You’re traveling to a new or familiar place, you see some white tents huddled together, there are people selling and buying some goods, you see lots of smiles, people chatting and engaged, and you get curious, you want to know what’s going on, to participate, to explore and tap into some of that energy. Welcome to the unique flavor of the Sag Harbor Farmer’s Market in the South Fork of Long Island.

The beauty of a great food market is not simply that there’s lots of variety, but that the food being sold is fresh and mostly local. It feels good when you hand over your cash to the vendor and you know its going back into the community. There’s a sense that you’re voting with your dollars in real time without having to wait for an election. The vote counts now, the impact of your decision is felt immediately as you transfer money from your hand over to the farmer. Your dollar carries weight, because you get to determine what type of world you want to support.

Local farmers markets are vital not just for the economy of the local community, but for the health of the individuals that reside there too. We’re not talking about just any market. No, we’re talking about the non-commercialized variety, the ones that are mostly run and operated by a group of small family farms. The ones that strive to use non-GMO seeds. The ones that try not to pollute the soil with pest/herbicides, or maltreat their animals by imprisoning them into tight cages or pumping them with growth hormones. No – we’re referring to the conscientious farmers that care about the full natural cycle of their food. The ones that understand that it’s not all about profit, but about the people they feed and the environment that lends them the resources to do so.

If you happen to be out this summer in the East End, try to stop by some of the several farmers markets that are sprouting everywhere, and vote with your dollar.  Sag Harbor Farmer’s Market.

– From the Desk of Ana Nieto

There’s nothing more satisfying than experiencing a long-time dream become a reality. Looking back you wonder how it happened, but deep inside you know how: you put your intention out there and the universe responded. That’s what this year has brought to me, a dream come true: my childhood desire to live closer to the ocean.

When looking at the water, apart from experiencing a sense of peacefulness, I stare in wonderment and disbelief, but it is real, and I am enjoying it!

Apart from my passion for exercise and food, I have always been in love with the outdoors: the water, the green fields, birds, and the extensive variety of wild animals; something I greatly missed while living in New York City and only got to enjoy a few long weekends during the year.

Now I look around and I feel I’m becoming part of it all. This feeling is particularly elevated while sailing; when I’m inside a boat in the middle of the bay propelled by the wind and the current – this is one of the most vivid moments of “being in the present”, completely in rhythm with nature’s pulse. Then my hightened awarenenss of the natural tapestry surrounding my existence subsides. The observer becomes the observed. Two become one.

And yes of course, once you’ve traded in one dream for reality, it is only a matter of time that the next one will follow, but let me enjoy the present for now, and allow my intentions to do its job.

A few years ago there were ads posted around the city teasing the mind with an image of the old-age conundrum of the fish inside the bowl, while posing a direct question: “What is the meaning of life? What are we doing here?”

I was in my late 20′s when I encountered the first of these ads, and with the recent divorce from my ex-husband, I felt my own life was taking on a totally different direction than I had anticipated years earlier. I could relate to the fish inside the bowl as my own life seemed to lack a strong purpose.

The need for some “guidance” and a platform for people to share these feelings of lack was definitely something I wanted. So I joined the School of Practical Philosophy and it served the purpose of bringing back some sense into my seemingly empty life. My Friday evenings shifted from the usual “happy hour” treatment with friends to a quest for peace taking place inside the walls of this gorgeous school in the heart of the Upper East Side.

I continued my courses at the school for a period of about 3 to 4 years. I enjoyed some of the moderators and group discussions more than others, but I always left each session with either a question or with some sense of getting closer – not only to my purpose in life, but to feeling much more in touch with my higher self or consciousness. It didn’t really matter that my feelings fluctuated between peaceful, relaxing or disruptive, the point was to begin the internal process of questioning.

My friends, clients and business colleagues that have tried the school based on my recommendation have reported similar self-affirming experiences as I have. You can get to that same place of spiritual awakening through many avenues, but this school is one I personally feel good recommending.

– From the Desk of Ana Nieto

It is always nerve racking and exhausting creating an event that you’ve never done before. This was the case of our last successful event, which was the projection of the movie, Food Inc., followed by a panel of experts in the field of holistic wellness. The participation of the attendees was really positive and inspirational; many of the audience members had something constructive to say, and the panelists offered a variety of options for dealing with the problems of our food system and our health as a result.

The networking aspect of the night took on it’s own life before and after the screening. Attendees seemed to immediately gravitate towards one another to share their stories and intimate experiences. The mingling was made much more interactive and fun thanks to some incredibly delicious food that was served by Gustorganics, a local restaurant located in Manhattan offering USDA certified organic food.

