Radiant Life- Vol.2 Issue 5- Preview

RADIANT LIFE M AY

RADIANT LIFE

Cultivating a healthy mind, body, and spirit

MAY 2022 / VOLUME 2 / ISSUE 5

Monica Tomas The up-and-coming model shares reflections on beauty

The Source of Happiness What we pay attention to streams into our mind and becomes our reality

BRIGHT MAGAZINE GROUP

“Who sows virtue reaps honor.”

—Leonardo da Vinci

Table of Contents

6 Mind & Body 6

The Source of Happiness

No matter how perfect everything may look on the outside, for most of us, happiness is largely driven by our habits of thinking, feeling, and perceiving the world.

12 Grounded and Present

The human body performs nearly infinite complex functions, and its inborn intelligence can help us stay present.

14 Yin-Yang Weight Loss

Traditional Chinese medicine is all about balance. A balanced lifestyle can contribute to overall fitness, glowing skin, and a higher energy level.

18 Improve Anxiety Naturally

Research shows that fixing these common nutritional deficiencies can support optimal neurotransmitter production and hormone balance.

22 The Importance of Rest

Exercise is important, but it’s also a stressor. Balance exercise with rest to reach your fitness goals.

26 Digital Stress

Games and social media can trigger excitement and fear in brain-altering ways.

32 The Sweet Life

Understanding how the brain reacts to sugar can help us resist this inflammatory substance and find healthier alternatives.

34 Resetting Hormones

Hormones help regulate our physiological processes, but they can get out of whack. Here’s how to reset your insulin and cortisol.

38 Babies and Slow Aging

Research shows that women who had their last child later in life tend to live longer.

42 Lessons With Mitch Albom

The author’s new book delves into his own painful journey through grief, doubt, seeking help, and recovery.

Lifestyle

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48 Beauty in Reflection

Rising model Monica Tomas on the true meaning of fashion, finding herself, and discovering divine beauty in art.

66 Second Time Around

As luxury watch models become increasingly unattainable, the pre-owned market is booming.

70 200 Years of Louis Vuitton

A penniless, 15-year-old carpenter in Paris revolutionized the humble trunk. His label has since become the most valuable luxury brand in the world.

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Flavors of Spain

From cheese and cider in Asturias to paella in Valencia, we tour great Spanish food traditions.

78 Celebrated Celebrity Wines Many pop stars and actors have started their own wine labels—and they’re becoming good enough to win awards.

82 Scalp Care

Have you experienced pandemic-driven hair loss?

It’s common, but treatable.

84 Pore Care

Skin care professionals help us separate myth from fact with everything you need to know about improving the appearance of pores.

Table of Contents

Relationships 112

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‘The Conversation Guide’

On how to listen to the one you love—and everyone else.

Busting Marital Myths

A straight scoop from a mother of three on the misconceptions of married life and how to juggle between family needs and me-time.

90 100 Arts 90

Leonardo da Vinci

An interview with the Royal Collection Trust’s Martin Clayton on the Renaissance man and his quest for truth and perfection.

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Venetian Renaissance

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Gian Lorenzo Bernini

With bold colors and dynamism, the artists of Venice created a style distinct from the Roman and Florentine masters.

The baroque sculptor was a defining genius of his era, synthesizing the creative capacity of the giants before him.

RADIANT LIFE PUBLISHER Dana Cheng

E D I TO R I A L EDITOR-IN- CHIEF

Catherine Yang

MIND & BODY EDITORS

Matthew Little Chrisy Trudeau

A RTS EDITORS

Sharon Kilarski Jennifer Schneider

LIFEST Y LE EDITOR

Joy Ye

EDITORS -AT-L A RGE

T ynan Beatty Maria Han

STA FF W R ITERS

Skylar Parker Tara dos Santos

C R E AT I V E CR E ATI V E DIR ECTOR DESIGNER ILLUSTR ATORS

Laure Fu Ingrid Phillips Linda Zhao Michelle Xu

PHOTOGR A PHERS

Jennifer Schneider J. Freishter

C O N T R I B U TO R S Pelin Kesebir, Nancy Colier, Moreen Liao, A llison Williams, Zenon Dolnyck yj, Melanie Hempe, Julie Daniluk, Michele Neil-Sher wood, Jennifer Margulis, Carol Besler, Erin Tallman, Kevin Revolinski, Joni Williams, Rebecca Har win, A rleen Richards, Eric Bess, Kara Blakley, Pete McGrain, Elizabeth Lev, Joelle Prevost, Dallas Louis

O F F I C E & C O N TA C T Bright Magazine Group 5 Penn Plaza , 8Fl., New York, N Y 10001 General Inquiries: editor@radiantlifemag.com Media & Adver tising: ellen@radiantlifemag.com

MIND & BODY

Your Chance to Shape Up

Before Summer Understanding yin and yang can give you unique insight into weight loss

By Moreen Liao

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hen someone mentions weight-loss options, Chinese herbs probably aren’t top of mind. But if you see someone full of energy, with glowing skin and a fit body, they probably have a balanced lifestyle—and Chinese herbs are a great way to support that.

