The making of a health foodie

Thinking back, I can't say I'm surprised I turned out to be a health food nut. It's not because I live in LA and it seemed the thing to do because that is not the case. This all started for me long before I moved to LA. I've heard Oprah say about making life changes, you tend to start out small. Dipping your toes in, then slowly moving more in that direction. I considered being a nutritionist when I was in college, one of the many majors I considered. I learned there was a lot of math and science, not my strong suits so I didn't pursue it. When I was in my 20's I used to find the local health food stores and wonder in. I definitely felt intimidated and at a loss for what I saw. The produce didn't look all that appealing, being that is wasn't grown or treated with chemicals.

At that time, I'd buy some fruit or maybe a nutrition bar. I didn't understand what millet or spelt was, let alone how to use it. Years later, after moving to California, I put on a lot of weight. I wasn't working out and I certainly wasn't eating well. I found this program on BBC America called "You are What You Eat". This nutty British nutritionist would put her over-weight clients on a boot camp type program. Serious diet and exercise changes and in eight weeks they would look a couple of stone (I don't know why the British use this system  for weight. All I can tell you is a stone equals 14 pounds). They would feel and look much better. For me, this struck a cord. I didn't like the way I looked plus I hated the way I felt. Knowing that I'm getting older, I realized I need to make changes now. I have such a vivid memory of sitting at my grandmother's kitchen table watching her fill her two pill boxes with medication, while she said to me "don't get old". I didn't want that to become me. Time will tell if my efforts will pay off and I'll be able to grow old while remaining active and healthy. Hopefully the "ounce of prevention" approach to my lifestyle will pay off down the road.

I decided to buy the books written by the host. Her name is Gillian McKeith. One of her books is a plan with recipes for a months worth of cooking. I decided to follow her plan for a month and what I learned is that health food isn't intimidating and can be quite good actually. The big realization for me was seasoning your food with herbs and spices, not salts and butter and sauces. I like to eat and I like my food to taste good. I can honestly say, a few years later, that I eat better now then I ever have. When I say better I mean the food I eat today really does taste good and is good for me.
Here are a few things I've learned on my health food journey.

• Most Important - Start slowly! I would not recommend making multiple, dramatic changes at once. For me I started with giving up all soda. I liked soda, I was never a fan of diet soda so giving it up was tough but not impossible. Giving up all soda, without making any other changes to your diet, will result in weight loss, I guarantee it. Weight loss that you will see. What you CAN NOT do is start drinking other sugary drinks.
• If you really want to loose weight and keep it off, you have to be willing to exercise. Yes, it is true, diet and exercise. I've tried just dieting and I've tried just exercising and neither really worked until I did both together. I will be the first person to tell you I do not enjoy working out. I hate it actually and I'm forever looking for excuses not to exercise but at the end of the day I do it.
• To loose weight and keep it off means no dieting, you have to be willing to make permanent lifestyle changes, like giving up soda, permanently. Diets are temporary, just like the weight loss you experience when on one. It's impossible to loose weight and keep it off if you go back to the way you eat before you lost the weight.
• If you really want to loose weight, you have to be willing to give up sugar. This was a tough one for me. I have such a sweet tooth. It was the last big change I made. I did it a year ago, in January of course. It was hard. I actually got headaches which is a sign of withdrawal. If giving up something gives you headaches, you were addicted to whatever that was. I did fall off the wagon once but I got right back on.
• Change takes time - 3 weeks for starters. Many recovery programs for serious additions last 22 days. This is the amount of time needed to get any element (sugar, caffeine, nicotine, etc) out of your system. It's the hurdle period. Making any change, you must be willing to stick with it for three weeks. After that, it will take work but it'll be much easier.
• 80/20 rule. I would be lying if I said I haven't had any sweets or sugar since I made these changes. Since sugar is my weakness, I'm not willing to give it up completely. In her books, Gillian talks about the 80/20 rule which is eat well 80% of the time and 20% is the guilt free time. Personally I've moved it up to 90/10. This doesn't not mean you should schedule weekly or month "free" days or meals. What it means is when the opportunity presents itself, you can enjoy your favorite items with no guilt. You also have to be willing to say no too. Just because there is a cake in the office, doesn't mean I need to have a slice. Unless it's a really good cake. I'm very picky now about the sweets I eat. I only eat the really good, high quality stuff. Nothing you buy at a checkout counter. My chocolate these days comes from artisanal bakers who use the highest quality ingredients. One of my rules these days is if you are going to splurge make sure it's the good stuff1

I hope my story helps. Please feel free to contact me if you have specific questions about what I did.

