Hi everyone. As many of you know I’m staying with my mom in New Jersey for 2 weeks as I’m moving apartments. And we’ve been going to the gym, the Whole Foods market and watching chick flicks like “Julie & Julia” (oh man that was a good movie!). I kind of feel like I’ve gone from “Sex and the City” to “The Golden Girls” because my mom lives in a retirement community (and boy is she quick with the comebacks like Sophia!). I could actually write an entire blog post about all of the hilarious retirement community antics and anecdotes. . .but let’s get back to the business of healing for a moment.

Yesterday when my mom woke up she was sick as a dog: sore throat, body aches, no energy, low-grade fever, the whole nine yards. Mom slept until 11am and when she woke up felt absolutely awful. It absolutely sucks to see one of your parents in that much pain.

You all know I am NOT the one to resort to using Robitussin or Tylenol or anything of that sort, and neither is my mom, so I asked her if she wanted some tea. When she said “yes,” I proceeded to make her my Get Well Tea over the course of the day. Here’s the recipe:

• Peel some raw ginger root and chop it up
• Boil it in filtered water to make a tea
• After 5-10 minutes strain and pour it into a big mug and add 1 tablespoon of organic extra virgin coconut oil
• Slice an organic lemon in half and squeeze half into the tea
• Add  up to 1 tablespoon of raw organic honey
• Stir well and enjoy

By the end of the day she was feeling 50% better, and by the next day 70% better. This miracle tea has worked very quickly for many of my clients, colleagues and friends who have felt a cold or flu coming on (especially those who are pregnant or nursing and are not allowed to take over-the-counter medications). What is it about the ingredients that bring on such a rapid healing?

Ginger boosts the immune system because it kills bad bacteria, fungi and yeast and promotes the growth of friendly bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus. Coconut oil has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Freshly squeezed lemon juice supports the liver as it ridding the body of microorganisms. Raw honey has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Put all of these together in a tea and you’ve got the perfect drink to help the body rid itself of invaders.

The only thing left to do to make sure the body is able to heal is to drink lots of water and strictly avoid any refined sugar, refined grain, or pasteurized dairy until you’re healthy. Sugar suppresses your immune system for 6 hours after eating it…that’s right so if you’re eating sugar, it’s going take a lot longer to get well. Also throw some raw garlic on your food because it is also very good at killing viruses, bacteria and fungi and helps support the liver as it rids the body of toxins and microorganisms.

Our bodies are brilliant and know how to heal themselves when we give them the right materials. Mom’s better now and we’ll be back to country line dancing at the community Clubhouse in no time. Hahaha…

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“Revolution is a lifestyle not a war.” –David Linhart

Happy New Year! Hope 2010 has gotten off to a healthy and joyous start for you. I went to a great New Year’s Eve party and so far 2010 is rockin’ for this single chic!

Anyway, this blog is not entirely about the resurgence of my social life. I want to say a few words about New Year’s Resolutions since that is the topic on everyone’s mind this time of the year. From the title of this article “The Revolution Against Resolutions” I know you’re thinking that I’m going to tell you to throw out your resolutions and just love yourself. That’s partially true, to be healthy you do need to love yourself first and foremost. Resolutions in and of themselves are not good or bad, it’s simply a matter of how we use them.

The typical resolutioneer will say, “I’m going to work out 5 times a week, and totally give up alcohol, sugar and bread for the whole year.” And then when she slips up once and gets re-addicted to these things, the ensuing shame is sometimes enough to make one throw out the whole program for a long time and get lost in a war of self-flagellation.

I really love the quote that starts this blog, “Revolution is a lifestyle not a war” because it’s true! Changing your life to be healthier on all levels is a committment to a lifestyle, not a short-term fix to blast your fat, shred your arms or exorcise your emotional demons. Look at the people that you admire, people who have demonstrated a high level of health and fitness and are also successful in other areas of their lives. It’s generally not because they beat themselves up or have to constantly fight their inner nature or the desires of others around them. These are people that are committed to excellence on many levels and see the integral role that good health and fitness plays in contributing to success in other areas. I’ve taken note of a few more important qualities of successful people that I admire, people who have no need for resolutions:

