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Health

Venus Rising Spring Wellness Workshop

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Spring is around the corner! The Brightside is hosting a spring wellness reset, with an emphasis on recovering our spirits from the impact of the pandemic, and a tough winter. These have been stressful times! Participants will spend time soothing their spirit with sessions on Sound Healing, Somatic Trauma Resolution, Meditating from the heart, Yoga, Movement, Ayurveda, and more. It’s an afternoon of self-care that we all deserve!

SCHEDULE OF EVENT:

12:30pm – Doors Open / Mingle – Participants can take dosha quiz and enjoy tea

1pm – Welcome / Sound Bath Healing – 20 min

1:20pm – Somatic Trauma Resolution (help our nervous system recover from the pandemic) – 60 min

  • Includes: Lymph Drainage for Immunity and Allergy removal techniques for Self Care and Spring Renewal with Anjali Brannon from Ayurveda Natural Health Center (the Midwest’s premier full-service Ayurvedic & Holistic haven for wellness in Dayton, Ohio.

2:20pm – Self expression activity – 30 min

2:50pm – Gentle Yoga with Luna – 40 min

3:30pm – Heartfulness Meditation Intro & Cleaning – 40 min

4:10pm – Movement Class / DJ session – 40 min (with The Emissary of O.H.M Scorpius Max -he hails from The Frequency Music Complex. A conscientious society of music lovers who facilitate spiritual connections; forged by the listening ear and the dancing body.

How to Go?

Venus Rising Spring Wellness Workshop

Sunday, April 10th from 1pm – 5pm.  Doors open at 12:30pm

Brightside Music & Event Venue at 905 E 3rd St, Dayton – Note: This event is in the Upside Loft (stairs only available);

Limited availability space. Advanced registration is required! Please bring a yoga mat.

A portion of the proceeds benefits Dayton Heartfulness.

Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/venus-rising-spring-wellness-workshop-tickets-275638571387

Local Soaper Creates Storybook Line to Support Dayton Children’s Hospital

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When a rep from Dayton Children’s Hospital approached entrepreneur Katie Hall about having a coin jar at her 2nd Street Market booth, Katie saw an opportunity to make a much larger impact.

Next month, the founder of Fox in Socks Soapery will release a new line of storybook soaps to support the institution’s work.

The soaps — locally made and sourced, true to Fox in Socks’ mission — will be packaged to look like children’s books. Katie will open up sales Nov. 2 with a faux book launch party at 2nd Street Market that will feature face painting & a scavenger hunt through the market.

Katie will also be accepting children’s book donations during the launch party — and she’ll match every book donated with a bar of storybook soap that will be delivered to a patient at Dayton Children’s Hospital.

“I knew I wouldn’t make an impact with a coin jar,” Katie said, reflecting on her foot traffic. “I said, ‘I want to make you a specific line.’”

The solopreneur made the jump from hobbyist to small business owner about five years ago. She tapped the knowledge she gained studying biotechnology to create her formulas, then she set off visiting Ohio Proud farms to locally source as many of her ingredients as possible.

“I want to build community one bar at a time,” she said. “When you buy a bar of my soap, you’re supporting up to 15 small businesses. My dream for my business is to source enough product that I can impact other small business owners to reach their dreams, too.”

Katie will donate 25 percent of the proceeds from the upcoming storybook line to Dayton Children’s Hospital.

LAUNCH PARTY:

Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 8am – 3 pm

Stop by the 2nd Street Market on Saturday, November 2nd. The party starts in the Market Pavilion with family storybook activities, face painting, an Instagram photo booth and then you’ll be on your way to hunt for sweet treats throughout the market.

Your treasure hunt will end at the shop where you will get the chance to see (and smell!) the new children’s Storybook Soap. 25% of all Storybook Soap sales will go directly to Dayton Children’s Hospital. Still want to give more to Dayton Children’s Hospital…for every children’s book that is donated during the launch party, I will donate a swag bag full of goodies to a child at Dayton Children’s Hospital.

 

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Clean Eating 101 for 2019

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Dorothy Lane Market is a treasure trove for Clean Eating

Clean Eating 101

This week we channel Jessie Whitesell, wellness coach and member of our Food Adventure Crew.   She wrote our weekly article for  Dayton Most Metro, and it really hits home with most of us.

So here we are…. WEEK 5 into the NEW YEAR, 2019.

