Health and Wellness with our Sponsors

By Steve Lesnick

You’re planning a big event, a special day that will be remembered for years to come.

But, there’s no way around it: You are about to spend some serious cash!

So what about photography? There are lots of options. You can have your friends use their phones. You can ask Uncle Joe since he has a digital camera. You can get the cheapest guy you can find. You can fly in the fabulous photographer from London. Or, you can hire the well-rounded, versatile photographer.  Overwhelming, I know.

To make this decision, you have to ask yourself two questions:

1) What do I want to have five years from now to remember this event? (An album, framed pictures, photos on the computer, all of the above?)

2) How important is it to me?

Photographers come in all shapes and sizes, with different levels of talent and expertise. There’s the brand new photographer with a high-end digital camera, the event photographer who only shoots events and nothing else, and the well-rounded photographer who has a lot of experience in many things photographically.  The challenge is to pick the one that has enough skills to match your needs and level of expectations, and is still able work within your budget.

The important thing is to make sure your photographer understands your needs and is open and honest with what he/she is going to give you. It’s really a question of who you’re comfortable with, who is going to blend in with everyone at your event, and who will fulfill your needs.

Steve Lesnick is currently a NYC 
advertising photographer with over 20 years of experience. Due to his love of all things that are happy, he has expanded into event photography. He lives in Westchester with his wife and two 
teenage daughters.

By Derek Alberto

If I had a dollar for every time I heard the excuse, “I don’t have time to exercise,” I would certainly have a lot more money than I do now.  We all lead busy lives.  We all have 24 hour days.  People who exercise don’t necessarily have more time than others, they’ve just determined that what they’re getting out of exercise is worth more than whatever else they could do during that time (sleeping, grabbing drinks with friends, watching TV).

Making time for exercise, even if it’s just 10 or 20 minutes at a time, is your first step to making it a permanent part of your life.  If you want to accommodate exercise into your busy schedule, you must make it a priority!  One of the biggest mistakes many people make is allowing their scheduled workout to be bumped off of their schedule too easily. Don’t know where to begin?  No problem! Give Prescriptions for Fitness a call at 914 238-0500, and I will be happy to put together a personalized fitness program tailored to your needs and goals.

For those short workouts, try interval training.  When it comes to burning fat, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the most effective ways to do so.  HIIT involves intervals of exercise followed by intervals of low intensity exercise or complete rest. Numerous studies have found that those who performed HIIT burned significantly more body fat–and in less time–than those who did steady-state cardio programs.

Interval periods can be conveniently timed using various smartphone apps, an inexpensive interval timer, or stop watch.  Experiment with interval durations.  Examples of interval periods are: 20 seconds exercise/10 seconds rest, 30 seconds exercise/15 seconds rest, 60 seconds exercise/60 seconds rest, etc.

The major reason HIIT works so well for dropping body fat is due to the greater calorie burn (or EPOC–excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) that’s maintained after the workout is over. In other words, you burn more calories and more body fat while you’re sitting around doing nothing. The body generally takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours to fully recover to a resting state. As exercise intensity increases, the magnitude and duration of EPOC increase.

Still don’t think you have time to exercise? Perhaps then it’s time to look at your priorities and responsibilities. Of course we all have obligations to others, but don’t forget about the obligation you have to yourself to take care of your body and your health!

Remember, exercise gives you energy and keeps you healthy to keep going in that busy life of yours!  So don’t think of exercise as another to-do to squeeze in on your already busy schedule. Instead, think of it as maintenance for your health and a way to de-stress and do something for you! Don’t forget to visit us on the web at prescriptionsforfitness.net and “Like” us on Facebook.

Derek Alberto, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, Health Education M.S.Ed., has been training men, women, and children of all ages and abilities for over three years at Prescriptions for Fitness.

When we think of Crabtree’s, we see elegance in a historic gem of a restaurant right in our own backyard! Crabtree’s Kittle House dates back to the 1790s and remains a lovely restaurant and inn today. It’s the perfect setting for Mother’s Day brunch and is well known for its exceptional cuisine and renowned wine selection. In addition, they have 12 overnight guest rooms. Executive Chef Jay Lippin will amaze you with his creativity and spot-on use of local ingredients such as Crown Maple Syrup, Coach Farms Hudson Valley Goat Cheese, Long Island Seafood and Hudson Valley Chicken. Enjoy an exceptional brunch buffet with breakfast entrées including Hickory Smoked Bacon and Belgian Waffles, a selection of artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, house-smoked king salmon and rainbow trout, organic chicken Provençale, and decadent desserts!  Brunch: 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Come hungry!
914 666-8044

By Carine Feist, M.P.H., Photo by Mike Feist

KittleHouse.com

Haymount House in Briarcliff is a wonderful place for a delicious Mother’s Day brunch with a view of the Hudson River.  A meal at Haymount is a celebration, from the elegantly appointed dining room to the blending of local Farm to Table ingredients. Their brunch menu features exquisite choices that are sure to please including satisfying and deliciously crisp buttermilk Belgian waffles, poached local blue hen eggs served with mushrooms and creamy polenta, a grass-fed Angus burger oozing with Vermont cheddar and locally smoked salmon eggs benedict with roasted fingerling potatoes. Well as you can imagine, the Eggs Benedict is calling my name! The pre-fixe brunch menu includes a complimentary Mimosa or Bloody Mary, an appetizer–a fresh seasonal strawberry salad is pictured here–and a delicious entrée. Haymount House, a beautifully restored century-old mansion with breathtaking river views, will be a perfect locale for your family Mother’s Day celebration. And don’t forget the specialty desserts–a perfect ending to a perfect day!
914 502-0080

By Carine Feist, M.P.H., Photo by Mike Feist

HaymountHouseNY.com