What It’s Like to Stay at the World’s First 4D Sound Wellness Resort in Costa Rica

At this point, wellness resorts are not exactly hard to come by. There are destination spas built around treatments and movement, longevity retreats where nearly everything can be tracked, and more spiritual escapes centered around meditation and ritual. I love a wellness trip, but after experiencing enough of them, it takes a little more these days to make me think, wait, what is this?

The Vessyl did exactly that. Set across 118 acres of rainforest near Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica, the newly opened retreat calls itself the world’s first 4D Sound Wellness Resort. What immediately caught my attention was its Frequency Dome, an immersive sound sanctuary where spatial audio, vibration, visuals and sensory technology turn sound into something you can physically feel. The floating floor contains 24 transducers that send vibration through the space while sound moves around and above you.

The timing felt unusually right too. I happened to be at a point where a little more clarity sounded welcome, so disappearing into the Costa Rican rainforest for a few days to slow down and try something completely outside my normal routine was an easy yes. I went in thinking the 4D sound technology would be the story. It definitely was part of it, but by the time I left, I realized the experience went much deeper than that.

The Experience Starts Before You Arrive

My experience with The Vessyl actually started a few weeks before I got to Costa Rica, when I had a call with Svetlana Parmar, one of the resort’s lead facilitators. Instead of simply sending over a menu of treatments and asking what I wanted to book, she wanted to know a little more about me, what was going on in my life and what I hoped to get out of the stay.

We talked about how I was feeling physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and then she started walking me through the different experiences she thought might resonate. The options ranged from breathwork, meditation and sound to cold exposure, Human Design, numerology, movement and equine work. The Vessyl is not built around putting every guest through the same program. The idea is to shape the stay around the person who is actually arriving and what might speak to them at that particular moment.

Then Svetlana mentioned the horses. One of the experiences involved riding through the rainforest and, if conditions allowed, taking the saddle off and going into the river bareback with the horse. I am pretty sure I said yes before she finished explaining it. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.

Getting to The Vessyl

Getting to The Vessyl from Los Angeles was easier than I expected. There was a private transfer waiting when I landed in Costa Rica, and as we made our way toward La Fortuna, the scenery quickly shifted into dense rainforest.

The property sits on 118 acres near Arenal Volcano and hosts only around 32 guests at a time, so you feel the scale of the landscape much more than the resort itself. Arenal becomes part of the view almost immediately, appearing completely clear one moment and disappearing behind clouds the next. The jungle is just as present, from the rain and wildlife to the sounds that start early in the morning. Nothing feels overly manicured, which is exactly what I liked about it.

I Would Book the Sky Treehouse Again

I stayed in the Sky Treehouse, and after seeing the other accommodations, including the larger villas, it would still be my first choice.

The balcony alone is worth it. The view over the rainforest is stunning in the morning, especially when Arenal decides to make an appearance, and sunset became one of my favorite times to be back in the room. I found myself lingering out there between experiences just taking everything in.

There was also a surprise waiting inside that I had no idea about before arriving. There is basically a treehouse inside the treehouse, a small elevated hideaway you can climb into for a private meditation, some quiet time or, honestly, a very good afternoon nap. It was such a charming detail and made the room feel even more special.

The whole space feels private and a little playful while still being luxurious. You are elevated above the rainforest and completely surrounded by green, and at night the sounds of the jungle take over. With only a small collection of villas, the treehouse and a handful of bungalows tents across the property, it never feels busy.

My First Day Took Me Much Deeper Than I Expected

My first day set the tone for what the rest of the stay would become.

I started with a Bio Well scan, which The Vessyl uses to look at energetic patterns and chakra alignment. Rather than feeling like an isolated wellness test, it became a starting point for the more personal work that followed.

From there, I went into the Frequency Dome for my personalized welcome session, followed by a one on one Quantum Self Session with Svetlana incorporating Human Design, Gene Keys and other systems of personal interpretation. I was already familiar with some of these ideas, but having them brought together so intentionally made the reading feel incredibly specific to where I was in my life at that moment.

What surprised me was how much insight I took away from it. The session surfaced patterns and questions I had been thinking about but had not necessarily been able to articulate clearly on my own. There were moments when something Svetlana said landed so specifically that I had to sit with it for a second.

That became a theme throughout the stay. The experiences could look completely different on paper, but each offered another way of looking inward. By the end of that first day, I already felt like I had gone much deeper than I expected to.

Understanding the Frequency Dome

The Frequency Dome is the centerpiece of The Vessyl and the reason the idea of a 4D sound wellness resort begins to make sense once you are actually inside it.

It is both an immersive sound environment and a functioning recording studio, developed with Grammy Award winning acoustician George Augspurger. Spatial audio, projection, immersive visuals and a floating floor fitted with 24 underground transducers allow sound to move throughout the space while vibration travels through the floor beneath you.

You are not just hearing sound coming from speakers. You can feel it underneath you while it moves around the room, and depending on the experience, visuals and light become part of it too. The effect is completely enveloping, and sound becomes much more physical than anything I had experienced before.

Throughout my stay, I experienced the Dome in several different ways, including a Sacral Chakra session, Voices in the Dark, private breathwork and Yoga Nidra.

Voices in the Dark was especially memorable. The entire experience takes place in complete darkness, and without anything visual to focus on, I became completely absorbed in the voices, music and frequencies moving around the space. At different moments, sound felt incredibly close and then suddenly much farther away, while vibration moved through the floor underneath me.

Experiencing it in total darkness made everything feel much more intimate. At some point I stopped trying to work out where each sound was coming from and simply settled into it. Considering how rarely any of us give our full attention to one thing anymore, there was something powerful about being in a room where sound was the only thing asking for it.

The Experiences Go Far Beyond the Dome

Some of my favorite experiences were led by Dylan Baird, and each took the idea of sound, vibration and the body somewhere completely different.

I had done breathwork before, but experiencing a private session inside the Dome added a new physical dimension to it. As Dylan guided my breathing, spatial sound moved around the room while vibration came through the floor underneath me. Yoga Nidra had a completely different energy, softer and deeply restorative, with Dylan guiding me into that space somewhere between meditation and sleep while the room filled with sound.

Then there was the Harmonic Hearth, which The Vessyl describes as the world’s first vibrational sweat lodge. The space combines heat, sound, vibration and breath, and feels completely different from the Dome. Where the Dome is futuristic and highly technical, the Hearth is darker, hotter and much more elemental.

Later, the equine program took everything outside. We rode through the surrounding landscape toward the river, where the saddle came off and I went into the water bareback with the horse. Swimming through a river on horseback in Costa Rica was easily one of the most memorable parts of the trip, and it had the unexpected effect of making me completely present without having to think about being present.

