How to Cook Better at Home, According to James Beard Winning Chef J. Kenji López-Alt

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Few people have taught more home cooks how to make dinner with confidence than J. Kenji López Alt.The James Beard Award winning chef, bestselling author, and food science enthusiast has spent years helping people cook smarter, stress less, and have a little more fun in the kitchen.

We caught up with Kenji to talk about the habits that make someone a better home cook, the kitchen tools he can't live without, and why making mistakes might actually be the secret ingredient to getting better in the kitchen.

In Conversation with Kenji

You’ve spent years teaching people how to cook better at home. What are the simple techniques you think instantly make someone a better home cook? More than any specific technique, I think the best way to become a better cook is to realize that cooking is a lifelong skill that you’ll continue to refine and get better at, while making plenty of mistakes along the way. I make mistakes at home, especially when I’m trying out a new idea, but the great thing about mistakes you make in the kitchen is that you get another chance to learn from that mistake, refine your process, and make it better the next time around. I think if you can find joy in that process, you’ve started down a successful path towards more joyful cooking.

If someone wants to become a better home cook this year, what are the first three things you’d recommend focusing on? First, try and go deep on a single subject that fascinates you. It could be a specific dish and all its variations, or a cuisine, or a culture. Just read, learn about the cuisine or the dish, then start cooking and get really good at that thing.

From there, you can start to draw connections between techniques or flavors you used in that dish and how they may be analogous to something in a new dish you’re trying to learn. Finding these connections and figuring out where skills or concepts can overlap goes a really long way to making me feel more comfortable and fluid in the kitchen.

Speaking of fluid in the kitchen, the last thing I’d recommend is to focus on your kitchen itself. Do you move through it in a way that feels natural? Do you find yourself getting frustrated by the placement of various tools? Do you find joy and pleasure using the tools that you own? Is your kitchen a calming or a frantic space?

I think really taking some time to make sure your kitchen feels comfortable and suited for your specific needs can make cooking so much more joyful and calming. If you make the kitchen into a place you want to be, you’ll naturally spend more time there.

What are the kitchen tools you genuinely think are worth owning and using regularly? Well aside from the obvious great knife and cutting board, I have a few things I can’t do without.

A bench scraper. Such a simple and useful tool. I use it for moving things around my cutting board, or for picking up a big pile of diced onions, or to clear a space to work, or to scrape my griddle clean, or to divide dough. I use OXO’s bench scraper, which also has a built-in ruler along the blade which has come in handy at times I least expected.

What spices or seasonings do you think every home cook should own? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for this. The only ones that I’d say are essential are salt (I use kosher salt for cooking and various chunky sea salts for finishing), and maaaaaybe MSG. Sugar, if you count it. But for everything else, it really depends on what you’re into and what kind of cuisines you want to explore.

In my pantry, the most commonly used spices are cumin, various chilies, star anise, black and white pepper, sichuan peppercorns, fennel, sumac, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Can you guess what kinds of foods I like to cook at home based on that list?

The most important thing is that unless you’re going to go through a batch within 6 months or so, it is virtually always better to buy whole spices and grind them just before use. It’s a night and day difference in flavor.

What are your best tips for making vegetables taste genuinely exciting at home? Get good vegetables! I know that it’s not always practical to shop locally at a farmstand or farmer’s market, but as much as you are able to, eat vegetables that are seasonal and local to you. Part of it is that they’ll simply taste better. But I also find that by cooking that way, we really mark the seasons and have the next thing to look forward to. I love that I’d rather eat incredible asparagus for two months of the year than mediocre asparagus year-round.

You recently collaborated with Our Place on a collection and designed their rice cooker. You’ve described this as the “grain cooker” you always wanted but couldn’t find. What specifically felt missing from most rice cookers on the market? It’s not so much that there was anything missing from other cookers, but what I really wanted was just the right balance of all the features I look for in a grain cooker, with an aesthetic that fits my kitchen. Having a fuzzy logic chip that dynamically adjusts cooking temperature results in perfectly cooked rice every time. I wanted a cooker that has tactile buttons and a simple interface. I wanted a cooker that was exactly the right size for my family (and we did the market research to find that it’s the right size for most families). I wanted a cooker that could keep my rice (and other foods) safely warm for a full day so it’s hot and ready when we’re ready to eat. I wanted a rice cooker that is easy to clean with no forever chemicals. I also wanted something aesthetically pleasing. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, and I like it to look nice while I work.

