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CONTENTS
Vegas Wellness Magazine
SEPTEMBER 2026
WHAT'S INSIDE 8 How Ya Dough'n 10 Your Birthday is Not Your Biology 12 The Foundation Everyone Skips 14 Fall Into Regulation 16 Superfood Seeds 18 Nevada Nails and Spa 20 Would Your Weight-Loss Plan Survive a Bad Week?
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22 The Sweet Side of Wellness 24 Can You Improve Your Metabolism? ON THE COVER
How Ya Dough'n Mushroom Pizza Cover Design: Pink Kitty Creative
26 Redefining Success 28 Biohacking with JohnXD 30 Healing From the Inside Out 32 The Architecture of a Life Lived Well 33 Stephano's
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34 You Built a Life You Love 36 Mesquite Dining Scene 40 Agni 42 The What If Game 43 Eating Well as We Age 44 Your Future Mobility Begins Now
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46 Why You (Probably) Don't Need Supplements
48 Plant Magic & Medicine 5
PUBLISHER Bill Shehan
EDITOR
Stephanie Shehan // stephanie@vegaswellnessmag.com // 702 622 8001
ASSISTANT EDITOR Jennifer Walker // jennifer@vegaswellnessmag.com // 775 375 0415
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alethea Shelton Andrea Caple Anna Ketron Cusano Cheri Alberts Dr. Amanda Jordan Dr. Tim Patel Glenn J. White Jaden Rae Janelle Ardizzone
John Wetzel Katie Peede Krystian Bastidas Pravina Narayan Saba Tesfay Sarah Schwefel Steven Dee Kish Tiffany Marie Tsikki Thau
BIOHACKING CONTRIBUTOR John Wetzel (JohnXD) // Biohacking Las Vegas
COVER ART Victoria Hart // Pink Kitty Creative
ADVERTISING SALES Stephanie Shehan // stephanie@vegaswellnessmag.com // 702 622 8001 Jennifer Walker // jennifer@vegaswellnessmag.com // 775 375 0415
COPY EDITOR Effie Armstrong - info@vegaswellnessmag.com
web
vegaswellnessmag.com
@vegaswellness @vegaswellnessmag
@vegaswellness Vegas Wellness Magazine is a lifestyle publication featuring content about wellness, plant medicine, and general wellbeing. All content within our publications and on our website is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered personalized legal or medical advice. Both the printed publication and the website are intended for those over the age of 21. Vegas Wellness Magazine assumes no responsibility for the advertisements within this publication. We strive to ensure the accuracy of the information published. Vegas Wellness Magazine cannot be held responsible for any consequences which arise due to error or omissions. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
HOW YA DOUGH'N
By Stephanie Shehan
Rethinking What Pizza Can Be
Pizza and wellness aren't two words that typically appear in the same sentence. For Garett Goodman, owner of How Ya Dough’n, that’s an assumption he’d like to change. With naturally fermented sourdough crust, carefully sourced ingredients, no seed oils, and a commitment to avoiding fillers and preservatives, How Ya Dough’n is carving out its own space in the pizza world, one where indulgence and ingredient-conscious eating don't necessarily have to be opposites. And surprisingly, none of it started with a plan to open a restaurant.
From Pandemic Pastime to Passion Project
Before pizza became his business, Garett worked in logistics and technology. When COVID hit and the world suddenly moved indoors, he found himself trying to balance running a large business with keeping his family, including two children and another on the way, occupied at home. A friend convinced him to buy a portable pizza oven. At first, Garett bought premade dough wherever he could find it and simply experimented. Then his friend suggested he make his own. The learning curve wasn't exactly graceful. "There was flour on the walls and olive oil on the floor," Garett remembers. But trial and error eventually started producing some pretty impressive results. Then came another suggestion: start a sourdough starter. That changed everything. Garett began experimenting obsessively with fermentation times, flour varieties, and techniques, going "deep, deep, deep down the rabbit hole of all things pizza." Soon, he was making more pizza than his family could eat, so he started giving it away to friends and neighbors. During the height of the pandemic, people would arrive at his backyard with cookie sheets, and Garett would pass pizzas over the fence. People loved them. And eventually, his wife suggested they start selling the pizzas. There was just one requirement: they needed a great name. "A couple martinis later, my wife said, 'How about, How Ya Dough'n?'" Garett recalls. The name stuck. The couple created an Instagram account, developed branding, and began selling a limited number of pizzas through scheduled pickup times. The first week they sold 25. Then 35. Then 50. Then 75. Before long, pizzas were selling out almost as quickly as the menus were posted. Garett realized this might be more than a hobby. He ultimately sold his equity in his logistics and technology business, and he and his wife used the money to open their first brick-and-mortar How Ya Dough’n location in Boca Raton, Florida. Five years later, the passion project has grown well beyond the backyard.
Bringing How Ya Dough’n to Las Vegas
Las Vegas wasn't necessarily part of the original plan. Through a business connection, Garett was introduced to the Boulevard development and invited to consider bringing How Ya Dough’n to the property. When he visited the location, its potential became immediately apparent. Looking around at neighbors including ARIA, The Cosmopolitan and MGM Grand, Garett saw an opportunity. "We rolled the dice and signed the lease," he says. How Ya Dough’n opened its Las Vegas location in December and has been steadily building its following. The restaurant was also recognized by Eater Las Vegas as one of the city's hottest new restaurants. But while location and branding have helped introduce the restaurant to Vegas, the real story begins with the dough.
Why Sourdough?
Garett originally chose sourdough for one simple reason: it tasted better. Before developing the restaurant's sourdough crust, he experimented with commercial yeast and fermentation periods of 24, 48, and 72 hours. When he compared those doughs with his sourdough version, he noticed an immediate difference. The sourdough was lighter, airier, and more flavorful. So he kept experimenting. Twenty-four hours became 48. Then 72. Eventually, Garett discovered that the sweet spot for How Ya Dough’n's crust was between approximately four and seven days of fermentation. That extended process is considerably less convenient than traditional pizza production. It requires planning, refrigeration, and a significant amount of storage space, especially as the company grows. But Garett isn't interested in taking the easy route. "We want to have that really light, airy, easy-to-eat, superdigestible-for-your-stomach pizza," he explains. For Garett, some of the most rewarding customers are those who tell him they had stopped eating pizza because they simply didn't feel good afterward. "I can't begin to tell you the number of times people have shared those experiences”, he says. Some customers who had avoided pizza for years have returned to tell him they were able to enjoy it again. "To me, that's a major accomplishment for us." While individual digestive responses vary and sourdough pizza is still pizza, the experience reinforced something Garett had already begun to realize: How Ya Dough’n had an opportunity to occupy a different space within the category.
Better-for-You Pizza
That realization is now becoming central to the company's identity. "We missed the mark for four and a half, five years on really branding the business as a wellness-style, better-for-you pizza," Garett says. Today, that's changing.
How Ya Dough’n doesn't use seed oils, and Garett says the company avoids fillers and preservatives while sourcing ingredients from producers around the country.
garlic. For Garett, removing the cheese allows the two most important elements, the dough and sauce, to stand on their own. "The dough is 90% of the pizza," he says.
Rather than relying solely on broadline restaurant distributors, the company has worked directly with manufacturers and producers, purchasing ingredients in significant quantities and centralizing production to maintain consistency between locations. Dough, cheese, dressings, and sauces are produced through centralized operations, helping the company control not only consistency but also what goes into its food. "We don't buy any pre-packaged [products]. We make it all ourselves," Garett explains. "I know every piece of every bite of food that you eat."
As for the most underrated topping? Anchovies. And pineapple? "Absolutely not." There is, however, a How Ya Dough’n caveat. Garett's approach is to take something familiar and move it just slightly in an unexpected direction. He may not put pineapple chunks on a Hawaiian pizza, but he has experimented with emulsifying pineapple into cream and incorporating it into a more creative pie. It's that small "sidestep to the left or to the right," he says, that can transform something familiar into a How Ya Dough’n pizza.
For him, that distinction matters. He points to customers stopping in after yoga, before a run, or following a game of pickleball- people who enjoy pizza but don't necessarily want the heavy feeling they associate with it. "I feel very confident that anybody who's focused on health and wellness, or just in general wants to eat goodquality food, can go into any one of our restaurants and pick anything from the menu and not feel bad about eating it." Garett is also careful not to position pizza as a health food. Instead, he sees How Ya Dough’n as creating a better option within a category people already love. "We are in the category of pizza," he says, "but we're carving out a segment of that niche for the better-for-you."
Keeping Pizza Simple
As How Ya Dough’n prepares for its next stage of growth, including exploring franchising, Garett doesn't envision turning the restaurant into an enormous Italian menu. The philosophy is almost the opposite. Do fewer things, and do them exceptionally well. Future additions could include simple items such as soft-serve ice cream, meatballs, or sandwiches that utilize ingredients already found in the restaurant. But Garett has no desire to compete with traditional Italian restaurants offering pages of pasta and entrées. "I really hone in and focus on these very few things that we do really, really, really well," he says, "and execute those to the best of our abilities, time in and time out." That simplicity is reflected in Garett's own favorite pizza. Called the "O," it's a cheeseless pie topped simply with sauce, oregano, and freshly shaved
Pizza With a Purpose
Ask Garett who he would most like to share a pizza with, living or deceased, and his answer doesn't involve a celebrity chef, famous entrepreneur, or historical figure. "My wife," he says. "She's my best friend." Long before they owned a pizza restaurant, the couple would drive 35 or 40 minutes several times a week to a favorite restaurant just to eat good food and spend time together. That connection to food, family, and experience remains at the center of the company they created together. Today, Garett says he's fortunate to work "for the business, not in the business." He visits the restaurants regularly, but strong teams handle the day-to-day operations, a responsibility he doesn't take lightly. "I care as much about the people that work in the restaurants as I do for the restaurants themselves," he says. What began with a portable pizza oven, a sourdough starter, and pizzas passed over a backyard fence has evolved into something Garett clearly sees as much bigger. "This is a real passion project for me," he says. "I'm thankful for people to finally see the company for what it is and to recognize it for what it is, which is that better-for-you pizza." And perhaps that's How Ya Dough’n's place within wellness, not trying to turn pizza into something it isn't, but proving that one of life's favorite indulgences can be made with greater intention. How Ya Dough'n // 3747 S Las Vegas Blvd #310, Las Vegas, NV 89109 howyadoughn.com // IG: howyadoughn
>>> Your Birthday Is Not Your Biology The New Science of Healthy Aging By: Amanda Jordan, MD Two friends turn 60 the same week this September. They’ve reached the same age on the calendar, but their bodies tell different stories. One has maintained strength, metabolic health, energy, and physical capacity. He hikes and plays tennis, hosts friends for dinner, and chases after his grandchildren. The other is experiencing muscle loss, rising blood pressure, insulin resistance, and slower recovery. He has a hard time getting around due to a bad knee, needs a nap most afternoons due to fatigue, and is on several prescription medications. Their chronological age is identical. Their biological age is not. This distinction is central to a developing field called geroscience, the study of the biological mechanisms that drive aging and increase our vulnerability to multiple diseases. Instead of waiting for issues like heart disease, diabetes, dementia, or frailty to develop and then tackling each one separately, geroscience explores a more exciting question: Is it possible to influence the fundamental biology of aging early on to help delay multiple conditions at once?
Healthspan, Not Just Lifespan
Lifespan is equivalent to your chronological age. However, most people aren’t interested in accumulating years if those years are spent with disability, illness, or the loss of independence. Historically, medicine has approached the diseases of aging one at a time: a cholesterol medication here, a blood pressure medication there. A 2025 review in the Journal of the American Medical Association argues that this overlooks something important: a deeper process that drives multiple conditions simultaneously. That’s why longevity medicine focuses on healthspan: the years of life spent with meaningful physical function, cognitive capacity, metabolic health, and freedom from significant disease.
Aging Does Not Happen to One Organ at a Time
Traditional medicine is very compartmentalized: the cardiologist treats the heart, the endocrinologist manages diabetes, the neurologist evaluates the brain. Aging biology does not operate in silos. Multiple interconnected processes change as we age. Cells become less efficient at repairing DNA and damaged proteins. Mitochondria, the organelles responsible for cellular energy production, function less effectively. Metabolic signaling becomes less responsive. Senescent (old, damaged) cells accumulate and release chemical signals that drive chronic, low-grade inflammation. None of this happens in isolation. Aging
does not occur solely in the heart, brain, muscle, or gastrointestinal system. All of your cells are affected by immune system decline, stem cell exhaustion, oxidative stress, hormonal shifts, mitochondrial dysfunction, and sarcopenia.
Can You Actually Measure Your Biological Age?
The growing interest in longevity has created demand for biological age testing. Available options include epigenetic clocks, blood-based algorithms, vascular age estimates, body composition measurements, fitness testing, and assessments of physical function. These tests provide valuable information, but biological age isn’t a single, universally agreed-upon number, and none of the tests agree 100% with each other. Importantly, lowering a biological age result doesn’t yet prove that someone will live longer or be free of disease and disability. Rather than asking, “What is my biological age?”, a more meaningful question is, “What steps can I take now to influence my aging path?”
What You Can Influence Right Now
The science of longevity sounds futuristic, but the most powerful tools are already available. Preserve Muscle and Cardiorespiratory Capacity Muscle is metabolically active tissue that aids in glucose disposal, provides physical stability, facilitates recovery, and helps maintain independence. Skeletal and cardiac muscle also share several features of aging, including mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, hormonal changes, and reduced responsiveness to anabolic signaling. A recent review emphasized a combined strategy that includes resistance exercise, aerobic conditioning, balance training, and adequate protein intake. A comprehensive exercise program should maintain strength, cardiovascular health, mobility, and power. The ideal time to combat age-related muscle decline is before reserves diminish, when there is still a chance to build and preserve muscle mass. Protect Metabolic and Vascular Health The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 framework highlights eight modifiable areas: nutrition, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, weight, cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure.
