EATALY'S CHEF COLLABORATIONS WITH CHEF ADAM HILL

The month of Sept is always a hectic time of year as it's summer's last hurrah, NYFW kicks off Fashion Month, football season begins and fall is embraced with it's transitional style and food festivities! As we finished our final show of NYFW SS19, we found ourselves enjoying Eataly's Chef Series, which is a collaboration of chefs including Chef Daniel Boulud, Chef Marc Forgione just to name a few, with Manzo's Chef Adam Hill. We took some time to talk to Chef Adam to find out about how he got into the industry, his work at Eataly's open kitchen Manzo, sourcing and sustainability and of course the Chef Collaborations.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us when you knew that you wanted to be a chef.

CHEF ADAM HILL: Believe it or not, probably when I was 10 years old. I started watching this show and it was before Food Network. There was a show called Great Chefs of the USA and The World. It was a very dry show and was not at all created for a 10 year old. It wasn’t like Emeril Live and didn’t have any kind of flash to it. I remember one day in particular that my dad went out for a business meeting and he came back a little over an hour later and I was still sitting in front of the TV fascinated by it! I started cooking dinner for my family at the age of 10 or 11. My mom took a job at night and even though I was the youngest in the family, I started cooking for my 2 older brothers, my mom and my dad. From there, I just fell in love with it. I started reading cookbooks at the age of 11 or 12. It got me at a young age!

AM: That’s a huge part of your culinary journey! Where else did you go and where did you train prior to coming to Eataly?

CHEF AH: I started my Lucibello’s in West Haven, CT. I started working there at the age of 16 as a dishwasher and prep cook. I worked there for about 2.5 years while I was still in high school. I ended up working my way up to prep cook full time. From there, I did some line experience also and working the hotline – starting at a young age. I also worked at a Country Club called The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT and I was at The Culinary Institute of America at the Rec Center – a student run restaurant called, The Courtside Café. It was simple things for students like burgers, fries, chicken fingers and cheesesteaks. It’s things that students want to eat when it’s not part of the curriculum. Even with that, after working there a couple of months, I became Student Manager – it was a good learning experience because at the CIA every 3 weeks, you have a new class. So you might be PM for 3 weeks and then in 3 weeks you might be learning Breakfast Class which starts at midnight but ends at 8am or 9am. So every 3 weeks, our staffing would change at Courtside so I got very good at teaching people because your staff may change.

Sometimes you go from having 15 available cooks to 10 and you have to figure out how to make it work with the schedule. Maybe someone has never worked a set station and you have to teach them how to do it and to pick it up as quickly as possible. That definitely helps. When I graduated from CIA, I worked at Chipotle for 6 months and I wanted to learn how they ran their business, how they did their ordering and their overall philosophy. It was also a great experience. My whole plan was to work there as that would be the job that would pay the bills and then train at other kitchens when I had free time. But once I became a manager, they said I couldn’t do that because I needed to have open availability and if I was trailing someone when I had a day off and they needed to call me in if someone couldn’t make it – it would be a problem.

Around that same time, Eataly opened and I started working at the Flatiron location when it opened 8 years ago. I started working at Il Pesce as a line cook and became a sous chef there and then I wanted to do something new, and then about a year and a half/2 years later, I came to Manzo as a line cook and worked my way through the stations. After 2 years, I became sous chef and after about 2 years I became the chef here for 3 years. So I have been at Eataly ever since it has opened and I have been able to stay here so long because there is always something new here, a new challenge to learn and everyday, everyweek there is something new and different going on. It’s great to run your own restaurant while fitting in with the Eataly structure.

AM: What’s an average day like for you at Manzo?

CHEF AH: I don’t know if there is ever an average day especially in the restaurant business and especially at Eataly.

On average, I come in and check in with the sous chef to make sure that we’re on the same page as far as running the specials, double checking with what the line cooks are doing, always walking around and talking with everyone tasting everything to make sure it tastes right before we go into lunch or dinner service. Talking with the General Manager to make sure we’re on the same page in terms of specials and changes to the menu. As we go into service making sure that we are expediting service and that food comes together at the same time. Making sure it’s right before it goes out. As we are getting through service, making sure that we are cleaning up and that everyone is taking their breaks.

The best way to explain the difference between being a cook and a chef is that a cook is a player on the team, but when you are the chef, you have to be the coach and it’s hard for some people to make that adjustment because when you’re the chef, it’s no longer about being the best player, it’s about making sure that your players are doing the best that they can and that your cooks are as well prepared as they can be. Making sure that as a chef, we’re always teaching and always having people think about the next step and training the person behind them to make sure that they are getting ready for a new station. For example, today walking kind of slow so that the person who is on salad station is learning on veg station and maybe the person on veg station learns how to grill meat and the person on meat station begins to learn on pasta. Some of the more advanced people can do the chef thing. It’s all about teaching and making sure that the cooks know that it’s not just a job to them, but that they are learning as much as they can while they are here. In this business, when people aren’t learning, they will put in a year on their resume and they will go elsewhere. The more that you can keep them invested and buying in, it keeps them engaged and hopefully you have a good succession plan so that you have a full circle of training happening.

AM: We truly enjoyed attending a recent Chef Collaborations dinner at Eataly where the menu was created by you and Chef Gabriel Kreuther. What is the purpose of the chefs series that took place there and how did it mold the menu as you partnered with different chefs through this series?

CHEF AH: We had this idea about a year ago as we had done a renovation of Manzo’s dining room. The kitchen is now in the dining room and it was an idea to help cross promote Manzo as well as the guest chefs, with some of the proceeds going to charity. It was a great opportunity for our guest chefs as well as for me to work with them to learn different styles of cooking.

The style of food and chefs definitely brings a different flavor each time. We recently changed the format because when we first did it we had the guest chef’s dish and a dish from Manzo’s menu, but as we continued through the series in the next round – we changed it to be a 4 course menu. So it was a dish of ours, either on the menu or off, a dish from the guest chef, the main course was a collaboration between the 2 chefs and then having the dessert course. This way was much better for the series to run for example at the dinner you attended, Chef Kreuther and I had a great overlap as he is from Alsace and there is some overlap with Alsace cooking and Italian cooking. One of my favorite things on the menu is Testa (it translates to Head Cheese in English, but it’s Pig Head) and I wanted to showcase this as it’s about responsible sourcing and eating sustainably and sometimes using just the pork chop or just the pork tenderloin – everytime an animal dies – the whole animal should be used. To utilize pigs head, it goes along with that ethos. If an animal is going to lose its life, no part of the animal should go to waste. That’s a big part of Alsatian cooking and Italian cooking. For the first course, I wanted to do a mix of Alsatian style and Italian style so the Testa was already Italian and Italian cooking uses a lot of sweet and sour components, which is also true for Alsatian cooking with the German influence. So I wanted to do the sweet and sour cherries and then for the main course, it was a similar idea. We wanted to a trio of pork – the braised pork is kind of Alsatian by braising it in beer which is also common in Northern Italian cooking. The polenta and green tomato sauce was a little sweet and a little sour. When you ate it, it didn’t feel forced there was enough of an overlap between the Alsatian and Italian cooking that it comes together naturally. That’s what those dishes should feel like and if you do a little digging into it – it makes sense historically and the customer finds it enjoyable, accurate and traditional.

AM: What was it like for you to create and work with these chefs throughout this series?

CHEF AH: There have been different challenges. It’s interesting to see the chef’s different styles and influences. Like, Chef Marc Forgione’s influence was a late night French Dip, but deconstructed so there was a carpaccio of dry aged rib eye and there was an au jus component – there was a horseradish sour cream component to it and it still felt natural together. But when you heard the story behind it, it was like cool that makes sense. Culinary-wise there is always a different technique, so there was a dish with Chef Daniel Boulud that was made with clams and andoulie which was very popular. We did a pork belly with kimchi that was pretty successful – so it was interesting to see the techniques and sometimes when we would get the recipes, they were more informal, where others were more precise down to the gram. Overall, it has been fun to learn about the chef’s history, their inspiration for the dish and their style of cooking. In every one, there has been a different learning experience.

AM: For you dishes that you created, how did you go about deciding what it was going to be and what ingredients that you would be using? Do most of them come from Eataly that can be purchased there?

CHEF AH: For the most part, yeah! I would say that when I do a dish, you can purchase the products here at Eataly, but it also depends on the flow of the guest menu that the chef wants to do. If they want to do an antipasta, then maybe we do a pasta. If they want to do a pasta, then it doesn’t make sense for us to do a pasta for the four course tasting, so we will try to do an antipasta. The collaboration is always the main course and it’s about finding that balance and that the flow of the menu is natural.