The Vessyl also offers horse bonding work with Enrique Molina, whose family has worked with horses in La Fortuna for generations, using the animals to explore trust, awareness and communication. I loved the contrast. At a resort built around sophisticated sound technology, one of the experiences that stayed with me most was also one of the simplest.

That is something The Vessyl does particularly well. Breathwork gets you somewhere one way. Heat and vibration get you there another. Apparently, a horse can too. The point is having enough different ways in to discover what really speaks to you.

The Food Was Genuinely One of the Surprises

Food can be hit or miss at an all inclusive wellness resort, so Rancho was a genuine surprise. The meals were excellent, with a focus on fresh produce, local ingredients and regional flavors that still felt generous and satisfying rather than overly restrictive or aggressively wellness driven.

The kitchen is led by Chef Devli Saul Mendoza, who works with local farmers and producers and incorporates regional ingredients and traditional techniques into the menu. For an all inclusive stay, the quality was honestly much better than I expected.

Meals also became one of the easiest ways to get to know people. With so few guests, breakfast or dinner could naturally turn into a longer conversation with someone you had met during a session earlier that day.

What Actually Makes The Vessyl Different

The Frequency Dome gets your attention, but the people are what make The Vessyl feel different once you are there.

The resort was founded by Josh Stanley, one of the cofounders of Charlotte’s Web, who helped bring CBD into the mainstream wellness conversation. His interests eventually expanded beyond physical wellness into consciousness, connection, creativity and sound, and The Vessyl grew out of that exploration.

What stood out to me was the group of people he brought together to build the experience. I spent real time with many of the facilitators, and almost every conversation eventually turned into how they came to this work and what brought them to The Vessyl. Everyone had a story and a personal connection to what they were sharing.

That sincerity is hard to fake, especially now that wellness has become such a big business. The programming here does not feel like a collection of trends added because a luxury resort is supposed to have breathwork, meditation and cold plunges. The people leading the experiences genuinely believe in the work, and because the property is so intimate, you actually have time to understand why.

I arrived fascinated by the Dome, but I left just as impressed by the people behind it.

Who Is The Vessyl Actually For?

The Vessyl is probably not the place I would recommend to someone who simply wants a beautiful resort, a few massages and a pool to lie beside for three days. You can absolutely relax here, and there is a spa, bodywork and plenty of downtime, but that is not really what makes the trip worth coming for.

This is a wellness experience that can go much deeper.

If you are open to it, the stay can become very reflective and, at times, almost spiritual. You might find yourself talking through Human Design and Gene Keys in the morning, doing breathwork inside the Frequency Dome that afternoon and sitting in the Harmonic Hearth later that day. Somewhere in between, a conversation or reading may surface something you had not really given yourself time to think about before.

I think The Vessyl works best for someone who is genuinely curious about themselves and willing to try things that may fall outside their usual idea of wellness. There is advanced technology here, but there is also ritual, intuition, horses, nature and silence. You can keep the experience relatively light if that is what you want, but if you arrive ready to go deeper, the opportunity is absolutely there.

That is what separates it from a typical wellness resort for me. It is not just somewhere you go to feel physically better. It gives you space to check in with the rest of you too.

What Stayed With Me

One of the things I appreciated most about The Vessyl was also one of the simplest: there was room to think.

I went into the trip expecting the Frequency Dome to be the story, and it absolutely deserves the attention. But by the end, the things that stayed with me were bigger than the technology. The personal readings gave me real insight into myself, breathwork and the Harmonic Hearth took me inward in completely different ways, and even the horses became part of that same sense of being fully present.

I did not leave Costa Rica feeling like an entirely different person. I left with more clarity around things that had felt harder to see before I arrived.

For a resort built around 4D sound, vibration and some seriously futuristic technology, what The Vessyl ultimately gave me was something much simpler: enough space and quiet to actually look inward. I went there looking for a little clarity, and I came home with much more of it than I expected.

The post What It’s Like to Stay at the World’s First 4D Sound Wellness Resort in Costa Rica appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

from The Chalkboard Mag https://ift.tt/ONDhqvV
via IFTTT

Best Prenatal Gummies: An OBGYN Compares Needed, OLLY, Nature Made and SmartyPants

If swallowing a handful of capsules sounds unpleasant on a normal day, add first trimester nausea and suddenly the prenatal you carefully researched can become the last thing you want to take.

That is part of why prenatal gummies have become such an appealing alternative. They are easier to take, generally taste better, and can make staying consistent feel much more realistic. But there has historically been a catch. Gummies are harder to formulate with meaningful amounts of certain nutrients. And two prenatal gummies that look almost identical from the front of the bottle can be very different once you turn them around.

So what actually makes a good prenatal gummy, and how much do those differences matter?

We asked Tracy Shevell, MD, FACOG, a board certified high risk OBGYN with 25 years of experience in academic medicine. Dr. Shevell trained at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, completed her OBGYN residency at Mount Sinai and a Maternal Fetal Medicine fellowship at Columbia University. She also spent 17 years as an attending physician and Director of Perinatal Ultrasound at Stamford Health.

We asked her to compare four popular prenatal gummy options, Needed, OLLY, Nature Made and SmartyPants, and explain what actually matters beyond the marketing on the bottle.

First, What Should You Actually Look For in a Prenatal?

“The first thing I tell my patients is that not all prenatal vitamins are created equal,” says Dr. Shevell.

For her, the difference between an average prenatal and a well formulated one comes down to three things: the right forms, meaningful doses and thoughtful nutrient pairing. She pays particular attention to folate, vitamin D, choline, B6, B12, iodine, zinc and selenium.

And simply hitting 100 percent of the Daily Value is not necessarily the goal. “What I find most useful isn't percentage of Daily Value covered,” she says. “It's whether the actual dose of each nutrient aligns with what the research shows is clinically relevant.”

So before comparing brands, the more useful question may be: How much am I actually getting, and is it an amount that matters?

Are Prenatal Gummies Actually as Good as Capsules?

Prenatal gummies have historically come with a real tradeoff: they are easier to take, but harder to formulate with meaningful amounts of certain nutrients.

“A gummy has a ceiling on how much nutrition it can hold without compromising texture or stability,” says Dr. Shevell, which helps explain why some gummy formulas are lower in key nutrients or leave certain ones out altogether.

That does not mean capsules are automatically the better choice. During pregnancy, nausea, gag reflex and capsule fatigue can make consistency just as important as what is on the label.

“The best prenatal is the one a woman actually takes and tolerates,” she says. Format alone does not determine quality. A gummy can be a strong prenatal option if it delivers meaningful nutrition in a form someone can consistently tolerate.

Needed vs. OLLY vs. Nature Made vs. SmartyPants

At first glance, these prenatal gummies check many of the same boxes. The bigger differences show up when you look at how much of each nutrient you are actually getting.

