Author: Richard C. Trotter
There are only a few things that never go out of style. Sourdough is arguably one of them. Although the technique is hardly new—it dates as far back as 3700 BC—we’ve seen a rise (pun intended) in sourdough making over the last few years. But why? Perhaps it has to do with the powerful gut health potential of this humble ingredient. Sourdough, a naturally-leavened dough made with fermented flour and water (aka “starter”), is often considered a boon for gut health and a pillar for boosting longevity, due to its unique fermentation process. This is likely why you’ve seen the…
The main perk of being a beauty editor is—hands down—all the products I get to try. Over the years, I’ve found a few products that—without batting an eye—I’d stack up in my collection and be 100 percent stingy about. We’re talking ones I refuse to share with my mom, friends, or sister (sorry), and Hero Cosmetics pimple patches are one of them. I have acne-prone skin, and when you’re dealing with a breakout, you don’t want to gamble with a lotion or spot treatment that won’t work. These little patches have never let me down. Apply them to a clean…
You’re putting on your body lotion as part of your nightly skin-care routine and you notice a couple of little bumps on your arm. It’s also so itchy and red. You don’t think it’s your skin purging or reacting to the new products you’ve implemented (you did a patch test beforehand, which went well). You’ve narrowed it down to either hives or eczema, but how are you supposed to tell one from the other? Telling hives vs eczema apart can be tricky. Both are itchy skin conditions that stem from an immune system response. And they can look similar, too.…
Crunches, planks, mountain climbers, and repeat—if the doldrum of moves is making you dread ab day, it may be time to mix up your routine with more unique core exercises. Strengthening your core comes with plenty of real-world benefits (think good posture, balance and stability, and a healthy back, per Harvard Medical School), but the exercises to get to that point can admittedly be boring. One way to make your workout more fun is by trying something you haven’t done before. Variety tends to boost your workouts in general, largely due to the extra motivation it can provide. “Building a…
Imagine: You’re enjoying a little snack break and all of a sudden, you’re not biting down on your delish breakfast bar, but on the inside of your cheek. Ouch! It’s annoying enough when it happens once, but if it keeps happening (especially in the same exact spot) you may wonder, “why do I keep accidentally biting the inside of my cheek?” Turns out, repetitive cheek biting may not always be an accident; it could point to an underlying oral health issue you didn’t even know about. Whether it’s a tooth, jaw, or even psychological issue (did someone say stress?), constantly…
The worst moment of my life came at approximately 1:30 PM on July 10, 2023, when I realized my baby was dead. I was lying in the ultrasound room, holding my husband’s hand. We were staring at the large projector screen, showing the inside of my uterus. At our last appointment, we got to joyfully glimpse our little one (named Forrest) moving around, and hear the miraculous sound of her heartbeat. But that day, at 14 weeks pregnant, there was only silence. It was a type of silence that I had never experienced before—a type that made me feel like…
Your weekly horoscope for June 23-29, 2024 puts your relationships under the spotlight. Locking eyes with someone from across the room feels more fated than coincidence when Venus in Cancer clashes into the Nodes of Fate and Destiny on June 26. You might feel a strong, karmic pull to people who enter your life today or feel the urge to make a decision regarding an important relationship. Trust that the people who enter and exit your life around this time are meant to do so. On the same day, Mercury in Cancer mingles with Saturn in Pisces, inspiring a productive…
We hear it all the time: If you want muscle, you’ve got to eat protein. You may have even heard that the timing of your protein intake is everything—like if you aren’t drinking a protein shake immediately after your leg day workout, forget about your glute gains. But what if can’t get to your post-workout meal until an hour or more later? Is the anabolic window real? As a person who kinda sucks at immediately getting that post-workout protein, I need answers. I no sooner rack my weights and my kids are needing attention, I’ve got to shower, and maybe…
Summer has officially entered the chat, which can only mean one thing: Spritz season is here to stay (well, at least for the next three-ish months). As our collective social media pages flood with snippets of long-lost friends, relatives, and definitely influencers soaking up the sun on scenic Italian beaches with an Aperol spritz in hand, there’s no question we’re feeling some type of way: lots of FOMO. Because living vicariously will only get us so far, we figured it was high time we brought the spritz-making fun to us. Even though a little boozy drink almost always gets the…
Low-back pain during pregnancy is a pretty common complaint. And it’s no surprise: Your growing baby bump adds extra weight (that your back must support and shifts your center of gravity, screwing with your posture. But for some expectant birthing parents, the aches and pains also linger a little lower in the tailbone (read: in the rear). Your tailbone, or coccyx, sits right above your butt and behind your uterus—aka, your womb. It’s also connected to your pelvic floor muscles. When you’re pregnant, this area goes through a lot of changes (more on this later), making it a hot spot…