Think farmers’ markets are just for summertime? Think again! Here at VIM, we love buying fresh, locally sourced ingredients that make for healthy, low-cost meals. Lucky for us, farmers’ markets have been popping up all across the city this season and are braving the frigid winter weather to bring us a much-needed taste of summer.

Check out these indoor markets for everything you need to make your favorite wintertime comfort food.

Cambridge Winter Farmer’s Market
Cambridge Commuity Center – 5 Callender St, Cambridge
Saturdays 10am-2pm 

Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market
Center for the Arts at the Armory – 191 Highland Ave, Somerville
Saturdays 9:30am-2pm

Brookline Winter Farmers’ Market
The Arcade – 318 Harvard Street, Brookline
Saturdays 9:30am-2pm

Dorchester Winter Farmer’s Market
Great Hall in Codman Square – 6 Norfolk St., Dorchester
Sundays 12pm-4pm

Newton Winter Farmer’s Market
Hyde Community Center – 90 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands
Tuesdays 1:30pm-6pm

The post Winter Farmers’ Markets appeared first on VIM Fitness.

Billie has run half marathons in the past, and will be spending a lot of time at VIM Fitness working on strength training, injury prevention, and cross training. New England weather can be tough at times, so you may see her putting in some miles on a treadmill there as well. If you are interested in learning more about her personal mission, please see the letter below. To make a donation to support this worthy cause, see her fundraising page here:

http://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHealthCareHomelessProgram/fundraiser/billiestarks

Billie Starks is a 28 year old Cambridge resident who’s always had a love for long distance running and helping people. She is a social worker for Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, and was recently selected to participate in the Boston Marathon as a charity runner. The minimum fundraising goal is $5000, and she is hoping to reach and surpass that goal to make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Have you ever had the experience of passing by a homeless person, and wondered what you could do to help besides giving them your “spare change?” I wondered that a number of times, and felt at a loss about what to do until I was inspired by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program to pursue a career serving the homeless in the Boston area. BHCHP is a program that has been in development for all the years that I’ve been alive, and the progress that has been made to provide quality healthcare to the homeless population is simply amazing. To learn more about the work BHCHP staff does watch videos on the BHCHP web site that will give you goose bumps.

After approximately three months of working with the program, and feeling that I’ve found my niche in the field of social work, I feel a strong commitment to not only help the patients I work with every day, but also the larger BHCHP community. That’s why, when I learned that there are charity bibs for the Boston Marathon, I (after thinking very critically about what I was about to get myself into) decided to apply for one.

My work with patients struggling with addiction is centered on providing encouragement to pursue one of the most difficult challenges of their lives, to stay sober. This requires a tremendous amount of motivation, commitment, and hard work, and I am blessed to witness the strength that patients bring to treatment each and every day. Though running a marathon could in no way compare to the intensely emotional and physical challenge of overcoming addiction, I feel that training for and participating in the Boston marathon will help me to practice what I preach, and give back to the people who inspire me most.

So if you were so generous as to help with any financial contribution, you could be a part of the effort to help the homeless in the Boston area. I and all of the providers at BHCHP would be overwhelmed with gratitude, and will put your hard earned money to good use by continuing to provide shelter, food, clothing, supportive services and resources, but above all else, high quality health care. We’re saving lives here people, and it feels good!!

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your consideration and support, and please pass this on to others who might be interested in the cause!

Here is some information about how donations can be used for the clients at BHCHP.

YOUR GIFT OF $50:
can help provide 25 homeless men and women with new white socks. Socks are a crucial contribution, as homeless men and women could be at risk for developing frost bite on their feet.
YOUR GIFT OF $100:
can help support 20 homeless families staying at shelters or motels with transportation vouchers or public transportation passes to attend pediatric and prenatal appointments.

Your Gift of $250 –
Provides over-the-counter medications for 16 homeless families. Taking medications as prescribed is often cruicial to maintaining health, which helps homeless families feel up for attending various appointments with social service agencies to regain stability in their lives.

YOUR GIFT OF $500:
can help provide over 200 meals for recuperating patients receiving care at our Barbara McInnis House. Barbara McInnis House is a medical respite center that provides care for people who are not sick enough to stay in the hospital, but too medically compromised to stay on the street or in shelters. Respite patients often express their appreciation for the delicious meals they are served while resting and regaining their health.

Warmest regards,

Billie Starks
Clinical Social Worker
Boston Health Care for the Homeless
bstarks@bhchp.org

BHCHP is a 501(c) 3 organization.

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Thoughts from the founder,
Pierre

The post Zipping From a Company Car to Other Means of Transportation appeared first on VIM Fitness.

Tickets: $10 cash donation will be collected at the door. ALL proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure

When: Friday, October 26th at 5:45pm

Where: The Mind/Body Studio at our Central Square location

Remember to wear PINK and bring friends, family members, or anyone else who wants to join the party! Non-members are encouraged to attend.

