“The best way to change the world is to change yourself.” – Joe Cross

A few months ago, in the grips of another grueling semester of nursing school, I was feeling worn down from the long hours of studying and rotations at the hospital; bloated thanks to too many convenience foods and little-to-no exercise (OK … no exercise!); and the eczema that had developed ON. MY. FACE right around the time I started school was flaring and I was having a hard time getting it under control.  I was pretty miserable.

By happenstance, I fired up Netflix one night and stumbled on the movie “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead“.  I don’t know what nudged me to watch this random documentary instead of the romance or drama I was hoping to escape into.  But watch I did.  And it flipped a proverbial switch.  I’ve been juicing ever since – sometimes for a few days in a row (called a “reboot”), but mostly once or twice a day in place of a meal.  And I feel GOOD.  Really, really good.  I’ve dropped 9 pounds.  My eczema is almost cleared.  The bloated feeling and mid-day crashing fatigue?  Gone. 

I’ve always understood the connection between diet and health.  I haven’t always followed an optimal diet … hey … I’m a French-trained chef!   I’m a die-hard foodie!  But I have tried to balance the excess out with periods of moderation and detoxification.  As an almost-Registered-Nurse, I am now, too, seeing first-hand the consequences of a lifetime of poor dietary choices.  It’s disturbing.

Watch the movie for free on Vimeo HERE

I urge everyone to watch this documentary by Joe Cross.  Not because I’m trying to convince you to embrace juicing (although I think you would be amazed at how good you can feel by minimizing some of the junk for a dose of liquid vitamins and minerals once a day!), but because Joe is just another guy who felt crappy and decided to do something about it, helping others along the way.  It’s a really inspiring story. 

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | On Netflix

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Link 1: What 10 things should you do every *week* to improve your life?  (via barkingupthewrongtree.com) There are a number of other things research says we can do to make life better but we don’t need to do them every day … read what they say.

Link 2: Why We Clutter (via The Santa Barbara Independent) An interesting take on why humans hold on to stuff or, worse, hoard.  I’ve always believed some of it is fear-based.  Check it

Link 3: The Golden Rules of Minimalism (via JPStatus Blog) Author “Harry” has outlined three principles that guide his minimalist journey. Read more

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Enter The Brydge.  I’m simply loving the whole idea of this gadget.  Multi-functional – check.  Protects the iPad – check.  Portable and convenient – check.  Minimalist aesthetic – check. High-quality construction – check.  Supposedly it was a Kickstarter project that recently went to production.  Lucky us. 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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I was so touched by Beth Howard‘s story and what she did for the Newtown, CT community.   In our overly-complicated, fast-paced, fragmented world, we can easily forget that something as simple as a slice of warm pie can bring comfort to those in times of great need, suffering and grief.

Read the story

May Beth Howard and the countless others who have reached out in the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy remind those of us who have chosen to minimize our lives that, by doing so, we have opened up the space to be in the service of others whenever and wherever possible.

Reach out to someone in need today.

Follow Beth on Website |  Facebook | Twitter

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