SHOP THE OUR PLACE RICE COOKER HERE

For a lot of Asian families, rice cookers have always just been part of everyday life, while many American households are only now starting to embrace them more. Why do you think people are finally catching on? Once you get in the habit of using a rice cooker and start noticing its convenience, it’s just a natural tool for anyone who regularly cooks rice or grains. I’m sure a lot of rice’s current popularity has to do with better understanding of Celiac and gluten intolerances. It only makes sense that as more folks eat rice at home, more folks will want a rice cooker.

You prioritized a ceramic nonstick inner pot made without PFAS and other forever chemicals. Why do you think it’s important for people to pay closer attention to the materials their food comes into contact with every day? People think a lot about ingredients, but cookware is part of the cooking environment too. I’m not interested in fearmongering, but if we can make products that perform well while avoiding materials people have concerns about, that feels like the right direction to head. Good cooking tools should inspire confidence and be pleasant to use every day.

You included fuzzy logic technology in the cooker, which sounds very technical, but what does that actually change for someone using it at home? Fuzzy logic basically lets the cooker behave more like a good cook than a simple on/off machine. Instead of blasting heat until the water is gone, it continuously adjusts temperature throughout the cooking process. That means more evenly cooked rice, better texture, and more consistency with no extra effort from the user.

What are some of your favorite things to make in the Our Place rice cooker besides rice? I recently made a caramel apple bread pudding that was excellent. I cooked diced apples with butter, brown sugar, and a few spices directly in the cooker until they were lightly caramelized, then topped them with stale croissant chunks soaked in a rich custard. I cooked the whole thing for 30 minutes, then let it stay warm until dinnertime. It was the most tender bread pudding I’d ever made. SHOP THE OUR PLACE RICE COOKER HERE

What’s one cooking shortcut you fully support and use yourself all the time? Ordering in an emergency pizza.

What’s your personal definition of “good” home cooking now? Good home cooking is cooking that fits into your real life and brings people joy. Sometimes that’s an elaborate weekend project, and sometimes it’s rice, eggs, and leftovers eaten at the kitchen counter. If it nourishes people and makes your life and their lives better, it counts.

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Living Well With Pamela Anderson, International Icon, Activist, and Founder of Sonsie

“I’m a combination of everything.”

That’s how Pamela Anderson describes herself now, and it feels like the most natural way to understand where she is today.

After decades of evolving through different versions of beauty and self-expression, she’s arrived at something more open. Less about defining herself, more about allowing things to shift. There’s a confidence in that. The freedom to choose how she shows up each day, without overthinking it. “Less is more,” she says, and it feels like something she’s truly grown into.

What shapes her life now is simple, but intentional. Reading real books. Writing by hand. Music on a record player. Time spent outside, in her garden or by the ocean, barefoot when she can be. These are the things she returns to. Not for show, but because they ground her.

That same sensibility carries into Sonsie, her skincare line. Created for sensitive skin and kept deliberately minimal, it’s a small, cohesive range designed to work together, without excess or complication. It reflects how she approaches beauty now. Personal, considered, and rooted in what works.

In this Living Well conversation, she reflects on what’s stayed with her, what she’s let go of, and what she’s still working toward.

Living Well with Pamela Anderson

Your relationship with beauty has evolved so much over the years. What feels most true to you about beauty now that maybe didn’t before? Less is more, as we get older. I’ve played a lot with makeup and hairstyles over the years, so I don’t feel like I have to keep up appearances. I am a combination of everything. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m free to choose how I present myself to the world. Every day is a new beginning.

You’ve experienced so many different worlds, from Hollywood to activism to motherhood. What has each chapter taught you about taking care of yourself? Motherhood is profound and inspirational. It is the most important job in the world. It’s a form of activism, and a lot of my creative work stems from love and parenting. It’s poetic. There is no perfect way to do it. Like anything artistic, it is subjective.

Are there any small, non-negotiable rituals that keep you feeling grounded, no matter where you are in the world? I read real books. I love first editions and the classics. I listen to music on my record player. I write by hand in my journals. I light candles, pray, and set intentions for the day.

I love my garden and the ocean. If I’m home on my veggie and flower farm, my bare feet are in one or both.

How has your skincare philosophy changed over time? I actually use skincare now, and my skin has never looked better. I have sensitive skin, so I created a self-soothing line of skincare called Sonsie. I feel it has caught on, young and old. There seems to be a huge demographic.

Your brand, Sonsie, is rooted in simplicity and transparency. What were you personally missing in the beauty space that made you want to create it? Authenticity is key. I know people know I walk my talk, I do my best. I’m no saint and don’t pretend to be. I apply what I learn to my life, and self-care has been a moving target.

