B E V E R LY H I L L S | B R E N T W O O D | M A L I B U | W E S T H O L LY W O O D | S A N T A M O N I C A
COMMUNITY POWERED
SPOTLIGHT
DARNELL COX
HOST, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD LIVE
APRIL 2016 | FOCUSMAG.US
KIT HOOVER
FITNESS PIONEER
CHRISTINE KHURI TREND SETTER
FITNESS &
GINA AMIR
BEAUTY ISSUE
HEAD OF SCHOOL, ARCHER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
MISS AMERICA 2015
ELIZABETH ENGLISH
KIRA KAZANTSEV
Focus TV
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Kit Hoover
Elizabeth English
Kira Kazantsev
Gina Amir
An early morning behind the scenes visit with Kit Hoover, host of Access, Hollywood Live.
The Head of School at Archer School for Girls in a candid interview about education.
An interview with Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, talking about her experiences since she won the title.
Gina Amir is a jewelry designer with her own boutique in Beverly Hills.
Darnell Cox
Bonnie-Jill Laflin
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Nicole Fogel
Darnell Cox, founder of Live Young Lifestyle, is on a mission to attack the aging process from every angle: Mind, Body and Spirit.
An interview with the model, sportscaster and scout for the Lakers.
Touring the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf plant and tea and coffee tasting at Camarillo, CA.
Nicole Fogel shares her journey, her daily struggles, and a glimpse into her superhero strength and grace battling and advocating for Lupus.
Mom Fair 2015
Erica Lippy
Christine Khuri
Once a year MomFair gathers experts under one roof so that moms can directly interact with hiring managers, home experts, entrepreneurs, business and home resources and likeminded moms.
Faviana Fashion Show
Erica Lippy talks about her visit to the Philipines to see the child she sponsors through Children International.
Christine Khuri’s ageless fitness method can give anyone – regardless of their age –long, lean muscles and true body happiness.
The Faviana Fashion Show At Crown Diva Boutique With Miss Faviana and Miss Malibu USA 2016, Brooke Ashlyn Miller.
CONTRIBUTORS
Tambi Saffran (Stollman) Tambi grew up in NY. She left a producer job at MTV to start a family. Returning to her passion of producing and music, Tambi is currently producing a documentary called She Rocks! about female guitarists. In her spare time she enjoys being a mom, hiking, boxing and live music. http://instagram.com/iamtambi
Jesse Golden A model, yoga teacher, mother and a woman living with an autoimmune disease, Jesse is currently taking on private consultations with those who are in need of further insight and guidance. Email jesseisgolden@gmail.com thegoldensecrets.org
Suzan Brittan A Southern California resident, but forever native New Yorker, started in Los Angeles as a singer/songwriter/ actress. However, to pay for luxuries like rent, a car and food, she climbed many corporate ladders and climbed right back down. She finally found her niche and outlet as a creative and non-fiction writer.
Sande Charles Sande was crowned Ms. California United States 2014. She grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and also covers Football Night in LA for the Examiner. When not in front of the camera, you can find her producing for the MLB Network. On the weekends she is in Studio for Fox Sports. sandecharles.com
Hillary Gadsby Hillary brings extensive experience in Sales, Marketing and Event Management as well as providing exemplary service. She has gained recognition among some of the world’s leading companies including Toyota, and luxury market powerhouse brands such as Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Vera Wang. Her ability to successfully put her clients in the public eye and build new business relationships for them has gained her respect with companies in a variety of diverse industries from luxury goods to corporate finance. Hillary was educated at Sorbonne and American University.
Wendy Brokaw Kretchmer Wendy is an editorial producer at CNN but considers her most important job to be raising her 2 girls. Her rare spare time is spent on a multitude of passions including fundraising, cancer awareness, fitness, and her guilty pleasure – Pinterest.
Dana Adams Dana Adams has spent her life working on both sides of the lens. With a few international campaigns running, Adams continues to push the front end of the lens. However, dubbed as a “Photographic Life Coach” her true passion resides in transforming Models into Role Models on the back end. loveinlalaland.com
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Darnell Cox Darnell Cox is founder of Live Young Lifestyle, whose mission is to attack the aging process from every angle: Mind, Body & Spirit. This mother of 3 young adults is passionate about helping other women learn to “Age Well!” Everything needed to Live your Youngest Life. liveyounglifestyle.com
Jordyn Goodman Jordyn is the Regional Director of Imerman Angels. Previously she was assistant to Suzanne Somers and a presenter on LA Talk Radio, where she hosted a show called Empowered. imermanangels.org
Community powered. Editor Andrew Waldman andy@focusmag.us Focus TV Editor/Hosts Sande Charles Tambi Saffran Hillary Gadsby Staff Writer Felicia Waldman Photographers Dalen Muster Ben Shani Michelle Giron Videographers Dalen Muster Ben Shani Racquel Levin
NOTE FROM THE TEAM
As we head into Spring, we bring you our Beauty and Fitness issue. It has stories from health, fitness and nutrition experts in our community. There’s a lovely interview with Kira Kazantsev about the amazing things she has been able to experience as a result of becoming Miss America, 2015. Among the other stories, Kit Hoover from Access, Hollywood Live gave us our own private access behind the scenes at the studio, prepping for her show at 5.30am! Elizabeth English describes her role as Head of School at Archer School for Girls, and what she aims to achieve for the young girls there.
Publisher + Creative Director Mark Castellino mark@focusmag.us
As usual, there are the various events that we have covered over the last few weeks and stories about entrepreneurs who have caught our attention.
Copyright 2015 by Focus Media Agency. Focus (ISSN 2328-1359) is published 6 times per year. Please do not to reproduce any of the content without permission.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue, and please do continue to send us your stories and personal experiences.
Subscription and distribution inquiries: promo@focusmag.us
Happy reading. The Focus Team
ISSUE 20 Cover photo: Dalen Muster
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A Fresh Approach to Fitness HEATHER DORAK on the reinvention of Pilates
Bringing Great Face to LA Celebrity Aesthetician TRICIA DIKES introduces an affordable, 30 minute treatment for smoother, younger looking skin.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARBON 38
Pilates Platinum began shortly after Heather had experienced her first workout on a Megaformer, which is the revolutionary version of the pilates machine, the Reformer. Like many of her current clients, she fell in love with the workout and experienced amazing results after just a short time. Her passion for health and fitness inspired her to open her first studio in Hollywood in 2006 with a small goal in mind to introduce this amazing workout to the community. The phenomenon caught on very quickly, so much that she decided to expand her business and has since opened studios in Brentwood, Venice Beach and most recently Santa Monica. Where are you from originally and when did you move to LA? I am originally a southern girl from San Antonio, TX. I moved to LA at the age of 17 to pursue dancing while attending college at UCLA. What business were you in immediately prior to Opening Pilates Platinum? I was attending UCLA majoring in Sociology with the intention of teaching Kindergarten, as well as dancing every spare moment that I could. How did you come up with the idea for the first store? What inspired Pilates Platinum actually was the positivity that blossomed through a devastating period in my life. Dance was my life, I did everything for dance, but that all came crashing down when I injured myself. The injury took my away from my passion which felt like the end of the world. During this period I stumbled into an SPX Pilates class and fell in love immediately. My whole life I thought I needed to be thin, but this style of Pilates showed me that I needed a strong body in order to be healthy. It was then and there that I felt a strong passion to want to share my love at first sight with the rest of the community, which is now what is known as Pilates Platinum. How did you execute on your vision to open your first location, did you have help? People who support me could see my passion and desire to make it work. My family was a huge support and pushed for me to make my dream come true! I am very thankful I had a strong backbone of support to get me through the learnings of opening a business. How long was it after you opened that you believed you would open other locations? It happened a lot faster than I anticipated. I am beyond grateful for how quickly it caught on and how much everyone loved it. Three months later, studio number two opened its doors. What are the locations now open? Right now there are four locations: Hollywood, Venice, Brentwood and Santa Monica. Are there even more locations in the pipeline? Yes, I have been contemplating opening up one other studio!
look and feel. It is the most inventive and aggressive approach to full body fat burning conditioning. Our workout gives you the heart pumping, muscle quivering, body lengthening, muscle strengthening exercises your body desires. Simultaneously you are mentally inspired in our small group setting with no more than 14 persons per class. This revolutionary Pilates workout never puts you through the same workout twice, while offering up to 700 calories burned per workout. The mind and body crave change, Pilates Platinum promises to provide what your body needs, each and every time. If you could open another business, fitness related or otherwise, what would it be and where would it be? It would be something kid related. It is super important to teach children the importance of being active and healthy. Instilling this in them at a young age creates habits they can take with them as they get older. How is your social life impacted by your passion for your business? Owning a business that is all about a healthy lifestyle, it truly has to embody what you believe. With that being said, I live just like my studios promote and encourage out of others. Often my social dates revolve around exercise, walks and talks. My friends and I like trying out new studios and healthy eating spots, and of course, the occasional drink. Who, in our local area, inspires you? Truly the community that has built Pilates Platinum is still my inspiration from day to day. The instructors and clients who attend Pilates Platinum always inspire me, which is so special and priceless to me. Of course, my family and friends keep me on my toes as well. Outside of the Pilates Platinum community, a few of my favorites are JJ Dancer, Plyojam with Jason, Ben Allen who created Groove 3 and Eden Sassoon a fellow female Entrepreneur.
What is the mission of Pilates Platinum “A fresh approach to fitness� What elements of Pilates Platinum most differentiate your brand from the others? Pilates Platinum is pilates reinvented. Fifty-five minutes on the state of the art Megaformer is all it takes to transform the way you
Pilates Platinum 11755 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025 pilatesplatinum.com focusmag.us 7
Bonnie-Jill Of All Trades; Master Of Every Single One WRITTEN BY SUZAN BRITTAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANA ADAMS
I’ve got a girl crush and I don’t hate admitting it, especially if it’s on BONNIE-JILL LAFLIN. How does this woman not have a line of men and women alike following her everywhere? Her cool factor is off the charts. The amount of sex appeal she oozes should be illegal as it could affect Global Warming. But, the most admirable thing about Ms. Laflin is she’s ridiculously brilliant at everything she does. Let’s start with her start. She grew up a self-labeled tomboy and daughter of an undercover Narcotics officer in San Francisco. She adored her season ticket holding Dad and his admiration for sports. This was his escape time with her; I can only imagine. She wasn’t a girly-girl distracted by boys at the games or cotton candy selling vendors. Her father’s love of sports drew her in and made her inquisitive about every detail of every player they watched together. Their bond eventually made her the Bond girl of NBA Scouts. After earning her degree from the University of Texas in Broadcast Journalism she landed a job at ESPN out of college. How you ask, was ESPN her first gig out the gate? She attributes her ease of networking as an honored professional cheerleader for the Warriors, Cowboys and 49ers as the reason. Apparently she spoke to the right people, such as the owner of the Lakers, and family friend, the late Dr. Jerry Buss. Make no mistake, Laflin knew her beautiful outside was her biggest obstacle to hurdle, which made her overcompensate in the sports knowledge department. Because she is a woman, she knew she possessed the unique ability to see the relationships between players on and off the court. This proved valuable to a franchise. Thus, proved herself worthy and armed with “off the top of the head” statistics, nurtured relationships and tenacity, she was given the opportunity by Dr. Buss to become his first female NBA Scout. Her success and notoriety led her to an Assistant Manager position of the Laker’s developmental team, The Los Angeles D-Fenders. How many women do you know who own and earned one Super Bowl ring and five NBA championship rings? Well, you know one now. She’s special in the sense that she knows when to wear the “dude” hat and when to put on her heels, especially when you talk shop. Laflin admits that in order to be taken seriously in the sports arena, she had to as she says, “Really know my stuff ”; hence the rings… and “stuff ” she did know. Her knowledge landed coveted sports commentating and journalist jobs at CBS, FOX, ESPN and the NFL NETWORK. She has a huge presence on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio hosting a Fantasy Football and basketball show. She even pioneered, created and hosts the first ever sports TV show in China on MuhoTV. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention her fantastic looks. Laflin’s outside hottie-ness has landed her parts in countless commercials and recurring roles on Baywatch, Ally McBeal, The Man Show, The Jamie Foxx Show and George
Clooney’s, Unscripted, to name a few. She’s blessed the covers and insides of many fitness and men’s magazines and performed in a slew of music videos. It was easy for her to jump from entertaining people on the TV screen or on radio, to entertaining the troops during her eighteen trips to the Middle East with the USO tours. Easy because, her family tree has recent branches of decorated men who heroically served our country. Both Grandfathers fought in WWII with one awarded a Silver Star and The Purple Heart. Her Uncle was a Gunnery Sergeant and is a Marine for life. She gives back to her family and loyal demographic in more ways than you can count. Adding to the list of her trades is her non-profit 501c3 charity she created for physically and psychologically wounded veterans. Hounds And Heroes (www.houndsandheroes.com) is a two-fold well-crafted charity (and by the way, dedicated to her mentor the late Dr. Jerry Buss). She rescues dogs, has them trained by professionals (she’s always looking for more trainers; please reach out) and pairs up each dog with a Veteran in need. When she’s not helping to rescue animals, running her own charity and supporting umpteen others, traveling with USO tours, visiting wounded vets in hospitals, creating TV shows for China, hosting radio shows, sports commentating and most recently designing a women’s sports apparel line of clothing; I might have left ten more endeavors out (I’m exhausted), she finds at least an hour a day to go to the gym or she will get “cranky”. I knew there was a reason why this almost forty year old looks twentytwo. She attributes her svelte and sexy bod to her vegan clean eating lifestyle, Orangetheory Fitness (Neat-o, look it up - www. orangetheoryfitness.com), Yoga and boxing. So, now you know why I have a major girl crush on Ms. Bonnie-Jill Laflin. Does she have a jersey? Forget Barbie… Where’s her bobble-head doll?
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Lipstick Angels
Beautifully Earned Wings WRITTEN BY SUZAN BRITTAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEN HOUSER
What do you get when you’ve worked as a professional make-up artist for over fifteen years in the entertainment business for famous and glamorous celebrities, TV shows and films? You get nada, zip, zero, zilch baby. That is, unless you are Renata Helfman who turned her business of making the rich and famous look beautiful into the rewarding charity of making cancer patients feel beautiful.
