Cooking healthy

• Wild Mushroom Tart with Parmesan Crust
• Roasted Pear and Mixed Greens Salad with Cocoa Nib “Windowpane” Crisps
• Tuscan White Beans and Escarole Ragù with Swiss Chard Gnocchi
• Roasted Cauliflower with Gaeta Olives and Red Pepper
• Baked Whole Black Bass Encrusted in Salt with Anchovy-Herb Sauce
• Almond Semifreddo Afogato (Frozen Almond Soufflé Drowned in Espresso)

It was a cooking class I took at the Natural Gourmet Institute in Chelsea. From their website:

The Natural Gourmet Institute was founded on the principal that what we eat significantly affects our physical, mental and spiritual well-being….. We look to the whole food traditions of our healthy ancestors as well as to modern scientific studies. Our approach empowers people to tailor their eating style to support their individual health needs.

OK, so the food’s healthy. Was it yummy? It was incredible. Those of you who think gourmet cooking has to be bad for you should definitely check this place out.

Proposed schedule change

Good news regarding the Tuesday step class at 16th and 8th: I talked to the fitness office about changing the time from 45 minutes to an hour, and they were very receptive to the idea.

The bad news? The schedule just changed at the beginning of the month, and the next schedule change is in June. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait.

P.S. Expect the class to be made a reservation class too.

Foods and moods

Some of the worst culprits:

• bacon cheeseburgers
• supersized sodas
• pasta with cream sauce
• bagels
• too much wine
• too much dessert

Thankfully, there are also foods that boost moods (when eaten in moderation):

• certain fruits and vegetables (bananas, blueberries, broccoli, dark leafy greens, mangoes, oranges, pomegranates, spinach, and strawberries)
• nuts
• string cheese
• steak or pork chops
• chili

Rock the Scales

P.S. Hold on… who’s that kickboxing stud on the right?

Red Bull as a mixer

Not exactly. Without the feeling of drowsiness that signals drunkenness, people are fooled into thinking they’re more sober than they actually are. As a result, they are at a greater risk of harming themselves.

The cocktail is also potentially dangerous to your health. The combination of alcohol and a stimulant can cause shortness of breath and elevate heart rates to unsafe levels. (By “stimulant,” we’re talking drinks with high caffeine content — this includes coffee as well as energy drinks.)