Juice – The Elixir of Life!

About 4 years ago, my wonderful mother, Linda, took me to this incredible spa and wellness resort, Miraval (www.miravalresorts.com), outside of Tucson, Arizona.  It was a very special experience I shared with her and while I was there, I was introduced to juicing.  The menu at the juice bar listed all of these interesting concoctions made with fruits and vegetables.  I was never a huge fan of juice and couldn’t imagine drinking vegetables but I figured why not.  I can’t really remember the first juice I tried but I instantly felt this “electric surge” go through my body and I was so energized!!!!!  I tried everything on the menu and by the time I left, I was glowing.  Literally.  My skin was clean, fresh, and radiant and most importantly, I had never felt happier, healthier or invigorated in my life.  I was hooked!  I immediately went home, bought a juicer, and started on this amazing journey of designing my OWN fruit and vegetable concoctions.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

I read this fascinating book in its entirety on the plane from Miami to Los Angeles.  It was a quick read and I found it chock full of interesting information about the food industry and how to simplify your health and nutrition in this over-processed, over-regulated world of food.  How can we break down the mess we have created into a straightforward and uncomplicated way to feed ourselves?  How can we change some of our ingrained eating habits and go back to pure, unadulterated foods?

Journalist, Michael Pollan (http://michaelpollan.com), offers a clear outlook on why we are all beyond confused about what to put into our bodies.  Whether it is the advertising agencies, the government, food companies, or our own desire and impetus to eat healthy, we have digressed from the basics.  The fundamental and most basic idea he proposes is to “Eat Food”, “Not Too Much”, and “Mostly Plants”.  It’s as easy as that.

And my motto is very similar.  “Eat Clean.  Eat Small.  Eat Often.  Eat Healthy”.  Don’t rely on the quick fix.  It ultimately leads to disappointment.  Slow and steady always wins the race.

Killer at Large

I just watched this amazing documentary called “Killer at Large: A Documentary Exposing Why We’re Losing the War on Fat” directed by Steven Greenstreet.  It’s fabulously done and really gets into the reason WHY America’s obesity epidemic is out of control, including an in-depth look at how advertising and the media influence our behavior and more importantly, our children’s behaviors and food decisions.  The most shocking part of the documentary was the piece on the 12 year old girl, that with parental consent, had liposuction all over her body because “diet and exercise just wasn’t working anymore”.  It’s heartbreaking to see that our young adults feel the need to take such drastic measures.  And that parents are approving this type of behavior.

Please rent it.  It’s definitely a must-see.

The Clean Plate Syndrome

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a safe and healthy holiday season and are ready for 2011!  I’m hoping it’s going to be a wonderful year! :)  I also want to take the time to thank you for supporting me, and of course, my blog.  It’s been an incredibly rewarding and fun experience for me and I look forward to writing a lot more this coming year so please check back often.  And also, please feel free to email me with any questions or ideas for blogs.

Here’s to a year filled with happiness and good health!!