But the messaging, and most importantly the ingredients, are pure, natural, and sustainable. It’s been an awakening to be on this journey. I realize that we have been played. We are in control of our beings. Our insecurities can’t run the show or be exploited.

We encourage healthy choices but don’t judge. We are human, and that’s part of the fun of life. Making mistakes, learning from them, and nourishing our souls as well as our skin. Not all have the luxury to be progressive. It’s aspirational. It’s where I’m at.

Sonsie is “plastic negative,” which is still rare in beauty. Why was that important for you to prioritize from the start? Sustainability is almost impossible when anything is made, sold, or purchased. But we have a good product that works, and we are devoted to doing our best. My red lines are cruelty-free and not contributing to madness or misery.

If someone is discovering Sonsie for the first time, where should they start? The cleanser is so good. It leaves you feeling soft and moisturized, even without another product. Lip balm is easy, it stays, and it’s full of peptides. It’s not sticky, which I hate. I am not a sticky, glossy girl.

I had tricks to highlight my lips back in the day, a little dry frost on the center. I couldn’t stand a sticky gloss.

Which product feels the most “you”? The Super Serum and Multi Moisture Cream combo is my red carpet look. My skin loves it.

Can you walk us through your current morning and nighttime skincare routine, step by step, including the products you’re using right now? All Sonsie. Nothing else.

Are there any hero ingredients in the line that you personally love? It’s a small, cohesive line of products. It all works best together. The Adapt Cream is a surprise hero. My friends love it.

Do you think we’re finally redefining what beauty looks like, or are we still stuck in old patterns? I love when people embrace their true selves at any age, not for attention but for yourself. You can feel falseness out there. There is enough of it. It’s literally written on our faces.

Right now, what does living well look like for you? Balance.

I’m trying to find more balance with a heavy but god-sent workload, and love. You have to make time for it.

Explore Pamela Anderson’s skincare line, Sonsie, and discover the products behind her approach to beauty here. 

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The Things More Women Are Starting To Think About Before Pregnancy

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For years, prenatal health was treated as a reactive conversation. You saw the positive test, bought a prenatal vitamin, and tried to keep up with the sudden flood of advice, restrictions, and recommendations. That timeline is quietly shifting.

More women are now paying attention to hormonal health, stress patterns, nutrient intake, sleep quality, and recovery months or even years before they plan to conceive. The shift is less about obsessively planning for pregnancy and more about a broader rethinking of long-term women’s health. Increasingly, women are recognizing that the body deserves support before a major life transition arrives, not only after.

It is also a reflection of modern life itself. Chronic stress, overstimulation, travel, inconsistent eating habits, burnout, and packed schedules have become normalized to the point where many women no longer equate “functioning” with actually feeling well supported.

At the same time, wellness culture is evolving too. The era of hyper-optimized routines and overwhelming supplement stacks is slowly giving way to something more sustainable. Women are becoming less interested in perfection and more interested in routines that can realistically survive busy work weeks, emotional stress, hormone fluctuations, travel days, and everyday life, because increasingly, consistency matters more than intensity.

Wellness Conversations Are Starting Earlier

The medical case for preconception care is not new, but its cultural reach is expanding. Research has long connected adequate pre-pregnancy levels of folate, iron, iodine, and choline with healthier pregnancy outcomes. Major health organizations have recommended starting folate supplementation at least one month before conception for years, though many women historically waited until pregnancy was confirmed to begin thinking about prenatal support.

What feels newer is the way these conversations are now entering mainstream wellness culture alongside sleep, nervous system regulation, stress management, movement, and recovery.

Women are beginning to understand that wellness does not suddenly switch on overnight. Nutrient stores build gradually, hormones respond to long-term patterns, and the routines someone already maintains often matter more than dramatic last-minute overhauls.

Even women without immediate pregnancy plans are starting to think differently about foundational health. The question is becoming less “What do I need once I get pregnant?” and more “What habits and support systems can I realistically maintain now?”

The Shift Away From Overcomplicated Wellness

Modern wellness advice can easily feel like a second full-time job. One expert recommends five supplements. Another recommends twelve. Social media feeds are filled with elaborate morning routines that often look beautiful online but feel nearly impossible to sustain consistently.

Against that backdrop, many women are quietly pulling back toward something simpler: identify the essentials, source them thoughtfully, and make the routine manageable enough to actually maintain.

Increasingly, women are not looking for the most aggressive wellness protocol possible. They are looking for routines that reduce friction and decision fatigue while still helping them feel supported.

That shift extends into prenatal wellness too.

