Fitness & Health

Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss are the beautiful, energetic ladies behind Blueprint Cleanse,  the juicing sensation that took off in New York a few years ago and is now popular around the country.  I did the cleanse a couple of times, first last November and again this April when I realized that I was still craving their green juice!  (It is much tastier than the stuff I try to make myself.) A three day, delicious menu of fresh bottled juices was everything I needed to shake off the lethargy that had developed and this time I even dared to work out while juicing on the Blueprint Mind Body Cleanse program, offered in conjunction with Exhale Spa.  I was skeptical of exercising while juicing, but as it turns out, Exhale’s yoga and barre method classes were a perfect complement as they focused on toning and muscle definition (rather than cardio).   Three days and 18 juices later, I was sore but energetic and happy.

“Detox” and “cleansing” can be confusing buzz words you may hear in beauty and health media and I took a moment to speak with the ladies to get the DL on their personal experiences, the Blueprint philosophy, and a sneak peek at what the dynamic duo is up to next. (more…)

If mimosas are a standard part of your weekend morning routine, you may want to consider this alternative: David Kirsch Energy Bubbles. The truth is, if that Eggs Benedict or French Toast weren’t already wrecking havoc on your body, the concoction of champagne and OJ will do the trick. In fact,  I have yet to meet a single nutritionist who thinks that drinking fruit juice is OK. Keri Glassman, my go-to resource for all my diet needs, says 4oz a day of juice is the maximum anyone should consume- and only if it’s a must!

So my first step towards a healthier dietary makeover was giving up the Tropicana but I also didn’t want to fall back into drinking Diet Cokes ( I peaced out on soda more than a year ago). My beverage choices basically became Pelligrino, water or um, Pelligrino/water with lemon so I was really excited when I discovered Kirsch’s Energy Bubbles, an effervescent citrus flavored drink that is packed with vitamins and a blend of caffeine, yerba mate leaf, ginseng root and green tea leaf extract.  This dietary supplement also preps you for your workouts as it fuels your body with more energy to hit the treadmill for longer periods of time. (more…)

A friend one told me that one of the easiest way to encourage yourself to be motivated to go to the gym is to buy cute gym clothes.  After the discovering of Lululemon and stocking my gym wardrobe with plenty of their functional and stylish separates, I’m inclined to agree.  This may sound ridiculous, but I swear with each piece of Lululemon clothing I buy, the more I feel pressured to go to the gym to get some wear out of my new outfits.

Lululemon might not be a new brand name to some of you, but I was slow to catch on since there haven’t been many stores in the Tri-State New York City area until recently.  I first heard about it from TDO Editor Carolyn, when I asked for recommendations on a cute and useful yoga pant (Lululemon was responsible for the pair of pants she wore while trekking in Peru.)  Then, came the opening of the new store in Union Square.  One day while walking home from work, I strolled in and tried on their infamous Groove pant and it soon became on of my gym staples. (more…)

If you’ve been a long time reader of TDO, you might have noticed that anything that is “health” or “fitness” related is usually written by me.  It’s because my desire to get fitter, healthier, and leaner has been on going for many years.  I’ll try anything (except pills and products promoted in shady commercials).  But a new workout class? I’m in.  Binging on green tea?  Yep.   Some of you may even remember that last year to gear up for Fashion Week,  I even tried…not eating.  Of course, one of Madonna’s stylists threw me that tip soooo….

At any rate, I recently documented my Master Cleanse experience for Health.com.   If you’ve ever entertained the idea of doing a lenghty “cleanse,” make sure to read up on my experience!

An old colleague friend of mine randomly took a trapeze class and two years later, quit her cushy corporate job, moved down to the Caribbean and now flies professionally for a resort.  I see her pictures show up on my Facebook feed, regularly hanging by one ankle while doing midair splits.  For some reason, I thought that’s what Jukari’s  Fit to Fly would be about, but luckily for me it’s really more about getting fit- and less about flying.

