guest blog

This topic is an important one, especially in light of the deaths of Karina Vetrano and Vanessa Marcotte, which both really affected me as an avid outdoor runner. Karina's death was just too close to home. Her body was found along a Howard Beach path she ran down often. And finally, just a few days ago, her murderer/rapist was caught and charged. Vanessa Marcotte's death, while it didn't happen in New York City proper (her body was found in Massachusetts where she was jogging while visting her mother), was still a major reality check for me because she worked at Google, a mere block away from where I used to live here in NYC. For months, every time I walked past the Google building, all I could think about was her untimely death. What a tragedy in both cases. These attacks from 2016 prove that we need to be a lot more cautious than ever. If you're a runner, be safe out there, but also keep an eye out for your fellow brother and sister runners too. We need to look out for each...

 -- This is a guest blog post by Christina Canterino -- I want to share a story with the world that has affected me in a way I never thought possible. Let me start by giving you a little background about myself…   I am a 29 year old woman, and I lost sixty pounds in two and a half years. I have kept the weight off and have gotten leaner, faster, and stronger as each day passes. I struggled with bulimia throughout my young adult years, going in and out of therapy and treatment. It was so bad, that i was forced to drop out of college midway through my second semester. It was one of the most difficult periods of my life. Now, I consider myself athletic, confident, and healthy. A few years ago, I was able to complete my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology. However, fitness and wellness have grown to become my passion. During the day, I am a working member of corporate America. At night I am a group fitness instructor. I am studying for the NASM...

-- This is a guest post by Liz Stark -- Walk into any supermarket, natural foods store – really, any store at this point – and you are bound to find shelves and aisles stacked with all kinds of bars. Gone are the days of one or two brands – now there are literally hundreds upon thousands to choose from! With so many different (and competing) bar brands on the market, how are people supposed to know which (if any) are appropriate to consume? Now I know that there will be many that will stop reading this article and adamantly declare, “All bars are terrible poison! Never eat anything that comes in a wrapper!” However, I personally feel that not all bars are created equal. With all the options available, there are big differences in quality and quantity of ingredients, company/customer relations, nutrition facts, intended consumers, wrapper/label design, and taste. While of course it is ideal to consume as many whole foods as possible, it might not always be...