If you don’t already know someone who has been riddled with cancer, you will. It is inevitable and awful to watch people you love not only lose their insides, but watch them as it shows on their outsides. The face of a cancer patient, with no eyebrows, shedding hair from her head and loss of healthy facial coloration shows the tale these chemicals tell. It’s a story that should never be told, but sadly is by millions of women suffering with this disease. This is where Lipstick Angels step in. Helfman first started this beauty service in the hospital using her own professional make-up kits she’s used on sets. But, after creating the charity, training her artists for the setting, she took her mission to the next level and sought out to Lipstick Angels was founded and created four years ago by Helfman, partner with more organic and natural brands. Helfman noticed; but it’s the countless volunteer make-up artists that really make “When you’re going through something like this, you’re super her non-profit 501c3 charity special. There are currently three Los sensitive and most of the products you’ve used don’t work anymore Angeles hospitals blessed with visits by these Lipstick Angels in their and can actually hurt your skin when going through radiation. These cancer wards. While patients receive chemotherapy, the professional products make them feel beautiful, but they’re also healing and make-up artists apply organic and natural based beauty products helping their skin.” and make-up on their skin. In her own words Helfman expresses, She partnered with brands that are “green” and chemical-free like: “Five years ago I was working at a job and, like anyone in my career, Burt’s Bees, Glominerals, Tata Harper, Odacite, Amazing Cosmetics, I really wanted to give back. My heart didn’t feel full. I thought of all Innovative Skincare, and Hope Gillerman. Hey, she’s open to more these things I could do: Go feed the hungry, all the things you think if you have connections. An all natural beauty store called Credo about. Then it hit me. Why don’t I take the craft I know and feel (www.credobeauty.com) in San Francisco accepts donations and really confident in and go to the hospital? I’m sure there are people gives one percent of all sales to Lipstick Angels. who could really use services.” She searched, but found no existing program that incorporated beauty as a way to help nurture and heal Helfman, along with the volunteer Angels frequent cancer treatment at Cedars-Sinai. So she decided to make herself an Angel. centers visiting women in their late teens all the way to women in 10 FOCUS | A P R I L 2 0 1 6
their nineties. The patients receive hand massages with organic lotion, hydrating facials, and, Angels apply make-up to those who want a mood changer. “It’s easy to forget how something as simple as makeup can completely change your outlook and totally lift your spirits,” says Melissa, a City of Hope patient. “I received countless compliments for how beautiful I looked, and can honestly say I felt as beautiful as people said I did!” Most cancer patients talk about depression and feelings of loneliness. When you add the stress of losing your looks because of the illness and its treatment, it’s almost too much to reconcile. The brilliance of Lipstick Angels is its twisted simple message. We’ve always been taught that it’s not what’s on the outside that counts... well I call bull. It is, for their mission, exactly what is on the outside that counts. It counts big. Because when you can still look and feel beautiful after rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, pharmaceutical cocktails and watching your body wither away, even if it’s just a bit more... it counts. In fact, some patients schedule their chemo appointments around the Lipstick Angels days. Helfman says, “We’re building relationships with patients. We don’t see them once; we see them through their whole chemotherapy. There are so many stressors when you have cancer, but part of our training program is how to work with people psychologically to get them out of that rut and get the make-up back on their face. I realized we’re not only helping her, we’re helping her whole family. It’s absolutely transformational, and I pinch myself that I get to witness it.” No one would argue the need for Lipstick Angels and how these winged lovelies restore dignity and self-esteem to their patients. In fact, the health care industry and its professionals promote broadening various types of non-pharmaceutical treatments, which include the mental and aesthetic health care of the person as a whole, not just the technical and medical aspects of them. Since March 2012, Lipstick Angels provided a wide range of beauty services to patients at Cedars Sinai. When the program launched, only one Lipstick Angels session a week was offered. Due to the program’s success, sessions are now available up to four times a week in Cedar’s Samuel Oschin Cancer Center. In February 2014, Long Beach Memorial requested Lipstick Angels launch a program in their new Todd Cancer Institute. This innovative cancer center is at the forefront of cancer management and takes an integrative approach to medicine that addresses the mind, body and spirit. Since August 2014, Lipstick Angels have provided services twice a week in Todd’s infusion center to patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I’m sure there will be many more to follow. Ms. Helfman is ahead of her time and just in time. The quest for beauty, whatever that means or looks like to you, is a lifelong journey for most women who are fortunate with health. Lipstick Angels was created to help women who aren’t as fortunate look beautiful to feel beautiful when you’re at your lowest and sickest point in your life. If you ask me, they each deserve two sets of fluffy, white wings topped with 24kt gold halos. If you would like to make a donation to Lipstick Angels or become a Lipstick Angels volunteer, visit their website www.lipstickangels.org and help today. Lipstick Angels lipstickangels.org
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Banish Belly Fat How to get rid of stubborn belly fat
All roads lead to cortisol...well sort of. What is Cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, otherwise known as the stress hormone. It is part of the fight or flight stress response. When stress levels are high, cortisol is released into the blood system. In highly stressed bodies this release of cortisol never turns off. What does Cortisol do and why do we care? Cortisol governs hunger, cravings, digestion, blood pressure, sleep wake patterns, physical activity and stress. • High Cortisol raises blood sugar • High Cortisol increases blood pressure • High Cortisol modulates inflammation, the precursor to most diseases High Cortisol is the alarm that never shuts off, thus the Adrenals keep pumping it out and finally you end up in Adrenal Burnout. The feel good neurotransmitters such as Serotonin, Dopamine & Norepinephrine get depleted. High cortisol stimulates your appetite and makes you crave sugary, fatty foods. The bottom line is nothing makes you happy. You’re exhausted and Cortisol tends to accumulate in the belly so you end up with a fat stomach. Increased belly fat or just being overweight in general increases cortisol and makes it harder for you to lose weight. Ok, back to how to get rid of belly fat – you’ll see how most of it relates to stress and Cortisol.
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HOW TO GET ABS! 1. SLEEP. Lack of sleep leads to increased stress levels. Lack of sleep inhibits the release of Melatonin & Growth Hormone which both secrete at night. Thus cortisol can become high at night. High cortisol leads to belly fat. Lack of sleep also increases the hunger stimulator hormone Ghrelin and suppresses Leptin which tells you when you’re full. Try to be consistent and get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Also try not to eat before bed. Leave a window of 3 hours. If your body is busy trying to digest food it cant release growth hormone and other repair hormones, thus you become stressed and depleted and fat. It also interferes with sleep in general. 2. EXERCISE. Move your body and sweat every day. Do not overtrain!! You body perceives very high intensity exercise as stress. The body perceives over training as stress...and guess what? That triggers Cortisol. Ever notice if you train too hard you are fatigued and exhausted and weak? That’s stress to your physical body. If you have high Cortisol, stay away from very high intensity training. Core training can have a positive effect on belly weight, but not traditional crunches. Things such as planks, forearm planks reverse crunches, back extensions and twists work best. Resistance training (lifting weights) also reduces overall body fat thus decreasing belly fat. It also doesn’t raise cortisol as much as high intensity cardio or over training cardio. One hour or more of cardio has no benefit.... but that’s a whole new topic! 3. DIET. Hello! Low carb, high protein, moderate fat. Notice I did not say no carb. Stay around 45% calories from good, low glycemic carbs such as oatmeal, quinoa, whole grains, couscous, brown rice, beans and berries. Low glycemic foods are foods that do raise your blood sugar quickly, thus keeping blood sugar levels steady and not raising glucose and cortisol. Increase your fiber intake so things move through your body and don’t get stuck in your gut fermenting and causing bloat. 35% good, lean proteins such as chicken, fish, tofu, eggs and grassfed meats. The rest is healthy fats such as flax, omega3’s, hemp, almond butter and avocado. 4. Some DAIRY PRODUCTS such as greek yogurt have been shown to have a positive effect on belly fat, due to calcium. 1200-1500 mg of calcium can decrease abdominal fat and reduce bloating especially during PMS. 2-3 servings of low fat dairy a day such as greek yogurt, yogurt & low fat cheese (stick to goat or sheep if you can).
5. SUPPLEMENTS. • CLA has been shown to help reduce body fat. • Calcium 1000-1500 split doses! • Probiotics reduce bloating and the bad bacteria in the gut that can lead to some belly bloating. • Fiber – if you are not having a bowel movement every day where do you think everything goes? It accumulates in your gut, releases gases and causes bloating and water retention. • Healthy fats such as flax, hemp, coconut, avocados and fatty fish high in omegas 3’s help burn fat. 6. Avoid SUGAR which spikes your blood sugar levels, which again affects cortisol. 7. Reduce your intake of ALCOHOL. You don’t have to cut it out completely but stick to moderate drinking, a few glasses a week. Remember alcohol calories tend to land in the belly, alcohol reduces your willpower so you binge. Too much alcohol can cause stress levels to go up the next day, resulting in cravings for fatty, sugary foods. Alcohol also interferes with sleep, which once again raises cortisol! You know how you wake up in the middle of the night after the alcohol wears off, (yeah I know you do!)? 8. Get your HORMONES checked. Some hormonal imbalances such as Thyroid, can add to increased body fat. This can easily be done with a blood check from a doctor familiar with hormone therapy. 9. RELAX! Meditation and yoga have been proven to reduce stress levels which lowers cortisol and overall stress of body and mind. Even 10 minutes a day can help. 10. Practice HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS and do not become complacent. Being in loving, healthy, supportive relationships reduces stress and increases the feel good hormones dopamine and serotonin. Get rid of relationships that no longer bring you joy. This includes friends and co-workers and as well as love partners. Be in happy, healthy relationships. These motivate people to take care of themselves. Do not let everything go just because you are either alone or in secure relationships. It’s not an excuse to to gain weight and get lazy. Get on the road to a healthy life!
Fitness pioneer Christine Khuri’s ageless fitness method can give anyone – regardless of their age – long, lean muscles and true body happiness. Christine knows this because she’s done it herself and helped thousands of others. She has devoted the last 20 years of her life to developing fitness regimens for clients from New York to Los Angeles and is certified in Yoga, Pilates, Spinning & Personal Training. For more information on private coaching, contact Christine through her website ChristineKhuri.com
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ChristineKhuri.com
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COV E R STO RY
Kit Hoover
On set and behind the scenes with the host of Access Hollywood Live INTERVIEW BY TAMBI SAFFRAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE GIRON
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left to right: Ashley Tarkington: wardrobe, Karen Simon: makeup, Tommy Cyr: hair, Kit Hoover and Tambi Saffran Kit shows Tambi Saffran her triceps exercises
We arrived to the set on a Thursday at 5:45a. As I was driving to Universal Studios in the dark, I couldn’t help but think, how does Kit do this every day? Most of the city is still sleeping when she gets up. When you ask Kit about it, she is quick to tell you how amazing it is because after she leaves Access Hollywood at 9am, she can enjoy her other full time job…being a mother of three young children. Kit truly has the best of both worlds. Because she leaves the house before her kids wake up, part of her morning ritual, in addition to 30 minutes of sitting with rejuvenating eye pads, getting in some triceps exercises using her dressing room couch, and her daily “green” drink, she makes time to call her kids before they leave for school. She fits this in between reading over notes about the day’s guests and prep from the show’s producer, Rob Silverstein…all this before 8am when the show goes live to the east coast!
TIMELINE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD LIVE 5:30AM Arrival 5:45AM Early Access 6AM Pow wow with Executive Producer, Rob Silverstein 6:15-7AM - Hair/Makeup: Karen Simon. Makeup: Tommy Cyr. Wardrobe: Ashley Tarkington, Michelle Kendrick and Nicole Allowitz 7-7:30AM - Access Hollywood Live, show producers prep Kit 7:30/7:45 - Shoot teases Live at 8AM!
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Top: Kit Hoover and Billy Bush interviewing Jillian Michaels. Bottom: Billy Bush and Kit Hoover have a lighthearted moment during filming. Opposite page top: Kit Hoover and Billy Bush with Danny Chan, Mike Tyson and Jillian Michaels on the set of Access, Hollywood Live.
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The Balanced Beauty Fitness Model and Entrepreneur CHRISTINE BULLOCK shares how to shine from the inside out.
Photo: Sarah Orbanic
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To say that health and fitness entrepreneur Christine Bullock keeps a full calendar would be an understatement. Christine splits her time as creator of the Evolution 20 workout series, a trainer on Asia’s popular Fit For Fashion television show, author, fitness model, and now co-creator of a luxurious treatment skin care line for the body: and that is just her work life! So, what is her secret to staying long, lean, and beaming? She sums it all up in one word: balance. From what she puts inside her body to how she chooses fashion labels for sweating and socializing, Christine maintains her sexy physique and healthy mind by mixing it up and avoiding too much of any one thing. Today she shares her top tips with you for radiating beauty from the inside out.
Photo: Kathryn Page
If you do a HIIT workout one day, balance it out the next day with a yoga or ballet class. “We tend to find ourselves burned out or injured if we stick to just one type of workout that utilizes the same movements and muscles over and over again. Maintaining balance by finding a number of different ways to sweat will help you minimize and avoid these risks.”
Christine Bullock ChristineBullock.com
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Photo: Maggie Zulovic
Photo: Sarah Orbanic
BEAUTY: Our skin reveals our lifestyle. We can tell how you spend your time, what you eat, and how well you care for yourself by simply looking at your skin. If you Christine starts her day at 6AM with a glass of eat mostly organic, nutrient-rich foods, warm water with lemon to flush toxins from the and have a balanced workout schedule, body. Lemon also helps create an alkaline balance in your skin will tell that story. Start your body to improve cell function and digestion. building your beauty from the inside After that she will give her day a boost with a green out and then cocoon the skin in a pure smoothie she prepares at home. but effective skincare regimen that protects and corrects. “Kayo Better Body “Getting lots of colorful vegetables in your diet is Care combines proven clinical active easier with juicing. It takes less than 10 minutes ingredients with precious natural oils and to prepare and the benefits last all day.” extracts to give your biggest organ, the skin, the vital nutrients it needs to fight aging and restore harmony. Christine’s favorite combo is the EvoEnergy Smoothie. To enjoy it We use face grade ingredients combined with natural ingredients yourself, blend 1-2 cups of water with 4 handfuls of leafy greens to treat wrinkles, firm, tone, sculpt, minimize cellulite and much such as swiss chard or kale, one handful of romaine, two celery more.” Look for Kayo on the premier of “Below Deck” on Bravo TV. stalks, 1/3 cup of herbs (parsley, cilantro, or mint) and the juice of 1 fresh lemon. FASHION: What we wear impacts how At the end of your day, Christine suggests trying to replace your we feel. evening glass of wine with a cup of chamomile tea. Chamomile tea There is nothing better has been helping people sleep for centuries. It also helps calm an than wearing sneakers to upset stomach and it rejuvenates cells for optimum recovery while work everyday, especially you sleep. now that lifestyle clothing is all the rage. Christine is stopped constantly in the streets as passerby’s inquire FITNESS: about her fitness wardrobe If you’re like which comes from working Christine, your as the ambassador for many of the top fitness brands such as Carbon schedule probably does not often allow 38, Lorna Jane Active, Michi and Vimmia. “I live in my fit gear and there is no reason I have to skimp on style just because I’m heading two-hour gym into a sweat sesh. In fact, I get a better workout when I feel confident sessions. Maintain your figure like she in what I am wearing.” does by switching FIT FOR FASHION: the type of workout Fit for Fashion is one of the you choose each top reality shows in Asia with day. She created Evolution 20, a series of 20-minute at-home a cast and contestants from workouts that integrate a number of different exercise techniques to all over the world. Christine maximize effectiveness. is the trainer and nutritionist “Having a balanced workout schedule that includes strength for the contestants, as well as training, agility, stability, endurance, and foundational core work a judge. “I love being whisked will ensure that you become stronger and more fit while also being Photo: Karina Smith away each year to work with able to tackle every-day tasks with ease. In addition, decreasing the 14 contestants who want to transform their lives. I push them to long-term stress your body receives with long workouts will help to their personal edge with workouts and challenges, so in the end they prevent the aging process at a cellular level.” walk away with a six-pack and most importantly deep confidence in their abilities.” Her fan’s favorite, “High Intensity Interval Training” (HIIT) workouts, are done in short bursts of high intensity to maximize calorie burn, build strength, and give your metabolism a boost for hours after you are done sweating!