For this month, the whole menu had a country feel to it. Chef Kreuther’s dish had the apple cider braised rabbit with saffron butter, so we liked this idea of refined rustic cooking, and I love Testa so I thought that would work and he loved it too. So we agreed on this dish which flowed well with the rabbit and then for the main course, pork 3 ways was simple and elegant and continued the sweet sour play.

When we did the collaboration with Chef Akshay Bhardwaj from Junoon it was very natural. We tried to incorporate some thing that were very common in Indian cooking and in Italian
cooking. Naturally, you wouldn’t think that they would go together, but we did a Saffron Risotto with yellow lentils and lamb cooked two ways and this was really successful and I liked the dish a lot. It was because the lamb that we did, one part of it was Sicilian style and the other way was an Indian style where we had marsala and chili peppers and a lot of depth of flavor. We had Sicilian style lamb belly was cooked with garlic and herbs. The risotto was obviously Italian, but with the saffron in there it had the Indian approach along with the yellow lentils. When you ate it all together, it didn’t feel forced, you just loved the taste
playing well together.

AM: Although this series has come to an end, will there be another?

CHEF AH: I’m not sure. I mean, I know that the rest of the year maybe not, but perhaps next year. I know there is an Eataly launching in Las Vegas so maybe this is something that we could do there. It will be a new concept in Las Vegas so maybe getting people to be aware of this location, they can bring in other chefs that are established in Las Vegas through this series. Overall, we loved the concept and I think that going into the end of the year, we will be more focused on truffles and getting our menu ready for the winter.

AM: How many times a year does the menu change at Manzo?

CHEF AH: Constantly ha! It’s an organic thing. You change the menu based on seasonality, availability, for example we recently took off summer squash because it’s fall and even though it’s a bit early to put winter squash on the menu, we can’t call out to summer squash because it’s not summer. Tomato season is winding down so even though we love selling heirloom tomatoes and caprese, we can’t run it all year and it’s not true to the Italian cooking philosophy.

Somethings that are on the menu are mainstays and they don’t change too much like some of the steaks we have – it doesn’t go out of season. But it’s the garnishes that might change and as we go into the winter, we want to make our menu more comfort friendly, so tomato based pastas aren’t so friendly with truffles so we do more butter and cheese sauces because it goes great with truffles. Just keeping the menu flexible for things like that is key.

AM: What are your favorite dishes that you like to create at Manzo?

CHEF AH: Well that’s a tough question! I like doing something that is traditional but a little bit different. A good example of this is the lamb shank that’s on the menu right now. In the spring
time in Italy, much like we do a barbeque here in the US with a whole roasted pig on a spit, they will do lamb in the same way over an open fire. You eat it as soon as it comes off the fire.
You dig into it when it is so hot that it burns your fingers and it’s so hot, but you eat it any way because it is so delicious. The dish translates to “lamb that burns your fingers” – we do a version of that, but it’s not the whole lamb because we’re not going to sell a whole lamb. So we do lamb shanks and it’s marinated with white wine and olive oil, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest and a little anchovy. These are all traditional flavors and we slow cook the lamb for 24 hours and then we cool it down. When the customer orders it, we coat it with salt and sugar and we roast it so it gets crispy on the outside and when you cut into it, it’s crunchy and juicy
and falls off the bone. When you dig into it, it burns the roof of your mouth or your fingertips and it pays homage to the original. There's a story to it and it’s kind of modernized in a way that makes it appropriate to sell into a restaurant. You might sell 10 a day or 2, but if you cooked a whole lamb everyday, that wouldn’t be sustainable.

AM: That sounds really good – we’ll have to try it!

CHEF AH: Well you should come in soon as we’ll be taking it off of the menu soon as it is more of a spring or summer dish.

AM: Oh no!

CHEF AH: Realistically, we probably could change the garnish on it to make it feel more wintery, but the overall story of eating lamb in the spring or the summer time outside in the piazza where people gather around – is just like having a suckling pig for a barbeque – you think of it as more of a summery thing.

AM: Are you constantly thinking of different dishes and coordinating with the sommelier as well as your pastry chef?

CHEF AH: Yeah usually for pastry, there is some sort of collaboration between the party chef and myself, but I try to leave Chef Rebecca to have more creative freedom there and just make sure that it is something that we can execute consistently. As far as coming up with a new menu, we work with Central Kitchen. It’s like a group of chefs that oversee all restaurants at Eataly. I’m the Chef at Manzo, but then there are a team of 5 chefs at Central Kitchen which oversees all the restaurants as another set of eyes. If we weren’t all under one roof like Chef Wolfgang Puck who has 10 restaurants, Wolfgang isn’t in every restaurant every day, but he has a trusted team of people he meets with I’m sure that make sure things are going to plan, food costs are looked after and that the menu makes sense. The same can be applied here with our Central Kitchen, as they are not in everyday but they are making sure things are ok.

AM: How do you define your cooking style and how does that marry with the ethos of Eataly?

CHEF AH: That’s a good question. I like simple food that is well prepared. I like making something that is the best version of something that you have had before. Like, finding what it is that people don’t like about food or something that they could potentially like. A lot of people say that they don’t like mushrooms and when I was younger, I had a lot of bad mushroom – just thrown on pizzas with no seasoning and they got squishy and it’s a texture thing that grosses people out. I love mushrooms now and what changes them is when you get them a little crispy and mix them with a little garlic and butter and thyme. There are only 3 or 4 ingredients but it makes a lot of difference. Eggplant is another one if you eat it and there isn’t enough salt and you roast it – again, it’s a texture thing. If you get it a little bit crispy and roast it in a really hot oven, a good amount of garlic and oregano – people will eat it and the hugest compliment to me is when people tell me that they don’t even like eggplant but they ask me what I put in it to make it taste so good. I like to keep it simple as you don’t need to throw the kitchen sink on eggplant but if you find the right flavors to highlight it and to make sure the texture is correct – people can change their minds about it.

At home, I would say that I don’t cook strictly Italian. I cook some different things. The other day, I was kind of sick so I made some noodles with a lot of garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce – because when I’m sick I want to eat a lot of garlic which is good for your immune system. That’s not traditional anything – just ingredients that I like to cook with. My style is very simple and focuses on seasonality and it matches up with Eataly because our whole style of cooking is about paying respect to the traditions of Italian cooking.

“The best way to explain the difference between being a cook and a chef is that a cook is a player on the team, but when you are the chef, you have to be the coach and it’s hard for some people to make that adjustment because when you’re the chef, it’s no longer about being the best player it’s about making sure that your players are doing the best that they can an that your cooks are as well prepared as they can be.”

— Chef Adam Hill

AM: When you’re not cooking, how do you take time for yourself?

CHEF AH: I like watching football a lot and now that it’s football season, I’m very happy! I’m a Steelers fan. I like to go out with friends and it’s tough in the restaurant business as we don’t all have the same time off. Usually, when we get out of work at midnight, we’ve been cooking all day so we want to eat now because we haven’t all day. Sometimes we’ll go out for late night drinks and to grab a bite and since we're close to Koreatown, we go there as it’s open super late. A lot of people who don’t work in the industry are surprised that when we get out of work we don’t want to cook fancy food, we want comfort food. Like a pot of rice and bulgogi is great. Different kimchis and vegetables that are just stripped down and it’s not messed with too much. You want to be full and happy. I love Bonchon late night with their fried chicken wings. We try to go out once a week to go to the bars which turns into going to Koreatown for some Hot Pot or Korean barbeque. Late night tacos are a go to for me as I love Mexican food.

If I have a day off, I’m just doing laundry and relaxing. I’ll clean the house and if it’s on Sunday, then I am going to be a lazy couch potato and watch football!

IG @ChefAdamHill @EatalyFlatiron

PHOTO COURTESY | Eataly Flatiron

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Eataly’s Chef Collaborations with Chef Adam Hill in mag.

GERM CITY

We attended an exhibit preview of Germ City: Microbes and the Metropolis at the Museum of the City of New York this month to explore and reflect upon the complex story of New York’s long battle against infectious disease—a fight involving government, urban planners, medical professionals, businesses, and activists. It reveals how our understanding of disease has changed us physically, socially, and culturally, and the surprising interplay between people and pathogens in an urban context.

The exhibition is organized by the Museum of the City of New York in collaboration with The New York Academy of Medicine and Wellcome. It is part of Wellcome’s international project Contagious Cities, which explores the interplay of people and pathogens in urban contexts. Drawing on the model of the Wellcome Collection’s “Reading Room,” Germ City features a hybrid gallery and library where visitors can view historical artifacts alongside contemporary artworks created for the exhibition, delve into the exhibition’s themes with a curated selection of books, and access a wide range of perspectives through digital interactives.