Elevated blood pressure stiffens and damages vessel walls years before you develop any symptoms. Chronically high blood sugar and insulin resistance drive the same nutrient-sensing pathways tied to muscle loss and inflammation elsewhere in the body. Visceral fat carried around the waist behaves almost like its own organ, releasing inflammatory signals that travel throughout the body. Smoking directly causes oxidative damage to the vessel wall. Use Nutrition to Support, Not Stress, the Body A dietary pattern built around whole, minimally processed food, with enough protein, phytonutrients, and fiber supports nearly every one of the processes described above. Mediterranean-style and similar plant-forward eating habits are among the most widely studied. Caloric restriction has also been heavily studied in aging science and appears to influence genomic stability, cellular repair, and inflammation, but more restriction isn’t necessarily better. Cutting calories too aggressively, especially without enough protein, can cost you muscle. The most effective nutrition strategy is not the most extreme. It’s one that is sustainable, improves metabolic health, preserves muscle, and supplies adequate nutrients. Treat Sleep as a Biological Requirement (because it is) Sleep is often treated as whatever time is left over after all of the activities of the day are finished. Biologically, it’s time for active repair. Adequate sleep supports brain function, glucose regulation, immune health, recovery, and appetite signaling. The American Heart Association includes healthy sleep as a core component of cardiovascular health, with most adults needing seven to nine hours per night. Improving sleep may require more than extra time in bed. Persistent snoring, insomnia, disrupted sleep, restless legs, and night sweats may signal an underlying problem that deserves an investigation.
What About “Anti-Aging” Drugs
Researchers are actively studying medications and compounds that may influence aging biology, including metformin, rapamycin, senolytics, and NAD+ precursors. The early science is compelling but requires context. Some interventions extend lifespan or improve function in laboratory animals. Some early human trials have shown changes in immune response, biomarkers, physical function, and disease outcomes, but that isn’t the same as demonstrating that a therapy slows whole-body aging or extends disability-free survival in otherwise healthy adults. For example, senolytic drugs have improved healthspan in animal models, but their health benefits and long-term safety in humans remain uncertain. NAD+ precursors (NMN, NR) have shown promising results in model organisms, while the human data have been limited and mixed. A large trial of low-dose rapamycin in healthy older adults found measurable improvements in lean muscle mass and pain for women on the higher dose, but visceral fat, which was the main target of the study, didn’t budge. A 2026 review that systematically tracked which interventions actually shift the epigenetic aging clocks in humans found that semaglutide, caloric restriction, and omega-3s moved the needle.4 Rapamycin and nicotinamide riboside showed no detectable e ect on the same clocks, and a six-month trial of the senolytic combination dasatinib and quercetin found no significant change in biological age either. Animal studies and early human trials are how real breakthroughs start, but they don’t yet prove that any of these compounds extend healthy years in someone who’s otherwise well.
That’s not to say these medications and supplements have no place, but the long-term benefits for most are yet to be established. The foundation remains thorough risk assessment, established prevention measures, and personalized clinical judgment.
A Better Definition of Health Aging
Healthy Aging Month should broaden the conversation beyond lifespan. The real measure of progress isn’t whether we can stop the calendar, but whether we can delay the diseases and functional losses that too often accompany advancing age. Future therapies may give us more precise ways to influence cellular aging, but the outcomes that matter will still be measured in functional terms: the strength to remain active, the clarity to work and connect with others, the metabolic health to reduce disease risk, and the physical reserve to recover from illness and stress. Your birthday records how long you’ve been alive. It doesn’t fully describe how your body is aging or what remains possible. Longevity medicine aims not just to extend life, but to ensure those additional years are lived well. Dr. Amanda Jordan is a board-certified physician in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. Through her Las Vegas-based virtual practice, she serves patients nationwide who want a health plan built around their own biology, not their birth certificate. Visit dramandajordan.com to learn more or schedule a complimentary consultation.
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>>>
THE FOUNDATION EVERYONE SKIPS What your body actually runs on, before anything advanced By Tiffany Marie, CNP, CPIS | Founder, TM Wellness
By now you know how I work. We do not chase symptoms, and we do not start with the newest, shiniest fix. We test, we listen, and we find the root. So once we can finally see what your body has been asking for, what comes next? Here is the answer almost nobody wants to hear, because it is not exciting. It is the foundation. Foundation is the unglamorous truth of this entire industry. It does not trend. It does not come in a beautiful vial. It will never sell out online. But I have watched it do what a thousand hacks stacked on top of each other never could. You cannot decorate a house that is sitting on a cracked foundation. Eventually, the cracks win. So let me tell you what foundation actually means, in plain language. It starts with real nourishment. Not perfection, not deprivation, but enough of the right building blocks: protein your body can actually use, and the minerals and micronutrients that quietly run ten thousand processes inside you every day. You cannot supplement your way out of a diet that is missing its basics. Then there is your gut, and this is where so much of the real story lives. It does not matter how well you eat if your body cannot absorb it. A gut that is inflamed or out of balance will quietly rob you of the very nutrients you are working so hard to give it. Support the way you digest and absorb, and everything downstream begins to change. There are your minerals, the spark plugs of the body. They are small, they are boring, and they are essential to your energy, your hormones, and your ability to simply feel steady. So many women are running on empty here and have no idea. There is your blood sugar, the quiet thread woven through your energy, your mood, your cravings, your sleep, and your hormones. When it is stable, life feels more even. When it swings, everything swings with it. Learning to keep it steady is one of the most powerful, least glamorous things you will ever do for your body. And there are your hormones, which I believe should be supported, not forced. Not pushed, not overridden, but given the raw materials and the environment they need to do their own work. When the foundation beneath them is solid, hormones very often begin to find their footing on their own. Woven through all of it is your nervous system: your sleep, your stress, the pace at which you are asking your body to live. You can eat perfectly and still stay stuck if your body never feels safe enough to rest and repair. This is the piece the industry loves to ignore, because you cannot bottle it
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and sell it. But a body that is constantly bracing for the next thing cannot heal, no matter what you feed it. So if the foundation is this powerful, why does almost everyone skip it? Because it is not exciting, and because there is no money in telling you that you already have most of what you need. It is far easier to sell you the next thing than to teach you the basics. Foundation asks for patience in a world built on quick fixes. But patience here is not a delay. It is the shortcut nobody recognizes. This is also where I tell my clients to spend their energy and, yes, their money. Not on the fourteen trending supplements a stranger on the internet swears by. On the foundation. I would genuinely rather you nail these basics and take three well-chosen supports than waste thousands on a cabinet full of bottles your body may not need and cannot even use yet. That is not the popular thing to say. It is the true thing. And here is what surprises people most. The foundation is not a cage. It is the opposite. A body that is truly nourished, absorbing, and steady is a body that can finally handle life: the late night, the celebration, the trip, the slice of cake. Foundation is what earns you your freedom. And when the foundation is finally there, the change does not feel like a miracle. It feels like coming home. The energy that returns without a stimulant. The sleep that finally holds. The mood that steadies. The cravings that quiet on their own. None of it flashy, all of it real, and all of it yours to keep, because it was built into you rather than borrowed from a bottle. Which brings me to the thing I care about more than almost anything else in this work, and the part of wellness the industry gets so painfully wrong. Because a foundation is only worth building if you can actually live on it. Next time, I will tell you why your plan should never, ever make you feel like a prisoner. Start beneath the surface. Build it right. Everything else gets easier from there. Tiffany Marie is the founder of TM Wellness. Find her at www. tiffanymariedavis.com and on Instagram at @tiffanymarie_davis and @ tm_wellness_.
What If Your Best Health Is Still Ahead of You? Precision Functional Medicine for Men & Women Who Want to Perform, Age, and Live Better.
Most people don’t suddenly wake up unwell. Energy dips. Sleep becomes fragmented. Hormones shift. Focus isn’t as sharp. Recovery slows. Your metabolism feels different. These aren’t “just aging.” They’re signals—biological data points your body uses to tell you something has changed.
My job is to decode those signals. As a physician specializing in functional and longevity medicine, I take a systems-based, root-cause approach to optimize your whole health—hormones, metabolism, inflammation, brain function, gut health, and longevity pathways. Whether you’re navigating perimenopause, andropause, persistent fatigue, weight changes, poor sleep, or simply want sharper cognition and stronger performance, your plan is personalized and evidence-driven.
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FALL INTO REGULATION
Back to School. Back to Routine. Back to the Basics. By: Janelle Ardizzone, Mother of Four • Wellness Founder • Certified Doula • Former Personal Trainer
IEvery fall, we're told it's time to get back into a routine. School starts. Calendars fill. Practices return. Work gets busier. Alarm clocks get earlier. And seemingly overnight, we move from the freedom of summer into lunches, homework, sports, meetings, drop-offs, and everything in between. But this year, I want to challenge you to think about it differently. Instead of simply asking, “How do we get back into our routine?” ask: “What are we getting back to?”
If I could encourage families to prioritize one thing as school begins again, sleep would be near the top of my list. We protect sleep in our house because I've seen how profoundly it affects everything else. And a regulated morning often begins the night before. Create a rhythm that tells the body the day is ending. Dim the lights. Put devices down. Take a shower or bath. Read. Stretch. Pray. Talk. Breathe. It doesn't need to become another complicated wellness routine.
As a mother of four, wellness founder, certified doula, and someone who studied kinesiology and personal training long before Desert Moon existed, I've spent most of my adult life fascinated by the human body. I've also spent much of that time advocating for people. As a doula, I learned that advocacy isn't about making decisions for someone. It's about helping people understand their options, ask better questions, trust themselves, and find their own voice.
Then, in the morning, get outside. Morning sunlight is one of my favorite simple practices, and we try to catch sunsets whenever we can too. There's something beautiful about allowing nature to bookend your day. It's also something our children can participate in. They begin learning that how they feel isn't random, that their sleep, environment, food, movement, and routines all communicate with their bodies. That's an incredibly powerful thing to teach a child.
Over the years, I've realized that philosophy extends far beyond birth. It's how I parent. It's how I approach wellness. And ultimately, it's at the heart of why we created Desert Moon. Because one of the most powerful things we can give another human being is the confidence to participate in their own health.
Feed People, Not Perfection
I'm All-In on the “Boring” Stuff
After more than two decades of learning, experimenting, raising children, and working in wellness, do you know what I keep coming back to? The boring stuff. Sleep. Sunlight. Water. Real food. Protein. Movement. Muscle. Connection. Rest. Prayer. Gratitude. Repeat. These aren't revolutionary ideas. Most of them can't be packaged into the newest wellness trend. But they're foundational. Somewhere along the way, I think we made wellness far more complicated than it needed to be. We started looking for the next supplement, device, protocol, or hack while sometimes overlooking the fact that we stayed up until midnight, barely drank water, didn't move our bodies and hadn't seen the sun all day. I love wellness technology. I built an entire center around some of the most incredible tools I've experienced. But I believe deeply in this: Master the basics. Then optimize. And I'm certainly not alone in coming back to these fundamentals. In a recent back-to-school message, psychiatrist and brain-health advocate Dr. Daniel Amen encouraged families to focus on five remarkably simple habits: consistent sleep, protein at breakfast, daily movement, unplugged time, and connection. I smiled when I read it because these are the same “boring” things I find myself talking about again and again. The basics may not be flashy, but they matter. And perhaps one of the most important things we can do for the next generation is stop making wellness feel complicated and start teaching our children how to recognize what their brains and bodies need.
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A Good Morning Starts the Night Before
Nutrition is another area where I think we've made wellness unnecessarily intimidating. Our family focuses on the fundamentals: quality protein, real food, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and foods that help us feel and function well. Some mornings that means eggs and a real breakfast. Some mornings life is moving fast, and a quality protein shake is the answer. That's real life. I don't want my children growing up afraid of food or believing they have to eat perfectly to be healthy. I want them to understand food. I want them to know how different foods make them feel, how to read an ingredient label, how protein supports their bodies, and why what we consume matters. There is a huge difference between creating fear and creating awareness. We're after awareness.
Move. And Please, Build Some Muscle.
Long before I became a wellness founder, movement was my world. I studied kinesiology and personal training in college and became a certified personal trainer. While that certification belongs to an earlier chapter of my life, the education and passion never left me. More than two decades later, I'm still fascinated by movement and strength. Today, I finally have a place where all those seemingly separate chapters- movement, motherhood, doula work, nervous-system regulation and wellness, have come together. My advice around exercise is simpler than you might expect: Move your body. Walk. Lift weights. Play with your kids. Ride a bike. Stretch. Go outside. You don't need the perfect workout program before you begin. And please don't overlook strength. Building and maintaining muscle has become an increasingly important part of my own wellness as I get older. Strength isn't only about how we look. It's about what we want our bodies to continue being capable of doing.
Consistency wins. I'd rather see someone move for ten minutes today than wait three weeks for the perfect Monday to begin the perfect 60-minute program.
asking questions. That noticing a change in their body matters. That they can listen, learn, ask questions, and participate in decisions about their health.
Hydrate Before You Biohack
That's advocacy. And advocacy doesn't mean rejecting medicine or believing we know more than our healthcare providers. It means becoming an informed participant in our own care. That's something I learned deeply through my work as a doula, and today it influences almost everything I do. We don't empower people by telling them what to think. We empower people by teaching them how to ask, learn, understand, and use their own voice. And that isn't only a lesson for mothers or children. It's for husbands and wives. Athletes. Executives. Healthcare workers. Caregivers. Grandparents. Anyone with a body. Anyone with a brain. Anyone who wants to participate more fully in their own wellness.