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Knowing Yin and Yang

The ancient idea of yin and yang refers to two forces that form a complementary duality that exists throughout creation. This idea is well-founded and affirmed by modern physics and human physiology, where the body has complementary systems that turn various processes on and off.

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In the paradigm of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), various features are assigned to these two forces or forms of matter: Yin: cool, still, moist, earth, dark, material, form, passive, tangible, blood.

Yang: warm, active, dry, sky, bright, energy, function, active, intangible, qi.

Yin and yang represent opposite but complementary qualities. However, they are intertransformable: Yin has a component of yang and yang has a component of yin, represented by the small dots in the yin-yang symbol. Yin is black, but it carries a white dot; yang is white, but it contains a black dot.

The TCM World Foundation offers an interesting description of the simplicity and significance of these two forces: “Like Einstein’s famous equation, E = mc², the yin-yang symbol describes something very elemental and incredibly complex. What yin-yang points to and represents is so vast it encompasses everything in the Universe.”

The insight of yin yang, including the understanding of obesity, plays a central role in Chinese medicine.

Instead of simply blaming excess weight on eating too much and storing the excess as fat, TCM proposes that there could be problems in how one transforms these two forms of matter or how they are balanced. For in-

stance, the yang force may be too weak, manifesting in a slow metabolism unable to transform body fat into usable energy. Once a healthy balance is achieved, one should be able to keep these two states of matter converting smoothly.

Yin Yang Weight Loss

One of the ways in which TCM can help you lose weight is by speeding up your body’s natural metabolism, which requires promoting the yang force. Rather than viewing weight gain as a problem on its own, TCM believes obesity is a symptom of underlying health issues, though diet can be fundamental cause. Health ailments can arise from blockages in the flow of qi, the yang energy flowing through our body. As explained above, the yang force governs one’s energy level, metabolism, and circulation.

Choosing food smartly by identifying yin (cooling) and yang (heating) elements can ensure that our bodies have what is needed to adjust the balance of these two energies.

Bitter and sour foods with a sharp smell, spices, and foods red or green in color belong to yang. Sugary, salty, and high-fat foods, white or black in color, belong to yin; these are the foods that people tend to overeat.

The first group of foods helps to control appetite

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The Key to

Fitness Is Rest Nothing affects your fitness routine as powerfully as how you help your body meet your goals

By Zenon Dolnyckyj

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n fitness, the worst thing you can do is work out hard after a poor night’s sleep.

The second-worst thing you can do is not rest enough during your workout. And the third-worst thing is to not rest enough after your workout.

Fitness is not a technique or new fad—or a machine. Fitness is a request: We are asking our bodies to adapt. Some of us want a beach body and others want to run a marathon. The

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good news is that the body is designed to move and adapt. Given the right conditions, your body is in it to win it.

Exercise Is a Stressor

It’s important to remember that exercise is a physical stress on the body. Without this stress, the body has no reason to change. Fitness is a measured, specific stress that tells your body that it needs to change to meet these new de-

MIND & BODY

mands. You are literally tearing your muscles apart just enough for them to rebuild stronger and become more flexible. But it is still stress—and too much stress is detrimental to your health.

Each of us has a tipping point when we experience too much stress and the body switches to survival mode governed by the sympathetic nervous system. This tipping point is an accumulation of various kinds of stress: mental, emotional, physical, and chemical. So, if you are responding negatively to something you have eaten, had an argument with a friend or loved one, or haven’t slept well the night before, you need to approach your next fitness ses-

sion with patience and caution; lengthen the rest periods, lighten the weight, decrease the sets, and bring down the intensity to a more moderate level.

It is very easy to work yourself to exhaustion and push yourself past your tipping point. This can deplete your body, compromise your immune system, and make you more vulnerable to disease, injury, and a loss of mental clarity—the opposite of your health goals. You can run into the same problem if you are not taking adequate rest breaks during your workout. And if you do not rest enough after your workout, you are also vulnerable. Your body wants to adapt; it just needs the energy and time.

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MIND & BODY

Why Do We

Love Sugar?

Understanding how the brain reacts to sugar can help us resist it

By Julie Daniluk

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ugar takes your brain on an addictive joyride that can make it hard to resist. This excerpt from Julie Daniluk’s new book, “Becoming Sugar-Free: How to Break Up With Inflammatory Sugars and Embrace a Naturally Sweet Life,” explains exactly what happens when you get eat that chocolate lava cake.

Why Do We Love Sugar?

Did you know that children do not develop a taste for salt until four months of age, but our taste for sweets happens the minute we are born? It turns out that sugar is a type of temporary analgesic; a 2005 study showed that children can keep their hands in cold water for longer if they have a sweet in their mouth.

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Sugar is so seductive that scientists have recently revealed through brain scans that when we eat sugar, our brain lights up in a way similar to when we ingest strong drugs such as cocaine. Many mind-altering substances, including OxyContin, ecstasy, heroin, alcohol, and marijuana, over-activate the dopamine reward system. Dopamine, our major reward hormone, tells us things like, “Great job, do it again, you’re successful, you’re awesome.” It’s released when we do things we enjoy, such as getting together with friends, winning an award, being successful at work, and so on. It’s also released when we consume sugar.

To make matters worse, dopamine receptors may become insensitive to the presence of dopamine when triggered con-

MIND & BODY

tinuously. If you constantly spike your dopamine, you’ll need to do more and more of an extreme action to get to the same “reward” that a less extreme action elicited before. In other words, your brain becomes resistant to the dopamine hit, creating more and more extreme behavior. Because dopamine is the major hormone involved in addiction, you can see how it can be running in the background of your sugar addiction whether you’re aware of it or not.

You will receive some of the dopamine response every time you eat a sweet treat, but you will need to increase the amount of sugar you eat to feel the same rush over time. Sugar elicits the greatest dopamine response of any food on the planet, which is fascinating when compared to the response of other notably pleasurable foods that do not stand a chance at holding our attention. I wish that broccoli would generate the same reward response, but compared to the response elicited by refined sugar, your reward center simply gets bored with healthy food. Sugar is addictive because we never get tired of being rewarded, and as the reward lessens with each hit, we chase it more and more.

Let’s revisit that bite of the chocolate lava cake.

It’s so joyful that your reward center is screaming, “Yes, that’s a great idea! Do that again!” We often enjoy treats like this when we’re doing other joyful things. For example, if it’s our birthday, we are usually socializing with friends and ingesting other pleasurable substances like alcohol or caffeine that give us a huge dopamine rush.

There’s an old saying in neuroscience: “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” This means that the more often you run a neural circuit in your brain, the stronger that circuit relationship becomes. If you continue to chase dopamine with sugar and combine that behavior with other pleasures, this stacking of multiple rewards that feels good in the moment may create long-term health effects. This chapter looks at ways in which you can create new behaviors that will stack the health cards in your favor. When you learn healthy ways to stimulate dopamine, you won’t need refined sugar or flour anymore.

Excerpted from “Becoming Sugar-Free: How to Break Up With Inflammatory Sugars and Embrace a Naturally Sweet Life” by Julie Daniluk. © 2021 Julie Daniluk Consulting Inc. Photography © 2021 Alan Smith, with Julie Daniluk, Bethany Bierema, and Nat Caron. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.

Boost Your Dopamine With Food and Sunlight Omega-3 Omega-3s help increase both dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission in the brain.

Sources: Tank-grown algae (low environmental toxicity); small, oily fish (mackerel, sardines, herring, lake trout, Arctic char).

Vitamin D Vitamin D facilitates the production of both dopamine and serotonin and helps increase the number of dopamine receptors.

Sources: Fish, supplements, sunlight (limited in winter in northern climates).

Tyrosine This amino acid is the major building block of dopamine, and we need a lot of it.

Sources: Animal-based proteins (chicken, eggs, beef, fish, etc.), legumes, nuts, and seeds—especially pumpkin seeds.

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Sharing Lessons, Finding Faith

Mitch Albom Rather than focus on what has been taken, we can focus on what we once had

By Matthew Little

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itch Albom has made a career of learning lessons and sharing them in books. His most famous work recounts lessons about resisting greed and selfishness through insights into human goodness shared by his favorite professor, Morris “Morrie” Schwartz, in the weeks before Schwartz died of ALS. The book, “Tuesdays With Morrie,” ranks among the best-selling memoirs of all time.

Albom’s newest book tackles painful lessons learned during his own recovery after his adopted daughter died, leaving him wrestling with his most deeply held convictions.

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“I wanted to write a story about help and seeking help,” he shared during an interview with Radiant Life. “That’s really what the principle was about—that, you know, we cry out for help a lot. And we ask for help a lot. But we don’t always recognize it when it comes.”

The book, “The Stranger in the Lifeboat,” lays out Albom’s take on one of the hardest things we learn in this life: what it means to lose someone we treasure and the toll that takes on our belief in a benevolent universe—and how those hardships may be the help we are searching for.

Benji, our unreliable narrator, recounts the tragedy that found him on a lifeboat

MIND & BODY

your life—a person you hold so close to your heart that you may not even fully appreciate what they mean to you—and then one day, they are gone, and the world has changed.

