Before nutrition, there was exercise. Challenging my body to stay fit has appealed to me as far back as I can remember. There was rarely a long span of time (2 weeks at most) that would pass by without the eventual rise in my desire to get physically active. Then afterwards, as it still occurs today, I could bask in the immediate gratification that came from feeling strong and looking great.

Nutrition however, was another matter altogether. It never quite had that impacting effect like exercise did, it was elusive. And by “nutrition”, I mean the real stuff – not the trendy diet variety or the once-in-a-while type, I mean the absolutely, low-down, forever-life-changing kind of nutrition. My familiarization with it was a gradual evolution that took many years and still continues with ongoing education and practice.

One of my mentors in the world of nutrition is the gracious Laurence Martinaud. A graduate of the school of the NY Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and a practicing Reiki therapist, she has been one of the educators in my recent past that has made me more aware of the value of food and its benefits towards a balanced life.

Laurence and I have created a perfect marriage between exercise and nutrition by taking advantage of the value that each can give to one another. She has come a long way to making her passion for helping others live healthier and happier a dream come true.

For the past year, I’ve referred Laurence to several of my clients and the feedback has been nothing less than fantastic. The best comment I received about her is that she is flexible and easy to talk to, that she doesn’t adopt to the square approach to nutrition, but rather works within the realms of each individuals likes and dislikes.

So, I’m very proud to kick-off the new year by announcing Laurence Martinaud as this week’s Turtle Shell Health featured practitioner. She is offering a 15% discount to all TSH members including a free consultation.

Plus, enjoy the wonderful menus that Laurence has prepared for us for the winter season and we are already in the works of a spring menu just for you!

Laurence can help you connect the dots between how you eat and how you feel. Whether you want to lose weight, gain more energy, explore possible food allergies, fight diabetes, cancer or other ailments, or simply desire to learn how to eat better, she is the perfect resource for you. I encourage you to schedule a free consultation with her today at www.laurencemartinaud.com

– Ana Nieto, founder of Turtle Shell Health

It’s Never Too Late To Start Feeling Good:
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how to feel good, or perhaps better stated – how to allow yourself to feel good. When the pressures of the Holidays are compounded with deadlines for work and the uncertainties brought on by a fragile economy, many of us tend to hide away deeper into the abyss of anxiety. We will often put aside the little pleasures in life for lack of confidence.

However, we must remember that we are not alone in this world, and there are many others just like you who are experiencing the same feelings of doubt and apprehension.

Practitioners in the preventive health industry understand these emotions better than most people, as they’re constantly involved in researching and studying the holistic methods that help individuals to alleviate the stress and pains of their emotions and bodies.

Many practitioners are involved in a specialized field because they too have suffered and fought through their own afflictions, which later gave way to a solution for others. We (I include myself) truly believe that a person cannot be split into parts in order to solve a problem. Unlike the modern-day (or conventional) practice of medicine, we like to get to know a person and to appreciate them beyond their medical history or their current ailment.

That’s why I want to introduce you to Roberta Mittman. She’s not only a client of mine, but also a beautiful person who I really admire and look up to as a mentor and an inspiration. She has not only helped me overcome some of my own issues with pain, but has helped countless others. Simply put, she is somebody that cares.

So I invite you to take advantage of Roberta Mittman’s exclusive discount offer to TSH members: a 10% discount to her services + a one-time, free, personalized homeopathic for their first office visit.

Roberta is a dedicated alternative health care practitioner and licensed acupuncturist. She serves her local community of New York City, as well as those who connect with her virtually, to improve their health. Roberta specializes in helping people with Pain using Traditional and Trigger Point Acupuncture, Allergies & Sensitivities, Stress using NET (Neuroemotional Technique), Smoking Cessation, and Weight Management using Acupuncture, Electrodermal Screening, Enzyme Therapy, and Nutritional Guidance.

– Ana Nieto, founder of Turtle Shell Health

Last Friday I had the pleasure to attend the grand opening of Howard Schissler’s new Pilates studio, One Body Pilates. The space was vibrant with people enjoying the ambiance and congratulating both Howard and his partner Eddie, on joining the art of Pilates and the science of Chiropractic under one roof.

The brand new machines and tables will make you come back to this space for a regular workout routine. Howard is not only an expert Pilates instructor, but an excellent networker, and someone who makes you feel at home. The venue’s use of colors, design and open space makes one feel as though they walked into an oasis, allowing you to temporarily forget that you’re in NYC.

If you’d like to meet Howard and chat with him about the long-term health benefits of a Pilates program, then I urge you to stop by our upcoming Feel Good Health Fair on February 10th.

