Sunday, December 30, 2012

Have Fun with Fashion & a Healthy Life!

have fun with fashion & a healthy life

Toast in the New Year by starting today to make healthier lifestyle choices. If you want to loose weight, gain weight, reduce allergies or heal gut related symptoms, make the decision today so that you can reap the benefits tomorrow.

Yes! It does take time to heal naturally and you may experience detox symptoms but in the long run, you'll be in a healthier state.

Remember, your body is a beautiful machine. It truly wants to operate optimally. Chose today to give your body the vitamins, nutrients, oxygen and proper rest that it needs so that you can look good and feel good from the inside out.

Have questions about how to get started? Post a comment or email me. I'd love to offer suggestions.

Have Fun with Fashion and a Healthy Life!


Thursday, December 27, 2012

How to Gain Weight with Healthy Fats

Are you under weight like I was? If so, a change in diet could help you to pack on the pounds in a healthy way. My experiences can possibly help you to gain weight.

A little about my past
I was horribly under weight for as far back as I can remember. It didn't matter what diet I was on––from junk food to a heavy wheat based diet to growing up eating cheeseburgers and hotdogs, I never packed on the pounds so I just thought that this was my natural way of being––thin.

The GAPS Diet: My Big Aha!
It wasn't until last year through my research to help save my boyfriend's health did I discover the GAPS diet. This diet promotes eating healthy fats and fermented foods. Hmmm, I'd never heard of such a way of eating. So, I went from one extreme to another: a raw vegan diet for about two years and then back to rice, pasta, breads and baked goods and then on to this new GAPS diet. The GAPS diet includes more meat than I had ever eaten in my entire life coombined with bone broths, lard, duck fat and fermented foods. What in the world???!!!

As I think back to my weight growing up, I remember key numbers like 70lbs, 90lbs, 110 and up until last year in my 30's 125 lbs. I would stay at those numbers for years. My doctors told me that I could stand to gain some weight but I was never given an action plan and in this day of "thin is in" I was comfortable where I was and thought that any more weight would make me fat ...weird, I know.

underweight
(5 months before starting GAPS diet. May 2011, 120-125 lbs. Thin face & legs)

So thanks to divine timing and finding Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride's protocol for the GAPS diet, after just a few months of introducing lard into my diet, I started to gain weight. I remember very clearly when I first started eating the lard my body felt happy. It was a sensation that I had never felt before. A happiness! And now I know why. For the first time in my life, I was giving my body what it always wanted, healthy fat!

gain weight with healthy fats
(November 2011, 7 weeks on GAPS. Fuller face, thicker thighs & legs)

The Secret to Gaining Weight
I think people had it half right when they would say: "Girl, you need some meat on your bones." Well, meat is just the side-kick. It's really the fat, the cartilage... the connective tissue (sounds gross but it's healing food) from the meat that I needed. Who knew?!

So I stopped eating anti-nutrients and filler food (grains and wheat) and took on the GAPS diet full-force.

bread contains anti nutrients
(foods like this tasty bread actually caused me more harm than good)

I am proud to say that I am now 140 lbs. I had always been afraid of weighing over 125lbs. But at 5' 9" tall I carry the weight well. It's all muscle! I feel well balanced and more substantial. The wind can't blow me over so easily now :)

gain weight with healthy fats
(May 2012, 7 months on GAPS)


So what about you?

Try these Tips to Gain Weight the Healthy Way:

* Take a break from wheat and grain based foods. These foods are very hard to digest but of course, soaking them overnight and fermenting them helps with digestion.

* Add bone broths to your diet. This food is very healing. Make a soup for example, with beef bones or a whole chicken. The fat and connective tissues are very healing for your gut.

* Add an extra source of fat like lard or duck fat to your bone broths or soups/stews. ...Real lard that you buy rendered or in it's whole state to render yourself. We're talking whole foods. No additives or preservatives.

* Eat fermented veggies to help with digestion and absorption.


