Category: Health & Fitness

Sour beers, made for centuries in Belgium and only recently gaining popularity stateside, are just what they sound like: brews that have been given a funky flavor during fermentation by the introduction of bacteria and wild yeasts. Sour beers aren’t always sour, however, and are often called American wild ales in recognition of the fact that the flavor range of these beers are expansive—from dry and hay-like to tart and fruity.

By any name wild beers are now one of the most creative corners of the world’s beer scene and among the most complex beers to drink in the world—able to replace a great bottle of wine at the center of any meal. Here is a list to get you started.

Best Sour Beers and Wild Ales in the World

1. Wicked Weed Oblivion Sour Red

Ashville, North Carolina has become one of the country’s hottest brewing scenes, but most of the talk has been about the national craft breweries that have established second homes in and around the city rather than the natives. Wicked Weed brews on a smaller scale, but their best beers don’t play second fiddle to anyone. The Oblivion Sour Red shows what the fuss is all about. It’s a dark sour with a cherry pie nose in the Belgian Flemish tradition. The sourness is light and lends a balance the malt body with great fruit flavors from an addition of blackberries and a dry finish.

Men’s Journal’s Everyday Warrior With Mike Sarraille is a new podcast that inspires individuals to live more fulfilling lives by having conversations with disrupters and high performers in all walks of life. In our ninth episode, we talked to Adam Rippon, a former American figure skater. Rippon was the first openly gay athlete to win a medal for the United States in the Winter Olympics, winning bronze in the team event at the PyeongChang Games in 2018.

Listen to the full episode above (scroll down for the transcript) and see more from this series below.

This interview has not been edited for length or clarity.

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Mike Sarraille:
Welcome to the Everyday Warrior podcast. We are joined by Adam Rippon, who I think is a total badass and everyday warrior. This was a last minute, sort of thrown together, during South by Southwest, and I appreciate you taking the time. I know you got in yesterday and you’re leaving today, but when I heard you were in town and open to a podcast, having known who you are and followed your exploits, there was no way I could pass on this. So I’m glad we made this happen in less than 24 hours, but welcome to the podcast.

Adam Rippon:
Well, thank you. Well, there’s no way I could pass on it either. So this is just really off to a great start.

Mike Sarraille:
Good. And so we are sharing in mimosas, we’re going to get relaxed here. Good. Well, first off, I said this earlier, you didn’t recognize it, nor would you know that we share a birthday, November 11th Veteran’s Day. That is-

Adam Rippon:
In the same year, 1989. We were born in the same year. Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
Yes. I was born in 1989. Thank you. He’s already hooked me up. So let’s dive right in. This is going to be a wonderful conversation for a lot of people, and I’m excited to learn from you because you’ve done so much in only 32 years, to my 44.

Adam Rippon:
Well, you’re very sweet. Let’s go. I’m ready.

Mike Sarraille:
Let’s go. Okay. So born in 1989, November 11th, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Is Scranton a hotbed for Olympic level figure skaters?

Adam Rippon:
All right. Look me in the eye, and what do you think? It’s not. There’s not a lot of hot bedding in Scranton, to be honest. And no offense to Scranton, love the place, but I’m from the east coast, so the winters are cold, and I got into skating because it was just somebody had a birthday party or the big thing to do where we’re from is in the winter you go to Montage Mountain to ski. I’m assuming you’ve obviously heard of Montage Mountain.

Mike Sarraille:
Actually, I have not.

Adam Rippon:
No, it’s-

Mike Sarraille:
In California we have Squaw Valley and …

Adam Rippon:
Right, but in Scranton we have Montage Mountain.

Mike Sarraille:
Is it [crosstalk].

Adam Rippon:
It’s our Squaw Valley. Is what?

Mike Sarraille:
Is it a mountain …

Adam Rippon:
No.

Mike Sarraille:
… or is it a hill?

Adam Rippon:
It’s a hill.

Mike Sarraille:
It’s a hill.

Adam Rippon:
Barely. I’ve never skied on it either.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay.

Adam Rippon:
Do you love the way that the story is going by the way yet?

Mike Sarraille:
So Scranton is, and I had a good mentor, a guy named Bill Campbell who’s from a coal mine in Pennsylvania, and he went on to be the secret coach of Silicon Valley, but always when he talked about his upbringing in Pennsylvania, it was a blue collar town, it was hard living.

Adam Rippon:
Totally. It’s exactly that. It’s a really strong, middle lower class town. Really great people, really hardworking people, and a lot of people who’ve been there for a really long time, like generations.

Mike Sarraille:
Good.

Adam Rippon:
And that’s me.

Mike Sarraille:
And so you said you got interested in skating when you were at a birthday party?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. Well, so my mom would bring me skating every winter, and I hated it. And the only thing I really wanted to do was have a soft pretzel and a hot chocolate. Can you blame me? No. And so I just never liked it. And then there was a girl in my class who had a skating party, and I went, I was like nine, so I was a little older, and I just loved it. And I kept asking my mom to like, “Can I go back? Can we please go back?” And then famously our birthday is November 11th. For my birthday. I got signed up for the group lesson classes, and so that’s how I got started.

Mike Sarraille:
In Scranton,

Adam Rippon:
In actually Pittston, which, as it sounds, is worse than Scranton.

Mike Sarraille:
And how far is that from Scranton?

Adam Rippon:
It’s about 30 minutes on the turnpike.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay. And so your mom’s driving you out. And I’m sorry, going back, just looking at your life, because we always do research our guests, out of respect. Your parents divorced when you were 13?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. Yeah. I think my parents got divorced, I was about 13. Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
13. And you’re the oldest of …

Adam Rippon:
Six.

Mike Sarraille:
Six siblings.

Adam Rippon:
It’s a lot.

Mike Sarraille:
I only had three. So with that many siblings, is that a competitive environment? Cause I mean, I got to assume you’re competing for mom and dad’s time and resources, bathroom time?

Adam Rippon:
I think that when there’s so many of you, everybody wants to find their own thing. And that’s what me and my siblings all did, we all found our own thing that we really liked to pursue. And when there is so many, there’s obviously going to be an age gap. And so for me, to my younger siblings, I feel almost more like an uncle to them than I feel like my older siblings are kind of like actually my siblings. Does that make sense?

Mike Sarraille:
So did you become, in some sense, the man of the house, when your parents finally got divorced?

Adam Rippon:
Let’s say yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah. To a degree?

Adam Rippon:
Well kind of, but also no, because by the time my parents were divorced, I wasn’t living at home anymore, because I was living in Philadelphia during the week to train. So on a Monday morning, I’d have my little portable radio with my headphones, and I’d listened to 98.5 KRZ on the Greyhound bus. And I’d take the Greyhound bus from Scranton to Philadelphia, then I’d do the same thing on Friday from Philly back to Scranton. So I wasn’t home for a lot of the big parts of like my parents separating.

Mike Sarraille:
So I’m assuming, as you’re describing it, when your mom signed you up for those lessons, the instructors are like, “Hey, your son has talent. He’s beyond these lessons, we need to get him into a different circle.”

Adam Rippon:
I think what it was, was that it was the first thing that I was really into, and I just loved and I just wanted to do it all the time and I did everything I could to make sure that there was no excuse that I couldn’t get to the rink. And I remember I wanted to skate in the morning and my mom was like, “You know, everybody needs to get up for school and I need to get everybody ready.” And I remember that for a while I would wake up all of my siblings at 4:30 in the morning, and I would panic them that they were late for school, and I would get everybody ready and make their lunches and stuff. And then by five o’clock I could wake my mom up and be like, “Can we go to the rink? Everybody’s ready for school.” And that’s just good business. Yeah..

Mike Sarraille:
So when they recognized you had real potentially competitive talent, did that then become to dominate your life? Cause I’m assuming, as you’re telling me so that, you’re not enrolled in regular school by this point? You’re doing remote learning, computers and then spending most of your time on the rink?

Adam Rippon:
Yes, I was being homeschooled, which I couldn’t not recommend more. I was really good with school and I liked school, but with the homeschooling it was tough because I really needed that accountability. So when I finally was in high school, I started doing it online with a charter school program, which was much better.

Mike Sarraille:
Because you felt like you had some sense of homecoming [crosstalk]

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, because I wasn’t listening to my mom. Are you kidding me?

Mike Sarraille:
We don’t, and that’s the thing of teenagers is they think you have everything figured out.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, and the other thing about teenagers is that they suck.

Mike Sarraille:
I’m not … As a father of a 14 and … Actually my daughter turns 18 today.

Adam Rippon:
Wow.

Mike Sarraille:
I know.

Adam Rippon:
A lot of birthdates, odd.

Mike Sarraille:
A lot of birthdays. But teenagers think they have everything figured out. So did I, I was not easy to live with. In retrospect, I look back at my parents, I’m like, “You were right about 99% of the things.”

Adam Rippon:
I know, that’s what’s so sad. And of all the fighting that I’ve done with my parents, which I haven’t done a lot, I was a teacher’s pet, a teacher’s parent. But all of the things that my mom would get upset with me about, when I was younger, she was right. Which I guess I have to hand it to her.

Mike Sarraille:
We just don’t like to tell them directly. I don’t think [crosstalk]

Adam Rippon:
No. Right. Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
So in many ways you didn’t live a traditional teenage life, cause you were so laser focused on skating. I’m assuming during the weekends you were going to every competition you could, is that accurate?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. I would go home during the weekend, so I’d spend some time with my family then, and then there would be competitions, and that’s when my mom would get pulled away from the family, because then my mom would travel with me. And we went to a many different competitions all down the east coast. And so yeah, it was just that’s all I was focused on. And I know that in retrospect, or thinking about what’s a normal childhood, it might sound like I was making sacrifices, but from my perspective I never was because I was getting to do something I really loved to do.

Mike Sarraille:
So you just had pure love for the sport?

Adam Rippon:
Oh yeah. It was just like the first time I felt like I was good at something.

Mike Sarraille:
Was there a certain feeling on the ice when you’re by yourself that just drew you in? Cause I see that being a highly competitive environment, which may be a turnoff to some people. Was that mean, was it spiritual in a sense?

Adam Rippon:
I think what I really loved about it was I liked the performance aspect of it, but I loved the learning and mastering new elements, and I loved just the training of it, especially as I got older. I would say now when I look back at my career, the most fun I had with it was probably in the last few years before I competed at the Olympics, because I just loved that training so much.

Mike Sarraille:
And the competitions didn’t scare you?

Adam Rippon:
I didn’t love competing.

Mike Sarraille:
What were you feeling before a major competition?

Adam Rippon:
Bad.

Mike Sarraille:
Nervous?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, like I was going to have the worst diarrhea in the history of the world. And I remember, I specifically remember when I was skating in my last event in the Pyung Chang Olympics, and I remember thinking like, “Why do I do this to myself? This is awful.” And then of course the second it’s done, I’m like, “This is the most amazing thing ever.” And I always would remind myself like, “Just focus on how you want to feel when it’s over, so that these feelings that you’re feeling, this feeling uncomfortable, use it as a way to perform to a higher level.”

Mike Sarraille:
The human psyche is so fickle.

Adam Rippon:
Totally.

Mike Sarraille:
“I hate this.” And then all of a sudden you’re done, you’re like, “I love this is the best feeling in the world.”

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. And I had to, as I got older, re-channel the way that I would feel my nerves. I think sometimes I felt like it made me hold back, and I had to just remind myself that like, “Oh, this is adrenaline that I can use to take it a step further that I couldn’t in practice. So this is actually a really good thing.” And I would remind myself of that, and it was something that really changed the way that I competed.

Mike Sarraille:
So you started really getting serious about skating at the age of 10. Is that late compared to a lot of the Olympic level skaters?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. I mean, in my sport specifically, for the men, a good age to be at your peak and at the Olympics, would be like 22 to 24. You’re still young enough but you’re mature enough, and you have enough strength to be competitive and strong and handle all of the elements and everything. So a lot of people get started much earlier, like five, six.
Because skating is a weird thing because I think when sport meets a skill, right? Playing chess is a skill. You need to know how to calculate all the moves and have a feel for what people are going to do. And the skating aspect of it is a total skill. You need to just spend hours and hours and hours and learn how to skate, but you also need to be a really great athlete. So it’s like you need to have this skill, to showcase your athletic ability. And I think that’s what I really loved about it.

Mike Sarraille:
So a lot of people don’t have insight into what a traditional day is for you training. Walk me through that. Cause I’m assuming there’s time on the ice, there’s time in the gym, there’s time for flexibility. What does that look like for an Olympic level competitor?

Adam Rippon:
I think, okay, also I know that this is stupid but I didn’t realize how much time I was spending doing it, until I wasn’t doing it anymore. But a normal day if I was training. So let’s go back to like 2017. Okay, we’re going to the ring together. I don’t want to wake up that early. It’s like 10 o’clock, okay? I’m not a SEAL Team Six member. 10:00 AM is kind of what we’re [crosstalk]

Mike Sarraille:
First off, I don’t know what SEAL Team you just mentioned. Let’s reset from the … I have no knowledge.

Adam Rippon:
Okay, so 10:00 AM, does that feel good to you?

Mike Sarraille:
That feels good.

Adam Rippon:
Okay, felt good to me. So that’s when [crosstalk]

Mike Sarraille:
But what time were you up?

Speaker 3:
Nine.

