Unlike their crusted cousin, the quiche, frittatas are made up primarily of eggs, a win because eggs are nutritional gold. Not only do they work magic in the kitchen by emulsifying dressings and whipping into airy meringues, but the unique nutritional profile of eggs makes them incredibly satisfying, no matter the time of day.

Eggs contain many important nutrients, in both the yolks and the whites. About two-thirds of eggs’ high-quality protein is found in the whites, while the yolks contain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, E and B12, iron and a bit of protein. While eggs (especially yolks) have been demonized in the past for their cholesterol content, they’re now recognized as a healthy source of unsaturated fat and antioxidants. In fact, eggs seem to have no significant impact on your cholesterol levels at all. Egg yolks are also one of the few food sources that naturally contain vitamin D, which is linked to immunity and bone health.

Consuming a solid amount of protein at each meal has been shown to have beneficial effects in both the short and long term. In the hours after your meal, protein will keep you feeling more satisfied and full for longer. When you eat, your stomach stretches to accommodate food. Protein lowers your level of ghrelin, otherwise known as the hunger hormone, while boosting peptide YY, a hormone that makes you feel full. This elongates your satiety period, keeping hunger at bay. Protein also slows the digestion of carbohydrates, which has a small steadying effect on blood sugar, so you may be able to avoid bouts of low energy later in the day. Studies suggest that, over longer periods, sufficient protein may help maintain muscle mass, which tends to decrease rapidly as you age. Keeping your protein intake up, in combination with weight-bearing activity, will help you maintain muscle and stay strong over time—an egg-cellent bonus.

If you’re wondering how to get more eggs into your diet, a frittata is the perfect place to start. To further up the nutrition factor, strategically select your add-ins. Vitamin C-rich vegetables like spinach, kale and bell peppers are a great way to sneak in more greens and fibre to your meal. I love having a slice of frittata for lunch during the week with a side salad to round out my meal, but you could also cut it into squares and use it in place of fried or scrambled eggs in a breakfast sandwich to power your morning.

Optimal frittata additions include cured meats like bacon and chorizo and vegetables that don’t have a ton of water—save tomatoes and zucchini for another dish. To combat liquid seeping out, and to add flavour, always cook vegetables before adding them, so most of their liquid cooks off before they hit the oven. Cooked starchy leftovers, like that potato hash from brunch, also make great add-ins. If you have the patience, take the time to chop vegetables into smaller pieces: Large chunks can impact the structure of the frittata and cause it to crumble apart once you cut into it. Lastly, in my humble opinion, a frittata is incomplete without cheese. Hard cheeses that melt well, like cheddar, gruyere or fontina are good choices, but my go-tos are dollops of ricotta, goat’s cheese or crumbled feta for little pockets of melted cheesy goodness spread throughout.

A boiled egg makes for a nutritious midday snack, or better yet, go for a slice of veg-packed frittata. Eggs have what it takes to keep you well-fuelled all day long, especially when paired with all-star add-ins.

Next: A Leek, Dill and Goat Cheese Frittata That’s Perfect to Eat for Every Meal

Anytime Frittata

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, white and light green parts, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
• 4 cups roughly chopped spinach leaves, or other green such as kale or chard
• 12 large eggs
• ½ cup heavy cream, whole milk or sour cream (see tip)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• ¾ cup crumbled goat’s cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat olive oil in 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-low. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened and beginning to brown, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add greens and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, pepper and dill until homogenous and just combined. Scatter two-thirds of cheese evenly over filling at the bottom of the skillet. Pour egg mixture into the skillet over the filling, tilting the skillet to ensure eggs are evenly distributed. Top with remaining goat’s cheese.

Transfer skillet to the middle rack of the oven, rotating halfway through, until frittata is puffed, edges are lightly golden and middle is just set, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then slice and serve. Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to five days for future meals.

Tip: You can replace eggs, milk and cheese in the recipe with your favourite plant-based substitute for a vegan-friendly version. Keep the ratio to ¼ cup liquid for every 6 eggs used to make a tender frittata that holds its shape. 

Tip: Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, divide filling and egg mixture evenly between muffin cups and bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes for snack-sized frittata bites.

Next: The Nutritious Food We Love at Any Time of Day

Over the past 150 years, food has become…not food, says Chris van Tullekenis. And this has massive implications. “A vast body of data has emerged in support of the hypothesis that UPF damages the human body,” he writes, “and increases rates of cancer metabolic disease and mental illness. That it damages human societies by displacing food cultures and driving inequality, poverty and early death, and that it damages the planet. The food system necessary for its production, and of which it is the necessary product, is the leading cause of declining biodiversity and the second largest contributor to global emissions.” Oof.

UPF has a complex scientific definition, first drawn up by a Brazilian team of researchers in 2010, but, says van Tullekenis, it can be boiled down to this: if it’s wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn’t usually find in a standard home kitchen, it’s UPF. “Much of it will be familiar to you as ‘junk food,’” he says, “but there’s plenty of organic, free-range, ‘ethical’ UPF too, which might be sold as healthy, nutritious, environmentally friendly or useful for weight loss (it’s another rule of thumb that almost every food that comes with a health claim on the packet is a UPF).” UPF now makes up as much as 60 percent of the average diet in the UK and the USA. “Many children, including my own, get most of their calories from these substances,” he says. “UPF is our food culture, the stuff from which we construct our bodies. If you are reading this in Australia, Canada, the UK or the USA, this is your national diet.”

