Twitter, Subscriptions, and In-Store Appearances for Amazing Sales

Spring is here and I am gradually stocking up on oversized, costume jewelry, eclectic printed blouses, 80s-inspired skinny jeans, billowy cropped pants, and bright-colored clutches. Yes, my list of must-haves is lengthy. And nope – I don’t pay ridiculous prices. I am not an A-lister, so I don’t have the luxury of scoring hot-off-the-runway pieces at little to no cost. So, I do what all smart shopaholics must do to update their wardrobes: I shop sales.

As a personal shopper and wardrobe consultant, I believe that the biggest way to find exactly what you are looking for is being proactive and actively seeking out the best deals. I spend massive amounts of time social networking with e-commerce businesses, boutique owners, and fashion designers. I also subscribe to the mailing lists of my favorite stores so that I am updated on sales, events, and giveaways. And most importantly, I check in at my local retail stores to see which big-ticketed items have been marked down.

The biggest key to finding the best deals is to create your own strategies. These are mine:

I “Tweet” like crazy: Twitter has become the most powerful and trendiest social networking site to date, simply due to its ease of use and the ability to track what others are doing in real time. This place is perfect to meet people around the world who share your same passion for fashion. I research those that “follow” me, and depending on their niche, ask that they keep me updated on deals, sales, and new merchandise. Not only do I benefit from getting immediate news; I relay the information to my Good Girl Gone Shopping readers, friends, and family. I used to type in such terms as “handbag sales” in Google(TM) to find this, until I realized that I am still stuck at the beginning in finding exactly what I want. Now with Twitter, I receive direct messages regarding this very request. (Facebook and MySpace are other social networking sites that provide bulletins and updates to take notice of if you want to save money and meet stylista shoppers and industry folk that promote savings.)

I receive online mailers from various online and local retail stores. My favorite is from H&M and Urban Outfitters. This is because I love their merchandise and appreciate that the frequency of their messages is bearable. So make sure your subscriptions are to outlets that you TRULY love! Some of the other mailers (which I won’t be crude enough to mention) inundate my inbox. There is such a thing as getting too many, so watch out for that. As much I love getting news regarding sales, deals, and shopping events, I feel bombarded when I get up to three a day. We live in a recession right now, people; and although the deliverance of helpful updates is a positive thing, do businesses think that we all have the tons of money needed to purchase the items promoted in each mailer? Don’t get me wrong, I highly encourage you to subscribe to these. Just be sure to alleviate the pressure that you don’t need!

I show my face often in such retail stores as Macy’s. This is the ultimate shopping spot for shoe sales. I used to believe that I had psychic abilities when it comes to shoes being marked down, until I realized that I have been following a science I created for myself. In order to make sure that you don’t miss the markdown of Betsey Johnson heels (my fave), here are some tips: Ask a salesperson when the shoes went on display and were received; request a call when they get marked down; try them on so you know they fit; and then jot down the date of this visit. These days, customer service is not always that, so don’t 100 percent depend on the salespeople calling you to give you the heads up. (If they do, then treasure that and make nice with them as you continue to shop there.) I usually predict that in about three to four weeks, these shoes will go on sale if they haven’t sold out, and then another week for the additional 40 percent or half off. THAT is when I hit the racks like crazy. Had I never asked questions, consciously considered seasonal styles and merchandise shipments, I would have missed out on many a deal. Another factor to keep in mind: If you purchase shoes for regular price the day before they go on sale, bring your receipt in as soon as possible and ask for the difference. Most places do this, while others provide a fuss. It doesn’t hurt to try, however. It will only improve your attentive shopping skills.

Budgeting should never be an embarrassing thing to do. It is the smartest thing to do! Even if you have a huge amount to spend with no care in the world, why not take on new practices to save a little? For $200, you can buy a big designer or, for the same amount, you can buy three outfits and two pairs of shoes to match.

Now you tell me: Which one is worth tweeting about?

By Elana Pruitt, ‘Good Girl Gone Shopping’http://www.diaryofapersonalshopper.blogspot.com

Elmer Ave – Just Four Skateboarding Graffiti Artists Making Clothes for the Edgier, Artistic Dresser!

Elmer Ave is a design team consisting of four members:  Sean Murphy, Jonny Day, Collin Pulsipher, and Ward Robinson.  All four work and live in the compound located on Elmer Avenue in North Hollywood.  When I was getting directions to interview them, I was surprised to learn that’s where the name came from.  I had met the angst-like-rocker-formal-wearing designers a couple of years prior to our actual interview when I attended an event put on by Pure Consulting PR firm, where I met these very talented guys.  I spotted a distinctively edgy sports coat and proceeded to meet its owner(s)—the Elmer Ave design team.

