BEST OF 2026 VOTING IS NOW LIVE!

Looking for something small you can do to support local business?

What's Up? Annapolis Best of 2026 voting is live through February 28th

If you haven't already, please take a moment and give us a shout out and vote for us for best of

-Massage

-Yoga

-Personal Training

-Physical Therapy

-Pilates

-Nutritionist

and more!

Click here to vote for One.!

Winter Wellness & Seasonal Affective Disorder

As the days grow shorter and colder, it’s common to feel more sluggish, foggy, or drawn to comfort foods. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. According to the American Psychiatric Association, many people notice a dip in mood during the winter months, and about 5% of adults in the U.S. experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Winter-related mood changes can show up as increased anxiety, emotional overwhelm, fatigue, difficulty focusing, or a general sense of heaviness or sadness. These shifts can quietly affect your energy, motivation, and overall sense of well-being.

How microcurrent neurofeedback may support winter wellness

Microcurrent neurofeedback is a gentle, non-invasive approach that supports the brain’s natural ability to self-regulate. During the winter months, sessions may help:

• Calm an overactive nervous system and promote emotional balance

• Ease stress and feelings of being overwhelmed

• Support deeper, more restorative sleep

• Encourage clearer thinking, steadier focus, and balanced energy



• Many people describe feeling more grounded, calm, and resilient as their nervous system becomes better regulated—making it easier to move through the winter season with greater ease.

In addition to neurofeedback, supportive tools such as light therapy, psychotherapy, vitamin D, movement, and time outdoors may also be helpful for managing seasonal changes in mood.

 If winter feels harder than usual, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

If you’re curious about whether microcurrent neurofeedback could be a supportive addition to your wellness routine, I’d be happy to answer your questions or help you explore your options. Feel free to reach out anytime to learn more or schedule a free phone consultation.

Contact us today to request your complimentary phone consult!

One. Has Upgraded Its Laser!

Introducing the New 25W XPI Lightforce Deep Tissue Laser

INTRODUCING THE NEW LIGHTFORCE 25 WATT XPI LASER

Our new 25W laser goes deeper and treats even faster than before. If you haven't tried it yet, now is your chance.

Discover Deep Tissue Laser Therapy

Science

Laser therapy is a medical treatment that uses focused light to stimulate a process called photobiomodulation (PBM). During PBM, photons enter the tissue and trigger a biological cascade of events that leads to an increase in cellular metabolism, which can decrease pain and inflammation and accelerate the healing process.

Treatments

Experience Immediate Pain Relief and Reduced Inflammation associated with:

Neck Pain

Back Pain

Shoulder Pain

Sciatica

Arthritis

TMJ

Plantar Fasciitis

Sports Injuries

Soft Tissue Damage

And Much More...

Click here to request a free trial of our new laser (new clients only).

Click here to learn more!

Looking for a Gift for Valentine's Day?

Give the Gift of Massage!

One. is honored to have two amazing Massage Therapists with us to offer you some of the best body work that Annapolis has to offer. Treating a host of disorders and dysfunctions, they can help you get to the root cause of your pain. Picking up where most massages have left off, this is a perfect gift to celebrate Valentine's Day for your loved one.

Check out what folks are saying about One.

Request your session with Joanna or Christian today!

What the Research Says

Collagen supplements have been investigated as treatment for a host of problems, including aging skin, wound healing, OA, RA, bone health (osteoporosis) and high cholesterol. Most trial results have been at least modestly positive, although some studies lack in quality.

• Skin health. Most of the buzz about collagen is its rejuvenating effect on skin. A recent review and meta-analysis of 19 studies involving more than 1,000 people looked at collagen for skin health and wound healing and found excellent results for both. Collagen supplements taken for three months significantly improved skin hydration, elasticity and density. Many other studies, some dating back decades, have had similar findings. One 2018 randomized controlled trial compared a daily dose of 1,000 mg collagen peptides with placebo. After 12 weeks, collagen users not only had more elastic and hydrated skin, they also had fewer wrinkles. A 90-day study of a liquid fish collagen reported equally glowing results. None of the studies reported any side effects, though some real-world collagen users have complained of stomach upset.

• Osteoarthritis. Collagen has been extensively studied as a potential OA treatment. Research quality varies, but most findings are positive.
• One small observational study found that a hydrolyzed collagen called Promerim significantly reduced pain and stiffness in people with knee OA. Patients were only followed for a month, however, and there was no control group.
• A more robust randomized trial compared 40 mg a day of UC-II collagen to glucosamine plus chondroitin and to placebo. After six months, people taking UC-II had significantly less pain and stiffness and better function than did the other two groups.
• An analysis of 41 animal and human studies, including 25 clinical trials, found that collagen benefited OA and aided cartilage repair, no matter what the dose, type or brand of collagen.

