A Wellness Guide to Richmond

Winter approacheth, but this information is seasonless.  Like the Richmond Farmer’s Market Guide that I worked my widdle brain out to put together for you, I present to you the Wellness Guide, so that you may go forth, and be well.

I have neglected to provide the names, numbers, and websites of local doctors and hospitals.  They are easy to find, and you probably already have your own that you like a whole bunch, so who am I to fool with that, I ask you?  So this is more of  a guide to where to go to go above and beyond to be healthy.  Because that’s what you’ve got to do nowadays.  This is an incomplete list, as there is a lot of data, but I did by best for Pete’s Sake.

The Gyms

American Family Fitness

The behemoth, Amfam has locations in Colonial Heights, Fredericksburg, Mechanicsville, Midlothian, Northside, Southside, West End, and Swift Creek.  The people that I know who work out there are pretty happy about it – there is a robust kid’s program and many of the locations have pools.

>>American Family Fitness – amfamfit.com

Weinstein JCC

This wonderful place has a great fitness center,  lots of group classes, and a great pool.  Can you tell I go there?  Membership is open to people of all religions, and the atmosphere is friendly and good.  There are plenty of Pilates and Yoga classes, but not a lot of traditional aerobics classes.  Lucky for you there are plenty of treadmills and elliptical machines in the fitness center.

>>The JCC - weinsteinjcc.org

Gold’s Gym

This large chain has lots of locations in and near Richmond.  Mechanicsville, Richmond in the Willow Lawn area, Southside, Midlothian, West End, and The Fan.  Some have pools, some don’t, and some have special offers and discounts.  You’ll have to go to the main website to find your location, but that’s just as well – you can learn a little about the company that way.

>>Gold’s Gym – goldsgym.com

The YMCA of Greater Richmond

A community staple, and a local favorite despite its widespread presence, the YMCA of Greater Richmond has locations in Chester, Chickahominy, downtown Richmond, Goochland, The James Center, John Rolfe Parkway, Manchester, Midlothian, Northside, Ashland, Powhatan, Shady Grove, Petersburg, and Tuckahoe.  Membership rates are based on your income, and they are totally family-friendly.

>>Richmond YMCA – ymcarichmond.org

The Richmond Athletic Club

Even with only one location, the RAC has a lot of loyal followers.  With all the great offerings of a great gym they’ve got group exercise classes, racquetball, whirlpools, but no pool.  They do have yoga, t’ai chi, and many more programs to keep you interested.

>>Richmond Athletic Club – richmondathleticclub.com

Chiropractors

Those who visit a chiropractor regularly know about the benefits.  Those who don’t?  Well, maybe with this nice list to choose from they will.

HealthSource Chiropractic

Located in the West End near FedEd/Kinko’s HeathSource is Dr. Mason Sheehan, who does chiropractic and progressive rehab.

>>HealthSource Richmond – richmondchiro.net

Rulli Chiropractic Clinic

Your friendly Northside chiropractor, Nicholas Rulli’s office is located on Brook Road near 295.

>>- rullichiropractic.com

River City Chiropractic Wellness

Located in the heart of downtown Richmond, Dr. Franklin Luke’s practice has many patients, including lots of kids.  A kid-friendly practice.

- rivercitychiropractor.com

World Chiropractic

Located on Gaskin’s Road, World Chiropractic’s Andrew Lombardozzi provides chiropractic care to people of all ages, and is active in the community, doing free health screenings and educational seminars.

– worldchirocenter.com

Massage Therapists

While some of the chiropractic offices above offer massage therapy, here are some other places you can go for therapeutic massage.

Kneading Therapy

Located in the West End, this collection of Certified Massage Therapists provide everything from traditional massage to prenatal massage and everything in between.

>>Kneading Therapy – kneadingtherapy.com

Art of Massage

Located near downtown on Monument Avenue, Art of Massage is committed to wellness and believes in massage as a preventative therapy, not just an indulgence.

>>Art of Massage – artofmassageva.com

Escape Massage

With convenient locations in Short Pump and Midlothian, Escape Massage offers corporate discounts and a variety of massage types.

>>Escape Massage – escapmassage.com

Other Wellness Services

Colon Hydrotherapy

The Healing Center – colonhealthcare.net

Accupuncture

Commonwealth Chiropractic & Acupuncture Center – commonwealthchiro.com

Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine – acupuncturevirginia.com

There are many more wellness professionals in Richmond.  For concierge medicine check out AAPP.org
Check back for more information.

