Emmy Hayes Condon
Your daily guide to feeling, looking, and living your best.
Can A Spoonful of Honey Make Our Allergies Go Away?
Hii friends, you may have noticed, but I’ve been a bit backlogged this week – that is, I missed Tuesday’s column – and, no, I did not forget! I may be in my last quarter, but senioritis hasn’t made it so that I’ve confused the days of the week.
In my long-winded way, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time outdoors these days (Evanston is just now warming up!) and have learned that I’m rather allergic to a local strain of pollen. But it’d taken me a minute to realize this – like, my body had been waiting ‘til I inhaled a sufficient amount of pollen to throw up a defense – and I’ve only just put together the headaches and sniffles. So I’d spent Tuesday cooped up in bed.
But it’s brought me to another wellness trend (life imitating art and all that jazz!): Can a spoonful of local honey treat allergic rhinitis (hay fever)?
Though I’ve repeated this holistic remedy to everyone and their mother, I've never been quite sure of the rationale. Having sourced the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), I’ve learned that honey is thought to promote immune tolerance, as it may carry lingering pollen (from the bees!) and, in consuming honey, we’re “gradually exposed to allergens, potentially reducing [our] allergic symptoms.”
Apologies to everyone and their mother, but this just isn’t true. The pollen that causes rhinitis, the AAAAI continues, is wind borne, not pollinated. And, if the allergenic pollen were to be blown into the hive by chance, it would not be enough to build an immune tolerance.
So, no, honey isn’t, actually, an effective allergy treatment.
Honey does possess very many health properties (read antioxidants and antimicrobial agents), but if you’d like to treat your seasonal allergies, you may be better off sticking to antihistamines.
Photo Source: Yarn.
Ask Clara:
"How can I treat my seasonal allergies?"
A Bit More On Whimsy (Because I Just Can’t Be Stopped!)
It may just be the corner of the internet I’m in, but I’ve noticed very many people have wanted to make their lives more whimsical this year. Though I haven’t seen a “whimsy-maxxing” wellness trend just yet, I do think there’s something to be said for occasional playfulness, particularly in adults.
Cas Holman, author of Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity, found that adults (of which I am now one!) often suppress their needs for creativity, joy, and playfulness as they age. Instead, we become “preoccupied with fear, judgment, and self-criticism.”
Though newly an adult, I can assure you, a preoccupation with “fear, judgment, and self-criticism” isn’t all that sustainable – trust, half of my high school years I’d spent either masked or in the ether of a Google Meet.
Holman, fortunately, has recommended a three-step plan that may allow us to reclaim a sense of play: embracing possibility, releasing judgment, and reframing success.
I’m not very good at releasing judgement and reframing success (just yet!), but I have found myself embracing possibility a bit more than usual.
Earlier this school year, I’d taken up gymnastics – again. I was a competitive gymnast for ten or so years, but I’d fallen out of love with the sport in my last year. The demanding practices that filled up each of my weeks had taken their toll on my body and mind – so much so that breakdowns were scheduled into my training.
It’d taken quite a bit to get me back into a gym (eight years, actually!), but adult gymnastics has been so very healing for my inner child
Gymnastics may not be your entry into playfulness, though I do hope you’re able to make a bit of time for joy this week!
Ask Clara:
"How can I make my life more playful?"
On The Pleasures of Reading
Those who know me know reading is my most favorite pastime – and, if I could have triple majored, it’d have been in English. So if there’s anyone to extol the pleasures of reading, it’s me. (I’ve been using that line quite a bit, haven’t I?)
In fact, I have a Substack (shameless self-plug!) where I review my recent reads, if you’d like to check it out. The following? Small. The authenticity? Large.
But back to the column!
We know of the “standard” benefits of reading, like strengthened brain connectivity, increased empathy, and an improved vocabulary.
But there’s another we don’t talk about enough – or I've just made it up – a healthy appetite for whimsy!
I should note, I’ve decided whimsy, here, is synonymous with unadulterated joy, though the word itself holds a number of (similar!) meanings.
I've just finished Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility for a class of mine, and though the novel is not necessarily whimsical, it is romantic and clever and occasionally biting – all the things I love in a book.
I’d been in a reading rut for a minute, then came along Sense and Sensibility to remind me of the joys of reading, the whimsy of fictional narratives, and I'm sure a good book (of your choosing!) can do just the same for you.
This may be a bit at odds with my initial argument, but so often reading is made to be an intellectual pursuit, a means of self-improvement, and it can be. But you know what reading can also be? Fun!
And why can’t we do things just for the fun of them?
P.S. The photo is of my self-imposed reading list from last summer, and I got through one of them... Somehow, I'd fallen prey to an assortment of "trashier" romance novels again!
Should We Be "Eating" Our Skincare?
I’d grown up with a butter mom, a truth of which I’m immensely proud. I don’t mean to suggest that my mom didn’t care what my brother and I consumed (she did and very much still does!), but what we ate was not restricted.
But, in high school, I developed a bit of a disordered eating pattern, as very many teenage girls do. I’d just quit an intensely rigorous sport and found myself online, for hours, comparing my body to so many others.