(Related: 10 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Processed Foods)

In the course of researching the impact of UPF, he decided to participate in a study with colleagues at University College London Hospital in the UK. The idea was simple: he would quit UPF for a month, then be weighed and measured in every possible way. Then, the next month he would eat a diet where 80 per cent of his calories came from UPF.

“I didn’t deliberately overeat during that second month,” he goes on to say (as if to emphasize that this wasn’t a Super Size Me gimmick). “I just ate as I normally do, which is whenever I feel like it and whatever food is available.” As he ate, he spoke to the world’s leading experts on food, nutrition, eating and ultra-processing from academia, agriculture and, most importantly, the food industry itself.

“This diet of UPF should have been enjoyable,” he says, “as I was eating food that I typically deny myself. But something odd happened. The more I spoke to experts, the more disgusted by the food I became.”

One of the goals of van Tullekenis’s book is to help us understand how everything from the marketing campaign to the strange lack of satisfaction we feel after eating is driving ill health. And that many of the problems we attribute to getting older or having children or work stress is caused by the food we eat. And if we’re able to give up UPF (there’s a whole chapter on that), the evidence suggests that this will be good for our bodies, our brains and the planet.

(Related: 7 Habits Of People Who Gave Up Processed Foods)

*****

At the end of week two of my diet, I was still enjoying products like the Morrisons All Day Breakfast. A classic frozen meal, it comes in a three-compartment plastic tray with a film lid—768 calories of baked beans, hash browns, pork sausages, omelette and bacon, oven-ready in 20 minutes. It reminded me of the unbearable excitement of long-haul flights to visit my cousins in Canada when I was a child. My brothers and I could often persuade the crew to give us extra meals and we’d lick the trays clean. Air Canada’s 1986 macaroni cheese would be my last meal if I could arrange it.

The first complete frozen meals were, in fact, airline food: Maxson Food Systems’ ‘Strato-Plates’, so called because they were developed to be reheated on the new airliners of the day—Boeing’s Stratocruiser, introduced in 1947.

A few frozen meals were developed during the late 1940s, but it was Swanson’s ‘TV Dinners’ that took off in 1954. By then, more than half of American households had televisions, and this was the perfect hook. The dinners cost 98 cents and were ready in 25 minutes. Over the next three decades they would become ubiquitous. A 1981 picture shows Ronald and Nancy Reagan in the White House wearing matching red jumpers over matching white shirts, sitting in matching red armchairs on a matching red carpet, and eating TV dinners.

In the UK, we lagged behind on both purchases of household appliances – it wasn’t until the 1960s that TVs and freezers became common in UK households—and consumption of ready meals. But now we eat more of these ready meals than any other country in Europe. According to The Grocer, the UK’s ready meals category was worth approximately £3.9 billion in 2019. Almost 90 percent of us eat ready meals regularly.

While my All Day Breakfast sat in the oven, Dinah and I made some salmon, rice and broccoli for her and the kids. Twenty minutes of continuous preparation, using nearly unconscious skills handed down from our parents, as well as knives, three pans and a chopping board, resulting in dinner, yes, but also a big pile of washing-up and fishy hands. As we ate, Dinah read my meal’s ingredients out loud: ‘dextrose, stabiliser (diphosphates), beef collagen casing, capsicum extract, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, stabilisers (xanthan gum and diphosphates), flavourings. Why are you eating diphosphates?’

The diphosphate stabilisers hold everything together through the freezing process so the water doesn’t end up in crystals on the surface. They’re just one aspect of what makes the All Day Breakfast such an enjoyable product, with the hash browns a little crispy and just the right level of salt and pepper.

Above all, it’s easy. While Dinah was still chewing her second mouthful, I was licking the container like I used to on those trans-Atlantic flights.*

Things started to change during the third week of my diet. I was working with Sam and Rachel designing a UK study to test whether it was possible to follow UK nutritional guidance while still eating lots of UPF and whether this would have any measurable effects. There is a vast amount of planning before a study like this: finding the money to do it and working out the details of study design. I was speaking with dozens of experts around the globe, asking them about the effects of UPF and the things that we should measure in our volunteers.

I’ve never learned about a potentially harmful substance while deliberately exposing myself to it, and before my diet I’d never even read an ingredients list. UPF is perhaps the type of food we inspect the least as it passes our lips.

I would come off a phone call to an expert in France or Brazil and then sit down to a banquet of UPF. I’d often eat during the call. It was like reading about lung cancer while smoking a cigarette, the basis for that remarkably well-evidenced self-help book I mentioned in the Introduction, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, (which is even included in the World Health Organization’s ‘quitting toolkit’). Like many of the smokers who’ve used Allen Carr’s method, my relationship with UPF began to change.

By that third week, I was struggling to eat the UPF without thinking of things the experts had told me. Two comments in particular kept coming back to me.

The first was made by Nicole Avena. She’s an associate professor at Mount Sinai in New York and a visiting professor at Princeton. Her research focuses on food addiction and obesity. She told me how UPF, especially products with particular combinations of salt, fat, sugar and protein, can drive our ancient evolved systems for ‘wanting’: ‘Some ultra-processed foods may activate the brain reward system in a way that is similar to what happens when people use drugs like alcohol, or even nicotine or morphine.’

(Related: 50 Surprisingly Unhealthy Foods at the Grocery Store)

This neuroscience is persuasive, if still in its early stages. There is a growing body of brain-scan data showing that energy-dense, hyperpalatable food (ultra-processed but probably also something a really good chef might be able to make) can stimulate changes in many of the same brain circuits and structures affected by addictive drugs. We have this ‘reward system’ to ensure we get what we need from the world around us: mates, food, water, friends. It makes us want things, frequently things with which we have previously had pleasurable experiences. With many positive experiences of a particular food, in an environment in which reminders of that food are all around us, wanting, or craving, can be nearly constant. We even start to attach the wanting to the things that surround the food, like the package, the smell or the sight of the place where you can buy it.