Fresh fruit

Most of us make resolutions, some set goals, others have wishful thinking …..all about how to approach their health and
wellness with an edge.

This is going to be the year :

“I lose the weight.”

“I get fit.”

“I lose the belly tire.”

“I build muscle.”

“I eat clean.”

What does that even mean….CLEAN EATING?

HERE’S THE SKINNY ON CLEAN EATING:

Clean eating is preparing and eating food as close as nature intended it to be. Clean eating is a lifestyle choice. It is a decision to fuel your body in the way that nature designed it to optimally function. It is not deprivation, counting calories, measuring food, or adding up points. None of that nonsense that makes you rub up to the notion that food is good or bad or that connects guilt and shame to your “number game”. Clean eating is a practice that focuses on quality over quantity.

Can you really eat too many leafy greens?

Can you really eat too many leafy greens?

Next week marks WEEK 6 into the new calendar year. Current research in the health industry shows us that this
is a pivotal point on the calendar. People who have been working toward their health and fitness goals for the new year more than likely hit a roadblock at 6 weeks and quit.

More than likely they feel deprived, their willpower is spent, they are tired of measuring and weighing their carbs, and disconnected to tuning in to the process of how foods make them feel.

One ingredient foods

People are often so eager to create quick, radical change that they load on too many new changes and they can’t keep it all afloat. The overwhelm takes over, they are done with juggling it all and quit.

The idea behind clean eating is that it is a sustainable approach to be carried out for a lifetime. Letting go of boxed foods, frozen processed meats and entrees, pre-packed snacks, and creating fresh meals with real food.

Single ingredient foods even.

When you strip the foods down to their bare bones, your ingredients list gets shorter, if there even is one, as foods closest to their natural state won’t be filled with unpronounceable chemical preservatives.

Dorothy Lane Market’s Quality Produce

With the rise of convenience foods, cooking and preparing food at home has become a lost art and is rarely now a skill being passed down to the next generation.

If you have an interest in eating clean as the calendar pages continue to turn, may we suggest you take your next FOOD ADVENTURE along the perimeter of one of the best grocers in town.  A local gem to the Dayton area is our own Dorothy Lane Market. Locally owned and operated since 1948, it began as a fruit stand. Today DLM encompasses three exquisite markets well-known for their fresh and healthy options, quick deli take-out, and specialty items. Be sure to take advantage of their pre-cut fruit and vegetables that offer a colossal variety of noodled, cubed, and sliced produce to help getting dinner on the table a bit easier.

Fresh Broccoli

Paying a few extra dollars, to keep your eating clean, is often worth every dime, so you stay on track with your
goals. Clean eating can be easily executed with simple planning and frequent trips to Dorothy Lane Market for the most beautiful and fresh produce in town.

Another great spot is Whole Foods Market on 725 near McEwen Rd.  They have a lot to offer for clean eating and Whole 30 compliance.  In fact there is a free seminar at Whole Foods,  Saturday Morning February 9th at 10am at the store located at 1050 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.   Yours truly will be hosting the fun, fact filled Q and A.  Please join us if you are curious.  It is much bigger than food.  See you there !!!

Food Adventures is a Dayton food blog with feature articles appearing each week here, exclusively on Dayton Most Metro.  The Big Ragu, Jackie and Jessie will explore everything Dayton has to offer on the food scene.  We have no rules, and your humble Food Adventurers will leave no plate unturned.

Want more Food Adventure fun?  Follow them on Facebook by clicking HERE. 

FEB 9th at WHOLE FOODS

Incredible organic selection at DLM

ORANGES

 

Move & Meditate!

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You can feel it in the air – spring is almost here! This is the perfect time to shake off the winter “blahs” and bring more movement and meditation into our lives. On Saturday March 3, 2018 you can do just that with a 2 hour mixed session of Yoga, BollyX and Heartfulness meditation.
First, stretch your muscles and align your body with Yoga to prepare yourself for some lively movement to Bollywood music with a BollyX dance workout, and then cool down and refresh your spirit with Heartfulness Meditation! There is no set fee for this event. Donations are welcome, but not required. Any collected will go to support  the Heartfulness Center in Dayton that offers free meditation and yoga classes to the community.
How to Go?
Saturday, March 3rd
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
Venue: Ayurveda Natural Health Center, 1342 N. Fairfield Rd, Suite B, Beavercreek, OH 45432
(Park in the parking lot across from CVS, between the Shell gas station and Valvoline and then there is a walkway from the parking lot to the front door behind the Shell gas station)
Limited space. Please email dayton.oh@heartfulness. org to reserve your place as soon as possible.
Visit www.daytonheartfulness. org for more information on the Dayton Heartfulness Center.

