Run the Shelter Island Run!






One Healthy Heath Coach

Meet Marc Mouhadeb; health coach, entrepeneur, and self-transformed athlete who looks forward to a cold beer on a hot Hamptons day. Great read, awesome advice, the real deal!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did ‘life as you know it’ come to be? (career, family, location, etc.) How/why did you start City Health Coach and what do you like best about it? What’s the overlap between your career and your value for health, fitness, and wellness?

Marc5I grew up in a Jewish-Lebanese household full of love and lots of Mideastern food. I was relatively active, but by no means was I healthy. I loved Shawarma, falafel, and stuffed grape leaves.

In my early 20’s, my dad was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and all everyone ever said was that it was hereditary. I was scared shitless! Am I next? Is this written in my book of health? I did a whole bunch of research and came to realize that Type 2 Diabetes is not only preventable and treatable with proper nutrition, but it’s actually reversible! And so my journey began into the realm of health. I became a Certified Health Coach and delved into the teachings of Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. Neal Barnard who both advocate a plant-based, Nutritarian way of eating. Simply put, a Nutritarian diet bases food choices on maximizing the micronutrients per calorie (term coined by Dr. Fuhrman.)

Simultaneously, in 2011, my good friend invited me to join him on a training run before his first half-marathon. I repeatedly told him to play a real sport like basketball or football. After a month of him asking me, I finally obliged and decided to lace up my sneakers and go running…I couldn’t make it a mile. I was so embarrassed that I decided then that I needed to start running. Three years later, I’ve logged hundreds of miles, a few marathons, a 50 mile ultra-marathon, and a few triathlons.

See, I am one of you. Just a guy trying to make it in this hectic world. I grew up in Brooklyn and now live in NYC and love summer in the Hamptons. I read a book called The China Study, which I highly recommend, and decided to explore the plant-based way of eating. The combination of following a Nutritarian lifestyle and running has transformed my health and my life.

With my health and fitness now in check, I decided to share what I know with the world and help people overcome many issues including weight loss, cholesterol issues, and diabetes. I realized that giving people a diet rarely works. Telling them they are going to die if they eat that burger will also be ineffective as people need something tangible to grasp and small targets to reach.

And then it hit me: charge people obnoxious amounts of money (something tangible) and when they hit their goals and targets, they get it all back. The next time one of my clients reaches for a burger, it’s not death they are worried about, it will be losing $10,000. Mean, I know…but it works. And so City Health Coach was created and after two years, every single one of my clients got all of their money back. It’s a good thing I have a full-time job as well!

People always ask me how do I make a living when I give my clients all of their money back? It’s simple: I don’t. I do this because I love helping people transform their lives. I have a full-time job which pays the bills and gives me the luxury to do this.

2. What’s one thing you overcame and how?

The concept of running a 50 mile race seemed like the most daunting task in the world but I decided I needed to do it to take my mental and physical fitness to another level. It’s one thing to be physically fit for a marathon. It’s a whole other thing to be fit for double that.

Marc4Aside from the physical stress, running The Bison 50 was by far one of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever taken on, physically, but even more so, mentally. I was out there for about nine hours alone in corn and wheat fields. I’d worked really hard to get to that point. I trusted my coach and focused on the task at hand – mile after mile – trusting my body and trusting my mind. Obviously, I survived. You can read about my experience here.

3. What is your favorite recipe? workout? Favorite weekend activity? How did you get into running?

Favorite recipe: hummus and veggies in between two portobello mushroom caps – my version of a burger ☺
Favorite workout: sprints
Favorite weekend activity: love a delicious farm-to-table brunch

4. As a young man, business owner, member of both the NYC and Hamptons scene, how do you maintain balance in your life?

Balancing everything is actually extremely difficult, but I’ve come to realize that if I sleep well, I can undertake all of my tasks effectively. Between sleep and proper eating, my mind stays sharp and I can complete everything I need to do in a quick and efficient manner. If I don’t sleep well…boy oh boy…

5. Any other great healthy/balance tips for other busy folks?

My biggest tips are as follows:
• Sleep – sleep is vital to proper health and functionality. Without it, your body doesn’t recover, grow, replenish, or reboot.
• Eat – Eat for nutrient density. Instead of focusing on carbs, fat, and protein, focus on foods high in nutrients; veggies, greens, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Your busy life will get so much better when you eat efficiently. When you get rid of anything that is not nutritious in your home, you won’t be tempted to eat it. Sounds radical, I know, but it’s less radical than dealing with the ramifications of disease later on, right?

