A 28-Day New Start

The New Year is right around the corner and what better way to get prepared than to learn some great tips on how to start fresh. According to Dr. Oz, if you are going to do anything, it should be these next 28 things. I agree they are all fantastic and will surely revive your body and life for 2012 and beyond. Follow these tips and you will be on your way to a healthier lifestyle and happier soul.

Drink Green Tea - filled with antioxidants, green tea can lower bad cholesterol and even help reduce the risk of some cancers. It even promotes weight loss.

Eat Dark Chocolate - the flavonols in cocoa help improve circulation and filled with antioxidants. It may also help your vision!

Love Your Heart - cook more foods that support a strong heart and helps blood flow. Some of these are tomatoes, garlic and lima beans as well as foods with high omega-3s.

Forgive Someone - it has been shown that forgiving someone can help lower blood pressure and reduce negative emotions such as anger and anxiety.

Memorize a Poem - use your brain and get it working! Start with a poem and move forward from there.

Have More Sex - not only does having sex boost your immune system it makes everyone happier. So even if your single, give yourself a treat once in awhile will ya!

Keep Track of Your Snacks - studies show that when people write down what they eat, they actually eat less.

Sweat - get your body moving! Whether its a full workout or just a 30 minute walk, all movement is good movement. Not only will you feel better but you will look better too.

Sleep More - proper sleep is so important. You should get at least 7 hours but shoot for 8.

Meditate - learning to meditate can help lower your cholesterol and calm you down. Give yourself a few minutes a day to take a breath and relax.

Don't Eat Before Bed - eating at night can help you gain weight so try to stay off the snacks 2 hours before bed.

Eat the Right Portions - to help with this start using smaller plates. Remember you should have more veggies and whole grains than protein. For a quick guide check out the new food pyramid.

Count Your Steps - its recommended you take 10,000 steps a day so get moving. Using a pedometer is the best way to keep track. Some good ones to check out are the Fitbit, Omron and S2H Step.

Interview Your Relatives - talking to your family and asking them questions about their medical history can help you learn more about what your genes carry. In addition, any diseases or illnesses that run in the family will be out in the open.

Take The Right Pills - it is recommended you take a multivitamin, calcium with magnesium and vitamin D.

Calculate Your BMI - this is your body mass index. To get it just divide your weight (lbs) by your height (in) then squared. Take that number and multiply it by 703. If your BMI is between 25 and 29, you are overweight. If you have 30 or higher, thats a bad sign and means your obese.

Tweak Your Daily Routine - switch to caffeinated coffee, eat a snack after you workout and leave your windows open for fresh air when the heat or air conditioner isn't on. Caffeine can actually lower your risk of cancer and eating protein or carbs after a workout helps repair muscle tissue. As for fresh air, the EPA suggests getting a lot of it. They also say indoor air can be five times more contaminated that outside.

Eat Popcorn - popcorn is full of fiber and is only 90 calories for 3 cups! Now thats a great snack.

Eat a Better Lunch - use smaller containers, mix up your veggie choices and beware of the low-fat label. Sometimes people will eat more of something because it's low-fat so don't let the label get ya!

Stick to the Same Breakfast - tests show that people maintain a healthier weight by eating the same thing for breakfast everyday. So remember not to skip the most important meal of the day and keep it healthy!

Clean Out Your Pantry - thats right, get a garbage bag and purge! Get rid of all the crap and take control. Try to stay away from foods that end in ose and ol, they are additives and sugars you don't need.

Call a Friend - keep your connections close and talk to a friend on a daily basis.

Floss - flossing is important for your teeth and your body. Bacteria can get into your bloodsteam if you don't!

Peek at Your Poop - I know, I know, but its important to see what's coming out so you know what's happening inside. Here is a quick guide to help you out: red - bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract, green - crohn's disease, cream - gallbladder dysfunction, white - pancreatis & pancreatic cancer, black - bleeding in the upper gastriontestimal tract.

Say No - its important you make time for yourself and this means saying no when needed. If you don't, the stress hits and thats no good for anyone.

Stretch - stretching is absolutely important! Not only will it help your flexibility but it will make you stronger too. Go yoga!

Snack Healthy - snacking is fine as long as its a healthy choice. There are plenty of great options out there. You just have to look!

Spread Kindness - this should be self explanatory. When you help other people and spread positive vibes, it makes the world a better place.

To read more on the article check it out on Oprah's website. I hope you all have a great holiday and happy new year!!

