Healthy Living in NYC
Hi friends 
We made it!!!!!!!
As we crossed into Arizona, I sighed with relief. This is where I’m supposed to be 
I’m gonna get settled for the night and catch up with the fam, and I’ll be back with regular blog action in the morning.
In the meantime, here’s an awesome guest post from another good friend: Gabriela.
xoxo,
Gina
Hi everyone! My name is Gabriela, and I write at Une Vie Saine– it means “a healthy life” in French. I’m currently in my final year at NYU, and I absolutely love New York!
Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, finding a healthy balance in the city can be a difficult thing to do. On one hand, you’ve got scores of healthy restaurants, tons of places to walk to, and a huge concentration of like-minded fitness fanatics. On the other, you’re constantly tempted by bakeries, eating out, and the convenience of taking a cab- and in a city as busy as NYC, it’s easy to get distracted from your goals. Here are my best tips on navigating the city with a healthy mindset! 
source
1. Use the resources as a chance to be creative, instead of as an excuse to be lazy. With a plethora of take-out and delivery restaurants, it’s easy to order in or eat out instead of cooking a meal yourself. Yet with ethnic markets on every corner, why not take advantage of the crazy ingredients and try to whip up something new? Grocery shopping is also a fun activity for foodie visitors- it’s relatively easy to find exotic products like Artisana nut butters, specialty protein powders or superfoods, and gourmet chocolates or coffees. Don’t forget to leave some room in your suitcase
2. When you do eat out, try something new! Raw food. Free-range meat. Dairy-free ice cream. Vegan fine dining. Cultural cuisine. If you’ve ever been curious about a certain health-food movement, here is the place to give it a go! And trying something new doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank- there are tons of delicious and affordable restaurants as well as more upscale places. A great resource to use is the New York Magazine restaurant page. 
3. Do as much as you can by foot. The best way for anyone to experience New York is to walk it. Bonus: walking sure beats a pricey cab or the crowded subway! There are many great ways to get moving outdoors. Go for a walk in Central Park, run along the Hudson River down to Battery Park, or take advantage of the free yoga classes in Bryant Park during the spring and summer.
4. Don’t get caught up in the looks obsession. With aspiring models, actors and fashionista’s flocking to the city, it’s easy to fall into the comparison trap. Don’t let modeling requirements become your new standards for health and beauty- remember that women come in different shapes and sizes, New Yorkers included! And it’s much more fun to treat yourself than to live on coffee and cigarettes alone. Speaking of which…
5. You’re in the best foodie city in the world. Take advantage of it, desserts, drinks and all. Every healthy lifestyle deserves a few indulgences, so don’t be afraid to cut yourself some slack. Bite into a Crumbs cupcake. Skip your morning gym workout in favor of strolling around the Union Square Farmer’s Market. Splurge on a pricey exercise class you’ve been curious about. Whether you’re here for a few days or a few decades, there’s no reason not to enjoy such an incredible city!
Thank you so much to Gina for the opportunity to guest post! The Fitnessista is actually the first healthy living blog I ever discovered, so it holds a special place in my heart Safe travels to Tucson!
43 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Wahoo you made it!! Great creative tips for city living, Gabriela. In some ways, I think it is much easier to live healthy in a city. There are so many opportunity to eat well and be active. I could walk in cities forever and ever.
Agreed on all points. 😀 Mad snaps to Gabriela! xo
I have never been to NYC but I so dream of it! Hopefully one day. Dh hates cold weather so my nudges to move to New York go unnoticed LOL!
He does have family in the state so we may at least go for a visit one of these days.
I need that cupcake in the last photo. 🙂
obvi, I love this post and agree 100% with all these tips! My other tip is that there are so many FREE things to do in the city from yoga and fitness to art and theater (and beyond) that you can do more than you think your wallet will allow. I got into yoga because I went to a free class Lululemon offers over the summer in Bryant Park. And the looks obsession – this city is great because of how many different people and looks there are. Better to be unique than blend in!
Gina made it! YAH! I love these tips- I might visit again next year and I am going to do some of the things you suggested- thanks!
Great tips Gabriela! I’ve never lived in a city and I’m crazy jealous of your close proximity to awesome restaurants and YOGA! I love tip #4- when I visit friends in NYC I’m always in awe of everyone’s unique style 🙂
I am so happy to hear you are there safely!! Enjoy your relaxing time with your family!!
What a great post by Gabriela! She is so gorgeous and full of inspiration 🙂 Keep on rocking the blog world Gabriela!!
xxoo
I LOVE NYC!!! I lived there during my clinical rotations of med school. And I HOPE to be back there for residency!! Great POST! I live in Ca and thought it’s the best place ever…but i must admit, NYC is THE center of the universe!!! Great Post!
