U.S. Open Visors, Actually Good Protein Bars, and Other Recent Strategist Finds

Pia Lieb, a cosmetic dentist on Park Avenue South, wants us to think of the tongue as a shag rug. “Anytime you eat, food is getting stuck between those fibers, the papillae, on your tongue,” she says. “That food breaks down, and it turns into anaerobic bacteria, which stinks.” Regular tongue cleaning—think of it like vacuuming—can help clear out that bacteria, and after testing six options and speaking with dentists, dental hygienists, and otolaryngologists about the tongue cleaners they use themselves, we found that the Tongue Sweeper Model P is the ideal instrument for the job. Its T-shape (as opposed to a clunky U-shape) makes it easy to hold, and it’s constructed from medical-grade stainless steel, which is durable and dishwasher safe. Strategist con- tributor Or Gotham says this tool worked well for him with just a few gentle swipes of the tongue from back to front, rinsing the debris between each pass. “Gone is the cloudy layer of flotsam!” he says.

“I recently started getting acne that would take months to go away. But I’ve found that if I put this on as soon as I see a pimple forming, that pimple starts to dry up within days. I apply it throughout the day if I can get away with it. I don’t know if it really works for scars, but it certainly works on acne.”

“I thought the electrolyte thing was kind of b.s. until I started to cramp up when cycling in the summer. The second I take electrolytes, it’s like this thing comes over me: I can just feel it in my body. And I stopped getting muscle cramps. My mom got me on these LMNT ones that she takes. She was right, as always.”

“Some massage balls are rubbery, but I like a more hard-plastic feel. If they’re too big or small, you can’t go deep enough. I roll these on my neck and shoulder. Everyone uses a phone these days, so everyone’s neck is in a terrible position. These things reset it. Whenever I knead it out, there’s always this crunching across my traps.”

For the past two years, I’ve slept on this pillow nearly every single night. It’s from the makers of the Purple mattress, known for its GelFlex grid—a squishy 3-D layer made of polymer. In the pillow, that grid is layered atop a latex core, which provides just enough oomph to cradle my head, and it never goes flat like a down or down-alternative pillow might. When I lie on it, my head and neck feel like they are effortlessly floating. Plus, even though it isn’t billed as a cooling pillow,
it naturally stays fairly cold. –Amelia Jerden

Using a rag to stretch out your hamstrings is fine, but my favorite tool is my Pilates ring. I lie on my back, hook my foot in, and gently pull.
The ring is sturdy with a slight give that makes the stretch feel deeper and more productive.

After ten-plus hours in a Delta Premium Select seat, my glutes go numb. That’s when I whip out this spiky little gremlin. I sit on it and massage my butt until it has sensation again.

This is, without exaggeration, one of the single most life-changing things I have ever placed under my body. Within ten minutes of lying down on it, my neck looks longer. At least one whole inch. Full #GiraffeMode over here.

“This pair is made in Italy with plenty of supersoft leather,” says David Shaftel, editorial director of The Second Serve. “And with a little Italian flag on the heel, it’s anything but bland.”

“I immediately fell in love with the weight and fit,” says Anoop Pillarisetti, VP of tech and digital at Momofuku. “Some may feel they’re heavy for an NYC summer, but I find the breathability and comfort unrivaled.”

Skirt loyalist Christie Bonilla says this “is the most flattering one ever and just the right length.” It comes in more than a dozen colors, some with a contrasting stripe, and has a compression waistband.

“I love my U.S. Open visors the most,” says Bonilla. “I have a fuchsia-and- white one. I prefer the meshlike materials to a cotton blend.”

These calf-height ribbed socks are “toothy enough that you don’t feel like you’re sliding around in your shoes but fitted enough to feel performancelike,” says Liz Libré, co-founder of Lewis, a textile company.

I recently noticed a rash of new protein bars hitting places like down- town Manhattan’s Happier Grocery and Goods Mart and felt inspired to go on an exhaustive quest for a
delicious one that could function as a
midday snack, a post-workout recovery bar, and even an occasional on-the-go breakfast. After tasting ten that met my nutritional criteria and had mostly natural fiber-rich ingredients, one rose to the top: the Promix Protein Puff Bar. It is craveably good—like a Rice Krispies Treat for adults—and has 15 grams of whey-based pro- tein and only three to four grams of added sugar. I was hard-pressed to find a single winning flavor, but if I had to commit to one for life, vanilla would take the crown. –Laura Neilson

Lymphatic drainage—the idea of moving waste and bacteria through your lymphatic system to improve your circulation—has been around for a long time. (Think of dry brushing and gua sha.) So when I heard about Elastique Athletics’ L’Original leggings, which enhance lymphatic drainage, I decided to wear them for seven days straight to see if they worked. On the thighs and lower glutes, the leggings have silicone beads woven into the fabric, which has gradient compression. One day, I wore them sit- ting at my desk and felt less heaviness in my legs. By day three, when I wore them on the treadmill, the leggings started to feel more like a second skin. By week’s end, I felt more nimble. They look sleek and feel nice, and in my view, they’re worth the splurge.