Since that initial meeting, Elmer Ave has shown twice at Smashbox Studios during Fashion Week in LA.  They have sold their jackets to Marilyn Manson for the Marilyn Manson Dressing 2007 Tour, Tommy Lee, Dave Navarro, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, Goo Goo Dolls, and Def Leppard.  They were featured on “America’s Next Top Model.”  You’d think after all this success there’d be a few inflated egos.  Well, you’d be wrong.  Sean, Jonny, Collin, and Ward are probably the most down to earth designers I have ever had the pleasure to interview.  They’re just four “regular guys” who ride skateboards, play punk rock music, and oh yeah, make clothes, too.

Customized and painted by the Afroman Design Team (back at the compound), these couture garments are characterized by a variety of existing elements, ultimatelytransforming the garments into rare vintage rock n’ roll wearable art.

I met you guys a couple of years ago.  It was the first time I heard about you guys.  How did Elmer Ave come about?

Afroman was a skateboard company that started making apparel.  As they were creating clothes to wear on stage, it evolved and became a high-end fashion line called Elmer Ave.

Did any of you attend fashion school?

We all separately attended the school of hard knocks, never attending fashion school.

It’s such a niche of a design.  It reminds me of what rockers would wear.  But it’s really defined.  How did you come up with this particular style?

I think the whole Elmer Ave style was created out of our own lifestyle.  A lot of the stuff we made from day one to now was stuff we just couldn’t find.  For example, how do we come up with five striped jackets for five dudes? How do you make that happen with no money?  You just kind of make it on your own.  All of us coming from skateboarding, graffiti art, and creative backgrounds, and just being interested in clothes in general—having a hard time finding exactly what we felt like we were looking for—that really brought about a whole look, and it continues to.  It’s very genuine.  We all play music and it started on stage. That’s how it maintains the edge that it does.  It’s really an extension of what we do every day.

Tell me about your music.

All of us at one time or another played in a band called Numchuck, which is straight ahead old school punk rock.  We did that for a long time.  It was a lot of fun and currently a band called Royal Heist [with only two Elmer Ave members involved].  It’s also straight ahead rock music.

You guys are gigging now?  Where can people find you? And do you have a CDout?

Visit www.myspace.com/royalheist.   You can find us around LA, playing Hollywood.We have a CD out, the Compound Collective CD, which is put on by Elmer Ave and is a combination of people that have worn Elmer Ave or those who have lived at the compound (the place where we all live and work).  We do this whole collective thing in music, fashion, and art.  We always collaborate with the music.  We don’t try to push it in your face—it’s just what we do.  It just so happens that people like it.

What are the price points?

We have a custom line that we generally reserve for our private clients:  Def Leppard, Tommy Lee, Marilyn Manson.  We do one-of-a-kind custom that’s reworked vintage.  We gear that toward our private clients.  We do a production line that obviously is for boutiques and retail accounts.  Elmer Ave retails for about $500 and our custom line is around $200 more, depending on what it is.

Would you call it couture?

Here’s the problem (everybody laughs), the problem with us as opposed to Fashion Week, words like couture, Smashbox, fashion school . . . we don’t fit inside the typical fashion industry box at all. We started a totally different way from music and skateboarding.  We started doing it on our own without any knowledge of knowing what we were getting ourselves into.  We started doing our own fashion shows, bootlegging it with different kinds of styles and dramatics within theshow that people had never seen before.  It’s not that we were trying to go against anything.  It’s just that we were doing it our way.  And it didn’t necessarily fit the categories that people often want us to be fitting into.  The stuff is exclusive and it’s not cheap.  So I guess it is couture.

There are very few men’s lines that have actually shown at Smashbox during Fashion Week.

Smashbox was a big deal for us.  Men’s fashion has gained a lot of speed.  Men’s lines have always continued to grow.  We want to be the ones who are known for that.

I think the industry does need more designers that design for men’s lines.  And especially the ones like yours.  It’s very niche-specific.  I have a rock producer for a husband, and I know for a fact if he saw your line, he would like everything in it.

We make clothes that we want to wear.

I think that’s how you will continue to keep moving ahead, because you’re doing what you like.  You guys are obviously on the trend.

Well, we’re not trying to be trend-setters.  We’re just doing our thing.  If we’re driving the trend, then cool.  On one hand, we might be setting the trend and it can be really cool and romantic and flattering as far as press and media—only a certain kind of person is going to wear it – rock n’ roll or somebody who has an edgier opinion of fashion.  A lot of people are going to look at it and say, “That may be a cool art piece, but I’m not going to buy it and wear it.”

What fabrics do you use?

Mostly wool.  Our whole line is basically a suit and the components thereof.  We also dovelvet and leather in the custom line.  There are some cotton blends.  The shirts are permatex, which is a mixture of spandex, polyester, and cotton.

