Taliaferro Farms by Kali Ventresca

If you're looking to eat well and support local farms, Taliaferro Farms has a wide of range organic products (fruits and veggies, freshly baked artisan breads, meat and dairy product, local honey and maple syrup!), and it is located just a short distance from Main St. New Paltz! The lovely little farm is now open Thursday, Friday and Saturday to the public.

From Main St., Taliaferro is only a twenty minute ride South, making biking a great way to exercise on your way! You can take the Rail Trail or Water St. to Plains Rd. See map here.

On my trip to Taliaferro last Saturday I bought a bundle of fresh basil, a loaf of their multi-grain health bread, 4 lbs. of red and yellow heirloom tomatoes and a 1 lb. jar of local honey, all for just 22 dollars! Although it may seem slightly more expensive than buying groceries at a supermarket, the quality of the items you will buy at Taliaferro Farms is well worth it!

REMEMBER! The food market listens to the consumer. If you (and your friends) buy mostly organic and local, large farms that use pesticides, antibiotics and excessive amounts of energy will eventually transform into smaller, healthier and more sustainable farms!

Curious about the benefits of eating organic?.Check out these 10 reasons why to support organic.

Curious about the benefits of buying local? Check out this article.

That's all for now, take care!

Kali

Athletic & Wellness Facebook Page

Check out SUNY New Paltz's Athletic & Wellness Center's Facebook page! Their page outlines and continues to update the activities offered by the Athletic & Wellness Center. Becoming involved is a great way to meet new people and try new things. Check it out, become a fan and get active!

       Hey lovers and friends! I’m wondering how your first couple of weeks of school are going. For all of you who aren’t on SUNY Campus, I hope you’re enjoying this absolutely beautiful weather! It’s a great time to go for a long bike ride!

       Here’s something really exciting for students here at New Paltz. I had the pleasure of meeting Evelyn H. Gezo, SUNY New Paltz’s campus dietitian and certified nutritionist, last week so she and I could talk about some healthy options offered around our campus.  She was kind enough to compose this simple yet helpful guide to avoiding the dreadful ‘freshman fifteen’ weight gain.  Whether you are a student or not these helpful tools could pave the way toward a healthier and happier well-being. Making one simple change in your life, for example not eating an unhealthy snack before bed or drinking more water throughout your day, could significantly change your well-being. With that said, please read this wonderful piece Evelyn wrote. Remember, each person is different. If you don’t exactly know what a ‘healthy choice’ may be or what your individual body needs, don’t be afraid to email Evelyn with questions. Evelyn is kind, enthusiastic and incredibly easy to talk to. I’m sure she would help answer some of your questions so you can start moving in the right direction. If you find delicious and healthy food choices around town as well, please attach it below the article. The more the better! 

Healthful Eating Tips on SUNY Campus

College students often complain that they have gained the “Freshman Fifteen” and have few healthful choices on campus.  Studies show that this gain in weight is actually about an average of seven pounds during the first semester on campus.  Many factors may contribute to this change in weight, which include a decrease in physical activity, poor sleep habits, late-night snack deliveries, stress, endless food choices, and alcohol consumption.   

But students have a lot of healthy options!  Here are some tips:

• Keep some breakfast and snack options in your room such as cereal, fruit, whole wheat mini bagels, whole wheat crackers,nut butters, low fat yogurt and cheese.

• Avoid the temptation to eat that extra meal like pizza and other late night deliveries while studying, instead opt for low fat microwave popcorn, baked pretzels, dried fruit and nuts.  

• Stay hydrated and keep water in your backpack and limit alcohol intake.

• Check out the simple choice options at Hasbrouck Dining Hall --- plain baked chicken, baked potatoes and plain fish at lunch and dinner

• Try some brown rice and steamed broccoli from the Vegan Bar

• Hasbrouck Dining Hall offers local produce, cage free eggs, organic teas and coffees

• Fresh fruit 24/7 in every color of the rainbow…take some back to your room!

• Visit the salad bar that is stocked with beautiful vegetables, low fat cottage cheese and yogurt, nuts, raisins, beans and greens.

• Select a healthy cereal choice like Rice Chex or Cheerios and top with fat free Milk. (Hasbrouck also offers Soy milk! (added by Cat :) )

• Move that body …don’t be a “Dorm Mat”.

*REMEMBER - the responsibility for eating healthfully begins with the individual! Make your choice…balance is the key.

  

                       Healthy regards,   Evelyn

             

Evelyn H. Gezo, MS,RD,CDNCAS

Campus Registered Dietitian/NYS Certified Nutritionist

Tasty Vegan Food? Yeah right!

       One fine Sunday morning, while working behind the counter at one of my many jobs, I was asked, “…could you put skim milk in my coffee.” I kindly complied, reached down,opened our small refrigerator only to find we were completely out. I assumed that the customer was asking for skim milk because it is low in fat and considering we were out of skim, I suggested Soy milk. Following my suggestion, I explained that because soy is composed of vegetable fat, rather than animal fat our bodies are able to digest and process the fat much easier making it a healthier choice than say 2% or whole milk. After my all too thoughtful explanation, he responded by calling me a hippie. “Soy milk’s for hippies”, he said. No, my feelings were not hurt. I’m a vegetarian, loud and proud. And I’m also so used to the “…but what do you eat!”, “….but your body needs protein!” comments (as if meat is the only source of protein in the entire world). 