Contagious Cities is an international project developed by Wellcome, which supports local conversations around the global challenges of epidemic preparedness and marking the centenary of the 1918 flu pandemic, during which a third of the world’s population was infected and 50 million people died. Cities bring people and germs together. Through the stories it tells, Contagious Cities explores the outcomes of this cohabitation, and the relationship between microbes, migration and the metropolis. Combining different perspectives and expertise, partners in the project are co-producing artist residencies, exhibitions, interactive experiences, events and broadcasts. Together, they are investigating the physical, social, economic and cultural effects of infectious diseases

“Microbes don't necessarily first come to mind as intuitive territory for a cultural exhibition, but Germ City uses scientific models, historical objects, and contemporary artworks to make the very personal stories of New Yorkers who have been impacted by contagious disease over time come alive,” said Anne Garner, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at The New York Academy of Medicine Library, and co-curator of Germ City. “Everyone can relate to what it's like to feel afraid or uncertain about illness, and/or comforted by caregivers, and we hope the show will provoke new conversations about responses to epidemic disease."

“The Academy is pleased to partner with our neighbor The Museum of the City of New York and with the Wellcome Trust on this important exhibition and program series,” said Judith A. Salerno, MD, MS, President of The New York Academy of Medicine. “This effort brings together our collective expertise on the history of health in New York and the impact that outbreaks of disease over time have had on New York City’s residents, infrastructure, and its many interlocking systems including housing, urban planning, water systems, migration, and public health policies.”

Rebecca Hayes Jacobs, Andrew W. Mellon, Post-Doctoral Cultural Fellow, with the Museum of the City of New York, added, “we were interested in bringing together historical artifacts, scientific models and contemporary art to try to address this topic of infectious disease, and organized it thematically about responses to disease. It shows artifacts and artwork about containment, investigation, care and stopping disease in the urban environment. And so we selected objects that might be visually interesting, thought provoking, and might surprise people and make them think and also bring up the social meaning of contagion. It is about the cultural side. It's a topic that is underappreciated, infectious disease might sound scary and intimidating, but anyone can learn more if they’re interested. We have a whole interactive space in the reading room, where people can learn personal stories, so hopefully it is a very accessible exhibition for just about anyone.”

After touring the exhibit and listening to opening remarks, we spoke with Seema Kumar, VP of Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communication, Johnson & Johnson, a sponsor of the exhibit.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about J&J's role and work in this field?

SEEMA KUMAR: J&J has a really superb global footprint in terms of multiple disease and therapeutic areas. Specific to this topic, in the global public health and infectious diseases and vaccines arena, we've got a long tradition in working in HIV, in TB, and many other diseases, like Zika and Ebola. We have a vaccines platform, where we are in the process of developing vaccines for Zika; we have actually 2M doses of an Ebola vaccine ready to deploy anytime there is a crisis - and those we developed and accelerated when there was a big Ebola crisis in 2015. We also have a vaccine for HIV, which is in clinical trials in South Africa. It's going to be tested in 2600 young girls and women in Sub-Saharan Africa, keeping fingers-crossed. In TB, we brought forward the first new mechanism of action in 40 years, there was a new compound and new break though and that works against multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). So for those when all hope is gone and near deathbed when resistant to all of the existing treatments, this particular medicine helps. Especially in South Africa, we have a wonderful collaboration with the government through clinical trials and also access programs, where we made our compound available for use and the transformation that has taken place in those patients is just extraordinary in terms of changing the trajectory of the mortality rates of MDR-TB, so much so that the South African government made a courageous move to put this medicine as part of its drug regimen against MDR-TB. So we have a huge footprint, and then in HIV we have three products which treat HIV, but in addition to that we have a long-acting injectable, we're working together with GSK ViiV.

We've went from multiple pills that HIV patients have to take everyday to one pill, and now we're trying to make a long-acting injectable that can keep the virus in check for longer periods of time, and a vaccine to ultimately prevent it. We also do a lot of education and healthcare systems strengthening, all of that because it's not just the innovation, but strengthening the healthcare system.

AM: We love what you said about storytelling in the opening remarks. Can you please expand upon that?

SK: We have a campaign going on called Champions of Science, and want to make people understand that science and technology are really important for us in healthcare and many other things, like food, fuel and energy.. With the Africa storytelling challenge, there is a lot of science, technology and entrepreneurship going on there. Many people just think of disease and poverty, so we need to tell the positive stories. Winners will be featured on the platform and phase two will start.

Science can seem so complex to people, it sort of happens behind the lab and seems mysterious, so one of things that storytelling does is it really makes the complex simple, it makes it human, and it connects - facts and figures are great because they are needed for credibility and accuracy, but charts, graphs and numbers do not engage the heart. What engages the heart is really storytelling. There is a tradition of storytelling in all of our cultures, because that's how you've learned your value systems and information, when not even knowing you're being educated because you're listening to the story, but somehow it wires your brain with a lot of information. So storytelling is extraordinarily important in engaging people. Not even just the public, anybody can react to a story, so I think it is an important part of public engagement.

A bit before this preview, Jim Allison, Ph.D, Chair of the Department of Immunology, MD Anderson Center, won the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for groundbreaking work with Checkpoint Inhibitors, where the immune system is being used as a way to try attack cancer. Now immunotherapy is becoming a big breakthrough way to attack cancer. This gentleman has figured out, just like a gas pedal and a break, there is a break in the immune system and that break prevents the immune system from going after a cancer, and if you can release that break, the immune system can go and attack the cancer. We have heard stories about women with tumors all over their bodies, and the tumors can shrink after the first treatment and go away, and one woman featured has been living for over ten years. This is about turning on the switch of checkpoint inhibitors to go attack the cancer in cancer immunotherapy.

The Champions of Science – Africa Storytelling Challenge aims to unearth the inspirational stories of African innovators, and invites scientists doing work on the African continent to come forward and share their stories. "A tremendous amount of science is taking place across Africa, with researchers and innovators developing solutions that can have a significant impact on society," said Seema Kumar, Vice President, Innovation, Global Health and Science Policy Communication, Johnson & Johnson. "By amplifying the stories of innovation taking place across Africa and the impact it is having on families, communities and the world, we hope to build public engagement and support for science, and inspire the next generation to pursue scientific fields that will have the potential to drive Africa's socio-economic transformation."

We also spoke with Ken Arnold, Creative Director, and Simon Chaplin, Director of Culture and Society, at Wellcome Trust. The Wellcome Trust is a biomedical research charity based in London, United Kingdom. It was established in 1936 with legacies from the pharmaceutical magnate Sir Henry Wellcome to fund research to improve human and animal health. The aim of the Trust is to "achieve extraordinary improvements in health by supporting the brightest minds", and in addition to funding biomedical research it supports the public understanding of science.

AM: Please tell us about Wellcome and the Germ City: Microbes and the Metropolis exhibition.

KEN ARNOLD: Wellcome has been delighted to collaborate with colleagues at MCNY to co-produce the exhibition Germ City, and further to work in close collaboration with their next-door-neighbours the New York Academy of Medicine. The show explores how New York has shaped – and been shaped by – the fight against contagious diseases such as cholera, and TB. Through a range of intriguing historical objects, powerful contemporary art commissions and interactive features, the exhibition teases out the personal, cultural, political and medical dimensions of contagion in this truly global city.

SIMON CHAPLIN: The show tells stories about health and illness, immune systems and antibiotics, breakthroughs in treatments and vaccinations; and on a more granular individual scale, stories of the lives and struggles of ordinary New Yorkers. But it’s just as much about the structure of urban life: housing, water systems, sanitation, and individual and collective rights. Inevitably, it also touches on issues of social injustice and conflict.

AM: What other exhibitions and projects are part of Wellcome's Contagious Cities international project?

KA: Germ City is the first exhibition in Wellcome’s ambitiously broad international Contagious Cities initiative. Timed to coincide with the centenary of the 1918/19 influenza pandemic, Contagious Cities is a cultural project that spans Geneva, Hong

Kong and New York. Each has its own fascinating, often tragic, but also sometimes hopeful set of disease stories to share. With the World Health Organisation headquartered there, Geneva is arguably the city in the world where most thought is given to contagion and epidemics. Contagious cities commissioned WHO’s first artists in residence. While Hong Kong is perhaps the world’s most connected city, with a vibrant history as a hub of international travel, but also of contagious diseases. A major part of the project there will be an art-led exhibition at Tai Kwun, Hong Kong’s brand-new centre for heritage and arts.

AM: What are some of the upcoming featured artist residencies, broadcasts, events and interactive storytelling experiences?

KA: Across New York ‘Contagious Cities’ features exhibitions, artist residencies, broadcasts, events and interactive storytelling experiences. The Tenement Museum will host a series of special tours of its historic Lower East Side buildings focused on former residents’ tales of disease, medicine, immigration and reform; while WNYC have drawn on their archives and newsroom to offer a series of narratives chronicling the relationship between cities and contagious disease. Other activities are based at the New York Public Library, CUNY’s Graduate School and the Brooklyn Historical Society.