Were there any struggles in putting this line together?

(Everybody is laughing hysterically.)  No, it’s been easy.  We’re being sarcastic.  Elmer Ave is not easy.  It’s a struggle.  But we keep doing it because we believe in it and we enjoy it, not because it’s a cash cow.

What were your biggest hurdles when producing your line?

Money is the biggest hurdle.  We’ve always been a self-funded company.  The whole thing about fashion is money.  If you want to be what’s big, you go for what’s trendy and mainstream, not for what’s setting the trend.  But we don’t have a choice because none of us are about that.  So we do what we do.

Highest High

There are three big standout moments:  (1) being accepted to do a show at Smashbox; (2) the first fashion show ever that we produced at the compound.  It was amazing to be able to pull off a fashion show; and (3) the first time we got back our first cut and sew sample of aproduction jacket. We were able to look at it and [know that it was] completely from scratch [and it was] something we made.  We’d been doing one-of-a-kind stuff, reconstruction and deconstruction.  Just having something that came from our heads that actually became material was fulfilling.

Lowest Low

The last six months.  Ask anybody that owns a business.  We’re the four people that own this business and the economy is really bad.  There has been a trickle down effect from the housing market to oil prices all the way down to four idiots that make clothes.  This is a difficult time.  I’d say we’re probably at one of our hardest times. We’re really blessed.  We’re a group of retards that make really cool sh_t!  We have so much to be thankful for.  People have been really nice to us and people seem to like what we do.  Even though we’re not thriving right now—and who really is at the moment—we’re going to grow.  We all want to be rolling and living large and feeling good.  But that’s really not what we’re doing this for.  We’re four friends, and we are really enjoying what we’re doing.  The highs and the lows change every five minutes.

What advice would you give to someone who’s trying to start their own clothing line?

Don’t do it the way we have.  Work at 7-11.  You have to decide from the start if it’s a dream of yours and you are going to see it all the way through.  Or if it’s, “I’m going to give it a shot and if it doesn’t work, bow out of it.”  We’ve had a few options to bow out, but we believe in our product and want to keep doing it.  One day you can be at Smashbox and everybody’s patting you on the back, and the next day they want to turn your power off.  Decide if the dream’s worth following.

Any last words?

Be looking out for the upcoming seasons of Elmer Ave for Men’s Rock n’ roll awesomeness!  Visit us at www.Elmerave.com.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

In the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse

THE REFUGEES and SATURDAYS OFF THE 405 
at the GETTY MUSEUM 

by Marilyn Anderson

Hey, there’s a recession on. So where can you go to get fabulous entertainment for free? Quick . . . make your reservations for theGetty Museum!

Remember when a group just wanted to be “on the cover of Rolling Stone“? Now, the musical trio, The Refugees, wants to be on the cover of AARP Magazine!

What is there to say about a powerhouse of incredible women all over the age of 50 that wow audiences wherever they go? Their show on Saturday night, May 30th at the Getty Museum on the top of Sepulveda Pass sold out within 30 minutes of going online.

Each of The Refugees has logged more than three decades in the industry, with nineteen solo albums and multiple Grammy Award nominations to their credit, featuring musical styles that blend country, rock, folk, and Americana.

Cindy Bullens toured with Elton John as a backup singer. She has released several solo albums, the latest being Dream #29.

Debra Holland was lead singer and songwriter for Animal Logic with Stanley Clarke and Stewart Copeland of The Police. She is now a full professor of music at Cal State Los Angeles.

Wendy Waldman has had a string of hits recorded by major performers such as Vanessa Williams, Crystal Gayle and Alison Krauss, and is currently enjoying a very successful career as a record producer.

There was a true convergence of the stars when these three women, all with very different personalities came together in 2007. It was meant to be. Their harmonies are joyous and leave you wanting more. They give each song something special. Not only are the songs well crafted, but their banter is engaging and funny. Their attitude towards getting older is pure fun and you find yourself laughing out loud along with them. For a short amount of time, you forget everything and just go along for the ride. And what a ride it is! They take you up, down, and all around, and you truly feel “Unbound,” a wonderful song on their debut CD, entitled The Refugees. If you missed their recent show, check out their upcoming dates and more information on their website:www.therefugeesmusic.com

And make sure to check out the other free events available at The Getty Museum this summer at http://www.getty.edu/visit/calendar

Every Saturday evening from 6-9 in the Museum Courtyard, visitors can experience the sounds and sights of the Getty Center at the“Saturdays Off the 405” music series. Take in the exhibitions; then sit back and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, while sipping a cocktail and listening to some of today’s most exciting emerging bands and DJs.