Photo: Sarah Orbanic
NUTRITION: The foundation to any balanced lifestyle is how you fuel your body. Without a solid nutrition plan of a mostly plant-based diet, everything else becomes less effective.
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Yoga Beyond The Mat Creating positive changes in your life with these yoga principles. BY JESSE GOLDEN
Despite the amazing physical benefits of a regular yoga practice, Yoga has a way of helping you work on yourself internally, bringing awareness to negative thought patterns and challenges in your life. Yoga can help you to attain a more positive outlook and overall well-being, creating everlasting internal positive shifts that translate from your mat to your entire way of life. Each pose or asana gives us the opportunity to grow, evolve and create more light in our lives. Just like each given day we are often challenged in some way. The practice of yoga and the philosophies behind it give us the tools to overcome and thrive during these challenges, teaching us to find contentment in the present moment. Asking us, that in the stillness, when moments are uncomfortable, painful and frustration creep in, can we focus, come to our breath and find peace, maybe even happiness? There have been times in my early yoga practice where my teacher had me hold challenging poses so long that I thought I wasn’t going to make it. But there were also times where just sitting in a comfortable pose, such as in meditation was tortuous for me. At the time, I didn’t understand yoga and associated movement with productivity and stillness or long pauses frustrated me. Now I understand that we often resist what we need most. But at the time, I wasn’t in my power, in my breath, I was resisting the lesson and in turn my body would find any excuse to want to move, fidget or scratch my head for example. I was so eager to get out of the pose that I was missing the whole lesson and making the pose much harder than it actually was. As in life, surrender is power. Once I surrendered, came into my breath, and even smiled while doing it, everything shifted. This became my practice every time I became uncomfortable. I realized that happiness didn’t come from overcoming difficulty, finding happiness in the moment of difficulty is what vanished life’s chaos completely. Yoga teaches us that having a positive perception no matter the challenge creates ease, stability, focus and power. Yoga takes us to the present moment, the only place where life exists and through practice, this philosophy begins to translate into all aspects of your life on and off the mat.
Here are some tools to help you the next time a challenge arises on the mat and beyond: BREATH . (prana) Focus on your breath. See where you are resisting to let the air in and out. Relax your tongue from the roof of your mouth and try to have both your inhale and exhale go through your nose. Steady your breath so that your inhale and exhale are equal in length and try to maintain this throughout your entire practice. Always coming back to the breath. * Maintaining a steady breath the entire class is that of a true yogi. FOCUS. (drishsti) Your focal point, where your steady gaze lies. Different exercises or poses call for different focal points. Generally speaking, looking down is more calming and relaxing, looking up is more energizing and opening. A steady gaze right in the line of focus is what is most common to maintain balance and develop core strength. Closing the eyes entirely and focusing on your third eye is where you truly begin to see. * When balancing and in life, you will go where you look, so if you look down, you may end up there. MANTRA. Set an intention for your practice or your day each morning. It can be one word or a feeling you wish to harness by the end of your practice or day. For example clarity, love, happiness or a sanskrit word that you have learned along the way or any word that brings an associated feeling for you, that you wish to harness. When a difficult moment arises, come back to that word and recite it in your head until the moment has passed. * The Mantra, Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung transforms an imbalanced and unhealthy body into an harmonious, healthy one. SMILE. Nothing creates a more positive shift than smiling in adversity. Realizing that the only thing we have control over is our reaction to things and realizing that it is always better to smile than not. When you don’t want to smile is often when you need to most. * One smile can change someones whole day for the better, especially yours. * “Samskara saksat karanat purvajati jnanam. Through sustained focus and meditation on our patterns, habits, and conditioning, we gain knowledge and understanding of our past and how we can change the patterns that aren’t serving us to live more freely and fully.” ~ Yoga Sutra III.18
Jesse Golden The Golden Secrets JesseisGolden@gmail.com
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Look Good, Do Good, Feel Good SAMA Eyewear Legend SHEILA VANCE’s Must-Have Glasses Offer More Than Just Cutting Edge Style
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NO SMOKING sunglasses
SAMA Eyewear was created in 1997 by Sheila Vance, now a legend in her own right as not simply just an leading innovative luxury eyewear designer, but as an extraordinary Philanthropist and businesswoman as well. Her company was originally formed to raise funds and awareness for a cause close to her heart. Vance’s son Sam died at the age of 19 to a drug overdose. This absolutely devastating event drove her to form the Sam Vance Foundation, to help other families avoid experiencing such tragedy, by helping young people battle drug addiction and abuse. Soon after, when she took her talents to form her now wildly successful eyewear company, SAMA, she had much more than just gorgeous eyeglasses in mind. SAMA Eyewear donates a majority of their profits to organizations who help people conquer their addictions, such as Friendly House, Betty Ford center, and more. With a celebrity following with names like Lenny Kravitz, JLo, Matthew McConaughey, Angelina Jolie, Nelly and The Black Eyed Peas, SAMA Eyewear has made a permanent spot on the “Go-To, Gotta Have Those Specs, A-lists”. Her messages of helping will be heard loud and clear as she has already partnered with Matthew McConaughey’s JKL Foundation, The No H8 AntiBullying Campaign and many more. deCODE: LOS ANGELES is SAMA’s latest collection, taking it’s typically sought after, cutting edge, and innovative style close to home here in LA. This collection was inspired by Vance’s love of the iconic city of Los Angeles, paying tribute to more than just it’s glitz and glamour. Vance wanted to showcase an alternate vision of LA, a city of progressive thinkers, whose inhabitants are at once connected, creative and committed to profoundly important causes. “When people think of LA, they mostly think of Hollywood, glamour, surfing, Malibu,” says Vance, “But there is a whole other side to the city, and I used that as my inspiration for the new collection.” Vance explains that LA has always created movements
NO LIMITATION sunglasses
with authenticity, setting its own path for key causes in health and wellness, philanthropy, education, arts and culture – taking on new ideas and issues with integrity. From anti-smoking to veganism, fitness and juicing, or protecting architectural integrity in the city, the trajectory of issues in LA have always had a big impact but in a unique form and fashion. “Our people put considerable time and resources into causes and community at large. This is really decoding the conduct for Los Angelenos,” said Sheila Vance. “This is a city the rest of the world looks to determine trends across the cultural and sociological landscape: if something takes root and flourishes in Los Angeles, chances are it will do the same elsewhere.” This is the essence of deCODE: LOS ANGELES that inspired Vance to move in a new direction. She named each frame with a cause or issue that will have a beneficiary attached with names such as “No Bullying”, “No Smoking”, “No War”, “No Cruelty”, “No h8”, “No Limitation” and others…Vance wants people to “Look Good, Feel Good and Do Good” in her glasses and they are - SAMA frames are by far the perfect example of fashion meeting function. There is arguably no company setting the bar higher or moving the industry further than SAMA, with their innovative designs and state of the art materials. Add in their humanitarian messages and charitable donations, and for sure you have the absolute complete package. And as customers covet their SAMA deCODE: LOS ANGELES eyeglasses, some will know they are steeped in the essence of our beautiful and socially conscious city, and some may not, but for sure they will all Look Good, Do Good and Feel Good just the same.
samaeyewear.net focusmag.us 23
Fit Body Babe BY KRISTIN WILLIAMS
I believe that every woman should strive to be her absolute best, both in body and in mind. This is where the idea for FitBodyBabe came about. I have seen too many women afraid to step into their power and play down their uniqueness. We all have greatness within us. I want to try and help women become their most confident self and I believe this starts from within! FitBodyBabe is all about being the healthiest & fittest YOU that you can possibly be! The FitBodyBabe Community is one that helps ladies of all ages and sizes become and feel their very best, through weekly motivation and inspiration and most importantly an expert approved and scientifically backed nutritional program. Eating well but eating with balance is important to staying fit. You don’t have to deny yourself a craving, just don’t over do it. Working out regularly is beneficial not only to staying fit but also to keep balanced in body & mind. You can choose our easy to follow detox or you can just start by making one simple change at a time. A free tip, and something that I do every morning and is easy to add to your daily routine, is to start the day with warm water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar [ACV] & a 1/2 teaspoon of raw local honey. It’s a great way to kick start the digestive system, alkalize the body and can give you a good energy boost for your day. ACV is actually great for your skin too. It is important to note that the apple cider vinegar needs to be organic and unpasteurized and the honey should be local for the added benefit of fighting allergies. Adding the raw honey has several benefits as well. The combination of ACV and honey is perfect in the fight and prevention of infections thanks to its active compounds. At the same time it is great for the overall health and well-being because it kills bacteria which causes inflammations, infections and various diseases. For more free health and beauty tips and also to get our free 35 page E‐book email us at info@fitbodybabe.com with the subject line ‘Info.’ If you are someone who likes to help and empower other women, we would love to hear from you. Email us at info@fitbodybabe.com with the subject line ‘mentor.’ fitbodybabe.com
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No More Bad First Dates! Looking for a “vegan Christian with a beard who loves cats, CrossFit and wants kids”? PRECISELY APP is on the case! Make your wish list and this new dating app will help even the pickiest people find their perfect match.
Love runs deeper than a profile picture; the new dating app, Precisely, outsmarts Tinder, Bumble, and other swipe-centric applications using lifestyle and characteristic preferences as a precise method for compatibility matching. Precisely’s datadriven algorithm has 200+ built-in chemistry filters that generate and organize match results based on personal preferences. From physical attributes, sexual tastes, diet, pets, and more, Precisely has successfully increased the likelihood of helping users find their most compatible partner. Precisely users can search for matches using a combination of interests and characteristics, such as: “tattooed surfers with dimples who love dogs.” Subsequently, in the event that a perfect match may not actually exist, “Insert impossible combo here”, potential candidates are shown in descending order, starting with those who meet the highest percent of the user’s search criteria. Users can search for matches using 200+ filters organized into 24 categories: ethnicity, religion, hair length, eye color, body type, children, pets, music, interests, sexual preferences, diet, dialects, education, and even personality type. For decades, the Myers-Briggs personality assessment has been used by millions of individuals every year to learn about themselves, strengthen relationships, and identify a career path for which they would make the best candidate. Now, precisely is the first dating app to incorporate the Myers-Briggs personality types into its search platform.” Precisely also addresses the common complaint that dating profile
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photos are often misleading. As a cutting edge solution, Precisely will be introducing 10-second video profiles in early 2016 to allow for a more accurate representation of matches. “We believe that dating should not be as shallow as profile swiping.” Said Eric Willens, Precisely Co-Founder and CPO, “We made our backend data transparent to give our users unprecedented insights into which types of people they really like, and who likes them. Using data as a tool for enhancing your dating efficiency can ultimately counteract some potentially awkward, uncomfortable, and disappointing first date experiences.” Precisely offers users powerful insights about themselves and others by providing a breakdown of the different “types” of people that they have liked, and vice versa, down to the percentage point. This transparent display of data essentially quantifies subconscious desires by showing users their dating preferences that they might not have previously known, such as a preference for men with facial hair who have tattoos but don’t smoke or drink. Precisely integrates statistical data in an entirely new way; with plans to introduce “Trending” filters such as the 2016 presidential race, and other current events and popular culture, Precisely will continue to evolve and adapt to what’s current. For more information about the Precisely dating app, please visit: DatePrecisely.com
DOWNTOWN OPENING
SoulCycle Downtown Los Angeles will feature a 55-bike studio, home to the signature SoulCycle workout. The 4,000 square foot studio will also boutique selling SoulCycle’s original performance and athleisure clothing collections. Additional rider amenities include full men’s and women’s locker rooms with five and six showers respectively, and multiple bathrooms. SoulCycle Downtown Los Angeles is located at 888 S Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. SoulCycle classes in California cost $30. With over 55 locations nationwide, SoulCycle has established itself as the leading and attracts everyone from editors, celebrities, and captains of industry to fitness enthusiasts and athletes. Familiar faces in SoulCycle studios include Madonna, Lady Gaga, David and Victoria Beckham and Bradley Cooper. SoulCycle is expected to expand to upwards of 60 locations in 2016 with additional studios in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Texas, and Philadelphia. SoulCycle a popular lifestyle brand with its own clothing line and accessories collection. SoulCycle clothing and accessories are available in all SOUL boutiques and on soul-cycle.com. SoulCycle is the destination where you take a journey, change your body and find your soul. focusmag.us 27
LaLa Ladies, Melissa Curtin and Rochelle Robinson’s Favorite LA Workouts BY MELISSA CURTIN AND ROCHELLE ROBINSON
Since LaLaScoop Ladies are fitness fiends, we are always LaLaScoop’in the endless new workouts that pop up all over Los Angeles. Here are some of our favorite classes for sweaty endorphin highs along with a couple of our recent sweaty partnerships. Check out more of our fitness PopUps around town in 2016 and let’s make this year happen together! TRAINING MATE What We Love: We can’t get enough of Training Mate’s gorgeous Aussie trainers. They always put a smile on our faces and make us burst out laughing while we’re enduring their booty-kickin’, team-spirited circuit training classes. Jazzy tunes also help to compel us 3 times through 3 stations of ergonomic rowing, an uphill bicycle climb, kangaroo hops, weight bearing lunges, kettlebells, suspension bands and more. Everyone high-fiving our Mates is an added inspiration bonus! The sweet spot is ending this WeHo workout in a beautiful outdoor courtyard with 15 minutes finale of abs and laughs. 7825 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046 www.trainingmate.com Things to know: Park on street or in lot behind building for a $1 an hour.
local is beautifully pristine with bleached blonde wood floors and high ceilings. We could live there! 11955 Washington Blvd. Culver City, 90066 www.yogasalt.com Things to know: Free parking on site and down the side streets.
PREVAIL What we love: The way we feel after: Tough. Confident. Accomplished. This a$$ kicking workout is led by positive, patient instructors like Rob Kellner. You will leave drenched after this empowering conditioning boxing circuit. The class atmosphere is always one of great camaraderie. Some days punching a bag just feels too good. 5957 W 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90036 www.prevail.com Things to know: Park on neighborhood side streets for free or a metered space on W. 3rd. Bring your own boxing gloves or pay a small fee to use their gloves and wraps, although first class is free.
YOGA SALT What we love: The intensity of virtually every single class, but the lovely Sunday evening yin/yang experience, will leave you salty, sweaty, liberated and even more knowledgeable when you leave, then when you walked in. Under the direction of Tamal Dodge, the super skilled yogis at Yoga Salt are the real deal. They walk the walk of the yogi life inside and out, from diet to their spiritual quests. Plus, the new
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SWERVE – YOGA BOOTY BALLET What we love: Conisha, our favorite instructor, has this magnetic joyful spirit that really is a game changer. Swerve Studio (led by Conisha) has created the best mood enhancing class in West Hollywood. Yoga Booty Ballet begins with yoga breathing techniques, setting your intention, followed by dancing to the best tunes with non-stop changing dance moves that never get old. Add ballet, and finish with yoga. Your mind and body feel so clear. All ages and abilities are welcome. 8250 W 3rd St. #205 Los Angeles, CA 90048 www.swervestudio.com Things to know: Limited free parking in front or metered parking on the street.
