By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., Best Life lead nutritionist
Ever notice how hard it is to find a whole grain in a restaurant? That’s why I was surprised—and thrilled—to see “Toasted Farro” on the menu of Washington D.C.’s highly acclaimed Blue Duck Tavern. Farro is an ancient form of wheat grown in the Middle East and Italy; it’s a wild ancestor to the cultivated wheat we use now.
I loved the dish—it was both chewy and hearty. The mild-tasting grain was infused with flavors of lemon and herbs. I managed to wrangle the recipe, below, from Chef Sebastien Archambault. A stickler for using fresh, local ingredients, Archambault grew up in France and Texas and has worked with world-famous chefs such as Alain Ducasse. I guess that unusual upbringing is what it takes to put whole grains on the menu! (more…)
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so what better time than now to become more aware of how you can give yourself the best chance of not coming down the deadly disease.
While genetics may come into play, there are certain lifestyle changes that can be made to minimize your breast cancer risk. One such lifestyle choice is exercise.
According to new research, postmenopausal African-American women who exercise vigorously for more than two hours a week can reduce their breast cancer risk by 64 percent as compared to sedentary women. (more…)
UPDATE: Congratulations to the 646 students who accompanied the Washington Redskins Quarterback, Donovan McNabb, and his teammates yesterday. They successfully set the Guinness World Record for Largest Virtual Exercise Class. Hopefully this accomplishment will inspire others across the country to rise up with the Play 60 Challenge!
On Tuesday, September 21st, The Guinness World Record for Largest Virtual Exercise Lesson will be pursued by the Washington Redskins’ Quarterback, Donovan McNabb. The event will take place at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C.
McNabb, who was recently named Health Ambassador for the Redskins, is asking fellow Redskins and 1,000 local students to join him in a 30 minute exercise lesson. To set the world record, the event must includeat least 605 participants and last thirty minutes or longer. The attempt will be observed by an Official Guinness World Record Adjudicator, Mike Janela. If all standards are rigorously met, Janela will declare The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation as record holders and present them with an official certificate; a feat not easily met. (more…)
Washington D.C., the capitol of the United States, was founded in July of 1790. It has a population of nearly 600,000 people and is bordered by both Virginia and Maryland. The D.C. metropolitan population is just over 5.4 million people, making it the eighth largest in the nation. The average yearly temperature is around fifty-eight degrees with close to forty inches of precipitation. The D.C. atmosphere is booming with tradition and is health-conscious as well. Check out the best gyms in Washington D.C. below!
Best Gyms In Washington D.C.:
Washington Sports Clubs: With over ten facilities in and around the D.C. area, you have no excuse not to exercise today. The WSC is a phenomenal club and has reasonable membership rates as well; thirty dollars for thirty days. Hurry in before the promotion ends!! (more…)
Fast food restaurants have taken it on the chin for years from health experts- and for good reason, of course. We all know by now that it’s not good for our health to dine at the drive-thru more than the rare occasion. But, that’s not enough for one non-profit physicians group in Washington, D.C.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has produced an ad campaign that doesn’t mince words. Is it a little extreme? Maybe. If nothing else, it’s meant to shake viewers a little.
The ad shows a corpse laid out in the morgue clutching a half-eaten hamburger. The man’s wife (presumably) is at his side weeping over his cold body. The ad closes with the famous McDonald’s golden arches tracing over the dead man’s feet, with the twist on their slogan “I was lovin’ it.” (VIDEO BELOW) (more…)
A lot of cool things happened this week on The Biggest Loser. Most importantly, Black vs. Blue is over and the contestants are into individuals. This is a huge milestone on the Biggest Loser journey and the contestants should be extremely proud to have made it this far.
The second cool thing this week was that the contestants traveled to Washington, D.C. for the week.
Washington, D.C. may be more famous for political gridlock, but apparently the capitol city knows how to get one thing done correctly – fitness.
The second annual list of America’s fittest cities published by the WellPoint Foundation has been released, and Washington, D.C. has landed itself in the top spot. It made its way up from fourth place in 2024.
The WellPoint Foundation collected data from the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. There is only one other year to compare the statistics, but what the second year allows the researchers is to evaluate the progress or regression of the areas examined. (more…)
The capital of the United States, Washington D.C., is known for its history and humid subtropical weather. It definitely has four distinct seasons, thus making it a great location for running. Although D.C. is mostly flat, it offers several great places to run, walk, or bike. Below are the best and safest places to run in the Washington D.C. area.
