Health Tip #2 in Breakfast Series

This morning I was up at 6am and had to be out the door early so on days like that I like to eat something that will be quick and easy; that's when I reach for the cereal. Straight out the box with some almond milk on top and you're good to go!
Now the next question is what kind of cereal is actually good for you. The cereal isle can so be so confusing and overwhelming and mostly filled with options that are actually unhealthy! I have one brand that I go to for guaranteed goodness and that's Kashi. I can count on them to use whole grain ingredients that are good for me. The new line on many cereal boxes is "made with whole grain." You'll see that on tons of boxes these days. Do not be fooled! There's only one way to know if something is truly made with whole grains and that's by looking at the fiber content on the nutritional value box. If fiber is 2g or less then this cereal is not for you. Put it back! A cereal that is truly made with real whole grains should be loaded with fiber, anywhere from 5 to 8 grams! That's a big difference and your tummy will know. Fiber is so important for your digestive health. Its like a broom that goes through and sweeps out your intestines getting rid of all the junk that can get stuck without the proper aid. Fiber is also going to help keep you full until your next snack or meal which will help you to make healthy choices because you won't be starving.  
So I had my Kashi Go Lean Crunch today. Tons of fiber and even the protein of 3 eggs! Can't go wrong with that. Here's to another great day!

Health Tip #1

Often via different mediums, you guys have asked me to share different tips for everything from weight loss to healthy tips for skin or how to achieve the ever struggled for set of abs! So I thought I'd add this into my blog and share different tips with you guys that I've learned through the years.  My advice comes mostly from a place of personal experience but also a place of education as I'm certified as both a Holistic Nutritionist and a Bikram Yoga teacher.  But most of all, I just want to share tips with you that I've tried and succeeded or NOT succeeded with!   Ok, so here goes with the first one!

BREAKFAST

I'm always amazed at how many people I meet who say that they don't eat breakfast!  It really is such an important meal for your day.  This is the meal that gets your metabolism going daily, which is going to help you to burn calories and make sure you keep your metabolism healthy so you can maintain a healthy weight for your future.  

Everyday this Monday through Friday, I will post a different breakfast meal option so there will certainly be something for everyone, even if you're not a big breakfast person.  The first is actually my favorite: FRESH BERRIES

I start my day with this everyday.   A bowl of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.  I also pour a little bit of almond milk into the bowl instead of using whip cream as a garnish.  This is an amazing way to start your day because berries are loaded with antioxidants which help combat free radicals which can  cause cancer and wrinkles!  Need I say more? I think not!  

The other great thing about berries is that they're light so if you don't want something too heavy, this is a great option.  The berries are also packed with fiber which is going to help you get a nice flat tummy and help keep your body nice and regular ;o)

Enjoy and get Berry Beautiful! 

Journey to a New Land

We arrived in Lala Land yesterday and 1st thing on the agenda was to head over to Jeremy and Robert's new digs and then do dinner.  What many may not know, is that I've known Jeremy and Robert for over 10 years now!  They were once my producers, now my co-workers, and most importantly are now family.  So when Jeremy first said that he was going to move, I actually didn't take him seriously; not even for a minute.  Then he told me he'd found a studio and an apartment, and to be honest, I still didn't really believe him!  And then Robert said that he was going to look at places too.  Now the confusion really set in.   Could this really be happening?  We're all NY based.  You can't separate the team! How will this work?  

But we arrived yesterday, a week after our boys had moved their entire lives across the country and I have to say, I"m proud.

Picking up and leaving your family and friends is not an easy thing to do and I give much respect to them for their vision and their courage.  Often, to achieve greatness, there must be great sacrifice. 

So let's wish them good luck on their new journey and their new lives here in LA.  May it be filled with opportunity, joy and a little more sunshine :o)

Love you guys!

Emotionally Drained but Must Charge On

"If it was easy, then everyone would do it!"
No one ever said it was easy to achieve your dreams but sometimes it can be so exhausting! haha You can admit or not, but it's not always easy and I don't mind admitting that. That's just real talk. I can't help anyone by pretending like it's always roses and sunshine.
There are days when I feel so frustrated by so many different things. There are days when I feel exhausted and I wonder if it's actually worth it. There are days when I get so mad because someone tells me to do exactly what I had suggested 6 months ago! And I feel like knocking them on their head and saying "I told you so!"
But I don't stress those days anymore. Because the reality is that if you believe in what you're doing, then that's all you need. You need that faith and belief in yourself.
One of my co-workers recently asked me how come I always seem so at ease and that's exactly what I said. I just know. I just believe. And nothing and no one can sway me from that, end of story. So no matter how hard, no matter how many hills I feel like I'm climbing, no matter how many brick walls I bang my head against; I don't sweat it, because I just know.
We will get there. With hardwork and determination, we will get there.
So no matter what you're dream is, don't give up on it if you truly believe that you have something to offer. Sometimes it doesn't happen when you think it should or the way that you planned it, but when it is meant to happen, it will.
So keep your faith and charge on. And on a day where you may feel a little tired, take a breather and come back fresh tomorrow.
But never, ever give up!

