Healthy Spicy Life

Fall 2013

Kim Stetz

Central Park Dream Land Nov 18, 2011

What's newsworthy and what isn't is obviously subjective. I did something for the first time ever the first week of September. Heading out to an early morning client while walking down the street I live on in the east village, I saw a freshly showered man in clean casual clothes, a knapsack at his feet standing there by himself doing something on his phone. Just this man and I were pretty much the only people on the whole block save a couple of street kids who had recently taken residence on a mattress snoring away. I walked past the man and said, "You look a lot like Jason Schwartzman." He looked up from his phone and replied, "I am." I stopped for a moment when he said that, kept walking, then I turned around and asked for a photo. I have no idea what compelled me to do this. I usually think what a dork asking for a photo. Typically I am not the type to be star struck and actually most people have no idea who Jason Schwartzman

is. You're probably looking him up right now. I had just purchased Marie Antoinette (Jason plays King Louis XVI) on iTunes because I love the music, costumes, and going along with the theme of this email, there's a lot of sugary goodness in that movie. While making small talk, a couple of years ago they shot Bored To Death on my block and I pointed that out to Jason in case he had forgotten. He confirmed that indeed they had. Then I mentioned that I had met him about 15 years ago in LA out one night at The Whiskey Sunset Marquis. We were introduced through a mutual friend. He politely said I looked familiar. I laughed. Leaning in for the photo, the toothpick already in his mouth, I thought, this guy plays such great characters, Jonathan Ames (Bored to Death), Max Fischer (Rushmore), how fun to be in a photograph with him, straight up Jason Schwartzman. I got a little chatty (my not so secret moniker is Chatty Cathy) and after asking what project he was working on he told me he was heading to work shooting Listen Up Philip and I told him I was heading to work as a yoga teacher. That was that. My new pal. (Kidding). Off I went and he went back to his phone duty. I was really proud of myself for saying hi and asking for a photo. Must have been Jason's super nice vibes that said it was OK to approach him.

Good morning!

7:00 AM no "hair and make-up" for either of us (hahaha "hair and make-up" for me) I love the vibe and joy in this picture. I makes me smile. I hope it brings a smile to you, too.

Contact me if you want help with making positive changes that will work for you.

I thank students, teachers, clients and friends who continue to learn and evolve through our experiences together and apart. There's so much more to health than food and exercise, but nutrition and mindful movement like yoga are great places to start.

Here to serve, Kim

HSL Happenings ~ We have fun!

10 Day Mind/Body/Spirit Fall Detox Program

Aunt Fran's Mud Pie

OK y'all, if you're really good, I'll share the recipe. I don't think there's a single ingredient in mud pie that is part of the detox, but that's not to say you can't have this recipe stashed away somewhere when you have a house full of guests over and you eat a sliver at a time! It's pretty bad ass I have to say. Remember in doing a cleanse we're working with our brain in learning how to balance super healthy good foods with the comfort foods. Know you're intention before starting a detox. I highly recommend considering something beyond losing weight. We eat whole foods during the cleanse. We eliminate caffeine, added sugar, wheat, dairy, meat, alcohol ... or at least we do the best we can in eliminating what we can from that list. Registration and a full description of what we'll being doing is on my website.

Here's what the spring detox crew had to say ...

"Just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for the very inspiring and profound detox guidance. I am sure it wasn't easy guiding a group "virtually" ... you've pulled it off beautifully! .... looking forward to future updates!"

"What a great day, I'm so glad I signed up for your spring detox program!! I just wanted to curb my eating and jump start summer weight loss, but I think this could actually change the way I eat permanently. I'm shocked that I haven't had any chocolate or wine today and it's 10:30 and I am loving this Yogi Kava tea! I also thought I'd hate kitchari, but I LOVED it. I'm just shocked at how this happened in such a lovely way, no starvation or self-hatred or anything negative. Thank you thank you thank you, you are truly amazing!"

"Many thanks to Kim for all the support and putting the cleanse together. I really enjoyed the program and learned many things about myself. Going forward now the gluten free is something I really should continue. Also the support from everyone in the program following on Facebook was very helpful. Thanks again to Kim and looking forward to continuing this journey."

Meditation
Daily Sit

Our #Dailysit community is growing even more so with Insight Timer's free app offering groups within the community. You can join our Dailysit - IDP group. Each week there will be an opportunity for anyone who wants to participate in a community sit online. You don't need the Insight Timer app to meditate, but it sure makes for a warm and fuzzy feeling when you see others dedicated to mindfulness sitting somewhere with you.