• Rheumatoid arthritis. Collagen is anti-inflammatory, so scientists reason that it may help RA and other inflammatory forms of the disease. As yet, there’s no clear evidence it does, mainly due to a lack of well conducted trials.

• Osteoporosis. Bone is mostly collagen, but it’s not certain that collagen can rebuild lost bone. To put doubts to rest, a year-long randomized controlled trial of more than 100 postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density (BMD) reported that 5 grams of collagen peptides a day significantly increased BMD in the spine and upper thigh compared to placebo. High blood pressure also dropped considerably in those taking collagen supplements.

Click here for full article

Click here for our favorite collagen

The Impact of Menopause on Mental Health

Midlife women may be reluctant to tell their physicians they are experiencing anxiety or depression during menopause. It's important to speak up.

By Randi Mazzella

January 2, 2026

Perimenopause and Menopause

Most people are familiar with menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and weight gain around the middle.



But what people may not be aware of is the impact that menopause can have on a woman's mental health, especially during perimenopause. 

During the menopause transition (perimenopause), hormonal shifts can affect brain chemistry and trigger anxiety, especially when women are in stressful situations. Dr. Esther Eisenberg, MD, Vice Chair, Editorial Board, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Professor Emerita at Vanderbilt University, explains, "Women may experience increased anxiety and depression in midlife but not attribute it to menopause."

"Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can affect brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, involved in regulating mood," explains Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni, Associate Medical Director of the Brigham Psychiatric Specialties. "Estrogen receptors are also located in parts of the brain which are associated with memory and mood, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. When estrogen levels decrease, it can affect these brain circuits. This can produce vulnerability to mood changes." 



While hormonal fluctuations play an important role, given that they directly affect brain chemistry, it may also be that other symptoms associated with menopause can also be factors. Nadkarni explains, "Mood swings can lead to frustration or sadness; increased anxiety with worry or depression with low mood and motivation; brain fog with difficulty concentrating and fatigue; and sleep disturbances that can worsen; mood changes or concentration difficulties, are all common. Hot flashes can also cause sleep fragmentation or frequent awakenings and a disruption of normal sleep patterns." 

"Options for medical treatment include combined estrogen-progesterone therapy in a woman with a uterus or estrogen therapy in a woman without a uterus, both of which are particularly valuable when the individual has other associated symptoms such as hot flashes or brain fog." 

Click here for full article

For a deeper dive watch this 2 hour video on ALL the things changing hormones do to your body



Click here to request MCN therapy for treatment of symptoms

The Longevity Checklist

 By Anahad O’Connor and Gretchen Reynolds

Get a grip!



Want to open a pickle jar, carry in your groceries and live a long, healthy life? You’ll need robust grip strength. 

Grip strength is a marker of the health and power of your overall muscular system – not just of your hands. And it can be a surprisingly useful predictor of lifespan. In a much-cited 2015 study of about 140,000 adults, researchers found that poor grip strength helped indicate a risk for premature mortality in most people, whatever their age or income. It was more reliable than high blood pressure, which has long been considered one of the best predictors of early mortality.

Why would grip strength be related to longevity? A 2022 study found that people with low grip strength tended to be biologically older than their chronological age. That is, the DNA in their cells seemed to be aging at an accelerated rate, so their bodies were growing old faster than those of people with greater grip strength.

It's impossible to know whether poor grip strength caused people’s high-speed aging or was a symptom. But the lesson here is: Higher grip strength could mean longer lives. 

Grip strength is also easy to gauge if you have access to a pull-up bar (this is the one I have at home). Just grasp the bar overhand and lift your feet off the ground, a move known as a dead hang. 

Aim to meet these benchmarks:

Under age 40: At least a minute

Ages 40-60: 30 seconds

Over age 60: 10 seconds 



Need to strengthen your grip? Dead hangs help. So does keeping a squishy ball at your desk and clenching it often throughout the day.

Stop worrying about getting 10,000 steps a day.

The notion that we need 10,000 daily steps or more for health and longevity isn’t science-based. It seems to have begun as a marketing ploy for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics featuring pedometers with a name that loosely translated as “10,000-step meter.”

A wealth of recent science suggests step counts lower than 10,000 but higher than 6,000 a day may be the true sweet spot for longevity. In one of the largest studies of steps published in the Lancet Public Health in 2022, dozens of global researchers pooled data from 15 earlier studies and compared people’s daily step counts to their longevity.

The combined data showed that for people younger than 60, taking at least 8,000 daily steps was associated with the longest lifespans. The totals were even lower for men and women past age 60. Their sweet spot was between 6,000 and 8,000 steps a day. 