Eliminate from your diet: junk food, fast foods and foods that you don't process yourself. Give yourself a chance to heal and you will see results. It may take many months, even a whole year. Following a whole foods diet with healthy fats and fermented food can possibly help you to reach your health goals. It's a BIG task to change your diet but, gaining weight the healthy way is definitely achievable.


Resources:

GAPS Diet Links:
http://gapsdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html

http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/gaps-diet/

http://www.gaps.me/preview/

Excellent read on bread and how the entire process including milling and how flour is turned into bread over the centuries has been degraded which has impacted our health:
http://www.foodsmatter.com/miscellaneous_articles/candida_causes_general/articles/bread_staff_of_life.html


Have Fun with Fashion and a Healthy Life!


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Try this Hip Pak for Effortless Style

You may call this bag a fanny pack or a Hip Pak either way this exclusively designed bag is luxurious both inside and out! And the best thing about this bag is that it's made in NYC. That's right! Luxury made in the USA.

black leather hip pak


If you love the touch of soft Italian lambskin leather with accents of Swarovski crystals then you will absolutely love this bag. It's a three-in-one bag which means that you can wear it as a hip pak, separate belt and separate purse. It's perfect for traveling.

black & white leather hip pak


I designed this Hip Pak with the idea of "What's in your first aid kit?" My friend and I held a travel theme party where we featured our exclusive designs. The idea was to have a multi-functional bag for a women's essentials while she travels. So I came up with the idea of this Hip Pak.

perfect size hip pak


So while you're taking care of yourself on the inside by giving yourself the best nutrients for a radiant glow and doing your best to reduce toxins from everyday life, treat yourself to a beautiful bag that's luxurious inside and out as you are!

have fun with fashion

For more details and to purchase this exclusive Hip Pak visit the Kali Collection for your very own Hip Pak.

me & my hip pak
(Me wearing the Hip Pak at my cousin's wedding)


luxurious hip pak made in usa


Have Fun with Fashion and a Healthy Life!

If you are interested in buying this exclusive Hip Pak please email me at: ksimba@newyorkaccents.com. Since there are only a few left in stock, I've taken this product down from our online store.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Buy Healthy Food & Shop with Confidence

Do you prefer shopping at the grocery store or at the farmer's market? A part of this whole "feeling good and looking good from the inside out" idea is knowing what you are truly eating and drinking.

If you're into boosting your health and really knowing where your food comes from then, you're likely to do a large portion of your shopping from a farmer's market. What a HUGE advantage it is to have conversations with the person or representative who raises and produces the food that we eat. This is a really big deal! What we consume affects our health whether we know it or not. So being able to shop with confidence and knowing exactly how the food is processed is critical to your well being.

I'll share three tips that just might sway you into doing all or most of your grocery shopping at your local farmer's market if you don't already.

But first, let's take a trip along the Hudson river to Hastings-on-Hudson, New York



...to meet Cecile Harrison and her son of Cowberry Crossing Farm
in Claverack, NY.

Cowberry Crossing Farm

I love Cecile and her husband Richard's ethics and have been buying from them for about a year now. I can truly say that her meats are delicious and raised humanely. They also grow organic produce.

healthy food

I am a big fan of their beef. It's the best that I've ever tasted (as I eat one of their burgers while I type). This burger tastes like a steak! It's very flavorful. Their beef is 100% grass fed and grass finished. I also buy their beef marrow bones for stews. Every time that we cook with beef bones from Cowberry Crossing farm you would think that we were baking a cake. The whole house gets infused with the smell of baked goods. Seriously, I'm not joking! Now, when we're not able to buy from the farm and have to go to _ _ (you know that well named "healthy" alternative grocery store), the bones there do not compare at all and of course, we do not get that wonderful baked goods smell.

buy healthy food--shop with confidence

Cowberry Crossing Farm is both certified biodynamic and organic which means that along with not using pesticides, hormones, GMO's or antibiotics, they practice balancing the health of the soil of the farm in proportion with the animals and plants raised and grown.

buy healthy food

Yesterday at the market Cecile and I spoke about soy in animal feed in general and how animals grow faster with the addition of soy. We also spoke about drinking water quality. How cool is this---to be able to casually learn and exchange first hand information from your farmer at a farmer's market. I am not able to have this experience at a grocery store. The more that we have these conversations the more our farmer's can learn what concerns us and possibly tailor their farming to our needs. Try asking any of the large food companies that support GMO's and toxic chemical processing to change their ways. Change starts locally and grows nationally. So it's better to support practices that have your best interest.

