Striving4Zen

From June through August, Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers will be open on Sundays from 1PM to 3:50PM. The cost is only $10, including skate rental.

After about 45 minutes, a 125-pound woman will torch close to 320 calories. (Calculate according to your own weight here.) If you're steady on your skates, bend your knees (à la a squat) to help tone your legs.

Sky Rink, Pier 61, 20^th St. and West Side

Great Tip!

Labels: activities, exercise, fun, ice skating, NYC, staying cool

Even beauty brands are taking on “inner beauty” lately.

A growing number of companies have started to explore “nutraceuticals” - water that will clear up your acne, supplements for supermodel-shiny hair - even Henri Bendel is jumping on the bandwagon. They’ve just unveiled a sleek new space to showcase their exclusive partnership with the upscale supplement brand FunctionaLab.

FunctionaLab launched with hundreds of lab-tested and health-concern specific nutritional supplements. From customized programs to antioxidant-boosted elixirs, all are aimed at enhancing outer beauty through inner health.

The space is manned by licensed dietitians who walk you through a 10-minute lifestyle questionnaire aimed at identifying what specific parts of your diet are lacking and what areas of your health and wellness you want to improve.

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

Labels: beauty, cool new product, FunctionaLab, Henri Bendel, Holistic Health, NYC, personal care, supplements

A new restaurant will move New Yorkers one step closer to making the world outside the city truly unnecessary.

At the Homegrown Kitchen, which will open in June, all the vegetables and herbs used in the kitchen will be grown upstairs -- in an enormous, rooftop farm.

Anne Apparu, 32, the caterer behind the almost-self-sufficient eatery at 169 Bowery, is currently growing oranges, apples and purple asparagus.

"There's going to be lots of herbs, beans and produce. We will be very varied and have everything we want," she said.

With two entire rooftops, Apparu hopes to turn the setting into a real, working farm -- animals and all.

"I may have a few chickens and a baby goat," she said.

She plans to grow produce year-round.

NYPost

Labels: cool new place, garden, Homegrown Kitchen, innovative, NYC, vegetables

Find out which of the city's courts is your best match.

• Starting April 4th, Central Park Tennis Center is open for business. Beginners can get a crash course with a semi-private lesson that costs just $30 per person for two people. 94th St. near West Dr., (212) 280-0205, MAP

• Night owls can now play after hours at Hudson River Park. The free courts are open until 12:30AM and operate on a first come, first served basis. (Time limit is one hour of play when there's a wait.) Pier 40 near Canal St., (212) 627-2020, MAP

• Diehard tennis devotees can hit the courts on rainy days. Atop Grand Central is the Trump-owned indoor space. Courts come at a price: $170 for one hour, but you'll get to enjoy one of the city's hidden gems. 15 Vanderbilt Ave., (212) 687-3841, MAP

Thanks Vital Juice!

Labels: exercise, NYC, tennis

New eatery Rouge Tomate is helping its clientele cut the fat by offering fare the restaurant hopes is as appealing to the taste buds as it is to the waistline.

Neither spa cuisine nor diet food, the menu under executive chef Jeremy Bearman (a Joel Robuchon and Daniel Boulud alum) is based on the principles of S.P.E. (Sanitas Per Escam or "Health Through Food"), a nutritional charter conceived by its Belgian owner Emmanuel Verstraeten to offer maximum health benefits and culinary pleasure.

A three-course meal can clock in at just 550 calories. Butter and cream are verboten, as are frying and grilling; vegetables are seasonal and in heavy supply and even the sodas like ginger ale, tonic and lemon-lime are homemade. But if the Rouge Tomate team has their way, you won't even notice what's not on the plate. "The main direction we give the chef is to make the food taste good," explains Rouge Tomate vice president Nil Sönmez. "And then at the end of the meal the great thing is, 'Oh, by the way, it's healthy.'"

The Location: The former Nicole Farhi store and restaurant space across the street from Barneys New York.

The Details: 10 East 60th Street; 646.237.8977; rougetomate.com

Source

Labels: cool new place, healthy cooking, NYC, restaurants, Rouge Tomate

First conceived by mother-daughter duo Judy Zimmer and Jocelyn Murray in 1996 and franchised in 2000, now has 70 locations, with more scheduled to open within a year, and plans to expand to Northern Europe. recently opened in Dillard's.

A mix between an upscale Manhattan loft and the production line of a factory, stores are the "drop-in spa." We sell small indulgences and self-pampering, and are bringing back the seemingly lost art of customer service.