CYCLE HOUSE WEST HOLLYWOOD What we love: The heart pumping tunes and intense instructors pushing you on, up and down, faster and harder, make you feel like you have just biked across America and back. The scented chilled towels and complimentary fruit are a nice added bonus and perfect way to end a sweaty ride. Earplugs can be used when the loud instructors or music makes you feel like you’ll fly off the bike. Candlelight helps the mood. Shoes are provided. Now you can find Cycle House in Santa Monica.
leading yoga classes in the central outdoor courtyard of this incredibly hip elegant store with light breakfast bites and shopping to follow. Garage parking is onsite. Also, catcher her mini Beachside Booty Boosts which consist of a trifecta of strength conditioning, cardio and yoga, from 9:00-1030am every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Burton W. Chace Park: 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Onsite metered parking is available. Ambrose Hotel: 1255 20th Street, Santa Monica 90404 Hotel Parking Available Ron Robinson: 1327 Fifth Street, Santa Monica CA 90401 Garage Parking Provided
8511 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood, CA 90069 www.cyclehousela.com Things to know: Walking is the best option or find metered street parking. Yummy Alfred’s Coffee is next door.
ANDIAMO BODY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LALASCOOP, AMBROSE HOTEL & RON ROBINSON What we love: Past complimentary monthly yoga classes lead by LaLaLady, Rochelle Robinson, at Ambrose Hotel helped us get our Zen on under the Santa Monica palm trees in their outdoor courtyard. She’ll be back in the Spring after their courtyard remodeling is complete. All abilities are welcome. Leave feeling peaceful and soulful as each class includes stretching, balancing moves, and the option for more challenging positions. Music, candlelight, and Rochelle’s gentle touch at the end of the class add to the mood. Now catch Andiamo Body Yoga this February at Ron Robinson Flagship store, every Saturday, FREE at 9:00 a.m. Rochelle will be
www.andiamobody.com www.lalascoop.com
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LA’s Diamond Lady Luxury Jewelry Design on Robertson BY FOUNDER, GINA AMIR
Text focus to 313131 to watch this focusmag.us/tv/ginaamir
As a little girl growing up in Germany, I was always fascinated by beautiful precious stones. The daughter of two highly respected academics, the spark of my passion for jewelry began when I discovered my grandmother’s extensive jewelry collection. Rich green emeralds and deep blue sapphires all captured my heart. The idea of designing my own pieces intrigued me and that’s when my jewelry design dream was born. I was wire-wrapping my own jewelry before I was out of grade school. Before long, I began traveling all over Europe, attending countless trade shows with my designs. This gave me the opportunity to meet so many people and build strong business relationships with major players in the industry. These kinds of connections and with the demand for my designs at an all-time high, I decided to open my first retail store in the city of Cologne, Germany at the age of 19. Eventually, I moved to the states to broaden my career in the industry. After years of working as a private jeweler to celebrities and housewives alike, I teamed up with my fiancée, to create my L.A. brand, Gina Amir Atelier. The clients I worked with privately welcome the change and love coming to the showroom, especially for their design sessions. My desire is to make the entire process of designing and buying jewelry not only easy, but also enjoyable. Since we work by appointment only, it gives my team and I the chance to fully focus on the client; they can enjoy sparkling refreshment while I sketch out their dream diamond pieces, right in front of them. This not only ignites their excitement for the design but also builds their trust; which is extremely important when it comes to the purchase of fine jewelry. Working so closely with my clients has led me to become friends with many of them. One of them in particular has a story that I would love to share, as a woman whom I have inspired, my friend Wendy Garfinkel. Over several years of designing pieces for Wendy, we had many discussions that led me to notice that she was not fully satisfied by her career as an attorney and was seeking a creative outlet. Wendy loved the design process of making her jewelry and always had wonderful ideas to contribute. I encouraged her to pursue jewelry design, as I truly believe it comes naturally to her. During this past year, Wendy and I discussed ways she could get more involved with jewelry and design. She then decided to complete her GIA certification and became an Accredited Jewelry Professional. It warms my heart to know that she is now doing what she loves, enjoying a niche
space in the re-design of existing fine jewelry including family heirlooms, re-purposing engagement rings and other pieces that could use modernization. Meeting her clients and being able to make these designs come to life along with fueling Wendy’s dream makes me happy. She said something the other day that resonated with me, “Jewelry can be a passion that takes on a new meaning when coupled with a special event in your life. Perhaps it is just a feel-good piece that you just have to have or something that signifies something greater; for me it is both of those things. It can simply evoke a feeling of happiness.” The fact that my work can have a positive impact on someone’s life is what motivates me every day. I am in love with the beauty of diamonds and gems, but even more so with the meaning behind each piece and the story it tells for years to come.
Gina Amir Atelier 509 N. Robertson Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90048 310 858-8377 GinaAmir.com
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BLOG SPOTLIGHT Excerpts from the blog liveyounglifestyle.com by DARNELL COX, PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANA ADAMS
LIVE YOUNG LIFESTYLE liveyounglifestyle.com BEAUTY ON A BUDGET
Darnell Cox Creator of Live Young Lifestyle Look Young, Feel Young, and Live Your Youngest Life!Darnell Cox is founder of Live Young Lifestyle, whose mission is to attack the aging process from every angle: Mind, Body & Spirit. Having bought her first wrinkle cream with her afterschool job wages at age 17, thirty years later, this mother of 3 young adults is passionate about helping other women learn to “Age Well”! Her “must-read”blogs focus on 4 areas: Look Young, Eat Young, Move Young and Be Young. They feature beauty product reviews, anti-aging tips, ageappropriate exercises, and healthy recipes, among other compelling topics. Everything needed to Live your Youngest Life.
Text focus to 313131 to watch this focusmag.us/tv/darnellcox
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Ever wonder why the rich and famous always look so fabulous? I know I do! I mean, how do they roll out of bed with that perfect, fresh-faced girl-next door look? Maybe, as the Maybelline commercials tell us, “maybe they are just born with it?” Maybe it all comes naturally to them. Maybe... Nope. Not a chance in hell. (Especially if they are over the age of 45!) So, does that make them just like the rest of us? Again... not a chance in hell! You wanna know the difference between the rich and famous and therest of the world? They are RICH and they are FAMOUS. (Hello?) Not only do they have the kind of money required to buy top-of-the-line beauty products and afford the latest cutting-edge procedures, they can also afford to hire expensive experts to tell them exactly where they should be spending their wads of cash in order to look their best. And spend they do. Like you, I know the struggles of the wrinkle-obsessed, frugal woman. So, let’s cut through the bullsh*t of empty promises and fancy packaging, and talk about the bare minimums you need to take care of your skin with affordable products that actually work. Because there are skin care products that work just as well (if not better) than their pricier, and fancier-packaged, competitors. So here is your guide to antiaging skincare on a budget, my list of favorites that work just as well (if not better) than the expensive brands.
ounce will get you through a few months, and it’s a fantastic product, but not everyone can afford this. TIME-LESS makes virtually the same product - 20% CE-Feurlic Acid serum, and their 1 ounce goes for $24.95. That’s a savings of $137.00, folks. (Hooray!) 3. SUNSCREEN: If you do nothing else each day, you need to protect your skin from the sun. I like Neutrogena Pure & Free Liquid Broad Spectrum SPF 50 ($12.49). As for the “bullsh*t,” you don’t need to buy some designer sunscreen from Paris or Amsterdam, folks. You just need a basic, broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 25 or higher. 4. EXFOLIATE: This is an extremely important step in the fight against aging. I spend well under $200 a year (that’s right, a year!) on Retin-A. However, this does require a trip to your dermatologist. There are over-the-counter retinoid products that are even more of a bargain, while still packing a powerful punch. RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream $17.99 is my favorite. This is a serious bargain that actually works!
5. MOISTURIZE: If your skin is dry, you may need to layer a moisturizer on top of the retinol product at night. I like CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM $13. Another favorite is Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream $20 Now most people would assume the last step would be an eye cream. However, you do not NEED a special eye-cream. I repeat... You do not need to purchase a special cream for your MY FAVORITES eyes. You can use the exact same treatments [visit my online blog for much more detail and beauty budget tips!] and moisturizer for the areaaround your eyes 1. FACIAL WASH: I’ve never understood why as you do for the rest of your face. And with someone would pay $100 for a face-wash. This savings like these, you, too, can roll out of bed is something that you wash OFF your face! looking fresh-faced and fabulous, with enough You do not need an anti-aging face wash. That money left over to buy that eye cream that you is money, quite literally, spiraling down the really don’t need. drain. I like PHisoderm for normal to dry skin. It leaves my skin clean and PH balanced. And it costs less than $5. I also like CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser $8. Like I said, that GROCERY SHOP LIKE A SKINNY GIRL other stuff? Money down the drain. Have you ever seen a skinny girl, dressed in 2. ANTIOXIDANTS: Skin Ceuticals 20% oversized sweatpants and tennis shoes, slowly C-E-Ferulic Acid is excellent, but it does cost meandering through the aisles of processed $162.00 for 1 ounce! Ouch! Now, that one food in the supermarket, her cart piled high
with Sara Lee Cupcakes and Cheetos? Me either. That’s because MOST healthy skinny girls simply can’t eat like this. And as to the rare few (from THIS planet) that actually CAN, well… on behalf of all women around the world, we hate you. For the rest of us, the non-aliens, there is a smarter way to grocery shop. I’ve composed a few simple rules that everyone should follow to shop like a skinny girl. The first two you’ve probably heard a thousand times before. But guess what? They work! The last three, however, may surprise you. So, here you go…
will also keep your cravings in check. If your tummy is bulging a bit under your tight tank top, or your jeans are squeezing your muffin top to a new troubling level, you are less likely to seek out unhealthy food items that would exacerbate the problem.
5. DOLL YOURSELF UP A BIT Fix your hair and put on a little make-up before you go to the market? That’s right! The better you feel about yourself on the outside, the more conscious you’ll be about what food you put inside your cart (and body). In addition (for all you single girls), you never want to be caught in the checkout lane in front of the cute guy MY FIVE RULES ON HOW TO GROCERY while you are wearing sweats, no makeup and SHOP LIKE A SKINNY GIRL: your dirty hair in a ponytail. So NOT sexy. 1. NEVER GO TO THE SUPERMARKET Now add the fact that your cart is filled with HUNGRY. Have you ever gone to the grocery Cookie Dough ice cream, a TV dinner, and a store when you are starving? If you are bag of Chili Cheese Fritos? Forget it! You may anything like the rest of us, you probably have just blown your chance at your dream bought a cart full of crap you don’t normally guy. So doll yourself up a bit. Be just as proud buy. EVERYTHING looks good when you are of the way you present yourself as you are of hungry. So, you must avoid the trap. Only go the choices of food in your shopping cart. to the grocery store on a full stomach. If this So there you have it. Five simple rules to shop is impossible, have a small ziplock bag of raw like a skinny girl and avoid the traps of the almonds or mixed raw nuts and dried fruit on grocery store. Start shopping...but make it quick. hand. They not only fill you up and suppress your appetite, they also help regulate bloodsugar levels, which helps stave off cravings. The theory is, shop on a full stomach, and you will make much healthier choices. STEP AWAY FROM THE TREADMILL! 2. BRING A LIST. If you bring a list to the I’ve never understood the people in the gym supermarket, you will not be so inclined to who bring a book and park, or I guess I add that bag of cookies to the cart. Very few should say “walk” themselves for an hour on a people will actually write junk food on their list. treadmill. What exactly are they doing? Why I mean really, can you imagine? Milk, eggs, not just go for a walk outside in the fresh air, bread, yogurt, apples, large box of powdered AFTER you have had a good workout which sugar donuts, toilet paper… Junk food is more challenges your muscles? I DO understand a of an impulse buy. So, make a list, and stick to it. quick 10 minute warm-up on the treadmill, 3. SHOP THE PERIMETER OF THE STORE elliptical, stationary bike, or StairMaster prior to a weight training session. THAT I get. But This is a BIG one. Most supermarkets are designed with the perishables on the outside walking or running, as your main means of perimeter, and the processed or frozen food, exercise, just doesn’t make sense to me. Ladies, which has a long shelf life, in the inner circle. if you spend an hour walking on a treadmill, and then go home and eat a bagel, you’ve just There are some essentials in the inner circle such as coffee, tea, and spices. However, do not put all of those calories back into your body. dare enter the inner circle without a list, or you And let’s face it, the bagel most likely will are likely to find yourself with a bag of Nacho settle… guess where? You got it…YOUR ASS! cheese-flavored Doritos. However, if you spend that same amount of time lifting weights, the benefits just keep on 4. WEAR SOMETHING TIGHT. You don’t giving… and giving… and giving. When you want to go to the grocery store wearing weight train, you actually create tiny tears comfortable clothes. First of all, you want to in your muscle fibers. Tears that need to be get in and out quickly. There should be no repaired by your body. This is GREAT news browsing in a supermarket (at least not in because it means that long after you’ve taken the inner circle). It’s a war zone! Get the hell off your weightlifting gloves, your body is still out of there as quickly as possible! Wearing hard at work repairing the damage you’ve something slightly tight and uncomfortable
created. And since it takes longer to repair muscle from lifting weights than it does to recover from an hour of walking or running on the treadmill, weight training leads to longer calorie-burn throughout the day, and even into your week. Hooray! Often women worry about getting too big. Stop worrying. We are women. Genetically, we are incapable of looking like a man, unless, of course, you are taking steroids in order to be a professional body builder (not recommended). At some point in our 30s, everyone begins to lose muscle, a condition known as “age related sarcopenia.” It sucks, but it’s inevitable. That’s why, especially after the age of 30, we need to add resistance training into our exercise regime. So put down that book, step away from that treadmill, and start lifting weights! Listen, I’m all in favor of reading a book, but you can’t do it and “exercise” at the same time. Now, if you want to talk book, bath, and a glass of wine, then I’m your girl. But that’s a different blog. To read Darnell Cox’s full blog posts and more, visit: liveyounglifestyle.com
liveyounglifestyle.com
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Getting Acquainted With Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANA ADAMS
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After her whirlwind year reign as Miss America 2015, the 24-year old former Miss New York, Kira Kazantsev, is loving life in LA, her new home. She is enjoying taking her personal platforms beyond the pageant, devoting her time as an advocate against domestic violence and helping children’s hospitals around the country. When did you begin your journey into pageants? I started when I was 11 or 12 years old. I received a flyer in the mail promoting a pageant and found the idea so enthralling. I begged my parents to let me do it and my mom saw it as a project we could do together. The dress shopping, the scrapbooking of all my competitions, finding the talent song, or practicing my interview skills—it was great bonding time. It was just something fun for us to do together that I never took too seriously. I never in a million years thought that I could become Miss America, especially because I thought I was way too short. Well, would you look at me now!
remember sitting in front of the TV as a little girl watching Miss America and wishing I could be up there one day but that didn’t become a realistic goal in my mind until I turned 21. What type of preparation was most memorable during the weeks leading up to the Miss America Event ? To me, the most important part of the competition is the interview portion. So in addition to eating healthy, practicing my talent, and planning wardrobe etc., I was religiously watching documentaries, reading books, watching the news...anything that could give me an extra edge or an extra sound bite during the interview. And it paid off!