Adam Rippon:
Nine. Yeah. Yeah. We’re really not pushing it yet. So I’d wake up. I’d have breakfast. I’d get started. And then I would head to the rink, I’d be at the rink around 10 o’clock.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay.

Adam Rippon:
So then we’d be at the rink. I would do a lighter workout for about an hour. So I’d be in the gym over there for about an hour, then I would train and I’d be on the ice for about two hours. Then after that I would do another light workout. And then-

Mike Sarraille:
And when you say a light workout, what does that look like?

Adam Rippon:
Basically, so in skating, when we do all of our jumps and our spins, you have a side that’s your dominant side. So when I would land a jump, I would only land on my right leg, so everything is on your right leg. So when I would do a light workout, we would do different stability exercises, so that your body isn’t too unbalanced. And so we would do a lot of that stuff to keep the body in line. So we would do band work. It would basically look like a workout at Curves.

Mike Sarraille:
Well actually Tom Brady is doing lot of those same type of workouts.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, and he’s doing fine.

Mike Sarraille:
I think we could both agree there.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah. When you say you were right side dominant, is that because you were right-handed?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. So when you’re young, your coach will kind of see which way you naturally want to spin or do all of your different elements, and then from there they’ll just teach you in that order. I think it’s better to be right-handed because also all of our patterning on the ice is the same, and you kind of go with like the flow of traffic. So if you’re lefthanded, everyone’s always in your way, and you’re always in everybody else’s way. It’s tough. Being lefthanded is tough.

Mike Sarraille:
My wife is in the crowd raising her hand, she’s lefthanded, so she may disagree with that. You you say balance, but still were the workouts to build just your right side a little stronger than the left?

Adam Rippon:
So basically a lot of our weight training, and a lot of what our workout would be, we would do that on the ice. So it wasn’t a lot of weight training. Basically everything we would do on the ice, then we would take that off the ice and we would try to realign ourselves and do a lot of lower body stuff. Not a lot of upper body stuff.

Mike Sarraille:
[crosstalk] So predominantly first skaters it’s lower body strength, I would assume?

Adam Rippon:
Yes. So as a single skater, which I was, I skated by myself, we had no upper body, we did not do anything. Because you want to be as light as possible, and so your trunk is obviously going to be much bigger and thicker. And so we would focus on the legs, and basically when you do all of the jumps, there’s not any sort of arm strength or upper body strength that you need, you just don’t want them to get in the way. So when you rotate and move them around, when you’re doing all of the elements, you move them in a way that they catch the least amount of air as possible.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay.

Adam Rippon:
So we did tons of core, obviously, but no upper body. So that’s the first half of the day. And then we would just repeat that again so that … You’re following me?

Mike Sarraille:
I’m following you.

Adam Rippon:
And then I would go home because I am actually a crazy person. And then I would wear this sauna suit.

Mike Sarraille:
The sweatsuit?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
Like wrestling.

Adam Rippon:
Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Yes.

Adam Rippon:
And then I would go for a jog in it every night, for about 40 minutes.

Mike Sarraille:
That’s a long job.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. Especially when you’re sweating your ass off.

Mike Sarraille:
So you were training from 10:00 AM to … What do you think?

Adam Rippon:
At midnight. I would probably in the middle of that, because I would postpone this run as long as possible. So obviously it was like, I should have done it at 8:00, but I would wait until midnight.

Mike Sarraille:
Midnight. So before we get to the mid-roll break, I know you came out and talked in the New York Times about body image. And do you feel you were living a unhealthy life in a sense while you were competing?

Adam Rippon:
I think being an elite athlete, isn’t a healthy thing.

Mike Sarraille:
[crosstalk] degrees do you get? Peak performance is not intended to be sustained.

Adam Rippon:
Right. And I think to be an elite athlete, you have to push yourself to do crazy things to be competitive. And I think when you have an opportunity to look back on it, you realize some of the insanity you put yourself through, and you realize that like … I’m really grateful for a lot of people who have these conversations of mental health and talking about eating disorders and stuff like that, I think it’s really important because it helps other athletes get to a point of being elite, without doing a lot of the mistakes that someone like I would’ve made.

Mike Sarraille:
Well, that’s the whole intent, right? Each generation passes on to the next [inaudible].

Adam Rippon:
Totally. Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Don’t do what I did. To what degree were there external factors in that push to be so thin, [crosstalk], is that the sport or was that internally drained by you?

Adam Rippon:
So for me it wasn’t a body image thing. It was, I could see who was having success around me, and I saw that they were thinner, and I was being as logical as possible and was like, “Okay, if I want to be better I should just get thinner.” And so that’s when I absolutely went overboard. Do you know what kefir is?

Mike Sarraille:
No.

Adam Rippon:
It’s like that liquidy yogurt. It’s basically what old grandmas eat. And I would just have a bottle of that every day. That’s-

Mike Sarraille:
Okay, so let’s step back to your diet. Your diet was …

Adam Rippon:
So basically the year getting ready for the Olympics I was much healthier. I was probably like the healthiest version of myself, because the year before I had broken my foot, and I feel like I totally broke my foot because I was just eating like Bob’s Bread. You know that nut bread?

Mike Sarraille:
Yes.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
How many calories?

Adam Rippon:
I was probably having … I mean obviously I had some binges here and there, but on a day where I was like, “Oh, I did a good job.” Was probably having like 600 calories. Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
That’s one of my meals.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
That’s one of my six meals a day.

Adam Rippon:
That was one of my days.

Mike Sarraille:
What were the adverse …

Adam Rippon:
See the craziest thing about it is that I was skating really well, and that I was getting a lot of praise for being so lean and fit. And I still wasn’t the smallest person there, so nobody was worried about me. And I also didn’t think, I thought I was just doing what I needed to do. So I was like, “I don’t have a problem.” But then all of a sudden when you like break your foot just walking to go put your skates on, which is how I broke my foot, I was like, “Okay, this might be something I have to address now.” Cause I knew it was something I would deal with but just later, because it didn’t feel like an issue I was actually having. Cause I didn’t have an issue. But then when you look at it you’re like, “Yeah, just having bread and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter isn’t a day meal.” It is delicious though.

Mike Sarraille:
Well that is wildly, I think we all agree now wildly unhealthy. Maybe not the best for your body, cause I’m sure it threw your hormones off wildly off with that few calories. But you broke your leg, is it true the doctor looked at you, because he said, “Hey, you’re probably out for quite a while.” And you said, “Hey, that’s not going to work.” [inaudible] and he said, and I quote, cause you said, “I’ll be ready four months.” He was like, “You’re a delusional bitch.”

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. Well I am a delusional bitch, so it did make complete sense. So I remember I broke my foot, it was almost a year to the day of Olympic qualifiers. They would be in a year in that time. And I remember where I broke my foot at the rink, and I remember looking out this window at the rink, and was like, “You know what? I’m going to take this time.” I don’t know what happened, but I was like, “I’m going to be fine. I’m going to move out to Colorado Springs.” Because there’s an Olympic training center out there. So it was like, “I’ll move to Colorado Springs for a few months. I’ll get my shit together. Blah, blah, blah.”
That being said, that window at the rink, it isn’t there, but I still vividly remember looking out a window, obviously delusional. So I remember just having this clear vision of like, “I’m going to get it together, and all of these, …” Of course in that moment, every kind of mistake that you’ve made comes to like, “Oh, if I had done this, this wouldn’t have happened.” Or whatever. So in that moment I’m like, “You know what? I’m going to work with the best people who are out there, and I’m going to make sure that I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m going to use this as an opportunity. I don’t need to worry about any of the shows that they would do in the summer. I don’t need to worry about doing any other competitions. I have a year to get ready for the Olympics that everybody else doesn’t have, because they have to still do so many different things.” So in that moment that’s where I was like, “I’m going to use this to my advantage.”

Mike Sarraille:
You know the average person they’d look at you and they may say your life in general is delusional?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
You know that [inaudible]? Driven beyond means. Driven beyond means. And you looked at a guy who probably went to school for eight years to get his degree, doing his expert opinions. And you were done. Like I appreciate your input.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
I’m going to disregard that and all your education. Get out of the way.

Adam Rippon:
I mean, it’s just, it’s totally wild. Truly if you set your mind to it, you’ll find a way there somehow. And there was always so many different points of my life where I was like, “I don’t know how I’ll get there, but I won’t worry about how I’ll get there, I just want to keep focusing on when I’m there, this is what I’ll feel.”

Mike Sarraille:
You know, watching, going through special operations, assessment selection to make it in managed media, the SEALS, the green berets, the [marshoks], they’re all [inaudible] to love all these communities. You quickly learn, especially when you go back as an instructor and watch it, is that the body is so resilient, it will go for days. But the mind, the mind is the number one thing for a lot of people which will break. I’ve seen a lot of guys quit SEAL training, that could have kept on on going. Their bodies could have kept on ongoing, it was just absolutely their mind.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. I mean, obviously I can’t relate.

Mike Sarraille:
No you can. You were at the international level.

Adam Rippon:
I can relate to it because there were just so many times where I just completely disassociated my mind from my body, and was like, “Just think of your whole body as like you’re a robot. Just keep going. You can keep going, just take your mind completely out of it.” And that’s how I got through a lot of training sessions. That’s how I got through a lot of competitions and events, that I just pretended that I wasn’t living in my own body.

Mike Sarraille:
I’m upset you’re not staying in Austin a little longer, cause I would’ve love to see what you consider one of your hardest workouts. And I’m assuming it would put me to the test, but just to go through it, I’d love to see that. So we’re going to have to link back up when you-

Adam Rippon:
We will. Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay. Good. Well, before we go to mid-roll-

Adam Rippon:
One of my hardest workouts now, you can obviously make it through that now. It’s more mimosa based.

Mike Sarraille:
I just worked out with Tim Kennedy, who’s a big UFC fighter, former green beret, well still a current green beret. He and his squad crushed me to the point where I was not walking around normal for about three days.

Adam Rippon:
No, you’ll walk around normal with me. I promise. You’ll be fine.

Mike Sarraille:
So before we go to mid-roll, and we’re taking about a five minute break, we ask our guests two hard questions, and you can totally say, “I default until after the break.” If you want to think about this.

Adam Rippon:
Okay.

Mike Sarraille:
Hardest decision you ever made?

Adam Rippon:
Okay, I’ll answer it. I won’t default. I think the hardest decision I ever made was moving out to California. Because I moved out to California almost 10 years ago, and when I moved there it felt kind of like my last chance, to hope and make an Olympic team or make something really meaningful of my skating career. And when I moved out there, I didn’t have anything. I remember I had $80 in cash, that I went to like a Bank of America and was like, “Can you open something with cash?” And they’re like, “Yeah, it’s a bank.” And I was like, “Okay, I get it.” And that’s it. And from that moment, I just relied on really amazing people around me. I lived in my coach’s basement. It was scary, but it’s like a point of my life where I’m so grateful, and it’s like the best thing that ever happened to me

Mike Sarraille:
So that begs a question for Olympic athletes. Are they too scrounging to make it by?

Adam Rippon:
Oh yeah. Only the athletes, especially in like a niche sport, like skating, where it’s something that you watch every four years, if you’re in the general public. Right? So only if you’re at, I would say like if you’re in the top five in the world, you’re making money. Top five, top six. You can make money because you’re medaling at a lot of your events. You’re getting asked to do a lot of the shows. So you can make a nice living. And in the last few years, I was making a, for a skater, very decent living. Because I wasn’t the best, but I was in the mix of the guys at the top. So I was able to make a decent living for myself, which I mean, I basically was able to pay everybody back from when I couldn’t afford it.

Mike Sarraille:
Are there any countries that support their Olympic athletes better than we do?

Adam Rippon:
You know …

Mike Sarraille:
And I know that’s loaded question.

Adam Rippon:
It’s super loaded, because in the U.S., that athletes aren’t supported by the government. So everything is through private sponsors. So when the U.S. athletes go, it’s like Tide pods and like McDonald’s. That’s how we got there, through those sponsorships and through private donors who enjoy the Olympics, and they love watching the Olympics and they love supporting athletes. So all of that funding is through sponsorships and donors.
In a lot of different countries, it can be sponsored by the government. So it’s like a government program that has money always there and allotted, and they can invest in different trainers or doctors or specifically buy an ice rink just for one coach. So it’s totally different. I know some of my Italian friends, their athletic department is sponsored through their military. So they’re all members of the military. And again, it’s another government program. So in the U.S. it can be very tough, where there’s a huge drop off. If you’re not in that upper echelon, you’re scraping by.

Mike Sarraille:
So I naturally thought our government subsidized, with the Olympic training center and everything.

Adam Rippon:
That’s all private. Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
Interesting. Okay. I just learned. Last hard question before we go to break. Hardest regret, or I should say the biggest regret in your life, thus far?

Adam Rippon:
You know, actually I’m grateful for all of the times that I’ve like made mistakes, and I feel like they feel like regrets, but I used to be regretful of those mistakes, but I’ve realized that if I carry them with me and I actually learn something from them, I won’t make them again, and they’re important for where I would like to go. So I think the only regret I have is that I didn’t come to that mentality sooner, because I would’ve felt less embarrassed about the shortcomings I’ve had. I would’ve felt less embarrassed or like ashamed that maybe I didn’t go to an Olympics sooner. Cause the Olympics I competed at was the third one I tried to qualify for, and I think I was really defining my whole career on that. Which it’s just a competition.

