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Archive for August, 2009
August 31, 2009 at 2:44 pm · Filed under MixStirs Smoothie Franchise
New cafe just opened in Great Neck Equinox on East Shore Rd
Residents Will Flip Over the Smoothie Selection!
GREAT NECK N.Y. – April 20, 2009 – New York now has another healthy alternative to fast food, thanks to the introduction of the first MixStirs in Nassau County.
Located at 90 East Shore Rd, the new cafe is the 3rd MixStirs in New York and opens just in time for the spring. To introduce locals to MixStirs wide selection of award-winning soups, smoothies, wraps, sandwiches and salads, owner Ray Ahklakur welcomes gym members to enjoy an alternate, healthier snack, lunch or dinner compared with typical fast food fare.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the people of Great Neck to MixStirs nutritious, awardwinning menu,” says Ray. “We’re not your typical smoothie shop. We have an exciting menu with plenty of great choices. I’m happy to say that the members of the Great Neck Equinox finally have a cafe that meets their need for a healthy snack or meal.”
The MixStirs franchise headquarters are in Garden City, N.Y. founded by Mike Greenberg in 2007, the privately held company began offering franchises immediately. When Ray found out about the company’s original approach and commitment to providing a healthy, flavorful menu, he decided to open his first location in the New York Sports Club in Glendale, NY in early 2007. “I was really impressed with the high nutritional value and the great product selection” Ray said.
The café’s friendly attitude is complimented by the many flavors and colors of its juiceor yogurt-based smoothies, which can be enhanced by a selection of vitamin- or herb-infused “power boosts” to address a variety of individual needs. MixStirs has also been praised for its soups, many of which are low-fat, vegetarian or dairy-free.
In addition to the smoothies, the new store in Great Neck offers an ever changing variety of gourmet wraps, salads, and a variety of fresh-squeezed juice blends, protein shakes and assorted energy drinks. The new store even serves breakfast, from egg white sandwiches and breakfast wraps to oatmeal and a selection of bagels, muffins and pastries.
Over the past two years, more than 20 MixStirs franchises have opened in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Nevada. At least a dozen more are expected to open soon in those states and in Arizona, Ohio and Washington, D.C., and franchisees are actively being sought throughout the Northeast and Southeast. Most franchisees are owner/operators, and more than half own more than one store.
Store hours at the Great Neck location are 7 am – 9 pm Monday thru Thursday, 7 am– 8 pm Friday, 8 am – 6 pm Saturday, and 8 am – 5 pm Sunday.
For sample menus, nutritional information, and franchise information, visit http://mixstirs.com.
August 26, 2009 at 6:00 am · Filed under Health
Get a leg up on varicose viens.
You can battle bulging blue veins by eating dark leafy greens such as kale. The vitamin K in these veggies activates a protein called Matrix GLA that supports vascular health, a recent study shows.
Rest up before hitting the road.
Labor Day weekend is one of the deadliest for drivers. Since 60 percent of people admit to driving while drowsy—a major cause of accidents—stay safe by catching some z’s (and, of course, skipping the booze) before you get behind the wheel.
Don’t buy into the highfalutin diet hype.
What’s up with the slew of new diet books named ”hardworking people who don’t have time to diet,” there’s The Wall Street Diet, and for advice on how the rich stay thin, there’s The Hamptons Diet. If it’s a lifetime of beauty and health you’re after, The Park Avenue Diet may be for you. The Sonoma Diet promises a trimmer waist and better health in only 10 days, while The Laguna Beach Diet says it’s a guide to painless and sustainable weight loss. Though most of these plans offer smart tips, some promise unlikely results. So why not choose a tried-and-true plan like the Mediterranean diet, or one that’s even simpler? It’s called “eat less, exercise more.”
Take a load off.
You know the shooting pain that comes from schlepping a heavy purse? Here’s why it happens: “Straps compress the auxiliary vein, causing high blood pressure, numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in the arm,” says Tim Neuschwander, M.D. In a study he conducted, adults who wore a 28-pound backpack for 10 minutes experienced an almost 50 percent decrease in blood flow through the blood vessels in their arms. “And carrying a 13-pound purse for 10 minutes may have a similar effect, since it’s resting on only one shoulder,” he says. Try lightening your load a little, or distribute weight more evenly with an ergonomic purse.
Be a little catty.
It’s been said that cats have nine lives, and new research shows they can help extend your life, too. Owning a cat could slash your risk of heart attack by almost a third. How? Your kitty may help relieve stress and anxiety—two heart disease risk factors. So help save a cat’s life and your own: Now is the purr-fect time to adopt since shelters are overwhelmed with homeless cats. Visit petfinder.org or 1-800-save-a-pet.com for a list of rescue groups in your area.
August 12, 2009 at 6:00 am · Filed under Nutrition
BOOST BRAIN POWER
Pairing vitamins C and E is smart for another reason: It may lessen your Alzheimer’s risks by as much as 64 percent, according to research in the Archives ofNeurology. Just 500 milligrams of C and 400 IU of E appear to be enough. The brain’s high fat content makes it especially vulnerable to free radicals, but these antioxidants may act as shields, says study author Peter Zandi, PhD, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Some studies suggest that vitamin E does its job reducing free radicals in the body, but then its capacity is depleted, Zandi says. “Vitamin C may recharge E:’
What to do now: Try taking C and E supplements, and talk to your doc about your risks for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
SAVE YOUR EYESIGHT
Vitamin C can’t prevent the need for reading glasses around age 45. But antioxidants, including C, help prevent one of the leading causes of blindness: age-related macular degeneration (AMD). More than 3.5 million Americans are thought to be in the early stages, and the disease strikes more women than men. A major clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute showed that a daily supplement of 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene, 80 milligrams of zinc, and 2 milligrams of copper reduced the risk of moderate or severe AMD-related vision loss by up to 25 percent. The antioxidants neutralize damage to the retina caused by, you guessed it, free radicals.
What to do now: If you’re at high risk for AMD (you’re overweight or have a family history), check to see if your multivitamin contains the study’s amounts of C, E, beta-carotene/vitamin A, zinc, and copper. Chances are, its C and E levels fall short, but additional supplements will do the job. (Caveat: Don’t follow this advice if you smoke; this level of beta-carotene may up your lung-cancer risks.)