3rd Annual Mass Meditation & Yoga Event at Courthouse Square

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Dayton’s Mass Meditation and Yoga event at Courthouse Square is planned for September 21, 2017 from 5:30-7pm

For the third year in a row, the Heartfulness Institute of Dayton invites the entire community downtown to Courthouse Square on Thursday Septemeber 21st, 2017 for free, beginner-friendly yoga and meditation sessions. This lovely, community building event celebrates both the autumn equinox and the United Nation’s International Day of Peace.

The idea for this type of “mass meditation” came from Libby Ballengee, a local event organizer, who was inspired by a similar event that was planned for New York City’s Central Park. She dubbed the first event “Dayton Big Quiet” and sought out assistance from meditation experts. Ballengee explains, “It started as a “what if” conversation on Twitter, and the idea took off. It was recommended that I check out the Natural Path Meditation Center in Beavercreek for help, and I’m so glad I did! They were the perfect partner for this event.”

They were perfect for the event because teaching meditation to the community is their speciality. The Natural Path Meditation Center is also known as The Heartfulness Institute of Dayton, a non-profit educational organization. They offer free relaxation, meditation, and yoga classes, as a service to the community, so that everyone has the same tools to manage stress. They are not affiliated with any religions. The meditation trainers simply want to help spread inner peace to all, in an effort to achieve world peace. The Dayton organization has been recognized by the State of Ohio for its significant contributions to the region.

Most recently, the organization opened a center inside the Fairfield Commons Mall, which offers these same free classes. It’s an incredible way to disconnect from our busy, plugged-in world, and simply let our minds rest. You can try out this heart-based meditation style at the meditation center in Beavercreek, the mall location, or downtown at this unique first day of fall event!

How to Go?

 

3rd Annual Peace Day at Courthouse Square

5:30pm Free Yoga class

6:15pm Free Heartfulness Meditation for Humanity

Come to either event or both! #DaytonBigQuiet

NOTE: Please bring your own yoga mat, towel or blanket for yoga. Organizers will have some chairs provided for meditation if you don’t want to sit on mats during meditation.

 

Info on Heartfulness at Fairfield Commons:

Yoga 
Tuesday 6 pm – 6.45 pm
Thursday 1 pm – 1.45 pm
Sunday   2 pm – 2.45 pm

Group Meditation :
Monday   9.15 pm-9.45pm
Tuesday  6.45pm – 7.15pm
Thursday 1.45 pm -2.15 pm
Friday      9.15 am – 9.45 am
Sunday    2.45 pm – 3.15 pm

Drop-in Relaxation and Meditation Sessions at all other times.

 

Info on Heartfulness Meditation Center in Beavercreek:

Heartfulness Introductory Session: Every Sunday 12:15pm and Thursday 7:15pm.

Clink above for information on additional series classes, yoga classes, private sessions, and more. All no charge!

HeartFest: A Fun, Free & Family Friendly Wellness Festival!

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HeartFest takes place at the beautiful Natural Path Meditation Center in Beavercreek, Ohio

Stressed? Seeking some peace of mind? Aren’t we all! It’s not as complicated as we tend to imagine. Self care, through movement and meditation, can dramatically improve our ability to cope with an increasingly stressful world.

Lots of folks are unaware that we have a wonderful resource nestled right here in the Miami Valley! The Natural Path Meditation Center, a non-denominational center that teaches a heart-based form of meditation called Heartfulness, is located in Beavercreek, conveniently close to both Fairfield and I-35 (directions below).

This weekend the Center is hosting their 2nd Annual HeartFest event. It’s a FREE & fun wellness festival, with workshops and vendors for all ages! Organizers hope that by offering tools for self care and inner peace, people will be able to live a more balanced life. How wonderful would that be for our community?

Curious about meditation, yoga, and wellness? Looking for ways to cope with stress? Seeking inner peace? Something to do with the kids? All of the above? Then this is sure to be a wonderful day you won’t want to miss!

HeartFest features:

  • Heartfulness Meditation sessions all day
  • Kids Tent with Activities for all ages
  • Variety of Wellness Speakers & Vendors
  • Movement Tent offering yoga, qigong, & Melt classes + Music!
  • Food Trucks (Shakery Juice Bar, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, and Bella Sorella Pizza!)
  • For the full schedule of events, click here.

