Christina Stiehl

After a particularly stressful year and holiday season where I regularly ate cookies for breakfast, I felt like I needed help better understanding why I make the choices I do, reframing my thoughts around food, and learning more about calorie density, portion sizes, and planning my meals ahead of time. But I was not super jazzed about getting back on the scale.

Although I'd like to think I was a precocious child, I always had immature teeth. I didn't lose my first tooth until second grade, and I still had baby teeth in middle school. In fact, I had to get eight baby teeth pulled at the same time in eighth grade (holy novocaine) to make room for permanent teeth to come in so I could get braces.

With the rise in home workouts, more and more people are quitting their gym memberships and focusing on getting in a good sweat sesh in the comfort of their own space. But while some have invested in home gym equipment such as dumbbells, resistance bands, or even a Peloton bike, it's hard to replicate the effectiveness of all the strength equipment you can find in a gym.

I have usually been a pretty good sleeper. I tend to fall asleep easily, sleep through the night, and wake up refreshed. That is, until the pandemic turned our lives upside down, which resulted in me dealing with bouts of extreme anxiety. To make matters worse, my old pillows were more than five years old — this is not ideal since the Sleep Foundation recommends replacing your pillows every one to two years.

The best part about baking cookies is eating the cookie dough straight from the bowl. But as we've all heard, it's not ideal to eat raw eggs and raw flour, no matter how delicious it is mixed with sugar, butter, vanilla, and chocolate chips. To fill that void and have a cookie dough alternative that's safe to eat, Deux created its own line of vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free cookie dough. To be real, I don't really bake anyway (minus the banana bread craze circa March 2020), so I don't usual

I am definitely a coffee gal. When I go to bed at night, I look forward to the cold brew I'm going to have in the morning. And by late afternoon, I usually reach for a second cup of Joe for another boost of caffeine to get me through the rest of the day and prepare me for my evening workout. However, coffee can be a little too acidic for me, and I sometimes get a stomachache from consuming so much of it. And I can't have a pre-workout drink too late in the day or I'll be up for hours.

We all know the struggle: you just finished a sweaty, hard-as-hell workout and ready to strip off your workout clothes and jump in the shower. However, getting that soaked, tight sports bra over your head can be a workout in and of itself. I like most compression sports bras because they make me feel held in and supported during even the toughest of workouts...

Fall is my favorite season, and even with the temperatures dropping, I still love doing my outdoor workouts. For the last year, I've been taking my workouts outside for a HIIT-style bootcamp class in Carl Schurz Park in New York City. Although I still get warm and sweaty during my fall workouts, I still need some athletic wear that will keep me cozy, especially as the mornings get cooler and cooler in the city.

I'm lactose intolerant but pretend like I'm not (much to the chagrin of my digestive system). Cheese plates? Yes, please. Pizza? Don't mind if I do. Milkshakes? My favorite diner treat. The problem is that it wreaks havoc on my GI health, and aside from feeling crummy, large amounts of dairy isn't great for my PCOS.

I love my unflavored Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides ($43 for 20 ounces). For years, I've been adding it to my coffee and smoothies every morning for a boost of protein, and I swear I've noticed a difference in my hair and nail health. But now, Vital Proteins has made getting your collagen even easier with its new Collagen Gummies ($18), which come in grape flavor.

Of all the popular boutique fitness classes, SoulCycle has some of the most devoted followers. The indoor cycling class is known as much for its inspirational messages and feel-good vibes as it is the sweaty, heart-pounding cardio workouts that keep people coming back for more. So when SoulCycle announced it was releasing its own at-home bike, it's no surprise devotees were intrigued.

While OTF has its own proprietary technology with the use of heart rate monitors for you to track your heart rate throughout the workout and earn Splat points, the company said the number one request they got from customers was the ability to use their Apple Watches to sync up to the class. Now, Orangetheory has delivered.