Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Blog!

Pretty Parsnips People,

After last week's post, I really wanted to follow up with an inspiring philosophical think-fest. But all I can chat about this week is what I'm obsessed with, what I spend most of my waking hours working on...SHOPPING. Huh? In these times of financial Armageddon Kris wants to talk about shopping?!? You betcha'. I don't know about you, but my wallet can fit into a pair of size 2 skinny jeans right now. Snore. Too slim for my tastes. When I buy my food, fun or health-related "must haves," I'm forced to question whether I can go without. For many reasons (social, environmental, financial) this is a crucial exercise. It's ultimately how we streamline our lives and save our pennies for rainy days, important causes or shit-storms. Plus it feels good to reduce, recycle and RENEW. We need it, hot mama earth needs it. Win win.

That said, we still require the basics or what I call The Foundationals. Like many of you, I've renovated my closets, my medicine cabinet and my pantry/crisper a thousand times in order to get to the bare bone necessities of my daily practice.

Now I need you.

We at team Crazy Sexy have been spending the last few months designing a new website and store for you. We've traveled to Expo's, taken seminars, picked the brains of world renowned health ambassadors, tasted yummy treats, yucky treats, helpful - and a few harmful - supplements (I do that experimenting), and slathered our faces, bodies and pits with countless natural potions, and some of us have the pimples to show for it! (PS... Why is a good deodorant so hard to find?) We've basically scoured both the East and West coast in order to find products that we both need and love.

Because my standards are so high, I refuse to carry anything that I don't personally use. Plus I'm a Virgo who hates clutter. If I could fit all my possessions in one box I'd be thrilled. Stuff gives me stress. This is no doubt due to the fact that my mother tortured me with throw pillows. You couldn't see the bed! My philosophy: one pillow (sorry mom), one shampoo, one probiotic, one juicer, one yoga mat etc. Plus I don't want a store so big that you get lost or bored. I hate that. Some online shops are great, but after about ten minutes then I want to nap.

Since money doesn't grow on trees, we'll be launching our magic shop in tiers. For a product to make our cut it must fall into one of five categories.

Diet...Body...Mind...Spirit...Planet

Remember my chair metaphor? Good health is like a chair. The diet is the seat while the mind, body, spirit and daily practice are the four legs. When one is off we wobble and/or topple. Of course when we care for our bodies and honor the chair, we inevitably make a positive impact of the planet.

Soooo, if all goes well we'll be ready for a "New Year, New You" launch early in '09. Here's what I'm curious about: What do YOU want? What do YOU need? How can I help YOU?

Thanks so much gang. I really appreciate your feedback!

Peace and (thoughtful) spending,

Kris

PS: A portion of our proceeds will go towards maintaining our online forum, charity and planting trees. :)

Hi Gang o' Movers & Change Makers!

Please take time to watch Oprah tomorrow and let's have an open discussion about the show here.

If you love animals, the planet and YOUR health as much as I do then you will not want to miss this episode. Oprah is covering "How We Treat the Animals We Eat." Check out the trailer for Tuesday's show. Lady O has been taking on some big animal rights issues lately. Amen, hip shake! If you caught her episode on Puppy Mills you know what I mean. That episode made a huge impact on the treatment and well-being of man's best friend. Let's hope this episode does the same for farm animals.

In the coming weeks I'll be blogging about Proposition 2. For all you Californian's, by voting YES for Prop 2, you have the divine opportunity to kick off the cascade of better living conditions for the many victims of factory farms across the country. As we know, California is a powerful trend-setter when it comes to progressive laws. So tell "The Terminator" to Terminate unlivable conditions for our farm friends.

Of course NO cage is the best cage, and VEGAN is my choice hands down, but this is a good first step. So please start to educate yourselves on this important issue.

Also, check out this Op Ed piece on Prop 2 from The New York Times. Wonderfully written.

Join me tomorrow and watch Oprah. I'll be blog chatting about the episode as soon as I get home from work (sorta late as I have a long day). Can't wait to hear what you think friends. Let's gab!

Peace and Fur,

Kris

Hiya sweet taters!

Ahhhhh, the Berkshires.



Kripalu was by far the BEST retreat we have done. I swear, I am still HIGH. Like, Cheech and Chong high, just without the plants. I am HIGH on LOVE.

Nearly 60 of us came together to live, LAUGH and learn.
As always I taught my nutrition and creative writing classes (it was sooo COOL. They gave me a Madonna mic! Took everything in my power to stop myself from re-creating the Blonde Ambition Tour).