Some upcoming performances of “Saturdays Off the 405”

Mas Exitos
Saturday July 11, 2009 – 6-9 pm

The DJ collective Mas Exitos brings their semi-monthly international music event to the Getty! Their sound takes you from the Andes of Peru to the streets of Mexico City to the East Side of Los Angeles. Featuring live performances from DJs Chico Sonido and Lengua on laptops and the other members of Mas Exitos on turntables.

Cut Chemist
Saturday, July 25, 2009 – 6-9 pm

Cebrated DJ Cut Chemist will take to the decks to create an audio feast featuring vocalist Hymnal with video by Cinefamily’s VJ Pimpadelic Wonderland. Cut Chemist—a.k.a. Lucas MacFadden—is an L.A. native who was a founding member of both the rap/hip-hop group Jurassic Five and the Latin funk outfit Ozomatli. He plays music and rhythms from around the world while keeping strong the hip-hop tradition.

Also performing: We Are the World

The choreographed performances of Echo Park’s energetic dance-collective-slash-avant-garde band tend toward the exuberant and unpredictable.

The Dodos and DJ Turquoise Temple
Saturday August 8, 2009 – 6-9 pm

The Dodos create an energetic sound with guitar and drums—music that perfectly complements a summer night outdoors at Saturdays Off the 405. The band features the acoustic artistry of Meric Long and drummer Logan Kroeber, who came out of progressive metal. Sets from DJ Turquoise Temple complement the night.

Concerts are free, but reservations are required.
http://www.getty.edu/visit/events/saturdays_405.html

THIRD EXTENSION of LOUIS & KEELY: LIVE AT THE SAHARA

The Award-Winning Musical has been extended through August 2 in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse

If you want an evening filled with boundless energy, sensational music, and a wonderful dose of nostalgia, head over to see Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara . Right now, they are Live at The Geffen Playhouse in Westwood!

With fantastic reviews and a collection of top honors at every major Los Angeles theater awards ceremony, including Best Musical at the Ovation Awards, Best Production at the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, Best Production at the Garland Awards andMusical of the Year at the LA Weekly Theater Awards, Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara is now on its third extension at the Geffen Playhouse.

Created by Jake Broder and Vanessa Claire Smith , who also star as Louis and Keely, respectively, Louis & Keely: Live at the Saharafollows the life and love of Las Vegas’s infamous onstage couple.  Directed by acclaimed Hollywood director/biographer Taylor Hackford, the current production is a revamped version of Broder and Smith’s 2008 show which originated at the Sacred Fools Theatre Company.

Hackford, who joined forces with the creators to guide the revision process, estimates about 40 percent of the script is different from the original production. This includes the addition of seven new songs: “I Wish You Love,” “Hey Boy, Hey Girl,” “What is This Thing Called Love?” “Night Train,” “Ai, Ai, Ai,” and “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me,” as well as new characters.

Broder and Smith are outstanding as Louis and Keely, and new cast members Nick Cagle and Erin Matthews add another dimension by playing various other characters in the couple’s story, including Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. In addition to the four actors, the show features a seven-piece live swing band that brings down the house as the orchestra for the play and as Louis Prima’s Vegas band, The Witnesses.

Whether you are old enough to remember the incomparable Louis & Keely or are in a younger generation and new to their music, this is a show that you don’t want to miss.

Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara
By Jake Broder & Vanessa Smith
Directed by Taylor Hackford
Runs Through Sunday, August 2, 2009

Performance Schedule
Tuesdays – Thursdays 8:00 pm
Fridays 7:30 pm
Saturdays 3:30 pm and 8:00 pm;
Sundays 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Ticket Info

Purchase tickets on-line at www.geffenplayhouse.com or call the Geffen Playhouse Box Office at (310) 208-5454, Daily: Noon-6:00 pm

Also available at Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling Ticketmaster at (213) 480-3232.

Premium Stage Seating – $55; Orchestra Seating – $65
Student rush tickets available one hour prior to curtain for $15.

Reviewed by Marilyn Anderson

New Face of the Month – Sarah Svetlana Levis

Sarah Svetlana Levis was born in a very small town called Babruysk, Belarus near Minsk. She moved to Minnesota when she was 4 and that is where she grew up, ultimately relocating to Los Angeles at 18 years of age. She went to school to become a forensic psychologist.

Best Friends

Dogs Sasha, Penelope, and Maizy Louise

Describe Yourself

I’m a total tomboy. I like to climb things, collect rocks and get dirty. I never bring a towel to the beach—a real beach bum sits on the sand.

Favorite Food

Veggie Orange Chicken from Kung Pao Bistro

Favorite Color

Yellow

What’s New?

