onion, or blackberries. Just know that some produce, like green beans, change color as they sit. But don’t fret, they’re still totally fine to eat. What Are the Benefits? This method is easier than traditional canning techniques. With minimal effort, you can enjoy pickled products (the more nutrients you eat, the better) within a day—or even 15 minutes, if you can’t wait. What’s the Storage Situation? Fridge pickles will keep for two to four weeks, depending on what’s in your stash. Sturdier ones, like carrots, can last a little longer before the flavor gets funky. Keep softer produce, like asparagus, for only a week or so, or it may get soggy. SERVE ’EM…

The term self-healing gets thrown around a lot. There’s no shortage of posts on social media that encourage taking actions to proactively improve your mental health, but the real concept often gets misconstrued, with people thinking of it mainly as a way to fix what ails them on their own. In fact, it’s an actual technique that psych experts suggest for patients in therapy, and it refers to work that individuals can do in their everyday lives between sessions to develop healthier coping mechanisms, become better at processing hardships, and facilitate growth. When practiced on your own (whether you’re in therapy or not), self-healing refers to the day-today behaviors that improve wellbeing, says psychologist Alfiee M. Breland-Noble, PhD, founder of The AAKOMA Project. Think: mantras and meditation. The exact shape…

The ocean freaks me out. Growing up in landlocked Iowa, I never learned to swim against a tide, and the sea’s sheer size and ominous depth makes me uncomfortable. That fear of open water rushed into my mind when I received an invite to a retreat with Swell-Women, a female-led learn-to-surf program, in Punta de Mita, Mexico. I’d wanted to try the sport, though, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get confident in the waves (a literal and figurative sink-or-swim moment!). After some trials and wipeouts—and brutal saltwater sinus flushing—I learned to pop up and was riding waves as big as me by the end of the three-day experience. What struck me about the activity wasn’t the physicality, though—it was the faith I had to muster. Unlike, say,…

PUSH You push in the real world more than you think, using this chest-dominant gesture to close drawers, doors, and cabinets, Fabroni says—or to press a barbell. You’re also pushing when you take the kiddos out in the stroller. WHAT IT WORKS chest, shoulders, triceps MUST-DO MOVES shoulder tap to pushup, dumbbell chest press, lateral raise, shoulder press, chest fly PULL Spend a ton of time on a phone? (Guilty!) “Add pull exercises to combat that forward tendency,” Fabroni says. Yogis, take note: Counteract those yogic pushups and reduce the chance of shoulder injury with pull movements. WHAT IT WORKS back, biceps, forearms MUST-DO MOVES bent-over row, pullup, chinup HINGE To build hip strength and overall explosiveness, or to grow those glutes, you want to improve your hinge pattern, Fabroni…

Both are awesome, but on my last trip to my in-laws’ home by the beach, I traded my lounge chair for a morning tennis clinic with a crew of players. Running around the court, it felt as if rust were chipping off my arms and legs and falling onto the clay. My lungs were searing, my calves tightening, and my stomach knotting with frustration as I hit ball after ball into the net. Ten minutes in, with sweat dripping, I was faced with a choice: Take it down a notch and just go through the motions…or give it my all despite how clunky I felt. You know where this is going! I took a deep breath and decided to go for it. As the lesson continued, some alchemy happened under…

YES, saying your favorite four-letter word during your workout can help make you stronger and improve ouch tolerance (really), according to multiple studies conducted by Richard Stephens, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Keele University in the U.K. In one, participants performed significantly better on a hand grip exercise and chair pushup (relatively short, intense physical tasks) after letting loose, shall we say. What’s fueling the expletive-exercise connection? “Swearing lets you throw off inhibitions and just go for it a bit more, be a little less restrained,” says lead study author Stephens. Pretty good case for going for that PR with no holds barred!…

FIZZ FAVE Prickly pear extract adds a fresh twist to this bubbly bev. Aura Bora Cactus Rose Herbal Sparkling Water, $30 for 12, aurabora.com BOLD BROTH Like it spicy? Sip a cup of this bone broth flavored with habanero, cilantro, and nopales. Fond Nopalito Bone Broth, $38 for 4-pack, fondbonebroth.com COOL CRUNCH Snag a sweet bite, plus a dose of fiber and protein, with these crunchy baked sticks. Nemi Snacks Churro Cinnamon Cactus Sticks, $20 for 6-pack, neminative.com…

