Hello healthy people!

Well… the holidays are in full swing, that’s for sure. I recently went to two parties and have already seen many people overindulging with food and drink, myself included! It can be easy to get sucked into all the excess. But do you really want to undo all of your hard work?

Think to yourself – do these temptations offer an opportunity to continue all the good you’ve been doing? I say YES!!

What if this holiday were different? What if you made the decision to dive into your relationships with people instead of diving into the cheese plate?

It CAN be done, really. Here is my ten step plan to getting through this season with grace, joy and your hot bod intact.

1. Take a look at what you have done:
Take a good look at what you have been striving for all year- sit down with a good friend (a cheerleader type if available) and ask her to help you make a list of your achievements this year.. It could be that you ended a toxic relationship or that you finally took a step to ensure financial success in your work or found an exercise routine that you enjoy on a consistent basis. Reviewing your accomplishments is a great place to begin because you will focus on your positive efforts and achievements, thereby creating positivity – quite simply , when you look at all you have done you it is easy to see that YOU ROCK!!

2. Figure out where you want to be this time next year:
Do some visioning and ask yourself this question- what do I want to DO, HAVE, or BE this time next year? The answer may be that you want to start your own business. Perhaps you want to manifest a romantic relationship. Or, you may want to fit into a pair of skinny jeans – whatever it is, figure it out. Setting a goal is an essential tool -- only by doing so can you actually reach it. . For example- if you want to manifest a meaningful relationship, then getting soused at a party and hooking up with the bartender may not be the way to go. Know where you want to be next year -- this will literally stop you from doing something stupid because you don’t want to delay the immense gratification that will come from reaching your goal.

3. It’s just a cannoli. It’s not the last one on earth. There will be lots of chances to eat one.
If you’re at a holiday dinner or party, you will probably want to eat something that will not jive with your goal of fitting into your skinny jeans. It it calling your name, screaming to be eaten. Do you answer the call? Well, maybe… Here is what you need to ask yourself:

· Am I hungry?
This is the most important question to ask yourself. If you’re not hungry, why would you take it? Would you fill up your gas tank if it was full – heck no! Gas would spill out and cause a fire- likewise, filling up your stomach when it’s full can lead to disaster – you feel physically sick, bloated and lethargic, and emotionally beat yourself up for overeating.

· What do I LOVE?
Do some detective work beforehand. Ask the hostess – what’s for dessert?. If it’s their famous tartuffo, then it is a no brainer. Pass on the mediocre baked brie so that you can have room for your favorite dessert.

· Just one bite …
Often times I find that I will give myself permission to take a bite of something and see how it feels in my mouth before I nix the idea entirely – like last night for example – there was a big plate of chocolate covered pretzels I had a bite of one and came to the conclusion that I wasn’t ‘feeling it’ at all. I put it down and went for the roasted Brussels sprouts.


· How sweet have I been lately?
When did you last eat sweets? Do you eat the treats at your office every day? Did you have dessert on your dinner dates this week? If so, enough is enough! Sugar is a treat, not a punctuation to every meal; not a comfort after an draining phone call with your ex-boyfriend. It is a TREAT!!! Cut the shit and love yourself. Like you would with your own child, set up boundaries for treats. Don’t eliminate them. Just be wise. I encourage you to embrace the treats – they are NOT bad! Just eat them in moderation. Here’s the plan: make a dessert date with a pal, at your favorite sexy place and sip champagne while you savor your delicious chocolate cake. I promise you it is far better than your office’s crappy chocolate candy!


4. Shop till you drop and cook up a storm!
Set some time aside and hit the health food store or green market. www.cenyc.org
Buy all of the foods that support your idea of health and well-being. Don’t be shy – by as much as you can carry. Now for the cooking part…When you have fantastic food in the fridge, you are sure to have a successful holiday season. Why? It’s really quite simple; eating real whole foods literally squashes the cravings for the unhealthy stuff and makes you stay healthy thin. Set aside a few hours on the weekend and get your cooking done for the week. If you don’t know how to cook, ask me. I give private and group cooking classes and my website is packed with fun easy recipes. (www.getthinforthecamera.com) or go to Top Chef Andrea Beaman’s site for some and buy her cook book (www.andreabeaman.com) or learn some awesome tips at www.12daysoffitness.com