“The most striking thing is the dosing gap,” says Dr. Shevell. “When you look at the actual amounts, you're looking at a fundamentally different product.”

A Quick Prenatal Gummy Comparison

 

Needed’s Prenatal Gummy delivers roughly 8x more nutrition than Olly, 5x more than SmartyPants, and 6x more than Nature Made†.

Some differences worth noting: Nature Made includes calcium and magnesium in addition to omega 3s. SmartyPants combines methylfolate with DHA and EPA, while OLLY also includes DHA and EPA directly in its gummy.

Needed takes a different approach. Given the physical limits of the gummy format, it prioritizes higher amounts of several key nutrients within the prenatal gummy itself, including vitamin D, B6 and B12, and offers DHA and EPA in a separate dedicated formula.

The differences are substantial. Needed provides 40 mg of B6 compared with 2 mg in each of the other three, 4,000 IU of vitamin D compared with 800 to 1,200 IU, and considerably more B12.

Dr. Shevell says those differences are meaningful. “These are differences that translate to meaningfully different blood levels,” she says, pointing to the roles these nutrients play in areas including energy, fetal brain development, and bone health.

For someone prioritizing nutrient density within a prenatal gummy, this is where Needed separates itself most clearly from the other formulas we compared.

Dr. Shevell also notes that no prenatal gummy is likely to provide everything every person needs, particularly nutrients like iron, omega 3s and choline, which may need to be addressed through diet or targeted supplementation.

A Note on Iron, Omega-3s and Choline

Needed intentionally leaves iron and omega-3s out of its prenatal formulas and it's worth understanding why. Iron needs vary significantly from person to person, so building a fixed amount into a multivitamin risks giving some women too little and others too much. Needed offers it separately so it can be dosed to an individual's actual levels rather than a one-size-fits-all amount. Omega-3s present a different challenge: a clinically meaningful dose is difficult to fit into a gummy without substantially increasing serving size. Needed instead offers a dedicated Omega-3 formula delivering up to 1,000 mg of DHA+EPA per serving, about double what's typically included in a standard prenatal gummy.

Choline follows a similar logic. At 55 mg, Needed's gummy is in line with SmartyPants and Nature Made, though still below the Recommended Dietary Allowance for pregnancy, a gap common across the category given how bulky a full choline dose is to formulate into any multivitamin. For anyone looking to close that gap, Needed offers a Gummy + Choline+ bundle delivering an additional 500 mg of liquid choline per capsule to support baby’s brain and cognitive development during pregnancy, including healthy neural tube formulation*.

Price at a Glance

Needed's Prenatal Gummy runs $42.99 for a one-time purchase, or as low as $34.39 a month. Olly and Nature Made are less expensive per bottle, at $13.99 and $20.59 respectively, while SmartyPants sits closer to Needed at $34.99 for a one-time purchase.

At roughly a dollar more per day than the least expensive option, Needed delivers about 20 times more B6, 3 to 5 times more vitamin D, and considerably more B12 than the other three. In this case, you get what you pay for.

Why B6 Is Especially Worth Looking at if Nausea Is an Issue

Of all the differences in the chart, B6 may be the most practical one for someone choosing a gummy because of pregnancy nausea.

“Nausea is one of the most disabling experiences of early pregnancy and one of the most common reasons women stop taking their prenatal altogether,” says Dr. Shevell.

Vitamin B6 is commonly used in the management of pregnancy-related nausea, which is why she finds Needed's 40 mg dose notable.

“40 mg is a dose with actual clinical backing,” she says. Combined with a gummy format that may be easier to tolerate, Dr. Shevell says it can make the formula particularly well suited to someone struggling with nausea.

For someone reaching for a gummy because nausea is making a traditional prenatal difficult to take, the combination of a meaningful B6 dose and an easier format is particularly relevant.

Why Folate Form and Dose Matter

Folate is especially important during early pregnancy and neural tube development, but Dr. Shevell says both the amount and the form are worth considering. Needed provides 920 mcg DFE of methylfolate, while SmartyPants provides 600 mcg DFE of methylfolate and OLLY and Nature Made use folic acid.

Dr. Shevell prefers methylfolate because it is already in an active form. “Methylfolate bypasses that conversion step,” she says. “It's the active and readily usable form of folate, even for those with genetic variations impacting folate conversion.”

Folic acid still has extensive evidence supporting its role in reducing neural tube defect risk, so one form does not automatically make an entire prenatal better. But in this comparison, Needed stands out for pairing methylfolate with the highest overall folate amount of the four.

So Which Prenatal Gummy Would an OBGYN Recommend?

After reviewing all four formulas, Dr. Shevell says Needed stands out because it addresses one of the traditional compromises of prenatal gummies: getting an easier format while still prioritizing nutrient density.

“I've been really impressed with how Needed has pushed the possibilities of gummies beyond what's conventionally been done,” she says. For someone dealing with first trimester nausea, capsule fatigue or difficulty taking a traditional prenatal consistently, that combination becomes particularly relevant.

When we asked whether she would recommend Needed over OLLY, Nature Made or SmartyPants for someone specifically looking for a gummy, her answer was yes.

“Needed's gummies are a delicious option, and their nutrient profile goes well beyond what I've seen in any other gummy on the market,” says Dr. Shevell.

That is ultimately where Needed earns the edge: meaningful nutrient dosing in a format designed for people who actually want or need a gummy.

That clinical perspective is echoed elsewhere. Needed is recommended by more than 20,000 healthcare practitioners, runs over 2,000 quality checks per product batch, and has conducted its own IRB-approved study of 235 pregnant women, which found that women taking Needed’s prenatal showed significantly higher blood nutrient levels of key nutrients compared to women taking a standard prenatal.

Chalkboard Mag readers can get an extra 20% off their first Needed order, one-time purchases and subscriptions included, with code TCM20 at checkout. SHOP HERE

All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding your health, and before beginning any diet, supplement, exercise or other health program. This story is brought to you in partnership with Needed.

†Based on a comparison of each brand’s labeled daily serving amounts of vitamins and minerals relative to the pregnancy Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), calculated as an average across those nutrients. As of May 2026.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The post Best Prenatal Gummies: An OBGYN Compares Needed, OLLY, Nature Made and SmartyPants appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

from The Chalkboard Mag https://ift.tt/4igQ2py
via IFTTT

How to Look Polished Without Looking Overdone

Some of the links in this story are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you choose to purchase, helping us continue to share mindful, inspiring content.

Let’s begin by admitting that looking effortlessly polished almost always involves some effort. The trick is making sure nobody can see exactly where you put it.

The people who always seem pulled together are rarely doing everything. Their hair is slightly undone but still brushed. Their skin looks fresh rather than covered. Their outfit is simple, but there is always one detail that makes it feel intentional.

