Local Pedro Yanowitz checks out the Fuji apples at the Union Square Farmers’ Market. Photo by Aaron Adler

Maybe you want to eat right in 2013 but, like most New Yorkers, you’re always in a hurry, and making good nutrition a priority doesn’t come as easily as it should.

Fortunately, there are ways to turn that perception around.

Farmers’ markets, like those open year-round in Union Square, on Greenwich Street in Tribeca and other spots in downtown Manhattan, allow you to buy “clean, organically grown produce, which is not only good for overall health but also decreases your body’s overall exposure to toxins,” according to Mary Barbour, a raw food and vegan personal chef who has been frequenting the Union Square market since 1994.

“If your goal is to eat better or lose weight, then eating more fruits and vegetables will help you achieve that goal,” Barbour says of the market’s ample offerings.

“Adding more whole, plant-based foods to your diet is the healthiest thing you can do, and farmers’ markets make it easy,” says Maria Guadagno, a health coach and natural food chef.

While many of the markets’ offerings are already cheaper than what you would find at a health food store or regular supermarket, Barbour says that to get the best deals, you should wait until the market’s closing for reduced prices.

“Showing up week after week doesn’t hurt either,” she adds. Developing a relationship with growers also helps you understand exactly what you’re buying and what to do with it.

Guadagno says the markets are extremely accessible and most of the produce has been picked the same day or the day before.

People may have the perception that farmers’ markets are less prevalent—or have less bounty—in the winter, but Barbour says that’s “definitely not true.”

“It’s the time of year for heartier and root vegetables like cauliflower, cabbages, beans, potatoes, onions, parsnips and beets,” she explains. “You can get your dark leafy greens from collards. I like to think of it as comfort-food season, when you can make delicious soups, pot pies and roasted vegetables.”

Farmers’ markets offer many seasonal items that cannot be found in grocery stores.
“The market in the wintertime is magical,” says Guadagno, noting that leafy greens are a smart addition to any meal.

Barbour urges farmers’ market newbies to set realistic goals, as we should all do when it comes to new year’s resolutions.

“I like to tell people to not get too ambitious with the farmers’ markets,” she says. “It’s horrible to buy lots of perishables and then throw them out because they were unused.”

Barbour says if you’re pressed for time, juice bars can be a helpful, nutritious alternative to grabbing the whole foods yourself.

“One Lucky Duck, Liquiteria or Whole Green are great for juices,” she says. “It’s like having all your servings of daily veggies in a cup.”

Guadagno recommends the vegetarian restaurant Rawvolution on 12th Street.

“Have the Big Matt,” she says. It’s “a vegan take on the hamburger, made with mushroom.”

Guadagno also speaks highly of Maoz, a chain falafel shop, and Westerly, a health food store in Midtown.

You certainly don’t have to go vegan to eat healthy this year, but shopping farmers’ markets and increasing your general fresh-produce intake will go a long way toward facilitating better and easier nutrition.

By Sharon Feiereisen

It’s not for nothing that Woody Allen is a New York City poster child. Life in this city—as fantastic as it can be—can bring with it an endless parade of neuroses, anxiety and stressors; luckily there are plenty of minimal changes we can make to ensure that 2013 is just a little more tranquil than 2012.

“Wake up five to ten minutes before you really need to get up, and take a moment to think through your entire day,” recommends Amanda Murdock of Pure Yoga.

“Making a mental list and going through your entire day in sequence will help you feel in control of any upcoming events,” Murdock said.

She also suggests taking a moment to stretch your body and reflect on gratitude.

“Simple movements help alert your body that it’s time to move and start the day, while a short meditation helps to set a positive tone,” she said.

Aaron Teich, an advanced practitioner of Sat Nam Rasayan—the healing practice of Kundalini Yoga—as well as a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher, licensed acupuncturist and the founder of Shuniya Healing, reiterates the importance of stretching.

While stress may seem like a mental process, he said, people also hold emotional tension in their bodies.

“Regular stretching releases these physical tensions and changes the neurochemistry of the brain, offering one of the most effective ways to let go of stress,” Teich said.

In the same vein, stress can relate to our external environment.

“Get rid of unnecessary stuff and create a simple space for yourself,” he said, explaining that it’s an effective and tangible way to create inner calm.

What we eat plays a primary role in how we think and feel, but you can make that work to your advantage.

“Reduce overly stimulating substances such as refined sugar, junk carbs and caffeine to set a physiological foundation for calm,” Teich said.

Sadie Adams, the founder of Take Care Center for Body Mind Regeneration, goes one step further, noting that it’s crucial to bring ceremony to cooking and feeding.

“Less stress translates to more energy for digestion,” Adams said. “Pause before a meal to consider the exchange of energy.”

