Although friends and family believe that I have ambitiously high standards for being healthy, I'll admit these standards are not always easy to keep.
I fail constantly, even if it's just with little things, which seem like big things to me. After all, being healthy is a big part of my identity, my work. Failure in this area is like I'm failing myself and my lifepurpose to help people with the very things I need help with myself at times.
At first, I was inspired to be healthy because with different food choices I found relief from debilitating pain that I thought I would have to live with the rest of my life. Even so, just because I know "the answer" as to what foods to eat doesn't mean I always stick to it. I have struggled over the years with my food choices in social situations and with temptation at every corner.
One thing I have learned for sure is that I need continual inspiration. Not just with recipes, but in my life. The most accessible external source of inspiration I've found comes from inspiring quotes and videos. When I feel stuck, it's important that my brain registers the fact that I am not alone and that there is another way out of some uncomfortable experience, even if I can't see it in the moment. Inspiration helps me with this.
I wanted to share with you my latest favorite inspiration, which comes from a wonderful video of the 2008 Harvard commencement speech given by JK Rowling, the author of the über-successful Harry Potter book series. Every time I listen to her words of wisdom I find something new to enjoy. I hope you enjoy it too.
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Your stories and comments inspire me - so please tell me, what's yours? We all have wisdom to share and I hope that we can inspire each other. Whether you want to share what has inspired you or you have a question, I encourage you to write in the comments below. I would absolutely love to hear from you. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day.
For a copy of the transcript to her address, please click on this link:
Yesterday I was fortunate enough to see Oprah Winfrey interview Deepak Chopra live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Seeing Oprah live in person, I could sense that her vibrant energy and enthusiasm were sincere. To me, she is one of TV's most shining examples of someone who knows who she is and is living out her purpose.
Deepak Chopra has truly mastered some of the simplest yet hardest questions we can ask about ourselves and spirituality. Watching him tackle and explain tough matters with ease and grace was really impressive. I was truly in awe of the power of being in their vicinity and seeing them together on stage.
One
of the things I valued the most from being in the audience was learning the 7 Questions To Lead You To Your Soul Profile, as told by Chopra. After he rattled off these questions - too quickly for any of us to write down - he had requests from high up in the stands to repeat them. We all knew they were key to helping us to more deeply understand ourselves and what we're here to do.
Oprah said it took her 2 days to answer the
first question, "Who am I?". At first, I thought that had to be an exaggeration. But then she quipped, that she didn't start out answering with the obvious, "I'm Oprah Winfrey". She explained - and I agree with her - that the "real" answer to the question, is not about one's career or credentials. It's also not even about playing a role such as a wife, mother or
father.
In the past,
this question would have totally stumped me and I would have felt embarrassed, even just to myself. It would bring up so much anxiety and feelings
of inadequacy because I focused on stuff that I used to compare myself
with other more "successful" people.
So I got my first "Aha'gasm" (a term coined on this show;) this morning
before getting out of bed while contemplating the fact that it took
Oprah two days to answer "Who am I?". Thoughts started coming to me
quickly with my own answers. It was super early but I was excited; I jumped up and started effortlessly handwriting 15 pages of my answer plus lots of
other stuff too into my journal (I never made it to the other questions). It seemed like the whole Chopra/Oprah experience unlocked something in me that had been begging to come out for years. It was like I realized for the first time - without the chains of my self-doubt - that I don't need to hide who I am or what I'm good at any more. I am enough, as is.
Freedom!
Pondering "Who am I?" before now was such a friggin drag. It inevitably came with the pressure of defending the ebbs and flows of my life and career. No wonder I evaded answering the question before! This time, my pen started to flow with what I believe are my character strengths and the kinds of things I've been able to do my whole life without a whole lot of effort. Why this was so hard for me before? I was wearing such dark sunglasses of self-doubt and self-imposed harsh judgement that I couldn't see beyond them.
It occurred to me while I was writing that answering this question might also mean contemplating the kinds of traits that I want to be remembered for once I am gone. The obvious advantage is that I get to write the story of me NOW in a way that really reflects the lighter side of me, not the side that hopes others think I'm some kind of "perfect". Bah! This way of approaching this question gives me way more freedom to be me, and is way more real.