6-page editorial in Roll’s – Paris, France

8 pages – British Editorial

Croation/Eastern European Billboard, “The Winter Clash,” European X Games

LA QUA Hair Campaign

Ambrose Hotel, Santa Monica, CA Advertisement

~

Interview questions by Jeff Linett of Studio 838

Ash Gupta Studio 838 – July 2009

Ash Gupta Studio 838 – July 2009

Ash Gupta and Studio 838 have been busy creative bees since the Spring 2009 issue of Agenda Magazine. With a jam packed schedule of photo shoots and magazine features, we’re having a hard time keeping up with it all. However, Ash can certainly organize it all with his entourage of photographers, photo editors, and assistants. Lately studio 838 has photographed Anya Monzikova (Get Out! and Deal or No Deal); Miss World (Ksenia Shukhinova); and a slew of breathtaking editorials, not to mention our own editor’s cover shot.

In this issue, “Celebrating 5 Years of Agenda Magazine,” Ash introduces the face of the month in addition to studio 838’s issue-based glowingfashion editorials—the purpose to spotlight aspiring models. This issue features Sarah Svetlana Levis, photographed by Jeff Linett for studio 838.

You can follow Ash Gupta and Studio 838 onwww.twitter.com/studio838 and www.twitter.com/agendamag.

See the editorial.

Hitting the Reset Button – How to Detox

Do I Need a Special Program?

There are countless detox diets out there requiring you to buy special herbal blends and spend gobs of your hard earned money for what promises to be the solution to all your ailments. Think twice. The Master Cleanse, Martha’s Vineyard Detox, Fruit Flush, Fast-Track One Day Detox, and the Joshi Program are all highly promoted detox programs on the current market; but buyer, beware. “These diets can give people a false sense of security, a feeling that they’ve been protective of their health,” Dawn Jackson-Blatner, a dietitian at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Wellness Institute and American Dietetic Association spokeswoman told WebMD. I, on the other hand, personally believe in taking the most natural and minimalistic approaches to your body (please, always consult with your physician, though), and a detox is no exception. The proper detox is not a diet but simply making a healthy shift in what you eat and what you expose yourself to for the long run. You take the time to filter out as many artificial substances as possible, and usher in a host of natural foods to give your body the time and resources it needs to repair itself. All you will need is fresh natural foods (organic preferably), common low cost natural supplements, lots of water, patience, determination, commitment, and finally, good advice (provided here of course).

Is Detoxing Safe?

By my definition of detoxing, yes, but always consult your physician before making dramatic changes to your diet. My definition of detoxing includes pulling away from artificial, over-processed foods, minimizing exposure to environmental toxins and increasing self-care to give your body the chance it needs to optimize. It is not a magic bullet, and you mostly lose water weight and possibly backed up fecal matter (stool) in your colon both of which drop big weight fast, but still this is vital. You do lose some body fat, but the idea of a proper detox is to create an ideal foundation for a lifelong positive health shift that will in turn rev your metabolism. At the risk of being hunted down by high-end spas and programs offering $5000 detox packages, don’t waste your money. If it sounds as if they are offering miracles, do your research. Would you rather take the expensive, questionable quick fix that offers you the world only to empty your pockets and add twice the weight back or a realistic permanent healthy change?

So How Do I Get Started?

Allergies:

If you are relatively new to taking care of yourself and not very familiar with your body, I would first recommend that you ask your doctor for an allergy path exam. There are a significant number of people today with food and/or environmental allergens who are none the wiser. You might not be aware of an allergy because some symptoms are as small as headaches, gas, irritation, or lethargy. Allergies become relevant because one symptom you might not be aware of is internal inflammation (which you obviously cannot see). Inflammation can severely affect nutrient absorption and a host of other systems. Make a trip to your doctor and let your doctor know you are interested in finding out whether you have any allergies and if you should worry about intestinal inflammation. (Doctors have a special test.)

What Should I Avoid?

(temporarily)

Sugar

Includes products containing sugar, and hidden forms of sugar, such as sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, brown sugar, and turbinado. Artificial sweeteners are usually not recommended. Stevia and erythritol are allowed natural sweeteners.

Dairy Products

Milk, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and other dairy products.

Wheat

Wheat and products containing wheat, such as pasta and bread.

Gluten

All gluten-containing grains: wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye, and barley.

Coffee

One cup a day is ok if needed to reduce the occurrence of caffeine withdrawal headaches, but if you can, go without.

Stress

I can hear you snickering and laughing from here. Stress reduction is important. Stress reduction is scientifically proven to be critical to proper health, longevity, weight management, and a host of other subjects. Look forward to a full article on stress in an upcoming issue. Try as hard as you can to minimize your stress for this two-week approach of mine with massages, pampering, delegating your work to others temporarily, or just avoiding stressful scenarios temporarily. I know it’s easier said than done, but there is logic behind my madness. If after these two weeks your health and mood are significantly enhanced, then it is in your best interest to take the time to create a battle plan to combat stress for the long run, for the sake of your health.