And once I was able to let go and be like, “You know, you made mistakes, that’s why you didn’t go. It’s not unheard of to make mistakes. People make mistakes.” And I think also something that athletes, 99% of athletes go through is they have this moment where they’re like, “Okay, I’ll never be the best. I’ll never be like the Olympic gold medalist. I’ll never be the world champion.”

And I was a really good athlete, like I am a national champion and I’ve been to an Olympic games, but there is this weird sort of you wrestle with this fantasy of yourself that might not come true. It’s not even a come to terms, it’s more realizing that, especially in sports, being the best is so circumstantial, and it really has nothing to do with the amount of work that you’ve done or haven’t done or could you have done more? It’s like, “How tall are you?” Like, is this the shape of a person that’s doing really well? Are we really focused on jumps or is it more about performance?” And that comes and goes in waves. And it’s having this realization with yourself that the best … You’ll remember and sometimes you won’t, how you placed, but you’ll always remember how you felt at those events.

And so there was a moment where I really had to focus inward and be like, “Yeah, if I am my best, that is my version of success.” And I had more success from it. I won more medals. I was making more money. I was on Olympic teams. I won a national title, had an Olympic medal. So it was in that mentality of letting that go. Because it was this fear of like, “Is it ever going to happen? Is it ever going to happen?” And it was like, “No, it’s not, but that doesn’t mean you’re not good at this.” And I think it was realizing that and I could let go of what felt like regrets.

Mike Sarraille:
That is the best answer we’ve ever had on any podcast. We’ve had some pretty prolific guests. It is part of life, and those things that went wrong, if you learn from them, then they provided you the greatest lessons in life.

Adam Rippon:
Hundred percent.

Mike Sarraille:
And it’s amazing, sitting here with someone who was on the international stage, saying, “I was never going to get that gold medal.” You got that bronze medal, which 99.9% of the bigger skating community will never reach …

Adam Rippon:
Totally. Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
… and you are good with it.

Adam Rippon:
Because that color, I’m so happy with what I was able to do because I won my medal in the team event, and I’m so proud of the way that I was able to help my team and skate for my team in that moment, that I can’t control the way that y teammates may have skated if we didn’t medal, but I know that I did everything I was asked to do in that moment and I was a real asset to my team. And so the medal was so secondary. And when I think of the medal ceremonies at the Olympics and stuff, when I was on the podium, and it’s an amazing moment but in that moment you realize like, “This isn’t for me, it’s for my mom to watch. This is for my coaches to see.” My moment was when I got to skate and I got to do what I wanted to do, and I did my job the way that I wanted to do it. But that moment of getting that medal, it’s a necklace. It’s nice. Really. Listen, I want to keep it, right?

Mike Sarraille:
I’d say it’s a pretty coveted necklace. And you have your whole nation behind you. And after the break we’re going to get into that, especially because you had broken some barriers with your moral courage, and I want to get into that for the everyday warriors listening to this. Warriors within the respect profession, you demonstrated moral courage that previous generations did not have.

Adam Rippon:
Well, I appreciate that.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay. So we’re going to take a break for our sponsors and we’ll be right back.cAnd we are back with Adam Rippon. Thank you.

Adam Rippon:
Thank you.

Mike Sarraille:
So before the break, I wanted to ask this question. This is almost like asking somebody over their forties what their age is. How much did you weigh during that period where you felt you were doing what’s necessary to compete?

Adam Rippon:
I think now when you think like, did I have a problem or was I obsessed with it, that I can give you, the very specifics? So I weighed 147 pounds, and I knew that I was okay if I was living within the range … So my Olympic weight was 147, and it would be like 147 to 150. I would live in this three pound range. And I knew that if I was over 150, it was like … I never went over 150, but when I was not eating anything, honestly it wasn’t that. I couldn’t push myself to lose any more weight than what I had. I was like 142 to 145, but it was this five pound difference that was pivotal to me being a healthier athlete.

Mike Sarraille:
What are you weighing now?

Adam Rippon:
165.

Mike Sarraille:
And do you feel you’re the healthiest you’ve ever been?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. Sometimes I look at older pictures of myself and I’m like, “Wow.” It’s so crazy because in my world everybody was like, you know I would make like fat jokes about myself, and everyone would be like, “Ha, yeah, you’re right.” And now when I see it I’m like, “That is so crazy to me that this person would be like, “I have weight to lose.”” In the last few years, obviously, when you train for the Olympics, I didn’t personally know how to go to the gym and not train for the Olympics. So I didn’t enjoy any of it, and I like realized it was something that I loved, and that I needed to find a way back into it. So over the past year I’ve been getting back into working out and stuff, and so I gained more weight up on top that I just didn’t have before. I’m still a few pounds away from you though.

Mike Sarraille:
My wife would say different. She thinks I need to lose about 10 pounds. That’s the house I live in, and the abuse I go through. In that sort of same vein, what is your diet and workouts now? Are you still skinny?

Adam Rippon:
No. No. I like-

Mike Sarraille:
So you’ve just sort of given it up?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. I wouldn’t say like, give it up. I’d be like, “Don’t do it anymore.” Right? I still have it.

Mike Sarraille:
When you step on the ice, does it evoke certain …

Adam Rippon:
No.

Mike Sarraille:
No?

Adam Rippon:
I mean, I still love it, but it is sort of like I enjoy going skating and I have friends that I used to train with and stuff that will go to the rink and we’ll skate together, and it’s always fun. But there’s this like frustrating moment of like, “I can’t do what I used to do.” So like, “Okay, what am I going to do?” Yeah. It’s weird. So I enjoy being on the ice, but I don’t really skate very often, but I make an effort to go because I do enjoy being out there.

Mike Sarraille:
So for your diet and your workouts, do you have a system? Do you have a trainer? Are you following a specific diet because-

Adam Rippon:
Now?

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah.

Adam Rippon:
Honey, it’s a free for all.

Mike Sarraille:
It’s a free for all.

Adam Rippon:
Free for all.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. I’m barely getting by. No, I’m kidding. I’m not kidding. I think now it was also totally changing my relationship to food, and changing … It was everything because I live at, this might shock you at a very intense level, and it was like having a healthier relationship with food and realizing to like, you can enjoy it because I never enjoyed food. I would eat it because as somebody who’s trying to go to the Olympics, it was just my version of gasoline. So I’d just eat whatever was the leanest whatever, and just eat that. So I never ate because I enjoyed it, and I’ve slowly learned how to do that. My husband, he loves to cook. So that’s great because my version of cooking is truly just making toast and cereal.

Mike Sarraille:
Sounds like my wife. I’m going to pay for that comment later, you know that, right?

Adam Rippon:
We get each other.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah. So let’s dive in because, again, the title of the podcast is Everyday Warrior, and I believe, and I know some people hear that and they’re like, “I’m not a warrior.” And I’ve tried to explain the concept to them, they sort of warm up to it, and you are a warrior within your respective profession. In your profession you went to the top. I mean you’re a bronze medalist in the Olympics, but you’ve also taken on a new fight. And as I was doing research, in the article in 2015, you came out as the first openly gay figure skater.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
And I was actually shocked, by 2015. I thought that would’ve been like 1998, 1990s. First off, the moral courage that must have taken, because not only socially do you open yourself up, and nobody wants to open themselves up to the, what I call the keyboard warriors, the people I don’t respect.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. Totally. Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Who just want to fling insults. So you opened yourself up to the public, but there was also, from what I read, fear of how you may be judged by the judges in the actual Olympics.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
Dude, you got to walk me through just your mindset going into that, your motivators, was it enough enough?

Adam Rippon:
So the mindset actually of why I even wanted to, because I think ideally everybody’s sort of like, “There’s no reason to come out. You should just be able to be yourself and do whatever and it doesn’t matter.” And I think to everyone in my friend circle, my family, my coaches, they all liked who I was, and they could’ve give it a shit.
But the first time I felt like it was something that like, “Oh, maybe I’ll have to talk about it.” Was in 2014, the Olympics were in Russia, and they had this anti-gay propaganda law, which it was super unclear what that meant, like what would it mean if somebody spoke up against it? And I felt like if I made that Olympic team, if I said something, was I putting myself or my family or my teammates in danger? Was I going to ruin their experience? And I never really said anything, I would just defer the question. And I never made that Olympic team, so it didn’t matter.
But in those next few years after … You know, not making that Olympic team was super devastating, and it was probably the lowest I felt as an athlete, because it felt like that was my time. And I had missed my time, so now it was coming to terms with, “Okay, you’ll never go to the Olympics. You’ll never do all of these things that you thought you would.” And I had this kind of Renaissance a few months after this very low point of I was like, “I’ll do one more competition. I’m going to train for it the hardest I’ve ever trained for anything in my life. This will be the last one. I don’t care if I get first. I don’t care if I get last, but whatever. If I get last but I’m proud of it, I’ll be the happiest last place person ever.” And that’s what I kept telling myself. And I skated the best I ever skated. And I was like, “Oh my God, no, I can totally do this.”
And so in that moment of feeling like I really had nothing to lose, that’s when I was like, “Okay, I want to redo a lot of those things that I wish I had done before.” And one that was really important to me, was being an out athlete. So in those years after not qualifying for that Sochi Olympic team, I was like, “I’m going to redo all of this fucken dumb shit that I should have done when I had the opportunity. I’ll redo it now.” So I used it as an opportunity to do that from that younger version of myself. And so in a way I was lucky because like I wasn’t a national champion at that point. I wasn’t an Olympian at that point. So the audience that I am telling like, “I’m gay,” to is small, but it was a personal thing for me to be able to share it.

Mike Sarraille:
You know it’s amazing. You just said when you sort of said, “Screw it, what do I have to lose?” How your perspective on things change.

Adam Rippon:
Totally.

Mike Sarraille:
I remember, when I was an officer, but the SEAL that came up to me was enlisted and he saw that I was uncomfortable speaking to crowds, which funny enough, fast forward, that’s what I do for a living. And he said, “Hey, Mike, I came up with this theory.” And he said, yeah, I hate to swear, he said, “It’s my fuck it principle.” He said, “Fuck it.” He said, “Before I do anything that I naturally have a fear of, I say, “Fuck it.”

Adam Rippon:
Totally.

Mike Sarraille:
So if you’ve got a crowd of a thousand people, you say those words, what is the worst that’s going to happen? You be yourself, you be vulnerable, and just be you.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. And, I mean-

Mike Sarraille:
And if people don’t accept you then screw them.

Adam Rippon:
That is a hundred percent what I do and do now, and I experimented with like, you know if you don’t have anything to lose, which at that point I had truly nothing to lose. But in those moments, I never acted on the defense. I was so aggressively going towards things, because if I fell flat on my face or if I didn’t do it, it didn’t matter. It truly didn’t matter. It didn’t mean that I would have less than what I had at that moment, cause in that moment I didn’t have anything. So it was like failing didn’t scare me anymore, and once I wasn’t scared to fail, I actually was the most successful.

Mike Sarraille:
So when that article came out, let’s focus very little on this, but did you receive a lot of negative …

Adam Rippon:
No, there’s just I received like almost no attention from it. And I knew that that would happen, because I just talked about my own personal coming out experience in this article, and it wasn’t about anything other than getting ready for some season or something. But I talked about it and it was in there, and then I was then a publicly out athlete. So there just was not a lot of like … It didn’t get picked up anywhere. I didn’t expect it to. It was like, “What, the kid who didn’t make the Olympics?” Like, “What does he have to say?” So it was to a really small group, and just skating people, who they would reach out to me and they were very nice about it. So my coming out experience as an athlete, was very positive. Because it was to people who knew me.

Mike Sarraille:
But I have to assume for some teenage skater who was struggling with the same thing, I’ve got to assume you had some outreach where people are like, “Hey, thank you. Thank you’ve giving me the courage to be who I am.”

Adam Rippon:
I didn’t realize at the time, because for me it’s my personal experience of it, right? But I didn’t realize, and I see it especially now, especially four years from my own Olympic experience, as an athlete, I see four years how the landscape has totally changed, and it’s great. It’s amazing, but I couldn’t have imagined the way that it is now, four years ago.

Mike Sarraille:
Really.

Adam Rippon:
Totally. It’s all foreign. Because I have a big mouth, and I run it all the fucken time. And so I think for a while it was just sort of like, “Oh, Adam just does his own thing.” And it’s interesting now to see the ripple effect of that now, that not everybody’s going to have like a big mouth like I do, but they’re able to kind of be more of themselves in this weird sort of like athlete box.

Mike Sarraille:
Do you think that’s going to be your defining impact? Again, you competed at the Olympic level, but do you think that’s going to be … I mean, to me, I hope the answer’s yes, because that’s an awesome impact. The path you have blazed for so many young men and women, who are fearful of the judgment that they’re gay, when in retrospect, and in reality, this is coming from San Francisco, but …

Adam Rippon:
Right.

Mike Sarraille:
… so what?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, I think especially somebody kind of like me, who’s pretty loud, and I like to speak my mind, and what I make up for being five eight in shoes, cause I’m five seven without them.

Mike Sarraille:
Well we’re have to get in some cowboy boots, that will give you at least two inches. We’ll work on that.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, I make up for it with talking. But I hope that when I can look back at what I’ve left in the sport that I was doing for my whole life, that I was able to help other young skaters, or other young athletes, feel like who they were wouldn’t define the kind of success that they could have. Cause I felt like when I was young that it might.