Clean = better, right? Well, turns out the trendy “clean” vino that celebs sip on IG won’t do you any more favors than the regular stuff, says gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal, MD, an assistant professor at Touro College. Clean wine is made from organic grapes with no added sugars or preservatives. But that doesn’t mean your go-to bottle isn’t technically clean too (just sans callout). As for the claim that the clean one will spare you a headache, that has more to do with marketing than solid science, says Dr. Sonpal. Some hangovers are caused by sensitivity to tannins (what makes wine bitter) and sulfur compounds, but usually they’re due to excessive consumption. Whenever you drink wine, “clean” or otherwise, your heart, blood pressure, and liver react the same way, because…

These days, it feels as if you can’t swing a reusable tote without hitting a bottle of kombucha, yogurt, or some other fermented food. While they’ve been around for centuries—Koreans started brining veggies at least 2,000 years ago—fermented eats experienced something of a renaissance over the past decade thanks to research establishing their effect on the gut microbiome (which plays a role in supporting sleep, minimizing inflammation, and more). Well, the trend is expanding to your beauty shelf…although some ingredients, such as lactic and hyaluronic acids, have been produced via fermentation for years. More companies are fermenting products with ingredients such as peptides and mushrooms. The payoff? Skin benefits, like stronger potency with less irritation. We’ve got deets on this cool approach. WHAT IS IT? Fermentation is simple…once you understand…

While the evidence is evolving, fermented red ginseng was found to be both less irritating and more effective than its nonfermented versions, according to one study in Journal of Medicinal Food. Also, various plant extracts, when fermented, may possibly even have a protective effect against sun damage (later, UV rays!), other research has found. Keep in mind, though, it’s quite hard to definitively say that the amped-up effects of one fermented ingredient discovered in a given study can apply to all ingredients, says Dr. Bowe. But many of the ingredients in the products we gathered for you (see options in “Starter Pack,” page 26), like vitamin C, have proven benefits whether they’re fermented or not. Sooooo, bring on the bacteria!…

1. Strong Strands “When you want the strengthening benefits of rice water, grab this bottle. After just one use, it moisturized my dry hair and gave it body for days.” —Danielle Jackson, beauty editor Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Rice Water Protein + Moisture Treatment, $42, sephora.com 2. Eye Candy “The liquid shadow goes on in a swipe, dries in seconds, and can be built up depending on how much drama you prefer.” —Chelsea Traber Burns, beauty contributor Kosas 10-Second Eye Gel Watercolor Eyeshadow, $15, sephora.com 3. Dirt Dissolver “No product has ever dissolved my makeup quite as easily and cleanly as this. It melts the foundation or highlighter or what have you…yet doesn’t leave an oily film on my face afterward. Absolutely amazing!” —DJ Keys Soulcare Nourishing Cleansing Balm, $30, ulta.com 4. Screen…

WHY WE LOVE IT: A standard reverse lunge, which works your quads and glutes while building stability, is unilateral (read: single-sided). Now, let’s add a plot twist. By rotating your torso during the lunge, you’ll recruit more of your core to maintain balance, as well as the hip abductors, which become shortened from sitting, says Kehinde Anjorin, CFSC, founder of Power In Movement. Try this versatile favorite. STEP 1 STAND with feet hip-width apart, arms extended forward at chest height, hands pressed together. STEP 2 ENGAGE your core, then step back with right leg into a lunge. Keep your chest upright. STEP 3 TWIST torso toward the left, keeping arms extended, glutes and quads firing, and chest and spine tall. Pause here. STEP 4 REVERSE the movement to return to…

Tanya Fields was exhausted. Exhausted with the pollution, lack of access to healthy food, and unequal housing opportunities plaguing her South Bronx neighborhood—all effects of systemic oppression. She devoted years as an environmental organizer fighting to improve air quality in her area, but she was hungry for more change. So, in 2009, she founded the Black Feminist Project. The organization aims to uplift Black women and mothers in her community through reproductive and maternal health workshops, financial literacy education, and food programs. The last part—food—is key to making the rest of the education and services that much more powerful. Case in point: One talk series, Sis, Do You!, invites experts and thought leaders to host workshops on a range of topics, all of which are tackled over a meal (and…