1. They are usually quiet and peaceful about their lifestyle changes. A person successfully executing a clean nutrition plan probably won’t tell you about it unless asked because she has no need to justify or get approval. When she has fallen off her plan, she chooses to make peace with the slip up and gently returns to the eating program that makes her feel healthy the next day. There is no self-criticism or treadmill penance.
2. There is always joy in the process of people who successfully get and stay healthy. If you hate spinning, you will not stay thin doing it for very long. Find an activity that you like or maybe even love. Or if you hate exercise find a trainer that you like or maybe even love (or workout buddies!). People who find health and fitness intrinsically rewarding look energetic and attract others to them in business, friendship and romance! People who go to the gym because they have an inner belief that they way they look is unacceptable to society look exhausted. This is a battle they never win because if one believes she is unacceptable, she will attract others who will confirm that belief.
3. People who maintain health and fitness all year long use positive thinking and affirmations to stay that way. If you are currrently saying negative things about yourself to get yourself to the gym, change them to positive statements. For example, change “I really got fat since Thanksgiving” to “I am getting healthier everyday” or “I am actively involved in becoming my best self” or “I am fit and strong, and lean!” If you are not used to doing this, at the beginning it will feel fake but over time you will start to believe these statements and see the results. That’s what affirmations are for, if we already believed it, we wouldn’t have to do an affirmation.
4. Successful people surround themselves with supportive friends and family. I’m pretty good at this one by now as I’ve been affirming for years that all of my relationships are loving and harmonious. Take a good look around you. Do you always feel bad after hanging out with certain people? This is powerful feedback. To stay in good health you must learn to either minimize or reframe your time with those individuals and emphasize your time in supportive work and social environments.

Resolutions are powerless without some intelligent action behind them. Here are my top six tips to make long term positive changes in your health and fitness:

1. Work out at least 3 times a week to see change. If you are beginning a fitness program, set aside at least 3 specific times that you will work out. If you only have 3 times a week to work out, weights or yoga class in combination with a clean diet will give you much more bang for your buck. Cardio is the gravy in addition to this. Two high-intensity 45 minute weight circuits and a solid one-hour yoga class per week is enough to keep you in great shape and will raise your metabolic rate more than just cardio alone. Weights and yoga will also give you muscle tone which will make you look fitter. For more information about personal training please visit my website at www.theorganicexperiencenyc.com.
2. Don’t keep junk in the house. Just don’t do it. I’ve heard every rationalization in the book on this one. “I need to keep junk for my kids/husband/wife/when company comes over.” 9 times out of 10, if junk is in your house you’ll eat it. If it’s not you won’t or you’ll eat it less. It’s that simple. Not to mention your kids and family don’t really need that crap either and if you stock the house with delicious substitutions, most times no one will notice. I liken this to the fact that I just got rid of my cable box. When I had cable, 9 times out of 10 I would find myself watching some trashy show like Rock of Love, Real Housewives or Jersey Shore. Now that I don’t have cable, no more junk TV unless I’m at someone else’s house and then it’s a special treat.
3. If you have not fully converted to all organic food, start the next time you go shopping. The change doesn’t have to be shocking. I find the easiest changes to make first are buying organic eggs, organic produce and strictly avoiding anything with hydrogenated oils or corn syrup. When I first started eating all organic and using non-toxic cosmetics and cleaning products, it took me about a year to shift everything. Be patient with yourself, but start now.
4. Usually the hardest resolutions to keep are staying way from addictions including but not limited to: alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, aspartame, gluten (bread), dairy, chocolate, and caffeine. If you simply cannot go 2 weeks without any of the above, you are addicted. Yes dairy and gluten can be addictive because many people are allergic to them and we sometimes crave what we are allergic or intolerant to. If you are addicted to any of these things and you would like to kick the addiction, I recommend you start with noticing what the addiction is helping you deflect from. Usually it’s some form of fear, guilt or shame. People don’t intentionally hurt themselves unless there’s a payoff. Deflecting from emotional pain is usually the payoff. Once you have identified what you are deflecting from (therapy is great for this), I would cut the substance out cold-turkey, with the exception of caffeine which I believe is best to wean.
5. Make the bulk of your diet grass-fed meat and poultry, pastured eggs, wild fish, raw dairy, organic nuts, coconut oil, olive oil, organic fruit and veggies, non-gluten whole grains like brown rice and buckwheat, and water. Keep it simple. Use the spices you like. Use as much Celtic sea salt as you like.
6. Have an accountability partner, or two. An accountability partner is someone that is genuinely committed to his or her own fitness path and will keep you committed also. Someone that you feel comfortable talking with and you won’t mind if they ask you about your progress. Someone positive who will help you strategize through the slip-ups and asks for your help doing the same. Someone with whom there is a mutual caring. It also helps if it someone you really like. Pictured below are my two accountability partners, Jenny on the left and Sophia on the right. This fall I lost 2 grandparents and both my parents had surgery. I’m only human and the truth is there were some days that I could barely accomplish what I had to do to keep my life going, much less exercise. Because I take such good care of my health, my bottom line is a lot higher than most people, but even still, the events of my life caused me to take a momentary pause from fitness. These women train at the gym with me and are not only very committed to health and fitness but bring a great deal of levity, joy and laughter to the process. This has made all the difference for me and I know it will for you too. They were my angels at a time when I needed to be lifted. If you feel like you have fallen off the wagon, I guarantee there are angels (human or otherwise) around you waiting to help. Are you ready to let them?

