Welcome to Our Blog. I look forward to staying connected! xoxo Gina

Tuesday 22 January 2013





Hello Everyone....

No one likes chicken wings and beer more than me! Really! I was born in Buffalo. My Uncle Tony had several restaurants back then and was one of the first to serve buffalo wings.  I remember having so much fun with my sister and cousins going in and eating hot spicy wings.  My taste in beer came a little later in life. Nothing better than an IPA draft served in an ice cold glass.

My point in telling you this is that anyone can do a fast or a cleanse if they commit and decide to do it.  It's a commitment that's all.  I am ending my final, 21st, day of my Daniel Fast. I feel amazing! 

I have journaled a bit over the past 3 weeks and recently looked back at what I wrote.  It is funny, interesting, to look back at my thoughts.  My first few days I was telling myself "just get through it" "one day at a time" " after the 3 weeks I can have my bold starbucks again" "wine will taste so much better then" "maybe I will lose a few pounds" etc.
Midway through I was having second doubts about going back to coffee. I felt less puffy. My mind began to be more clear. I was making time on a regular bases for my meditation. I started to feel like my family life and my business were both getting better.  I was working out almost everyday some days pretty hard. I even did a trail run with a group from Platoon and felt great after.

I have read many times that it takes 21 days to develop a habit. It is so true for me.  Now that I am officially ending tomorrow, a big part of me wants to keep going. Why wouldn't I? I am not trying to prove anything to anyone. I just feel really good. I may go back to my starbucks eventually but for now I am going to try to stay on the cleaner side.  

Thanks so much for sharing the last 3 weeks with me, and I look forward to next year!

Sunday 13 January 2013


Hi Everyone!!  Just HAVE to share this with you...
I love Kris Carr...Enjoy!
xoxo Gina

