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NYC Healthy Restaurants Review-Eva’s Restaurant

  

Eating healthy does not at any time mean having to sacrifice your social life- in this installment of the NYC Healthy Restaurant Reviewwe take a look at an easy one- health food restaurnts with a reveiw of Eva’s Restaurant. The great part about our reviews is that although a particular restaurant in New York is reviewed each week, you can still use the guidelines listed for any restaurant of that type as the rules for the particular type of cusine mentioned are more or less the same for restaurants across the country.  Thank you for supporting my blog and do be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a weekly review or the tons of great weight loss and health and fitness information posted weekly on this blog.

Overview:
Eva’s Resturant- 11 W 8th St, New York 10011 (Between 5th & 6th Avenues)
Food Type: Health Food
Price: Very reasonable not at all expensive.
Quality Rating: I give the food 3 and stars out of 5 and the décor and ambiance 1 star.
Diet Friendly Rating: 5 stars. If you are looking for a place to eat well, then this is it!
Health Rating: A high passing grade from the NYC Department of Health.

If you are really looking for a restaurant where you don’t have to worry about blowing your diet, then Eva’s is the place to go and it is the subject of this weeks healthy restaurant reviews.  Established in 1978, Evas is one of the first real healthfood restaurants in New York City, and to this day you can see everyone from top bodybuilders to fitness minded celebrities eating there. It has been one of my Manhattan haunts for the past fifteen years, providing low sodium and trans fat free foods that are bothtasty and convenient. As always before we even go into the offerings of the restaurant, we will take a look at its Department of Health Inspection record and Eva’s passes with flying colours with only 10 points on its inspection (industry standard is 14 points and anything over 28 points denotes a serious health violation.) You can check out their report here and always check the inspection reports of any restaurant that you frequent- you might be surprised at what you find!

Step into the lobby of most serious gyms in the area and you will see a stack of Eva’s takeout menus- as it is very much the default health food stop for those serious about getting in shape, as evidenced as well by the numerous bodybuilding and fitness stars gracing their walls.At Eva’s you have a choice of  everything from breakfast selections, Eggs, Bagels, & Muffins which are served all day long for the late risers and the omelets are baked, not fried. For dinner or lunch Eva’s has a selection of  High Energy Protein Plates which are high protein and low fat dishes ranging from Nature Burger, Lemon Chicken, Turkey Burger, or Baked Tofu(which I am not too crazy about), which are usually served witha choice of brown rice, pasta and come with vegetables included. Besides the tofu offerings the only items on the menu that I would stay away from would be the protein shakes (which I have always campaigned against since they are nothing but milk shakes with great publicists- you can read more here), other than that almost everything is great!

What do I get at Eva’s? My standard would be the Tenderloin Steak, a  lean sliced steak sandwich served on a whole wheat pita (I never eat the bread though) which comes with their famous Tahini that every Eva’s goer knows and loves. It doesn’t take that long for them to make it, and I can always count on having a low sodium easy meal whenever I am on the go in that neighbourhood- and since my base of operations is at the 19th Street Gym in the Flatiron district, I am usually not too far away. I am not big on supplements so their vitamin store located at the back of the restaurant doesn’t have much of an appeal for me, other than that it is a great place to check out!

Health Food Rules For Staying In Shape

Not much to say here except for be wary of the protein shakes (read Kevin’s article about protein shakes here)

See more NYC Healthy Restaurants Reviews here.

 NOTE: If you liked my blog post, you can subscribe via email here!

Lose weight, build real muscle and get Superfit training only 10 minutes 3 times a week! That’s the slogan and the 100% guarantee of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™ created by visionary NYC personal trainer, internationally renowned natural bodybuilder and fitness expert, Kevin Richardson. Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here!

When is the best time to exercise- Image courtesy Wikipedia Commons

When Is The Best Time To Exercise?

Everyone has their preference, and ideas as to when is the best time to exercise. Some like training first thing in the morning, others squeeze in their workouts around lunchtime while others train in the late evening or at night. The question remains however when is the best time to train and does the time that you train really matter in the first place. Well, the answer isn’t as clear cut as one might expect. Your body works in accordance with what are called circadian rhythms which operate in a cycle of just about twenty four and a half hours. Fluctuations in our core body temperature occur in conjunction with the passage of the day- rising and falling between approximately 97.5 and 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. (That’s 36.5 to 37.5 degrees Celsius for us on the metric system).

When Is The Best Time To Exercise- A Look At How Our Body Works

Our body clock as you might call it, is designed in such a way that it resets itself every day using light as a major frame of reference. It synchronizes both our moods and energy levels in a cyclical pattern based on the time of day. Upon waking for example, you will realize that your mental performance isn’t quite as sharp as it is after you have been up for a couple of hours- and no amount of coffee is going to do it for- it has to happen over time. This increase in mental acuity continues up to the early evening, at which point our ability to concentrate begins to decline. This pattern exists not only for our mental ability as everything from peak muscular performance, anaerobic power output and our overall motivation to train in the first place.

So When Is The Best Time To Exercise?