More women are booking preconception appointments earlier, paying closer attention to cycle regularity, asking more questions about hormone health, and becoming increasingly aware of how chronic stress affects the body over time.

At the same time, ingredient transparency has become far more important. Consumers want to know where nutrients come from, how products are formulated, and what they are putting into their bodies consistently over long periods of time.

The broader wellness conversation is becoming less about optimization at all costs and more about building sustainable support systems that feel calm enough to continue through different seasons of life.

 

A More Sustainable Approach To Prenatal Support

A 24-week randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial conducted with Brooklyn College, CUNY, and published in Frontiers in Nutrition offers some insight into how this shift is beginning to shape prenatal wellness as well.

Pregnant participants taking Ritual Essential Prenatal maintained adequate folate levels throughout the study and showed lower overall serum cortisol levels compared to participants taking a leading prenatal.

The findings reflect something many women are increasingly prioritizing overall: support that feels foundational and sustainable rather than overwhelming.

For women already balancing demanding jobs, relationships, travel, workouts, social obligations, and emotional stress, simplicity itself has started to feel luxurious.

That is part of what makes streamlined approaches to wellness increasingly appealing. Ritual’s once-daily Essential Prenatal was designed to deliver foundational nutrients including folate, choline, Omega-3 DHA, iron, iodine, magnesium, and vitamin D3 in a delayed-release capsule intended to be taken with or without food.

Simplicity Is Becoming Part Of The Wellness Conversation

Not every woman needs an extensive wellness routine before pregnancy. In many cases, the most supportive habits are also the least dramatic: eating consistently, sleeping enough, moving regularly, managing chronic stress where possible, and creating routines that can survive everyday life instead of only functioning under ideal conditions.

But increasingly, more women are thinking earlier about:

+ stress
+ recovery
+ nutrient intake
+ nervous system support
+ hormonal balance
+ long-term health

The goal is no longer building the most impressive wellness routine possible. It is building one that feels sustainable enough to continue through changing seasons of life. And for many women, that increasingly includes choosing foundational wellness tools and routines that feel simple enough to support the body long before pregnancy ever enters the picture.

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We Tried the Longevity Supplement Backed by 18 Years of Research and 25 Clinical Trials

we’re constantly testing supplements, speaking with experts, and keeping tabs on the newest ingredients promising to support how we age. From collagen peptides and NAD+ to spermidine, peptides, adaptogens, and creatine, wellness has officially entered its longevity era. Everyone seems to be searching for the thing that helps them feel sharper, stronger, more energized, and maybe just a little less affected by time.

But beyond the usual wellness buzzwords, one ingredient genuinely sparked our curiosity: Urolithin A.

Specifically, Timeline’s Mitopure®.

And honestly? The science alone got our attention.

Mitopure is Timeline’s highly researched proprietary form of Urolithin A, backed by more than 18 years of research, 25 human clinical trials, over 500 scientific studies, and 80 patents. In a space flooded with trendy wellness ingredients that often feel more marketing-driven than evidence-based, that level of clinical validation stood out immediately.

Because if there’s one thing we care about, it’s understanding how something actually works before adding it to our routines.

So, What Exactly Is Urolithin A?

Urolithin A is a compound your body can naturally produce when your gut microbiome breaks down compounds called ellagitannins, found in foods like pomegranates and berries. The catch? Most people don’t produce enough of it naturally for meaningful benefits.

That’s where Mitopure comes in.

Timeline developed Mitopure as a highly pure and bioavailable form of Urolithin A specifically designed to support mitochondrial health. And if mitochondria sound vaguely familiar from high school biology, here’s the refresher: they’re essentially the energy factories inside your cells.

As we age, those mitochondria become less efficient. Energy production slows down. Recovery feels harder. Muscle strength declines. Stamina drops. And many longevity researchers now believe mitochondrial decline plays a major role in how we physically age.

Mitopure works by supporting a process called mitophagy, which is essentially your body’s natural cellular cleanup system. Think of it like recycling old, dysfunctional mitochondria so healthier ones can function more efficiently.

It’s cellular housekeeping, but for longevity.

The Research That Made Us Pay Attention

One placebo-controlled human clinical trial found that adults taking 500mg of Urolithin A daily experienced improvements in muscle strength over four months without changing their exercise routine.*

That detail feels important.

Because while we’re absolutely advocates for movement, strength training, and healthy habits, there’s also something incredibly interesting about supporting the body at the cellular level, especially as recovery, energy, and endurance naturally shift with age.

