How was the weekend??
I had a great weekend, even though I worked both Saturday and Sunday. I got out by 4:00 on Saturday in time to throw a super fun dinner party for 7 of my friends in my backyard, getting most everything except for the spices at the farmer’s market, and though a 7 am call time was pretty rough on Sunday morning, I was done by 1:00.
I was working on this Japanese commercial that will only be showed in Japan. No it wasn’t an Envision Beauty commercial! Though hopefully there will some one day. :) It was a pretty big production, and the rooftop of a gorgeous building all the way on the East side was rented out, to build a platform to shoot and have an awesome view of the city. I’ve personally never been involved with a commercial shoot that had so many people working on it, a grips, electric and prop crew, as well as a huge staff of Japanese camera men, producers, and directors and assistant directors, etc.- as usually in a still photoshoot they aren’t building anything. It was more like a movie set! And this Japanese ad agency wouldn’t settle for a green screen shot to be put in or find an existing platform to shoot on…they wanted this one!!!
There was sort of a snaggle on Saturday morning, as the fire department showed up and wanted part of the platform rebuilt a certain way. My call time was 7:30 am that day, and gloriously so, there turned out to be a small park with flowers and benches right across the street from the building and the trailer I was supposed to be hanging out in. So I totally didn’t mind hanging out until 2:30, which was when I started working! (Though everything was set up by then and I only had to work for an hour and a half, if you don’t count just hanging out ☺ ). I read a whole book, part of another one, got to finish commenting on all the blog comments that were written to me through Thursday, and even sent some emails! It was sunny and I had a fabulous and productive day.
What was hilarious was that none of the Japanese really spoke English, though the AD (Assistant Director) acted like a translator. They had seen me doing yoga before and on the side, and when I would get in the elevator with them or walked past them, they would say things like “Ahh, Yoga Master!” and “Macrobiotic”, just sort of throw them in my direction. If only they knew that a real yoga master has nothing to do with doing hard physical poses, but rather having complete control over the mind and much more, and I don’t eat macrobiotic! It was quite funny.
I loved how respectful they all were though, and I absolutely loved how each one of them had style- interesting hats, accessories, glasses, etc. The stylist for the shoot was very sweet and I talked to her a bunch, since she did speak English really well. I told her how much I enjoyed traveling through Japan a few years ago and how interesting I found the culture, and we talked about how much fashion and style were part of the Japanese culture.
So, what to eat! I was gone all day, and they had Kraft services out all day with snacks, as well as a breakfast and lunch setup. I brought my Green drink with me in a container, so had that for breakfast, and later on had some fruit. Now, what to do for lunch?! Well there was certainly nothing there that seemed very appetizing to me. The salad didn’t look great, and the vegetables looked like they had been sautéed in who knows what kind of oil. I didn’t want to eat the white bread rolls, and the nuts that were out were roasted.
Did I have to starve? No! There are always options. It’s New York, so there is a deli on every corner. If you don’t live in New York, I’m sure there are a lot of grocery stores and markets (hopefully!) around should you run into such a situation.
So I walked into the nearby deli, and bought a plain salad container filled with chopped romaine lettuce, a lemon and an avocado. I cut open the avocado and mashed it all in the salad, and covered it all with lemon. It wasn’t obviously the most seasoned salad, but as I was hungry it totally did the trick, and I felt great afterwards! I didn’t have to spend the rest of the day feeling heavy and full from eating a lunch that I didn’t want to eat, or wasn’t the best choice. So remember, if you get in a situation like that, to look around and do your best. There are always usually lemons to avoid processed and fatty salad dressings, and you can make other changes as well. Buying raw nuts would have been another option also.
I know a lot of you eat out a lot, or are stuck eating at work events, etc. so I hope this gives a little inspiration that you are not doomed to have to eat the way your co-workers or people around you are eating that you don’t want to! And I so don’t make a big deal out of it- if people ask I just say, “Oh, I just feel better eating this.” Nothing preachy, and nothing about them!