6. What food items do you always have available?

I love hummus! I eat it on a daily basis. And lots of fruits (mango and avocado are my top favorites), If I have hummus and fruit, I’m a happy man.

7. What is your favorite indulgence?

While this is certainly not in the health category, I love a cold beer on a summer day.

395025_10100166701705267_246147346_n8. How do you make health a priority in your home/life?

Health has become a huge priority in my life. I tell my clients all of the time that if health isn’t a priority, everything in your world may falter. You can only do what you want to do effectively if you are healthy. If you aren’t healthy, nothing else really matters. Health has to be a mindset, a total shift in perspective. Most people wait for a near-death experience to change. Don’t let that be you.

9. What is your FAVORITE thing about the Hamptons? Favorite place?

My favorite thing about the Hamptons is sunset drinks and my favorite place to enjoy them is Dockers.

One Healthy Breakdown: If you want to live life to its fullest, you need to be healthy. Focus on becoming a Nutritarian and you’ll live to see life in a much happier and positive way.

One Healthy CrossFitter

Welcome local CrossFitter, rugby player, trainer, student, athlete, and phys ed teacher to be!

Muscle up

Mike Bunce is a great role model for prioritizing fitness and managing time effectively, read how he does it all!

1. How did ‘life as you know it’ come to be? How did you get into fitness? How did you get into Cross Fit? Personal Training?

CrossFit for me was a very natural progression. I played rugby in Europe, Iowa, and Boston and then I came home and started a degree in exercise physiology. I was playing for the Montauk Sharks when I got a concussion and had to hang up the boots. I was working as a personal trainer and started building a nice clientele at the gym. When CrossFit Hamptons opened, my fiancé, Emily, knew I would love it. I started working out there and after a month, they asked me to come on as a trainer so that I didn’t have to buy a membership. I couldn’t have been happier. CrossFit gave me with the feeling of competition that had been missing from my life. To me, CrossFit provides a positive atmosphere that allows me to grow as an athlete.

2. Why is CrossFit your favorite workout?

CrossFit allows me to push the envelope. It forces me to use proper form and technique. Before CrossFit, I was not squatting or dead-lifting heavy, and I was not doing any Olympic lifting. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, challenging me physically and mentally. CrossFit is very effective because it is a very challenging hour, both physically and mentally.

3. What’s another active activity you enjoy?

I got a standup paddle board for my birthday this summer. My fiancé and I take them to Shinnecock inlet and surf the sandbars.

4. As a trainer, CrossFitter, fitness professional, and young man, how do you maintain balance in your life? Can you give us your top health tips?

Time is very valuable and being able to prioritize your time is my best advice. I am currently studying to become a physical education teacher, which means I spend 12 hours in my car going to and from class four days a week. This has taught me to value my time more than ever. Since I don’t have a lot of free time, I have to manage the time I do have in order to get everything done. For me, that means scheduling in activities that I enjoy, training clients, school, and even simple things like sleep.

If you decide to make fitness a priority, that’s when you will start to see results. You need to find the time and block it off the way you would block off a meeting or trip to the doctors office, it’s non-negotiable.

5. What food items do you always keep in the house or eat everyday?

I just started the Zone Diet, which lets me eat what I want as long as it is in a 40:30:30 ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. I always have coconut oil in the house for cooking, and I just discovered a coconut and peanut butter spread that is rich in monounsaturated fats and taste great.

6. What is your favorite indulgence?

Gummy worms or Swedish fish! I eat very clean for the most part, but if I’m going to cheat, I go right for the gummy candy.

7. How do you make health a priority without going overboard?

Making health a priority has become second nature for me. I try to live my life the way that I feel the most comfortable and that includes making healthy decisions. Clearly, I am surrounded by health and fitness, between my career, school, and my personal passions, so it has become my way of life.

8. What is your FAVORITE thing about living in the Hamptons?

I like that there is a busy season and a slow season. I love the pace of the summer. I love the hustle and the busy schedule and hard work pays off. When fall and winter comes, I love that I can slow down and take it easy while still being surrounded by everything there is to love about the Hamptons. I like the change of pace.

One Healthy Breakdown: Mike, thanks for reminding us that there is no end point in the fitness world. Even after conquering personal fitness, Mike has made his career about doing the same for others.

