DNA Reveals: Does Vegetarian Diet & Exercise Work?

As a marathon runner, boot camp aficionado and cycling enthusiast, I have exercise covered.

And as a vegetarian, salad lover and creative home cook, I eat on the healthy spectrum.

But would my DNA tell a different story?

I tried the HomeDNA Healthy Weight genetic testing kit to find out.

I got a kit in the mail, with instructions on how to swab my cheek and send in a sample. In a couple of weeks, I got the results.

Healthy plant-based lunch

According to my DNA, my weight loss ability with diet and exercise is below average. Although my weight is in the low-normal range for my height, both of my parents were overweight, so this makes some sense.

My fat loss response to cardio was found to be low, a rather depressing insight. And my fitness response to cardio is below average. So maybe I really do need to run a marathon to get the same benefit those lucky high responders get from a one mile jog.

The test results recommended cardio workouts, which include walking, running, cycling and cardio machines. These are all part of my regular routine. The exercise plan it suggests recommends 300 minutes (that's 5 hours) of high intensity cardio per week.

Overnight oats; healthy breakfast 

It also suggested strength training: boot camp or circuit work, 3 times a week.

Vegetarian Diet

Although there was nowhere on the DNA kit to indicate my current food habits, the diet suggested is right in my wheelhouse. It said I should get my protein from plant-based sources such as beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and vegetables. Check, check, check.

For fats, I should go for plant foods - so perhaps my cheese habit could be reduced. And for cabs, a plant=based diet, high in complex carbohydrates. And avoid processed carbs like fries and chips. Which I mostly do anyway.

The results offer a 7 day diet plan, with few processed foods: steel cut oats or plain yogurt for breakfast, a salad with lentils for lunch, simple broiled fish with veggies for dinner, and fruit or nuts for a snack. Conspicuously missing: chocolate, alcohol, coffee. Well, I mostly have the diet right...

How I spent my weekend

Not a substitute for the doctor

If you get a low or below average level or response to a nutrient, the report recommends you speak to a doctor.

Coincidentally, my neurologist ran a blood test and found that my vitamin B12 is low. The Home DNA kit nailed that. I started on a supplement (that my doctor recommended).

My trainer agrees

Perform moderate to vigorous intensity cardiovascular exercise 5 or more days a week for minimum of 300 minutes per week. You can achieve greater results by lengthening the duration of moderate intensity cardio, focusing on endurance activities like biking or running.
Lift weights 3 days per week using weights that are heavy enough to challenge you at the end of each of 3 sets of 12 reps. 

Note: I received a complimentary genetic testing kit. I was not otherwise compensated.

Do You Need Gorgeous Exercise Clothes?

Marika exercise outfit

Staying fit not only makes you healthy, it makes you look better. So beautiful exercise clothes can be just gilding the lily; if you already look good, ratty old clothes should be fine.

Except...

There is something empowering about pulling on a well designed workout ensemble, one that has been engineered specifically for exercise. And while I do feel those endorphin highs after a run, if I start out tugging on my shirt, or feel my running tights bagging at the knees, I get annoyed and then I have a terrible work out.

So I was pretty psyched to try out Marika's Jordan leggings. These black and gray leggings had mesh panels so my knees stayed cool. There is a little hidden pocket and the wicking material kept me dry.

I also got a wicking hoodie that coordinated nicely with the leggings and had those sleeves you could pull down over your hands. What was interesting about these was that when you pushed them up after your hands inevitably got hot, the sleeves didn't look weird. I have other running tops that pool around my wrists when I don't have them pulled over my hands.

Since I am training for my first marathon, these workout clothes were a great incentive to keep me on my work out program

Feeling Lucky? Avoid The Slots And Exercise At MGM Grand Detroit's Excellent Gym

Treadmills at the MGM Grand Detroit's gym

Most travelers don’t choose a hotel solely based on the fitness center, but once they have found a great work out space, they often return. Such is the case the the MGM Grand in Detroit; the excellent exercise facility, deluxe spa and gorgeous pool make me yearn to return.

Stability and Bosu balls

Every treadmill or cardio machine was stocked with its own towel and water bottle, plus individual screen. Of course you could also get a chilled towel, another towel form the stacks of thick, plush towels, and a glass of citrus infused water. You could even grab a piece of fruit for a post-workout snack.

There are plenty of free weights, weight benches, stability balls and a Bosu ball. And there is plenty of space to use all the equipment.  There are also weight machines and mirrors so you can watch your form.

The empty glowing pool at the MGM Grand Detroit

If you remember a bathing suit, you can take advantage of the pool, which has comfy lounges and, at least when I checked it out early in the mornings, few visitors.