My Sunday ritual - shopping at the farmers market

Sundays have become a busy day for me. In a fun way. Every Sunday morning a friend of mine and I go to the Hollywood farmers market at the intersection of Selma and Ivar. I have heard it is the largest farmers market in Los Angeles, which is fantastic for me since it is close and convenient to where I live. This time of year the market is pretty crowded. Farmers market shopping has grown in popularity which is great. Fresh produce, grown locally, and cheaper then a grocery store. A triple win. And an added bonus, great people watching too.
Being LA, you do see celebrities. Most of them are there to do shopping with their friends or families and they are left alone. On occasion you do see the paparazzi and my best guess is they are called my the celeb they are following (Gwen Stefani, I'm looking at you).
I wish I was the type of person who could look in my cabinets to see what I have and then whip up some great meal. That is not me, I'm a recipe follower. So I'm pretty reliant on my shopping list. This also helps me from wasting money. There are plenty of times I purchased some veg because it looked so good. I end up throwing it away because I never used it. Having a list and sticking to it, helps me stay focused and only buy what I need so I'm not wasting money or food. I'm trying very hard to be less wastefully, cutting down on my carbon footprint and all. Plus it is a waste of money. Did I mention that? Like so many people, I don't have money to waste. That is not to say I don't still buy off my list. Those items are usually of the fruit variety and there is a good chance I'll have those items finished off in a day or two. Fresh, local fruit, yummy! I start off my trip with a fresh squeezed orange juice which is pure heaven.
Since I've been shopping at the market for a couple of years now, my friend and I have become friendly with some of our regular vendors. Many of whom are the farmers who actually grow the produce. Another benefit of shopping at the farmers market is the ability to speak to people who know their product. They'll sharing purchasing, cooking, storing and storing information. They make it very comfortable for us urban folk to say "what's this and how do I cook it".
Many farmers markets here in southern California also have food vendors. Some vendors purchase their food from farmers so it is another opportunity to eat local. I usually leave with one or two prepared items, that I usually eat within an hour of getting home. My personal favorite are the gourmet tamales. Goat, cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil, or the sweet corn, barbecue chicken. Yum! I've seen people buy a dozen frozen tamales at time to bring home and eat all week. I've been tempted...
I'm lucky that living in LA means I have a farmers market that are open year round so I'm always able to buy local and fresh. This may not be true in other parts of the country but that doesn't mean you don't have to pay alot more money for your food and you can continue to buy locally.  What shopping at the farmers market has shown me is how to eat what is in season. Food that is in season, has been grown local to you so it's not being flown in from some south American country (the expensive of flying this food to you, you pay for in the end, plus the negative environmental impact that flight has on our planet), right there you will save. I've also heard that our bodies adapt to the environments we live in and one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to eat locally. As an example, if you live in the north east United States, you shouldn't drink orange juice in January. You should be drinking cranberry juice. I learned this because I experienced years of digestion issues. I hated feeling like crap, after eating. Regardless of what I was eating. Speaking with holistic health experts taught me this. Buy fresh and local. It's does a body, the wallet and the planet good.

The September Issue - Part One

It's August which means all the major fashion magazines are releasing their September issue. If you're a fan of  fashion you should definitely check out the documentary "The September Issue," it came out a couple of years ago. This documentary is a behind the scenes look at Vogue and their prides for creating the September issue, which is historically their biggest selling issue of the year. The September issue is the biggest selling issue for all fashion and style magazines actually.
I've checked out my first September issue, Vanity Fair and I have to say I'm very impressed.
This month's issue has Jennifer Lopez on the cover.  I'll probably read the article at some point. I know someone who worked with her recently on an acting gig. My friend said she was J Lo, a total diva. She showed up late and didn't even acknowledge my Ou friend at all and it was just the two of them in the scene.
Vanity Fair also has an interview with the fashion I designer Agnes B.
There is a  pictorial of some of the hottest young designers working today and their muses. Another pictorial is of Annie Leibovitz's work.  Which is pictures she has taken of celebrities over the years for the magazine.
Of course there are all the fantastic ads for this years fall lines.
I noticed in the Gucci ad announcing they have a flagship store online. I have to say this is the first time I've seen this and I must check it out.
I really like reading Vanity Fair. I still think they have some really good, interesting articles.
I'm flying back east next week to visit family and attend some friends wedding. To me, flying and reading magazines just go together. I'll be using these flights as an opportunity to read "the fashion bible" Vogue and my personal favorite, In Style.
I'll post my review if those magazines in the coming week.
Have you read any september issues? What looks are you loving/hating for this fall?

Set your season pass now - TV in the modern age.

A new TV Trend? It looks like the networks, the cable channels that is, have caught on to how I and I'm sure many other people watch TV these days, I only watch recorded programs. 


I don't know what I would do without my DVR. I rarely watch "live"  television anymore. Why should I? I record the programs that interest me. I set my season pass for shows I love and watch regularly (I have 34 season passes currently). I love that I'm never searching for something good to watch since I record shows that interest me. At this point I have a nice collection of shows in my queue. If I'm in the mood (or have the time) for an hour long drama, I've got it saved. Sitcoms, check. Reality TV, check. Cooking shows, check. Whatever I want is right there and it seems that networks are starting to catch on. 