The formula is surprisingly simple: take care of the basics, put your effort where people actually notice it, choose a few beautiful things and stop getting ready before you accidentally remove all the personality.

Begin With Skin That Still Looks Like Skin

The foundation of this look is not foundation. It is hydrated, comfortable skin that does not immediately make you want to cover every inch of it.

Created by French pharmacist Dr. Natacha Bonjout, Bonjout Beauty La Cream is the kind of rich, do-most-of-the-work moisturizer that makes a complicated routine feel unnecessary. With peptides, camellia oil and squalane, it leaves skin looking properly cared for rather than aggressively treated.

Smooth it over the face, neck and décolleté, then give it a minute to settle. We want healthy-looking skin, not shine visible from across the street.

Add Glow Without Adding a Full Face

Mix a few Typology Glow Drops into the brand’s Tinted Serum, then blend the combination outward from the center of the face. You get light coverage and luminosity while still allowing your natural skin to show through.

Use your fingers. It is faster, the warmth helps everything melt in, and there is something appropriately unfussy about not requiring a separate tool for every section of your face.

Once the base is blended, add Typology Tinted Concealer only where you still need it, usually under the eyes, around the nose or over a spot attempting to become the focal point of your face.

Skin tint generally comes before concealer because the base may already take care of more than expected. Even out the skin first, then cover the distraction rather than covering your entire face.

Use Beautiful Brushes Where They Matter

Not every makeup step needs a brush, but the finishing touches deserve something better than the frayed collection rolling around at the bottom of your makeup bag.

La Bouche Rouge Paris makes brushes with beechwood handles and vegan fibers for powder, highlighter, eyeshadow, blending and brows. Use the Highlighter Brush to softly diffuse light across the cheekbones or the Eyeshadow Blender Brush to blur a neutral shadow or smudged liner around the eyes.

Nothing should look sharply outlined. Blend until you can no longer identify exactly where the makeup begins, then stop before it disappears completely.

Let Brows Look Like Brows

A polished brow should frame the face without looking as though every hair has been formally instructed where to stand.

Use the Chantecaille Waterproof Brow Definer to make a few light strokes through sparse areas, then soften everything with the grooming brush. Follow with the brand’s Full Brow Perfecting Gel to lift and hold the hairs without making them stiff.

For naturally fuller brows, skip the pencil and use the gel alone. Brush upward, but not completely vertical. We want groomed, not electrocuted.

Choose a Lip That Looks Better Worn In

This kind of understated makeup works best when one feature speaks slightly louder than the others. The easiest option is usually the lips because they require very little technical skill and often look better as the color fades.

Chantecaille Lip Chic sits somewhere between a lipstick and gloss, giving the lips comfortable color with a soft shine. Choose a muted rose, warm neutral or subtle berry and apply it directly from the tube.

Then blot once. The goal is not a perfectly sculpted lip. It should look soft and lived in, as though you applied it earlier and have since been occupied with more interesting things.

Polish the Hair Without Overstyling It

 

The effortless-hair fantasy falls apart slightly when “undone” becomes dry, frizzy and visibly asking for help.

On clean, towel-dried hair, work a few pumps of Deborah Pagani Beauty The Essential Nectar through the lengths to hydrate, detangle and add shine without weighing everything down. Follow with The Vital Mist before heat styling to help smooth frizz and protect the hair while keeping it soft and weightless. It also works well on day-two hair when the roots are fine but the lengths have begun making separate plans.

You do not need to turn this into a full blowout production. Rough-dry the hair, add a soft bend where needed and let some of its natural texture remain. Then use the Bachca Gloss and Detangling Hair Brush starting at the ends and working upward before lightly smoothing the top. Its mix of nylon pins and boar bristles helps detangle while distributing natural oils through the lengths.

Hair does not have to look freshly styled to look good. A little movement, bend or evidence that you have been outside usually makes it better. Perfectly uniform curls tend to look as though they have somewhere more formal to be.

Master One Hairstyle That Always Works

Everyone needs one hairstyle that can rescue a late morning, a bad hair day or a wash schedule that has become slightly ambitious.

A low bun, loose twist or clipped-back style will do. The Bachca Sleek Back Brush catches shorter hairs and smooths the hairline, while its pointed handle helps with parting and sectioning.

For second-day hair, mist a little Deborah Pagani Vital Mist through the lengths before brushing. It adds just enough polish to make the style look intentional rather than like a response to circumstances.

Use the Bachca brush around the face, then secure the hair with one of the brand’s tortoiseshell pins or clips. Keep it neat in front and slightly softer through the back.

The goal is not a competitive-dance bun. A few loose strands are charming. Seventeen loose strands are a weather event.

Keep the Tiny Details Tidy

Your nails do not need to be professionally painted at all times. They do, however, look infinitely more polished when they are clean, evenly shaped and not actively catching on your sweater.

The Bachca Manicure Kit includes a glass file, nail clippers, tweezers and cuticle sticks in a compact case. A clear polish, sheer pink or milky nude is more than enough.

The same rule applies elsewhere. Brush the brows. Steam the shirt. Lint-roll the coat. Clean the shoes. Remove the stretched-out hair tie that has apparently become a permanent bracelet.

These are deeply unglamorous activities that somehow produce a glamorous result.

Make the Outfit Simple, Not Boring

This is where looking polished can go terribly wrong. You do not need to assemble a costume involving ballet flats, a striped shirt, red lipstick and a silk scarf tied somewhere unexpected.

Instead, pay attention to proportion. Try relaxed trousers with a fitted tee, straight-leg denim with an oversized shirt or a slip skirt with a soft knit. A Sézane cardigan works because it feels feminine without becoming fussy, while a structured A.P.C. bag adds polish without announcing itself across the room.

The best outfits usually contain a little contrast: masculine with romantic, polished with worn in, delicate with oversized. If every piece is saying exactly the same thing, the outfit can begin to look like it arrived as a coordinated set.

Choose One Good Accessory

There is a point during getting ready when we start adding accessories because we are no longer sure whether the outfit is working. This is usually when it is time to step away.

Choose one or two personal details: small gold hoops, a watch, an interesting ring, a leather belt or a structured bag. Hair accessories count too. A tortoiseshell Bachca pin makes a simple bun feel far more intentional than the black elastic that has been living at the bottom of your handbag since 2022.

The point of an accessory is to finish the outfit, not to begin a second outfit on top of it.

Build a Five-Minute Emergency Formula

On days when you have very little time and even less enthusiasm, use the same formula.

Apply Bonjout La Cream. Mix Typology Glow Drops into the Tinted Serum. Add concealer only where needed. Brush up the brows and apply a soft Chantecaille lip. Refresh the hair with Deborah Pagani Vital Mist, then smooth it into a low bun with a Bachca brush and pin. Put on trousers that fit properly, a simple knit and one good bag. Finish with fragrance.