So here are 3 reasons to shop at a farmer's market:
1) Shop with confidence: Get to know the farmer who raises or grows the food that you eat

2) Support local farmers that have your best interest and eat local food
***All farms are not created equal, that being said a farmer's market provides the setting so that you can learn about different farming practices. If the information that you learn about from one vendor does not suite your needs then, definitely move on to another vendor's booth. Keep seeking until you find that positive exchange and good vibe from the person you are buying your food from.


3) Eat freshly picked or processed foods. At the market, you'll most likely have healthier choices of whole foods that are not commercially processed with toxic preservatives. Your food is not sitting on a grocery store shelf for days, weeks, months in aluminum cans soaking in the chemicals from the cans, or sitting in plastic containers that leach chemicals into your food.

Buy healthy food and shop with confidence! So, enjoy a day at the market, sip some apple cider and browse the selections, chat and ask questions. This is a very rewarding experience. We do have choices.

In the New York Hudson valley area? Connect with Cowberry Crossing Farm.

buy healthy food--shop with confidence


Have fun with fashion and a healthy life!


Monday, December 3, 2012

Adventures with Hazelnut Butter


Are you hooked on nut butter like I am? If so, you've probably thought about making your own nut butter. Go ahead, try it! It's definitely a richer taste than commercial brands...and I'm talking organic nut butters. Every nut or seed butter that my boyfriend and I have made blows away any store bought brand that I've had. Although, I haven't had raw nut butter which by the way, raw nuts and seeds are not a part of my healing GAPS diet due to nuts being hard to digest.

So let's start with a rich hazelnut butter. We made this last weekend and it is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Hazelnuts are definitely more involved than other nuts because of the process of removing the skins so try hazelnut butter on a day when you have time to do a few extra steps.

1) First, you'll want to soak raw organic hazelnuts. This goes for any nuts or seeds. The reason for soaking is to remove the phytic acid on the nuts. Wikipedia states that phytic acid is in the hull of nuts. Nuts produce phytic acid to protect themselves from being tampered with before germination. Phytic acid in nuts binds minerals during digestion so we loose important minerals that we would otherwise absorb. Also phytic acid inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food. So it's very important to take this first step and soak the nuts overnight. Especially if you have digestive problems. According to the Weston A. Price foundation soaking nuts for 18 hours provides more removal of phytic acid.

Fill the jar half way with hazelnuts (they will expand). Soak nuts in a salt water solution. A high quality salt like Himilayian crystal salt and clean water. Use about a teaspoon or less of salt in a jar.

2) After the hazelnuts have been soaked, rinse and drain repeatedly until the water runs clear.

(these are clean nuts after rinse and drain process)


3) Remove skins to take away the bitterness in the skins. Place 1 cup of hazelnuts in a pot of boiling water. Then add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. This is the trick to removing the skins easily. Let boil for about 3 minutes.


4) Rinse in cool water. Grab a friend to help and have a party removing the skins.



5) Pan toast or oven toast the nuts at a low setting to further help with digestion. For this batch we used duck fat which helps to bring out the flavor. Hey if the French can cook with duck fat then, we can too! Animal fats also aid in digestion.

6) Get your blender or food processor and get ready to go! Once the nuts have cooled off. Place the nuts in the blender using the recommended setting. Process until you are satisfied with the consistency.

