Austin’s Urban Farmers Market is Not Far from the Mosaic at Mueller Apartments

For a city its size, Austin seems to have an abundance of great farmers markets. It’s no wonder, though. Austinites seem particularly keen to eat well– and the freshest and often most nutritious produce comes from farmers markets. It’s possible, too, that folks in Austin find supporting local growers fulfilling.

We told you about a the very fine Manor Farmers Market to the west of our home at the Mosaic at Mueller Apartments. You can head the other direction, into town, and find an equally good, but slightly more urban farmers market– The Triangle Farmers Market, which meets at Triangle Park at 46th Street.

By “urban” we mean that the Triangle Farmers Market is designed to be an experience as much as a commercial space. Of course, the experience is exactly why some folks might enjoy shopping at the Manor market, but the one in Manor probably wasn’t intended to be an “experience”. In the case of the Triangle Market, in addition to the good, locally grown produce, you can also count on some live music to serenade you as you peruse the fruits and veggies. And there’s a place for kids to play.

In fact, since it’s in a park setting, the organizers urge you to bring a blanket, buy some tomatoes to go with your sandwich, and have a picnic.

The Triangle Farmers Market meets Wednesday evenings 4:00pm to 8:00pm– perfect for after work. It happens at Triangle Park, 4600 Lamar Blvd. at 46th Street. That’s a very short trip from the Mosaic at Mueller apartment community.

Go to the Triangle Farmers Market website for more information.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Laura Taylor.

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Free Health Expo Here at Mosaic at Mueller

We all want to live a happy, healthy life. And Mosaic at Mueller wants to help you!

On Thursday, August 12 we’re bringing together the resources you need to stay healthy, look good, feel great and live the good life. And we promise you’ll have a fun time, too.

Join us at the Mosaic clubhouse for free chair massages from Whole Family Chiropractors. Eye Masters will be there, offering free optical screening. Pediatric Dentist and Dental Smiles will be handing out freebies.

Eastside Yoga will be there, as will Pilot House Coffee, Greenling Organic Foods and Certified Personal Trainer Eric McMurray.

And did we mention the free chair massages?

Live music will be provided  by Peter Minda.

We’ll also have a raffle– tickets are $5– to benefit HAAM, (Health Alliance For Austin Musicians), an organization that helps provide affordable health care for Austin’s low income musicians.

And chair massages. Free ones.

Come on down,  and bring your friends.

It happens from 6:30 to 8:30 this Thursday, August 12 at the Mosaic at Mueller Clubhouse.

Please RSVP by e-mailing mosaicmgr@greystar.com.

(Chair massages.)

Photo used under Creative Commons from julien haler.

Mueller Community Health Expo at Mosaic

August 12, 2010
6:30 pm	to	8:30 pm

Come to our community health expo right here at Mosaic at Mueller.

• Free Chair Massages and More from Whole Family Chiropractors
• Free optical screening from Eye Masters
• Freebies from Pediatric Dentist and Dental Smiles
• Eastside Yoga
• Pilot House Coffee
• Greenling Organic Foods
• Live music with Pete Minda
• and much much more!

Raffle tickets can be purchased for $5.00– all proceeds will go directly to HAAM, Health Alliance For Austin Musicians.

Please come and bring your friends! Please RSVP to mosaicmgr@greystar.com.

Do You Need a High SPF Sunscreen?

Will we be seeing you at the Mosaic at Mueller pool this weekend? It certainly is a great place to relax when you have some down time, and we suspect you’ll be spending more time in the sun now that summer is here.

Of course, you’ll be protecting your skin from the intense Texas  sun. So, let’s clear up a common misconception about sunscreen.

We all know too much sun exposure can lead to skin cancer, as well as leathery skin. So, it’s important to get highest SPF rating we can when we buy sunscreen. Right?

Wrong.

There’s actually some evidence that higher SPF sunscreen can paradoxically lead to less sun protection. It’s not a problem with the sunscreen. It a problem with human behavior. When using super high SPF sunscreen, we often let our guard down by applying too little sunscreen, and we are lax about reapplying it throughout the day.

Plus, many of us don’t understand what the SPF numbers mean. A rating of 100 is not twice as good as a rating of 50. Actually, the higher you go on the SPF scale, the less added protection you receive. After you pass a certain point, any added SPF value is pretty minimal.

