Advice From The Experts: Pond Hopper

Tomorrow's guest contributor and I go way back... ten years to be exact. I met Bennett Golder on the very first day of my freshman year at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. It was kind of hard not to notice Bennett's snarky sense of humor and bubbly personality. If it wasn't for Bennett, I probably wouldn't have made it through Mrs. Frazer's Freshman English class without stabbing a pencil through my eye (yes, it was THAT fascinating). Bennett sat behind me and spent the entirety of the movie Romeo and Juliet cracking jokes into my ear and scrawling notes to me on his textbook - a textbook we later learned would be returned to the same Mrs. Frazer at the end of the year. Yikes. We didn't call her 'Frazer like a razor' for nothing.

A few years ago, Bennett crossed the big pond and made a life for himself in London. While I've taken up short-term residence in foreign countries before, I have always dreamed of jumping ship and actually doing it long-term! Tomorrow, Bennett is going to share what he's learned from his experiences in London and how living there has given him an outside perspective on his red, white and blue roots. It'll be a fun read for sure! Stay tuned for Bennett's article tomorrow!

Advice From The Experts: Pill Poppin'

Uncle Dave and Aunt Lenor (circa my choking incident)

My love for bagels is dangerous, especially since I'm a future health coach. I ate a lot of bagels growing up. Frankly, it's no surprise I moved to a city known for it's amazing bagels. My love runs deep... 

...in fact, it almost killed me.

When I was 11 months old, I almost choked to death on a bagel. As I started to turn a lovely shade of blue-grey in my highchair, my uncle Dave jumped to action and cleared my air passage! I could say it was a coincidence that my Physician Assistant uncle and nurse aunt just happened to be at the table with me, but then, who would I be kidding? Uncle Dave knew just what to do... and as a result, I'm here today to spread the good word about health (aka. stay away from bagels).

I've asked my uncle Dave to be tomorrow's guest contributor. In addition to being a pretty cool uncle (he is a classically trained pianist, played in a cover band, is an avid fly fisher and a fantastic cook), he is also very wise! Dave is a practicing Physician Assistant in Western Massachusetts and is clearly my first point of contact when I need medical advice (he probably  knows way more about me than he'd ever wish to).

Tomorrow he will be sharing his thoughts on the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. Now we're not talking Xanax, Percocet or Valium. No, we're referring to your run-of-the-mill antibiotics. The kind we are all so quick to run to the doctor for! 

Stay tuned for Dave's article tomorrow! It might make you look at your medications a bit differently!

Advice From The Experts: Gaining the World Through Giving

This photo from college is as embarrassing as it gets, but it
sums up our relationship perfectly.

My best friend from college is a bit... how do you say it?... eclectic? Courtney Blair was my very first friend when I went off to the University of Georgia. I left the warm, loving nest of my parent's house and fell right into Courtney Blair's topsy-turvy dorm room. She was certainly a sight to behold... beautiful in the most natural way... milky white skin, a mess of freckles, and long auburn hair. To this day (excluding my brother Cale), I've never met anyone with as much personality as her. She's dramatic, funny, kind and serious all wrapped up into one charming little package.

When we met and she discovered that I had no solid nicknames, she deemed this unacceptable for someone my age and promptly nicknamed me 'Laronika'. I hated it... obviously. In an effort to work with me, she shortened it to Laron (eh, ok), then it somehow warped into Ronnie and slowly settled into Ron. Before I knew it, no one was calling me by my given name and people started to pity my luck - what kind of parents name their baby girl Ron?

But jokes aside, I actually have Courtney to thank for the fact that I live in New York. She accompanied me on my first trip to the concrete jungle, and I think it was that trip that planted the seed in me. I knew I loved New York. Maybe it was the fact that we got some airtime on MTV's Total Request Live, or the fond memory of accidentally eating someone else's food at a communal table in Chinatown or quite possibly the fact that the Soup Nazi resided here. But whatever the reason, I ended up here and I have her to thank.

Courtney and Chermie in Kenya.

Tomorrow I am thrilled and honored to have Courtney as a guest contributor. Courtney went on a life-changing trip to Africa during college, and I asked her to share her amazing experience with you. I'm sure she'll be the first to tell you that when she made the choice to give of herself and her time, she gained the world in return.

Be sure to check out Courtney's article tomorrow! You won't want to miss it!

Advice From The Experts: You're Only Invincible In Your Own Mind

That's Rachel...right there in the middle!

It's taken me almost 30 years to realize I'm not invincible. Maybe you're smarter and learned this tough lesson sooner, but I definitely did not. It snuck up on me slowly. Real stealth-like. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Do you feel it too? Maybe you're not so quick to bounce back after a workout, maybe you find yourself more tired these days or maybe you received a diagnosis from the doctor that finally made the message loud and clear.