How to go?

  • 10am – 5pm on Saturday August 19, 2017.
  • Free admission!
  • Parking at St. Luke’s Parking Lot. For directions click here.

Grateful to be in Dayton

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I moved back to the Dayton area in April this year, and I admit the transition was not without trepidation. I grew up in Huber Heights, studied political science at Ohio State, and with the exception of a two-year stint back in the area during 2003-2005, I’ve lived most of my adult life in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles. It’s safe to say I’m a bit of a big city guy.

Like others that I’ve met who’ve left and come back, I’m here to be closer to family. But since I’ve spent so much of my adult life away from Dayton, I’ve come back as a bit of an outsider. I’m discovering the city as one would any “new” place. This outsider’s status, coupled with a personal training career that I hadn’t even contemplated the last time I lived here, is inspiring in me a feeling I didn’t anticipate back in April.

NEON

Gratitude, and not simply because I’m closer to family.

Gratitude for the Dayton community itself. I’m not enjoying myself “despite being in Dayton,” but because of it.

You know by now my approach to fitness is that health and wellness are inextricably linked to the rest of our lives. I want my clients to learn how to pay attention to what matters most in their lives. I don’t want my clients (or readers) to obsess about fitness, but to see it as an avenue toward healthier, more vibrant, more connected living. This sort of life in Dayton includes things like exploring challenging independent movies, creative new art galleries, empowered understanding of our own sensuality, and venerable hometown institutions.

BlushBoudoir_Studio(1)

Blush Boudoir’s studio in a historic house downtown.

It’s easy, isn’t it, to ignore these things. We get so locked into our jobs, responsibilities, and commutes that we forget to see what is around us. I’ve been working with a remote client to build “mindful” lunches into her weekly routine. We came up with the concept together after realizing that she often works straight through lunch, picking at food here and there but never stopping to enjoy. She took her first mindful lunch last week, and you know what she found?

Quiet. Peace. Strategic thinking. When she gave herself permission to slow down, unplug, and pay attention to what she was eating, I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that she found inspiration.

Dayton’s pace is undeniably slower than New York’s, but with maturity, experience, and more than a few stumbles under my belt, I feel better equipped now to enjoy what my hometown has to offer. Now when I travel to New York (or wherever) I find myself bringing a bit more of Dayton with me.

DCDC

 

If you’re gathering with family tomorrow, I hope you’ll take a few moments to contemplate the community we live in. I hope you’ll make it a point in the coming weeks to shop local, buy someone you love a surprise cupcake, or take an interesting yoga class. You want to be healthy? It’s not just about diet, exercise, and sleep–although all three of those things are important. You also need to feel inspired, connected, and stimulated. I’m proud to call myself a Daytonian, but from a health and wellness perspective I’m proud to live in a city in which I know my clients can become the best possible version of themselves.

 

 

 

 

Trying To Get Healthy? Keep It Simple To Start.

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Jason arms foldedI’ve worked as a personal trainer and fitness coach all across this country, from New York to Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. As I return to my roots in the Dayton area, I’ll be using this space to write about health, wellness, and lifestyle with an eye toward the practical, the sustainable, and the efficient. Probably the most important thing that I’ve learned over the last ten years in an exploding industry is that health and fitness have become needlessly complicated for busy people. My goal in my work and in this space is to fix that.

So let’s get started.

If you’re the average American—meaning, you don’t eat the right combination of foods, you don’t get enough exercise, and you’re overweight—then you should start your fitness journey as simply as possible.

What to Put in Your Face: Vegetables and Water

When it comes to healthy body composition, your goal is to find nutrient dense foods as opposed to calorie dense foods. Vegetables are nutrient dense foods packed with things like vitamins and minerals but not calories. They also are full of fiber, which has been shown to play an important role in everything from immune health to digestion. Chances are if you fill half your plate with vegetables at every meal (yes, including breakfast) and eat slowly, you’ll have a built-in portion control.IMG_5368

 

The rest of your plate should be a combination of a good, lean source of protein like chicken if you’re a meat eater or beans if you’re not; a healthy fat like olive oil or avocado; and a small amount of a starchy carbohydrate like rice, potatoes, or bread (if you must).