Unfortunately time did not permit us to keep on discussing several more topics brought up by the movie, even though it felt people were willing to stay longer.

Overall we were so pleased with the outcome that we are now planning not only the continuation of the event – an actual trip to a “real farm” – but also a second projection, this time we will showcase a new documentary called “Fresh” out in the East End of Long Island.

Our only complaint is that we wish more people that really need to hear this message would make it out to the screening, as these are the people that can truly benefit. However, as my friend Laurence said, “We can feel we are really changing the world one person at a time”.

– From the Desk of Ana Nieto

It’s a pretty amazing fact when a debate about food creates so much controversy. Even more amazing is when I can be there and vote for a winner.The debate created as much heat as a political event, in many ways (although the topic centered mainly around the use of the word “organic”) it was downright political, as food now can only be designated as organic by the federal government. One wonders why all of the basic adjectives for describing a food’s most intrinsic attributes have been hijacked by either corporations or the government. Even the word “natural” has all kinds of implications that in today’s modern world must be questioned.

So where does all of this, and the debate, leave the consumer? More confused perhaps. However, at least we’re having the debate, and asking the questions, and awakening to the fact that mother nature has even less control over the natural quality of the food she produces. Is it okay to know where it’s coming from? Which toxic chemicals were used to produce it? Which animal genes were spliced into an apple’s DNA?

But even the implications of Frankenstein science doesn’t hurl us down the rabbit hole as deep as all of the religious, cultural and ethnic fury over how and what we eat.

Nonetheless, aside from sitting through some of the yawn inspiring debaters which were all too scripted, I was largely pleased by the Shakespearean-like versatility in the roles of each player; from the argumentative, to the serious, the clown, and the ever present, “I know it all”.

In this case it was almost entirely clear from the beginning which debate team would reign supreme. Although, even ’till the end I was secretly hoping to be surprised, or should I say disappointed.

Click here and listen for yourself.
– From the Desk of Ana Nieto

Have you ever wondered why you feel more comfortable and relaxed in one space versus another? Sometimes we cannot even put it into words, it is not just the colors, the materials, the distribution of objects…it is much more than that, it is the energy flow in the space, that makes us feel at home.

Spaces are not only important at our place of work, but anywhere we frequently spend our time, especially those which you specifically seek out to feel better about yourself and care for your body, mind and spirit.  Regardless if the space is a Pilates studio or an acupuncturist center, ideally you’d like to have a positive exchange of energy during the present moment, leaving you in a better state physically or spiritually than how you entered it.

A safe and enlightened wellness studio combined with a knowledgeable practitioner is the best combination. Sometimes you can just close your eyes, let your body go, and feel like you are just walking on the beach!

– From the Desk of Ana Nieto

From the desk of Ana Nieto:
Not too long ago I struck up a conversation with one of my clients who expressed disappointment with her posture. I shared with her the problems I used to suffer in the past from scoliosis including back pain, misalignment, and a horrible state of self consciousness. I felt like a hump backed caveman.

But it was only after a few months of high intensity strength training that my pain disappeared forever. Soon after I noticed my chiropractor was a bit shocked to discover how the muscles on the right and left side of my body were almost equally balanced given my previous diagnosis. I had evolved back to a modern-day homo sapien.

I had also encountered a profound epiphany – if high intensity training works for me, then it’s probably working wonders for the rest of my clients too.

Not only should exercise feel good in the short term, but it should help reduce, and very often even eliminate pain for a long time. I frequently get clients who report experiencing terrible neck, shoulder or low back pains, which prompts me to ask the following questions:

• How do you sit at your work desk? Is the chair high enough? Do you feel that the position of your body is correct? Do you catch yourself hunching over your computer like a caveman?
• How comfortably do you sleep? Is the mattress surface soft or firm? Switching to a more firm mattress can greatly help reduce pain.

Next week I’ll be traveling to Spain and my mind’s already preparing a “comfort strategy” for my flight. Sitting inside a plane for 7 hours can really take a toll on anyone’s neck and back muscles, especially for those people who are not in optimal physical fitness. Paying attention to your posture in this setting is the key to walking out of a long flight pain free.

It’s important to recognize that fitness training doesn’t stop at the gym, but should be a continual process throughout your daily life. Form is everything, all the time. It doesn’t matter if you are at work, taking a walk, jogging, sitting, brushing your teeth, or taking out the trash…our body suffers with every bit of “misalignment” we put it through.

Evolution is an ongoing process that needs attention to keep it on the path to progress. Stay fit, stay in form, and say goodbye to that nagging caveman.