That being said, from a strictly scientific perspective the human body under normal circumstances is at its physical best from 4 pm to 7 pm. Sounds like a very clear cut answer to the question of when to train, except it isn’t. While it is true that our hormone levels peak in late afternoon, making muscles peak in terms of flexibility and power output, the increase in performance in the real world is very slight, as being the ever adaptive beings that we are, you can train yourself to perform at your best at any time. Several studies have found that when individuals are made to train only in the morning or only in the early evening (our theoretical peak time)  those that trained in the morning did better as a whole on physical performance tests early in the day while the evening trainers did better on their tests in the evening.

When Is The Best Time To Exercise? Anytime!

Exercise, like light and change in environmental temperature seems to also have a powerful effect on synchronizing our internal clock. So how does this apply to your training? Well if you have an event that will require you to be at your best, it would make sense that you time your training to coincide with the time of the event several weeks beforehand. Other than that, even though research shows that the ideal time to exercise is in the late afternoon, the advantages are slight and at the end of the day you will adapt anyway to whatever time you train.

From personal experience, I have trained both on morning and in the evenings (I do my leg workouts on Sunday mornings and the rest of my body during the week at around 6:30 pm or so as I have for the past decade and a half). Do I see any noticeable difference? Not at all, and with the poundages that I lift and the degree of intensity with which I train, any drop in performance would be very easily detected. The same applies for the hundreds of people I have trained over the years as well- although well over 95% of them do prefer to train in the evening. Is there a difference in the amount of bodyfat lost from training in the morning versus training in the evening? Again, my experience with my clients doesn’t show any difference whatseover and there is no real science behind it either.Practicality has to be taken into consideration before anything else, as if you are only able to train on mornings, then that is when you should train. The key to success in any athletic endeavor or quest for self improvement is consistency- perhaps the most powerful factor of all. So find a time when you can train that fits with your life and that you can stick with! Excelsior!

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts! You can get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here! Visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net

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Healthy NYC Restaurant Reviews- Nyonya

We are going Malaysian with this week’s installment of the Healthy NYC Restaurant Reviews- a weekly blog post where we explore ways to eat healthy without while eating out. This week we we will take a look at NYONYA a Malaysian restaurant located at 194 GRAND STREET, MANHATTAN 10013. Note that when I last ate at Nyona, their health inspection rating was 10 (industry average is 14 and anything over 28 points requires serious work on the part of the establishment), however in doing this review, their last inspection left them with 34 violation points.

From the NYC Departement of Health Inspections:

Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.
Sanitary Violations
1.) Thawing procedures improper.
2.) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Let us hope that they quickly remedy this situation as the food there is pretty good and worthy of a high recommendation. Remember to always look up a restaurants inspection report before eating there, it is just a good practice.

The first thing that strikes you on a Malaysian menu is the abundance of peanut and curry sauces, (both are fine in moderation) as well as an abundance of seafood and healthy protein dishes. Looking at the menu at Nyonya, the appetizer section is filled with many wholesome choices for anyone trying to keep their eating patterns on the straight and narrow path. As always, don’t have appetizers if you are eating later in the day or are not going to be terribly active after your meal, (see my article- Managing Your Carbohydrates  for more information about food timing). Always try to veer towards the protein selections for an appetizer, like the Nyonya Satay Chicken Beef,  marinated chicken or beef on skewers or something more veggie based like the Achat, pickeled vegetables.The Roti Canai is really good, I will be honest with you, a light crispy wrap that is eaten with a curry dipping sauce, very much like the roti that I grew up with in Trinidad, but crispier. It is great, but with this dish, moderation is the key. If you do get it, make sure you share it with a friend and don’t get seconds (which isn’t as easy as you would think).

On to the Entree selections there are a host of great plates, try to stay away from the fried foods as always, and remember that crispy tends to mean fried! The seafood at Nyonya has a range of everything from Red Snapper, Tilapia, Striped Bass & Chilean Seabass in addition to crab and shrimp. There often seems to be some confusion as to whether shrimp is considered healthy food, and my response is that as long as it is not fried or pasted in butter, it really isn’t any different from any other protein source and has all the healthy fats you need as well. A lot of the dishes come with sauces, which for good measure you should ask for on the side and use sparingly. The Steamed Fish in Ginger Paste and the Curry Red Snapper with okra are great, and if you really are on a strict diet, you can even ask them to steam the fish for you without any sauce added. The Crabs In Special Aromatic Flavor works as well as does the Sauteed Frog with Ginger and Scallion for the more daring diners! (They even have a little warning that you ask the waiter about it before you order it, just so you understand what you are getting.)

Nyonya also has great casseroles, Chicken in Claypot and rice dishes, Duck with Ginger and Scallion over rice being a good one. They also serve a mean Curried Chicken with Rice for those that like a little spic in their rice. There are many steamed chicken dishes to choose from, Mainanese Chicken, Spicy Thai Chickenand some great vegetable dishes as well. All in all Nyonya is a great place and I do believe that in my travels you can go into a Malaysian Restaurant and eat well. Thanks for tuning in and I will see you next week!