Each product from 's wide selection—including phosphate-free bubble bath, mineral-oil free moisturizers, talc-free liquid powder, exfoliating salt scrub, spa tub-safe bath crystals, alcohol-free body mist, SLS-free shower gel, head-to-toe body wash and conditioners, anti-bacterial handwashes, and a full line of pet products—are custom-blended right in the store to customers' specifications.

With 200 fragrances to choose from, customers can create their own dream blend (gardenia and watermelon? We won't judge) or for the easily overwhelmed, fragrance menus of favorite blends are available. Customers can also select their products' tints, allowing them to simply choose a favorite color or create the perfect match for their bathroom's color scheme.

Think of it like a soda fountain for bath products: scented and tinted to your specifications, and mixed up in-store before your very eyes's. products safe for even the most sensitive skin. Most are paraben and SLS-free. We don't test on animals, either— only ourselves. And we only use the best.

On a mission to take over the world with smelly goodness, has recently stepped out of the tub and launched their Domania home line. Domania introduces the world's first custom-scented, multi-surface, anti-bacterial household cleanser, Clean Freak; a custom-scented odor neutralizer, Domain Spray; custom-scented Fine Linen Wash and Fabric Softener; and SLS-free Clean Freak Dish Soap.

Bath Junkie

Labels: Bath Junkie, cool new place, Cool Store, customization, innovative, NYC

GustOrganics:

Beginning as a thought in one foodie’s mind nearly 10 years ago, GustOrganics finally came to fruition in 2008.

Argentinean-born businessman, Alberto Gonzalez had a passion for food, but found he was less than thrilled when he frequently traveled to New York on business. He was surprised that one of the most sophisticated cities in the world lacked an abundance of fresh, high-quality foods.

Hoping to fill this void, he hit the streets in order to speak to New Yorkers. After a year of polling people on what they envisioned for an organic restaurant, Gonzalez compiled these various ideas into one organically green vision.

Today, GustOrganics is the first USDA certified organic restaurant in New York, and the nation’s first restaurant to use 100% USDA certified organic ingredients. GustOrganics is also certified as a Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association, and stands by the motto “Good, Clean, Fair.” Gonzalez’s commitment to a green vision is apparent in every detail of the place, from its corn straws to its low-energy appliances.

Let's Eat!

Labels: cool new place, Gusto Organics, NYC, restaurants

Not sure what to order at McDonald's? Ask the city's dietitian for help.

A new blog will take questions about how to eat out healthily at everywhere from a hot-dog stand to a corner deli, officials said yesterday.

"For instance, just ordering tap water instead of soda will save hundreds of calories a day - and several dollars," said Cathy Nonas of the Health Department. The blog will go up at nyc.gov/health later this week.

Source

Labels: blog, Calories, Cathy Nonas, eating healthy, innovative, NYC

Another fro-yo stand (er, “flavor boutique”) has hit the city, and we’ll give this one credit for being somewhat original.

Eskimix offers its probiotic yogurt flavors in sweet and tart, and in addition to dozens of fruit, candy, and nut toppings, lets you add in vitamin and protein boosters and other good stuff such as barley juice and aloe vera (they also offer dairy-free tofu as a yogurt substitute).

As you can see from the menu, you can either mix your own flavor combos or try suggested ones like Cheesecake Crescendo (fruit, light cream cheese, and graham crackers) or Sedona Wellness (green apple, prickly-pear cactus, and lime). A limited breakfast menu offers an açaí bowl and Greek yogurt. Obviously, the lawyers who opened this place are banking on this being the Jamba Juice of fro-yo stands.

Source

Labels: cool new place, Eskimix, Fro-yo, NYC

Mintel estimates that the natural and organic personal care product market has grown by 35% since 2005 and is currently valued at $465 million. The success of this burgeoning market has been enjoyed by both major brands like Walmart and smaller boutiques. The latest entry in this marketplace, mastihashop caught our attention.

The brand recently opened an outpost in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and showcases a wide range of products featuring mastiha, a therapeutic cure-all long hailed in the East. Mastiha is an all-natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial resin harvested from the sap of trees found exclusively on the Greek Island of Chios.

Sisters and co-founders Artemis and Kalliopi Kohas, who spent summers in Chios, selected a sleek and natural design for their shop to reflect both mastiha’s tradition and modernization. Artemis Kohas told Peep Insights that the versatile mastiha has over 300 known applications and has been used in remedies for over 2,500 years. The Orchard Street store features a wide range of mastiha products, from homeopathic remedies to beauty products. Some favorites include the mastiha infused soaps, the mastiha chocolate bars, and the Korres mastiha oil hair products.

