What You Should Know About University of Michigan’s “Healthy on the Holidays” Event

Here at Spoon UM we’re not ones to discriminate against any kind of food, but in the spirit of (Healthy on) the holidays, we are diggin’ healthy stuff this month. With temperatures dropping, it’s extremely tempting to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and some warm baked goods because of that infamous “treat yo self” mentality.

But there are definitely other ways to treat yourself (although we agree that those little holiday cookies are nearly irresistible). To tell you how, we decided to bring two influential, local businesswomen to campus and have them preach the good word on the importance of a balanced lifestyle, which is easy to forget during the winter months.

Photo by Levi Teitel

Susan Todoroff opened our event by talking about her restaurant, Juicy Kitchen. Michigan students should feel so thankful for this little treasure of an eatery in our city. Susan opened Juicy Kitchen because she was unable to find a healthy café that offered breakfast that wasn’t heavy and loaded with sugar. Juicy Kitchen has a “cute atmosphere” explained Todoroff—and we totally agree.

Juicy Kitchen offers vegan, vegetarian, and meat options on the menu and everything is organic. The kitchen uses lots of whole grains, only natural sugars, and serves great coffee. Todoroff really stressed that she is not a fan of diets; rather she advocates a healthy lifestyle. However, if you can stick to something for 21 days, said Todoroff, it generally becomes a habit. Audience member Katie Roush—in regard to healthy eating—stated optimistically, “I want to start tomorrow,” after hearing Todoroff’s talk.

Fresh Michigan fruit salads on their way to Argus Farm Stop this morning! #argusfarmstop #juicykitchena2 #healthyfood #localfood

A photo posted by Juicy Kitchen (@juicykitchena2) on Aug 6, 2015 at 6:43am PDT

Todoroff’s advice for staying healthy during the holidays and avoiding over-indulging is to “listen to your body and know what you’re putting in it.”  So treat yourself every once in a while because one cookie surely won’t kill you. The key is to know what goes into that cookie because mindless eating leads to unhealthy eating. If you’re going to treat yourself, you should be conscious of how delicious it is and also how beneficial a salad loaded with fresh veggies is going to be for your body at your next meal. It’s all about balance. When asked about restrictive diets, Todoroff opposed saying, “Life is too short and food is too pleasurable.”

Since a healthy lifestyle isn’t complete without exercise, we also had the pleasure of listening to Adrianne Madias talk about The Barre Code, which has two locations in the AA area. Barre is a type of workout that’s inspired by ballet movements and features repetition meant to build strength and tone muscle. Madias, an Ann Arbor native, worked in the corporate arena for many years and decided that although she was exercising often, she wasn’t her main focus. In the process of dedicating more time to herself and her body, Madias found her passion and opened The Barre Code.

Photo by Levi Teitel

The Barre Code provides a variety of classes that are accommodating to most (if not all) age groups. The studio emphasizes setting a physical and personal goal for its clients. Every season, The Barre Code introduces a 21-day challenge for clients (the magic number!) that is meant to push their limits and make them more aware of their body. “You have to take care of your body the best you can,” concluded Adrianne. With fun and motivational workouts offered at The Barre Code, staying healthy on the holidays is a lot easier for Michigan students.

When asked what she took away from the Healthy on the Holidays event, audience member and Spoon UM contributor, Amy Yu reflected on the importance of “keeping everything in balance”. Us college students typically have a million things on our plate (literally and figuratively), but we should still always focus on treating our bodies well. Whether it’s what we put in or what we’re using our bodies for, a healthy lifestyle is all about balance. So this holiday season, listen to your body, treat it well, and always enjoy your indulgences.