fithiphealthy

GO ABEEGO!

 

Now there's no excuse for not packing that lunch!  Not only are the cute, they are correct!  It's time to ditch the Ziplocs, lose the Saran, and make room for Abeego, an all-natural line of food storage products. The cheerful, reusable packaging is made of a hemp/cotton fabric infused with beeswax and plant extracts.  

Choose from wraps (versatile thirteen-by-fifteen inchers for sandwiches), snacks (cones that hold three-quarters of a cup of treats), and flats (six-, nine-, and twelve-inch squares to cover bowls). Each style has cute red, green, blue, or purple stitching and corresponding colored buttons and string for closing up.  The fluid-resistant coating keeps food fresh and is easy to clean with soap and cold water.  If only other messes were so easy to clean up. 

Available online at Abeego.ca 

ASK THE INSTRUCTOR!

Hi Lauren, I've been taking classes at Lithe Rittenhouse since September (my usual line-up is Sculpt, Armistice, Skinny Jeans, and Waist Not 2-3 classes/wk).  I've definitely developed a more muscular physique and stronger core. The only downside I've noticed is that my new lower body muscles are making my pants a bit snug. Are there certain classes that I should take or avoid to combat the Kim Kardashian booty I'm growing? 

GOOD QUESTION!  Good news is, there is no one Lithe Method class, or combination of classes that will make your bum bigger.  About the muscle development: Its totally normal for lithers to get a little "bigger" at first when they do not modify their eating habits. You're building these beautiful, lean muscles, but there is still that layer of fat sitting on top of them.  I am super active and love to eat.  Even when I take the last 5 lbs off, I shrink a full dress size, and you can see every muscle in my body.

During the first 6 months of moderate lithing (2-3 classes a wk), your bod is going through a lot of changes.  Once you hit 4-6 months (without changing your diet), that layer of fat will start to burn off the muscle as your metabolism increases. 

Wanna speed things up?  Diet and frequency...And use those bands! We'd love to see you 4-6 times a week.  Regardless, there are big changes ahead : )

In the meantime, try to watch your diet and change your classes if you can.  It looks like you need some more cardio (our cardio comes in the form of dance and cheer) based classes if possible (think: High Mini, Higher Power, Fat Free, Waspie, Barlesque, Hot Legs & Split).  Now don't get me wrong, if you're working properly, you'll sweat your head off in a good Skinny Jeans or Sculpt, but they are our more sculpting-based workouts (and very necessary!). So, if you're doing you're doing a lot of our more sculpting-based classes every week, you need to switch it up! 

Image of Lauren Boggi  via Dominic Episcopo

MAP & TOTE.

Tote your favorite city!  Oh Joy and I are currently working on a studio bag for Lithe.  I'm loving this denim fabric!

Image via NYTimes.com

TRASH TALK FOR THE WASTE ONE.

It is very obvious to me that many Americans have a severe problem with portion control, which is cited as being one of the main causes of obesity.  However, most people don’t realize that not only do huge plates and all-you-can-eat buffets cause us to eat more, they cause us to waste more. 

In her book The Compassionate Carnivore, Catherine Friend points out that, on average, we as Americans throw away 22.5 million pounds of meat every day, which roughly works out to 7,500 cattle, 18,000 hogs, and 1 million chickens. 

So when confronted with a piece of Perdue chicken, I struggle over whether to refuse it with the knowledge that the animal has now suffered and died in vain, or eat it and somehow compromise my love and respect for animals.  I don’t know what the right answer is, but it’s definitely something to think about the next time you bite off more than you can chew. 

For many people struggling to pay the bills and feed the kids, eliminating meat from your diet is unrealistic and, frankly, is a bit of a hassle.  I don’t have kids or anyone else I need to provide food for, so it’s easy for me to advise against easy foods like lunch meat, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets.  However, googling the contents of such foods yields some horrifying results, and there are a couple easy changes you can make in order to provide yourself and your family with healthy alternatives to these mystery meats. 

1.  Lunchmeat-  Check out Applegate Farms Download Believe InWhatYouEat(2)

2.  Hotdogs-  Applegate Farms The Great Organic Uncured Hot Dog (Available at Wegman's)

3.  Burgers- If you have to do fast food, opt for Burger King over McDonalds or Wendys.  Word is that Burger King is attempting to replace 2% of their factory farmed meat with meat from small, “organic” farms.  I would suggest getting a hamburger and putting your own cheese on it at home; I’m not sure what’s going on with that cheese but it doesn’t seem right. 

Images via Applegate Farms.com, garance dore, The Compassionate Carnivore, Wasted Food, & blog.makenzie.com

FACTORY TO FORK.

As much as I wish we all lived in a perfect world where animals are not depended upon to provide us with our daily dose of protein, I’ve come to terms with the fact that people will never stop eating meat.  We cannot completely eradicate the practice of killing animals for food, but, as consumers, we can focus our energies on making smart choices that benefit the animals, ourselves, and the environment.

Three quick reasons to avoid factory farmed meat (think Tyson, Smithfield, and Perdue):

1. Animals that have endured unmentionable suffering and fear in both life and death do not make for good food.  Physically, the bodies of the animals are stressed and nerve-wracked and just don’t taste good.  Spiritually, the animal becomes the literal embodiment of mistreatment and abuse, and that negative energy does affect your body in ways you may not even realize.