Processing this loss taught Albom something that can help many of us who have struggled to make sense of tragedy: “We have somebody whom we love, we adore, and then they’re not there anymore. And we can’t love them and adore them anymore. And we take that as if we were let down. God took them from us. But it’s not a punishment; it was a blessing to have in the first place.”

Rather than focus on what has been taken, we can focus on what we once had, says Albom.

Sometimes that loss “is nothing more than the end of something that you were really fortunate to have. And if you looked at it as, ‘I was grateful to have that for the time that I did,’ then you wouldn’t be looking at it as a hardship,” he says.

with a mix of survivors from a sunken luxury yacht that had been filled with business leaders and geniuses—a billionaire’s attempt to mix an indulgent excursion with an extended brainstorm about how to change the world.

For most of the novel, we are adrift in the sea in a lifeboat with dwindling water, scant food, and a mix of the yacht’s distinguished guests and its humble crew. And then, an unexpected arrival—God. “I tried to create a story where people were in the most dire situation that I could think of,” says Albom.

Albom was adrift himself when his adopted daughter, Chika, died. Albom and his wife have an orphanage in Haiti, and Chika was one of the children who lived there. Her death, although expected because of an inoperable brain tumor, was very difficult for Albom.

It’s an experience we all have sooner or, hopefully, later: One day, there is a presence in

At one level, “The Stranger in the Lifeboat” is about learning to look at hardship differently, and what divine intervention might ultimately look like.

For those with a belief and faith that sustains them in life and tells them that there is more to this mortal experience than molecules temporarily aligned in a human body, the loss of a loved one can challenge the peace that comes in knowing that divinity is real, and that an inherent benevolence ensures balance and meaning in the trials and tribulations of life.

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Recharging the Mind & Body Monica Tomas, one of the rising stars of the modeling industry, spoke with us during a photoshoot at a handsome country house in Upstate New York about the beauty of reflection. Monica modeled elegant pieces from pre-summer 2022 collections and explained how she recharges her mind and body in her suburban life.

Photographer: Adi Stylist: Ana Tess Makeup & Hair: Sadhvi Babu Model: Monica Tomas

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LIFESTYLE DRESS BY CH CAROLINA HERRERA SHOES BY GIANVITO ROSSI EARRINGS, SPIRAL RING BY RITIQUE JEWELRY RING WITH STONE BY FADE TO BLACK

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Radiant Life: What is fashion to you?

Monica Tomas: Fashion, to me, means elegant, graceful, and harmonious.

Radiant Life: What do you like most about fashion?

Monica Tomas: What I like about fashion the most is that it’s a representation of who we are and what we aspire to be. It provides us a medium through which we can represent something higher than us.

Radiant Life: What do you do when you are not modeling?

Monica Tomas: Learning a form of art inspires and motivates me. Recently, I’ve been learning Chinese, and classical Chinese dance.

I also like to take photos—capturing the moment through photos helps me to portray the images from my heart. When I’m taking photos, what the heart sees is more beautiful than what meets the eye. It’s the heart with which I’m able to portray the inner significance. By not just focusing on the external appearance, that helps me be creative and enjoy the process.

Radiant Life: What relaxes you in your busy daily life?

Monica Tomas: I like to spend time being inspired by nature, brewing a fresh cup of coffee, taking a walk around the city, organizing my space. Apart from these, I feel most balanced, energetic, and complete when I practice my qigong exercises and meditation, along with reading the teachings of Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that teaches truthfulness,

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compassion, and forbearance.

Radiant Life: What do you value the most in your life?

Monica Tomas: I cherish every moment and part of my life. It brings me great reverence to help the bigger good.

Radiant Life: What do you love most in your life?

Monica Tomas: I think it’s the most precious gift to have the ability to change, improve, and transform our very being.

Radiant Life: What was most challenging when you started your modeling career?

Monica Tomas: When I started modeling, I didn’t know much about the fashion industry; I evaluated it based on other people’s experiences, hence the understanding I had of my job was only at the surface. So for me, my challenges come down to not completely understanding who I was as an individual and what I wanted to represent. Just like everything else, the jobs we do also have so many layers, which I got to experience over the years. I used to believe everything I saw with my eyes, but the eyes don’t always give you a true picture. Being able to understand what fashion means to me—and by holding true to my beliefs—helped me view it from a better perspective. Now that I see the depth of it, I understand that there’s a touch of the divine in everything; and improving by virtue, and in being able to distinguish that, the beauty of the divine emerges.

This brings great meaning and fulfillment to my life. R

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LIFESTYLE

Second Time Around The unstoppable rise of pre-owned luxury watches

By Carol Besler

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hen the Patek Philippe Tiffany Blue Ref. 5711-1A-018 timepiece was introduced in early December of 2021, it was hyped beyond belief, yet limited to just 170 pieces. Those watches were privately distributed by Tiffany & Co, presumably to its top clients. The watch, billed as the last of the blue-dialed steel 5711 series, essentially never hit the market.