It also lines up with a much bigger conversation currently happening in the longevity world around muscle health, energy production, and healthy aging overall.

On The Dr. Hyman Show, functional medicine leader Mark Hyman discussed how muscle and mitochondrial health are becoming increasingly important in conversations around longevity. He also shared that he personally incorporated Mitopure into his own wellness routine alongside strength training, protein intake, and creatine supplementation because of the growing research connecting Urolithin A to muscle strength, mitochondrial function, and healthy aging support.*

That same excitement around mitochondrial health is echoed by other leaders in the longevity and functional medicine space as well.

Dr. Darshan Shah, a board-certified surgeon and Founder & CEO of Next Health, known for his work in preventative health and longevity medicine, has called Urolithin A “a game changer,” noting that Mitopure is one of the most researched ingredients available for supporting mitochondrial health and helping open an entirely new category of nature-derived longevity compounds.

Meanwhile, Eric Verdin, a geroscientist and one of the world’s leading aging researchers, has described mitochondrial decline as one of the key hallmarks of aging and referred to Mitopure as one of the most promising compounds currently being studied in the field.

That’s ultimately what kept bringing us back to Timeline’s Mitopure. The ingredient itself is interesting, but the depth of research behind it makes it feel far more credible than the average wellness trend.

Our Experience Testing Timeline’s Mitopure

One thing we appreciated immediately? Timeline made the entire experience feel surprisingly approachable.

They offer Mitopure in three different formats including gummies, softgels, and powder, which honestly makes sticking with the supplement much easier depending on your routine and lifestyle. We tested all three versions over time, and each one had its own appeal.

The gummies quickly became our favorite for everyday consistency. They’re strawberry flavored, vegan, sugar-free, and genuinely enjoyable to take without tasting overly sweet or artificial. The softgels felt the easiest to incorporate into an existing supplement stack, while the berry powder blended well into smoothies and yogurt when we wanted something a bit more wellness-forward in the mornings.

And that consistency piece matters.

Longevity is a long game. This isn’t the kind of supplement designed to give you an immediate caffeine-like rush or overnight transformation. Mitopure works at the cellular level, which means the changes tend to feel gradual, cumulative, and more foundational over time.

That said, after several weeks of consistent use, we did start noticing subtle but meaningful shifts. Better sustained energy throughout the day due to an increase in cellular energy. Even during particularly stressful weeks, there was a noticeable difference in overall resilience.

The biggest thing? We simply felt less depleted.

And while some of those effects can feel subjective with any wellness routine, what kept us committed here was the science behind it. Timeline’s clinical research consistently points back to mitochondrial health, muscle strength*, and cellular renewal as the foundation of the formulation.

That’s what makes Mitopure feel different from many trending longevity supplements currently flooding the market. There’s an actual body of human clinical research supporting the ingredient, which gives the experience a level of credibility that feels increasingly rare in wellness right now.

Instead of chasing some unrealistic idea of “reversing aging,” Mitopure feels more aligned with supporting how you want to age in the first place: with better energy, stronger muscles , and more resilience over time.

The Bigger Longevity Conversation

What makes Mitopure interesting isn’t just the ingredient itself. It’s what it represents.

We’re entering an era where healthy aging conversations are becoming less about chasing youth and more about maintaining vitality. Energy. Strength*. 

And increasingly, researchers are realizing that mitochondria may sit at the center of that conversation.

Timeline’s approach feels particularly compelling because it’s grounded in rigorous research rather than wellness hype alone. In a category that can sometimes feel flooded with buzzwords, seeing decades of scientific investment behind a supplement genuinely matters.

Especially when the goal isn’t simply to live longer, but to feel better while doing it.

Shop Timeline’s Mitopure and learn more about the science behind Urolithin A here. 

*Timeline’s clinical study showed that sedentary, middle-aged adults with an average BMI of 29.52 increased hamstring muscle strength.

All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs. This story is brought to you in partnership with Timeline From time to time, TCM editors choose to partner with brands we believe in to bring our readers special offers

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From Renuva to MOXI: Amy Peterson Shares the Skin Treatments Actually Worth the Money Right Now

Skin treatments have officially entered a more refined era. Patients are becoming less interested in looking dramatically different and far more focused on treatments that restore, regenerate, and quietly improve the skin over time. The new goal is healthier skin, natural structure, and results that feel believable rather than obvious.

To better understand which treatments are genuinely worth the investment right now, we asked Amy Peterson, founder of Skincare by Amy Peterson and luxury skincare brand Lenox and Sixteenth. Known as “The Skin Savant,” Peterson has built a reputation for her regenerative, highly customized approach to aesthetics, combining advanced laser technology, injectables, and skin health strategies designed to create long-term, natural-looking results.