During your time as Miss America, what were some of the highlights of your year long reign? Too many to choose from! Some of the highlights were definitely serving as the National Goodwill Ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I was able to visit many of their 170 member hospitals in North America and travel with kiddos on ambassador trips to Washington, DC and Orlando, FL to raise awareness! Those kids are absolutely incredible and it was such an honor. As part of my personal platform, Love Shouldn’t Hurt: Who was your primary inspiration for pursuing pageant Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence, I got to work competition? with an incredible Organization in NYC called Safe Horizon and I didn’t have any one inspiration but I definitely had promote a national social media campaign called #PutTheNailInIt. encouragement and support from my family, especially my Through the campaign we encouraged people to paint their ring mom. She’s absolutely not what you would call a “pageant mom” finger nails purple in order to show their vow to end domestic though. Our approach to it was all about fun and no expectations. violence and to raise awareness that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men Sometimes I won and sometimes I lost. As long as I was having are affected by domestic violence in their lifetime. We even created fun, that’s all that mattered. a PSA that was featured on the discovery channel! Working with the USO throughout my entire year was an incredible honor and What was your first pageant and how did you finish? the international tour to places like Bahrain, Afghanistan, South At the time of my first pageant my family was living in Texas. The Korea, etc. was probably the most important thing I have ever title I was competing for was “Miss Texas Pre-Teen” and I won! done. I even got to sing the National Anthem in front of Stevie Nicks and Peyton Manning at the annual USO gala! Because of the Did you have a specific person that guided your path during Miss America Partnership I made some pretty incredible National your journey? TV appearances throughout the year and was a presenter at the Honestly, my pageant journey was very much guided by my goals American Music Awards, Billboards, Academy of Country Music, and what I wanted out of it. No one else ever pushed me into it or and American Country Countdown awards. Not to mention the out of it and no one else ever shaped what kind of a contestant I was. Disney Christmas Parade, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan To me, competing was all about being yourself. If they liked “just Seacrest, appearing on the Live After show of Bachelor in Paradise, Kira” then great! If not, well too bad...on to the next one. I definitely and so so much more!
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For those that are seeking to get involved in pageants, what is your best advice on how they should initiate their journey? Do your research and make sure it’s something you truly want to get involved in! Pageantry is not for the faint of heart and definitely requires a lot more of a commitment then just showing up and looking pretty. It is hard work. From the studying to the platform development to the social media management and tons of events and appearances, it will keep you busy. But if that sounds like the life for you then check out a few different pageants like Miss America, Miss USA, National American Miss, etc. and see what fits you, your personality, the kind of experiences you’re looking for...just keep an open mind and know that whatever is meant to happen will happen! You recently moved to LA to pursue your career interests, what is your dream job? My dream job would probably the life that someone like Ryan Seacrest has. He has his hands in everything. From hosting to radio to producing and so much more, the man is a machine and I would love that kind of future in LA. What charities are you presently involved with in our local area? I still have the great honor of traveling all over the country to speak on behalf of the various organizations I work with. Mainly Safe Horizon and Domestic Violence and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I’ve done a lot in the LA area and all around the country, and I am thrilled to be able to continue my philanthropic efforts as just Kira! What is your current fitness routine? Great question...I’m working on it. I kind of had a rude awakening when I went from burning so much energy all the time and eating kind of unhealthy, to not burning as much energy and still maintaining the same eating habits. So I’ve been trying to get my butt in gear and it’s all a part of this lifestyle change that I’ve really only mastered over the last 3 months. I’m kind of just figuring life out as I go. But I do my best to get to the gym as often as possible and eat clean. The occasional dominos pizza sometimes does sneak it’s way in though… Outside of career, what do you enjoy doing most in Los Angeles? I love the natural wonders that surround LA! Whether it’s hiking canyons or Point Dume in Malibu or paddle boarding in the marina and laying out at the beach, I’ve come to love the place I’m in and I always want to be outside. Also who doesn’t love the amazing restaurants on every corner and seriously crazy shopping. You can usually find me at Superba on Lincoln Blvd in Venice with a cup of coffee and/or across the street at one of the many boutiques. kirakazantsev.com
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Elizabeth English Girls run the world, but she runs the girls WRITTEN BY SUZAN BRITTAN INTERVIEW BY HILLARY GADSBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL IN AND BEN SHANI
I can’t help but hear Beyonce’s anthem, “Run The World - Girls” looping in my head while I craft this ditty about Elizabeth English, the head of the Archer School For Girls. “Who run the world? Girls, Girls!” Okay, bad grammar marks for Beyonce, but you get her point. If you ask English who should be the head of an all girls’ school, she’s going to tell you, not a man that’s for sure. It occurred to her that women staff over 70% of schools, yet most principals and heads of schools are men. After noticing the disturbing “harem” atmosphere of most schools being run by men, but administered and operated by women, she decided to make a change. Plus, her income didn’t reflect the double workload she wasn’t willing to carry anymore. At thirty-five, with two small kids in tow, and years of teaching experience supporting her efforts, she went back to school to get her degree in school leadership. Her passion, in her own words, is about, “...changing the trajectory for girls.” But, her trajectory changed as well. She didn’t just want to teach girls in a school, she set out to be the head of an all-girls’ school. English will tell you the sad statistics of female students who arrive to the job market feeling less secure than a male student. She explains,“It’s confidence that governs what we choose to do in life.” Isn’t this common sense? Shouldn’t we instill as much confidence in our girls as we do in our boys? Make it so Ms. English, make it so! Well, she’s doing a fantastic job.
Speaking of jobs, English explains, “I was offered a principalship in a wonderful school in the Boston area, but I decided to take an assistant headship at a girls’ school in Atlanta instead because I knew I had started out in girls’ schools... I knew that I wanted to devote my career to really educating the future female leaders of this country. Archer had called me like three or four times and I just kept dismissing the opportunity. They finally convinced me to come out, and really anyone who visits the school - it’s ten minutes of walking the halls and you see a culture that is not only aspirational, but joyful.” Located in West LA, The Archer School for Girls is celebrated, not only because of its scholastic achievements, but also by the unique diversity gathered in the halls. With over eighty-six different zip codes populating this school, it can’t help but be well-rounded with the guarantee of ethnic equality amongst the student body and its multicolored, fabulous faces. A constant conversation you hear between the staff and students is about their school’s core values: honesty, respect and responsibility. Since Archer is a young school on the rise, there are no burdens or limits of a past stuffy heritage to uphold. In fact, it’s no holds barred. When you have thirty-nine percent of a school representing every color under the rainbow, culture, religion and ethnicity without prejudices (and... eh-hem boys), you will find a thriving and positive learning atmosphere. In fact, last year, the class of 2015, over 90% of the girls graduated with a full year of calculus and a third of those with a full year of college calculus. Every face of Los Angeles is beautifully represented. Here’s what’s also beautiful. The Archer School for Girls offers $3.5 million dollars in financial aid yearly, which gives access to loads of girls who have the desire to learn but couldn’t afford focusmag.us 39
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it otherwise. Archer not only has a giving spirit, but also an entrepreneurial one and a varied curriculum. The classes push boundaries and want conversations to start. It’s film class created a PSA video in 2014 about the topic of “rape” and female students. The advanced film class took aim at the issue of rape as a crime of war by working with co-director Michele Mitchell to produce several short, clickable videos based on themes from “The Uncondemned.” www.TheUncondemned.com English emphasizes, “One important thing that we do at Archer is raise girls’ consciousness about gender equality. No girl graduates from Archer without being able to identify sexism. Because the problem is that women go out into the world, and they don’t really recognize it for what it is, and so instead they internalize it. So if you’re sitting in a meeting where there are both men and women, we know that we call on men more, we give them more praise for what they say, we interrupt them less. And for the woman who doesn’t have an awareness of that, it just becomes, you know, my voice isn’t important. So I think that that’s an incredibly important aspect of what an Archer girl gets when she is educated here, is just that consciousness.” Archer offers many varieties of career paths and advancements for the girls’ education. Some of their bragging rights include two state of the art spaces. One of the spaces is devoted to film production, sound design and graphic arts. Oh, and... Archer’s students also run their own film festival every year. The other space is called The Saban IDEAlab (Integrated Design and Engineering Arts), which promotes entrepreneurship, project management and all aspects of design. Archer’s female students are winning awards in the arts, sciences and athletics, donating to charities, supporting communities and being sent out into the world to be leaders. English says, “So, I hope my legacy will be one of having helped the conversation about the benefits of girls’ schools for all girls, and not just girls who come from this community.” It’s in the school’s name, The Archer - Artemis, the goddess Diana, protector of girls. And the myth goes that she would bring the girls into the woods for their education, and take them away from society and protect them while they became educated, so that they could then go out into the world and become scribes and scholars. So, again I ask you, “Who run the world?” Girls! Girls!
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archer.org
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Children of the World Wanting to help children in need, ERICA LIPPY travelled to the Philippines and came face to face with the child whose life she is changing for the better. BY SANDRA LUESSE
What made you decide to become a sponsor with Children International? I had been looking to build a relationship with a child, and to help them in pursuing their dreams. Fortunately, I was told about Children International from a personal experience and by someone who has knowledge of what they do. Children International provides 83% of the money contributed to the actual cause. They have also been in business for more than 75 years. I found those to be very important factors. How did you pick the children you sponsor? On their website, they have a database of children from 2-17yrs, from countries all around the world. I had in mind that I wanted a child from Columbia. Reason being, I love the culture, I’m a salsa dancer, and I love latin music and I wanted to embrace even more of the culture. It was important to me to be able to develop a relationship with the child. I wanted an age old enough to communicate with her. So I found my girl. Her gentle smile captured me. Also I loved that she enjoyed singing and dancing as her hobbies. Though I didn’t stop there, I wanted to sponsor another one in a location I wanted to visit. I choose the Philippines. Once again I found a girl that captured me. With each profile they provide details on how much the family earns, their siblings, do they have fresh water, go to school, what they sleep on and so forth. All of which helps you understand their needs. You went to the other side of the world to visit your child after only sponsoring her for several months? Yes, and I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life. I feel very blessed that I had the ability to do so. I wanted a full day with her so I arrived very early in the morning and flew out the next early morning. I wanted to see everything first hand. Children International was so gracious in accommodating me and
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made my experience incredible. It completely filled my heart to meet her mom, and also the staff at Children International. I could see how much it meant to my sponsor child, Nicole and her mother. Her mother seemed lost for words and I could see how grateful she was. About 800 sponsors a year visit their sponsored children. It is the most rewarding thing we can do for them and ourselves. Could you tell us about your experience? When I arrived at Children International the whole staff warmly welcomed me. There I met Nicole and her mom. We went over the visit and their guidelines. One of my requests was to view the community center so that I could see what Nicole is provided. I met the staff and I was shown what the children have access to. I was able to see a boy writing a letter to his sponsor while I was there. Then we went to lunch at Jolliblee – it is their Philippines fast food chain. From there we were taken to visit Nicole’s home. I watched as we drove through their village on unpaved dirt roads. The people seemed just to be present, with not much purpose. Kids and dogs wandered the streets. It was unlike anything I have seen first hand. I was introduced to the whole family. Their home was a shack, very small. Their sleeping area was closed off from the living area with a curtain. There was a child sized bed that slept all three children. In front, would lay the parents on the floor with blankets. They did have running water, though it was from a faucet with no filtration. Their surroundings overlooked the next family’s home, clothing hung from the wires. It was an eyeopener to see and experience. I wanted to enjoy the day with Nicole and do something fun. We went to Ocean Park in Manila, an ocean aquarium. We saw shows, different ocean life, and even did the fish foot bath. Nicole and her mom were smiling the whole time. I was filled with complete happiness to be a part of this with them. I asked what gift I could get Nicole and also something for the family. Nicole wanted clothes and her Mom wanted groceries for the family. That told me a lot about their situation, knowing generally that an 8yr old would want toys. Every place we had been throughout the day was new for them. Her mother, 38,
Left: Nicole’s bed which she shares with her 2 siblings. Center: The kitchen Right: with Nicole and her mom at Ocean Park.
has never left her area, never been to a mall, a grocery store, or been able to enter Ocean Park since there is an admission fee. At the grocery store her mom took a basket, though I wanted her to grab a cart. I told her please go pick anything you need. She bought canned food, boxed milk, rice. This is what she is familiar with. I tried to help and welcome her to buy more. I believe she was intimidated and shy to buy much. At the end of our visit we exchanged hugs. My heart was full. I couldn’t have asked for a better visit and to know where my money is going. Truly I know I am making a difference and Children International is helping achieve that. Why would you suggest others to go with Children International? Children International has a long history in helping children become self reliant adults. Their approach is successful and continues to advance. I know that my small contribution is making a difference in that child’s life. The children have a chance at a better future and the ability to battle their poverty.
It’s like receiving a gift every time you open your mailbox. One of my children writes English and the other in Spanish. They are so well spoken, grateful, proud, and happy children. I’m impressed and touched every time. One time my child from the Philippines wrote me about school. She wrote, I promise I will try harder this year. I just melted. Keeping communication and encouraging them is very important. I am truly grateful and humbled by my experience. I hope sharing my story and visit has in turn also inspired you. I believe each and everyone of us can make a difference in this world. I feel blessed to be able to provide a small donation monthly to help Nicole and Nelly. I hope you too will consider sponsoring a child of your own. Developing a relationship with him or her and giving them a chance to break out of their poverty. It was the best decision I could make.
What does the money you contribute monthly go to? My monthly $28 gives the child access to their community centers, which provide full-time doctors and dentists, pharmacies, library, computer labs, playgrounds, school supplies or uniforms if needed. CI provides resources, programs and services that help reduce the burden of poverty on impoverished children and youth. Sponsorship provides important assistance and services like medical and dental care, educational support, and access to youth programs that help young people learn life and leadership skills. In addition, as children establish skills, they give back by teaching the younger children. Do you communicate with your child? CI makes it easy for you to email your child and send photos. The best part though, is the kids send an actual letter through the mail.
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Erica Lippy yourfitmodel.com children.org
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Active Angels Fitness For A Cause: Team Imerman Angels; OneonOne Cancer Support BY JORDYN GOODMAN (REGIONAL DIRECTOR, IMERMAN ANGELS LOS ANGELES)
Team Imerman Angels is a group of individuals who participate in events ranging from a marathon and half marathon to triathlons to literally any sport that they are interested in. Through these events, participants increase awareness of Imerman Angels and raise much needed funds to enable Imerman Angels to provide its services to those impacted by cancer so that no one faces cancer on their own. Taylor has developed relationships with well known fitness chains, like Soul Cycle, Equinox, and Priv Beauty/Fitness to hold monthly workouts benefiting Imerman Angels. Events like yoga on the Santa Monica Pier, have gotten the community to come together, stay healthy, and become passionate about our mission.