We will be raffling off a 2 hour message at our Aveda Spa. Everyone who attends the Party in Pink will receive a ticket and anyone who visits VIM on Friday can enter buy purchasing a $5 raffle ticket.

The post Party in Pink Zumba Fundraiser Event appeared first on VIM Fitness.

During his time working in the corporate world, Chris discovered that sustainable energy was difficult to achieve come that 2 o’clock workday feeling many of us can relate to. Chris recognized that resorting to sugary, convenient sodas and snacks only provides a decent feeling until the crash. Interested in how food can impact behavior, mentality, and general health, Chris challenged these unhealthy choices and developed the energy bars and granola now available at VIM.

Around two years ago, Chris began consulting with doctors and researchers while trying out different recipes using various seeds and nuts that enhance physical and mental endurance. By sorting through all the claims made by fitness and health media concerning the latest and greatest super foods, he discovered the ones worthy for the Sharp Foods recipes.

Now you can stop altering your diet based on monthly magazines. Sharp Foods contains ingredients that are clinically proven to boost energy and mental performance:

Walnuts
Ground Flax Seed
Black Chia Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Whole Grain Oats

These all-natural ingredients serve as the core of the flavors currently offered by SharpFoods including Cherry Almond Vanilla, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and Blueberry Walnut.

So the next time you’re feeling run-ragged by all your work and personal priorities, pick up a Sharp Foods bar on your way in or out of VIM. You’ll get the boost you need to perform at 110% made possible by locally-sourced, organic ingredients you can value as part of a daily diet.

Read more about Sharp Foods here and keep an eye out for Chris sampling Sharp Foods at VIM!

The post Sharp Foods Energy Bars and Granola at VIM appeared first on VIM Fitness.

1) Healthy Chicks 

2) Pickles & Honey

3) Carrots ‘N’ Cake  

4) Eat Well with Janel 

5) Meg’s Food Reality 

6) Sarah Fit 

7) Food to Fun For 

8) A Cambridge Story 

9) VeganYumYum

10) Melomeals

The post Healthy Boston Bloggers appeared first on VIM Fitness.

When did you start practicing yoga?
KG: I began practicing yoga, almost as a dare, about 5 years ago. I was living in New York at the time, working a job I didn’t enjoy, and just feeling really unsure of what I was doing and my purpose in life. I was pretty depressed, ungrounded, and generally not very fun to be around. Luckily for me, I have some pretty amazing friends who stuck by me and supported me. My good friend Lorna suggested I try taking a yoga class at Yoga To The People in NYC to help me with some of my anxieties. Initially, I turned the offer down, since I had been so anti-yoga, thinking it was just an exercise in stretching and sitting still. Fortunately, I ended up accepting Lorna’s yoga challenge, and joined her for a class, and I am so thankful I did! That first yoga class I took at Yoga To The People was the sweatiest, most intense, most invigorating class of my life! I realized that I had never felt so physically or emotionally challenged, and, after that, decided that I needed yoga in my life, not only to make myself feel challenged, but also supported.

Yoga to the People is a donation-based studio. I do believe that yoga should be accessible and available to everyone. I also whole-heartedly believe that if everyone had an hour a day to stand on their hands and stretch their muscles and sweat out toxins and cry and twist and breathe and moan, we would all be that much more open to communicating and showing some compassion to one another. It’s a wild thought, but I think donation-based yoga is one of the most revolutionary acts, and I can’t recommend Yoga to the People enough.

What was one of the most important lessons you learned from yoga?
KG: Yoga taught me, and is still teaching me, patience, not only with others, but with myself. It’s OK that I can’t get into a headstand yet. It’s OK to come into child’s pose when I am too tired. Yoga is also teaching me that not everything is a performance—that closing my eyes and breathing and owning the fact that I am moving on my own is a powerful thing, and something to be proud of.

What type of yoga do you practice?
KG: I enjoy a flow-style of yoga. I love the sweat that comes with a vigorous vinyasa.

What inspires you?
KG: Passionate, courageous people. My family. My awesome, brave girlfriend.

What can people expect in one of your classes?
KG: I was trained at O2 Yoga under the amazing kindness and guidance of Mimi Loureiro and learned an Ashtanga-based style of yoga. Because of that training, I incorporate many of the strength-building aspects and athleticism of Ashtanga, combined with some breathing exercises and a good dose of humor. Being able to laugh at yourself, at a pose, at a breath, at a unique moment, is an awesome trait, and I encourage my students to practice laughing, breathing, and letting go!

What do you hope people learn from your class?
KG: I hope people walk away with a bit more compassion for themselves and a new appreciation for all their strong limbs!

What are your interests outside of teaching yoga?
KG: When I’m not teaching or practicing yoga, I work at a non-profit called Artists for Humanity. We provide over 200 Boston teens with jobs in the arts annually! It’s an amazing and inspiring program and I encourage everyone to visit the AFH EpiCenter and meet our talented teen-artists!