(used a Vitamix to process the nuts)


I know it's a lot of work but, it's definitely worth it! Enjoy your hazelnut butter with a bit of honey and savor the taste. Hazelnut butter is rich and has a warm, earthy flavor. Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm!

(store in a glass jar & refrigerate)



Have fun with fashion and a healthy life!


Thursday, November 22, 2012

Beauty, Health & Fashion Event was a Blast!

Were you able to join us last Saturday at the Au Naturel health, beauty and fashion event in Tarrytown, NY? It was an amazing cultural event that celebrated feeling good and looking good from the inside out (see video below).

My fashion accessories were featured at this event and I have to tell you, the Bendy Necklaces were a big hit! These necklaces are so unique because, they can be worn as a bracelet as well, even as a headband. They can be molded into a variety of shapes so they are very exciting to wear ...and the big plus is that they come with a FREE pair of earrings.

(the bendy necklace can be worn in a million ways)


I also featured some of my handmade necklaces as you can see in the photo below and also debuted my African bracelets and rings with Swarovski crystals. Folks loved these one-of-a-kind bangles with their shimmering shine from the crystals...truly unique (see video below).

There was a local band named, Fantastic Sunshine. The singer, Cheryl Balestra has such a beautiful and soulful voice that vibrated outside the store into the streets.



There were free mini makeovers and tastings of healthy treats. I received a makeover and loved my new look. The makeover included the Ecco Bella collection of lipstick, foundation, mascara, blush...the whole works. What's great about this line of makeup is that there are no chemicals in them. I've been using the Ecco Bella lipstick for almost two months now and as someone who is very sensitive to chemicals in products I've been able to wear this lipstick with no symptoms...Love it!

It was a wonderful and lively event and a great way to get a head start on shopping for natural, health and beauty holiday gifts.

A special thank you to the boutique owner at Au Naturel, Anna Cangiano for hosting this event. Thank you! :)



I look forward to seeing you at our next event!

Have fun with fashion and a healthy life!


Friday, November 16, 2012

Au Naturel Holiday Shopping Event!

Are you local to NYC or Westchester county, NY? If so, Come to a unique holiday shopping event at Au Naturel Health and Beauty in Tarrytown, NY!

I've teamed up with Anna Cangiano owner and curator at Au Naturel for a day of fashion, health and beauty. You'll love the free mini hand massages and free make overs with makeup that's definitely au naturel...no chemicals. And best of all you'll get a chance to try on and shop your favorite accessories that I've designed and feature at newyorkaccents.com

This event is tomorrow Saturday November 17th (see video below for details!)

Sorry that I didn't post this earlier but It's been a busy week prepping for this event. This is why you should also follow me on twitter because it's easier for me to send quick updates on twitter. If you follow me there, I'll be sure to follow you as well. https://twitter.com/newyorkaccents

So let's have Fun with Fashion and a Healthy Life! Hope to see you there!



Sunday, November 11, 2012

Grab Your Eco-Friendly Tote and Let's Go!

Farmer's markets are a lot of fun. Make sure when you visit to take our exclusively deisgned eco-friendly tote bag that celebrates feeling good and looking good from the inside out. It's a colorful and eco-friendly way to shop!




Click here to shop: eco friendly market tote

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Fermented Tomato Salad is a Winner

I'd just like to quickly mention that the fermented tomato salad that I made in the post below is a winner (see video below). I tasted it on Tuesday night (two nights of fermentation) and WOW! It was the most vibrant and colorful salad that I've ever tasted. The taste of each ingredient went up 50 notches than what it normally is. It was truly alive, tasty and bursting with energy.

I left the fermented tomato salad out on the counter for one more day. It fermented for a total of three days before I put it in the refrigerator. On this third day, the flavor was a little different, but still amazingly delicious...tastes like pizza! Very delicious. You've definitely got to try this recipe!

Here are the ingredients that I used:
*tomatoes
*parsley
*onions
*garlic
*cheese peppers
*Himalyan crystal salt
*filtered water





-Have Fun with Fashion and A Happy Life!


