Mocha & Saki Take on the Ranch!

About 3 years ago, Kenny was having lunch at his favorite sidewalk café in Santa Monica when he fell in love. The object of his affection was a red, curly tailed dog owned by a patron at the table next to him. He just had to know what this mysterious breed was called so he asked. It turns out it was a Shiba Inu, which is an ancient Japanese bloodline related to the Akita but much smaller.

After much pleading by Kenny, I finally acquiesced and and agreed to adopt two little Shiba Inu puppies. We welcomed Mocha and Saki into our home this month, introducing them to their new big sister, Peri, the Siamese cat.

Mocha and Saki definitely keep us on our toes. They have more energy than they know what to do with. They can chase a ball for hours in the yard, wrestle with each other all day long, and chase Peri relentlessly. Mocha is much bigger than his new “sister”, who is just two weeks younger, and bullies her a bit, but Saki is learning to stand up to her BIG “brother” and will be one tough cookie!


Our new pups have brought us much joy, laughter, and…stress! Potty-training and puppy-proofing the house has been tough, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges. Both of our moms, who conveniently live close by, have been so helpful puppysitting – I don’t think we could do it without them.

We’ve heard that owning a dog can help you live a longer, healthier life. I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve learned over the past few weeks that these little creatures can definitely bring you happiness! They've already made a few visits to Canyon Ranch, and everyone they meet falls in love with them instantly.

You may not know that because of the expansive and unique layout of the Tucson property, dogs are permitted to accompany their owners during their Canyon Ranch Tucson stay (subject to size and other restrictions, of course). We're hoping Mocha and Saki will make lots of new K-9 and human friends from all over the world. So if you see two mischievous looking "foxes" around the Ranch, stop and say hi, we'd love to introduce you.

To Your Good Health!

Nicole

Bachelorette Bliss

A few months back, I received an email photo link from one of my best friends from law school. She had forwarded me pictures from one of her friend’s bachelorette parties – which was held at no other place but Canyon Ranch in Lenox. I loved looking at the pics of the girls’ weekend – and of course, I had to email the bride-to-be, Alison, to hear all about her Canyon Ranch Bachelorette.

Alison was born and raised in New York and met her now-husband Greg through friends at a Mexican restaurant. They were married at New York City’s Cipriani this past January (the wedding was beautiful – I saw pics!). Here’s what Alison had to say about her Canyon Ranch weekend:

How did you first hear of Canyon Ranch?
I grew up in New York and Canyon Ranch was always a well-known place with an excellent health and spa reputation. It's the type of place I always wanted to go to with my mom or friends. None of the girls had ever been to Canyon Ranch before but we all knew others who had been.

Why did you decide to come to Canyon Ranch for your Bachelorette Party?
I wasn't sure about going away for my bachelorette party and how it could work. I live in NYC and my friends and I were trying to think of a place within driving distance (even though I had friends coming from LA). My friends know that I love to do things health and wellness related and that a spa getaway could be perfect. Canyon Ranch seemed like a really luxurious option. Once we looked in to pricing and other information, it sounded very "me" and just perfect.

Why did you choose Canyon Ranch over other bachelorette party locations, such as Las Vegas?
I was 31 at the time and had already done other "party locations" in the past. I had a great time then but my personality is less party girl. I really thought that a more relaxed weekend was fitting for me, and all of my friends came up with the idea of Canyon Ranch before I even suggested it! It felt like I could also have more quality time with my friends, since I had friends coming from LA, Boston, NYC and NJ.

Who planned your trip?
One of my very close friends organized the whole trip. She was amazing. I know it's a little easier when you don't have to make tons of meal reservations for a big group but finding a date that works for everyone, collecting money, organizing rooms, and arranging other fun things along the way was really special and fun.

What is your favorite memory of your weekend at the Ranch?
We stayed at the Ranch in the fall and loved our hike! It was a beautiful day and so scenic. Not something I get to do often living in the City. We were half-way through the hike and we took a break to take in the foliage and enjoy the sun. It had been a cool morning so we were all wearing sweatshirts. As it warmed up, the girls all of a sudden took off their sweatshirts and they were all wearing these hysterical red tank tops with a funny photo in honor of my bachelorette. I was in shock and cracking up because I'm an especially hard person to surprise. It was the perfect way for us to spend 2 hours together doing something fun as a group.