Here's another boring one: Drink water. Before another coffee, supplement, treatment, or wellness hack, ask yourself a very basic question: Am I actually hydrated? We prioritize quality water in our family and use electrolytes as appropriate for our needs and activity. But one of the simplest strategies is logistical: make water easy. Fill the bottles. Put them by the backpacks. Bring them in the car. Make the choice you want your family to make the easiest choice available. That principle applies to almost everything.
Learn the Language of Your Nervous System
This may be one of the greatest gifts we can give our children, and ourselves. Regulation does not mean walking through life calm and peaceful every second. We're human. Our nervous systems are supposed to respond to life. Regulation is developing enough awareness to recognize what's happening and enough tools to help ourselves return. Sometimes what looks like a behavior problem may be a body asking for something. Am I tired? Hungry? Overstimulated? Have I been inside all day? Do I need movement? Quiet? Connection? A minute alone? Dr. Amen's back-to-school message also reminded me of something important: while we're asking our kids about homework, tests, and grades, we should also be interested in how they're actually feeling. Maybe our questions can change. Instead of only “How was school?” or “How did you do on your test?” we can get curious about the person sitting in front of us. How did your body feel today? Were you able to focus? Did anything feel overwhelming? When did you feel your best? What made you feel calm, energized, or connected? Those conversations teach children something a report card never can: How to notice themselves. Eventually, we're not going to be standing beside them making every decision. My goal isn't to raise children who need me to regulate their lives for them. It's to raise humans who understand themselves well enough to recognize what they need, ask questions, and advocate for their own well-being. And if you're an adult who was never taught that? You can learn it now too.
Sometimes Wellness Is Saying No
Fall schedules can become overwhelming quickly. School. Sports. Activities. Work. Social commitments. Appointments. Family responsibilities. We can fill every available space and then wonder why everyone feels dysregulated. Sometimes wellness isn't something you add. Sometimes it's something you remove. A commitment. An expectation. An unnecessary late night. Another hour on your phone. The belief that resting means you're lazy. I've learned that boundaries can be wellness too. We don't have to wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. Before automatically filling every blank space on the fall calendar, maybe ask: Does this actually need to be here? More isn't always better.
Teach Your Children to Advocate for Themselves
This is bigger than back-to-school wellness for me. It's something I've tried to build my life around. I want my children to understand that they have a voice. I want them to know their bodies. I want them to feel comfortable
Foundations First. Optimization Second.
And then we get to the fun stuff. I love optimization. At Desert Moon, we work with incredible technologies and modalities designed to support recovery, cellular wellness, and nervous-system regulation. Hyperbaric oxygen. Red and infrared light. PEMF. BrainTap. Nervous-system optimization. Recovery technologies. And now IV therapy. I believe in these tools; that's why we've dedicated our lives to them. But here's something I hope people always understand about our philosophy: The technology doesn't replace the foundations. It supports them. We don't optimize instead of sleeping. We don't optimize instead of eating. We don't optimize instead of hydrating, moving, connecting, or recovering. We build the foundation first. Then we ask what else might support the body. That distinction matters.
Start With One Thing
If you're reading this thinking, Okay, now I need to change everything, please don't. That's the opposite of what I'm saying. Pick one thing. Protect bedtime. Get outside in the morning. Add protein to breakfast. Take a ten-minute walk after dinner. Fill everyone's water bottles before leaving the house. Put the phones away and watch the sunset together. Say no to one thing your family doesn't actually need on the calendar. Ask your child a different question at dinner. Small things compound. You don't need to become a different person overnight. You need practices you can return to.
This Fall, Come Back to the Basics
September doesn't have to mean returning to chaos. Maybe this year it's an opportunity to return to rhythm. Back to sleep. Back to sunlight. Back to nourishment. Back to movement. Back to connection. Back to listening to our bodies. Back to using our voices. And back to remembering that wellness doesn't only happen inside a doctor's office, a gym, or a wellness center. It happens at the breakfast table. In our bedrooms. On morning walks. In the car on the way to school. In conversations with our children. In the boundaries we create. And in hundreds of tiny decisions nobody else will ever see. After more than two decades of studying this, raising four children, supporting families, and building a wellness center, I'm more convinced of it than ever: Know your body. Use your voice. Master the basics. Then optimize. This fall, don't just fall back into routine; fall into regulation.
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SUPERFOOD SEEDS
>>> Small Foods With Big Benefits You might sprinkle a few chia seeds into your smoothie or toss some pumpkin seeds onto a salad without giving them much thought. However, those tiny seeds can pack an impressive nutritional punch. From chia and flax to hemp, pumpkin and sunflower, seeds are an easy way to add more fiber, healthy fats, plant-based protein, vitamins, and minerals to your everyday meals.
Ground flaxseed is generally easier for your body to digest than whole flaxseed, as whole seeds can sometimes pass through the digestive tract without being completely broken down. Try keeping a small container of ground flax in the refrigerator and adding a tablespoon to oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies.
Great news is you do not need to overhaul your diet or start following a complicated wellness routine to reap the benefits. In many cases, simply adding a spoonful here and there can make your meals more nutritious and delicious. Let’s dive into what seeds deserve a spot in your kitchen and how can you actually use them without getting bored.
If you're looking for a seed that makes adding protein especially easy, hemp seeds are worth knowing. Hemp hearts contain protein, healthy fats and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavor, which means they can disappear into meals without overpowering them.
Why Seeds Are Worth Adding to Your Diet
Seeds are essentially little nutritional powerhouses. Plants pack seeds with nutrients needed to support growth, which means many varieties naturally contain a combination of protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. One of their biggest advantages is versatility. You can eat them sweet or savory, blend them into drinks, sprinkle them over meals, or incorporate them into baked goods. They're also an easy way to diversify your diet. Rather than relying on one food to provide a particular nutrient, rotating different seeds gives you access to a broader range of nutrients.
What Seeds Should You Add to Your Diet Chia Seeds
Chia seeds may be tiny, but they're particularly rich in fiber, helping support normal digestion and contributing to feelings of fullness. They also contain plant-based omega-3 fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), protein, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. One of chia's most noticeable characteristics is its ability to absorb liquid and form a gel. That makes it particularly useful for overnight oats, puddings, and smoothies.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are another excellent source of ALA and fiber. They're also notable for containing lignans, naturally occurring plant compounds with antioxidant properties.
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Hemp Seeds
They're particularly good for people who want to increase plant-based protein without relying entirely on beans or protein powders.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas when they're hulled, provide protein, healthy fats, magnesium, zinc, and other nutrients. They're incredibly satisfying because they add crunch to otherwise soft foods. Sprinkle them over soups, salads, roasted vegetables, or grain bowls for an instant texture upgrade. They can also be a delicious snack. A small handful of unsalted pumpkin seeds can be a convenient alternative to highly processed snack foods.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are another simple nutritional addition, providing healthy fats, protein, fiber, and nutrients including vitamin E and magnesium. Their mild flavor makes them particularly easy to incorporate into salads, homemade trail mixes, and oatmeal. The key with seeds is variety. You don't have to choose one "best" seed. Different seeds offer different nutritional profiles, so rotating them throughout the week can be a practical approach.
5 Easy Ways to Add More Seeds to Your Meals
Knowing that seeds are nutritious is one thing. Actually, remembering to eat them is
By: Sarah Schwefel
another. The good news though is you don't need complicated recipes. Here are 5 easy ways to add seeds into your weekly diet.
1. Upgrade Your Morning Oatmeal
Your morning bowl of oatmeal is perfect for adding a nutritional upgrade. Add a tablespoon of chia, ground flaxseed, hemp hearts, or pumpkin seeds. Then top it with berries, sliced banana, cinnamon or nut butter. The combination of fiber, healthy fats and protein can turn a basic bowl of oats into a more satisfying breakfast.
2. Blend Them Into a Smoothie
Smoothies are one of the easiest places to sneak in seeds because the flavors can blend right in. Try adding chia, ground flax or hemp hearts to your favorite fruit-and-yogurt or fruit-and-milk combination. Start with a small amount if you're not accustomed to eating much fiber and increase gradually while drinking plenty of fluids.
3. Give Your Salads Some Crunch
If your salad feels like a pile of lettuce you're forcing yourself to eat, seeds can help. Sprinkle pumpkin, sunflower or hemp seeds over greens, vegetables, chicken, salmon, or blend with favorite salad toppings. You'll get additional texture and nutrients without needing to completely change the meal.
4. Make a Simple Seed Topping
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Create your own "everything" topping by combining a few of your favorite seeds with herbs and spices. Try pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, and sesame seeds with garlic, dried herbs or your favorite seasoning blend. Keep the mixture in a sealed container and sprinkle it over roasted vegetables, soups, rice, potatoes, or grain bowls. Suddenly, adding a boost of nutrition takes about five seconds.
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5. Turn Them Into a Snack
Seeds do not have to necessarily be part of a meal. Combine pumpkin or sunflower seeds with nuts and dried fruit for a homemade trail mix. You can also add seeds to yogurt with fresh fruit or mix them into a homemade energy bite.
Small but Mighty
One of the best things about seeds is that incorporating them into your diet does not have to feel like another item on your wellness to-do list. Start with one seed you actually enjoy. For example, you can add chia to your breakfast, sprinkle hemp hearts over lunch, keep pumpkin seeds nearby for an afternoon snack, or try mixing ground flax into a smoothie. Over time, you can rotate different varieties and find the combinations you genuinely like. Think of them as one small piece of a varied, nutrient-rich diet. So, the next time you reach for a handful of seeds, remember good nutrition doesn't always come in a big package. Sometimes, some of the most useful additions to your plate are small, but mighty.
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NEVADA NAILS AND SPA Beauty That Feels as Good as It Looks From fresh nails and glowing skin to scalp care and deep relaxation, this Las Vegas spa offers a full menu of beauty and self-care services under one roof.
routine. Beyond the cosmetic benefits, a facial appointment offers something many of us don't get enough of: uninterrupted time to relax. It's an approach to beauty that fits naturally into a wellness-focused lifestyle, taking care of yourself from the outside while enjoying a little mental downtime in the process.
In the wellness world, beauty and self-care increasingly go hand in hand. Taking time for a manicure, facial or restorative treatment isn't simply about looking polished, it can also provide a welcome opportunity to slow down, reset and dedicate a little time to yourself.
The Head Spa Experience
At Nevada Nails and Spa, located at 3280 E. Tropicana Ave. in Las Vegas, that connection between beauty and feeling good is at the heart of the experience. With the fitting motto, “Beauty that Feels as Good as it Looks,” the salon and spa brings together nail services, esthetics, waxing and head spa treatments, making it easy to turn an everyday beauty appointment into some much-needed self-care.
More Than a Nail Salon
As the name suggests, nails are a major part of the Nevada Nails and Spa experience. The salon offers Gel-X, acrylics, manicures and pedicures, with nail services starting at just $35. Whether you're looking for a clean, classic manicure or something longer, bolder and more creative, having regular nail appointments can be a simple way to carve out personal time in a busy schedule. And sometimes, an hour spent away from emails, errands and responsibilities is every bit as valuable as the finished manicure. But nails are only the beginning.
Skin Care, Esthetics and Waxing
Nevada Nails and Spa also offers a selection of esthetic services designed to help clients care for their skin and feel refreshed. Services include facials, exfoliation, waxing and complete skin care, with esthetics and waxing services starting at just $50. Professional skin care can be a great complement to a consistent at-home
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One of the more intriguing offerings at Nevada Nails and Spa is its head spa, with services starting at $45. According to the spa, its head spa services focus on scalp health, detoxification, hair restoration and deep relaxation. Head spa treatments have become increasingly popular as people begin paying more attention to the scalp as an extension of their skin-care and hair-care routines. But perhaps just as appealing is the relaxation factor. There's something undeniably soothing about having someone else care for your scalp and hair while you simply lie back and enjoy the experience. For anyone who spends most of the day juggling work, family, phones and seemingly endless to-do lists, that alone can make a head spa appointment feel like a worthwhile escape.
Making Self-Care More Convenient
One of the biggest barriers to maintaining a self-care routine is simply finding the time. Nevada Nails and Spa makes scheduling a little easier with extended hours, open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Walk-ins are also welcome, giving clients the flexibility to stop in when an unexpected pocket of free time appears. And with nails, skin care, waxing and head spa services all available in one location, clients have the option to take care of multiple beauty needs without running all over town. For Vegas locals looking to refresh their nails, give their skin some attention or simply spend an hour unwinding, Nevada Nails and Spa offers another reminder that wellness doesn't always have to be complicated. Sometimes it can be as simple as making an appointment, putting your phone down and allowing someone else to take care of you for a change. Nevada Nails and Spa 3280 E. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89121 (702) 898-7008 Open daily, 10am–10pm Walk-ins welcome New clients can also receive 10% off their first service by mentioning the advertisement. The advertised offer expires September 30, 2026.
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Would Your Weight-Loss Plan Survive a Bad Week? The real test isn’t whether it works when life is calm. It’s whether it can survive your actual life.
Most diet advice nowadays takes shapes like these:
it.
• Eat fewer calories. Count them, track them, give them points, and tally the points. Use online calculators and apps to make sure you’re eating the right amount to lose weight. If you don’t, you fail.
What was so frustrating was that I used to be a very good dieter. In my 20s, I was able to white-knuckle the SlimFast plan like nobody’s business for one and a half years. That is, until I moved to Italy for a semester abroad and met Nutella.