That is it.

Looking polished is rarely about doing everything. It is about knowing which few details make the biggest difference and getting very good at those. The philosophy is simple: choose fewer, better things, put effort where it counts and know when to stop.

The post How to Look Polished Without Looking Overdone appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

from The Chalkboard Mag https://ift.tt/Ao3It2x
via IFTTT

7 Health Trends Dr. Steven Gundry Thinks Are Worth the Hype (and 3 He’d Skip)

Wellness trends have a way of moving at lightning speed. One week everyone is taking olive oil shots, the next we’re lining up for NAD infusions and testing our biological age. Sorting what’s actually worth incorporating into our routines from what’s simply very good marketing is the harder part.

Dr. Steven Gundry has spent decades looking at health through the lens of the microbiome, metabolism, and longevity. We’ve previously turned to him to unpack the connection between the gut and brain, explain why so many of us feel tired all the time, and make the case for polyphenols and plenty of olive oil.

This time, we asked him to weigh in on the wellness trends filling our feeds, clinics, and kitchen counters right now. Which deserve a place in our routines, and which are better left to the algorithm?

Below, Dr. Gundry takes it from here, sharing the seven health trends he thinks are worth the hype and the three he’d skip.

Dr. Gundry on 7 Health Trends Worth the Hype and 3 to Skip

After more than twenty-five years of treating patients with food and lifestyle changes alone, I've learned to be a little suspicious of anything labeled a "hack." Most of the time, the so-called shortcut is just an expensive detour around something your body already knows how to do. But every so often, a trend comes along that our gut buddies, the trillions of bacteria living in your intestines, would genuinely appreciate. Here are seven I'm happy to endorse, and three to save your money on.

+ Olive Oil Shots

I've said for years that the only real purpose of eating any food is to get more olive oil into your mouth, so naturally, I'm thrilled people are finally drinking it straight. Here’s looking at you, Hailey Bieber!

High-quality extra-virgin olive oil is loaded with polyphenols, and your gut buddies convert those polyphenols into powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. It kick-starts autophagy, your cells' recycling program, and even helps stimulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which supports the growth of new neurons.

In one Spanish study, folks who consumed the most olive oil had significantly better cognitive function five years later compared to those who didn’t drink up.

One buying tip, though: don't shoot the bland table or cooking oil sitting in most pantries. Reach for a genuinely high-polyphenol olive oil. Look for 1,000 mg or more of polyphenols per serving. My own Gundry MD Polyphenol-Rich Olive Oil delivers over 1,200 mg of polyphenols per shot.

In fact, my team loved this ritual so much, they created National Polyphenol Day back in 2021, held every July 11 (yes, my birthday), a day to celebrate with an olive oil shot and spread the word about the remarkable power of dietary polyphenols.

+ Movement Throughout the Day

This one is dear to my heart. In my book The Energy Paradox, I coined the term "exercise snacks," because doing little bursts of movement across your whole day beats one heroic slog at the gym.

Studies show three ten-minute sessions can match, or even beat, thirty minutes of continuous exercise. Do squats while you brush your teeth (I do, morning and night). Bang out a 60-second wall squat during the TV commercials. Take a ten-minute walk after dinner; it dramatically lowers your blood sugar. Even one minute of climbing stairs improves mitochondrial function.

Can’t climb the stairs? Ride up, then walk down. You’ll get the same benefit, as shown in an Austrian study.

+ NAD, With One Big Caveat

NAD is a real darling of the longevity world, and for good reason: your mitochondria need it to make energy, and raising your NAD+ levels helps activate the SIRT1 gene, which in turn quiets mTOR. Suppress mTOR and you tend to live better and longer.

The catch is that your NAD+ levels fall off a cliff as you age, and here's where most people get fleeced. You can't simply swallow or inject NAD itself and expect it to reach your cells. You have to give your body the right precursor, NMN or NR, so it can build NAD+ on its own.

The problem? NMN is famously fragile. It degrades on the shelf, and stomach acid finishes off much of what's left before it ever gets absorbed. That's exactly why I waited to make my own until I could do it right. Gundry MD Elevate NAD+ uses a patent-pending, acid-resistant beadlet system to keep the NMN intact all the way to your gut, paired with a second precursor (nicotinamide riboside), ergothioneine, and a few other longevity allies.

So those trendy NAD injections? Skip them. NAD without the right precursor, delivered intact, is money down the drain.

+ Red Light Therapy

Here's a trend with real mitochondrial muscle behind it. The red and near-infrared wavelengths of light help break up the excess nitric oxide that would otherwise bog down your ATP production, and they actually influence how your mitochondria make energy.

It's the same reason a walk on the beach at sunrise or sunset leaves you feeling so wonderful. Your mitochondria are quite literally being told what time it is. It’s also a great beauty secret for youthful-looking skin.

You can buy a red light mask or device like one from BON CHARGE, which I use personally, or simply get outside at sunrise or sunset and let the sun do its job for free.

+ Vibration Plates

Think of the vibration plate as a close cousin of the rebounder (mini-trampoline) I've long recommended. What I love about it is that it fits everything I preach: it's low-impact and easy on the joints, it stresses your muscles and bones against gravity, exactly the kind of "good stress" that helps fend off the invisible muscle loss and bone thinning that creep up on us with age, and it gets your lymphatic system moving, which is how your body ferries nutrients around and carts toxins out.

But what most excites me about vibration therapy, and I use a Juvent plate myself, is how, according to a 2019 study, it can actually improve microbiome diversity. And when it comes to helpful bacteria in the gut, more variety is generally better.

Hop on for a few minutes here and there. It's the perfect exercise snack for people who tell me they "don't have time" to work out.

+ Fibermaxxing, But Please, Finish the Recipe

Loading up on fiber is a wonderful instinct because your gut buddies adore the right kind of fiber: prebiotic fiber.

But I have to share the latest science, because it's a plot twist most people miss: it takes two. Researchers at Stanford found that a high-fiber diet alone didn't improve microbiome diversity or reduce inflammation. Only when people also ate fermented foods with the fiber did diversity climb and inflammation drop.

Your gut buddies actually need that fiber "pre-fermented" before they can turn it into the short-chain fatty acids, like butyrate, that do you so much good. So by all means, maximize your prebiotic soluble fiber with foods like artichokes, basil seeds, seaweed, allulose sweetener, and asparagus. Just don't forget the fermented half of the equation, or you're throwing a party and forgetting to feed the guests.

And please, skip insoluble fiber like wheat bran. It may clear your colon out, but that’s because you swallowed razor blades (i.e., lectin-heavy foods)! Insoluble fiber, in general, does not feed your good gut buddies.

+ Apple Cider Vinegar (and Friends)

To continue the fermented-food theme, this conveniently brings me to vinegar. The more fermented foods you eat, the more you feed your good bacteria, and any vinegar, apple cider included, counts.

