Health + Wellness

Ones To Watch

Seven healthy Westporters share how they are helping change the ways our community sees wellness. Article and Photography by BETSY PERNA Trainer, Fit To You Fitness fittoyoufitness.com How did you get involved in fitness? I have always been into working out. In classes, I’d find myself wanting to help people that were compromising their form, and could get hurt, but didn’t want to be ‘that’ person. I decided I could start my own fitness experience, make it fun, and make sure everyone...

Health + Wellness

Bringing More Joy

Abby Dixon helps new parents feel their happiest during a challenging time. Article by Sara Gaynes Levy | Photography by Abby Cole Photography Starting a family is one of the most profoundly life-altering experiences a person can go through. For new moms, their worlds shift, often in ways they could never imagine. That time is what Abby Dixon is most passionate about. Abby is a Westport-based perinatal mental health specialist who focuses on the pre- and postnatal experience. “My passion is...

Health + Wellness

Feeling Restore(d)

Article by Sara Gaynes Levy As a writer covering health and fitness for the last 15 years, I’ve tried lots of wellness innovations. From activated charcoal lemonade to zero-gravity treadmills to state-of-the-art sports bras to leggings that can sense which muscles you’re activating, I love testing things in the name of science. So when Restore Hyper Wellness (877 Post Road E., restore.com ) invited me to come in and try out some of their services, I didn’t hesitate. Co-owner Felicia Sale...

Health + Wellness

Westport's New Squeeze

Nicole and Jason Ruscio believe in a way better massage. Article by Sara Gaynes Levy | Photography by John Videler When Nicole and Jason Ruscio moved from Westport New York to Southport in 2021, they “instantly fell in love with the community,” says Nicole. “We both knew once we moved here: this is where we’re going to put down our roots,” she says. Before moving to Fairfield County and opening Squeeze, Nicole worked in the ad tech industry, but she says she and her husband Jason wanted to...

Health + Wellness

Runner's World

Westport's Norma Minkowitz, 87, is breaking world running records. Article by Sara Gaynes Levy The world record mile time for a woman aged 85-89 is nine minutes, 45 seconds, 55 tenths of a second. And it belongs to Westport resident Norma Minkowitz, 87. Norma competed in this past summer’s Nutmeg Games and smashed the previous world record mile time (10:55.25) for her age group. “By the first lap I could tell I was on world record pace,” she says. “But I asked the announcer not to say that I...

Food + Beverage

Dry January...But Make It Chic

Sober curious does not have to be boring Article by Zac Mathias | Photography by Bevy Rutledge & Zac Mathias While we have all heard the term "sober curious" a thousand times, it does not have to be boring! Here are six of my go-to mocktails and mocktail mixers— that can all be found at Whole Foods!—for when I want something a little fun but don't want to regret it the next day. When creating the perfect mocktail, it is just like creating any drink, and I like to find fun garnishes and...

Health + Wellness

The Hot Spot

Spot On Vet offers cutting edge healthcare for pet owners. Article by Sara Gaynes Levy | Photography by Bevy Rutledge Health is for everyone: not just us humans, but our pets, too. This belief is what led Philip Putter to become a veterinarian. “I often hear from my colleagues ‘I knew I was going to become a vet when I was five years old,’” he says. “My primary interest was always medicine—for animals and humans.” It was actually his now-wife Becky who first suggested becoming a vet to marry...

Health + Wellness

The Greatest Gift

Aitoro Appliance owner Tony Aitoro needed a new kidney. He found one on Facebook. Article by Meredith Guinness Tony Aitoro was enjoying a well-deserved vacation with his family 35 years ago, when his mother-in-law, a nurse, said she was worried about him. “She looked over and said, ‘You’re drinking water constantly,’” the Norwalk appliance store owner remembers. “I think you have diabetes.” Turns out her concern was well-founded. Not only did Aitoro have Type 2 diabetes, but last fall, he...

Fitness

Healthy New Year

Westport's own Dr. Tania Elliott is helping our community—and her 369,000 followers— live healthier lives. Article by Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal If you’re one of Dr. Tania Elliott’s 369,000 Instagram followers, you know her approach to healthcare is anything but clinical. Yes, she’s board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Allergy/Immunology, but connecting directly with patients is at the core of how Dr. Tania navigates medicine. Early in her career as an allergist, she noticed how...

Health + Wellness

To Your Health

Dr. Gilda Boroumand shares five New Year's resolutions for your healthiest 2025. Article and Photography by It's a new year, and while making resolutions to eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise frequently are great, that's not all there is to health. Westport Lifestyle  spoke to Gilda Boroumand, M.D., a breast imaging radiologist at Connecticut Breast Imaging, to get her best health resolutions for a truly happy and healthy 2025. 1. Prioritize your primary care physician "First...