going down to metro(politan)

Although I've lived in Forest Hills for several years, not having a car has placed me into the I-only-go-where-I-can-walk-in-10-minutes-or-take-a-subway category. Which means I hardly ever venture off Queens Boulevard or off the subway lines which seamlessly take me into Manhattan or along Queens without having to walk much in the north-south direction.

However, recently I have been hearing more and more about the fantastic restaurants along Metropolitan Avenue, including Wafa's (with great vegan I hear), Dee's, and Nick's (the Bistro, not to be confused with Nick's Pizza).

So my fiance and I decided to set out on Mother's Day, at 7pm, to search out the best of Metropolitan Avenue. Special day that it was, Wafas was closed, and Dees was booked all night. (I guess that's what we get for procrastinating.) We were fortunate, however, to find our way into Nick's Bistro and pick a few items off the menu.

It was quite clean inside, appearing recently renovated, and our server quickly pointed out the vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. Some pita chips and hummus were brought out first, and they caught our attention with the fresh flavor that was so tasty that the plate was clean before we knew it. We ordered a pasta and also a vegetable platter, accompanied by "veggie chips". All were, again, fresh and full of flavor, to a degree that not all restaurants can boast of. Although we arrived hungry, we were full midway through the meal so we had no room for dessert. When it became evident that all the desserts were not vegan, the server surprised us with a small fruit plate to finish the meal.

As we were dining, I saw a glimpse of other salads, which also looked delicious. In the end, we left Nick's with happy stomachs and a new appreciation for the southern side of Forest Hills. It will be no great effort for us to venture back to Metropolitan to have another meal at Nick's Bistro.

vegan nutrition

Yesterday I picked up a book at Jivamukti Yoga Studio entitled Thrive: the Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance. I've been reading it steadily, and although I've been following a mostly vegan diet I admit it's been hard at times to figure out what works and what doesn't. Should I be eating fruit or green juices? Do I eat many small meals or a few big meals? How do I choose among fruits and vegetables?

I received some diet/nutritional clarification and recommendations last fall from Thara, the Ayurvedic doctor at the Chopra Center in NYC. She told me my dosha type (which is basically the energies that characterize your physical, mental, and spiritual makeup) and recommended certain foods, oils and herbs to balance everything out.

I found the book Thrive to be a great complement to her recommendations, and it also offers the nutritional/scientific basis for his food choices. The author, a professional Ironman triathlete, ended up with a vegan diet not for ethical reasons, but simply out of a desire to gain more energy, speed his recovery time, have higher mental and physical function, and keep a high muscle/low fat body.

It's funny that his conclusions, based on over 20 years of research and personal experimentation, yield the same foods that have been touted by doctors for their antioxidant properties, by activists for saving the lives of animals, by environmentalists for creating less stress on the environment, and by yoga practitioners for increased energy and awareness.

By the way, I haven't finished the book yet, but at the end there are several recipes and meal options which compose of his "Thrive" diet. Just glancing at them, they are designed to be quick and easy to make, and use lots of fresh, health, energy-boosting ingredients. (I'll let you know when I try the recipes.)

Peace,

Kaity