My High Heels Tried to Kill Me

Last week I injured my left foot badly because I wore high heels into the city. The day after, my foot was twice it's size and my toes looks like little red sausages. I had sprained my ring toe pretty severely and the foot is retaining water. So I have been trying to get as much bed rest as possible. For the most part I cannot walk and have been using my office chair to get around the house, in combination with a nice mop stick as a cane. Because of this, I was putting all of my weight on my right leg. Well, it didn't take too long for this to give way as well. My knee, adductor longus, and vastus lateralis are completely shot, so I'm going to miss Fanime this year. I sure am a sad rabbit, but I have to be responsible about this. I was looking forward to seeing everyone this year, but alas, we will have to wait a little longer. I hope that everyone has a blast, and rock it for me! This would have been my 5th year in a row.

I'll be away for a little while. Messages will be unread, blogs will stop for the time being, and my creative projects are on hold until I get well again. 

~Claudia

Come Say Hi - I'll Be Going to Fanime 2012

Hurray, it's Fanime time again! I always get so excited about it. How did the time pass so fast? It seems like I was just writing about this last year. Will anyone be going to Fanime? I know a few of you are, so that's wonderful. I can't wait to meet up with everyone again.

Anyway, if you see me there, say hi. I'll be floating around having fun on Saturday and Sunday. Mostly around the fountains and the convention center halls. I just love taking photos of all the beautiful cosplayers. They always inspire me and are so fun to be around.

Hope To See You There

Fanime Website

May 25th - May 28th

San Jose Convention Center

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My Fanime 2011

My Fanime 2010

Overcoming Emotional Eating

When was the last time you ate something? What was it? Did you savor each little bite, or did you grab a quick snack while working, watching TV, or driving somewhere?

The huge difference between true psychical hunger and emotional hunger is not only what the craving is, but how it's eaten. When one is truly hungry the stomach normally growls, we make more wholesome choices that will nurture the body, and are more mindful about the experience. It's easier to recognize when we are full and stop eating. On the flip side, emotional eating is pure craving. Some scientists believe that emotional eating starts from a very young age. When Mother lovingly cradled us in her arms to be feed. Therefore we are nostalgic about food and crave it when we are feeling emotional.

Remember back to all of those amazing family get-togethers or holiday events. Food is very meaningful and comforting. One can be transported back to that wonderful time just with a bite of holiday honey-glazed ham or delicious chocolate birthday cake. Of course everything in life is fine in moderation, but what happens when daily habits take a turn for the worse? Well, we have to learn how to recognize emotional eating, and kick the habit before it becomes a problem.


Here are some simple steps to avoid it:

- Out of sight, out of mind. It can be as simple as not buying bad food and bringing it into the home. This is what I do, because I figure it's best to go cold turkey. Food addition is serious business, and it's hard to kick the habit. So keeping the refrigerator stocked with fresh healthy options will help encourage better choices.

- Break one habit at a time. If the cold-turkey approach is not an option, that's fine too. Focus on one thing at a time. Perhaps soda is a current issue, just try replacing a few during the day. If it's the caffeine that you love, try switching over to a nice green or white tea for a more natural dose of caffeine. Or if it's the sugar that you like, possibly try to make fresh organic homemade fruit juice with a little cucumber or celery added as well, just so the juice is not too high in sugar.

- Don't go shopping on an empty stomach. When we are hungry we want to eat and we want it now. So we are more likely to choose the quick easy meals that will supply us with the most fat and calories quickly. Don't give in! Go shopping after a wholesome meal, so that the brain doesn't crave the fat, sugar, and salt when you go to grocery store.

- Shop at the local farmer's market. You can't go wrong with fresh local produce. Just stay away from the bread, cheese, and meat that some venders sell. Stick with leafy greens, herbs, veggies, fruits, raw nuts and seeds, and raw local honeys.