Even better, as I wrote in Gut Check, vinegars like aged balsamic are a terrific source of fermented polyphenols, meaning they're already in their active, ready-to-use form.

Back in 2006, I came up with a little hack I call my "healthy coke" (see the recipe here) to help wean myself off my eight-can-per-day Diet Coke addiction. FYI: all aspartame-sweetened diet sodas quietly kill off your gut buddies.

My alternative is a shot of high-quality aged balsamic in a glass of San Pellegrino. It's the color of cola, just as fizzy, and infinitely better for the inner you. Try it once and you may never go back.

Just please, as I’ve seen on social media, do not use salad dressing (true story) in place of straight vinegar in your healthy soda recipe!

3 Health Trends to Save Your Money On

Now for the part of biohacking where I'd gently steer you away from your wallet. Here are the biohacking trends to skip:

Vitamin IV Drips

Glutathione, high-dose vitamin C, B vitamins, methylene blue. They make a dramatic show, but the effect lasts about as long as the needle is in your arm.

Vitamin C is water-soluble; you simply pee it out in a few hours. And you can't meaningfully swallow or infuse your way to lasting glutathione anyway, because your liver is built to manufacture it around the clock from NAC and the amino acid glycine.

The reason people swear they feel amazing afterward is largely the placebo effect, which is remarkably powerful when you've just paid a lot of money to be poked. I've never had one, and I've had a patient suffer a severe reaction to IV glutathione. Buyer beware.

Biological Age Tests

The Kardashians made these fashionable, and I understand the appeal, but they only capture a single snapshot in time.

My own Oura Ring once told me I'd lost a year of biological age while hiking eight to ten miles a day in France, then promptly added it back the week I rested an injured hamstring.

Methylation tests have the same problem: those methyl groups are constantly attaching and detaching from your DNA, so test again in two weeks and you may get an entirely different number.

These tools are interesting, but they're not ready for prime time. My advice? Skip the test and just show people your hands (they ought to look very young!).

Stem Cell Treatments

This is my number one on the "save your money" list. I've had many patients spend a fortune flying to Mexico or Costa Rica for stem cell injections, and most do feel better for three months, six months, maybe a year.

But if you don't change the underlying problem, heal your gut wall, restore your microbiome, and stop the damage, those benefits unravel because you never addressed what created the need in the first place.

Here's the secret the industry won't tell you: you already have enormous reserves of stem cells lining the wall of your gut, in your fat, and in your bone marrow, just waiting to be switched on. Two of the best ways to wake them up cost almost nothing: vitamin D and intermittent fasting.

The through-line in all of this is simple. The trends worth your money tend to be the ones that work with your biology, feeding your gut buddies, supporting your mitochondria, and gently stressing your body the way nature intended.

The ones to skip are usually the ones that try to buy a result your body would happily give you for free. Simply put: Take care of your gut buddies, and they will take care of you.

About Dr. Steven Gundry

Steven Gundry, MD, is a former cardiac surgeon turned restorative medicine practitioner, host of the chart-topping Dr. Gundry Podcast, founder of Gundry MD, and author of bestselling books including The Gut-Brain Paradox and The Plant Paradox. For over three decades, his research has focused on the microbiome’s role in chronic disease and longevity at his clinics in Palm Springs and Montecito, California. He received his degrees from Yale University and the Medical College of Georgia and completed his surgical residencies at the University of Michigan. Follow him on Instagram @drstevengundry.

The post 7 Health Trends Dr. Steven Gundry Thinks Are Worth the Hype (and 3 He’d Skip) appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

from The Chalkboard Mag https://ift.tt/NF6eBc8
via IFTTT

We Trained With Jennifer Aniston’s Trainer and Yes, It Was Humbling

We recently sat down with Dani Coleman, Jennifer Aniston’s trainer and Pvolve’s VP of Training, to find out exactly how she trains Jen, from the workouts they do together to the surprisingly realistic philosophy behind her routine. After hearing Dani talk about strength, consistency and working with your body instead of absolutely destroying it every time you exercise, we had one obvious follow-up question: Can you put us through it?

So, naturally, we asked if Dani would lead a private workout for our team at Pvolve’s West Hollywood studio. She said yes. We showed up ready to work and, perhaps, slightly overconfident.

We’ve been following Pvolve for a while now. We’ve previously broken down Jennifer Aniston’s Pvolve workout, covered the Sculpt Anywhere Bundle she helped create, and most recently asked Dani to walk us through how Jennifer actually trains. But talking about a workout and having Jennifer Aniston’s trainer standing in front of you telling you there are, in fact, a few more reps left are two very different things.

The Workout

When we arrived at Pvolve’s West Hollywood studio, each of us had our own station set up with the equipment we’d be using. First up were the 3 lb Ankle Weights. Three pounds sounds innocent enough until you strap one to each ankle and start moving.

We also worked with pieces from Jen’s Arms & Abs Bundle, including the P.ball, P.band and P.3 Trainer. We moved through lower body work, arms and, eventually, core, with Dani guiding us through each section and always there adjust our form to keep going.

Low Impact, Very Much Not Easy

Pvolve is low impact, but low impact should absolutely not be confused with easy. The movements can look deceptively simple from across the room. Once you are actually doing them correctly, it is a different story.

The method is built around strength, mobility and stability, three things that become increasingly important if your goal is to keep moving well for a very long time. 

And you feel it.

As someone who prides myself on going to the gym pretty regularly, I was suddenly working muscles I apparently had never formally introduced myself to. My glutes were shaking. My arms were cooked. Moves that looked completely manageable somehow became significantly less manageable about halfway through the set.

Dani walked around the room cueing us, correcting our positions and making tiny adjustments that somehow made everything harder. Sometimes the difference between “Oh, this is fine” and “Why is my side glute on fire?” was moving a leg a few inches or changing the angle of your body.

She also kept us going when we were ready to stop, and somehow always seemed to catch me the second I tried to sneak in an early break.

The Part That Surprised Us

What I liked most was that the workout did not feel like it was trying to exhaust us just for the sake of proving we had worked out. The challenge came from control.

You are balancing, resisting, stabilizing and paying attention to where your body is in space at the same time. Larger muscles are working, but so are all those smaller stabilizing muscles that are very easy to ignore when your usual gym routine is built around bigger lifts and machines.

It also made Dani’s emphasis on form during our original interview make a lot more sense. When movements are this precise, small corrections matter. Having her there to reposition a foot, change an angle or remind us where we should actually be feeling an exercise completely changed some of the moves.

By the end of the session, I felt like I had gotten a genuinely complete full body workout. Arms, legs, glutes, core, balance, mobility. Everything had done something.