• Also, drink half your body weight in water. Every day. If you don’t, you fail. • Move more. Find movement you love that makes you happy. But also make time to lift weights, do yoga, and meditate. And don’t forget the cardio. • Oh, and protein and fiber. And stop eating carbs. If you don’t get all of this into place in a sane manner, every day, with a smile on your face, you fail. I know these problems intimately. Not only have I been a weight-loss coach for almost 10 years, so I’ve seen it all, but I myself have always been the kind of person who struggled with her own weight (hence why I love being a coach). I always identified with the “I have a slow metabolism” thing. And then I had a daughter, followed by a set of twin daughters, got breast cancer, and had to go on menopause-inducing medication. I thought my goose was cooked. I thought, “Okay, now I’m really not going to be able to lose weight again. My thin days are over. Welcome, Mom Jeans.” And I worried that was true for years. It actually looked true, if my weight had anything to say about
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By Cheri Alberts
And in my 30s, I found the Eat to Live lifestyle and discovered that if you eat enough plants, you’ll be so bloated and uncomfortable that you won’t be able to eat much else, and you’ll lose weight without much effort. That is, until your brain remembers the Trader Joe’s snacks that fit perfectly between the cracks of all the salad. We struggle and try the next way to diet, only to find the same shape we encountered before. Do a restrictive thing. Lose weight. Feel great. Remember snacks we love. Have a stressful week. Eat said snacks. Gain the weight back. Conclude we’re weak. Get frustrated. Try a new restrictive thing. Sense a pattern here? Do you also notice that I didn’t say you were weak? I said you concluded you were weak. Not the same thing. The problem lies in the way we try to lose weight. The ways we try to diet. Let me tell you something true: the diets we try are often so restrictive that they will fail at some point when life becomes difficult to handle. If a diet were strong enough to stand up to real life, you’d still be doing it.
That means the diet itself didn’t work and was never going to. It also means you are not the problem. You never were. Neither is your life. A weight-loss plan is not proven by how well you follow it when the scale is dropping, you’ve meal-planned perfectly, the groceries are stocked, and life is relatively calm. It is proven by what happens when the scale goes up two pounds, the children need you, work gets chaotic, and the day does not go according to plan. So here is a quick set of questions to determine whether your weightloss plan can stand the test of your real life: • Would you still want to eat this way if the scale temporarily went up for reasons you couldn’t explain? • Is the food satisfying enough that you don’t immediately abandon it at the first stressful moment? • Does one restaurant meal or social outing rupture the entire plan? • Can you return to your normal meals without compensating? • Does the strategy reduce overeating, or does it merely depend on perfect restraint? • Can it survive travel, exhaustion, family dinners, illness, and hormonal fluctuations? If you answered no to these, you may conclude that the diet is a failure. You are not a failure. You’ve simply got such a complex life (read: we all do) that the diet was never designed for a real human. A good, useful, sustainable weight-loss eating protocol should not require you to be perfect. It also won’t prevent every overeating episode or weight fluctuation. What it should do is fit your current life, work for your current body, and make overeating events smaller, less disruptive, and easier to recover from. So, what do you say we find something that actually works for the body we have today and the life we have today, instead of trying to fit inside a box that was never us-shaped in the first place? Cheri Alberts is the founder of Set Point Science™, where she helps midlife women create calmer, more sustainable weight-loss strategies. Download her free Gentle Weight Loss Guide to begin building an approach that works with your current body and real life.
Sweet Side of Wellness >>> The Inside the Museum of Ice Cream at AREA15 At AREA15, Las Vegas’ newest immersive attraction offers a colorful reminder that wellness doesn’t always have to be so serious. When we think about wellness, our minds often go straight to green juice, meditation, supplements, fitness classes, and the latest longevity treatments. But there’s another piece of the wellness puzzle that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: joy. Sometimes wellness looks like laughing with your friends, doing something completely unexpected, reconnecting with your inner child, and apparently, diving into a swimming pool filled with sprinkles. Welcome to the Museum of Ice Cream at AREA15. The whimsical attraction has officially brought its larger-than-life world of ice cream, imagination, and play to Southern Nevada, creating an experience that feels particularly at home in a city where bigger, brighter, and slightly over-the-top are practically requirements. But despite the name, don't arrive expecting glass display cases and a traditional museum tour. Museum of Ice Cream describes itself as an "Experium", an interactive environment built around creativity, sensory exploration and human connection.
A Playground for Grown-Ups, Kids and Everyone in Between
Located in Zone 2 at AREA15, the experience unfolds across 14 immersive environments designed specifically with a little Vegas personality. Guests can check into an ice cream-inspired hotel,
visit the Little Pink Chapel, play games at the Cone-sino, get a temporary tattoo at Lucky Cherry Ink, and make their way to one of the attraction's biggest showstoppers: an enormous Sprinkle Pool complete with two-story slides. Then, of course, there's the ice cream. Admission includes unlimited treats throughout the experience, culminating in what AREA15 bills as the world's largest ice cream buffet. Is unlimited ice cream something you'll find on most traditional wellness plans? Probably not. But that's part of the point. Wellness isn't defined by perfection. It's the cumulative result of how we care for our bodies, minds, relationships, and emotional health. And occasionally enjoying dessert, without guilt, can coexist perfectly well with a healthy lifestyle. The Museum of Ice Cream seems to understand something we sometimes forget: feeling good matters, too.
The Wellness of Play
Adults spend an enormous amount of time being adults. We work, manage schedules, pay bills, take care of families, and worry about our health, careers, and futures. Somewhere along the way, many of us stop playing simply for the sake of playing. Walking through the Museum of Ice Cream feels like permission to temporarily abandon all of that. Slide down the slide. Jump into the sprinkles. Take a ridiculous picture. And eat the ice cream. The experience is intentionally tactile, colorful, and interactive, encouraging visitors to participate rather than
simply observe. Museum of Ice Cream says its environments are designed to inspire imagination, energize the senses, and encourage human connection. That philosophy makes the attraction surprisingly compatible with a broader view of wellness. There doesn't always need to be a measurable outcome. You don't need to track your heart rate, count your steps, or optimize anything. Sometimes you can simply have fun.
Connection Over Ice Cream
There's also something wonderfully social about ice cream. For many of us, it carries memories: childhood trips to the ice cream shop, birthday parties, summer vacations, first dates, or late-night dessert runs with friends. Food has always had the ability to connect people, and the Museum of Ice Cream builds an entire experience around that idea. Rather than quietly moving from exhibit to exhibit, you're encouraged to interact. That makes it an especially fun outing for families, couples, groups of friends, or even a different kind of date night. And in an era when so much of our connection happens through screens, shared experiences have become increasingly valuable. Yes, you'll probably leave with plenty of Instagram-worthy photos. The museum practically begs you to take them. But hopefully you'll leave with a few memories that never make it onto social media, too.
A Very Vegas Kind of Indulgence
If the Museum of Ice Cream belongs anywhere, Las Vegas makes a pretty compelling case. The Las Vegas location combines the brand's signature pink, playful aesthetic with the theatricality our city does best. From the chapel and casino-inspired games to the oversized installations and seemingly endless desserts, subtlety isn't really the goal. Neither is deprivation. And perhaps there's a wellness lesson hiding somewhere beneath all those sprinkles. The wellness world can sometimes become overly focused on restriction: what not to eat, what not to drink, what habits to eliminate, and what rules we're supposed to follow. But sustainable wellness also requires balance. There should be room for vegetables and ice cream. Workouts and rest days. Discipline and spontaneity. Quiet meditation and laughing uncontrollably while climbing out of a giant pool of fake sprinkles. Health is something we practice over a lifetime, not something that disappears because we ate dessert.
Wellness Can Be Fun
Southern Nevada has become an increasingly interesting wellness destination. We're home to luxury spas, recovery studios, IV lounges, fitness concepts, healthy restaurants, and practically every longevity treatment imaginable. The Museum of Ice Cream represents something entirely different. There are no cold plunges, no red-light panels, and no green smoothiesInstead, there's color, movement, nostalgia, connection,
laughter, and a lot of ice cream. And maybe that's exactly why it belongs in the wellness conversation. Taking care of ourselves shouldn't become another job. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is break from our routine, gather the people we love, experience something new, and remember what it feels like to play. Museum of Ice Cream – Las Vegas AREA15, Zone 2 - The Terminals 3072 Rigel Ave., Suite 110 Las Vegas, NV 89102 museumoficecream.com/lasvegas
>>> CAN YOU REALLY IMPROVE YOUR METABOLISM? A Monthly Column on Modern Longevity & Performance
Last month, we talked about the secret life of your metabolism and how it quietly works for you every second of every day. We finished with a question: Can you really improve your metabolism? The answer is Yes! But probably not the way you think.
grandchildren. Get busy.
We have all heard the tricks about speeding metabolism: drink more coffee, eat spicy foods, eat every two hours, and never skip breakfast. Or today’s favorite one: take a supplement that promises to "boost" your metabolism.
You Also Have to Give Your Body Something to Work With
Some may have a small or temporary effect, but we have to be realistic: none of them are going to change everything. Your metabolism does not need a trick. It needs a reason to use energy, a reason to maintain muscle, a reason to repair and rebuild. And that starts with what you ask your body to do.
Let's Start With Muscle
If you have been following this column, you probably knew this one was coming. Remember, muscle matters. We have already talked about how we begin losing muscle as we get older if we do not actively work to maintain it. And when we lose muscle, our body changes with it. That is why strength training becomes so important as we age. You do not need to become a bodybuilder; you do not need to spend two hours in a gym. What you need is to challenge your muscles. Use them. Give your body a reason to keep them. It can really be that simple. And here is something else we sometimes forget, a good workout matters, but so do the other 23 hours of your day. We are not talking about doing another workout. We are talking about getting up and moving! Walk, take the stairs, carry your groceries, get up from the desk, take the dog around the block. Play with your children or
Your body does not know whether you call it exercise. It just knows you are moving. And movement requires energy. If you are asking your body to maintain and rebuild muscle, you have to give it what it needs to do the job.
Protein is part of that. Your muscles use protein to repair and rebuild after you challenge them. This does not mean you need another complicated diet or that you have to stop eating everything you enjoy. It means being a little more intentional about what you eat, particularly as you get older and maintaining muscle becomes more important. Challenge the muscle. Give it what it needs. And then comes the part many of us have a hard time with: let it recover.
Remember what we talked about last month?
Your workout may last only 20 minutes. Your metabolism continues working on it for hours afterward. The workout creates the challenge. Recovery is when your body does something with it. While you are resting, and especially while you are sleeping, your body is repairing, rebuilding, restoring energy, and preparing itself for the next challenge. Sometimes more is not better. Sometimes your body simply needs the opportunity to finish the work you already asked it to do.
So, Can You Improve Your Metabolism?
Yes. But maybe we should stop thinking so much about "speeding it up." There is no magic switch. And there is no secret food that suddenly changes everything. What works is much simpler: use your muscles, use your body. Give it good food and enough protein. Let it recover. Then do it again, and again. That is consistency. Move it, challenge it, feed it and let it recover. You cannot stop getting older. But you can continue giving your body reasons to stay strong, active, and capable while you do. Your metabolism does not need a trick. It needs a reason. Next Month: You did the workout. Now what? We'll talk about why recovery becomes more important as we get older and what your body is actually doing while you rest. At BODY20, we believe strength is one of the foundations of a longer, healthier life. We would love the opportunity to help you build yours.
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Redefining Success
Celebrate How Far You’ve Come
For so many years, we have been taught to measure success by numbers. How much money is in the bank? How successful is your career? What kind of house do you live in? How much have you accomplished? But as I have grown wiser, I have come to understand something very different: Success is not only what you have; it is who you have become. Success is every single time you said you were going to do something and followed through. It is making a decision that scares you and doing it anyway. It is setting a boundary when you used to stay silent. It is walking away from something that no longer serves you. It is starting over. It is forgiving yourself. It is getting back up after disappointment. Sometimes success is simply making it through a difficult season and realizing, Wow. Look at me. I did that. We tend to celebrate the big things while completely overlooking the hundreds of smaller victories that brought us there. Think about your own life. How many fears have you faced? How many difficult conversations have you had? How many times have you thought you couldn’t do something, and then you did? How many times did life change the plan and you had to create a new one? Those moments count. In fact, I believe we should start calculating our success differently. Instead of only looking at what you have today, look at who you were five, ten, or twenty years ago. Look at what used to frighten you. Look at what you once tolerated. Look at what you didn’t believe you were capable of doing. Now, look at you. That distance between who you were and who you are today is success.
Follow-Through Is Success
One of the most powerful forms of success is keeping a promise to yourself. When you say, I’m going to do this, and you actually follow through, something happens internally. You begin to trust yourself. It doesn’t have to be a gigantic goal. Maybe you promised yourself you would exercise three times this week, and you did. Celebrate it. Maybe you finally made the phone call you had been avoiding. Celebrate it. Maybe you finished something you started. Celebrate it. Maybe you said no without feeling guilty. Celebrate that too! We spend so much time looking for validation from the outside world that we forget to validate ourselves. I believe every time you follow through on something important to you, you should stop and acknowledge it. Say to yourself: “I did it. I followed through. I am proud of myself.” And then give something back to yourself. It could be taking yourself to lunch, buying yourself flowers, taking an afternoon off, going for a beautiful walk, enjoying a massage, calling a friend to celebrate, or simply sitting quietly and allowing yourself to feel proud. The reward doesn’t have to cost money. The reward is the acknowledgement.
Stop Moving the Finish Line
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Have you ever noticed how quickly we move on after accomplishing
something? We spend weeks, months, or even years working toward a goal. Then we achieve it and almost immediately ask: What’s next? Wait! What about what you just did? We need to become better at receiving our own accomplishments. Take them in. Feel them. Honor them. When you constantly move the finish line, you can become incredibly successful and still feel as though you haven’t done enough. I don’t want to live that way. I want to look at my life and recognize the courage it took to get here. I want to remember the fears I conquered, the decisions I made, the times I started over, the moments I trusted myself, and even the mistakes that taught me something valuable. When I add all of those moments together, I see success very differently. Of course, financial success is wonderful. We should celebrate abundance and prosperity. But your bank account can never tell the entire story of your life. It cannot measure courage. It cannot measure resilience. It cannot measure growth. It cannot measure how many times you chose yourself. And it certainly cannot measure how far you’ve come.