Mike Sarraille:
And so for your work and for your courage, you were recognized in 2018, this human rights campaign, Visibility Award, what did that mean to you? Was that a realization for you? Was it a, ah-ha moment?

Adam Rippon:
Not really, it was just all kind of surreal because it all happened so fast.Even when you go to the Olympics, whatever sport you compete in, everything around it is different, but everything in what you’re doing is exactly what you’ve done a million times. You’ve probably competed at that rink before. You’ve definitely competed against all of those people before. You know all of the judges. They’ve judged you for years. You know all of the faces. So all of it is so familiar, and it doesn’t feel like this experience. And still when I’ll see things or I’ll talk to people now, I still have this weird sort of like, “Oh, it’s much bigger than I even could have imagined it.” It’s very strange. It’s very strange to go on basically this one month trip, and come back and your whole life is totally different.

Mike Sarraille:
And eventually you went against Mike Pence, but I’m assuming that maybe those were a few words that turned into something bigger?

Adam Rippon:
Well, so basically, when you get ready for the Olympics, a lot of people talk about like, “You want to have the best experience.” Like, “Have a great experience at the Olympics.” And I was thinking about, for me, what’s the best experience? And I was like, “Well, for me, the best experience I can have at an Olympics would be I can meet a lot of people. I’ll get to be stupid and make a bunch of people laugh, but I’ll also be able to showcase who I am as an athlete, but I’m going to have a lot of fun.” And for me that also meant that any question I was asked, I told myself I would answer it, like I was at dinner with somebody, very candidly. I would be super honest.
And I remember I did one interview, in my car, right before the Olympics. And the rink that I trained at it used to be a grocery store. So it’s in this strip mall, it sounds very glamorous. It was in this strip mall, so I’m literally in like a taco Bell parking lot. And I remember that I was doing this interview on the phone, and the woman who was doing the interview, she asked me, she was like, “What do you think of Mike Pence leading the athlete delegation?” And I remember this was a moment where I was like, “Okay, I can either live up to that promise of answer this the way that you would at a dinner table, or just give it the answer of like, “You know, I don’t really have any thoughts on it. I’m focusing on myself.” But I was like, “No, I don’t care. I’m going to say what I think.” And that’s all that was, and it snowballed into something so much …

Mike Sarraille:
Bigger,

Adam Rippon:
… bigger, and so much crazier than I ever thought it would. And I’m glad it did, because I think for a lot of queer people in that moment. I know for me, it felt like in that moment that it was … The last administration was so polarizing for people, that I think that they just felt like … I know I had moments like that where I was like, “I don’t think I matter.” I felt maybe things will go backwards. It was scary, it was weird, and it felt like a moment of … I think somebody like me, when you see me, I think for a long time people think like, “Oh, you’re a gay best friend. You’re a sidekick.” And I think for somebody like me, I was like, “Oh my God, wait, I can be like the main character.”

Mike Sarraille:
As everyone should be of their own story.

Adam Rippon:
Of their own story, yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Adam, I can assure you, you are not a side kick. You’re winning Olympic medals, dude. That’s so funny, but that’s society putting that in your head.

Adam Rippon:
Totally. And it’s like your own expectation of what you’re capable of, right?

Mike Sarraille:
Okay. We’re jumping ahead to season 26 of Dancing in the Stars, which first off, which was probably one of the most competitive seasons-

Adam Rippon:
I mean, it was very good.

Mike Sarraille:
But I mean, there were …

Adam Rippon:
Just athletes.

Mike Sarraille:
… let’s say international level athletes, all competing. And I know it was a shorter version, but going into that, what did you think your chances were?

Adam Rippon:
I mean, I really didn’t think about it. Again, it felt like it was right off of the Olympics. So I was like, “Oh, this is just a continuation of like that experience.” So I remember thinking like, “Oh, it’ll be easier for me.” Truly the only advantage I had was that I’ve worn a costume before. And then I had no idea. My best way to describe doing Dancing With the Stars, is if you have a week to learn a sentence in a different language, and you can master it and then you’ll know it. And you’ll know that one sentence, but you don’t know any other fucking words, and you don’t know anything else. You don’t have a basic understanding of the vocabulary or anything, but you’re able to get this one sentence down, and that’s truly what it is.

Mike Sarraille:
Do you credit the fact that you guys won, a lot to Jenna?

Adam Rippon:
Oh, totally. I mean, because she’s an amazing teacher. It’s again like when you have great teachers, it makes the work so much easier, you enjoy it and, yeah, my partner Jenna was absolutely the best.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah. You still keep in touch with her?

Adam Rippon:
Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah?

Adam Rippon:
Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay. What about Tanya?

Adam Rippon:
What about Tanya? What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything.

Mike Sarraille:
Had you met her prior to that point?

Adam Rippon:
No, because in skating Tanya Harding is like the boogie monster.

Mike Sarraille:
Still to this day?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. She’s not allowed at events. She’s not allowed to coach. She’s not allowed to be present. She’s banned. Completely banned. So she’s truly like the big bad Wolf.

Mike Sarraille:
Did you get some time with her?

Adam Rippon:
A little bit.

Mike Sarraille:
How was that? What were your impressions? I’m putting you on the spot here. No comment is totally [crosstalk].

Adam Rippon:
I mean, what do you think? Like white trash, But I am white trash, so I can say that. It was like any lady I would’ve met in Scranton. Right? Fair?

Mike Sarraille:
I’m sure you just made a lot of enemies in Scranton with that comment.

Adam Rippon:
I already had them.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay. Okay. As we sort of wind down in this podcast, you’re 32 years old.

Adam Rippon:
I know.

Mike Sarraille:
I say that and I’m like, “It’s just so damn young.” And I see the people in the crowd are like shaking their heads. What’s important to you moving forward? You’ve got to be thinking of that. You’ve already cemented your legacy, by one, the Olympics, by two, having the moral courage to be the first openly gay athlete. Where do you go from here?

Adam Rippon:
That’s a great question. I like turn into a pool of water. When I think of when I had the most success as an athlete, I focus on what I enjoyed the most from those experiences. And the experiences that I’ve had since, I’ve been able to use a lot of the tools that I’ve learned as an athlete. Like I really enjoyed the planning, the training, but I’ve always loved performing in front of people. I’ve always loved making people laugh, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to kind of go more into the entertainment world, and I’ve loved it and I’ve enjoyed it so much. Some work doesn’t, but some does feel like super purposeful, and one thing I’m able to do, I feel like I’m able to like no matter who the person is or whatever, I feel like I’m able to connect with like anybody. I do truly feel like I could walk into any room and leave and be friends with everybody. And I want to be able to continue to do that and to be able to keep doing things that I really enjoy.

Mike Sarraille:
You’ve never met a stranger.

Adam Rippon:
No, that’s a great way of putting it. Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
So media and going down that pathway, is something of the interest to you and-

Adam Rippon:
Yes. Yeah. I love it. I’m really grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had, but all of them I’ve enjoyed so much.

Mike Sarraille:
You’ve got the personality, I have no doubt that you’re way ahead, but a good mentor of mine said, “Mike, you’ve got a face for radio and a voice for TV.” So I guess I’m screwed. And you are recently married?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
How’s that? How’s that? So you met your husband over Tinder.

Adam Rippon:
Yes. I did give.

Mike Sarraille:
Give the quick story there, because that is just the new norm.

Adam Rippon:
So a few years ago I was in … He’s from Finland, so I was in Finland, and I was at a competition. Obviously, I told you, super focused on Tinder and we matched. We never met, and then we talked for months, and then we finally met, and then …

Mike Sarraille:
Where did you guys meet? he came to the States?

Adam Rippon:
We met at LAX …

Mike Sarraille:
Okay.

Adam Rippon:
At the airport. And at first I didn’t know, that sounds like a bad idea, right?

Mike Sarraille:
It sounds like a bad idea, but if you canvas so many people that have flown men or women in from far. Yeah, it’s a gamble. Anything’s a gamble.

Adam Rippon:
Life is a gamble.

Mike Sarraille:
Going on a first date with somebody you meet at the bar, from that quick interaction, that’s a gamble.

Adam Rippon:
That’s also a gamble. Yeah. That’s the original Tinder, meeting someone at a bar.

Mike Sarraille:
All that Tinder and Bumble have done, is expedite the process. A lot of people are like, “Yeah, hey, that’s not a way to meet somebody.” No, it’s absolutely a way to meet somebody, it’s [crosstalk]. It expedites the process.

Adam Rippon:
Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
And here’s the other thing too. My wife talked about this all the time. We didn’t meet on Tinder or Bumble, but we both were on it is, anyone who tells you that attraction is not the first ingredient, is lying through their teeth.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
You don’t look at a girl across the bar and says, “Hey, I’m not physically attracted to her, but I bet she’s got a great personality.”

Adam Rippon:
I know. Here’s the thing, I’ll tell you though, about my Tinder profile. My now husband, was like, “I remember looking at your pictures and you had such a beautiful smile.” That smile, I had Photoshopped because I was starting my Invisalign, and I was like, “I’ll just kind of move my teeth around to the way that I know they’ll end up.” Eventually, that was my smile, but at the time it wasn’t.

Mike Sarraille:
When your husband on Tinder, had you already won the …

Adam Rippon:
So we Met on Tinder before the Olympics, and we met in person after.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. And he’s told me that it was a very odd experience …

Mike Sarraille:
To watch you on TV?

Adam Rippon:
Well, it was all of a sudden, one day he saw the newspaper in Finland and I was on the cover of it. And he was like, “This is this guy from Tinder?” So it’s funny to hear his perspective of everything, because I truly was just some random person, we were talking with each other. Yeah, his perspective of it is very interesting.

Mike Sarraille:
Did you have any competition photos on your profile?

Adam Rippon:
No.

Mike Sarraille:
No.

Adam Rippon:
I had one or two skate, and I think I had one skating one where I was on the ice, because I was like, “Maybe that’ll work.” It didn’t really work. I mean it worked eventually, I got a husband out of it.

Mike Sarraille:
So he sees you in the front page. I mean that’s just points. That’s points.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
I tried that with my wife, I leaned in on our first date. I’m like, “Hey, let me tell you something.” Cause I was at the time still, I was still an [inaudible]. I’m like, “Hey, I’m a Navy SEAL.” And she looked at me and she’s like, “Oh, awesome.” Had no clue what it is. It was the first time that I had ever gone on date with a girl that didn’t know what it was. And I had to be myself from there, and so it was just a real struggle from that point.

Adam Rippon:
Well, because with JP and I, I was like, “We’re never going to meet, so I don’t care.” So we would talk and I would truly be actually honest for the first time. We just would ask each other intense questions, and I would actually answer them super honestly, because I was like, “I’m never going to meet this person.” And then obviously we became very close because of just really having no guard up from the beginning.

Mike Sarraille:
How’s he adjusting to the L.A. life?

Adam Rippon:
He loves it.

Mike Sarraille:
He loves it?

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. He loves it.

Mike Sarraille:
Where where did he live before?

Adam Rippon:
He lived in Helsinki before.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay, so he came from a larger city.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
Okay.

Adam Rippon:
No loves it. And we live outside of the craziness of Hollywood.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah. Pasadena.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, Pasadena. Pasadena’s great. So it’s very walkable, so it’s my favorite part of California.

Mike Sarraille:
Except for the taxes.

Adam Rippon:
Exactly. I don’t love those. I’m still finding a way to not pay them, but it’s not working.

Mike Sarraille:
It is every American’s duty to pay as less taxes as possible.

Adam Rippon:
Hundred percent.

Mike Sarraille:
Hundred percent.

Adam Rippon:
Yeah. Anything you can write off. If anybody here has any extra receipts, I will take them. You and I will use them.

Mike Sarraille:
You just put a bullseye on your back for the IRS.

Adam Rippon:
It’s okay.

Mike Sarraille:
You’re getting audited in 2022.

Adam Rippon:
I know, I know it.

Mike Sarraille:
You heard it first here. Well, as we close out, again, we ask two questions for the listeners.

Adam Rippon:
Okay.

Mike Sarraille:
Again, our everyday warriors, warriors within the respected professions that are trying to live their best lives, and you’ve lived a multitude of lifetimes within your 32 years. How will Adam measure if he’s lived a fulfilling, purposeful, impactful life? When you’re 70, what is it that you’re going to look back and be like, “I lived well>:

Adam Rippon:
I’m 32, hopefully there’s many more years of me to do things that I’ll be proud of, but for what I’ve done so far, I’m very proud of it. And sometimes I think about, like, I can’t believe that in those moments actually stepped up to the plate. It feels unreal, and it feels like I don’t know how I did that, but I think for what I’ve done so far, I’m very proud of. And I think that I won’t focus too hard on what I want my legacy to be, or whatever I want to leave behind. I feel like life has led me to circumstances where I could either take advantage of them or not, and I think that that’s what will continue to happen.

Mike Sarraille:
My old man, again, who’s been right about 99% of the things, and he’s born and raised in San Francisco, built his own little empire. Good, good man, and my finest man said, and he saw me struggling. “Life is a mystery to be lived, not a puzzle to be solved.

Adam Rippon:
Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
So just take it as it comes. Lastly, again, we all have fundamental principles by which we live our lives. What are those one to three principles, your keys to success up to this point, that you’ve lived your life by, that maybe myself can take on board to live a better life?

