GRAMMYS 2020 | NOMINATIONS + PREDICTIONS
On Jan 26th, the Grammys airs with a number of artists that we have all enjoyed on our playlists. We’ll be checking out the red carpet, as well as the winners. As usual, we are listing who we predict will win in italics, who actually won in bold and those that we accurately predicted will be in bold italics.
Album of the Year
Bon Iver - i,i
Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
H.E.R. - I Used to Know Her
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Lil Nas X - 7
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Record of the Year
Bon Iver - Hey, Ma
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Ariana Grande - 7 rings
H.E.R. - Hard Place
Khalid - Talk
Lil Nas X - Old Town Road
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Post Malone - Sunflower
Song of the Year
Lady Gaga - Always Remember Us This Way
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Tanya Tucker - Bring My Flowers Now
H.E.R. - Hard Place
Taylor Swift - Lover
Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Best New Artist
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola
Pop Best Pop Solo Performance
Beyoncé - Spirit
Billie Eilish - Bad Guy
Ariana Grande - 7 rings
Lizzo - Truth Hurts
Taylor Swift - You Need to Calm Down
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Ariana Grande & the Social House - Boyfriend
The Jonas Brothers - Sucker
Lil Nas X - Old Town Road [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Post Malone - Sunflower [ft. Swae Lee]
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello - Señorita
Best Pop Vocal Album
Beyoncé - The Lion King: The Gift
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Ed Sheeran - No.6 Collaborations Project
Taylor Swift - Lover
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Andrea Bocelli - Sì
Michael Bublé - Love (Deluxe Edition)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Look Now
John Legend - A Legendary Christmas
Barbra Streisand - Walls
Rap Best Rap Album
Dreamville - Revenge of the Dreamers III
Meek Mill - Championships
21 Savage - I Am > I Was
Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
YBN Cordae - The Lost Boy
Best Rap Song
YBN Cordae - Bad Idea [ft. Chance the Rapper]
Rick Ross - Gold Roses [ft. Drake]
21 Savage - A Lot [ft. J. Cole]
Nipsey Hussle - Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
DaBaby - Suge
Best Rap Performance
J. Cole - Middle Child
DaBaby - Suge
Dreamville - Down Bad [ft. J.I.D., Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy]
Nipsey Hussle - Racks in the Middle [ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy]
Offset - Clout [ft. Cardi B]
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
DJ Khaled - Higher [ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend]
Lil Baby and Gunna - Drip Too Hard
Lil Nas X - Panini
Mustard - Ballin [ft. Roddy Ricch]
Young Thug - The London [ft. J. Cole and Travis Scott]
Rock Best Rock Performance
Bones UK - Pretty Waste
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land
Brittany Howard - History Repeats
Karen O & Danger Mouse - Woman
Rival Sons - Too Bad
Best Metal Performance
Candlemass - Astorolus - The Great Octopus [ft. Tony Iommi] Death Angel - Humanicide
I Prevail - Bow Down
Killswitch Engage - Unleashed
Tool - 7empest
Best Rock Song
Tool - Fear Inoculum
The 1975 - Give Yourself a Try
Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall
Brittany Howard - History Repeats
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land
Best Rock Album
Bring Me the Horizon - amo
Cage the Elephant - Social Cues
The Cranberries - In the End
I Prevail - Trauma
Rival Sons - Feral Roots
Best Alternative Music Album
Big Thief - U.F.O.F.
James Blake - Assume Form
Bon Iver - i,i
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Thom Yorke - ANIMA
R&B Best R&B Performance
Daniel Caesar - Love Again [ft. Brandy]
H.E.R. - Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Lizzo - Exactly How I Feel [ft. Gucci Mane]
Lucky Daye - Roll Some Mo
Anderson .Paak - Come Home [ft. Andre 3000]
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Bj the Chicago Kid - Time Today
India.Arie- Steady Love
Lizzo - Jerome
Lucky Daye - Real Games
PJ Morton - Built for Love [ft. Jazmine Sullivan]
Best R&B Song
H.E.R. - Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Emily King - Look At Me Now
Chris Brown - No Guidance [ft. Drake]
Lucky Daye - Roll Some Mo
PJ Morton - Say So [ft. JoJo]
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Steve Lacy - Apollo XXI
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload
Nao - Saturn
Jessie Reyez - Being Human in Public
Best R&B Album
BJ the Chicago Kid - 1123
Lucy Daye - Painted
Ella Mai - Ella Mai
PJ Morton - Paul
Anderson .Paak - Ventura
Latin Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Bad Bunny - X 100Pre
J Balvin & Bad Bunny - Oasis
Flor De Toloache - Indestructible
iLe - Almadura
Rosalía - El Mal Querer
Dance Best Dance Recording
Bonobo - Linked
The Chemical Brothers - Got to Keep On
Medusa - Piece of Your Heart [ft. Goodboys]
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Underwater
Skrillex and Boys Noize - Midnight Hour [ft. Ty Dolla $ign]
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Apparat - LP5
The Chemical Brothers - No Geography
Flume - Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape)
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Solace
Tycho - Weather
Comedy Best Comedy Album
Jim Gaffigan - Quality Time
Ellen DeGeneres - Relatable
Aziz Ansari - Right Now
Trevor Noah - Son of Patricia
Dave Chapelle - Sticks and Stones
Spoken WordBest Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Various Artists - Beastie Boys Book
Michelle Obama - Becoming
Eric Alexandrakis - I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor
John Waters - Mr. Know-It-All
Sekou Andrews & The String Theory - Sekou Andrews & The String Theory
Remix Best Remixed Recording
Madonna - I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix)
Miley Cyrus - Mother’s Daughter (Wuki Remix)
Jorja Smith - The One (High Contrast Remix)
Mild Minds - Swim (Ford. Remix)
Marie Davidson - Work It (Soulwax Remix)
Music for Visual Media Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Various Artists - The Lion King: The Songs
Various Artists - Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Taron Egerton - Rocketman
Various Artists - Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Alan Silvestri - Avengers: Endgame
Hildur Guðnadóttir - Chernobyl
Ramin Djawadi - Game of Thrones: Season 8
Hans Zimmer - The Lion King
Marc Shaiman - Mary Poppins Returns
Best Song Written for Visual Media
Chris Stapleton - The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy
Dolly Parton and Linda Perry - Girl in the Movies
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)
Beyoncé - Spirit
Thom Yorke - Suspirium
Packaging Best Recording Package
Voces Del Bullerengue - Anónimas & Resilientes
Chris Cornell - Chris Cornell
The Muddy Basin Ramblers - Hold That Tiger
Bon Iver - i,i
Intellexual - Intellexual
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Thom Yorke - Anima
David Gray - Gold in Brass Age
John Coltrane - 1963: New Directions
Wilhelm Furtwängler & Berliner Philharmoniker - The Radio Recordings 1939-1945
Various Artists - Woodstock: Back to the Garden - The Definitive 50th Anniversary
Best Album Notes
The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions - Judy Cantor-Navas
The Gospel According to Malaco - Robert Maravich
Pedal Steel + Four Corners - Brendan Greaves
Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection - Jeff Place
Stay ’68: A Memphis Story - Steve Greenberg
Producer Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed
Music Video/Film Best Music Video
The Chemical Brothers - We’ve Got to Try
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land
FKA Twigs - Cellophane
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus - Old Town Road (Official Movie)
Tove Lo - Glad He’s Gone
Best Music Film
Beyoncé - Homecoming
David Crosby - Remember My Name
Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
Various Artists - Shangri-La
Thom Yorke - Anima
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Featured Awards Season
HOW TO GAIN MUSCLE WITHOUT FAT: RULES FOR YOUR DREAM GAINS
One of the most prominent myths in the fitness world is that gaining muscle means you also gain fat. This is just simply false.
It’s on countless fitness magazines – you have to eat a lot to gain muscle and mass. For some people, this becomes an endless cycle of eating too much to bulk up and then go to awful crash diets to shed excess fat and reveal those hard-earned muscles.
Some turn into fat-burners, which are in most cases unhealthy, if not dangerous. Needless to say, this cycle is not the best way to go about it.
Also, many people get stuck at the first step and are unable to lose excess fat. This is why some people are turned off on the idea of weight training.
Ways on How to Get Your Dream Muscles without Fats
So you want to know how to gain muscle without fat? Here are some tips.
Eat Lean, Increase Your Protein
PHOTO COURTESY | UnSplash
Exercise and training are just parts of clean bulking. The other half of the battle is in the kitchen. And this battle can boil down to one word – quality.
Choose quality calories
Do your muscle a favor and stay away from refined grains, sugar, poor-quality protein. Examples of quality protein include lean and grass-fed meat, wild seafood, free-range eggs, beans, and nuts.
Of course, the readily available protein bars and protein shakes are good options. This is because they come with essential vitamins and minerals, but make sure it’s a good quality brand.
The key is to eat a balanced meal around protein. Also, make sure you include nutrient-rich food and low-glycemic carbohydrates (i.e. dried beans and legumes, most fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and some starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, cereals, whole-grain bread, etc.). Healthy fats such as those from avocado, egg, cheese, dark chocolate, fatty fish, nuts, chia seeds, etc. are also good.
Fuel Right
When you’re working out, your body will need the right food to perform at its best and recover better. Try to breakdown your daily food intake into 40/30/30 percentage, that’s 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fat. You need to save most of your carbs to your workout days for a quick energy boost.
Also, since your body’s metabolism is kicking after your workout, it is best to eat a big and healthy meal to help your muscles recover.
Skip the Processed Food
Burger and fries may be super convenient and can get you to your desired calorie intake. However, it can’t contribute anything to your desired goals and can hinder. All those salt, sugar, and saturated fat will cause your body to crash.
You will feel low in energy and unable to perform at your best at your workout. Do this while putting in extra and unwanted fat to your body.
When looking for fuel to get you through your workouts, choose healthy alternatives such as brown rice, whole grains, potatoes, yams, oats, etc. Also, stay away from refined oils, as this can add extra calories to your diet and leads to more fat.
Move Often
You are already training religiously five times a week, eating clean, and stayed discipline against food binges. However, if the rest of your days is sedentary (working in front of a computer), you are still on a fat-storing mode.
Prolonged sitting causes the body to release cortisol, the stress hormone. When this happens, the body turns on its fat storage mode. The best way to get around this is to get up and move around every 30 minutes, especially if your job is sedentary by nature.
If possible, you can also get a standing desk. Standing for a prolonged time can help your body burn fat. Of course, do it gradually to allow your body to develop those muscles required for prolonged standing.
Hit the Gym Hard
There’s no going around it. You can’t slack off at the weight room and expect changes to your body. You need to clock at work.
So talk to your trainer about your goals. Don’t have a personal trainer? Easy, there are lots of resources online that can help you get started.
As you progress in your training, or if you want to be serious in your training, then you need to find a fitness coach. Most gyms have their trainers that can guide you through the process.
Tone Down the Cardio
Cardio exercises have long been touted as the go-to fat loss solution. Many people assume they need to do hours on the treadmill or elliptical for it to be effective.
While this seems logical (as we always see lean runners), the catabolic activity that our body gets while doing cardio results in a tradeoff of muscle.
Cardio releases adrenaline and cortisol hormones, they breakdown tissues. Doing too much of it, especially when there are not enough calories, interferes with muscle development (anabolic process) and slows down your metabolism.
Should you need to do cardio, make sure you don’t exceed 30 to 45 minutes a day, a maximum of five times per week. Also, you can get a better and more challenging workout doing HIIT (high-intensity interval training).
These routines combine aerobic and anaerobic exercises. They are short, quick, but intense exercises that can challenge your whole body.
Get Enough Sleep
Rest is crucial for muscle development. We build muscles when we sleep. If your body is not getting enough sleep, or your sleep is constantly interrupted, then your body won’t be able to go to its recovery phase thoroughly and will switch out its fat-burning mode.
So how do you make sure you get enough sleep? Take enough calories throughout the day. You can supplement your diet with magnesium as well.
Take Supplements
You can double up on your effort to gain muscles with the intake of supplements. The right weight gainer supplements can fast track your way to building the muscles you want. There are supplements for women that workout and men, too.
Make sure you choose the right supplement for your needs to get the best results. If you have a hard time choosing the right supplement, you can consult with your trainer or nutritionist.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured Fitness
THE BACHELOR S24. E3. | CAN WE GET BACK TO THE DATES?
If you have yet to check out this week’s episode, stop reading this and catch it on your DVR or On Demand as below we have spoilers! If you have watched it or just enjoy reading recaps, then continue on!
Week three starts off with of course #ChampagneGate - is Hannah Ann a “champagne stealer”, does Kelsey even like champagne (it was Dom which tends to be something that everyone is able to consume without an issue) even though she held onto it for a year for a special moment, how does the rest of the house weigh in on this and more importantly - does Kelsey need to have a course on what bullying entails? Thankfully, we get to head out to a bit of line dancing with Peter and Victoria P to see their energy as well as to hear about her backstory - which was heartbreaking and is giving us a bit of the feels! Of course back at the house, the drama over champagne has continued with Sydney letting all of us know what we have been thinking, Alayah isn’t exactly on our list of people we would hang out with and a few people cosigned the sentiment.
The night took on quite a twist when it came to the afternoon party. With Peter coming to terms with comments that were said about Alayah, he ended up leaving to assess what happened. At he Rose Ceremony, he even had Chris Harrison remove one of the rose to send a total of 4 girls home that he didn’t feel were there for him. It seems like at the end of each week’s episode, Peter has yet to have a smooth one. Hopefully, the upcoming weeks won’t continue to be as crazy as they have been!
As always, every episode of ABC’s The Bachelor is tweeted by (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to give their commentary on what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns if we were choosing right now! We will also say who we think should take it all.
We also suggest a podcast that we’re obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) who continues to provide more scoop on what’s going on and what they anticipate happening in the next episode!
LAST WEEK’S EPISODE
We were all about Hannah Ann, Mykenna, Natasha and Sydney. We thought Sydney would ultimately win The Bachelor’s heart.
WEEK 3
This week, we definitely loved Victoria P for her one-on-one date with Peter and then being vulnerable enough to share where she came from. They look absolutely adorable and can’t wait to see more of who she is as we go throughout the season. Although we have seen Hannah Ann a lot and she continues to be involved in the aftermath of #ChampagneGate, the chemistry is definitely there. Sydney came out swinging by standing behind being truthful about Alayah and opening the door to others in the house weighing in privately. Unfortunately, Mykenna and Natasha aren’t in our picks of who will continue onto Hometowns, we are bringing in Madison as Peter has a lot of synergy with him as we continue into the season.
Ultimately, we think that Victoria P. could win Peter’s heart.
OUR HOMETOWN PICKS
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Featured TV Show
WHY BLOOD OXYGEN LEVELS ARE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHEN EXERCISING
The amount of gases and oxygen circulating in the blood can affect performance during exercise. Knowing the oxygen you are using is also indicative of how well you are processing and utilizing oxygen in the body. If you’re able to use oxygen effectively, you have more chances of doing longer and more challenging workouts. In contrast, low oxygen levels will cause you to tire more easily and get dizzy and drowsy.
The body needs oxygen to function, and each tissue in the body utilizes oxygen to function properly. Exercising depletes the body of oxygen, and the body eventually slows down after a length of time doing strenuous physical activities.
