Our Timid,overweight, Sweetness and light: Desserts that won’t put you in a

middle-aged newbie diabetic coma // Klatch of the titans: The nice old
ladies who birthed Vegas culture // Why Clark County
tries yoga — and loves it! should seek statehood. (“Sinnesota” has a nice ring)

WE’RE
NOW
MONTHLY!

J a n u a r y 2 01 1

New you look

like health
year!
Day spas,
health food
stores, stress

New
cures, soul
boosters and
strange (but

start!
effective) new
exercises you
should try

New
right now

YOU!

PLUS: Fitness tips from Immortal Superhumans

 Your fellow Las Vegans —
from police to performers
to passionate outdoors-
men — share their secrets
to staying in shape
By Heidi Kyser
P H o t o g r a p h y B y S a B i n ORR
Forget the exercise vids and pricey
equipment. Want to eat better and
get in shape? Take some advice
from your friends and neighbors —
your fellow Las Vegans. Whether
they’re performers, police or out-
door pioneers, they’ve got just
what you need: straight talk,
plain advice and a dose of
positive thinking.
40 D e s e r t C o m pa n i o n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1
Jaymes Vaughan
Singer, “Show in the Sky” at Rio All Suite
Hotel & Casino; dancer, Chippendales
The body: “I do an hour and a half of weight
training four to five times a week at the gym,
two body parts per day. So, say it’s an arm day;
I’ll do triceps and biceps.”
The fuel: “I take amino acids, all-natural vita-
mins, and I drink three protein shakes a day. I
actually do carb and protein loading before I go
to bed, so my body can use the fuel while I’m
sleeping, and I don’t wake up hungry.”
The attitude: “You see the guy who’s 80,
working out, eating a banana and doing what-
ever he wants. Then there’s the guy who didn’t
maintain his body, he’s hunched over and using
a walker. I wanna be the first guy.”

Sasha
Larkin
Sergeant, Las Vegas Met-
ropolitan Police Depart-
ment; former dancer in
“Enter the Night” at the
Stardust
The body: “Running is my
favorite thing to do. Aside
from that, I train in the gym
two to three days a week. …
I meditate every day and do
a physical yoga practice five
days a week.” (Sasha had
her first baby in July.)
The fuel: “I don’t eat any
red meat or pork, a little or-
ganic chicken and fish, and a
lot of fruits and vegetables.
I’m really lucky to be able to
eat all the whole grains.”
The attitude: “As a
dancer, I had to come to the
realization I was never going
to be 5’ 10”, 110 pounds. I’m
just not built that way. But I
could be 5’ 8”, 140 pounds
and solid.”
Wendell
Broussard
Red Rock rock-climb-
ing pioneer; craps
dealer, Caesars Palace
The body: “I’m a skier,
a climber, I used to run
marathons. I’ve done
everything. But at 70
years old, I’m mostly rock
climbing and skiing now.
I work nights, so I climb
in the daytime.”
The fuel: “I don’t eat
hamburgers or fast food.
I actually cook for myself.
I try to do steamed
vegetables, fish and stuff
like that instead of junk.
… For climbing, I’ll eat
a good breakfast, then
take a can of tuna or
Power Bar or some raw
vegetables to hold me
over.”
 
The attitude: “Do
something you enjoy,
and don’t do it (to the)
extreme. Let your body
tell you how far to go
with it. The body will tell
you everything you need
to know.”
d e s e r t c o m pa n i o n . c o m 41
 Tara
Reid
Irish Dancer for the
band Sin É Rí-Ra
at New York-New
York hotel-casino
The body: “Krav
Maga has been a very
interesting exercise
choice. It kicks your
butt, and you get
addicted to it. …
Someone might look
at me and think I’m an
easy target, but I could
probably take them.”

The fuel: “I try to eat

a lot of small meals,
four to five times a
day, with more fruits
and vegetables than
anything else, and
drink plenty of water.
I’m a big red meat
eater, so I have to
watch that.”

The attitude: “For

me, going to the gym
and working out on my
own just doesn’t work.
You should move, but
you should also have
fun and meet people.”

Maythinee
Washington
Lady Macbeth, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
by Insurgo Theater Movement
The body: “To warm up for Lady M, I do some Brahmeri.
I assume different shapes and warm up my breath and
my body through different kinds of buzzing (sounds). I
also do calisthenics.” (based on the Suzuki, Linklater and
Slow Tempo techniques for stage).

The fuel: “I tend to eat more green and raw things.

When I’m really in a crunch, I’ll pick up a lot of salads
from Trader Joe’s. I do sometimes omit dairy.”

The attitude: “It’s important to have a sense of humor

about the body. … I don’t know what I weigh. I’m proud
of the things my body can do. Earlier this year, I was in
‘Love’s Labour’s Lost,’ and I had to pick up a guy.”

42 D e s e r t C o m pa n i o n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1

Emmanuel
Kizayilawoko
Acrobat in Cirque du Soleil’s “KA”
house troupe at MGM Grand
 
The body: “Aside from work, I do parcours  shape mortal do? Two local experts say get-
(French for ‘free running’). I use what I have
around me — like jumping from one obstacle
to another, or jumping over things. … I also
do yoga twice a week, because I think, as a
performer, it’s necessary to be flexible.”
 
The fuel: “I’m trying not to eat fast food
at all. … In the afternoon, I don’t really eat,
because we have training, so I keep my energy
up by eating nutrition bars, bananas, apples.”
The attitude: “Eat what you love, but mini-
mize things like sugar. Keep your cardio up,
because that will help you get thinner. You’re
your only obstacle. If you keep a good mind-
set, you’ll definitely get to your goal.”
Get up! Get out!
Get started!
Maybe you can’t bound up 20 flights of stairs
like a Cirque acrobat — especially while lug-
ging that baggage you acquired during the
sugar- and fat-saturated Bacchanalia known
as the holidays. What can a mere, out-of-
ting started is easier than you think.
From John Moretti, owner of Moretti
Fitness and fitness manager at Palms Spa:
Do something — anything — physical. “Start walking,
get in the pool, take a breathing class. Whatever you
can do to increase your heart rate will help metabolize
what you consume better.”
Start small. “Begin with 20 to 30 minutes a day. You
just have to get the ball moving; then, the body will
take care of itself.”
Keep a journal. “Write down what you’re eating, drink-
ing and doing. People who are getting healthy create
awareness, and awareness creates change.”
Get help. “Not everybody can afford a personal trainer.
If you can do things with friends or in groups, do it.
Goals become a lot more achievable when they’re
shared.”
Make it last. “Anybody can get into shape in 60 to 90
days on a program. The question is, what are you going
to do on the 91st day? Real fitness comes from within.
It’s a lifestyle.”
From chiropractor Stephanie Youngblood,
who incorporates nutrition into her practice:
Eat breakfast. “Research shows that eating breakfast
leads to more energy and activity during the day.”
Drink water. “Drink about half your body weight in
ounces. For example, a 150-pound person should drink
75 ounces of water per day. This is especially important
in the desert.”
Get close to nature. “Stay away from processed, pre-
prepared foods. Avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspar-
tame, monosodium glutamate, hydrogenated fats. Eat
fruits and vegetables and organic whenever possible.”
Supplement. “In particular, take quality omega
3s. These are called essential fatty acids because it is
essential you get them in your diet. They impact all
areas of health, improve mood and reduce the risk to
cardiovascular disease.”
Eat five small meals a day. “Don’t skip meals. This
keeps your blood sugar regulated and helps to avoid
overeating.” — H.K.
d e s e r t c o m pa n i o n . c o m 43