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A High-Intensity Cycling Workout Support Gut Health & Make Time for What Matters Most
TECH
FIX
Reclaim
Control of Your
Digital Life
p. 52
The Hidden
Epidemic
Why Fatty Liver Disease
Is on the Rise — and What
You Can Do to Prevent It
p. 64
16 Ways to
MOVE MORE
Every Day p. 58
Fresh
Perspectives Manoush Zomorodi,
author and podcast host, on how
embracing boredom can change
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POWER
LIGHT-WEIGHT
FLEXIBILITY
ANATOMICAL
MUSCLE MAPPING
52 Tech Fix 58 16 Ways to Move More 64 The Hidden Liver Crisis
There’s a reason your smartphone The recommended amount of daily exercise One in three Americans has nonalcoholic
sometimes seems to be running your life: is 30 minutes, but hitting that goal still may fatty liver disease, though many of them
It’s designed to be addictive. Learn how to not protect you from the effects of a largely may not know it. Fortunately, positive
regain control of your devices so they don’t sedentary lifestyle. For your long-term well- changes to nutrition and lifestyle — factors
control you — and find a healthier balance being, experts advise finding more ways that also contribute to the condition — can
between digital connections and real life. to move every day. These simple, creative significantly improve the health of the liver.
By Mo Perry suggestions can help you do just that. By Laine Bergeson, FMCHC
By Andrew Heffernan, CSCS
IN EVERY ISSUE
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32 42 74
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Detox
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T H E S M A R T WAT C H D E S I G N E D F O R F I T N E S S
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LIFE
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Talk to Us
HEALTHY
MOTIVATION
Experience Life magazine article made me feel as if you myself as well through vitamins,
has been an integral part of were writing about me. It really regular exercise, and a plant-
our family’s healthy lifestyle helped me learn a lot about the based diet.
for over 15 years now. The steps I can take toward getting L. C.
inspiring articles and thoughtful, better in the future. Thank you
focused exercise suggestions for opening my eyes to new I am a 64-year-old woman
have helped me recover from ways I can get help! with a weak core, and “Balance
several injuries over the years Yulma S. It Out” (December 2017) is just
and instilled an appreciation what I need to help me build Experience Life welcomes your
for healthy lifestyle choices in I loved reading “Expand more strength. Thank you for comments and suggestions.
both of my young daughters. Your Circle” (January/February providing a good option for Please email experiencelife@
This photo of my youngest 2018). I think it takes courage those of us who need to start experiencelife.com, connect with
daughter [above] was taken to put our fears aside and make slow and easy. I look forward us on social media, or send to:
at the summit of Mt. Bross, a a move to connect with others. to gaining strength and adding
Colorado 14er that we climbed Your article offered great ideas more weight to my workouts! Letters to the Editor
last summer! on how to reach out of your Kathy K. Experience Life
Les C. comfort zone to do this! 2145 Ford Parkway, Suite 302
Amanda R. This was my first time see- St. Paul, MN 55116
The January/February ing your magazine, and opening Please include your city and
2018 issue really touched me, DECEMBER it up to read the Editor’s Note state. We reserve the right to edit
especially the article about IBS GRATITUDE (“The Thought Counts,” Decem- letters for length and grammar,
relief (“Gut Feelings”). I have ber 2017) put the holidays in and to publish at our discretion.
Claire Cameron’s story
been suffering from all the perspective. It is always a busy, All submitted copy and materials
(“Growing Pains,” December
same symptoms for 10 years. joyful, and emotional time of the become the property of the
2017) is so inspiring! I love
I have pain in my stomach all year. It’s sometimes hard to put magazine. We do not return
hearing about the powers of
the time, which I have learned a finger on why that is, but Jamie or guarantee the publication
holistic medicine. When healing
to live with since it is such a Martin’s note really did it for me. of unsolicited materials. For
ourselves from the inside out,
big part of my life. I have tried Thank you for sharing in such a reprint and publication requests,
the road to wellness is not easy
to get help, but nothing has personal and effective way. please contact experiencelife@
or fast. It can take years and
made a difference. Reading this Georgia C. experiencelife.com.
lots of patience! I am healing
Experience Life magazine has been an integral part of our family’s healthy
lifestyle for over 15 years now.”
MIKE BRYAN
Well Informed
8Ways to
Save
Money
on Organic
Groceries
rganic food often costs more cuts — roasts, shanks, ground meat, such as onions, potatoes, and dried
Stride
That’s the takeaway of a new study
by 2016 U.S. Olympian Jared Ward
and USA Track and Field consultant
Iain Hunter, PhD, professors at Basil is a tender annual from the mint Chives are a low-maintenance perennial
Brigham Young University. family that likes full sun. It’s sensitive to related to leeks, onions, and garlic. They
Ward and Hunter measured the the cold in early spring but does well on a need consistent watering and prefer full
energy use of 19 experienced and 14 sunny windowsill or in a container. Once sun, but they can grow anywhere: indoors
novice runners using five different transferred into your garden, it will grow near a sunny window, in containers, or in
strides during a 20-minute run on quickly and prolifically. Keep soil moist but your backyard. The flowers will scatter
a treadmill with a computer-based not soggy — water about weekly. Clip regu- seeds; deadhead after they bloom so they
metronome. They found that all larly for a rounded plant, and harvest before don’t take over your garden. Their subtle,
the runners were the most energy- it flowers (or pinch off the bud) for best summery flavor is a great addition to om-
efficient when they used their flavor. Basil is ideal for homemade pesto, elets, potato dishes, and salad dressings.
natural, preferred stride. caprese salads, and summer cocktails.
“Runners appear to naturally
select a stride length that is optimal
for minimizing oxygen uptake,”
they noted in the study, published
in the International Journal of
Exercise Science.
The study and accompanying
press release offered some Parsley is a biennial that thrives in con- Thyme is a drought-tolerant evergreen
additional insights: tainers outside or on a warm windowsill. perennial that needs full sun. It can
• “Many people are advocating It prefers moist soil but can adapt to grow in outdoor containers or your
for various ‘optimal’ running forms,” drier conditions. Harvest the outer stems garden — where its fragrance will attract
says Ward, “but this study shows the first year and leave the inner stalks pollinators — or indoors near a sunny
even novice runners shouldn’t try to keep growing. The stems are more window. Thyme can be started from
to run any different than their body flavorful than the leaves, so be sure to seeds, but is also easy to grow from
naturally does.” use them, too. Flat-leaf parsley is good for cuttings. It adds an earthy note to stews,
• “Coaches and athletes often soups, pasta dishes, and grain salads. sauces, and roasted vegetables.
try to manipulate running technique — KAELYN RILEY
to improve performance. Since
experienced runners self-regulate
stride length to optimize economy,
changing stride length will likely
HERBS IN AN EGGSHELL
Eggshells make good seed starters, and when transplanted into
result in a greater metabolic cost.”
soil, they break down naturally and nourish your herbs.
• “When maximizing running
speed over short distances is the 1. Slice off the top of eggshells with a sharp knife and pour the
main concern, runners may choose yolks and whites out, saving them for another use.
to sacrifice some economy to 2. Rinse eggshells thoroughly, then air-dry in the carton.
increase top speed.” — MD 3. Use a needle to puncture a small drainage hole in the base of
each shell.
4. Mist the shells with water.
5. Scoop potting soil into shells with a small spoon.
Just let it happen; 6. Plant your seeds according to package instructions, and
it doesn’t need to be then gently mist with water.
coached. Your body 7. Place carton on a sunny windowsill, and water according to
package instructions while you wait for herbs to sprout.
is your best coach for 8. Transplant them into a pot or your garden when your
stride length.” seedlings develop leaves. Gently crush the shells in the soil
— Iain Hunter, PhD to speed the decomposition process. — KR
Drug
Advertising:
Pro or Con?
The United States and New Zealand are the
sole countries worldwide that allow direct-to-
consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising.
In 2015 the American Medical Association
(AMA) voted to recommend banning DTC
advertising, due to “concerns among physicians
about the negative impact of commercially
driven promotions,” said then-AMA board chair
Patrice Harris, MD, MA.
