Please understand.  I really love food.  Any ethnic menu will do.  I eat Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine at least four times a week, but having lived in France, I always appreciate a nice triple cream cheese, plump pate, and fermented grape goodness.  On a cold winter’s day nothing’s better than saag paneer and chana masala or maybe, a juicy blue cheese burger with rosemary garlic fries.

I obviously don’t think of myself as a health nut, but I do respect my body and like to practice eating in moderation (most of the time).  But, when some people I love recently went through treatment for cancer, I wanted to take more control of my own health and began looking at food as it was originally intended.  As nutrition and fuel.

After reading my fair share of medical, holistic, and off the charts coo-coo literature looking for answers, I came to this revelation. If we consume foods rich in nutrients and we choose natural foods that our body innately knows how to process, it works far less to process those foods so it can spend more time healing itself and fending off disease.

Ok.  I can hear how seriously “granola” I sound right now, so – from one foodie to another, let me just share with you a most unexpected and delicious recipe for a refreshing drink that’s full of all the goodness our bodies are hungry for.  I love to start the day with this yummy elixir, and it also makes for an energizing mid-afternoon treat.    I bring you…

pretty Green Lemade moustache

Green Lemonade
In your juicer, add the following:
2 leaves kale
2 stalks celery
2 medium lemons
1 large cucumber
1 large apple
1″ ginger
Stevia for added sweetness if desired
Pour over ice and enjoy!

Note:  If you don’t own your own juicer, simply take this recipe to your nearest Whole Foods or local juicing counter and have them make it for you!

Looking for a good juicer to invest in?  Check out my favorites below!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Omega Juicer

Breville Juicer

Juicers I like:
Omega J8005 Nutrition Center Single-Gear Commercial Masticating Juicer, Chrome and Black
Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor

Family + Friends x Community = Health, Happiness, Success

I’m blissfully blessed with the most incredible family and friends (four legged creatures included) anyone could hope for.  They come from different backgrounds, have different beliefs, and live by different rules.  They span all ages, religions, political beliefs, body shapes, and colors.  Each in their own special way, they inspire me, humor me, support me, teach me, and kick my ass when I need it.

I’ve always known that the quality of the bond shared by my inner circle gave me extra power, and now I have the proof.  According to The New York Times and Malcolm Gladwell, my super-posse might just help me to become a super-hero.

What these and several other modern theories propose is that one’s community, culture, environment, and network, all play a huge role in the likelihood of one’s own success.

So, to all my wonderfully weird, supremely intelligent, lovingly strong friends and family.  Thank you.

xx  laura

Outliers
Though I don’t personally know Malcolm Gladwell well enough to induct him as a member of my super-posse, I’ve spent dozens of hours on an elliptical machine next to him at the gym and often sipped my morning coffee at an adjacent table in our neighborhood cafe.  I realize it’s sounding like I’m a crazy stalker, and in reality, I have been a bit obsessed with him ever since I read The Tipping Point a few years ago.

If you haven’t already done so, please read his most recent book, Outliers.  I think you too will be engrossed by his great mind for behavioral science and by his effortless talent for inspired writing.  At the very least, it will encourage you to look at your friends, family and culture with an educated and observant eye.

A natural and effective hair treatment

After spending two sun drenched weeks in Hawaii playing in the salty Pacific Ocean and taking advantage of the natural hair dryer created by a topless rental Jeep, my red tresses needed a major moisture makeover.

My treatment of choice?  Olive oil.  Organic, pure, natural, chemical and chemist free.

The result?  A smooth, shiny, frizz-free, bouncy and healthy head of hair that I would be proud to don on the runway.

It’s a pretty darn easy treatment to figure out, but here are some of my tips in case they can help you avoid any blunders.

Dress for success – Wear an old top that you can live without.  A large neck opening or button-down placket is best.  Why?  You know how impossible it is to get oil stains out of clothing, so don’t risk it.  I suggest identifying one rag-top that you stash in your closet for all messy projects.  It will surely come in handy when painting, dyeing hair, spring cleaning, gardening, etc.

Healthy portions – As you do when dyeing your hair, portion it out in smaller sections using clips.  This step is not absolutely necessary for the oil treatment but I think you’ll find that it makes things less messy.

Saturate your strands - I opted to use my olive oil pour spout and drizzle directly onto my hair as though it were a delicious caprese salad, though you can also pour the oil into a dish and use your fingers or a hair dye brush to apply the oil with some control.  Regardless of the technique you choose, focus on the ends – obviously – which are always the most damaged.  If you have a naturally oily scalp, avoid adding more oil to that area and start applying an inch from the scalp (you will definitely want to portion out your hair of you are going this route).