The following are just some reasons why oxygen levels are important to know when exercising:
1. Knowing your blood oxygen levels will keep you from fainting
Fainting is a sudden loss of consciousness that can happen to athletes who have been exerting too much effort. Fainting can happen to endurance athletes in triathlons, and it is usually a combination of many factors, foremost of which is the lack of oxygen in the brain. Low blood pressure is also a factor in fainting. Loss of consciousness because of fainting is not really considered to be a serious issue.
Fainting usually results from oxygen levels in the brain dropping too low. The result of this is the reduction of blood pressure in parts of the body. Fainting is a survival mechanism since the brain gets extra blood at the expense of other parts of the body.
Sometimes people who exercise get dizzy after their workouts, and this is caused by a lack of oxygen.
When you are exercising, your muscles use up a lot of oxygen. Your breathing and heart rate naturally increases so that oxygen-rich blood can flow into your veins and muscles. Some people forget to breathe adequately during their exercise, and this results in the heart not being able to pump up enough oxygenated blood into the brain. Dizziness occurs when the brain lacks oxygen
It is important to breathe properly while exercising to make sure you are getting enough oxygen throughout your body.
Many people tend to withhold their breath during certain exercises, such as core exercises. Try to find a balance between tightening your muscles and getting enough breath. Practicing the right balance can make performing this exercise easier.
2. You will be able to exercise more efficiently
The body uses oxygen as a source of energy, and it keeps the body working at an optimal level. On average people need an oxygen saturation level or SpO2 of 89 percent to maintain healthy tissues and proper functioning at the cellular level. Lower SpO2 than the recommended amounts can cause strain in internal organs. The body won’t be working at its optimal best.
Below average SpO2 levels are also known as hypoxia and can be a sign of underlying diseases related to lung and sleep. Low SpO2 may require a person to have a supplement of oxygen to help the body work at an optimal level and prevent damage at the cellular level.
The oxygen saturation level indicates how much oxygen is reaching the tissues during exercise. It is important to know your SPO2 levels after every workout. Above-average blood oxygen levels mean the body will convey the oxygen throughout the body quicker. Below average blood oxygen levels mean the body will transmit oxygen to the tissues slower resulting in fatigue and sluggishness during workouts.
A pulse oximeter can measure the oxygen levels in the body. The pulse oximeter is non-invasive and painless and gives a general guide as to the oxygen present in tissues like the finger earlobe and nose. It uses a clip-like device with a probe to be placed in the body parts mentioned.
3. Knowing your oxygen levels will help you guard against dehydration
Dehydration is a condition of a lack of water supply in the body. Most endurance athletes, such as triathletes, travel long miles, and distances to perform physical feats. The types of activities they do vary from swimming to cycling to running. These athletes need to be constantly hydrated, and there are usually water stations whenever a triathlon event is held in a city or area. Fainting spells and dehydration are certain conditions that these athletes or anyone exercising for a prolonged period of time will face.
Dehydration is more than depletion of water in the body. Lack of water also causes a decline in the blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. It is important to be aware not only of how much oxygen you are taking in but also of how much water you are ingesting. Water and oxygen go hand in hand in giving the body sufficient resources to the body to perform at optimum levels. The lack of water will affect the distribution of oxygen in the brain, so it is crucial to drink water at a constant level during any physical exertion.
Can You Boost Your Oxygen Before Exercising to Keep the Levels from Dropping?
There is really no surefire way to boost oxygen levels and keep them from dropping when exercising. Oxygen naturally drops after any physical activity. However, there are some supplements that are touted to boost oxygen levels, and they are available in forms such as tinctures available in liquid format. Some are even available in a can and even have flavors such as tropical breeze.
Some athletes use oxygen supplements to boost their performance. Since oxygen is known as a natural source of energy, it is accepted as a sports enhancer.
The amount of oxygen levels in the body can actually be boosted by exercise and deep breathing such as yoga. The body works to keep SpO2 levels up during exercise, which can train the body to keep oxygen levels up even when at rest. One hour of brisk exercise such as intense walking, running, cycling, and dancing for at least several times a week can significantly increase SpO2 levels.
Diet also has an effect on oxygen levels. Eating chlorophyll-rich foods such as spinach, lettuce and seeds and nuts such as sunflower seeds and almonds can draw more oxygen into the blood, thus increasing SpO2 levels.
Final Thoughts
Oxygen is crucial to exercise since it is used by every cell and tissue in the body. Determining oxygen levels are as important as the heart rate and pulse rate before starting on an exercise regimen. The amount of oxygen you receive can be improved by increasing your physical activity and improving your diet. Good oxygen levels mean a more effective workout session and a more efficient way of reaching fitness goals.
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Featured Fitness
7 EXHILARATING WATER ACTIVITIES TO TRY ON YOUR NEXT BEACH VACATION
Are you heading away on a beach vacation soon? Read on for seven water activities for thrill-seekers to try between suntanning and lazy beach chair naps.
Are you pondering what you're going to do on your next beach vacation?
For many people, a beach vacation is a chance to relax, forget about work, and read a good book. But, if you're one of those people who find lying on the beach for hours to be boring, then you may be concerned with how you're going to fill your time.
The good news is, there are plenty of water activities that can keep you occupied on your next beach vacation.
Check out this guide to learn about the top exhilarating water activities you need to try on your next beach vacation.
1. Snorkeling
The great thing about snorkeling is that it's an activity that anyone can enjoy, and it comes at a super low cost. All you need is a snorkeling mask and you're good to go.
However, even though snorkeling is quite easy, there are some things to keep in mind when you go so you can avoid the dangers of snorkeling. Here are some of the top tips for beginner snorkelers:
Adjust your snorkeling mask so it's slightly snug, but not super tight
Practice snorkeling in a pool or shallow beach before hitting the deep ocean
Snorkel from a beach, not a boat if it's your first time (you'll also see better marine life this way)
While most beachside hotels rent snorkeling gear, it's still a good idea to call ahead and ask. The hotel can also give you some tips on the best snorkeling spots in the area.
2. Scuba Diving
If snorkeling leaves you wanting to discover underwater life even further, then it's time to move onto something bigger and better: scuba diving.
Unlike snorkeling, scuba diving does come with a big learning curve. In fact, to scuba dive legally, you need to obtain a license. Luckily, obtaining a license only takes a few days of coursework, and there are scuba diving certification courses offered all over the world.
If you live in a big city, even if it's not near the beach, there's still a good chance that you can earn your certification through a local PADI club that uses a pool to teach you the skills.
Also, if you're not quite sure if scuba diving is for you, you can do a discover scuba dive. This allows you to test out scuba diving in a shallower level of water without having to fork over all the time and money that goes into the full course.
3. Kayaking
If you're going somewhere with calm waters, then kayaking is the perfect activity to try on your next beach vacation.
Not only is kayaking fun and relaxing, but it's also a great way to get in some exercise. In fact, it's estimated that the average person will burn between 300 and 400 calories per hour kayaking.
If you haven't booked your beach vacation yet and are looking for some great places to go kayaking, here are some of our top suggestions:
Na Pali Coast, Hawaii
Dalmation Coast, Croatia
Galapagos National Park, Ecuador
Turks and Caicos
Belize Barrier Reef
The southern coast of Crete, Greece
5. Stand Up Paddleboarding
Over the last few years, paddleboarding has spiked in popularity amongst water enthusiasts.
The great thing about paddleboarding is that it can be as relaxing or as invigorating as you want it to be. While some people choose to plow through the water at top speed, others paddleboard leisurely, even taking time to lie on their board and enjoy the sites.
In addition to renting stand up paddleboards, another thing that's becoming super popular is doing water yoga while on paddleboards. Depending on where you're staying, your hotel may even offer a yoga paddleboard class. If not, you can still rent a board and try your hand at a few poses.
6. Surfing
Of course, no list of water sports would be complete without mentioning surfing. While this sport comes with a big learning curve, there's perhaps nothing more invigorating and rewarding than catching your first wave.
If you've never surfed before, we definitely recommend taking a few lessons before you paddle out on your own. If you're looking for some great surf spots for beginners, we recommend the following:
Waikiki, Hawaii
Morro Bay, California
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Byron Bay, Australia
Algarve, Portugal
Santa Elena, Ecuador
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
7. Kite-Surfing
If you've tried traditional surfing and are ready to take things to another level, then we recommend trying your hand at kite surfing.
Just like paddleboarding, this is a sport that has grown significantly in popularity over the past few years. Plus, this is the perfect sport to try on a windy day when it's a bit too chilly to just lay on the beach.
Much like regular surfing, the learning curve for kite-surfing is quite steep. However, this is a watersport that will keep you entertained for hours on end.
8. Jet Skiing
If you're looking to get your adrenaline pumping but don't have the time or patience to sit through a bunch of surf lessons, then we recommend jet skiing.
Typically, most beach resorts have jet skis that you can rent by the hour. And, the great thing about jet skiing is that you can take a partner along with you to enjoy the water.
Just remember to wear a life jacket and to only attempt this sport if you're a strong swimmer.
9. Parasailing
Last but not least, we have parasailing. If you're looking for a water activity that allows you to enjoy views of the ocean with little to no effort on your part, then parasailing is for you!
Most hotels and popular beaches offer parasailing excursions, so be sure to check with where you're staying to see what options you have.
Are You Ready to Try These Water Activities?
With this list of water activities in hand, there's no way you're going to get bored on your next beach vacation!
Who knows, you may just find a lifelong hobby that you end up planning the rest of your vacations around.
If you liked this article, be sure to check back in with our blog for more vacationing tips and tricks.
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Featured Fitness
HER RECIPE FOR SUCCESS WITH CAT CORA
This month's cover is graced by the first female Iron Chef, Restaurateur and TV Personality, Cat Cora. In addition to our photoshoot for our Holiday issue, we sat down with her to talk about her trailblazing career, her mentors Julia Childs as well as Regynald Washington, a number of exciting projects that she has coming up as well as her latest TV show - ABC's Family Food Fight.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a chef?
CHEF CAT CORA: I think that I really realized that when I was about 15 years old and I had always been around restaurants. My grandfather has restaurants, my godfather had restaurants. I had amazing cooks: my father, my mother, my grandmother all around me - cooking different things. My mom and grandmother could bake and it was very global cuisine. My dad was Greek-American so we learned Greek food and of course, I lived in the South in Mississippi so we had good southern food. So I think that being around restaurants my whole life and growing up around them, it was really in my DNA. So around the age of 15, I thought, “I really want to do this.” I love the vibe and energy of a restaurant and kitchens. I thought that I would want to go in and pursue this lifestyle and this way of living through my career. Again, I thought that I was just born to do this even though it seems like it sounds a little corny.
AM: We love this. So where did you train and where did you go to school, what were various kitchens that you started in before opening your first restaurant?
CHEF CC: Well, I started by going to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I got my degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition with a minor in Biology and I really thought that I was going to go Pre-Med and then I took a detour because I loved health and wellness so much. I thought, “this was great.” I loved being fitness and health-oriented.
It was a perfect fit for me and really after graduation, I backpacked around Europe to 9 countries and just fell in love with food again. When I went back home, I said, “I know I have this degree and it will be great to fall back on, but I think that I want to go back to that first love and that’s food and restaurants!”
So I started working in restaurants and went onto training at the Culinary Institute of America. I was lucky to meet Julia Childs who became a mentor of mine at Natchez, Mississippi at a book signing. I felt that was like the planets aligning for me. I went to see her and was able to get advice from her and she mentored me. She told me to go to the Culinary Institute of America which is the Harvard of culinary schools and I applied pretty much the next day! I went there and graduated with honors and I went to France and cooked in 2 and 3 star Michelin restaurants at a time when women weren’t really allowed in French kitchens. They weren’t welcome there and that was about 20 years ago – which isn’t that long ago. I got 8 or 10 rejection letters in a row from 3 starred Michelin chefs and finally, I got 2! One from Georges Blanc and one from Roger Vergé. They were legendary chefs and I took both of them. I couldn’t choose as one does very classical French and one does Nouvelle Cuisine which is a newer French style – so I took both. One was in the south of France and one was in the northern part of France. They’re very different regions, different foods and ingredients as well. It’s an experience that I would never change for the world. It was very tough, especially as a female as I was the only one in the kitchen at the time. It was very daunting for a lot of chefs and many wouldn’t do that, even male chefs because they knew that French kitchens, and especially 3 starred Michelin kitchens, were very distinguished and very tough.
I did it, I got through it and came back to the US to a lot of job offers and I settled in NY for a little while for about 5-6 years. Then, I got a job offer in Napa Valley as an Executive Chef at a restaurant called Don Giovanni and then the rest was really history because I started working in kitchens as an Executive Chef and just worked my way up into opening my own company. I decided that I wanted to work for myself and be an entrepreneur as I had always had that entrepreneurial spirit and so, I did that and started Cat Cora, Inc. I started TV by chance and got an offer by Food Network by chance because I was on a local channel at the time. I opened Postino at the time where I was an Executive Chef and partner in the Bay Area. They ended up calling me a month later to audition me for my own show and to do guest appearances and that was in 1999.
I’ve been doing TV ever since – 20 years of television and it has been amazing. It’s been such an incredible journey and being able to do various things in this industry has been such a gift and a blessing. I feel that I love having restaurants, I love doing television and creating. My wife, Nicole who is an amazing producer in her own right, and we’re starting to get behind the camera to create shows, producing, doing cookbooks – and this world is so heady and beautiful. It has been such a blessing and here I am – here with you guys! It’s been great! To do this photoshoot and your magazine is so beautiful and to be able to do a high fashion shoot like this is just something that I love. I love fashion, I love jewelry, I love styling and having that from head to toe – whether it’s a pair of sunglasses like we talked about down to the shoes and everything in between! It’s so exciting to me and I love it and I love fashion. This has been such a blast!
AM: We love having you as the cover of Athleisure Mag’s 48th Issue for Dec as well as having this interview available for our podcast show Athleisure Kitchen! We know that you’re a perfect fit for our issue as a trailblazer with a number of accolades including being the first female Iron Chef, the first female that was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Hall of Fame, your career in TV, restaurants and more! Hearing you speak about Julia Childs – what an amazing opportunity to have her as a mentor! What is a piece of advice that she gave you that you still use to this day as you continue to navigate your empire?
CHEF CC: I think that the best piece of advice that she ever told me was to always pay it forward – no matter what you do. My parents also told me that in a different way. They were always giving back to people. My mom was a nurse and my dad was a school teacher. We didn’t have a lot of money, but they always gave back to people in charitable ways and I think that that was ingrained in me as well as my siblings at a really young age.
When I met Julia, she said the same thing! She was so generous with her time and her advice – she did so much nurturing with me and the one thing that she said, was that she did this for me and that it was my turn to do it for somebody else. I think that she saw a passion in me and that it was really what I was meant to do, my destination and my fate.
That was pretty powerful for me and I have done that ever since. We have a women’s empowerment culinary internship that we started where we take one intern a year and they come to my house and are really embedded in our company and our lives for a week. They stay with us, we cook together, they spend time in some of my restaurants. Nicole and I will spend time with them on the business end of it to teach them what we do as a business and to teach them those skills. I think that that is important in this day and age that you have a business sense as well as that creative which goes hand in hand. I think that has been really powerful. I started Chefs for Humanity 15 years ago that is all about emergency feeding relief. It’s about helping to end hunger in the world, fighting hunger and it’s also about nutritional education so we are kind of a three-fold mission that’s been really amazing. We have done programs with Michelle Obama when she was in the White House and I spent time with the Obamas as well and they were so about creating programs that bettered everybody whether it was school feeding – Chefs Move to School, Let’s Move – which was about getting active when they realized that there was an obesity epidemic and other initiatives.
We’ve done multiple things not only here in the US, but globally. So those are the kinds of things that I do to pay it back and I try to do it every day! Whether it’s to young professionals that are looking for advice and on our social media, we’re constantly having questions from people asking if I can mentor them, answer a question or them, give them advice and direction, where they should go to culinary school, what road they should take now and what their next step should be. I feel like I’m constantly and I love giving advice to people and helping them to understand the next step – the way that Julia helped me. My next step for me was that she basically took me by the hand and said, “you’re next step is that you’re going to go to the Culinary Institute of America and get a culinary degree.” I was able to tell her again later, that I was going to go to France and was able to come full circle with her again.
AM: She must have been so proud of that!
CHEF CC: Yeah, she was – she was very happy!
AM: How would you define your style of cooking?
CHEF CC: I would say, very Mediterranean oriented. I can cook almost anything at this point of my career and I mean that in a very humble way. It’s just that I have been trained and especially with Iron Chef, every single battle that I did – it was a different cuisine so that taught me and gave me an ability to research to really understand that cuisine, that region and that country. I got really adept at different cuisines and throughout my cuisine whether it was Asian, Italian – obviously, I grew up in the Greek Southern heritages.
I think that different cuisines from around the world – I love to learn so much about each one of those and it’s like I’m a sponge and want to know more and be curious about things. I think that that gives you an edge and keeps you on your toes and you should always have a curiosity about something else. You’re never done learning. But if I had to answer what is my soul food, Mediterranean food. Foods of the sun and living that lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet is the healthiest diet on the planet and we know that – research has shown that. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fruits and vegetables, lean meats and those types of things. Lots of fish with all of those Omega oils and that’s what I grew up on even though we were from the south – we indulged in southern food too. There was good fried catfish, okra and biscuits and all of that!
Mostly, I grew up on the Mediterranean diet of steamed artichokes and olive oil and lemon – lots of citrus. It’s so good for you and I think that those types of foods really draw me in. It keeps bringing me back to that and my roots – it’s really strong in the way that I cook as I cook from that Mediterranean perspective in that way.
AM: We could eat hummus every day!
CHEF CC: I think I do eat hummus every day!
AM: It’s so good! What are your 3 favorite ingredients that you like to have on hand when you’re in kitchen with Nicole and the kids?
CHEF CC: I always have citrus. I always have a big bowl of citrus so I pull from that a lot. I always finish dishes with a little squeeze of lemon, lime or tangerine – whatever it is depending on what I am cooking in terms of the style. Garlic is a big part of our cooking and I cook with it every day! It’s so good for you and heart healthy and I love really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Those are 3 staples that you will always see in my kitchen. You will never not see good Extra Virgin Olive Oil and it doesn’t have to be super expensive. It’s a little mind boggling how many olive oils there are to choose from these days. So I think that if people look for Extra Virgin always because that’s the first press and you’re going to get the most nutrients and then you look for Cold Pressed which means that there is no heat in the processing of it because that takes away from all the nutrients you’re trying to get when heat is involved. Those are 2 tips for your listeners and readers when they are looking to pick out their Olive Oil.
AM: When you opened your first restaurant, what was that like coming from other people’s kitchens to being in your own space to run it entirely?
CHEF CC: I mean when I opened my first restaurant, Kouzzina by Cat Cora in 2008 – which was 3 years after I started Iron Chef as I started that in 2005, we went for a lot of seasons and it was still going and there were a number of reruns. But in 2008, I started my first restaurant in Disney at the Boardwalk in Orlando. Kouzzina means kitchen in Greek and it was this gorgeous restaurant. We had a wood burning oven and we had this olive oil bar where we olive oil bar where we poured the different kinds that we got all over Greece. It was just a gorgeous restaurant and I think that as my first, I was nervous, but I was super excited. I really did things differently and unorthodox. Most chefs open their first restaurant and then they build from there. They get their TV show and they do their books. I kind of did it the opposite and and it’s the way that it felt and it worked for me. It was a better fit for me to do television, to get all of the experience from a lot of amazing chefs when I was coming up in the industry. I was able to hone my style if you will and who I was, my identity as a chef and then went on to create my company, did television, did my cookbooks and things like that. I kind of did it all and then had a restaurant, but that worked and that was the higher plan.
I think it was amazing. I would have to say that I was in a place where I was more mature, more seasons and able to take on multiple responsibilities and to juggle multiple things going on because I had the experience to do so. I had an amazing partner in Disney. When you’re picking partners and day to day operators, you have to have amazing brands that they always want to succeed and their goal is to be the best. Their standard of excellence and quality is as high as you can get which Disney is and I still have a great relationship with them to this day and we have done multiple things along the years and I think that it is just a fantastic way for me to start my restaurant.
AM: In looking at your restaurants like a portfolio, you have those that you have done in the resorts, the curated version that you did with Weight Watchers at the Barclay Center and then your partnership at Aramark which is beyond ridiculous – how do you go about deciding the kinds of restaurants you will do and the kind of partnerships that you do?
CHEF CC: Yes, again – I had this amazing mentor, Regynald Washington who started my first restaurant in Disney World and he was with me when we started that and he left to go to HBF (Hojeij Branded Foods) which now owns all my airport restaurants. He called me and said, “you gotta do airport branded restaurants with us.” I couldn't resist and we have done some amazing things – 6 airport restaurants around the country. Then it just kind of expanded and I have my partnership with Aramark and we’ve done these beautiful stand alone restaurants, corporate dining, but also 600 pop-ups around the country. Then it just kind of expanded and I have my partnership with Aramark and we’ve done these beautiful stand alone restaurants, corporate dining, but also 600 pop-ups around the country as well.
Then we have Mesa Burger which is in Santa Barbara, Montecito and Goleta and we’re going to expand that out all over the country. It continues to be beautified. My restaurant in Singapore was just phenomenal and it was great to have an international presence and I learned a lot from that experience. There are these amazing things that continue to grow and it's so organic. It happened organically from the very beginning. The Walt Disney restaurant, was just organic and then it expanded from there.
I like that and I also love the idea of putting restaurants – I mean I love stand alone and we’re doing them as well, but I like building those that are in the landscape of America in places where whether it’s an airport, amusement park, national park, corporate dining – places where people really needed healthy cuisine and you were at the mercy of what was there. Stadiums are a good example of this as they have changed dramatically as you’ve seen. People are like, “wow, I can get a healthy meal here while I am watching a concert or a ball game!" If my flight gets delayed, I love that I can go to Cat Cora’s Kitchen and sit there and have an incredible healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. I think that it’s giving people that access to health and wellness and that foundation where we’re not even saying that we are a health and wellness restaurant. Our foundation is based on health and wellness and we cook great food! That’s where for me, I felt that I was given a service that really I wanted to give but it was unexpected. It happened so organically. I mean, before my restaurants, when I was traveling in airports, I couldn’t get an egg white omelet anywhere. Now, that’s what I offer to people and if you want an American breakfast, you can get that there too! I like to offer that healthy option and I think that that is what was missing.
AM: We always like asking people about their 3 signature dishes at their restaurants and as you have a number of them, we’ll let you choose what restaurants you would like to include in this mix!
CHEF CC: I would say that if you’re in Santa Barbara (Montecito or Goleta) whether you’re already flying in or just making your way to Mesa Burger because it’s worth it – we have amazing Craft Burgers. I’d say our signature is probably the Montecito Burger which is this chefy burger that has this truffle aioli on it and very umami yumminess. We also have great craft burgers with Brioche buns – very umaminess and we have one of the very best vegan burgers that you will ever have. We also do gluten free buns and we do lettuce wraps around a burger so it’s a fun place to go. There are great craft beers and wines so you can just have fun.
At Cat Cora's Kitchen, you gotta try my Spicy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons – delicious for any of the airports you’re going through!
At my Wicked Eats and Olio concepts that are more of a Mediterranean Bowls so you can get quinoa, a salad, a pita and you can put it with different toppings, sauces and things! I love the Salmon Bowl with quinoa and some of the lettuce and different sauces and toppings on it that are so delicious and very healthy as well. It’s very health forward, but so delicious that you won’t even care! You’ll just know that it’s delicious and yummy. Those are some of the things that we have been doing.
AM: We’ve been talking about your TV work today and one of our personal favorites was BRAVO’s Around the World in 80 Plates!
CHEF CC: Oh thank you! I love that show and it was so fun shooting it.
AM: I can only imagine! And obviously being a judge in a number of shows like Top Chef and the numerous appearances you’ve had in other shows. Did you ever say when you first started that your brand was “x” and these were the things that you were going to do to get to where you ultimately wanted to be?
CHEF CC: I think you always have to be strategic the way that you want to represent your brand. You have to make sure that what you do moves the needle and that you have to be conscious as that’s important to be that way in business as well as socially. It’s important to us. My philosophy with restaurants and food is sustainability – it’s important as well as health and wellness. We want to make sure that we are taking care of people and the Earth. In business I think that having integrity, morals, being honest and kind – it’s sometimes hard to do because it is business and sometimes you have different opinions than your business partners. At the end of the day, it’s about rising above that and being super conscious about how you go about conducting yourself and business dealings. It's really about making people happy and that’s what you’re here to do. It’s important to make money, enriching your business and going in a direction that is successful with your business financially, your messages and how they affect your brand.
I think that we’re strategic. We don’t do anything in a vacuum and I think that I learned that from my wife who is an amazing producer, creative director and so many other things with Universal Music and then I got her and thank God because all of these artists that she blew up all over the world you know and had this amazing effect on and her genius – I got that! For me, it’s about taking that and she taught me to not do things in a vacuum and to be strategic and thought out. It's got to be well executed and you have to be passionate about it and it has to make you happy in the morning. You have to be happy about what you are doing in the world and for every action there is a reaction. There is cause and effect and each of us is a big part of that. We have to be very conscious about how we go about moving in our lives.
AM: So ABC’s Family Food Fight, how did you decide that you were going to be a part of that and what drew you to this project which has a great group of people with yourself as well as Graham Elliot and Ayesha Curry.
CHEF CC: It was such a fantastic opportunity. I love Ayesha, I adore her and her family. Graham – I’ve known him for years and he is like a brother as I’ve known him for 20 years. We’ve been running in the same circles and have been doing the same events. I have a lot of respect for both of them and the respect was mutual around the table with all of us. We had the best time on that show and I think what drew me was food and family.
At the end of the day, where I’m at my life today and where I have come from to now – I look at the most important thing thing at the end of the day is food and family and family and food. I look at our children, our 6 boys, my wife, our extended family because that is what you have. That’s what real. You can always look to your family to ground you and to bring it back.
That is what grounds you and I look to my family as a beacon so that I know my direction. I think that that’s why I wanted to do this show. These families came together, they cooked together all the time and they competed together because yes the money was big. It was important and life changing for a lot of people, but they also wanted to do it so that they could compete together and say that they did it with their family and to make them proud. Each of the families were so different as they were a melting pot of different heritages and cultures, recipes and personalities. That was so special to that show and made it so enriched for us. It was so fascinating and wonderful!
AM: We live in an age of social media where it’s so important to be able to utilize it to show who they are as a person beyond being in the kitchen as well as their skills. How important do you think social media is for chefs to show themselves in a 360 way?
CHEF CC: I think that’s super important and has been great for us. There was a time when there was no social media and it wasn’t even two words that we knew. It may seem strange for some people to hear this but there was a chunk of my career where this didn’t exist. You know, telephone, text, computer, email – things like that is how we communicated. I think that this has been so much fun to learn about social media and continue to learn and each day, there is something new to learn. But there is something about being able to go directly into people’s homes and right in front of them. To be able to say, here I am and this is who I am. I’m doing this today and cooking with my kids making pasta and join us. Like, really it’s such an amazing one on one interaction while you're being able to do so in front of a million people. It's one on one in the moment for all of us even when I am looking at something or someone’s video that I admire.
That’s what I think is cool because we get this one on one interaction and it’s such an intimate connection with people that you really admire. You get to see their lives and it’s very voyeuristic because you get to see them in their and what they do when they’re not an actor on the screen or a musician and not a chef when they’re at home. It’s just seeing them at home with their family and I think that there is something really special about that and it makes the world smaller in a good way. I think it brings all of us from around the world together in a place, intimacy and connection that you wouldn’t have otherwise. I find myself stopping for selfies and stopping for this or Instagramming my food you know. A lot of interaction, but I think it’s really beneficial for connecting with people around the world.
AM: You have a number of cookbooks under your belt. Is there anything that you are working on right now that our readers can find out about that we should keep an eye out for or check your social media for?
CHEF CC: Yeah, I have 3 cookbooks and a memoir. We are working on a cookbook which will be out next year. We can’t tell you what it is yet, but it will be good when you see it and I’m super excited about the concept and think it’s a great idea. When you see it, you’ll love it. I think it will be a little disruptive which is cool and is a good thing. You guys need to just check out my Instagram for any updates which will be coming out next year.
AM: Licensing is a massive component to a business and we know that you are in business and we know that you are involved in that. Do you have any new products that are coming out or partnerships that you can talk about?
CHEF CC: We are definitely doing some partnerships. I just launched a caviar line with California Caviar. I just did Rachel Ray today and we’re doing something really cool around it so check that out. I just launched it and it’s called Crème by Cat Cora. A beautiful caviar that’s American white sturgeon caviar and its farm-raised. It’s in partnership with American Caviar and a women-owned company which I think is super amazing. They’re so dynamic. I’ve always loved caviar, but I never knew how it was made really. They brought it to our house. We made caviar and I have so much of a bigger appreciation for how it is made and harvested because it’s very time consuming in how it is made. You’re talking about very little eggs and you have to be really delicate with them. So it takes a lot to make a tin of it or even 3 tins made and you’re like wow the process is incredible. It’s a sustainable product which I am proud of and much more approachable for people. One of the reasons why I wanted to do this was to make it approachable for people as I think that some people have this idea that caviar is too fancy and that they wouldn’t be able to afford it and that they can’t use it. That’s why I was so interested in doing this not just because of the company’s history and that it’s a woman-owned and run company, but it’s a beautiful made product that is done sustainably that people can enjoy.
AM: That’s so exciting!
CHEF CC: With caviar, I don’t know if people know this but there are so many amazing omega oils in it. 2 tablespoons have 7 grams of protein and it has only 5 grams of fat. It’s a lot of incredible vitamins and minerals that you get from that because of the fish oils – very healthy and beneficial for people.
AM: We had no idea that it had protein in it. We love eating it on our salads as well as on potato chips.
CHEF CC: Potato chips and sour cream is one of the best ways to eat it!
AM: You have so much going on with your business, your wife, family and more – how do you make sure that you check in with yourself and give yourself the time that you need to make sure that you’re ok?
CHEF CC: I work out everyday. It’s one of my things. Because of my degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition wellness has always been in my life. In college when I put on the extra 10 - 15, I was like I have to do something about this because it’s not working. Getting in shape became a lifestyle and I feel that it is a lifestyle for me. Just like I get up in the morning to take a shower or to go to my meetings, I know that I will schedule when I need to workout. Part of my job is to stay healthy for my family. I just look at it like that and if people looked at it as something that they needed to do that wasn’t just a luxury or an add on – it’s something that you can add into your day. You don’t have to do it all day. You can literally walk for 30 minutes.
I got into shape by walking. I didn’t go out and hit the elliptical or the gym. It was literally me going out and walking. I got into shape, lost the 15 pounds and I just got into it. I stay regulated. I really enjoy myself and I really believe in the 80/20 rule for myself and we live by that. It’s 80% of the time – sometimes it’s 90% or 70%/30% if I’m on vacation. I try to stay in that 80/20 where I’m eating clean 80% of the time and then I have fun where I’m enjoying myself where I can have an indulgent and enjoy myself. If you can give yourself permission to enjoy your food and still make smart choices 80% of the time – you’re ahead of the game.
Exercising and eating healthy go hand in hand because you can’t exercise a bad diet. But you also need that hand in hand exercise – so eat healthy and even if it’s little baby steps that’s great! I love to workout taking bubble baths and I take a lot of them when I can. I always try to find a semblance of balance. There is a real need for us to slow down and take off half a day or a full day - even 2 days if you can. If you get the weekends off great although we’re always working so that may not always happen. I tell Nicole that since we work together – I ask her when we’re scheduling our next day off. Are we getting a massage, a mani/ pedi, taking a walk or even a museum just to do something mindless and to see beautiful art which is something that we would like to do. Or it can be a theater or a nice dinner! Tonight, we’re going to have date night and we can unwind, rejuvenate and come back to that balance and that grounded place.
AM: What are your favorite methods that you like to do when you work out?
CHEF CC: I like to mix it up. I have been working out for many many years so I find that my body and I think that exercising is individual to each person so there isn’t something that works for every body. I find that if I exercise in one mode like the elliptical, after 5 days my body gets used to it and I have to get off that and go for a run instead or do crossfit or go do Soul Cycle with my wife. We will mix it up. I have a road bike that I love to do road cycling with and I don’t have the time to do it as much as I would like, but I love to do it when you can. Your body does get used to exercises and it becomes not as effective. It doesn’t mean that you can’t go back to it but you do want to change it up so that your body is thrown off in a good way. It will find a new muscle to work on.
AM: You clearly travel a lot. What are 3 items that you like to carry in your carry- on that makes your flights easier or to feel like you’re at home?
CHEF CC: I always have my earbuds – always. I always have a nice comfy pair of socks to throw on. I always have a good book just in case. I like to have one and I like how it feels to flip that page. Even if I don’t get to use it then, if I can read a few pages it's nice to do! Number 4 that I had to throw in. I always carry a cooler bag with healthy snacks. Even if we’re flying First Class and getting meals, I still like to carry my almonds, fruits, berries, protein bars – I always carry a lot of healthy snacks and just go. I want to stay cognizant and have brain food because we’re on the go constantly and that we have something that’s healthy as an alternative. If you pack a few healthy things then you won’t get off track and have empty calories. You don’t want to stay dang, “why did I eat that?” When you’re hungry, you get irritable and your energy drops tremendously. But when you have healthy snacks, it keeps the energy up, you’re happy and it works better. When you know you have something yummy that came from your refrigerator, that’s also a comfort from home too!
IG @CatCora
Hear Chef Cat Cora on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.
We photographed our cover story and recorded our podcast at 498 West End Ave #12A. We sat down with broker, Louise Phillips Forbes of the Louise Phillips Forbes Halstead Team to talk about this property as well as the neighborhood that it is located in.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed shooting in 498 West End Avenue’s penthouse and for this shoot in #12A, it was a lot of fun due to the layout as well as the way that natural light that comes in this space – can you tell us about the features of this unit?
LOUISE PHILLIPS FORBES: You nailed it! The layout and light in this apartment are truly amazing, plus it has outrageous scale. The home is nestled in a corner unit on a high floor with 4,120 sf across 5-BR and 5.5-BA with three exposures and stunning Hudson River views. Newly renovated and reimagined with designer details by CetraRuddy Architecture, this home is a rare combination of prewar craft and contemporary artistry, perfect for entertaining!
With 56-feet of frontage along West End Avenue, the kitchen, lounge, and living/ dining room are bathed in natural light. Custom-color solid oak, rift-and-quartered floors throughout all public spaces are a modern twist on the parqueted floors found in the grand homes of Newport, Rhode Island. The living areas are distinguished from the kitchen by custom-designed French sliding doors. The doors feature an ingeniously recessed sliding mechanism for ease of use – all framed in an artfully articulated molding.
The kitchen is a chef's dream that embodies a level of craft and workmanship that exceeds the highest standards. From the outstanding millwork in custom chocolate-stained oak with contrasting cream-colored ceruse, to a single-slab marble hearth wall that conceals the range hood, every facet of the kitchen is designed to deliver equal portions of elegance and functionality.
Every bedroom provides an en-suite experience. Every room also features brandnew, energy-efficient windows and a superbly orchestrated medley of subtle colors and unexpected textures to create a serene sanctuary. The exceptionally spacious master bedroom includes a luxurious bathroom with a steam shower, soaking tub, mosaic marble floors and custom glasswork, furniture-like, shagreen textured vanities, and an eclectic mix of metals.
AM: What amenities are offered in this building for the residents?
LPF: The building itself is a beautiful turn of-the-20th-century piece of architecture offering a 24-hour attended lobby, private and bike storage, a fitness room and children's playroom. From the broad leafy streets outside, to its proximity to Riverside Park and bustling Upper West Side venues, 498 West End Avenue is nestled in the heart of one of New York's most desirable neighborhoods.
AM: Tell us about the neighborhood that is directly around this building and what neighborhood this is considered?
LPF: Flanked by two beautiful parks, the Upper West Side is one of the greenest neighborhoods in Manhattan. A favorite with families with its great elementary schools, safe streets and plethora of playgrounds. The vibe of the Upper West Side is relaxed, yet lively. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to frequent along Amsterdam Avenue, and Broadway. The wide, tree-lined streets also host many mom-and-pop stores, some of the best Jewish delis in the city, Zabar’s and Levain Bakery. Culture's abounds as this coveted neighborhood is the home to the American Museum of Natural History, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the West Side Community Garden.
AM: For those interested in this unit, how can they get more information?
LPF: For more information on this home please head over to louisephillipsforbes.com. As the exclusive broker for new development in this building my team represents new units as they become available. The pristinely designed Penthouse is set atop this landmark. It’s a 3,646sf 5-BR, 4.5-BA newly constructed full-floor duplex with an expansive wrap-around terrace, at its longest spanning close to 90 feet, which makes for a covetable outdoor space ideal for lounging as well as hosting cocktails and dinner parties against the backdrop of an exquisite panorama of the Hudson River. We also recently launched a fully renovated 2,093sf 3-BR, 2-BA residence on the 8th floor with the same designer details and notable interior features.
AM: Can you tell us about the artwork that is featured in this apartment?
LPF: The artwork throughout the two-story home has been thoughtfully curated by an interior designer to help highlight its architectural features and, of course, the views.
AM: Where can readers find out about properties that you represent?
LPF: To learn more about our listings, the team and the concierge-style services we provide, head over to www.louisephillipsforbes.com.
AM: You always have a number of amazing developments and properties in your portfolio. With 2020 around the corner, are there properties that you can share with us that you are excited about here in NYC and in The Hamptons for our readers to keep an eye out for?
LPF: With 30+ years of experience and over $4B in sales we always have some unique and exciting things on the horizon. Follow us on Instagram @louisephillipsforbesteam to keep up with us in 2020.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
Athleisure Mag's cover story was shot by Paul Farkas, using Canon Mark IV; and selected Canon lenses: EF 50 f/1.2 L, EF 24-70 f/2.8 L II, and EF 70-200 f/2.8 L II.
IG @PVFarkas
STYLE, MAKEUP & HAIR CREDITS
Athleisure Mag's Celeb Fashion Stylist, Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director Kimmie Smith, MUA Jessica Bonilla and Hairstylist Lea DeLoy share how Cat Cora's look was created for the cover editorial.
LOOK I | FITNESS
BACK COVER + PG 16 - PG 25 | BEYOND YOGA Heather Rib Cropped Tank in Navy Heather + Graceland High Waisted Midi Legging in Nocturnal Navy/Horizon Blue | COLMAR Research Metallic Jacket in Rich | KIMMIE VINCENT Collins Ave | THE9THMUSE Cleo Earrings | SALLY HERSHBERGER X REVO LIMITED EDITION CAPSULE COLLECTION X2 in Gold Frame with Champagne Lenses | SPERRY Maritime Repel Suede Snow Boot in Sand |
SKINCARE | The base was applied from a filming that took place earlier that day | Skin touched up with RIMMEL LONDON Stay Matte Concealer “Linen” | DANESSA MYRICKS BEAUTY Dew Wet Balm “Morning Dew” to freshen the skin | JOUER COSMETICS Highlight “Skinny Dip” | BRONZER | FENTY BEAUTY Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer “Shady Biz” | BLUSH | STEVE LAURENT Blush “Rosè All Day” | EYES | URBAN DECAY COSMETICS Naked3 Eyeshadpw Palette “Nooner” dusted all over the eyes | JOUER COSMETICS Highlight in the inner corners to open the eyes | L’ORÉAL COSMETICS Mascara "Carbon Black" | LIPS | COVER GIRL Sultry Sienna “250" |
HAIR | Hair was prepped with THEURGY Bohemian Bounce to smooth and to add body | Before curling, THEURGY Out Of Body volumizing spray gave the curl hold, memory and heat protection | After brushing through curls, THEURGY Shape Shift texturizing spray applied mostly to the root area to give the style a more voluminous undone texture and make the hair easy to go from one style to the next |
LOOK II | BOSS LADY VIBES
FRONT COVER + PG 26 | SMYTHE Long Shawl Blazer in Pewter Lamé | BLUEBELLA Avia Bodysuit in Black | MAVI Tess Super Skinny in Zipper Fly Black Jeather | TALIA JEWELRY Aria Charm Necklace | MAISON MIRU Large Celestial Illusion Hoops Earrings | LAGOS 18K Caviar Gold Diamond X Ring | SJP BY SARAH JESSICA PARKER Trois in Grey Snake |
EYES | The eyes were changed to a bolder look using KKW BEAUTY (Kim x Mario Palette) “Loyalty" | To deepen the outer V, added a black liquid | LIP | MILANI COSMETICS Color Statement Lipstick “07 Best Red” |
HAIR | Boss lady vibes were created with a deep side part, pinned over side of the ear, and soft waves for a bold sexy edge |
LOOK III | GLAM LOUNGE
PG 29 - PG 32 | AFFFAIR Bodysuit + Beaded Bomber Jacket | OLIVA VON HALLE Bella Bella Envy Short | THE9THMUSE Flow Earrings | LAGOS 18K Caviar Gold Diamond Tassel Ring, 18K Caviar Gold Ring + 18K Caviar Gold Stacking Ring |
EYES | A little shimmer on the lid with BH COSMETICS Shaaanxo Palette "Champagne Shimmer" added | LIP | FENTY BEAUTY Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer “Fussy” |
HAIR | An effortless look was created by just pulling a bit of the hair back, and channeled her inner Bridget Bardot |
LOOK IV | DATE NIGHT
PG 35 - PG 39 | OLIVA VON HALLE X MALEFICENT Aureta Grace | BLANK NYC Collarless Blazer in Cosmic Charge | TLR JEWELRY Focus on Your Earrings | TALIA JEWELRY Opus Charm Necklace |
EYES | The eyes have a bold effect using PACIFICA BEAUTY Beachy Punk Mineral Eyeshadow "Tomboy" | “Rebel” used all over the crease, lid, and bottom over the crease, lid, and bottom lash line | NYX COSMETICS Glitter Primer was applied to the lid | Primer assisted INGLOT Glitter Pigment “Blazin Rose” to stay on the lid | A black liquid liner was added and more mascara | LIP | COVER GIRL Sultry Sienna "250" added | To create an ombré effect, concealer was placed on the center of the lips and FENTY BEAUTY Diamond Milk |
HAIR | Soft waves were pinned to the side for this modern day Boho Cinderella | A layer of THEURGY Enchantment Mist was sprayed through the hair for ultra shine and to block out any humidity from ruining the style | Finally, THEURGY Retrograde Spray, a light workable hairspray was used to complete each look |
IG @Shes.Kimmie
Read the Dec issue of Athleisure Mag and see Her Recipe For Success with Cat Cora in mag.
Featured Food
7 GREAT WAYS TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGht
Maintaining your ideal body weight doesn't only boost your self-confidence, but it also makes you healthier. You don't want to end up suffering from cardiovascular disease and complications caused by diabetes because of obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. So, it's about time to find helpful ways to help you shed some pounds.
In this post, you'll learn 7 great ways to help you lose weight safely and effectively:
1. Eat a Balanced Diet
Sometimes, going back to the basics is more effective when it comes to weight loss. While there are a lot of diet fads, like keto or juicing, eating a balanced diet and taking regular meals instead of snacking are highly recommended.
Natural foods contain L glutamine, which is an amino acid that can also be found in supplements that help regulate the number of bacteria in the digestive tract. It also helps burn calories and reduce appetite. Some examples of foods high in L-glutamine include beef, corn, eggs, tofu, white rice, and skim milk.
2. Never Skip Breakfast
You don't have to go hungry just to lose weight. If you don't want to end up snacking throughout the day, make sure to start your day right by eating breakfast.
Breakfast is essential so you can obtain nutrients from various food sources to empower your cells and provide you the energy you need. It’ll also keep your appetite satisfied, and you'll tend to avoid craving sweets or snacks, which usually cause weight gain.
3. Invest in a Bicycle
Unlike other forms of exercise, biking is a fun activity that can help you lose weight. Bicycling can help you burn calories, which is a unit of energy. Foods contain varying levels of calories, such as four calories for every gram of carbohydrate and protein, and nine calories for each gram of fat. An average female cyclist usually burns about 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day and an average male burns between 2,200 and 2,700.
Feel the freedom and fresh air brought about by cycling in the park or nearby natural landscapes. You'll enjoy this physical activity because it's enjoyable, taking you from different places.
You can always bring your mountain bike on an out-of-town trip and use it as fantastic tour transportation. Thus, it's not surprising why bicycling has transformed many lives, including favorite celebrities.
4. Limit Using Gadgets and Computers
With the digital age, it's easy to get hooked on to social media or online surfing all day. Just imagine, you work in the office more than eight hours a day and still come home and sit on the couch to watch TV or check your Facebook or Instagram all night.
That's why you should stick with a schedule and limit using these devices. Essentially, be more physically active. It’ll not only prevent exposure from too much blue light from gadget screens, but it’ll also help you lose weight.