AM: What some key takeaways you hope attendees have when exploring Germ City: Microbes and Metropolis and the Contagious Cities series?

SC: We want to raise awareness of how much germs are a part of all our lives: the reason we wash our hands and cover our mouths when we sneeze. They are a major, if microscopic, feature of our urban environment; and in causing diseases they have brought tragedy, fear, suspicion and destruction to urban environments. But in dealing with them, cities have also witnessed acts of compassion and imagination and globally significant learned lessons. We want people to find out and think about that balance and tension; to comprehend some of the fascinating consequences of those histories, as well as understand and be part of collective attempts to avoid potential disease outbreaks in the future.

AM: What are some highlights of historical significance in NYC's battle with infectious disease?

KA: INFLUENZA - The most deadly flu episode came to New York 100 years ago, in the aftermath of World War I. The global pandemic of 1918–19 killed an estimated 50–100 million people (more than the entire combat death toll of the war). Although over 30,000 New York City residents died, the city’s death rate was actually much lower than other large US cities, in part due to decades of work to improve sanitation and housing conditions by the New York City Department of Health.

“TYPHOID MARY” - Perhaps history’s most famous case of forced isolation of a disease carrier was that of Mary Mallon (1869–1938), who spent the last 23 years of her life held against her will on North Brother Island in the East River. She had spread typhoid to the many families and other clients for whom she worked as a cook, but never fell ill herself. She was outraged at her confinement and refused to believe that she was infected.

TB CARE - Tuberculosis played a particularly pernicious and tenacious role in the urban landscape. Tenements were ideal environments for the disease, which thrived in unventilated rooms and among those whose immune systems were compromised by malnourishment and poor hygiene. TB killed more New Yorkers in the 19th century than any other contagion.

AM: How powerful is storytelling at exhibitions and events to advocate and promote change?

SC: It can be an extraordinarily potent aspect of exhibitions and events, especially in the way it brings personal lived experiences into the context of topics that may otherwise seem challenging, complicated and unrelatably large. Narratives can remind us that shared human instincts reach across time allowing us to empathise with historical figures; but also to show how rich and varied human experience is - that our perspectives are not necessarily shared by others. Less focused on the idea of promoting specific changes, storytelling does provide a powerful platform to make people think openly and differently about big topics such as epidemic preparedness and why they should care about it.

AM: What are some insights into your creative process for designing exhibits, as well as across global show series?

KA: ‘Contagious Cities’ is a profoundly transdisciplinary project: it brings together insights and perspectives from science and culture; from historical investigation and personal reflection. It’s a vigorous attempt to make bold links between medicine, life and art.

SC: It is also a project founded on the principles of co-production. It wouldn’t happen without Wellcome’s core role; but is equally inconceivable without our inspiring partners in each of these cities. We work like this because we believe more exciting public shows can be the result, and because we believe we can all learn much by working collaboratively.

Contagious Cities also aims to make the most of Wellcome’s international reach; it is based on our commitment to the value of supporting locally grounded conversations around global challenges, in this case epidemic preparedness.

AM: Please tell us more about Wellcome and some of its global health initiatives. How does it advance ideas, seize opportunity and drive reform?

SC: Wellcome exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive. We’re a global charitable foundation, both politically and financially independent. And we support scientists and researchers, take on big problems, fuel imaginations, and spark debate. Our funding helps 14,000 curious people in more than 70 countries to explore ideas in science, population health, medical innovation, the humanities and social sciences and public engagement.

We are a well-resourced and relatively independent organization that, we believe, that can make tangible differences. We aim to stimulate research excellence and develop global collaborations to drive change. If we're successful, the research we fund will provide strong evidence for action, which will lead policymakers, businesses and the public to make more informed decisions on things that affect the environment and health.

KA: Wellcome is also helping change the way we think about medicine and its place in society and culture. Through our free museum and library (Wellcome Collection), we seek to challenge how we all think and feel about health. We put on exhibitions, curate collections, produce live and digital programming, broadcasts and publications to create opportunities for people to think deeply about the connections between science, medicine, life and art. Projects like Contagious Cities take our excitement around this approach to the culture of medicine to new audiences in parts of the world important to us, but where we are less well known.

We also caught up with the blood artist and activist behind Blood Mirror, Jordan Eagles. In 2014, artist Jordan Eagles enlisted a group of 9 extraordinary gay, polysexual, and/or transgender men, each with a unique life story, to donate their blood to the sculpture Blood Mirror in protest of the FDA’s ban. The blood in this sculpture has been encased in resin and is fully preserved, ensuring that the organic material will not change over time. In 2016, 50 PrEP advocates gathered in protest to donate their blood to Blood Mirror. Each individual donated a tube of blood – 50 tubes equals a full pint, the amount in a standard blood donation — which was collected into the “community pint”. This blood was preserved inside Blood Mirror, which protests FDA’s current 1-year deferral policy to stigmatize gay and bisexual men without accounting for PrEP, condoms, and other safe-sex practices that can greatly reduce the risk of HIV infection. Viewers can enter Blood Mirror and see themselves reflected through the blood of these 59 preserved donations. A totem of science and equality, Blood Mirror is an archive of the donors’ blood that confronts the 33-year history of the FDA’s ban and current discriminatory policy.

AM: What is this art piece called and what is the message behind the work?

JORDAN EAGLES: The piece is called Blood Mirror. It is made out of the blood donations of 59 gay, bisexual and transgender men to discuss and peacefully protest the FDA’s discriminatory policy on blood donations for gay and bisexual men. Up until recently (2015), there was a lifetime ban from donating if a man had sex with another man once, he was deferred for life. This was put into effect in 1983 during the AIDS epidemic. In 2015, the FDA changed the policy to allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood, but only if they were celibate for a full year, which is as I see it ridiculous, especially when there are no requirements for any other individuals to be celibate.

So this piece was created over a two year period, there are two iterations. The first phase of the project happened before, in 2014 and 2015, and involved the blood donations of 9 very particular men, all with very unique stories and life perspectives about hypocrisy and policy.

AM: Who are some of the individuals who donated blood for the project? Why were they selected, what are their stories?

JE: These are some of those blood donors. Oliver Anene is a LBGT activist from Nigeria who is here in the US on political asylum. It is ironic and sad how his participation of the project has a different meaning now in 2018, even though we’re thinking of the FDA’s policy on blood donations, blood is something that is in all human beings – a life force for everyone in the world. So it was important to ask someone very far away to be represented. Blue Bayer is a bisexual father of two, so it really humanizes his inability to donate blood for his own children should they need it. Howard Grossman, M.D., is the medical supervisor on the project, and well as a blood donor, he is a classic AIDS specialist, on the front lines of HIV/AIDS for 30 somewhat years. Kelsey Louis is the CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Lawrence D. Mass, M.D., is the co-founder of GMHC and the first writer to write about AIDS back in the 80’s. The Reverend John Moody, he is an openly gay priest and part of Trinity Wall St, coincidentally where the first act of protest was. Reverend Moody was important so someone could speak about the spirituality of the blood and it’s so often connected to a lot of religious iconography, rituals and the deep humanity of it. Loren Rice is a transgender man, who at the time he donated blood he was married to another transgender man. What’s interesting about this that the transgender men can be self-identifiable, but that means if you check the box
you’re with another transgender man, meaning that checking the box confers you slept with another man, and in so, then disqualified from giving blood. What about monogamously married people, there is CPT Anthony Woods who is married, but is also in the project because he led two terms in Iraq, and he could shed his blood on the battlefield and cannot donate blood to save lives. It is so crazy especially when donation is supposed to be this patriotic, symbolic duty. Ty Spicha is an identical twin, he is gay and is brother is straight. They have the same DNA but only one can donate because one is gay and one isn’t. So all of that was done in 2014-2015.

AM: Where else has the Blood Mirror been featured?

JE: The sculpture premiered in Washington DC at the American History Museum and travelled from there to here in New York, at Trinity Wall St. Then from there, it came back to my studio and we did another iteration of the project, where we created a blood drive for 50 men donating a tube of blood, on PrEP to make a joint human pint, and that was added to the piece and preserved. The viewer essentially becomes another participant in the piece because of the nature of being a mirror – you can see yourself through the blood of men whose blood would have been used for life-saving purposes.

AM: What is it like to tell stories with blood, tell us more about yourself?