Ask Rebecca Niziol, 34, about life before Lyme, and she remembers bounding around with infinite energy. A life coach and yoga instructor, she packed her schedule with hikes, Pilates workouts, client calls, meetups with friends, and weekend getaways. Then, in July 2020, she felt something change. It started with neck pain and headaches. At first, she brushed them off as side effects of sitting in a car for hours on a road trip from Chicago to Colorado to visit family. Over the next few weeks, though, she continued to develop flu-like symptoms. It was the early months of the pandemic, so her immediate thought was COVID. But tests kept coming back negative. She couldn’t practice yoga for a month. “I was in bed 20 hours a day,” she says. Her…

I Apply the Love Languages Concept to Myself “I’ve been working on becoming less reactive when stressed. Breathing exercises are a big part of how I learned to regulate my emotions. Breathwork brings me backto the present moment and allows the sensation to move through me rather-than become part of me, especially when I’m triggered or overstimulated by my environment. We are our best teachers, and these tools have helped me learn so much about my life and what sparks joy for me.” —LAUREN RZEPPA, 32, VENICE, CALIFORNIA I Breathe Intentionally “I got out of a toxic relationship in 2018 and was struggling with depression and burnout. I agreed to go backpacking with a friend. The 10-mile trip was hard, but as we got further down the trail, the noise…

REAL TALK: THERE ISN’T ONE SINGLE MEANING OF THE TERM. It’s an ever-evolving concept that’s constantly updated, for better and for worse. “Self-care” as a cultural phenomenon was first introduced by feminist author Audre Lorde in her 1988 essay collection, A Burst of Light, says Omolara Thomas Uwemedimo, MD, MPH, an assistant professor at Northwell Health in New York. “For her, a Black, queer woman, self-care was about self-preservation. It was about being able to see your identity outside of the white gaze and come back to yourself. It wasn’t something nice to do, but something that kept you alive.” Since then, self-care has been appropriated by marketing whizzes eager to sell an idealized version—and the overpriced candles that come with it. But now, finally, we’re starting to come full…

The reality of COVID hit home for my family nine months into the pandemic. My husband lost his job, my kids were out of school, and I was working all hours to get my start-up off the ground. Every time I drove on the highway, I experienced a mini panic attack: tightness in my chest, difficulty breathing, wondering if I was going to pass out at 70 mph. That’s how, in April 2021, we found ourselves packing up our New Jersey home to make a massive transition to the U.K. Even though my husband and I are both British citizens, we’d built our entire adult lives and family of five in the United States. I was terrified, to say the least. The first three months in the U.K. were dominated…

When actress Karen Gillan considers a new movie or TV role, she starts by taking an academic-style deep dive into the character’s psyche. (Who are they? What motivates them? What hurt have they experienced?) Then she asks herself this question: Do I want to know what it’s like to carry that pain? If the answer is yes, she’ll sign on to the project. If it’s no, she’ll pass. That admirable curiosity about other people’s lived experiences is what led her to arguably her best-known part to date: Guardians of the Galaxy’s tortured bionic antihero Nebula (a role she reprises in this summer’s Thor: Love and Thunder). “My favorite thing about playing Nebula is exploring what it feels like to be the scapegoated sibling within a toxic family dynamic,” says the…

When you think of wellness retreats, you may conjure up images of unlimited green juice and 24/7 yoga. Those are fine, but a collective yearning for deeper connection is leading to a shift in vacation offerings, according to travel industry expert Leah Howe, chief experience officer at Dharma, a company that works with brands and individuals to create experiences. “Superficial relationships have fallen by the wayside, which made us understand the importance of being present in key ones—say, repairing a relationship with a sibling or finding common ground with a friend after disharmony,” Howe says. Many people also crave a new kind of me-time that allows for authentic self-reflection. (And yes, sometimes tears are involved.) Organized retreats are an ideal way to do any and all of the above. The…