5. Stop Cravings
Even if you're in a carefully planned diet, it can be wrecked when you give in to sweets or sugar and other food or beverage cravings. When your body lacks leptin, a hormone that signals satiety, your appetite increases. The same is true with the release of ghrelin, which leads to weight gain. That's why you have to learn how to stop your cravings.
Here are some tips to stop cravings:
● Chew Gum: Chewing sugar-free gum tricks the brain by making you feel satisfied when you're craving sugar. It also helps keep you diverted from vices, such as drinking alcohol or cigarette smoking.
Avoid taking breath mints or peppermints because they have more sugar than gums, which makes your cravings worse.
● Brush Your Teeth: You probably have realized that the aftertaste of toothpaste is not a perfect pair with food flavors. Hence, brushing your teeth can temporarily stop your craving when you start to feel the urge.
● Drink Water: Sometimes, hunger cravings is actually a signal that your body needs hydration. When you feel cravings, drink more cold water. This stimulates metabolism as the body warms the water to body temperature.
It's also a good idea to squirt a piece of lemon to the water to add flavor, making you feel you’ve consumed something more filling than plain water.
● Use Food-scented Beauty Products: The more you keep your sense of smell away from food, the greater are your cravings. Sniffing food-scented candles and beauty products, like green apple, vanilla, or banana, regularly help you avoid the hit of intense cravings.
● Small Craving Concession: Indulging a little to your favorite foods will help prevent overindulgence later. Combine your favorite sweets to something healthier. For instance, you can dip strawberries to melted favorite chocolate.
6. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation leads to obesity. So, if you want to lose weight, you should get adequate rest and sleep. People who have trouble sleeping feel tired the next day, and overeating is one way to replenish energy. Also, people who usually sleep late at night even snack, ruining their healthy diets.
If you want to lose weight effectively, you should also need to get at least eight hours of sleep at night. Reduce the number of hours watching television or using your smartphone before bedtime. Also, you might need to replace your old mattress for a more comfortable sleep.
7. Regular Exercise
While you probably have the money to spend on liposuction or tummy tuck, nothing can beat regular exercise when it comes to losing weight or getting rid of unwanted fat. In fact, cosmetic enhancements are not effective weight management techniques, and even experts don’t consider them as such.
So, why not brisk walk, jog, or run the early morning before heading to work? Or, you can exercise in the gym once you’re out in the office. Another way to get regular exercise is by climbing the staircase instead of riding an elevator. For those who are always at home, doing manual chores instead of using the vacuum or cleaning appliances also helps you lose weight.
Conclusion
Losing weight is very challenging for a lot of people. While one can easily kickstart a weight loss plan, it's hard to keep it. That's why it's important to have discipline.
Make sure to eat a balanced diet, reduce your cravings, get some exercise, and get enough sleep. Also, it's important to be mindful of what you're eating, take natural weight loss supplements as needed, and avoid overindulgence by only eating small servings of your favorite foods.
By doing so, you'll lose weight and enjoy a healthier life.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured Health
SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS 2020 | NOMINEES, PREDICTIONS & WINNERS
We’re pretty excited for tonight’s SAG Awards which is known as the awards show during this season where actors celebrate actors by thanking them for their craft! Robert De Niro will also be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. As always, we’re sharing who we predict will win, who actually wins and of course which ones we correctly guessed! Our guesses are in italics, winners are in bold and then the ones that we predicted correctly will be in bold italics. Check out tonight’s awards show by tuning into TNT or TBS at 8pm EST.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
CHRISTIAN BALE / Ken Miles – “FORD v FERRARI”
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Rick Dalton -- “ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD”
ADAM DRIVER / Charlie Barber – “MARRIAGE STORY”
TARON EGERTON / Elton John – “ROCKETMAN”
JOAQUIN PHOENIX / Arthur Fleck – “JOKER”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
CYNTHIA ERIVO / Harriet/Minty – “HARRIET”
SCARLETT JOHANSSON / Nicole Barber – “MARRIAGE STORY”
LUPITA NYONG’O / Adelaide Wilson/Red – “US”
CHARLIZE THERON / Megyn Kelly – “BOMBSHELL”
RENÉE ZELLWEGER / Judy Garland – “JUDY”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JAMIE FOXX / Walter McMillian – “JUST MERCY”
TOM HANKS / Fred Rogers – “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD”
AL PACINO / Jimmy Hoffa – “THE IRISHMAN”
JOE PESCI / Russell Bufalino – “THE IRISHMAN”
BRAD PITT / Cliff Booth – “ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
LAURA DERN / Nora Fanshaw – “MARRIAGE STORY”
SCARLETT JOHANSSON / Rosie – “JOJO RABBIT
NICOLE KIDMAN / Gretchen Carlson – “BOMBSHELL”
JENNIFER LOPEZ / Ramona – “HUSTLERS”
MARGOT ROBBIE / Kayla Pospisil – “BOMBSHELL”
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
BOMBSHELL
CONNIE BRITTON / Beth Ailes
ALLISON JANNEY / Susan Estrich
NICOLE KIDMAN / Gretchen Carlson
JOHN LITHGOW / Roger Ailes
MALCOLM McDOWELL / Rupert Murdoch
KATE McKINNON / Jess Carr
MARGOT ROBBIE / Kayla Pospisil
CHARLIZE THERON / Megyn Kelly
THE IRISHMAN
BOBBY CANNAVALE / Skinny Razor
ROBERT DE NIRO / Frank Sheeran
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano
HARVEY KEITEL / Angelo Bruno
AL PACINO / Jimmy Hoffa
ANNA PAQUIN / Older Peggy Sheeran
JOE PESCI / Russell Bufalino
RAY ROMANO / Bill Bufalino
JOJO RABBIT
ALFIE ALLEN / Finkel
ROMAN GRIFFIN DAVIS / Jojo
SCARLETT JOHANSSON / Rosie
THOMASIN McKENZIE / Elsa
STEPHEN MERCHANT / Deertz
SAM ROCKWELL / Capt. Klenzendorf
TAIKA WAITITI / Adolf
REBEL WILSON / Fraulein Rahm
ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
AUSTIN BUTLER / Tex
JULIA BUTTERS / Trudi
BRUCE DERN / George Spahn
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Rick Dalton
DAKOTA FANNING / Squeaky Fromme
EMILE HIRSCH / Jay Sebring
DAMIAN LEWIS / Steve McQueen
MIKE MOH / Bruce Lee
TIMOTHY OLYPHANT / James Stacy
AL PACINO / Marvin Schwarz
LUKE PERRY / Wayne Maunder
BRAD PITT / Cliff Booth
MARGARET QUALLEY / Pussycat
MARGOT ROBBIE / Sharon Tate
PARASITE
CHANG HYAE JIN / Chung Sook
CHO YEO JEONG / Yeon Kyo
CHOI WOO SHIK / Ki Woo
JUNG HYEON JUN / Da Song
JUNG ZISO / Da Hye
LEE JUNG EUN / Moon Gwang
LEE SUN KYUN / Dong Ik
PARK MYUNG HOON / Geun Se
PARK SO DAM / Ki Jung
SONG KANG HO / Ki Taek
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“AVENGERS: ENDGAME”
“FORD v FERRARI”
“THE IRISHMAN”
“JOKER”
“ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD”
The Television Nominees are:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
MAHERSHALA ALI / Wayne Hays – “TRUE DETECTIVE”
RUSSELL CROWE / Roger Ailes – “THE LOUDEST VOICE”
JARED HARRIS / Valery Legasov – “CHERNOBYL”
JHARREL JEROME / Korey Wise – “WHEN THEY SEE US”
SAM ROCKWELL / Bob Fosse – “FOSSE/VERDON”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
PATRICIA ARQUETTE / Dee Dee Blanchard – “THE ACT”
TONI COLLETTE / Det. Grace Rasmussen – “UNBELIEVABLE”
JOEY KING / Gypsy Rose Blanchard – “THE ACT”
EMILY WATSON / Ulana Khomyuk – “CHERNOBYL”
MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Gwen Verdon – “FOSSE/VERDON”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson – “THIS IS US”
STEVE CARELL / Mitch Kessler – “THE MORNING SHOW”
BILLY CRUDUP / Corey Ellison – “THE MORNING SHOW”
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES”
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper – “STRANGER THINGS”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
JENNIFER ANISTON / Alex Levy – “THE MORNING SHOW”
HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Princess Margaret – “THE CROWN”
OLIVIA COLMAN / Queen Elizabeth II – “THE CROWN”
JODIE COMER /Villanelle – “KILLING EVE”
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June – “THE HANDMAID’S TALE”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALAN ARKIN / Norman Newlander – “THE KOMINSKY METHOD”
MICHAEL DOUGLAS / Sandy Kominsky – “THE KOMINSKY METHOD”
BILL HADER / Barry – “BARRY”
ANDREW SCOTT / The Priest – “FLEABAG”
TONY SHALHOUB / Abe Weissman – “THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Jen Harding – “DEAD TO ME”
ALEX BORSTEIN / Susie Myerson – “THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL”
RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Midge Maisel – “THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL”
CATHERINE O’HARA / Moira Rose – “SCHITT’S CREEK”
PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE / Fleabag – “FLEABAG”
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BIG LITTLE LIES
IAIN ARMITAGE / Ziggy Chapman
DARBY CAMP / Chloe Mackenzie
CHLOE COLEMAN / Skye Carlson
CAMERON CROVETTI / Josh Wright
NICHOLAS CROVETTI / Max Wright
LAURA DERN / Renata Klein
MARTIN DONOVAN / Martin Howard
MERRIN DUNGEY / Det. Adrienne Quinlan
CRYSTAL FOX / Elizabeth Howard
IVY GEORGE / Amabella Klein
NICOLE KIDMAN / Celeste Wright
ZOË KRAVITZ / Bonnie Carlson
KATHRYN NEWTON / Abigail Carlson
JEFFREY NORDLING / Gordon Klein
DENIS O’HARE / Ira Farber
ADAM SCOTT / Ed Mackenzie
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Perry Wright
DOUGLAS SMITH / Corey Brockfield
MERYL STREEP / Mary Louise Wright
JAMES TUPPER / Nathan Carlson
ROBIN WEIGERT / Dr. Amanda Reisman
REESE WITHERSPOON / Madeline Mackenzie
SHAILENE WOODLEY / Jane Chapman
THE CROWN
MARION BAILEY / Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Princess Margaret
OLIVIA COLMAN / Queen Elizabeth II
CHARLES DANCE / Lord Mountbatten
BEN DANIELS / Lord Snowdon
ERIN DOHERTY / Princess Anne
CHARLES EDWARDS / Martin Charteris
TOBIAS MENZIES / Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
JOSH O’CONNOR / Prince Charles
SAM PHILLIPS / Equerry
DAVID RINTOUL / Michael Adeane
JASON WATKINS / Harold Wilson
GAME OF THRONES
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
PILOU ASBÆK / Euron Greyjoy
JACOB ANDERSON / Grey Worm
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne of Tarth
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
BEN CROMPTON / Dolorous Edd
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Davos Seaworth
JOE DEMPSIE / Gendry
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
RICHARD DORMER / Beric Dondarrion
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
IAIN GLEN / Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Bran Stark
CONLETH HILL / Varys
KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
RORY McCANN / The Hound
HANNAH MURRAY / Gilly
STAZ NAIR / Qhono
DANIEL PORTMAN / Podrick Payne
BELLA RAMSEY / Lyanna Mormont
RICHARD RYCROFT / Maester Wolkan
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
CARICE VAN HOUTEN / Melisandre
RUPERT VANSITTART / Yohn Royce
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark
THE HANDMAID’S TALE
ALEXIS BLEDEL / Emily
MADELINE BREWER / Janine
AMANDA BRUGEL / Rita
ANN DOWD / Aunt Lydia
O-T FAGBENLE / Luke
JOSEPH FIENNES / Commander Waterford
KRISTEN GUTOSKIE / Martha Beth
NINA KIRI / Alma/Ofrobert
ASHLEIGH LaTHROP / Ofmatthew
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI / Serena Joy
BAHIA WATSON / Oferic
BRADLEY WHITFORD / Commander Lawrence
SAMIRA WILEY / Moira
STRANGER THINGS
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven
CARA BUONO / Karen Wheeler
JAKE BUSEY / Bruce
NATALIA DYER / Nancy Wheeler
CARY ELWES / Mayor Larry Kline
PRIAH FERGUSON / Erica Sinclair
BRETT GELMAN / Murray
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper
MAYA HAWKE / Robin Buckley
CHARLIE HEATON / Jonathan Byers
ANDREY IVCHENKO / Grigori
JOE KEERY / Steve Harrington
GATEN MATARAZZO / Dustin Henderson
CALEB McLAUGHLIN / Lucas Sinclair
DACRE MONTGOMERY / Billy Hargrove
MICHAEL PARK / Tom Holloway
FRANCESCA REALE / Heather Holloway
WINONA RYDER / Joyce Byers
NOAH SCHNAPP / Will Byers
SADIE SINK / Max Mayfield
FINN WOLFHARD / Mike Wheeler
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
BARRY
NIKITA BOGOLYUBOV / Mayrbek
DARRELL BRITT-GIBSON / Jermaine
D’ARCY CARDEN / Natalie
ANDY CAREY / Eric
ANTHONY CARRIGAN / NoHo Hank
TROY CAYLAK / Akhmal
RIGHTOR DOYLE / Nick
PATRICIA FA’ASUA / Esther
ALEJANDRO FURTH / Antonio
SARAH GOLDBERG / Sally
NICK GRACER / Yandar
BILL HADER / Barry
KIRBY HOWELL-BAPTISTE / Sasha
MICHAEL IRBY / Cristobal Sifuentes
JOHN PIRRUCCELLO / Det. John Loach
STEPHEN ROOT / Monroe Fuchs
HENRY WINKLER / Gene Cousineau
FLEABAG
SIAN CLIFFORD / Claire
OLIVIA COLMAN / Godmother
BRETT GELMAN / Martin
BILL PATERSON / Dad
ANDREW SCOTT / The Priest
PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE / Fleabag
THE KOMINSKY METHOD
JENNA LYNG ADAMS / Darshani
ALAN ARKIN / Norman Newlander
SARAH BAKER / Mindy Kominsky
CASEY THOMAS BROWN / Lane
MICHAEL DOUGLAS / Sandy Kominsky
LISA EDELSTEIN / Phoebe
PAUL REISER / Martin
GRAHAM ROGERS / Jude
JANE SEYMOUR / Madelyn
MELISSA TANG / Margaret
NANCY TRAVIS / Lisa
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL
CAROLINE AARON / Shirley Maisel
ALEX BORSTEIN / Susie Myerson
RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Midge Maisel
MARIN HINKLE / Rose Weissman
STEPHANIE HSU / Mei
JOEL JOHNSTONE / Archie Cleary
JANE LYNCH / Sophie Lennon
LEROY McCLAIN / Shy Baldwin
KEVIN POLLAK / Moishe Maisel
TONY SHALHOUB / Abe Weissman
MATILDA SZYDAGIS / Zelda
BRIAN TARANTINA / Jackie
MICHAEL ZEGEN / Joel Maisel
SCHITT’S CREEK
CHRIS ELLIOTT / Roland Schitt
EMILY HAMPSHIRE / Stevie Budd
DANIEL LEVY / David Rose
EUGENE LEVY / Johnny Rose
SARAH LEVY / Twyla Sands
DUSTIN MILLIGAN / Ted Mullens
ANNIE MURPHY / Alexis Rose
CATHERINE O’HARA / Moira Rose
NOAH REID / Patrick Brewer
JENNIFER ROBERTSON / Jocelyn Schitt
KAREN ROBINSON / Ronnie Lee
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
GAME OF THRONES
GLOW
STRANGER THINGS
THE WALKING DEAD
WATCHMEN
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured Awards Season
THE WHISKEY EXPERIENCE WITH TOMMY TARDIE & DARRON FOY
As the holiday season means that we have a lot more on our plates than usual, the need to find a place to take a moment is key! We made our way to NYC's whiskey destination, The Flatiron Room which is known for its staggering amount of whiskeys that are available, cocktails, entertainment and an experience that's not to be missed. We sat down with Tommy Tardie the founder of the Goodnight Group LLC which is comprised of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare to talk about what led to creating these spaces, the importance of cultivating these environments as well as how he stays inspired in the hospitality industry. We also took some time to chat with his head bartender, Darron Foy who lets us know about cocktails that we should try there, his interest in working in this space as well as what we need to have on hand when we try our hand on making cocktails at home.