JE: I’m an artist and have been working in blood for almost 20 years. Most of my work was done from blood procured from a slaughterhouse and addresses different themes, more philosophically driven, spirituality, regeneration, lifecycle, and the body. This is the first human blood project and happy it is here in the Museum of the City of New York. 55 of the donors are New Yorkers, so I really feel it is coming back home. The piece was recently shown as of last year through middle of this year at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Alabama, so different venues can change the ways it can be discussed. Here it is based on the theme of containment, it is really a contemporary metaphor of even today in 2018, LGBT individuals are essentially quarantined through their blood and not being able to participate the way everyone else can. So hopefully after eight months of it being here, more people will know about the issue and people will wake up and change the policy.

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Germ City in mag.

GETTING A GOOD NIGHT'S REST

On Nov 9th, Daylight Savings Time will make its way back into our calendars again. In order to be prepared, we sat down with Beautyrest Sleep Expert, Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a sleep researcher at the NYU School of Medicine. We talked with her about getting a full night of sleep (even when we lose an hour in our day due to the change), how we can get into a proper sleep routine, meditation and how much sleep we honestly need.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why is Daylight Savings time such a shift for us as we experience it every year?

DR. REBECCA ROBBINS: Human beings are creatures of habit, particularly when it comes to sleep. Our sleep is largely governed by a 24-hour cycle, or circadian rhythm. Small changes to this schedule, such as ‘sleeping in’ on the weekends, but also daylight savings time of even one hour can have a dramatic effect upon our sleep schedule, and subsequently our mood, alertness, energy, and health. For instance, workplace research shows employee performance declines significantly in the week after daylight savings time while employees adjust to a new sleep schedule.

AM: How can we prepare or Daylight Savings Time?

DR. RR: The transition to a new time and improved waking success can be eased with a few key strategies:

-Start going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night leading up to daylight savings time
-Practice good sleep hygiene (e.g., avoid caffeine after 2pm, keep your bedtime and rising time as consistent as possible)
-Make exercise a priority, this can help you adjust to your new sleep schedule
-Get as much blue light to boost your alertness during the day as possible, even on a cloudy day, walking outside in the morning and afternoon can help your body adjust to the time change
-Avoid light at night close to bed, including cell phones, as this can trigger our alertness when our bodies need to power down

AM: How can we create a successful sleep environment at home and when we travel?

DR. RR: Our bedrooms must be a sanctuary for rest, relaxation, and sleep. The best bedroom design features neutral tones and optimally, is devoid of technology such as cell phones or cable boxes. Most important, the mattress is the foundation to a good night’s sleep. I recommend the Beautyrest Black line, which features individually pocketed coils for low-motion transfer and optimal airflow, as well as memory foam on top for support and comfort.

AM: How important and linked are meditation and sleep?

DR. RR: Meditation is the practice of quieting the mind and focusing on the breath. It is a deep form of relaxation. Individuals who practice meditation frequently can reap many benefits, including improved sleep. Also, the strategies of medication (e.g., quieting the mind, slowing the breath) are tools that can help with sleep onset (i.e., the process of falling asleep), so meditation and sleep are indeed linked! To showcase this correlation, I recently led an in-bed meditation session for 150 attendees after an overnight Max Richter concert in New York City.

AM: How much sleep do we really need?

DR. RR: The duration of sleep we need to perform at our peak when we are awake changes over the lifespan. Children need almost as much sleep as they can get to support healthy development, teenagers actually need between 8 and 9 hours and adults typically require between 7 and 8 hours for optimal health, well-being, and cognitive performance. Many people tell me they need only 5-hours of sleep, but odds are they don’t even realize how much better they would feel if they slept for a few more hours.

AM: Are power naps beneficial?

DR. RR: Absolutely! A ‘power nap’ is a nap of 20 minutes. This is a great way to recover if you have to stay up late or have a hard time sleeping. Make sure to get up after 20 minutes or you may wake up groggy. One exception to this, however, is that power naps or naps of any kind are discouraged for individuals suffering from insomnia.

AM: What happens while we sleep beyond getting a good night's rest?

DR. RR: During sleep our brains, body, and skin go into deep repair mode. Sleep plays an important role in removing toxins from the brain and body. Sleep is also the time during the day when our blood pressure and body temperature, for instance, dip to their lowest points. Allowing our bodies to process through this complete and total repair and is what allows us to be optimally awake. This is actually something Beautyrest is focused on with the development of its mattresses. The brand believes that a great night’s rest can help you reach your full potential the next day which is why they are dedicated to using the latest in sleep technology and innovation.

AM: With Awards Season, how can we get great sleep and is there such a thing as a sleeping plan to ensure you are at your best?

DR. RR: A healthy sleep routine is a great idea all year long, but especially when you have an event and want to be fully awake and at your best. Unfortunately, we often make exercise and nutrition a priority during these periods but ignore sleep. You can certainly create a sleeping plan similar to a pre-event workout or nutrition plan to help you stay on-track. The best practices for maintaining any healthy habit, such as keeping a journal or schedule, apply here as well.

AM: What are 3 things that we can do to be mindful of getting good sleep?

DR. RR: Tracking sleep is increasingly common among the population! According to our research, as many as 80% of people use a mobile or wearable device to track their sleep. A new, low profile way to track your sleep (which is a great way to increase your mindfulness) is with the Beautyrest Sleeptracker monitor, which lies seamlessly under your pillow, allowing you to wake up to a breadth of data and insights about your sleep!

Another way to be more mindful about sleep is to set a gentle alarm at night for your bedtime routine. Optimally, we all take time to unwind and unplug with a routine that is relaxing. Set a gentle alarm to go off about 30 minutes before you want to be slipping into bed as a peaceful cue to you that it is time to start to unplug from electronics, take a bath or do some reading.

Finally, enhanced mindfulness about sleep can be achieved with simple journaling about your alertness level the next day in a notebook or word document.

AM: What yoga moves are conducive to sleep?

DR. RR: Exercise that is high intensity is undesirable before bed, but restorative yoga or a gentle flow from up dog to down dog are optimal for relaxing and softening any tense muscles before bed.

AM: Is there such a thing that people can work on projects in their sleep and if so, is it healthy?

DR. RR: Sleep is a time when we actually rehearse events and things we learned from the day before, making sleep an essential component of ability to remember and recall. Thus, healthy sleep is a critical part of memory and cognition.

AM: How important is it to dream and to remember them?

DR. RR: Dreaming largely takes place during Rapid Eye Movement sleep. It is neither important or unimportant to remember dreams, but we do find that if you start to talk about dreams with a spouse or friend, or journal about them, your ability to recall dreams is enhanced.

IG @DrRebeccaRobbins

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Getting a Good Night’s Rest in mag.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE MARKET WITH MELISSA LEE

We had the pleasure to sit with CNBC anchor, Melissa Lee for this month's cover story and shoot in NYC. We were excited to discuss all things journalism, financial news and markets, and special projects. It's incredible how she fits that into her daily routine, work- out habits and style on set and off.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first learn you wanted to be a journalist and broadcaster growing up?

MELISSA LEE: I’ve known since middle school! I started developing an interest in the school paper and I even anchored the morning newscast, which was a daily 5 minute, closed-circuit broadcast in the morning. The station was called GNPS TV News, which stood for Great Neck Public Schools Television (I’m sure there is an incriminating take of me out there somewhere.) One day my mom said to me, “You could be like Kaity Tong someday” (Kaity was a star WABC anchor at the time.) That pretty much sealed the deal! Not to say I didn’t flirt with other possible careers -- I had a strong interest in medicine and spent summers doing lab work on colorectal cancer and Lyme disease. But I always came back to journalism!

AM: Our internet game is pretty strong, and we discovered your mother was once a sportswear designer… so we guess athleisure is sort of in your genes?

ML: My mom was a designer, and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She stopped designing before I was born, but she made clothes and Halloween costumes for my older sister, younger brother and me. We also made a lot of clothes for dolls and stuffed animals! So I started learning about and appreciating, clothing and fashion at an early age.

AM: What was it like going to Harvard, what pro tips did you develop working at 'The Crimson' that you still use today? What was it like working on the online-side then as well?

ML: The Crimson was like a full-time job and it was a great training ground for the basics of journalism. In fact, many of its alumni are working journalists at The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Dow Jones and many other organizations. There were so many lessons I learned there- it really was sink or swim! But a couple of lessons stand out: 1. How to cold call to find a source or information. I think this skill gets lost in the age of Twitter and email, but picking up the phone and calling people in a particular dorm or on a particular team, getting them not to hang up the phone on you, and coaxing them to actually tell you information is a skill. 2. Networks are important. The Crimson alumni network helped me find internships. Through those internships, I was introduced to professional organizations such as the Asian American Journalists Association. Leveraging the network available to you, and then growing that network, is key.

AM: Hosting multiple shows definitely seems challenging! What is a typical day like for you?