But the part of the discussion with Avena that stuck with me most was a casual aside about the food itself. Paul Hart had explained how most UPF is reconstructed from whole food that has been reduced to its basic molecular constituents which are then modified and re-assembled into food-like shapes and textures and then heavily salted, sweetened, coloured and flavoured. Avena speculated that without additives these base industrial ingredients would probably not be recognisable as food by your tongue and brain: ‘It would be almost like eating dirt.’ I don’t know if she was being serious, but I started to notice that much of what I was eating had little more than a veneer of food. This was especially true of the snacks and cereals manufactured from pastes of raw materials, which had been fried or baked or puffed.

For example, I’d come to quite enjoy a Grenade Carb Killa Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Bar as a mid-morning snack. It seemed a little healthier than a simple chocolate bar. I was doing the experiment because I was curious, after all, not because I wanted to deliberately harm myself in the name of science.

I inspected the ingredients after speaking with Avena. These bars, like many others, are constructed from very modified carbohydrates (the first ingredient is something called maltitol, a modified sugar, itself made from a modified starch, which is less calorific but almost as sweet as table sugar), protein isolates from milk and beef (calcium caseinate, whey protein isolate, hydrolysed beef gelatine) and industrially processed palm fat, all bound together with emulsifiers. On its own, as Avena says, it would likely be unpleasant. It’s made palatable with salt, sweetener (sucralose) and flavouring. As I ate these snack bars made from cow tendons, her words started to resonate in a way that stopped me enjoying the food quite as much as I had been.

The expert who made the deepest impression was Fernanda Rauber. Her work and ideas permeate this entire book. She told me at length about how the plastics from UPF packaging, especially when heated, significantly decrease fertility (and according to some experts, may even cause penile shrinkage). She also told me about how the preservatives and emulsifiers in UPF disrupt the microbiome, how the gut is further damaged by processing that removes the fibre from food, and how high levels of fat, salt and sugar each cause their own specific harms. And there was one small comment that stuck. Whenever I talked about the ‘food’ I was eating, she corrected me: ‘Most UPF is not food, Chris. It’s an industrially produced edible substance.’

These words began to haunt my every meal. They echoed and underlined Avena’s idea that without the colouring and flavouring it would most likely be inedible.

Excerpted from ULTRA-PROCESSED PEOPLE: Why We Can’t Stop Eating Food That Isn’t Food by Chris van Tulleken. Copyright © 2023 Chris van Tulleken. Published by Knolpf Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: What’s the Healthiest Cereal to Buy in Canada?

For many years, my legs were covered in marks and bruises. The lightest graze against an object would turn them black and blue. But recently I tried a cream that promises to quickly remedy scars and bruises, and now my legs are almost completely mark-free. What’s the magical ingredient? It’s just a plant, actually, called arnica montana.

(Related: What the Colour of Your Bruise Is Trying to Tell You)

Arnica isn’t simply another buzzy skin-care ingredient that’s popped up on TikTok (we’re looking at you, snail mucin). This herb, a perennial that features canary-yellow flowers, has been used for medicinal purposes since at least the 1500s. Why? Well, according to Christiane Laberge, a family doctor in Montreal, there’s nothing else—natural or otherwise—quite like it.

Laberge says the superpower of this plant is that it can help accelerate the healing process and is proven to be harmless, as long as it’s used correctly. Arnica isn’t intended to replace conventional and doctor-prescribed medicines, but is instead used alongside them to help alleviate discomfort. Still, not that many people in Canada and the U.S. know about it.

In France, 40 percent of doctors prescribe it regularly to treat bruising and swelling, says Laberge. But in Canada, doctors can only suggest it. Although Health Canada reviews all homeopathic products (like arnica) that are available in the country to make sure they’re safe, doctors are only able to prescribe therapies recognized by evidence-based protocols or results supported by scientific societies, says Laberge. “However,” she adds, “in cases where conventional medicine has nothing to offer in terms of a cure, doctors can suggest certain homeopathic substances.”

Arnica can be used in two ways: as a topical treatment or as a diluted oral remedy. As a topical, it comes in the form of a cream or ointment that can be applied to the skin to treat bruises as well as sprains, sore muscles, wounds, inflammation from insect bites and swelling from broken bones. All you need to do is apply it up to three times a day to the tender area and repeat for a few days until the mark or discomfort fades.

As a diluted oral remedy, it comes in capsules to swallow or tiny sweet-tasting pellets to dissolve under the tongue. Like the cream, these supplements can help treat sore muscles, bruises and swelling and can be taken as frequently as needed, lessening the dose as the pain is soothed. (Arnica in plant form is risky to consume, which is why homeopathic supplements are extremely diluted and therefore considered safe.)

Although arnica can’t be prescribed by doctors in Canada, some highly recommend it, including plastic surgeons. “When it’s taken orally, it helps reduce inflammation, bruising and swelling, which all lead to pain,” says Jamil Ahmad, a plastic surgeon in Mississauga. What that means is that fewer—or no—additional pain medications may be required to soothe discomfort. Ahmad says he and the other doctors in his clinic recommend arnica in part to reduce patients’ need for narcotics like OxyContin or Percocet, particularly because they’ve been overprescribed, overused and shown to be highly addictive. In some cases, patients can alleviate their post-operative pain with a combination of acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol) and arnica.

