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Chefs Dining Featured Restaurants

Downtown Highlights: Senza Gluten – 100% Gluten-Free

Welcome back to Downtown Highlights on Gluten-Free

The series in which we take the opportunity to “highlight” businesses in NYC, like the dedicated gluten-free Italian eatery, Senza Gluten.

As a result to this unpredictably tumultuous year and a half we’ve had, brick and mortar locations like this one have taken a hit thanks to the pandemic.

It is important to us here at Downtown to make sure that we’re serving the places that serve us. 

For this episode of Downtown Highlights, we paid a visit to the esteemed Senza Gluten in Greenwich Village. The name Senza Gluten has Italian origins, of course, and translates to “without Gluten”.

 

Tiramisu

 

The restaurant was created in 2014, by Chef Jemiko Solo.

Chef’s goal in opening Senza was simple: to ensure a 100% gluten-free atmosphere. Guests can enjoy a gluten-free meal, devoid entirely of gluten or any risk of cross-contamination. You won’t find a spec of gluten inside the entire facility. 

Our own host of Downtown Highlights, Marley Gifford, has celiac disease herself, visiting the facility was a euphoric experience as it is for many visitors of Senza Gluten with gluten intolerances.

 

Calamari

 

A Restaurant Made for those with Gluten Intolerances – Gluten-Free

Chef Solo does not have any gluten intolerances himself. However, many of his friends and relations suffer from various food allergies.

Chef made it his mission to help his friends, and all clients enjoying their food, and life, to the fullest.

He dedicates his work to ensure that his guests can again enjoy delicious dishes that disguise themselves as tasting just like the glutinous dishes we know and love.

Having the ability to eat glutinous dishes allows Solo to taste his dishes with an advantage, and gets him closer to the real thing.

The gluten-free possibilities don’t stop at the restaurant. Just down the street from the restaurant is the Senza Gluten Cafe & Bakery, which was opened in 2018.

 

Shortbread Cookies

 

This location allows the restaurant to expand its menu of different kinds of bread, pastries, and other baked goods. It is there that they also bake some of their savory dishes, like their arancini and mushroom ravioli, both Senza must-try.

 

Gnocchi

 

Pay a visit to Senza Gluten and bring both your gluten-free friends and ones that aren’t. We bet they’ll barely be able to tell the difference.

To see the last Downtown Highlights episode, click here.

Categories
Featured Health

How Important Is A Mattress To Your Sleep Healthiness?

An old Irish proverb says that “a good laugh and a long sleep are the best two cures for anything.” In modern times, tons of studies have undoubtedly proven the benefits of proper sleep for our health, thus medically confirming what our ancestors simply knew. One of the contributing factors to a good rest appears to be our bed – in fact, the mattress we sleep on during the night.

According to medical findings, sleeping on the wrong mattress could have severe impacts on our health – and I am not talking about just feeling tired the next morning or having a back pain, but about blood circulation, heart issues, obesity, allergies, premature aging and even a diminished libido.

But when we choose a proper mattress, and we experience a sound sleep, we also enjoy the health benefits that come along. Let me underline some of the most relevant ones:

 

Good blood pressure

Our blood flow is heavily influenced by the quality of our sleep. To maintain it at its optimal level, we need the help of a medium-firm mattress, capable of adequately supporting our body, especially if we sleep on our left side. This particular position has mainly been indicated as the best one for an optimal blood flow.

 

Ideal body temperature

Sleeping on a mattress which can control the temperature is no longer something unaffordable. More and more manufacturers develop smart mattresses or smart mattress covers that can adjust our body temperature during sleep. That way, we can rely on our bedding to control this process while we rest and we won’t wake up in the middle of the night because we feel too hot or too cold.

 

Protection for our heart

Disrupted sleep leads to lack of energy which leads to overeating (especially unhealthy food), which could cause obesity. Sleeping well will only help us keep our figure and protect our heart since obesity goes hand in hand with various heart issues. Experts say that people who get less quality sleep per night have a 48% higher risk of developing a heart condition.

 

Improved memory and focus

When we sleep peacefully, our brain and our muscles take their time to rebuild. The direct results will be an improved memory and a better focus, hence, increased productivity, which will impact our state of mind and will make us feel satisfied and happy.

 

Allergies under control

All mattresses collect dust and dust mites over time, but high-quality products are usually hypoallergenic, which means they can protect us from allergens. Keep in mind that improper breathing during sleep may lead to sleep apnea and abrupt wake-ups; such sleep disorders can weaken our immune system. To keep our immunity unaltered, the best thing we can do is to purchase mattresses with reviews on this particular feature which will tell us if they are a good investment for our long-term health.

Those are not the only health aspects impacted by how we sleep: for instance, our intimacy can be affected by sleeping on the wrong mattress, as well as the aging process. So if we want to enjoy a bursting energy in the morning and a long healthy life, we should consider all these aspects when we decide to invest in a new mattress or create a new sleeping environment.  

Categories
Health

Stop the Springtime Sniffles and Other Allergic Reactions

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As we head further into spring and the temperatures finally start to increase, so too will concerns that a trip outside to the park or playground will trigger outdoor allergies.

Many people believe that nothing can be done for seasonal allergies, but that’s just not true.

The following strategies can help allergy sufferers survive the winds of spring and summer:

  • Stay in an air-conditioned space. If you are allergic to pollen, run the air conditioner during the warm weather months instead of using a fan. Air conditioners can filter out large airborne pollen particles, whereas window fans draw pollen in. Be sure to keep your conditioner clean, including regularly cleaning the filter.
  • Cut back on morning activities. Pollen counts are usually highest between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., so minimizing early morning activities may help you get a jump start on a symptom-free day.
  • Separate your wardrobe.  When you walk into your home you should remove your outdoor clothes and shoes and place them in a hamper or closet, not on the bed, and jump in the shower to rinse the pollen off of your skin and hair immediately. Then change into a clean outfit that you will only wear indoors. Have several “safe” outfits available for the pollen season.
  • Take medications. Eye drops, nose spray, and non-sedating antihistamines can relieve symptoms temporarily, and, when taken an hour before exposure, can decrease the severity of symptoms.
  • Remove contact lenses. If you wear contact lenses, remove them, if you have red or swollen or itchy eyes. Contact lenses can further irritate eye allergies and make the condition worse. If you need some contact lenses, Pure Optical has some of the best on the market
  • Avoid stinging insects. If you are allergic to bee stings, avoid wearing brightly colored clothing, flower prints, or perfumes and lotions with flowery scents. Always wear shoes when walking in the grass, cover your body as much as possible when working outside, and don’t forget to carry medication in case of an emergency.

Dr Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith, M.D.
Pulmonologist, NewYork-Presbyterian/LowerManhattan Hospital