And of course, like your grandmama said, drink more water. It will help with proper body function and it will help you avoid mindless consumption of things like soda. If you’re struggling to drink enough, try this: fill a glass of water and put it by your bedside table. When you wake up in the morning drink the entire glass.

IMG_5373

 

What to do with Your Body: Lift, Walk, Love

Many people mistakenly believe that they need to run, bike, jog, dance, or somehow cardio their way to a better body. They buy Fitbits and sign up for brutal bootcamps and hire trainers to kick their butts like they see on reality television. They do all of these things because they believe the goal with exercise is pain and sweat. But if you’re a busy person with limited time, your primary goal with exercise ought to be to build as much muscle mass as possible.

Why? Simply put, the more muscle mass you have, the higher the rate of your calorie burning while at rest. People say they want to lose weight, but more often they’re really looking to be leaner. They want to look good naked as opposed to only looking good with their clothes on (the dreaded “skinny fat” aesthetic). Looking good naked requires muscle.

If you’re doing weight-bearing exercise twice a week then you’re already giving yourself a fighting chance of having the body you want. But cardiovascular fitness also is important, so you should try to walk—preferably outside, and preferably with a loved one—several times a week. Outside because it’s more interesting and you’ll get valuable vitamin D from the sun exposure. With a loved one because strong social ties and stress reduction are important foundations for lifelong fitness.

Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t complicated, but that’s not the same thing as easy. Incorporating these simple changes into one’s life is difficult enough. Don’t distract yourself with gadgets, juice cleanses, and diets. Sustainability and efficiency are built upon a foundation of the basics.

Flavors in Centerville Offering Healthy Meal Plans “To Go.”

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Pizza boat - with Zucchini

Zucchini Boats from Flavors are Delicious !

Today, The Food Adventures Crew shows you an easy way to keep your New Year’s resolutions for healthy eating.  Flavors in Centerville continues to launch their “Meals by Flavors” option, where you can plan your healthy meals for the week.  You can pre-order 1 meal, or as many as you want.  Imagine that, full on, healthy Food Adventures in convenient packages!

We all love Flavors Eatery for their one-of-a-kind, healthy food specialties, that taste delicious.  They have so many dishes that taste amazing, yet are low calorie,  low carb and packed with nutrients.  When new owner, Ryan, bought the Centerville location from Elaine and Rich, he stayed true to their menu.  One of his visions was adding this meal program that helped him lose weight.

Now, you can get certain meals “to go” and keep your waistline healthy throughout the week.  With “Meals By Flavors” you can turn your resolution, into a lifestyle.

To stay skinny you gotta know the scoop.. so here it is…

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

Ryan and his son

Centerville Flavors Owner, Ryan and his son

— The concept is simple.  Stay on track with your diet by substituting legumes and vegetables for your favorite carb foods.  The idea is to “fool” your tastebuds into  thinking you are eating your favorite foods.  A perfect example is using shredded Zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti or pulverized cauliflower instead of rice.  The menu is developed to taste good, and deliver all the nutrition and protein your body needs, in a low fat meal.  Simply stated, the flavors are so good, you don’t miss a thing because it satisfies your cravings.

— You must email [email protected] to request a menu, and to place your orders too .  Orders take approx 48 hours to prepare, and may be picked up at the Centerville location at 865 E. Franklin St.

— Orders are typically packaged in air tight containers, so that when refrigerated, they will last a few days.  Some dinners will last longer than others, depending on ingredients and packaging.

— Menu prices typically run between $6 – $12, depending on the dish.  Please note: the $12 meals were sometimes enough for two meals, and we have big appetites.

 

Now, we present a Food Adventures first.  Our all-time healthiest list of “Must Eats,” thanks to “Meals By Flavors”

 

MUST EATS:

 — ZUCCHINI PIZZA BOATS with TURKEY PEPPERONI  & MIXED GREENS SALAD: Hulled zucchini filled with marinara sauce, spinach, fresh basil, fresh oregano, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  The boats are then topped with a little bit of thinly sliced, fresh mozzarella and turkey pepperoni.  (In the past we have also seen these offered with lean ground beef).  The result is a cross between a pizza and a potato skin, with hardly any calories.  Fantastic must eat, at the top of our list.

Stuffed

Stuffed Green and Red Peppers

— FISH TACOS:  The fish offered is usually Salmon and/or Tilapia, and sometimes Wahoo whitefish.  The fish is seared and served with a cup of spicy Boom-Boom sauce, two low-carb tortillas, and Flavor’s signature salsa loaded with lime and fresh cilantro. It also comes with a side of apple and vegetable slaw lightly seasoned and placed on a bed of fresh baby spinach.