5. Move your ASS!!!
Exercising during holiday time will really help you stay on track and keep you healthy thin. If you need support, find a good trainer. It’s worth the dough, believe me. I highly recommend my trainer, Adam Shuty www.oneparadise.com , as he has all sorts of amazing specials going on right now. You can also go for a long walk, take the stairs at home and work, make love with someone who you really dig, take a fun dance class with friends or join a drumming circle.
( http://www.nyshamaniccircle.org/) It doesn’t matter what you do – just move your ASS!!



6. Say yes when it is good for you and when you do… come prepared!

Did someone invite you to a party? Great, but don’t go there hungry and start grabbing for the usual party food. Just before I go to the party I will make sure that I have eaten a little something – preferably something that is rich in healthy fat and protein, like some scrambled naturally raised eggs. I bring something healthy to the party. Even if it is just a bag of baby carrots – I am covered. Or, if you know that it’s a party you have been to before and it was not fun, why go at all? You ended up at home, eating your pint of ice-cream or cookies last year. Why go through that again? Have the wherewithal to just say no. Better to go to a movie with your friends. Don’t put yourself in situations which are not fun or happy or productive.

7. Laugh and Learn
Laughter is a panacea for one’s problems. . So go out with friends to a comedy club, rent a movie that makes you laugh so hard that your sides ache. Hang around with uplifting and positive people, challenge yourself with a new class, www.monologueaudition.com attend a seminar on personal growth www.actingsuccessnow.com), read a great book or attend counseling. If you do find yourself getting depressed, my advice is to find a licensed therapist.

8. Clean up your act.
Keep your living space tidy. My apartment is my new oasis. Professional organizer/ designer/ Feng Shui expert Shirley Martin has helped me change my life! (girlymartin@aol.com) she is thorough and so kind!


9. Be gentle with yourself and connect the dots.
If you find that you do over do it holiday time, be gentle with yourself and remember that tomorrow is another day. Take a moment to analyze your behavior think “why did I do that and what can I do differently next time”


10. Get some support.
Do you need some help this holiday season? Check out these testimonials of people who navigated through the holidays without gaining any weight!

SUCCESS stories!

Love and healthy hugs,

-Donna Sonkin
HHC, AADP.
www.getthinforthecamera.com
donna@getthinforthecamera.com
917-941-5045

yesterday was an interesting day, a bit of a challenge as I went to the green market ( more on that in a moment)

got up nice and early,

had a wonderful conference call with all of the women doing this weeks cleanse - I am so proud of them they are really doing OUTSTANDING things - everything from going cold turkey on 3 cup a day coffee habits to totally revamping their closets - I was so inspired! way to go ladies!!!

after the call I packed a lunch and met a friend in Union Square for a picnic lunch - quinoa with onions , kale , steamed carrots with lemon- ginger tahini sauce and sardines- after lunch we perused the green market and I will admit to being seduced by the chilled homemade apple cider - okay , it is a local and in season fruit so I went with it and shared it with my buddy, DELICIOUS!!!

and that would have been enough but we picked up some dried apples and I had those as well , cut to 30 minutes later and MAN major headache! I had not had anything that sweet for about 5 days ... so not horrible,

had an hour long massage and that was pretty nourishing.

today was an EARLY day , went for a run in the rain and thought to myself "who is this person running in the rain?" but It felt really good and cleansing - I thought as I ran about the symbolism of rain in the movies , literature ,and music as something that "washes things away" I thought of that the Madonna song "Rain" "wash away my sorrow , take away my pain, your love's coming down like rain" not sure what it is but I felt so AMAZING after that run...

now I am up in Albany with my boyfriend and let me tell you when you leave Manhattan it is frightening what they call food - we were pleasantly surprised to find an excellent seafood restaurant - I have managed to stay within my cleanse guidelines ordering fish and vegetables - it was tough not to order a glass of wine and pass on the desserts that people enjoyed all around us , but back at the hotel we were able to get some herbal tea and fresh fruit.