It’s an extreme example of a burgeoning trend toward unattainability in the luxury watch industry. Luxury brands are now dropping new collections of their most popular models in limited editions and allocating them to authorized dealers who then distribute them to top clients, rather than to their showcases or to waitlists that can take decades to clear.

In the current scenario, the pre-owned watch market has galloped onto the field as a knight in shining armor, fighting to give new hope to watch collectors.

Over the past five years, online luxury watch resale platforms have evolved from bulletin board-style marketplaces operated by largely anonymous sellers to those organized by professional dealers who own, authenticate, restore, and service their inventory. And the scale of that inventory has exploded: According to a recent study by luxury market analyst McKinsey & Co, the pre-owned watch market was worth $18 billion in 2019, and will be worth nearly double that, $32 billion, by 2025. The overall luxury watch market is projected to grow to $59 billion by 2025, and pre-owned sales are projected to constitute more than half of all sales.

The pre-owned watch boom is driven mainly by limited inventory at the primary level. Luxury brands thrive on strict control of their production and distribution, which makes some models forever beyond the reach of most people.

“For some watches, there are 50-plus-year waiting lists,” says watch dealer Eric Wind of windvintage.com.

“The only way someone is going to get that watch at retail is to have a significant buying history with the retailer, possibly by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on jewelry with them.”

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Even getting on a list can be a challenge, and sometimes there is no list at all; the watches are simply pre-allotted. “These lists don’t really go in numbered order,” says Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director of online luxury dealer 1stdibs.com. “As with handbags, when a few pieces come in, they go to the dealers’ most loyal or high-profile customers.” The supply of pre-owned watches, in contrast, is practically unlimited, says Freund. “With pieces on the secondary market, anyone can buy them, anytime,” says Freund.

A luxury watch has long been considered a lifetime possession, with a level of craftsmanship and engineer-

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ing that means it can be passed on to the next generation. But that doesn’t mean it has to be worn on the same wrist for a lifetime. A decade ago, if a luxury watch showed up on the secondary market at all, it was well past its prime and likely in need of repair, depending on how well preserved or well serviced it was. Today, collectors are more eager to sell what they’re not wearing. As aficionados broaden their collections, buying and selling more frequently, the number of great watches available on the pre-owned market has exploded. Far from being worn out, many are like new.

“While authorized dealers only carry the current collections from their brands, going pre-owned means you have a much wider selection to explore, from vin-

tage models and discontinued styles to limited and special editions,” says Eugene Tutunikov, CEO of SwissWatchExpo.com. “Most traditional retailers only carry the current production of a few brands, but at SwissWatchExpo, we typically carry a selection from over 20 brands, aged anywhere from current production to 40 years old. The top brands our customers are currently buying are Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Breitling, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet.” He says there are up to 3,000 watches in SWE’s inventory at any given time.

WatchBox, another major seller of pre-owned luxury watches, has clocked sales of over $1 billion since launching five years ago, and carries a current inven-

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LIFESTYLE

The Many

Flavors of Spain

By Kevin Revolinski

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pain manages to pack a lot of great food traditions inside its borders, and while some dishes are ubiquitous, many have specific regions of origin.

Circling Spain’s regional map is a bit like flipping through a Spanish cookbook.

Andalusia

Situated along Spain’s southern coast, the menu is seafood-heavy. Various types of fried fish are common.

Tapas, those little plates paired with drinks, originated

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here. Chilled and fresh, the tomato-based gazpacho is not to be missed, along with its slightly thicker Cordoban cousin, salmorejo, garnished with Serrano ham and hardboiled egg. And speaking of ham, in the mountains of Huelva and Cordoba, a special breed of pig raised on a diet of acorns is used to produce the dry-cured jamón Ibérico, the finest of the hams. For a fresh cut, seek out the Secreto Ibérico, a thin, marbled, remarkably tender cut taken from between the shoulder blade and loin of these famous pigs.

LIFESTYLE

Extremadura

Landlocked to the north of Andalusia, Extremadura, an area also famous for its ham, is also known for its paprika. A smoked variety brings a flavor bomb to meat dishes, and with an abundance of game and those Iberian pigs, meat dishes and stews including oven-roasted lamb are common here. In addition to an assortment of baked desserts, the region produces some very fine cheeses, including one of the country’s best, Torta del Casar, made with raw sheep’s milk and wild thistle.

North of Portugal along the Atlantic coast, Galicia is perhaps best known for its octopus: Pulpo Gallego is cut in bite-size pieces, boiled with bit of potato, and served with olive oil and a dusting of sweet paprika. For something rare and delicious, look for gooseneck barnacles.

Other shellfish—mussels, oysters, scallops— are in abundance as are deep-sea fish such as hake, cod, and tuna. But Galicia’s 300-plus annual food festivals speak to a much wider variety of dishes. Mild Padrón peppers, blistered

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Have You Experienced

Pandemic-Driven Hair Loss?