Ahead, Peterson shares the top five treatments everyone is getting right now and her honest take on which ones are actually worth it.

+ Renuva

Renuva is a true game changer, and it has fundamentally transformed the way we approach facial rejuvenation. Instead of replacing volume with traditional filler, it introduces a bio-regenerative matrix that allows your body to rebuild its own fat over time.

What makes it so unique is that you see a result almost immediately. There’s an initial, soft volumizing effect as the product is placed and hydrated within the tissue, so patients leave looking refreshed right away. Then, over time, that matrix is absorbed and replaced by your own fat, so the result becomes more integrated, more natural, and more refined as the weeks go on.

It shifts the entire conversation from filling to restoring. I love it for mid-face, temples, hands, and acne scarring, areas where volume loss and skin quality go hand in hand.

My take is that it is absolutely worth it for patients who understand the process. You look good immediately, but the real value is in the regeneration that follows.

+ Tetra Cool

Tetra Cool represents the evolution of CO2 resurfacing. It’s not just a laser, it’s a platform that allows us to treat the skin in multiple modalities, adjusting depth, density, and intensity depending on the exact concern and the exact area of the face.

We’re no longer treating the skin as one uniform surface. We can be more aggressive where needed and more conservative where appropriate. As the skin improves, we can continue to refine rather than repeat. That level of specificity is where the results become elevated.

My take is that it is incredibly worth it when done thoughtfully. The future of CO2 is precision, and this is exactly that.

+SylfirmX

SylfirmX is one of the most intelligent multi-taskers in the clinic. It’s a radiofrequency microneedling device that can target pigmentation, redness, and laxity all at once, but what truly sets it apart is its dual wave technology.

Pulse wave allows us to selectively target abnormal vessels and pigmentation, making it especially effective for melasma and redness. Continuous wave delivers deeper thermal energy for collagen stimulation and tightening.That combination gives us a level of control that’s incredibly hard to replicate.

We often enhance it further with PDGF and placental-derived exosomes, delivering them into the skin during treatment to accelerate healing and amplify results.

My take is that it is one of the most worth-it treatments available. It’s strategic, effective, and consistently delivers both immediate glow and long-term correction.

+ BBL and MOXI with Heroic

BBL and MOXI are the foundation of what I consider modern skin maintenance. BBL Heroic adds a layer of intelligent control, allowing us to deliver energy more evenly, more efficiently, and more precisely based on the patient’s skin and goals.

When paired with MOXI, which refines texture and improves overall skin quality, the result is clear, radiant, healthy skin with minimal downtime. This is less about a dramatic transformation and more about building beautiful skin over time.

My take is that it is absolutely worth it, but only if you commit to consistency. This is how you maintain, prevent, and quietly elevate your skin long-term.

+ Endolift

Endolift is one of the closest non-surgical options we have for tightening and contouring. Using laser energy delivered beneath the skin, it stimulates collagen, reduces laxity, and creates a more sculpted appearance, all with minimal downtime. It’s especially effective for the jawline, lower face, neck, and under-eye area.

My take is that it is very worth it, but highly technique-dependent. In the right hands, the results are elegant and natural. In the wrong hands, it can miss the mark.

Amy's final take

What’s actually worth it right now isn’t a single treatment. It’s the strategy behind it. The most effective results are coming from layering regenerative treatments like Renuva with energy-based devices that can now be customized with extraordinary precision, and then supporting the skin with advanced topicals like PDGF and placental-derived exosomes.

It’s a more refined approach. More intentional. And ultimately, that’s what makes something truly worth it.

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5 Things We Learned From Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken

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Lately it feels like everyone is talking about ultra processed foods. Suddenly people are reading ingredient labels again, debating protein bars on TikTok, side eyeing oat milk ingredients, and wondering if their “healthy” snacks are actually doing what they think they are.

So we finally read Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken to understand what the conversation was really about.

The book looks at how modern foods are created, marketed, and engineered to keep us coming back for more, but what makes it compelling is that it’s not just about obvious fast food or candy. A lot of the focus is on the products many wellness minded people buy every single day: protein products, packaged snacks, meal replacements, flavored yogurts, low sugar alternatives, and foods marketed as “better for you.”

Reading it didn’t make us want to throw away everything in our kitchen and start living off homemade lentil soup. But it did make us think more critically about how disconnected modern eating has become from actual nourishment and why so many convenience foods leave people feeling strangely unsatisfied.

