Dr. Janese Laster, founder, Gut Theory Total Digestive Care, guttheoryhealth.com
Helping the world achieve good health and nutrition has become a passion for Dr. Janese Laster, who last year opened Gut Theory Total Digestive Care downtown. Laster’s practice focuses on her areas of expertise: gastroenterology, nutrition, obesity medicine and bariatric endoscopy. “New research has revealed that, by 2030, half of the U.S. population will be classified as obese,” she says. “This was astonishing to me and a clear sign that I needed to do something to help.” For her own wellness, Laster says the secrets are “caring for your whole self, being present and practicing kindness to yourself.” Her workouts are varied and include high-intensity interval training classes and weights, but Laster’s secret weapons—meditation and yoga—have been personal revelations. “We as Americans wear business as a badge of honor and don’t stop to take care of ourselves in a sustainable way. Most things are rushed. When I’m present, I’m able to prioritize and can recognize when I need to take a break, eat, breathe, relax, read, stretch or walk. I also surround myself with positive and uplifting people. Meditation has allowed me to listen to my inner voice, rather than what society tells us we should do.” Food, naturally, is Laster’s foundational elixir. Each week, she cooks beans, grains—quinoa or wild rice—and vegetables as a base. “I also use mushrooms, garlic, bell peppers in most everything. I grow my own greens, so I usually have chard, kale, spinach, romaine, butter lettuce salads or smoothies daily, and avocados are a must-add to those. These are staples in my home and can usually be found in the refrigerator for a quick bowl, burrito, snack or salad.”
Sunny Mae Miller, founder, Hustle DC, hustle-dc.com
What happens when the job you love gets erased overnight by a pandemic? If you’re local fitness and cycling superstar Sunny Mae Miller, you keep moving. So, three months into our collective quarantine, Miller launched Hustle, a platform for safe, socially distanced cycling and HIIT classes—both virtual (via an app) and at The Wharf and Union Stage. “I had a community of people who relied on me for their weekly fitness, and I relied on them as well,” she says. “I had to do something to keep us all moving, healthy and happy. If we focus on fitness routines that make us feel good, all of the other physical changes will follow. I think the communities we create in group fitness are so powerful. We show up for ourselves, but we also show up for each other. There’s an energy in it; that’s the magic sauce.” After her workouts, Miller says she rolls out her yoga mat and does whatever exercises feel perfect that day; it’s all followed by rigorous stretching. She begins every day with lemon water and can’t live without avocado (“I put it on everything,” she says). “Your body will tell you what it needs. Lots of days I’ll make big salads for lunch and dinner. Other days, I need red meat and will make a steak. Some days, I just need pasta. Eat foods that make you feel good, and notice what doesn’t.” Miller also relies on midday catnaps (“It’s important for me to rest in order to reset,” she says) and follows a skincare routine that includes facials at Glo30 (glo30.com). Above all, the DC dynamo follows a simple mantra: “You’re never too old, too young, too out of shape— or whatever else you may be telling yourself—to make time for you. Moving our bodies in any way is so important for our overall health, especially our mental health.”
Jennifer Kim, owner, Cool Contours Body Sculpting, cool-contours.com
Before launching Cool Contours in 2018, Jennifer Kim taught Pure Barre for six years and wanted to apply the idea of building personal confidence through positive body image into a new business. It worked—Cool Contours is now the leading CoolSculpting venue in Virginia. To keep herself physically and mentally sharp, Kim still takes Pure Barre classes and squeezes in Peloton workouts at home. “On the weekends, I also like to take my 2-year-old daughter on a stroller run around our neighborhood. She loves to go fast, and pushing her around—more than 50 pounds, stroller and all—is definitely a great way to get my heart rate up,” says Kim, whose diet includes abundant fresh fruits and veggies—and lots of water. “I try to avoid other drinks like juice and sodas, which have really high sugar content and little to no nutritional value. Water helps keep my skin healthy, brain working and body hydrated. I cannot live without oat milk. I avoid dairy since it aggravates my cystic acne, and oat milk in my coffee and yogurt helps me not miss [regular milk] at all.” Her beauty regimen includes products from Bethesda’s Defy Aesthetic (defyaesthetic.com) like Night 02, a retinol serum free of propylene glycol and parabens. “I also use sunscreen every single day—my favorite is EltaMD (eltamd.com) UV Clear—and I also use Manukora (manukora.com) honey with my face wash every morning to keep my skin hydrated and breakout-free; it has naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.” Kim acknowledges that owning a business can become overwhelming, so she seeks sanctuary outdoors hiking or visiting local wineries with friends. “I’m blessed to have an amazing support system of family and wonderful friends,” she says. “And being outdoors helps me to relieve stress and feel re-energized.”
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