Lightly place a couple paper towels over your head to catch any drips and cover your head with a plastic disposable cap.

Simmer – You can leave the oil on you hair for as long as you want, but I would suggest no less than 10 minutes.  Since I had some housekeeping to do upon my return from my vacation, I left the oil on my hair for 5 hours as I unpacked, did laundry, washed the dog, watered the plants and fashioned a homemade trap for all the obnoxious fruit flies that were breeding aggressively in my kitchen while I was relaxing on the beach.

Wash up - As you learned in grade school, water and oil don’t mix, so you have to use plenty of shampoo to remove the oil.  But, be careful not to undo the treatment’s hard work by over cleaning your hair (which is probably why it’s damaged in the first place).  Use a mild shampoo and lather once.  Resist the urge to scrub until you’re locks are squeaky clean.  Apply conditioner as usual and rinse.

Serve – Expect your tresses to be oilier than usual – dah.  It may be a good time to finally try out all those up-dos you’ve been planning, but without a doubt you will be left with a rejuvenated coif that is as dahlicious as it is Dahlightful

Enjoy!  laura

Shout out to you Dahlight-ers.  Please send your homemade beauty treatments my way.  I’d love to test them out and then share the best of the best!

To borrow a line from SNL’s Weekend Update with Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler – “Really!?!”

Admittedly I’m always on the hunt for a weight loss miracle.  That one thing that will effortlessly get me back to my dancer’s body of old (without having to dance 3 hours a day everyday, of course).

I’ve never been too discriminating to refrain from trying the wackiest fads nor have I been too disdainful to ignore advice from the nuttiest “experts” in hopes of finding the magical recipe.  Until now.

I have to ask.  Who the hell actually believes that a diet plate will make them skinny?  Does it come packaged with new genes?  Maybe the plate’s ornate design hypnotizes you into a weight-reducing coma.  Honestly, I understand the urge to try any and every diet scam, but a pretty plate – Really!?!

To make the plate work, must you take it to restaurants and demand that the chef serve your filet mignon and mashed potatoes on the plate?  Are people plating every Oreo cookie and Pringles chip they consume?  Do ballpark dogs become healthful when served on this fancy piece of china?  Obviously these are rhetorical questions.

I think its fair to chalk this one up as another crazy concept invented by hungry (pun intended) marketers to turn a heafty (pun intended again) buck.  Even so, the consummate optimist in me wants to find that silver lining.  So, I’ll reluctantly give the plate the benefit of doubt and assume it’s intended function is to teach people healthy serving portions.  And that, without a doubt, is an important and fundamental lesson.  Albeit, a lesson you can learn without a fancy plate.

I suspect I’ll always be looking for the magical weight loss secret, but until I find it I’m doing things the old fashioned way – eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly.  If only I had my 18 year old dancer’s metabolism to go along with it.  Aaaah, a girl can always dream…

SPF – the miraculous potion that takes the years off

I’m always flattered when I get carded at bars, restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and event kiosks especially since a quick glance at my ID typically ignites a wide-eyed look of surprise.  I definitely give most of the credit for my youthful glow to my parents who blessed me with smooth skin genes, but mostly I credit them for having the knowledge and good sense to teach me about proper sun protection early on.

Growing up in the Las Vegas desert where I spent loads of time on the lake, at the pool, choreographing awesome rollerskating dances to Michael Jackson hits, bike riding to the mall, and riding my horse, it’s practically a miracle that I don’t look 10 years older than I am.

As a kid I was trained to slather on the sunscreen in liberal amounts.  I even slopped sunscreen on my pink potbelly pigs to prevent their sensitive pink color from turning a painful crimson.  I also learned early on from my grandmother that a hat is not only a strong fashion statement, it has a useful purpose.

Back in the day, we had fewer options.  You’d shop the pharmacy aisle and make a choice between Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Hawaiian Tropic.  You might have an option between waterproof or not, but basically your decisions stopped there.  Things are bit more confusing these days with dozens of companies hawking hundreds of sunscreens.  This summer brands are competing even more aggressively with the invention of SPF 100 products.  Could this actually be the miracle potion I’ve been waiting for?

I did some research to better understand the facts, and since I’m just a vain product whore who’s always up for trying the newest thing, I’ll let The New York Times and their experts explain the medical research behind this year’s new invention.  The findings are pretty darn fascinating.  I will however, give you a taste of my daily routine in hopes that it might help you to amp up your sun protective prowess for a smart and svelte summer glow.

Moisturize

When I wake up I rinse my face and apply DDF Enhancing Sun Protection moisturizer with an SPF of 30 to my face and neck.  This super product has self-blending color spheres that help even skin tone.  For the mornings when I’m headed straight to the gym, I stop my SPF applications there and head out the door with a fresh glow that allows me to look good but still sweat those ugly toxins out.  By keeping it simple I also prevent those embarrassing foundation spots on my gym towel.

