As the winter months get chilly it is crucial to stay healthy.
Many of us have felt the struggle of weight gain.
Just a little over three years ago a bit of a miracle was born that changed the health industry. Over America there are several different venues that most Americans refer to as ‘fat camps.’ The name alone brings forth such horrible negative images it is hard to get a positive image in ones head. But when Fit Farm came to existence things changed.
The holidays are about joy.
After watching Christopher Quinn’s new documentary, ‘Eating Animals,’ perhaps all the new, millennial food trends are actually onto something…
Eating You Alive, a feature-length documentary revealing the truth behind why Americans are so sick, explains that diet correlates highly with health. Of course, that sounds extremely obvious; but nevertheless, the ramifications of which foods you indulge in help determine how healthy one truly is.
The format of “Eating You Alive”, directed and co-produced by Paul David Kennamer Jr. and co-produced by Merrilee Jacobs, elaborates further on the importance of proper nutrition through the personal accounts of notable celebrities (such as James Cameron, Samuel L. Jackson), various doctors, physicians, and individual patients. “Eating You Alive” details that these citizens are – and the film showcases this without fear – condemned by the system of modern pharmaceutical care; perpetuated by the crafty marketing schemes of big food business and tricked into a life of pills and drugs.
“Eating You Alive” espouses that the United States, for all its advances in medical science, has done little in showcasing the impact diet has on health and attacking the underlying causes. Our most prominent killers, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, for example, all originate with the cheeseburger; the hotdog and the wide array of processed goods that many of us profess to indulge in daily. This “food shock” is caused by our cultural affinity for corn syrup and butter; cheese and olive oil. And these potent harbingers of delicious capability could very well spell our end as the real killers behind our various ailments, which kill millions of Americans every year.
“Eating You Alive” asserts that we all take fault for this problem.
We’ve all fallen victim to our need for fatty, congestive treats. The primary cause is our dopamine rush after every successful gorge. The secondary cause (and the factor we should really focus on) is our willpower and how much we’re willing to sacrifice for the better. This is the heart of the film’s philosophy: popping pills can only do so much. What we consume correlates to how we’ll feel later. And although we may occasionally dine on the aforementioned burger or salmon doused with butter, it’s better we remove such influence altogether.
“Eating You Alive” is certainly worth the watch.
Co-hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lisa Oz, the Tropical Garden Gala at Chelsea Piers featured performances by Elle Varner, Erich Bergen, and Stepp Stewart as well as appearances by notable guests such as NFL athletes Buster Skrine, Steve Weatherford, and Damien Woody, Jersey Shore stars “Sammi Sweatheart” and Vinny Guadagnino, and wellness guru Candice Kumai.
Ali Miller, 20, is currently a student at the University of Minnesota, sister of the Alpha Phi sorority, and a survivor of rape.
We are a very goal-oriented society. We spend so much time focusing on the future, that sometimes we don’t take enough time to live in the moment. Yes, the #YOLO campaign returns again, but with a new spin on it. Yes, we only live once. Yes, we need to stay in the moment. But how can we do that when we are always thinking about the next thing we have to do? Meditation. Possibly the oldest trick in the healthy lifestyle book, this practice is often overlooked, but even just three minutes of meditation can be enough to renew, restore and refresh.
So how do you meditate? People often get mad at themselves when they feel like they are not meditating “correctly”, but there is no right or wrong. The art of meditation is not about clearing your mind, but rather, allowing your thoughts to go wherever they want in your brain- without judgement. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Part of our constant need to achieve is our self-judgment. We criticize ourselves for thinking about things, rather than allowing our thoughts to just be what they need to be in that moment.
Give it a try, it only takes three minutes. Sit with your back against the wall in a quiet area where you won’t be interrupted. Set your timer to three minutes, close your eyes, and just breathe. Allow your thoughts to float in your brain, and concentrate on your inhale and exhale. When you finish, see how you feel. If it helped you in any way, great, if you feel nothing, that’s okay too. Every experience is unique, because every person is unique. Meditation is the key to allowing each of us to exist with ourselves. We spend so much time trying to be things that sometimes we need a chance to just “be.”
For more information on meditation, I recommend reading Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron, or downloading the guided meditation app, “Stop, Breathe and Think”.
On Wednesday February 17, health company Well+Good teamed up with Even Hotels, a new wellness focused hotel, to present a Fashion Week Wellness event. Guests were treated to 45 minute yoga classes, meditation and reiki sessions, facials, manicures, and more! Also there was healthy cookbook extraordinaire, Candice Kumai, and Dr. Drew Ramsey, author of 50 Shades of Kale.
Candice Kumai gave a live demonstration of how to cook healthy snacks (peanut butter and chocolate balls!), easy green smoothies (secret ingredient: matcha powder), and quick Japanese bento boxes. She also shared with us an exclusive health secret: eat less meat! Her trick is to think of meat as a treat, not an every day food. Dr. Ramsey also was there to give us tips on how to use more kale in our diet, the superfood. There was also yummy kale and gin cocktails, a surprisingly smooth combo.
Guests were given gift bags for ultimate pampering, relaxation, and health to help them get through the rest of hectic fashion week. In the goody bags were copies of Candice’s new book, Clean Green Eats, a tinted lip conditioner from Ilia, nail polish from Deborah Lippmann, Stem Cellular Eye Lift Masks from Juice Beauty, Pür Miracle Mist, Essential oils from Naturopathica, and more!