I am so grateful for having the chance
to see that show live - it gave me so much more than I bargained for. No need for further delay, here are the 7 Questions To Lead You To Your Soul Profile.
NOTE: I
encourage you to pause after reading each line, don't just rush down the
list. That way, the intensity of each question will really sink in and
get you primed for contemplating each one on a deeper level:
1. Who am I?
2. What do I want?
3. What's my purpose in this life?
4. What sort of contribution do I want to make?
5. What are my unique skills?
6. Who are my heroes?
7. What is a meaningful relationship—what do I expect from one, and what do I give?
What do you think of these questions? Have they ever stumped you or do you feel clear about your life and your mission. Please share - I'd love to know your thoughts!
Anybody who has seen Food Inc. or Fresh will recognize straight-talkin' farmer Joel Salatin. He's funny, outspoken, and knows his facts cold. So if you haven't seen him yet, you'll likely won't forget him once you have.
I'm hoping that just like Food Inc. and Fresh, we'll be hearing more hubaloo about his new film, American Meat. In it, he and other sustainability straight-talkers make a very convincing point about how old fashioned farming methods deliver better quality foods that taste better, add more jobs to the economy, and allow farmers a good living.
Make unwinding after a long day an indulgence with a bath of heavenly scented sea salts by Lotus Love Beauty. I just recently indulged with their sweetly scented Jasmine and Rose bath salts and completely let go of my stresses of the day.
They have a whole line of products in addition to their bath salts with fabulous fragrances that I never tire of - soaps, oils, lotions and candles - that are perfect for gift-giving to someone special or yourself. I find all of their scents alluring - there isn't one I wouldn't like (rare indeed!).
All of their products are handmade in small batches with pure and exotic oils and non-toxic ingredients; the quality is apparent with each scented use. As a company, they give a portion of their proceeds back to communities in need through The Shanti Project. Now that's an indulgence that makes you feel good and give back at the same time.
Want your face to have that sun-kissed glow without the burn?
Check out my newest little beauty secret - tinted moisturizer with SPF 30 by Juice Beauty. It evens out your skin tone and imparts a slight luminescence that makes your face glow beautifully.
This is how to make sure the color goes on evenly: Apply a dime-size dollop into the palm of your hand. Rub together to cover the insides of both hands then pat all over face, neck and decollete. Rub it in - being careful to only pat it in around the eyes - and voila! Glowing, sun-kissed skin.
You'll like what you see - and your friends will notice a very natural looking improvement - without doing anything drastically different to your routine. It comes in three shades: sheer (no color), sand (what I use) and tan.
There's no doubt about it ~ an integral part of what makes a healthy body is healthy food.
That's why it's so important to question where your food comes
from. Even at places like Whole Foods, who is trying to get better at
sourcing local ingredients, there's nothing like talking to the produce guy/gal who knows the farmer who grew the beets you're about to buy.
I grew up in the Detroit suburbs and as far as my parents know, the best place to shop was at our local Kroger supermarket. My parents told stories at the
dinner table about when they were growing up how they used to go
shopping at the baker, the butcher, the cheesemonger but that the
supermarket was a game-changer. Mom would go on about how chicken actually had flavor and that on any given night most people made pork roast.
Back in the '70's when we were growing up, my mom had very little
interaction with anybody at the supermarket during her weekly shopping
trips, as do most people now. Still to this day, most Americans are so
disconnected with where our food comes from. To many, this may not seem
like a problem...until you get the runaround with the healthcare system
(hey, that cured me!). That's why if you're like me and are open to the
fact that better food is a big part of the solution to our healthcare
woes, you have to question where your food comes from.
That's why my favorite place to shop - outside of my own garden and the local farmers' market - is at Bi-Rite Market in San Francisco. It's a true goldmine of fresh, healthy, DELICIOUS food. I don't know what I would do without it!
Every employee at Bi-Rite puts their heart and soul into sourcing and knowing about the very best foods and ingredients they sell. Their butchers know the farmers that provide their meat. They also know the fishmongers that bring in their local, sustainable fish. They know how to select the freshest fruits and vegetables and which farm they came from AND how far it is from the city. They know several tasty ways to cook different cuts of meat, types of fish or veggies too - all you have to do is ask.