Enhance

When I’m applying makeup and getting fancied up, I layer Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer with an SPF of 20 over my DDF Enhancing Moisturizer.  Beyond providing another layer of protection, it gives me a clean color foundation and adds a natural radiancy.

Finish

I finish off my face with Lotus Translucent Finishing Powder with SPF of 30 and then paint my cheeks, eyes and lips.  I also carry Peter Thomas Roth’s Instant Mineral Powder with SPF of 30 in my purse for easy on-the-go reapplication throughout the day.  Since it’s not a lotion or cream, you can apply it over your makeup without worry.  You’ll find it especially useful during longer than expected patio lunch dates and spur of the moment shopping excursions.

Protect your other face

Since your neck and chest are connected to your face and a tight face with a loose chest typically screams “face lift”, treat these areas as vigilantly as your face.  Because I’m typically on the run and don’t want to take the time to rub a lotion in, I spray on Peter Thomas Roth’s Continuous Sunscreen Mist with SPF of 30 on my chest and shoulders every morning.

I like this product because it smells more like perfume than sunscreen, but it does have a fairly hefty price tag, so when I’m covering my whole body I opt for Neutrogena’s Fresh Cool Body Mist.  Although it smells more like the beach than Barney’s, you can pick it up in quantity at Costco.  I keep a can stashed in the car, in my beach bag, in my gym bag and in my studio for easy access anytime I need it.

The more the merrier

Reapply liberally and regularly.  After reading The New York Times article you will have a better understanding on why this is key to your sun protection success.

Hard working fabrics

Check back for a whole posting about UV clothing, but in the meantime, take a lesson from the gardener and wear a large-brimmed hat with lightweight, light-colored long sleeve shirt and pants if you plan on spending the whole day under the sun.  By acting as a natural air conditioner, fabric that is slightly damp with perspiration will actually keep you cooler than a bare epidermis.  The hat of course, will serve as your private beach umbrella.

Yoga poses and menstruation

When instructing the class to do an inversion pose, my yoga teachers always offer the same warning, “Those who are menstruating should sit this one out”.   But, why?

Speculation has lead some westerners to believe that this advice is just residual dogma imposed by the sexist culture that invented yoga.  And, they ignore the warning, flinging themselves athletically into a headstand or shoulder stand.

This article from yoga.com sets the record straight.  And, spoiler alert – the truth has more to do with physiology than cultural tradition.

I recently had an accident that sent me to the emergency room where my lip and chin were stitched back together.  Rather than bore you with the gory (and I do mean gory in its purest definition) details, let me share with you the DVDs that kept me entertained as I holed myself up at home until the 25 bright blue stitches could be removed.

By no means are these films my favorites (though Man on Wire makes it onto my short list in its category), but they certainly served me well throughout my healing and best of all, they distracted me from the urge to feel sorry for myself and helped me to feel thankful that I was spending a few days couching.

Man On Wire Truly one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.  How can your interest not be captured by a talented, obsessive, risk-taking, flamboyant, French street performer?

The Films of Charles & Ray Eames Not something you will want to watch over and over (I suspect some people will give it a mere 10 minutes before turning it off),  but the DVD extras give a unique and interesting history of the life and business of these well known American designers.

In Bruges This is a quirky and strange murderous adventure set in beautiful Bruges, Belgium that makes the city its leading character.  Ever romantic and mysterious, In Bruges delivers an exquisitely shot film with intriguing dark humor.

The Tudors Don’t we all like brushing up on history by watching a gorgeous young king get all that he wants while wearing an impressive amount of luxurious fabrics and jewels?

Seinfeld Because Larry David is a genius and his one-liners never get old…yada yada yada

Role Models It ended up to be lot better than I thought, probably because of the film’s use of the soap opera formula that makes the viewer feel superior to the characters.  Audible chuckles were released as I watched McLovin’ sword-fight while dressed as KISS.

The Ben Stiller Show Though the series had a short run, it was actually quite good.  Some hits and some misses, but interesting to note that Stiller gave Janeane Garofolo and Andy Dick their first jobs.

As I write this post, my stitches have been removed and the swelling decreases every day.  I’m definitely on the mend, and thankfully don’t expect to be left with any horrible scars.

Did I mention that I lucked into getting the McDreamy-est ER doctor in the world?  Thankfully he also ended up being an excellent sewer and perfectly lined up my lip so I look more human than monster.  I suspect his own vanity inspired him to do his very best work, and to that I say – thanks for choosing medicine over acting Dr.!