off to bed soon.

many xoxo's,
-Donna

Spring cleaning day 3

woke up at around 6 am and cooked like a fiend! more wild salmon salad , some blueberry sorbet , more vegetables for nori rolls KALE! lemon- ginger tahini sauce, and sweet potato.

feeling very good , a bit sluggish and my attempt at a run in the park turned into a long leisurely walk with push ups, crunches, lunges and stretches, I decided NOT to use my IPOD , I wanted to listen to the birds , cleansing yes...

took a long relaxing sit near the sail boat pond and have to say that I felt as if I was in a Fellini movie - many of those cute Korean couples tying the knot - many with punked out multi colored hair ( the men) and the brides all aglow with red and pink bouquets, there was some weird dude gyrating to trance music and people were actually putting money in his bucket, there was a couple clearly in love and learning the tango , holding each other so close that not a bit of light shone through their silhouette... and of course the children who giddily watched the two Transylvania Folk violinists play feverishly in unison.

I was very happy that I did not bring my IPOD - I would have missed the entire Filliniesque show for sure and what a pity that would have been...

as for my cleansing activity- went to the little nail salon by my house and got a manicure/ pedicure , I interviewed the owner as she painted my toes... she started her business at a very young age and then left it to go back to be a mommy , then once the kids grew she went back to work and the business has continued to thrive ever since.

had a friend over for dinner. now I will clean up the dishes and head to sleep.

Oh, NO TV through meals again! YEAY! very difficult indeed. NO black tea, Dolphin chocolate or black licorice either!

I feel pretty clean , light , refreshed .

a cleanse is ( as Martha says, ) is " A good thing"

tomorrow I do a tele-conference with all of the spring cleansers ( there are 11 of them ) looking forward to hearing all of their news.

xoxo!
-Donna

Spring cleaning day 2

Hello healthy people !

well yesterday went well... did not have any chocolate , black tea or black licorice, instead I opted for some organic apple sauce which did the trick.

I took a 30 minute run in the park - which was beautiful, then did some stretching , crunches and push ups... the weather made it easy as did the fun music in my ipod.

I did not watch T.V. while eating even once - which was a challenge- I just stared at my cat and he looked away occasionally looking at me as if to say " what the hell are you looking at? "

I finished most of the food that I made accept the brown rice, I have a sweet potato in the oven as I write this and am about to steam carrots and make Dikon radish salad for nori rolls, some more kale and of course that YUMMY lemon -ginger tahini dressing.

my cleansing activity yesterday was to go over some old paperwork, today I will do laundry and donate old and unused items to the housing works thrift shop.

I went to whole foods last night after a delicious dinner last night at Souen ( nori roll, maze rice with nori, grilled black bass and some kale, steamed carrots , dikon radish and squash) to pick up some more apple sauce (glass jar) kale, carrots, sweet potato and dikon.

going to hit the park again today, maybe a yoga class ...

many hugs!
xo-Donna

Spring Cleaning !

hello all ! just had a fun spring cleaning class last night - many wonderful people all interested in, umn... "getting clean". the reality is that we all take in so much crap even if we are doing our best to be healthy -

in last nights class we discussed easy techniques to have an easy cleanse. we cooked many delicious cleansing foods that are sure to "detox" the body , we all committed to cutting out the biggest toxic offenders , those include sugar, chemicals, dairy, wheat, iodized salt, any processed foods, eggs, corn, alcohol, coffee, soda pop, and fake sugars.

for one week we will all do our best to love ourselves and give to our bodies only the foods that we wish to actually become a part of our bodies.

last nights dinner menu was simple and yummy ( all organic) :

nori rolls with avocado, alfalfa sprouts, red cabbage and carrots.

steamed kale with lemon- ginger tahini sauce

wild salmon salad with capers

roasted red garnet potatoes

and the yummiest black cherry/ blueberry sorbet with a raw honey ripple!

here is my personal progress report:

I just finished breakfast (after morning water) leftovers - brown rice with greens, carrots, cabbage, that yummy tahini dressing and some salmon salad with sprouts -

I admit to having a tough time NOT turning on the TV , I opted for classical radio and listened to Frank Bruni , the NY times food writer ramble on about some nonsense- I forgot to smell my food! but I did remember to CHEW - which was actually fun because the brown rice really lends itself to the "chew"

I ate PAST a 5 (tough - the food was delicious ...)

so, lunch I am thinking will be leftover sushi rolls , some more of the leftover steamed veg and some sweet potato , maybe some salmon.