The consensus seems to be that anything from SPF15 to SPF30 is going to be plenty. If you’re especially fair skinned, stay on the high side of that scale. But there’s really no need to purchase super high SPF sunscreen.

What’s more important, regardless of the SPF, is that you apply the sunscreen liberally… and often.

Read all about SPF factors, and about the different chemicals used in sunscreen in this WebMD article. It also has some advice on what brands to consider.

(Photo: Some rights reserved, Teresa  Rodríguez)

Not Just an Apple a Day: Add a Glass of Wine

Everyone wants to be healthy. And who doesn’t want to slow the aging process as much as possible?

Medical research shows that moderate amounts of red wine can do both those things.

WebMD recently published an interview with Richard A. Baxter, author of Age Gets Better with Wine. He says a glass of wine each day keeps you looking good.

A chemical that’s especially abundant in red wine called resveratrol is the key. It’s a strong antioxidant that helps prevent age-related disease, and keeps your skin looking young.

Check out the interview. He has a lot of interesting things to say.

(Image: Some rights reserved, Dick Rochester)

Fitness, Networking and Fun: A Happy Hour Event at Mosaic

Fitness (plus fun and networking) will be the focus of an event late this month here at Mosaic at Mueller.

You’re invited to attend the April Happy Hour: Professionally Healthy Edition, put on by the Young Executives of Austin. The owner and head trainer for Austin F.I.T., Dean Baldwin, will be there, as will representatives from Simply Fit Meals. They’ll talk about how to stay healthy in the workplace and on the go. But just to make sure it doesn’t get, you know, too healthy,  42 Below Vodka will be there to pour everyone tasty beverages. 

Attendees can get a special offer from Simply Fit Meals by following this link. If you order before the event they will deliver your first five meals to the happy hour.

When: Wednesday, April 28th, 6-8pm
Where:  The Mosaic Clubhouse
$5 non-members, free for Young Executive members – Proceeds benefit Youth Launch

(Image courtesy Austin F.I.T.)

Here’s Why You Might Want to Make Green Tea a Habit

It seems every day I see more green tea products on the store shelves. I’m not saying that green tea will avoid being just a fad, but there are some pretty good reasons to drink some green tea every day.

I should tell you that I’m not new to green tea. In a previous life I spent several years living and studying in China and Hong Kong. There are some pretty hard core green tea drinkers in that part of the world. Lots of folks there will start the day by fill the bottom of a big jar with an inch of loose leaf tea, and pouring scalding hot water over that. It’s very bitter at that point. But you sip on that and add water, and sip, and add more water, and the tea mellows as the day progresses. It’s cheap, and it lasts all day. And it’s actually pretty tasty once you get used to the blast of bitterness early in the day.

I’m not suggesting anyone do it Chinese style. I lost my taste for that not long after returning to the States.

But even a little tea is apparently really good for you. According to Green Tea Information.org, it helps you burn calories faster. It can help destroy cancer cells. It helps reduce the risk of stroke.

Go to the Green Tea Information web site for 49 more reasons. Maybe green tea is a new habit you’ll want to pick up.

(Image: All rights reserved, Craig Allen)

Great Little Things that Happened Everyday

Here are some of the great everyday wonders that happen. Let’s take time to appreciate them:

1. Warm Laundry, is there anything better than a warm towel right out of the dryer?

2. Chocolate, not a better substance on Earth.

3. Gooey half baked cookies.

4. Baby laughs.

5. Pets, really don’t you feel better when they are around?

6. Matching socks.

7. Green Lights.

8. No junk mail days.

A Drive Thru Diet?

So the new Taco Bell ads are promoting a “Drive-Thru-Diet” with the help of one customer who lost over 50 pounds by adding Taco Bell to her diet. I think if you eat the same thing day after day you are going to lose weight because your body starts to either a. shut down from it so you won’t eat as much or b. it just gets used to burning that amount of calories. No matter what though, you have to incorporate exercise. What do you think?

Hit the Sink

Since preschool I’m sure we’ve all been told about the importance of washing our hands. During the winter season it’s especially important because of all the germs in the air and our bodies reacting to the cold sometimes makes us sick. Handshaking at work or high-fiving during a sporting event exposes you to germs, so instead of skipping those events just make sure you wash your hands. You can also carry around a small bottle of hand sanitizer to help ward off germs.

For more health tips click here.