In addition, healthcare professionals worry
The Mental-Health that marketing costs fuel escalating drug
prices: “Direct-to-consumer advertising also
Benefits of Bird Watching inflates demand for new and more expensive
drugs, even when these drugs may not be
Living near a natural setting isn’t featuring low- and high-density appropriate,” Harris explained.
just good for birds. Recent findings housing — to complete a short Big Pharma, on the other end, asserts that
from the University of Exeter, version of the Depression Anxiety such ads provide valuable information to patients
the British Trust for Ornithology, Stress Scales. about treatment options and has consistently
and the University of Queensland They also conducted extensive blocked all efforts to halt DTC advertising.
indicate that people living in surveys to estimate the number of The following statistics offer some context
neighborhoods where they can see birds found in the neighborhoods. on this marketing approach.
more trees, shrubs — and birds — After controlling for income, age,
have improved mental health. sex, and other factors, researchers
1
The results, published in the found that respondents who could Rank of drug ads among the
journal BioScience, add to a see more birds from their windows most prominent health
information Americans
growing body of evidence sug- or gardens reported reduced levels
receive, according to a 2011
gesting that natural environments of depression, anxiety, and stress. paper published in the journal
can boost immunity as well as How big a dose of nature Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
reduce levels of stress, depression, is necessary to affect mental
and anxiety. health? The results suggest that if
$6.4 billion
To determine which environ- everyone lived in neighborhoods
mental features are linked to with more than 20 percent
positive mental-health outcomes, vegetation coverage, the total
researchers explored the rela- number of people reporting Amount healthcare and drug companies spent
tionship between self-reported symptoms of depression would in the United States on DTC advertising in 2016,
assessments for depression, anxi- drop by up to 11 percent, while according to market-research firm Kantar
ety, and stress and several metrics cases of anxiety and stress would Media. hat’s a 62 percent increase since 2012
of neighborhood green spaces, decrease by up to 17 percent. — at a time when ad spending overall is down
including vegetation cover and the While the causes of stress, or flat. Most of the ads run during evening
abundance of birds. depression, and anxiety are varied, news programs, soap operas, and sitcoms
Scientists asked more than the findings suggest that even brief aimed at the elderly.
260 people of various ages, interactions with nature might help
incomes, and ethnicities — living unruffle your feathers.
in connected neighborhoods
2,058
Number of fine-print words describing side
effects accompanying a typical one-page drug
An Oglala Lakota, Sean Sherman (a.k.a. The Sioux ad. For comparison, there are 1,337 words in
Chef) revitalizes native foods in the context of modern the Declaration of Independence. he FDA
cuisine via catering and his Tatanka Truck food truck in mandates the warnings, but the agency has
relaxed the amount of information required
Minneapolis–St. Paul. His first cookbook is stocked with twice in the past 21 years. Ads now need to list
healthy recipes inspired by his heritage. only “major risks.” — MD
www.sioux-chef.com
Creative
Inspiration
Using personal stories, science, and practical exercises, journalist
Manoush Zomorodi shows how exchanging your smartphone for
moments of discomfort can boost creativity.
BY HEIDI WACHTER
PHOTOS BY KWAKU ALSTON
Q&A
Experience Life | What did you learn
EL | Smartphone usage is often talked
about in terms of addiction. Your
work is about exploring ways to
engage with technology positively.
What does that look like to you?
I’d taken the game off my phone for
a while but put it back on ahead of a
long flight to Australia. Jane McGonigal,
the futurist and game designer whom I
interviewed for the book, eased my mind
when she explained that testing is being
from the weeklong Bored and Brilliant MZ | When we hear the word “addiction,” done on the use of games in hospitals
challenge and then from writing a it often brings to mind the idea that you for kids about to experience pain from
book about it? need to stop what you’re doing. a surgery.
MANOUSH ZOMORODI | So much But I don’t look at technology use in a Sometimes there’s a purpose for
research has been done since 2015, and good-and-bad binary — it’s a spectrum. distraction. If you know you’re going to
I’ve found a new awareness about the For me, it’s about figuring out how to get bored on a plane and your mind will
role that tech companies are playing effectively use the tools that most of us go to catastrophic places that aren’t
in our daily lives. People have begun rely on in the day-to-day for work, staying productive, then it’s OK to hack that by
questioning how we make sure they’re in touch with family, or even tracking using a game in a positive way.
helping us and not simply using us to goals such as counting our steps. But I’ve become more aware over
reach their bottom lines. I want to help people find that little time that if I want to play the game, it
I’ve also learned our relationship to moment before you do something when often means I’m tired. So I try to ask
technology isn’t just about boredom. It’s you ask, Is what I’m about to do helpful to myself if I’d be better served by taking a
also about habits, neuroscience, and the me? Do I feel good about it? If the answer
long bath or by making a bowl of popcorn
design of technology. All of these layered is yes, then by all means go for it. Do I
need to get on Google Docs right now to and playing a board game with my kids.
together are creating profound shifts in
our communities, society, and ourselves, work with my team? Yes, I do. Do I need
and we’re all feeling it. to check Instagram because I’m waiting in HEIDI WACHTER is an Experience Life
line for coffee? No, I don’t necessarily. staff writer.
EL | Boredom is often seen as negative. Also, we don’t need to constantly
Why did you use that word? follow the directions that technology’s
been designed to give. When we
MZ | I insisted on using the word
understand how technology has been
because it’s important to lean into the
designed and how the people making it
idea that it’s uncomfortable for a lot of
make money, we can be more purposeful
people — particularly younger people.
about how we engage with it. We can
They often tell me, “Well, the minute I
decide to use certain products because
have an uncomfortable feeling, I look at
we like the way they make us feel, and
Instagram or watch a YouTube video.”
not to use others because we don’t like
The point is that while being bored
how they make us feel. We can use the
doesn’t always feel good, it often leads to
ones that help us be more productive and
good stuff — new ideas, new solutions.
delete the ones that don’t. (For more on
But a lot of people aren’t getting to that
how our devices trap us, see “Tech Fix,”
because it’s easier to distract themselves.
page 52.)
EL | Why do we need boredom?
So, I think developing a positive Video Extra!
relationship with technology is about For more from Manoush Zomorodi,
MZ | In the form of rumination, boredom learning more self-regulation and watch our behind-the-scenes video
can be unproductive. But it can also be a executive function. That means we build at ELmag.com/videos.
gateway to positive mind-wandering. It’s skills and practices that enable us to
$
800 OFF LASIK + 200 2
Cleaning Kit
These simple, low-cost recipes are
all you need to refresh your home.
T hide in unexpected places, including cleaning supplies. Though
it’s impossible to completely avoid toxins, you can significantly
reduce your exposure by replacing harsh cleaning products with
safer options. There are nontoxic brands available for purchase, but it’s
easy (and more afordable) to mix up your own.
Lavender oil is
antibacterial; eucalyptus is
an antiseptic.
General All-Purpose Cleaner Bathroom Mildew Remover
Mix ½ cup distilled white vinegar, 3 cups distilled water, and ¼ Combine 1 cup distilled water with 1 cup vodka in a spray bottle.
teaspoon tea-tree essential oil in a spray bottle. Add 10 drops pine Add 10 drops each tea-tree, lavender, and eucalyptus essential
essential oil; shake. Spray on any hard surface, and then wipe with oils; shake. Spray on mildew. Wait 30 minutes or more to allow
a cloth.* the oils to break it down; then wipe clean with a cloth.
Lemon and wild- Black tea contains tannic acid, which breaks
orange oils effectively up dirt and grease.
dissolve grease.
Baking soda is
mildly abrasive,
making it ideal
for scrubbing
and scouring.
Surface Scrub Window Cleaner
Blend 1 cup baking soda and ¼ cup liquid Castile soap with 10 Boil 1½ cups of water; steep eight black-tea bags in the water
drops each lemon, lime, and wild-orange essential oils in a small and let it cool completely. Discard the tea bags and transfer the
bowl. Apply to stovetop or sink with a sponge, and then scrub and tea to a spray bottle. Spray on your windows and dry with a cloth
rinse clean. (crumpled newspaper also works well).
For more on what’s lurking in your commercial cleaning products, see ELmag.com/8hiddentoxins.
*Test all DIY products on a small, inconspicuous surface area to ensure desired results.
Replace them with whole, real foods. Because every child deserves a healthy meal.
L E A R N M O R E // L T F O U N D A T I O N . O R G
The
Bigger
Picture
Pursuing a newfound love of the
outdoors gave one attorney the
impetus to rethink his career
path and embark on a more
inspired life journey.
BY SCOTT KRANZ
400 calories
in one hour of singles tennis.
A study published in
the British Journal
of Sports Medicine
found that
Page
32
Two tennis pros offer engaging drills to help you improve your game.
Real Fitness
The Workouts • Mobility
Mobilize Your
HIPS
BY KAELYN RILEY
Whether you spend your days doing heavy squats,
cycling long distances, or sitting at a desk, chances
are your hips could use some extra attention.
Y
ou’ve heard it before: All the tight or stif, it’s quite possible that also help improve your overall
sitting we do is hurting our they’re really just weak,” explains movement quality.
bodies. When it comes to Ryan Orrico, a Functional Range The following exercises will help
mobility, our hips, especially, Conditioning (FRC) instructor in you gain better control over your
are paying the price. Long periods of Los Angeles. hips — which you rely on for walking,
sitting can tighten the hip flexors, cre- FRC is a combination of passive cycling, squatting, crossing your legs,
ating weakness and instability in one of stretching, high-tension contractions, and all sorts of other movements — and
the body’s key joints. and circular rotations that work expand your range of motion. Because
Though we tend to think of together to boost your resilience and these moves are designed to improve
strength and flexibility separately, flexibility. (For the specific details, both strength and flexibility, they’ll
they actually work together to aid see “FRC Acronyms Explained,” also help prevent injury while reducing
your mobility. “If your hips feel next page.) The protocol can tightness and imbalances.