I haven’t bothered to count calories in years (that’s on therapy!), though I’m still able to call out fad diets, very often marketed as “intentional consumption,” for what they are: disordered eating patterns.
So, naturally, I’m a bit skeptical of TikTok’s most recent obsession, “eating your skincare.” Or, the idea that you can clear your skin from the inside out.
Now, as very many experts have proven, “there is a clear link between nutrition and skin health.” Essential nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats can support normal skin functions.
(It just so happens that the “retinol salad” you’ve been recommended is incredibly low-calorie.)
However, “eating your skincare” is not a substitute for topical application. Nutritional dermatology cannot do the work alone – certainly not the work of the procedures very many influencers have received to achieve the glowing skin they’re suggesting you can attain via diet.
All of which is to write, most everything you see online should be taken with a grain of salt – and, prioritizing fruits and veg is all well and good ‘til it begins to consume your life.
I promise you, a lifestyle (because it truly becomes your life) rooted in restriction and control is never, ever worth it.
An Easily Influenced Girly’s Attempt at De-influencing
I’m writing this and I’m holding your hand – actually, I’m writing this and I’m holding my hand: You! do! not! need! to! purchase! every! recommended! product! you! see! online!
Trust, as an easily influenced girly, I’m awfully susceptible to the marketing of a(nother) rhode lippie. But do we need it? No!
Ooh, it’s giving Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon” (A Consumerist’s Version!).
Anyhow, I’ve tried just about everything under the sun and am here to share which products shouldn’t be put in our (digital!) carts.
An Owala / Stanley / Hydrojug: I promise you, the Hydroflask (yes, remember those?) you purchased in 2020 functions just as well as the Stanley x LoveShackFancy tumblers.
An influencer-made skincare line, but the influencer herself has used prescription medication to treat her acne: I apologize, Ms. Alix Earle, I don’t mean to call you out quite so aggressively – but, if a medication has cleared your skin (same here, girly!), maybe you shouldn’t guarantee similar results via your non-medicated, non-personalized line…
Single-use gadgets: A strawberry huller, a banana slicer, a carbonator, a candle warmer. I am not above retail therapy, but these unitaskers will not do it for you. Their novelty will dissipate, and they’ll soon collect dust in the back of a cupboard.
There are very many other products I haven’t listed, but when purchasing recommended products you see online, I’d ask yourself two questions: Does X bring me joy, in the vein of Marie Kondo? Can I see myself using X on a regular basis?
Consume responsibly!
Just When Fitness Was Beginning to Feel Inclusive (*Sigh*)
As a chronically online girly, I’d be remiss to not mention Nike’s most recent, and polarizing, ad campaign: “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated.”
Well, I’ve lied a bit. Somehow, I missed the entire Nike kerfuffle, but a friend of mine, who recently ran the Boston Marathon at an alarmingly fast pace (we’re talking sub 2:40!), had asked me what I thought and I’ve chosen to share via column.
If you, too, are in select pockets of the internet, Nike revealed posters ahead of the Boston Marathon that read, “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated.” The brand, however, appeared to have misread its consumers and encountered rather severe backlash, prompting their removal of the ad.
I’m not quite sure what Nike had intended with their campaign, and I realize marathons are, more or less, for runners (blah, blah, blah), but here are my two cents.
Though I wouldn’t call myself a runner, I do run 20 or so miles each week and am well aware (!!) that running is 1) not for everyone and 2) a high-impact activity.
Maybe the out-of-breath-ness of running just isn’t your jam. Maybe your joints don’t take well to the consistent pounding on pavement. Whatever it may be, who am I to tell you that, actually, you should be running?
To reiterate a point I made last week: You should choose movement that best serves your body – so long as you are not hurting yourself (or anyone else!), all movement is good movement.
For the looongest time, we were told that certain bodies belonged in fitness-related spaces and others didn’t.
For the looongest time, we were told that certain activities belonged in fitness-related spaces and others didn’t.
Call me crazy, but I think any step taken to prioritize our health and well-being should be celebrated.
Photo Source: Runner’s World.
How Damaging Is Gel-X For Our Nails?
Not a wellness trend necessarily and writing a bit more so for myself here, but I’d quite like to know: just how damaging is Gel-X for our nails?
If you aren’t familiar, Gel-X is a full-coverage, soft-gel nail extension that adheres to your natural nail via builder gel or a similar soft-gel adhesive.
(Note: if you aren’t using a full extension – a style I’ve preferred as of late – the builder gel is still applied to attach what length you’ve added and create a level base where the tip meets your nail.)
Gel-X is often preferred to acrylic, as it provides the strength and length of the latter, “minus the damage to your natural nails,” per L’Oréal’s blog.
Builder gel, too, is preferred as a base, as it provides a protective layer between your nail and the gel polish itself – and (!!) builder gel has received the endorsement of Zola Ganzorigt, a celebrity manicurist and creator of “glazed donut nails.”