Other Foods to Avoid

  • Yeast
  • Alcohol
  • Food Additives and Preservatives
  • Chocolate
  • High-Fat Foods

So What Should I Have?

Fruit

Fresh or frozen fruit.

Vegetables

All fresh, please. Particularly good veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussells sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, red and green vegetables.

Rice

All forms of rice, brown rice preferred.

Other Grains

Quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat can be used instead of rice. Found at a health food store or in some grocery stores.

Beans

Split yellow and green peas and lentils are easiest to digest and require the least soaking time. Other good options include kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and adzuki beans.

Nuts and Seeds

Good choices include flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, and walnuts (usable as snacks or on a salad). Natural nut butters are ok. Peanuts and peanut butter are usually not recommended.

Oil

Extra-virgin olive oil is a preferred oil.

Condiments

Vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, all herbs or spices.

Tea

Herbal teas, green tea.

Other Beverages

Water, lemon water, pure unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, rice milk

Detox Must Dos

  • Fiber – If you are cleaning bad stuff out, it needs to completely leave your system; and only fiber is truly going to take care of the bulk of that work.
  • Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, warm or room temperature preferred.
  • (Recommended) A good probiotic to aid in digestion.
  • (Recommended) A Good Multivitamin to ensure nutrient needs are met.

So Now How Do I Detox?

My basic prescription will take two weeks. You will want to eat five to six equal meals throughout the day. First meal should be within 30 minutes of waking up. I don’t recommend starvation, so eat the amount of calories your body requires. Should you want to put some emphasis on weight loss, find out how many calories you should eat and subtract 500 a day. This deficit will give you an approximate 1-2 lb of fat loss a week. Please note that those of you increasing that 500 calorie deficit should not cut your calories so much that you are starving because it will launch your body into weight storage mode. Stick to a 500 calorie deficit for now. To calculate how many calories, simply multiply your body weight times ten; and that will give you a solid general idea of the calories you use in a day. If you are very sedentary, subtract 300 calories from that number to be more accurate. If you want a more precise method of calculating weight loss calories, head back to my older article on weight loss “Fitness 101 – Weight Loss” in our archives.

Now that you have your allotted calories, split them up evenly over those 5-6 even meals. As for what you should eat, refer back to the included list of What Should I Have? and avoid the Avoids list. Have fun and make your own meals, or buy food if you are not a cook; but stick as close as you can to these two lists for two weeks. The idea is to minimize possible negative influences in your health and filter them out in this detox time. Stay committed and it will pay off big. After these two weeks, begin to reintroduce all the items from the Avoid list one at a time; try to separate the time between each. Notice how your body responds to each of them, and should you not like what happens (i.e., gas, bloating, headache, lethargy, restlessness, mood shift, etc.), then eliminate it completely. This is a great simple way to optimize your health and life.

There are definitely some items on the Avoid list that I highly recommend that you never bring back, though: high fructose corn syrup, white flour, heavy artificial preservatives, and large amounts of sugar. The closer you stay to natural forms of food the easier it is to keep weight down and health up. The body suffers when you mistreat it.

Look forward to a future exposé article on what is in our food that slows us down and how to combat all these hidden land mines. The food industry is going to hurt me; but if you live longer, healthier lives, then I am ok with that.

If you would like a more advanced detailed version of how to detox through my idea of more natural methods for long-term goals, stay close. I will be publishing a comprehensive handbook focused on the top 10 ways to supercharge your metabolism for life very soon. It will include all this in detail, along with sample menus and lots of great helpful surprises. Until we meet again, Agenda readers.

Resources

“The World’s Healthiest Foods – Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating,” GMF publishing, George Mateljan

“Anatomy & Physiology” 6th Edition, Mosby Elsevier Publishing, Thibodeau, Patterson

http://www.webmd.comhttp://www.usprobiotics.org

Written by Anthony Heredia

The Skinny on Healthy Detoxing – Should I Detox?

Agenda is evolving and so shall its readers. This issue we are taking a look at how (how being addressed in “Fitness 101” article) and why to detoxify your body from years of environmental and nutritional abuse for a metabolic weight loss and life boost. Hitting the reset button on your body is a great way to get a fresh start on any type of journey towards reaching your health and fitness goals. A detox (short for detoxification) is basically removing as many potentially harmful environmental and dietary toxic substances from your body as possible so that your body may function properly and thrive. We are exposed to countless environmental pollutions (smog, fumes, emissions, pesticides, etc.) as well as nutritional toxins (artificial preservatives, animal hormones, Trans fats, large amounts of sugar, excess sodium, etc.) that over time can dramatically drag our bodies to a slow crawl. Consider detoxing as cleaning house. It’s spring cleaning time.