So you’re stoked to travel again, but you also want to be aware of your environmental footprint and your carbon impact. Right on. Exploring the globe (or even just new parts of your state) is an enlightening experience. But as you map everything out, you’ll want to keep a few guidelines in mind: Pick Wisely It’s often more convenient to fly to your destination, but, no surprise here, planes emit large amounts of carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. So if possible, choose spots you can reach by train or car, says Laura Young, an environmental scientist and educator (@LessWasteLaura). Both take a smaller toll on the environment. Must fly? Book a nonstop ticket instead of one with layovers—most emissions occur at takeoff and landing. Pack Strategically…

I Netted a Marathon PR in Headwinds “I shared an Airbnb with friends to run the Go One More Marathon in Austin. My mission was to trust my training, remain calm, and find comfort in the discomfort. The last six miles of the race, I faced a headwind into an uphill climb for the second time on the out-and-back course. I remember climbing to the finish line and seeing the waiting faces. I cut five minutes from my PR to finish in 3:19:24.” —CASEY CLINE I Paddled Home Standing Tall “When our SUP guides offered to tow us upwind to paddle back to shore, I couldn’t resist. I ended up in the water again and again, but every time I climbed back up on the board, took a few breaths,…

+ LATERAL Side-to-side patterns work muscles that supply more power and control. “Don’t stick to forward and backward exercises,” Fabroni says. WHAT IT WORKS Lateral moves hit an impressive variety of muscles along the side body, Fabroni says, including the glutes and adductors (inner thighs). MUST-DO MOVES lateral lunge, curtsy lunge, skater + CARRY Grip strength is often overlooked in training plans. But a weak grip can keep you from PRs like a heavier deadlift or that third pullup. Enter: carry patterns to reinforce palm and forearm power. WHAT IT WORKS grip, core strength MUST-DO MOVES classic farmer’s carry, overhead and single-arm variations…

Q: WHY AREN’T THERE ANY CLASSIC ABS MOVES IN THIS PLAN? We love a fiery core blaster. But with a plan like this, not necessary. “You’re using your core in every single one of the movements,” Gargano says. If you want to do more abs-focused work, go for it! Just know if you’re hitting the movement patterns here, you’re already doing plenty (and more) for your abs…and the rest of your body. The same reasoning goes for, say, biceps curls or other arm-specific moves. WHY TIME, NOT REPS? Focusing on the clock allows you to worry less about how many reps you’re completing and instead home in on the form and feel of the movement, Gargano says. HOW MUCH DOES THE ORDER OF THE MOVEMENT PATTERNS REALLY MATTER? You can…

Moisture Boost Just 10 ingredients—including glutamic acid—share the spotlight in this creamy conditioner that hydrates thirsty locks. It also has just the right amount of coconut and vanilla fragrance to make your shower minutes feel (almost) like a tropical escape. 1. Native Conditioner, $9, target.com Heavy Hold The superstrong gel keeps hair in place while preserving softness in your curls. Even better? It’s humidity-proof. See ya never, frizz! 2. Trepadora Curl Therapy Bamboo Ginseng Glaze, $41, trepadora.com Mane Magic The key to achieving your best style: Apply this gel in the shower while your hair is still soaking wet. “It retains the water in my hair that’s left after rinsing conditioner,” Ollarvia says. 3. Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic Curl Stimulator, $25, unclefunkysdaughter.com Fun Foam With a watery texture that practically melts into…

How big of a deal is Funny Girl tap choreographer Ayodele Casel in the dance world? Let’s just say she has her own U.S. postage stamp. (And yes, she’s used it!) Her star status is all the more impressive considering Ayodele didn’t take her first dance class until college. (She was introduced to Ginger Rogers’s work in high school and became “obsessed,” tapdancing sans actual tap shoes in her bedroom.) But Ayodele’s go-go-go mentality got a reality check in 2021, when she smashed her left knee into a cabinet. She pushed through the pain—until her knee gave out and she was diagnosed with deep fissures in her cartilage. Nowadays, Ayodele has learned to slow down, incorporating warm-ups and recovery practices into her routine. “The things that seem like luxuries are…