Five things from the book that really stuck with us.

+ Some Foods Are Literally Designed to Make You Want More

You know when you open a bag of chips planning to have a few and somehow look down twenty minutes later wondering where the rest went? Or when you eat a protein bar that tastes exactly like dessert but still find yourself hungry not long after?

The book explains that a lot of this is intentional.

Many ultra processed foods are engineered to hit a very specific combination of salt, sugar, fat, texture, and flavor that makes them extremely easy to keep eating. Researchers often call these foods “hyperpalatable,” but in real life it basically means foods that are hard to put down once you start.

And once you start noticing it, you see it everywhere. Snacks that dissolve almost instantly. Foods that barely require chewing. Products that somehow leave you craving more instead of feeling satisfied.

The book doesn’t frame this as a personal failure or a lack of discipline. If anything, it argues that modern food companies have become incredibly skilled at designing products our brains are wired to want more of.

+ Wellness Marketing Has Made Grocery Shopping Weirdly Confusing

One of the most interesting parts of the book is how much it overlaps with wellness culture.

Because a product can now be:

+ high protein
+ low sugar
+ keto friendly
+ plant based
+ packed with adaptogens
+ gut health focused

. . . and still be heavily processed.

That was probably one of the biggest reminders while reading this book: wellness branding and nourishment are not always the same thing.

We live in a time where ice cream brands market themselves like supplements, cereals advertise protein content, and every snack seems to promise energy, focus, collagen support, or better digestion. Sometimes the branding is so good you forget to actually look at what’s inside the product.

The takeaway wasn’t that packaged foods are automatically bad. It was more about learning to look beyond the front label and pay attention to ingredient lists, additives, and how foods actually make you feel after eating them.

+ Convenience Changed the Way We Eat More Than We Realize

This section of the book felt a little too relatable.

Modern food is designed around convenience first. Portable meals. Shelf stable snacks. Things you can eat quickly between meetings, in the car, while answering emails, or scrolling your phone.

Which is also exactly how many people eat now.

Lunch at the computer. A smoothie instead of breakfast. Random snacks turning into dinner because you’re too tired to cook. Eating while distracted has become so normal most people barely think about it anymore.

The book makes the point that when eating becomes disconnected from preparation, routine, or even sitting down for a real meal, it also becomes easier to lose touch with hunger and fullness cues.

Not in a dramatic way. Just in the very modern way where people constantly feel snacky, tired, unsatisfied, or unsure what they actually want to eat.

+ Texture Matters More Than We Thought

This was one of the oddly fascinating parts of the book that immediately made sense once we read it.

A lot of ultra processed foods are designed to be extremely easy to eat. Crunchy snacks that shatter instantly. Puffs that dissolve in seconds. Soft foods that require almost no chewing.

Compare that to eating something like roasted potatoes, apples, steak, lentils, or vegetables. Whole foods naturally slow you down a bit.

And honestly, this explained a lot.

Why you can accidentally finish an entire bag of snacks while watching television but feel full halfway through a real meal. Why smoothies sometimes feel less satisfying than actually sitting down and eating breakfast. Why certain snack foods seem to disappear before your brain fully registers you ate them.

It’s one of those details that sounds small until you realize how much texture shapes the eating experience.

+ The Goal Probably Isn’t “Perfect” Eating

Thankfully, the book doesn’t leave you feeling like every food in your kitchen is toxic.

If anything, one of the strongest takeaways is that perfection is probably not realistic or even necessary.

Most people are still going to buy convenience foods sometimes. Real life exists. Busy schedules exist. Travel exists. Exhaustion exists.

But the book does make a compelling case for becoming more aware of how much modern food has been engineered around profit, convenience, shelf life, and repeat consumption rather than nourishment.

For us, the biggest takeaway was less about restriction and more about awareness:

+ cooking more when possible
+ eating more whole foods
+ paying attention to ingredients
+ noticing which foods actually keep you full and energized
+ remembering that wellness marketing is still marketing

Because at the end of the day, Ultra Processed People isn’t really convincing people to fear food. It’s asking people to think more critically about the way modern eating has evolved and why so many people feel simultaneously overfed and undernourished at the same time.

The post 5 Things We Learned From Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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The New Rules Of Korean Spa Culture

Nudity plus culture shock can still be a slightly terrifying combination. But in 2026, Korean spas have officially crossed over from intimidating niche wellness experience to one of the best places to genuinely unplug, reset your nervous system, and leave with the kind of glow people immediately comment on.

