Blackbook Futurescape A Harvard Medical School study showed that 20 minutes under NuCalm’s influence equals at least two hours of restorative sleep branch, governing rest and digestion. In our overstimulated lives, he says, we’re too often in the former, too infrequently in the latter, leading “to adrenal fatigue” and all the problems associated with chronic stress. NuCalm counteracts that, Poole says, by luring its users into parasympathetic dominance. The cream I applied to my neck contains the neurotransmitter GABA, which functions naturally in the brain as an adrenaline inhibitor; the electrodes deliver a microcurrent that helps GABA access its receptors; and the rainforest soundtrack is a Trojan horse for underlying binaural beats, which operate, says Poole, as a “Nascar pace car”, decelerating my brainwaves from alert beta frequencies to drowsy alpha and theta frequencies. That’s the sweet spot, he says, for cell repair and healing. By that logic, NuCalm is better than a nap, during which we may bypass alpha and theta and head straight for delta, deep slumber. A Harvard Medical School study showed that 20 minutes under its influence equals at least two hours of restorative sleep. As Poole puts it: “Taking a nap is like riding a moped; doing NuCalm is like driving a Ferrari.” Solace Life Sciences showed me a few studies that validate NuCalm’s ability to kick-start the parasympathetic response and put me in touch with Dr Jame Heskett, who runs a New York City antiageing and wellness centre. She recently made NuCalm available to her patients (she’s long used it on her son, who suffers from chronic pain). “The need for this technology is ubiquitous, and probably necessary for the ongoing survival of our species,” she insists, “because we just don’t have the natural skills” to manage stress, “nor the time to learn them”. That may sound definitive, but the truth is that scientists are divided on whether binaural beats do actually have some special sway over the brain. I sent NuCalm’s homepage to Dr Marc Schönwiesner, a professor of neurobiology at Germany’s University of Leipzig whose research focuses on the encoding of sensory information in the auditory cortex; he wrote back with the email equivalent of a face-palm emoji. “There is nothing special about binaural beats that would give them some sort of easy access to your brain,” he attests. “Your brain does not produce a single rhythm, and changing that rhythm (even if you could do it from the outside) won’t necessarily change your brain state.” But the algorithm! And the GABA cream! And the microcurrents! Schön wiesner isn’t buying it. In any case, the latter two elements are yesterday’s news: Poole informs me that the new, vastly cheaper subscription version of NuCalm dropping next year forgoes the cream and electrodes for a “bio signal processing disc”, a sticker that adheres to an acupressure point on the wrist and from there instructs the brain to release GABA. Nixing the electrical current allows NuCalm to be marketed as a consumer, rather than a medical, device. “Our goal has always been to bring a product that can effectively manage stress and improve sleep quality without drugs to the masses,” says Poole. “This disc makes it possible.” To Dr Emily Deans, a psychiatrist who practices outside Boston, the sticker seems “pretty out there”. But she’s not as circumspect as Schönwiesner. In her clinic she regularly treats anxiety and insomnia with the Alpha- Stim, a medical device that uses cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), not binaural beats, to affect brainwaves. Compared with CES, the beats, she says, seem like a “parlour trick”. Still, “I’m a clinician; I just care what works. I don’t necessarily care how.” In other words, if the goal is to have a parasympathetic response and NuCalm safely gets you there: great. And NuCalm did make me feel different. Something was happening. Deans concurs. She jury-rigged her own version, using her Alpha-Stim with NuCalm’s cream, while listening to a free trial of its beats. The verdict? “Very relaxing!” nucalm.com • –Julia Felsenthal 20 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
PROMOTION Paradise in Palm Beach An iconic hideaway in Florida’s chicest corner, The Breakers woos with an enticing repertoire of memorable experiences The sunny island off Florida’s southeastern coast has long been synonymous with the sort of seaside glamour that’s impossible to manufacture, and since the turn of the 20th century, The Breakers has been counted as the glitzy resort town’s red-hot epicentre of laidback luxe. Next to the timeless grandeur of its Rennaissance-style architecture, the property sets itself apart from the rest by offering endless opportunities for relaxation, recreation and revelling. A day here might begin with a few rounds on the historic Ocean Course – which has recently benefitted from a stunning renovation by feted gold-course architect Rees Jones – and continue on a chaise longue on the patio of your private poolside bungalow. After a lavish treatment at the resort’s indoor-outdoor spa and some retail therapy at The Breakers’ boutique-filled courtyard or famous Worth Avenue, guests are invited to eat and drink their way across ten diverse dining destinations. From the Seafood Bar, where divine oceanto-fork fare is served alongside a vast selection of inspired beverages and striking ocean views, to HMF, a sumptuous night spot that pays homage to the cocktail culture of 1950s Palm Beach, each of The Breakers acclaimed restaurants and bars beckons with an ambience all its own. One South County Road, Palm Beach, Florida 33480 • +1 561-693-0122 • thebreakers.com