You know that urge to turn on your headphones and zone out after a stressful sitch? Turns out, your instincts are in tune with the latest science. After participants listened to 24 minutes of instrumental music infused with nature sounds and binaural beats, those who were moderately anxious experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety, researchers found. FYI: Binaural beats are composed of two tones, one played in each ear when you’re wearing headphones. In response to these sounds, your brain creates an illusory tone—one you only think you’re hearing—that is actually the difference between the two tones. Assembling a playlist of your fave hits is always a feel-good option, but what really nets the calming perks are binaural beat–filled tracks, which induce a sense of peace, says study author…

CURIOUS ABOUT THOSE BEEFED-UP RESISTANCE BANDS you’ve seen people rocking in the gym? Meet your new workout buddy: blood flow restriction (BFR) cuffs (not resistance bands at all!). Used for what’s known as BFR training, these pressurized cuffs are placed around the top of your limbs to limit blood flow to the areas you’re training (like hamstrings, quads, and biceps), making your muscles work harder with less weight. BFR cuffs are an excellent tool if you’re recovering from an injury or need lower-intensity workouts, says Phillip Higgins, DPT, director of physical therapy at Bespoke Treatments in Seattle. BUT YOU CAN TEST BFR SIMPLY TO MIX UP YOUR ROUTINE—and snag the same muscle growth and strength gains without throwing around major weight, research shows. If you have a heart condition, cancer, or…

The transportation sector is the nation’s largest contributor of greenhouse gases, according to the EPA. And! It’s a huge source of smog and soot, says Athena Motavvef, a legislative representative at Earthjustice. If the U.S. shifted to 100 percent zero-emission passenger vehicles by 2035 and medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2040, up to 110,000 premature deaths would be prevented, per the American Lung Association. Not only that, but children ages 6 to 18 would experience more than 2.7 million fewer asthma attacks (major plus for parents!). Electric vehicles don’t just offer a breath of fresh air—literally—they save you money long-term. Let’s check under the electrified hood: It’s a Whole New World Manufacturing costs for EVs’ lithium-ion battery have fallen, curbing the sticker price. And with fewer moving parts, electric is…

Why do you feel it’s so important to love your hair? JG: Hair is one of the first things people see and it represents you as a person. How you care about your hair showcases who you are, so love and appreciate it! What are the most important steps to healthy, gorgeous hair? JG: The mindset of love and being yourself are key, then using high-quality products that nourish hair. I love OGX products for my long, curly hair, but they’re incredible on every hair texture and type. What OGX products can help keep an amazing hairstyle all day? JG: If you have a curly hair, I would recommend OGX Locking + Coconut Curls Decadent Creamy Mousse. Squeeze it onto your hands, scrunch into the hair, and let it air-dry.…

1 Perfect Prepper Amala Rehydrating Toning Essence ($78, amalabeauty.com) balances skin and promotes better overall ingredient absorption with fermented cocoa fruit. 2 Powerful Protector Kinship Self Reflect Sport SPF 60 ($28, ulta.com) is souped up with fermented acerola cherry and rich with vitamin C to supplement the SPF’s potency. 3 Brightness Booster HoliFrog Kosi Multi-Acid Mask ($58, holifrog.com) contains fermented seaweed and glucosamine to calm and brighten skin as it exfoliates. 4 Super Soother Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion ($38, origins.com) quells irritation with fermented chaga and other fungi. 5 Instant Hydrator Ferver Fermented Hyaluronic Acid Serum ($19, target.com) is on a meaningful mission to plump and hydrate skin with hyaluronic acid.…

The high-tempo music comes on while a trainer tells me to get ready. I hop into a boxing stance and take in the grassy park under my feet and the bright blue skyline above me. Colorful targets zoom in my direction. I squat, bob, and throw jabs, causing the targets to burst into beams of light, earning me points. Thirty minutes later, sweaty and satisfied, I remove my headset—and the world dissolves back into my quiet living room. I almost forgot I was there. Hooked on a Feeling That scene is a taste of what it’s like to work out using a virtual reality (VR) headset. It all started for me after I received a headset last year and got into dance workouts via the FitXR platform. It was pure…

