Summer-itis

It's almost that time again. You get the itch to start leaving the city on the weekends and the L.I.E. becomes a parking. Whether you go to the Hamptons or stay in the sweltering city for rooftop BBQ's, chances are you want to look your best for the summer. So here are a couple of tips to shed that post-winter weight, if you haven't already:

1. Lighten your load.

Start to lighten up your diet by eating high water content foods. Raw foods like fruits and veggies contain lots of water along with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fill up on raw foods and crowd out greasy, fattening, and heavy foods that clog your body and make you fat. Raw foods lead to cleansing your body from the inside out and can lead to weight loss.

2. Load up on your weights.

If you have been weight training with no real results, stack your weights a bit heavier for a month and see if it makes a difference. Most of all, get sweaty. Kick up your cardio with a new routine and make it count. If you're not sweating during your workouts, you probably aren't working hard enough! Try one of my classes, I promise to make you sweat!

Raw Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 very ripe avocados
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 2 tbsp yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• kernels from one ear raw organic corn
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 6-8 large romaine lettuce leaves

PREPARATION:
In a medium sized bowl, mash the avocado.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.
Spread 2-3 tablespoons of this mixture onto lettuce leaves and wrap. Enjoy!

As you can see these are simple and great for children to experiment with. We have these quite often and never quite the same way. Have fun and try new things!!

A Tale of Two Cities

How much does your address affect your health? This is a question that has been on my mind quite a bit. Considering that I have lived in NYC for most of my adult life I will consider the contrast between the Big Apple and Los Angeles, the sprawling suburb. I know I may get a bit of flack from those seriously loyal to their beloved cities but I will try and take an objective stance.

There are obvious differences in lifestyles when comparing the east and west coasts. But the most obvious and the one that we have absolutely no control over is the sun. NYC winters are typically dark and grey and LA gets rain only about 10 days a year (so I was told). So, how would that affect our health for better or worse?

80% of the Vitamin D that we need is produced in our bodies like a hormone. In contrast, just 20% comes from our diet from foods like butter, eggs and fish. That 80% is made when the sun’s UV rays hit our skin directly. This vitamin/hormone is essential for many reasons but mainly for its role in calcium absorption. However, we all know that UV rays have detrimental effects on our skin and over exposure can lead to skin cancers. So, I am going to call this one a draw. In LA, you get more sun and need to be more careful of skin cancer and in NYC you get less sun but produce less Vitamin D. A word of advice for NY’ers – take a supplement that contains Vitamin D during the winter months.

The less obvious difference in lifestyle on both coasts is stress levels. Stress is the most mysterious disease producing emotion that we can have because it creeps up on you overt time and without warning. It can come in the form of upset, anger, depression, and anxiety, to name just a few. Our adrenal glands are the guys responsible for regulating most of our stress hormone levels, namely cortisol which is released by stressful triggers like an emotional outburst or intense and internalized stress. After long periods of time these adrenal glands get worn out and tired and start to rebel against you by going on strike until you start to take better care of yourself. This is called adrenal fatigue and hopefully you can catch it before it has more severe consequences. Good warning signs are constant fatigue, circles under your eyes, eye twitches, and weight gain.

So, back to our two cities, which group of inhabitants seem to lead more stressful lives? This I won’t answer just yet but I am sure you all have some great opinions. I am going to do my own research on the matter while I stay in LA for a bit. But I would love to think that ideally we all have our own ways of dealing with stress whether it be eating well, exercising, internal martial arts like those practiced in HapKiDo, T’ai Chi or Yoga, massage, acupuncture, meditation, etc. On the other side of the coin, there are also people that have ways to hang onto their issues and stress wherever they go, even on vacations. If that sounds like you try and get serious with one of the above mentioned vehicles for stress relief. It will do you and your adrenal glands loads of good!

Spinach Soup with Garlic Croutons

Croutons
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes country-style sourdough bread
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups diced peeled red potatoes
4 cups vegetable broth or water
6 cups fresh spinach or chard leaves, tough stems removed
Optional: pine nuts


1. To prepare croutons: Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Toss bread cubes, oil, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl until well combined. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. To prepare soup: In a large saucepan over medium heat add olive oil, onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Pour in broth (or water). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach (or chard) and continue to simmer until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes more. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender (in batches), leaving it a little chunky if desired.
4. Serve the soup garnished with nutmeg, if desired, and topped with the croutons.
5. Sprinkle with pine nuts if desired.