Fitness on Vacation: Now the Kids Hit the Gym

The fitness center at the Embassy Suites in Savannah

Time was, the first thing my kids checked out at a hotel was the pool. Before we'd even memorized our room number they'd pulled out their bathing suits and asked to go swim.

Not the prettiest but it was functional

Now, they want to keep to their exercise regimens. One daughter is captain of her college's Ultimate team, another is on he high school track and Ultimate teams and the other just works out regularly. So  when we stayed at the Embassy Suites Savannah recently, we all trekked down to the fitness center to get in our regular exercise.

Treadmills waiting for us

What I love about Embassy Suites (besides the room for a family of 5) is the free full breakfast - and the opportunity to grab a cup of coffee and a banana before working out, then eating more after we worked out and showered. (Note: breakfast only goes till 10, so you have to time this right. But we had full days planned in Savannah, so we made sure the girls got an early - ish - start).

A surprise - the outdoor pool was warm enough for winter swimming

The gym had everything we needed; treadmills, with individual screens, stability balls, weight benches and yoga mats. There were foam rollers, free weights, and a bosu ball substitute that worked just fine.

Healthy breakfast options

About the only problem was the empty cold water dispenser. Perhaps since we were in the south we were supposed to bring in some sweet tea.

We had great weather for December - 70s during the day and warm enough to swim in the heated pool.

Hotel Monaco: Staying Fit While Eating Around Philly

The well equipped gym at Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia

Philadelphia has become a foodie paradise, and vegetarians and vegans will find plenty of places where they can fill their bellies.

The pulley machine

But what to do about belly bloat? If you stay at the Hotel Monaco, you can work out at the excellent gym. The bright, spotless gym has state of the art cardio equipment, all with their own television screens - or you can watch the hive of activity below around the Liberty Bell.

There are also stability balls and a bosu ball, hula hoops, free weights and weight machines and weighted balls. The large pulley machine intimidated me.

Cardio machines at Hotel Monaco

The gym also keeps in mind creature comforts, with a water cooler, soft towels - and chilled ones - ear buds if you've forgotten, newspapers - even fresh fruit so you don't hit the mini bar and negate all that exercise.

If you are shy about your workout, you can use the yoga mat in your room.

Gym amenities include chilled towels

Group fitness fans can take one of the free weekly classes; cardio sculpting at 6:30am on Wednesdays, or cardio boxing, also on Wednesdays at 6pm. Of course, that cuts right into the free daily cocktail social hour...

If you prefer to get your cardio outside, take one of the free bikes for a spin. The hotel is right on a bike lane and you can easily zip over to Fairmont Park.

Luxury Spa, Luxury Gym: Lodge at Woodloch

The Lodge at Woodloch's gym; a playground for adults

Whether you are an avid exerciser, or just looking to dip your toe into starting a fitness program, the Lodge at Woodloch offers an array of exercise classes, plus a state of the art gym, so you can work out on your spa getaway.
The gym had all the toys I love; bosu balls, stability balls, box steps, free weights and weigh benches, plus a few goodies - hula hoops, a barre for stretching, and a priceless view when you use the cardio machines.

Look at those trees outside the gym

Woodloch is set in the Poconos, and the wooded backdrop is quite an inspiration. Plus, if you grow bored with the exercise equipment, you can bike, paddle a kayak, run outside, hike. There are yoga classes and guided meditations.

My husband and I took a spin class, which was pretty much like any other spin class in a gym; not SoulCycle, but also not music at a bone-crunching volume. We also took a weight class with an energetic young instructor, who challenged us to push our limits. I wanted to take a bosu class, but three exercise classes in one day exceeds almost every limit, and I really wanted to take a cooking demo.

Two days was hardly enough to scratch the surface of Woodloch, but if you are there for a few more days, you can take advantage of more exercise classes and that great gym. The gym also had soft towels, headphones, and a bowl of fruit and nuts outside if your workout left you a little worn out.

Dirt Happens: Exercise, Smells and Laundry

Smiling, but sweaty, the Ultimate champions

I love to run and bike outside, but the smell of sweat - not so much. And a team of teenage girls, playing 6 games of Ultimate Frisbee in 2 days - the smell of their feet could kill you.

We chaperoned a trip to Schenectady for the state championship (which we won, thank you very much) and had 3 girls in the back sea on the way home. They played 4 game son the final day, with no chance to shower and feet that had been confined to cleats all day.  The huge sunroof on the Lexus RX450 did not sufficiently air out the car.