— CHUNKY CHICKEN SALAD:  One of our Food Adventure faves, right off the flavors menu!   It starts with spinach and romaine salad with hand-pulled roasted chicken.   Also packaged are black beans,  apple and veggie slaw, sunflower seeds, cheddar-jack cheese, and of course, Flavors House Sauce.  Light, fresh and delicious, this chicken salad is a must eat, no brainer.

—ROASTED RED PEPPER PIZZA:  The dough is actually a low carb tortilla.  It is then loaded with spinach and roasted red, green, and yellow peppers.  Add to that a generous portion of chicken and cheddar-jack cheese blend. This meal is served with a side of buttered, poached carrots.

— AVACADO COOKIES:  Made with nothing except Avacado these dark black cookies are amazing and a guilt free treat.Salad

Honorable Mention: Red and Green Stuffed Pepper Dinner: A big meal of peppers stuffed with homemade refried beans, roasted chicken, spinach and topped off with salsa.  It is served with a side of mixed veggies.

Also the Smoked Brisket Salad deserves a mention. Thinly sliced smoked brisket on a mix of romaine and spinach leaves.   Meal also includes apple-veggie slaw. The salad is also topped with a bed of black beans, sunflower seeds, and Flavors House Sauce!

Flavors Eatery always pleases, and their “Meals By Flavors” program is no different.  Brillant usues of legumes, vegetables and sauces make guilt free seem so easy.

 

But our article doesn’t end here…. With Flavors Eatery there are 3 other important things we would like to mention.

 

**** 3 OTHER THINGS TO NOTE ***

Bottles of sauce at DLM1) The Flavors Eatery in Centerville now serves dinner every day until 9pm, except Tuesday and Sunday.  This is great news for many of us that enjoy flavors, but wished they had extended hours.  Our prayers have been answered!

 

2) There is a Flavors Eatery now in Downtown Lebanon, at 4 South Broadway, where Rich and Elaine have expanded their franchise!   They are running the new restaurant just like the original !  Stop in and say hello to this great mom and pop team !

3) Bottles of FLAVORS AMAZING HOUSE GARLIC SAUCE are available at Dorothy Lane Market.  What are you doing sitting there?  Grab a bottle already !  This sauce goes great on anything from chicken and seafood, to salad and nachos.

 

So get on your computers, email [email protected], and tell them you want the “Meals by Flavors” menu.  For those of us with a busy lifestyle, it keeps your diet on track during the week!

Want to keep on track with all the foodie happenings in Dayton?  Then “like” Food Adventures on Facebook, and join the thousands that know, we set the cutting edge trends that other follow.  Keep up with the Food Adventures crew of Hungry Jax, Chef House, the King and the Big Ragu and comment on your favorite eateries.

Also – check out our 50 photos below of Flavor’s best items !

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Yoga offered at Westminster Presbyterian Church

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YogaInterested in calming the mind and feeling your stress melt away? Yes, it IS possible in just an hour. You will practice/learn how to maintain that feeling throughout your day. Yoga will be offered each Tues 12:30-1:30. Beginners Basics. No previous Yoga experience needed. Open to all ages of adults, body types and genders. (Real men do Yoga too)! Yoga isn’t about being flexible or already fit. It’s about breath work, community and allowing the body to release. What to bring: a mat if you have one, (there will be a few loaner mats available), and a light blanket or throw. Most importantly: bring your true self with an open heart AND a friend or two (the community part). Open to the public. Location: Stargazer Theater. Enter the church thru Wilkinson St side. Press intercom button, say you are there for Yoga. When inside head down the stairs. Theater is at bottom of stairs on your left. The theater is on the same side of church you will enter. Each student’s first class is free. $8/class or a 5 class pass for $35. Parking is free – use the church lot (on First across from church) and tell attendant you are going into church.  Questions? 937-609-6759 [email protected]

Yoga will also be offered:

Tuesday March 04, 2014
Tuesday March 11, 2014
Tuesday March 18, 2014
Tuesday March 25, 2014

Come out and do something good for your mind, body and spirit!

 

Courteous Mass Ride @ Fifth Third Field

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Winter CyclingTrying to stick to that New Year’s resolution to get healthy and fit? Here’s an opportunity!