Adam Rippon:
I think there’s two things that I take with me to everything that I do, and the first one is that nobody cares. Because everybody’s so focused about what does everybody else think, that when you finally realize like, oh, everybody’s thinking that. They don’t care about what you’re doing. And even if they talk shit about you, they’re going to do it for five minutes. Even if they’re railing you behind your back, and you have no idea, it’s only for five minutes and then it’s done. Then they really don’t care. And I think that I always look to people who I seemingly think don’t care what people think, and I really admire them, and I’m like, “Yeah, I should live more like that.”

Mike Sarraille:
When did you come to that realization though? What age?

Adam Rippon:
I would say I started caring less probably five years ago. And obviously there have been times where I’ve cared more, and it’s you have to get to a realization again of like, just let it go. It doesn’t matter that much. And the other thing is, go into every situation like you have nothing to lose. And every time I feel like I have nothing to lose, it’s that letting go of the fear of failure. And when I’m able to do that, I feel if things don’t go the way that I want, it’s okay, I can learn from it, but I never see it as something bad. And I used to see it as something bad. So those are the two things that I take with me into everything that I do.

Mike Sarraille:
So you see the upside of failure now? It’s part of the process of life?

Adam Rippon:
Totally. Yes. 100%.

Mike Sarraille:
Well, Adam, thank you for joining us for this episode of the Everyday Warrior. First off, from all of America, thank you for representing our nation, and kicking ass, and more so thank you for the moral courage for doing, on the social side what you think is right, for a lot of young men and women that look up to you man. Thank you and I mean that.

Adam Rippon:
Oh well, thank you. And thank you for your service. I …

Mike Sarraille:
Well, dude, I was happy to do it. Trust me, I was surrounded by men and women that were better than me. So to all the listeners, thank you for joining us on this episode of the Everyday Warrior podcast, brought to you by Men’s Journal. Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and pick up the newest edition of Men’s Journal Magazine, which I’m in.

Adam Rippon:
I’ll be picking it up, don’t worry.

Mike Sarraille:
I would sign it for you, but actually the value of the magazine goes down when I sign it.

Adam Rippon:
I doubt that.

Mike Sarraille:
We had an expedition where we all skydived into the Mount Everest region, which was cool. I was definitely nervous as hell, cause I just had a hip replacement. But Men’s Journal, why I took this deal and I love this company is it’s packed with amazing features on health and fitness, which are both important to both of us, even more so with my thing, adventure and travel. Are you much of a traveler?

Adam Rippon:
You know, yeah. Unconvincing, right?

Mike Sarraille:
Do you wish you had traveled more?

Adam Rippon:
I should travel more. Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
Yeah. As everyone should. And even traveling, if you only have a budget to go from California to somewhere in Nevada or Arizona-

Adam Rippon:
Yeah, totally. Yes.

Mike Sarraille:
… do it. We also cover style. The coolest gear hit in the market, and I’ve got to ask you, what is that one device you always have on you? Other than your cell phone, that’s the easy answer.

Adam Rippon:
Okay. Device I always have with me. I mean, it’s cell phone oriented. My laptop, I need to have my laptop around, or a portable charger.

Mike Sarraille:
You said a portable charger …

Adam Rippon:
Yeah.

Mike Sarraille:
… is your everyday carrier?

Adam Rippon:
Does that work for you?

Mike Sarraille:
I’d agree.

Adam Rippon:
Thank you.

Mike Sarraille:
I’d agree.

Adam Rippon:
Okay.

Mike Sarraille:
All right. And [inaudible], next time, I’m Mike Sarraille your host. Thanks for joining us.

This article was produced in partnership with Dometic

One of the best parts of car camping is the ability to haul the necessary gear to make gourmet meals in the middle of nowhere. You don’t have to cram everything into a pack then schlep it into the wilderness. And there’s no need to forgo your favorite food for dehydrated grub—or measure out oil and spices to liven up backcountry meals.

Of course you still have to be choosey, since the ultimate car camping kitchen can comprise some heavy, space-consuming items (e.g. a stove, grill, pots, pans, utensils, pantry staples, water). We’ve made a blueprint so you can maximize what you can bring while minimizing the space it takes in your vehicle.

Creating a Camp Kitchen

Putting together the backbone of your kitchen—the stuff you actually cook in and eat out of—used to mean a bit of foraging through old utensils and pots that should really be retired. But nowadays, there are lots of turnkey options for creating a great cooking station in the outdoors that’s light, durable, and efficient.

First off, it’s good to have some storage options lined up to pack away all of your various pieces of cookery. For that, go for Dometic’s new line of storage solutions. Soft-storage containers come in two sizes: 20 liter ($100) or 10 liter ($60). These handy little cubes are tough, as well as being ideal for storing lots of gear since they’re made from water-resistant, rugged thermoplastic-coated polyester, which gives them a semi-rigid structure that can collapse down. Add in the slip-in insulated totes—GO Pac Insulated 20L ($50) and 10L ($40)—and your storage transforms into a cooler. The 50-liter GO Hard Storage ($150) will also be available soon.

For covering the nuts and bolts of a camp kitchen, we like the Decked x Pathfinder Campfire Cooking Kit ($475), a collab between Decked, which makes the ultimate pickup bed drawer system (and a cool new tool box), and The Pathfinder School, a survival resource and outdoor gear company founded by noted survivalist Dave Canterbury. This all-in-one system gives you a ton of great-quality cookware to handle up to four campers.

Some highlights include: 120- and 64-ounce pots with lids and spouts, a folding skillet, four bowls and plates, four camp cups with lids, four sporks, and camp tongs which split apart to become a small ladle and spatula. All of this is made from single-wall, high-grade stainless steel so you can cook on a stove or open fire. And the best part is it all nests neatly and fits into the included Decked D-Bag ($200).

Being able to bring along a nice knife and large cutting board is another perk of packing a full-featured backcountry overlanding kitchen. OXO, which makes some of the most reliable kitchen utensils, just came out with a new line of kitchen essentials for the outdoors. And two of the best options are the Santoku Knife ($20) and Steady Surface Cutting Board ($13).

With the knife, you get a 5.5-inch stainless steel blade configured in the popular santoku blade style, great for chopping and slicing. A locking sheath keeps the edge (and your hands) safe when tossed in storage and the non-slip handle helps grip the knife securely, even when wet. Add in the BPA-free plastic cutting board, with handy non-slip feet and built-in drip channel featuring corners with reliefs for pouring, and you’ll be well on your way to gastronomic bliss in the backcountry.

Another camp kitchen essential is a clean-up kit. Sure, you could just assemble one from the random bits in the cabinet under your kitchen sink, but why not get something that’s super useful but also small and compact? The new Sea to Summit Camp Kitchen Clean-Up Kit ($40) definitely fits that bill as it gives you a 10-liter kitchen sink (that packs up tiny); a soap bottle that clips into a handy pot scrubber for better grip; a double-sided washcloth; and super-absorbent, fast-drying kitchen towel. All of that comes stored in a small, convenient zippered case with a total weight of 9.5 ounces.

Indulge in Backcountry Luxuries

Bringing along efficient, packable, high-performing kitchen gear is satisfying, but to really indulge in the luxury of car camping it’s important to pack some stuff that can really transform your culinary expectations in the wild. One piece of cookware no serious car camper should be without is either a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, which are perfect for sizzling up some bacon over an early-morning fire or slow-baking cobbler in the coals after the dishes are done.

Check out the two-person team at Borough Furnace in the Finger Lakes region of New York for some minimalist, rugged cast iron creations like the Seasoned Dutch Oven ($240) or Frying Skillet ($300). Handmade in small batches, either of these cast iron beauties will be an excellent addition to your camp kitchen. The company is also the only brand in America to make a cast iron pot with a porcelain enamel coating (see: Enameled Dutch Oven; $280), à la Le Creuset, so if you have the means, spring for that.

Another car camping kitchen essential is an electric cooler. With Dometic CFX3 25 ($900), gone are the days of messing with rapidly melting ice that turns chilled food into a soggy mess. This pint-sized powerhouse is the perfect companion for a car filled with outdoor gear, since it’s only 22 in x 16 in x 13 in and weighs 28 pounds. The 25-liter interior will hold 33 12-ounce cans, though we suggest filling it up with perishable food and regulating your beverages to a traditional cooler with ice so nothing gets water-logged or affected by fluctuating temps.

The CXF3 25 is also tough with a beefy frame and aluminum handles. An easy-to-read, black-on-white LCD display and available smartphone app make operation and monitoring the little fridge a breeze. You can also tote along an independent battery source like the Dometic PLB40 to keep it powered up and off your vehicle’s battery when out adventuring.

Running water is a luxury you don’t get in the wilderness, unless you’re in a pimped-out RV or stay in a developed campground. Dometic’s new GO Hydration Water Faucet ($100) is a game changer.

Compatible with any water container—though we suggest the Dometic GO Water Hydration Jug ($70) for its quick-connect spigot, comfy webbing handles, and two openings for easy accessory attachment and cleaning—the faucet uses a long-lasting battery that gives it the juice to pump water quickly. It also provides a night light for aprés campfire toothbrushing. A puck base and magnetic base allow for multiple mounting options around your campsite to maximize utility.

One last luxury that can come in handy at campsites is a foldable fire pit/grill like the Front Runner Box Braai/BBQ Grill ($222). Some sites don’t allow fires if they’re touching the ground. That’s where a flat-pack grill like the Box Braai shines. Made from stainless steel, the quick-to-setup grill gives you plenty of cooking surface to satisfy a large group and comes with a base that keeps it upright along with catching any errant embers.

With a multitude of awesome options out there, bringing your culinary prowess to the backcountry in the trunk of your car or bed of your truck is easier than ever, it’s just a matter of picking out the best gear.

Shop Dometic’s new GO line here.

shop now

Hi friends! Happy Monday and I hope you’re having a wonderful day. We’re finishing cleaning and organizing our closets (they were an epic mess lol) and enjoying the day with the crew.

For today’s post, I thought I would share some simple but powerful health tips from myself and Mia (a Registered Dietitian). It’s easy to think that changing your health requires a huge overhaul at once, but the beauty is in creating small habits and building from there. If you haven’t read Atomic Habits, I highly recommend it!! It explores the power of habit building and how to use small habits to make huge changes.

Here are some of the things that come to mind that you can use to build on over time. I’d love to hear if there’s anything else you’d add to the list!

10 tips you can use to transform your health

5 tips from Gina, a Precision Nutrition coach, NASM certified Personal Trainer and Women’s Fitness Specialist

1. Meditate

Meditation is one of the most powerful habits I’ve added to my personal health routine. When I meditate, it immediately affects how I feel on a mental level (more calm, patient, less anxious, more present) and it also affects my blood glucose when I’m wearing a CGM. The days that I meditate, I notice that I sleep much better that night and have vivid dreams. If you’re not sure how to start a meditation practice, check out this podcast episode.

2. Hydrate yourself throughout the day.

Even better? Sip on some LMNT electrolytes or another electrolyte you love. Hydration affects so many processes in the body, from digestion, skin tone, immune function, hormones, satiety, etc. I like to aim for at least half my body weight in ounces, and definitely have one serving of electrolytes each day, especially when it’s hot outside or I’ve had a longer or more intense workout.

3. Swap out frequent high-intensity exercise for low-impact or lower intensity options.

If you’re currently doing lots of high impact and high intensity workouts, assess your routine and make sure that you have some lower intensity days and at least 1-2 days completely off each week. After a certain point, you will experience diminishing returns with super intense workouts, usually through hormonal issues (exercise is a stressor for the body and it really comes down to how we recover from exercise!), and potentially overtraining symptoms or overuse injuries. If you’re not sure how to balance your workout plan, join us for Fit Team here! You can try it out for 7 days and see how you like it. June workouts just went live this weekend so you’re ready to rock and roll!

4. Track your protein and fiber intake.

Protein is the building block of our cells and many women aren’t eating enough protein to preserve muscle as we age. If you have goals to build muscle, you also need to make sure you’re eating enough protein! Protein intake suggestions depend on a variety of factors (age, body composition, activity levels, goals, diet, how much protein you’re currently eating, etc.) but a good rule of thumb is to aim for at least one palm-sized serving of protein in each meal.

5. Sauna

The sauna blanket has been a game changer for me! It helps with stress relief, can help to reduce soreness and inflammation in the body, and it feels SO good to sweat.

Here’s what my sauna blanket routine looks like:

• I use it 2-3x a week on non-consecutive days, usually when I’ve had an easier workout or an off day
• I wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt, long joggers or sweats, and two pairs of socks
• Preheat the blanket to level 8, and by the time I’m ready, it’s nice and toasty. I’ll turn it down to level 7 before crawling in
• I’ll put a small washcloth under my booty (otherwise I feel like it gets too hot on my tailbone)I set a timer for 35 minutes (my favorite amount of time because I get nice and sweaty) and use this time to watch a show, meditate with some binaural beats, or study for IHP. (Note: you don’t want to sauna for longer than 45 minutes. I think 20 minutes is a great starting point to get the benefits and usually feel great around 35 minutes)
• After I get out, I use a body brush and immediately hop in the shower. You don’t want everything you sweat out to be reabsorbed by the body. I’ll take a lukewarm to cool shower to rinse off and know I’ll get awesome sleep that night!

You can check out my full review of the HigherDOSE sauna blanket here and use FITNESSISTA15 to get 15% off the sauna blanket, PEMF Go Mat (I use this for meditation every day), red light face mask, and copper body brush.