Gabriela, I loved this! I’m a sophomore at NYU (studying French, too) so in case you read this: we need to meet at some point! (btw, are Crumb’s cupcakes not AMAZING?! And, I live on Union Square, so I can attest to how great the Green Market is!) All your tips are great and I’m really trying to surround myself with some more like-minded people (just like you suggest!) and really listen to what my body’s telling me (hunger cues and cravings). Anyway, long story short…you should totally have a meet-up at some point because I would totally go!
I’d love to meet up!! Send me an email and we’ll figure something out 🙂 uneviesaine at gmail dot com
glad you made it! have a great night, and enjoy yourself!
Great guest post tonight
*AHH* sighing in relief FOR you… happy you made it… safe and HAPPY ! <3
I love NYC and LOVE this post!
Yayyy thank you so much for posting this!! Glad you made it safely 🙂
So glad you made it safe!!!
i’ve always wanted to go to new york..i don’t know if i could live there (weak sauce, i know) but i would love to eat my way through the city 🙂
So glad you made it Gina! Can’t wait to hear all about life in Arizona!
yay! you made it to tucson. great post, i totally agree with the indulging in nyc 🙂 (that is an amazing stock photo cupcake. yeow!)
there’s also a wealth of vegan/vegetarian options in ‘the big apple’ (and to a lesser extent dc, where i live) which i find really cool.
btw … gina, is the sun warrior promo still happening? i’ve been checking the blog all week for it, haha.
The Fitnessista is also the first healthy living blog I discovered too. Great post! This makes me want to go to NYC.
And Gina… WELCOME HOME!
I totally agree with these tips! Being in NYC this summer, I know it’s easy to compare yourself to the tons of rail-thin models, but you have to own your own beauty! 🙂
Loved this post! I am -so- desperate to visit NYC, but it’s an awful long way from Perth, Australia! 🙁 Hopefully I’ll manage to save up the money over this coming year to be able to afford a trip to the states in 2012.
Fantastic post! Glad you have arrived safely Gina! 🙂
Gabriella, amazing tips! When I lived there (only for six weeks, mind you) I was shocked at how thin “everyone” was. But it wasn’t that it was the people, it was that it’s a city full of models, actors and fashionistas (as you said). It’s very important to keep in mind!
Glad you made it safely, Gina!
So glad you, your mom, and the pups made it! Hope you got lots of rest! Yay for being happy and where you want to be for now!
Love Gabriela, she rocks! What a great guest post! xoxo
Gina, glad you’re safe and sound and best of all, feeling at home!
Gabriela, this post just reminded me how badly I want to move to a big city! It sparked a fire to start job searching again as soon as the diploma comes on in 😉
Congrats to you, Gina, for making it to NYC! What a long journey, no doubt, it was…with the puppies in the back seat, too 🙂 Glad you’re there!
I have been a Gabriela fan for ages…love that girl! Love your tips, Gabriela! When I am in NYC you KNOW I will be calling you for a personal tour of the city…as well as begging you for one of your chocolate dessert creations 🙂
I just visited NYC for my first time in November – loved it!!
Gina – Since you are back in AZ, will you be keeping both dogs? I can only imagine how tough of a decision it is/was…
<3 happy to hear you got to your new home safe & sound!
Great post Gaberiela! Now, I just need to get to NYC asap! 🙂
Glad you made it home safely, Gina.
Great post Gabriela! I’d love to visit NYC one day. One thing we definitely lack here in my little part of Ontario is raw restaurants, and I’d love to try one. I think you’d be a fabulous NYC tour guide! 🙂
Thanks for the NYC tips. I love the restaurants, shopping, and broadway. Gina so relieved you all made it. Hope you had a good nights rest.
Great post, Gabriela! I love the city, and maybe I’ll work there one day…who knows!
Yeahh Gabriela!!!!!!!
Love this guest post! I feel so fortunate to live in NYC — Gabriela, I’m glad you love it here, too!
Love your post Gabriela! And so glad you made it Tuscon safe and sound, Gina! 🙂
This was fantastic!! I actually moved to NYC in a week so this was perfect timing. Hope your move is going great as well Gina!
Great tips Gab!
Love NYC and love this!
Gina – glad you made it safely, welcome home!!
Glad you ladies made it safely!!
Love these tips. I live in Boston but can easily relate to everything Gabriela said!
Love your blog! Fellow Tucsonan here who is living far from the home I miss so much way over in Georgia. I can definitely relate to that feeling of happiness you get when going back home. Enjoy!