Have you ever wandered the aisles of your local supermarket, confused by food labels and nutrition claims, and wondered to yourself "Can't someone just tell me what to buy?" or felt despair at the thought that "I can't figure out what's healthy and not healthy on my own"? If you've been wishing for a personal shopper at the grocery store, someone to sort through your shopping cart and help you determine whether you are making healthy choices, or someone who can offer nutrition advice right in the place where you purchase most of the foods that you bring into your home, you are in luck.
Supermarket Dietitians are a fast-growing subset of the field of Nutrition & Dietetics. Supermarket RDs (Registered Dietitians. Official definition from the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics: "...a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential 'RD.'" ) offer a number of services in their stores and communities, including:
One of my absolute favorite things to do is to share with all my friends the many opportunities for free, cheap and unique workouts around New York City. As Summer draws to a close, I want to tell you about yet another free outdoor workout to check off your list while the weather is still pleasant...and a totally unique year-round indoor workout that I am a HUGE fan of.
The New York City Downtown Boathouse offers free walk-up kayaking at each of its three locations:
Pier 40 - located @ the west end of Houston Street
Pier 96 - located @ Clinton Cove Park on the Westside Highway & 56th St
72nd St - @ the waterside promenade in Riverside Park, @ about 72nd St
From the middle of May to the middle of October (weekends and holidays, as well as many weekdays), you can just show up, with no kayaking experience, and the "dedicated volunteers" will give you a life jacket, kayak, paddle and some quick paddling tips and send you off on a short 20-minute paddle within their "protected embayment." The NYC Downtown Boathouse also offers free lessons and 3-hour guided trips. It's all first come, first served. Changing rooms and running water are available at Pier 40 and Pier 96 but are not available at 72nd street. All locations offer lockers but you should bring your own lock. For more information check out the Downtown Boathouse's Kayaking and FAQs webpages.
The DivaDance Company describes itself as "a community of young, chic urban professional women who in their day jobs are accountants, lawyers, and marketing goddesses and after work, all share the common bond of a love for dance!"
As we get older, life's obligations and surprises make it more and more challenging to keep up a regular fitness routine. Our schedules change, we move around, work hard, start a family and must face adversity when we least expect it.
The problem is that these life changes cause us to become less physically active at a time when we would probably benefit most from exercise. Physical fitness not only prevents chronic disease and aids in weight management, but also helps with stress management and allows us time for renewal and reflection that open up our minds and spirits to creativity and inspiration. By taking care of our own bodies and minds we will have the energy and good health we need to devote ourselves to our work and, more importantly, the loved ones in our lives who rely on us.
This May 2012 article from Men's Health, "Overcome the 3 Biggest Workout Saboteurs" by Madeline Haller offers tips on making time for fitness despite the challenges presented by work, parenthood and family tragedy.
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net / Ambro
The sweet yellow flesh of Peaches and Nectarines make them two of my favorite fruits. Peaches and Nectarines can both be found from about May to September so as Summer draws to a close, this may be your last chance to find them in your grocery store or farmer's market.
At only about 60 calories each, these fruits contain about 2 grams of fiber, and are filled with about 10% of your daily needs for Vitamin A and even more Vitamin C (Peaches 17%; Nectarines 13%). So why is this so great?...
