Haul Buns

Sometimes You’ve Gotta Slow Down

The building where most of our classes were held

I used to think yoga was for other people. I mean, I’m a pretty chill person, but the moment I’m instructed to sit cross-legged, close my eyes and steady my breathing while thinking about :nothing:, I become a crazed weasel in desperate need of Ritalin. My inner monologue usually goes something like this:

“Okay, you can do this. Just don’t think about anything.”
“But by thinking about not thinking about anything, I’m thinking about something. I’m already doing it wrong!”
“Just breathe in and breathe out. Look at the darkness behind your eyelids.”
“My ankles are starting to fall asleep. Maybe I’m sitting wrong?”
“Madonna does yoga all the time and looks great. Focus!”
“I can smell my fabric softener. I have so much laundry to do when I get home. Wait, did I get quarters at the bank last week?”

And so on and so forth. None of that happens, though, when I’m running or sweating it out in a challenging class. “Moving meditation” is what some people call that kind of body-in-motion, mind-in-relaxation state. So I was happy to consider myself a moving meditator and, well, move on — leaving that regular meditating to eat my dust.

But if 31 years on this planet has taught me anything, it’s that I’m frequently wrong. After having a good time at some Bikram yoga classes earlier this year, I attended the Women’s Yoga & Music Retreat at Silver Lake Conference Center in Connecticut this past weekend. I knew the yoga would be a lot different from the sweaty, heart-pumping kind I’m used to. But the weekend was held at the camp where I used to spend my summers as a kid, so I figured I’d give it a shot. Even if I hated it, at least I could get some hiking in.

Getting ready for vinyasa yoga on Saturday morning

Ladies, let me tell ya: I got a re-education real quick. I spent a very relaxing, very active weekend with some awesome women who were all about yoga as a way to reconnect with themselves. I stretched, I danced, I held poses and felt my biceps sing with the effort. It was work but it was fun, and it forced me to slow down and breathe. My mind still wandered at times during class, but much less so than in the past. And that calmer feeling? It was pretty nice.

I’m still not a 100-percent yogaphile. Some of the vocab is a little too “Kumbayah” for me, and I still really love to sweat and feel my heart thud against my ribs. But I’m open to taking more classes, especially if they leave me feeling as limber as I do today. And I’m begging you to try a yoga or Pilates class, especially if you think that it’s definitely not the thing for you. Come on, cardio queens: Give yourself an hour of slow stretching and strength work. Your body — and your spirit — will thank you.

April 21, 2009 at 8:12 pm Leave a comment

Women’s Health Fair

Palisades Medical Center is holding a Women’s Health Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 3. The fair, which will take place at Palisades Sports & Fitness Center in North Bergen, will offer lots of free stuff, including a free yoga class at 11 a.m., free health screenings, raffles and giveaways. There’s even free transportation available! For more information or directions, go here.

April 21, 2009 at 7:52 pm Leave a comment

Take Me Out To The Haul Game

You need to know two things about me:
1. I am a Red Sox fan.
2. Thanks to The Boyfriend’s Yankees season tickets, the number of Yankees games I have attended (as a non-cheering observer, it should be noted) far exceeds the number of Red Sox games I’ve attended in my life. The things we do for love, eh?

Anyhoo, I accompanied him to one of the pre-season exhibition games a few weekends ago at the new Yankee Stadium. When not giving Jeter the hairy eyeball, I was pleasantly surprised to note that all of the food stands are now complying with New York City’s mandate to post caloric information on their menus. And because I love you all so much, I walked around to just about every counter, kiosk and stall in order to get an idea of what passes for healthier choices at the ballpark. (HaulBuns.com: Now with original reporting!)

So in time for Opening Day in the New York region, here’s a list of stuff you nosh at the ballpark. Keep in mind that the stadium is only required to post calories, not fat or sodium. Also keep in mind that some things, despite their ridiculously high calorie counts — souvenir bucket of popcorn, anyone? — are worth indulging in once in a while in the name of baseball, America and summer fun. And it’s actually a lot easier to eat healthy at the new stadium, with its sushi station and fresh fruit cart, than it was at the old. So here’s a list, broken down into chunks, of what the new Yankee Stadium has to offer.

Not a Yanks fan? Don’t live near New York? Couldn’t care less about pride, pinstripes, power? Take a look at the list below, anyway: Plenty of the selections are offered in parks across the country.