Another key is to work exercise into your daily life. “When your body doesn’t run the way it’s built to function, stress is inevitable. But when your body’s health basics are in good shape, life is good—or at minimum, far better,” says Sandra Lanshin Chiu of Treatment by Lanshin. “It’s important that your exercise class experience, be it barre, cardio, boot camp or yoga, be a mind/body experience.”

“Move a muscle, change a thought,” said Core Fusion co-founder Fred DeVito. “You should always focus on your breath and try your best to clear your mind of thoughts.”

No matter the situation that’s causing the stress, however, it’s imperative to remember, said Murdock, that just because you’re having a bad day doesn’t mean you have a bad life.

“Our immediate gut reaction is to say, ‘my life sucks’; instead, challenge that thinking by boxing in that specific incident or day and realize it’s just one event,” she said.

Murdock goes on to advise that when faced with a stressful situation, instead of complaining or worrying about it, it’s best to sit down and think if there is an actual solution. If there isn’t, then let it go; worrying will not solve the problem—ever.

“However, if there is a possible solution, even if it is uncomfortable or uneasy—like exercising, saying you’re sorry, changing jobs—actually set up a step-by-step plan on how to overcome your problem, and then implement it,” Murdock said.

“Concretizing a plan and approaching it through small steps rather than tackling it all at once leads to a greater chance of success and an overall sense of satisfaction.”

Celebrities Gaze Into the Stars

The Protagonist’s Literary Predictions

Conjectures on the Great White Way: Broadway Preview

Lady Smarts: 2013, the Year of the Megging

Politics: Two Dans Walk Into a Fortune Teller

Bonus Question: We asked our readers, what’s going to happen next year?

Some said nothing. Some said very depressing things. Several said “zombies.” Our favorite response was this:

“Locavore movement becomes even more specific; all hip foodies now only eat mushrooms grown in NYC sewers.”

—Seth, activist

What’s going to be the biggest news story to come out of your district in 2013?

Garodnick: Dan Garodnick will kiss every baby in Council District 4 in support of his reelection bid.

Quart: As the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway moves closer to completion, the MTA is going to have to start planning for the next phases of this project. We’ll begin discussing the next phases of construction and how to fund it.

What’s going to be the biggest political upset in 2013?

Garodnick: Hillary Clinton will take Mayor Bloomberg’s advice and run for mayor, but she will lose in a nail-biter to a young, charismatic politician who comes out of nowhere and gives better speeches. He is gracious enough to give her a deputy mayor post.

Quart: Scott Stringer winning comptroller. He has some serious competition in that race.

What will be the single most important development for the downtown community in 2013?

Garodnick: With the Roberts settlement announced, 2013 will be the year Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village tenants get management to work with them on a condo conversion, and begin the process of taking ownership of their community.

What’s one thing that everyone thinks will happen in 2013 that probably won’t?

Garodnick: Joe Lhota will lose the Republican nomination for mayor when his campaign is saddled by allegations that sometimes the MTA’s trains are late.

Who will win the Super Bowl in 2013?

Garodnick: Giants. I got this right last year, so why stop now?

Quart: Anybody but the Patriots.

Read our predictions on literature, Broadway, politics and fashion.

Ebook sales will continue to spike now that Digital Book World has officially changed the spelling from “e-book” to “ebook.”

Read our predictions on literature, Broadway, politics and fashion.

Mario Cantone, comedian and actor

• The economy’s going to get better.
• Marijuana is going to become legal in a few more states.
• Gay marriage is going to become legal in a few more states.
• It will be a long time before there is an Italian-American sitcom that is successful.

Billy Eichner, host of “Billy on the Street” on Fuse

• The new season of Smash will be celebrated as the most realistic depiction of the theater industry since Alf.
• Lea Michele will die of jealousy when Anne Hathaway wins the Oscar for Les Misérables.
• Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will kill at the Golden Globes, but Jennifer Lawrence will look amused more than she’ll actually laugh out loud.
• I will force Rachel Dratch to run an obstacle course on the new season of Billy on the Street (less a prediction, more of a guarantee!). 

Pauly D, reality-TV star of “Jersey Shore”

• Vinny will still be pale
• I will release my first album on G-Note records
• Everyone will be pre-gaming with Remix cocktails
• My hair will still be able to survive 150-mph winds

Michael Symon, co-host of ABC’s “The Chew”

• I hope and feel that TV continues to go in a friendlier direction. If they continue to do reality TV, I’m hopeful that it’s done more in a style that celebrates success as opposed to humiliating those who have failed.
• I think food will continue to become more specific—as opposed to being billed as American, Italian, etc., it will focus more on specific regions and towns.
• This is more personal and selfish than a prediction, but I would love to see more green space and dog-friendly areas developed in the city. One thing the world doesn’t need more of is big-ass buildings!

Madison Dirks, actor in Broadway’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

• I’m pretty sure it’s going to start with January and end with December. Everything in between is a mystery. And thank God for that.

Read our predictions on literature, Broadway, politics and fashion.