If I had a nickel for every time someone commented on my Oura ring, I’d have, well, a lot of nickels. Half are inquiries about whether the health data capabilities live up to the buzz—while the others are expressions of shock that the pretty little accessory is a tracker at all! The most recent make (Gen 3) of the lightweight wearable monitors your heart rate, body temp, metabolic burn, and sleep 24/7. Based on all this data, you receive (via an app) daily “readiness,” activity, and sleep scores. The end game? To paint a picture of your daily workout intensity, your sleep situation (hopefully it’s sound, to help your muscles rejuvenate!), and more. The Oura’s ultimate goal is to assist you in creating the ideal harmony of activity and rest…

Smoky Fish With Charred Corn Salad TOTAL: 20 MIN. SERVES: 4 4 ears corn, shucked2 limes, halved4 6-oz skinless fillets firm white fish (halibut, striped bass, tilapia)1 ½ tsp olive oil½ tsp smoked paprika Kosher salt and pepper⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped¼ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped1 oz Manchego cheese, finely grated 1. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill corn, turning occasionally, and lime halves, cut-side down, until lightly charred, 1 to 2 min. for limes and 6 to 8 min. for corn. 2. Squeeze half charred lime over fish and drizzle with oil, then season with paprika and ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Grill until opaque throughout, about 3 min. per side. 3. Cut corn from cob and toss in bowl with juice of 2 lime halves, then…

You’re likely familiar with the feeling of rushing to unbutton your pants after a big dinner or at the end of a long day of period puffiness. Bloating—a pretty universal conundrum, let’s be real—is why anti-bloat supplements from brands like HUM, Arrae, and The Nue Co. entered the wellness ring. While the ingredients vary from product to product, these oral supps are generally packed with a blend of digestive enzymes and herbal ingredients (dandelion root, ginger, to name a couple) that are said to aid digestion and promote a healthy gut and, in turn, reduce the swell. Sounds attractive, but can they really deliver on the promises? What experts say about these offerings… They can nix painful gas and bloating. TRUE! Your gut is like a long hose lined with…

Recently, my 2½-year-old asked me if I was okay. I was (though that particular day had been…a day), so I told her as much. Then she asked me if I wanted a hug. It was sweet, but it was also an example of her budding understanding of something far more important: consent. As adults, we rarely need to ask for permission—we can go where we want, when we want, and with whom we want. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that consent is often thought of as a one-and-done conversation solely about sex. Maybe you talked about it with past partners, or maybe it’s come up on occasion, but you don’t think of it as that big a deal (and you wouldn’t be alone—research finds people are less likely to ask…

“We live in a society where stress is always considered a negative, but you show me one person who has changed their life, who has impacted the world in a positive way, who has done something extraordinary… and lived completely stress-free. A life with friction is a life of growth. From a physiological standpoint, the body thrives under resistance. It needs grit. Think about this in terms of muscle, which needs tension to grow. Or a parked car: When it’s parked with the engine running, yet doesn’t go anywhere, the battery dies. (Failure to put it in motion means eventually it won’t start due to lack of input—like a car, humans are designed to drive.) Without stress, we atrophy. I’ve been seeing patients for 15 years, and the ones who…

After more than two years of a pandemic and unprecedented rates of burnout, just thinking about a vacation can nourish your body and mind. But the thing is: Actually taking that trip is very much encouraged now too. Because travel isn’t just a getaway for getaway’s sake anymore. We’re exploring again for all the right reasons—and each motive has the power to be truly transformational. It’s time to change your life with a trip, starting with the inspiration to get going, plus tons o’ recommendations and revelations to guide you along the way. FIND YOUR WHY TO GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOURSELF (OR YOUR PARTNER) TO CHASE THAT FEELING OF AWE TO LEAVE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LEVEL UP YOUR FITNESS PERFORMANCE…

If anything, I was mildly embarrassed that, at 40, I’d never gone rock climbing outside. This may explain why I jumped at the chance to scale some boulders at the aptly named Boulders Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, when I attended a conference there last year. It was high time to check this particular box. “You’re going to feel like there’s nowhere to grip. You’re going to want to claw at the wall, but you just need to find the next spot. It’ll get easier after that,” my seasoned guide, Rico, told me. That all sounded fine while I stood rooted to the earth. It was a different story once I was harnessed in, and attempts to scale the boulder proved fruitless. Drenched in sweat and cursing, I felt…