I also am a big book-worm. I love reading and writing and getting tattoos about reading and writing.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
KG: Energetic, passionate, verbose. ☺

Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?
KG: I studied Creative Writing at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and received my BFA in Writing for Performance, Publication, and Media. I moved to Somerville, MA in 2009, and have been fortunate to find a community of creative, passionate, amazing people. I have a cat named Little Dracula, and love to bike around this awesome city, especially in the fall.

The post Find Your Energy & Passion—Get to Know Kristina & Vinyasa at VIM appeared first on VIM Fitness.

Amy has been practicing Hatha Yoga for six years and teaching for four. She began by attending yoga classes with her mom. During one college break, she returned home to San Diego to begin training to teach Hatha Yoga.

The most commonly practiced form of yoga in the United States, Hatha focuses on the science behind fixing the body with breath and movement. Hatha Yoga incorporates movements that help align the entire skeletal system. As Amy puts it, once your skeleton is aligned, your muscles will follow.

In Amy’s classes, you will learn how to move joints and work muscles to release stress from the nervous system without putting stress on the joints or muscles themselves. During class, Amy emphasizes the many physical benefits of practicing Hatha with insightful anecdotes and knowledge.

The Benefits

Regulate internal strength & reflexes as well as the digestive and hormonal systems
Strengthen the immune system
Slow aging and promote the regeneration of cells with the controlled intake of oxygen
Fix alignment and define muscles (even ones you didn’t realize you had!)

Comfort and Accessibility for All

Amy asks that students do not face the mirror during class. She explains that facing away allows students to focus on their bodies from a 360-degree perspective. The mirror only provides a two-dimensional view, and a more complete awareness is necessary to focus on fixing bodily alignment and core strength all the way around the form.

While Amy promotes an understanding of yogic techniques, she avoids using the Sanskirt words that don’t add significance to the learning process. Amy believes that by understanding why movement and breathing techniques work physiologically, you will better understand how to properly perform them. This will allow you to practice, advance, and translate the benefits of yoga into your daily life.

Here in Cambridge, Amy is pursuing her Masters in Vocal Performance. She is currently taking a class on body mapping, which involves improving your mind’s perspective of your body to be better able to use your body to its fullest. As you will learn in Hatha Yoga at VIM Fitness, a fusion of the mind and body leads to a complete wellness experience.

Experience the benefits of Hatha Yoga at VIM Fitness and learn more from Amy on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM with Core Hatha Yoga and Sundays and at 11AM with Hatha Yoga followed by Humming-Bee Meditation. Have you taken these classes before? We want to hear your thoughts!

The post Hatha Yoga with Amy—Wednesdays and Sundays in the Mind-Body Studio appeared first on VIM Fitness.

1) Go for a Bike Ride

Don’t have a bike of your own? Good thing Hubway has over 60 stations throughout Boston and Cambridge! Whether you gather a crew to ride around the Boston Common or set out on a solo mission to your favorite reading spot, biking is sure-fire way to get a low-impact exercise while enjoying the sites and sounds of the city.

For a list of local bike paths, visit www.massbike.org

2) Apple Picking

‘Tis the season for fresh, locally harvested produce and nothing says autumn quite like a deliciously crunchy, handpicked apple.  Hop on the commuter rail and head to Belkin Family Lookout Farm for some quintessential fall fun at one the country’s oldest farms.  You’ll be happy to know that some good ole apple picking burns about 220 calories an hour!

Visit www.Mass.gov for more pick-you-own farms

3) Take a Hike

What better way to transition your mind and body into the new season than by getting in touch with nature AND working up a sweat? Put down the smartphone, step away from your laptop, and escape the stresses of city life.  Our friends at Harvest Co-Op created a Boston hiking guide to help you navigate through the numerous trails in the area that are worth checking out.  Remember to pack plenty of water and some healthy snacks like almonds or dried fruit!

4) Paddle Down the Charles River

Take in our city’s killer skyline while kayaking or canoeing down the Charles!  With rentals as cheap as 10 bucks for a one-way trip from Kendall Square to Allston, a relaxing ride down the river is a cheap way to get your fitness fix while soaking in some rays.

Check out www.paddleboston.com for more info

5) Visit the Arboretum

If you haven’t paid a visit to this hidden gem nestled in Jamaica Plains, it’s time for you to see what this urban oasis is all about.  Boasting over 265 acres of luscious greenery , The Arnold Arboretum is the ideal destination for a day of hiking, biking, or a free guided tour.  It’s conveniently located right off the Orange Line and is the perfect spot to have a picnic and enjoy the fall foliage.

The post Fall Fitness: 5 Fun Things To Do Outdoors appeared first on VIM Fitness.

For more info visit: www.massfarmersmarkets.org

Thoughts from the founder,
Pierre

The post Central Square Farmers Market appeared first on VIM Fitness.