ATHLEISURE MAG: So before The Flatiron Room, what was your background?
TOMMY TARDIE: My real background and what I went to school for was advertising. I used to be the Creative Director in advertising before I got into hospitality and once I ventured into hospitality, I started with a small lounge, had moderate success with the first lounge. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I could charge even more for the same drink and that’s when I went into the nightclub scene. I opened up a couple of different nightclubs and they were very profitable. Margins in nightclubs are pretty high, but it wasn’t a lifestyle that I really enjoyed and I decided that I wanted to stay in hospitality. But if I stayed in hospitality, I wanted to stay in a place that I enjoyed going to. A place that kind of put me as the demographic and that was kind of the genesis of The Flatiron Room. I looked at it and rather than doing field research, I said that I would build a place that I would want to hang out and that I would want to take my friends to.
AM: For those that have not come here, let our readers know what they can expect.
TT: I think the key word is an experience. We want guests to have an experience when they come here. We want there to be theater in the overall experience. When I say theater, people that come here equate that to the music that we have here on stage. The theater is really the whole dynamic of the room! When you walk through the room, of course you’ll see people that are on the stage – that’s part of the theater. But the way that our servers are trained and even the way that they pour their drinks at the table, the way that they climb up and down the ladders, the way that they crush ice from a 1920’s ice crusher – that’s all part of the theater and the choreography of the room.
AM: How many whiskeys do you have here?
TT: Well, that’s a great question and I can’t give you an accurate answer, but I would say around 1,200 – 1,500 unique expressions and that was a journey in and of itself. When I first opened, I thought 250 would be a respectable number. I wanted to have that amount and thought having that would be great. At the time, I thought that I knew a lot about whiskey and over time, I realized that I knew nothing about whiskey! As I started purchasing them, I got into conversations with those that were engaged and knew about the whiskeys and that’s when I went down the route of needing to get more indepth into the knowledge of the whskeys. Prior to working in hospitality, I was a creative director and I tend to be visually oriented – very right brained. So I traveled around a lot to learn about whiskeys and I went a fair amount to Scotland and just met with the distillers and saw how it was made. It really helped with my knowledge a lot. Coming back from these trips, I would come with new whiskeys and 250, turned into 300, which turned into 400, and then 500. What I quickly realized was that once you became known for whiskey, you have a responsibility to guests to have all the new whiskey when it comes in. It wasn’t something that I had factored into my algorithm. The more people came in – I had an obligation. They would say, “oh you haven’t gotten the new release from Glenmorangie?” I’d say, “oh we have to get it.” Then we breached 1,000 and there was no turning back!
AM: Just looking at this room, it’s amazing to see all of these cabinets where people can store their own whiskey – tell us about this.
TT: The idea behind this – I call it Bottle Keep. Before moving to NYC I lived in Hawaii and when I was there, I was into surfing a lot and a lot of my buddies were Japanese. We would travel to Japan quite a few times and I was younger then and we would go to this nightclub district known as Roppongi. I remember that it was such a cool concept that they had these bottles that were stored. At the time I just thought it was really cool and it must have stuck in my longterm memory. So when I opened this, I thought that having been in the nightclub business that I understood Bottle Service. Bottle Service wasn’t something that I wanted to do, but I thought if there was a way to take that concept and maturing it which made me think about my trips to Japan and I thought it would be cool. Also, bottles look cool when they’re displayed and when you hit them with the light as you’re a visual person so you uplight them and they look stunning. Also, in NYC, space is a commodity and I wanted to incorporate the bottles into the architecture. I allocated all this space for the bottles and it was a hard road initially because we had all this space. The first night we sold 3 with friends and family that purchased them. I was like, “wow we have like 800 more to go before this place looks legit.” Over the years, it grew and now, we have more demand than supply. In the manager’s office, we have an actual room where we store extra bottles.
AM: What are your favorite go to whiskeys?
TT: Oh gosh. They change, but I think that anybody that knows whiskey – I mean I could throw it back to you and you’d probably have a hard time answering because it’s very situational. Whiskey is based on the season, time of day, the mood – fortunately I have over 1,000 to choose from for my many moods. I will say that some of my hands down favorites that I tend to revert back to are: Glendronach 18 as my go-to favorite. I love a good Bowmore – if I go with peat then I like to go with something that has a nice balance of Sherry to get that smoky sweet elements and because I’m American, I have to throw in a bourbon. I tend to like bourbon’s cask strength E.H. Taylor is a full proof whiskey. Bourbon – I love Michter’s, Buffalo Trace – some of the Buffalo Trace antique collections are always good. It’s not as affordable as it used to be.
AM: What cocktail do you suggest that our readers should make sure to ask for when they come by?
TT: The one that we’re drinking now is called our Smoking Old Fashioned. We talked earlier about being theatrical and this is one of those kinds of cocktails, but it’s not all fluff. The smoke that’s put in the cocktail – the phenols that are attached to the liquor it gives a residual smoke in the flavor. I like this cocktail because being a visual person, I say that the first drink is with the eyes, the second drink is with the nose and the third drink is with the mouth. So this delivers on all three and when it comes across the room you see the smoke in it. You lift off the cap and it has that wow moment so that when people smell it they say, "wow what is that?" But it delivers on the final product because it happens to taste as good as it looks and as good as it smells.
AM: In terms of pairing whiskeys with various items offered on your menu, what do you suggest?
TT: It’s somewhat of a subjective question. I have been to a lot of tastings where they have paired items with things that people would not normally expect to pair with whiskey. For me, I like to pair cheese with whiskey. It has this creaminess and richness and it coats your mouth first. Having the alcohol interact with the viscosity in your mouth – it does something really special and brings out flavors that you normally wouldn’t expect. I will say that if I am drinking something really old and really fine, and I just want to focus on that, then I don’t want to complicate my palette at all. I don’t want to introduce other flavors in there. If it is something that is moderately priced sure I can experiment with it. But if someone is pouring me a 25-year or a 35-year whiskey – then I just want to enjoy every aspect of that from every subtle nuance. For me, a good whiskey is something that develops on your palette. A lot of people think that you have a sip of whiskey and that’s it. But if you really go in deep on the flavor of whiskey – it evolves – what initially hits your mouth when the alcohol starts to burn off and new flavors will appear, grow and resonate on your palette. I think that’s why it’s such a great sipping drink. You take a sip and sit back and let it have its way across your palette and you just enjoy it.
AM: We know that The Flatiron Room is a great place to come to and with the holiday season upon us, what events can guests come to?
TT: The 4th quarter for us – the holiday season, we have a lot of guests that come in from out of town. Unfortunately, they see that we are closed for private events – it’s the season and many times we’re closed for that. I always recommend that people call in advance to make sure that we are open. With that said, we do have some events that are open during this time where guests can come in and bring their friends and family from out of town so that they can get a taste of old New York. During Thanksgiving we had a great feast which was a prix-fixe dinner. On Christmas Day we have another event. For NYE, we’re throwing a great party and we have a tremendous band – Carte Blanche that will be performing live here. We have a number of great things taking place if you have guests that are in from out of town.
AM: Do you still do inspirational travel when you're looking for new whiskeys?
TT: Yes! It’s one of the best things about the job and getting inspired. I get to go to Scotland quite a bit when I’m over there meeting with people, the distillers, learning about new expressions when they come out. It’s funny because my knowledge base has developed so much and every year, I think that I know a decent amount about whiskey, but then the following year I look back and I think, “gosh I didn’t really know much.” Today if you asked me if I knew a bit about whiskey, I would confidently say yes. If we had the same conversation next year, I’d probably look back and say, “oh wow I knew nothing.” But it’s fun and it’s a fun journey and I love learning as well as traveling and it works out.
AM: What are 3 things that you put in your carry-on when you’re traveling to make the flight easier, or to feel that you’re at home or when you’re relaxing after having copious whiskey tastes?
TT: Great! Headphones for sure, Melatonin is my go to because if I’m traveling to Scotland it tends to be an overnight flight and that gets me there. Also a flask - they're always fun and of course when I come back, I tend to come back with one as well!
AM: You can’t have them get lonely! Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers to let them know about The Flatiron Room?
TT: If you haven’t experienced us yet, please come down and experience us! I think it’s a unique experience especially if you’re a New Yorker and people love those New York Moments. If you haven’t checked out my other property, it’s called Fine & Rare (9 East 37th St NY, NY 10016) and I recommend going there to try that out as well. It’s a similar vibe that is a little more food focused, we also have a large dynamic selection of whiskey!
We find out more about this incredible space from Head Bartender, Darron Foy.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you know you wanted to be a bartender?
DARRON FOY: I think it’s when I came to NY. I bartended for 8 or 9 years before that in Scotland where I’m from. It was admittingly more for financial gain as I was studying at University and I needed extra cash. I very quickly fell in love with the kind of interaction that you can have with the public. It wasn’t so much about the drinks or the crafting of the cocktails. It was actually the interaction and the evolving communication that I had with the public that grasped my love. When I moved to NY, I just noticed that the bartenders in NY – it was cool and you felt like almost important when you are working behind the bar. It was your fortress. So, I really started to delve into cocktails. As a Scotsman, we’re much more happy with a single dram, a gin and tonic or a vodka. But I started to notice very quickly with my background in music and in art that I really enjoyed crafting cocktails. So when I finally applied to come to The Flatiron Room, I had learned the NY basics of cocktails from the Manhattan, Sazeracs etc. I came here and I was immersed into the cocktails that we did at this bar. When I came to NY, I knew this was what I wanted to do to be in engaged with the public, to learn more and to educate. I wanted to perform and it’s a constant back and forth with the public.
AM: What is a shift like here?
DF: It can be anything. Tommy mentioned the word subjective in your interview a few times which I think is the perfect word to use when talking about the hospitality sector! We can have a beautifully nice relaxed night here with fantastic cocktails and great music. We can be slammed to the rafters. You can spend an entire evening not talking to your fellow bartender because you’re flying cocktails out. It’s constantly changing and by being in this – it keeps you on your toes. No day is the same; therefore, you have to be prepared for whatever comes. You may have a great customer, you may have a slightly argumentative customer. You may spend 20 minutes making a simple cocktail and they praise it to the heavens. So everyday in my opinion is a new day! I think again going back to the fact of why I like being a bartender. It’s not monotonous.
AM: What are your 3 favorite cocktails that we should have when we come to the The Flatiron Room?
DF: Normally when customers ask this, I do say whiskey as we have a fantastic collection and as a whiskey lover myself. We showcased the Smoking Old Fashioned – visually again, it’s just a fantastic cocktail. As Tommy said, you drink with your eyes and your senses and we’re trying to create a sensory enjoyment. I believe that Rye Old Fashioned with the Smoking Old Fashioned is just being elevated. Your adding the savory wood tones with the Rye Old Fashioned itself and it becomes a lot more than a simple cocktail.
One that is on the menu right now that I crafted is called the Cardamom Blossom. I’m very proud of this cocktail. It’s a link to my wife’s family and my Scottish background. It’s using cachaça, my wife’s family spent some years in Brazil and once I moved to NY we all met up finally. One of the first gifts that I got was a bottle of cachaça – I was very interested in the flavor. It has a sugar cane note and my wife’s brothers and cousins would make me Caipirinhas – a classic cocktail. I wanted to change it and I noticed that we never had a cachaça cocktail in the bar. So it's a mix of blended scotch whiskey, cachaça, and using orgeat syrup which is an almond syrup which has a nice baking taste to it. We added lemon juice, bitters, some honey and adding cardamom. It’s an egg white cocktail that I love to make – I adore egg cocktails because I like the viscosity of it and the way it looks. But it’s also very light and very plain. I’m proud of it because I think that it is a very elegant drink.
Finally, I personally feel that a very well made Manhattan is such an easy cocktail to create and very easy to muck it up. One of the things that I like to do when I go to a new bar is to order a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned because I want to see how they make it. I’ve had Old Fashioned filled with chunks of orange, cherries and I just like to go back to the classics because to me, that’s not what it is. A well made Manhattan which I think in my opinion, we do well we do well here is just an elegant and standard classic cocktail.
AM: You just shared the Cardamom Blossom that you crafted. How do you go about obtaining inspirations for creating other drinks?
DF: I think that that goes back to communication. Talking with the public, your fellow bartenders and servers. I have a music and artistic background so I feel that I have been creating from the second I could see over the stove, my mother in Scotland had me cooking. I love to cook and I love creating things. I think that I have that artistic ability where I take great pleasure in creating things. I think that people tend to be cautious when trying new things and I hope that people realize that that’s not the way to be. You have to dive into trying new things. So a lot of my experience comes from bar diving with my wife and trying new things from receiving a new whiskey at the bar and smelling it and trying new flavors and what would work with it and it’s a constantly evolving process.
Communication is great and when you talk to fellow industry professionals and why they chose certain bitters or garnishes, it helps to evolve your own personal ability. Communication is key in terms of creating new cocktails.
AM: So for the people who want to make whiskey cocktails at home, what are the things that they should have on hand as many may be a bit hesitant to do this at home?
DF: First of all having the correct tools – strainers, cocktail shakers and stirrers. Even things like good ice. You go back to the very basics when you’re crafting a cocktail. If you’re using broken up ice and it’s breaking into the cocktail, it’s diluting it too much. If you’re wanting to present it a certain way, are you using crushed ice, blazened ice, ice rocks? In terms of experimenting, you know your own palette – again maybe step away from that. If you know that you like a certain flavor and you know you can craft a good cocktail, why not remove that entirely and try something new. You might not like it, but it may open your eyes and head to more ideas and more experimentation. I think good mixers, good bitters can help the process and having a variety of good scotches, whiskeys, ryes, and bourbons etc all promote different flavors and therefore reacts with the palette differently. I love the classics such as the Angostura Bitters and the Peychaud’s Bitters. I mean, 20 years ago especially when it came to Angostura, any recipe that required a bitter would come from this brand! Nowadays, we have a fantastic array of companies, different bitters – the Fee Brothers have a fantastic range with Cherry Blossom, Aztec Chocolate, Almond Bitters and really amazing flavors. You have to experiment! You have to try these things and it’s the same as cooking. You’re not going to know unless you try. So good tills, proper ice and an open mind. You have to go in there with no prejudice and try something new. You may fail, but just pick yourself up and try it again. You can tweak it here and there and then become more confident in your ability. Once that confident grows, it’s easier for you to continue to experiment.