Terri lead our powerful healing circle and closing ceremony. I swear I could listen to her "manifest, visualize, create" chat 500 times. Our newest team member, Sandhi spun chakras wide open with a yoga and Hula class. Sweat and so many smiles exploded all over the place.



Folks pushed through fear with such grace. They bonded effortlessly and made life-long friendships. The abundance of generosity that flowed from this group was nothing short of Divine. Quite simply, we witnessed compassion in action and YEEHAW it was INSPIRING!

Recently, my personal journey to health has brought me to some interesting new places. It's been really fun (and spooky) to spend more time on the emotional aspects of recovery, and I was excited to bring my new revelations to the group. Wow did it strike a beautiful chord. Thanks for being so open folks! It's clear that the mental chow demands equal space. So often I focus solely on the food. I guess it's easy to forget how many feelings I gorge. Yet, stinkin' thinkin' is just as toxic as a Big Mac. In fact, acid thoughts create acid in the body. That's right, negative crapola effects your delicate pH balance! Healthy chow and healthy THOUGHTS create healthy cells.

Thankfully, a new and powerful healer friend of mine is gently encouraging me to clean my emotional cubbies - you know, the nooks and crannies in the body that store sad old gunk.


Below is a group pix from hug fest '08. Unfortunately we had to cancel future retreats for now as some big new opportunities have finally arrived. Welcome!
We'll definitely continue our NYC meetups and are even brainstorming a national posse tour. That's right, we'll come to YOU. Details to follow.... xo



Peace and calm,
Kris

PS. Did I mention that we even had a few fellas this time?! Brave dudes surrounded by dozens of Crazy Sexy women. Smart guys.

Helllo Sun rays!

I'm sitting at my desk, sipping tea and reflecting on how wonderfully busy and powerful last week was. It started with a few signings, radio tours and lectures, then zoomed into my appearance on Good Morning America, Fox and The Mike & Juliet Show. Saturday kissed me with a little breather day which I filled with family and then Sunday (drum roll)....our seasonal wellness posse meet-up! Oh my goddess it was F.U.N.

But before I gab-o-la about all that, I gotta take a moment to hug you HARD. Last week I had just returned from my speech in St. Louis and I was emotionally bankrupt. I didn't know how the heck I was gonna pull the week ahead off. Tired, cranky and kinda feeling unprepared, I pouted and ate too much Indian food. Then I went to bed on a full and farty stomach. But like a magic unicorn, you came along and fluffed up my feathers. Your alkaline sassiness injected me with sacred sizzle. 80+ supportive comments on my last blog was the medicine I needed to get super JAZZED. Dang I'm lucky. I often forget that I too can share my personal ups and downs. Please keep reminding me.

That said, my new commitment to myself and to my phenomenal readers is to let ya in deeper and to show more of my warts and fears. I may be the one out front but you all are close behind and your energy - our energy is what is making this global shift possible. Slowly and steadily we are becoming a crazy sexy nation of change makers. PROUD I am (wow, I kinda channeled Yoda with that one).


Robyn Roberts was so good to me! She thanked me for helping her get through her canSer adventure with my first book. Blush....

It was so fun sitting and chatting about the vegan-mind-body-connect-the-dots-and-lets-save-our-collective-ass-lifestyle on national media. But it's not enough. The big $$$ needs to go to you. So many organizations approach us to help raise money for research, better screening and mountains of drugs. With the exception of my work with Stand up to Cancer, we generally say no. Not that we don't think these things are valuable and important but what WE (Team CSL) are interested in is YOU - the right-now, time is of the essence and good health is your birth right, YOU.

In my lifetime there won't be a "cure" for cancer. However, in my lifetime it is possible that less people will be effected by cancer and countless other diseases. How? Education and ACTION at a grass roots level. We can't wait for our very confused and mismanaged government to allocate the necessary funds towards prevention and MAINTENANCE of health. Ps. They're broke now so unfortunately more of this responsibility will fall on our able shoulders. It's gonna be tough but I bet we can all share some tips on cutting corners and stretching the dollar to include a healthy meal (different from a Happy Meal).

Enter: The New York based Crazy Sexy Wellness Posse Meet-up, Fall '08!


Our group was gorgeous, here's a shot of a few of the Crazy Sexy Yogi's

As promised we are continuing our seasonal commitment to gathering like minded kind warriors for a day of personal renewal. The compassionate peeps at the Jivamukti Yoga studio hosted a TERRIFIC class taught by my friend Sandhi Ferreira. Over 70 Crazy Sexies committed their Sunday to burning toxins and purifying the God Pod. It was AWESOME. I giggled with sacred Amen. Sandhi pushed us to get dirty with our fears by plopping us into headstands and other spooky inversions. I tell ya what, when I'm trying desperately to balance on my head I ain't thinking about what ails me. I'm in the now. NOW I must balance or fall. PS. Inversions are a great way to not only detoxify the body but to change our perception. Seriously, don't you see differently when your ass is pointing up?