A Small Exercise: Your Success Calculation
Take five quiet minutes and write down five things you are proud of yourself for accomplishing or overcoming. They don’t have to impress anyone else. They only have to mean something to you. Next to each one, write: What did this require from me? Maybe it required courage, patience, discipline, forgiveness, or confidence. Maybe it required faith, consistency, or simply the willingness to try again. Now read your list out loud. At the bottom of the page, write: “This is evidence of my success. I acknowledge how far I have come.” Then choose one small way to celebrate yourself today. Not someday. Today. You don’t have to wait for another accomplishment to decide that you are successful. Sometimes we are so busy looking toward the person we are trying to become that we forget to turn around and honor the person who carried us all the way here. So today, turn around. Look at the road behind you. Look at everything you’ve survived, created, changed, learned, and conquered. And give yourself some credit. “Success isn’t only reaching the destination. It’s having the courage to look back at every mountain you’ve climbed and finally say, ‘I did that.’” Celebrate yourself. You have come much farther than you think. Tsikki Thau is an internationally acclaimed stress management expert and manifestation coach with more than 30 years of experience transforming lives worldwide. Celebrated Author of Attract It All: The Real Secret to Manifestation. Creator of the S.N.A.P. method and Vibe-Up technology, Tsikki blends science with energy psychology to help clients overcome obstacles. Visit her at TsikkiThau.com. Follow on Instagram @TsikkiThauOfficial.
Vegas Wellness Magazine
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Biohacking with JohnXD
Another month has passed, and we’re heading into fall, when we can finally get outside and enjoy the weather again. The sun, one of our greatest natural resources, will start setting earlier and earlier. That brings me to this month’s topic: red light therapy. In the biohacking world, red light has become almost ubiquitous. You’ll find it in nearly every wellness center, and for good reason, it works, and a growing body of research backs it up. We’ve been exposed to red light since the dawn of time. A lot of it comes from that bright yellow ball in the sky. But sitting outside isn’t always ideal, especially in Vegas when it’s 115 degrees. I grew up with plenty of sun exposure. My parents were beach people, and Rhode Island (the Ocean State) meant maximizing every good outdoor month we got. Now living in Vegas, there are still plenty of opportunities… as long as the extreme heat doesn’t win. Red light therapy (also called photobiomodulation) uses low-wavelength red and near-infrared light to stimulate cellular energy production in the mitochondria. Evidence supports benefits such as improved skin health through increased collagen production (helping reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and scars), faster wound healing, reduced inflammation, and relief from muscle soreness or joint pain. Some research also points to potential advantages for hair growth and post-exercise recovery. That’s why red light panels are showing up in more homes, the results are simply too valuable to ignore. My Platinum LED panel was one of the first major biohacking devices I brought into my house (and the most expensive at the time). I started using it in November 2022 for 20–25 minutes a day, 10 minutes in the morning and 10–15 after workouts. I still use it twice daily, now at 13 minutes each session. Because I believe in stacking, I’ve made the routine even more efficient: I stand on a vibration plate while using the red light and often add BFR bands. It’s a simple triple-stack that has become my perfect morning wake-up. I don’t drink coffee, I stimulate circulation and mitochondria instead. People often ask how I have so much energy. Practices like this
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are a big part of the answer. After my workout and shower, I do it again to support muscle recovery and reduce inflammation. This is what efficient biohacking looks like: standing on a vibration plate in front of a red light. The goal is to use your time wisely while giving your body the best tools to thrive. The real question becomes: What are you willing to incorporate as an investment in your future? For me, it’s continuous learning and adjusting to maximize results. I’ve enjoyed the journey so far and look forward to discovering more tools to add along the way. Thanks for riding along with me. JohnXD, a former Navy submariner turned biohacking enthusiast, has made it his mission to unlock human potential and help people through innovative health strategies. Owner of Osteostrong Las Vegas and founder of Biohacking Las Vegas, John shares insights on fitness and longevity. JohnXD's diverse background, from serving in the Navy to being a professional photographer and magazine owner, to his dreams of building a biohacking empire, showcases his dedication to improving lives.
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HEALING FROM THE INSIDE OUT The Value of Massage and Myofascial Release for Breaking Up Scar Tissue
Whether from surgery, injury, or a wound that healed years ago, scar tissue has a way of making itself known long after the original event. That persistent tightness, the pulling sensation, the restricted movement- these are your body telling you that something beneath the surface is still holding on. The good news is that the body is remarkably adaptable, and with the right therapeutic approach, scar tissue can be softened, mobilised, and its effects significantly reduced. Massage therapy, and in particular, myofascial release, is one of the most effective tools available for doing exactly that.
What Is Scar Tissue and Why Does It Cause Problems?
When the body experiences damage, whether from a surgical incision, a tear in a muscle, a burn, or a deep bruise, it repairs itself by laying down new collagen fibres. This is scar tissue. In an ideal world, these fibres would align perfectly with the surrounding tissue. In reality, they tend to form in a haphazard, tangled pattern, crossing over each other, adhering to nearby structures, and creating dense, inflexible areas where the tissue should be supple and free-moving. Internally, scar tissue can form not just on the skin but deep within muscles, connective tissue (called fascia), ligaments, and around organs following abdominal surgery. These internal adhesions can restrict movement, compress nerves, reduce circulation, and create pain patterns that seem completely unrelated to the original injury site. A scar from a C-section, for example, can eventually affect lower back mobility. A healed ankle sprain can alter the mechanics of the entire leg and hip. The body is deeply interconnected, and scar tissue respects none of its boundaries.
The Role of Fascia, and Why It Matters
To understand why myofascial release is so powerful, it is essential to first understand fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds and weaves through every muscle, bone, nerve, and organ in your body. Think of it as a full-body suit of cling film, continuous, interconnected, and deeply responsive to both injury and tension. When healthy, fascia is fluid and flexible. When damaged or under prolonged stress, it tightens, thickens, and can become stuck to surrounding structures. Scar tissue formation almost always involves the fascia. Because fascia runs throughout the entire body in one continuous web, restrictions in one area create tension and pull in areas that can feel completely unrelated to the original injury. This is why releasing fascial restrictions, rather than just working on the surface of a scar, produces such far-reaching and lasting results.
How Massage Begins the Healing Process
Therapeutic massage is often the first and most accessible step in addressing scar tissue. By increasing blood flow and lymphatic circulation to an area, massage begins to nourish the tissue and encourage the breakdown of dense adhesions. The heat generated by hands-on work softens the collagen fibres in the scar, making them more pliable and responsive to movement. Direct scar massage, working gently but firmly across and around the scar itself, helps to mobilise the tissue layers, reducing the adhesions between the skin, underlying fascia, and muscle. Many people are surprised to discover that their scars are stuck not just on the surface but at multiple layers underneath, contributing to restricted movement they had simply accepted as permanent. Regular massage interrupts this pattern and begins to restore the natural glide between tissue layers.
By: Jenn Ty
Myofascial Release: Going Deeper
Myofascial release (MFR) takes the work a step further. Rather than applying oil-based gliding strokes, MFR uses sustained, gentle pressure applied directly to the fascial restrictions, holding each position for 3-5 minutes or more to allow the tissue time to respond and release. This slow, patient approach works with the body's own intelligence rather than forcing change. The reason MFR is so effective for scar tissue specifically is that it targets the fascial web surrounding and connecting to the scar. A skilled practitioner will not just work on the visible scar itself but will trace the lines of tension that radiate outward from it, following the body's own map of restriction. This can produce remarkable results — releasing tightness in areas the client never associated with their original injury, restoring range of movement, reducing chronic pain, and even changing the appearance and texture of the scar tissue over time. Research supports what practitioners observe in clinic every day: sustained, low-load stretching, the hallmark of MFR, is one of the most effective ways to remodel dense collagen and restore flexibility to scarred tissue. Unlike aggressive techniques that can cause inflammation, MFR works gently and cumulatively, with each session building on the last.
What to Expect From Treatment
Results from massage and myofascial release for scar tissue are rarely instant, but they are genuine and progressive. Most clients notice improvements in flexibility, reduction in pulling sensations, and decreased discomfort within a series of sessions. Old scars that have been present for years can still respond well to treatment; the tissue remains capable of change long after the original injury. A course of treatment typically involves weekly or fortnightly sessions, combined with simple home care practices such as self-massage, gentle stretching, and hydration, all of which support the work done on the table. The investment of time is well worth it. Freeing the body from the grip of scar tissue is not just about physical comfort; it can restore confidence, ease, and a sense of wholeness that many people had forgotten was possible. Your body has an extraordinary capacity to heal, even long after an injury. With the right support, scar tissue doesn't have to be a permanent limitation. Jenn Ty is a licensed massage therapist, myofascial release specialist, and the owner of Flow Massage Therapy. For more information, or to book a consultation, call (917) 592-3395 or visit flowmassage.info.
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>>> The Architecture of a Life Lived Well When I started my wellness journey 10 years ago, my entry point was through the path of physical fitness, nutrition, and biohacking. I quickly became obsessed with learning everything I could about how to optimize my physical health. In the process, I lost 65 pounds, became a fitness instructor, nutrition coach and personal trainer. I was determined to help others navigate their health and feel better in their bodies. After working with clients and observing my own patterns, it started to become abundantly clear that exercise and diet were not the only factors at play. Our daily habits, mental and emotional health, and subconscious behavioral patterns are manifestations of an invisible driving force running beneath our awareness. Throughout the years, I have developed a holistic wellness framework that emphasizes alignment in 7 key dimensions. Everyone has a unique journey and starts at different places, but we will all eventually navigate through each of these phases along our path towards true wellness. At the foundation of these dimensions is a commitment to live in the right relationship with ourselves, our fellow humans, and our planet. The goal is not to optimize them, but to remove the blocks to our fullest expression within each of these areas of life. The first dimension is Physical Vitality. This was my entry into learning how to live well. Physical Vitality encompasses movement, nourishment, sunlight, sleep, breath, water, and all of the factors that contribute to a healthy and thriving body. Our body is the vehicle through which we are able to meaningfully engage with the world. It is what allows us to create, play, connect, and feel. This dimension will look radically different for everyone, but the goal is to be able to listen to what your body needs so you can work with your body and take care of yourself. The second dimension is Mental Mastery. This is the dimension that falls under the "mindset" category. Much of the self-development world is built around these themes, changing your mindset, learning new habits, discipline, knowledge, mindfulness. It is where we learn to harness the power of the mind, rather than letting the mind and our thoughts control us. When I started down this path, I opened my mind to learn how I could change my life. Learning how powerful the mind is empowered me to finally start making better choices in alignment with my values. The third dimension is Emotional Capacity. This is different from Mental Mastery because emotions are deeply held in the body and rooted in our very sense of identity and core beliefs. Most of us have never learned how to identify and cope with our emotions, much less how to work with them. Our emotions are our guidance system. It is critically important that we know how to listen to them and develop the capacity to move through them and
By Krystian Bastidas
respond from a centered place. This is uncomfortable work, because we all carry vulnerable parts of ourselves that ask to be integrated so we can free ourselves from repression, self-denial, and unconscious behavior. The fourth dimension is Financial Integrity. This isn't just about money. It is about being a steward of resources. With great abundance comes great responsibility, and most of us were never taught how to hold that responsibility with consideration and accountability. We have seen what it looks like when resources are hoarded, misappropriated, or simply wasted. Financial Integrity asks us to bring the same honesty to our resources that we bring to our bodies and our emotions so that we can allow abundance to flow through us and around us. The fifth dimension is Relational Presence. This encompasses our close bonds, family, romantic relationships, close friendships. I would consider this one of the greatest opportunities for growth in our lives. It takes great vulnerability to explore the realms of true intimacy, and it is often uncomfortable and wildly confronting. Relationships are also the doorway to liberation. It is through our closest relationships that we become more of who we are, and learn the depths of what love truly means. The sixth dimension is Spiritual Connection. A life of authenticity, joy, ease and flow develops from a felt sense of trust and safety. The spiritual dimension can be experienced in a multitude of ways, all of them unique to the individual, all of them ever-evolving as we journey through life. This dimension is rooted in the great mystery of life, and in learning how to surrender into its intelligence. It is about finding our foundation in a world that is uncertain, constantly shifting, and utterly unpredictable, and orienting, again and again, toward beauty. The seventh and final dimension is Collective Contribution. Here, we explore what it looks like to live in the right relationship with the world around us. It is the natural overflow of the first six dimensions: once we are tending our bodies, minds, hearts, resources, relationships, and spirit with integrity, we naturally begin to ask how we can serve the collective, and what gifts we are here to offer. This is where personal wellness becomes something we extend outward into our families, communities, and our work. This is the dimension where we make an impact through our unique and authentic expression. These seven dimensions are a living architecture, one we move through in cycles, returning again and again to whichever dimension is asking for our attention. A life lived well is a life of constant growth and expansion. It is a life of radical honesty, total surrender and unapologetic audacity. It is a continually evolving and endlessly exciting adventure.