And if you’re worried about Alzheimer’s, a separate recent study found that even as few as 3,000 steps a day could be enough to delay the disease’s onset for years in people at high risk for dementia.

Product Recommendation

If you don't already own these, you are going to want to add them to your winter weather collection. Place them on your regular footwear to give you quick added traction to prevent a fall on black ice or snowy conditions.

Click here to purchase

Giving Back

Making a Difference One Bowl at a Time

Donation-only lunch to benefit the Light House

Making a Difference One Bowl at a Time

20^th Annual SOUPer Bowl Lunch for the Light House

(Annapolis, MD – January 14, 2026) – On February 8, just before two teams face off in a “super” NFL championship game, volunteers in Annapolis will kick off their own SOUPer Bowl, a donation-only lunch to support homeless prevention and educational training services to people in Anne Arundel County.

Sunday, February 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Heritage Baptist (1740 Forest Drive, Annapolis) will host the 20th Annual SOUPer Bowl Lunch for the Light House Homeless Prevention Center. Volunteers will ladle soups prepared by Brian Shallcross, a renowned home chef and general manager of the Chesapeake Baysox. Menu soups include Chicken Noodle, Potato and Chili. Guests will also enjoy salad, fresh rolls, and dessert.

The public is invited and admission is free, but donations are requested to benefit the Light House. This year, SOUPer Bowl volunteers hope to raise $10,000. Donations can be made at the event or online now at heritageloves.com/give and selecting “SOUPer Bowl” as the reason for your donation. One hundred percent of the money donated goes directly to the Light House. Since 2007, this event has raised over $70,000 cumulatively for the Light House.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite NFL team jerseys that day, whether your team is in the big game or not. Guests are welcome to attend worship service with Pastor Scott Shelton at 10:30 a.m., prior to the SOUPer Bowl lunch.

Heritage Baptist is an affiliate congregational partner of the shelter. For more information, contact the church office (410-263-6680), or see the church web site at heritageloves.com



Click here for details

Helping the Helpers

ISO some things for a Charting Careers scholar’s first apartment:

• Vanity with mirror - supplementing income by doing hair
• Bookshelf
• Kitchen cart on wheels
• Air fryer
• Ottoman
• Closet shelf or storage/organizer

If you have something to offer, let us know.

Our Hearts & Hatters Revelry Tickets are Selling Fast!

Don’t miss your chance to join an unforgettable evening of whimsy, wonder, and giving back! All proceeds benefit The Bernie House, supporting families in need of safe, transitional housing. Dress to impress in your most enchanting “Mad Hatter” style and be part of a night that makes a difference.

Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026

Time: 6:00 to 10:00 pm

Location: Graduate By Hilton Annapolis, 126 West St, Annapolis, MD.

Get your tickets before they’re gone!



Click here to purchase

Annapolis Happenings

Click here to reserve your space

More Happenings

Naptown Flea Vintage & Vinyl Market

Maryland Hall

Dates:

February 1, 2026

Price:

Free Admission

Time:

11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Details

ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE BRINGS WORLD-CLASS SPEAKERS TO ANNAPOLIS FOR SPRING FORMAL LECTURE AND CONCERT SERIES - month of Feb

Details

Black History Month at the Museum of Historic Annapolis

February 7, 2026 11-3 pm

Details

Profs & Pints Annapolis: The Love Lecture

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

5:00pm-7:30pm

Advance tickets: $13.50

Details

Historic Annapolis Virtual Lecture – “To Feel the Happiness of Liberty”:

Historic Annapolis, Inc.

Dates:

February 10, 2026

Price:

Free, Pay as you can; $5 Recommended Donation

Time:

From: 07:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Details

Valentine's Day in Annapolis

Celebrate LOVE in Annapolis with these Valentine's Day specials and events!

Details

American Craft Made Baltimore

The largest juried craft fair on the East Coast.

Now in its 49th year, American Craft Made Baltimore brings together 400 artists, 10,000 attendees, and dozens of local partner organizations from across the East Coast for shopping, demonstrations, hands-on experiences, and connection through craft.

February 20–22, 2026

HOURS

10 a.m.–6 p.m. Friday & Saturday / 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday

Details

Annapolis Restaurant Week

Feb 21st-March 1st

Details

Baltimore Restaurant Week

Jan 23-Feb 1

Details

Valentine's Chocolate Mug Cake

• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• add cacao nibs or nuts for texture

• Whisk all of the ingredients together in a measuring cup.
• Pour the batter into your mug and microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through.
• Enjoy plain or top with coconut whipped cream (whip full fat coconut milk with vanilla) or berries.

Click here for full recipe

Did you Know?

ANSWER TO BRAIN GAME: 42



Thank you for reading, we hope to see you soon!

Jennifer and Christina