ML: Hosting multiple shows definitely requires a strict daily routine! I wake up at around 6am, have breakfast, read emails and prep for what I think will be the big stories of the day will be. Then I hit the gym and get into the studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ by 10:30am for hair and makeup. After that, it’s a race until the end of the day: eat lunch (yes, I have a set time for lunch, which I eat at my desk while prepping for the show), on air for Power Lunch from 1-3pm, brainstorm with the Fast Money team on what the show's lead should be, and leave for the Nasdaq Marketsite by 3:30pm to be on the air at 5pm.

AM: What some differences between hosting “Fast Money,” and co-hosting “Power Lunch.” Do you have a favorite?

ML: The two shows have two completely
different personalitites, so hosting both allows me to flex my different anchor “muscles.” Power Lunch is an ensemble cast, so I have two co-anchors and our task is to provide analysis on stocks in the news, investing, and various political stories and
how they might impact one’s portfolio.

On Fast Money, I am the solo anchor so I have more impact on what stories we tell and how we tell them. FM features a panel of four professional traders/money managers and it was created to be the post-game, after-market show, where we dissect interesting stock moves and market news with a look to the next trading day. It’s also almost entirely unscripted -- from the conversations we have to the interviews, so you have to be on your toes! You never know what anyone will say!

Making me choose a favorite show is like asking which of your children you love more. But, with that said, Fast Money will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first
permanent anchor job, and I’ve been hosting it for about 9 years, so I feel I have really helped evolve the show into what it is today.

AM: For our business and entrepreneur audience, what are some of your best practices in preparing for things that you know will be variable and change in real time?

ML: My philosophy is to build your base of knowledge. Read everything that you think is interesting, or might be of interest in the future. So for instance, of all the preparation I do ahead of any team events one show, I would say I might not use 70% of the information. But that 70% goes in the knowledge bank so when the unexpected happens, I can recall that interesting story about consumer credit trends or the analysis of drug price increases this year.

AM: How long can you go without being connected to Wi-Fi? Do you unplug at certain times of day?

ML: I try to protect certain times of day by unplugging: while I’m working out, meals or time with friends and family. I try not to respond to any work-related emails on weekends, and on vacation, I try to check emails only a couple times a day. (Notice I say “try”- it’s an ongoing battle!)

AM: What sets financial news coverage and analysis apart from reporting on other industries?

ML: I think the challenge for financial news journalists is making the numbers personal. Many people are put off by the numbers in business news - companies’ earnings report, economic data, stock prices, interest rates etc.

They may think it’s hard to understand. But all of that information tells a story. How many widgets is a company selling and is the company selling widgets at a faster pace than last year? How does an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve impact what a consumer pays on her credit card debt?

We have a tremendous responsibility because the stories we report impact people’s money- people’s 401k plans, how they save for college, what stocks they buy. And building financial freedom and wealth can have profound effects for a family. No other area in journalism has that impact.

---

“Making me choose a favorite show is like asking which of your children you love more. But with that said, Fast Money will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first permanent anchor job, and Ive been hosting it for about 9 years...”

— MELISSA LEE

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AM: What do you envision your audience is?

ML: I know CEOs, bankers, traders, portfolio managers all watch us. But I like to think that we are also accessible to the average at-home investor, so I often think that I am talking to my mom!

AM: What are some of your favorite guest interviews you've done thus far?

ML: Many of my favorite interviews were part of documentary or longform reporting. I did a story about mine safety and interviewed a third-generation coal miner (thousands of feet underground, in the mine) named Shag Jr. who chose to be a coal miner despite the risks. The reason was simple: you can earn a six-figure salary with a high school degree. It was the best job available to him, and he viewed his job as a service. Who makes sure the lights go on when you flip the switch? Coalminers, he said.

I also interviewed Cyril Rhamaphosa, now the president of South Africa, during my Coca Cola documentary. His investment firm, Shanduka, owned the only black-owned bottler during Apartheid, a time when Coke chose to stay with the country and take a side. Ramaposa recounted stories of marching with Nelson Mandela in the fight for equal rights. I felt like I was taking a trip back in history.

AM: How did you get involved traveling the world shooting documentaries? Are there any memorable surprise moments that happened during production?

ML: I have pitched almost every documentary I have done, so it was as simple as having a good idea.

Traveling abroad always has its surprises. During a trip to Capetown for my Bitcoin documentary, my producer and I traveled to a township called Khayelitsha, which is a very poor area where people live in tin homes and barely have electricity. Armed security accompanied us. The kids of the township were very excited to see a camera crew and crowded around us. But, one young boy pulled a gun on my producer! (I was shooting something on camera while this happened and found out about this afterwards.) Fortunately it was a toy gun! But given the stories we had read about the crime and given what our security detail told us about the area, that practically gave her a heart attack!

AM: Tell us about your latest documentary, "Bitcoin: Boom or Bust." Are you bullish on blockchain technology and/or cryptocurrency?

ML: The documentary explores the elusive and controversial world of bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that sparked a global frenzy. We tried to answer a couple of key questions: Is it the future of finance, a bubble or worse? I think the technology behind cryptocurrencies,
blockchain, has real promise. Corporate America is starting to use blockchain to track provenance of art and property, or improve efficiencies in their supply chain. I believe there are places in the world where cryptocurrencies will have a role-- places where people go unbanked, where there is tremendous volatility in their local currencies. But I think there are still questions as to whether crypto is a good investment.

I’ve done a number of documentaries on CNBC and what was so exciting about this one is the topic- I’ve never reported on a topic that is so divisive. Bitcoin is either a total bubble or the
future of money. And the doc looks and feels very different from more traditional documentaries. Check it out on CNBC, Hulu and Yahoo.

AM: Do you have some suggestions for younger journalists in financial news, and generally?

ML: Don’t be wedded to any particular media. In other words, make sure you love reporting and telling your story, whether it’s online, in print or on TV. And for those who are interested specifically in television, remember your career is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not how fast you can get on air- it’s how long you can stay on air.

AM: With such a busy schedule, how do you take time for yourself?

ML: It’s really important to me to protect personal time. In this day and age, you are accessible all the time. And that tends to mean you are in “work mode” to varying degrees all the time. That is not healthy. So unplugging at certain times of day and making sure you’re doing something for yourself every day (that’s anything from going to the gym, to taking a walk, to calling a friend) is important.

AM: How would you define your style on air versus when you’re out and about running errands?

ML: On air, I like to be on the edgier spectrum of business attire - an occasional leather jacket, a pants suit with a layered necklace. I also like to adjust my hair and makeup according to my wardrobe. But when I’m just running errands it’s definitely jeans, t-shirt and maybe a leather jacket. And I am a fan of athleisure when I’m just going to the grocery or shopping! I also try to give my skin and hair a rest on weekends, so very little to no makeup and a ponytail!

AM: When it comes to working out, what is your fitness method of choice?

ML: My favorite cardio is rowing, but I try to use a couple machines a week to mix it up. I also like to alternate long, steady cardio with HIIT. And weights are a must!

AM: What would we find on your playlist?

ML: Totally eclectic with an alternative bent: Muse, Imagine Dragons, Lana del Rey, Elle King, Beyoncé, Bebe Rexha.

AM: What philanthropic efforts are you engaged in to give back to others/the community?

ML: It’s important to me to stay engaged with Harvard. I’ve been an alumni interviewer for four years now, interviewing applicants in the NYC area. It’s inspiring to meet so many amazing students and even more humbling to find that even some of the most qualified
kids don’t get accepted. I think of it as my way of helping shape the future of an institution I love.

TWITTER @MelissaLeeCNBC

Our Sept Cover shoot was shot at 865 United Nations Plaza #3C courtesy of Louise Phillips Forbes of Halstead Property.

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Staying Ahead of the Market with Melissa Lee.

BINGELY BOOKS

JUROR #3
James Patterson + Nancy Allen
Little, Brown and Company

Ruby Bozarth is new to Rosedale, Mississippi. This young attorney tried her first case and is fresh to the Mississippi Bar.
Circuit Judge Baylor taps her as defense
counsel to a racially charged felony case in this legal thriller.

The murder of a woman from one of the town's oldest families has Rosedale's upper crust howling for blood, and the prosecutor
is counting on Ruby's inexperience to help him deliver swift conviction. Ruby's client
is a college football star who has returned home after a career-ending injury, and she is determined to build a defense that will stick. She finds help in unexpected quarters from Suzanne, a hard-charging attorney armed to the teeth, and Shorty, a diner cook who knows more than he lets on.

Ruby never belonged to the country-club set, but once she nearly married into it. As news breaks of a second murder, Ruby's ex-fiancé, Lee Greene, shows up on her doorstep--a Southern gentleman in need of a savior. As lurid, intertwining investigations unfold, no one in Rosedale can be trusted, especially the twelve men and women impaneled on the jury. They may be hiding the most incendiary secret of all.