Long before contrast therapy became trendy or every luxury gym added an infrared sauna, Korean spas were already doing the most: hydrotherapy circuits, heated clay rooms, deep exfoliation rituals, cold plunges, floor naps, communal wellness spaces, and enough heat and steam to make you forget what day it is.

The modern Korean spa experience feels surprisingly aligned with where wellness is heading now. Less performative. Less “biohacking.” More restorative.

Inside, it’s a mix of hydrotherapy circuits, heated rooms, deep exfoliation rituals, floor naps, and restorative Korean comfort food. Some people go after workouts. Others before big events for the skin benefits. Some stay for an hour. Others disappear for an entire Sunday.

If you’ve never been before, here are the new rules.

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Yes, you’re probably going to be naked around strangers. And yes, the first five minutes can feel mildly horrifying if you’ve never experienced communal bathing culture before. Then suddenly, it stops mattering.

One of the strangest and best parts of Korean spa culture is how quickly everyone stops performing. Nobody’s trying to look perfect. Nobody cares about your body. Everyone is too busy trying to relax.

The faster you surrender to that reality, the better the experience becomes.

Shower Before Anything Else

This is sacred Korean spa etiquette.

Before entering pools, saunas, steam rooms, or cold plunges, you’re expected to thoroughly shower first. Think of it less as a suggestion and more as the baseline social contract of the entire experience.

Skip heavy makeup, complicated hair styling, and anything you wouldn’t willingly sweat through repeatedly for the next four hours.

Don’t Treat It Like Content

One of the reasons Korean spas still feel genuinely restorative is because they remain one of the few places not designed around documenting yourself. Leave your phone in the locker.

No mirror selfies. No GRWMs. No filming the sauna. No awkwardly trying to answer emails while wrapped in a tiny spa uniform eating ramen.

In 2026, uninterrupted quiet feels increasingly rare. That’s part of the luxury here.

Respect The Quiet

There’s conversation at Korean spas, but the energy is intentionally softer and quieter than a typical spa day with friends. People come here to decompress. To regulate their nervous systems. To recover after workouts. To sweat in silence for concerning amounts of time.

Read the room. Keep conversations low. Let people dissociate peacefully in the salt room.

The Traditional Korean Body Scrub (Seshin) Will Humble You

If you book a traditional Korean body scrub, known as seshin, prepare yourself emotionally. It’s intense. It’s thorough. It will remove approximately three layers of your existence.

Performed on heated tables using textured exfoliating mitts, seshin is designed to deeply exfoliate the skin, stimulate circulation, and leave your entire body noticeably smoother and brighter afterward. It’s less “relaxing spa treatment” and more full body reset in the best possible way.

Korean spas were prioritizing full body exfoliation long before “body care” became the beauty industry’s newest obsession, and honestly, nobody does it better. You leave softer, glowier, and slightly psychologically transformed.

Hot And Cold Is The Entire Point

A lot of first timers make the mistake of sitting in one sauna for an hour and calling it a day. The real experience is moving between temperatures. Steam room. Cold plunge. Dry sauna. Cool down room. Hot tub. Repeat.

The contrast is what creates that deeply relaxed, almost floaty feeling afterward. It’s also why Korean spas have become increasingly popular with the recovery and longevity crowd in recent years.

Bring Your Favorites, Not Your Entire Bathroom

Most Korean spas already provide the essentials: towels, spa uniforms, shampoo, body wash, and basic amenities. That said, a lot of regulars still bring their favorite products, especially for longer visits. Think scalp serums, rich moisturizers, hair masks, barrier repair creams, or a cleanser you actually trust after multiple sauna rounds.

The modern Korean spa visit has quietly become the ultimate elevated “everything shower,” just without the performative energy of doing it for the internet.

Just keep it relatively streamlined. Counter space is communal, and nobody needs to witness a 14 step skincare routine unfolding next to the steam room.

Eat Something Before You Leave

If your spa has a cafe, don’t skip it.

There’s something oddly healing about sitting around in spa clothes eating Korean comfort food after hours of soaking, sweating, and aggressively exfoliating your entire body. Also, after multiple rounds of heat exposure and cold plunges, your body will probably need salt, water, and electrolytes whether you realize it or not.

Go Alone At Least Once

A lot of people assume Korean spas are social experiences. Sometimes they are. But the real magic often happens when you go alone. No schedules. No pressure to socialize. No performing wellness for anyone else, just a few uninterrupted hours where your only responsibility is existing quietly and feeling better than you did when you walked in.

In 2026, that kind of experience feels surprisingly rare and that’s probably why people keep going back.

The post The New Rules Of Korean Spa Culture appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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