Chocolate .... for the helpless hopeless

This is for the girl who wakes up and eats the leftover cake for breakfast. This is for the girl who closes her eyes when biting into a piece of chocolate . This is for the girl who microwaves her chocolate to have it at the perfect gooey consistency. This is for the girl who orderers extra caramel and chocolate sauce on her sunday, and who doesn't mind getting a little chocolate in her hair when going for it... it is for the girl who caries a stash in her purse- it is for the chocolate addict. 

I don't know about you, but I LOVE chocolate... addicted really.  It's fine at first and I can indulge like a dignified french person...a little nip after dinner, totally harmless- chic actually... but then it turns.  A little after lunch, maybe a piece or two before dinner, just a bite before bed, and before I know it I'm breaking off squares at breakfast, dropping pieces in my coffee and going through a chocolate bar a day... totally out of control. 

I found an outlet... I had to! It's not for life, but during the week it totally keeps the monster at bay... and it's DELICIOUS! The recipe was inspired by Tracy Anderson's chocolate solution on her very low cal diet.  I changed a few things to make it even healthier and organic. Even my Dad, who is diabetic and loves only the decadent and delish, loves it too!  It takes about 5-8 minutes to make and has absolutely saved my life over the holidays when all I want to do is indulge in all the beautiful chocolates everywhere! 

Hope you love! 

Enjoy!

xo,

K

These are carob chips... they need to be in this form in order to melt them down.  Go to Whole Foods and buy them in bulk. I don't know if you know about carob chips but they are rad. 

Take a 1/2 cup put them in a sauce pan and melt them down at low heat. Add a splash of water to the pan so the chips don't burn and stir  until smoothly mixed together.  If it looks too dry just add a bit more water so it has the consistency of melted chocolate.  Pore it all into a blender after melted.

Add the following to the blender with the melted carob chips:

 I add 1-2 table spoons of goji berries for texture. They are so good for you. Go to Whole Foods and buy in bulk. 

2 Table spoons of cacao nibs. Again, buy this in bulk not from CG. This is super good for you as well. 

 4 dates ( take the pit out). This is the key ingredient... makes it sweet and a bit chewy. My mom likes to use prunes but that makes me want to gag, however you can play with the fruit of choice if you're not a date person... figs are good too. 

2-3 tablespoons of dried, shredded coconut just to give it more texture. DO not use sweetened coconut, make sure you get organic unsweetened. 

 Use 1 tablespoon of non-GMO Lecithin Powder. Because this recipe does not use chocolate it doesn't have the fat to thicken it up once cooled, so this helps the consistency... it also naturally supports fat burning and other great stuff. 

 Because its good in anything! 1 splash of vanilla extract

 I would actually use chunkier fleur de sel, but I don't have it, so whatever. (Camargue is a good one) a few pinches. 

Cayenne Pepper is a nice surprise. You need only one small pinch... SMALL. for a hint of fire. 

Filtered water. 1/4 cup. Hot water helps everything mix together nicely and boiled water helps purify.

Blend it all together. Pore into a glass tupperware and stick it into the fridge. It will thicken up and you can eat by the spoon full!!! Totally fabulous! 

This is the end result! You can also sprinkle some cacao nibs and crushed almonds on top for a little crunch. This will typically last me 2 days.... maybe less. It is so delicious!

Namaste... or something like that.

 Life can be nuts, and I can get easily overwhelmed and super anxious. When I get this way it becomes very hard for me to see and appreciate the gifts around me... and that is so unfortunate because I, like many of us, have so much to be present for.  I ask you, what's the point of looking your best if you are not present to appreciate it? It's the worst to be somewhere physically and be somewhere else emotionally, your time is literally waisted. I'm no guru, but adding meditation to my day for just five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night, makes more difference in my life than my facials, manicures, exercise, diet and highlights combined... well maybe not my highlights, but it's pretty major. Studies have shown it can literally change chemical brain waves... umm,  I don't know about you, but I could use some serious rewiring! So, if you don't meditate but are interested,  I'm going to chat about some basic stuff that has really helped me tap into the now.

Chance and I meditating last year in Vancouver 

My new years resolution 2011 was to meditate every morning and every evening... that didn't happen BUT I have been meditating a lot more, and have felt the difference. The reason I am so fascinated by meditation is the same reason I am fascinated with all natural health remedies- it's natural, it is available to us at all times, and it can aid us in our mental health, physical health,  physical beauty, internal beauty, and most importantly, open the gate way so that we can approach our lives day to day with strength, peace and love.

