Aug27

Genai Kerr: Olympic Recap

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: anaerobic exercise, Competition, Daphne's California Greek

With the rush and excitement of the Olympics over, I can now reflect on the entire experience from a much calmer perspective.  It was, and always is, an honor to watch these incredible athletes compete. But I wonder if people really know what goes into making an elite athlete an Olympian, and what makes an Olympian a gold, silver or bronze medal winner. As we watched in these Games, the difference between the gold and silver can be as little as 1/100 of a second, or a goal in the final seconds.

 I can personally attest to the fact that mental preparation plays a much bigger part in performance than the physical preparation. Elite athletes can all only train so many hours of the day before their bodies need to recover. Once you get to the Olympic level everyone is physically dominant in their sport. The true champions emerge by being mentally prepared to excel.

And as new Brand Ambassador for Daphne’s, I also watched how the athletes fueled themselves in London. The Olympics might be the sports world's biggest stage, but it’s quite possibly the world’s biggest buffet. Athletes had an expansive choice of foods from around the world -- Italian, Mexican, Greek, Lebanese, Thai, American, Indonesian, and more. But these athletes know that to recover both mentally and physically from the day’s challenges, they must eat to compete, nourishing their bodies with the most efficient fuel possible.

So future Olympians, fuel your body and your mind. Prepare yourself for success.

Links

Aug07

Welcome Genai Kerr!

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: Competition, Daphne's California Greek, Healthy Living

Daphne’s California Greek is excited to announce U.S. Olympian and water polo champ Genai Kerr as our newest Brand Ambassador.

In addition to being one of the world’s top athletes, Genai is respected as a genuine voice, teaching kids and young adults how to be the best they can be in the water and in life. He’s an advocate of healthy living and sees real benefit in making healthier eating choices whether you’re training for the Olympics or a local 5K. Genai hails from San Diego but, in his role as Water Polo Camp Director for 5meter Nike Water Polo Camps, he travels around the U.S. teaching young athletes how to reach their full potential. Genai is at the 2012 London Games and will be sending posts exclusively for the Daphne’s community. Stay tuned...

Jun27

HAPPY STRAWBERRY!

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: Daphne's California Greek, Healthy Living

Strawberries are a flavorful treat. Not only are they sweet, go great with tasty deserts and add fun flavor to your salad (think Daphne’s Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad), but they are also full of nutritional value. Here are a few fun facts and great examples of how strawberries can perk up your day!

Nutritional Benefits of the Strawberry

The tiny strawberry is packed with vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, and more.

The heart-shaped silhouette of the strawberry is the first clue that this fruit is good for you. These potent little packages protect your heart, increase HDL (good) cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, and guard against cancer.

Packed with vitamins, fiber, and particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols, strawberries are a sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie food. They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium. Just one serving -- about eight strawberries -- provides more vitamin C than an orange.

This member of the rose family isn’t really a fruit or a berry, but are the enlarged receptacle of the flower. Choose medium-sized berries that are firm, plump, and deep red; once picked, they don’t ripen further. First cultivated in ancient Rome, strawberries are now the most popular berry fruit in the world. In provincial France, they were regarded as an aphrodisiac. These red gems may be good for your heart in more ways than one.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/nutritional-benefits-of-the-strawberry

Jun13

DAPHNE'S DECONSTRUCTED: CALIFORNIA GREEK SALAD

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: Daphne's California Greek, Healthy Living, Menu

This menu fave might be the essence of everything that makes Daphne’s so great. A crisp, meal-style salad with roasted chicken, fresh avocado, pine nuts, feta cheese and much much more, you'll never say "I'll JUST have a salad" again! 

