A superfood station, the future of fitness and more in L.A. wellness news
Superfood delivery company Daily Harvest — which delivers coconut chia puddings, mushroom and miso soups and more to your front door — is going the pop-up route.
The upcoming Refueling Station by Daily Harvest is being designed as “a place to go when you need to take care off yourself the way you want to,” said Rachel Drori, founder of the company which started in New York City, and now delivers across Los Angeles.
Set up like a gas station, the 2,200 square foot Century City space is designed for “people in a rush, which doesn’t mean they have to compromise how they eat,” she said. There will be plentiful, complimentary near-full-sized samples of popular Daily Harvest staples like mint chip smoothies (spinach, raw cacao nibs, cashew butter) and cauliflower pesto rice bowls (cauliflower, basil, cashews, nutritional yeast). Everything on offer fits in with the Daily Harvest mandate of whole, unrefined, organic, low-sugar and vegan fare — including its cookie dough (coconut with lemon and ginger) that will be dispensed through an ATM-style machine. It’s all free. Like what you taste? Additional products can be purchased, of course, with prices starting at $7.99, the per-item price you’d pay for the Daily Harvest subscription service.
Info: Jan. 17 to 23, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Westfield Century City, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. Enter via valet entrance off Santa Monica Boulevard, up escalator to 2nd floor, across from Bloomingdale’s. daily-harvest.com
::
Here’s a new addition to the local fitness scene: The Studio (MDR), which uses Sebastien Lagree’s acclaimed Pilates-styled workouts, later this month will open its fourth Los Angeles area studio, in Culver City.
The 2,400-square-foot space is the first in the boutique chain — which also has studios in Playa Vista and Marina Del Rey, and another existing studio in Culver City — to have showers. “We’re unveiling a fresh new design and an expanded level of service,” said owner Lisa Hirsch-Solomon. “We want the space to have a residential feel.”
The workouts, however, will remain largely the same: high intensity, low impact, a combination of cardio, strength training and “Pilates-esque,” said Hirsch-Solomon. Exercises are done on the Megaformer, a spring-loaded machine that uses the body’s own resistance to “create a strong core, improve flexibility and make you stronger and leaner,” she said. “Some people see muscles they never knew existed.”
Info: Free introductory class. New customer price is $179 a month for unlimited classes for the first three months, thereafter $239. 9901 Washington Blvd., Suite 103, Culver City. thestudiomdr.com
::
Looking to kick start your wellness regimen during the optimistic early days of the new year? Look into the Whole Life Challenge, a six-week program that launches Jan. 19, accessible to anyone anywhere.
Andy Petranek, former owner of a Santa Monica CrossFit gym, and his business partner Michael Stanwyck, came up with the concept in 2012, and have been running it a few times a year ever since; the last one, which wrapped before the holidays, had 60,000 participants from around the world. Those who sign up are required to be accountable for seven daily health practices, which include nutrition, exercise, mobility (such as stretching), hydration and sleep. For each thing you successfully complete by the end of the day — say, 10 minutes of any kind of exercise, drinking 30% of your body weight in ounces of water, spending time journaling or meditating, you are allotted five points. (When it comes to diet, a point is deducted for every infraction of a nutritional rule.) You start a team or will be joined into one, and each day you check in with the rest of the group and see how many of the maximum of 35 points everyone has. “The idea is to create long-term, sustainable changes in your life,” said Petranek, who added that the six-week time frame allows for modest changes. “The faster the change happens, the less likely it will stick. And this is a community of people who are very committed.”
Info: $49. wholelifechallenge.com
::
And for those seeking an ultra-luxe and futuristic wellness experience: Upgrade Labs, the Biohacking Health and Fitness facility in Santa Monica, has opened its second outpost in Beverly Hills.
The new 6,000-square-foot facility has more than just your regular treadmills. Focusing on cellular heatlh, equipment on hand includes The Cheat Machine (which uses “adaptive resistance technology,” and claims to give you a week’s worth of weightlifting in 15 minutes) and a 21-minute “Cold HIIT” class which combines compression, cooling and interval training. An A.I.-enabled stationary bike gives you a briskly effective cardio workout in under a minute.
Info: Monthly memberships available depending on services required, and many treatments have a la carte prices. Upgrade Labs at The Beverly Hilton, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. upgradelabs.com