What did you take home from your stay at the Ranch?
Well, we all still use the water bottles and t-shirt. And, I even brought home some chocolate chip cookies and granola because we were all obsessed with them! As far as more "emotionally", it was just an awesome weekend with my closest friends and I felt really lucky.

What is your most special memory from your wedding day?
Too many to count but one of my favorites was when we first saw each other for pictures, before the ceremony. There was just such a rush of excitement and anticipation and seeing him made me feel at ease and so happy. It was a freezing day in NYC but we managed to head out to fun areas of Wall Street and those are all of my favorite pictures!

Thanks so much to Alison for sharing her experiences with me!

To Your Good Health!

Nicole

Cyprus and Greece

We’ve returned from a fabulous trip to Cyprus and Greece. My friend Meredith and her Cypriot husband, Philippos, had an amazing wedding and it was so special to be part of all the traditions and rituals behind the Greek Orthodox nuptials.

Of course, we ate some fantastic food. Although many said we would probably come home 10 pounds heavier, the food generally did not seem all that unhealthy. Our first night in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, Philippos planned a dinner at a local taverna which consisted of a traditional meze dinner. I filled my plate up with salad, roasted eggplant and squash, pita, tahini, tzatziki and rice, only to find out that this was only Round One of many!

The following evening the groom’s family, the Savvides, hosted a dinner at their home. They pulled out all the stops – even roasting meat on a rotating spit in the driveway. As I savored the taste of my lemonade, Philippos told me his mother makes it using the whole lemon, rind and all. It was delicious! I had just read an article about the recent research on citrus peel oil in the University of Arizona Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Dean’s Report (page 12) and thought that this is a great way to reap the cancer-fighting benefits of d-limonene. I chose lemonade over ouzo the whole trip!

After the wedding, we continued our journey to the Greek Islands of Mykonos and Santorini. Most of our meals were piled high with lots of locally grown veggies – tomatoes, arugula, cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onion and homemade feta cheese. One of my favorites was a lentil salad, which I ordered two days in a row poolside at our hotel in Santorini – served with a balsamic dressing, grilled onions, and a dollop of fresh yogurt. Of course, we had to taste the local wines made of grapes grown right in Santorini. I’d say Napa has some competition.

After all of our eating, we boldly attempted to run the infamous stairs of Santorini. Kenny did quite well, but my “run” turned into a much slower pace once I faced the uneven cobblestone steps. But I made it to the top – slowly. I have a new found respect for the mules that climb those stairs every day!

So in the end, the scales were not tipping when we returned home. It took a few days to recover from the 24 hours of travel back to Tucson, but we’re back at the Ranch, and believe it or not, still ordering Greek salad!

OPA!

Happy summer! As the season creeps up on us in Tucson, Kenny and I are taking our first real vacation since being at the Ranch, heading all the way to Cyprus for one of my closest friend’s wedding. Yes, Cyprus!

In my continuing quest to get back into shape and after the realization that Cyprus meant “beach” which means bathing suit(!), I booked a Metabolic Exercise Assessment to make sure my cardiovascular workouts were as efficient as possible. As silly as I looked during the assessment, the results really helped me maximize the results of my time in the gym. At our follow-up meeting, Mike, an exercise physiologist, went over my results with me, explaining how aerobic fitness level is really the ability to consume oxygen (VO2 Max) and what I can do to improve in that area. It’s really much more complicated than that, but Mike did such a thorough step-by-step analysis with me that I really understood the logic behind his recommendations. He even put together a 12-week cardio plan for me based on my personalized heart rate zones, which I have been following for weeks now and LOVE because I don’t have to think about what to do each day in the gym; I just bring my cheat sheet with me and do what it says.

With my regular routine at the gym, I’m feeling stronger and healthier by the day. I’m going to try my hardest to keep the workouts going while in the Mediterranean. I promise to post some photos from a real Big Fat Greek Wedding when we return. OPA!

Dexa Body Scan

As I continue to explore the Ranch I have been able to experience more and more of the unique offerings that define Canyon Ranch as not only a spa to pamper yourself, but a cutting edge preventive medical facility.

