Staying Healthy in New York

new-york-1113916_1280Tory Burch gives her take on what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to getting and staying in shape in New York. She says that for a healthy snack she goes to Café Habana has a delicious chicken salad and Milos has the freshest Greek salad and grilled octopus. That’s not to say we always resist steak fries from Eisenberg’s; for juices Juice Press, LED facial treatments with Georgia Louise or Tracie Martyn, a ton of options in Flatiron for fitness classes including Lily Miesmer’s Soul Cycling and then of course there’s the not-to-be-missed Central Park option for New York’s joggers.

Unfortunately, wellness is often impacted by wealth. When it comes to New York, there is some of the most extreme inequality vis-à-vis financial status. However, according to Social Security research and earnings records, New Yorkers live a lot longer than those from other US cities. But, this doesn’t really help the poor in their communities as they do die before the rich in their communities. Still, overall, it seems that the research published in published Monday in The Journal of the American Medical Association found New York to be “a model city for factors that seem to predict where poor people live longer.” Much government expenditure goes toward social services for low-income residents and there are lower-than-average rates of smokers.

Maybe another reason that poverty-stricken New Yorkers live longer is because they are less likely to get into a cab. New research has found that cab drivers are not in the best of health themselves and that this can negatively impact their passengers. Think about it: they are on the worst diets (just grabbing fast food snacks), are completely inactive and, other than the initial health exam they have to undergo to get the job, they never have to prove they are in good health. Many of them have been cab drivers for two or three decades in this status, leaving them much more likely to be the victim of a heart attack, seizure, or other related ailments, right while they are driving long shifts!

Perhaps some of these drivers should take a lesson from Tory Burch and make some “me” time to put them into better shape for being responsible for so many New York passengers who are counting on them.