And unlike the feeling after certain workouts where walking downstairs suddenly feels like an extreme sport, I felt worked without feeling wrecked.

So, Would We Do It Again?

Absolutely.

We admittedly came into this with a certain amount of Jennifer Aniston curiosity. The woman has the kind of arms that inspire investigative journalism. But experiencing the workout firsthand made it much easier to understand why she has stayed so consistent with the method.

It is challenging without feeling punishing, there is enough variety that your brain actually has to stay engaged, and the workout catches muscles your normal routine may be conveniently avoiding.

Also, there is something deeply humbling about thinking you are in pretty good shape and then being defeated by a three-pound ankle weight.

Want To Try It Yourself?

You do not need Dani standing six feet away from you to try the method, although we can confirm it is excellent motivation. Pvolve has more than 1,800 on-demand workouts plus live virtual classes, so you can use the equipment at home, at the gym or while traveling.

The Jen’s Arms & Abs Bundle we used includes the P.ball, P.band and P.3 Trainer, along with access for new members to Jen’s Express Arms & Abs Series, six of Jen’s go-to express workouts that target the arms and abs in 15 minutes or less. Translation: you can get a taste of what we did without having Jennifer Aniston’s trainer personally witnessing you give up on your last three reps.

If you’re in LA, though, we highly recommend trying it in person.

Pvolve West Hollywood
8447 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90069

This is where we trained with Dani, and the studio also offers group classes and 1:1 private training.

Pvolve Santa Monica
3110 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Come prepared to work. And maybe don’t underestimate the ankle weights. Jennifer, we get it now.

The post We Trained With Jennifer Aniston’s Trainer and Yes, It Was Humbling appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

from The Chalkboard Mag https://ift.tt/bD5tzdk
via IFTTT

Something Witchy This Way Comes: Inside Flamingo Estate’s Magical New Box

Someone at Flamingo Estate has clearly been practicing their spells.

In celebration of Practical Magic 2, the Los Angeles estate has created Impractical Magic, a deliciously witchy edition of its Seasonal Harvest Box filled with potions, oracle cards, mugwort, drinking chocolate and enough mystical accoutrements to make the Owens sisters proud. 

Flamingo Estate enlisted a wonderfully eclectic coven of healers, herbalists, perfumers, farmers, artists, astrologers, cooks and makers, including Carla Schwiderski, Annee de Mamiel, Donna Bayliss, Goth Shakira, Spellbound Sky and Blanca Carreño. Together they created ten objects, each with its own ritual, around the very useful pursuits of protection, rest, desire, intuition, courage, clearing and change. You know, everyday household necessities.

First, Light Something

Any respectable witchy evening needs candlelight, and Flamingo Estate wisely starts there. The Mandrake Candle is an ode to the Owens sisters with cedarwood, smoke, warm clove and spiced resin, a combination described as rising “like a spell taking flight.” We imagine it also pairs beautifully with an emotionally questionable decision made after 11 p.m.

For the bedroom, there’s Midnight Woods Pillow Mist, blending Donna Bayliss’s farm-grown lavender with ylang ylang, clove and cedarwood for what the brand calls a nocturnal spell for pillows, sheets and sleep. Then there’s Feelixir, Annee de Mamiel’s blend of rosewood, jasmine, mandarin, grapefruit, pink pepper and neroli, which is infused in singing bowls and powdered crystal. Regular perfume suddenly feels a little underachieving.

For Protection, Clearing + General Energetic Housekeeping

Because apparently setting boundaries can be considerably more glamorous than muting someone, healer Carla Schwiderski created the Field Protection Flower Essence using ten solarized Brazilian flower essences to clear and strengthen the energetic field. Flamingo Estate calls it “a boundary in a bottle,” which frankly feels like something that should be sold by the case.

Schwiderski also created the Luxor Copper Symbol from sacred Egyptian geometry, intended to protect entrances, steady sleep and clear a room. And for moments when things require a little more smoke and ceremony, the Mugwort Ritual Clearing Wands are made with sustainably sourced Oregon mugwort by Mark Phillips and Martin Anguiano of Spellbound Sky. Burn to clear what no longer belongs: bad energy, stale habits, suspiciously recurring exes. Interpret freely.

Even bathing gets a little spell work. Blanca Carreño makes the Fennel, Vanilla, Liquorice & Shiso Soap in the Flamingo Estate apothecary with oils and clay. The instructions are simple: wash slowly, change quickly. Suddenly taking a shower sounds less like hygiene and more like character development.

When in Doubt, Consult the Cards

Of course there are Oracle Cards. Artist and astrologer Goth Shakira created a 22-card deck pairing ancient herbs with sacred asteroids, designed to reveal what you already know. Which is really all we ask of divination: please validate the decision we have already made.

And no séance should be attempted on an empty stomach. The Love Bomb Oaxacan Drinking Chocolates come from Blanca Carreño’s family ancestral preparation, combining cacao with spices, chile and vanilla and milled by Chef Fátima Juárez at Komal. Is it technically a love potion? No. Are we drinking it by candlelight while pulling oracle cards anyway? Absolutely.

Finishing the box are oversized Fire Matches made for candles, altars, baths, dinner tables and, according to Flamingo Estate, bad moods on their way out the door. Every spell needs a spark, after all.

A Little Magic Never Hurt Anyone

What makes the whole thing work is that Flamingo Estate never veers into novelty witch territory. The magic here comes from mugwort, lavender, jasmine, cacao, cedarwood, clove, vanilla, flower essences, smoke and fire, taking ingredients that have been associated with ritual for generations and turning them into objects you might actually use. It’s mystical without becoming costume-y, playful without feeling like a Halloween aisle, and just woo-woo enough to make us wonder whether our energetic field has been the problem all along.

The Flamingo Estate Seasonal Harvest Box is available now, while Practical Magic 2 arrives in theaters September 10. Until then, we’ll be lighting the Mandrake candle, pulling a card and waiting for someone else to make the midnight margaritas.

The post Something Witchy This Way Comes: Inside Flamingo Estate’s Magical New Box appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

from The Chalkboard Mag https://ift.tt/j2RTDuP
via IFTTT

7 Habits to Protect Your Brain in Your 30s, 40s, and Beyond, According to a Neurologist

Most people don't think about brain health until much later in life, but according to board certified neurologist and six time New York Times bestselling author Dr. David Perlmutter, the choices we make in our 30s, 40s, and 50s can have a profound impact on how our brains age. It's a central message in his new book, Brain Defenders, which explores how everyday habits influence the brain's immune system and its ability to protect and repair itself.

We asked Dr. Perlmutter to share the everyday habits he believes have the biggest impact on long term brain health. Below, he breaks down the seven habits he recommends for building a healthier, more resilient brain for decades to come, in his own words.

