LYRA MAG.

We are well over decade plus into the biohacking  buzzy world-of how to age better-or in our case -as hard core long distance endurance athletes -seemingly eternally searching for a (legal) competitive edge-on how to go faster, injury free.  SO...since we wrote about NAD (  nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-vitamin B3) years ago-there's been literally gobs of intel and famous touters of this anti-inflammatory -anti-ager helper.  FYI: NAD+ is taken as a supplement, injection or as IV infusion therapy- to theoretically replenish our natural supply- that decreases with age. Which is why a new to us NAD+ (meaning NAD with other good for you ingredients) supplement -by a British founded company-NUCHIDO -peaked our interest-today in fact- at an informative seminar sponsored by Organic Spa Magazine . No surprise-that some NAD+ supplements, injections and IV infusion NAD+ therapies are not clinically proven /bio-available (meaning human bodies do not absorb it, effectively...

 The cut off (shutoff) of Pandemic life  generated  many-lifestyle changes - elevating home centric self care out of need and necessity.  Taking a deep breathe on one's own turf- and self healing hot baths, foam rolling sessions-  are helpful. BUT there's a reason people who make a living out of their head to toe selves- think professional athletes, film/stage actors-on maximum output mode-and in front of eyeballs for more than 8 minute Tik Tok vidoes... have on staff, travel with -or frequently partake of -the healing hands of trained humans.  Arguably a trained esthetician,  anesthetist, or massage therapist surpasses the abilities of self abilities and even technology to achieve results desired. NO AI needed ( hmmm beauty/tech Oddity-the latest IPO filed) Accessible home gadgets LED masks and big time $ spurges like infrared saunas and hyperbaric oxygen tanks deliver -healing touch-less treatments but really do not replicate the positive (linger...

With the 'journey' now being more stressful than ever (high gas prices! airport delays! flights canceled!) the destination needs to be more 'calming' than ever for need to chill out seekers.  For Value Budgeteers wanting self-care with a tad less emphasis on the 'self' (as in selfish) part-the non-profit Le Monastère Des Augustines, very accessible from the tourist destination-Old Quebec City...offers basic and contemporary rooms, healthy meals-dining (and snacks/picnics to go), multiple inclusive wellness packages or á la carte hands on holistic options of soothing pampering  massages and treatments,  mental respites in leafy green outdoor sanctuaries -including yoga, private meditations/movement sessions -and seasonal winter cross-country- downhill skiing on the slopes of nearby mountains. With a history of spiritualism combined with the healing -Le Monastère Des Augustines has reimagined and updated its historic architectural structures and thoughtfully ...

 Post pandemic self care and the resumption of 'experiences'-including endurance races (and all that training that goes into it)-require different stuff   (think actively anti-inflammatory)  than just sitting around for another Zoom call. Everyone 'gets' the hydration part of workouts (by now)-but the 'what' to drink has really evolved into functional beverages as an option to fuel/ feel  better -or in the case of Good Idea -to stabilize blood sugars' highs/lows via a winning no -calories-no caffeine-no-junk mash-up of sparkling water spiked up with amino acids and the essential mineral chromium ( chromium picolinate , precisely). That doesn't leave you spiked up (or crashing). A quarter of a can ( lightly berry flavored=totally refreshing)-with a meal-is suggested-evens out metabolism too and miraculously when we tried a half a cup of the refreshingly cold black currant flavor  -at a recent Organic Spa Magazine event-the need for the usual later after...

  The best indie Beauty brands blend natural botanicals and sustainably sourced ingredients-cruelty free.   YON-KA s an established French multi-tasking skincare entity since 1954-always had a mission-to make skincare products that are  "a perfect symbiosis of science and nature." With many different product collections for face-body-suncare---their full and travel sized products include the popular Essentials line. Pictured above-the refreshing alcohol free-essentials oils' blessed toner spray mist, YON-KA individual products target every kind of skin concern-for men and women. LOVE- a whimsical graphic-on the limited edition Lotion Yon-Ka that delivers right in time for the holidays.  Like the specialty food industry-eco and ethically sourcing and paying fair labor wages is a concern-a reason why we don't see mineral mica in makeup much anymore (child slave labor). TOOGGA  sources key ingredients from African co-ops and plants one tree per produ...

Judging by the plethora of probiotic packed supplements, foods (naturally blessed or added in), and skin care ingredients available-the good for you kind of gut bacteria-has surpassed being a trendy phenom-into a lifestyle must for a healthy GI ecosystem with potentially positive ramifications . One very interesting  company- COLUMBIA Skincare -has a  proprietary formula of vitamins/minerals/botanicals that composes its well respected Restorative Hydrating + Ultimate Skincare Repair creams -to encourage the healing abilities and overall health of the dermis. Recently launched--- is interesting-a  Probiotic  Concentrate  and Complex-that contains active probiotics ( Lactococcus Ferment Lysate – good bacteria  )  in a stable format, and other proven skin helping plant stem cells, peptides and vitamin C. Both can be used separately or layered -with the Concentrate going on first. We tried a sample-and both probiotic formulas are absorbed quickly-...