139that vitamins, usually absorbed
by the gastrointestinal tract,
will be absorbed properly in the
lungs and function the same
way, Dr. Feuerstein explains.
Plus, vaping itself can cause
problems. For example, the tiny
particles you’re breathing in
could linger in your lungs, caus-
ing side effects ranging from a
persistent cough to shortness
of breath, among other respira-
tory issues, he says. To sum up:
best steer clear.
IV NUTRIENT THERAPY
Step right up, we’ve got anoth-
er hot-right-now vitamin
intake method, said to detox
and revitalize your body! And
all from sitting in a comfy “drip
bar,” where a wellness cocktail
of vitamins, minerals, and oth-
er micronutrients are adminis-
tered intravenously? Hang on
a minute. Some experts might
shrug this one off, as long as
you’re down to face the
possible uh- ohs of IV inser tion
CRYOTHERAPY
Could you make it for two to
four minutes in a sub-zero
chamber (we’re talking -150 to
-300 degrees Fahrenheit)? The
cold-AF temp supposedly drops
your surface temperature long
enough for oxygenated blood
to rush to organs and extremi-
ties, aiding muscle recovery
and fat-blasting.
Before you freeze your ass
off, know that the (still unprov-
en) benefits may not outweigh
the risks here. This kind of cold
may be particularly unsafe for
those with high blood pressure
or circulation problems, says
Rober t H. Shmerling , MD, an
associate professor at Harvard
Medical School. The FDA issued
a statement cautioning that
this trend poses hazards such
as frostbite, eye injuries, and
even suffocation from lack of
oxygen in the air. Stick to a bag
of frozen pea s to tame inflam-
mation af ter your HIIT session.One very nontraditional
health fix you def won’t
find on any treatment
list: ASMR. In fact, the
main place you will find it
is on YouTube. And mil-
lions of people are turn-
ing to it for help with
sleep and stress issues,
among other probs. The
acronym stands for
“autonomous sensory
meridian response,” and
the videos involve people
speaking sof tly or even
moving a makeup brush
across a microphone.
The Q is...why, tho?
Well, ASMR is a sensation
triggered by gentle
sounds (whispering,
crinkling, tapping), light
touches, or fluid move-
ments that create a
dreamy experience that
can feel like tingles all
over your body, says
ASMR researcher Craig
Richard, PhD, a profes-
sor of biopharmaceuti-
cal sciences at Shenan-
doah University. The
whole viral movement
has been described as an
online, drug-free version
of chill-out pills.
If you think it sounds
wacky (or maybe a little
bit lovely?), join the club.
“It’s blissful—and it’s to-
tally bizarre because you
can get this very real re-
sponse just by watching
videos,” Richard says. If
you want to see if it has
any effect on you, log on
to YouTube, check out a
few different ASMRtists,
and see what happens.
“ASMR videos are kind of
like a big buffet,” Richard
says—meaning you may
have to sample a bunch
of clips with different
types of triggers and
sounds to see what re-
laxes you. He recom-
mends the channels
Gentle Whispering
ASMR, Tony Bomboni
ASMR, and Deep Ocean
of Sounds. Ahhhhhh...WTF Is ASMR?
in general (including a risk for
infection, or of bleeding or
bruising if the needle isn’t in-
serted properly into the vein).
But just remember you’d be
doing this at home, or at a bou-
tique drip bar, with a practitio-
ner you don’t already know
and trust, adding an extra lay-
er of unknown to the process.
You’re not guaranteed to
have issues if you get a drip.
But not all medical pros are
convinced this therapy is
worth the money, either. If
you do brave the needle and
feel more energized and alert
from a fill-up, it may mean
you needed the vitamins and
nutrients because you had a
deficiency, or that you were
dehydrated. In those cases,
you would want to work with
a doctor who had your back
and could judge whether you
fell into those categories
before you do the therapy.
Nutrient drips just “aren’t
ready for prime time,” as
Dr. Feuerstein says.