One of the most important messages I hope readers take away from Brain Defenders is that the choices we make in our 30s, 40s, and 50s are quietly shaping the health of our brains decades later. Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia don't suddenly appear in our 70s.

The biological changes that lead to cognitive decline often begin 20 to 30 years before the first symptom appears.

The encouraging news is that this means we have tremendous opportunity. Every day, through our lifestyle choices, we can influence the cells that ultimately determine whether our brains remain resilient or become vulnerable.

At the center of this story are the brain's immune cells, called microglia. When microglia are healthy, they serve as vigilant brain defenders, clearing away damaged cells, supporting new neural connections, protecting against infection, and nurturing healthy brain function. But when they are chronically exposed to inflammation, poor metabolic health, toxins, sleep deprivation, or chronic stress, they can transform into an overactive, destructive state, releasing inflammatory chemicals that damage neurons and accelerate brain aging.

Here are seven habits that help keep your microglia working for you, not against you.

Eat to Stabilize Blood Sugar and Reduce Inflammation

If I had to identify one nutritional goal, it would be this: maintain optimal blood sugar while minimizing chronic inflammation. Ultimately, whatever diet can accomplish these two fundamental goals is going to be brain supportive.

Our modern diet, rich in refined carbohydrates, sugary beverages, and ultra processed foods, keeps insulin levels elevated and promotes metabolic dysfunction. This doesn't just affect the waistline. It profoundly influences the brain.

Elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance activate inflammatory pathways that push microglia away from their protective role. Instead of supporting neurons, they begin producing inflammatory molecules that damage vital synapses and interfere with the brain's ability to repair itself.

A brain supportive diet emphasizes:

+ Colorful vegetables
+ Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds
+ Fish rich in omega 3 fats
+ High quality protein
+ Fiber rich foods that nourish the gut microbiome
+ Minimal refined sugar and ultra processed foods

These choices reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, nourish beneficial gut bacteria, and help maintain microglia in their protective, brain supporting state.

Exercise Every Day

Exercise is perhaps the closest thing we have to a universal brain medicine. Regular physical activity improves insulin sensitivity, lowers inflammation, enhances circulation, stimulates the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and promotes the birth of new neurons.

Equally important, exercise directly influences microglial behavior. Research demonstrates that regular movement encourages microglia to remain in their protective phenotype, where they efficiently remove cellular debris, support learning and memory, and help maintain healthy neural networks.

You don't need to become a marathon runner.

Aim for:

+ Regular aerobic activity
+ Resistance training several times each week
+ Daily walking
+ Balance and flexibility exercises as we age

Importantly, consistency matters far more than perfection.

Protect Your Sleep

Sleep isn't simply rest.

It's one of the brain's most active periods of repair. During deep sleep, the brain's glymphatic system removes metabolic waste products that accumulate throughout the day, including proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Sleep deprivation does something even more concerning. It activates microglia, shifting them toward a chronic inflammatory state. Over time this creates an environment that promotes neurodegeneration rather than repair.

Quality sleep also supports:

+ Memory consolidation
+ Emotional regulation
+ Hormonal balance
+ Blood sugar control
+ Immune function

Protecting seven to eight hours of restorative sleep may be one of the most powerful investments you can make in your future brain.

Maintain Strong Social Connections

Humans are biologically wired for connection. Loneliness isn't simply emotionally painful, it creates measurable biological consequences. Social isolation increases inflammation, elevates stress hormones, and has repeatedly been associated with increased dementia risk.

Meaningful relationships appear to calm inflammatory signaling throughout the body and brain, helping maintain healthy microglial function.

Whether it's spending time with family, nurturing friendships, volunteering, mentoring, or participating in community activities, social engagement provides continual stimulation while reinforcing one of the strongest predictors of healthy cognitive aging.

Your brain thrives in the company of other people.

Challenge Your Brain Throughout Life

The brain is designed to adapt. Learning stimulates the formation of new neural connections while strengthening existing networks.

Whether you're learning a language, mastering a musical instrument, developing a new professional skill, reading challenging books, or engaging in meaningful problem solving, your brain responds by building greater cognitive reserve.

Healthy microglia play an essential role in this process. They help remodel synapses, remove unnecessary connections, and support the formation of stronger neural circuits. When microglia become chronically inflamed, this remarkable remodeling process becomes impaired.

Curiosity is not simply intellectually rewarding. It's biologically protective.

Practice Time Restricted Eating

One of the simplest metabolic strategies available is giving your body periods without food. Time restricted eating, typically limiting food intake to an 8 to 10 hour daytime window, allows insulin levels to fall, improves metabolic flexibility, supports mitochondrial function, and reduces chronic inflammation.

Periods between meals activate important cellular repair mechanisms, including autophagy, allowing cells to recycle damaged components and function more efficiently. These improvements in metabolism have direct consequences for microglia.

When blood sugar is well regulated and inflammation declines, microglia are far more likely to remain in their protective, brain defender role rather than becoming chronically activated and therefore threatening.

This isn't necessarily about eating less. It's about restoring metabolic rhythms that humans evolved with.

Spend Time in Nature

Nature is one of the most under-appreciated therapies for brain health. Studies consistently demonstrate that spending time outdoors lowers stress hormones, improves mood, reduces blood pressure, enhances sleep quality, and even decreases markers of systemic inflammation.

Nature also encourages movement, social interaction, sunlight exposure, and mindfulness, all of which contribute to healthier brain function.

Reducing chronic stress is particularly important because prolonged elevations in stress hormones can activate inflammatory pathways that shift microglia toward a destructive state.

Whether it's walking through a forest, sitting near the ocean, hiking, gardening, or simply spending time in a neighborhood park, regular exposure to natural environments helps create the internal biological conditions that allow the brain to thrive.

The Bigger Picture

The common thread connecting all seven of these habits is that they influence the same underlying biology.

Each improves metabolism.
Each reduces inflammation.
Each supports healthy mitochondrial function.
And each helps determine whether microglia continue serving as the brain's protectors or become contributors to neurodegeneration.

For decades, we've focused primarily on the plaques and tangles that characterize Alzheimer's disease. But those are only a small part of the story.

The more fundamental question is: What determines whether the brain's immune system protects the brain or begins damaging it?

Increasingly, the evidence points to the everyday choices we make. The remarkable news is that these choices remain available to all of us.

The habits you build today, whether you're in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, are helping determine whether your brain will remain resilient in your 60s, 70s, and beyond.

Your future brain is not being shaped by a single decision. It's being built, one day at a time, by the choices you make. 

Want to dive deeper? Dr. David Perlmutter explores the science behind these habits and the brain's immune system in his new book, Brain Defenders. Learn more about the book here.

The post 7 Habits to Protect Your Brain in Your 30s, 40s, and Beyond, According to a Neurologist appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

from The Chalkboard Mag https://ift.tt/uNyjgk7
via IFTTT