Welcome Allegra Parks to The Center!

The Center of Integrative Practices would like to welcome our newest practitioner, Allegra Parks! Allegra is a state licensed psychotherapist who received Masters Degrees in both social work and early adolescent education. In her practice, Allegra focuses on helping adults and adolescents deal with trauma, health issues, anxiety, conflict and other related issues. For more information, check out Allegra Parks on The Center's website. Keep checking back with us for more updates and upcoming events!

Staying Cool this 4th of July

It may be a rainy couple of days in New York City, but the humidity and heat can make any 4th of July BBQ a little unbearable. The Mother Nature Network posted an article a couple years ago about unusual ways to stay cool and healthy during the summer. Some surprising methods they found were eating light foods, eating spicy food (spice makes you sweat without raising your body temperature!), and running cool water over your pulse points. All these great ways to stay cool and more can be seen here. The city can trap you in a dense heat often, especially if you are taking the subway or have to walk to get around town. Here are some ways to cool yourself off while stuck without air-conditioning in the city:

1) Map out the free Museums in the city. Always air conditioned, you know you can seek respite here, if only for a few minutes.

2) Use the water ways! On a breezy day, walking along the East River or Hudson is a great way to get from point A to point B and will provide you with a little relief from the dense heat you would feel walking along Lexington or Madison Ave.

3) Seek shade! Central Park is a perfect place to seek shelter in the summer with paths dotted with trees.

4) Public pools are open for the season, a sure way to cool you down on even the hottest days. For a full list of pools, click here.

5) Enjoy smoothie season to it's fullest! Here's a fun July 4th recipe.

Stay happy, stay healthy, and stay tuned for more news from The Center.

Style and Psychology: A Delicious Blend

Welcome back to The Center for Integrative Practices blog! It's been a while and we are excited to share some exciting news with you. It isn't often style and psychology are mixed, but the New York Times style section featured our very own Dr. Amanda Baten this past week! The article discusses beauty products that are created out of food and the possibility of wearing these food-scented products as a dietary technique.  If you didn't have a chance to read this article yet and see what Dr. Amanda Baten has to say on the subject, check out the online article here! For more information on The Center for Integrative Practices, follow our blog or follow us on Facebook. We'll see you back here soon!

Mindfulness Can Lead to Happiness

This past January, mindfulness expert Andy Puddicome gave a great TED talk about the importance of being mindful and present. This video gives an overview of his methods and the importance of meditating for 10 minutes a day in order to take care of your brain. Meditation, according to Andy, can be any activity that allows you to focus your brain so that you are not juggling your thoughts but are focused on the present moment. Whether you achieve this through deep breathing excercizes, physical exercise, or any one of our meditative services at The Center is up to you. Take the time to reward your brain for it's hard work and watch Andy's video (it's worth the effort!)

Keep your Body Clean while Playing Outdoors

Happy daylight savings! Sunday may have not been fun if you realized too late that you lost an hour, but the prospect of more daylight should boost your spirits. Having longer days means more time to do your favorite outdoor activities like biking or running through Central Park or picking up a game of basketball after work.  The prospect of being outside more is exciting, but an article posted on FitnessMagazine.com warns that pollution may be problematic for the health of the everyday outdoor player.  But don't fret! The article suggests that exercising outside early in the morning or in the evenings reduces your exposure to air pollution. The article also suggests limiting your exposure to grass sprayed with chemicals and checking the air quality levels in your area. Keep yourself healthy this spring and check back with The Center for Integrative Practices for more information on keeping your body and mind healthy.

A Diet focused on the Heart

To celebrate the end of American Heart Month, we wanted to share with you a great article posted on the New York Times website this week. The article talks about a diet that is solely focused on keeping your heart healthy. Referred to as "The Mediterranean Diet", this diet is not a new innovative concept but rather dictated by the foods people have access to in the Mediterranean. There is now overwhelming research that shows that while the Mediterranean diet may not help with weight loss, it can help prevent high risk individuals from stroke and heart disease. The best part? Mediterranean food is delicious and accessible. It even includes red wine! To find out more, check out the full NYTimes article and keep checking in with us for more health related news.

Remember the Sun

I'm sure you have all noticed that it's been getting colder in the city! Stay healthy and remember sunnier days with some of our favorite green smoothie recipes:

Strawberry + Banana + Romaine
This recipe is a twist on the classic strawberry/ banana. Add a little romaine for extra hydration. 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, 6-7 leaves of romaine, 2 cups water, blend.

Peach + Spinach
Sure to blast you right back to summer. 6 peaches, 2 handfuls of spinach leaves, 2 cups of water, blend.

Mango + Weeds
Sending you mentally to the tropics with a kick! 2 Mangos and 1 handful of weeds (lambsquarters, stinging nettles, purslane etc.), blend and enjoy.

Recipes from The Copperhead Resort and Spa courtesy of Dr. Amanda Baten.