HIPPIE
Paulo Coelho
Knopf

Paulo Coelho takes us back in time to tell the story of him as a young boy in Brazil. It tells his story of wanting to be a writer and the journey he takes getting there as well as the deeper meaning of his life.

His journey takes him from the famous “Death Train” to Bolivia, Peru, Chile and
Argentina. He continues to the Dam Square in Amsterdam. While there, he meets Karla, a Dutch woman who was waiting for the ideal companion to join her on the fabled hippie trail to Nepal via the Magic Bus.

As they travel together, Paulo and Karla explore their own relationship: a life-defining love story that awakens them on every level and leads to choices and decisions that will set the course for their lives thereafter.

HALF BAKED HARVEST
Tieghan Gerard
Clarkson Potter

Tieghan Gerard was one of seven children
while growing up in Colorado. When her dad took too long to make dinner, she decided to start cooking at the age of 15. Being in the kitchen allowed her to find her place and to create unique dishes which led her to launch her blog, Half Baked Harvest.
With millions of people enjoying her take on comfort food, her photography and her life in the mountains - her barn turned test kitchen recipes are presented in this book.

Whether you need to get dinner on the table for your family tonight or are planning your next get-together with friends, this book is a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Books in mag.

5 OUTERWEAR PIECES TO KNOCK OFF THE CHILL

Read more from the Sep Issue and see 5 Outerwear Pieces to Knock Off the Chill in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

THE BRIGHT SESSIONS
Spotify

There is nothing better than listening to one podcast and finding out about another one! The Bright Sessions is a science fiction podcast that follows a group of therapy patients. But these are not your typical patients - each has a unique supernatural
ability. The show documents their struggles and discoveries as well as the motivations of their mysterious therapist, Dr. Bright.

This series started back in 2016 and actually
concluded its main storyline this summer; however, there are plans to create spinoff shows through the podcast, books as well as TV shows - so it's worth listening to this show as well as to stay tuned for bonus episodes, updates and more.

DR.DEATH

Wondery

Apple Podcasts

We were hooked on Wondery when we got hoked on Dirty John (which will now be a TV series on BRAVO). Dr. Death introduces us to a surgeon and 33 of his patients who trusted him to do spinal surgeries.

This kind of surgery leaves us at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. We feel that there is a level of trust to the person that will be at the other end of the scalpel. We trust the hospital. In the end, we trust the system. Dr. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence, charm and comfort. He always told his patients in Dallas that he was the best and would challenge others to look him up to verify his claims.

If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. But soon his patients started to experience complications. And all they had to protect them was a system ill equipped to stop the madness. This podcast focuses on the medical system that failed to protect these patients who were operated on by him.

The series focuses on Dr. Christopher Duntsch, his approach to being the best from his athletic career to going to medical school. The host takes the listen er through conversations with patients, those who worked with him in his practice and the aftermath.

MANIAC

Netflix

Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone) and Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill) are two struggling strangers who are drawn to the late stages of a mysterious mind-bending pharmaceutical trial.

Their reasons for participating differ as Annie is disaffected and aimless, fixated on broken relationships with her mother and sister. Owen lives his life with a disputed diagnosis of schizophrenia.

The radical treatment, using pills that the inventor (a doctor with mother issues and an emotionally complex computer) claims can repair anything about the mind, draws Annie, Owen and 10 other subjects into a three-day drug trial that they're told will permanently
solve all of their problems, with no complications or side effects. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned.

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | RUM MEET FALL

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Rum Meet Fall in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | BRRRN

On May 1st 2018, Brrrn became the world's first cool temperature (45°F-60°F) boutique fitness concept and lifestyle brand, opened a 3,000-square-foot studio with a rustic, industrial-chic, lodge aesthetic in New York City's Flatiron neighborhood (107 W 20th Street). The research driven concept is disrupting the fitness landscape by pairing the benefits of routine cool temperature exposure (called mild cold stress) with exercise (called environmental conditioning) to optimize the fitness experience—as well as provide other health benefits, such as burning more calories than in ambient or hotter environments. Brrrn
debuted with a three-tier group of exercise programs: FLOW (Yoga-Inspired Mobility and Strength Series at 60°F), SLIDE (Cardio Slide Board Core & Conditioning Series at 55°F) and HIT (Battle Rope-Infused HIT Series at 45°F).

The flagship studio includes male and female identifying locker rooms with Nebia showers, an eight-person communal infrared sauna experience and exclusive Brrrn apparel. The Brrrn Coldture™ is a body-positive community that strives for progress, not perfection.

Jimmy T. Martin and Johnny Adamic are multi-hyphenates whose backgrounds extend beyond the real of fitness. Martin is a former Division I athlete who has 10 years experience as a private trainer to C-Suite executives and influencers in fashion and entertainment. He also worked as a freelance copywriter and background performer on Saturday Night LIve from 2011-2016.

Adamic's background is in public health and journalism. Prior to Brrrn, he worked for the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene and served on former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Obesity Task Force doing obesity and chronic disease prevention. He also wrote for The Daily Beast as their health contributor. He earned his yoga teacher training and personal training certificates. He met Martin at a private training facility in Soho.

When you exercise in cooler temperatures, you optimize the fitness experience because you burn fat, you can grow a tolerance to cold, and cooler temperatures provide the optimal temperature for working out.

In the long term, frequent and routine exposure to cooler temperatures can help you acclimate to cold. This means you can spend more time in cooler temperatures, allowing you to reap more of the benefits.

Guests can enjoy locker rooms, showers, bathrooms, full refresh bar, Orlando Pita Play Hair products, 8 person infrared sauna experience, state of the art sound system, exclusive Brrrn
Apparel and Unity Water.

BRRRN
107 W 20th St.
NY, NY 10011
www.thebrrrn.com
IG @Brrrn

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Brrrn in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | GET READY FOR WORLD SAKE DAY

Sake (pronounced SAH-kay not SAH-kee) fans rejoice, we sat down with Benihana Inc.'s Senior Director of Beverage, Alfredo Martinez to find out about RA Sushi, World Sake Day, how this rice wine is brewed and a few misconceptions about this beverage in this month's Something You Should know!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about RA Sushi, which we know is under Benihana Inc, the parent company to RA Sushi, Haru and of course, Benihana. Also tell us who you are and what you do at RA Sushi.

ALFREDO MARTINEZ: I’m the Senior Director of Beverage for all of the 3 brands that you mentioned as well as Samurai which is a concept here in Miami. We’re very lucky to have various brands. Benihana which everybody knows – we cook in front of you. RA Sushi, is the wild child. We are high energy, vibrant environment that is built on a strong happy hour with very innovative sushi. If you ever have a chance to go, we will be very happy to take care of you. It just so happens that during October, we will celebrate Nihonshu No Hi or World Sake Day and it’s just a world wide celebration day of Japanese food and culture. We’re thrilled to share a little bit of that which starts on Oct 1st and we will have specials such as $1 hot sake, Spiked Sushi Roll which is a brand new roll that we have where the tuna is marinated in sake and there is a sake pairing with it. We’re thrilled for people to try it.

AM: For those that aren’t familiar what is the process of making sake, are there varietals and in making it – is more like a wine or a beer?

AM: That’s a great question. The misconception comes when people call it a rice wine but it is actually brewed more like a beer. Since that is the case, it means that it is going to have some
of the elements of beer making. The important things to remember about sake is that there are only 4 ingredients various varieties that you can choose from), water – which is very important so the sake depending on where it is brewed in the North of Japan or the South of Japan you’ll have different qualities of water which are all amazing – but one may be a little bit more heavier, softer or sweeter depending on water content and it will have a big impact on what sake will taste like. Then you will have different kinds of yeast, which the makers will have to select the right kind to go with the rice that they are using, and koji – a special Japanese mold that will help with the brewing process and the fermentation process. Sake is the only beverage in the world that goes through a complex fermentation, but most importantly it’s sulphate free, gluten free as well. The craft and mastery of the sake creations are what we try to showcase at the restaurant to have a varied assortment for our guests to try that come from all over Japan as well as the US.

AM: Is there sake production in the US?

AM: Absolutely, you have breweries that are popping up everywhere. You have some very established ones in California and Oregon. Now we’re also seeing some are popping up in Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas. There is a lot of interest in learning more about this very special beverage because it is very versatile with food. That’s another misconception that you should only drink sake with Japanese food. It goes well with things such as steak, cheese, even dessert! There is a sparkling sake that we have at RA Sushi that we actually create mixology with that, but also as a great way to just finish your meal.

AM: What are some of the sake drinking traditions and what do you guys have going on at RA Sushi for World Sake Day?