Philosofit’s Philosophy: Move Better


Over the past few weeks, since visiting Philosofit, I have become more aware of how my body operates. Like most people, we run around everyday, going about our daily business, rarely (or never) stopping to think think “am I doing this movement correctly, am I using the right muscles to lift this or push that?” Functional movement is the actions we take to function, to go about our daily lives, regardless of what that entails. I’ve learned the importance of performing functional movement properly. And, I’ve learned the consequences when we don’t…

Philosofit (Lumber Lane, East Hampton) was founded by Ari Weller, Movement Specialist and distinguished private fitness trainer. The goal at Philosofit is to help everyone, from professional athletes, to aging adults, wounded vets, and fitness enthusiasts such as myself. The premise of Philosfit is building a solid movement base for any kind of person, any kind of training, any kind of injury. It doesn’t matter how fit or good we look, if movement causes pain, we must re-evaluate.  That’s what Philosfit is for. “We know more now than we ever have about the human body. This is a good place to be,” Ari reassured me. And then he showed me how this is true by running me through the Philosofit experience, breaking down how parts of the body work, and how parts of my own body are experiencing movement, right or wrong.

001_0758ASince Ari wants to be more than prepared for anyone that walks in the door, their Movement Specialists must be trained in NKT (Neurokinetic Therapy) and one of the following additional specialties; Functional Strength Training, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Ki-Hara Resistance Stretching, and Heart Rate Variability. The facility is full of different fitness tools to truly be able to aid any client and any issue.

001_0844AEach and every relationship at Philosofit begins with a Functional Movement Screening; (FMS) a 7-task performance test to identify weakness, inbalance, and pain associated with movement. Sadly, I scored pretty low on the FMS…but the results showed exactly where I needed to focus. Once Ari had identified my areas of weakness, competency, and most important, pain, he showed me some exercises to do before and after working out everyday to release the body parts that are tightened from compensating and to fire up the parts that are used to taking a backseat.

I used to think that our bodies are just supposed to know what to use, when, and how. Well, that’s not necessarily the case and repetitive misuse can cause long-term damage, intense pain, and ongoing frustration. I kind of thought I wasn’t dealt the best cards in terms of running, to blame it on “bad knees.” Again, not necessarily the case either. When I asked Ari if the issues he sees daily, such as my “bad knees,” is due to muscles, bones, genetics, or what, he noted that it doesn’t really matter. The method focuses on relieving pain by correcting movement, regardless of where the issue stems from, the solution has proven successful for a large spectrum of incompetence.

It’s about re-training the brain and the body, securing the correct movement basics, and then pushing the body. Philosofit’s technique always comes down to quality over quantity. Ari noted that it takes 3,000 correct movements for the brain to store the action, but it takes only 300 incorrect movements to relearn bad habits. Take running, or even walking, for example. It takes only 300 dysfunctional steps to secure bad habits; however, it takes 3,000 consistent, correct movements before the brain acknowledges and stores the functional movement.

It takes a lot of dedication to relearn the basics, but it can make a colossal difference. I preach the importance of a strong mind-body connection. I know if I’m going to preach it, I’ve got to practice it. After visiting Philosofit for an initial screening, I really had to evaluate myself (check myself before I wreck myself, or at least, make some changes so I don’t wreck myself even more.) I had to learn to walk before I could run, and consciously remember to take each stride one at a time, or else I’d revert to old habits and compensations. In doing so, I’ve become more aware of my own mobility patterns, strengths, and weaknesses.

Why are my hamstrings so tight? Why is my core so weak (I do abs!) Why do I feel like I’m not gaining the benefits of lunges? Ari was able to explain where I’m lacking and more importantly, why. Now I know that other muscles were compensating for the muscles that should have been working, the muscles that allow my hamstrings to stretch, my core to activate, and lunges to be effective. I’m starting to notice that when I’m struggling at the gym or experiencing pain in day to day tasks, I back it up and make sure I’ve got the basics down.

It takes time and dedication, but with the help of Philosofit, we can identify the problem, rebuild a solid base of movement, and then work towards where we want to be. Whether that’s better posture and less back pain, gaining muscle, increasing our race time, or perfecting down dog, it’s always going to resort to quality over quantity.

One Healthy Breakdown: Maybe you can teach an old (or older) dog new tricks.