FRC ACRONYMS
EXPLAINED
CARs
1. 2. Controlled articular rotations (CARs)
are high-tension circular movements
you can use as a warm-up, cool-
down, or daily standalone routine to
build and maintain mobility in all your
major joints.
PAILs
Progressive angular isometric loading
PHOTOS: CHAD HOLDER; STYLING: PAM BRAND; FITNESS MODEL: CARI PAHR
Power
CYCLING
Forget pedaling without a plan. This
strength-building, fat-burning workout
reimagines the indoor-cycling routine.
BY NICOLE RADZISZEWSKI
F
ew workouts are as versatile
and customizable as indoor
cycling. It’s great for cross-
training and fat-burning —
and “requires little coordination and
no special skills,” says Emily Booth,
EDG Cycle signature program lead for
Life Time. “You can get the benefits
of high-intensity training without a
negative impact on your joints.”
For the following high-intensity
interval training (HIIT) routine,
designed by Booth, use a group fitness
cycling bike with a resistance knob.
The more resistance, the harder
you have to push to move the
pedals. This enables you to simulate
conditions such as hills and design a
wide variety of cardio workouts.
This routine includes three sets
of intervals. With each set, the total
duration decreases — along with the
amount of recovery time.
To thrive (and not just survive),
pay close attention to your rate of
perceived exertion (RPE) and make
adjustments to stay on track with
the recommended RPE in each
interval set.
If you have a hard time recovering,
skip the third interval set until you
build your fitness level. In fairly short
order, through consistent and pain-
free efort, those cardio improvements
will come.
THE WORKOUT
Warm-Up: 8–10 minutes
Start with light to moderate resistance at a cadence of 80–100 your legs — but only if you feel comfortable standing up.
revolutions per minute (RPM). Gradually add resistance every In the last two to three minutes, perform two to four short
two minutes until you reach the top of zone 2. 15- to 30-second speed bursts. Aim to reach 90–110 RPM, pushing
After the first three to four minutes, mix in some short yourself into zone 3. Actively recover in zone 2 for one to two
periods out of the saddle to elevate your heart rate and stretch minutes before beginning the main workout.
NICOLE RADZISZEWSKI is a writer and personal trainer in River Forest, Ill. She blogs at www.mamasgottamove.com.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
The
Pushup
Fine-tune your form to make
the most of this fundamental
upper-body move.
Stay neutral:
Don’t crane
BY MAGGIE
your neck up,
FAZELI FARD, RKC
drop your head
toward the floor,
Distribute weight evenly
or hunch your
across your entire hands;
shoulders toward
imagine there is a grape
your ears.
under each palm that you
don’t want to crush.
P
ushups are a fitness staple, Learning proper form will help Your form will enable you to move
a part of most workout prevent pain and injury, and mastering painlessly through the full range
programs, and a tried-and-true a variety of variations can aid in of motion.
test of upper-body strength pregressing your move. And, thanks to a nearly endless
and endurance. They also have a Doing a pushup requires as much number of modifications to make
reputation as an especially punishing skill as strength. It’s a full-body them easier and more comfort-
movement that can cause wrist, elbow, exercise that calls for core stability as able, they’re also within reach for
shoulder, and lower-back pain. well as back, arm, and chest power. most exercisers.
PHOTO: CHAD HOLDER; STYLING: PAM BRAND; FITNESS MODEL: MELISSA STORY
1. 2. 3.
45 degrees from your body,
as if you’re pointing them to
the back corners of the room.
Game, Set,
Match Learn how to maximize your potential on
the tennis court with tips from two pros.
BY YAEL GRAUER
Gear Essentials
Just
Right
Our fitness editor struggles with
the age-old lesson that more —
even of a good thing — isn’t
always the answer.
es! More, please. Thank you. ing so loudly nearly four years ear- Easy, it turns out, is a struggle. I
FOREVER.
The journey to the finish line with your
fellow athletes. The exhilaration of race
day may subside, but your glory and
race results live forever at Athlinks.
Page
42
Expand your culinary
repertoire with this
Indian dal, a simple and
flavorful one-pot stew.
It’s easy to prepare with
pantry staples, including
protein-rich red lentils,
which provide the perfect
vehicle for warming, anti-
inflammatory spices like
turmeric and ginger.
Flora
Good gut health requires
more than consuming realize is that, like all living organisms,
enough probiotics. Learn these healthy bacteria that populate
why prebiotics are just your gut need to be nourished — and
as important. that their superfood is prebiotics.
“Think of prebiotics as the fertilizer
BY RACHEL MELTZER WARREN, MS, RDN that enables your gut garden to thrive,”
says New York City–based integrative
physician Frank Lipman, MD.
Prebiotics are types of indigestible
fiber that are as critical to the health
of your microbiome, and therefore the
health of your body, as the microbes
they feed. So, when tending to your
gut, it’s important to give the beneficial
bacteria residing there the prebiotics
they need to flourish.
he Pros of Prebiotics
All prebiotics are fiber, but not all
fiber is prebiotic. Prebiotic fiber resists
digestion in the upper gastrointestinal
tract, ferments in the colon (a.k.a. large
intestine), and fuels the growth of
probiotic microorganisms that are linked
with optimal well-being. (For more on
probiotics, see ELmag.com/probiotics.)
Researchers are still working to
identify the ways prebiotic fibers
support human health. Many of the
benefits attributed to a well-balanced
microbiome are due to byproducts
of fiber fermentation called short-
chain fatty acids, or SCFAs, explains
Jane Muir, PhD, head of translational
nutritional science in the Department
of Gastroenterology at Monash
University in Melbourne, Australia.
As bacteria in the colon gobble
Probiotics are living up prebiotic fiber, they produce
Prebiotics are types SCFAs, which, in turn, do many
microorganisms of indigestible, beneficial things:
that contribute fermentable fiber that • Balance gut pH. SCFAs reduce the
to a healthy encourage the growth pH of the intestinal lining, which makes
digestive tract. of beneficial bacteria. the gut more acidic and less hospitable to
pathogenic microorganisms.
Your
Prebiotic
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Eating more whole, plant-based
foods is the healthiest way to
Plate
Try to eat more of these prebiotic-rich
foods — and for extra credit, pair them
get prebiotics into your diet. The with the suggested probiotics. Note that,
following are some of the key generally, the less foods are cooked, the
prebiotic fibers found in food. greater the prebiotic content.
• Fructans are chains of sugar
molecules, found in a variety of Asparagus
vegetables and fruits, that store
Prebiotic fiber: Inulin and FOS.
carbohydrates. Two types of
prebiotic fructans are inulin and Enjoy it: Raw or lightly steamed for the
fructooligosaccharides (FOS). most prebiotics.
Probiotic pairing: Dip spears in a sauce
• Galactooligosaccharides
made of plain kefir blended with a drizzle
(GOS) are chains of galactose sugars
of olive oil, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
joined together with glucose at the
ends. These occur naturally and are
often also added to packaged foods. Unripe bananas
• Resistant starch refers to any Prebiotic fiber: Resistant starch.
dietary starch that is not digested Enjoy it: Buy green and eat before fully
in the small intestine but passes ripened. Try sliced, mashed, or frozen and
through to the colon, where it is blended into “nice cream.”
fermented. (For more on this, see Probiotic pairing: Whirl a frozen banana in a
ELmag.com/resistantstarch.) blender with plain, full-fat yogurt, a handful
of greens, and a tablespoon of nut butter for Chickpeas
a smoothie. Prebiotic fiber: Resistant starch.
Enjoy it: Soak and cook dried chickpeas to
Buckwheat groats make hummus. (Canned chickpeas have
Prebiotic fiber: Resistant starch. lower levels of prebiotic fiber than dried.)
Enjoy it: Allow cooked buckwheat to cool Probiotic pairing: Top hummus with natu-
for the most prebiotics, then top a green rally fermented pickles or other veggies.
salad with a scoop of these gluten-free
pseudo-grains. Dandelion greens
Probiotic pairing: Make buckwheat Prebiotic fiber: Inulin.
pancakes and serve alongside grilled
Enjoy it: For the most prebiotics, eat these
tempeh “bacon” strips.
bitter greens raw; mix with milder salad
greens like romaine and baby spinach.
Cabbage Probiotic pairing: Top with goat cheese or a
Prebiotic fiber: FOS. yogurt-based dressing.
Enjoy it: Toss raw cabbage with rice-wine
vinegar and sesame oil for an Asian- Fennel
inspired salad.
Prebiotic fiber: FOS and GOS.
Probiotic pairing: Make your own
Enjoy it: Slice the bulb, which has more
sauerkraut for a pre- and probiotic treat.
prebiotics than the fronds, and eat raw.