I will find it hard today not to have a medallion of Dolphin chocolate or some organic black licorice ( I realize that I do this nearly every day) my black tea habit will not happen today or going forward and I LOVE black tea.

also, after much thought I have altered my Cinco De Mayo plans and will go to Souen for dinner (13th st. off University place) and forgo a crazy margarita Mexican fiesta with my boyfriend luckily he loves kale...

I send hugs,

xoxo-Donna

Dairy –What the heck is wrong with it anyways???


1. Dairy as baby food – dairy is a highly concentrated food, it helps a calf grow to a cow from 50 – 1500 lbs- in about 6 months.
2. The Enzymes- toddlers 3 years of age and under (babies) have an enzyme that aids in the digestion of dairy, around the time that they turn 3 years old that enzyme goes away and dairy is much more difficult to digest.
3. Pasteurization –when dairy comes out of the cow it actually has an enzyme that helps you to digest it (when dairy is raw) when we pasteurize that dairy that enzyme gets killed by the high temperature making it difficult to digest, many people who label themselves as “lactose- intolerant” are really just having a reaction to the lack of the raw dairy enzyme.
4. Absorption of vitamins / minerals - when dairy is made low fat or skim The body can’t handle it, fat is what helps the body to absorb vitamins and minerals, when the fat is removed there are far too many nutrients and not enough fat to assimilate those nutrients so the body “throws out” the excess in the form of – bunions, calcium deposits, skin tags, raised moles, etc.
5. bovine growth hormone – a normal grass fed cow makes enough milk for its own babies or the equivalent of about a family of 5 – when dairy is factory farmed – farmers add bovine growth hormone to stimulate the cows mammary gland so that cow produces enough dairy for 30 people ! the result is horrific – as we ingest what ever that cow ingests the result can be children developing breasts at a very young age or what I call “ man boobs” in men who drink too much dairy- an over all “baby fat” body is to be expected when there is too much dairy in the diet.
6. antibiotics – as a result of the hormones, the cow udders get engorged with milk (7 times the amount that they are meant to hold) the udders drop down to the ground and rub against the floor of the pen – often the pen floor in a factory farm is a mettle grate and this scrapes the udders – the udders then become inflamed and infected – in order for the farmers to continue to make their money they pump the milk cows with strong antibiotics to make the infection go away , again if the cow ingests it – so will you, result of antibiotics in humans – weakened digestion and Candida among many other problems.

7. Treatment of dairy cows… no sunshine, life in a tiny pen with no room and no fresh air – think prison here. Normal cows live 15-20 years cows on hormones/ antibiotics in a factory farm pen- sometimes only 3 years… so sad.
8. Feed of factory farmed cows- cows are meant to be out in the sunshine, they are meant to consume grass NOT grains or feed – in a factory farm the feed often consists of stale bakery waste – that’s right, old nasty fried donuts! Not very healthy for them, the cows often develop huge gastrointestinal problems and many other health problems including acid reflux and arthritis.

What can you do?

· Only buy grass fed, organic, no hormone/ no antibiotic, non homogenized, free range dairy.

· Look for fermented dairy – yogurts and kefir and always opt for full fat versions.
· Look at dairy as more of a fun food that enjoy on occasion
· Find calcium where cows find it in dark greens, other calcium rich, non- dairy foods include: sesame seeds (1160mg. per 3.5 oz), sardines (371 mg per serving) collard greens (250mg per serving) and almonds (234 mg. per serving)



-Donna Sonkin H.H.C., A.A.D.P.
917-941-5045
www.getthinforthecamera.com

three little words...

Water- Sleep - Greens.

while "I love you" are three little words that we all adore hearing they will not help your body run with vibrancy and efficiently. Water, Sleep and Greens , however will not only make you feel loved they are the kind of unconditional love that we all deserve. please read on for information on how these "three little words" can change your life...