There are a handful of authorities out there that believe our bodies do not need extra help to detox. These individuals believe that the body has adapted enough over the years to fend for itself, but I strongly disagree. The various toxins we are exposed to are primarily stored in our fat cells (our primary form of storage) when they enter our system. This means the more body fat one accumulates the more potential storage for 21st century toxins. We need to be more proactive about our health and help our bodies attain new levels of health so we can live longer, happier, and more productive lives. The idea of detoxing is basically to give your body a break, a chance to heal itself and play catch up over a brief period of about two weeks. You do this through a balance of natural and modern methods (addressed in Fitness 101). Once your newly cleansed supercharged body is ready, you can restore your daily routine with new, healthier precautions taken to maintain this new-found vitality and youth you have gained.

Detoxifying Helps:

· Reduce Inches in Midsection

When your body is exposed to potential allergens (environmental & nutritional toxins), your body can become inflamed, swelling you from the inside and slowing down many processes inside your body. This can lead to the appearance of a larger stomach when in fact it’s inflammation that your body is fighting. When your body is under heavy inflammation, you are much more likely to gain body fat as well as create a vicious cycle of weight gain.

· Regulate True Appetite (Eliminate Fake Hunger & Cravings)

An abundance of artificial preservatives, excess sugar, nutrient imbalance, and toxic food triggers false chemical signals, making you crave foods you really don’t need.

· Regulate & Boost Sex Drive

A healthy sex drive is a result of healthy hormone secretion and proper blood flow combining in an internal orchestra bringing your lust to life. Should a problem arise on either the hormonal or circulatory level, your taste for amorous lovemaking might decrease significantly. There are numerous reasons why sex drive decreases, but many of those reasons can be significantly helped with some simple self-care.

· Regulate Mental Clarity

Mental clarity is a result of proper neural signals firing cohesively as a result of good blood chemistry. Thinking clearly requires body homeostasis (full body balance) through good oxygen uptake, nutrient balance, and proper circulation, all of which can easily be thrown off by a toxic malnourished system.

· Lessen or Eliminate Bad Breath and Body Odor

You are what you eat, they say. Well, they’re right. Bad breath comes from bad stomach chemistry and rotting food in your mouth. Bad body odor stems from toxins leaving through sweat glands. The more toxic the system the more potent the offending odor. Both these problems can be helped significantly through better diet.

· Lessen or Eliminate Allergies, Eczema, Acne, or Psoriasis

Many allergies and skin conditions are nowadays being recognized more as the result of food irritants. This can also be addressed by a medical allergy patch exam. You might be allergic to something you’re eating and not know it.

· Regulate & Boost Metabolism (Weight Loss)

You basically are able to burn (use) more calories with a cleaner engine (metabolism), thus aiding in your weight loss efforts. It’s a bit more complicated than that, but I am sure you get the idea.

· Regulate & Boost Energy Levels and Moods

Mood imbalance and lethargy are caused for various reasons, but I am referring here to neural chemical imbalances due to electrolyte, fluid, and nutrient imbalances. Not giving your body what it needs can drastically affect energy levels and cause mood swings. You should always consult your physician for serious scenarios, but a detox can make a world of change.

· Regulate Sleep Patterns

Falling asleep begins by your body releasing melatonin from your pituitary gland to render that drowsy feeling. This process can be impaired by a toxic system, making it much harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

· Regulate Bowel Movements

By increasing fiber. Having regular bowel movements is crucial to your health because if you aren’t regular, the toxins in your colon are given time to be reabsorbed into your healthy system.

· Improve Skin Health

By helping restore proper moisture and oils to skin.

· Slow Aging

By fighting deterioration of collagen (main cause of aging) and combating free radicals (the destroyers of healthy cells).

·  Regulate & Boost Immune System

·  Regulate or Eliminate Bloating, Puffiness, Gas, and/or Indigestion

By regulating good to bad bacteria and enzyme ratios in your body that keep you in balance.

There are countless effective ways to detoxify your body, all catering to your varied levels of likes, dislikes, lifestyles and budgets and whims, but whatever you do, make sure to do some research. Find something that has been proven to render results, that has a well established history, and that you will enjoy. Suffering is not the goal; the goal is to be kind to yourself, work with and heal your body from the inside out. Namaste (I bow to the divine in you), Agenda readers. (How to Detox in “Fitness 101”)

Written by Anthony Heredia

Heal the Body . . . Heal the Mind . . . Heal the World!

