Quick Spin: Brain Fog Has Taken Over My Life
Nicotine for brain fog? UTIs at Bathhouse? Banana peels as skincare? We’re deep in the wellness spiral this week.
Hello cute people. I missed last week’s newsletter—terribly sorry!
For at least a year, I’ve been thinking about brain fog all too regularly. I wrote about it for GQ back in early 2024, a few months after mine started. Now, right around the 5th anniversary of COVID (jk—can I say that?), it’s getting a lot more attention: The Cut and Washington Post have both recently written about it.
Mine started about a year ago, after a winter of moving to New York and getting sick constantly. It comes in waves, ranging from *barely there* to *can’t even read a sentence*. I’ve tried to pin down a cause: first I panicked and thought it was a brain tumor, then I was convinced it was all anxiety. But after reading
’s essay in Men’s Health, I’m now considering long COVID. (Probably a mix of both, to be fair.)No one really knows what’s driving the brain fog epidemic, but one leading theory is that it’s related to low serotonin levels. Which brings me to this: I—someone who has never even touched a cigarette except to break my friends in half—am ready trying nicotine. Apparently, it can boost serotonin. (One very small study found nicotine patches helped four people clear their brain fog completely. Other researchers say it’s not that simple. But am I willing to try nearly anything at this point? Hell yes.) Instead of patches, which are 7 mg, I’m starting with with gum, which has 2 mg. Am I bout to become a Zyn girlie? Sorry in advance. I’ll let you know how it goes. Anyone want to stop me?
If you’re in the wellness cult of New York City, listen up! Multiple people are alleging that they’ve gotten a UTI from dipping in the pools at the sceney, eucalpytus-scented first-date hangout known as Bathhouse. Specifically the Williamsburg location. Former employees are also posting TikToks showing what looks like a legit mold problem—though to be fair, I don’t think any journalists have verified any of it yet. Either way, I’ll pass on the idea of simmering in bacterial broth until they release a statement and deep clean the entire spa.
I still can’t believe the viral morning routine of Ashton Hall wasn’t a Saratoga ad, because Google searches for the term spiked 1379% in the days that followed. But even more unbelievable? That the video wasn’t satire. It’s a perfect snapshot of how far we’ll go in the name of “wellness”—and I hope Hall is going to bed at 8 p.m. sharp, because sleep is definitely better for your skin (and overall health) than rubbing a banana peel on your face.
Saratoga spring water gets caught up in an influencer’s viral morning routine, Fast Company
Ranking the wildest moments from that viral morning routine, GQ (If you need a funny recap to get you up to speed, this one is good.)
Finally we have enough reason to toss BMI into the trash where it belongs: A study from December confirms what many have been saying for years: Cardiovascular fitness is a far better indicator of health than BMI. Researchers measured fitness using VO2max testing—which, if you're curious, is way more informative than knowing your height-to-weight ratio ever was. (Shamelessly plug: I wrote about how to improve yours right here.)
Of course, some healthcare professionals are still clinging to BMI like it’s 2005, but science continues to say: let it go.
Things I Liked This Week:
💤 I’ve been testing sleep masks for an upcoming article for GQ and one of my favorites has been the Therabody SleepMask which delivers subtle (and not so subtle depending on your speed) vibrations to help you fall asleep faster.
✨ I saw a random internet post about making a note in your phone titled “Good Things Are Always Happening To Me” and adding to it everyday. I’ve started doing it. It’s corny. I love it.
🌀 Chirp sent me their Contour, a massage and spinal decompression table. I can’t tell you how much I’ve laid on it because it’s probably too much. The undulating knobs along the spine feel divine.
🛁 Also for GQ, I’ve tested what feels like a million bath towels this week—a type of product I’ve completely overlooked for my entire adult life. My favorites: the Onsen waffle towels for something lightweight and aesthetic, and the Luxome bath sheets if you want to feel like you’re staying at a really nice hotel.
🌙 As someone with extremely dry skin, I put this Korres night cream on before bed and wake up feeling like I just applied moisturizer.
👟 I unearthed the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite 4 (a racing shoe) from my closet. I had previously dismissed them—they felt too tight as I was focusing on long runs while training for the 55k. But now that I’m doing speedwork for fun, these have been SO FUN to wear. And they’re also cute.
🏋️♀️ Maybe I shouldn’t recommend this Bum pre-workout drink because it made me feel like an absolute maniac (I don’t usually take pre-workout and I drank the whole bottle). But it tastes like a pina colada, so 10/10. Next time I’ll only drink half.
🍑 My IG callout asking for your thoughts of man butts for a story I’m working on was probably my most interacted-with post ever. So, thank you to everyone who has strong feelings about glutes.
👟 Last Fridy, Merrell hosted a lovely dinner at The Chelsea Hotel to celebrate the launch of the SpeedARC Matis, and honestly, these shoes are pretty cool.
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