You don’t have to put up with a receding hairline

By Rebecca Harwin

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or most people, hair loss is a physical and psychological affair. Balding is noticeable, and so are its effects on the sufferer. Men describe hair loss as an unwanted and upsetting experience that can plummet body image. Women report even greater negative consequences including diminished body image, lower self-esteem, and poorer quality of life. Across the board, anxiety and depression are common. Hair loss extracts a significant toll.

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The good news is that you don’t have to put up with a receding hairline. There are evidence-based ways to halt the process and restore what has been lost. But before we share exactly how to do this, it’s important to understand why the hair on top of your head is dying. By correcting these problems, you set the stage for regrowth and enhance the chance of successful medical intervention should you decide to follow that path.

LIFESTYLE

Stress: A Little-Known Cause of Hair Loss

If you’ve noticed hair loss during the pandemic, you are not alone. On the face of it, tumbling tresses appear not to share a link with the COVID pandemic. Yet, there are two links: stress and the disease itself.

“We have seen a number of patients with shedding from the acute viral infection, but many more that have had hair loss from stressing about the coronavirus pandemic in general,” says Dr. Christine Shaver, of the world-leading Bernstein Medical hair restoration center. “A sudden increase in hair loss may result from stressors such as job loss, death of a loved one, or major changes in lifestyle. Unfortunately, all of these have been related to the recent COVID epidemic.”

Psychological health is intimately linked with physical health. The strain of the past two years is playing out in our bodies. The lingering high level of stress hormones keeps the hair follicles in their resting phase, meaning growth is stunted.

Calming stress is key for a full head of hair.

Vitamin Deficiency: A Hair Loss Trigger

Energy-rich junk diets are playing a role in hair loss by triggering the nutrient deficiencies that are common in the U.S. A significant number of Americans are low in vitamins A, B6, and B12, C, D, E, and K, and minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Certain nutrient deficiencies, particularly calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin D, and zinc, can contribute to hair loss. Dr. Shaver notes that iron deficiency, and anemia in particular, can slow hair growth.

But it’s not just a subpar diet that depletes these hair-healthy nutrients. A study published in the journal Advances in Nutrition notes that “evidence demonstrates stress-induced depletion of magnesium and zinc” and that several studies “demonstrate the effects of stress on calcium and iron concentrations.”

Certain nutrient deficiencies are both stress- and diet-induced. Individually or together, they may lead to increased hair fall—emphasizing the need to eat well.

The Right Scalp Care for Healthy Hair

Your scalp is the “ground” from which your hair grows.

It is sensible, then, to imagine that keeping this area healthy may aid the growth of luscious locks. Traditional remedies suggest this is the case.

Birkin hair tonic is a well-loved German product thought to restore scalp health and strengthen the hair. Its primary ingredient is birch sap; in Scottish folk medicine, birch sap is prescribed to prevent baldness. In Bulgaria, massaging the roots of the hair with birch sap is said to boost hair growth. In Romania, it is used as a hair conditioner.

The topical formulation Dr. UGro Gashee® also appears to elicit positive results. A report published in

the journal Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine found that this product’s combination of ingredients— including gotu kola, green tea extract, N-acetyl cysteine, turmeric, and vitamin D—promotes meaningful improvement in hair growth.

As opposed to herbal topicals, Dr. Shaver advises that the right scalp care can be found in sensible habits.

Avoid applying heat or chemicals to the hair or scalp.

As she says, “If it burns or tingles your scalp when applying, then that should be a sign not to use it!” In addition, take good care of your health. Eat well. Wear a hat to limit damaging chronic sun exposure. Quit smoking. Shun the long-term application of tight hairstyles as they can trigger a condition called traction alopecia—balding from the yanking out of hair follicles.

Hair Transplants Can Restore Lost Hair

Hair loss produced by stress and vitamin deficiencies can, once remedied, lead to slow regrowth and, eventually, prior fullness. However, the most common cause of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, a genetic thinning.

This requires a different approach as time will cause further balding, not reverse it.

Hair transplant technology has come a long way since its beginnings. Now an advanced procedure, in expert hands it can restore hair growth and the confidence that comes with it. Transplant candidates can regain their tresses, self-esteem, and poise.

When a candidate is appropriately screened and realistic expectations are set, a hair transplant is an extremely successful way to regain one’s hair. From surgery to full effect takes approximately 12 months. “Although one procedure will look completely natural, often two procedures are needed to achieve a desired fullness,” says Dr. Shaver.

Many people assume that transplants are only for men. But if you are a woman experiencing hair loss, you likely have the option of a successful hair transplant, too. Dr. Robert Bernstein, founder of Bernstein Medical, notes that, “While the majority of hair restoration procedures are performed in men, a woman can be an excellent candidate for hair restoration if she has adequate donor hair.” Eyebrow transplants are also regularly performed.