Sandhi has really cool hair

After class we had an amazing raw lunch, yummy salad (thank you for the hemp seeds Nutiva!) and a knock out raw cacao pudding created by one of our cherished CSL ambassadors: Kristen's Raw. Thanks Kristen! And thanks to my pals at Organic Nectars for giving us the cacao. I swear they make the best stuff on the market. It's like healthy CRACK - addicting! Folks were fighting to lick the spoon. Also, many blessings to the generous companies who donated gifts for our raffle. Especially, to Vitamix. One lovely gal walked away with the Cadillac of blenders. Sure hope she shares some of her creations with us! Hint. Hint...

After reading all the participant comments we were amazed to see just how many of you wanted to learn to meditate. Your wish is our command. The next NYC meet-up is tentatively scheduled for December and you can bet your stiff back we're gonna learn how to sit on the pillow and wrestle our mind lizards. Let's embrace the holidays with clear thoughts so that we don't over eat and spend. See ya soon!

Peace and exhales,
kris

ps- Dive into our community forum by visiting: my.crazysexylife.com!
pps- NYC peeps can keep the magic alive by joining and gabbing in the New York Posse Group at the forum!

Hi peaches!

Greetings from the tour. I just landed in NYC after a great weekend in St. Louis. St. Mary's Health Center asked me to be their key note speaker for a wonderful lunch honoring survivors (I reminded them, we are ALL survivors, I live with canSer so I too am part of the pack). I must say, not only was it fabulous but they treated me so well. The highlight of my stay was a lovely dinner with some wonderful doctors and hospital staff. The conversation was open minded and so real! Get this, one of the cool docs suggested that up to 90% of the diseases they treat are a result of lifestyle choices. I listened to how backed into corners they feel when folks who abuse themselves expected them to "fix it" without ever changing the behavior that got them there in the first place. I loved their honesty! I loved that we could meet in the middle.

Plus, they not only picked a restaurant that had vegan options, those generous folks arranged for me to stay at the RITZ! Check me out! Marble bathroom floors and a lot of king bed diving. I was a pretty pig in high class heaven.



Note: My very first pair of Vegan shoes!

To be honest, that dinner really helped to heal a pain that has been bubbling in me.

Since Raw Spirit and a few other events lately, I have been thinking a lot about the pull I feel between Western and Alternative (AKA Integrative, Holistic) medicine. As many of you who read my blog know, I have committed my life to bridging the two worlds in order to find better solutions to our health crisis. I always suggest that patients find the best doctor for their particular disease FIRST and then think outside the box. But lately I have been coming up against a lot of resistance from the medical community.

I have been banned from hospital book stores (because of my titles and my content), have been labeled "dangerous" and have been used for free media with little to no thanks in return. Though I adore Dana Farber, about a month ago I heard some really sad news. At one of the young adult support groups, the moderator said "we don't bring her up here or recommend her work because many of us disagree with it." What part I wonder? Empowering patients? Helping them to get organized and then guiding them to create their own healing game plan - which includes western doctors? Wow, pretty radical stuff. I should be arrested! I wonder if this person disagreed with my work when I praised DF on Oprah? Hmmm. She has since been fired (so I hear).

At a hospital in the Midwest I was told that my ideas would never fly, they'd hire me for a speech but never sell my books or film, and that a plant-based diet lacks nutrition - people should be allowed to eat their hot dogs in peace. Hot dogs? Ps. Please read Dr. T. Colin Campbell's book The China Study. Learn how to turn off canSer cells by decreasing animal based protein.

Sometimes I feel like a lone voice love-shouting into a den of naysayers with swords. But I go anyway, hoping to change one life while ducking the tomatoes. It's not always like this, but I never know till I reach the stage and begin my story which I now call, "From Illness to Activist".

This is what I know for sure. I have to really know my stuff and so do you! Education is everything, and we must be able to talk in scientific terms or we will be totally dismissed. Gang, there is so much misinformation out there that it is easy to get confused. Stick with it. Share, question and always consider the source. Remember, our forum is a great place to toss around new ideas.


Me chatting for change at Raw Spirit

Even at fabulous RS I was stunned, a few so called leaders of the raw movement getting the science confused and creating fact out of the false. One fella, who I will not mention by name, got me so mad that I almost ripped him a new one. He had the nerve to stand up on the main stage, gush about his "cures", and to then tell the tale of a canSer cowgirl who he decided was "pathetic and whiney" because she wouldn't listen to him. Basically, in his mind she deserved what she had coming because she wouldn't go raw and chose chemo instead.