May03

DAPHNE'S DECONSTRUCTED: TABOULI

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: Daphne's California Greek, Healthy Living, Menu

Weighing in just under 100 calories per serving, the ingredients that make up this Mediterranean staple are packed with numerous health benefits. This is Daphne’s Deconstructed- Tabouli

Sources: whfoods-Parsley, whfoods-olive oli, beliefnet, Livestrong

Apr26

Snap Shot: Embry Rucker

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: Adventure Photography, California Greek Culture, Daphne's California Greek, Embry Rucker, Lifestyle Photopgraphy, Live Well, outdoor photography

As part of our mission to Live Well we're kicking off a Snap Shot series featuring some of our favorite photographers and inspiring shots from their latest adventures. 
For more of Embry's snap shots, visit his portfolio H E R E

Apr12

YogaBabe on Red Onions

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: benefits of red onion, California Greek Culture, cooking blog, Daphne's California Greek, EAT WELL, Jessica Mulvey, red onion health benefits, red_onion, yoga classes, yoga poses, YogaBabes, YogaBabes

What would so many of our favorite dishes be without the red onion? This versatile vegetable is used in many dishes and sauces because of it's delicious flavor and irresistible crunch, but it also contains some important health benefits. Let us get acquainted with the red onion. 

First know that it can be consumed both raw and cooked, but the flavor changes dramatically once cooked. When selecting a red onion, look for one with a dry, papery skin that has no blemishes or wet/dark spots. Onions should be stored in a cool, dry location that is away from potatoes. (Placing onions near potatoes will cause them to both spoil quickly.) Also, a fun fact about the onion in general, is that it gave the city of Chicago its name. The Chippewa Indians found these "she-gau-ga-winshe" growing at the site of the modern day city... yep sound it out, it sounds like Chi-ca-go!

On a more relevant note, red onions are very good for us because they have been found to contain anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Nutritionally, red onions are low in calories, have no cholesterol, and contain zero fat! Red onions also provide significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and are a good source of dietary fiber. 

Needless to say, don't fear the red onion because it makes you cry when you cut it. Rather add it to your salads, classic pita sandwiches, and flatbreads. It’s tasty, crunchy, and really good!

-Yogababe
Image source

Mar27

EAT WELL. LIVE WELL. SHANNON BANE

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: aerobic, aerobic training, California Greek Culture, Competition, Daphne's California Greek, EAT WELL, Exercise, fitness, Fitness, Healthy Living, healthy living, Live Well, running

When he's not monitoring, forecasting, and structuring Daphne's finances, Daphne's CFO Shannon Bane is swimming, biking, and running his way through Ironman competitions. Bane competes in 3 to 5 triathlons per year and recently completed the Arizona Ironman. “It’s one thing to preach a healthy active lifestyle, it’s another to live it.” Scheduling triathlons throughout the year keeps me focused on training and striving to improve.”     

EAT WELL. Daphne’s Chargrilled Chilean salmon, fresh fruit and every once in a while shredded beef tacos at Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill. 

LIVE WELL. Triathlons, Snowboarding, Mountain Biking, Coaching Youth Sports

Mar22

Pose + Purpose: Virabhadrasana III

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: California Greek Culture, Daphne's California Greek, Exercise, Fitness, fitness, fitness club, healthy living, Healthy Living, Jessica Mulvey, Live Well, Virabhadrasana, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

This month's pose + purpose is a standing asana called Virabhadrasana III, or Warrior III Pose. This posture strengthens your legs, tones your core, and improves your balance.

1. Begin in crescent lunge. Your right knee is bent to a 90-degree angle and your left leg is straight and engaged behind you. Your torso is perpendicular to the ground and your arms are lifted up in line with your torso.

2. Moving into warrior III, bring your arms out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Gracefully float your left leg up, as you simultaneously straighten the right, standing leg. 

3. Your left leg and your arms should now be parallel to the ground so that from the side, your body looks as if it were making a "T". Be sure to engage your core because it will help you to find balance and will also protect your lower back. Finally, find a micro-bend in your standing leg to protect the knee joint.

4. Focus on maintaining the posture by concentrating on your breath for 10-30 seconds. When ready to come out of the posture make your way back to a crescent lunge by slowly bending your standing leg and lowering the left leg down to the floor behind you.

-YogaBabe

Mar14

The Ultimate FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY

Posted By: Daphne's

Categories: Daphne's California Greek, Daphne's California Greek, Daphne's Team Riders, EAT WELL, Kelly Slater 11th World Title, Live Well, quiksilver, quiksilver boardshorts, Quiksilver Pro, Surf, surfing magazine

Hop onto to Facebook and don't miss out on this great giveaway with Daphne's brand ambassador Kelly Slater, Surfing Magazine and Quiksilver!

Click on the image to ENTER NOW!