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STEPHANO'S GREEK & MEDITERRANEAN GRILL The Secret to Putting Healthy Family Meals on the Table, Even on Your Busiest Days
Whether you're juggling a demanding work schedule, balancing a packed family calendar, or simply looking for an easier way to eat healthier, finding time to plan, shop for, and cook nutritious meals isn't always easy. As schedules become increasingly hectic, meal planning is often one of the first healthy habits to fall by the wayside, especially for parents settling back into the school-year routine. Stephano's Greek & Mediterranean Grill is helping make healthy eating more attainable with chef-driven Mediterranean meal prep designed for anyone seeking a convenient, balanced meal solution. By eliminating the stress of meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking, the fresh meal prep packages make it easier to enjoy wholesome, restaurant-quality meals throughout the week. Since 1998, Stephano's has been serving fresh Mediterranean cuisine made with quality ingredients, and its chef-driven meal prep brings that same commitment to convenience. Prepared fresh in-house using olive and avocado oils, clean ingredients, no seed oils, and dressings made without added sugars, the meals eliminate the stress of planning, shopping, and cooking while making it easy to enjoy balanced, restaurant-quality meals any day of the week. A featured family meal includes a half tray of rice prepared with 100% real butter alongside 10 skewers of premium marinated chicken made with high-quality olive oil. Designed to comfortably feed five to seven people, it's an easy solution for family dinners while providing leftovers for lunches or additional meals throughout the week. Pair it with Stephano's organic Power Green kale tabbouleh, Mediterranean chop salad, or house-made hummus, and it's easy to enjoy the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Frequently recognized as one of the world's healthiest eating patterns, it emphasizes lean proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, and whole foods that support long-term wellness. For parents, that convenience can be especially valuable during the school year, but the benefits extend well beyond families. Busy professionals, students, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone looking to simplify mealtime can all benefit from having fresh, balanced meals ready to enjoy. With four locations across the Las Vegas Valley in Henderson, Blue Diamond, Southwest Las Vegas, and Summerlin, Stephano's Greek & Mediterranean Grill offers a practical way to eat healthier without sacrificing convenience. For hours, locations and the full menu, visit stephanoslv.com or follow @StephanosLV on Instagram and Facebook.
Vegas Wellness Magazine
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YOU BUILT A LIFE YOU LOVE. WILL YOUR HEALTH LET YOU ENJOY IT?
Most people do not wake up one day and suddenly feel old. The change is quieter than that. It needs more recovery after an ordinary week. Noticing that stairs feel different, or that a good night's sleep is harder to come by than it used to be. It is a body that once responded quickly to effort now asking for more patience. It is easy to explain away. Work is intense. The kids need you. Travel disrupted the routine. This season will pass. Sometimes it does. But sometimes the body is asking a more important question: are you building the capacity to keep enjoying the life you worked so hard to create?
The Gap Between How Long and How Well
Researchers have a name for this. It is called the healthspan-lifespan gap, the difference between how many years a person lives and how many of those years are lived in good health, free of significant disease or disability. A 2024 analysis of 183 World Health Organization member states found that the gap has widened to 9.6 years globally, and it is larger for women than men, by roughly 2.4 years on average. In the United States, that gap runs even wider, and researchers attribute the female disparity to a heavier lifetime burden of chronic, non-fatal disease. In plain terms: modern medicine has gotten remarkably good at keeping people alive longer. It has not automatically kept them capable longer. That distinction, lifespan versus healthspan, is the real question worth asking at 35, 45, or 65: not simply "how long will I live," but "how fully will I be able to live in the years that matter most?"
What is Actually Changing in Midlife
Three shifts, well documented in the medical literature, explain much of what people feel but rarely name. Muscle. Starting as early as the fourth decade, adults lose roughly 3 to 8 percent of their muscle mass per decade, a process that accelerates further after 60. This is not a cosmetic issue. Muscle drives metabolism, balance, injury resilience, and long-term independence. Metabolism. For women, the menopause transition brings measurable changes independent of willpower: research published in Obesity documents an average 5 to 7 pound weight gain and a shift toward abdominal fat storage tied directly to declining estrogen and slowing energy expenditure. Multiple studies confirm postmenopausal women carry significantly more visceral fat than premenopausal women at the same total body weight, meaning the scale can stay flat while cardiometabolic risk quietly rises. Recovery. Deep, restorative sleep declines steadily through midlife for both sexes, with measurable drops in slow-wave sleep beginning as early as the late 30s, and sleep problems intensifying further around the menopause transition. Chronic stress compounds this: a 2025 Framingham Heart Study analysis linked higher midlife cortisol levels to greater brain amyloid deposition years later in postmenopausal women, a reminder that stress physiology and long-term brain health are connected.
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None of this means decline is inevitable, or that every symptom has the same cause. It means these are common, largely modifiable contributors, and that persistent changes in energy, strength, sleep, or body composition deserve a real look rather than quiet acceptance.
By Dr. Tim Patel, MD
The Reframe That Matters
The goal is not to chase youth, perfection, or a number on a scale. It is to build enough physical, metabolic, and cognitive reserve that your life stays open, that you can still travel without hesitation, get up from the floor without thinking about it, stay sharp in a long meeting, and be fully present with the people who matter to you. Ask yourself five honest questions: • Strength: Can your body still do what your life requires of it? • Metabolic health: Is your energy, body composition, and blood sugar trending in the direction you want? • Recovery: Does sleep and stress leave you rebuilt, or just barely getting by? • Clarity: Have persistent symptoms or lab values been evaluated, or just noted and set aside? • Connection: Do your relationships and routines support the life you are trying to protect? If more than one answer gives you pause, that is not a personal failing. It is useful information.
The Quiet Work of Protecting a Life You Already Love
You built something worth protecting, a career, a family, a community, and a sense of who you are. The habits that safeguard your strength, sleep, and metabolic resilience today will likely matter more to your next twenty years than any single treatment, supplement, or quick fix ever could. Start with a clear, honest look at where you stand. Not a diagnosis delivered in an article, and not a generic wellness checklist, a real, coordinated understanding of what is happening in your body and which one or two changes would matter most. That clarity, more than any single intervention, is what tends to change the trajectory. You do not have to wait for a crisis to take that first look. The years ahead are already being shaped by what you notice, and act on, now.
Mesquite’s Dining Scene Expands with
>>> Three Distinct New Restaurant Experiences For travelers looking to step away from the usual routine, a getaway is about more than where you stay. It’s about discovering new places, trying something different and finding memorable experiences along the way. In Mesquite, Nevada, a wave of dining additions is giving locals and visitors more options for where to eat, gather and experience something new. As part of Mesquite Entertainment’s ongoing property-wide renovation initiative, more than $75 million has been invested across CasaBlanca Resort & Casino and Virgin River Casino & Lodge, bringing refreshed spaces, new amenities and a lineup of dining concepts designed to give guests more ways to eat, unwind and experience something unexpected. At CasaBlanca Resort & Casino, Jersey Joe’s Diner and Ritas & Fajitas have added two distinctly different dining options to the property, bringing East Coast comfort food and regional Mexican flavors to Mesquite.
The restaurant’s design draws inspiration from Beijing’s Golden Pagoda, with historic photographs and memorabilia throughout the space that honor the legacy of Chinese immigrants in the American West. At the culinary helm is Chef John Lei, a veteran of the Las Vegas dining scene, whose menu focuses on authentic Chinese cuisine and regional classics, offering dishes such as Lemongrass Pork Chops, Beef Tendon udon noodles and Combo Fried Rice with pork char siu, shrimp and chicken. For Mesquite diners, it fills a unique gap in the local dining scene, bringing a truly authentic Chinese option to the community. Guests can also enjoy a curated selection of fine teas, sake and Asian beers. Then there’s the restaurant’s signature twist: the Golden Seat.
Jersey Joe’s Diner brings the nostalgic spirit of a classic East Coast diner to Mesquite with a menu built around familiar comfort food and all-day favorites. Jersey Joe’s is designed to be an easygoing option for everything from a morning meal to late night bites with family and friends.
Each day, one of the restaurant’s 88 seats is secretly designated as the Golden Seat. The guest who happens to sit there receives a traditional red envelope containing a rotating surprise prize, which may include gift certificates or rare two-dollar bills. It’s a small detail that adds an element of anticipation to the dining experience and gives guests a reason to keep their eyes open for a little extra luck.
The menu features crowd-pleasers like crispy Cheesesteak Egg Rolls, sweet Boardwalk Waffles topped with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries, and the Ultimate Grilled Cheese made with tender pot roast. Retro favorites including Root Beer Floats and rotating house-made desserts add another nostalgic touch.
Together, the three concepts showcase a broader evolution taking place across Mesquite Entertainment’s properties. From nostalgic comfort food and regional Mexican flavors to immersive Chinese dining rooted in culture and tradition, the restaurants give locals and visitors more variety without having to leave Mesquite to find a different kind of dining experience.
Just next door, Ritas & Fajitas offers an entirely different experience, bringing bold regional Mexican cuisine and Mesquite’s only dedicated tequila bar to CasaBlanca.
For wellness-minded travelers, that variety can be part of what makes a getaway feel restorative. Sometimes it’s about slowing down over a meal, discovering a new cuisine, sharing a memorable experience with friends and family or simply stepping outside the everyday routine.
The menu features 10 sizzling fajita options, including steak, chicken and shrimp, alongside Mexican favorites like freshly prepared tableside guacamole and tres leches cake topped with strawberry salsa. For those looking to turn dinner into more of an experience, the cocktail menu includes handcrafted drinks like the Jalapeño Mango Margarita, Hibiscus Blossom Margarita and Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Over at Virgin River Casino & Lodge, the recently opened 88 Seats brings something entirely different to Mesquite: an authentic Chinese dining experience that offers a level of culinary depth and cultural connection not found anywhere else in the city.
With 88 Seats now adding to the dining lineup alongside Jersey Joe’s Diner and Ritas & Fajitas, Mesquite’s evolving restaurant scene gives both locals and visitors more reasons to stay awhile, explore something new and make the most of a getaway close to home. For more information on dining at CasaBlanca Resort & Casino and Virgin River Casino & Lodge, visit playmesquite.com.
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BUILDING STRONGER FOUNDATIONS Why Bone Health Matters for Parents and Young Athletes This Back-to-School Season
As the school year begins across Las Vegas, schedules fill with backpacks, practices, and homework. For many parents, this shift creates a rare window to refocus on personal health after a summer of family activities. At the same time, child athletes return to sports with higher training demands, increasing the need for resilience against injury and better long-term performance. One often-overlooked foundation for both is bone strength.
Osteogenic Loading: Targeted Results in Minutes
Bone health is not just a concern for older adults. Peak bone mass is largely achieved by the early 20s, with the majority built during childhood and adolescence. Starting education and intentional loading early creates a stronger skeletal “bank account” that supports athletic performance now and longevity later. Research links maintained bone mineral density to lower fracture risk, reduced disability, and even improved survival rates—making bone strength a meaningful biomarker of healthy aging.
A typical session lasts about 10–15 minutes, once per week. Members progress at their own pace under guidance. Reported outcomes include measurable increases in force production, improvements in bone density for many individuals, denser muscle tissue (myofibrillar adaptation rather than bulk), thicker tendons and ligaments, better posture, balance, and reduced joint discomfort. For athletes, a stronger skeletal frame can support greater muscle activation, power, and endurance while potentially lowering injury risk during sprints, jumps, and contact.
Why Everyday Weight-Bearing Falls Short
Many people assume walking, jogging, or standard gym workouts sufficiently strengthen bones. These activities are valuable for overall health, but they often fail to deliver the mechanical stimulus required for meaningful osteogenesis (new bone formation). Bones adapt to the loads placed upon them. Studies, including the 2012 work by Deere and colleagues, indicate that forces around 4.2 times body weight are needed at key sites like the hip to trigger significant bone growth. Everyday weight-bearing typically produces far less: walking generates roughly 1–1.2 times body weight, while many conventional resistance exercises peak at about 1.3–1.5 times body weight. Highimpact activities such as jumping can reach higher multiples, but they carry injury risk—especially for growing athletes or adults with existing joint concerns. Without sufficient magnitude, rate, and novelty of loading, the skeletal system maintains rather than builds. This is why many active people still see stagnant or declining bone density over time.
OsteoStrong addresses this gap through osteogenic loading. Sessions use specialized equipment that safely applies high axial forces—often multiples of body weight—while the body remains in controlled, static positions. The brief, high-intensity stimulus emulates the cellular response once triggered by childhood high-impact play, without the repetitive impact or injury risk.
Parents who prioritize their own sessions often notice practical gains: easier movement, more energy for family life, and confidence that they are investing in long-term independence. Child athletes benefit from the same principles during the critical window of skeletal development. Stronger bones and improved musculoskeletal integrity help young competitors handle the demands of school sports seasons more resiliently.
Bone Strength for Everyone—Start Early
Bone health is universal. It underpins athletic potential in youth, midlife vitality, and independence later in life. Educating families now about the difference between general activity and osteogenic stimulus sets a foundation that compounds over decades. Peak bone mass achieved in the growing years strongly influences fracture risk decades later. Results-focused approaches matter. Tracking force output on the equipment, noting functional improvements (stairs, sports performance, daily energy), and, when appropriate, following bone density measures over time allows families to see progress. Consistency—once weekly— fits busy school-year calendars far more realistically than high-volume training programs. This September, as parents regain a bit of bandwidth and young athletes step back onto fields and courts, consider bone strength an essential performance and longevity tool rather than an afterthought. OsteoStrong Las Vegas offers a practical, timeefficient way to apply the loads that everyday weight-bearing often cannot. Stronger bones support stronger lives— at every age.
Vegas Wellness Magazine
AGNI
By Pravina Narayan Founder of Seva Holistic
>>> The Fire That Transforms Food, Experience, and Life In our previous article, we explored Viruddha Anna, the Ayurvedic wisdom of food compatibility. We considered how nourishment cannot be understood by ingredients alone, because every meal enters into a relationship with the person eating it, the season surrounding it, the way it was prepared, and the condition of the body receiving it. That inquiry naturally brings us to one of the most essential principles in Ayurveda: Agni. Agni is often translated as digestive fire, but this translation only opens the door. In Ayurveda, Agni is the power of transformation. It is the intelligence that allows the body to receive what comes from the outside world and convert it into something that can become part of us. Food becomes tissue. Sensation becomes perception. Experience becomes understanding. Daily life, when properly digested, becomes wisdom. This is why Agni has always held such a central place in Ayurvedic thought. Health depends not only on what we consume, but on what we are able to transform. A beautiful meal, a meaningful conversation, a difficult season, a new idea, even grief and joy must all be metabolized in some way. What cannot be transformed may remain within us as heaviness, confusion, residue, or imbalance. To understand Agni, then, is to understand more than digestion. It is to understand the body’s ability to make life usable.