       So, for all you non-dairy, non-meat product haters out there, open your minds. No one, not even me, is allowed to say they dislike something until they’ve actually tried it. Plus, I bet that if you went to Stop & Shop and bought a carton of Soymilk (which at its cheapest, that I know of, is only $2.79) you would enjoy it MORE than milk. I said it! I even had my boyfriend (a non-vegetarian eater) admit that he wrote Soymilk off until he finally tried it. Now he likes it better. As he describes it, “…it tastes like a milk shake.” (Plus, it lasts longer then cow’s milk: more bang for your buck). Oh, and for those of you who are saying “…but my mom says I need milk for a balanced diet!” here's a link comparing the nutritional facts of soy to cow’s milk.

       ANYWAY, I could go on and on. The point is I read this really inspiring article in the NY Times that I’d love to share with everyone about delicious vegan cupcakes! And how a daring chef named Chloe Coscarelli helped promote ‘the virtues of vegan food’ by creating and submitting absolutely delectable vegan cupcakes into the Food Network’s new show “Cup Cake Wars”. It's a fun, easy and informative read.

       I’d also love, love, love to hear your thoughts. So please, take the time and comment. Share a vegan product that you’ve tried and that you love for all our vegetarian readers. Or take the time today to try something that you have never tried before.

Check out the O+Festival, October 8,9 & 10!

Check out this incredible event coming up this October! It's called O+Festival. This project is to stimulate an exchange of 'medicine' between artists and healthcare professionals in the Kingston area. As one of the coordinators, Denise Orzo, describes it, "…It's part art and music celebration, part urban renewal, part taking care of one another, part social activism."      
    
        Here's the scoop.  Healthcare professionals around the Kingston area have provided healthcare service for the uninsured 'creative' class. In return, artists from around the area are creating large format paste ups inspired by the human body, anatomy, wellness etc. The works will be displayed in designated areas, donated for this cause, in Uptown Kingston. The participating artists will receive healthcare, as well as have their work documented in situ and published in a post-festival catalogue. I apologize for such short notice. If you are interested in participating the deadline for submissions is September 10th. 

        At O+Festival (October 8, 9 & 10) great bands will perform, short films will be shown and a 7 hour long endurance performance by Linda Montano will be performed. Admittance is a suggested donation of only 25$ for three days!  If any of you are interested in volunteering at the festival you will receive a free 3 day admittance! 

*For further information, click here for the O+Festival's official website. 

Incorporating Exercise into Your Busy Day

"…But I'm taking five classes, working two jobs this semester and I've got to wash my dishes!" 

             Incorporating exercise into your daily routine can seem intimidating or way too time consuming. But just as kicking back to have a glass of wine at the end of your day is important to you so should be taking care of your body and mind. Plus, involving just a bit more physical activity can go a long way when it comes to handling stress or juggling all of these responsibilities that you have to take care of. Stop with the excuses! You can always make time to be active. Remember, your well-being comes first. 

Here are five simple ways to integrate a bit more activity into your busy day without going to the gym: 

Ditch the ride. If you live close enough to class or work, give yourself enough time in the morning so you can walk to your destination. This walk will wake you up and prepare you for your busy day. Plus, it will provide some time for you to think. Listen to the world, recite a positive mantra, breath deeply.  If you do not live close enough to walk, then park further away so you are forced to walk a bit more. Pick it up, turn it into a brisk walk. Get that body moving! 

Step it up! Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Even better, run up the stairs or skip a step and tackle every other stair. This will get your heart beat going. Even if it is just for a couple of seconds, every moment counts. 

Take a break. During your breaks from work, class or study sessions, take a short walk. Forget the the cigarette and do something productive like walking around the building or up a stair case. This will re-focus the mind so you are ready to get back to work. 

But I have this entire house to clean! Try integrating some exercises into your daily chores. Stop taking yourself too seriously! Put some music on while you sweep or vacuum and dance around the house.Take short breaks between dishes and do some jumping jacks.  Try doing sits up while you wait for the water to boil; do some squats while you stir that pasta. 

Being active while sitting. Try some isometric exercises while you sit at your desk or while you wait on line for another coffee. Isometric workouts help tone certain muscles groups. All you have to do is tighten an area of the body (butt, legs, stomach etc) for ten to thirty seconds and then release. Remember, DO NOT hold your breath. It is harmful for proper circulation. 

For all you SUNY New Paltz students out there looking for fun ways to up your activity, below I've attached some really great activities provided by our Athletic and Wellness Center. Get together with some friends and try out some of the Group Fitness Classes that the gym offers. Also, all semester the gym offers really cheap outdoor pursuits including horse back riding, rock climbing and flying trapeze trips. It is a great way to get active and meet new people. 

P.S. I teach the Boot Camp class on Fridays at 3:30! Since it is the beginning of the semester and we all have been relaxing on the beach all summer, the class starts off with a moderate exercise routine so we can make a slow progression to a higher intensity workout as the semester unfolds. Please come, it's a lot of fun and it's always nice to see new faces. :) 

Athletic and Wellness Group Fitness Classes

Athletic and Wellness Outdoor Pursuits