Is your fall schedule already in full swing? Are your kids – or you – back at school? Are you scrambling to complete end-of-year deadlines at work? Are you ready for the frenetic holiday season?

How on earth are you supposed to meet all your obligations and maintain a fitness regimen too?

High-intensity, low-speed strength training workouts (just once or twice a week) are the answer for you! Plus, you get the benefit of reshaping your body while maintaining a healthy fitness baseline. Now if you’d like to take it to the next level, it’s always a good idea to complement this routine with your other favorite types of exercises like yoga, Pilates, dancing, swimming or sports like tennis, squash or basketball.

Do you want to look terrific? A critical aspect to keep in mind is that strength training will not only tone your body, but it’s also a great step towards fortifying your muscles, joints and all structures around them so that they stay strong, healthy, and injury free. Use strength training as a preventative measure from musculo-skeletal problems that can occur in the future.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind:
1. Start with a few private sessions if your going to start yoga or Pilates. This is a great way to learn good form before engaging in group classes where otherwise the teacher may not be able to focus exclusively on you.

2. Start easy on yourself. Increase the effort you place doing these new techniques over time to avoid unnecessary body pains or stress.

3. Stop if it hurts. Exercise should feel good, not bad!  Recently, one of my new clients made this same comment, and I could not agree more.

There was a time when black was the only color I would wear. I was recently separated from my husband at the time and found myself single in the wild New York City landscape for the first time in my life. To top it off, I was just starting my own business….I was, to say the least, super stressed!

During this time I had just begun experimenting with healthy food concepts, dieting, and just about any trend having to do with making a 20-something, single NYC female look and feel good.

Soon enough, I discovered a new diet prescribed to me by a nutritionist (that I still admire and value to this day). But there was a problem. This particular formula limited my choices to only 3 different menus per week. It wasn’t long before the same routine week after week caused me to cave into utter boredom. I strongly desired to taste new ingredients! I missed that part of my lifestyle.

The formula was based on a calorie counting system. The perfectionist in me took full control until I became dangerously obsessed with counting calories in everything I ate. I would even document the calorie count of all my meals into a journal. Then, at the end of each day I would make sure that my intake was not any higher than 1600-1800 calories – which was the amount I was allowed at that time.

Most days I would finish at around 2000-2500. My fast metabolism and my exercising helped to hide my slightly above average weight. But I still felt bloated, heavy, tired during the day, and always hungry.

I realized then why Cortisol was the diet drug of choice. Even though I never condoned its use, I could certainly understand why people would pop a pill every now and then, if only for the temporary relief from that awful bloated feeling.

My maniacal obsession to count calories finally came to a halt after 1 year, when I had my first romantic fling since my separation. There’s nothing like a good old, Manhattan romance to turn your life upside down, inside out, and in every other direction – you get the picture. I let myself completely go – “just eat dammit” was my new beloved mantra. I felt alive again! Yes!

Then one fine summer day my romantic hero moved to another country and that bloated feeling came rushing back again. But then I discovered the miracle of juicing! Wow, it was like I’d discovered the fountain of youth, a virtual life-saver; that is of course, until I found myslef spiraling back into a diet-driven lifestyle…(continue)

Everyone who works out experiences a plateau at some point in their fitness routine. All of the sudden, we may stop losing weight…or we can’t seem to move any further along in our weightlifting levels.

Why do we plateau – especially when we have finally revved ourselves up into a strong regimen of healthy eating, consistent workouts, and awesome energy levels?

Does this sound like you? One day you wake up, look at yourself in the mirror, and see a different person.

What happened to my triceps? I hate myself for eating ice-cream last night. Why do I look so old? Who am I kidding?

But have we really changed? In some cases we truly have let our healthy routine “flat line,” but more often than not this feeling of deflation is mere perception, not reality. We all encounter these dips into depression, stress or doubt, because we feel we have to constantly improve and attain the next level of superiority. These doubtful feelings are absolutely natural

I believe that in life we have to sink down a bit to come up stronger. If the blueprint for health in your mind is written to overcome the set-backs, you’ll be okay.

Here are some tips:

• Before entirely giving up your exercise and nutrition routine due to a “crash,” give yourself a break: Step away for a couple of days to regroup, then come back one step at a time. Look in the mirror and say, “I will do this, it’s written into my new blueprint for health.”
• Change your routine. My suggestion is that you exercise a little more doing something different, eat something completely new and foreign to you. Look in the mirror and say, “Crashing is just a calling to try something different.”
• Obsessing on stress creates stagnation, not movement. You have to let go to achieve what you desire. Be clear in your goals, plan the necessary steps and take the actions you require and time will be your best friend.