Surgery patients who use arnica supplements typically take them before their procedure and immediately after, until the discomfort subsides. “That helps to reduce the onset of swelling, or the development of swelling, and also helps address it once it’s there,” says Ahmad. Topical arnica can be used immediately after surgery to help reduce bruises and swelling in areas without any open wounds. For example, it’s sometimes recommended before and after rhinoplasty to help heal bruising and swelling around the eyes and nose. And it really works—a 2019 study by the Annals of Plastic Surgery saw a decrease in postoperative swelling for patients who used arnica after surgery on the nose.

Arnica should be used according to the directions on the label, or following the advice of your practitioner. The capsules come in different forms, such as 6c, 15c and 30c (the “c” standing for Hahnemannian centesimal scale unit of dilutions)—the higher the number, the stronger the supplement, making it better suited for more severe discomfort. While arnica cream or ointment may cause skin irritation, it’s extremely rare.

Ahmad says that he routinely prescribes oral arnica to patients undergoing surgery, and sometimes prescribes topical arnica. In his 13 years of practicing at his clinic, which sees about 1,000 patients annually, Ahmad says he’s never dealt with any adverse reaction from either form of arnica.

Arnica topicals and supplements are available at most Canadian health food stores and pharmacies. My own go-tos are from French company Boiron—it makes all its products in a factory located just outside of Lyon, using freshly harvested arnica. Today, I try to always keep arnica cream or pellets nearby—just in case a table leg or bedpost jumps in my path, again.

Laberge is a convert, too. “I always have it in my purse.” Whenever she has a small accident, Larberge takes a few arnica pellets immediately to help reduce pain, inflammation and other trauma from the injury. “Is it 100 percent effective at reducing pain? I would say no, but it helps,” she says.

Next: These All-Natural Home Remedies Can Help Boost Your Energy

‘Tis the season for afternoon patio drinks, reading on the dock and weekends spent gardening—all of which increase your time outdoors and contribute to the sun damage your skin absorbs over the years. Often, this sun exposure will turn into dark spots or age spots: hyper-pigmented, light-brown blemishes that are bigger than freckles.

We asked Neha Goyal, a cosmetic MD in Toronto, how to identify, prevent and treat them.

What’s the difference between sun spots, age spots, hyperpigmentation and—our least fave term for them—liver spots? Are these terms synonymous?

Sun spots, liver spots and age spots are all names used to describe hyper-pigmented flat, brown or black spots that appear on the skin, particularly on areas that have been exposed to the sun, such as the face, hands and shoulders. Sometimes patients can get “white sun spots,” which refers to hypo-pigmented spots that occur from UV damage as well.

Hyperpigmentation is simply a visible darkening of one area, compared to the surrounding skin, which can be caused by a number of things.

Is this the same thing as melasma?

No, melasma is a common chronic skin condition that results in the development of brown or greyish-brown patches on the face, typically on the forehead, cheeks and upper lip. It occurs due to the overproduction of melanin, which is the pigment that gives colour to our skin. Melasma is more common in women experiencing hormonal changes, particularly those who are pregnant, experiencing menopause or taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy—but it can affect anyone. Sun exposure, hormonal changes and genetics are all believed to play a role. Not all treatments available for hyperpigmentation can be used to treat melasma, which is why it’s important to meet with a knowledgeable clinician to come up with the right treatment plan.

Do sun spots equal sun damage? Can they turn into skin cancer? What should you keep an eye on if you’re noticing them as you age?

Yes, sun spots do reflect a form of sun damage, and are caused by UV radiation from the sun or other sources (like tanning beds). While sun spots are considered harmless in and of themselves, they are a sign of sun damage, which can increase a person’s risk of skin cancer. Fair-skinned individuals are more likely to develop both sun spots and skin cancer. The ABCDEs of skin cancer are an easy way to try to assess suspicious lesions. If you’re someone who has many spots, or a personal or family history of skin cancer, the best option for monitoring would be to get an annual skin check through your dermatologist.

What can I do if I already have age spots? Besides, obviously, continuing to wear sunscreen and a hat?

There are many affordable topical agents that have been shown to be effective for reducing hyperpigmentation: retinoids, kojic acid, azelaic acid, vitamin C, niacinamide and tranexamic acid. These ingredients work by various mechanisms, such as inhibiting the production of melanin, promoting skin cell turnover and reducing inflammation in the skin. Prescription creams that contain hydroquinone can also be prescribed and used under the guidance of a physician.

For me, the two most important skincare products to use are a retinoid and sunscreen with an SPF 50+, and to use these consistently. Once these skincare ingredients are on board and are being tolerated, I would gradually introduce other skin lightening agents, depending on the nature of the hyperpigmentation.

Does vitamin C serum help fade or lighten your age spots?

Yes! Vitamin C can help hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin production, which is responsible for dark spots and hyperpigmentation. But it’s important to remember that not all vitamin C products are created equal, and a product’s efficacy is linked to its concentration and stability. We prefer 100-percent ascorbic acid mixed immediately prior to use. This helps retain 100-percent efficacy of the vitamin, which is unstable by nature and sensitive to both light and temperature. Make sure you’re mixing it into a product with a low pH.

Can facial peels or dermaplaning help reduce age spots?

Absolutely. In-clinic services like chemical peels can help to exfoliate the outer layer of skin, which will further help lighten the spots. The peel solution itself is the workhorse here, but the dermaplaning allows the solution to penetrate more effectively in the skin. Peel treatments every four to eight weeks will definitely help lighten most hyperpigmentation.

There are also light-based treatments like lasers (for example PicoWay) or intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments, which can help target the pigment in the sun spots and break them down, helping the body to eliminate them. The pigmented skin will grow darker for a week and then eventually slough off on its own.

Is something like IPL safe for darker or more melanated skin?

In tanned, medium or dark skin tones, you need to be careful with IPL, is as it could potentially cause more hyper- or hypo-pigmentation. For these patients I recommend the PicoWay device or something called Morpheus8.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Next: How to Spot a Problematic Spot

You try to exercise, eat right, and manage your stress levels, but did you know that your gums need care, too? Proper gum maintenance is self-care that has major rewards­ and it takes only a few minutes each day.

Gum health: It’s about more than your gums

Your dentist doesn’t encourage you to consistently brush and floss just for kicks! Left untreated, minor gum inflammation and bleeding could lead to a more serious condition called periodontal disease, which can lead to tooth loss.

According to a new survey commissioned by Colgate-Palmolive, more than half of people who have these symptoms ignore the issue! Don’t be one of them. Gum care is an important part of a healthy mouth, and consistent brushing with a specialized toothpaste and toothbrush helps to fight the bacteria that can cause early gum disease.

Why some people are at extra risk for gum issues

Did you know there are a number of factors that can contribute to early gum disease? These can include stress, aging, pregnancy, diabetes, and smoking. These can put you at higher risk of early gum disease, and it’s even smarter to make good oral care a regular part of your self-care routine.

Signs and symptoms to keep an eye on

According to the Canadian Dental Association, more than 70 percent of Canadians will experience gum issues at some point in their lives. It’s common, but it’s also preventable and reversible if caught early! Some signs to watch out for include red, swollen or bleeding gums, tenderness, pain when chewing, sensitive teeth and bad breath.

Gum care is self-care

Brushing your teeth is an easy self-care step. And if you’re experiencing the early signs of gum disease, then it may be time to consider using a specialized toothpaste and toothbrush like Colgate PerioGard5F Gum Care. The specialized formula significantly reduces gum bleeding and inflammation and provides long-lasting gum protection with continued use. It can be used with the new Colgate® PerioGard Gum Protection Ultra Soft Toothbrush, specifically designed to gently remove plaque and bacteria. If you are looking for healthier gums, try this toothpaste clinically proven for healthier gums.

To learn more about the risk factors, causes and consequences of gum health issues, take Colgate® PerioGard’s new Gum Health Quiz at colgate.com.

The concept of shaping your face with your hands has been trending for at least a decade now. It all started with traditional Chinese medicine rituals that became mainstream, with the popularity of using a gua sha tool, jade roller or small suction cups to sharpen your jawline, accentuate cheekbones and lift brows. The techniques work by boosting circulation through lymphatic drainage—the act of pushing lymphatic fluid (which ushers white blood cells between organs) to the lymph nodes. This creates a de-puffing effect, so your features temporarily look a bit chiselled. But recently, a new face-sculpting technique has entered the chat: “The Fascia Strategy,” as one TikToker named Anastasia (no last name) calls it.

For her 300k+ followers, Anastasia describes fascia as being “like a wetsuit that covers the whole body and your face,” and says massaging it is key to depuffing, loosening tight face muscles and boosting circulation to look more youthful.

“Aging isn’t the fault of gravity but the extra liquid in your extracellular matrix,” she said in a video. “By improving blood flow, lymph flow, putting your neck in the right position and doing deep massages to improve micro blood vessels, you will have glowy, smooth skin so you don’t need neuromodulators [a.k.a. Botox].”

Anastasia isn’t the only one talking about the power of massaging the face’s fascia—or dropping terms like “extracellular matrix” into everyday conversation. On TikTok, there are  127 million views of videos related to “fascia massage techniques.”

As a health editor, it’s my job to be skeptical of basically every wellness or beauty fad I see, particularly on TikTok, and especially if it’s coming from a person with no medical background. But my interest will always be piqued by a beauty technique that costs zero dollars. Plus, the before and after pictures Anastasia shares every day are intriguingly convincing.

So, does this really work, or are we being duped?

According to trained medical experts, fascia massage isn’t actually doable. “There’s absolutely no way to massage the fascia for these benefits because you can’t say you’re touching just the fascia—you’re touching everything in between,” says Jackie Sadi, a clinical specialist and field leader in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at Western University, School of Physical Therapy in London, Ont.

Fascia lies under three layers of skin, on top of muscle. “It’s a really thin piece of tissue that allows fluids to move between the muscle and the fascia and keeps it all locked in,” says Sadi.

So why are TikTokers clinging to the idea that massaging the fascia is the key to youthfulness? “I think it’s just a fancy word that people like to use,” says Sadi.

Julia Carroll, a dermatologist at Compass Dermatology in Toronto, agrees that massaging the fascia is unlikely to significantly alter face shape. “It’s not supported by scientific evidence,” she says. “The structure and shape of the face are primarily determined by the underlying bones, fat distribution and skin elasticity.”

However, that doesn’t mean massaging your face offers zero benefits—but fascia doesn’t have anything to do with it. Sadi says whenever you touch your skin, you increase blood supply and that creates a fresh-faced look. Also, massaging the skin and muscles helps to relax the face, which can naturally relieve tension, making it look smoother.

Carroll agrees the relaxation and stress-soothing elements of face massages may be the key to its beauty benefits. “When you’re in a relaxed state, blood vessels tend to dilate, allowing for better circulation throughout the body,” she says. Another reason for its beauty benefits is thanks to the aforementioned lymphatic drainage effect. “Gentle facial massages can stimulate lymphatic flow which helps to reduce puffiness,” says Carroll. “By promoting lymphatic drainage, the massage may temporarily decrease facial swelling and improve overall skin appearance.”