Imerman Angels was created on the belief that no one should have to face cancer alone and without the necessary support. Through our unique matching process, Imerman Angels partners anyone seeking cancer support with someone just like you – a “Mentor Angel”. A Mentor Angel is a cancer survivor or caregiver who is the same age, same gender, and most importantly who has faced the same type of cancer.Our service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world. These oneonone relationships give a cancer fighter or caregiver the chance to ask personal questions and get support from someone who has been there before. Mentor Angels can lend support and empathy and help cancer fighters and caregivers navigate the system, determine their options and create their own support systems. Frequently, caregivers experience feelings similar to those of the person facing cancer. Mentor Angels can relate while being sensitive to the experience and situation. Imerman Angels was launched in Chicago and expanded to Los Angeles last year when I took the position as Regional Director. Interacting with so many people fighting the same disease I lost my father to, and being able to offer them free 1 on 1 support has made this the most rewarding year of my life. With our program partnering with most major hospitals in Los Angeles, it was important for us to start to get the community involved so that anyone and everyone could help to make sure no one faces cancer alone. Prevention is about staying healthy, and preventing or delaying disease. Wellness is living your best life. Los Angeles is a city known for just that. Last spring Imerman Angels welcomed fitness enthusiast, Taylor Bennett as Team Imerman Angels LA President.
On February 14th, Led by Bennett, Team Imerman Angels participated in the 2016 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon. Taylor along with 15 other runners raised funds that created numerous connections between those impacted by cancer and a Mentor Angel. Taylor believes, cancer is something that has affected everyone in some way, and by growing Team IA, here in LA, she will make sure that those fighting this disease have the support they need. To learn more about Imerman Angels, or to participate in Team IA events, go to imermanangels.org.
imermanangels.org/los-angeles
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Living With Lupus In her own words, NICOLE FOGEL shares her journey, her daily struggles, and a glimpse into her superhero strength and grace battling and advocating for Lupus.
Being diagnosed with a debilitating disease is never something anyone wants or thinks will happen to them. Everyone handles things differently. For me, other than physically feeling horrible, I definitely was emotionally unwell in the beginning. Prior to diagnosis I had no idea what was wrong with me. Everyone just told me I was anxious. Then you get diagnosed with the scary diseases. You get told you’ll have to have chemotherapy, you’ll be on opiates for the rest of your life, and there’s no cure. Your entire life changes. Lots of people always say they’re sorry to me, when they find out I have Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. I tell them not to be, and that I’m grateful for the situation I have, and it has actually reshaped my life and changed me and made me into a better person. When you are faced with challenging diseases, you truly learn who your friends are, some of us get disappointed by friends or family and you definitely see people’s true colors. Personally I found that as a gift. I grew up in Los Angeles. I’m really blessed to know a lot of people and come from a family that’s able to help me when I’m not able to work. My whole life I always knew that my main purpose wasn’t making money, but more to give back to those I love and my community and to try to make a difference. Somewhere along the way I got lost in my career. Well when I had no choice but to slow down and put myself first for the first time in my life I figured out what my purpose was. If I could do something to make anybody’s time of diagnosis easier, I would. If I could change anybody’s understanding or knowledge of what living life with this disease is, I would. If I could show anyone that just because you look good on the outside doesn’t mean you feel good on the inside, I would. Lupus is a complex, misunderstood disease. Since my diagnosis I have had my hip and knee reconstructed, been through chemotherapy treatments, and have had more doctor’s appointments than I can count. The first few years of living with lupus was rough. I had to learn a new “normal”. I had to learn to prioritize things around my energy level. One of the most difficult things was learning to love myself no matter how I felt and no matter what i looked like at any shape or size. I had to learn sometimes it’s sad when lots of things go on in your life and you can’t be there for them and everybody’s out there celebrating while you’re home not well. For sure it is hard for me to live with these diseases and it is definitely difficult for my parents, who just didn’t know what to do when their daughter was sick and there’s no cure. They don’t know what to say and there’s nothing they can do to fix it. No amount of money my dad could throw at the problem would make this one go away. A wonderful woman introduced my mother to LUPUS LA. I was really grateful that after a few years of being unwell my mother was willing to get involved in an organization and make a difference
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in my honor. It took me a minute but LUPUS LA later became like family to me. I realized, here’s my platform to make a difference in the community where people are suffering just like myself. I let my big mouth go to work for me and them. LUPUS LA is an amazing organization started by my doctor and personal hero, Daniel Wallace. They have four big events per year. My mother is on the committee for the Hollywood Bag Ladies Luncheon and the Orange Ball, the two fancy-schmancy big fundraising events. I’m on the committee for the Poker Night and the LA Marathon.
Let’s be real. While I’m doing all of this to make a difference and create awareness and raise money it’s all very selfish — I’m sick of being sick. I want to heal. A cure takes a lot of research and research takes a lot of money. For better or worse I’m a homegrown Angelino with lots of friends in affluent places. Why not go to them for help and do anything I can to help find a cure. One of my biggest contributions to raising funds for Lupus, is my participation with Team Lupus LA. Team Lupus LA raises important lupus research dollars, as well as funding for Lupus LA’s local patient programs. These programs include support groups for patients and their families, like our pediatric support group held at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and our Spanish-language support group held in Boyle Heights. Lupus LA is the only lupus organization on the West Coast that provides financial assistance to lupus patients through our emergency grant program. My friends and family support my “Team Fogel” and walk and run with me in the annual 5K. I am proud to say I have personally raised thousands of dollars. I choose to walk with Team Lupus LA because they give me hope. Hope for a better life with lupus, and eventually, a life without lupus.
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To continue this important work, Lupus LA needs your help! If you would like more information please visit my personal page https:// www.crowdrise.com/teamfogel2016 or visit www.lupusla.org Every dollar makes a difference.
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Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf A tour of the very Californian Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at Camarillo, CA
QUICK FACTS • Founded in 1963 in Southern California • More than 1,000 stores worldwide in nearly 30 countries • In the US, stores located in 16 states plus Washington DC • Company owned stores are located in the US, Singapore, Korea, Philippines, and Malaysia • Worldwide Home Office located in Los Angeles, CA • Roasting and Distribution Facility (RAD) located in Camarillo, CA • Roasts nearly 7 million pounds of coffee annually • Procures and blends 1 million pounds of tea annually
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B
orn and brewed in Southern California since 1963, the oldest and largest privately held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the US now includes more than 1,000 company owned and franchised stores in nearly 30 countries. After celebrating its milestone 50th Anniversary in 2013, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® continues its longstanding tradition of offering customers the finest premium coffees and hand-selected teas from around the world. PREMIUM COFFEES AND TEAS
The company sources and purchases only the top 1% Arabica coffee and hand-plucked, whole leaf teas from the world’s finest private farms and estates. Buying directly allow the company to build longstanding relationships with the growers to ensure the highest quality products and that workers are treated fairly and earn a decent wage. In 2015, The Coffee Bean also introduced organic coffees, available behind-the-bar and for retail. All coffee and tea is produced in the company’s facility in Camarillo, California. Overseen by the company’s Senior Director of Coffee, Jay Isais, and Master Roaster Jesse Martinez, coffee beans are hand roasted daily to the smooth taste profile the company is known for. All teas are hand blended under the supervision of the company’s Director of Tea, David DeCandia.
TEA
• The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® buys tea from 8 different countries. BEVERAGE INNOVATIONS In each country, they work with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is also known for innovation in a only one single family-run tea variety of coffee and tea specialty beverages. Chief among these is estate making all the product the world famous Original Ice Blended® drink, created in 1989 and ‘traceable.’ which ignited the frozen coffee craze. Other innovations include • A single basket of tea picked up from a tea estate is 22 lbs. = 800 tea tea lattes, which the company popularized beginning in 1998. leaves in a bud which are handIn 2010, the company introduced the CBTL™ Single Serve Beverage System, which makes espresso, coffee and tea, and allows plucked daily. customers to recreate The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® experience at • The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® only uses tea leaves plucked in the home. first 4 hours of the day because the In 2014, The Coffee Bean introduced an innovative new morning dew enhances sweetness Tea Granita beverage that features light, refreshing balance of premium iced teas and trending fruit flavors, and are blended with of flavor. • David DeCandia, Director of Tea, ice. Featured flavors include Passion Fruit and Pear Berry. does quality-control and tasting of the tea at the tea estate, before each shipment, at the dock, and upon arrival. • The pucker from green tea is catechin. For black tea, it’s the tannin. This is what gives the tea its health benefits. Text focus to 313131 to watch this focusmag.us/tv/coffeebean
• All tea comes from the same bush – green, black, white, and oolong.
JAY ISAIS Senior Director, Coffee Roasting and Manufacturing
Nearly 7 million pounds of coffee beans pass under Jay Isais’ eyes and nose each year at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf®’s Research and Distribution facility in Camarillo, CA. As the person who oversees the blending and roasting of all of those beans—and therefore what every customer tastes in their cups in store or at home—Isais displays a level of technical expertise and artistry that is rare in the coffee industry. One of the crucial elements that keeps him engaged in his work, however, is the ability to interact with both coffee growers and customers alike. “I get to speak to the farmers and the customers and give them feedback about each other,” he notes. “It’s pretty cool to be able to go to Costa Rica and tell a farmer and his kids that last year’s shipment was enjoyed by customers in L.A. or do customer tastings in stores and tell them about the farmers who actually grew the coffee beans they are now drinking.”
coffeebean.com
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Should I Stay Or Should I Go?: Surviving A Relationship With A Narcissist BY RAMANI DURVASULA
Are you in a relationship with a narcissist? Narcissism feels like a modern epidemic, and it’s spreading rapidly. But how do you know if you are in a relationship with a narcissist—and what can you do about it? Narcissists tend to be pretty on the outside, but empty on the inside. While they are often successful, they are also controlling, manipulative, entitled, vain, and have no empathy. If your significant other can be charismatic and charming one moment and leave you feeling disappointed, unsettled, and doubting yourself the next, you may be involved with a narcissist. This dangerous relationship can slowly shatter your sense of well-being and ultimately ruin your psychological health. Sometimes leaving is the healthiest option. But sometimes it doesn’t feel like an option, and you may have powerful reasons for staying - for your children, financial security, religious beliefs, or simply because you are in love. In many ways, Los Angeles can feel like the “mother-ship” of narcissism – and so many people feel that dating and relationships in LA are a relentless challenge. The feeling that partners are always looking for “the next best thing” and the sense that no one is listening can make matters of the heart feel pretty desolate. In a town where relationships start with “right-swipes”, it can feel like the deck is stacked against anyone finding a connected, committed and respectful relationship. While the superficial nature of the “industry” and endless supply of beautiful faces in a city like Los Angeles can make it appear as though LA is a “company town” when it comes to narcissism – the concept of narcissism is deeper than just being “egocentric.” The qualities of the narcissist – including lack of empathy, entitlement, grandiosity, need for validation, superficiality, and a chronic sense of “emptiness” may be associated with the trappings of “success” but do not provide the raw material for what it takes to establish a deep and committed relationship. Narcissism is a universal construct, and so all of us need a guidebook to navigate these treacherous waters! There is one hard fact about pathological narcissism that most people don’t know and most psychologists will never tell you. Once you learn that, you will finally be able to stop feeling like you are not good enough. Dr. Ramani Durvasula is nothing less than the “narcissist whisperer” and gives you the tools for how to stop making the same mistakes. Should I Stay or Should I Go? reveals the secrets of narcissism and raises the red flags to watch for, the patterns you may experience, and the fixes for difficult situations. This honest survival manual is not predicated on false hope, forgiveness, “communications skills”—or the idea that the beast can become a prince. Rather, it is based on the real terrain of pathological narcissism, and it promises a realistic roadmap for how to navigate this landscape to reclaim your true self, find healing, and live an authentic and empowered life. Whether you stay. Or go.
Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D. Post Hill Press 50 FOCUS | A P R I L 2 0 1 6
Operation Happiness WITH KRISTI LING
Photo: Benjamin Hisoler at Legacy
Who is Kristi Ling and what is your current mission in life as it relates to helping others? I’m a writer, coach, and speaker helping people to create a foundation for sustainable, lasting habits. I share my own story, as well as philosophy and science behind what it takes to create a happy life. What was your motivation to write the “Operation Happiness” book? A few years ago, I discovered some very important keys to creating a foundation for true happiness that were not being talked about. I knew they could help people and had to be shared, so that lead to coaching, blogging and public speaking. Things kept expanding to the point where I knew it needed to be a book, which lead to writing Operation Happiness. I’ve put the most powerful practices, habits, and concepts I’ve learned about creating authentic happiness into the book, as well as the story of my own personal journey. It was an adventure to write and I’m excited to share it. What is the central mission of the book? There is much to the book, but the central mission is to get people to re-think happiness to see it as not just something we choose or feel, but as a skill we can learn, practice, and become good at if we’re willing. Learning that happiness is something we must actively do every day is a huge shift. How long did it take you to write? It was years in the making, but the actual writing process took about six months. It was an amazing experience. Once I started writing the book, it flowed out in such a natural way. It took a while to write everything that needed to be included to shape the book into what I envisioned, but it came easily. I wanted it to truly help people while still being a fun and engaging read. I think that really comes through and I’m super happy about that.
future generations, it can have a big positive impact on the future on many levels. Who or what inspired you to pursue the science of happiness? I’d always struggled to be happy until my early 30’s. Then, there was a point when I became so stressed, unhappy, and unwell that I hit a wall. I knew if I didn’t do something to change, that I’d be caught in a downward spiral. I quit my job at that point and went on a mission to decode happiness that lasted several years. Then, when I finally experienced a huge shift after discovering that happiness is actually a skill we can learn to do, I knew that idea needed to be shared with as many people as possible. You do a podcast, can you tell us about it and what are you most favorite episodes a new listener shouldn’t miss? I love podcasting! I loved radio growing up, so podcasting is a way to incorporate that into the work I do. My podcast is called Happy, Free, & Wild and I’m getting ready to premiere the third season. One of the most popular episodes is the one on 11 Habits of Happy People. I think that’s a great one to start with. Listeners can subscribe on iTunes, or catch it on iHeartRadio. We are a community powered magazine, what do you love most about living in Southern California? I love that. I’m a huge believer in being community involved and even wrote a blog post about it for The Huffington Post a while back. I was born and raised here, so SoCal is truly home to me. Being close to the ocean is very important to me, and we’re so lucky to have amazing beaches here. I also love that we’ve got beautiful mountains and parks. I’m currently renovating a 1930’s cabin in Big Bear Lake and having a blast with that. And, there truly is a sense of community here. There are so many neighborhoods filled with love, art, creativity, and beauty. People help each other and like to see each other succeed. Being part of a community like that is a great start to building a foundation for happiness.