AM: What we try to do with the celebration is to train our servers and to share with people this experience. On Oct 1st, we have Sushi 101 Classes where people can come in to learn not only how to make sushi, sushi rice, how to pair it together, but also we pair it with sake. We also include traditions. For example, if I am sitting with you, it’s never appropriate for you to serve yourself sake. I would serve you as it’s important to embrace hospitality and that’s what we do in our restaurants. The other thing is that sake is used at various ceremonies and rituals like weddings, sumo matches, etc. When we open a new restaurant, we will break a new cask of sake to celebrate the fact that we have just launched a new property.

AM: Should it be enjoyed hot or cold and are there certain sakes that should only be consumed one way?

AM: Another good point! We have been used to drinking it hot, but it’s another misconception that it should be enjoyed this way as it’s best slightly chilled or room temperature. It depends on the type of sake. The best type of sake in my opinion to warm is the fuller body or Junmai. When it’s warmed to the perfect temperature it becomes a little sweeter and softer. The more delicate sake should be enjoyed chilled because you are eating lighter types of food with it. That would be my recommendation.

AM: You talked a little about this earlier but how is the Spiked Sushi Roll made?

AM: The culinary and beverage teams put our heads together and tried to think about how the best way to celebrate sake month in Oct could be. Our chefs came up with a sushi roll where the tuna is marinated in sake and its rolled with seaweed and rice and we top it with two kinds of tuna, white and red. We then pair it with a Nigori sake which has been infused with cucumber. So of course, when you're ordering this sushi, we are going to card you – so bring your ID! You’ll also experience the rich flavors of Nigori sake with the tuna.

AM: How is it celebrated in Japan?

AM: Well basically, it’s more of a cultural celebration. This event really marks the start of the brewing season of sake. There are a number of small celebrations in the houses because people are saying goodbye to their loved ones before they go to the breweries to produce this beverage for days in a row. They have to be there everyday.

AM: So how long is the brewing season?

AM: It can go anywhere from 4 weeks to 8 weeks and then there is an aging period. So all together, it’s 6 months for it to be brewed. It's meant to be drank within a year. For our restaurants, that's why there is such a big dynamic in how we change our menus. It’s a great opportunity to try different styles because they are all going to be a little different.

AM: How do you toast someone or say cheers on World Sake Day?

AM: When you come to our restaurants, we have a lot of things going on during the whole month of Oct! But when you are with a group of friends, you just raise your glass and say kanpai! That’s the traditional way to say it in Japan.

IG @RA Sushi

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Get Ready for World Sake Day in mag.

THE EIGHT BEST FALL STYLE

Read more from Athleisure Mag and see The Eight Best in mag.

CUPUACU BEAUTY

Read more from the Sep Issue and see Cupuacu Beauty in mag.

THE HITMAKER WITH NATHAN MORRIS

When you think about R&B you always come to Boyz II Men who had one hit after another with their cool sound, great sense of style and music videos that you remember when thinking about their songs. Although they are a phenomenal music group, we had the chance to hear about a project one of the founding members and Grammy winning artist, Nathan Morris is doing with the DIY Network in his new show, a four part series premiering on Oct 6th – Hit Properties with Nathan Morris. We had a moment to chat with him while he talked about the legacy of his group, his interest in real estate, how this show differs from a number of flipping programs and what we can find him doing when he is not touring and flipping houses!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we get into your new show on DIY Network, we know you kicked off this year’s NFL season with Boyz II Men at Lincoln Financial Field. We’ve been a fan of the group since Cooleyhighharmony. How have you guys continued to be an amazing group that has produced a number of hits, videos and more?

NATHAN MORRIS: I just feel that we are truly blessed to still be able to do what we love, to see our fans and for them to still find that after 27 years, our music is still relevant to them. Our fans are from all over the world and they give us so much love. When you hear fans say that the first song they slow danced to was, “I’ll Make Love to You” or they had a Boyz II Men baby – to know that we have been a part of people’s important moments is crazy!

AM: You guys have a residency at The Mirage in Las Vegas – how is it to prepare for these shows and is there a place that you have yet to perform that you would still like to do?

NM: We love that our fans know that 22 weekends out of the year, they can come see us at The Mirage – we have done this for the past 3 years. We know a number of our fans who have really enjoyed our music over the years may have never seen us in concert - so this is the venue to do it! We just signed an additional 3 years there.

I’d love to see us performing throughout South America and we’d love to be able to have the chance to go to the Middle East and to perform in Duabi. We’d also love to go to Africa as well.

AM: Clearly, we know you’ve been a powerhouse in the music business but how did this translate to real estate?

NM: I’ve had the pleasure of investing in some serious real estate deals on the business side and on the personal side, I’ve done some construction, renovation and designing.

AM: Tell us about your new show Hit Properties with Nathan Morris?

NM: I’m really excited about this show. I know that there are a lot of shows about flipping houses, but we really go in there to show you what it’s like. I take this old mansion in Orlando and I Nate-a-cize it – I love luxurious upgrades and I really like smart home upgrades, remote controlled toilettes and WiFi enabled lighting. In addition to showing the work of taking this 8,200 sq feet mansion from a decrepit place to a glamourous one, we also have humor in this show and you see my right hand man, Bryant Gipson working right along side with me as he has done in other projects that we have partnered on together.

AM: Why did you focus on Orlando?

NM: Mainly, the weather is ideal there as you can pretty much work year around and it just made sense to do it there.

AM: What do people who want to get into the flipping industry need to know about the business?

NM: If you’re a person who can’t be flexible and only has a plan if everything goes right – then this is not for you! You also have to remember that when you're flipping a house, you're not building it for you. You want to put finishes and touches that someone buying it could see for themselves. If you make it with amenities that you personally want, you may find that they are too much to your taste and not universal.

AM: What are areas that you suggest a flipper should focus on when doing a home?

NM: I believe that the kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms are essential. I spend the most time in these areas of my home after my bedroom. These are areas where you want to be able to relax. I don’t like small spaces so you’ll see in the show that I increased one of the rooms by 15 to 20 feet in order to be more spacious and inviting.

IG @NathanMorrisPHD

Make sure to check out this season this season of Hit Properties with Nathan Morris on DIY Network which debuts on Oct 6th at 10:30pm EST.

Listen to our conversation with Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris, on an upcoming episode of #TribeGoals on Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network.

Read more from the Sept Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Hitmaker with Nathan Morris in mag.

IN OUR BAG | FALLING INTO FALL

Read more from the Sept Issue of Athleisure Mag and see In Our Bag | Falling Into Fall mag.

THE PICK ME UP

Read more from the Sept Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Pick Me Up in mag.

#TRIBEGOALS

Read more from the Sept Issue of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | B MVMNT

Bizzie Gold is one of the world's top Personal Development and Wellness experts with 5 global brands held by BUTI Inc, her parent company which started in 2012. It has grown into a global business in 27 countries. This parent company recently launched B MVMNT in May in the LES. With the success of her Buti Yoga in 2012 that included a number of streaming videos, in May 2018 she launched the brand's first brick and mortar studio.

The Stanton Street studio offers a carefully curated experience of Celebrity Trainer Bizzie Gold's unique movement and wellness methodologies. All B MVMNT class sequences utilize spiral structure technique® to facilitate the deep release and toning of the body - physical, emotional and energetic.

Through primal movement, dynamic asana and cardio-sprints, students breakdown the emotional barriers that hold them back from achieving self-love and true human connection. Music guides the classes like an internal GPS - no more 8 counts or reps. The beat blended movement forces you out of your head and INTO YOUR BODY. It is in this magical place that you integrate your human experience instead of escape it. All formats incorporate elements of shaking and vibration to help release stored trauma and stimulate cellular organization.

B MVMNT offers drop in classes in addition to 3 membership tiers, private training and nutrition counseling. The studio includes a community infrared sauna complete with BOSE sound system and chromotherapy lights, NKD by Bizzie Gold retail shop and Golden Ratio protein bar. Non-heated classes are taught in a room with ambient temperature of 78-80F while heated classes are taught with far infrared towers to gently heat and detoxify the body - the ambient temperature may rise between 85-90 degrees.

The lockerrooms are equipped with changing rooms, wifi equipped lounge, community vanity complete with DryBar blow dryers and products as well as a 4 person infrared sauna. Guests can also purchase NKD by Bizzie Gold at the retail shop as well as purchase items from the Golden Ratio protein bar/cafe.

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B MVMNT

114 Stanton St #1506

NY, NY 10002

www.BMVMNT.com

IG @bmvmnt

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | B MVMNT in mag.

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY | FALL PREP SKINCARE

Read more from the Sept Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure Beauty | Fall Prep Skincare in mag.

STYLE FILES: SS19

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and read Style Files: SS19 in mag.

HOW TO DRESS | FOR FOOTBALL AT HOME

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and How to Dress | For Football at Home.