Then I realized we should have used Bounce Bursts. The scent boosters bring in the fresh scent of the outdoors, rather than the rank odors of sweat, mud and a soupçon of animal excrement.

Actually, it could have been human waste- we had to use Porta potties for 2 days.

I tried the Bounce Bursts in the laundry; we had plenty. The outdoor scent comes in time released capsules, so the clothing smells fresh, even after all day play.

No Excuses: Keeping Fit

Discreet packaging for JustGo Pads

I am the queen of exercise excuses - it’s too hot, too cold, too sunny, too rainy.  My ankle hurts, my knee hurts, I didn’t get enough sleep, I have the sniffles -  you get the idea.

Luckily, I don’t have a problem that plagues untold numbers of women, particularly those who have had kids - Athletic Leaks™. This is urinary incontinence during high impact activity - jumping, cross fit, running long distances. And it doesn’t just bedevil moms.  Teens have it, or grown women without kids.

But a mother of 5, (!!!) Brooke Solis, wouldn’t take this problem sitting down.  The lawyer and athlete had this vexing problem and hated the choices on the market - bulky incontinence pads or sanitary napkins.

Brooke started a company, JustGoGirl and patented the term Athletic Leaks™ (there’s that legal training) a polite way to describe the seepage that can happen during high impact workouts - or, she pointed out, in a bouncy house at a child’s birthday party.

Brooke developed a tapered JustGo Pad™ that can’t be seen from behind, yet absorbs accidents like a pro. After all, if you are rocking Lululemon pants you don’t want a reverse camel toe revealing your secret.

I put the pad to a comfort fashion test in spin class - my friend claimed she couldn’t see any evidence of the pad through my spandex shorts. The pad didn’t chafe and though I didn’t pee in class, I could see how the pad would be very useful on a long cross country ski outing, or during a marathon, even if you don’t have athletic leak issues.

Although the athletic leak condition is different from the kind of involuntary pee almost every woman has experienced - when she sneezes or laughs - I could also see the pads coming in handy if I were going to a comedy show. The pads hold almost a half a cup of liquid, so technically you could also use them for your period, though they are on the expensive side.

The pads are sold on amazon and through a JustGoGirl subscription service; 10 pads for $8 if you are an occasional exercisers, $20 for 14 pads a month and $18 for 30 a month for the every day exerciser.

Airport Hotel: Gateway to Fitness

Most airport hotels are dreary affairs, selected by weary travelers as a last resort, or strictly for convenience. But  the Westin Detroit Metro Airport Hotel is an anomaly, a luxury hotel with great amenities, like its gym. 

The huge gym has state of the art cardio and strength machines, free weights, stability balls and space to stretch. And you can't use the excuse that you forgot your workout clothes - the Westin rents sneakers and workout clothing for $5.

There are headphones if you've forgotten yours, nice soft towels, and chilled towels for a super cool down.

They don't rent bathing suits and there is also a pool, if that's how you like to exercise. But shopping is right at your fingertips; you can stroll into the airport shops.

The Westin has its own security line, so you can get to your gate in just minutes. If you are lucky enough to be flying Delta, the gates are literally right there, but the private security line is an amazing perk.

And with all the extra time you save, you can spend more time exploring Detroit.

Free Fun: Working out at Lululemon

The only thing I like better than a great workout is a free great workout. Lululemon has various free classes and even though I’m pissed that they abandoned Park Slope, the new Smith St. store is a beauty.

I heard about a free boot camp, run by BCL Fitness – ironically, a boot camp that is regularly held in Park Slope. But Cobble Hill isn’t that far and on a drizzly Sunday morning I hopped on the F train to exercise.

The hopping was a theme; the BCL founder, Melissa, had us hopping over our partners while they held planks. This was interspersed with fun stuff like speed skaters, fast feet into burpees, squats and sprints.

We started out in the store, but then headed outside where our group of 8 attracted curious passers-by. They all looked like they were headed to brunch – Smith St. might be the foodie capital of Brooklyn –but we felt virtuous and empowered.

And just maybe a little forgiving.

Manchester Grand Hyatt: Fitness Challenge

San Diego is one of those cities where everyone is always in a good mood. Any why not? The picture perfect weather, with crystal clear blue skies and a temperate range make everyone happy.

In this kind of weather, you almost have to run, but if you are staying at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, right on the San Diego Bay, you will also want to check out the excellent fitness center.

The large gym has a ton of elliptical machines and treadmills, with individual screens, and a ton of free weights and weight machines.

Oddly, someone has absconded with weights below 8 pounds; perhaps visitors to southern California are known for their incredible biceps and shoulders? I do a routine on a bosu ball (there were 3!) that is almost impossible do do with anything over 5 pounds.