Also, Sadi says some doctors recommend face massage to help smooth the layers of the skin and fascia that may have stiffened or bulked after an incision or injury.

The problem is the effects are limiting and aren’t long-lasting—contrary to what some TikTokers may have you believe. “Face massages don’t do anything for wrinkles, sagging or hooded eyes,” says Sadi. “That has to do with the skin, and once they appear, cannot be changed outside of plastic surgery or lasers.” And, while massages can offer immediate beauty benefits and short-term muscle tone, the results don’t last, says Sadi, “especially without addressing stress.”

Not only that, but if you don’t perform the massages the right way, you could create a variety of unwanted skin woes. “Excessive rubbing, pressing or using harsh tools can irritate the skin and disrupt the skin barrier,” says Carroll. “This can cause inflammation, clog pores and potentially lead to the development of acne or other skin issues.” What’s more, certain massage techniques or aggressive moves can stretch or pull the skin, which can contribute to skin sagging or loss of elasticity over time, says Carroll—the exact opposite intended effect. “The skin has a certain level of resilience, but excessive and repeated stretching can damage the collagen and elastin fibres that provide its structure and firmness.”

When in doubt, consult your dermatologist for advice tailored to your own concerns and your skin type—all supported by science.

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Renée Reardin is an editor at Best Health and the author of a newsletter called Curious Chat, where she finds answers to beauty questions just like this one. Subscribe below!

A few years ago, Steph got into a bad rock-climbing accident, which forced her to spend a big part of the summer in the hospital. It was a very scary time for all of us, but things could’ve been a lot worse had she been forced to eat hospital food every day and miss the best of the summer vegetable growing season. Thankfully, we brought her food from Elena almost every day, including this crunchy, tangy and herbaceous cucumber salad. Every bite tastes like summer and friendship, which is especially comforting when you’re trapped inside.

Cucumbers with Herby Yogurt Dressing and Sesame Seeds

Serves: 4-6 

Ingredients

Yogurt dressing

• ½ cup arugula
• ½ clove garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves, divided
• ½ cup picked and roughly chopped fresh dill leaves, divided
• ½ cup 1-inch-chopped fresh chives, divided
• ½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint, divided
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, divided
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cucumber salad

• 1½ lb (680 g) cucumbers (preferably a mix of varieties)
• 1 cup pickled shallots
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Flaky sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch ground Espelette pepper (optional)

Directions

Make the yogurt dressing: In a blender, place the arugula, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and half the herbs (parsley, dill, chives, mint and thyme), saving the rest for garnish. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the Greek yogurt. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Prepare the cucumbers: Peel the cucumbers if their skins are waxed and remove the seeds if they are large. If not, leave them as is. Cut the cucumbers on an angle into roughly 2-inch pieces, but remember there’s no need to be perfect here—just have fun playing around with different shapes.

Assemble the salad: In a bowl, toss the cucumbers with the dressing until each piece is nicely coated. Top with pickled shallots, the remaining chopped herbs and toasted sesame seeds. Season with salt and a few twists of pepper. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of Espelette pepper.

Excerpted from Salad Pizza Wine by Janice Tiefenbach, Stephanie Mercier Voyer, Ryan Gray and Marley Sniatowsky. Copyright © 2023 Janice Tiefenbach, Stephanie Mercier Voyer, Ryan Gray, and Marley Sniatowsky. Photographs by Dominique Lafond. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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I vividly remember my first bad sunburn.

My mom had dropped me and a friend off at the pool for the afternoon with these parting words: “Remember to put on sunscreen.”

But we were only 11, and rather than slather ourselves in gloopy cream, we jumped straight into the pool and spent our time perfecting front flips from the diving board and drying off on lounge chairs. By the time dinner rolled around, our limbs, backs, chests and faces were glowing an angry scarlet.

Mom was horrified, of course, and tried to instil the value of sun protection that night as she rubbed aloe onto my tender skin, which was radiating with summer heat. In those days, though, few people practised what they preached (even my mom enjoyed some summer colour).

I grew up in the 1970s and ’80s, when everyone worshipped the sun and a “healthy glow” was a sign of affluence—it signalled that you had time to spend at leisure. Back then, no one wore SPF 15 sunscreen, which was the highest number you could get. My dad, blessed with Lebanese heritage, could spend a day lying out and be transformed into a bronze Adonis by sunset.

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Though I was prone to freckling and I lived at a high elevation, where the atmosphere is thinner and less able to filter out UV radiation, I believed that Dad’s half of my DNA should count for something. What I didn’t know then was that whether or not a person gets skin cancer comes down to a dance between genetics and behaviour. So I continued seeking the sun: I tanned on vacation and lifeguarded as a summer job in high school. Later, I headed to university in San Diego, where I arranged my classes to fall before 11 a.m. and after 2 p.m. so they wouldn’t interfere with prime sunbathing hours.

“You know, Lisa, your skin is probably going to pay for all of this tanning when you’re older,” a friend presciently warned me when I arrived home for Christmas break resembling the Coppertone girl.

Given my early relationship with ultraviolet radiation, it’s little wonder that at age 52 I have a two-inch curving scar on my face from my latest skin cancer excision. Other parts of my body are pincushioned with scars from biopsies and surgeries that go back three decades to when I was first diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on my neck. As I often tell my teenage daughter, I’m a PSA for why everyone should shun the sun.

This message is more important than ever as the worldwide incidence of skin cancer continues its 20-year rise, says Lynne Robertson, a clinical associate professor and dermatology residency program director at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.