0-500 Calories
Kozy Shack pudding: 140 cal.
Bud Light (regular size): 110 cal.
Bud Light (souvenir size): 220 cal.
Coffee (black): 6 cal.
Chicken noodle soup: 167 cal.
Chef’s salad (with turkey and cheddar): 241 cal.
Garden salad: 100 cal.
Nathan’s corn dog on a stick: 380 cal.
California roll sushi: 255 cal.
Veggie roll sushi: 160 cal.
Spicy tuna roll sushi: 195 cal.
Salmon roll sushi: 190 cal.
Shrimp tempura roll sushi: 340 cal.
Rainbow roll sushi: 330 cal.
New York roll sushi: 410 cal.
Bronx roll sushi: 310 cal.
Dynamite roll sushi: 350 cal.
Nigiri sushi sampler: 270 cal.
Sashimi sampler: 210 cal.
Edamame: 100 cal.
Avocado salad: 180 cal.
Calamari salad: 390 cal.
Spicy scallops salad: 220 cal.
Chicken noodle bowl: 320 cal.
Beef noodle bowl: 350 cal.
Tofu noodle bowl: 240 cal.
Egg rolls (2): 340 cal.
Dumplings (4): 300 cal.
American fries (small): 240
Beck’s (large): 286 cal.
Fries with cheese (small): 350 cal.
Famiglia cheese pizza (slice): 260 cal.
Famiglia pepperoni pizza (slice): 310 cal.
Fresh squeezed lemonade (24 oz.): 300 cal.
Cotton candy: 175 cal.
Premio sweet Italian sausage: 500 cal.
Premio hot Italian sausage: 500 cal.
Nathan’s natural casing hot dog: 297 cal.
Garlic fries (small): 250 cal.
Garlic fries (large): 330 cal.
Fresh fruit (no calorie counts listed)

501-1000 Calories
Hebrew National foot-long hot dog: 510 cal.
New York pretzel: 630 cal.
Utz potato chips: 563 cal.
Indiana Gourmet kettlecorn: 520 cal.
Indiana Gourmet aged white cheddar kettlecorn: 560 cal.
M&Ms (plain): 735 cal.
M&Ms (peanut): 770 cal.
Twizzlers: 525
Ovengold turkey and provolone sub: 840 cal.
Deluxe ham and imported swiss sub: 750 cal.
Deluxe roast beef and Vermont cheddar cheese sub: 760 cal.
Pastrami on rye: 526 cal.
Eggplant parmesan sub: 659 cal.
Eggplant parmesan dish: 529 cal.
Meatballa parmesan sub: 803 cal.
Meatballa parmesan dish: 772 cal.
Chicken parmesan sub: 819 cal.
Big Mike Combo: 670 cal.
Da True Bronx Tale: 665 cal.
Sweet Bird: 608 cal.
Veggie Special: 645 cal.
Baked ziti: 720 cal.
Chicken tenders: 702 cal.
Hamburger: 630 cal.
Cheeseburger: 705 cal.
Chicken pan fried noodle bowl: 720 cal.
Beef pan fried noodle bowl: 800 cal.
Tofu pan fried noodle bowl: 600 cal.
Popcorn (large): 745 cal.
Rocket single: 710 cal.
Chicken tenders and fries: 810 cal.
American fries (large): 520 cal.
Onion rings: 790 cals.
Fries with cheese (large): 630 cal.
Moe’s nachos: 880 cal.

More Than 1000 Calories
Antipasto: 1066 cal.
Zeppoles: 2046 cal.
Nathan’s crinkle-cut fries: 1236 cal.
Nathan’s cheese fries: 1341 cal.
Popcorn (jumbo): 1484 cal.
Popcorn (souvenir bucket): 2473 cal.
Rocket double: 1020 cal.
Moe’s nacho supreme: 1410 cal.
Bazzini peanuts: 1190 cal.

Variable
Hot chocolate: 252-336 cal.
Carvel helmet cup of ice cream: 550-590 cal.
Carvel waffle cone of ice cream: 540-570 cal.
Nathan’s beef frankfurter: 297 -350 cal.
Johnny Rocket’s original shakes: 760-890 cal.
Carolina pulled pork sandwich: 470-710 cal.
Pulled bbq chicken sandwich: 422-662 cal.
Bbq beef brisket sandwich: 572-812 cal.
Frickles (fried pickles): 173-309 cal.
Hush puppies: 904-1200 cal.
Non-diet sodas: 240-250 cal.
Iced tea, lemonade, Gatorade: 130-250 cal.

April 16, 2009 at 6:29 pm 2 comments