2. By purchasing chicken from Perdue or ham from Smithfield, the consumer is funding research projects dedicated to further abusing the animals.  For example, these corporations are attempting to remove the “stress” gene from animals so that more livestock can be crowded into smaller area with fewer repercussions.  The more animals that are kept in one space, the more likely it is that disease will break out and that the animals won’t mature properly, thus leading to the use of growth hormones and antibiotics that are later ingested by the consumer.

3. Companies like Tyson do not have a financial responsibility to the environment or to the local communities.  So even if you’re not an animal lover, you may want to choose meat that has been raised humanely on small farms simply because of the impact that factory farms have on the local ecosystems and on the health of the surrounding populations.  Manure dumped in nearby lakes and ponds pollutes the water, and excess nitrogen pollutes the air, contributing to global warming while also coating nearby houses in grime (which attracts a disgusting amount of flies). 

The awful part is that these companies refuse to accept responsibility for the damage they do to the lives of innocent people and to the communities in which they live.

Images via Goveg.com and Peta.org.   Yes, yes, we agree that Peta can be extreme but we appreciate how their ads really drive the message home. 

WENDY ON WEDNESDAY.

Meet Wendy Camerieri. Sometimes you'll see her working the desk at Rittenhouse, you may spot her in class or working as my assistant.  Wendy is a busy, passionate, Junior English major at Rutgers University who has a heck of a lot on her mind, a lot to say-and she loves to write.

I've worked with Wendy for some time now and the one thing that I've learned about her is that she is wise beyond her 20 years.  I love hearing what the youngest of us (think Generation Y) really thinks about food, books and contemporary/global issues. 

I'm letting her loose on Wednesdays so that she can guest blog here on Fithiphealthy.com. She's going to shed some light on important issues, speak her mind and stir some controversy.  We have a few great adventures planned!

This Wednesday, Wendy will dish on the controversial topic of Meat, choices & Portion Control/Waste. 

Images via itlooksgoodtome.com, Andrio Abero, Eating Animals, The Unhealthy Truth, & McCruelty.com

LITHE WISE.

"Exercise is your king, and nutrition is your queen.  Together they create your fitness kingdom."

                                                              -Jack LaLanne

HEALING.

 

  

Eastern medicine definitely has a different approach than Western medicine – it’s much more holistic. I love that the root of the problem is addressed, as opposed to a symptom being attended to with prescription medication, only to return. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am super thankful for a round of antibiotics or surgery when necessary and needed, but I have been helped tremendously by acupuncture and Chinese medicine (thank you, Julie!).

This past Sunday, February 14th was the Chinese New Year and I’ve asked my good friend and acupuncturist, Julie Schwartz, our expert in Chinese medicine, to explain the significance of the Year of the Tiger and teach us how we can welcome this New Year in with health and wellness.

 
On Sunday, Julie and I had tea in celebration of the new year and she advised, "This is the year of the Tiger.  We don’t often think of tigers in their resting state, but all cats know when to pounce and when to be still, and winter is a time to be more still and live according to the season. The year of the tiger can be a prosperous and healthy year if you take good care of yourself.  

A Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year's day.  This is an ideal time for self care and renewal, and we should be cleaning the house as well as the body.  Try to cook more healthy, organic food (think soups, stews, winter vegetables) and eat slowly. 

During the winter, the days are shorter with less natural light, which also brings less natural warmth. Now is a time to slow down and let our bodies restore and rejuvenate. Going to bed earlier, getting plenty of sleep and allowing yourself the time to easily move through the day are all a part of the natural cycle of winter.  Now would be a great time to incorporate meditation, acupuncture and more stretchy/healing Lithe Method classes like, Melt, Enerchi, Rare Form & Lithe 101 into your life."

Julie is working on my Kidney Yin (Qi) deficiency through acupuncture and diet and she has advised me to eat more black sesame seeds!  I've been roasting and cooking with them.  

Here is a great Goji Berry and Black Sesame Seed Tea recipe: 

* 1 cup black sesames

* 2 Tbsp goji berries, rinsed 

* 3 cups water 

* Sweeten with Brown Sugar (Raw & Unprocessed) or Agave 

Bring sesame seeds, goji berries and water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer partially covered for about 20 to 30 minutes until 1 cup of tea remains. If it does not cook down in 30 minutes, the flame is too low. Strain tea and sweeten to taste.  

Black sesames are very calming and good to drink in the morning if you have morning anxiety, or in the evening if you have trouble winding down. Black sesames nourish and calm the adrenals, as do the goji berries; overall the formula is very moistening during this too dry time of year. Brown sugar is full of minerals as are the sesame seeds, so this formula is rich in calcium and good for the bones!  

Images via Google.com, AsiaToday.com.

ACE.

  

 

Jordan and I stayed at the new, Ace Hotel in NYC's Murray Hill this past Saturday. Everything was incredible and totally London/hipster-Never seen anything quite like it. Go, Go, Go!  Can't stay the night?  Eat at The Breslin!