The Fire Within the Body
Every time you eat, a substance that was once separate from you enters the body and must be changed into nourishment. Food enters from the natural world, but it cannot become part of you until it is transformed into something the tissues can recognize, receive, and use. Ayurveda viewed this process with reverence. Food wasn’t considered nourishing because it was pure, fresh, or rich in nutrients. It became nourishing only when Agni could receive it, break it down, extract what was useful, separate what was not needed, and guide its essence into the tissues. Modern biology describes this journey in its own language. Carbohydrates must be broken down into glucose, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids before they can be absorbed through the intestinal lining, processed by the liver, carried through the blood, and used by cells for energy, repair, and renewal. Even at the cellular level, mitochondria must transform these nutrients into ATP, the usable energy that allows the body to think, move, heal, and sustain life. Without transformation, food remains only potential. With proper transformation, it becomes tissue, strength, clarity, immunity, and repair. This is why Ayurveda placed Agni at the center of health. The finest food cannot complete its journey unless the body has the fire to transform it.
The Many Levels of Agni
Although Agni is often discussed through digestion, Ayurveda describes its activity at many levels. The central digestive fire, known as Jatharagni, governs the primary digestion of food. It is the fire most people think of first: the power that receives the meal and begins the process of transformation. Yet Ayurveda saw digestion extending beyond the stomach. Once food has been broken down, its qualities must still be interpreted, refined,
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and carried into the tissues. Classical Ayurvedic thought describes more subtle forms of Agni involved in transforming the elements of food and nourishing the dhatus, or bodily tissues. In this way, Agni participates not only in digestion, but also in assimilation, metabolism, tissue formation, and the maintenance of vitality. This view gives Ayurveda a more complete understanding of nourishment. Eating well is only the beginning. When Agni is strong and balanced, this process unfolds with ease. When it is weakened, overstimulated, or irregular, the body may struggle to complete the work. You may notice this in daily life: the same food can leave you steady and clear one day, yet heavy or difficult to digest another. Ayurveda would not find this surprising. The food may be the same, but Agni is not always the same.
When the Fire Changes
Ayurveda describes Agni as living and responsive, influenced by constitution, season, stress, sleep, age, illness, and daily habits. This is why digestion may feel strong during one season of life and more fragile during another. When Agni is balanced, hunger arrives naturally, food is received with ease, elimination is regular, and the body feels clear rather than heavy or depleted. When Agni is weak, food may linger, appetite may fade, the tongue may feel coated, and meals may leave heaviness, bloating, sleepiness, or dullness. When Agni is too sharp, hunger may feel urgent, with acidity, irritability, burning, or a sense that food is processed quickly but not deeply nourishing. When Agni is irregular, digestion becomes unpredictable, with shifting appetite, gas, bloating, or discomfort that seems to come and go without pattern. These variations matter because Ayurveda does not treat digestion as a machine expected to perform the same way every day. Agni responds to how you live, what you carry, what you repeat, and what you have not yet had time to digest.
Ama: What Remains Unfinished
When Agni cannot complete its work, Ama begins to form. Ama is often translated as toxins, but its meaning is more precise than that. It is the residue of incomplete transformation, what remains when food has been taken in but not fully digested, assimilated, or cleared. Although Ama may begin in digestion, its meaning reaches into the whole person. A heavy meal that lingers in the body is one form of unfinished transformation. A painful experience that has never been integrated may leave another kind of residue. A life lived without pause can burden the body and mind with more than they are able to process. This is where the teaching becomes holistic. The digestive fire is not separate from the emotional and mental life of the individual. The body is always receiving impressions: food, sound, conversation, responsibility, worry, beauty, grief, and memory. All of it must be metabolized in some way. You may have felt this after an overwhelming day. Even if the food itself
was simple, digestion may feel disturbed because the inner environment was not settled. The body was not only digesting dinner; it was digesting the day.
Agni and the Mind
The same principle that transforms food also helps the mind transform experience. Digestion is not limited to the stomach; the way we process emotion, information, memory, and daily life reflects the condition of our inner fire. When mental Agni is strong, you can take on life without becoming overwhelmed by it. Difficult experiences can gradually become understanding. New knowledge can be integrated. Emotion can be felt without consuming you. Over time, experience matures into discernment. When the inner fire is weak, life can accumulate faster than it is processed, leaving the mind dull, unclear, or emotionally heavy. When it is too sharp, the mind may become reactive or impatient; when irregular, thoughts scatter and clarity becomes difficult to hold. This is why tending Agni is not only a digestive practice. It is a way of caring for the whole being. The question becomes personal: what are you asking yourself to digest each day? Are you giving your body and mind enough rhythm, warmth, silence, and steadiness to transform what you take in, or are you consuming more food, emotion, information, and stimulation than your inner fire can reasonably process?
Tending the Inner Fire
The care of Agni begins with respect for rhythm. The body is not separate from time. It responds to regular meals, adequate rest, seasonal eating, and moments of calm before nourishment. When life becomes irregular, Agni often becomes irregular with it. Warm, freshly prepared foods are traditionally favored when digestion needs support. Spices such as ginger, cumin, coriander, fennel, black pepper, and ajwain have long been used in Ayurveda to awaken or guide digestion, depending on the person and condition. Sipping warm water, eating with true hunger, avoiding constant grazing, and allowing one meal to digest before beginning another can all help restore clarity to the digestive process. Yet the care of Agni is not only found in the kitchen. It is also found in how you enter the meal. A few quiet breaths before eating can change the state in which food is received. Sitting down instead of standing, chewing with attention, eating without argument or distraction, and stopping before heaviness arises are simple practices that bring dignity back to nourishment. When Agni feels weak, simplicity becomes medicine. When it feels overheated, gentleness becomes medicine. When it feels irregular, rhythm becomes medicine. Ayurveda does not ask everyone to tend the fire in the same way. It asks you to learn the nature of your own flame.
The Fire That Makes Life Usable
Agni is the reason nourishment becomes part of us. It allows food to become tissue, experience to become understanding, and difficulty, when properly processed, to become compassion rather than bitterness. Without transformation, life only accumulates. With transformation, life refines us.
This is one of Ayurveda’s great insights. Healing is not only about what we add to the body; it is also about what the body is able to receive and transform. More food, more supplements, more therapies, more information, and more effort do not always create more health. Sometimes the wiser path is to tend the fire that allows what is already present to become useful. Agni teaches that the body is not asking for excess, but for the right relationship: the right food, timing, amount, rhythm, pause, and quiet. Seen this way, digestion becomes a doorway into self-understanding, helping you notice not only what you eat, but what clears you, what burdens you, and what still needs time to be transformed. In next month’s article, we will turn toward the seasonal shift into fall through the Ayurvedic understanding of Varsha Ritu and Sharad Ritu. As the body moves from the damp, unsettled qualities of the rainy season into the clearer, heat-carrying qualities of autumn, we will explore how food, routine, and self-care can help protect digestion, calm the senses, and support balance through seasonal change. Until then, I leave you with this: before adding more to your plate, your schedule, your mind, or your life, pause and ask whether your inner fire has enough space to transform what is already there. The answer may reveal where true nourishment begins.
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THE WHAT-IF GAME
How Fear Steals the Life We Meant to Live By Steven Dee Kish
Life gives us endless possibilities, yet it also gives our minds endless ways to imagine what could go wrong. One of the worst things we can do to ourselves is get trapped in our own heads and play the “what-if” game. If we cannot get hold of our thoughts, everything in life turns into a worst-case scenario. We carry those fears into our work, our relationships, and our families. We shackle ourselves and become a shell of who we want to be, all because we let the what-if game run the show. When we were kids, we were told the world was our oyster. The future felt open and full of possibility. Yet when we start playing the what-if game, that oyster turns into a man-eating oyster, a mythical monster waiting to destroy our lives the moment we step outside our comfort zone. So, we stay in, and we play it safe. We stop taking the chances we once promised ourselves we would. Obviously, there is no man-eating oyster. Still, our minds are very good at creating terrifying scenarios—most of them not rooted in common sense. Most of the time, when we finally face what we have been avoiding, the situation is not as bad as we imagined. One of the best examples of this is change. When something in our life is about to shift, we start playing highstakes what-if games. Change brings uncertainty, and uncertainty breeds worry. Worry turns into dread, and dread starts shaping our mood and our choices. We stop asking questions and start assuming outcomes. In reality, change is necessary. It pulls us out of our comfort zone, and we rise to the occasion. So, we have to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: if we live by worst-case scenarios, are we really living our lives, or are we just playing it safe? Our fears are rarely logical. They are emotional and selective. Fear is often shaped more by past experiences than by present reality. Add trauma and anxiety into the mix, and fear gets louder. The mind thinks it is protecting us by predicting pain before it happens. It starts treating imagination like evidence and fear like wisdom. Over time, the goal quietly shifts from living well to simply avoiding getting hurt. The same thing happens in relationships. We stay in some relationships because of the what-if game. What if I leave and regret it? What if I cannot make it on my own? We can fill in the blanks forever. We build these scenarios in our minds and replay them until the stress grows and the fear doubles. In the end, we usually do nothing, because the what-if has done exactly what
fear does best: it freezes us in place. We master the what-if game as parents, and once it starts, it rarely ends. When our kids are small, it sounds like this: What if they get sick? What if I fail them? As they get older, the questions evolve: What if they choose the wrong path? Then one day, the what-if game quietly reverses. The kids start playing the same game about their parents. Are my parents eating the right food? What if they have a heart attack? The what-if game becomes a shared language between generations. However, not all what-ifs live in the future. Some of the loudest ones live in the past. Personally, my what-if game is not always about what might happen. It is about what has already happened. My what-ifs occupy my headspace and affect my mental health. I find myself questioning choices I made when I was young. This is where mental health truly enters the conversation. When I do not keep those thoughts in check, spirals happen. Once a spiral starts, negative emotions take over, and poor judgment is never far behind. The mind starts rewriting old endings and punishing the present for a past that cannot be changed. That kind of what-if does not protect us; it traps us. So how do we stop playing the what-if game? We may not stop it completely. We could learn how to interrupt it. One way is to ask a simple question: Is this a real risk, or is this my fear talking? Another is to shift from possibility to probability. Just because something can happen does not mean it is likely to happen. The brain loves possibility; peace lives in probability. The truth is, we want certainty and guarantees. Life does not offer many of those. In fact, the only real certainty is that it ends someday. Everything else is risk, choice, and chance. So, the real question is not, What if something goes wrong? The real question is, What if we let fear decide the shape of our lives? Because the greatest cost of the what-if game is not the disasters that never happen. It is the life we never live while waiting for certainty that was never promised in the first place.
>>> Eating Well as We Age Nutrition for a Stronger, Healthier Life
Getting older may change what our bodies need, but good nutrition becomes more important, not less. As we age, changes in metabolism, muscle mass, appetite, digestion and activity levels can affect how we process food and how much of certain nutrients we need. For seniors, eating well isn't simply about maintaining a healthy weight. The right foods can help support strength, mobility, bone health, immune function, energy and overall quality of life. The goal isn't necessarily to eat more. It's to make what we eat count.
Protein Becomes Even More Important
One of the biggest nutritional priorities as we age is getting enough protein. Adults naturally tend to lose muscle mass with age, a process that can eventually affect strength, balance and mobility. While staying physically active, particularly through resistance and strength training, is important, nutrition also plays a major role in preserving muscle.
Some older adults may experience a reduced sensation of thirst, which means waiting until you feel thirsty isn't always the best reminder to drink. Keeping water nearby and drinking regularly throughout the day can help make hydration a habit. Water is the obvious choice, but soups, milk, herbal tea and water-rich foods such as melon, cucumbers, oranges and berries can also contribute to fluid intake. Individual fluid needs can vary, particularly for people with certain heart or kidney conditions, so medical guidance should take priority when fluid intake has been restricted.
Look for Nutrient-Dense Foods
Because calorie needs may decrease as activity levels and metabolism change, seniors can benefit from choosing foods that provide plenty of nutrition without relying heavily on empty calories.
Protein provides the amino acids the body needs to maintain and repair muscle tissue. Rather than consuming most of the day's protein at dinner, seniors may benefit from including a quality protein source throughout the day.
Think colorful vegetables, fresh fruit, eggs, fish, lean meats, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil and dairy or fortified alternatives. Highly processed foods, sweets and fried foods don't necessarily have to disappear completely. The bigger goal is to make nutrient-rich foods the foundation of everyday meals.
Good options include eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, lean meats, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, lentils, tofu and other nutrient-rich protein sources. Breakfast is an especially easy meal to improve. Instead of relying only on cereal, toast or pastries, consider eggs with vegetables, Greek yogurt with berries, or cottage cheese with fruit.
A simple plate might include grilled salmon, roasted vegetables and a small baked sweet potato. Another could be chicken and vegetable soup with whole-grain crackers and fruit. Even something as easy as scrambled eggs with spinach, avocado and whole-grain toast can provide a combination of protein, healthy fats, fiber and essential nutrients.
For seniors who struggle with appetite, smaller protein-rich meals and snacks throughout the day may be easier than trying to consume three large meals.
When Appetite Isn't What It Used to Be
Strong Bones Need More Than Calcium
Bone health becomes increasingly important as we age. Calcium is well known for its role in maintaining healthy bones, but vitamin D is also essential because it helps the body absorb calcium. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese can provide calcium and protein. Other sources include certain fortified foods, leafy green vegetables, tofu and canned fish with edible bones, such as sardines or salmon. Vitamin D can be more challenging to obtain through food alone, and the body's ability to produce it through sun exposure can change with age. Seniors should discuss their individual vitamin D needs with their healthcare provider before beginning supplementation.