The Jukari Fit to Fly program was developed in conjunction with Reebok and Cirque du Soleil and is a gym workout that combines cardio with strength training using your own weight as resistance.   Jukari will be rolling out the program at Equinox gyms around 14 cities and this morning I had the amazing opportunity to join some other press (I caught sight of ABC News and The NY Times) for a preview workout class at Equinox’s 19th & Broadway location. (more…)

I did not know that Borba made sweet treats (i.e. beauty and health supplements). But boy, am I glad that I finally found out! I recently tried their Gummi Bear Boosters, which are super delish and good for you.

These gummi bears are a pale orange-yellow hue that are dusted with sugar.  One of the key ingredients is acai, which many of you know help protect skin from damaging free radicals.  It also contains green tea and grape extracts, both of which are high in antioxidants. After a few days of eating them, I noticed my skin was a bit more clear, so I imagine that if you continue on the regimen, your skin will look pretty good consistently.  You only need to eat a few a day, but I guarantee that you’ll want to go through the bag in a week because they’re so yummy. I’m obsessed!

P.S. I just found out that they also make cookies! Sign me up!

It still feels like winter here in New York but eternal weather optimists like myself are hoping that soon I’ll be able to shed my layers.  To get ready, I signed up at Equinox Fitness to take advantage of their famous group classes.  I’ve spent years at various other gyms, tried out fancy studios and even bootcamp, but I’ve found that Equinox classes are some of the most unique and high energy ones I’ve taken.

Last week, I sweated through an amazing session of willPower & grace, which was literally an hour of almost non-stop action combining heart-rate elevating cardio with some serious yoga inspired balancing poses. I had trouble walking down stairs for a few days after, but was so impressed with my experience that I grabbed a few minutes with the founder Stacey Lei Krauss to learn about her fitness philosophy. (more…)

Who: Emmanuel Verstraeten, Executive Chef Jeremy Bearman,

What: Rouge Tomate New York

When: M-Sat: 12-2:30, 530-10:30.

Where: 10 E 60th St (between 5th Ave & Madison)

Why:  For those who are health conscious, a special night out should still be enjoyable and not a nightmare. For New Yorkers, most self identified healthy restaurants are limited to midtown lunch spots where coperates crowd behind a counter and BlackBerry while waiting to pick up their grilled, unsalted, whole wheat burgers. That is, until Rouge Tomate landed in a glamorous, 15,000 sq ft space next to Reem Accra last fall and accomplished what health nuts have long considered an impossible feat: marrying flavor and nutrition with a low calorie, fine dining experience that doesn’t limit you to only one bite of your dessert. (more…)

Even though I’ve been working on developing a healthier lifestyle, I’m not always sure what to cook.  To be honest, most of my at-home meals are pretty bland.  For example, I’m having plain steamed broccoli and shrimp for lunch today.  Ok I don’t even know if they go together but it is microwave prep friendly- which sadly is why I made it this morning.

But when I’m not in such a rush, I actually like to try the recipes from my latest obsession: WomenHeart’s ALL HEART Family Cookbook. Being healthy isn’t just about watching your weight which I feel a lot of us young women forget when we try to shed pounds  by doing detrimental things to our bodies. For example, I finally gave up fake sugar and decided to opt for limited quantities of the real deal instead of ingesting chemicals.  And I would never, ever do the Atkins Diet again. The All Heart cookbook isn’t necessarily focused on losing weight- but it is focused on eating nutritious foods that’s good for your heart and body.  The weight loss, of course, follows when you eat a truly healthy diet.   The book contains over 170 recipes- most that I still have to try but have enjoyed reading about and looking at pictures of.

Here’s the best part- WomenHeart is giving the book away for free if you send in 6 Sara Lee proof of purchases on qualifying products. Otherwise, it’s under $20 at Amazon.com.

Unlike other yoga studios, Kula prefers to call itself a project- an apt name considering that practicing at Kula is a true experience. Located 4 floors above an unmarked door in an unnamed building, Kula operates in a simple space with 2 rooms and a small changing area. There’s nothing fancy about the studio but Kula offers some of the most genuine yoga classes that I’ve experienced. (more…)