As a nutritional supplement and beauty product, the resin freshens breath, fights plaque and gingivitis, heals and regenerates skin, eases digestion and strengthens hair and nails. It is found in everything from chewing gum to toothpaste, wine, ice cream and cosmetics.

Mastihashop
145 Orchard Street
, New York, NY 10079, (212)253-0895

Source

Labels: beauty, cool new place, Cool Store, LES, mastiha, MastihaShop, natural products, NYC

Bike and Roll is America 's leading bicycle rental & tours company, serving thousands of satisfied customers each year.

The success of Bike and Roll is based on a simple philosophy: We want our customers to have fun! This is achieved by offering only safe, top-of-the-line rental equipment; meticulously planned and organized rides and tours; and, by always providing outstanding customer service.

Biking keeps us young in spirit! And there is no better way to get around, see new things, and stay healthy and active.

You’ll love NYC by bike! Experience car-free, fun, easy riding along the scenic Hudson River Park Greenway. Circle Manhattan on the Greenway Path and see the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, South St. Seaport, Central Park, Times Square, and more! The best way to see the Big Apple!

Labels: bicycle, bicycling, Bike and Roll, cool spot, exercise, healthy living, innovative, NYC, service

Yoga to the People is a unique yoga studio with the goal of recapturing what we consider to be the essence of yoga… simply put, yoga made available to everyone.

There is a suggested donation of $10 a class. Suggested donation means that if you can put $10 in the box, please do. If you are not in a position to do so, contribute what you can.

Classes are taught by certified and highly experienced teachers who are qualified to work with students of every level. Located on 12 St. Marks Pl. between 2nd and 3rd Ave., the studio is easily accessible by subway.

Labels: innovative, NYC, yoga

If you really are what you eat, then some women will take seconds of whatever Gwyneth Paltrow's having. At least that's the business model behind Broadway East, a new restaurant in the no-man's land between Chinatown and the East River, helmed by Paltrow's former private chef, Lee Gross.

Now that he's taking his skills public, the toque is expanding his macrobiotic repertoire to include dishes like Nasketucket Bay oyster gratin and roasted chicken à la Stras Square. When possible, the kitchen will use only organic and seasonal ingredients sourced within 500 miles of New York.

Gross spent two years studying macrobiotics at the Kushi Institute in Beckett, Mass., which is where Paltrow's assistant found him and commissioned him to work for her boss. "Gwyneth was into yoga, heard about macrobiotics and was looking for someone to prepare food for her," he explains. "I interviewed on a Friday and by Tuesday I was cooking lunch for her and Madonna."

Source

Labels: Chef Lee Gross, cool new place, Gwyneth Paltrow, healthy dining, Kushi Institute, macrobiotic, NYC, restaurants

Labels: cool new place, healthy dining, healthy eating, NYC, restaurants

Tea connoisseurs and novices alike will find themselves at home when they visit Sanctuary T! The newly opened restaurant and bar pays homage to the world's most widely consumed beverage, tea, and boasts innovative and inspired food and cocktail menus that utilize tea as an integral ingredient. The kitchen, led by Executive Chef Kevin Stanton, offers a wide variety of delicious small plates, both hot and cold. The bar offers an eclectic selection of wines and cocktails, all under the guidance of Master Mixologist Benoit Cornet.

Sanctuary T
337B West Broadway
212-941-7832

Labels: cool new place, NYC, restaurants

When we wrote about Florida's Healthy Bites Grill back in 2002, we even went so far as to wonder if it might become the next McDonald's. While HBG doesn't appear to be winning that coveted title, New York's Zen Burger is a new contender that has gotten off to a flying start.

Zen Burger aims to revolutionize the fast food world with natural, wholesome vegetarian foods that have the look, feel, texture and taste of meats without the negative effects on health and the environment. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant specializes in meatless comfort foods that mimic those sold in traditional fast-food environments, such as the ZenSausage breakfast sandwich, ZenBeef burgers, crispy ZenChicken sandwich, ZenTuna sandwich, ZenHotDog, ZenChicken tenders, ZenShrimp and French fries.

