THE CHECK-IN

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Last winter, John Codella, a Tier 3+ trainer at Armonk in New York, tried snowboarding for the first time. After a few trips to local mountains and a lot of falls, he got the hang of it by the time the season ended. “There are, of course, physical keys to being better at any sport (with boarding and surfing you need to have leg endurance, a strong core, and good balance) but as a novice, the most important thing is to not let ego or negative thoughts get in your way,” says Codella. “The reason I've grown to love this sport so much is because I treated it just like my fitness: I knew that no matter how bad I was at the start, it wasn't about being perfect, it was about improving.”

When patients complain of severe allergies, Linda Dahl, MD, founder of New York City’s Dahl Otolaryngology Center, often recommends they reassess aspects of their diet. “Most of my patients with chronic sinus infections, post-nasal drip, or allergies also have gastric issues,” she says. “Usually the first thing I’ll suggest is a special diet to combat yeast overgrowth, a major cause of inflammation.”

To starve out the yeast, she explains, patients should cut out top foods and drinks that cause sinus inflammation: wine, beer, wheat/gluten, dairy, and sugar. “Kombucha is horrible for sinuses because it is all yeast and sugar,” adds Dahl. "Most patients have a miraculous response within two weeks of being on this type of diet.”