What was a life changing impact you had on someone’s life? I like to say I help people to have an impact on their own lives. I love to help people to see how much power they really do have over their happiness and the way they experience life on a daily basis. I receive emails and messages from people quite often about positive changes they’ve created or shifts they’ve made, and it means everything to me. I got an emotional email a while back from a mom who thanked me for empowering her with the tools to teach her daughters how to create happiness in their lives, and that was so touching. I believe if kristiling.com my generation can learn the skill of happiness, and then teach it to focusmag.us 51
Nobody Walks In LA…. But They Do Hike! BY TAMBI SAFFRAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE WEINER
One of my favorite things about living in Southern California is that the I can hike almost every day of the year. Unless there is a torrential downpour, a true rarity in LA, you will find me, usually in the morning, hiking one of the many beautiful trails the city has to offer. I am out there winter, spring, summer and fall, armed with lots of sunscreen, a hat, and my latest greatest playlist. There are so many beautiful trails in the Los Angeles area such as Solstice Canyon and Temescal Canyon with views of the Pacific Ocean, but for my schedule, I reserve those trails for meeting friends on a weekend when I might have more time. For me, the trails that are close to my home are for my daily workouts. I can drop the kids at school and be done with a hike in an hour and off to my next activity. The trail I frequent most is Fryman Canyon, also known as the Betty B. Dearing Mountain Trail, in Studio City. It’s very close to my son’s school and there is a large parking lot, so if you get there by 8am, there is usually a place to park. As it gets closer to 9am
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or a little later, you may encounter a wait. The loop takes less than an hour but there are many alternate routes to mix it up so you don’t get bored doing it often. I alternate my direction daily… One day I begin the hike going up the steep hill found adjacent to the parking lot, and the next day, I walk on the pavement around the residential neighborhood first. Changing my route every time not only keeps things more interesting, as you see different people and scenery, but you get in a different workout as well. Another trail that I love, that is not too far away from the Fryman Trail, is Runyon Canyon. It’s considered a moderate trail, it’s about 3.3 miles and takes about one and a half hours to complete. Not only is it a great workout, but the reason I love it so much is for it’s truly incredible views of the city, including downtown Los Angeles and the ocean. It’s popular with runners, dog walkers, fitness enthusiasts, celebrities and tourists. You can access it either from Mulholland Drive at the top of the trail, or down at the bottom on Fuller Avenue in Hollywood, but note parking can be an issue at either entrance. I’ve heard they’ve brought in valet parking on occasion, but I have not seen this nor would bother. I mean, what’s the point? You’re there to work out! The other trail that I love in the area is the Griffith Observatory Trail. There are 50 miles of trail through gorgeous acres of natural terrain surrounding the Observatory, a true Los Angeles landmark and so beautifully set up on the hill. I like to venture up the West Observatory Trail from Fern Dell Drive in Western Canyon for a great 2.1 mile roundtrip hike. The views are breathtaking, from downtown to the Hollywood sign, and if you want to take a break, you can check out some of the exhibits at The Observatory before you head down. No matter which trail I decide to hike, I enjoy the hour to myself and with headphones on, I get to listen to my favorite tunes and escape to my happy place, my awesome morning workout, breathing in fresh air and zoning out to beautiful scenery before I start my day. I do welcome company, whether it’s dog who loves to hike, or a friend who can keep my pace. Hope to see you out there!
With my friend and fellow hiker Leslie Rubin
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No Apology For Reflexology BY SUZAN BRITTAN
What is your knee-jerk reaction to the word, “Reflexology”? Maybe you’d say; “What a bunch of hooey!” or “That’s just a fancy word for a foot rub.” What if I told you there is a great deal of history, research and science behind reflexology and how it supports and improves people’s health and daily lives? If I gave you exact stats and diagrams, you’d glaze over. So, I won’t. However, I did interview an actual Reflexologist. “If you think your feet can handle all of your body weight for your entire life without it affecting your spine or central nervous system, you’re in denial,” warns Joanne Scorcia, a Certified Reflexologist of about fifteen years to A-List Celebrities, high-powered executives, soccer moms, children and pets, to list a few. Scorcia has helped clients suffering with MS, PMS, TMJ, Quadriplegia, all joint/muscle issues, asthma, sinus congestion, snoring, fertility problems, erectile dysfunction, allergies, hearing loss, depression, pain management, dementia, post surgery recovery, anxiety, constipation, weight loss, adrenal fatigue, sleep deprivation, neuropathy, detoxing; pretty much anything you can throw at her. Scorcia explains, “Reflexology is like getting a neurological massage. I recalibrate my clients nerve endings and clear blockages to get them to an overall great sense of wellbeing.” Let’s just say, it feels freaking fantastic and she has the repeat clients to prove it. Can I brag? Her Reflexology method actually helped a four year quadriplegic use his legs for a walker, hands to hold and get his sexy time back (Girlfriend: cried with joy) in under a few months of treatment. The pressure points on his hands and feet were connecting again through Reflexology. “Diagnosis Labeling,” as she puts it, “is a mental block and puts an official limit on recovery.” Scorcia quips, “The only labels you should feel comfortable wearing are designer.” Cheeky. Removing emotional and mental blocks is imperative for the healing process according to Scorcia. For example, a female client was suffering from infertility. While working on her foot Ms.
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Scorcia could feel a major blockage then asked if she’s had any recent emotional trauma. Her client confessed of a very recent devastating miscarriage. “It was her sadness and fear of miscarrying again that was causing her infertility, so working on her heart chakra pressure point in conjunction with her second chakra was the recipe.” After unblocking her second chakra that focused on fertility, Scorcia suggested strongly they have sex right after she leaves the session. They did and quickly became pregnant, her client states, just after that session and carried her son full term. About one year and six months later they wanted to get pregnant again and after one of their sessions Scorcia again advised, “You’re ovulating.” Then turned to her husband with orders, “You guys need to go make a baby right now.” They followed direction, and became pregnant with twin girls. Clearly, Ms. Scorcia is the baby chakra whisperer. Ancient Egyptians were first to use this type of foot manipulation and American’s, as usual, are slow to pick up the latest trends. So, like a bazillion years later in 1917, an American doctor by the name of William H. Fitzgerald became, “The Father of Reflexology.” With help from colleague Dr. Shelby Riley they discovered important zones running through the body and how they can be directly manipulated by specific pressure points on hands, feet and even the outer ears. They developed diagrams, which was later drawn as maps in the 1930’s by their collaborator, Physiotherapist, Eunice Ingham. Reflexologists use these maps today after a few added refinements by Ingham’s still living nephew, Dwight Byers of the International Reflexology Institute. Scorcia has too many success stories about the benefits of Reflexology for me to report. Now that you know it’s an ancient practice honed, cultivated and researched thoroughly for thousands of years, let’s get down to the ‘no excuses not to try it’ part. Lucky you, Ms. Scorcia with her angel wings will fly to you. Whether it’s your office, home, hotel, production set or the beach, she’s there to start your body on the path to healing. But, if you call this native Italian Brooklyn-ite a “foot massager”, she might lose the wings. Knowhat’mSayin’? Joanne Scorcia – Certified Reflexologist, cell: 310.497.8876 Email: healwithreflexology@yahoo.com
On the Set of “A Week in London” with Candace Kita We caught up with actress Candace Kita on the set of her latest film, A Week in London. Cast alongside Julia Faye West, Denise Richards and Mike Tyson, Candace plays a 450 lb. woman who loses weight to become the next Kim Kardashian. This process involved heavy special effects makeup and prosthetics and we were able to watch this process unfold before our very eyes!
Denise Richards, Candace Kita, Doua Moua and Jessica De Bonneville on location for “A Week in London”
Candace going through 5 hours of prosthetic hair and makeup to become Dong Su on the set of “A Week in London”
In full prosthetic makeup as “Dong Su”, the 450 lb. woman
Losing half of her weight, a new Kristy Kim on location
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Eat...To...Live BY JILL PARKER
Every year, the #1 New Year’s resolution on most people’s lists, is undoubtedly to lose weight. If it was on your list, how are you doing?
Probiotics.
Take one everyday to help achieve a healthy gut. Taking a probiotic helps to balance the good and bad bacteria which helps our bodies to function better.
While the primary reason that many people choose to lose Eat Walnuts. weight is to look better, it can often be for health related issues. Eating 6 walnut halves 30 minutes before a meal will It is also entirely possible to ruin your health in order to drop decrease your appetite because when they reach your pounds to improve your appearance. Many methods of weight intestinal wall, they will actually decrease the hunger loss can be unhealthy and even harmful. Sustainable weight loss hormone. requires a permanent lifestyle change that cannot be achieved by just following a commercial “diet”. Losing ten pounds in ten days Today’s world presents many challenges when it comes to living sounds amazing, but all know this is unrealistic and temporary. a healthy lifestyle. There is a worldwide epidemic of obesity, Sadly, the only thing you will lose is your hard earned money. diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Our foods are covered with pesticides, herbicides and other toxins. Our supermarkets are Helping people has always been an important part of my life. making great progress in providing organic and non-gmo food Discussing diet, fitness, the latest food fads, [Have you heard? items however, living clean and green is a daily effort. Due to Seaweed is the new Kale!] and anything related to health is these challenges, I was thrilled to discover a fantastic health my true passion. It seemed only natural for me to become a and wellness company that has eliminated all of my concerns. Health Coach. As a certified Health Coach from the Institute This company affords me the opportunity to offer natural food of Integrative Nutrition (“IIN”), I am now part of a wonderful products and supplements to my clients. As a result, the body movement seeking to improve the U.S. Health Crisis. IIN is the has everything it needs to function optimally. These products, world’s largest school of nutrition whose mission is “to play a combined with our own healthy food choices, have changed not crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through only my life, but also those of my friends, family and millions of that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.” I have learned from IIN that our “primary food” refers to external others. Nothing is more personally rewarding than being able to help people to lead healthier lives with ease. I have programs factors that affect our eating habits (i.e., healthy relationships, tailored to meet each person’s individual needs. exercise, career, spirituality). These things “feed us, but don’t come on a plate.” What we choose to eat is actually secondary to Always remember that good health is not a destination...it is the factors that often shape our personal daily food choices. a journey that has many many challenges. Since we now lead much busier lives, making healthy choices can be difficult so it is Through my years of research and interest in nutrition, I have important to remember that every choice we make today counts learned so much and love sharing my healthy tips. Some of my towards tomorrow. So do your best to make it healthy. And here’s favorites are: to a new New Year’s resolution: “Celebrate and enjoy my healthy Eat smaller snacks. lifestyle!” Eat throughout the day for energy. Ideally, each snack should have complex carbs plus protein. Try having celery ...In Health and Happiness… with peanut or almond butter or hummus and veggies for a healthy, fast and energizing snack.
More H2O!
Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water everyday. Water helps to maintain the balance of fluids in the body, If you are interested in a free initial consultation or want a simple helps to control calories since often the body is thirsty and and healthy alternative to achieve and maintain your health goals, not hungry, helps to energize the muscles, and keeps skin please contact Jill at jill@soulfusionllc.com. looking great. focusmag.us 57
Photo by: Vladimir Neri vladimirneri.com 58 FOCUS | A P R I L 2 0 1 6
Hair/makeup: Yvette Paynter instagram.com/makeup_by_yvette
Making Headlines From The Sidelines A chat with Sports Broadcaster LINDSAY MCCORMICK
Lindsay McCormick is a sports broadcaster whose career has taken her everywhere from hosting the live events for Super Bowl XLIX to guest corresponding for Showtime at the most anticipated fight of the decade – Mayweather vs Pacquiao. Lindsay’s career began covering the Auburn University football team and then the NFL for ESPN The Magazine. When she’s not reporting, Lindsay loves to write (she’s written for Esquire in a column entitled “Monday Morning Cheerleader with Lindsay McCormick”) and keep herself in shape with her deep passion for dance. FOCUS: What inspired you to pursue a career in sports hosting? LINDSAY MCCORMICK: From as young as five years old, I can remember having a microphone in my hand, hosting our family Christmas shows. My mom has old photos of me broadcasting to my stuffed animals that have made my “Throwback Thursday” on Instagram a few times. But I think more than anything it was seeing how powerful words are and how with the right words you can make someone’ s day and entertain a massive audience. I love making people laugh and feel good. I also love sports and was raised in a family with a history in football and NASCAR. Putting the two together for a career felt organic.
FM: This is the Fitness issue of Focus Magazine, what is your workout routine and what fitness studios do you love in our local community? LM: The most important thing for me is listening to my body. If I’m tired, I take the day off and rest. If I feel up for working out 5 or 6 days in a row, then I go for it. I try and mix it up between dance classes at The Edge Performing Arts Center (especially Steve Ewing’s class), or Franki Floro’s class at LA DanceFit, and boxing at Box ‘N Burn Westwood. I’ve also recently got back into yoga thanks to Playlist Yoga on La Cienega. They put the different flows to current tunes and I leave there feeling relaxed and ready to take on the day. Who doesn’t love a good warrior 1 pose to Tupac? FM: What charities do you support in our local area? LM: There are two organizations that I’m obsessed with. #Hashtag Lunchbag meets to put together healthy lunches for anyone in the city who needs a meal, and they add a positive uplifting message in every bag and distribute them around town. I also love how easy this organization is to be a part of and how welcoming they are. http:// www.hashtaglunchbag.org/our-story I also love Music Beats Hearts. A friend of mine in the music business started this organization that provides hospitals with music devices pre-loaded with uplifting and inspirational songs for patients to listen to during their cancer treatments. The response has been extraordinary. http://www. musicbeatshearts.org/ourmission
FM: What advice would you give aspiring hosts on how to achieve their dreams? LM: 1.) Always be yourself. Don’ t try to be Giuliana Rancic or Erin Andrews. They are exceptional, but the world already has them on TV. Early in my career, I would watch broadcasters and try to emulate them...practicing everything from the cadence of their voice to their hand gestures. I’m sure I looked incredibly uncomfortable on TV and I’m shocked people still watched. It wasn’t until I had nothing to lose and walked into the studio one day and decided to have fun with it that I actually found myself. 2.) Prepare. Even when FM: Who was your favorite interviewee? you don’t have a job to prepare for, keep doing your homework. This LM: I always loved interviewing Kobe Bryant because he kept industry is so competitive, so chances don’t come along every day. everyone in that locker room on their A Game. He would call out You have to stay ready so that when you do get that shot you aren’ reporters for repeating a question someone had asked earlier or would laugh at a question if there wasn’t enough research or thought t saying, “Wait! I need an extra day to prepare!” By then they’ve passed over you and found someone who was ready. Don’t be THAT behind it. I respected that because he showed up every night, person. 3.) Always keep in the back of your mind why you started some nights with multiple injuries, and would give it his all and he this career. For me it’s because I’m truly passionate about sports and expected the same from us after games in that locker room. entertaining and making other people’s lives better using both of those. Because when times get tough (and they always do), this will FM: Who in your industry inspires you? keep you going. LM: Any woman who is out there trying to be unique and yet is staying true to herself. I loved Olivia Munn on “Attack of the Show”. From a broadcaster standpoint, I love Suzy Kolber & Linda Cohn. Both of these women devoted their lives to their job and have stayed true to the same network for years. Also, Katie Nolan who’s pushing the envelope when it comes to sports entertainment and doing so by For more information on Lindsay, please visit: lindsaymccormick.com using the internet as her platform of choice. FM: What has been your favorite hosting job? LM: I can’t remember a time where I had more fun than when I was working the Grand Arrivals for Showtime for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight. Having to run around and grab interviews in the middle of that chaos surrounded by some of the greatest boxers of all-time, all while getting to see such a zen side of Mayweather when interviewing him. It was definitely a unique memory I’ll get to one day tell my kids about.
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LA/HOME LA HOME magazine is a celebration of life in LA, with features about the designers and artists who make this city a center of culture and innovation.