Kind and gentle tips for a healthy 2013. Pick one or two points to focus on this month. If they all resonate, go for it. I’ve kept this short, sweet and doable. Keep in mind that these suggestions are not about “never” doing something ever again. I want to set you up for success, not bloody falling-off-the-wagon accidents followed by self-flagellating. If you slip, congratulations! You’re HUMAN. Ask yourself why and listen carefully to the answers. Growth-a-go-go. If these tips work for you, keep them going, one glorious day at a time.
1. Kiss yourself each morning.
Start your day slowly and with love. Here’s how I kiss myself each morning: I wake up when it’s still dark, light a candle, read spiritual text, and take long deep breaths. I make tea and write if I’m moved to. That’s it. Even if you have to get up 15 minutes earlier. Choose a time when your home is quiet and you’re the only soul awake. Or ask the waking souls to shhh so you can have your personal space. This step is worth it. You don’t have to choose monk-like activities. Do what your kiss beckons you to do.
2. I’ll have a green juice and a side of coffee, please.
Green juice will give you a great sustainable boost of nourishing energy. If you love coffee (I hear ya!), instead of giving it up, peel back to one cup and have your green juice first. Give your body a healthy burst of nutrients, alkalinity and antioxidants, then sip the joey.
3. I know you love sugar, but you are sweet enough.
Instead of grabbing that last christmas cookie, choose a ripe piece of fruit instead. OK, I know it’s not as stimulating as Grandma’s frosted cut-outs, but we’re trying to create some new healthy habits by deprogramming your addiction. If you crave sugar this month, choose fruit as much as possible. Move from baked and processed treats to a serving of nature grown goodness, preferably organic. If extra weight is your issue, just watch the pounds fall off with this one simple step. Once your palate gets reset, most sugar will seem too sweet. You’ll take two or three bites and move on. Easy, breezy satisfying.
Remember, your sugar cravings are not always about the sugar. Sugar is a mental trip too. It only becomes a physical trip when you overdo it. If you’re a habitual (and powerless) cookie gobbler, ask yourself what that urge is really about. Do you need more sweetness in your life? A time out from anxiety and stress? Some love? An apology?
Try this: Dust off your imaginary crystal ball. Look into the futuristic glass and picture how you will feel after the binge. Is this how you want to feel? If the answer is “no.” Thank the crystal ball and then slowly back away from the cookie. Do not make eye contact. Do not make any sudden movements. Get out of the room and call an adult. If the answer is “yes,” ask yourself why. Next, unpack the why. Your healing potential lives in the why.
Does this work always have to be so deep? Can’t you just have a frickin’ cookie and chill the frick out? Of course! But if you sense an addiction or a compulsion to drown your pain in confections (or cocktails), then you clearly have a spiritual assignment. Will you blow off your homework? Hint: It won’t go away. The universal teacher has a looong memory. Suck it up, and get it over with. 2013 is the purrrfect time to free yourself.
4. Cut animal product consumption in half.
If you’re eating dairy (ice cream, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc) or meat (lamb, chicken, steak, fish etc) cut your consumption in half. Do you eat animal products twice a day? Try once a day. You may want to keep a food journal to keep track. Sometimes we think we know what we’re eating, but we really have no idea. You don’t have to go all the way. Cutting back is victory enough. If you stick with this tip throughout 2013, I bet your cholesterol, heart (and hips) will thank you.
When you cut down on animal products, you can look forward to less mucus, better poops, glowing skin, less inflammation, less gas, and more freedom (aka less addiction to certain foods — ahem, cheese!). In “Breaking the Food Seduction,” Neal Barnard, MD discusses the addictive nature of dairy. Ready for some science? During digestion, casein breaks down into opiates known as casomorphins, giving you warm fuzzy feelings (there are high levels of casein present in cow’s milk for their nursing calves). Cheese has the highest levels of these casomorphins, making it the most difficult habit to break — it’s not in your head, you really are addicted to dairy! But don’t worry. As you add more plant-based foods into your diet, your cravings for dairy and other animal products will lessen. And if you’re concerned about calcium intake, have no fear. Dark leafy greens, beans, almonds and non-dairy fortified milks are fabulous sources.
You’re also probably wondering about where you’ll be getting adequate protein in your diet. Don’t sweat it. It’s easy to meet your daily protein needs with a varied plant-based diet (even theAmerican Dietetic Association agrees!). In case you’ve picked up on the “complete protein” myth that’s been floating around for years, there’s no need to worry about eating certain combinations of foods in order to consume complete proteins. As long as you’re eating a variety of veggies, beans, and grains, you’re supplying your body with the amino acids that it cannot produce on its own. Amino acids are the building blocks of our cells and there are nine essential amino acids that your body needs to absorb through food — easily found in a plant-passionate diet. Ready for the bonus round? One of the many benefits of plant-based foods is that in their natural, organic state (aka not deep-fried), they’re free of the saturated fat, cholesterol, hormones, chemicals and antibiotics that come along with a hamburger. Score!
But what will I eat in place of animal products, you ask? Let’s get real. You’re probably not going to find the vegan equivalent of Brie or beef tenderloin, but you will find plant-based recipes and whole foods that provide the creaminess, saltiness and tastiness needed to fulfill your dairy and meat-inspired cravings. When I wrote Crazy Sexy Kitchen with Chad Sarno, I didn’t know how the meat and potatoes crew would react. I’m still overjoyed every time I hear from a skeptic who has embraced plant-based foods because they can’t believe how delicious Crazy Sexy Kitchen’s veggie-inspired recipes are! In addition to vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, nuts, seeds and fresh herbs, you also have an abundance of vegan convenience foods available when you’re in a pinch. It gets easier each day to let go of animal products and embrace whole, plant-empowered, nutrient-dense foods!
5. Worship The Daily Ten.
Full disclosure: I have a gym membership, but I haven’t gone since I started to write Crazy Sexy Kitchen. Total waste. But it’s no shock. I’ve written five books now, and I always fall into the same patterns. So this year I joined yogaglo.com, an online mecca of yoga class videos by some of my favorite instructors. I also started working out with my friend Erin Stutland. She’d send me ten-minute videos to keep me moving while I was writing for you. Working out in ten-minute bursts has made a huge difference in my life. Now that I have more time I do longer sessions after work, but I still love my ten-minute bursts during the day. They energize my body and stimulate my creativity. If you’re having a hard time jump starting a workout program, can you move your body for just ten minutes per day … consistently? Walk your dog (2013 is a great time to adopt a doggie!), dance, jump rope, do ten glorious sun salutes. Just do it.
Baby deer rescue mission after mama deer was hit by a car.
6. Cultivate what nourishes you BEYOND food.
Your plate doesn’t contain all the answers. Your job won’t always fill your well. What would light your spark in 2013? What’s one thing you could do that would be all yours and would bring you lots of happy memories and smiles?
I’ll go first: Directly working with animals. If you’re on my newsletter you know that we post a different animal adoptions each week. I love that section. My heart doubles in size when someone writes me to say that they saw a little furry being in my email, and they scooped him/her up. Folks have actually flown across country to rescue their new family member. All based on a picture! This year I want to take my virtual passion into the real world. I’m currently marinating on how and when, but the decision to just do it is made and I can’t wait to dive in!
Healing Special Credit:
Lastly, and possibly most importantly, break the trance of negative self talk and the behavior that follows it.
First: Bear witness to the negative self talk. Notice the chaotic noise, the ever-changing stories. Now pause and remember that the voice in your noggin isn’t you. You are love, you are holy. And get this, the real you isn’t even you. You are beyond all knowing and attachment. You. Just. Are. Pretty trippy, right? But we forget this golden pearl when the mad, wild voice holds us hostage. Notice the voice but don’t adhere to it. Give it a shape and a nickname if you need to. Anything to show you how separate that voice is from you.
Second: Have compassion for yourself. A few weeks ago I wrote that I used to buy into the notion that suffering was optional. That was before I had a deep and layered experience with suffering. Let’s be real, suffering is a natural part of life. We can’t avoid it. We’re not robots. The trick is to acknowledge your suffering and then bear-hug it with compassion. Compassion is the medicine. Once you apply compassion you will be able to take the lessons and move through the discomfort. Residual ouchies may remain, but they won’t petrify you. We all have scars. They give us character. I have old scaly wounds on my knees from bike crashes and canoe flips. They’re just a part of me now. Neither pretty nor ugly, just there. Make sense?
Breathe. Smile. I love you. You love you.