But apart from that snafu (do people really swipe weights from hotel gyms?) you can get a great workout here.  There are resistance bands, a stability balls, weighted balls and mats.  There are body bars and weight benches.

And, right outside, there are running and biking paths.

Fitness Challenge: Spin in Puerto Rico

Renting a car in Puerto Rico left us spinning our wheels, but we cycled for fun in a spin class at La Concha Resort. The state of the art gym has a limited number of exercise classes, one of which is a weekly spin class.

The bikes were not exactly current, but they did have clip on one side for cycling shoes and toe clips for those in sneakers. There were only four of us (there are about 8 bikes total) but we got a good cardio workout.

The instructor mixed the usual blend of jumps, sprints and uphill climbs into the 45 minute class and I calculated that we burned up enough calories for one poolside drink.

Those who like to spin in dimly lit rooms wouldn't like the sun-splashed studio where we had the class, but I'm not really a fan of the candle-lighted nightclub spin experience.

Really, what I wanted to do was bike outside; a bike lane ran down the middle of the street in front of our hotel - but the one bike store nearby was closed for vacation the entire time we were in Puerto Rico.

Fitness Challenge: La Concha Resort

We didn't go to Puerto Rico to exercise, but we had our own version of Jersey Shore once we got there: gym - beach -pool.

The fitness center at La Concha Resort offered the perfect way to stay in shape. The large gym, overlooking the spectacular beach, had a studio for classes, cardio machines with their own screens (though the televisions weren't working) and just about everything else you needed for a complete workout.

Stability balls, bosu balls, free weights, weight benches, clean mats, body bars and weighted balls were all in top notch shape. There were also weight machines, soft towels, and apples for after your workout.

Although the luxury resort was sold out when we visited, the fitness center was never too crowded - it is open 24/7 and was somehow spotless every time we stepped in.

And as you can see from the photo above, although we couldn't watch TV while we were on the elliptical (and there were also headphones in case you forgot yours) the view more than made up for it.

Ritzy Schvitz - Sweating at the Ritz-Carlton

Exercise can take place in a park, a cramped basement or a sun-drenched, temperature-controlled fitness center. Guess which one the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in White Plains, NY has?

The tricked out gym has everything you could ask for: state-of-the-art cardio equipment, with individual TVs and headphones, a variety of hand weights, stability balls, bosu balls and box steps, and weight machines.

There are also exercise mats, weight benches and medicine balls. And if you don't know how to use the equipment, the hotel has trainers (for a fee). I saw a woman being trained by a very competent, encouraging trainer.

I was about to exercise when my 15 year old daughter came from the pool next door.  She and her friends couldn't swim without adult supervision, so I grabbed an apple and a fruit-infused water and hydrated before working out, lounging by the pool while they swam.

Then I hit the weights.

The Ritz fitness center (Ritz Fitz?) has a wall of mirrors so you can watch your form, but you may want to orient yourself the other direction.  That way you can see outside and feel on top of the world while you sweat away.

Leave that cramped basement work out space for another day.

Skinny Jeans in Portland: Staying Fit

To fit in in Portland, you literally have to fit in - to skinny jeans. But with popular calorie bombs like Voodoo Doughnuts and Blue Star Donuts tempting you, your exercise regimen cannot take a back seat.

Thankfully for my bottom line, I stayed at the Hotel Monaco, which has a fully equipped fitness center. There were a couple of treadmills and elliptical trainers, with their own screens (one only seemed to play CNN but maybe that is a better choice for keeping my mind fit than Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

There were weight machines, free weights, weighted balls, barbells, foam rollers, stability balls and a bosu ball.

The gym also had a couple of mats, including a cushy one for gymnastics, plenty of soft towels and cold water, along with headphones.

I also liked the eco touch of a light sensor, so when I went there at 6am (still on New York time) the lights were off.

Fitness Challenge: Disney

Getting in your exercise is easy at Disney, as long as your exercise is walking. If you use a pedometer, or an app to measure your steps, you may be surprised at how much you walked (over 7 miles, on a recent family trip).

But if you crave more strenuous exercise –and not the Disney Princess Half Marathon, most Disney hotels offer fitness centers and other ways to stay in shape.

At Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, you can swim, play tennis or rent a surrey bike at The Boardwalk (1/2 mile walk each way, too – or take the free boat ride).

I made use of the excellent fitness center, adjacent to the spa. The well-equipped fitness center had a variety of stability balls, a bosu balls, mats for stretching and a barre.