We All Have the Power

I was watching Oprah yesterday and I was surprised and ecstatic when guest Will I Am paid off the mortgages of two families homes. With his own money! Then after listening to him talk I wasn't so surprised because deep inside this is what I expect from people who have large salaries. The entertainment industry is a vessel for all of us to step out of life and be somewhere else. Whether its music, a film, a book or a painting they all are amazing gifts that were born from creativity, inspiration and love. Three things that should be ruling the planet. Instead we have greed, selfishness and ignorance leading the way and its taking us nowhere. The fact of the matter is, people should not be making millions or even billions on anything! I don't care how hard you work. No one works that hard to earn that kind of money. Once people have that much they just want more of it. How disgusting can you be? I can't imagine living a lifestyle that needs to be supported by thousands of dollars. You do not need this to survive.

Will I Am is doing what I feel everyone with large salaries should do. Share it with the world and do some good. Will states that sure its good to raise money for charities but why not use his own money when he has it. Exactly! There are so many people who don't have jobs and can't provide for their families and its so sad. These are the people that know how to work for their money. Normal people trying their best to survive. Not trying their best to buy a $1,000 bag or a pair of shoes! That alone would pay 1/4 of my debt. It is so ridiculous. I really think that once you hit a certain mark with income you should get taxed a percentage that will go to people and businesses in need. This is what keeps the world spinning. We need to stick together and be a team. Isn't that what America is all about? Oh I forgot, its about money, houses, expensive clothes, plastic surgery, killing animals, destroying the Earth and having power over everyone else. This is what America has become people. It kills me to live among such atrocity.

Being an artist I understand first hand how hard it is to live life with not enough finances. Having a single mother growing up I did not have everything I wanted nor was I spoiled. I had what I needed to survive and sometimes extra because I had an amazing family who helped us. Because of this upbringing I learned that money isn't everything. It is here to help up move forward and have a stable life but it is not intended to bring power and superiority. It is just paper! I have always been a creative person so being an artist is what I was born to be. No questions asked. I knew when I was a child I was destined to do great things. Whatever stage of my life I was in I took the time to help people when they needed it and be there for others so they could have a friend, a listener or advice. My soul was always dedicated to communicating with other living creatures so harmony and stability can remain.

Now that I am 30, I look back on my life and see that as I evolved into who I am today, I grew into something better. Better for myself, my friends and family and the people that I can help. I have been through a lot in my time so why not share my experiences with others. Sharing is the key to healthy relationships. We need to share happiness, love, advice, knowledge, inspiration, creativity...the list goes on and on. We as Earthlings need these things to survive! It is in our blood. Humans and animals a like...this is how we are all the same. We see, feel, touch, hear and taste the same. We are alive and none of us have the right to take that gift away from anyone or anything.

My boyfriend and I may struggle with money but we still have a beautiful home, a lovable dog, a great amount of family and friends and each other. In other words, everything we need. And while saving for a house seems nearly impossible we still have hopes and dreams for the future. In between the bills and job searching, there is always room for lending a hand. This is why I started Revolt. For all of you. I have the ability to gather information that may be useful to all of you so why not share it. I use my time and money to build a platform for all to learn, share and gain better perspectives on life. Most of all, I use my heart. I live to do this, period. I always have and always will. When I am passionate about something I go all the way with it. At least as far as I can go with what I have at the moment! I live to make this planet a better place to live. I live to share what I know and help all living creatures make better choices and see the important things in life. The things that matter. I live to not only dream but to inspire others to do so as well.

It makes me so happy to know that there are people like Will out there making a difference. I know there are a lot out there who share and give their time to help others. We just need more! America needs to take a good look at itself and put its priorities in order because right now they are not where they should be, at all. We can all make a difference. If you think that by you doing something positive it won't change anything, you are wrong. Just think of how many people think like that. Nothing will ever change. We need to all do something! The real problem is people are not aware of the damage that is being done. They are suffocated by society and power. They are bogged down by money and greed. They are crawling because they are uneducated and homeless. If everyone was to do their part this would change. We all have the power to share. Let's show the world we can.

No Phone Zone

Today is National No Phone Zone Day! Oprah is so cool for doing this. When you have the power and the means to make a difference you should take that opportunity and use it to its fullest. Oprah did just that! She has worked so hard to get this issue out there and it doesn't surprise me that all her hard work paid off. It is really sad that lives have been lost just by using a cell phone. It is really ridiculous. I suggest you go on the Oprah website and sign the pledge. By you doing this and actually doing it you will help to stop more lives from being lost.

I will admit I have texted in my car in the past. Not much when I am driving though. When I have to use my phone I wear my headset but I am trying to just keep it in my bag and leave it alone. I am not a big phone talker to begin with so its not a huge problem for me. But some people are out of hand. I can't tell you how many times I am on the road and I see a person on their phone. Most of the time they are driving too slow, too fast or just plain retarded! I often yell at these people, haha. Its just so god damn annoying.

So do the world a favor and keep your phone off in the car. There really is no need to use it. If you need to call someone then just pull over and do what you have to do. At least you are not on the road and open to having a car accident or killing someone. Play it safe because this is no joke.