Come see the city from your bike! Courteous Mass Dayton is a community of bike minded individuals who gather on the first Fridays of the month and take a street ride tour of the city. We do this to raise awareness of bikes as transportation and to raise visibility of cyclist on our streets. Courteous Mass is a bit different from other groups that call themselves Critical Mass. Courteous Mass is dedicated to following the rules of the road to set a rider standard. Courteous Mass is a great way to get yourself familiar with riding your bicycle in the streets. Dayton is recognized as a Bronze-level Bike Friendly City by the League of American Bicyclists for its bicycle friendly infrastructure. Dayton is making it easier for the citizens to use the bicycle as a viable means of transportation. No matter if you’re just starting out riding or if you’ve been riding for years, Courteous Mass is the event for you!

When: Friday February 07, 2014 at 5:30 pm and Every First Friday of the Month at 5:30 pm
Where: Fifth Third Field, 220 N. Patterson Blvd., Dayton, OH
Parking: Metered parking is free after 6pm. There are various free parking spots along Monument. There is always the option of parking at 2nd Street Market and the Oregon District then ride your bike to the event.
Email: [email protected]

This month’s route will go through the main streets of downtown and will be shorter in length to accommodate the weather. All tours are free and they welcome any skill level.

Visit their website for more details! www.courteousmassdayton.com

Living Up to Your New Years Resolutions

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With the final moments of 2013 ticking away as I type, my over-achieving type brain has been focusing on my goals for the coming year for several weeks now.  I’m not sure why we, as humans, tend to see the beginning of the new year as the time to re-evaluate our lives and set new goals, but I know I’m not the only one who takes some time to reflect on where I am and where I’m going as another year draws to an end.

What can we all do to set realistic goals for the coming year and make sure we set ourselves up for success?  It seems to me that the key to success is really straight forward and probably something you’ve heard a million times before–the key to success is setting SMART goals. You’ve heard of SMART goals before, right? Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-bound. Okay, so we know what it means, but what does it actually mean in practice?

GABPFor 2013, I set all sorts of goals for myself. I was new at this whole blogging thing this time last year, and I saw all these other healthy living bloggers posting their 2013 goals on their blogs, so I found myself doing the same. I set personal goals, professional goals and fitness goals. I lived up to a few of them, but the main problem was that I set so many goals, I couldn’t really focus my attention on anything in particular.  Aside from the SMART philosophy, if I can give you one piece of advice, it would be to set one or two important goals for yourself, and focus on those and those alone. Save the rest for future years.

I had one primary goal for 2013 though, that I really followed through with. My goal was to complete a virtual challenge called “13 in 2013“, which essentially boiled down to completing 13 running races (of any distance I chose) during the year. I truly believe that the reason I achieved this goal is because it stacked up to the SMART theory on goal setting.  Let’s break it down.

Specific.  Yep, this goal was very specific and very clear on what I needed to do. I had 12 months and 13 races to complete.  Easy enough, and definitely not ambigious.

Measurable: Absolutely, this goal was measurable. I kept track of my races on my blog throughout the year, so I could always check my progress. I knew at any given point in the year how many races I had completed and how many more I had to go to meet my goal.

Attainable: I had never really kept track of how many races I had done before, but I never doubted that this goal was attainable. I thought it might be a stretch, especially pushing myself to get out the door for races during the cold weather months here in Dayton, but that’s what made it a goal. If it wasn’t challenging, it wouldn’t be worth aspiring to achieve. But, it wasn’t so far out there that it seemed impossible. Boulevard Bolt

Relevant: Running 13 races in 2013 was a relevant goal for me as I’ve become something of a fitness junkie and running races is a fun social activity for me. Plus, it keeps me active and gives me something to blog about. Running is a hobby, so this goal fit my lifestyle seamlessly.

Time-bound: Yep, this goal definitely met the time-bound criteria. All 13 races had to be completed between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013.  Done and done.

I can’t remember another new years resolution that I’ve ever followed through on 100% in the past, but I’m proud to have completed the 13 in 2013 challenge.  As I look forward to 2014, I’m certainly going to bear this example in mind with my goal setting for the year. Because let’s face it–why bother setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves that are going to leave us feeling like crap when we can’t succeed? Set a goal that is SMART for 2014, and maybe this time next year you’ll be sitting here thinking, “Wow, I actually lived up to my New Years Resolution last year.”