Seeking the advice and assessment of a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in hair restoration is recommended to achieve a potentially life-changing hair transplant outcome.

Whether hair loss is due to stress, nutrient deficiencies, or the expression of a genetic trait, there is hope.

For most people, correcting any underlying causes and, if needed, having an advanced medical intervention like a hair transplant can restore a much-desired head of hair. The key? Don’t wait. Seek professional advice now.

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ARTS

Leonardo’s Movement Backward

Interview with Martin Clayton on Leonardo da Vinci’s quest for truth and perfection

By Eric Bess

“Leonardo da Vinci”

by Raffaello Morghen.

Engraving. Cleveland Museum of Art.

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ARTS

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“Studies of Embryos” by Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1510–1513. Pen and red chalk on paper.

ecently, I interviewed Martin Clayton, the head of prints and drawings at Windsor Castle. The Royal Collection Trust holds the largest number of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci anywhere in in the world. A renowned expert on Leonardo, Clayton has organized exhibitions at the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace that have showcased these drawings. He has also written several books on Leonardo including “Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist,” “Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man,” and “Leonardo da Vinci: The Divine and Grotesque.”

Throughout this article, I draw on quotes from my conversation with Clayton, along with references from his book “Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man.” All conclusions, unless otherwise stated, are my own.

Clayton and I discussed his motivation to research Leonardo da Vinci, and, with a reminiscent chuckle, he told me that his interest in Leonardo was a product of circumstance. Clayton had just graduated college when he was fortunate enough to get a job at the prints and drawings department at Windsor Castle. Constantly surrounded by Leonardo’s drawings, he naturally developed a deep fascination and love for them, especially Leonardo’s anatomical studies.

From Human Anatomy to the Divine Soul

Leonardo’s interest in anatomy also began as a product of circumstance. Initially, he was most interested in writing a treatise on painting, and the study of anatomy was but a means to this end; his fascination with the complexities of the human body inspired his attempt to thoroughly research anatomy for a scientific treatise.

For Leonardo, anatomical knowledge wasn’t only about replicating accurate skeletal and muscular structure for artwork; he thought that he could possess a better understanding of human existence if he under-

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ARTS

Masters of

Color and Light An introduction to the art of the Venetian Renaissance: the Bellini brothers, Tintoretto, and Veronese

By Kara Blakley

F

ew cities capture the romantic imagination quite like Venice, and its winding canals, picturesque buildings, and shimmering lagoon have intrigued visitors for centuries. Its unique geography—118 islands connected by a network of over 400 bridges—literally and figuratively sets it apart from the Italian mainland.

In art, this seclusion allowed the Renaissance to flourish in a way that was distinct from the more widely known developments in Florence, Rome, and other major Italian cities. Because of its strategic position on the Adriatic Sea and its formidable merchant class, Venice earned a position as Europe’s capital of international trade by the late Medieval era. Although the Venetian Republic was in decline by the early 16th century, the arts were politically protected, ensuring the city’s cultural significance for posterity.

Most artists of the Venetian Renaissance (spanning approximately 1440 to 1580) chose subject matter that was popular throughout Europe, and traditional Christian motifs could be found alongside newly popularized Greek and Roman mythologies. Venice’s

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masterful artists, however, interpreted these subjects in an original way, creating a beautiful, vibrant style characterized by rich colors, dramatic energy, attention to patterns and surfaces, and an interest in the effects of light. Many of the paintings most celebrated in the West emerged during this fruitful time in Venice.

The Bellini brothers, Giovanni and Gentile, painted many of the city’s signature artworks. Giovanni Bellini’s 1490 painting, “Madonna and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Elizabeth,” provides an apt example. Viewers will observe that the familiar biblical scene is rendered in a naturalistic, three-dimensional way—a cornerstone of the Renaissance movement. The women’s cloaks, however, are a striking blue; the paint contains precious lapis lazuli, a gemstone that Venetian merchants imported from the Middle East. (Ground into a pigment, it is known as ultramarine.) Likewise, John’s olive-green garment brilliantly reflects the light. This modest yet lustrous devotional painting was one of many that established Venice’s reputation for the resplendent use of color.

“Allegory of Wisdom and Strength” by Paolo Veronese, 1565. Oil on canvas. Bequeathed by Henry Clay Frick. The Frick Collection, New York.

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RELATIONSHIPS

Busting Marital Myths Are you falling victim to these mistaken beliefs about married life?

By Dallas Louis

W

hen I first got married over 20 years ago, I had both questions and lofty ideas about marriage and parenting. In hindsight, I wish someone had given me the straight scoop. Whether you’re a newlywed or have been married for a while, busting these marital myths can help you survive and thrive in your marital life.

