“My body is my temple. My body isn’t a discount body. Just because something is cheap or free doesn’t mean I need to eat it, especially if I know it’ll do me more harm than good.”  

                                                                                           -Ani Phyo

Wow! I can’t believe it’s a new year already! It’s seems like just a few days ago that I was ringing in 2008! And what a year 2008 was! I traveled to Singapore and Bali twice, and also visited Thailand, D.C., and just came home from a fabulous trip to Hawaii! I also quit a toxic job, which has been a huge stress reliever. But 2008 wasn’t all good news. I have struggled with health issues all year, including thyroid problems and a mysterious 20-pound weight gain. I’m hoping to address those issues once and for all, and this is the perfect time to resolve to change. I don’t generally like resolutions that are about deprivation; these almost always lead to failure. I prefer positive resolutions; focus on the “I will” instead of the “I won’t.” So, while I am seriously trying to cut back on sugar, my official 2009 resolution is this:

I resolve to have better health, wellness, and fitness at 30 than I did throughout my 20s.

I turned 29 in November, which means I have just under a year to reach this goal. Here are just a few of the ways I’m hoping to accomplish this:

• drastically reduce my sugar intake
• up my intake of raw foods, particularly leafy greens/green juices/green shakes
• be more vegan–I eat too much cheese!
• move my treadmill inside so I can use it frequently
• do yoga at least 3 times a week
• spend time in the sun (when the weather improves)–not enough to burn, just to soak in a little sunshine goodness and vitamin D
• explore and possibly implement the dietary recommendations in Gabriel Cousens’s Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine
• add more supplements/superfoods to my diet–I’m interested in MSM, zeolites, E3 Live, spirulina, bee pollen and many more!
• purchase a rebounder and start bouncing
• do some detoxing/cleansing, both physically and mentally (fasts, cleanses, colonics, etc.)
• daily dry skin brushing
• regular massages
• spend some time meditating

I’m sure there are more things I will add as I start this journey, and there may be some that I remove, depending on how they work out for me. We’ll see–I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

Are you familiar with fitness celebrity Tosca Reno? She’s a Canadian fitness model who used to be an overweight housewife. About 10 years ago she revamped her diet and fitness routine, and pioneered her “Eat Clean” diet. She has published several books about the diet, and has a regular column in Oxygen magazine. It also bears mentioning that she’s married to Robert Kennedy, whose publishing company puts out her books and the magazine. This cozy relationship kinda makes me want to question her credibility, but the proof is in the pudding. She looks great, competes in “fitness” (read body-building) competitions, and her books are full of smart, healthful recipes. 

I purchased her Eat Clean Diet Cookbook about a year ago, and I recently ordered its predecessor, the Eat Clean Diet. The clean eating principles include:

• Eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day, as well as eating every few hours
• Combining lean protein and complex carbs
• Drinking lots of water and avoiding sodas, alcohol, and juice
• Avoiding overprocessed foods, sugar, and trans fats and eating lots of fruits and veggies

It’s not that her ideas are revolutionary; it’s just that she presents them clearly and logically. Her books are full of colorful photographs, and she offers a variety of recipes, including tons of soups, breakfast cookies, salads, and one pot meals. I especially appreciate that, despite her emphasis on protein, she doesn’t put a heavy emphasis on meat, and offers meals with a variety of protein sources.

She even has suggestions for healthful holiday meals, which is particularly handy this time of year. I’m excited to make the Pomegranate Fizz, which can be made three different ways, depending on how much alcohol you want to use, and how healthy you want your drink to be. I like the lightest version:

• 2 oz pomegranate juice
• 5 oz chilled sparkling water
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 6-8 pomegranate seeds
• Grated lemon zest to float in the glass

I definitely want to bring this to my next holiday party!

The reason that I haven’t been posting lately is that I’ve been out of the country, traveling in South East Asia with my family. Anyhoo, while I was in Singapore, my mother and I attended the Holistic Wellness Weekend at Fort Canning park. There were a variety of vendors at the festival, but the one that really caught my attention was Vemma. Vemma is a vitamin drink that is supposedly more easily absorbed by the body than traditional vitamins that come in capsule form. 

At the Vemma booth, you could have your blood drawn and look at it under a microscope. Ideally, your blood cells should be free and moving, but mine were kind of clumped up, which can be a sign of acidity. I took two ounces of Vemma and then went back after 20 minutes to have my blood drawn again. After that short amount of time, there was a visible difference in my blood. It was less clumpy, and the cells were more mobile. 

I don’t know for sure whether it was the Vemma that caused this change, but I certainly think it’s likely. This is one of the few alternative health sources that I’ve been happy with, because 1) I got to try a sample and 2) I saw visible results, without having to purchase anything.  This says to me that the company stands behind its product. I ordered a 30-day supply (even though I tried this in Singapore, the company is based in Arizona, so it’s no problem to get it in the U.S.). I’m going to try it for a month and see if I notice any difference in my health.

After having blond hair all summer (and hair above my shoulders for nearly 3 years), I’m ready for a change. My hair is naturally wavy, so I want to let it grow long and just curl a little bit. It’s all part of my new hippie aesthetic. As for color, I want something pretty low maintenance, so I’m thinking a nice, rich brown. Kate Beckinsale and Rachel Bilson both have shiny brown locks with a little bit of wave, so this is what I’m aiming for.