There were also ample free weights, treadmills and ellipticals with individual televisions, and headphones in case, like me, you forgot your own. Or you could listen to good tunes playing throughout at a reasonable level.

For strength training, there were a few new well-maintained weight machines, plus weight benches. And mirrors throughout the fitness room let you watch your form (or your biceps pop).

If you have a late flight, you can swim or work out, and shower. The locker room had nice towels, shower gel, shave cream and razors and self-locks. And everything  at the gym was very clean, without smelling like chemicals.

Note: I was a guest of Disney at the TravelingMom retreat.

Fitness challenge: historic hotel

If you look at historical photos, people did not have gym fit bodies. If you had muscles, it was because you had a manual labor job. People of means had soft, un-muscled bodies.

Of course now, it is almost the opposite; those with means can afford gyms, trainers, adventure vacations. If you have a hankering to stay in a historic hotel, you usually have to make do with a tiny fitness room.

Such is the case at the Hotel Utica, a grand hotel from 1912 with glimmering chandeliers, elaborate plaster and intricate, restored woodwork. The ceilings soar in the lobby, but the fitness room brings you back down to earth.

The room has 3 ancient cardio machines – an elliptical, a treadmill and a stationary bike, 2 benches and free weights. There is a television, but no way to adjust the heat pouring into the room.

Nevertheless, it adequately serves to keep visitors on fitness routines and if you time your workout right, you can exercise to Kelly & Michael or reruns of Friends. Watching TV is a great motivator for me; to finish a show (or a second sitcom), I have to work out for an hour.

Fitness Challenge: FlyBarre

In an old joke, a man says to a doctor, “Please help me, I can only lift my arms this high.”

“How high could you lift them before?” the doctor asks.

The man lifts his arms higher. “This high.”

That’s how I feel after my first FlyBarre class, a body sculpting complement to Flywheel spin class. Right now, only the flagship Flatiron studio offers barre classes in NYC.

The class is similar to Physique 57 and Exhale Spa core classes – you use light weights, a squishy ball, and resistance bands.

Unlike the other studios, though, Fly Barre changes its routines monthly, so you don’t take the same class over & over.

You can exercise in socks or barefoot, and either way you get a great workout that targets every muscle group in just 45 minutes. There is also a 60 minute class. While there is no cardio aspect to the class (for a cardio workout, you need to also take a spin class) you feel you’ve exhausted every muscle.

I loved the soft mats, and the abs exercises, where we hooked our feet under the bar, were among the most challenging I’ve ever encountered.

Fitness Challenge: Weighted Ball

Kettlebells are the 'it' equipment in many gyms, but I find a weighted exercise ball much more useful. You can do a lot of the same exercises as with kettlebells, snapping them from a squat to shoulder height, swinging them between your legs in a figure 8.

But you can also use them for your obliques, twisting from side to side. Or you can put the weighted ball under one hand and do push ups, then roll the ball to the other hand for more push ups. The ball is great for getting into the chair position, and holding overhead. You can hold the ball with your elbows out and raise and lower. A ball with handles gives you more options, like standing on one foot, with other straight out behind you. You keep the ball in your opposite hand and touch the ground, then straighten up. Exhale Spa has a Core Fusion Sport class using a weighted ball.

Fitness Challenge: Flywheel Sports

High end spin studios are not all created equal. Flywheel, with 3 NYC locations, offers the same 45 minute, high intensity workout NYers crave, with a few twists. Fly free One is the free first class. With classes costing $32 (slightly cheaper if you buy a package) this is an incredible amenity. Who know if it will last, so sign up pronto. You also get free rental shoes (even with the free trial class) and free bottled water. I actually prefer to refill my own water bottle, but there was no water fountain at Flatiron studio and in a particularly nice touch, there was extra water next to the instructor, who could bring you a bottle if you ran out mid-class. Flywheel has you reserve your bike online, and sign in on a laptop when you arrive. Your cycling shoes are in the corresponding cubby below. The co-ed locker area is cramped and rather sweaty when classes change over. There are just 2 showers and 2 changing rooms, so you can expect a wait. And the showers feel a bit like being back in college, but maybe that's the point. Spin hard I loved the bikes, with the torque and rpms in LED. Flyhweel goes even one better, with a ride board where you can chart your progress and compete against classmates. Although I was one of the older riders, I held my own coming in 3rd in the class. Not really sure what that means, but it's better than coming in 45th. The staff at Flywheel was incredibly helpful; I got a brief tour, someone set up my bike, and another person came by the make sure I had everything I needed. And even after class, you could grab a free apple, use the provided dry shampoo if you didn't want to wait for a shower, or use the Bliss body products if you did. All in all a fly experience.