Overview:

Nyonya-194 GRAND STREET, MANHATTAN 10013
Food Type: Malaysian
Price: On the cheap side
Quality Rating: I give the food 3 and stars out of 5 and the décor and ambiance 3 stars.
Diet Friendly Rating: 3.5 stars. There are a adequate selections that you can order here and stay on point!
Health Rating: A passing not so great recent grade from the NYC Department of Health  with some violations listed.

Malaysian Cuisine Rules For Staying In Shape

1.  Ask for sauces on the side, have appetizers only if you are going to be active later or if it is earlier in the day.
2. Choose protein foods as appetizers, and go easy on the roti.
3. Have water as your main drink- you’ll save a lot of calories that way and skip the sake!
4. Don’t overdo it. Think in terms of having a quality dining experience and not paying to fill your stomach to the point of bursting.
5. Learn to do without dessert. Like anything else, the taste for sweets is learned and anything learned can be unlearned with time. (Read my article here about controlling your eating habits)
6. Enjoy yourself!

 NOTE: If you liked my blog post, you can subscribe via email here!

Lose weight, build real muscle and get Superfit training only 10 minutes 3 times a week! That’s the slogan and the 100% guarantee of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™ created by visionary NYC personal trainer, internationally renowned natural bodybuilder and fitness expert, Kevin Richardson. Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here!

Naturally Intense Personal Trainer NYC Reviews 

Very often when asked about the feasibility of a system based on 10 minute workouts, many people have a bit of healthy skepticism, that’s why today I would like to show some of the Naturally Intense  Personal Trainer Reviews NYC. Naturally Intense™ NYC personal training clients regularly commute from as far away as Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Boston. Some fly in from as far away as Canada & the Cayman Islands just to experience the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™ and over the past 18 years of its existence, it has truly cemented its place as an effective method of not only body transformation, but lifestyle change as well for everyone- whether you are an elite athlete, bodybuilder or model or someone simply looking to get into better shape or lose some weight.

Here are some of our Naturally Intense Personal Trainer NYC Reviews, thanks for reading:

 
“I’ve lost over 100lbs using this system, and I can hardly stop telling everyone how well it works! You owe it to yourself to give it a try!” Virginia M. (Read Virginia’s Case Study On How She Lost Over 100 lbs here!)

“Compassion. Dedication. Perseverance! I get so much from working out with Kevin,the training and the diet, and what I have learned over the past year and a half has completely transformed my body! I am so grateful! Thanks, Kevin!” -Trisia T.

 “At age 53, I had been gaining 2 lbs. per year and I could do the math — I didn’t like how I was going to look or feel in 10 – 20 years! So, I started working out with Kevin for 10 minute sessions 2-3 times a week, and within months got my weight down and started to feel stronger. Kevin helped me build up the muscles around my joints so that I rarely had pain anymore from bending, lifting and gardening. He put me on the right path for healthy aging, with a good diet and workout schedule.“- Mindy S.

“A full workout in 10 minutes, not possible! Right? WRONG! A short, focused, and intense workout with Kevin always leaves me exhausted, spent, and looking forward to the next session. It’s a joyful and exhilarating feeling as I try to push through my personal limits and the impossible becomes possible. Kevin’s knowledgeable and informed suggestions about my diet are helping me to drop all those unwanted pounds and it’s great to finally learn from such an experienced and personable expert who not only talks the talk but also walks the walk.” – Tony O

“I can’t say enough about the uniqueness and exceptional quality of Kevin’s services. As a non-jock who has always been gym phobic and never had a particularly great experience with a trainer (although I’ve tried several), I found Kevin extraordinary in every respect. The first time I called him to inquire about his services, he spent an hour answering my questions.  When you work with him, you feel his full attention and as if your are the only person in the world he is focused on.  He has helped me discover at age 61 the capacity to build strength and fitness I didn’t have at 30.” – Bill B.

“Kevin is so amazingly supportive and the workouts are so short, efficient and effective that is hard to talk yourself out of your workout if it only lasts for ten minutes! It is so great to not have to spend hours a week at the gym and it works!” -Alana W.

“I dedicated myself to meet with Kevin 3 times a week for his short, yet extremely intense amount of time (10 minute workouts that you have to see to believe!). I agreed to follow everything he suggested in terms of diet and nutrition and I had it in my mind that I would give it 8 weeks. Five months later I never looked better and I feel great. I owe my newly found motivation to and body to Kevin. Thanks, Kevin for making my dreams a reality!” -Kim S. (Read Kim’s full testimonial here)

“Kevin Richardson is the bomb! He is helpful, informative and he never gives up on you and never lets you give up. I have been working out with him for 8 months and only one day a week for 10 min and following the food plan. I have lost 30 lbs and gone down about 3 clothing sizes! I feel energetic and very strong. All of this starting 5 weeks after a major surgery. Thanks Kevin”- Tia H.

For more Naturally Intense Personal Trainer NYC Reviews please feel free to visit our testimonial pages here and be sure to take a look at some of our Naturally Intense Success Stories here!