I think most of us feel like we're doing pretty good until we find out we're not. For some people, it's a gradual realization. For others, it's a 'smack in the face' kind of moment. Tomorrow, my high school friend Rachel Boyd will be sharing her story with you. Rachel was diagnosed last year with a long-term illness. At the time, this was a woman who could count her sick days on one finger. That's right! Just one finger! Obviously the news was shocking and scary, but I'm happy to tell you that Rachel has seized the day and faced her illness with incredible courage. Tomorrow, she'll share her story with you, and even though it's serious stuff, you'll probably giggle as you read it. She's got a snarky sense of humor, a great perspective on something 'not so great' and some thoughtful tips to share with those who may be dealing with the same thing (or know someone who is). Stay tuned for Rachel's article tomorrow! You won't want to miss it!

Advice From The Experts: Triple Threat in the Kitchen

When I moved out of the dorms after my freshman year, tomorrow's guest contributor Sara Warner graciously offered me a bedroom in her Athens, Georgia, apartment - with my very own bathroom (hello, upgrade!). I couldn't turn that deal down... especially since Sara had always been such a good friend in high school. She used to pick me up in her flashy gold sports car before I even had a driver's license. What a gal!

Turns out, my choice of roommates was a smart one. Sara is Italian, and in keeping with her Italian roots, she loves to cook. She can whip up gnocchi from scratch, she frequently creates her own recipes and she makes a mean dessert. She's what you call a triple threat, but much sweeter. 

When we lived together, my bedroom was on the top floor of our apartment. Even from my perch, I could smell the savory scents coming from the kitchen. After college, Sara married George, and I'm pretty sure he's the luckiest man on the planet. If I had her cooking every night, I might never leave the dinner table and I would surely love her forever (and ever, amen).

Image courtesy of pidgespantry.com

Though we lost touch after college, I'd like to think that our interest in food and nutrition brought us together. I recently discovered that Sara has an awesome blog called Pidge's Pantry where she shares her original recipes. Last year, Sara was told by her doctor that she needed to change her diet because her current way of eating was causing some health problems. At first, this sounded daunting, but being the amazing cook that she is, Sara quickly adapted and now uses her blog as a platform to promote her recipes, which are all 100% whole wheat and low/no sugar. 

Tomorrow, Sara is going to share her story and her blog with you! Make sure you come hungry! It's guaranteed to satisfy!

Advice From The Experts: Telling It Like It Is!

Image courtesy of flywheelsports.com

If you can't tell from the picture, this guy is serious. Grant Belton is one of those people who gets down to business and doesn't let much else get in the way of the end goal. I used to take his early morning cycling class at Flywheel Sports on the Upper East Side and by the time I walked out the door at 7 am, I felt more accomplished than I did on most days... combined. 

Grant's class is intense. He pushes you hard. But the sneaky thing about him is that he does it with such calm. He doesn't raise his voice at you. He barely inflects, to be honest. He embodies 'calm, cool and collected', and something about this low-key persona gives you that extra bit of motivation to push yourself harder than you ever have before.

That's right, he doesn't yell. He doesn't scream at you to work harder. He just quietly expects you to... and you DO.

Grant will be joining us tomorrow to offer some advice regarding diet, fitness and keeping the weight off. Grant is a longtime instructor at Flywheel Sports in New York and is also a certified personal trainer, specializing in Olympic lifting, endurance training and nutrition. After years of pushing his body to the limit, Grant has learned a thing or two that he'd like to share with you.

So stay tuned... tomorrow is bound to be intense, yet somehow relaxed. Something only Grant Belton can pull off.

Advice From The Experts: Mixing Up Your Workout

I'll be honest. One of the things I really need to work on is variety in my workouts. I'm a runner and a biker...that's about it, minus the occasional yoga pose. I used to consider myself a swimmer, but you try finding an inexpensive pool to join in NYC. Hard, right?

A few years ago (in an effort to cross-train), I started experimenting with yoga... on YouTube nonetheless. I wanted to see what it was all about before making the big leap and going to an ACTUAL class. I was amazed at how quickly my body transformed. I always thought that yoga wasn't a real workout. Boy, was I wrong! The changes in my body were almost immediate and my body felt better and better as I continued to do it.

Tomorrow, I've asked Dani Pallo to contribute because she has a lot to say about yoga. In addition to being a cycling instructor at Flywheel Sports Atlanta (alongside regular contributor, David Prado), Dani is a self-professed yoga junkie. She's a big believer in what it can do for you physically and mentally. Tomorrow, she'll explain to all you naysayers out there why yoga is to be taken seriously and why you should work it into your exercise regimen.

So grab a mat, take a deep breath and get ready for tomorrow's article. You don't want to miss it!