5 tips from Mia, a Registered Dietitian and professionally-trained chef

6. Get some zzz’s!

A minimum of 7-9 hours of sleep per night is ideal for most adults.

Benefits can include:

– A decrease in cravings

– Mentally alertness and sharpness

– Increased energy

– Better mood and feeling happier

– Smaller waist circumference

– Muscle growth

– Improved cardiovascular health

– Improved immune system function

– Improved blood pressure

– Improved hormones and stress response

Make sure that you set yourself up for sleep success each day and have a solid wind down routine at night.

(PS this pillow mist is one of my favorite things ever!)

7. Go for a walk!

Taking a 30 minute walk first thing in the morning helps to set your circadian rhythm and benefits cardiovascular health. In addition, taking a 15-20 minute leisure walk after meals can help with postprandial glucose response, weight loss and overall metabolic health.

8. Start adrenal cocktails.

The adrenal cocktail can is beneficial, especially for anyone who has extra stress in their life, whether mental, emotional, physical, food, or even intermittent fasting. You can read more about the adrenal cocktail here! The adrenal cocktail helps to replenish the minerals lost when our adrenal glands are taxed and under stress. The adrenal cocktail provides essential vitamins and minerals, specifically potassium, sodium and whole food vitamin C, not ascorbic acid.

What does this look like in whole food form?

½ cup of fresh squeezed orange juice or pineapple juice

½ cup pure coconut water (no additives)

and ¼ tsp Redmond’s real salt. Stir and drink at 10a and 2p daily. Kinda like a little tropical oasis in your day.

9. STOP taking synthetic multi-vitamins and try desiccated beef organs.

Beef organs are rich in B vitamins, protein, copper, Vitamin A, Folate, and Zinc, just to name a few.  They are beneficial for hormonal balance, thyroid, digestion, physical and mental energy and skin. Get a boost from real food that can feel similar to a cup of joe without the cortisol spike.

10. Laugh!

Laughter decreases pain and stress making hormones in the body. Laughter has positive benefits on mental health, the immune system and helps to decrease anxiety.  It secretes endorphins, which can transform your mood.  It is a non-invasive form of therapy that is great for treating stress and depression. Open a book of jokes, read the comics, turn on your favorite movie, or flip through old photos and enjoy a good laugh.

So tell me friends: what habits in your day have made a huge positive impact on your health? What would you add to this list?

xoxo

Gina

The post 10 tips you can use to transform your health appeared first on The Fitnessista.

This article was published in partnership with Blu Atlas.

A healthy head of hair is key to both looking and feeling your best. Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp, so it’s important to nourish your crown with quality active ingredients. To maximize hair thickness, volume and shine, it is not only necessary to wash regularly, but also to condition. Shampoos can strip the hair and scalp of vital moisture and nutrients, leading to hair damage or thinning. Following your wash with the right conditioner is an important step toward keeping your mane in top form.

With so many conditioners on the market, it may be challenging to find the right one for you. This choice will depend on your hair type and treatment concerns, as well as your taste in ingredients and fragrance. To smooth your selection process, we have surveyed the top products available and compiled this list of the 20 best hair conditioners for men in 2022. Get ready to reveal your best hair yet!

1. Blu Atlas Conditioner

This all-natural conditioner from the outstanding men’s grooming line Blu Atlas is a clear winner. The lightweight formula will address all your hair concerns with potent botanicals that soothe and hydrate the scalp and fortify the strands. Say goodbye to weak tresses, breakage, frizz and dullness, and restore your hair to full volume and shine with this premium product.

The fresh-scented blend includes natural humectants to lock in moisture and barley protein to strengthen your strands. Lather up with this effective conditioner daily for best results. This product is free of harmful parabens, phthalates and sulfates, and is ideal for regular use. Pair this conditioner with the brand’s shampoo for even more dramatic benefits.

[$22; bluatlas.com]

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2. VERB | Hydrating Conditioner

Verb is another body-care brand that is committed to clean ingredients. Their Hydrating Conditioner is a great moisture-boosting choice for all hair types, featuring a gentle, all-natural blend of hair-loving botanicals. Argan and meadowfoam seed oils restore and strengthen the hair from the follicle to the tip with antioxidants. Pro-vitamin B5 and sunflower extract hydrate and nourish the scalp and hair while providing natural UV protection.

Boost hair body, moisture and shine with this color-safe formula. It is gluten-free and does not contain harmful chemical additives, making it a great option for sensitive skin. This sustainably sourced conditioner has a light citrus fragrance to refresh your senses as you care for your mane.

[$40; amazon.com]

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3. HORACE | Nourishing Conditioner

This nutritious conditioner from clean men’s grooming line Horace contains an impressive 96.9% all-natural ingredients. The gentle formula hydrates and strengthens your hair with a blend of plant-derived moisturizers, including shea butter, Abyssian oil and mango butter. These high-powered ingredients also protect the scalp and hair with numerous antioxidants for dramatic results.

Featuring a deliciously fresh green fragrance, this product is free of silicone, mineral oil, PEG and parabens. Safely treat and nourish your hair with this clean conditioner, which pairs well with the brand’s hydrating shampoo.

[$20; horace.co]

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4. HANZ DE FUKO | Natural Conditioner

Soothe your scalp and boost hair volume with this conditioner from men’s grooming brand Hanz de Fuko, featuring 100% certified organic ingredients. This botanically boosted formula includes an impressive blend of protective and hydrating plant extracts, including antioxidant-rich white tea, nourishing shea butter and reparative aloe vera. A medley of amino acids will fortify your strands to prevent frizz and breakage, while burdock root and horsetail fern heal the scalp and stimulate hair growth.

This lightly scented formula is sustainably sourced and free of sulfates and parabens. Use it daily after shampooing to restore hair and scalp health.

[$23; hanzdefuko.com]

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5. Oribe | Priming Lotion Leave-In Conditioning Detangler

If your hair is prone to tangles and breakage, try this leave-in conditioner from luxury haircare brand Oribe. Simply apply this convenient product to clean hair after showering, and let it air dry for silky and tangle-free hair. The luxurious formula includes the brand’s signature complex of plant-based antioxidants to protect and fortify the hair and scalp. A luxurious blend of botanical oils strengthens, nourishes and softens the hair, smoothing the hair cuticles and sealing in moisture.

Use this rich and creamy product for tangle-free hair that is easier to style. This is a great option for curly hair, as it provides moisture without weighing down your ringlets. Achieve bounce, body and shine with this premium option.

[$38; oribe.com]

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6. Patricks | CD1 Stimulating & Thickening Conditioner

For targeted treatment of thinning hair, try this high-performance conditioner from the acclaimed men’s grooming brand Patricks. The multi-active formula thickens your hair shafts with plant proteins for an instant volumizing effect. It also features a synergistic blend of plant-derived antioxidants that stimulate scalp circulation and promote new hair growth. Plus, it is made with androgen-blocking technology to specifically target male pattern baldness.

Rounding off this top-rated product is a luxurious masculine fragrance of vetiver and white mint. Whether you have advanced hair loss or are just starting to see the signs of thinning, this paraben and phthalate-free conditioner is an excellent choice. Pair it with the brand’s targeted thickening shampoo for maximum effect.

[$46; patricks.co]

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7. Doers of London Conditioner

Nourish your hair and scalp with this dermatologist-recommended conditioner from the all-natural grooming brand Doers of London. The gentle, pH-balanced formula contains an array of deeply hydrating and restorative botanical ingredients, such as softening argan oil and calming copaiba extract, making it one of the best hair conditioners on the market. Organic aloe vera and oat bran extract balance sebum levels and protect your hair and scalp from oxidative stress.

Use this conditioner daily to calm scalp irritation and boost your hair shine and control. This ultra-clean product is certified vegan and cruelty-free, formulated without synthetic colors, fragrance, parabens or sulfates.

[$24; doersoflondon.com]

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8. Olivina Men | Conditioning Cream (Bourbon Cedar)

This dual-purpose cream comes from the organic grooming brand Olivina Men. Their versatile formula can be used as a rinse-out product for daily care or a leave-in conditioner to add shine and control. It features the brand’s popular signature fragrance Bourbon Cedar, made of pure essential oils. The olive-oil-based cream hydrates and fortifies strands with barley protein, while elderberry extract stimulates hair growth.

Repair damaged hair and restore natural shine with this fragrant, eco-friendly product for men. The affordable conditioner is packaged in 100% recyclable materials and is free of harmful artificial chemicals, making it a great choice for everyday use.

[$7.83; amazon.com]

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9. Sachajuan | Scalp Conditioner

Target dandruff and scalp irritation with this award-winning conditioner from stylish salon favorite Sachajuan. The high-powered blend includes natural antimicrobial compounds to gently combat the fungus that causes dandruff. An anti-inflammatory infusion of ginger, rosemary, menthol and salicylic acid soothes and balances the scalp.

This effective product is best paired with the brand’s targeted anti-dandruff shampoo. Vegan, clean and sustainably sourced, it is safe for daily use.

[$105; sachajuan.com]

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10. Bevel | Sulfate-Free Conditioner

Hydrate and detangle your hair with this deep conditioning option from dermatologist-approved grooming brand Bevel. Suitable for daily use as a rinse-out treatment, or as a leave-in hair mask, this clean formula nourishes and fortifies your mane with coconut oil and shea butter.

Seal in moisture and volume while boosting shine with this versatile hair treatment, which is superb for coarse or curly hair textures. The rich, lathering formula is free of harmful ingredients, and the light fragrance is a customer favorite.

[$17.96; getbevel.com]

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11. Act+Acre | Cold Processed Hair Conditioner

What makes this one of the best hair conditioners for men? Well, the natural hair-care brand Act+Acre is known for its proprietary cold-pressed technology, which preserves the potency of botanical ingredients for optimal benefit. Nourish and repair dry, damaged hair with their lightweight conditioner that delivers deep, continual hydration. This silicone-free formula is a great choice for all hair types. It includes fortifying quinoa protein, hydrating Abyssian oil and restorative vitamin B5 for dramatic results.

See why this one is an insider favorite for affordable, clean and high-powered hair care with proven results. It is safe for chemically treated and dyed hair, and sustainably sourced.

[$28; actandacre.com]

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12. Dr. Squatch | Men’s Natural Conditioner (Cool Citrus)

This refreshing conditioner from the organic men’s grooming brand Dr. Squatch is an excellent choice for daily use. It features cooling peppermint oil, which calms the scalp and stimulates hair growth. Calendula and clary sage hydrate and balance to restore a smooth, healthy shine. Plus, avocado oil delivers a potent dose of vitamin E to lock in moisture. The invigorating citrus fragrance is another favorite among buyers.

Massage this luxurious, fragrant cream into your scalp and hair daily for maximum effect.

[$16; drsquatch.com]

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13. EVO | Normal Persons Daily Conditioner

This lightweight daily conditioner is ideal for oily hair types, working to reduce sebum production and stimulate the scalp. The clean formula boosts hair smoothness, shine and control with a blend of moisturizers, fortifying proteins and oil-controlling agents.

Massage this lightly scented, nourishing conditioner into your wet hair and scalp, and rinse to reveal softness and shine. This product is free of parabens, sulfates and gluten, and is safe for regular use. Pair this certified vegan and cruelty-free option with the brand’s corresponding shampoo for maximum results.

[$30; amazon.com]

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14. GAGE FOR MEN | Tea Tree Conditioner

Energize and balance your scalp with this refreshing conditioner from the high-performance grooming brand Gage for Men. The light formula hydrates with coconut extract and neem seed oil, while essential oils of tea tree and peppermint stimulate scalp circulation for balanced moisture. The antioxidant-packed botanical ingredients also protect your scalp and hair from damaging free radicals and UVA/UVB rays.

Massage this comforting cream into the hair and scalp daily for revitalizing hydration. It can be paired with the brand’s corresponding shampoo for a double dose of minty freshness.

[$18; gageformen.com]

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15. AMERICAN CREW | Daily Conditioner

This multi-action conditioner comes from veteran men’s grooming brand American Crew. The vegan formula revitalizes, fortifies and protects your hair and scalp with lightweight and lasting hydration. Boost hair softness, control and shine with this blend of 91% natural ingredients, such as ultra-moisturizing vitamin B5 and fragrant extracts of peppermint, rosemary and thyme.

This energizing and strengthening conditioner from a trusted leading brand is an excellent daily option for men with normal to dry hair.

[$8.76; amazon.com]

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16. TRIUMPH & DISASTER | Conditioner

This impressive, high-powered conditioner is 100% natural and top-rated, with proven results. Ultra-clean, and backed by rigorous research, this lightweight detangling formula features an enticing fragrance of mint and cucumber. It is rich in hair-fortifying keratin, nourishing argan oil and an all-natural silicone substitute to detangle even the most difficult knots.

Treat your hair and scalp with this potent offering from a leader in artisanal plant-powered personal care.

[$33; triumphanddisaster.com]

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17. Jack Black | Nourishing Hair & Scalp Conditioner

This rich conditioner is another great choice, courtesy of popular grooming brand Jack Black, a reliable source for luxury-grade products at reasonable prices. This botanically boosted and sulfate-free formula provides deep hydration that tackles frizz without weighing the hair down. It features biotin and silk protein to fortify your hair shafts, and a nourishing antioxidant blend of green tea, tea tree oil and basil.

This fragrance-free product delivers lasting hydration without greasy residue. It is suitable for all hair types and is created from clean ingredients, making it safe for daily use.