Fiber Matters, Too
Digestive habits can change with age, and fiber becomes an important part of maintaining digestive health and regularity. Vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, oats, whole grains, nuts and seeds are excellent sources of fiber. These foods also provide vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, making them particularly valuable additions to a senior's diet. Increasing fiber should generally happen gradually and alongside adequate fluid intake.
Don't Forget to Hydrate
Hydration is one of the easiest nutritional needs to overlook.
One challenge that doesn't receive enough attention is loss of appetite. Changes in taste and smell, medications, dental problems, difficulty swallowing, loneliness and health conditions can all influence how much someone wants, or is able, to eat. When large meals aren't appealing, smaller meals can help. A smoothie made with Greek yogurt, fruit and nut butter, for example, can provide protein and calories without requiring a large plate of food. Adding nutrient-dense ingredients such as avocado, olive oil, nut butter, eggs or yogurt can also increase the nutritional value of smaller portions. Food should also remain enjoyable. Eating with friends or family, trying new recipes and making meals visually appealing can make mealtime something to look forward to rather than another daily obligation.
Food Is Part of Healthy Aging
Growing older doesn't mean giving up independence, energy or an active lifestyle. Nutrition is one of the tools we have to help support all three. The meals we choose today can help provide the protein needed for strong muscles, nutrients needed for healthy bones, fiber for digestive health and energy for staying engaged with the people and activities we enjoy. Healthy aging isn't about trying to eat perfectly. It's about becoming more intentional. Aging is inevitable. How we nourish ourselves along the way is something we can influence, and a healthy plate is a great place to start.
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Your Future Mobility Begins Now
By Alethea Shelton
Building a Relationship with Your Body for the Life You Want to Keep Living
On a recent visit with my mom, she was experiencing a painful sciatic flare-up that made ordinary movement difficult. Getting up and down required more effort, and certain positions felt intimidating.
before we begin.
This is a woman who has spent her life going hard. She earned her PhD, built a career, traveled the world, and took care of everyone around her. She is one of the most capable people I know. But like so many capable people, she became very good at overriding her body.
Yoga does not have to mean performing impressive poses. It can mean maintaining a relationship with your body. It can be five minutes of moving your spine, turning your head, reaching your arms overhead, or noticing whether you can breathe without gripping. A chair, wall, counter, or pillow does not make the practice less legitimate. These are powerful tools that allow you to work with the body you have today. They create enough support for your nervous system to feel safe exploring movement again.
But you do not need to prepare your body for yoga. The practice should be prepared for your body.
Fatigue could wait. Discomfort could be pushed through. Movement could happen later, when the work was finished, and everyone else was taken care of.
Slow does not mean ineffective. Moving slowly can reveal patterns that faster movement allows us to avoid. We begin to notice where we brace, when we stop breathing, and which muscles are working harder than necessary.
But the work is rarely finished, and there is almost always someone else who needs something. My mom is far from alone. I have worked closely with people’s bodies for 26 years, and I see this pattern all the time. My clients are caregivers, business owners, parents, and professionals who have spent years responding to every demand except the quieter demands of their own bodies.
Mobility is not just touching your toes or achieving a greater range of motion. It is the ability to participate in your own life.
They brace before a movement has begun. They hold their breath while turning over, bending, or sitting up. Their shoulders rise toward their ears without their awareness. They guard an area that once hurt and apologize for being stiff. Some describe their bodies as bad, broken, or too old.
It is turning your head while driving. Reaching for something on a shelf. Gardening. Caring for an animal. Traveling. Recovering your balance when you stumble. Sitting on the floor with a child and trusting that you can get back up again.
Many people become so accustomed to tension that they no longer recognize it as tension. It simply feels like who they are.
While working with my mom, I was reminded that the transition itself may be the practice. Standing from a chair with more confidence can be meaningful progress. Safely moving toward the floor can be the entire yoga session. Holding the counter while practicing balance is not cheating. It is how we meet the nervous system where it is and gradually rebuild trust. Progress may mean moving farther, but it may also mean feeling less afraid. It may mean breathing through a movement that previously caused you to tense or recognizing that you are bracing and discovering that you can soften slightly.
Disconnection rarely happens all at once. It happens while meeting deadlines, raising children, building careers, and caring for other people. It happens every time we tell the body, “Not now. I’ll listen later.” Eventually, overriding the body becomes so automatic that we stop hearing its quieter requests for movement, rest, breath, and attention. Sometimes we don’t listen until the body has to speak much louder.
When Movement Becomes Another Obligation
We tell ourselves we should work out, but “working out” can feel like an entire production. We need the right clothes, an uninterrupted hour, and enough energy to complete a routine that feels sufficiently strenuous. Then we feel guilty when life gets in the way. This all-or-nothing thinking convinces us that ten minutes doesn’t count, so we do nothing. We believe yoga requires a flexible body and the ability to get comfortably onto the floor, so we decide we need to get in shape
Mobility Is More Than Flexibility
People are often less limited by the movement they cannot do than by the fear and shame that have grown around it.
How to Begin
You do not need to change your entire routine. Choose one small, repeatable way to reconnect with your body. Look for a beginner, gentle, mobility-focused, or chair yoga class. If attending a class feels intimidating, search YouTube for “gentle yoga for beginners,” “chair yoga for mobility,” or “yoga for people who can’t get on
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the floor.” Preview the instructor first. The right teacher should encourage options and support, not pressure you to push through pain. You can also ask your massage therapist, physical therapist, or another trusted healthcare professional what patterns they notice and whether they can recommend appropriate movements or a qualified teacher. If you are managing an injury, neurological condition, recent surgery, or significant pain, ask a healthcare professional what is safe before beginning. Then make movement part of something you already do. Practice standing from your chair a few times before lunch. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee and gently stretch your hip while watching television. Use the kitchen counter for support while practicing balance poses. Take five slow breaths while gently moving your neck and loosening your shoulders. The goal is not intensity. The goal is consistency, curiosity, and staying in conversation with your body.
The Life You Are Working So Hard to Build
We spend decades saying we do not have time to care for our bodies because we are too busy taking care of our lives. But our body is not separate from that life. It is where the entire thing happens. What is all that effort for if we eventually become too restricted, disconnected, or uncomfortable to enjoy what we have built? This is not about blaming anyone for pain, illness, or changes in mobility. Bodies are complex, and people can do everything “right” and still experience physical challenges. It is about noticing how easily self-neglect can hide inside responsibility, productivity, and achievement. For years, people have come into my treatment room asking me to fix the place that hurts. Hands-on work can provide profound relief, but I am increasingly interested in the patterns surrounding the pain. Where are you bracing? Where have you stopped breathing? Which movements do you avoid? How long have you been overriding what your body is trying to communicate? No practitioner can create an ongoing relationship with your body for you. That relationship is built in ordinary moments when you notice, move, breathe, and respond. Your body should not have to become an emergency before it becomes a priority. Begin with five minutes. Use the chair. Hold the counter. Put the pillow beneath you. Move slowly enough to notice yourself. Meet your body with curiosity instead of criticism. Yoga should not require mobility. Yoga should help us preserve, explore, and gently rebuild it. The practice is not about proving what your body can do. It is about staying in relationship with the body that carries you, so you can continue participating in your life for as long and as fully as possible.
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Why You (Probably) Don't Need Supplements And What You Really Need Instead
Perfume on a Pig The modern supplement industry is built on selling shortcuts, driven by a society that normalizes instant gratification over foundational health habits. Instead of investigative research and critical thinking, we buy products based on sleek marketing campaigns and celebrity endorsements Unfortunately, most people use supplements as a band-aid for a poor diet. This works about as well as perfume on a pig. If all you eat is junk food, you need to fix what’s on your plate first. You need to establish a real-food baseline before considering supplements to fill legitimate gaps.
Real Food Rules
Improving your diet is very simple - eat real food. Refined sugar, hyper-processed food, alcohol, and smoking all deprive your body of vital nutrients. These unhealthy habits steal vitamins and minerals from your system making your body weaker while raising your risk for chronic disease.
Nutrients in real food don’t exist in isolation. Rather, they come bundled with co-factors, enzymes, and healthy fats that enhance absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Real food also triggers natural satiety signals, so you don’t overeat. It’s easy to polish off a family-sized bag of chips, but no one eats ten apples in one sitting.
The Good
There are some supplements worth considering, and plenty more than are not. These are a few of the most common.
Multivitamins
Most multivitamins are useless because they rely on cheap, synthetic compounds your body struggles to absorb. For example, standard multivitamins contain folic acid instead of folate. You want folate and not folic acid, which is often poorly metabolized. Additionally, look for methylated B-vitamins and chelated minerals (such as magnesium glycinate) which are well absorbed, unlike their synthetic counterparts. It may also be best to not take a multivitamin but to take what you are actually deficient in. Most commonly these include vitamin D, magnesium, and B-complex. With all vitamin supplements, it’s best to take with food and early in the day. This will ensure optimal absorption of nutrients and no interference with sleep. With all supplements, verify third-party testing and buy straight from the manufacturer or a trusted source. Be cautious buying on Amazon as counterfeit products and improper warehouse storage are widespread issues.
Creatine Monohydrate
If there is one supplement that gives you the most bang for your buck, this is it. Creatine is a combination of three amino acids (glycine, arginine, and methionine) that accelerate ATP production. While previously viewed as a bodybuilding supplement, recent research shows health benefits for everyone. In fact, creatine has more credible research than any other supplement. Studies show benefits occurring anywhere between 5g - 20g per day. In particular, higher doses improve cognitive performance, especially after a poor night of sleep. This is a flavorless and odorless powder that can be sprinkled on food or suspended in water. Use an immersion blender or shaker bottle and split higher doses throughout the day to avoid GI distress. Look specifically for creatine monohydrate. Other forms are a gimmick and not beneficial. Specifically, for the Creapure trademark - which is the highest
By Glenn J. White
purity. While found in red meat and fish, you would have to eat over two pounds per day just to get 3-5g. This is a rare instance where supplementation is more practical than food alone.
Fish Oil
Fish oils improve the modern Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio, reduce inflammation, and support cardiovascular and brain health. Look for Triglyceride Form (TG) which is absorbed significantly better than cheap ethyl ester (EE) forms. Freshness is also crucial as Omega-3s oxidize easily. Look for IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) or clear peroxide value testing, and store in your refrigerator. Finally, ensure a high concentration of EPA + DHA, not just total “fish oil” on the label. Unlike creatine, quality fish oil is not cheap, but still worth considering. You can also find these healthy oils in wild-caught salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
The Bad and The Ugly
Because supplements lack strict FDA pre-market approval, a massive chunk of the market is pure snake oil. Two popular offenders are pre-workouts and fat-burners. A pre-workout supplement is nothing more than a powdered energy drink. If you need more energy, focus on quality sleep and food. There are some products without stimulants that claim to support focus. However, any benefits are minimal at best, not highly researched, and probably not worth the cost.
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• Food First: You can’t supplement your way out of a poor diet. • Prioritize Bioavailability: Your body requires nutrients it can easily absorb. • Quality Matters: Not all supplements are created equal. • Due Diligence: Always verify third-party testing, labels, and ingredients.
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PLANT MAGIC & MEDICINE Inflammation & Pain
DISCLAIMER Herbal remedies are not a substitute for medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any herbal protocol, especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication.
SICK-SEASON HERBAL CABINET What to Reach for First — and When
FIRST SIGN OF SICKNESS: OREGANO You know that feeling. Your throat gets a little scratchy. You wake up feeling off or more tired than usual. You can just tell something is coming on. That's when I reach for oregano. Oregano contains natural compounds including carvacrol and thymol and has been traditionally used for immune and respiratory support. For me, oregano is something to have ready before sick season even starts so it's there at the very first sign you need it. If you've been following Plant Magic & Medicine, you may remember our oregano article where I showed you how to make your own oreganoinfused olive oil. This is exactly why I like to keep a bottle on hand. At the first sign of sickness or that first scratchy throat, I reach for a few drops of my oregano-infused olive oil. Starting early is key — don't wait until you're already feeling miserable to start supporting your body. And if that little scratchy throat turns into a cough and you start feeling it settle into your chest? That's when I bring out another one of my favorites. Mullein.
By: Katie Peede, Hippie Soul Healing
MULLEIN TEA Ingredients: 1 tbsp dried mullein leaf 1–2 cups hot water Raw honey, optional Directions: Pour hot water over the mullein, cover, and let steep for 15–20 minutes. Strain it really well through a coffee filter or fine cloth. Add raw honey if you'd like and sip warm. (Strain Tea well; mullein has tiny little hairs on the leaves that you don't want floating around in your tea)
GARLIC HONEY
This is one of those simple old-school remedies that's worth keeping around. Garlic contains naturally occurring sulfur compounds, while honey is soothing and coats an irritated throat. And you only need two ingredients.
DIY GARLIC HONEY Ingredients: Fresh garlic cloves Raw honey Clean glass jar Directions: Peel and lightly crush or chop your garlic and loosely fill the jar about halfway. Cover completely with raw honey and give it a good stir to get rid of any air pockets. Let the garlic infuse into the honey and keep it refrigerated. Take a spoonful when your throat needs soothing or add it to a cup of warm tea. **Oregano-infused oil and oregano essential oil are not the same thing. Essential oil is extremely concentrated and should never be taken straight from the bottle or used undiluted. DM me @hippiesoulhealing to learn more!
WHEN IT HITS THE CHEST: MULLEIN Once you're dealing with coughing, mucus, or that heavy, congested feeling in your chest, it's time for mullein. Mullein is one of my favorite respiratory herbs. It has traditionally been used to soothe the respiratory tract and support a productive cough, helping the body do what it's already trying to do — move that mucus up and out. Mullein can be used in several ways, including teas, tinctures, and traditionally as a dried smoking herb. It's one of those simple herbs I always want in my medicine cabinet during sick season. And one of the easiest ways to use it at home is a warm cup of mullein tea.
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