Best Places to Run in Washington D.C.
Rock Creek Park: Extends about 12 miles from the Potomac River to the border of Maryland. This urban park offers over 25 miles of trails and is a great place to enjoy the day. Either jog it or take the family out for a picnic. Safety is not an issue due to the fact that a park ranger is on staff. (more…)
People choose their hometowns for many reasons such as job requirements, family and friends and weather, but have you considered choosing a city because it is a healthy place to live and can help you meet your fitness goals? The American Fitness index recently released a listing of America’s Fittest Cities; 45 metropolitan areas were accessed on 30 scales including causes of death, diet of residents, mental health, physician availability, and percentage of the population that walk or bike to work. Forbes was surprised that Washington D.C. was ranked as America’s fittest metropolitan area, beating out Denver, Seattle, and San Diego.
America’s Top 10 Fittest Cities:
1. Washington DC
2. Minneapolis (more…)
I’m an adventurous eater. That is, I love experiencing foods from other cultures. It’s one of the things I miss about the Washington DC area. Strip malls aren’t just for Applebee’s. You have the choice of Indian, Afghani, Greek, Japanese… you name it. Then downtown you can go to an Ethiopian restaurant or Chinatown. But, I’m not adventurous in the Fear Factor sorta way. And I’m certainly not the type of person who thought that what the world needed was a cheeseburger in a can.
If this interesting new treat isn’t within your diet- give this low-carb Southwestern Hamburger a try.
As the mayor of one of the country’s fattest cities, Mick Cornett is not taking this one sitting down. He appeared on Ellen’s show last week where he introduced the country to Oklahoma City’s million pound weight loss initiative- This City is Going On A Diet. They built a Web site of the same name where Oklahoma City citizens can create a free account, track their weight and find valuable resources to help them in their effort.
There is a generous list of weight loss programs, local trainers and nutritionists and other advice about eating right and staying active. Mayor Cornett explains that without the program and the site “We’d be doing a disservice to our citizenry by pretending the obesity epidemic is going away on its own. We have to change what we expect. This is something that we as a community can take on and turn around.”
Since launching This City is Going on a Diet January 1, Oklahoma City has lost more than 13,000 pounds. The goal is for the city to lose a million pounds- and unlike the Just Lose It Meridian campaign in Meridian, MS championed by fellow mayor John Robert Smith, Oklahoma City doesn’t have a deadline. “There’s no time limit on the program. As long as it’s working and successful- there’s no reason to stop it,” explains Mick.
In addition to putting the resources together to create this weight loss program, Oklahoma City also has 300 miles of new sidewalks planned and putting in nearly 50 new elementary gymnasiums. “We have to turn the culture to a community that places a high priority on healthcare, values young people and is more pedestrian friendly,” says Mick. What does Oklahoma City gain in return? The Mayor says “We gain a more energetic workforce and citizenry.”
While Oklahoma City tops the country in the most fast food restaurants per capita in the U.S. (a fact the Mayor places on being an auto-based community and the low price of land making it easy for companies to support their business model), it has no plans to put a moratorium on the opening of these restaurants.
The Mayor was headed out yesterday to Washington D.C. for the bi-annual Conference of Mayors. While the agenda is set in advance and no discussion about Oklahoma City’s or Meridian’s weight loss initiatives are slated, he imagines he’ll have an opportunity to share thoughts with Mayor John Robert Smith among others to compare notes and possibly encourage others to follow suit.
The Mayor seems to be traveling a lot- as he’s just back from his visit to Ellen in L.A. Of his visit with Ellen? “It was a lot of fun. I was so impressed by her talent.” He thought that compared to her, and what her audience is used to, he thought his topic was a little mundane. But apparently Ellen helped spread the word because OKC’s This City is Going on a Diet had 2,000 sign-ups that day alone.
As per usual with Ellen’s guests, everyone was anticipating a dance from Mayor Cornett. He got off easy since the host was sick that day, but he says “I was prepared if necessary, but not disappointed about not dancing.”
Thanks Mayor for visiting with us today- and good luck to Oklahoma City on shedding those pounds!
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