“We are seeing it in younger people as well,” says Robertson, who diagnosed six of my basal cell cancers over a 15-year period when I lived in Calgary.

Robertson says the rise in skin cancer is due to a combination of factors. People are living longer and doctors are better at detecting it. Additionally, it can take time for people to modify their behaviour, so even though we’ve been told to wear sunscreen, cover up and stay inside during the heat of the day, many of us are still slow on the uptake.

One in three cancers diagnosed worldwide is skin cancer, and up to 90 percent of them are caused by ultraviolet radiation. A staggering 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in Canada, which is more than the number of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined, according to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation.

If there’s a silver lining in this, it’s that you can actually see the cancer growing on your skin, which is the body’s largest organ. If it’s detected and removed early, it’s highly treatable. In fact, basal cell cancers like mine are completely curable, says Robertson. But the trick with any kind of skin cancer is to know what to look for. (Spoiler alert: In my experience, it hasn’t been a mole gone rogue.)

I noticed my first basal cell cancer at the ripe old age of 20, when I felt a new bump on my neck; it was a tan, pearlescent nodule that looked like a cross between a mole and a blister. This was unlike my other moles, which are dark, round and flat, so I felt compelled to have it looked at by a professional. A biopsy revealed it was a basal cell carcinoma.

These growths begin in the skin’s outer layer and account for 90 percent of all skin cancers. Basal cell cancers typically show up where the sun shines, like on your face and neck. All of my skin cancers have been BCCs, and they’ve all looked different from each other.

One appeared almost overnight as a round, flesh-hued patch on my temple, another as a freckle-like growth on my chest. There was the sore on my forehead that bled and would never quite heal, and the café-au-lait-stained bump on my back.

After that first diagnosis, I got in the habit of checking my body regularly for anything new or weird. Dermatologists recommend getting to know your skin and giving it the once-over every few months, or more often if you’re at a very high risk for skin cancer. (Risks include fair complexion, red hair, prone to freckling, a personal history of sunburns or skin cancer or a family history of skin cancer.)

My most recent skin cancer, an infiltrating BCC, started out like a sore or pimple and turned into a translucent nodule that stung when I washed my face, like a cut that hadn’t healed. Because of its location between my nose and upper lip, I was sent to the Vancouver General Hospital Skin Care Centre for Mohs surgery, a procedure that excises thin layers of cancerous tissue.

This day surgery removes small sections of affected tissue, which are examined with a microscope on the spot to make sure the surgeon has achieved clean borders around the cancer. This process is repeated until all of the skin cancer has been removed. Then, a plastic surgeon reconstructs the area the same day.

Before he sewed me up, the surgeon showed me the nickel-sized gouge on my face, reminiscent of a zombie bite. Basal cell cancer doesn’t metastasize, but it can infiltrate into deeper tissue, which mine had done. To close me up without making my mouth look like the Joker, he had to cut into the skin in my nasal fold, which is why the scar is so long. I still look like I was in a knife fight, but it’s getting better and will eventually fade to a white or pink line easily covered by makeup.

Because the basal cell carcinomas I’ve had don’t metastasize, I haven’t needed radiation or chemo. (Most patients with basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers won’t need it, either.) That’s why, when I fill out medical questionnaires that ask if I’ve had cancer, I always answer no—to me, my BCCs have seemed like “cancer lite.”

But my most recent surgery and the lingering scar have caused me to reframe my thinking: I used to say that these BCCs were merely a nuisance, but I don’t see it that way anymore. While basal cell cancers are almost 100 percent curable, the fact that they—and their squamous cell cousins—can cause serious disfigurement should give everyone pause.

Since I’ve already had 10 BCCs, there’s a high risk that I’ll get more as I age. My medical history also increases my risk of melanoma—a malignancy of the pigment-producing cells of the skin—by three-fold, says Alex Kuritzky, a practicing medical and cosmetic dermatologist with DERM Lab in Vancouver and a clinical instructor with the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at UBC. Additionally, it increases my risk for other cancers, such as colon or blood cancer. (I do get routine colonoscopies, which helps with that particular anxiety.)

“Having six or more basal cell carcinomas may be a sign of having a genetic propensity for certain cancers,” Kuritzky says.

I’ve also had a few actinic keratoses (pre-cancers) removed. If left unchecked, some of these spots can turn into a squamous cell carcinoma, which is a generally more aggressive type of skin cancer.

I do find myself worrying more about getting melanoma as time goes on, but rather than fret over what ifs, I try to make up for the skin sins of my youth by protecting my mature epidermis. After that first skin cancer in 1992, I stopped lying out and became fastidious about using a broad-spectrum sunscreen (one that blocks both UVA and UVB rays).

As an adult, I’m the woman at the garden party or tropical resort wearing a giant floppy hat, plus sunscreen and a sun shirt, while sitting under a palapa or umbrella for full shade. On summer days in Kelowna, where I live, I stay inside between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun is strongest. I’ve also started tracking the UV Index (take care when it’s three or higher). These are all sun-safe practices recommended by dermatologists.

I also try to be a role model for my kids. When they were little, I was religious about sunscreen and swim shirts, so they’ve avoided bad burns and freckling. My teen daughter now dabbles in tanning outside at the pool—which drives me bonkers (um, hello!)—but I believe she knows better and will turn into a sun-smart adult. She also recently discovered self-tanner lotion, which is a safe way to bronze the skin. (Though anyone who uses it should still be wearing SPF 30 or higher as well, as self-tanners do not provide any sun protection.)

