The beautiful and some might say mutant-looking fiddlehead fern is a culinary symbol of spring.

With a flavor reminicscent of nutty asparagus, the young, unfurled fern is a delicacy, particularly in the Northeast.

It grows along riverbeds and is harvested in May and early June.

And, like all vegetables, especially those eaten in season, fiddleheads are good for you. They're loaded... » more

The teen pregnancy rate in the city saw a significant decrease in the last decade and the city's health department is hoping its new app will help keep those numbers keep going down.

Between 2001 and 2011, the rate of births for those between ages 15 and 19 in the city decreased from 98.7 pregnancies per 1,000 females to 69.2 pregnancies per 1,000 females, the health department said Wednesday.

Health... » more

I took ballet classes when I was young, just like many other girls. And also like many other girls, I found it to be very hard. It was NOT like riding a bike.

So when I heard about the class Ballet Bungee, at the fitness studio Chaise23, I was intrigued. Ballet moves for non-dancers? Sign me up!

The class is designed to strengthen your core and tone your muscles with the use of suspended... » more

We’ve all been there. Life gets ahead of you, work gets very busy, challenges arise. It can be easy to let things slide or to not give your all just to get the job done. But there are some simple tools we can all use to alleviate stress and help us accomplish our goals, even in the face of hardship.

That’s what Jovanka Ciares says. The holistic wellness coach, nutrition consultant and author... » more

No one looks good exercising under the unflattering glare of fluorescent lighting. No one. The good news is that the “cardio party” is in, bringing wild lights to the forefront and your sweaty appearance to the back of everyone’s mind.

“I love a good light show!” says Tomas Mikuzis, a SoulCycle instructor. “All you need is a black light, disco ball and candle light and you’re set.”

Mikuzis,... » more

Imagine if every meal included fresh vegetables, nuts and extra-virgin olive oil, lasted two hours and was accented with fine wine. Sound like heaven? Well, heaven is an attainable place in NYC if you follow the Mediterranean Diet.

The word “diet” is actually misleading. The Mediterranean way of eating is not like Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast, Atkins or any diet that has you either counting... » more

Now that the weather is warmer, the flowers are blooming and New Yorkers are wearing fewer clothes, there’s no excuse for not spending time outdoors.

Maria Clegg, assistant store manager of the SoHo REI store, says this is the time people spring into motion.

“We see an uptick in people’s commitment to getting outdoors when the weather gets warmer,” she says.

Clegg shared what kind... » more

I tried mat Pilates for the first time a few years ago at my local YMCA. We crunched for minutes at a time, we planked for what could have been hours.

In groaning unison we went from lying flat on our backs to sitting upright holding weighted bars with our hands an equal distance apart; we passed fitness balls between our hands and feet, all while holding resistance rings between our legs.... » more

There are myriad health and wellness websites geared toward improving the lifestyles of readers. But entrepreneur Lonnie Jones III saw one demographic he believed was sorely underserved — second-generation Latinos. So, late last year Jones launched VidaVibrante.com, a bilingual site he hopes to grow into a WebMD for the Latino community, to help Hispanics make healthier choices — from the foods... » more

After shedding 129 pounds on the 11th season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” winner Olivia Ward still works every day to keep the weight off. With the success of the show behind her, Ward now manages MyFitspiration.com, a website devoted to fitness and fashion, and runs a YouTube channel encouraging actively healthy lifestyles. In her spare time, Ward is an instructor at NYC’s SoulCycle. Ward chatted... » more