Is one of your New Year’s resolutions going to be eat healthier?
Well if you answered ‘yes,’ more than a dozen of Santa Monica’s top restaurants will make the resolution a little easier with the arrival of “Eat Well Week” where discounted pre-fixe menus and new healthy menu options will be offered Jan. 6 through Jan. 13.
To launch the inaugural event, Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Sweetpea will join three participating Eat Well Week restaurants – Locando del Lago, The Lobster, and Ocean & Vine at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel – to create “Popeye Pop-ups” featuring healthy spinach inspired dishes and recipes this Wednesday, Jan. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wednesday Downtown Farmers Market (Arizona Avenue between 4th and Ocean).
Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO/President Misti Kerns said Santa Monica chefs are known for creating fresh farm to table dishes that showcase California produce at its finest.
“It seems fitting to have the world’s most beloved leafy green enthusiast help us jumpstart a healthier New Year,” Kerns said. “January also happens to be Popeye’s birthday month, so we’re thrilled to recognize his 83rd year by celebrating his Santa Monica roots!”
The King Features character is a Santa Monica creation both figuratively and literally in that Popeye was created by E.C. Segar in a Santa Monica studio on Jan. 17, 1929 and according to the story line, was born off the coast of Santa Monica during a typhoon.
Popeye’s popularity and his taste for spinach quickly turned him into an immediate health food advocate.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, soon after Popeye appeared in the syndicated comic strip “Thimble Theatre,” spinach became the third favorite children’s food after turkey and ice cream.
Popeye was not the only “heavy lifter” with big forearms to hit Santa Monica shores.
Home to the original Muscle Beach, Santa Monica has been attracting fitness gurus for decades.
Today, Santa Monica is still widely known for its active lifestyle and is at the forefront of many health trends.
Dine local and learn more about Eat Well Week and Santa Monica’s wellness scene, by visiting http://www.santamonica.com/eatwell.
Healthy Tips And Deals In Santa Monica For 2013
Whether you are inspired by food, fitness or fashion, here are a few healthy tips from the Santa Monica wellness community for the New Year.
Start with Healthy Ingredients:
Tap into your culinary skills and leave microwave dinners behind for good! A clean healthy diet begins with fresh simple ingredients. Start 2013 off right by visiting the acclaimed Santa Monica Farmers Market. Choose from four weekly markets, each with their own unique personality and experience, to discover the seasonal ingredients that will inspire your new lifestyle. Visit smgov.net/farmersmarket for location details and recipes.
Make a resolution…to Buy Local:
With each purchase made close to home or work you make an investment in the local economy, save time, and reduce your carbon footprint. Support Santa Monica businesses by buying locally! Learn more at buylocalsantamonica.com.
Discover Santa Monica from a Bike’s-Eye-View:
Explore the city while burning a few calories with a self-guided biketinerary! Rent a bike from the Santa Monica Bike Center and select one of seven “Best Rides” according to difficulty and distance. Sticking around? Turn your daily commute into a workout that is good for the body and earth with a Commuter Bike Loaner.
Start at the Core:
Developing a strong core is one of the best ways to improve posture, develop abs of steel and prevent chronic back pain. Take care of your body with Core Fusion classes at exhale Santa Monica. Choose from a variety of boot camp and yoga classes and get started on your path to transformation. Then revive and restore your sore muscles with our new Sports Massage!
Fitness Fashion:
Need some extra fitness motivation? Let a new workout wardrobe inspire you! Lorna Jane at Santa Monica Place lets you make a sporty statement in bright hues and vibrant prints made from intelligent performance fabrics that are perfect to go from the juice bar to the gym in ultimate style. Receive 10 percent off your purchase during Eat Well Week with proof of receipt from a participating restaurant.
Get Outside:
Turning fitness into fun is a key component for long-term weight loss. Whether you prefer surfing, volleyball or beach yoga; O’Neill’s flagship store in Santa Monica has everything you need for a fun and active day at the beach from towels, wax, surfboards, board shorts, bikinis and wetsuits to O’Neill 365, a new fitness line rooted in the same technology and innovation that first invented the wetsuit in 1952.
Healthy Hair Care:
Now that you have a new and improved look, why not add healthy hair to the list! The Broot, a new salon Montana Avenue, offers five deep-conditioning hair masks made with simple raw ingredients like avocado, honey and oils. Your tresses deserve an all-natural, healthy diet just like your body does!
Treat Yourself:
After all that hard work, we recommend you relax and unwind. Holidays stress you out? Visit Alchemie, Santa Monica’s new organic spa retreat offering nature inspired spa services including massage, facials, manicure, pedicure, body wraps + scrubs, hand + foot rituals, waxing and spa packages. Start the weekend right with Friday Happy Hours featuring mini treatments, wine, appetizers and retail sale specials.
Santa Monica provides a healthy dining experience year round where fresh Farmers Market produce plays a central role. Dine local and learn more about Eat Well Week and Santa Monica’s wellness scene, by visiting http://www.santamonica.com/eatwell.