Being a Woman in a Man's World...

I've been having a great week out here in LA.  The week before we were super busy getting ready for the show at Madison Square Garden which went great! But these two weeks have been interesting for me because it really reminded me that no matter how successful I am as a woman, men will always view me a certain way.  With all that I do and all that I contribute, at the end of the day, they often think that it's ok to speak to me a certain way because I'm a woman.  You realize that they would've never said that to the man who was standing next to me.  The other day, I bumped into an artist in the lobby of a hotel.  He was so busy checking me out that he was astonished when I came up and introduced myself as a manager in the industry.  And at that point he immediately became uninterested! He was only interested in talking to me if I was just some random hot chick who was going to blow his ego up more than it already was!  I go so out of my way to be professional and respectful to everyone that I meet but I realize that to some men when they see me, they just can't get past the fact that I'm a woman and take me seriously.  And on the other hand, when they're not checking me out, they're just assuming that I"m someone's girlfriend and don't actually do anything!  Maybe it's a music biz thing, but it's a definite thing!

Then as a woman, when you get a little tough with people, you are suddenly labeled a bi#c*h! Where as a man who does the same thing is labeled, powerful! 

I find it amazing that this still exists today in this day and age.  But it actually works in my favor because it pushes me to want more.  It pushes me to show them through all that I plan on achieving.  Their lack of belief turns into my motivation. 

So I will NOT let it stop me.  I will keep doing what I do and eventually, it will become easier.  Just as the wonderful woman who came before us made strides for us, we will make strides for the next generation.  We can; we will; we must!

Girl Power!!! hahahah

A new year, a new day and many new opportunities...

"Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself." 

- Aisha Elderwyn

Everyday, every week, every month, every year; we make promises to ourselves.  Promises to lose weight, promises to be a better person and promises to just change somehow...  It is a wonderful thing to want to push yourself for more and to want to push yourself to be better.  It's always good to want to exceed your current limitations.  But as I watch people make these promises, I often watch them break them and then I often watch them beat themselves up for it!  That doesn't serve much purpose!  It's really just a silly vicious cycle.

So as we all start this new year, I have one plea for all of you.  Set reasonable expectations for yourselves!  That way you will have an easier opportunity to actually attain your goal.  And then when you've reached that goal, you can go ahead and set a new goal and so on.  Don't expect to go from eating sweets everyday to never eating sweets! Or to go from working out one day a week to five days a week!  Or to go from never studying to studying all the time!  Don't burn yourself out in January.  The people who work at the gym always talk about how in the first month of January, they get so many new people signed up and then by March they've all disappeared again.  Take your time.  Whatever your goal is, ease yourself into it so you actually have the opportunity to make your wish into a reality!  And if you do fall off, then try, try again!  Don't give up on yourself or on your goals.  That's the great thing about being human beings.  We're allowed to make mistakes and we're allowed to give it a second chance!  

So go into this new year with the hope of something new but also remember to just love yourself for who you are and for who you will always try to be!

The Precious

Wow. I've had a really crazy month. I dealt with sudden illness and then death. And now I'm dealing with the sudden illness of a best friend as well as another person in my immediate family. It's so scary what we deal with as human beings. We get up everyday, go to school or work, hopefully have dinner with family and friends and then go to sleep, in preparation of doing it all over again the next day. We just get into this pattern and we assume that it will never change. We see bad things happen in someone else's life and yet we somehow assume that it will never happen to us as if we're invincible of some sort. But this month has truly reminded me of just how precious our lives are; how Important it is to cherish moments and cherish eachother. You're entire life can be changed in a split second and unfortunately, nothing is guaranteed.
So with all that being said; I vow to cherish the moments, to make time for more dinners, to tell the people around me just how much I love and appreciate them and I will call home more often instead of saying that there will be time later because the truth is, you never know what tomorrow will bring.
This isn't meant to be depressing by any means though, it's meant to be inspiring. Because we can control our present moments and we can make sure that we always do what's best, right here and right now! Remember "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God's gift, that's why we call it the present.". -- Joan Rivers
Enjoy this gift of life that we've all been given. Don't take it for granted.