Sunday, November 4, 2012

Fermented Tomatoes

A Super Healthy Salad!


Hope that you all are having a nice Sunday evening!

I wanted to show you this picture of how delicious this fermented tomato salad looks. I started off with inspiration from Sally Fallon's recipe in her book "Nourishing Traditions". I used what ingredients I had available so the recipe is not exact. Her recipe for "Salsa" calls for tomatoes, onions, chile pepper, garlic, cilantro, dried oregano, lemon juice and whey.

I used tomatoes, cheese peppers, onions, garlic, parsley and instead of whey for all of my fermented foods, I use Himalayian crystal salt which works just fine and is full of minerals.

I've never fermented tomatoes before so this should be interesting! When I smelled the aroma of all of the ingredients, I said wow! I must share this with you. Too bad that I didn't think of video taping this. I'll definitely post again when it's ready to taste to let you know if it's a winner.

Fermenting foods will be a constant theme here because as I've mentioned before, this type of food has been my only cure in dramatically reducing my seasonal allergy symptoms and helping me to absorb nutrients and have better digestion. Fermented food is probiotic, full of life. It can help you to reach your health goals. A lot of us have eaten so much processed and questionable "food" in our lives that our gut flora is severely compromised and out of balance which can possibly lead to illnesses. So to regain balance and a healthy gut, definitely add probiotic foods like this healthy salad to your diet.

Enjoy!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

African Bangles with a Twist!

Designing fashion accessories is one of my true pleasures. I've recently started to take more interest in African jewelry. Right now on my shopping site, http://www.newyorkaccents.com, I feature African bangles with a twist! The twist is the collaboration of design. The bangles are handmade in Africa from cow horn. I add the Swarovski crystal design. It's a wonderful collaboration of cross cultural art.

These bangles are unique and mostly one of a kind. There might be five of one style that are similar but that's it! So, these bangles are perfect for the woman who likes unique jewelry.

Here's a sneak peak video that will give you more of an idea of what these fabulous bangles are all about. What I love is that they are true statement pieces. They are bold, a nice thick width and the added bling from the Swarovski crystals give them a unique contemporary look.


Choose your favorite bangle and Have Fun with Fashion and a Healthy Life!


See more of these unique bangles and shop at, http://www.newyorkaccents.com


Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Try this Green Juice to Rejuvenate Your Cells

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to post this brief video about being careful of drinking the filtered water from your sink if a hurricane or tropical storm has been through your area. Call me inexperienced if you will, I thought that my filtered water that's connected through the faucet would be good enough to weather the storm of Sandy.

Guess not! Got a little queezy from whatever got shook up in the water supply. In this video, I share with you my green juice recipe that helped to rejuvenate my cells after drinking contaminated water.



Monday, October 29, 2012

Here's How to Supercharge Your Veggie Plate

Add fermented foods to your veggie dish with a dose of super nutrition!

As you can probably tell, one theme that I will continue to promote is the power of fermented foods because they are super charged with nutrition, vitamins and enzymes that help you to digest your food. You get the added benefit of bringing in good bacteria that helps to build your gut flora, thus building your immune system and improving your overall health.

Here's an example of how I supercharged my dinner last night (pictured below): mixed veggies ---cauliflower, bok choy and carrots cooked for thirty minutes in a pot of water. South western peppers, cheese peppers, onions and garlic cooked in duck fat in a covered pan for thirty minutes. I topped this veggie dish with natto beans and enjoyed a side of homemade sauerkraut.


All of the food in this meal came from farmer's markets except for the onions and garlic which were bought organic from our local grocery store. The natto beans are organic and were purchased online from Megumi. I've just started eating natto beans two weeks ago and I enjoy it, mostly because I know that it's super healthy. I am looking forward to the long term health benefits of eating natto as described below.

Here are the 3 methods that I used to power pack my veggie plate that you can use also! Come on guys, we're having fun with health so let's do this:

1) Main dish
Cook your dish in a good animal fat like lard or duck fat. You can also use coconut oil olive oil.