Tanning beds, on the other hand, are not safe. Studies have shown that the risk of developing skin cancer from tanning beds is higher than the risk of developing lung cancer from smoking.

Mostly, I hope I’ve taught my kids to be self-advocates when it comes to their health. With each of my cases of basal cell carcinoma, I was the one who brought the lesion to a doctor’s attention. In a couple of instances, the dermatologist didn’t think it was anything to worry about, so I sought a second opinion.

“I often tell patients that a skin check is only a moment in time,” says Kuritzky. “If something continues to change, a second visit to the same dermatologist, or a second opinion, is warranted.”

We know our own skin best, so it’s important to trust that gut feeling if something seems amiss. Since I can’t turn back the clock on all of the sun damage my skin has sustained, I can at least remain vigilant.

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Over the last couple of years, many people have moved away from heavy foundations—especially for daytime—seeking products that offer a “your skin but better” look. Instead, they’ve opted for skin care-infused tinted moisturizers that provide some coverage and skin-smoothing effects that don’t give a super done, full-beat face. These formulations are especially handy when they come complete with built-in sun protection for the warmer weather when you don’t feel like wearing a million layers on your sweaty skin.

Dermatologist Renée Beach of Derm Atelier on Avenue says when going the tinted moisturizer with SPF route, it’s important to choose one that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It’s also important to ensure you put on enough of the product (which is where a lot of users fall down on the job!)

The general rule for sunscreen is to apply 1/4 teaspoon for the face or 1/2 teaspoon for the face and neck. “Something that’s labelled as a sunscreen tends to contain more of either chemical filters like octinoxate or physical filters like zinc oxide and in greater concentrations than a tinted moisturizer with SPF,” she explains. For this reason, Beach prefers a sunscreen with a tint over a tinted moisturizer with SPF.

If you prefer the latter, you may want to wear a regular sunscreen underneath for backup protection. For me personally—a verified Ghostly White Human who’s prone to burning—if I’m planning to be in the sun all day, I’ll do both. (Also, hot tip: Don’t miss your eyelids! If it seems weird to apply sunscreen or facial moisturizer around your eyes try one that’s specially formulated for the sensitive eye area like Suupergoop!’s Bright-Eyed Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40).

Beach says you should apply tinted moisturizers with SPF with clean hands as the last step in your skin care routine (i.e. after serums and creams) but under any other makeup like blush and concealer.

“It’s got to blend in well with your skin tone—it should disappear into the skin without a ghostly grey caste or silvery finish,” she says. This has been a sticking point in the past for people with darker skin, who often found that any sunscreen with zinc oxide in it left them looking weirdly grey. Fortunately, the Fenty revolution in foundation shades has also come for tinted moisturizers, so many brands have a good range.

But, Beach says the most important factor to consider when choosing an SPF is its convenience—it has to be a formulation—liquid/lotion, cream or stick—that you like because it can’t offer sun protection if you’re too annoyed to use it!

Beach’s favourite tinted SPFs include ones from Elta MD and Colorescience, but those brands can be a little tricky to find outside of dermatologist offices or specialty boutiques. So, here are some tinted moisturizers with SPF, plus a few tinted SPFs, that are more widely available.

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

I always get compliments whenever I wear this medium-coverage serum foundation. It’s a physical sunscreen made with zinc oxide for protection from UVA and UVB rays, is non-comedogenic (ie won’t clog your pores) and is safe for sensitive skin. The dewy look is thanks to hydrating plant-based squalene, smoothing niacinamide and plumping hyaluronic acids. While it’s one of my slightly more expensive picks, the tiniest amount of this liquid formulation provides pretty full coverage so it will last. Comes in 26 shades.

$62, sephora.com

Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF25 Tinted Moisturizer

This hydrating tint gives super sheer coverage and has those sweet skin care ingredients like hyaluronic acid and aloe water to keep skin plump for up to 12 hours. Plus, it’s sweat- and humidity-resistant and comes in 7 shades.

$53, sephora.com

IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow SPF 40

This baby is so new I haven’t even gotten my hands on it yet to be able to give you my personal hot take, but if it’s anywhere as good as their Your Skin But Better CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream with SPF 50 then I’m a stan in advance. With a 90 percent skin care base, this formulation—with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and green tea extract—helps brighten your skin while protecting it, and comes in 22 shades.

$59, sephora.com

Smashbox Halo Healthy Glow All-in-One Tinted Moisturizer, Broad Spectrum SPF 25

Smashbox isn’t kidding when they put the word “halo” in this product name—it’s the most glimmer-y pick on this list, and I’m here for all 12 shades of it. Rose extract, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, goji berries and peptides come all wrapped up with a bow in this much-try pick.

$52, sephora.com

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF30

This popular cream gives you dewy, sheer-to-medium coverage. It’s formulated with mineral electrolytes infused with marine botanicals to help replenish dry skin, and it contains heart-leaf globe daisy, an antioxidant, protecting against environmental stressors to improve the appearance of skin while keeping it hydrated. Comes in 16 shades.

$45, sephora.com

Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense Sunscreen Tinted Fluid SPF 50

This dermatologist-beloved brand doesn’t have a whole range of shades, but Beach says the universal tint tends to work for most lighter skin tones. While it’s definitely more of a sunscreen than a makeup product, it’s perfect for giving post-procedure, sensitive or super dry skin a bit of a healthy flush of colour.

$56, skinceuticals.com

Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Daily Defense SPF 30

This universal tint melts into skin and lets its skin care ingredients—like antioxidant algae extract, sunflower shoot extract and raspberry seed oil—fight environmental aggressors.

$47, sephora.com

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