- Fight boredom. We love eating because we are bored. Get up and partake in a favorite activity. Typically it only takes 30 minutes for a bad food craving to subside.

- Exercise and keep active. When we exercise we loose our emotional cravings for food. Not only does the physical activity keep our minds off of cheeseburgers and pie, but it also keeps true hunger at bay. Inactive individuals are hungry more often than their physically fit counterparts. 

- Be mindful about eating every time. It's so important to sit down and properly eat every time. Even if it's just a snack. Turn of the TV, cellphone, or computer and take the food over to a table. Partake and be grateful for it. Really taste it and chew it completely. Our stomachs do not have teeth, as the old Indian proverb goes, so we have to chew everything thoroughly. Chewing helps the body digest food correctly. This is why blended smoothies are so great, because then the body can take a well deserved rest from digestion when all of the food is already broken down.

- Get support. Surround yourself with people that value health and will not tempt you to make poor choices when you're feeling emotional. Yes, one cookie can put you back on the unhealthy track if it becomes two and then three, and so forth. Food additions are go joke, and it's one of the hardest habits to break. Good friends will respect that and help you. I'm always here too. I can be your cheerleader!

- Eat only until full. It's so hard not to finish everything on our plates, I know. It's part of our programing, to survive. We eat because our brains tell us that it's the last food that we will ever get! For most people that live in modern first-world countries, this is not the case, and excess is more problematic then deficiency. Start with small portions, and go for more if necessary. Also, try using smaller dishes to trick the brain into thinking you have more food on the plate.

- Be patient. It takes a long time for the body to get rid of a food addition. Neurologically it takes two weeks for the brain to stop craving sugar, three weeks for salt, and a whopping three months for fat. If you want to deal with this quickly, considering doing a water fast. The body can do this naturally within a 5-7 day fast.


Overcoming emotional eating can be tough, so just take it slowly and do your best. If you ever veer off course, no worries, just look towards the future and make better choices next time. It's worth the effort, and I wish you all the success in the world.
 

Much love,

~Claudia

Heal Yourself 101 - A Book That Will Change Your Life

It took me awhile to finish reading Heal Yourself 101 by Markus Rothkranz because I wanted to take in every sentence. I can confidentially say that this book has already changed my life in so many ways. I feel so strongly about this that it feels like a new chapter in my life. It's also the reason that I started cleaning up my diet three months ago, and it was also the final straw that got me to water fast.

The book talks about everything that's important for maintaining, healing, and reverting back to a happy healthy life. It discuses food, exercise, sleep, love, stress, freedom, and how to heal and reverse disease and old age. It changed me for the better and I am forever grateful to Markus. I truly feel light, balanced, and like I'm me again. It's been six long years since I've felt this way, like I have my life back completely.

Also I had a powerful dream last night which frightened me. I woke in a frenzy, but after analyzing and researching it properly, I concluded that it was about growth. Sometimes it's hard and frightening to move forward, but for the best. I'm excited where life will take me and I'm ready. I'm not unsure or afraid any longer. So it's peculiar that I had that dream right before writing this post.

Read this book. Buy it here, or borrow it from a friend or the library. Just do it! 
It's amazing and everyone out there can benefit from it in some way.

Heal Yourself 101: Get Younger & Never Get Sick Again

"The definitive book on self-healing and true health. This is one of the most practical step-by-step manuals ever written to totally transform your life from sickness and disease to total life-long health. This is nothing short of reclaiming the sexy youth we once had. Never get sick again. Ever. True healing doesn't cost anything. You do this in your own home, using live RAW FOODS, easy detoxing, sunlight, sexuality, movement, sleep, and all natural methods. Feel the passion again. This is true transformation. Right to the point and so easy to understand, a six year old can read this." - Amazon

Cheers and here's to happy, healthy living.

~Claudia

100% Pure Haul - Foundation, Shampoo, and Body Cream

Heehee! I love that buying two items is considered a "haul" to me. I just don't buy stuff, so this was a lot. My water fast made me think about all of the bad cosmetic products that I put on my skin. I do really good already, but I wanted to take it to the next level and replace some of my products.