A
ctress Lisa Edelstein and her artist
husband Robert Russell give us a tour of their mid century Japanese home in Silver Lake. We get a glimpse of their family life through the cute drawings they gift to each other. Lisa Edelstein Home Tour
“prime Beverly Hills or prime Bird Street areas with amazing views, should be hitting $4000 a SQ foot. I think that’s very possible in the foreseeable future.” Mauricio Umansky, The Agency
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“I was a fan of Flipping Out, and it had been on maybe 2 seasons. You think you know Jeff Lewis because you’re in his life, you’re in his world, and you feel like you want to be his friend. I went to dinner one night and walked into a unisex bathroom at a swanky restaurant...and there he was. I introduced myself and...he actually brought me back to his table to meet his friends.” Megan Weaver
N
ot, as you might imagine, the name of an English butler, Alfred Coffee is named after Alfred Street, where owner Josh Zad once lived, and just around the corner from the original Melrose Place location. Alfred Coffee
lahomemag.com/theagency
“Finishing a record is the most disappointing part of making records, because there is no more potential.” Moby
lahomemag.com/moby
lahomemag.com/meganweaver
T
here’s a 270 degree view from this Hollywood Hills house, sweeping across from Downtown to the ocean. Developer, Jay Belson, who is currently building a $100 million house in Bel Air, is selling this view (and house), for a more modest $10 million. St Ives Drive.
“I have a problem. Some people drink too much or do drugs. I buy art. I have no place in my house. I have no place left in my friend’s houses. I can’t walk by a piece that moves me in some way and not buy it. I figure I’ll find some place for it.”
MATT ALTMAN -
MILLION DOLLAR LISTING LA
On newsstands, and at Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble NOW Subscribe at lahomemag.com
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Making Movies Executive Producer, JEREMIAH SAMUELS has worked on Hollywood movies for over 20 years. INTERVIEW BY MARK CASTELLINO
Over the past two decades, filmmaker Jeremiah Samuels has Executive Produced some of the most successful major motion pictures guided by the most influential directors of our generation, from Robert Redford’s “Conspirator” and Lasse Hallström’s “Dear John” to Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers”, a Golden Globe nominee and Jon Turteltaub’s “Last Vegas”. His latest movie was the thriller-mystery “A Secret in Their Eyes” directed by Billy Ray, and starring Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman. Jeremiah sat down with Mark Castellino for a chat about movie making. MC: What is your background? JS: I was a rock musician who started to work in commercials when I was in my mid twenties. The first day I started they asked me to fly to St Thomas to clear seaweed from the beach (for a TWA commercial), and then fly the film back to New York. They delivered film like that in those days. The next day I had to fly back to clear more seaweed on the beach and I thought, this is an exciting way to earn a living, and that’s how I got into film. And how did you get involved with movies? After producing commercials for a number of years you learn some rudimentary crafts, equipment and management skills. I ended up moving into independent film in New York. Movies for $500$700,000, and I learned how to production manage and line produce and put together the physical elements of making a movie. It was extraordinarily addictive.
actors to make them work efficiently? We try to find the smartest way to sequence the events of the movie to shoot it in the most economically viable way. Then there is the human factor which is forever making it a more complicated algorithm. How do you get hired for a movie? It’s a very chaotic process. The studios have divisions of production executives and over the years you cultivate relationships with them. They begin to rely on your work and reliability and you end up having an ongoing relationship with these folks who hire you. I’ve done 10 movies now for 20th Century Fox, ranging from comedies like Let’s Be Cops to more serious themes. A lot of times I have relationships with producers who call me all the time, sometimes actors who have production companies, will call me. It’s a lot about cultivating a group of people over the years who rely on you and know you will do it well. Does the subject matter? Yes, you want a good version of whatever it is. The only thing I shy away from a bit, is Horror. I know there are people that enjoy them but I just don’t think it’s a good thing for the world. What do you make of the foreign involvement in Hollywood? It’s always a revolving door of strong currencies versus weak currencies. Years ago it was the Germans who were heavily invested in private equity, and now the Chinese. It sort of runs like other businesses where there are strong financial entities that want to acquire others. Generally, it’s a bit of a shell game. People come thinking it’s an investable business and they are quite often surprised at how variable the returns are.
What do you feel about Netflix and streaming in general? I think it’s fantastic. The movies that I fell in love with were very nuanced dramatic or comedic work, and unfortunately, in the theatrical marketplace – in America at least – those are not the most popular movies. In the face of gigantic movies and franchises, the more nuanced emotional stuff is relegated to a smaller distribution. How would you describe the experience? Is it glamorous? So I think Netflix and similar platforms springing up shows We have a saying that we tell people who know nothing about there’s an appetite for artists to make that kind of work. If you take movies – “Hours of boredom, moments of panic”. We stand there, something like Breaking Bad, it’s because it can be viewed at home we watch people set lights, actors put on their make up and get in a smaller environment that the economic chain is different. As dressed. People talk, people fight over the script and then we panic opposed to making a larger version of that, and putting it out in the while we shoot it. Then we wait another 3 hours while we light it and theater to see if it works. off we go again. I think the economics of releasing movies simultaneously to DVD, and streaming does a disservice to the art that if something When did you move to LA and get involved with Hollywood? does not succeed immediately it loses its place in the market. About 20 years ago. I’ve always moved between independents and Whereas in the past, say Five Easy Pieces from the 1970s. In the old the studio system and I choose movies based on the interest in the days they would make 150 prints of that and those prints would go material, whether it’s going to be a good movie, whether I’d like to from theater to theater and it would stay for 6 months till it had a work with the people involved. cultural impact. These days if you make a movie like that, and if it Tell me about your role as Executive Producer. doesn’t succeed in the first weekend, it would be relegated to the I take the Executive Producer title but I’m essentially a Line secondary marketplaces and gradually disappear. Producer. If you imagine a movie is a house, I’m the contractor. We just did a cool movie called Secret in Their Eyes, with Julia How many days does it take to shoot it, what are the locations, what Roberts and Nicole Kidman. A really emotional, dramatic film are the special effects, special camera tools, how do we group the which was based on a South American film which won the Academy 64 FOCUS | A P R I L 2 0 1 6
guy to the Irish madness of another, you get a different movie. Which directors would you like to work with? Round up the usual suspects. I’m at the age where Spielberg had so much technical command. Ridley Scott continues to make amazing movies. There are a handful of Brits that I just love. I love the smaller independent British movies. Why do great independent directors make big budget movies? Directors are artists. They might want to make a big, bold canvas and sell it for trillions of dollars and then they might want to make a miniature. A lot of people come to Hollywood after making small, really interesting movies and get caught up in the Hollywood machine and retreat because it can be really discouraging. Is your job stressful? It’s a jigsaw puzzle. You have to love that experience. I remember we were Award about 5 years ago. It’s a really terrific movie. It had a nice working on movie theatrical run. and we were at What are some interesting stories that happened while you were Lake Havasu. There filming? were 2 actresses in We made Walk in The Woods with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. a speedboat and we It was fantastic, fun experience in which the two guys are hiking The needed a helicopter Appalachian trail. We shot the entire movie in the city of Atlanta to meet the speedboat because we figured out you’re either going uphill, downhill, and as it was going across there are rocks, deciduous and non deciduous trees. So we made the the lake. The director Appalachian trail within 50 miles. Then we took the guys to the real wanted to do it so the Appalachian trail and found the landmarks and used drones so it sun come up over a opened up the movie significantly and made it a big experience. particular rock at a certain time, 6am. Talking about drones, how prevalent are they in movie making? These days with your primary cameras being digital, they have very So in order to do that we had to have good accurate cameras on the drones and you can do some great stuff. They had a bit of a moment but now the FAA has made it very the speedboat on the water by about 4.30, difficult to use them. the actresses getting How has technology made filmmaking easier? dressed by 4.30ish, the Above: Jeremiah Samuels at the premiere of A Up until the advent of digital cameras, at least once or twice a movie, helicopter getting ready Secret in their Eyes with actor Chiwetel Ejiofor the lab would call and say there was a scratch on your negative. in the dark and then we and Below: with Director Billy Ray. People would freak out and say we have to reshoot that scene, which had to launch all the with my job for instance, would be an extra $30-$40,000 so with support people in several boats. And I remember standing in one digital, there’s a lot more flexibility fixing things, relighting and of the boats heading out to that shot and thinking, this is one of the enhancing the look of the movie. greatest jobs in the world because every day is a technical challenge I remember when they used to cut movies physically, and tape and we don’t have to catch or kill anybody. This would normally them together and that’s how they edited movies. Then came AVID, be a military operation but all we have to do is point a camera at which nobody thought would catch on and now it has become the somebody. way it is. There’s an arc of things showing up, people going oh, that I like the adventure. You get to go to different places. You will never catch on. Then come the early adapters, and pretty soon it have a support staff that flies people in, houses them, gets them becomes pervasive. comfortable – always important to take care of your stars. And then you have to figure out logistically, how to do what the director wants Who are some of the great directors you worked with? in order to get things onto the screen. Of the folks you probably haven’t heard of there’s an Israeli film maker called Ari Folman, who made a small movie called The What do you love most about your job? Congress and I would put him up there as the most courageous, cool I love and consider my work to be a privilege. Every day I get to filmamkers. I’ve worked with some notable people – Jim Sheridan, stand on a set, every day I get to watch an actor or someone sends My Left Foot, Lasse Hallström, Cider House Rules. Jon Turteltaub me a script. I consider that a privilege. It’s a fun way to make a living. who has a wonderful eye and a great filmmaker, on Last Vegas. Each one has his own imprint. Weirdly, it’s almost like their personalities are infused into the tempo, the emotion and the feeling Jeremiah Samuels of what they are doing. From the wry, Jewish sense of humor of one skillfulentertainment.com
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EF PR
An Entertainment focused PR company What types of brands have you done PR/branding for? Entertainment Focused Public Relations (EFpr) can be used for almost anything within the celebrity spectrum that would benefit from celebrity or talent partnerships. In the past, EFpr has had the pleasure of working with a variety of clients ranging from musicians, actors, non-profit organizations, film societies, and athletes. We think our Kimberly Kornahrens and Ed Solorzano, greatest strength in publicity publicists at EF Public Relations falls into special events such as album release parties, annual charity events, block parties, grand openings, and restaurants.
end, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Vine, and even Snapchat, can enhance a brand an image in an organic and methodical way of a brand via online content. What do you feel is the most effective way to use print media? Print media is an excellent medium to guarantee your targeted audience, which is probably the most beneficial thing about magazines and newspapers. People are paying monthly or yearly for these subscriptions. They are definitely going to at least skim it and ultimately remember it in their subconscious. There’s something really special about being able to pick up a magazine or a newspaper and read it cover to cover, versus online articles where it only takes one click to exit the browser and not to read all of its content. For us, it’s a rewarding feeling to see tangible proof of the stories we have pushed for. It’s always exciting to present a published article to a client, and often we see them framed in their homes later.
What do you love most about what your company offers? We love that everything we do comes with a personal touch and that Why should a brand/organization use a PR firm? everyone we work with quickly becomes part of the EF Family. We PR is the liaison between the client and the general targeted public receive compliments all the time on our approachability. Sometimes by use of media, using exposure from both print, online, on-air we are shocked when PR firms don’t interact with their clients as broadcast/podcast, and television to gain exposure. easily as we do. We believe a misconception of celebrity publicists At EFpr, our ultimate goal is to tell a story and we love knowing is that we hide behind clipboards and act as bodyguards against the that we add such a personal touch that many firms do not. In addition public. EFpr is quite the opposite. We always try to accommodate to the traditional services PR firms offer, we are also very helpful to people’s requests as much as we possibly can and consistently develop a strong sense of overall organization. EFpr is heavily invested promote members of the industry to work together and cobrand in the day-to-day activities of our clients which include scheduling themselves. We are young, hungry, innovative, and open to new and brand consultation, allowing us to feel closely connected to their ideas. campaigns and to better help achieve their goal. What is the greatest challenge when it comes to running a What services do you provide for a brand that is involved with an branding related event? event? In any campaign, keeping your demographic in mind and conveying We provide a variety of services ranging from traditional press, the right message to them is the goal. Branded events allow us to event publicity, social media services, and brand management. This creatively use the sponsorship to engage with the guests. We always can include the creation and distribution of press releases and media try to create an experience above all, and that is probably the most alerts, talent and media wrangling for guests, hosts and presenters, challenging yet also most exciting. securing of interview opportunities and media training for our clients, as well as event logistics from graphic design to production What is the best way for a potential client to reach you? and running the red carpet. EFpr customizes the services for each People can email our office at ef@efpublicrealtions.com, visit our event to best fit the needs of our client. website at efpublicrelations.com or check out our social media at: Facebook: /efpublicrelations How do you use social media in your branding efforts? Twitter: @EFpr_LA Social media is arguably the most important promotional tool of Instagram: @EFpr_LA our time, and as millennials we LOVE that. By allowing us to fuse traditional publicity within more modern social trends, social media has provided publicists an innovative and exciting way for brands to interact with their fans. It is the easiest way to spread a message fast to your followers and supporters. Through the use of original hashtags, ad creation, branded catchphrases and calculated timing, we can actively target individual and specific demographics to help spread your message. In the
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Healthy Living – in 5 Steps BY DR. ADRIENNE YOUDIM
When did it all become so complicated? Take healthy eating for example.. We are bombarded with advice on what to eat and how to eat. Low carb, paleo, gluten-free, cold-pressed, juice it., blend it ...It’s enough to make your head spin! Why does it have to be so hard? We’ve been eating for centuries. Truth is that all healthy diets are based on the same principles. We know what to do. Yet we are swayed, no we are bullied into thinking one fad diet is superior to another and if we don’t get it right we are going to miss out. On the other hand is a trend to over-simplify. Everywhere you turn, there is a quick-fix for something. 5 steps to flat abs. 5 steps to looking young. 5 steps to burn belly fat. As if living life can occur in 5 steps. The downside to this fast-track mentality is not only the obvious, that it fails. But when it fails to deliver life’s virtues in 5 quick steps we become disillusioned and less likely to try again. Not a great set-up for self betterment. But here is the reality. No sound bite will turn your life around. No fad will make you live longer. And no 5 steps will end your woes. So, lets make a collective decision to abandon the 5 step, quick fix ideology and reject the over complicated formulas as well. Let’s chose to believe in the no-fad, no none-sense, work hard, be patient, life is a journey philosophy that ultimately will give us joy, fulfillment and health. To that end, I have created my own 5 steps...
STEP 1 - BREATHE! Know that a healthy mind is the first step to a healthy body. So take time to meditate. Think, process and plan. What seems like a failure today is just an opportunity to improve tomorrow. STEP 2 - SLEEP! Lack of sleep results in irritability, anxiety and an inability to focus on the important tasks ahead. Lack of sleep also results in a surge of hormones that result in insulin resistance and weight gain. At least seven hours of sleep is ideal, eight is even better. STEP 3 - EAT CLEAN. Chose fruits and vegetables, high quality proteins, unprocessed, unrefined carbohydrates. More fridge, less pantry. More from the earth and less from a package. More homemade and less store bought. Eat with family not technology and nourish your body. STEP 4 - STAY ACTIVE. Commit to a 30 minutes a day. Walk. Dance. Jump. Run. Do something. Anything that keeps your body moving. That 30 minutes a day will keep your body strong and your mind clear. STEP 5 - HAVE COMPASSION. Smile at your neighbor. Compliment your co-worker. Listen to your spouse. Hug your children. Science shows that acts of kindness do more for you as the giver than they do for the recipient. Although it makes them feel pretty good too! Above all be kind to yourself. