The Daily Check-In 6.4

Not only does garlic provide flavor and depth in cooking, experts say it may have cardiovascular and antimicrobial benefits. But without proper storage, it can easily rot. Follow these tips from Linda J. Harris, Ph.D., chair of the department of food science and technology at the University of California, Davis:

1. Store whole heads of garlic for up to a month at room temperature in well-ventilated containers like mesh or wire bags or ceramic vessels with holes.

2. To keep garlic for up to a year, store individual cloves (whole or chopped, peeled or unpeeled) in the freezer.

3. Avoid buying pre-peeled, refrigerated cloves sold in plastic containers. The cold, closed conditions stimulate sprouting, a sign that your garlic is going bad.

The skin atop pec muscles (closest to your armpits) is a lung point in acupuncture, says Deborah Stotzky, acupuncturist and owner of Holístico Wellness + Beauty in New York City.

“Placing a needle in that point releases tight pecs to enhance overall lung health, alleviating coughing and wheezing, enhancing lung capacity and air flow, and relieving tightness in the chest,” she says.

Get a similar effect by massaging the point on both pecs in a circular motion for a minimum of five seconds.

Watching stand-up comedy clips engages the brain’s reward processing systems, according to a study in the journal of Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience. 

Tonight at 8:00 PM EST, reap rewards by streaming a comedy show from writer and performer Isaac Oliver filmed at legendary NYC performance space Joe’s Pub. (The New York Times says: “Brilliant and hilarious and surprisingly, shockingly at times, intimate. You'll want to have dinner with him and maybe want to slightly protect him from the world and himself.")