HAPPY 2010!

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I know you all read my blog for witty commentary about nutrition and holistic healing, but I have to admit, I’m a little sad today. My Grandma Molly passed away Sunday night in her sleep. She was 91 years old and had been struggling with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Though part of me is relieved that she is now at peace, mostly I am sad that our family has lost such an underappreciated treasure of a woman. Let me explain.

My grandmother was loving, giving and adoring as most grandmothers are and I will always remember how deeply she loved me. But what I really want to focus on in this blog is that fact that I believe my Grandma Molly paved the way for my life’s work. When people ask me, “Jackie, how did you get to be this unceasingly meticulous organic health nut?” (OK I’m ad-libbing, they really say “psycho organic freak”), I say, “you don’t know my Grandma Molly.”

Grandma Molly was the O.G. of the health nuts (Original Gangster for those not familiar with the slang). She took vitamins in the 1940s before it was the thing to do. She knew the evils of sugar, processed food and food additives and would never have any of that garbage in her house. She had full-fat raw dairy delivered to the house when it was still legal in New York. Even when fat- and cholesterol-phobia took hold in the 1980s, she maintained that one was supposed to eat the whole egg. She only used brown rice and cooked with kosher sea salt. When everyone started using artificial sweetners to stay skinny, Grandma Molly refused to degrade her kitchen with any of it. When we went to her house, Grandma Molly would purposely make us sit outside in the sun for 15 minutes to get our Vitamin D (if you know how white my brother and I are, you understand why we only needed 15 minutes!).

She was a big fan of authors like Carlton Fredericks and Adele Davis (the Paul Chek’s and Sally Fallon’s of yesteryear) who believed good nutrition could positively impact ANY disease state and that poor nutrition caused most EVERY disease state. She loved Rachel Carlson’s “Silent Spring” and did her part to protect the environment. In fact, I remember one time going into her library and finding all of these books. I had just started taking nutrition classes at the Chek Institute and I had the following two thoughts:

1.  ”Wow, is it really possible that nutritionists have known all of this stuff that I’m just learning since the 1940s, and probably even earlier? Doctors seriously need to get on board because this information has been here for decades!” I mean there it was, the correct information about how harmful sugar was, gluten intolerance, raw dairy, how consumption of alcoholic beverages screws up your digestion, the healing benefits of saturated fat and everything else I had just paid thousands of dollars to learn.
2. “When did Grandma Molly become so cool and so smart?” (OK I guess she always was, I just needed to catch up!) Though she was the most gentle woman ever, my grandmother was a rebel. Everyone thought she was absolutely crazy and she absolutely didn’t care.

And why should she? While everyone else was busy getting fat and becoming depressed eating their Snack Wells cookies, drinking Diet Cokes and avoiding red meat like the plague, Grandma Molly was slim and emotionally balanced. Her skin was phenomenal. She had zero health problems until the Alzheimer’s began around age 80.

Grandma Molly also believed in the traditional values of preparing every meal at home and eating as a family. Her family did have one indulgence: eating out at Nathan’s. But what can I say, my grandmother was “Brooklyn” through and through. And because she made sure that her family was so nutritionally fortified, the occasional Nathan’s hot dog and fries did not diminish any of them one bit. This is a perfect demonstration of 2 concepts I try to teach all of my clients:

1. The 80/20 rule: if your diet is clean 80% of the time, you can indulge 20% of the time.
2. Don’t indulge unless you can do so with joy. Eating junkfood out of depression, guilt, self-flagellation or desperation will negatively affect your health. Eating junkfood in joy like at celebrations or special occasions will not negatively affect your health at all.

Leaving her funeral and going to pay the first shiva call (the traditional period of grieving in Judaism), I definitely felt the sadness of this great loss. I realized how hungry I was and went into my bag to get my snack: grass-fed beef chorizo sausage and onions cooked in coconut oil and a peach, all organic, local and seasonal from the Union Square Farmer’s market. As I reached back into my bag for the 7 vitamins that I take at every meal, I felt an etheric smile come over my body. I know it was her. I instantly felt that my work is the continuation of Grandma Molly’s legacy and moreover, that my spirit is the continuation of hers. You see, I always bring organic food, bottled water and vitamins with me everywhere I go. And everyone absolutely thinks I’m crazy. And I absolutely don’t care.

Thank you Grandma Molly, from the bottom of my heart.

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