Hit the Road... & Have Your Cake Too!

As my partner-in-crime and I set off on a weekend adventure, I want to share with you our tips for making healthy choices while enjoying the giddy fun of a road trip. Driving trips can be tons of fun but the endless stream of fast food joints and fast-casual restaurants can make it very easy to overload on salty, fatty, sugary foods; foods that will do nothing to help you get through your trip and in fact may lead you to feel sluggish, bloated, gassy or cranky and may cause you to return home carrying a few extra pounds of body weight! With a little advanced planning and some thoughtful choices, you can still have delicious meals and snacks and get the energy you need to fully embrace the excitement of the road…

As my partner-in-crime and I set off on a weekend adventure, I want to share with you our tips for making healthy choices while enjoying the giddy fun of a road trip. Driving trips can be tons of fun but the endless stream of fast food joints and fast-casual restaurants can make it very easy to overload on salty, fatty, sugary foods; foods that will do nothing to help you get through your trip and in fact may lead you to feel sluggish, bloated, gassy or cranky and may cause you to return home carrying a few extra pounds of body weight! With a little advanced planning and some thoughtful choices, you can still have delicious meals and snacks and get the energy you need to fully embrace the excitement of the road…

Piece O’ Cheesecake: Yoga-curious? Try it (+ other workouts) Completely-free in NYC!

Are you interested in trying yoga but aren’t sure it’s for you, are intimidated by the studio atmosphere, don’t have a gym membership or don’t want to shell out the cash for a class? Here in NYC there are many opportunities for Yoga virgins to dabble with Downward Dog or test out their Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), especially during the Summer season! Or add spice to your regular workout routine with Tai Chi, running or dance…

Are you interested in trying yoga but aren’t sure it’s for you, are intimidated by the studio atmosphere, don’t have a gym membership or don’t want to shell out the cash for a class? Here in NYC there are many opportunities for Yoga virgins to dabble with Downward Dog or test out their Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), especially during the Summer season! Or add spice to your regular workout routine with Tai Chi, running or dance…

Piece O' Cheesecake: 99-calorie Indulgence!

A friend and mentor, Jodi Citrin Greebel, RD of Citrition, LLC, recently introduced me to a shop on Lexington Avenue, between 85th St & 86th St in Manhattan, called Little Brown. As a future Registered Dietitian who also happens to be a self-confessed hot chocolate addict, I was intrigued when I saw on the menu a 99-calorie hot chocolate prepared with 70% dark chocolate and skim milk. I am here to tell you, it's delicious and right up there with all the best decadent hot chocolates in NYC. It's even better because this Little Brown hot chocolate consumed in moderation and by itself passes as a (less than) 100-calorie snack that provides some calcium from the skim milk and some antioxidants from the dark chocolate. Enjoy!

A friend and mentor, Jodi Citrin Greebel, RD of Citrition, LLC, recently introduced me to a shop on Lexington Avenue, between 85th St & 86th St in Manhattan, called Little Brown. As a future Registered Dietitian who also happens to be a self-confessed hot chocolate addict, I was intrigued when I saw on the menu a 99-calorie hot chocolate prepared with 70% dark chocolate and skim milk. I am here to tell you, it's delicious and right up there with all the best decadent hot chocolates in NYC. It's even better because this Little Brown hot chocolate consumed in moderation and by itself passes as a (less than) 100-calorie snack that provides some calcium from the skim milk and some antioxidants from the dark chocolate. Enjoy!

Piece O' Cheesecake!

Introducing Piece O' Cheesecake!, a new series that highlights my favorites in healthy food & fitness around New York City. As a Brooklyn native who has always worked in Manhattan, my focus will be on these two boroughs but you can be sure that if I discover a new favorite thing in the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island, I will be sharing it with you here! I cannot wait to start revealing where I go for free and unique workouts or for a 99 calorie hot chocolate that is just as delicious as the more calorie-dense versions around the city. Look for posts that start with the Piece O' Cheesecake! name. I'll be sharing my first NYC food/fitness tip tomorrow!

Enjoy the Memorial Day holiday weekend! 

Image: porbital 

 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Introducing Piece O' Cheesecake!, a new series that highlights my favorites in healthy food & fitness around New York City. As a Brooklyn native who has always worked in Manhattan, my focus will be on these two boroughs but you can be sure that if I discover a new favorite thing in the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island, I will be sharing it with you here! I cannot wait to start revealing where I go for free and unique workouts or for a 99 calorie hot chocolate that is just as delicious as the more calorie-dense versions around the city. Look for posts that start with the Piece O' Cheesecake! name. I'll be sharing my first NYC food/fitness tip tomorrow!

Enjoy the Memorial Day holiday weekend! 

Image: porbital 

 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fatty Fish for Omega-3s

What's all this talk of Omega-3s and where can you get yourself some? Omega-3 fatty acids are "good fats" found in fatty fish and some plant foods like walnuts and flaxseeds, canola oil and soybean oil. These fats have the advantage over saturated fats, as they may:

• help in weight management / weight loss

• benefit brain health -- by possibly protecting the memory and preventing Alzheimer's disease

• play a role in lowering blood pressure and triglycerides in the bloodstream -- thereby decreasing the risk for heart disease

What's all this talk of Omega-3s and where can you get yourself some? Omega-3 fatty acids are "good fats" found in fatty fish and some plant foods like walnuts and flaxseeds, canola oil and soybean oil. These fats have the advantage over saturated fats, as they may:

• help in weight management / weight loss

• benefit brain health -- by possibly protecting the memory and preventing Alzheimer's disease

• play a role in lowering blood pressure and triglycerides in the bloodstream -- thereby decreasing the risk for heart disease

Get more from your morning: Smarter cereal choices

A bowl of cereal is a quick and easy way to fit breakfast into your morning but if your regular brand is full of sugar and refined flours, you may not be making the most of your first meal of the day. Next time you are at the supermarket, reach for a box that gives you a more nutritious bang for your buck. Fiber, which can be found in whole grains and fruits, among other sources, might lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, may play a role in weight control and can help keep you regular, but most Americans don't get enough in their diet. The recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. (After age 50, your daily fiber needs drops to 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men.)

The latest issue of CSPI's (Center for Science in the Public Interest) Nutrition Action Healthletter recommends choosing a cereal with:

A bowl of cereal is a quick and easy way to fit breakfast into your morning but if your regular brand is full of sugar and refined flours, you may not be making the most of your first meal of the day. Next time you are at the supermarket, reach for a box that gives you a more nutritious bang for your buck. Fiber, which can be found in whole grains and fruits, among other sources, might lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, may play a role in weight control and can help keep you regular, but most Americans don't get enough in their diet. The recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. (After age 50, your daily fiber needs drops to 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men.)

The latest issue of CSPI's (Center for Science in the Public Interest) Nutrition Action Healthletter recommends choosing a cereal with:

Welcome to Piece O' Cake 2.0!

Piece o' Cake is back after an (unexpected) extended hiatus! Almost two years ago I took a break from posting to this site in order to reconsider how I wanted to continue with the blog. At that time I was also embarking on a few new pursuits. I completed CPR training with the American Red Cross and Group Fitness Training with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Soon after, my husband and I found ourselves sitting before a surgeon who had just diagnosed me with having an early stage cancer.

Piece o' Cake is back after an (unexpected) extended hiatus! Almost two years ago I took a break from posting to this site in order to reconsider how I wanted to continue with the blog. At that time I was also embarking on a few new pursuits. I completed CPR training with the American Red Cross and Group Fitness Training with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Soon after, my husband and I found ourselves sitting before a surgeon who had just diagnosed me with having an early stage cancer.