My body is always craving foods that increase metabolism; all you need to do is ask what it wants and it will usually tell you right.
Okay well have a great start to your week and hope to see you back here soon. :)
All my very best,
Kimberly
Hello Kimberly,
In my eternal search for clean, effective/corrective skin products, I came across your website. (Additionally, my sister is IN LOVE with your product.) When I first read about The Solution, I was very enthusiastic, especially at the prospect of only having to use one product. (It’s like a dream!) I purchased two bottles and used them every day for about a month. Unfortunately, my skin reacted negatively and became drier, flakier and a little broken-out. I put it aside for a while and tried again, only to experience the exact same reaction. Darn! I guess not all products work for all people.
Still, I enjoy your website and have shared your philosophy about nutrition for my entire adult life. Like you, I enjoy great health and a ton of energy, and I’m a little older than you. Consuming foods as close to their natural state as possible in combination with spending quality time close to nature and enjoying an active lifestyle can only yield wonderful, positive results. It is an essential foundation for vibrant health. That you use your website to share this information is great, even important, and you are a beautiful ambassador.
Having said that, it is still possible, despite being deeply committed to these nutritional habits and healthy lifestyle to struggle with one’s weight and physical ailments, perhaps due to a genetic predisposition. In cases like this, it is still helpful to look at the numbers to make sure one is getting the necessary protein, good fats, iron, etc. Many vegetarians, myself included at an earlier point in my life, do not get all the nutrients they need. Many are protein deficient and anemic. Despite a healthy, active lifestyle, as we get older, portion control can be very important as well, even with natural, clean foods. As a society, we eat too much and are conditioned to ignore our bodies’ signals for “fullness.” Remembering (the majority of the time) to eat for sustained energy is really the key. I agree that counting calories is much less effective and a real nuisance. We hope that when we live this way, our body weight regulates itself, but trust me, it can still be challenging. Overall optimum health should be the real goal.
Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you. Keep up the good work!
Peace to you,
Tracey
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for reaching out to me in your thoughtful comment! It is great to hear from you.
I think genetic predisposition is definitely a factor. I see that some people can never be 100% raw, even if they want to be, because their body can not adopt to that high of a vibrational, cleansing diet. However- in response to the latter half of your comment, this is my take: If a vegetarian lives off greens and the diet I promote, with Green Smoothies, Green juices, kale and other salads as the main course for dinner, etc. there is very little chance that they will become protein deficient and/or anemic. They will be teaming with amino acids and get more than enough protein! In this case there is no need to look at the caloric content or exact protein content of their Green Smoothie or a particular salad, as they will be consuming so much in bulk. I also advise other tips, like combining sea vegetables with dark leafy green salads, as the magnesium in them helps the body absorb the calcium from the green, etc. True, there are many vegetarians that do not eat well- with bread, pasta and other starches a big part of their diet, and that is when deficiencies can arise. So yes, I agree that the label (vegan, vegetarian, etc.) is not enough! The actual diet is what counts.
Also- as for the weight issue: As people get older, I believe the reason they have a harder time losing weight is that they are not cleansing enough. Eating right is only 1/2 of the equation. We need to be sure we are cleansing on an ongoing basis, not only the metabolic waste products of food but also the dozens of pounds of cells that overturn every single year. Otherwise all that waste starts to compile, slowly but surely. Think of the engine that gets little grease and rust stains in it, and over the years they compile and keep the machine from working properly, unless it is cleaned out. This was definitely the missing link in my equation. For years I was eating like this, and it still wasn’t effortless or 100% perfect.
Then I began cleansing- doing many different methods from making my own Kombucha, getting regular gravity colonics, taking probiotics, etc. and it made all the difference!! I now weight less than I did when I was 18 years old, and it is much easier to maintain my weight!!
So I am committed to getting info out there to other women about how vital ongoing cleansing is, as waste = weight!
Let me know if you have any questions about cleansing- again I think it is so key and vital and can help most everyone reach their highest level!!!!!
Hope all is great and please keep in touch.
All my very best,
Kimberly