Howard’s philosophy is simple, “I truly believe that Pilates can change the way you move and even how you feel….It has the power to change the way you relate to your body, which infiltrates the way you do everything else, even something as simple as walking. But this is only one aspect of Pilates, which is really a journey with endless benefits.”

Howard offers TSH members an exclusive 1 time, introductory package of 4 private sessions for only $395 – normally $500 (MEMBERSHIP IS FREE UNIL MARCH 31!)

– Ana Nieto, founder of Turtle Shell Health

“Where can I eat that’s healthy?” This is the question I often get from my clients. To which I respond, “Your home.”

“That’s funny, but what about when I’m at work, there’s no time to go home,” is usually the standard type of rebuttal I get.

So I challenge back, “Pack it up before you leave for work.”

“No can do, I’m exhausted when I come home, I usually don’t have food to pack for lunch either,” they counter.

“Hmmm, so we have two problems here: one is the lack of time and the other is the lack of healthy, grab-food-on-the-go food choices, right?” I say playing to their sympathies.

“Yes! What do you have for me?”

Good question. I know this dilemma all too well. I’ve been lost many times wandering the streets of Manhattan or the Internet searching for food that is relatively inexpensive, somewhat fast, and minimally processed. I’m well aware that we’re too busy making a living, so food tends to end up as a mere after thought to our daily job tasks…a pathetic, last minute, desperate attempt to temporarily silence the pangs of hunger.
Unfortunately, the food choices made in these pressing times can be detrimental to our health. Micky D’s anyone?

But alas, there’s a jewel of hope found inside the pages of a little book titled “Clean Plates NYC”, which has very dutifully taken away the homework out of finding a healthy eatery in Manhattan so you can enjoy a nutritious meal asap.

So, this week I have the pleasure to introduce the Author and Holistic Nutritional Counselor himself – Jared Koch.

I met him at my first health fair last year and was instantly drawn to the book’s title and compactness – a simple, yet powerful guide you can drop into your purse (or murse) that quickly navigates your eyes to all of the nutritious local eateries.

Since then, Jared and I have been collaborating in different projects. His vast knowledge about nutrition combined with a passion for food has driven him to research over 300 restaurants in NYC. Along with co-author Alex Van Buren, a former staff writer and restaurant reviewer for Time Out New York, Clean Plates NYC is your answer to those nagging, everyday questions about where to grab food that is healthy, delicious, and just around the corner. Ah! and very important, you don’t have to be a vegetarian to eat healthy!

Clean Plates NYC offers TSH members free sign up a 20% discount ($11, regular price is $13.95) with special code + free shipping for the hard copy version.

– Ana Nieto, founder of Turtle Shell Health

PAIN IS INEVITABLE, it comes in all different shapes and sizes, physical and emotional, it’s a constant force in life that must be dealt with. How we deal with distress or pain is the pivotal factor that determines our level of fulfillment and happiness in our lives.

But, how much of our pain is merely fabricated by the mind? The reason behind this question is not to mock an individual’s real suffering caused by a devastating accident or disease, but rather, it is to look at the peripheral symptoms conjured up by a mind that is in turmoil over a particular ailment. Do we allow it to create more pain or more fulfillment?

In my experience, I have come to understand pain as a catalyst for two kinds of outcomes. The first is stagnation, and the second is inspiration. Robert Pirsig, in “The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, believes that stagnation or as he calls it, “stuckness”, is what often drives us to inspiration. He says that, “The solution to the problem often at first seems unimportant or undesirable, but the state of stuckness allows it, in time, to assume its true importance.”

In other words, being stuck is part of the natural process of seeing the potential for other possibilities. This past week, I had the wonderful opportunity of discovering the benefits of a Kinetic Massage. This is an extraordinary body rub-down that blends both Eastern and Western techniques which resulted in immediate alleviation from a sore neck and back muscle that drove me crazy for nearly a week. I now feel superb.

If you’re feeling a bit stuck with pain, then I highly recommend you to pay a visit to Edan Harari, his unique Kinetic Massage therapy will re-awaken your body and soul! Edan utilizes ancient acupressure points combined with myofascial release, joint mobilization, and passive stretching. I found it really interesting how there was lots of movement in the session which really helped release my severe muscle tensions.

Kinetic Massage Therapy offers TSH a 10% discount on any treatment. Members also receive a 30-minute complimentary reflexology treatment to be added to the first appointment that any member makes (i.e. by booking a 90-minute deep tissue massage, you get an additional 30-minute reflexology work added at the end).

– Review by Ana Nieto, founder of Turtle Shell Health