Symbol for Om

So, I'm going to break this down in the most simple way, bare with me.
Lets start with the breath and world Om or (AUM).  Breath is THE most important thing in meditation... in fact it's everything. So to kick it off, I start with 3 Om (s). Why? This fundamental mantra is super soothing and of corse is not random in its sound or symbol. The sound and the symbol represent the 4 states of being. The fist sound in AUM,  is "A" which is the first stage of awakening. It is the first sound and the most open. The second is 'U" which represents the dream state or the in between state. The next is "M" which represents the deep sleep state. It is the the closing of the mouth and end of the breath. The final stage of the AUM is the silence after or the pause in the breath. This is when the consciousness is in perfect bliss and harmony (in theory). This is what we aim to achieve with meditation- stillness and harmony of the mind.
The Om is a complete circle; the vibration represents the beginning and the end which is everything. Breath is life and so this vibration is alive and when done mindfully, can be very healing. Trying to describe Om is like trying to describe love, it is complex and illusive and yet very basic. It is the base of many doctrines in many cultures and religions, but for the purpose of a five minute meditation,  it is a mindful breath. Sounds kind of major, but it's pretty simple. It's really hard not to be present when you're throwing an Om out there.

***On a side note, though the symbol Om is used in many cultures as a religious symbol, the action in meditation is not a religious one, and does not interfere with religion, but rather works in unison with religion. To be mindful while praying is pretty powerful stuff. This is also why Yoga is so effective. It is mindful exercise as it focuses so much on the breath. Yoga does not take the place of meditation, just as meditation does not take the place of religion , but they complement each other when used together.***

So it's nice to start off with 3 Om(s) to kind of jump start you into to the mind set of meditation and put you into the spirit of things. Next,  I set a quick intention... (like, I strive for peace, wisdom or strength...") then, sit on a pillow or lay back but get into a position where you can stay still for five minutes. Palms up, take some deep breaths while listening to the sound of your breath. If your mind wanders or even races, don't panic or be mad at yourself, just go back to listening to the breath. If the same things keep popping up in your head just acknowledge them and return your mind to the breath. I set an alarm on my iPhone for Just five minutes, and then I like to end with 3 Om(s),  a little prayer, and a  namaste (I bow to you) in gratitude for God, myself and the world around me. It's pretty easy, you can do it anywhere, and can make more difference in your life than Spanx.

A few other things I like to use that kind of make it fun and effective for me are the accessories.... it's always about the accessories! They are NOT necessary at all but can help get you in the mood to chill.

I love these candles! Both were given by friends and I use them everyday. I light them right before I meditate and they smell so good and make me feel so good.

I love these meditation rocks. Mine were given to me by a healer, but he found them on the beach. So, I found some on the beach too and gave them to my husband to meditate. Just look for some smooth rocks to sit in your palms to keep you present.... so not necessary but nice.

Madison Ave. HeadPhones

Comfortable headphones- I sometimes listen to birds chirping or water running or meditation podcast for a longer guided meditation. It helps transport me to a calmer environment especially if there is football on. I'm sure there are zen masters that can meditate in oncoming traffic...but I'm not there yet, so I tap out with these headphones. These were a gift from a friend and they are amazing. The sound is great and, well lets be honest, they look super cute www.bigraudio.com .

Just remember, that breathing is the only thing you really need to meditate. SO, give it a try if you haven't already and let me know what you think. This is something that has truly changed my life.

xo,
Katy

Beauty Inside to Out... and I don't mean being nice!

So, we all work hard to look our best. We exercise, get our hair highlighted, low lighted, manicures, pedicures, facials, eye creams, night creams, moisturizers and sun-block. We eat our best (most of the time), drink lots of water, meditate, levitate, even read Goop and everything else under the sun to look and feel as fabulous as possible... right?  What I have discovered (or rediscovered) is that if we put as much care into what we put in our bodies as what we do on the outside of our bodies, the results are tenfold. It makes perfect sense, so I'm not sure why I was shocked when I saw results! I'm going to share with you this insanely addictive and effective elixir cocktail that I discovered just a few months ago that I believe is worth it's weight in gold. 