One of the best parts of watching all recorded programs is the ability to fast forward through commercials. Because of this, we've seen a return to the 1950's way of advertising, have it incorporated into the show. Even having the stars of the show do mini ads. If you want an example of this, watch The Closer on TNT. It's a great show and the candy industry has taken notice of the main characters love of sweets. They've started to air these quick commercials which may appear to be part of the show but are really just and ad. I guess those advertising executives and networks executives, are hoping to fool us viewers into thinking there is more show to watch but actually it's just an ad. I have to give credit where credit is due and say this form of advertising is working because it kept me from hitting the fast forward button on my remote.


In my recent TV watching, something else caught my eye. I was busy doing another activity, while a recorded program was playing. A commercial came on advertising a new show about the hottest eligible singles in Dallas, which is starting soon. I have no interest in the show but what I found very interesting was just below the name of the show, in the promo was this statement "set your season pass now".  Very smart of the network. It's a brand new show and they are hoping to get a season long audience. I'm sure that there are plenty of people out there who like me, record one or two episodes of a show and if we like it, we'll then set a season pass. I guess the network is hoping if people set their DVRs to record a whole season. They'll continue to watch, even if they only find the show mildly entertaining. 


I suspect we'll be seeing more of this type of promos in the future, since DVRs pretty much come with every cable of satellite service. I find it interesting to see how networks and advertisers try to deal with the changing ways we watch TV. It's the new "easter egg" hunt, to find those items being advertised.

Hello and Welcome

I've decided to give blogging a try. Many people have told me I should blog. I'm sure this is a common story so here is mine. I'm a single lady who has been living in LA for 7 years and 8 months. It's easy math for me because I moved in January. I came from the east coast  - Boston - but I wasn't raised there. I am an Army brat. I was born on an Army base here in California. Fort Ord in Monterey. This is technically my third time living in California. I lived on Ft Ord when I was 10 - 12 yrs old. In the early 90's the government decided to close a bunch of military bases and Ft Ord was one that was closed. I've been back to Monterey but I haven't been to the base yet. It's on my list of things to do. I love California and LA though the east coast has a special place in my heart. Maybe I'll go back but right now I'm here and loving it.
I'm going to use this blog as an opportunity to talk about the things that I love. Eating well, walking around LA, our people and culture and of course, fashion. Following fashion has been a love of mine for as long as I can remember. The closest I've come to working in fashion was when I worked in a department store when I was in high school. I could never figure out how to work in that field, in a way that suited me so I went in a different direction career wise. I'll never stop loving fashion. This blog will be my opportunity to push that we civilized folk can incorporate trends into our wardrobe but not become a slave to them. People need to know their body type and dress accordingly. The world would be a much prettier place if people did that. I'm looking at you, hippy (not the 60's kind) girls in your skinny jeans. Take them off please!

A Style Trend I'm loving right now are these Prada sunglasses. Here is Hilary Duff wearing them. I saw this on JustJared. I've never had strong opinions of her one way or the other but now I think I need to hate her for having access to this great stuff. Completely irrational I know but that's me. It fits the 70's/80's look that is in right now. I wear glasses myself so trendy sunglasses are not an option for me at this time. I'm going to give contacts another try. I credit these sunglasses as being a big inspiration.
I have to admit, I'm surprised it took so long for this look to come back. If you were a child of the 70's and 80's like I am (I'm 40 btw), you'll remember the upside down frames. I loved these as a kid. I've been looking for a picture online but haven't found one yet. If you have a picture, please share.

I love California life. I love the weather - it's one of the big reasons I came here. I love the lifestyle and I love LAs culture. It is unique and in my opinion, gets a bad rap. This blog will be about the things that I love, LA life which includes it's culture and people and my discoveries that I continue to make. It'll also be about one of my loves, fashion. As I mentioned, I've enjoyed following fashion since I was very young. One of my earliest memories involves fashion of the time, Bell Bottoms. Even as a child I hated them. When I was very young and didn't understand how fashion and trends work, I thought that is just what pants look like. It upset me because I just didn't like them, and still don't. At the time I remember thinking, "well, I'll just have to wear dresses for the rest of my life". I do like dresses. They are so easy, especially in the summer time. I'm not loving the fact that Bell Bottoms are back in. I've come to understand that we can co-exist together peacefully.

California, especially Southern California, is known for our healthy lifestyle and I'm come to love it too. Yes, I'm a health foodie. I love eating well and I define eating well as eating food that is delicious and good for you. So eating well to me is not just eating health food. It's about eating tasty, healthy food. It's possible because I do it. I'll also say it is very easy to do here in Southern California. We have delicious fresh produce all year round. Not bragging, it's a fact. As much as I like to eat well, I also love to try new foods. I also love good, cheap eats. I also think it is important to splurge every once in  a while. Feed your craving is what I say. Just watch that your not feeding your craving twice a day, every day. Know, thy self. What are your food weaknesses and learn to make it manageable. More to come on this topic.
Thanks for reading.
Laura