Probiotic pairing: Toss with plain yogurt
and top with zaatar, a Middle Eastern
spice mixture.
How to
Cook
Lentils
The right technique and a few flavor-boosting
ingredients are all this pantry staple needs to shine.
BY REBECCA KATZ, MS
entils are little gems. Yet despite these nutritional boons, profile of whatever they’re cooked
• 1 cup lentils
of your choice,
rinsed well, and
soaked if desired
Tip: Presoaking dried lentils makes them easier to • 1 clove garlic
digest and increases nutrient availability. Rinse, then • 1 bay leaf
soak in 4 cups of hot water plus 1 teaspoon of salt for 30 • ¼ tsp. sea salt
to 60 minutes; rinse again before cooking. • Water
PHOTOS: ANDREA D’AGOSTO; PROP STYLING: ALICIA BUSZCZAK; FOOD STYLIST: PAUL JACKMAN
• Lemon juice
Lemony Lentil
Quinoa Salad
Makes: six servings
Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes,
plus two hours to chill
• 2 medium beets, washed Preheat the oven to Toss the cooked lentils with
• 2 cups cooked lentils, cooled 425 degrees F. Wrap ½ tablespoon lemon juice, 1
• 1½ tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided, the beets in parchment tablespoon extra-virgin olive
plus more to taste paper, then in foil, and oil, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt;
• 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided roast for 30 minutes to let rest a few minutes. Add
• ½ tsp. sea salt, divided, plus more to taste 1 hour (depending on the beets and the remaining
• 3 tbs. chopped fresh mint size), until fork tender 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1
• 3 tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley and fragrant. Remove tablespoon olive oil, and ¼
• ¼ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped from the oven; when teaspoon sea salt. Stir in the
• Black pepper to taste cool, peel and cut into mint, parsley, and walnuts. Add
small cubes. one more pinch of salt, a few
grinds of black pepper, or a bit
more lemon juice to taste.
Lentil Hummus
Makes: six servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Why No Numbers?
Readers sometimes ask us why we
don’t publish nutrition information with
our recipes. We believe that (barring
specific medical advice to the contrary)
if you’re eating primarily whole, healthy
foods — an array of sustainably raised
Tip: If you can’t vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes,
find a Meyer meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel grains,
lemon, juice and healthy fats and oils — you
from regular probably don’t need to stress about the
lemons will numbers. We prefer to focus on food
do. Or mix 2 quality and trust our bodies to tell us
tablespoons what we need. — The Editors
each lemon and
orange juice.
Easy
Pickings
Gardening is simple —
if you grow only herbs.
ordinary basil, wide leaved and pliant, first? Chives! Chives win again!” stepped on.
shimmering with the promised pesto Finally, I will always have a
flavors of summer. soft spot in my heart for mint, that he Keeping-It-Real Garden
I also adore parsley — frilly indestructible weed associated with a Aromatics and mythology aside, the
and leprechaun green, stretching seriously creepy Greek myth, which real reason I love my herb garden is
for the sun. I treasure my delicate goes something like this: because I’m busy.
All in
One Sturdy kitchen
tools that take care
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.4
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2.
Zero Strain
The LiveFresh heavy-duty strainer
comes with a lifetime guarantee:
no buckling, no rips, no
nonsense. The rubber
handle makes for an easy
grip. About $15. www
.livefreshkitchen.com
3. 2. 3.
Timeless Tool
For centuries, people
have used mortars
and pestles to crush
and grind spices, herbs,
and nuts. This unpolished
granite set from ChefSofi 5.
may last that long, too. $48.
www.sofigoods.com
4.
Shear Pleasure
These premium
kitchen shears from 4.
Shun are equipped for a range of
tasks, from snipping herbs to cutting chicken
bones. $100. shun.kaiusaltd.com
5. 6.
Clean Cut Power Stack
This professional-grade, Great for mixing — as well
PHOTOS: JOHN MOWERS
Now take a look around. Where is shake our heads at historical images Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is
your smartphone? If you’re a typical of restaurant tables full of people Hijacking Our Kids — and How to
American, it’s within 5 feet of you, staring at the devices in their hands? Break the Trance. The more dopamine
regardless of the time of day. It may Or will our captivation with ever- an activity or substance triggers, the
be in your hand while you read these more sophisticated devices continue more addictive it is.
words on its bright face. to blind us to the fact that they aren’t “Our devices are designed to
Seventy-seven percent of Ameri- really connecting us to anything but be dopaminergic,” says Kardaras,
cans now own a smartphone. (Ninety- the screens themselves? citing a study showing that old-
five percent own a cell phone of some Even though our phones are school, nonimmersive video games
kind.) The same people who eschew cleverly designed to capture our raise dopamine levels as high as sex
cigarettes because of their health risks attention, we can choose how much of does. “We’re exposing people to the
might not think twice about driving our time we give them. intensity of what’s basically a digital
down a highway at 60 miles per hour orgasm. But unlike orgasms from sex,
with their eyes locked on a tiny screen. Addictive by Design digital orgasms happen continually.”
We sleep with our phones beside us. Most of us have unthinkingly reached We’re also wired to seek novelty,
They’re often the last thing we see for the phone at a stoplight, or found and the Internet ofers an infinite
before closing our eyes and the first our thumbs, seemingly of their own supply. Peter Whybrow, MD,
thing we reach for in the morning. will, refreshing email or scrolling director of the Semel Institute for
The average American adult spends through a social-media feed. We’ve Neuroscience and Human Behavior
more than three hours engaging with peeked at text messages while at the University of California, Los
his or her smartphone every day. someone was speaking to us, or felt Angeles, describes computers as
“The iPhone is only 10 years antsy in a work meeting that kept us “electronic cocaine.” When seemingly
old,” says Larry Rosen, PhD, author from checking email. everything is always available online,
of iDisorder and coauthor of The Almost anyone with a smartphone natural obstacles (such as darkness
Distracted Mind. “In that time, we’ve sufers from some degree of and distance) that once interrupted
gone from excitement to obsession.” technology addiction. As with reward-seeking behaviors no longer
This obsession comes with signifi- cigarettes, this is by design. It’s not apply, he notes.
cant costs to our health, relationships, that we simply lack self-control; our Even Tony Fadell, who helped
cognition, and mood — and at the ex- devices, gadgets, apps, and games are develop the iPhone, believes we need
pense of fully experiencing our lives. made to be addictive. to address our tech addiction. “Would
Will we look back someday at Addiction is tied to the release you give your kid cigarettes?” he asked
our screen infatuation with disbelief, of dopamine in the brain, explains the audience at last fall’s Mindfulness
as we do now with smoking, and Nicholas Kardaras, PhD, author of in America conference. “Would you
Scattered Attention
In 2000 the average person’s attention In 2014, the New York Times calculated
span was 12 seconds. By 2015 it had that Facebook users were spending
dropped to eight seconds. (A goldfish
has an attention span of nine seconds.) 39,757 collective years
As we continue to distract ourselves in
the quest for novelty and stimulation, we VU[OLWSH[MVYTLHJOKH`
may be hindering the next generation’s
We’re a nation of sitters. Thanks to bodies, and our communities. “Losing comfortable and sedentary.
TV binge watching, desk jobs, and the physicality would be like losing all the So it may be time for a shift in
ever-present allure of the Internet, artwork from all the great museums of how we think about physical activity.
the simple art of moving — at work the world.” For our long-term health and well-
and at home, indoors and out — The disheartening kicker is that being, we need to recognize that
is disappearing. formal exercise — walking, cycling, or it’s as important to decrease overall
A 2011 study found that Americans hitting the gym for the recommended sedentary time as it is to maintain
spend more than half their waking half-hour or so every day — does little a regular practice of intense,
hours sitting down — and at a to protect us from these health risks. A formal exercise.
considerable cost to our health. The study in The Lancet warned that only Without turning back the clock,
more we sit, researchers discovered, the most dedicated exercisers (those quitting our 9-to-5 jobs, or forgoing
the higher our risk of first-world who exercised 60 to 75 minutes daily) modern conveniences, we need to
illnesses of affluence: diabetes, obesity, could efectively undo the damaging figure out ways to resist the siren call
cardiovascular disease, and cancer. efects of a sedentary lifestyle. of the sofa and work more movement
“Our physicality is like an endan- “We live in an alien environment,” into our daily lives.
gered species, and that’s potentially similar to animals in captivity, says To help you do that, we hit up
catastrophic,” says Frank Forencich, Forencich. Cars, easy chairs, couches, some of the world’s foremost experts
founder of Exuberant Animal, a health- smooth walking surfaces, refrigerators, in movement, fitness, and lifestyle for
leadership organization that advocates climate control, and, of course, strategies on staying in motion in a
for our connection with nature, our computers all conspire to keep us sedentary world.
1
much as possible can pay big dividends in
hip mobility, spine health, and kinesthetic
awareness, while simultaneously encour-
aging more movement.