AM: You’re here working with so many different people that come to The Flatiron Room and being so creative. What do you do to take time for yourself when you’re not here?
DF: My wife and I are big foodies. We’re here in NY, we live in Brooklyn and where I live, we have German Beer and where I live, we have German Beer Halls, Japanese joints, I have everything there. We tend to try to find new places for food. I experiment quite a lot on my wife, she’s my biggest critic. I ask her about the cocktails if they are too strong or too sweet. When it comes to down time, it’s probably walking my dog. He’s a little pain, but I do love the little guy. Generally, just relaxing because you’re in a high strung environment. So you need to take time to recharge and I laugh at this, but as bartenders, our time off tends to be in bars because that is where we are comfortable. Even in the house, my wife laughs because she says that I’m stir crazy if I’m sitting down for more than 20 minutes not doing something and I will head to the bar. Maybe it’s the Scottish in me that is more comfortable sitting in a place with alcohol around me, but I feel that bartenders are hermits, we like what we like. We try new things but we gravitate back to the bars that we like. I mean I do go to the gym from time to time but – good food, good drink and just generally recharging your batteries so that you can come back and do your job which is important!
Hear The Flatiron Room's Owner/ Restaurateur Tommy Tardie and Head Bartender, Darron Foy on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.
Read the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Whiskey Experience with Tommy Tardie & Darron Foy in mag.
Featured Something You Should Know
SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW LET THERE BE LIGHT WITH VELLO VIKHAUS
We sat down with Vello Vikhaus, a pioneer Visual Music Artist whose work has been seen in some of the biggest concerts, festivals, music videos, nightclubs and events around the world. We wanted to find out about the beginning of his career, how he collaborates with artists and projects that he's currently working on.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You've been producing, directing and performing immersive visual arts for DJs, bands, festivals, venues and brands for over 20 years, tell us about your journey in becoming a Visual Music Artist.
VELLO VIKHAUS: My journey to become a "Visual Music Artist" started early on with my love for the arts. I got a lot of support and encouragement from my mother and grandfather. My grandfather gave me his VHS porta pack camera, and that is when I really fell in love with video as a medium. Around 1986, I spent many a summer evening manipulating video feedback mix tapes. I would then take the finished works to house parties and take over the home TV system for "testing" party attendees for their visual and physical reactions to the abstract works, live.
I graduated from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 1995 with a BFA, with focus on Art & Technology studies. During my school years I participated heavily in early electronic dance music events in the midwest area, performing and creating imagery to the music with a visual arts collective called OVT Visuals. This was a seminal time which I fell in love with creating visual artwork to music, and performing visual works live to music. My journey has involved continually and technically evolving by learning from mistakes as much as you can each time.
AM: What are some of your key influences for your love of music, art, technology and live performance?
VV: I see more amazing work than ever now on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Behance and Pinterest.
So much fun! Derivative has been a strong influence over the years as both a software platform and a community of like minded artists. I also really enjoy Siggraph, Live Design International, Mutek, Ars Electronica, Art Basel Miami and Art Chicago. I adore walking museums and historic sights which I always find inspiring. Love Blue Man Group.
AM: What were the early days like with V Squared Labs, how did you keep up with the fast-pace of a multitude of projects ranging from top artist tours and festivals, music videos, Grammy award and Red Bull parties, industry events, and more.
VV: In the early days, V Squared Labs was a small, wild boutique studio that ran undercover in an unassuming house in North Hollywood, Los Angeles. The key to keeping up with a diverse array of projects has always been the ability to remain nimble. Staffing up, collaborating, outsourcing, experimenting. The early days seem dreamy now, where you remember the outcome but forget some of the wild perilous situations. I've had the opportunity to work with so many different amazing artists over the years now, it is very humbling. I am genuinely thankful for the chances I have received.
AM: Tell us about the OG Vegas days, like creating Paul Oakenfold's immersive residency at Rain in the Palms. It not only had DJ and multi-screen VJ components, but also choreographed dancers and a fully embracing experience that was truly groundbreaking!
VV: The Oakenfold Residency really paved the way for the current Las Vegas EDM mega DJ residencies, and proved the Vegas market could go electronic. Thinking about this experience now makes it seem so primitive technologically.
AM: You've produced and live VJ'd an array of electronic dance Festival stages, sets and tours. What does it take to put that together, what are some of the highlight stories from live VJ'ing festivals and engaging with audiences over the years?'
VV: One of my favorite stories would be when I was at the premiere of the Infected Mushroom Fungus Among Us Tour at Avalon Hollywood. I remember being completely exhausted after loading out and hanging outside on the street waiting for our gear to complete load out.
While waiting, I overheard two guys talking while grabbing a late night street dog. They were talking about how it was amazing that the spheres actually moved up and down and wondering what type of hydraulics etc must have been used. Both guys definitely had consumed a few beers and other substances. I leaned over and told them that the pods never actually moved and that is what projection mapping does. They looked at each other, both completely in awe and said wooooaaaaahhhhhhhh.
AM: You have also worked with a wide range of iconic bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Police, Beyonce and hip-hop legends like Jay-Z to produce highly-emotive visuals for concert shows and tours. What differences have you encountered between EDM sets/ festivals and shows with diverse rock and rap anthems that can command crowd spirit and flow - where it is much about the respective songs and music, as well as the artists and the show.
VV: Overall music artists have very demanding schedules and require a lot of focused attention on tight timetables. For iconic bands, visual works are typically finely crafted per track in collaboration with various art directors, managers and client interests.
EDM Music festivals for me, depending on the scenario have always been a place to experiment and improvise live as a VJ. Less scripted, more in the mix. Even if it is just the opening set, the one thing most common between EDM / concert experience is the tangible energy we dance and perform to created by the music and visual expressions. Both iconic bands and EDM festivals now are getting to be more scripted and operating on similar production quality levels.
AM: When you’re creating your projects with artists, what is that process like especially when it’s for large scale shows?
VV: Our process for large scale shows follows similar structure each time whether it involves music artists, brands or agencies. We explore, concept, design, build and execute.
AM: What are some of the tools that you've used, created and mashed-up to pioneer your visual revolution through the years in multimedia content production and interactive artist-fan engagement - from animation to projection mapping to live video mixing?
VV: One of my favorite early visual DJ tools was the Panasonic MX-50 switcher. I also really loved mixing DVD's on the SVM-1000 with Pioneer DVJ-1000 turntables. We currently use Disguise, Resolume, TouchDesigner 099, Notch, Cinema 4D, Rhino, Vectorworks, Adobe Creative Suite and Unity for our production tool suite.
AM: What are some of your favorite projects you've worked on?
VV: Amon Tobin ISAM is still one of my favorite projects of all time. It represented the beginning of so many journeys.
AM: In yet another realm, how did digital native and gaming culture lead you to produce battle stage environments and projection mapping for the vibrant e-sports culture, with projects such as Starcraft 2 Stage?
VV: Even though I actually play Starcraft and Starcraft 2, it had never occurred to me that I would ever help create the SC2 stage and experience for Blizzcon. It was just good luck and a most excellent colleague referring our services, combined with a few good ideas delivered at the right time that lead to Blizzard Entertainment. My experience with gaming definitely helped me push the envelope for tight integration of in game data and statistics/APM usage to influence real time animations on the 3D set piece.
AM: What are some attractive benefits and particular challenges when building immersive environments and surfaces for nightclubs and lounges venues versus festival stages or tour show visuals?
VV: Festivals come up and down and have a very short lifespan. This is attractive and typically have a much shorter turn around. You program for what is right in front of you, and it vanishes before you know it. With permanent installations you are designing something to last, that is constrained inside an existing architectural perimeter. Permanent installations require a much higher level of finish and involve integrating more disciplines.
AM: What are some of the venues you've designed that our audience may have had the pleasure to enjoy and engage with?
VV: V Squared (now Xite Labs) has designed custom TouchDesigner video systems, staffed VJ residencies, created visual sculptures, domes and content for clubs like Kiss Kiss in Atlantic City, Project Club LA, The Heineken Dome @ Coachella, Outside Lands, Pitchfork, Marquee Las Vegas, Drai's Las Vegas, Rain, Rok Vegas, Parq, Sound Nightclub and X Nightclub.
AM: We were excited to see the announcement of XiteLabs, wow!! Tell us how it was to produce and run the very first event - a live immersive experience finale for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's 100th anniversary at the Hollywood Bowl. What are some other projects we can learn about from XiteLabs thus far and/or you can mention are in the works?
VV: This has been the first year of official business for Xitelabs. Running the LA Phil show was like standing on a high dive and jumping off once the show started. A long climb up for an exhilarating result.
Other project...... our biggest project ever....
Inauguration of The Diriyah Gate Project. Saudi Arabia.
We just wrapped this project having worked on it for about 1 year, with the show completing Nov 20th. Here is a photo. This is definitely one of the world's largest 3D projection mappings which used over 200 projectors. We also created a massive carbon fiber 50ft Falcon. This was the central character of the performance, and the national bird of Saudi Arabia.
AM: Who are three people that you've yet to work with but feel it would be a dream to work together?
VV: I would love to collaborate with Philip Glass on an immersive environmental themed piece. Something about pollution and solutions to waste management. If I could rewind time Nam June Paik would be at the top of my dream list to meet/collaborate with.
AM: With everyone looking to next year and a full festival season ahead, what shows or artists are you looking forward to that will take place next year?
VV: Looking forward to Ultra Music Festival Abu Dhabi. Should be an adventure. Also really looking forward to Bad Bunny's May 2020 show in Puerto Rico. Historic developments in the making.
AM: As someone who is always traveling, what are 3 items that you like to put in your carry on that make traveling and being on the go easier?
VV: Organic Dried Fruits, Tennis Ball, Back Knobber and my travel hoodie with an eye mask/neck pillow.
AM: It's almost 2020, reflecting back - how far do you feel the industry has come over the years and where would you like to see it develop in the near horizon in terms of music festivals, tours, club nightlife and brand/commercial campaign marketing.
VV: I think the industry has come a long way since the early days of electronic music rave events. I love festivals like Day for Night and Mutek that incorporate music and visual arts in a cohesive package. More of this please.
IG @XiteLabs
PHOTOS CREDITS | Xite Labs
Read the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know Let There Be Light with Vello Vikhaus in mag.
Featured Music
READY TO LIFT? A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CROSSFIT TRAINING
CrossFit has certainly exploded in the fitness scene ever since it was introduced back in 2000. Today, you will not have any difficulties finding an affiliate gym near you, as the demand for CrossFit training facilities is still growing. In fact, there are approximately 7,000 affiliate gyms across the globe, which is significantly higher compared to the 13 recorded back in 2005.
What sets these gyms apart, however, is how they present themselves to both newbies and experts alike. And if you are one of those who just gained confidence and are willing to try this high-intensity training, you probably need to take note of a few tips before starting.
Invest In The Right Equipment
According to Emerge, CrossFit is a wear and tear sport that will require equipment that will meet the demands of this high intensity training. That said, if you want to make the most out of your training, investing in the right gear can help you improve your reps and even minimize your risk of getting injured too. If you are a bit shy working out with others, you can create your own CrossFit gym at home by equipping your space with suspension trainers, gym rings, or even weights for starters. Just make sure that your equipment will be able to handle the intensity for a long time.
Learn The Basics
If you are going to attend CrossFit training classes, you must first learn the basics. There are 9 fundamental moves that you should train yourself in first before moving on to the more challenging workouts. These are air squat, overhead squat, front squat, shoulder press, push jerk, push press, sumo deadlift high pull, medicine ball clean, and deadlift. Mastering these moves means being able to perform the more difficult workouts safely.
Find A Good Coach
Most of the time, you will find good coaches in a gym setting. This means that you will need to enroll in their classes first or apply for a gym membership to gain access to these professional trainers. Although this means having to pay a fee for their services, they will be able to show you how CrossFit is done correctly to minimize your injuries, while improving your knowledge on this tough fitness training program.
As a beginner, it is important that you familiarize yourself with Crossfit and its level of intensity training. Once you’ve understood what to expect, you can move on towards more intense workouts to progress safely and surely.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
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BLEISURE MAG
TOP 5 DESTINATIONS FOR STUDENTS IN 2020
What makes an ideal destination for students? Most of the same things that make destinations attractive to anyone else but with some additional considerations. Thus, college students are normally limited in their budget, hence, they have to plan carefully their journeys to control this aspect. Fortunately, nowadays, even with a limited budget, many incredible options are accessible - this is in part due to the advent of low-cost flights, services like Airbnb, affordable hotels and hostels, and lots of online reviews. Also, when searching for places to travel to, students are more inclined towards those that allow active rest and offer a diversity of activities and experiences.
Some Considerations Before Departure
Popular tourist destinations, typically allow travelers to plan a trip in great detail even months in advance. Such planning can be time-consuming but you shouldn’t let your college assignments ruin the holiday. Consider hiring a professional essay writer for students to settle all your pending assignments and burning deadlines when planning a trip or while traveling. Once you settle your academic chores, start researching for potential destinations. Below, we review some of the best vacation spots.
Greece
This country is best known for its gorgeous islands, such as Crete, Santorini, Corfu, Skiathos. This is complemented by exceptional cuisine, rich culture, and a world-renowned historical heritage. While the islands and Athens are among the most popular destinations, there are also a number of inland objectives that are totally worth visiting, such as the picturesque monastic complex Meteora, the Olympus mountain, the ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, etc. Flying to Greece in the less popular months of September-October might help you save even 50% on your hotel bookings. In addition, you’ll avoid the scorching heat that’s typical during summer.
Mexico
Being one of the closest foreign destinations for American Tourists, Mexico has it all: splendid beaches, a rich culture with old traditions and vibrant national holidays, social and friendly people. You might find here corals, beautiful beaches with crystal blue water, Mayan and Aztec sites, night clubs, jungles, caverns, and of course, exceptional cuisine. Important destinations include the island of Cozumel, cities like Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen.
Bolivia
It is not only a cheap destination but has some of the world’s most splendid natural attractions, such as the Uyuni Salt Flats. This place will make you feel on another planet and when covered with water, it looks like a giant sky mirror with optical illusions. Among other destinations are the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve with its Red Lagoon, the Sol de la Mañana (Morning Sun) Geiser, the National Park Madidi with its Amazon jungle, Lake Titicaca, volcanic lakes, the highest-altitude capital of La Paz (12000 feet), the gastronomic capital Cochabamba, etc.
Romania
While it is not among the most known touristic countries in Europe, Romania has beautiful steep mountains, some of the most pristine nature in Europe, and many architectural jewels. Key attractions include the Corvin’s Castle, Peleș Castle, Bran’s Castle (Dracula’s Castle), the salt mine Salina Turda (turned into an underground amusement park), the Transfăgărășan road (one of Europe’s most picturesque), the Putna Monastery, the ancient ruins of Sarmizegetusa, the Iași Palace, the fortified churches of Transylvania, etc.