That's right - just ask! No need to be afraid or stumble around how to make that rib roast - you can ask someone at Bi-Rite knows what they're talking about and cares enough to give you the right answer! Best of all, they are inspired to continue to educate themselves on what quality and types of ingredients are truly healthy and they strive to provide it in everything they sell. Dang, if you live in San Francisco you simply have to shop at this place at least once!
That's why I'm excited to endorse Bi-Rite's new book coming out with recipes and tips on how to shop wisely, which you can pre-order now. Check out the video below, and if you haven't already, by all means check out the store! Enjoy and let me know what your favorite place is to shop.
Bi-Rite market is at 3639 18th Street between Dolores & Guerrero in the Mission District of San Francisco. They are open from 9-9 seven days a week. (415) 241-9760
Well before I became a healthy foodie, I was a Gourmet
magazine groupie.
Recipes for how to make to-die-for pasta carbonara or luscious mocha brownies would make my eyes light
up and run to the grocery store. In my mind, Ruth Reichl sported superstar status, as a former restaurant reviewer for the New York Times in the '90s, Editor of Gourmet
magazine, and heartfelt food memoir author.
Even while I'm gluten- and
dairy-free and eating a lot healthier these days, I still love perusing pages of gorgeous food pictures and their
accompanying recipes. I love the love that goes into creating these recipes.
The few years up until Gourmet shut down in 2009, I was pleasantly surprised to see articles on current food issues, including the horrors of factory farming and the joys and trials of farmers entrenched in the back-to-farm movement. I wish that the other high profile food magazines that exist today would discuss those issues while featuring all of what we love, delicious food. Needless to say, I've been waiting patiently to see what Ruth would be up to next.
Well, I finally found out. Ruth is now involved with Gilt Taste, a spin-off of the online shopping site, Gilt Group. Gilt Taste is not supported by ads, rather, by the sales of artisanal, handcrafted food items that meet Ruth's discerning taste buds and sustainability qualifications. The site features the stories of people who create and grow food with recipe photos of such beauty and brilliancy that you will want to run out to get the ingredients to make them.
After all, the idea is to actually cook!
So peruse Gilt Taste and tell me what you think about it.
Have you seen this in your local supermarket? Cotton Candy flavored go-gurt tubes - yes, that's meant to be goat yogurt - that sail from your freezer right into your child's lunchbox. Puh-leeeze. My Greek heritage has been shaken to the core, my friends.
This weekend, check out the Farmers' Market at the Ferry Building where you and your family can experience goat products as they are intended to be enjoyed at the Goat Festival.
Redwood Hill Farm will have baby goats on display in the South Driveway (how cute! for kids & adults!), free samples of yummy goat products (mmm...) and you'll be able to talk face to face with producers on everything goat related.
Now that's one way to "get your goat"!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
10:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
San Francisco Ferry Building
Embarcadero
South Driveway Entrance Cooking demonstrations by local chefs to follow in kitchen area.
Sometimes you just wanna show off when someone you love is doing something so entertaining that they totally enjoy.
My big brother Bill is a self-taught, drumming musical genius who could never get enough of Rush in the '80s. Here he's just warming up with a buddy who happened to have a camcorder handy.
He started in the kitchen, of course. Mom's pots and pans were the precursor to what you'll see in the following video. Every sibling is different, of course. I guess I found my kitchen calling in a whole different way...
Because life can get hectic at home or on the road, I have found it invaluable to keep a monthly calendar just for my exercise routines.
Unlike prior years, I didn't carry my workout calendar habit forward for 2011 until I realized just how much I really missed the feeling of accomplishment I had every time I wrote down what I did.
At anytime I can assess - without judgment from anyone else - whether I need to kick myself in the pants for slacking off, more of a challenge because I'm bored, or need to lay off because I'm tired from overdoing it. Honesty and motivation...from one simple, little habit.
Now that I have downloaded monthly calendars for the rest of this year, I wanted to share the free download-able calendar that I use so that you can log your own workout journal in a binder or folder.
Remember, exercise outside as much as possible and enjoy whatever it is that you do!
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