Making It Through the Holidays Healthy

It’s that time of year. In between the fun of holiday parties and the stress of work and hosting loved ones, I inevitably start to feel run down and exhausted. Two years ago I found myself in bed with flu and a fever for more than half of holiday vacation in Savannah. In order to prevent that from happening again, this year I’m taking proactive measures with help from my friends at Pure Encapsulations.

sick in savannah

After the vitamin deficiency issues I experienced while living in Geneva, I’ve been an advocate of supplements such as a multi-vitamin and biotin in order to ensure my body is getting the vitamins and minerals it needs.  Until recently I wasn’t brand loyal to a particular supplement. I’d peruse websites or the aisle of my local drugstore, letting the promotional price determine that month’s selection.  I thought all vitamins and supplements were created equally, only differing by whether they were liquid, gummy or a traditional pill.

When Pure Encapsulations reached out to me, I immediately wanted to understand what set them apart from the hundreds of other vitamins on the market.

I quickly learned that that all vitamins and supplements are far from being created equal.

IMG_6015

Did you know that many vitamins on the market aren’t tested by the FDA? Any supplement or vitamin that Pure Encapsulations sells on their site has been tested to ensure that nothing is included other than what the label says.  They use the purest of ingredients in their production facility, ensuring that we the consumers, ingest the most quality product possible. The industry leader in manufacturing excellence and quality control, they even allow consumers to visit their production facility in Massachusetts via their “open warehouse” policy which allows anyone to stop by to visit and tour the facility.

IMG_6016

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the chance to take their O.N.E. Multivitamin as well as their Best-Rest Formula.

The Best-Rest formula helps improve sleep quality as well as make it easier to fall asleep due to the melatonin, chamomile, valerian and other ingredients.  During stressful periods, I have a hard time turning my brain off which often results in horrible sleep or not being able to fall asleep immediately. Since taking this supplement nightly, my sleep patterns, as tracked by my Misfit Shine, have improved to more than ¾ the night being restful sleep.

The O.N.E. Multivitamin, perfect for adults over the age of 18, only requires one capsule per day and provides me with a great blend of vitamins and minerals as well as MicroActive Q10 and lycopene for heart and cell health. In addition, unlike my prior multivitamin, none of the Pure Encapsulation products contain fillers, preservatives, artificial sweeteners or colors.

If you’re interested in learning more about how vitamins and supplements may help you, check out their website or have a conversation with your doctor. The more you know, the better preventative measures you will be able to take for your health.

Your turn: What vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis?  

While this is a sponsored post, via Pure Encapsulations, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Share Button
Follow:

The New Lululemon Flagship in NYC

Saturday afternoon I had the opportunity to experience both levels of the new Lululemon flagship in New York City during one of their grand opening events. The event itself, known as THE FRAME, brought together fitness and film enthusiasts to view and meet the directors of five short films. While the event itself was interesting and unlike anything i’d attended before on behalf of my blog, what I know interests you guys the most is the new Lululemon location. Is it over-hyped? Should you stop everything and head to the new store to experience both levels?

IMG_6315

Both levels you ask? Oh yes, this new Lululemon Flagship store which opened at 17th and Fifth Avenue, is enormous. I highly recommend you stop in after your next Flatiron workout class as the space offers far more than Luon.
IMG_6330
IMG_6323
The main level, which is filled with gorgeous racks and displays of male and female Luon gear, has a footprint more than two times larger than the average NYC Lululemon store. The larger footprint allows them to squeeze more dressing rooms, navigation space so you can shop until you drop without being crowded, a coffee and snack bar as well as health concierge space. The concierge corner includes an actual concierge who can help you book restaurant or workout reservations as well as a virtual screen for when she is already helping someone. The huge touch screen allows you to navigate local restaurants and fitness classes as well as complimentary community events hosted by Lululemon. There are also convenient cards which locals and tourists alike can use to find 3 nearby places to sweat, eat and explore.

IMG_6328

IMG_6326

The lower level, known as Hub Seventeen, is a 4,200 square foot space dedicated to the community. The space has the feeling of a spa-like yoga studio meets Restoration Hardware due to the white walls, light wood and gorgeous décor. When special events, such as Saturday’s FRAME movie event, aren’t taking place in the space, people can take advantage of the full kitchen, refreshment bar, outlets and wireless to work, blog or connect with others. In addition to special events, the space will also host Lululemon’s complimentary fitness events including weekly cardio and yoga sessions. The calendar of events, which kick off this week, can be found here.

IMG_6319

Share Button
Follow:

Friday Favorites – November 2015 Edition

Friday the best F word Happy Friday gang!

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Well+Good NYC’s Instagram post this morning.  These people speak my language because man am I ready for the weekend. This week was a long one between some work travel and just overall busy week. Other than dinner plans both nights this weekend is quieter than normal – something Bo and I both need.  Tomorrow is our six year anniversary but after an almost constant stream of friends and family members these past three months we both are looking forward to celebrating it with relaxation – a gift we both need right now. We don’t have anything fancy planned just the promise of spending Sunday together – just the two of us.

As you count down the minutes until the long weekend begins, grab an afternoon pick me up or a glass of wine and enjoy this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Our Thanksgiving menu is already 99% finalized so I’m not sure these will find a spot but you better believe I’ll be making them at some point over the next few weeks.  I love the addition of honey and almonds to this delicious crispy brussels sprout recipe.

Come Thursday morning, I’ll either be crying over this dessert or smiling with excitement. While I definitely have a sweet tooth and enjoy baking, I’m not the best at making crusts or other complicated recipes as I don’t have much practice. Thursday morning, following the Prospect Park Turkey Trot, my girlfriend Margaret and I are going to attempt to successfully make this decadent Salted Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Pie which combines America’s favorite Thanksgiving desserts – pumpkin and pecan pie.

pie

Back when I used to head to Equinox for my daily workouts, I often wondered whether I should start with cardio or weights. If you find yourself wondering the same thing, this article breaks it down based on your goals.

If you’re a NYC local or spending time in the city this holiday season, these five bars are the most festive in the city. You can bet that I’m organizing a holiday bar crawl, based on this round-up, with my parents when they’re in town.

rolfs

I rarely can pull off the at home manicure, especially with the dark Fall and Winter colors. Typically my hand looks like a hot mess after attempting to apply a base coat, color and top coat with my very non-dominant left hand. Then, if I do manage to make it look decent, my nails never have that “just painted” finished, gloss look. Last night, while hiding from the torrential downpour, I picked up a new topcoat, Essie’s Gel Setter topcoat. It requires no light to set it but results in the shiniest, fastest drying nails ever! Today, they actually look like I had them done at a salon!

Thank heavens for J.Crew’s pixie pant. For the past two years this pant has been my answer to “what do I wear” 9 months of the year. In the Fall I can pair the skinny pants with heels and a blouse while in the winter I can easily slide a pair of tall boots on and add a chunky sweater or vest. This year, I took a risk and snagged a pair of the Pixie pants with leather tuxedo stripe detail. They pair the thick, flattering material with a stripe of sass – perfect for any workday outfit or a fun evening out. Today I paired them with a silk blouse and faux fur vest!

Your turn: What is your favorite recipe this week?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

Share Button
Follow: