8 REASONS TO DRINK MORE WATER (Part 02)

Part 01

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5.  Better exercise

Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

6.  Cleansing

Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

7.  Digestive problems

Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

8.  Cancer risk

Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

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Water is an elixir of life and has become a trendy drink. Top restaurants even have their own menu section for water. Whether you are having an espresso or a meal with several courses, water is the ideal accompaniment.

Tips and Tricks for Drinking More Water: 

• Get a water bottle you love. Purchasing a water bottle that you enjoy drinking from makes a difference in both how likely you are to carry it and sip from it. 
• Add lemon or other fruit to your water for flavor. 
• Drink icy cold water so your body will work hard to convert it to body temperature allowing you to burn more calories. 
• Make drinking water a morning ritual. Many people wake up dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of ice cold water when you wake up to jump start your day. 
• Always keep a glass of water or your water bottle with you when you’re working so you continue to sip all day.

Urban Sanctuary & The St Bernard Project

EVOLUTIONMAN had the distinct pleasure of taking part in Urban Sanctuary’s Jetsetter Lounge in Beverly Hills. Celebrities, such as Ryan Cabrera, Kathy Hilton, Niecy Nash, and Grant Show, roamed the aisles of this pop-up store that featured luxury brands like EVOLUTIONMAN. Jet Blue sponsored the event, allowing access for to the newest brands that have raised the bar on fashion, technology, leisure, and lifestyle products for the trendy traveler. Participants included The Naked Grape, Kid Dangerous, Vitaforce, ThinkThin, Closets for Causes, and many more.

Several celebrities in attendance met with Marco Berardini and Valerie Patton of EVOLUTIONMAN, including Grant Show, Ryan Cabrera, Estella Warren, Kahu Kahuanui, Garrett Backstrom, Barbara Alyn Woods, Reef Karim, Vincent DePaul, Nester Serrano, Erig La Salle, and Tim Daly. Cedric Martinez was spotted leaving Urban Sanctuary with a bag of EVMAN goodies in tow.

Proceeds from sales benefited the St. Bernard Project, a non-profit organization whose mission is to remove physical, mental, and emotional barriers for people struggling to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. 

With Urban Sanctuary alone, EVOLUTIONMAN was able to raise enough funds to provide a bathtub for a new home that houses a family still displaced by Hurricane Katrina. To learn how you can help rebuild the homes and lives of families in the New Orleans area, please visit www.thestbernardproject.org today.

LEGIT STREET ART ON ABBOTT KINNEY - FAILE

Photos Courtesy of Brandon Shigeta

NYC-based art duo FAILE had a killer show at Post No Bills on Abott Kinney last week. The classic cartoon style and poppy colors were ever-present in the show and we couldn’t have been happier. We can really relate to FAILE’s pieces. Some speak to our childhoods, others to the men we are today. Can’t help but think of The Gallows song “Orchestra of Wolves” at times looking at some of the exhibited works. The blocked puzzle form of FAILE, as well as the prints, were amazing.

Check out the show for yourself in Venice Beach. The pieces will be on display until July 24th, 2011.

Post No Bills is located at 1103 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice Beach, CA 90291

Gentleman A of The Traveling Gentleman

LEMONADE - ABBOT KINNEY

Lemonade, by chef Alan Jackson, is a cafeteria-catering style restaurant spanning four locations in Los Angeles.

Something about Lemonade feels very familiar when you first step in. Stainless steel counter tops and a line-up of customers with trays in hand gives your a senses a hint. It's only until you recognize the cursive typeface and familiar chef outfit that you realize Lemonade's design choice. Lemonade has taken the grade school experience you had growing up and elevated it to a higher level. The staff is helpful and friendly, but more importantly, the ready-made food is a knockout. Going from a catered approach, Lemonade offers sandwiches, salads, side mixtures of culturally diverse portions that happen to be seasonal, and, to top it off, freshly baked sugary desserts.

I happened to go with a series of three portions, the Israeli couscous with wild mushrooms, Parmesan, and lemon truffle, chopped sweet potatoes with pistachios, and chicken salad with grapes, butternut squash, and oregano. My lady friend who accompanied me ordered the turkey pot roast sandwich, and in good fashion, both of us partook in two tall cups of kiwi-strawberry lemonade. The food has a feeling of comfort soul food, with the appearance of health. Lemonade caters to both sides of the spectrum. Want a cup of macaroni and cheese with a red velvet cupcake for dessert? Or perhaps you're making an effort to be light on the waistline by ordering a salad and a portion of winter squash with white truffle and chives. Either way, Lemonade has got you covered.

The price of Lunch at Lemonade isn't cheap, although the price accurately represents the quality and level of craftsmanship you'd expect of an LA establishment of this caliber. Once we packed in our last bites for the evening, my lady friend and I left Lemonade with full stomachs, feeling content and blissfully happy, with an earnest desire to return to an outstanding establishment in the future.

Lemonade is located in four locations in the Los Angeles area. The Lemonade we visited is located at 1661 Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA 90291.


Gentleman A of The Traveling Gentlemen

The Venice Ale House - Venice Beach

The wind was blowing harshly from the ocean in Venice Beach. I sat at the table across from a chiseled older gentleman smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. He leaned over in a very relaxed manner. “I eat healthy, and I want my customers to eat healthy. Everyone should ask where his or her food is coming from,” Tom says after taking a sip of his local beer. The Venice Ale House is a place a lot like Cheer’s; everyone truly does know your name. In a place in Venice Beach known as the boardwalk, the alehouse on the corner of Rose is an oasis in a desert, starting a much-needed gentrification process of local restaurant chains. You see, most restaurants on the boardwalk have been there for years and have long ago stopped catering to the local community. The influx of tourists that make their way to the Venice Boardwalk every year has kept them in business, regardless of the fact that they have generic and greasy food, with even worse service. In that respect, The Venice Ale House is nothing like its counterparts.

The food at the Venice Ale House is all organic. The beef is grass fed, as opposed to the generic corn fed variety, and all food is cooked in coconut oil. That's not all - to top it off, the alehouse has an extensive beer and wine list that’s all local and not imported from overseas. “Do we have Budweiser? No, but we do have the best Colorado beer you’ve ever tasted,” Tom says. Needless to say, the food is at the alehouse is incredible. I started off with an appetizer of freshly cooked green beans with garlic and sea salt. I then proceeded to the next course, which was a grass fed beef burger with feta and arugula, and delightful side of sweet potato un-fries. Although I ate a large burger, the food feels surprisingly light on the stomach. In addition to serving burgers, they serve fish, tacos, salads, and a bevy of appetizers. All designed by Tom and Spoon, the founders.

Many locals hang out at the alehouse. You can see a variety of people, from the business woman getting off a long day of work, to a street performer coming in for a nice cold one. Even the waitresses are all local to Venice; it ties in with Tom’s whole philosophy of “Organic” in every sense of the word. “You know every person who works here has walked in through this door," Tom said. "We have to be a part of the community, we’ve said that from the very start.” With great food, great drink, and charming service, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on a cold night. With only seven months in business, the alehouse has done what most restaurants strive to do in over a year.

The Venice Ale House is located at 2 Rose Avenue, Venice Beach, CA 90291

Gentleman A of The Traveling Gentlemen