“Reclaim the ground as much as
possible,” says MovNat founder Erwan Le
Corre, author of The Practice of Natural
3.
Movement. Even while working on your
.
laptop, playing with your children, or
brushing your teeth, “you can extend your
legs forward, bring them to the side, sit
on your heels, squat.”
STEAL STEPS
LEND A HAND In 2017 researchers examined the
Most of us go out of our way to avoid walking habits of people from 46
chores. We let dirty dishes pile up, countries and found that, on average,
hope someone else changes the water Americans take fewer than 4,800
jug at work, and pay the neighbor’s steps per day — below the worldwide
kid to shovel the walk. But performing average and less than half the 10,000
these brief physical tasks has benefits steps (roughly five miles) many health
beyond breaking up sitting time. A experts recommend.
2015 study published in the journal So whenever and wherever you
Mindfulness showed that paying can, steal a few hundred steps. Park
attention to subtle sensations — farther away from the door at the
say, texture and temperature while mall; take the stairs, not the elevator;
washing dishes — could reduce get off the bus a stop or two early.
nervousness and increase inspiration Small changes can net you several
to be more active. thousand extra steps a day.
4. PLAY IN YOUR
ENVIRONMENT
Your surroundings dictate your movements, says
Le Corre. If you have the luxury to make a change,
choose where you live with movement in mind. Do you have
access to open space, woods, mountains, water? If you live
in a city, is there a park near home, work, or both? Are nearby
streets safe and clean for a bit of urban exploring? Can you
5. ENLIST CANINE
SUPPORT
Dogs may be the ultimate workout
partners; they’re always up for fun and
play. That combination makes
them good motivators: A 2017
study published in BMC Public
Health found that dog owners
access green spaces given the other demands in your life? exercised 22 more minutes
Just venturing outdoors means you’re more likely to be per day (usually in the form of
in motion. It also lifts your mood: A 2015 study found that a moderate-intensity walking) than
90-minute walk in nature reduced activity in an area of the people without dogs.
brain associated with depression. People who took their walks No pups in the family? Don’t
in a high-traffic urban setting showed no such reduction. worry. Consider offering to walk
“Ultimately, where you live is the No. 1 consideration for neighbors’ or friends’ dogs, or
healthy, frequent movement,” Le Corre says. begin volunteering at a shelter
near your home. (For an
inspiring story about the health
rewards of dog ownership,
visit ELmag.com/ericogrey.)
9.
RECONSIDER YOUR SPACE
The configuration of your Movement Matters and Move Your
home is also a key factor DNA, did away with her couch and
in how you move, whether dining-room chairs and installed
you live in a house or an monkey bars in her home. Still, even
apartment. Do you have small changes to the environment can
open space in your home to crawl, make a difference. Consider leaving
stretch, and jump? Are there stairs to hand weights or a yoga mat in the
climb? Is there a backyard to explore? living room, or installing a pull-up bar in
8.
GEAR UP
When you dress inappropriately for the
If your home is brimming with plush,
tempting spots to sit, chances are you’ll
wind up in them more often than you
intend, says Forencich. “Rethink your
furniture and get rid of unnecessary
temptations to sit down.”
It’s possible to take this to the
a frequently used doorway.
Or simply try different ways to sit
without pulling up a chair. See if you
can squat, kneel, stand, and lean with
legs in different configurations. (Learn
more about Bowman’s strategies for
more everyday movement on page 74.)
season, you create a built-in excuse for extreme. Katy Bowman, author of
staying indoors and for moving less.
Conversely, says Forencich, “when you
have the right gear, you’ll get outside
more often.”
Essentials include cool, nonrestric-
tive summer clothes, such as a bathing
suit; shoes you can comfortably walk in,
regardless of weather or terrain; warm
gloves and a hat for the cold; and a
high-quality winter coat that’s made for
movement, not just for warmth.
13.
movement is equally, if not more,
valuable to your health.
Ask yourself: “How am I sitting?
How am I getting off the floor?” Check
in with your body, energy, and mood.
By paying more attention to MASTER MINI-
your alignment, breath, and ease
of movement, even in simple
WORKOUTS
Many people assume that
tasks like driving, standing in
healthy movement must take
line, and checking your phone,
place at a certain time, at a
you increase awareness and
certain place, in certain clothes:
enjoyment in movement.
the 6 a.m. yoga class in your
flowy pants or the 7 a.m. boot
camp in your camo headband.
But you can move virtually
anywhere, anytime — for as
long as you wish, wearing
anything you like.
“Get up and walk for a
12.
few minutes every 20 to 30
FLY FIT minutes you’re sitting down,”
Air travel is usually cited
says Lynn Shuck, a Minnesota-
for its pitfalls: chiefly, long
based yoga instructor who
hours in a confined seated
teaches Eischens, an alignment-
position. But it also offers some overlooked
11.
based style that uses weight
opportunities for movement.
resistance to activate under-
“On the plane, stretch to reach
used muscles.
overhead whenever you think of it,” says
Her advice to move when
Jolie Kobrinsky, a trainer and functional-
and where you can applies
fitness expert whose mission includes
whether you’re at work, at
EMPOWER helping people “unstick” themselves from
home, or waiting at the airport.
patterns of inactivity.
YOURSELF When you get up to use the bathroom,
Every time you pass through
Fitness products and programs can a doorway, stretch your arms
circle your arms and roll your shoulders,
make us feel less empowered to be overhead on the door frame,
she suggests. At the gate, walk around
physical on our own. she suggests. Stretch your
and stretch rather than planting yourself
Don’t let that happen to you! calves; get into a half-kneeling
in a chair. You’re not only moving, but
Remember, the point of formal pose and stretch your hips for a
you’ll also arrive at your destination
training is to make movement 30- to 60-second hold.
feeling fresher.
more accessible and joyful in your If you’re up for something
life outside the gym. So, if you’re a more vigorous, try two rounds
regular exerciser, start putting your of 30-second sets of body-
fitness into play everywhere else: Join weight squats, hands-elevated
teams, run 5Ks, take hikes. pushups, reverse lunges, and
“People do lunges and twists as jumping jacks to get your heart
part of a functional routine,” says seriously pounding. It will take
Le Corre. “But they’re afraid to play less than five minutes.
soccer or Frisbee — which use (For more quick-hit workout
exactly the same movements. It ideas, check out ELmag.com/
doesn’t have to be complicated.” takefive.)
15. GO
SMALL
Most people
think big movement patterns —
squatting, running, jumping —
form the crux of physical
fitness, but your smallest body
parts can dramatically affect
how you feel and move.
16. PAY IT FORWARD
“Physicality is not just about our personal health. It’s a
gift we pass on to future generations,” says Forencich. So,
whether or not you’re raising children of your own, embrace
opportunities to enable and encourage young people to move
— vigorously, joyously, frequently. Run around with your kids, nieces, and nephews
at the park instead of sitting on the sidelines. Coach a team or help teach a sports or
exercise-based class. And model a movement-rich lifestyle for everyone around you.
“The most potent influence on kids is adults’ behavior — not what they say, but
Specifically, experts suggest what they do,” Forencich says.
homing in on the feet to
get a big bang for your
fitness buck. ANDREW HEFFERNAN, CSCS, is an Experience Life contributing editor.
“There are 33 joints in the feet,” says
Shuck. “We use about three of them.”
Our feet are designed for varied
terrain, she says, but hard-soled shoes
and unvaryingly flat walking surfaces
offer them little stimulation. Solve that by
going barefoot whenever convenient and
massaging the soles of your feet by rolling
them over a small ball when you can.
Opening up the fascia and
musculature that run between and
around your foot joints not only feels
good on the spot at that moment;
this small action can also release the
hamstrings, hips, and lower back —
setting you up for even more good-
feeling movement later.
62 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / April 2018
Rest Better
Movement is wonderful, but sometimes it simply isn’t an option. We have to sit in
meetings and in the car; when we’re feeling under the weather, we lie down. Addi-
tionally, it’s critical to give your body and mind downtime from the hustle of doing
things, including the most beneficial movement. These tips can help you make the
most of the restful periods so you can move better when you’re up and about again.
Tune in to your alignment. Originally, switch to that some nights to let your body
“yoga was developed so practitioners could adapt to a different pressure.”
sit meditating for long periods,” says yoga Too much change? Roll out stiff muscles
teacher Lynn Shuck. Proper sitting was with mobility balls or a foam roller before
recognized as a skill requiring practice — not bed, then try mobilizing again. If you’re up
simply a collapse into the nearest seat. for it, she says, sleep on a pad on the floor.