Back to Basics at IET

IETUntil recently, I thought I kind of had it down, when it came to exercise. I varied my routine, I made sure to move my body everyday, I thought I was on the right track. It’s that ‘I work out a lot, I know what’s best for my body’ attitude. I also knew that I had big problems, lots of pain, and that it wasn’t going away, regardless of everything I’d tried. Over the years, I’ve had to give up running for stints at a time due to knee pain from what I’d been told was extra cartilage under my kneecap (cue knee surgery in both knees 10 years ago.) When the pain didn’t go away, I was told I had IT band syndrome (tried physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc.) Different day, same problems, different treatments, same frustration!

Well, thank goodness I stopped into Integrated Exercise Therapy (IET, Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton) a couple of weeks ago, because, I learned more about my own body in an hour than I have in a decade, maybe two. I had no idea what to expect, but I was desperate for answers, and relief! Andrew Reilly, owner of IET, happened to have a few free minutes to help. We skipped the small talk and I instantly found myself up, down, and all around. Andrew clearly knows his stuff, he was on autopilot, assigning me to simple maneuvers, like a basic squat, then commenting at how I failed pretty much every one, just as he’d suspected. Ouch, good thing I didn’t take it personally!

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First, Andrew explained that my breathing’s all wrong. Breathing? In and out? What could I possibly be doing so wrong? A lot. I didn’t title this article “back to basics” for nothin’! Treatment started with the very first action I learned as a baby. Andrew taught me how to breathe correctly, deep inhales, expanding the belly and diaphragm both far and wide. Our culture is taught to “suck it in,” pull the belly in while we inhale, but that makes no sense. If we’re taking air into our bodies, we’d clearly expand to make room for it. Since IET, I now practice my breathing every morning, taking ten deep breaths, ensuring that I fill my diaphragm and stomach and exhale fully.

After I’d learned how to breathe, (a practice that requires daily focus and attention, especially when exercising) we moved on to the first year of my life: rolling over and crawling. Failed again. Here’s where the basis of corrective exercise comes in. If we can’t even roll over or crawl, we cannot advance to other exercises, at least not efficiently. Back to basics. I’d have to re-teach my body, and cement in my brain how to do these correctly before even thinking about intense exercise; you don’t walk before you crawl, you don’t kick-box, cross-train, or fun five miles either!

So, where does the magic happen? Not in the muscles, but in the brain. By performing simple actions, first releasing the tight spot, and then activating the correct movements, time after time after time, until it becomes automatic. Each new movement has to be right, so the work is done in small increments, about 8-10 reps before the muscles fail and retract back to old habits. We remember how to move our body by storing memory in our cerebellum. If we learn wrong, or an injury throws us off, we start compensating for the lack of correct movements. Our brain learns to depend on the compensation and then stores that incorrect movement. For me, when I would do squats or run, or even daily walking, my calves, IT bands, and TFLs were compensating for my glutes. When smaller muscles compensate for the largest muscle in the body, (glutes) those muscles are bound to be overused, hence the discomfort. Unbenounced to me, my calves were insanely tight. When Andrew stuck his thumb in there to loosen the muscles, I had tears in my eyes from the pain. Don’t worry, I forgave him (after the session was done.)

Andrew sent me ‘homework’ in the form of three short videos showing how to roll my muscles with a foam roller and lacrosse ball, followed with a few exercises to fire up the glutes. The goal of IET, whether the client is a professional athlete or a 90 year-old person is to re-learn the basics, perfect the breathing and alignment, and begin to go about daily tasks correctly. This can be done in a matter of one or two sessions because the real work is done at home, over and over.

I went back to IET for a follow-up and saw Molly, who had experienced similar problems and also had to retrain her glutes, by going back to the basics, in order to improve her running. Molly walked me through exercise after exercise to use and strengthen my glutes and my entire core. Since the core is the body’s powerhouse, we move most efficiently when we have a strong core to do the work. From leg lifts to inner and outer thigh-strengtheners, to plank, and basic crawling, the focus is on precision. There’s no faking it at IET, each movement must be done correctly to efficiently retrain the brain.

Molly explained that most people who walk into IET complain of low back pain, most likely due to sitting at a desk day after day. Human nature teaches us how to move from day one, but life’s daily obligations sometimes deter us from efficient movement. IET gets us back to basics. It’s a process, it takes dedication and patience, but it’s brilliant, simple, and just makes sense.  And, it works.

One Healthy Breakdown: I went back to square one with IET.  I learned A TON about how our bodies operate, and I’m ready to put it into action. Ready, glutes?!