[$27.83; walmart.com]

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18. LAB SERIES | Age Rescue Densifying Conditioner

This powerful conditioner from premium men’s skincare line Lab Series harnesses the power of the brand’s anti-aging technology to combat visible signs of aging in the hair. The proprietary 3D Renoplex composite turns back the clock to reveal youthful, healthy locks. Ginseng combats hair loss, while glycerin and wheat protein nourish and strengthen your scalp and strands.

Try this advanced option for thicker, shinier and healthier hair that defies the passage of time. Pair it with the brand’s corresponding shampoo for double the anti-aging benefits.

[$27.45; walmart.com]

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19. GROWN ALCHEMIST | Conditioner

Enhance your hair’s shine, strength and body with this blend of powerful bioactive ingredients from the natural skincare innovators at Grown Alchemist. The lightweight formula is intended for daily use. It includes potent antioxidants derived from tomato, black pepper and green tea, which work to soften and smooth the hair shafts while nourishing and soothing the scalp. A calming floral blend of chamomile, lavender and myrtle adds protective moisture that lasts.

This 100% natural, vegan and cruelty-free option pairs well with the brand’s other products, including a corresponding shampoo to round out your daily hair-care ritual.

[$49; grownalchemist.com]

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20. RADIA | Purifying Conditioner

Rounding out our list is this gentle lab-tested conditioner that detoxifies and clarifies damaged hair to reveal healthy volume and shine. The deep hydrating treatment is intended for daily use and guaranteed to moisturize, detangle and fortify your locks with a lightweight, dermatologist-tested formula. It includes the brand’s proprietary Nanosome Technology, which enables the continuous release of active ingredients for optimal results. Aloe, acai berry and keratin are delivered with maximum efficiency to rejuvenate, hydrate, fortify and purify even the most damaged hair.

This high-performance option is safe for color-treated hair while being free of gluten, silicones, parabens and sulfates. Reverse damage and protect your tresses with this targeted conditioner.

[$32; dslaboratories.com]

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a conditioner, and why do I need one?

A conditioner is a moisturizing agent that is applied to the hair and scalp after shampooing to add hydration and protection. Shampoos can strip your hair of vital moisture, weakening or damaging the strands. Regular use of a nourishing, moisturizing and protective conditioner is necessary to counteract these effects and keep your hair healthy, hydrated and strong. It is an important step for optimal scalp, follicle and hair shaft health, especially if you have dry skin or strands.

A great conditioner will smooth and strengthen your hair cuticles, regulate scalp hydration, and provide antioxidant protection from environmental stressors. Plus, the right conditioner will detangle your hair and boost control for easy styling.

How do I choose the right conditioner

There are different types of conditioners tailored to distinct hair types and concerns. Let’s explore some of the most common hair types and conditioners.

If you have fine hair, choose a volumizing conditioner, which will bulk up your hair strands with fortifying compounds to provide an appearance of thicker hair.

If you have dry hair, choose a moisturizing conditioner that will nourish and hydrate your hair and scalp while locking in moisture.

If you have oily hair, choose an oil control conditioner that will regulate sebum production on your scalp without irritation.

If you have hair loss, choose a conditioner for thinning hair that will target the different causes of hair loss, including hormonal imbalance, scalp irritation and environmental damage.

Lastly, if you have normal hair, choose a lightweight conditioner that will nourish and hydrate without weighing down your locks with greasy residue.

How do I use a conditioner?

1. Thoroughly cleanse your hair with your chosen shampoo. Remove any excess water from your hair.

2. Deposit a small amount of conditioner onto your hand. Read the product instructions for exact amount recommendations.

3. Dispense the product thoroughly and evenly across your scalp and throughout your hair. Pay special attention to your scalp, gently massaging the conditioner onto the skin for optimal absorption.

4. Let the conditioner sit in your hair and scalp for several minutes. Product instructions will tell you how long you should wait. Some are intended for one or two minutes, while leave-in hair treatments may be left in for up to 30 minutes or all day.

5. Thoroughly rinse the conditioner from your hair and scalp, avoiding the eyes.

6. Experts recommend that you limit the use of damaging hairdryers and instead gently towel or air dry your clean, nourished mane.

How often should I use a conditioner?

The frequency with which you condition will depend on your hair type, hair length and chosen product. Men’s hair experts generally agree with the following common guidelines.

If you have short hair, you only need to condition it one or two times a week, as shorter strands are more fully nourished from the scalp.

If you have long hair, you should condition it two to three times a week, as long strands tend to retain fewer nutrients from the scalp.

If you have greasy or oily hair, condition one to two times a week, focusing on the ends of your hair rather than the scalp to prevent oily buildup.

If you have normal hair, you should condition one or two times a week.

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and different products may have different indications. Take the time to figure out which routine helps your hair look and feel the best.

What ingredients should I look for in a conditioner?

It is important to choose high-quality natural ingredients with proven hair-care benefits. Let’s explore some of the best ingredients found in popular conditioners.

Essential oils

Essential oils have many important benefits for scalp and hair health. Most have antifungal compounds to combat dandruff, as well as hydrating, restorative and anti-inflammatory effects. Tea tree oil is a powerful calmative ingredient that also deep cleans and purifies the scalp. Peppermint oil stimulates scalp circulation to help keep the follicles nourished while encouraging new hair growth. These therapeutic oils also typically emit pleasant aromas for a luxurious hair-washing experience.

Carrier oils 

Less concentrated than essential oils, carrier oils are typically plant-derived, and are used to hydrate, soften and protect the skin while helping it to absorb more potent ingredients without irritation. Carrier oils are classed as emollients, humectants or occlusives according to their skincare benefits. Emollients such as coconut oil smooth, soften and nourish the skin’s surface. Humectants such as glycerin and jojoba oil boost the skin’s moisture-absorbing ability for deep hydration. Finally, occlusives form a protective barrier on the skin to lock in moisture. This category includes argan oil and shea butter.

Aloe vera leaf juice

This miracle-working plant nourishes the scalp and provides soothing hydration. It is deeply restorative for the hair and follicles, delivering numerous essential vitamins for optimal body and shine.

Antioxidants (vitamin B5, C and E, and green tea)

Antioxidants are molecules that combat free-radical damage from environmental aggressors. Free radicals cause oxidative stress, which can damage the hair, follicles and scalp, and lead to loss of shine, volume and thickness. Antioxidants can reverse this process, regenerating and protecting both the hair and scalp from future damage.

Amino acids

As the building blocks of proteins, amino acids are essential to the formation and maintenance of strong tissue in our bodies. Topical application of amino acids in targeted hair-care products can both strengthen the hair and repair damage, as these compounds bind to the shafts and lock in moisture. The most effective amino acids found in common hair-care products include silk and wheat amino acids, oat and soy protein derivatives, and keratin.

What ingredients should I avoid in a conditioner?

Unfortunately, many widely available personal care products are made with harmful ingredients that have been linked not only to mild irritation but to grave health problems. Let’s look at some of the most toxic ingredients to avoid.

Sulfates

Sulfates are chemical detergents that are commonly added to personal care products as foaming agents to create a rich lather. Not only are sulfates damaging to the hair and scalp, stripping them of moisture and nutrients, but they are also known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

Parabens

These chemical preservatives can cause skin irritation, various forms of cancer, neural damage and hormonal imbalance.

Phthalates

Phthalates are another common additive in grooming products and are linked to damage of the lungs, liver, kidneys and reproductive system, in addition to disruption of the endocrine system.

Synthetic dyes and fragrances

Many synthetic fragrances are made with toxic chemicals that are linked to endocrine disruption, hair loss and cardiopulmonary disease. Synthetic dyes are typically made of highly toxic petroleum derivatives, which are also linked to various cancers.

Silicone

Though it isn’t toxic, silicone deserves a mention because it is so common in hair-care products despite its deleterious effects on hair health. These synthetic polymers, often listed as dimethicone, coat the hair shafts to make them appear healthier momentarily. However, in the long run, they strip hair of vital nutrients and moisture and irritate the scalp with oily buildup.

Your hair and scalp deserve the best care, so keep an eye out for these harmful ingredients, and opt for clean, high-performance natural products with trusted results.

As this comprehensive survey has shown, a good conditioner is the crowning element of a solid hair-care routine. Take the time to discover the perfect conditioner for your hair type, taste and budget. With this all-star lineup of the 20 best hair conditioners for men in 2022, you are sure to find just the one to keep you looking and feeling amazing from head to toe.

The perfect heli-ski experience does exist, and it’s in Alaska.

When you’re heli-skiing in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains, “landing” is a relative concept. On our first run of a weeklong trip with Valdez Heli-Ski Guides, our pilot, an unflappable Frenchman named Jean Louis, dangles the front of the helicopter’s cockpit over a 2,000-foot cliff while perching the machine’s tail on a precarious cornice. Before I have a chance to ask “Are you serious?” the veteran pilot casually motions to the great white outside. Alright then. I unbuckle my harness, drop a boot onto one of the skids, duck my head and leap into one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Heli-skiing is addictive. Acres and acres of untracked, knee-deep powder provide a chance to star in your own TGR video. In Alaska, all the emotions—conquest, grandeur, solitude—are multiplied. You scout lines and draw lungfuls of frigid air while taking in the horizon. No people, trees, animals, signs of humanity. Just primal peaks towering over an otherworldly stadium of snow. Then the complete freedom that comes with carving long, swooping lines in hero snow, leaving plumes of snow smoke in your wake. Starting anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 feet elevation, each run to the valley floor can take 10 to 20 minutes and cover 3,000 to 6,000 feet of vertical drop.

Back in the bird, Jean Louis and our guide, Matt Bohne, scan ridges for safe landing spots and lines to devastate. Wind buff and sun exposure can scuttle good snow, and the difference between fresh pow and variable crunch is the difference between a high five and a trip-ending wipeout. At these northern latitudes the tree line is just a few thousand feet above sea level. Absent growth, big gusts can alter snow surfaces in the time it takes to scarf a roast beef sandwich between runs.

Valdez Heli-Ski Guides sits in the heart of the Chugach Mountains. Tsaina Lodge, the operation’s headquarters, was founded more than 30 years ago by iconic free-skier Doug Coombs, who twice won the World Extreme Skiing Championship. It’s become the premier heli-ski operation in Alaska.

It’s tempting to describe the staff ’s demeanor as nonchalant. But that laid-back attitude is just a mask for the controlled precision of consummate pros. On our last day Matt directs the heli into a new valley with steeper lines than we’d seen all week. At first I didn’t think these were possible to access—a large cornice protects their entrance.

Outside Matt gives us instructions I was expecting but also sort of fearing. We’ll drop over a steep ledge, traverse hard right to avoid a terrifying cliff band, then ski a steep chute to the valley floor, avoiding hard-pack debris from recent slides in the apron.

Matt goes first, calmly makes the wicked traverse and disappears from sight. My nerves return. Knees start vibrating. Caution takes precedence over grace. I execute an awkward butt-scoot to the edge and clumsily lower myself off the eight-foot drop. I make quick work of the traverse, and gain confidence as the hard-pack turns to soft, stable powder. Now back to a world I know well—left, right, left, right.

In good snow, skiing is the same as flying, a place between stability and free fall. I find a rhythm, lean back and let my skis do the rest.

How to Pull Off the Perfect Alaska Heli-Ski Trip

When: Valdez Heli-Ski Guides (and other Chugach Mountains outfits) operate February to May. Early season often has more deep powder, but fickle weather. Late season has longer days and more predictable conditions.

Amenities: Use of airbag pack, beacon, shovel and probe, option for rental skis or snowboard, round-trip charter from Anchorage and the best guides in the world.

Cost: Valdez Heli-Ski Guides packages run $6,500 to $25,000 per person for a week of heli-skiing. Price differences depend on lodging and number of groups you share a helicopter with.

To say tequila has been gaining popularity over the last few years is a gross understatement. It’s been barreling along like a freight train. If you don’t consider yourself an aficionado, you may not know there are a few expressions: blanco, reposado, and añejo tequila. Banco is unaged and bottled after distilling, while reposado is aged from two months to a year in oak barrels. These are the most accessible (and typically more affordable) than añejo, especially for mixing up cocktails. But that’s not to say all añejos have to break the bank.

But those who like to savor their liquor, á la whiskey or bourbon, will love sipping añejo tequila. This variety is left in oak barrels for at least a year. The aging process can take place in virgin barrels or those that previously stored other spirits like bourbon, whiskey, or even red wine. It gives the tequila a darker amber hue and imparts more flavors and complexity while mellowing out the liquor. Here’s the best añejo tequila to try now.

Best Añejo Tequila to Sip in 2022

1. Tepozán Añejo

Tepozán tequila has been sustainably made from the same recipe in Jalisco, Mexico, for the last quarter of a century. It’s just three natural ingredients: blue agave, spring water, and yeast. The añejo is aged 14 months in Kentucky white oak bourbon barrels before bottling. Tasting notes include hints of butterscotch, hot peppers, and smoked wood.

[$65; tequilatepozan.com]

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This article was published in partnership with Blu Atlas.

Recent years have seen a boom in grooming products designed specifically for men. In fact, male skincare has been revolutionized with scents, designs and ingredients chosen with the modern man in mind.

If you’re a man looking to upgrade your skincare ritual, there is no better place to start than at its most essential step: your daily body wash!