Excuse me? There are no promises with the raw diet. Plus, this lifestyle is tough no matter how sparkly you package it up (and then charge ridiculous amounts for some goodies). He was the least educated of the crew and as usual, the most opinionated. I wanted to cry and rage. But more than that, I wanted to LEARN! Learn for me, for you, for all they naysayers and for the confused. To learn for the curious and for the hopeful so that the simple truths of conscious living, loving and eating will never be made silly again. I prayed for my artist brain to change and remember facts to spit them on command. I prayed for tolerance and for love, for a medical world (BOTH sides) committed to health and hope as opposed to wealth and praying on the hopeless. I got on my knees and prayed....

Then I got up.

Sooooo, back to St. Louis and the topic of this post. After chatting about the benefits I have seen from a plant-based diets and the power of mind, body, spirit connection, this amazing sun-bright woman in the audience asked, "Why don't the doctors tell us this?" Well, though I'm a little mad at the white coats right now - mad but healing thanks to this last trip - I told her that my doctor will never have all the answers and why should he? I don't expect my surgeon to clean my teeth so why should I expect my oncologist to be up to date on the latest nutrition? That said, I do expect the designated hospital nutritionist to understand that food is medicine but sadly most of them don't. They teach what they have been taught, a model that is often out dated. As someone who is passionate about nutrition I understand that it advances just like medicine does. They should too. Stay informed, hellooooo. Read!

Also, our wonderful doctors often have one hand tied behind their backs. They are so pressed for time due to our deranged medical system that they're only allowed to see patients briefly. It's a factory, just like the farms and so often they must stick to the schedule in order to cram as many folks in as possible.

Our economy is in the toilet, the elections are coming (Goddess, I'm so scared). So much is at stake during these difficult times - especially the environment. There is no better time to renew your vows to self. Vow now.

I will share one last story. At a signing last week a young girl listen to me speak as tears flowed from her soul windows. When it was Q&A time she asked "how do you do take care of yourself if you don't like yourself, your body?" I wanted to walk over and hug the hate right out of her. "But you are God. You are Jesus, Buddha, Elvis, Etc. You are a Divine vessel sweet lady. How can you hate u? This sack is just your vehicle. Nothing more. Your job while clonking around in sneakers is to feel the love and shine it out, that's all. Because when we go back to the universal disco we bring more positive energy to the soup. We recharge the universal gigawatt! If we choose not to love this time then perhaps we have to do it all over again. No judgment, only opportunity."

Which brings me back to St. Louis one more time. I think the reason I loved them so much was because they were a group steeped in open minded spirituality. I could feel the Divine the second I walked to the podium. Hundreds of people filled with acceptance. Ultimately, they will probably heal with greater ease.


Check out these 2 Crazy Sexy beauties!

Thanks for letting me let it out.

Peace and sometimes I'm not so sure but I try anyway,
Your K

Hiya spelt muffins!

Just a little reminder that I have a signing for my new book, "Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor: More Rebellion and Fire for your Healing Journey" tonight in NYC. All you New Yawkers - come ovah!

More on Raw Spirit tomorrow...

Barnes and Noble
396 Ave. of the Americas (8th St.)
New York, NY 10011

Peace and publishing,
K

Hello sunshine!

I have gobs of pix to share. But since blogger won't let me show ya all at once, I'll have to make an album per day throughout the week.


This is just a sample...imagine hundreds of booths filled with rawsome goodness and treats. YUM!


The Rock Star of the raw world - David Wolfe. He's wild and wild and wild. Brian scratched his head, I loved him. David is a one man show and a boat load of knowledge. I think he does tons of shrooms though. He he he...


Stilts and butterfly wings for big people. Why don't you have them in your life everyday? Get some now!


I could listen to Philip's amazing story 500 times. He is literally half the man he used to be thanks to this diet and lifestyle. WOWZA! BO BOWZA!


Bunny Berry is my new idol. I have a girl crush on her and was so excited to meet the rockin' rabbit. As she's says, "Girrrl, I'm bringing raw foods to the housewives of America". Amen sista sledge. OM SHANTI OM! If she doesn't speak at Raw Spirit next year then I am never going back (gosh I feel dramatic today). Bunny leads 100 day raw food challenges on her Raw Fu site. Read her blog. Love her. Do a challenge! PS. She likes Karate.

More tomorrow....

Reminder: I have a Barnes & Knoble signing in Stamford, CT tonight! Please come hug.

Peace and black sharpies are my favorite writing utensils,
Kris