Join me and others on Saturdays at 9:00 AM EST for a 30-minute sit from your home or wherever you are. I will do my best to make this the regular time for the community sit; however, stay tuned to the posts to get the weekly community online sit time. You can find and add me as a friend and join the group Daily Sit IDP on Insight Timer.

Escape To Shape Laos Feb 8-15, 2014

I have the opportunity to teach during this adventure, I need to know if I have any takers. ETS has a teacher in the area already, but if I have 4 or more participants come with, it's mine. Feel free to ask me any questions. This in not a classic "retreat". I will be teaching one yoga class a day and the rest is organized through ETS. All details are in the link below. I pretty much am on holiday as well so I get to hang out with all of you. Any participants that register through me receive a $200 discount.

photo by Mary Billard

Click this link ESCAPE TO SHAPE offers vacations combining luxury, culture & fitness at unique locations around the world. A traveling spa, our trend-setting locations change throughout the year and provide guests the opportunity to discover the history, people, food and natural wonders of various cultures while toning the body, expanding the mind, and meeting new friends along the way. Our program is a combination of:

Exclusive luxurious accommodations
A total body workout, including yoga, Pilates, circuit training, hiking and/or kayaking/biking- depending upon the location
Delicious, organic when possible, local cuisine- reflective of the region & the season
Cultural excursions & classes
Relaxation & Spa Treatments

Nutrition
Sugar, ah honey honey

Photos by Robert Clark

Please read this article in Nat Geo about sugar

"It seems like every time I study an illness and trace a path to the first cause, I find my way back to sugar." Richard Johnson, a nephrologist at the University of Colorado Denver, was talking to me in his office in Aurora, Colorado, the Rockies crowding the horizon. He's a big man with eyes that sparkle when he talks. "Why is it that one-third of adults [worldwide] have high blood pressure, when in 1900 only 5 percent had high blood pressure?" he asked. "Why did 153 million people have diabetes in 1980, and now we're up to 347 million? Why are more and more Americans obese? Sugar, we believe, is one of the culprits, if not the major culprit." ~ Rich Cohen

The photographs are wonderful in the magazine article. The photograph of my Aunt Fran's mud pie may look delicious to some and like a stomach ache to others. Each and every one of you will have your own perspective. Sugar is an addiction just like any other addiction that has embedded it's path into your nervous system via the brain releasing hormones telling your mouth, your stomach, your potentially leaky gut what it wants. Am I giving you the scientific run down about all of this? No. The bottom line is to investigate for yourself how you feel when you cut out foods with added sugar for a significant amount of time to give your body a chance to heal. Then have some fun with a little sugar here and there, but knock it out first. How long? ... depends on how addicted you are, but I'd say 6 months is a good start. Sugar is pretty powerful. There's a reason gout was called "the disease of Kings". Holistic Health Coaches help you kick your sugar cravings and identify how sugar is hidden in so many foods. Cholesterol and fats are not the enemy here. If there has to be an enemy (there doesn't) but if I need to point a finger at a leading cause for disease in the body, it's sugar. I don't need a PHD to understand this. I just need a body and experience with eating all kinds of food. You have a body. You can do this, too. This doesn't mean use artificial sugar substitutes like what you find in those yellow, pink or blue packages. I dare say those could be worse. The word artificial is right there on the package. Are you a real human body or an artificial one? Stop trying to sweeten stuff up. Life is sweet enough. Check your habits, come into balance and then see how you feel about sugar.

Maybe you'll be inspired to join the 10 Day Detox Oct. 9-18th. It's a start for some a refresher for others.

Author Bio

Kim Stetz is an Experienced-Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT), meditation teacher and a Certified Health Coach (AADP). Her dedication to health and wellness comes from her passion for yoga and nutritious food. From the very first time she stepped on a yoga mat in 1992, she knew her life was about to take the path less traveled. Kim has yoga certifications from OM Yoga NYC, Yoga For Two The Barnes Method, Relax and Renew Judith Hansen Lasater, and Anatomy Studies For Yoga Teachers with Jason R. Brown. Kim is also a graduate of The Interdependence Project's Meditation Teacher Training and Buddhist Studies programs. For services please visit my website.

Quick Links

My Website |Blog |Find Me On FaceBook