Benefit of animal fat: helps with digestion and helps to seal the lining of the gut. When the gut is healed, it lowers the risk of autoimmune system diseases.

2) Top your main dish with natto beans
Natto beans are fermented soy beans.

Benefits of eating natto are:
* Contains the enzyme in nattokinase which is fibrinolytic (anti-clotting ...breaks down fibrin) and it's also anti-inflammatory

* high in protein

* good source of fiber

* vitamins K2 and B2

* calcium and iron

As a note, unfermented soy is hard to digest. According to naturalnews.com, unfermented soy can have the following affects:

* contributes to thyroid disorder, especially in women

* promotes kidney stones

* weakens the immune system

* contributes to food allergies and digestive intolerance

3)Add a fermented side dish
Sauerkraut or any other fermented veggies/fruit are highly nutritious. I promote making your own fermented foods. Many fermented foods in grocery stores have been pastureized and also use vinegar. To get the optimal benefit of your food, process it yourself with wholesome ingredients.

Benefits of homemade fermented foods are:
* the process of fermenting increases the nutrition of the food adding vitamins A, D, K , B, also nutrients such as magnesium, calcium iron and zinc

* supports your immune system by helping to build a healthy supply of good bacteria in your gut which decreases your chances of catching colds, flu and autoimmune diseases

* the fermentation process produces lactic acid to help you better digest the fermented food and also aids in helping to digest non fermented food when eaten together

* the fermentation process produces lactic acid which is needed to reduce the amount of phytic acid (nutrient inhibitor) found in food which makes for better nutrient absorption

* reduces inflammation

These are some of the ways that you can supercharge and power pack your veggie plate. It's a very tasty and colorful way to add more nutrition to your veggies. Do you know of any other ways? Please share!

Resources:

http://naturalbias.com/12-reasons-why-saturated-fat-is-good-for-you/

http://www.naturalnews.com/022630_soy_food_phytic_acid.html

http://www.meguminatto.com/about_natto.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/nattokinase/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/01/03/fermented-foods-part-two.aspx


Saturday, October 27, 2012

Sauerkraut for Allergy Relief

Super food to the rescue!

I think that homemade sauerkraut and other fermented veggies are the secret to my seasonal allergy relief. I used to have amazingly horrible, uncomfortable allergy symptoms. This included loud sneezes that were embarrassing at work, home and on my train commuting. We're not talking about a single loud sneeze. We're talking a three in a row, loud sneeze symphony that echoed.

This orchestra of torture annoyed my boyfriend so much that he would get upset. Come on! Did he really think that I wanted to shake down the interior structure of our home with my sneeze festival? I would say:"Come on babe. Leave me alone. I'm suffering here!".

My other symptoms included a runny nose and itchy and watery eyes. For two or three months I lived in agony. I tried all different types of over the counter allergy medications and also tried eating local honey as some people suggested. Nothing worked. By the way, does eating honey really work?

Eventually, I just gave up. I was tired of spending money on meds that were not working so, I did nothing. For years, I dreaded the idea of allergy season and wondered why is it that I have to hide from nature. I could not stand being outdoors during the spring season.

Relief came to the rescue when I started the GAPS diet. This diet helps to rebuild your immune system by eating primarily traditionally made bone broth soups, homemade fermented foods and the highly controversial but very healing saturated animal fats like lard and duck fat (more about the GAPS diet later).


I truly believe that eating sauerkraut and other fermented foods for about seven months was very instrumental for my allergy relief this past spring. It's the good bacteria and enzymes that are available in fermented foods that I feel helped to put my immune system in balance. I only sneezed about ten times this whole entire spring season! That's an amazingly huge difference from my previous experiences. This is why I'm sharing my experience with you. You might benefit from adding this superfood to your diet. It seems as though ones gut flora is related to a person's health. I had no idea!