SLEEP:

I have heard people brag that they can get by on less than 8 hours of sleep – I find this so silly. When we sleep the body regenerates and gets ready for the big day ahead. When you get less sleep than you need it is like charging your cell phone half way and we all know how much it sucks when your cell phone battery dies in the middle of a busy day.

What to do before bed?

Shut the TV off!

Read only nourishing pleasant things.

Journal, take a lavender bath

Use lavender creams

Sip some chamomile tea (not too close to bedtime!)

Stay off the phone and tell your friends not to phone late (or shut the ringer off)

Lay off the emails (you can do it tomorrow).

Stop eating by 8 p.m.

Stop drinking by 9 p.m. (you can take sips but no full glasses)

Get horizontal by 12 a.m.

Be gentle with yourself.

WATER:

Everyone always thinks that they are drinking enough. We have all heard the “eight glasses a day” rule, but, really, do you think that someone who is 330lbs., Shaquille O'Neal for example needs the same amount of water as Madonna (98lbs.)? Of course not! Here is a great formula for figuring out your body’s needs. Half your weight in ounces, so, 120lb. woman needs 60 ounces of water a day. I read in a yoga journal nearly 14 years about the powers of “Morning water” it literally pushes the toxicity out of the body through the first urine of the day. Simply drink 2 glasses of room temperature water upon rising. Make sure that it is room temperature because the body is at a cozy 98 degrees and first thing in the morning ice cold water can be too shocking to the delicate digestive tract. Also it is important to drink high quality spring water or filtered water- not tap crap! Drinking water before meals (10 minutes) and NOT during will assure you a nice strong digestion. Drinking with meals actually dilutes stomach acid and slows down digestion. You might notice times when you need more water like if it is particularly hot outside or if you are engaging in more physical activity. It is essential that you listen to your body and give it what it needs.

EAT MORE GREENS:

I mean more DARK greens like collards and kale, they contain powerhouse immune building vitamins and minerals including - calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and Vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll (a natural deodorizer –think fresher breath here) and many other micronutrients and phyto-chemicals. Learning to cook and eat greens is essential to creating health. When you nourish yourself with greens they naturally crowd out the less healthy foods. Greens help to strengthen the blood and respiratory systems as well as promote emotional stability and creativity.

Simple greens:

1 bunch organic dinosaur / Lacenato kale or collards - washed, separate spine from leaf chop both.

2 teaspoons organic tamari

2 teaspoons organic toasted sesame oil

Place stems of kale in steaming basket with an inch of filtered water – bring to a boil, cover for about 1 minute or until stems become a vibrant green color, lower flame to medium, toss in leaves and cover for another couple of minutes or until done, check for doneness. Using tongs transfer greens into a large bowl, add tamari first then sesame oil.

ENJOY!!!

With these tools you are well on your way to being the best version of you and definitely “Thin for the Camera!” for more great tips visit www.getthinforthecamera.com

Or email Donna at donna@getthinforthecamera.com / 917- 941-5045

why I love kale...

I love kale for so many reasons -

here are my top ten reasons why I love kale...

1. it is green HELLO... who doesn't love green things? (Kermit the frog, green M&M's, grass, grass hoppers, my favorite rain boots)
2. my skin looks better when I eat it
3. it gets stuck in my teeth and I can make my friends laugh by pretending I have no clue it is in there
4. it gives me more energy to check out how nutritionally superior it is visit www.whfoods.com and type "kale" into the search space scroll down for "nutritional profile" and get ready to be amazed.
   
5. it makes me smell great ( it has chlorophyll so it naturally deodorizes my breath and skin)
   
6. it makes me less grumpy
7. it makes my blood nice and clean ( yes, kale will actually push the toxins out of your blood)
8. my cat Max poops more easily when I puree it and add it to his food
9. I can use the recipes from my website to make it in under 5 minutes (www.getthinforthecamera.com)
10. it makes sex better ( YES it does read my article about it... go to the article marked "green vegetables for better sex" http://www.getthinforthecamera.com/press.html )
    

xoxo-Donna