It's A Crazy Sexy Diet!

Photo by Rick Lew

So how many of you have kept your New Year’s resolution so far? How many of you haven’t started yet? (Raises Hand) I’ve made “resolutions” to begin eating right, kick my horrible smoking habit, to exercise and just simply live a better life.

When I read author Kris Carr’s new book “Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark and Live Like You Mean It”(Skirt! Books, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press-$24.95), which is coming out Jan. 17, I felt she spoke to me as any close friend of mine would, with sass and a straight to the point approach.  

So what is a “Crazy Sexy Diet” anyway? Well, Ms. Carr explains that it is a low-fat, vegetarian program that emphasizes balancing the body’s pH by eating more raw vegetables, low-glycemic fruits and whole grains, and by drinking green juices and smoothies. Every health claim she makes is backed by cutting-edge medical research, solid science and logic and has been tested by Jennifer Reilly, RD, senior nutritionist with The Cancer Project. 

Ms. Carr is also the author of “Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips” and “Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor”. For those who share the same canoe as me, Ms. Carr will be doing a book signing at the Fairfield Theatre Company on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public, but it is a ticketed event.

For more information call 203-292-8190.  The Catch a Healthy Habit Café will be sponsoring the event, for more information visit http://www.catchahealthyhabit.com/. The theatre company is located at 70 Sanford Street in Fairfield. 

This book covers everything. Ms. Carr isn’t afraid to talk to her readers; she shares her secrets for maintaining overall wellness and moving toward the goal of good health.

Photo by Rick Lew

Ms. Carr was also the subject for a TLC documentary, “Crazy Sexy Cancer.” Ms. Carr lives with a rare, Stage IV incurable sarcoma but has reinvented herself as the poster girl for raw food and literally using whole foods as her pharmacy, according to a release. 

I recently had the opportunity through e-mail to ask Ms. Carr, whose parents still live in New Milford, a few questions about her new book.

“‘Crazy Sexy Diet’ was born out of my crappy cancer diagnosis,” she said. “Because there was no conventional treatments or cures for me, I went on an adventure to uncover the best diet and lifestyle practices on the planet.”

I asked Ms. Carr how she developed the diet that she describes in the book. She said the book took a lot of research and hard work and led to her awareness of the importance of an anti-inflammatory, pH balanced diet. 

“I just pulled it all together in a new way and since I follow the principles myself, as do many of my fans, I have firsthand knowledge about how it works, how good I feel and how healthy I have become,” said Ms. Carr in the e-mail.

Ms. Carr explained that this diet has helped make her blood work better. She says she has an increase in energy, a stronger immune system and her weight is balanced and healthy. 

“I am truly, madly, deeply happy. Knowing that I am making energy deposits instead of constant withdrawals makes me feel better,” said Ms. Carr.  “Knowing that I am contributing to the health of the planet makes me proud. We are stewards of our inner and outer eco-systems. Each of us needs to step up our game and become active participants in our wellbeing.”

I found her comment about being active participants in our wellbeing to be so true, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her book. This book is for everyone. I found it to be informative and fun to read. Ms. Carr said, “The medicine we need always goes down better when it’s wrapped in honey and giggles.”

“The Crazy, Sexy Diet” tells the painful truth about toxic meat, dairy and sugar habits and shatters popular myths about protein and calcium. It sheds new light on the role of inflammation in disease and calls attention to the widespread, widely misdiagnosed problem of gluten intolerance.   

It is a 21-day cleanse with affirmations, tips, reminders and sample recipes to help. “Crazy, Sexy Diet” converts ease into and embrace the program, body, mind and spirit, according to a release.

When I asked Ms. Carr how she would help someone such as myself get a head-start on living a healthier life, she told me to start with my plate: to fill more than 50 percent of it with vegetables, dump the fake foods and reduce animal products. She recommended I choose a green juice over coffee.

“Wake up to the truth that you are sweet enough, you don’t need piles of sugar to get through the day,” said Ms. Carr. 

The next stop is the mind—“stickin’ thinkin’” just won’t do, she asserts.  To stay committed to a new way of eating, you must address what’s eating you. Stored traumas and dramas keep us stuck and, when we are stuck, we do the same thing over and over again, expecting different results, which is Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity.

She recommends building a daily self-care regimen that includes self-reflection and mental balance to help you get through times of transition, stress and loss.

The last step is exercise; if you don’t move it, you will lose it, Ms. Carr says. Exercise boosts your immune system, reduces stress, increases metabolism, helps you sleep and keep you from aging prematurely.