On those occasions when you must be
in one position for a long period, take a cue Find stillness. Paradoxically, says Exuberant
from the yogis and bring some awareness Animal founder Frank Forencich, another
into the picture: “Sit on the edge of your essential key to moving more is to find time
chair. You’ll use a bit of effort to sit tall, and to move less — way less. The Internet, he
you may find you aren’t sitting tall all the argues, drives people into a near-constant
time. Just don’t lean back on the backrest.” state of hyperalertness. “One of our biggest
When standing, keep your hips under- problems is that we’ve developed a kind
neath you and your weight on your heels. of partial continuous engagement with the
(Hint: If you need to brace your hips on the world,” he explains.
counter to chop vegetables, your hips are The solution? Deep downtime.
too far forward.) “Insist on periods when you stop doing,”
These alignment tips allow your bones — says Forencich, whether it’s after 6 p.m. on
rather than your muscles — to hold you up, weeknights, all day Sunday, or for 10-minute
making both sitting and standing for long peri- stretches at work.
ods easier and more comfortable, and sparing Do what you need to find quietude for
your joints unnecessary wear and tear. yourself. That might mean meditating in
an empty conference room or sitting in the
Don’t sleep so tight. Do you wake up feeling sunshine at a nearby park or in your backyard.
stiff? Can you sleep in only one position, on There is no “Do this” set of instructions,
one side of one mattress — and only then with because the goal is to not do much of
a fortress of pillows supporting every limb? anything and find peace in that not doing.
“Time to mobilize,” says biomechanist Don’t feel guilty about vegging out. It’s
Katy Bowman. First step: Switch sides of the essential recharge time that pays long-term
bed. Then, she says, “If you have a guest bed, dividends to your health and productivity.
By 2020, NAFLD
will be the No. 1
reason we’re doing
liver transplants.” Healthy Fatty
— Dina Halegoua-DeMarzio, MD
Liver Liver
in, liver function erodes, causing Beyond Soda chemicals are registered for use in
problems throughout the body. A The nutritional triggers for the the United States each year. This
compromised liver reduces the body’s NAFLD pandemic aren’t limited to burgeoning toxic load can overwhelm
capacity to eliminate toxins and the damaging efects of the standard our already-taxed livers.
hormone byproducts and weakens the American diet. Choline deficiency is Environmental toxins are nothing
immune system. another key factor. new. Lead poisoning is believed to
It also inhibits blood-sugar Choline is a vitamin-like essential have helped bring down the Roman
regulation. Once the liver gets fatty nutrient that helps transport fat inside Empire. But today we wrestle with
from too much fructose, the pancreas the body. The best dietary sources are more chemicals as well as the interac-
starts to overcompensate for its whole eggs and liver; supplements are tion of those chemicals, the efects
sluggish teammate. It kicks out more also useful. When a person is deficient of which experts are still struggling
insulin to aid the liver, which backfires in choline, fat gets into the liver but to understand.
by catalyzing new fat. This makes fatty can’t get out. Meanwhile, the accumulation of
liver disease both a trigger and a result “Without enough choline, multiple toxins is an exponential
of metabolic dysfunction, in which we’re overproducing fat and under- challenge to the liver. The toxins in
fat-burning slows and insulin becomes eliminating it,” says Rountree. “The plastics can disrupt our endocrine
dysregulated, leading to a host of other drain is clogged.” systems. Lead is a neurotoxin. If
health issues. Sedentary lifestyles are another the body must tackle both at once,
“I never think of fatty liver factor in NAFLD. Exercise has myriad it must work that much harder to
as separate from metabolic health benefits, and it protects the liver process them.
dysfunction,” says functional- in a straightforward manner: Exercise Yet we don’t have to escape
medicine physician Frank Lipman, burns more fat than sitting does. toxins completely to be healthy.
MD, coauthor of The New Health Finally, the liver is the body’s The liver is designed to help us
Rules: Simple Changes to Achieve main detoxification organ, and today clear them before they do damage.
Whole-Body Wellness. Likewise, we’re exposed to an unprecedented By limiting our exposure — as well
metabolic dysfunction can’t be volume of toxins. “Humans have as improving our nutrition and
separated from the conditions become rent-free storage systems reducing our intake of fructose-laden
that result from it: type 2 diabetes, for synthetic chemicals,” Rountree food and drinks — we can make its
cardiovascular disease, and stroke. says, noting that some 2,000 new job substantially easier.
Ditch high-fructose If eating a certain fruit puts you well someone metabolizes fat. These
on the blood-sugar roller coaster, people might benefit from limiting the
corn syrup. eat it only in moderation. Stick with amount of saturated fat in their diet.
Processed foods and soda are the fruits or other foods that don’t leave
top sources of HFCS in the diet, says
Halegoua-DeMarzio, and she views it
you “hangry.” Skip fast food.
as a primary cause of NAFLD. Making The trans fats and HFCS found in
whole foods — especially vegetables, Get your daily fiber. processed fast food damage the liver.
pastured-animal proteins, nuts and “Fiber prevents the intestines from Just drive by the drive-through.
seeds, and some low-glycemic fruits absorbing fructose too soon, so you
(think cherries, blueberries, and don’t get that tsunami on the liver,” Increase choline.
grapefruit) — the mainstays of your says Lustig. When you eat fruit, pair it It’s estimated that only 10 percent
nutrition plan is a boon to liver health. with foods that are high in fiber so the of Americans meet or exceed their
liver isn’t flooded with fructose. Ideal recommended daily choline intake.
pairings include chia- and flaxseeds, Eating choline-rich foods, including
nuts and nut butters, avocados, and eggs and liver, boosts its stores in the
leafy greens. body. Supplemental choline (often in
the form of phosphatidylcholine) can
Embrace healthy fats. be helpful if your levels remain low
Experts generally agree that healthy due to genetic variations or an over-
fats don’t contribute to NAFLD (trans population of bad gut microbes.
fats, on the other hand, are a problem).
To support good metabolism and Ease up on medications
cognitive function, turn to the healing
fats found in small, oily fish; olives and
where possible.
Frequent use of over-the-counter medi-
olive oil; avocados; nuts and seeds;
cations can harm the liver. Nutritionist
grassfed-animal protein; and coconut
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, cites
oil and ghee.
a study of 300 patients by the Univer-
Still, clinicians who treat people
sity of Texas Southwestern Medical
with metabolic syndrome and NAFLD
Center that found that 38 percent of
say a small percentage of patients
Be mindful with fruit. who reduce sugar don’t see suicient
liver-failure cases and 37 percent of
Fruits contain fructose in varying severe liver disease were associated
improvements in their liver enzyme
amounts; they also contain fiber, with excessive use of acetaminophen,
and triglyceride counts, likely due to
pectin, and often an enormous the active ingredient in Tylenol.
genetic diferences that afect how
number of phytonutrients. When Before any medication can be
fructose is part of this matrix efective, it must be processed by the
of healthy plant compounds, its body, and this job falls largely to the
impact on the liver is less severe, liver, explains Gittleman. The more
says Rountree. Consuming fructose pharmaceuticals we ingest — through
as an isolated chemical is when it prescription drugs or over-the-counter
starts causing health problems. remedies — the harder the liver must
At the same time, fruit afects work. So take prescribed medications
everyone diferently. only as recommended, and consult
“Theoretically, we should all with your healthcare provider to make
be able to eat fruit, and the fiber sure they’re necessary.
should slow digestion,” says Meanwhile, Rountree says, no
Lipman. “But a lot of people — I’m pharmaceuticals have been approved
one of them — have problems by the FDA for treating NAFLD.
when they eat a lot of fruit. People The blood-sugar-lowering drug
have diferent tolerances.” Metformin can help stabilize type 2
Minimize toxic
exposure.
The list of toxins that exact a toll on
the liver is long, but take special care
to avoid the following: persistent
organic pollutants (POPs), which
include insecticides such as DDT
and chemicals used in large-scale
industrial and agricultural operations;
common herbicides such as atrazine cells, NAD plays an important role Exercise.
and glyphosate; and heavy metals like in extracting energy from food and Studies show that losing just 3 to
lead, mercury, and arsenic. repairing DNA damage. Our bodies’ 5 percent of total body weight can
This is easier than it sounds. NAD level decreases as we age, says significantly improve fatty liver.
Eating organic foods, avoiding lawn Rountree, and “when NAD gets low, Consider high-intensity interval
you don’t burn fat as eiciently, so training for the most substantial fat-
fat accumulates.” burning benefits. (For more on interval
training, see ELmag.com/HIIT.)
All this is good news. It means that even if we find out we’re further down the
road to fatty liver than we suspected, we can always turn back.
chemicals, and using a high-quality One of the more frightening aspects will use an ultrasound to confirm
water filter for your shower and of fatty liver disease is that it’s the diagnosis.
drinking water can all significantly largely asymptomatic. Some people Additional tests can corrobo-
with NAFLD feel some pain in the rate the presence of metabolic
reduce exposure to these compounds.
upper right abdomen; others feel dysfunction, which goes hand
nothing at all. This means it can in hand with NAFLD. These
Supplement wisely. remain undetected until it has tests include hemoglobin A1c,
Guar gum is a powerful soluble-fiber advanced to the cirrhotic stage, a measure of blood sugar over
supplement that has been shown in which is much tougher to treat. a three-month period; fasting
animal studies to reduce fat accumula- If you’re concerned you might glucose, which assesses blood
tion and inflammation in the liver. In be at risk, ask your healthcare sugar after a fasting period of at
supplement form, it’s partially hydro- practitioner to run a liver-enzyme least eight hours; a lipid profile,
panel on a blood test. Elevated which screens for abnormalities in
lyzed, so its otherwise-unpleasant taste
enzymes can be a sign of liver triglyceride and cholesterol levels;
disappears. (It also doesn’t cause gas inflammation and damaged liver and C-reactive protein, which tracks
and bloating the way it can when com- cells. In some cases, physicians tissue inflammation.
bined with some foods.)