As part of our ongoing Crazy Sexy Kitchen celebration, I’ve launched a series of weekly giveaways just for YOU! This week’s giveaway starts at 9 am EST TODAY. Head on over toFacebook to upload a photo of your favorite Crazy Sexy Kitchen recipe creation and enter to win a Gratitude Pack and 2013 Calendar from Lori Portka!
Peace and gentle upgrades,
Kris Carr

Thursday 10 January 2013

SURVIVAL..........STABILITY........SUCCESS


FASTING Support and Encouragement....


HI!

I am so glad its Day 4. I am starting to feel really good! I lied to myself thinking by Day 3 I would start to feel better....maybe because the week before I was laying on the beach drinking rum drinks??? I hope your fast is going well!

There are many things we can eat on the fast. All fruits and veggies, all grains (lots of pastas and rices are made from grains just search them out,) all nuts and seeds. We also can have legumes and use good quality oils. The only drink on the fast is water. I love to use lemon in mine. Very filling! The average person needs about a gallon of water a day. To figure your right amount, take your body weight and divide by 2. That number is the number of ounces you should be having. I really try to stick to my number during my fast.

Benefits of Fasting

Rests your digestive system
Allows for cleansing and detox
Creates a break in eating habits while shining a spotlight on them
Promotes greater mental clarity
Cleanses and heals "stuck" emotional patterns
Leads to a feeling of physical lightness increasing energy levels

Most importantly the Daniel fast is designed to promote an inner stillness enhancing a closer spiritual connection to God!

My free time is usual spent reading. I can't get enough info on health and spirituality. I truly believe they are connected! A cool girl I like to follow is Kris Carr. She has a website Crazy Sexy Wellness. You can go to her site and get her emails. A few years back she was a model. Was in a Bud Lite Super Bowl commercial. Found out shortly after she had a very rare form of cancer. Her story is amazing! Overcame it using natural methods. She is a big juicer and raw foodie now and her passion is spreading the word.

This time of year we hear a lot about finding your true purpose in life. Kris Carr recently wrote about it. Check out http//kriscarr.com/blog/the-myth-of-finding-your-purpose
She has a nice perspective on it all!

I am here for you during the next few weeks. Let me know how I can help!

XOXO Gina