We kicked off Ani's Raw Food Certification Course, Level 1 on March 15, 16, 17th, 2013 to a packed house! It was a weekend of raw food making and eating, eco-green living inspiration, and happiness all around. Experiencing visible transformations as people detox on raw food for 3 days is incredible! The room's happiness index kept rising up as our days passed, and people glowed.
Ani's Raw Food Certification courses are held a couple blocks from the Saturday morning Santa Monica Farmers' Market, where local farmers bring us seasonal produce that's been picked just a few hours before. Sometimes, we'll find heirloom ingredients available for only a week, or better yet.....dry farmed produce. That's when the plants just thrive on their own, without watering nor chemicals! Fresh, local, seasonal, gluten free, vegan, and organic...what better way to detox and cleanse from urban toxins?
Ani's Favorite Green Juice Recipe: Dandelion Kale Cilantro Jalapeño Fennel Basil Turmeric Cucumber Celery Spinach Lemon I love green juices, and think of them as my daily multi-vitamin. In the same way I would never think to live off a bottle of vitamins only, I don't think to starve myself on a 5-10 day juice fast in order to detox (unless I had a tumor to starve or some other acute health crisis). It seems to be a new trend here in LA that people with unhealthy processed diets and lifestyles, who even smoke, suddenly think it's okay to starve for 7 days on a juice cleanse to make everything better. How about focusing instead on creating a healthier lifestyle through exercise, clean eating, mediation, and happiness rather than starving? These are the real keys to longevity. Green juices are wonderful for vitamins and minerals, and for nourishing our bodies. But, it's so much more FUN and less painful to enjoy delicious Raw Foods while accidentally DETOXing! Feasting on Raw Foods, rather than starving on a juice cleanse, is safer and healthier for you. We're designed to be eating whole foods. Starving our bodies on just juice cannibalizes our muscle mass, slows down our metabolism, and will make us gain weight as soon as we eat again (besides throwing off our hormones, along with triggering a slew of other biological reactions). It's painful to starve ourselves. Why deny ourselves when instead we can feast and enjoy delicious Raw Foods to cleanse and detox? I'd rather eat clean, detoxifying foods, than starve myself. Wouldn't you agree?
Lunar New Year, Vietnamese stylie. Here I'm being fitted for my dress. Traditional Vietnamese dresses are called Ao Dai. These dresses are super flattering with high side openings and silky wide pants....and Lion Dragon dancers too!
on new year's day, i got to help with the float for the Rose Parade, which was on Jan 2nd this year. Donate Life is an amazing organization that raises awareness so we stick that pink dot onto our driver's license to help save lives.
NetKal Gala full of incredible people from the entertainment industry. This was the beautiful view of the rose gardens as we arrived at the Gala. Styled by my favorite eco fashion designer Linda Loudermilk. Event held at USC Annenberg Center.
DJs Galen and Solar from the Sunset Crew in SF came to LA to host a dance party in the park in Van Nuys on Saturday + an After Party downtown LA that went to 7am!