However, Gel-X is not without its concerns, particularly as it requires curing beneath a UV/LED lamp, which may be correlated with skin cancer and premature aging due to radiation exposure – though the risk of the former is low.
So, healthier (and cheaper!) alternatives?
Dazzle Dry – a recommendation I received from my mom who is much too style savvy for her own good – is a non-toxic polish that provides long-lasting wear without the use of UV light. (Bonus: As its name might suggest, it’s fast-drying!) Dazzle Dry, however, is BYOL (bring your own length).
Or, you may prefer press-on nails, which are both easy to apply and damage-free – provided they are removed correctly!
I’m a bit of a YOLO-er these days – though I very much understand if this lifestyle is not for you! – and (infrequent!) Gel-X manicures bring me joy. I just might continue with Gel-X for the time being, but I’ll let you know if I stumble across another technique I prefer!
P.S. The builder gel design I'd gotten (pictured above) was a butter yellow base with a studded perimeter in silver.
On Fibermaxxing and Proteinmogging
In continuation of our most recent column, On Nonnamaxxing, I bring you fibermaxxing and proteinmogging. That is, consuming large quantities of fiber and protein. Did I learn these terms from Bento, a viral pug (@bentothebug)? Well, yes. Am I rather convinced “fibermaxxing” and “proteinmogging” will soon be added to our wellness lexicon? Well, yes!
Let’s back up a bit, why might fiber and protein consumption complement each other?
Here’s a circuitous answer, so I might reference Heated Rivalry (re: Wednesday's column!) just once more: In an interview, Hudson Williams remarked that, to bulk for the role of Shane Hollander, he increased his consumption of both protein and fiber.
Protein, generally, is a bit more complex to digest. As such, supplementing high(er)-protein diets with an increased consumption of fiber can ease digestion. To do so, fiber interacts with protein in slowing digestion, increasing satiation, and regulating blood sugar.
Too much protein and too little fiber, in turn, may induce bloating, inflammation, and constipation.
Moreover, Northwestern Gastroenterologist Olufemi Kassim said, “people who eat high-fiber diets have a more diverse, rich microbiome, which is associated with a lower risk of gastrointestinal (GI) issues.”
All of which is to write, just as much as you’d like to proteinmog, be sure to fibermaxx as well!
Photo Source: Nick Kimel on Unsplash
On Nonnamaxxing
I have a bit that I do for my friends that goes “my family’s so Italian,” and then I’ll insert a quirk of my family’s that’s particularly Italian — an Italian-ism, if you will. (I promise, I have a point.)
A favorite of mine is, “my family’s so Italian, we know this guy, Ronny, who supplies us with sausages every Christmas.” Or, “my family’s so Italian, my grandfather made Sunday Sauce just about every weekend to share with his children and grandchildren.”
All of which is to write, if anyone knows a thing or two about “Nonnamaxxing,” it’s me.
Well, not really — as The Guardian article I stumbled upon articulates, there’s a bit more to Nonnamaxxing than regularly consuming pasta. (Alas!)
Rather, Nonnamaxxing consists of all that Nonnas do to ensure their longevity and contentment — such as, “walking everywhere, cooking for others, spending time with family and getting all up in everyone’s business.”
Moreover, Nonnamaxxing is emblematic of a “Blue Zone lifestyle.”
Globally, there are five Blue Zones — one of which is in Sardinia, Italy, hence Nonnamaxxing — and each is marked for its sheer number of centenarians in residence. Per Dan Buetter, an explorer (self-described) at the helm of Blue Zone research, the longevity of those living in Blue Zones can be attributed to their dietary habits, regular movement, and prioritization of family.
So maybe there is something to consuming a healthy dose of carbs… mangia bene!
Photo Source: Entertainment Weekly
Ask Clara:
"What eating habits best promote longevity?"
That Peloton Ad. (Yes, That One.)
Hudson Williams x Peloton. That’s it. That’s the column.
I kid, I kid (mostly), though I received a message from a friend the morning the ad was released that read, “Hudson Williams in a Peloton ad? A crossover made just for Chloe!”
She could not be more right.
If you’ve been in my vicinity these last few months (so sorry!), you’d know that Heated Rivalry (really, Williams and Connor Storrie, the series’ leads) is all I care to talk about.
And, if you’ve been in my vicinity these last seven or so years (yes, really!), you’d know Peloton is the sole fitness platform I care to use.
As such, their collaboration, set to David Bowie’s “Fame,” just about made my morning.
Now, you may be thinking, “Chloe, how is the (in)decent exposure of William’s abs and ass related to wellness?”
I’d argue that the sight of a beautiful (feminist!) man induces a bit of serotonin rush; however, to assuage concerns that The Wellness Edit may be in questionable hands, I’ll cite their intended message, “movement sets you free.”
However you choose to move, movement is meant to be liberating, expressive, and a moment to get out of your head and into your body, as Peloton’s Emma Lovewell might say. A former athlete and uber-medicated girly, I could not agree more.
Wishing you all a moment or two to get in a bit of movement this week!
Photo Source: The Hollywood Reporter