This season’s Great British Baking Show finalelands on Netflix today, so we thought we’d share some tips for those who get inspired to bake after watching the wholesome BBC series. Salon compiled the most common mistakes made by bakers in the tent, and explained how you can avoid them at home.
Should Athletes Soothe Muscles in a Cold Plunge or Hot Bath?
Alexander Shelegov/ iStock
Cold plunges are all the rage lately — you can hardly scroll a minute on social media before seeing someone singing the praises of an icy soak. But in the plunge frenzy, have we forgotten the value of a good hot bath? A new study, presented last week at the 2024 Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference in Philadelphia, found health benefits associated with using a hot tub as a post-workout recovery tool, particularly for athletes who take breaks. That’s because heat increases blood flow, which can then help repair damaged muscle fibers. “Increasing muscle temperature is going to help improve power output,” lead study author Mamoru Tsuyuki told NBC News. “When you need to perform twice in the same day, such as in sports that have a halftime, heat is better. During the 15 or 20 minutes, if you can immerse yourself in hot water, you can probably perform better in the second half.” But that’s not to say cold plunging is without merit: People have been using cryotherapies as a wellness tool for centuries, and for good reason. Other research has shown that cold can help relieve soreness, and Tsuyuki noted that ice is typically best for treating injuries. Read more about the benefits of both.
Together With LMNT
Science-Backed Hydration With a Chocolatey Twist
Temperatures might be dropping, but that doesn’t mean you should let your commitment to hydration start slipping, too. LMNT helps keep you hydrated all year long, so you can be at your best wherever your day takes you, from the gym to the office and everywhere in between. LMNT has a science-backed electrolyte ratio of 1,000 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium. And there are flavors for every season — the Chocolate Medley is back with a trio of tasty flavors designed to be enjoyed hot on those chilly fall and winter days. Nice News readers get a free sample pack with any order.
Forest Service and Ojibwa Tribe Tackle Toxic Sands by Turning to the Trees
USDA Forest Service photo by Ryan Vinhal
If you look out at Lake Superior, you’d likely never know that billions of pounds of toxic waste — called “stamp sands” — are hidden in plain sight on the shoreline. Sand Point, in Baraga County, Michigan, is a particular hotspot, and it’s also a site held sacred by the Keweenaw Bay community for cultivating wild rice. Stamp sands are tailings left behind from copper ore processing over a century ago, and they’re often laced with hazardous concentrations of metals. The effects are many: the growth of native plants hindered, fish contaminated, and the wild rice tradition threatened. But recently, the Keweenaw Bay, a federally recognized Ojibwa Tribe, and a team of researchers with the Forest Service have begun using trees to heal the land. The effort, known as “phytoremediation,” works by harnessing a careful selection of trees that can absorb and break down pollutants, essentially acting as a “living filter.” It’s a process that’s been employed successfully before (in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster, for example). For the locals, the stakes are high, but so is the potential. “The tribe is connected to this place. They are tied as a people to the water and to the land,” Erin Johnston, the wildlife and habitat manager for the Keweenaw Bay community, said in an article from the Forest Service. “This community is not going to abandon this location, so it is so important that the environment becomes healthy once again so that our other planet beings — our fish, our birds — can be healthy.”
Culture
You Can Make Your Hallmark Movie Dreams Come True
Hallmark
“I like corny, I’m looking for corny in my life,” Kate Winslet’s character says in The Holiday. And if you, too, appreciate a dose of delightful cheesiness, you’ll want to put the Hallmark Christmas Experience on your radar. Every weekend from Nov. 29 through Dec. 23, guests can make their rom-com dreams come true at a free “immersive experience” happening outside of the Hallmark headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Straight out of scenes from the movies, the event features ice skating, strolls illuminated by twinkly lights, and a Christmas market — designed “to bring all the charm of a Hallmark movie town square to life.” There are also exclusive ticketed events and photo ops with the stars themselves. The Hallmark actors making appearances include Jonathan Bennett, Erin Krakow, and Andie MacDowell. “Creating ways to help people celebrate and connect is at the very core of our brand DNA at Hallmark, especially during the holiday season,” Lindsey Roy, Hallmark’s SVP of brand development, said in a statement. “We are so excited to bring this uniquely Hallmark experience to life, and can’t wait to watch people find joy and make memories together.”
Global Good
🇩🇰 Denmark plans to pay farmers to turn some of their land into forests (read more)
🇮🇹 A rare painting by Italian master Caravaggio has gone on public display for the first time (read more)
🇫🇷 80 people who have worked on Notre Dame’s restoration formed a choir to celebrate the church’s reopening (read more)
🇦🇫 Refugee Nila Ibrahimi, 17, won a children’s peace prize for telling the stories of fellow Afghan girls (read more)
🏴 Engineers found a 132-year-old message in a bottle while inspecting a Scottish lighthouse (read more)
Inspiring Story
Alive — and living
Peter Frank is canoeing the Great Loop, a continuous, 6,000-mile waterway that includes parts of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Canadian Heritage Canals, and various inland rivers. Why? The 23-year-old was in a terrible accident as a teen, and now he’s committed to really living. “It’s my form of showing the appreciation for being alive and being able to walk and do the things that I can do,” he said.
Photo of the Day
Jasmax / NZIA Awards
The winners of the 2024 New Zealand Architecture Awards run the gamut from modern nature-inspired homes to historic building restorations. This space at the University of Auckland (designed by architecture firm Jasmax) was named one of the winners in the education category — see the others.
Get a Nonalcoholic Buzz With Cycling Frog’s Seltzers
Say goodbye to hard seltzers, and hello to Cycling Frog’s THC seltzers. Made with federally legal hemp extract and real fruit juice, they’re the perfect alcohol alternative to help you unwind. Sip on Cycling Frog’s award-winning flavors, like Black Currant and Ruby Grapefruit, or try the limited-edition Cran Razz before it’s gone.