Healing begins in the mind. An individual releases illness by first surrendering to the present moment and then experiencing relief. The healer acts as a conduit to allow that energy to flow to others. The patient permits that healing, and the energy is cleansed. Love and warmth are the healing agents that heal others as well as the healer.

I have discovered that the body reveals the source of its pain. We emit frequencies that change, depending on where our sickness lies.

Reiki is one particular healing medium that works in concert with the healer’s and the patient’s energy. Everyone can heal. We all have light within ourselves to help one another mentally as well as physically. We only have to become aware.

I am a healer. When the body becomes unbalanced, I work with the individual to bring the body and the mind into equilibrium. Compassion is the greatest tool in my medicine bag; for when people feel loved and accepted, they can then accept the healing, blocks are released, and loving energy is allowed to enter. To practice as a healer is to share empathy and compassion.

Have you heard that the cook should not prepare the meal in anger? The same goes for energy work. I cannot remain angry when practicing healing because soon my own illness of mind begins to fade. When compassion is shared with others, it expands and illuminates areas within us where darkness resides.

Whoever you experience God to be, universally, God is expressed as light. Light is love and love is light. I’ve experienced the light as yellow in hue, and in the past when I’ve sensed healing of the heart and of the body, I’ve felt the temperature grow a few degrees warmer. I really believe that someday when doctors have a better understanding of how energy and frequencies are experienced in the body, they will no longer need lasers and knives to perform surgery. The surgeon will use instruments that correct imbalances in the energy field by using sound and light at different frequencies and wavelengths.

When I place my hands on or above the body, I sense darkness where there is illness and hear a change in the sound of the energy flow. Not all are sensitive as I am to this, but one can learn how to increase his or her sensitivity because with the desire to heal comes the ability. It is a matter of one’s intention.

As the individual goes, so goes the world. There is an individual mind and an individual body, so there is a group mind and body. Potentially we can heal the world with first experiencing healing within ourselves. Hope is the salve that heals, and if I become awakened to the misery of others, I could help to alleviate that misery by offering assistance borne from empathy and compassion.

Have you ever traveled to an area and felt ill and couldn’t tell why? It happened to me a few years ago when I visited Nuremburg, Germany. I felt heaviness in my chest (the region of the heartchakra ) the whole time I was there and couldn’t quite eliminate the sadness I experienced. This was the place where thousands of Jews were sent on the long journey to their slow deaths. A place maintains a memory, for darkness never really leaves an area until it is illuminated. I believe that I sensed the sorrow of the people who were driven to their deaths.

We can illuminate the world in mind and in body by empathizing with others and showing them compassion. Until we stop despising others, we will continue to experience darkness within ourselves. This will cause disease of the mind and the body, and by extension cause disease to the collective mind and body. Cities, countries, and the world represent the collective. Love is the universal salve that heals the collective.

Stevie Wonder has so eloquently stated that our world is truly in need of love today. Mata Amritanandamayi (Ammachi), a holy woman from India who embraces people around the world in order to take on their karma and heal the mind, body, and spirit has stated that with compassion and empathy, you can heal the world.

Healing starts within; and once our hearts are opened, we can develop empathy, and in turn help others to heal. As the late Michael Jackson said so well in his song “Heal the World,”

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Lisa Trimarchi

lisaantoinettetr@yahoo.com

I Talk Chic: The Only Way I Know How

I developed my “Talking Chic” column in 2004. This was just after I received my bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in speech communications from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). Yes, I had a lot to say to the world—I mean a lot. So imagine the rush I felt when Kaylene Peoples, the publisher and editor in chief ofAgenda Magazine, offered me the platform to just, well, talk. And talk about fashion; puh-lease add more cherries to that pie!

I worked in the TBD department at Nordstrom when I first started my column. And I clearly recall when I gave my acceptance speech to Kaylene. By myself, standing next to the “holds” in the back office, I felt that this moment was supposed to come my way. I knew that my interest in fashion and style would exceed merchandising racks of new trends and getting sizes for customers (even though I loved it all and still personally shop with women!). I desired the chance to sit with an actual designer and pick his or her brain, asking such as questions, Why this fabric? Why only these sizes? Have you always wanted to do this?

Thanks to Agenda Magazine, those days eventually arrived.

So for the last five years, I have been able to chat about the chic things in life—designer collections, Los Angeles fashion shows, my celebrity fashion inspirations, helping women clean out their closets, social networking, family heirlooms, thrift-store shopping, finding the right jeans—my values of what I consider chic topics to address.

I grew up with this magazine and have gone through numerous life changes! But the one thing that has been constant amongst joyful as well as heartbreaking experiences is my “Talking Chic” column. It has helped me stay strong, become more confident, and accept exactly who I am.

By Elana Pruitt, ‘Good Girl Gone Shopping’http://www.diaryofapersonalshopper.blogspot.com