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Locally Grown Richmond

So I saw that movie, Food Inc., and it really made me think about chicken.  It made me think of a lot of other things, too, but that image of the steroid-pumped chicken gasping for air made me a real believer in NOT buying mass-market chicken.  Or mass-market anything, for that matter.  Lucky for me there are all these farmer’s markets in Richmond.

David has written about farmer’s markets on Eating in Richmond.  He talks about several different farmer’s markets that occur all around Richmond.  Additionally, M. Stringer has talked on Richmond for Kids about the South of the James farmer’s market, and how it is a  great place to take the kids.

I got to thinking about the actual farms that peddle their delicious wares at these farmer’s markets.  It would be awfully nice to have a guide of where to buy what and when, but the sheer number of local growers and farmers markets is dizzying.  Exciting, but I’m afraid I’m too late in the game to provide a complete and comprehensive list for this year. Of course, Richmond Good Life has done that to a degree – so I’m linking to them here.  For now, here is some information about some local growers that will hopefully be helpful to you.

Edible Old Dominion

Location: Louisa County
What They Grow: It’s literally too many things to list – go to their site to see a full list, but I will tell you that at different times of the year you can get tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, peas, onions, radishes, broccoli rabe, and more.  They also offer eggs.
Who: Farmer Russell.  He started out growing potatoes outside his apartment on Grace Street.  He got a degree in horticulture, and he farms the land.  Additionally, Edible Old Dominion offers a community supported agriculture (CSA) where you can buy in at the beginning of the season and get your “shares” in the form of fresh produce, every week.
Markets: You can pick up your shares, or buy produce and eggs, from North of the James Farmers Market (Bryan Park Tuesdays 3-7 PM), Innsbrook Farmers Market (Thursdays 11-6), and South of the James Farmers Market (Forest Hill Park Saturdays, 8-1).

Manakintowne Specialty Growers

Location: Powhatan, VA
What: at press time, they had all types of salad greens, micro greens, braising greens, radishes, cabbages, carrots, beets, edible flowers, fresh herbs, and more.
Who: Jo and Rob Pendergraph and Peter Markham.  Local farmers since 1985, they are careful and conscientious about their practices.
Markets: Goochland Farmers Market, Byrd House Farmers Market, Fall Line Farms Coop, plus you can buy their goods at Libbie Market and Ellwood Thompson’s.  If that wasn’t enough, you can also experience Jo, Rob, and Peter’s green thumb handiwork at a number of Richmond eateries.

Here is a list of some other farms located near Richmond.  Where possible, I’ve hyperlinked to the farm’s website so you can learn more about them.

Bluebird Produce of Hanover
Sergio Lopez Farm
Jon Philhower Farm
Greenwood Farms
Fleetwell Organix
Walnut Hill Farm
Ault’s Family Farm
Alfredo’s Beehive
CCL Farm
Edmonds Farm
Empress Farm
Faith Farm
Pair-A-Dice Farm
Amy’s Garden
Bill’s Produce
Black Creek Farms
Casselmonte Farm
Common Ground
Eli’s Greens
Fertile Crescent Farm
Gencroft Farm
Goldman Grown Nursery
Native Plants
Pleitez Produce
Rocking F
Root Force Collective Farm
Sporganics
Thistledowne Farm
Three Springs Farm
Walnut Hill Farm
Frog Bottom Farm
Victory Farms
Dragonfly Farm and Plants
Averys Branch Farms
Chadwick Orchids
Forrest Green Farm
Furbelow Farms
Mustard Seed Farm
Wild Heaven Farm
Greenway Beef

As for the local farmers markets – here is a short list by day:

Sundays:

April – December:  Vintage and Grower’s Market at the 17th Street Farmers Market 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM – 100 North 17th Street.

Tuesdays:

May – October:  The Byrd House Market 3:30 PM – 7:00 PM – 224 South Cherry Street
May – October:  North of the James Market 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Bryan Park

Wednesdays:

May – November:  Lakeside Farmers Market 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM – 6110 Lakeside Avenue (Saturday hours as well, please see Saturday section)
April – October:  West End Farmers Market 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Gayton & Ridgefield

Thursdays:

April – December:  Grower’s Market at The 17th Street Farmers Market 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM – 100 North 17th Street

Fridays:

April – December:  Red, White, and Brew at the 17th Street Farmers Market 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM – 100 North 17th Street
?:  McGuire, VA Farmers Market 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM – 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard
Year Round:  Quirk Gallery First Friday of the month 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM – 311 West Broad Street

Saturdays:

May – October:  Petersburg Farmers Market sunrise – noon – Old and N. Sycamore Streets
May – October:  St. Stephen’s Church Farmers Market – 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – 6000 Grove Avenue
April – October:  West End Farmers Market 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Gayton and Ridgefield
May – December:  South of the James Farmers Market 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Forest Hill Park
May – October:  Monument Market 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – 2709 Monument Avenue (at Richmond’s First Baptist Church)
May – November:  Lakeside Farmers Market 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – 6110 Lakeside Avenue
May – October:  Goochland Farmers Market 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – 2955 River Road
May – October:  Chester Farmers Market 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Village Green
May – October:  Ashland Farmers Market 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – 101 Thompson Street Ashland
April – December:  Grower’s Market at 17th Street Farmers Market 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM – 100 North 17th Street

Other good websites to check out are the Market Umbrella,  Center for Rural Culture, Off the Vine Market, and Byrd House Market.

Happy and Healthy Shopping!

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The Cafe at Maidens – A Powhatan Treasure

A few days back the sun was shining, the open road called out to me, and so did my appetite, so I talked my Dad into going out a little ways to Powhatan to have lunch at The Cafe At Maidens.  I’ll tell you one thing – it was totally worth the drive.

This little place, situated right on Maidens Road in Powhatan, used to be a gas station, but you won’t get that now.  You’ll get great service, fantastic sandwiches, and wonderful conversation, but that conversation won’t be about gas prices.  Owners Jason and Rosalyn are focused on creating sandwich masterpieces – and are not going to worry whether you’re self-service or full-service at the gas pump.

Like I said, though, it’s a full-service treat inside.  Jason, a former PE teacher, and Rosalyn, a current newspaper editor, opened the restaurant about 9 months ago (on the day I visited it was 9 months and 6 days, to be exact) and have enjoyed some good word-of-mouth exposure (which I guess they’re getting more of here) but are gearing up for a good and busy spring.

The drive there is beautiful.  Just head west on Patterson until you hit Maidens Rd, take a left, and keep on until you spot the Cafe on your right.  Once you get there, you’ll get a friendly greeting from Jason, Rosalyn, or Aunt Frannie, who allegedly lives in the back.  The interior of the building is adorable and full of some major quirk.

The Cafe at Maidens uses exclusively Thumann’s deli products- the same stuff that Chiocca’s uses.  This is because their meats and cheeses are yummy, sure, but also because Roland is their rep, and he rocks.  He even provided the pickle barrel, which houses some of the biggest dill pickles you ever saw.

Seriously, these things are good.  And big.  I’ll tell you about them in a sec, but first you need to know what kind of sandwiches you can get to accompany that ginormous pickle.  Here is a snapshot of the menu:

Just in case you missed it, I snapped a photo of my FAVORITE SANDWICH DESCRIPTION EVER:

Despite the temptation of a big pile of bologna (and I do love bologna), I decided to go with The Powhatanian, which is a club sandwich on multi-grain bread.  Dad went with The Rachel, which is a big pile of pastrami topped with cheese, cole slaw, and thousand island.  We split half and half (I had half of each sandwich, so did Dad) and I can’t tell you which one I liked better.  They were both beyond excellent.  Which one looks better to you?

and

Hard to decide, isn’t it? Not only was the food great, but we loved talking to Jason and Rosalyn, who are the cutest couple ever.  They met at VCU.  She was a lifeguard, and he had the keys to the pool.  He wouldn’t let her in to her job until she agreed to go out with him.  Obviously, Jason’s sense was right, because they’re fantastic.  Jason was a teacher (I think I mentioned that) but had this hankering to try something new.  I’m awfully glad he did, because this is a great little place with great, wonderful, tasty sandwiches.

Oh yeah.  Also, if you don’t feel like driving all the way to Powhatan, they will DELIVER.  That’s right.  You can get this yummy goodness delivered to the West End, downtown, Southside, wherever.  Just make sure you give them plenty of notice.  A big order really far away will likely need to be placed the day before.  Lucky for you they have a handy-dandy website that makes it really easy for you.

They comped me a pickle, which I considered having bronzed before I divided up and shared it with a family of twenty.  Seriously.  That thing was huge:

I would recommend this place to anyone who wants a great sandwich made by great people.  You could get the sandwiches delivered, but you’d miss out on the beautiful trip, and a chance to listen to some tunes, roll down the window, or spend some time having a chat with someone you love.  It’s the little things, Folks.  Seriously.

Check them out, and tell them I sent you.  I’m not saying that will get you anywhere, but it makes me look good. 

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