When Nicole and I first joined Canyon Ranch, I wanted to know my body-fat percentage so I could then assess if my exercise and healthy eating was paying off. Of course, understanding your body-fat percentage is easier said than done. Apparently there are about 10 different ways to measure this body characteristic and none of them are as easy as stepping on a scale in your bathroom. You can hold onto a machine with your hands and it will give you an estimate, some places dunk you in water to see how much volume is displaced, there are calipers, and then there is the granddaddy of them all, the DEXA body scan. Eight months ago I opted for the quick, down and dirty estimate by the calipers, which should give you an estimate within 3% plus or minus of your true body fat percentage. From that reading and your weight, a personal trainer can then calculate your lean body weight (muscle and bone) and the amount of weight attributed to fat.

The DEXA body scan however, is supposed to be accurate to less than a 1% of your actual body fat percentage. Even better, the machine actually measures your bone density so you can see if you are above or below average for your peers or are at risk for osteoporosis. Now, before you start asking me what type of snake oil I sell, let me tell you a little bit more about the equipment. The DEXA machine is an industrial grade medical scanner built and manufactured by GE. The device measures your body composition, by scanning you with the equivalent of a low (emphasis on the low) powered x-ray. How low, you may ask? Dr. Param Dedhia, the newest addition to our elite medical staff, who came to us from Johns Hopkins Hospital, said it is less than a guest would receive in an airplane traveling from New York to Tucson for a visit to the Ranch. I’m fine with that, but I didn’t know I was subjected to any radiation while traveling in an airplane.

Anyway, for my troubles of lying down on a table for 5 minutes, I was provided with a great report on my body fat, lean muscle mass and bone content. The report actually shows you a scan of your skeleton! Although I absolutely refuse to share my results with the World Wide Web I will tell you I have lost a grand total of 16 pounds since I joined the Ranch 8 months ago (and that wasn’t even my goal!). The best part, though, is I have hard numbers that I can refer to when I do the scan again in 6 months, then a year, and a year after that to see whether I’ve gained more muscle or bone density and lost fat. Unlike the caliper numbers which unfortunately differ based on the person administering the test, these numbers don’t lie.

Live healthy!

Ken Morris

Nicole and Ken's Bio's

About Nicole

Nicole grew up at the Ranch – literally. Born just a few weeks before Canyon Ranch first opened its doors, she spent a lot of time on property with her grandparents, Enid and Mel. After graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in Economics, Nicole ventured to Los Angeles to attend law school at UCLA. While living and working as an attorney in LA, she met her husband, Ken Morris, who also grew up in Tucson. Nicole and Ken returned to Tucson in 2008 to officially join the Canyon Ranch family.


About Ken

Ken was raised in Tucson and coincidentally worked at the Ranch in high school as a Men’s Locker Room Attendant. Ken graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a dual major in Finance and Accounting. After college, Ken worked for Deloitte and Touche as a Public Accountant, on Wall Street in Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities and as a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch. Ken is currently a Certified Financial Planner and is looking forward to working with his wife Nicole in the Zuckerman family business.

To Your Good Health!

Ken and Nicole

Walking the Walk

A few weeks have passed since my last blog entry, and I’m proud to say that I have been exercising and sticking with it! I joined a cool website called www.stickk.com (recommended to me by our VP of Human Resources Sandra Foyil). It lets you pick a goal – any goal – and helps you stick with it. I named Kenny as my “Referee” and my best friend Deepa as a “Supporter.” While I know it’s really my commitment to my health that gets me in the gym after work, the website is kind of a fun way to keep me honest and on track. Check it out and let me know what you think!


Since I’ve been spending more time in the Canyon Ranch gym, I’ve noticed some familiar faces. Nancy McDonald, a corporate accountant for the Ranch, must be in that gym 7 days a week because I see her no matter when I’m there! She’s usually on the Precor when I arrive and lifting weights when I leave. It’s incredibly motivating to see someone work so hard! And one of our IT gurus, Mike Gravanda, is a staple in the weight room. It’s a little embarrassing when I’m struggling with my 5-lb lateral shoulder raises – but I keep going!


I know there are so many other Ranch employees who are in the gym at times I’m not – particularly early mornings, when I can’t drag myself out of bed, and lunch time when a tuna melt appeals to me much more than sweat! I commend everyone at the Ranch who is walking the walk and committed to living a healthy lifestyle!

To Your Good Health!

Nicole Zuckerman