As it’s the first product we reach for during an early morning shower, an afternoon rinse or an evening bath, a good body wash is more important than many of us realize. Body wash clears the skin, wards off bacteria and eliminates unpleasant odors. Its refreshing scent lasts for hours, allowing you to go about your day with confidence.

To help you start every day right with a body wash that leaves you not only clean and energized, but also fresh-smelling, we’ve created this list of the best-smelling body washes for men. Keep reading to find the one that suits your taste as well as your budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still unsure about the perfect body wash for you? Check out our frequently asked questions for useful tips on choosing the best skincare products and ingredients.

Body wash, shower gel, plain old soap? What is the difference, and which should you choose?

Whether you choose an exfoliating body wash or opt for the simplest bar of soap, it is important to make the choice that is right for your skin. Basic soap can be harsher on the skin than body gels and washes. It also lacks the added moisturizing ingredients that make up most body washes today. However, for those living in humid climates, or those with skin that tends to be oily, ordinary soap may provide a simpler way to wash. If you count yourself among this number, make sure you store the soap properly to avoid excess bacterial growth.

A body gel – not to be confused with a body wash – is a thinner, less viscous liquid that provides more lather than a soap but lacks the exfoliating properties of a typical body wash. If you are still undecided, you may consider investing in one of each.

Are there real benefits to an all-natural wash?

While chemical ingredients often create the rich lather we have come to expect from our body wash, their long-term use can prove detrimental to our skin health. This occurs when frequently used chemical additives, such as sodium lauryl, sulfates and parabens, start to strip away our skin’s natural oils. You may notice this is happening if your skin grows increasingly dry between washes. In this case, you may feel that you need to increase product use to regain your skin’s elasticity.

Going natural may decrease flakiness and prompt your skin to produce its own natural defenses against the elements. All-natural or organic ingredients will simply augment your skin’s existing powers of protection. After a lifetime of exposure to chemical additives, it may take some time to grow accustomed to the consistency of all-natural products, but the end result will certainly be worth it. And knowing that your products were sourced from the earth will offer you an added sense of comfort.

Which ingredients should you look for in a body wash?

The secret to the best ingredients to look for in a body wash is quite simply trial and error. Everyone has a unique skin type and individual preferences, so you won’t really know until you try. That being said, existing research in the field of dermatology can provide some useful hints. According to the experts, aloe leaf, tea tree oil and charcoal are best for cleansing distressed skin and targeting harmful bacteria. If it is moisture that your skin lacks, look for jojoba extract, shea butter or anything that contains coconut. When in doubt, keep in mind that it is not quantity that counts; the simpler the ingredients, the more likely you are to reap their natural benefits.

Which commonly used ingredients should you avoid?

In general, you should be wary of any chemical additives in your skincare products. However, there are a few that are known for being particularly toxic:

Sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate are two common foaming agents that may irritate the skin and dehydrate the scalp. With long-term use, the absorption of these substances into the body may cause severe illnesses, such as cancers.

Triclosan appears in body wash products as an antifungal or antibacterial substance. Banned in Canada and Japan, it has been linked to skin and organ toxicity, allergies, immunotoxicity and other severe conditions.

Parabens like methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben and butylparaben are commonly used as preservatives in the skincare industry. They are easily absorbed by the body and have been proven to lead to a number of serious illnesses. Among these are psychological illness, infertility, spermatogenesis and various types of cancer.

Phthalates are commonly used in cosmetic products as fragrance enhancers. Studies have shown that phthalates have been linked with endocrine disruptions that result in even more serious side effects, such as pregnancy loss.

Should you trust three-in-one products?

Believe it or not, multi-use products have been around since the early eighties, when Pantene first introduced a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Consumers have been debating their value ever since. Some experts claim that a three-in-one product can’t effectively target each individual problem area. If you have dry skin, for instance, but tend to have more oily hair, then a three-in-one product probably won’t meet your needs. On the other hand, consumers report being satisfied with naturally sourced three-in-one products such as the aforementioned Jack Black three-in-one wash. High-quality ingredients have the potential to benefit multiple areas at once. And when time is short, a multi-use wash can shave precious minutes off your self-care routine. As with most self-care-related topics, the best way to find the answer is to try the products and see what works for you.

Is it safe to order skincare products online?

It is absolutely safe and highly efficient to order personal care products online. With the variety of merchants and the number of reviews available, the internet may help you make a more informed decision about the product you are looking for. Competition among brands leads to reduced prices for consumers, so you may even score a bargain.

However, when purchasing skincare products online, it is important to make sure that the merchant is legitimate. The best way to do this is to order directly from the manufacturer’s website or from well-known resellers such as Target or Walmart. Since third-party merchants have sometimes been reported for selling knockoff products, a fair amount of caution is always advisable. Also, make sure you are aware of the company’s return policy before making a hefty purchase. Some companies will allow you to try before you buy, while others adhere to a stricter set of guidelines.

Are there any other skincare products that are recommended for men?

Of course! It is a myth that the beauty industry exists only for female consumers. Because male skin is up to 20% thicker than female skin, experts recommend investing in a quality moisturizer for the face and body. Especially if you shave daily, replenishing the skin should be a necessary part of your daily self-care ritual.

A facial cleanser can be another useful addition to any man’s shower caddy. Though most men do not wear makeup, facial cleansers can still help prevent acne and other distressing skin conditions. In recent years, exfoliating face masks have become popular among both men and women alike.

It can be hard to live a high-profile, Hollywood life and abstain from alcohol. Harder still if your spouse has part ownership in a gin brand. But that’s exactly the position Blake Lively, superstar actress and wife of Ryan Reynolds, the face of Aviation Gin, is in. Although she likes the taste of alcohol, Lively’s sober. “I hate the effects of it, she says.” But sitting on the sidelines isn’t her thing. “I wanted something where I could still participate” with friends who were drinking. Rather than deal with mediocrity, Lively launched her own brand of mixers called Betty Buzz.

You’re probably particular about the spirits you use in cocktails, but how precious are you about the add-ins? It’s an afterthought for most, but mixers are incredibly important for cocktails—especially nonalcoholic ones, as it comprises a huge chunk of the flavor profile. Thing is, most mixers don’t measure up to a proper cocktail.

“To me, they didn’t taste great, but apparently they do once you mix them with alcohol,” Lively says. “It just didn’t make any sense…If this is most of the drink, then why doesn’t it taste spectacular?”

Made with real juice and natural sweeteners and flavors, the Betty Buzz lineup includes five variants: Sparkling Grapefruit, Sparkling Lemon Lime, Meyer Lemon Club Soda, Ginger Beer, and Tonic Water. The “real ingredients” plug isn’t just hype; there’s actually fruit sediment in the Sparkling Lemon Lime.

“I’m a millennial, we love that crap,” Lively jokes.

The mixers are simple by design; Lively intends for them to be used with a variety of add-ins, garnishes, and spirits, if that’s your thing.

“You really can’t go wrong,” she says. “It’s very rare—maybe once—that I’ve put something together and gone, ‘I don’t like the way that tastes.’ ” She even promotes a cocktail called Everything but the Kitchen Drink (see below) that layers multiple Betty Buzz flavors, garnished with herbs, like mint and basil, and any type of fresh citrus you have on hand.

Lively is hoping Betty Buzz makes it easier for everyone to enjoy a high-quality drink, regardless of their choice to imbibe. She relays a story about Reynolds opting out of a boozy drink at a social gathering and asking her to make him an alcohol-free Betty Buzz cocktail instead.

“That was a neat moment for me,” she says. “To see how it evened the playing field a bit.”

Below, check out Lively’s insider advice for drinking great without alcohol, and some simple-yet-satisfying Betty Buzz recipes that can be made with or without booze.

Take It From Blake: Top Tips for Sober Cocktailing

1. Don’t Feel Pressure to Finish

Betty Buzz bottles are 9 ounces, enough to make two full drinks—but if you only want one, just pop the cap back on. “It stays carbonated,” Lively says.

2. Just a Drop’ll Do Ya

Lively doesn’t drink alcohol, but she appreciates the aromas that an aged bourbon or high-quality gin can add to a cocktail. She’ll rim the glass with a little booze, or even rub some on a garnish of sliced apple or ginger to enjoy the sensory benefits without the alcoholic effects. “You’re not getting enough alcohol to do anything, it’s probably less than vanilla extract but…if you put it right where you’re drinking, so you smell it, you really get that woodiness,” Lively says.

3. Bitters Can Be Better

If you’re avoiding spirits altogether, Lively recommends a few dashes of cassia bark bitters, which can have the same aromatic amplifying effect as a drop or two of bourbon. Play around with other types of bitters, too; there’s a world of potential flavor combinations that can stand in for gin, tequila, and other alcohols.

Both-Ways Betty Buzz Cocktails

While Lively designed Betty Buzz to be enjoyed on its own, sans alcohol, the mixers work just as well when paired with bourbon, gin, and other spirits. Check out the recipes below, which can be made boozy or booze-free.

The ABC

Ingredients

• Betty Buzz Ginger Beer
• 2 droppers cassia bark bitters
• 5 oz apple juice
• 1/2 oz bourbon, or as much as desired (optional)
• Pomegranate seeds and apple slices, for garnish

Directions

1. Fill a tall glass half-full with ice, then add 4 ½ ounces (half-bottle) of Betty Buzz Ginger Beer, apple juice, bitters, and bourbon, if using.
2. Stir to combine, and squeeze two handfuls of pomegranate seeds on top, allowing the fresh juice to drip into the drink.
3. Garnish with remaining seeds and apple slices.
4. Optional: Rub the apple slices with a few drops of bourbon for added aroma.

If Suede Were a Drink

Ingredients

• Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit
• 2 full droppers cassia bark bitters
• Fresh sage, for garnish

Directions

1. Fill a tall glass with ice and add ¾ of the bottle of Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit.
2. Top with two full droppers of cassia bark bitters, and stir to combine.
3. Rub the rim of the glass with fresh sage, then garnish with more sage.
4. Optional: Top with Betty Buzz Meyer Lemon Club Soda for a less spicy drink.

Everything but the Kitchen Drink

Ingredients

• St-Germain liqueur
• Betty Buzz Sparkling Lemon Lime, Sparkling Grapefruit, and Meyer Lemon Club Soda
• 1/2 oz gin, or as much as desired (optional)
• Mint sprigs, basil leaves, and blood orange slices, for garnish

Directions

1. In a Highball glass, layer 1 cap full of St-Germain and a splash (about 1 oz) each of the Betty Buzz mixers.
2. Stir in gin, if using, and add ice.
3. Garnish generously with mint, basil, and blood orange slices.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far! It’s been a busy one over here because we finished recording the modules and after getting everything ready for a brand new program. We start next Monday and it’s called Total Body Reset!

I teamed up with my good friend and Fitnessista RD, Mia to create this program for ya, and it’s EVERYTHING we wish we had 10-15 years ago. We go over all of the main health foundations, give sustainable tips to implement these habits into your life, plus the *why* behind these tips. It’s not a quick fix; it’s designed to create healthy habits you can keep for LIFE to improve energy, improve body composition, and get happy, balanced hormones.

If you’re feeling:

• hammered by your hormones
• overwhelmed by options
• like what has always worked for you isn’t working anymore
• defeated by diet culture and ready for something more sustainable
• alone and in search of a community

This is your sign to stop looking, and start taking action. Let’s get to the root cause of your body’s needs and solve it, once and for all.

Are you ready?

Sign up here.

As you guys know, I’ve had quite the runaround with my hormones over the years and have documented a lot of this here on the blog. From going off birth control and transitioning to the fertility awareness method, to our difficulties getting pregnant the first time, to my experience with postpartum depression, anxiety, and recovering from surgeries.

My nutrition style has changed over time, my approach to fitness has changed (both for the better!) with everything I’ve learned for my own body, my continuing education and certifications, and real-life experience training clients 1:1 in various aspects of their lives. Mia is a powerhouse of nutrition knowledge and between the two of us and our backgrounds, we’re sharing everything we can with you in the group.

Here’s what’s covered:

– 6 major pillars of health (fitness, fuel, stress management, mindset, hydration, and sleep) and how to create routines that work for your needs, goals, and lifestyle

– An eating strategy to get your energy back, and healthy balanced hormones

– NO tracking, no measuring, and ditching the “diet” mentality for good… while still achieving your goals

I’m so so proud of what we created and can’t wait to share it with you. There’s so much good stuff inside the platform – I’m currently adding all of the bonus materials now – and I’m so pumped to see your results.

Total Body Reset is FOR YOU if:

You don’t know how, when, or what to eat, and feel overwhelmed by contradictory nutrition information

You feel like your nutrition doesn’t match your lifestyle or your goals

You eat as cleanly as possible, just to find yourself feeling deprived and overindulging later

You have a hard time finding motivation or staying consistent in your routine

You’re constantly hopping from trend to trend and feeling defeated

It’s NOT FOR YOU if:

– You feel happy with your current routine and are seeing results

– You don’t need the support of a coach or the accountability of a group

– You’re not ready to make any changes in your health or fitness right now

You can check out all of the info plus FAQs here. The price is currently set at an early bird rate and saves you $200. We also have payment plans available – if you need an alternate payment plan, email me [email protected]

Enrollment closes Sunday and I’m not sure when we’ll be doing this again!

Sign up here.

Please leave any questions in the comments below. Let’s go after those goals together and get you feeling amazing.

xoxo

Gina

The post New program alert- join us for Total Body Reset! appeared first on The Fitnessista.