Here's the short version of my story: I was going to a fabulous wedding in Malibu, with fabulous people,  where I wanted to look particularly fabulous. Such as life, my face was broken out and I felt just kind of blah. So, I went into Erewhon Natural Food Market on Beverly Blvd. to the elixir/ tonic bar. I told them I needed to look beautiful and feel better in 4 days and she cooked me up this tremendous cocktail. The rest is history; I came back  over the next 2 weeks for (now menu item) "The Beauty Drink," and not only did my face clear up but it looked positively luminous. Since then, I drink it at least 4 days a week, and I not only look better, but I feel so much better. I have added a few more things to the original drink to tailor it to my needs, but I will give you the basics and then give you what I added.

The Chinese say we have three treasures:  Jing, Qi, and the Shen- essence, energy and spirit. These tonic herbs support just that, so all aspects of true beauty can be brought to fruition and allowed to flourish. If the body is healthy and happy, we are happy, and in turn our hair nails and skin radiate health and happiness.

I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!
Lots and lots of love,
Katy

Here's the gang on my kitchen counter waiting to be blended together! You add a cup of almond milk (a cup of fozen berries if you like) and the below items! 

 These are two great sweeteners- either will due. One is very low calorie processed naturally, the other is good old-fashioned date and figs. The latter are scrumptious, but add calories, so I suggest only 1-2.

Jing Herbs for Beauty: Enhance skin elasticity, relieve skin inflammation, promote blood circulation which nourishes the skin cells, and promote moisture which keeps the skin hydrated and less likely to wrinkle.These are ancient chinese herbs used for centuries for beauty purposes in capsule form.

Just unscrew the capsule and dump in blender. 

This is fantastic! This is collagen. Many of us use creams with it, many of us inject it in our skin. By ingesting it you are promoting the natural generation of collegian... I add a few more drops than directed. Aids in skin , nails, hair and joints, basically improves the whole body... including wrinkles! 

 Goji berries! YUM. Himalayan super food. This berry can do it all: cancer fighter, memory builder, helps eyes, helps protect DNA, promotes weight loss, increases libido (hell yea!), makes you feel happy, stimulates HGH in your body, longevity, health and endurance... just use it.
You can get the berries or the powder... I get the powder because I snack on the berries too much (notice the empty bag above).
                  

Rice Bran Solubles (or TOGOs) -SO this is pretty rad too. It does everything but in short has all the nutrients to help fight aging and degenerative diseases 

Camu- Best natural source of vitamine C from a plant. Supports the immune system and has been known to be a mood lifter. Does other great stuff too.

Organic sulphur said to create a luminous effect on the skin. It's toxicity is the same level as water... the lowest in the world. Great for hair skin and nails. (Don't overdose on this as a side effect of too much can cause anxiety and other maladies).

This is the final boost: Pearl powder. It helps skin, stabilizes emotions, quiets uneasiness, improves sight, helps heart burn, detoxes, cure inflammation, relieve pain, regenerate tissue, rejuvenate skin, beauty completion, anti aging, prolong life expectancy... gives the skin a perl like luminous glow... yes please!

EVERY THING BELOW IS EXTRA STUFF I ADDED.

A little probiotic never hurt anyone, especially healthy digestion. 

MACA- On the nutritional side of things, this root is chock full of vitamins and minerals that are essential to the health of the human body. Minerals including calcium, magnesium, and iron are all found in maca, in addition to C vitamin and vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12. All of these nutrients are important parts of the body’s function.

Cinnamon-  Can lower LDL Cholesterol , helps lower blood sugar, helps with arthritis, anti blood clotting, boosts cognitive function and memory, and a whole bunch more things... and it tastes so good!

These are just some of the benefits of vanilla: weight loss aid, reduces anxiety and stress, healing wounds, regulates menstruation... and it's delish!

Protein Whey powder- This is used if you want to make the drink into a meal replacer. Add a scoop of this or any whey powder you like, a little ice, and a cup of frozen berries and a cup of almond milk.

 

This is how I store it in my cabinet so I can just take the basket out and get going without forgetting anything!

This is the final drink. You just add a cup of almond milk and blend all the items listed above for a fantastic beauty elixir! 

Let me know what you think, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts! 

Enjoy! 

P.S. I should probably also tell you to check with your doctor before starting any new diet or new supplements.
so, you should. :-)
xo,
K