I had not grown up eating fermented foods. I now clearly see that my immune system was out of balance, totally wacked out. I had more of the bad bacteria from sources like chemicals in food and household cleaners, toiletries and environmental pollution with no help to protect myself from this bacteria. It's kind of like they took over and I did not have enough good bacteria to fight them off or balance them out.

Here are some benefits of eating homemade sauerkraut other fermented veggies and fruits:

* Added nutrients due to the lacto-fermentation process that contains vitamins B and C.

* Helps with food absorption.

* It's a raw food that has it's enzymes intact. More enzymes than non fermented foods due to the lacto-fermentation process.

* The probiotics, (good bacteria) helps to make the sauerkraut easy to digest and also when eaten with other foods, it helps to digest those foods as well.

* Helps to add good bacteria which is needed to balance out the bad bacteria. The addition of the good bacteria helps to keep our immune system working properly. It helps to keep us healthy!


I am really looking forward to next spring season because I am still following this diet eating fermented foods. Yes. Fermented foods are in my life to stay! I predict that my allergies will be a thing of the past and I will be able to enjoy the outdoors when mother nature stars to pollinate.

Resources:
http://gapsdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html

http://www.probiotics-lovethatbug.com/bacteria-in-sauerkraut.html#axzz2AZ1wk9Yu

http://www.easy-immune-health.com/benefits-of-sauerkraut.html

http://www.natural-pain-relief-guide.com/lactic-acid-fermentation.html

Have Fun with Fashion and a Healthy Life!


Sunday, October 21, 2012

Hi and Welcome!




Thank you for visiting!

This is blog represents a new aspect of my life that I'd love to share with you. It will combine feeling good and looking good from the inside out...Having Fun with Fashion and a Healthy Life.

You may already know me from newyorkaccents.com, Fashion Accessories with a Twist! I am a fashion accessories designer. I also work full-time in the fabulous garment district in NYC as a Product Development Associate. I'll share with you my inspiration for designing new accessories. You'll be the first to know of new and super cool designs.

I started newyorkaccents.com, Fashion Accessories with a Twist! about six years ago and it's been a wonderful journey! This journey led me to meet my boyfriend who had a ton of health problems. Within the last four years I've been on a mission to help him to regain his health and while doing so, I've realized that I have health issues that need to be resolved before it turns into a critical problem. I've healed myself of the following:

* painful menstrual cramps and heavy menstrual bleeding
* dark circles under eyes
* malnutrition/under weight (yes! malnutrition)
* fatigue
* lack of energy
* over sleeping
* ...and my seasonal allergies have been reduced by about 95% in less than one year

My diet and lifestyle changes have helped me to put on healthy muscle weight and maintain it without the need for going to the gym.

In addition to my success, I've helped my boyfriend to escape chronic symptoms of fatigue and rapid weight loss when doctors had no clue of what the problem was. We've connected the dots between food, nutrition, absorption, mental clarity and feeling good which in turn gives us a healthy life. I've tried the Master Cleanse twice, juice fasts, and the raw vegan diet. I am currently on the GAPS diet which is in my opinion a celebration of restoring balance, taking the best of both the raw vegan and vegetarian lifestyle and combining it with a traditional diet which includes fermented foods, healing soups, animal fats like lard and duck fat, meat and poultry, veggies and fruit eaten in such a manner to heal the gut and strengthen the immune system, thereby healing many of the health issues that face.

I'll share tips that have worked for my boyfriend and I in hopes that maybe they will help you as well. I am still on this health journey. I've made progress but there's still a little more work to do. It's a lifestyle change and one of trial and error. There is no one size fits all method but, I believe that the more we share and create a dialog, the more we'll help each other to feel good and look good from the inside out. It's all about having aHealthy Life!

So let's have Fun on this journey with Fashion and Health!

Oh, by the way, I'd just like to reiterate that I am a fashion designer and health enthusiast. I am not a doctor. If your condition requires medical attention, please seek the help of your doctor.

Thank you and Enjoy!