Fitness & Health

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…)

I totally love, unabashedly love listening to Bollywood music (and this was the case even before I went to India).  Although I have no idea what they are singing about, I find the music so upbeat, and infectious that I can’t help but smile and get into it.  This made me incredibly excited to try a new workout DVD called Bollywood Booty, and I highly recommend it even to those of you who aren’t Bollywood music fans for a fun, sweat inducing workout that you can do in limited space.

Included on this DVD are four workouts and one warm-up on the DVD (giving you a total 45 minute workout), as taught by Instructor Hemelayaa Behl (better known as Hema), who promises to help “tighten your booty” with some Bollywood cheorography inspired steps. These steps are all introduced to you slowly in the warmup section and include moves such as ‘Turn the Lightbulb,” “The Bollywood Vogue”, “Paint the Walls,” “Paint yourselves” and others. I live in New York City, and my apartment is fairly small, but I was able to perform all of the DVD moves within the small, matchbook shaped confines of my living room.

The four workouts increase in intensity, as Hema steps up the pace and adds more steps to the routine.  By the end of the fourth workout, you will definitely be sweating.  Although the workout may not be as intense as a full body workout at the gym, it is a fun way to tone your glutes, as many of the steps focus on the hips and doing squats and lunges.

Although you won’t be in danger of kicking any furniture as Hema keeps the workout steps confined, the only danger you will face while watching this DVD is bursting out into giggles.  It’s difficult not to burst out into infectious laughter as Hema instructs you cheerily to “tighten that BOO-TAY, encourages you to ‘infuse yourself with love,’ and teaches you a move ‘inspired by the mating call of the elk.’”  Her enthusiasm is contagious and guarantees an enjoyable workout.

Now that Fashion Week is long over and I’m no longer subsiding on champagne and cupcakes, I have no excuse not to eat healthier.  That means I’ve replaced champers with Pelligrino and cupcakes with Keribars.  Created by renowned nutritionist Keri Glassman, the Keribar is the ultimate snack for an on-the-go individual that is high in fiber and proteins, low in fat and made entirely of all natural ingredients.  The idea behind the Keribar is aligned with Glassman’s approach to health and weight loss – by snacking healthy.  Let’s face it – regardless of what type of diet you’re on, you’re probably restricting yourself from entire flavors of things (i.e. sweet) and probably starving yourself in between meals to count calories.  Or alternatively, you may not be on a diet and just eating whatever you feel like, whenever.  Really, neither of those scenarios are healthy or sustainable ways to live and eat, so Glassman developed the Keribar as the solution to snacking when you’re hungry, but only on something that is nutritious, satisfying, and good for you! Keribars satiate hunger, while keeping you energized and blood sugar level constant so you can take your mind off of obsessing over eating and onto living your daily life.

So how good are Keribars really? Taste-wise, they may be the most satisfying bars I’ve had to date.  It’s a good consistency that is not dense like many raw food bars or (on the complete opposite end of the spectrum) Powerbars.  When I’m having a craving for chocolate, I reach for the Strawberry Chocolate Chip flavor (my favorite) instead of my hidden stash of milk chocolates in the drawer. Nutritionally speaking, Keribars are made with nutrient dense whole foods so you’re not consuming empty calories.  At 10-12 grams per serving, the sugar content in Keribars is much lower than many other bars and even lower than some fruits!  And the ingredients don’t contain weird things like 10 grams of “other carbs” (what is that really???) found on the label of Lunabars.

Keribars are now being carried in more and more grocery stores, but if you can’t find them, you can also order from the website.  More information can be found on Keribars.com.

Not even the non-presence of rumored attendee Michelle Obama could put a damper on my excitement for The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection, which showed just in time for Valentine’s Day. I was excited to officially kick off Fashion Week by attending The Heart Truth’s Red Dress show, which combines three of the elements in a truly awesome fashion show: celebrities, beautiful clothes and a fantastic cause. All of these elements were there in full force at the show today at Bryant Park with celebrities ranging from Amanda Bynes, Nastia Liukin, and Katie Couric  (who debuted a new, cute page boy cut), to some red dress stunners by designers such as Marchesa, Carolina Herrera, and Max Azria. (more…)

Ahh Valentine’s Day. I have to say I’m incredibly happy that Fashion Week starts today, which means I’ll be celebrating February 14 the only way it’s meant to be done – fashion shows all day and then partying with La Perla at 1Oak. But whether you have a hot date or will be bumming around with the gals (or yourself), make sure that you do something that will be good for your heart.

1. Eat Well. One of my favorite new discoveries is a custom artisanal cereal site called MeAndGoji.com where you can mix up your own morning meal by choosing a variety of wholesome, healthy ingredients.  The site is incredibly user friendly, making the process as informative and fun as possible. You drop your choice of ingredients into a bowl and their nutrition tracker automatically updates.  They even have their own recipe for a mix called i <3 my <3, a nutritious mix of oat bran, cranberry, strawberry, walnut, soy nut, chia and flax – all ingredients that have beneficial properties for your most important organ. I even brought my can of cereal to work to munch on it all day long.  The mix is so delicious, but if you have specific preferences, MeAndGoji lets you add or subtract individual items. Just make sure you don’t load up on too many servings of their divine choco-cranberries and you should be good. (more…)

Ever since I watched Kate Bosworth in Blue Crush, I have harbored this small fantasy of being a surfer chick.  I already love the look of beach hair – so looking fierce, tanned and mastering the waves was obviously the next natural step.  And I got my first taste of the life of a surfer girl (for two hours anyway) during a trip to Playa Jaco in Costa Rica.

About two hours away from San Jose, Playa Jaco is just one of the many renowned surfer towns in Costa Rica and one of the closest.  Because of its proximity to San Jose, hardcore surfers can often de-plane and surf on the same day if they head to Playa Jaco. (more…)