There's A Fungus Among Us

What can be found on a restaurant’s menu that can have a price tag of $75 an ounce and is hunted by wild pigs? What can be found in anti-aging skincare products as well as in your backyard and has been used in ancient Chinese Medicine for thousands of years? Mushrooms!

I started to become a bit more intrigued with mushrooms when I saw that Dr. Andrew Weil, probably the most famous alternative medicine doctor in the U.S., came out with a whole line of mushroom based skincare products. Then I read Michael Pollan’s book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” where he goes on a “hunt” for the exotic chanterelle mushroom in the forests of northern California. Apparently, there are people who plan all year for the perfect time of year to go on mushroom expeditions.

Okay, so I’m not that interested in mushrooms but I will give you a brief rundown of the uses and benefits of the great fungus among us.

Truffles: “The rich man’s mushroom”, truffles, are one of the most expensive foods on the planet, especially when imported from Italy to the U.S. They are hunted by female pigs and they become excited when they sniff a chemical that is similar to the male swine sex attractant. Boy, are they delicious!

Shiitake: Not only are these mushrooms delicious when sautéed with garlic and olive oil they are also known for boosting the immune system. Shiitake extract has also been used in Asia as an injectable anti-cancer drug.

Portobello: This commonly found mushroom, also delicious, can be used like a vegetarian “steak”. It is big and meaty and can be thrown right on a grill with a slice of parmesan on it. Or it can be used in pasta sauce to make a vegetarian “ragu”.

Reishi: A fungus with anti-inflammatory properties. Sounds better than Advil.

Oyster: These have been said to help lower cholesterol.

Other Medicinal Mushrooms: Zhu Ling, God’s Mushroom, Enoki, Yamabushitake, Most of these mushrooms you probably never heard of nor will you find in a supermarket. They are used by Chinese doctors and herbalists to make concoctions used to fight a number of diseases and viral infections including cancer, high blood pressure and even Alzheimer’s disease. I would leave the usage of these mushrooms up to the experts.

There are so many more tales of mushrooms to be told. Too many for my short blog. Try the recipe below for a healthy dish that could help fight off viruses and have you looking younger!

Mixed Spring Mushrooms with Pine Nuts

1lb. mixed mushrooms (morel, portobello, shiitake, oyster, cremini and white button
4 to 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 to 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
sea salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp dry white wine
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove tough stems from mushrooms and cut the larger mushrooms so that all of them are about the same size. Put them in a roasting pan.

Roast the mushrooms until they begin to sizzle and brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with pine nuts, and return to the oven to continue roasting for about 10 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Escape to Shape in Morocco!!!

I have come across an amazing opportunity to travel to Morocco to do what I love, be a guest fitness instructor for a luxurious and healthy retreat!

I am encouraged to invite guests and I thought of all of you. If you are interested in getting away from home for a week, eating healthy and working out daily (Yoga and WARRIOR WORKOUTS with yours truly) along with cultural trips OR if you know anyone who may be, this sounds fabulous!

A little more about the retreat:

This spring ESCAPE TO SHAPE takes you on an exclusive & magical journey to Marrakech, Morocco. Each session is limited to a maximum of 20 guests, so that each person receives the attention & quality of service they deserve. Join us and experience the vast wonders of this exotic city; a combination of luxurious accommodations, yoga & exercise, rich Arabic traditions, chaotic marketplaces, hidden treasures of the Medina (ancient walled city), and breathtaking natural beauty- from the desert to the mountains. Along with the cultural & natural wonders, guests will enjoy relaxing massages, facials, a traditional hammam & belly dancing lessons. Guest will also savor the culinary delights that Morocco has become famous for, while learning to make these recipes at home, with a healthy ESCAPE TO SHAPE twist.

The cost of our program is $3000 US per person based on 2 people sharing a room. This rate includes 7 nights luxury accommodations, delicious yet healthy meals, daily yoga and fitness classes, two cultural excursions, healthy cooking classes and belly dancing lessons, one massage and one hammam, round trip ground transportation to/from the Marrakech airport and tax.

However, I was told that I can get my clients a bit of a group discount. So please let me know ASAP if you are interested or know anyone who is.

The available weeks are:
March 29-April 5 and April 5-12

See more on www.escapetoshape.com.