The basic concept is if you can't eat it, it shouldn't go on your skin. Toxic products are just as bad if not worst than bad foods, because it soaks straight into the bloodstream after being applied to the skin. So surprisingly enough, these 100% Pure products contain ingredients that could potentially be eaten! I won't try, so no worries, but they're all made from fruits, veggies, flowers, and herbs. 

The first one is the Honey Coconut Milk Shampoo. Shampoo is the only beauty product that is good to switch up all the time. That's coming straight from a dermatologist. So I want to alternate this with my Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo, because this shampoo is good but not great. It still has some ingredients in it that I do not like, but it's twice the amount for half the price. The Honey Coconut Milk Shampoo on the other hand smells like a tropical Caribbean vacation and is great for my hair type too; which is chemically treated and dry because I use hair dye. That's one of my bad habits that I haven't worked out yet.

Then we have the Healthy Skin Foundation with Super Fruits and SPF 20, which is full coverage and a satin finish. It's a little expensive, but not as pricey as the Laura Mercier foundation I was wearing. Also, I'm glad that I used all of my other foundations up completely, so it feels good to turn over a new leaf. One thing that had me concerned is that there are only seven shades and I'm very picky with color matching. Surprisingly this wasn't an issue for me. The lightest shade Créme is the perfect color match for me and I'm very pleased. It's not heavy at all and blends beautifully. I just use my finger to warm and pat the product into skin where I need extra coverage. One thing about water fasting and eating correctly is that I do not break out anymore. So I've been loving my new skin, it's beautiful, and it's not even as dry as usual either. Everything just balances out and I feel wonderful, like I'm me again. 

The makeup's also made with antioxidant from the super fruits, vitamins, and nutrients that help nourish and protect skin. It's SPF 20 with both UVA and UVB, which is wonderful because this means that it has broad spectrum protection from not only the rays that burn skin but also that age skin.

Lastly, the kind saleslady informed me that even the printing on the packaging is made with rice dyes instead of using adhesive to attach an extra paper label. How cool is that! So indeed, I will support a brand that goes that far to keep waste down and I'll definitely continue to replace more of my products down the line with 100% Pure. I also have a cool card that gives me a nice 15% off of each purchase that I make, and of course we can't forget about free body creme samples every time one visits the store. It really is a great brand and I absolutely love it.

Cheers,

~Claudia

I Love Dark Shadows

This was probably the number one film that I wanted to see this summer. I was so excited about it, because it looked like it was going to be good fun. I saw it on the first day and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I even loved it more than The Avengers.

First off, I wanted to say that this film did not seem like a Tim Burton film. At least in the usual sense, which was a good thing because it seems more like something he made earlier in his career. Elfman didn't use his typical over-the-top score this time around, which was refreshing because the overall selection of music was amazing. It was well executed and subtle when necessary. I appreciated that.

The movie also reminded me a bit of Beetlejuice, how the whole family was living in a huge weird house, with the main character being the zany one that the story is focusing around. So for the most part the movie takes place there and I liked that.

I absolutely adored the story because it was darker than I expected and I liked the romance as well. The makeup, hair, costumes, sets, characters, and crazy script full of campy dark dialogue that keep me laughing throughout the experience was fantastic. Then there was the visual art which was better than I could have ever imagined. I had quite a few "wow" moments because of the way that the artists used light and color. It's so beautifully executed! Just the type of thing that inspires me to paint.

So go see Dark Shadows. It's a great film to take the parents to as well. I kept thinking about how much my parents would love a film like this because of the fact that it's set in 1972. They would sure get a kick out of all of the brilliant art direction, wardrobe, and music.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet. Here's a portrait I did of Barnabas.

Barnabas Collins of Collinwood Manor

Happy movie watching!

~Claudia