Another helpful supplement is
nicotinamide riboside, a precursor to
nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide LAINE BERGESON, FMCHC, is a health journalist and functional-medicine-certified health
(NAD). A coenzyme found in all living coach based in Minneapolis.
ALL
N AT U R
AL NON-GMO
GREEN PEAS
S L Y
C I O U GLUTE
E L I S P Y N-FRE
D CRI E
Page
74
Learn how a fitness
retreat inspired one
writer to explore new
ways to move.
Real Life
Balance
Calendar
Cleanup
BY KAREN OLSON
If your busy schedule is making you crazy,
it may be time to reevaluate your priorities.
W
hen Ellany Lea was a step with how we really want to spend idle that, according to several studies,
teenager, her calendar our time and be in our lives. they would rather give themselves
was jam-packed. Most The cost of our overstufed sched- electric shocks than spend six to 15
of her schedule was ules and half-hearted commitments is minutes alone with their thoughts.
devoted to charity work, helping at borne by our health, relationships, and Neuroscientists aren’t surprised:
home, leading school clubs, and getting peace of mind. Nonetheless, many of Every time we engage in activities that
straight As. She didn’t have free time. us try to solve the problem — as Lea our brains perceive as productive —
“I had no way to discern what was a once did — by becoming even more checking our phone or email, or even
priority,” says Lea. “Everything that eicient and productive, rather than by actively worrying — we’re flooded
everybody else wanted and expected cutting back and creating space. with pleasure-producing dopamine.
of me was a priority.” Perhaps we do this because many For Mellen, author of Unstuff Your
Her solution? “I became hyper- people see busyness as a badge of Life!, learning to free up a cluttered
eicient at fitting everything in.” honor and symbol of success in schedule is a matter of importance
Overwhelmed and exhausted at our current culture. Recent studies and urgency. “You’re going to get to
18, Lea awoke one morning feverish published in the Harvard Business the end of your life, and you’re either
and unable to bend or lift her arms. Review found that busy people are going to be satisfied or dissatisfied,”
She was hospitalized for four days, perceived as having a higher social he cautions. “What diference do
and though doctors couldn’t come up status than their less frazzled peers. you want to make? What impact do
with a diagnosis, she’s certain she was Or, as “life hacker” and professional you want to have? What choices do
sufering symptoms of burnout. organizer Andrew Mellen suggests, you need to make to live a life of
Lea’s case is extreme, but many maybe our cluttered calendars meaning and significance instead of
of us can relate to her stressful, help us avoid things we don’t sleepwalking through it?”
overscheduled days. Even worse want to face: “namely conflict, The following strategies can get
than our crammed calendars is the intimacy, money, mortality, and you started on clearing your calendar
realization that we’re committing our being uncomfortable.” so you have more time for what
time to activities that may be out of Some people feel so uneasy when matters to you.
participates in the process of At the end of each day, reflect your energy toward the things in life
recognizing what’s important to upon your activity and consider you cherish most.
the group, each person becomes what’s working and what’s not. If you
more committed to those values. determine you’re not spending your KAREN OLSON is a Minneapolis-based
That group alignment simplifies time in satisfying ways, you can more writer and leadership coach for mission-
scheduling decisions. easily choose to do things diferently. driven women.
Purposeful
Movement BY KARA DOUGLASS THOM
T
A veteran
athlete learns movement is crystal clear: Move more.
the value of But that’s not enough, says biomechanist
reintegrating and author Katy Bowman, MS. She
nonexercise also wants you to move more of you. “No matter
movement into how many exercises you stuf into an hour or
her life — and two,” she explains, “much of your body is still
how doing so sedentary most of the time.”
yields surprising I figured my years of endurance training had
benefits. earned me a lifetime permit to grab the closest
parking space, but I attended Bowman’s first
Movement Matters retreat in Chimacum, Wash.,
with an eye to broadening my nonexercise
movement. I came to understand that all exercise
is movement, but not all movement is exercise.
Exercise is like a small planet in the movement
universe. I like visiting Planet Exercise, but
I was ready to explore new and neglected
movement terrain.
Get Schooled
The two-day retreat started with a stint working
at Finnriver Farm and Cidery, interspersed
with movement classes to prep attendees for
the next day’s adventure: a 20-mile hike along
the Olympic Discovery Trail on Washington’s
Olympic Peninsula. Bowman describes the
program as a tool to help participants “weave
their fitness or athletic feats back into Recruit the Whole Body over for the leg muscles that now
their community and other parts of We met on day one inside the open-air didn’t have to show up to help.
their lives, like food and activism.” Cider Garden Pavilion at Finnriver, We kept our arms out of it and
Not so long ago, moving to find flanked by organic flower gardens practiced recruiting only the outer hip
food ensured our existence. This and an apple orchard. A flock of and thigh (to carry our weight while
connected food and movement in geese wandered outside; they weed lifting one side of the pelvis to let the
ways that didn’t involve counting around the trees when a group of 30 swing leg through) and the glutes (to
calories or tracking steps — the movement students isn’t there to help. push of the ground). We learned to
opposite of exercising to justify eating The Chimacum Creek, a restored keep a straight leg, so our push-of
dessert. Bowman points out that salmon stream, flowed nearby. resembled an oar in the water. Pushing
our bodies still have that biological Bowman led us through a series back with a bent knee, like a bent oar,
imperative to move, even though food of corrective exercises to wake up is not as eicient.
is now readily available. muscles that often lie dormant in our These exercises — and practicing
Moving more of you starts with this leg movement — are not to be
recognizing sedentary patterns. “You rushed. Slower-paced movement is
were born into a sedentary culture, necessary, Bowman said, because you
so 99.9 percent of your sedentary can have “parent-child” relationships
behaviors are flying under the radar,” in your muscles. Parents can take over
Bowman writes in her book, Movement Not so long ago, certain tasks for children, because it’s
Matters. “Start paying attention.” moving to find food easier or faster, but in the long term,
Thinking further about nonexercise ensured our existence. slowing down to let children figure
movement, she challenges readers This connected food it out is what allows them to become
to consider how they outsource more capable.
movement. Your key fob eliminates
and movement in ways “We don’t value slow,” Bowman
the need to turn your wrist to unlock
that didn’t involve noted. “We value short and fast.”
your car, for example, and using a leaf counting calories or Our gym mentality has conditioned
blower takes far less efort than raking. tracking steps.” us to get in and get out as eiciently
Those sedentary behaviors are bad and efectively as possible, because
for your health, but that’s not where the we have things to do. But what
story ends. Outsourcing movement can daily movement, especially while if we looked at that to-do list for
damage other people, your community, walking — a movement as automatic opportunities to not only move but to
even the environment — noise as breathing. Many people overuse move more of us?
pollution from gas-powered yard work, their knees and underuse their hips,
single-cup cofee pods that end up in she explained, or they outsource some Fieldwork
landfills, car exhaust emitted during of the more refined hip and thigh work Our crew, eager to get out of the
an errand that was within walking to their arms and shoulders. As we classroom and into the lab, made quick
distance. That’s when I realized that practiced balancing on one leg, she work of weeding and harvesting in
how I move matters beyond benefits to noted how we used our arms to stay two rows of dwarf apple trees. We
my own health. upright. The upper body was taking squatted, hinged, reached, carried
Our experts explain safe ways to use oregano oil, how to send Facebook
invites to non-Facebook-using friends, and ways to temper competitiveness at the gym.
BY JON SPAYDE
A Oregano oil is a
potent essential
oil that contains
an antibacterial
compound called carvacrol,
place of standard antibiotics
to reduce antibiotic
resistance in poultry.)
carvacrol. And some health-
care providers warn that
oregano oil could reduce mi-
crobial diversity in the gut.
efects. She suggests just 50 to
80 milligrams (two or three
drops) per dose. Stick to for-
mulas with at least 80 percent
carvacrol, and take only those
which some studies have that are clearly labeled for
shown to be as efective medicinal use.
Green also cautions
against using oregano oil
for longer than one week.
Take one dose three times
a day for the first two days,
she suggests. Then use
one capsule twice a day. If
you get no relief from your
symptoms after seven days,
discontinue its use and find
another remedy.