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Myth #1: It’s All About the Kids

Having a baby will rock your world as a couple. During the early stages of parenting, it’s only natural that your child takes top priority most days. But once Junior figures out that Mom and Dad drop everything the moment he whimpers, he will continue with this new learned behavior—causing some potentially big problems down the road. Letting your kids control the en-

RELATIONSHIPS

vironment will feed them the wrong information and undermine the relationship between husband and wife.

Myth #2: Mom Is a Short-Order Cook

If Mom is in the kitchen making a different dish for each kiddo, plus a “real meal” for herself and Dad, what is the general outcome? First, kids become programmed to think the world revolves around them because Mom caters to their every whim: “You don’t want pot roast with potatoes and carrots? Okay, here are chicken nuggets and French fries.”

What happens when Junior goes to a friend’s house for

dinner and his mom is serving pot roast? Junior has never eaten it before and the words that come out of his mouth will be horrifying—somewhere along the lines of “What is that?” or “I’m not eating that. Can I have grilled cheese?”

I won’t even mention the nutrients he’s missing out on because of his refusal to eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Second, after preparing multiple meals and cleaning up afterward, Mom will be utterly exhausted. And that’s when she gets “the look” and a shoulder rub from Dad. Chances are she will be too tired to even think about any extracurricular activities, let alone participate in them.

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Photo Credits

On the Cover Monica Tomas Photo by Adi for Radiant Life 1 Anton Petrus/Moment/Getty Images 6 With love of photography/ Moment/Getty Images 8 Donovan Lange/EyeEm/Getty Images 9 Westend61/Getty Images 10 Mike Kemp/Tetra images/Getty Images 13 StefaNikolic/E+/Getty Images 14 Morsa Images/Stone/Getty Images 15 marilyn barbone/Shutterstock 17 Linda Zhao for Radiant Life 18 Martin Novak/Moment/Getty Images 19 Linda Zhao for Radiant Life 20 JulPo/E+/Getty Images 21–22 Linda Zhao for Radiant Life 23 Dasha Petrenko/EyeEm/Getty Images 24 Linda Zhao for Radiant Life 25 Iconic Bestiary/Shutterstock 26 Cemile Bingol/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

27 Westend61/Getty Images 28 JW LTD/Stone/Getty Images 29 jacoblund/iStock/Getty Images Plus 30 Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision/ Getty Images 31 Paul Orlando/iStock/Getty Images Plus 32 Africa Studio/Shutterstock 33 Aleksei Morozov/iStock/Getty Images Plus 35 John M Lund Photography Inc/ DigitalVision/Getty Images 36 OJO Images/OJO Images/Getty Images 37 Mike Kemp/Tetra images/Getty Images 38 Heide Benser/The Image Bank/ Getty Images 41 Morsa Images/DigitalVision/ Getty Images 42 Jesse Nesser 43 Courtesy of Mitch Albom 44 Linda Zhao for Radiant Life 47 RubberBall Productions/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images 66–67 Courtesy of Patek Philppe

68 Courtesy of 1stDibs 69 Courtesy of The WatchBox_A. lange & Sohne pics 70 Courtesy of Louis Vuitton 71 Andreas Rentz/Staff/ Getty Images Entertainment 72–73 MIGUEL MEDINA/Stringer/ AFP/Getty Images 74 tbralnina/iStock/Getty Images Plus 75 Linda Zhao for Radiant Life 76 Top to bottom: Alfonso de Tomas/Shutterstock, JJFarq/ Shutterstock, Hans Geel/ Shutterstock, Marcos Castillo/ Shutterstock, Hans Geel/Shutterstock 77 Left: Manuel Barrena/Shutterstock Right: bonchan/Shutterstock 78 Neilson Barnard/Staff/Getty Images Entertainment 79 Jason Bahr/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment 80 Courtesy of KLG Public Relations 81 Left: Monica Schipper/Stringer/ Getty Images Entertainment Right: John Phillips/Stringer/ Getty Images Entertainment

82 Linda Zhao for Radiant Life 84 Courtesy of Paula’s Choice 85 Irina Strelnikova/Shutterstock 86 jeffbergen/E+/Getty Images 88 SanyaSM/E+/Getty Images 89 Top two: Courtesy of Paula’s Choice Others: Courtesy of Dr. Sam’s 90–107 Public domain 108 Bakusova/Shutterstock 109 essevu/Shutterstock 110 Vivida Photo PC/Shutterstock 111 essevu/Shutterstock 112 Courtesy of Joelle Prevost 113 Courtesy of Janine Dunn 114 PeopleImages/iStock/Getty Images Plus 115 Jose Luis Pelaez/The Image Bank/Getty Images 116 Tom Merton/OJO Images/Getty Images 117 kupicoo/E+/Getty Images 118 Francesco Vaninetti Photo/ Moment/Getty Images

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CHINA BEFORE COMMUNISM

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