Morocco
If you like deserts, oases, camel tracks, this is your destination. At Erg Chebbi, for instance, you have the chance to see the desert as you know it in the movies, with massive sand dunes up to 150 meters high. But Morocco has much more to offer:
splendid beaches, like the rocky Legzira Beach, with its red cliffs and stone arches; architectural objectives, like the Hassan II Mosque, the Bab el-Mansour Gates, adorned with calligraphy and gorgeous tilework, or the Ait Ben Haddou fortress with its looks and surrounding landscape straight out of a fairy-tale; the raw landscapes of the Dades Valley.
Conclusion
It is incredibly hard to limit yourself to such a shortlist of places to visit, especially considering that every person has different tastes. Hence, you should check out additional reviews, such as this list of budget destinations from Forbes. The latter proves that exotic destinations aren’t beyond the reach even when traveling on a fairly low budget. If money is not an issue though, feel free to run a search for luxury student destinations, especially if you value good hotels and integrated packages of high-quality services.
Author’s Bio
Emma has gained valuable experience by working for several SEO companies. Nowadays, she reviews the inner workings of this industry as well as key trends in content writing. Apart from this, Emma covers the topic of how students can get online assistance and tutoring.
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Featured Travel
5 WAYS TO REMOVE THE BAGS FROM UNDER YOUR EYES
The eyes are the most expressive part of the face. If your eyes look tired and haggard, chances are your mood will follow every time you look at the mirror. According to the facial feedback hypothesis, what you see in the mirror will affect your inner feelings. If you want to have a positive day, have eyes that are taut radiant and bright, so every time you look at your face in the mirror, you will be assured of a positive vibe.
Remember that other people also judge you by your looks. You don’t want to be thought of as sickly and tired just because you have bags under your eyes.
Get a rejuvenated look that is camera-ready and people ready every time you wake up in the morning. Here are five surefire ways to remove pesky bags from under your eyes:
1. Use home remedies
Home remedies are quick, effective, and readily available around the house. You can put them under your eye for a quick fix and to make your eyes brighter within hours.
● Potato
Refrigerate a potato and slice it into two circles. Gently put the cooled potato over your closed eyes so that it covers the puffy areas completely. Leave them on for 15-20 minutes, and you will see a dramatic change in your eyebags since they will be reduced in size.
● Teabags
Teabags aren’t just good for drinking; they are also highly effective against eyebags. The caffeine in the tea contains antioxidants that increase blood flow to the skin. Tea also slows down the aging process and is a protection against harmful UV rays. Green tea, in particular, has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can help diminish puffy eyes.
● Cucumber
Cucumber is a good remedy against puffy eyes. Take a couple of slices of cooled cucumber in the fridge and put them over your eyes for 25 minutes. Relax and take a short nap. The cucumber will refresh your eyes as well as your mind. The anti-inflammatory properties of the cucumber will reduce the puffy area.
2. Consider getting surgery and hormone replacement therapies
Are puffy eyes a consistent and major cosmetic problem of yours? Maybe you should consider getting surgical procedures to diminish them. Sometimes the puffiness under the eyes is caused by fat, which is hereditary. In this case, the fat needs to be surgically removed to make the eyes look normal. This surgical procedure requires a rest period, and recovery may take weeks. You can also consider non-surgical hormone replacement therapies such as BHRT which can cause vast improvement in under-eye puffiness as well.
3. Address underlying issues
There may be some reason why you have puffy eyes. Depending on your particular condition, you may have to take some medication or do any of the following:
● Take an antihistamine
Puffy eyes may be a cause of allergies. You may have been exposed to some allergens through the air or via the food you have consumed. Get an over the counter anti-allergen and see if it reduces allergy symptoms which include puffy eyes.
● Flush out your sinuses
Sinus problems can be the cause behind those puffy eyes, and you should flush your sinuses out using a salt solution to remedy the problem.
● Apply an eye cream
There are tons of products out there specifically for the eye area. Creams with retinol, for example, don’t only reduce eye puffiness but reduce eye wrinkles and lines as well. Products with caffeine is also a good choice because it constricts the blood vessels. Products with Arnica is also good since it is an anti-inflammatory.
4. Get enough sleep and reduce stress levels
One reason you may have eye bags is you are not getting enough sleep. Are you getting the required sleep of eight hours each night? Make sure you have the right amount of sleep and also make sure your stress levels are low. Stress and anxiety may be factors that are keeping you awake each night, and it is important that stress is at manageable levels so you won’t have eye bags in the morning. Having enough sleep and manageable levels of stress also mean you will have better overall health.
5. Get rid of eye bags with makeup
If you need to get rid of eyebags, pronto, you can use some makeup to mask those annoying circles immediately. Apply concealer on the affected area and then a primer. Put on some foundation. Make sure the makeup matches your skin tone so you will get ultimate coverage. Play up the makeup on your eyes to make them look radiant and bright and highlight other features of your face.
Final Thoughts
Getting amazing eyes is not so easy when you are constantly plagued by under eyes bags and puffiness. Eyes are the most expressive and tantalizing parts of the body, and they should be radiant, bright, and convey a message of good health. Get rid of undereye puffiness immediately with some proven home remedies and get radiant looking eyes back. If home remedies don’t work, doing some lifestyle changes or even considering surgery can get your eyes back to looking normal and youthful.
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Featured Beauty
9LIST STORI3S | JUDGE MARILYN MILIAN
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Featured 9LIST STORI3S
LUXURY CAMPING TIPS TO CAMP IN STYLE
Camping means going back to nature and living with the bare necessities. Many people like the novelty that comes with unplugging from modern conveniences and facing the wild side. However, camping doesn’t always have to be a situation that is uncomfortable and takes away modern luxuries. You can still go camping and enjoy Mother Nature without having to give up conveniences if you go luxury camping.
Glamping or luxury camping is a new way to amp up the camping experience by camping with all the amenities found in your home. Imagine going kayaking, hiking, and sightseeing for one whole day and resting by the end of the day on a nice bed and soft pillows. Luxury camping is the way to go when you want to feel like a king or queen after a long tiring day with Mother Nature.
The following are some luxury camping tips so you can camp in style:
1. Have a Cozy Place to Sleep
The number one thing that marks luxury camping as different from ordinary camping is the type of bedding you bring. Comfortable bedding is the key to having a luxurious camping experience. The beddings you bring should be like the ones you use back home. Start with a comfy base such as an elevated cot and then put a mattress over it. Equip the bed with soft sheets and pillows, and a comforter. Incorporate further bedroom accents to your space by equipping it with side tables and rugs. Bring your favorite slippers and reading materials. The only downside to this is you may have difficulty getting up in the morning to leave your tent.
2. Have Comfy Chairs
Camp furniture can look good, and all you need is to shop and choose the right one that will go well with your luxury camping. Wooden camp furniture can provide a great aesthetic look and complement the natural surroundings of a wood or forest. You can also go for a versatile inflatable camping couch. Arrange a living room space with this furniture and make sure to add lots of comfortable blankets and throw pillows.
Of course, no camping is complete without a bonfire where people can converge to chat and get warm. However, be aware of the fire restrictions in your camping ground. You can opt for a high-tech fire pit so you can control the fire much easier. Plus, high-tech fire pits will look cool with your on-the-camp luxury living room.
3. Light Up Your Campsite with Twinkling Lights
When night comes, you want to make your camping site truly light up and twinkle in the darkness. Get maximum illumination by equipping your spot with LED lights. Light up candles in and around your tent to make it feel truly romantic and glamorous. You can also use energy-saving solar-powered lanterns to add to the lighting.
4. Decorate Your Tent With Home Accents
Bringing your home to your tent in the middle of the campsite means more than just bringing convenience. Really glamp it up by bringing some décor to warm up the place and make it truly feel like a home away from home. Bring in some colorful rugs, vases and even fresh flowers to add some color to the space. Let your creative juices flow and think of how to decorate the space you will be staying in during camping. The only thing you should avoid is bringing something too fragile that you are afraid of breaking or ruining.
5. Cook Amazing Food
Luxury camping is not just about getting physical comforts; it is also about getting gastronomic satisfaction. The usual camping fare would be beans on a can, but that receives an upgrade in luxury camping. You can have full, well-prepared meals in luxury camping, so be sure to bring in all the appliances you need to cook up a great meal. You can cook fresh cinnamon rolls, salads, and anything grilled. You can have each person in your camp plan a meal and have a competition on who is the most creative outdoor cook.
6. Choose a Great Tent
If you want a glammed-up campsite, you have to have the perfect tent. It can glam up your surroundings and give you the comfort of ultimate luxury. Consider getting a tent that is spacious and has swinging doors as this means you wouldn’t have to stoop down and duck all the time. The definition of the perfect tent may vary from person to person, but a tent that will be great for luxury camping should at least have the following qualities:
● Double-layers so it won’t leak when it rains
● High opening so you don’t have to stoop
● Easy to assemble
● Spacious and big
● Comes with an awning
Final Thoughts
Luxury camping is a fun and creative way to camp. It certainly veers away from the traditional idea of camping, and everyone is free to have their own kind of entertainment. Luxury camping lets you enjoy all the amenities of your home but in different and greener surroundings. The result is a fun adventure that is truly extraordinary.
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Featured Travel
THE ART OF THE SNACK | TSISMIS NYC
FOR THE FLAVOR SEEKER
We swung by TSISMIS NYC for dinner and enjoyed a number of savory dishes, cocktails and chill vibes only. Executive Chef Jappy Afzelius, took time to fine out more about this eclectic restaurant.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your culinary background, where you trained and restaurants you worked in and a bit about TSISMIS NYC!
CHEF JAPPY AFZELIUS: I'm Filipino born and I learned the fundamentals of French cooking under Alain Ducasse at Chez Allard Bistro in Paris and Benoit Bistro in New York. From there I worked at David Burke Fabrick and the Michelin Bib Gourmand Manila Social Club. Then, I went to Italy, studying the "Slow Food Movement", a grassroots organization devoted to preventing the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, and in 2018 received my Master's in Food Culture and Communications from the University of Gastronomic Science in Piedmont, Italy. I traveled extensively throughout Europe as well as Japan to further discover global cuisines. At TSISMIS NYC, I deliver a unique menu developed in collaboration with the restaurant's owners and the culinary team, from home-grown recipes with influences from Spanish, Mediterranean and other Asian cuisines.
AM: How do you define the style of cooking that can be enjoyed here?
CHEF JA: Our style of cooking at TSISMIS NYC is eclectic. We use a lot of different techniques that I’ve learned throughout the years and also apply basic science like fermentation and pickling as well. We blend and balance a lot of different flavors together.
AM: What are 3 signature dishes that you suggest?
CHEF JA: The 3 signature dishes from TSISMIS NYC that your readers should know about our Kale Laing, Tinapa Croquetas and Aligue Pasta. I feel that these 3 dishes are what represent TSISMIS NYC as a restaurant and they are crowd favorites as well.
AM: What are 3 signature cocktails that you suggest our readers should enjoy?
CHEF JA: Our cocktails are definitely a must try and the Pickle Pepper Punch, A la Bira and Tsismosa are our signature cocktails that guests love to pair with our food most often.
AM: With the holiday season in full swing, are there any special events or meals that we should keep on our radar?
CHEF JA: We just launched our Boodle Yan special, which I believe you'll enjoy:
Boodle-Yan is a unique dining experience that showcases the rich culinary culture of the Philippines, combining a boodle fight’s military camp style of eating on long tables with the kamayan practice of eating with your hands. The traditional meal celebrates camaraderie and inspires festivity.
This Filipino feast will include a plethora of traditional items with creative touches including chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, fish, fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits and rice, artfully arranged across a bed of banana leaves. All items can be adjusted upon request to fit dietary restrictions and allergies.
To fully submerge in the cultural adventure, guests will dine without any utensils, using only their hands to eat the feast before them.
Boodle-Yan is available only on Sundays from 11am to 8pm through reservation only. There is a six person minimum to reserve. The experience is priced at $45 per person and includes a complimentary glass of sangria.
IG @TSISMISNYC
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Featured The Art of the Snack
LAST MINUTE GUIDE 2019
PHOTO CREDIT | Joey Csunyo/UnSplash
HOW TO AFFORD AN EXTENDED HOLIDAY IN AUSTRALIA
As Australia continues to battle huge bushfires across multiple regions, many areas remain unaffected and most tourism businesses are operating as usual, according to Tourism Australia. Australia remains one of the best places to enjoy a holiday, especially if you are interested in staying for a few months. Thanks to its super-cool cities, extraordinary wildlife, and endless coastline, Australia has all the elements you need to have a superb holiday. However, taking an extended holiday in Australia can be an expensive affair, particularly during the summer months when most tourists are flocking in. Luckily, you can find various ways to cut costs in order to extend your trip and create some unforgettable memories.
Choose your accommodation carefully
Australia is one of the most expensive places to live in, so you can expect accommodation to be one of your biggest expenses. But, it doesn’t have to be. One way to reduce the cost of accommodation is by choosing a cheaper location to stay in. This means avoiding the major cities and instead, staying in smaller cities and rural areas.
If you can’t stay away from the major cities, you can consider staying in a hostel instead of an expensive hotel room. Contrary to common belief, hostels are not just for 21-year old backpackers; many hostels offer private rooms with some even having private bathrooms. If you are traveling as a group, you can save some money by getting a vacation rental. This way, you can cook your own meals throughout your trip which is a lot cheaper than eating out every day.
Make smart shopping decisions
You’ll need to do some shopping if you plan to stay in Australia for an extended period. To save on shopping expenses, you can start by avoiding the supermarkets; they tend to be expensive. Instead, you can get down to the nearest farmer’s market and get a wide selection of products at a much cheaper price than you’ll get in the supermarkets. You can also shop online with David Jones & Qantas where you can earn points and qualify for great discounts. If you don’t mind, consider buying second-hand products from charity shops like Vinnies, Red Cross, and Salvation Army or online platforms like Gumtree where you can find amazing deals.
Save on travel costs
You can save thousands of dollars by finding more economical ways to get to and around Australia. You can start by getting on the cheapest possible flight to the country. To do this, compare flight prices of different airlines to find the cheapest one and book as early as possible when the rates are still low. Once you get to Australia, one way to save on travel costs is by taking the bus as opposed to the more expensive domestic flights to various tourist hotspots across the country. If you are traveling as a group, you can hire a vehicle and split the cost among yourselves.
Get travel insurance
Anything could happen while you are on holiday in Australia, forcing you to seek medical attention. Medical care can be expensive in Australia, so it’s crucial that you get travel insurance before you set off. With travel insurance, any medical costs you incur in Australia will be fully covered, which can save you a lot of money in the long run. On top of that, it can help put your mind at ease, allowing you to make the most out of your trip.
Life can be amazing down under, but if you’re not careful, the costs can have you running back to your country before you get a chance to fully enjoy the wonders of Australia. But, with careful planning and budgeting, you can find ways to save costs on every aspect of your trip so that you extend your holiday and enjoy the good life for a little bit longer.
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Featured Travel