“Some people take
oregano oil daily for preven-
tion, but I would never rec-
ommend that,” says Green.
Instead, she suggests relying
on immune-building herbal
teas, such as echinacea and
thyme, daily throughout the
cold and flu season.
A
It’s possible to invite peo- “I was a star
ple who are committed athlete in high
to staying of Facebook school, and I’m still
to your events thanks to hypercompetitive.
a process that’s built into the social- How do I ease up?”
media platform. Here’s how it works:
1. Once you’ve set up an event,
you’ll see a button with an envelope
icon marked “Invite.”
2. Click on this, and you’ll see a
drop-down menu ofering the option to
“Choose Friends” (for other Facebook
users) and another, very helpful one,
marked “Invite by Text or Email.”
3. Choose the latter item and you’ll
have the option to search for people
A Athletic competitiveness
is great — to a point,
says Bhrett McCabe,
PhD, a clinical and sports
psychologist in Birmingham, Ala.
us feeling stressed and resentful.
“We can totally lose perspective
on how we’re doing and how much
progress we’re actually making
toward our goals,” he says.
on Facebook by name, email address, When we’re striving toward Comparison can backfire in
or phone number. For those not on the a goal, he says, we compare other ways. “If you have knee
platform, type in their email addresses; ourselves with others, “and we tend pain, and you just push through
you can also choose to import con- to compare our weaknesses to what it because you’re caught up in
tacts from your we see as their strengths. Humans competition, that’s a problem,” he
email accounts. always want to be better.” explains. “The competitive urge
4. Once This isn’t necessarily bad, can keep you from listening to
you’ve added because it motivates us to push your body.”
all your beyond our comfort zone. When So how can you benefit from
guests, click comparison and competition stay your athletic passion? “You have to
“Send Invites” open-ended, however, things determine what you truly want out
to notify all can get ugly — especially for the of your workout,” he says. “You’ve
your friends about chronic competitor. “We chase got to define what that is, not let
the event. someone else’s achievement, then somebody else’s performance
meet it; then we spot someone else define it for you.”
who’s better at that, and we go after McCabe recommends writing
that,” notes McCabe. down goals before going to the gym,
When we’re behaving as if and then tracking precise data in a
nothing we do will ever be good fitness journal. This will keep you
Got Questions? enough, we deny ourselves any focused on your progress, not how
sense of satisfaction. This can leave it compares with someone else’s.
If you have inquiries for our experts,
email us at AskEL@experiencelife.com.
JON SPAYDE is an Experience Life contributing editor.
Enough
The art of feeling satisfied with ourselves
and our lives in a world that consistently
asks us to do, be, and have more.
BY DALLAS HARTWIG AND PILAR GERASIMO
D
o you ever worry he Cost of Constraint Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
about not having • Research by Harvard • The fear of “not enough” can
enough — money, behavioral economist Sendhil lead us to create the conditions
time, energy, love? Mullainathan suggests that of scarcity — never serving
Do you trust that you will worrying about “not enough” quite enough food for the table,
have enough in the future? — or even just imagining for instance, or not eating
Perhaps more important, do hypothetical “not enough” enough to feel satisfied. That
you believe you are enough, scenarios — can reduce can set us up for having a con-
right now, just as you are? both our available IQ and our tinuous, confirming experience
Your answers to those ability to respond to real- of deprivation. Conversely, it
questions can have a pro- life challenges. can incline us toward excess.
found influence on your • The negative cognitive ef- • A similar dynamic occurs EXPERIMENTS
health and happiness. Why? fects of most scarcity- with our fears about not having
Because patterned thoughts oriented experiences are re- enough love or enough time: Dallas suggests:
about scarcity drive stress, markably similar, regardless of Oozing neediness or jealousy Ask yourself whether a
and stress gives rise to in- current worry is rooted in
the nature of the “not enough” is more likely to alienate others
flammation, reactivity, cogni- some projection of future
in question. According to than to attract them. Habitu- scarcity. If the answer is
tive limitations, and more. related research referenced ally rushing to “save time” only yes (and it almost always
In other words, as Pilar in Harvard Magazine, ”scar- confirms and entrenches our is), challenge that belief by
says, “scarcity mentality city steals mental capacity time-poverty experience as a saying, out loud or to yourself,
tends to produce scarcity re- wherever it occurs — from the default state. “Right here, right now, it’s
sults.” So, in this installment hungry, to the lonely, to the enough. Right here, right now,
of The Living Experiment, • A scarcity mindset also drives
time-strapped, to the poor.” I’m enough for me.” Try that
we examine the opposing the release of stress hormones,
reality on, and see how it feels.
mentalities of scarcity and • While dealing with a “right further compounding our per-
now” scarcity experience (e.g., ceptions of being perpetually Pilar suggests:
abundance. We explore how
being painfully hungry or cold, endangered and on edge. Note that worrying about “not
they afect our experiences enough” causes you to physi-
of the moment, and how or not having the bus fare you
cally and mentally contract.
they can impact our future. need to get home) is stressful he Potential of Plenty
Adopt a “posture of plenty”
Finally, we encourage you in its own right, most of our • One good way to move
instead: Uncross your arms
to begin experimenting with thoughts about scarcity are beyond scarcity-based pro- and legs, lean forward, allow
creating greater potential for associated with our fears of it gramming is to give yourself your face and neck to relax,
plenty in your own life. — the story we tell ourselves permission to more regularly and breathe deeply — as though
about what might happen notice and create the condi- you have plenty of everything,
sometime in the future. tions of plenty — or in Brené and nothing to fear. Notice the
• Research suggests that Brown’s terminology, suf- difference that makes.
early-childhood experiences ficiency. Practice expanding
your tolerance for abundance- This column is based on The
Listen and Learn and traumatic events related
oriented experiences. Living Experiment, the top-rated
to scarcity-based suffering podcast by DALLAS HARTWIG
Check out this and
other episodes of he (such as poverty, hunger, and • Notice how often your self- and PILAR GERASIMO. Dallas is
Living Experiment at loneliness) can lay down neu- talk is dominated by anxiety- the New York Times best-selling
LivingExperiment.com. rological circuits that predis- provoking “not enough” themes coauthor of The Whole30 and
Subscribe to the podcast It Starts With Food. Pilar is an
pose us to thinking and acting and begin translating those award-winning journalist, healthy-
via Apple Podcasts,
in scarcity-oriented ways over statements into more optimis- living advocate, and Experience
SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
the course of our lifetime. tic, plentiful perceptions. Life’s founding editor.
Hunger
It is a powerful lie to equate about what happened, she turned to keeping up with friends, finding cloth-
thinness with self-worth,” food. “I ate because I understood that ing options, and dealing with anxiety
writes best-selling author I could take up more space. I could about airplane and restaurant seating.
Roxane Gay in her latest book, Hunger: become more solid, stronger, safer.” The memoir is deeply personal but
A Memoir of (My) Body. Over the years, Gay lost and gained highlights a universal paradox — how
Gay is renowned for exploring the weight. She used food to find “ways to to accept who we are now while also
intersections between race, gender, embracing a desire to change.
and popular culture in her writing. In “I have tried to make peace with this
this brave confessional, she ofers a body,” she writes. “I also want to lose
searing critique of the media and the weight. I know I am not healthy at this
weight-loss industry, both of which are
programmed to convince women to
shape themselves into an idealized im-
Women
continue to hunger.
size (not because I am fat but because I
have, for example, high blood pres-
sure). More important, I am not happy
age. “Women continue to try to bend And so do I.” at this size, though I am not sufering
themselves to societal will,” she notes. from the illusion that were I to wake up
“Women continue to hunger. And so thin tomorrow, I would be happy and
do I.” all my problems would be solved.”
The story of Gay’s hunger and hide in plain sight, to keep feeding a Gay masterfully shines light on
unruly body begins when she was hunger that could never be satisfied — the struggle to love yourself in a world
12 years old and raped by a group of the hunger to stop hurting.” that leads many to believe they’re not
boys. No longer feeling safe and not Yet her method of survival also enough. Here are a few of the powerful
knowing how to talk to her family filled her life with myriad challenges: insights she shares in Hunger.
— HEIDI WACHTER
my voice.” them will not free me from anything. Adapted from Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
by Roxane Gay. Copyright © 2017 by Roxane
“I am not the same scared girl that I Gay. Published on June 13, 2017, by Harper, an
was. I have let the right ones in. I have imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted
found my voice. by permission.
Go for
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Live Long
The sturdy, all-bamboo
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5.
Reach In
This bamboo-handled scrub
brush from Full Circle lets
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PHOTO: JOHN MOWERS
TO DAY
G I S T ER
RE
©2018 LIFE TIME, INC. All rights reserved. KIMG173143
Perspective
A Daily Habit
Taking some time every day to reflect on how things are going can
help you move in a more meaningful direction.
BY BAHRAM AKRADI
n business, evaluating objectives ourselves or those around us. Then, • What was my intention? Did I
SPARTAN.COM