“‘Crazy Sexy Diet’ takes your wellness vocabulary and expands it exponentially,” said Ms. Carr. “My goal is to help you fill your plates and your hearts with love and to teach you how to take care of yourself for a lifetime.”  

Ms. Carr has appeared on national television, including appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s show and the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. She has led workshops at wellness centers such as The Omega Institute; and lectured at organizations and universities such as Harvard. If you’re interesting in learning more about Ms. Carr’s “Crazy Sexy Diet”, visit www.CrazySexyLife.com.

Girl Scout Cookie Selling Begins!

Girl Scout cookie season has always been a favorite of mine, ever since I was a child in the Girl Scouts.  I was always triving to sell the most cookies to earn my patch, but now the cookie enterprise is about much than just earning a patch; Girl Scouts are going to great lengths to help those in their community and overseas.

My favorite back then, and still, are the Tagalongs, the rich peanut butter patties are always just heavenly. But there are  others that can’t forgotten, such as Thin Mints,  Samoas, Do-si-Dos, Trefoils, Lemon Chalet Cremes, bite-size Dulce De Leche and a favorite from last year, Thank U Berry Munch, which feature real premium cranberries and sweet, creamy white fudge chips. 

This week, my editor received a press release announcing that Girl Scout Cookie Season begins Jan. 7. Girl Scouts throughout Connecticut will be gearing up for the start of season and will begin taking orders. With the press release he received a large box containing all of the varieties of cookies that will be for sale this cookie season. (They didn’t last long in the office.)

According to the release from Girl Scouts of Connecticut, girls participating in this year’s cookie program will be “Cookie Entrapreneurs” and will launch their very own cookie enterprise to help them reach their goals.  

In reading the release, I reflected that Girl Scouts have come a long way since my days of cookie selling. The girls will learn firsthand the ins and outs of running their own cookie business, from setting goals to managing money, learning business ethics and connecting with people in their communities. 

They are teaching young girls how to be independent, and how to connect with people locally and overseas.

The popular Cookies for Heroes program is back this year, with a goal of sending 100,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to our service heroes around the world. The service project allows customers to purchase Girl Scout Cookies from their local Girl Scout and the Girl Scouts of Connecticut Council, and with the help of community partners, they will be shipped to service men and women overseas and at home. 

Many of Connecticut’s Girl Scouts will be celebrating at five different Cookie Rallies across the state. At the beginning of the program, girls ask themselves “What can we do for fun and learning with our cookie proceeds?” and “What can we do with our cookie proceeds to help others?”

Connecticut Girl Scouts have used some of their cookie proceeds to cook dinner for a local homeless shelter, adopt military troops overseas, plant a community garden and donate cookies to local veterans hospital. 

For more information about the Girl Scout cookie program, visit the Web site at www.gsofct.org.

Haver & Skolnick Architects

Beautiful homes are all over Litchfield County, many of them weekend homes for New Yorkers seeking escape from busy city life. Luckily for them, there is Haver & Skolnick Architects, an architectural firm that specializes in high-end residences, including architecture, interior and landscape design in Roxbury.

“We’re a full-service firm or one-stop shopping,” said Stewart Skolnick, AIA, who owns the firm with his partner Charles Haver, AIA, in a brief phone interview recently.

Most of the clients want a relaxed country feel with modern conveniences and a certain amount of technology. The firm strives to maintain the rich tradition of New England vernacular architecture while still offering 21st-century luxuries and conveniences, according to the firm’s Web site, www. www.HaverSkolnickArchitects.com.

The firm has been in Roxbury for 15 years, and Mr. Haver sells Americana antiques from his shop Charles Haver Antiques, also in Roxbury.

Mr. Skolnick said the partners realize they are in a service business and try to take the daunting task of building or rehabilitating a house and to break it down into small components so it is not overwhelming to clients.

Even beyond that Messrs. Haver and Skolnick are fastidious about detail and proportions to make sure the buildings look just right. Some of their projects, aside from homes, include an entertainment barn, a pub and in-home theater and arcade. They have also done a meditation garden, painting studio and pool house.

Current projects include new homes and substantial additions with a wide-range of services, including site planning and interior design, according to their Web site. Recent residential projects range in scale from 2,500- to 15,000-square-feet.

For more information on Haver & Skolnick Architects, call 860-354-1031 or visit www.Haverskolnickarchitects.com.

Photos by Haver & Skolnick Architects.