28. Look outside.
The very act of just looking out a window has instant positive effects on your health. Researchers at the UW’s Human Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems Lab compared heart rates of 90 college students as they performed stress-inducing tasks in front of a blank wall, tranquil outdoor footage on a plasma screen, and a window overlooking live, deciduous trees and a grassy knoll. The result: Peering through a window at old-fashioned nature significantly slowed the students’ heart rates; the plasma screen and blank wall did not.
29. Slather it on, even in winter.
We know you know you’re supposed to use sunscreen—even in our relatively rays-free climate—but consider this a friendly reminder. Antiaging creams make big promises, but according to Dr. Annalisa K. Gorman of Swedish Hospital, sunscreen is the only real way besides cosmetic surgery to slow down visible signs of aging. Seems like an easy choice.
31. Are you D deprived?
According to naturopathic physician Nina Paroo of Natural Healthcare Northwest (doctorbuxton.com), our cloudy northern climate makes us especially susceptible to vitamin D deficiency, which has been linked to depression, fatigue, cardiovascular problems, and some cancers. Paroo diagnoses the problem with a simple blood test and treats her sunless wretches with a program of fat-soluble supplements.
32. Learn to cook healthy.
Call up Cornucopia Cuisine (cornucopiacuisine.com) and schedule a dinner at chef Becky Selengut’s Capitol Hill home. Here’s how it works: Selengut shows you and three of your friends how to prepare a local, seasonal dinner, then sits down and eats it with you. Dinners are $85 per person.
33. Become a stair master.
Climbing one of Seattle’s 550 public outdoor stairways (nearly seven miles of steps) is a cardio workout with a view—of the forest they cut through in Interlaken Park, or the bungalow-style mansions in Leschi, or, in the case of Galer Crown, a set of steps at the top of Queen Anne, all of Elliott Bay. Start your path to staircase transcendence with a copy of “Map of the (Oft) Pedestrian Public Stairs of Queen Anne Hill,” architect Thomas Horton’s hand-drawn and waterproof field guide to the neighborhood’s 121 stairways to heaven (available at qahistory.org/stairs/map.htm).
34. I scream, you scream.
This city certainly loves its frozen treats, but when we’re watching our weight, not all icy sweets are created equally. Here’s how our local scoops stack up: Molly Moon’s chocolate ice cream has 260 calories per serving. Old School Frozen Custard chocolate custard has 175. Chocolate gelato from Procopio, meanwhile, has just 78 calories per scoop.
35. Why do Seattle women
let the ladies of Lynnwood-based Olympus Spa (olympusspa.net) go where only significant others have gone before? It may get up close and personal, but the 40-minute Korean Body scrub ($65) improves circulation and will make your skin feel as soft as the day you were born. Fittingly, you’ll be wearing your birthday suit—this all-women, all-nude spa is a “bathing suit-free” space.
36. Calorie Count: Lattes
If you’re one of the legions of Seattleites who start the day with a bone-strengthening latte, don’t forget to include it in your total food tally: Drink 100 whole-milk lattes for a year and you’ve downed 20,400 calories. Switch to 2 percent, and it’s 15,000. Order skim and you’ll still be sucking up 12,600 calories, about the amount you’d burn over 19 six-mile runs.
Published: January 2010
Hey gang, thank you so much for including me on your esteemed list! I am tickled. I’m taking my meatless 1x/week theme to the ext level in 2010— in the form of a cookbook! “Licking Your Chops,” a collection of 52 menus to help meat eaters take a break from eat 1x/week, will be published (Da Capo Press) right around Labor Day. Stay tuned! All best.
the Runner’s High is real! if you’re thinking about getting into running but are a little intimidated, Team in Training is a great way to start – the Seattle group has really helpful coaches, beautiful running routes, and tons of fun people to run with. And you raise money for a great cause (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). http://www.teamintraining.org/wa/
I’m nearing the end of Day 3 of the water cleanse, inspired by Karen Quinn’s story. So far, so good. Today is the first day with only water. I do find myself instinctively wandering into the kitchen to grab snacks, only to snap out of it as I’m reaching for the chips. Tomorrow at the exact mid-point I’m getting a deep-tissue massage, which has motivated me through the first three days. It will also help release some more toxins, I’m sure. Thanks so much for publishing this! I have never fasted before, and am so glad I gave it a try.
Jay—
Way to give the cleanse a try—I find “water only” to be two very intimidating words. The massage is a good idea though, good to think of ways to reward yourself when embarking on such a serious challenge. Congrats to you.
Those aren’t the only places to play volleyball in Seattle, check out sbvclub.com for more information.