Staying Healthy in the Hamptons

By Nicole Castillo

Healthy isn't a goal—it's a way of living.  As the trend towards healthy living grows nationally, the Hamptons has become an epicenter of health and wellness programs.  From a large range of fitness facilities and programming to several farm-to-table restaurants, the healthy living movement in the Hamptons is prominent, and growing.

All healthy lifestyles start with a nutritious diet. Surrounded by acres of farmland and miles of water providing fresh produce and seafood, the Hamptons has much to offer home cooks. From local corn and tomatoes to fresh-caught striped bass and tuna, the menu ideas are limitless for a delicious home-cooked meal.

But if cooking isn't your thing, several Hamptons restaurants take healthy eating to a whole new level.  Fresh Hamptons in Bridgehampton is one of the top healthy eating restaurants. Fresh's owners proclaim themselves "yoga-lovin,' health-food eating foodies with a background in high-end gourmet fare." Their Prana (aka life force) menu is an answered prayer for the yoga crowd.  Looking for gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian options? Fresh has them.

Additionally, the menu offers fresh local fish, organic chicken, ribs, steak, and fries in several portion sizes for the light eaters.  Sample menu items include: raw local organic kale salad with garlic and hemp seed hearts, tomatoes, peppers, radishes; and fines herbs with a lemongrass vinaigrette; the "Fresh" Summer Roll with julienned hearts of romaine, beets, carrots, avocado, peppers, scallions, sprouts, daikon wrapped in collard green leaf with tomato chipotle vegan aioli; and grilled Moroccan spiced hanger steak with oven-roasted cipollini onions and natural beef jus.  Even drinks and desserts at Fresh focus on healthy eating, with the gluten-free brownie sundae and special mocktails, such as cayenne-infused fresh-squeezed lemonade with muddled mint.  (freshhamptons.com)

Of course, healthy living also incorporates fitness.  The Hamptons is replete with yoga studios, spin classes, bootcamps, and more.  But one workout that stands out for the healthy lifestyle is barre fitness.  Elements Fitness Studio opened in 2014 in the Hamptons, bringing the barre to the beach.  The Elements style of fitness is inspired by a combination of the Lotte Berk technique and founder Andrea Foronarola Hunsberger's own unique style from her 15 years of dance experience.  Hunsberger's barre classes fuse isometric exercises and interval training with ballet conditioning and the principles of Pilates core work and yoga stretches.  Barre fitness allows for a great workout while toning and achieving a healthy level of exercise for the body.

Elements Fitness Studio has also introduced new stand-up paddle barre fitness classes this season.  These new classes embrace the healthy living lifestyle by offering participants exercise while also enjoying an outdoor experience.  SUP is a total-body strengthening and conditioning exercise due to the nature of movement while paddling, thus pairing the cardio conditioning and the core stability of SUP with the isometric exercises from a barre class, creating the ultimate strengthening and toning experience.  Elements Fitness Studio offers a full roster of classes year round, all which emphasize a fit lifestyle. (elementsfitnessstudio.com)

Whether it's healthy eating or keeping fit, The Hamptons offers a plethora of options in maintaining a healthy lifestyle all season long.