Advice from the Experts: Eating Good in the 'Hood

Arionna (bottom left) managing to make this shaky pyramid look glamorous. How does she do it?

How does one find the words to introduce their very first friend in New York City? There's just so much to say. I met Arionna Shannon-DiPietro (yeah, that's a mouthful!), on the first day at my brand new job in the city. I was enamored by her sense of composure and confidence. She clearly knew what she was doing, maybe more so than our actual boss. She was raised in New York, and she had that NY attitude about her. Maybe 'street smart' would be the appropriate phrase here?

We still laugh about the fact that when we first met, we were polar opposites - very unlikely friends. I'm a chronic apologizer. Someone bumps into me, I apologize. I have no idea why I do this, I just do. But when Ari finds herself in a similar situation, she shoots the offender a look and if they're lucky, she holds her tongue. Our friendship works because when she offends, it feels very natural for me to apologize on her behalf. But on a serious note, she's taught me to stand up for myself, to be vocal about how I feel and to be a firecracker if I have to be - all good things when you live in the heart of New York City and deal with millions of people every single day.

Ari and I in Costa Rica 2010. She came so far to see me!

But beyond the social realm, Ari has taught me a lot about good food. Her family is originally from Sicily. Her grandmother 'Nonna' (who made everything by hand) taught her how to cook, but her skills in the kitchen just come naturally. Ari has the uncanny ability to stop by the farmer's market, pick up a few things on a whim and create a dish that will blow your mind. It's pretty hard to pass up a dinner invitation to her apartment.

I asked Ari to write for you tomorrow because she has a lot to say about food - more specifically, where it comes from. She's a big believer in eating local and supporting sustainable practices. She even has her own blog called Harlem Food Local about cooking and eating in uptown Manhattan. Tomorrow, she's going to give you the inside scoop on a very special place in New York... one of my most favorite places actually!

If you don't live in New York, this still applies to you! Instead of going to the Statue of Liberty or standing in line at the Empire State Building next time you visit, I highly suggest taking a detour and checking out the spot that Ari will reveal tomorrow!

You won't want to miss it!

Advice From The Experts: Showing The Body Who's Boss

Guess which one is Marni!

I haven't known Marni for very long, a little over a year to be exact, but what I do know about Marni Blake Rothman is that she's electric. When Marni walks into a room, it's quite obvious she's arrived. There's always a big smile on her face, a sparkle in her eye and maybe even arms outstretched to give you a hug - if you're lucky. She's a walking, talking ball of love and you can feel it almost immediately.

In my previous job, I managed an indoor-cycling studio for Flywheel Sports. Marni came to try it out last summer and soon became a regular at Flywheel, attending a few classes each week. She was very vocal about her love for class, and in no time at all, we considered her (and her mom Felicia) part of the FLY family.

Months later I discovered that Marni had been diagnosed with a serious disease, and to make matters worse, she was only 23 when she got the news. Just by looking at her, you'd never guess that she was dealing with something so huge, but in a note to one of the instructors, she shared how she had struggled with her health for quite some time. Marni shared how she had not been able to find a workout that worked for her, but now, thanks to Flywheel, she had found the one thing that allowed her to rise above her body. She felt empowered and she felt strong for the first time in years.

Tomorrow, I asked Marni to share her story so that others are aware of the disease (to be revealed tomorrow) and the initial symptoms. Marni's story is a hopeful one - proving that there is life after your body turns on you. Marni has succeeded in showing her body who's boss, and I'm so happy to have her contribute.

Keep an eye out for Marni's article tomorrow!

Advice From The Experts: The Road To Recovery

I have a real problem when it comes to wine and cheese. I can talk nutrition all day long, but when it comes to wine and cheese, all bets are off! Give me some! I like my wine red, white, rose... my cheese soft, hard, aged. It doesn't matter. I don't play favorites.

When I'm aching for these things, I call my friend Marissa Roy, mainly because she shares my appreciation for the finer things in life. I know she'll put down whatever she's doing in the name of wine and cheese (and some lively conversation).

In years past though, Marissa wouldn't be caught dead near these calorie-packed splurges. Marissa openly admits that she had a very unhealthy relationship with food, starting in college and continuing after graduation. When I first met her, Marissa was at a perfectly normal body weight; yet, she saw herself in a distorted way and began intensely restricting her diet because of it. Her negative body image eventually led to a major bout with depression, not uncommon to women with eating disorders and body image issues.

Tomorrow, Marissa will share her story. It's a story of reflection, healing and strength. Marissa did something very special after her recovery and I'm pretty sure the pictures will speak for themselves! You didn't hear it from me, but it has to do with bikes, wine and the Italian countryside!

If that isn't a winning combination, I don't know what is! Stay tuned for Marissa's article tomorrow!