The midtown Manhattan eatery, which just opened a few weeks ago, even recreates the ambience—if you can call it that—of the big fast-food chains, with bright lighting and a 1970s colour scheme heavy on the oranges and greens. Also available at Zen Burger are organic soups and chili, organic salads, non-dairy ice cream, organic teas and coffees, and natural sodas, as well as kids' meals complete with tiny toy. Pricing for a standard meal is about USD 7.

Zen Burger was founded by James Tu, owner of Zen Palate restaurants, and reportedly the plan is to take the chain nationwide, with the next restaurant slated to open in Hollywood in the middle of this year, according to Midtown Lunch. While vegetarians make up a still-small but rapidly growing part of the U.S. population, "flexitarians"—or those who eat a vegetarian diet some of the time, but not always—are a much larger group, and Zen Burger's real target, Tu told TheStreet.com. " The key is the taste," Tu said. "Ideally, I don't want people to know what they are eating is vegetarian."

Appealing to serious and sometime vegetarians alike, it's hard to imagine anything but a warm reception to this concept around the globe. One to get in on early?

Thanks!

Zen Burger
465 Lexington Ave, New York

Labels: health trend, healthy dining, NYC, restaurants, Zen Burger

What: Stop by newly opened Gusto Organics for a taste of what we're hoping will be the organic crowd's answer to Cosi-eqsue food on-the-go. Think all organic grilled pizzas, empanadas, sandwiches, breakfast, drinks and desserts.

Where: 519 6th Avenue. (212) 242-5800.

Why: You'll be in and out of there faster than a trip to Whole Foods.

Thanks

Labels: cool new place, Gusto Organics, healthy dining, LOVE, NYC, restaurants

First-timers pay nothing at Yoga Sutra (501 Fifth Ave., nr. 42nd St.; 212-490-1443), which caters to Bryant Park office workers grabbing some sun salutations on their lunch breaks. Depending on which style of class you choose, you could be sore tomorrow. The Vinyasa course, with its flowing series of chest arches and leg lunges, is especially challenging. Less strenuous: the Iyengar class, filled with slow-moving spine twists and prop-aided stretches.

Newcomers also get a free tryout at Atmananda Yoga Sequence (324 Lafayette St., nr. Bleecker St.; 212-625-1511), where the crowd’s exactly what you’d expect at a Noho wellness loft: fashionable vegans, limber models, and late-rising artists. Classes flow rapidly through 69 movements, focusing on proper alignment and breathing techniques. Occasionally instructors burn incense or massage students’ temples with jasmine oil.

At Integral Yoga Institute (227 W. 13th St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-929-0586), free Saturday-morning intro classes (beginning at 10:15) draw a mix of health-conscious hippies, trendy moms, and other West Villagers seeking some slower-paced exercise. Newbies are encouraged to ask questions while learning to sit properly, relieve lower-back tension with gentle torso bends, and experiment with shoulder stands.

It’s mostly experienced yogis at Chelsea’s Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center (243 W. 24th St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-255-4560), with only one class open to beginners. The first class—usually filled with classic inversions and standing postures—is free. Workouts are strenuous, but there’s ample time for meditation between poses.

And though not technically gratis, classes at Yoga to the People (12 St. Marks Pl., nr. Third Ave.; 917-573-9642) are open to the public for a suggested donation of $10. Expect St. Marks–style serenity: Teachers might pop in some John Lennon during stretching and read inspirational quotes for the after-class warmdown, and classes are often packed toes to fingertips with NYU students.

Thanks!

Labels: free, New Yorkers, NYC, yoga

For more than 20 years, Croninger’s been meeting with the doctors and diagnosticians who staff this healing spot ($30 for a consultation, walk-ins welcome). “It’s common-sense advice,” she explains, picking up a carton of Flu Away! ($4.50) for the coming winter. Post-appointment, herbs are custom-blended to treat your specific condition. Lin Sister also offers acupuncture and cupping. 4 Bowery at Doyers St

(no phone; linsisterherb.com)

Labels: Chinese Herbal Healing, cool spot, Lin Sister, natural therapy, NYC

If you want to see what a little traditional Chinese medicine can do for your beat-up body, head over to Yin Beauty & Arts Spa for their diagnosis.
A therapist will give you an evaluation before performing exfoliation… to improve circulation and "release blocked energy." Then they'll follow with a body treatment made of detoxifying herbs and seaweeds and end with a qi massage (qi being your life force, which could use a little pampering right now) to release tension.

Yin Beauty & Arts

Labels: Chinese Herbal Healing, cool spot, detox, NYC, Spa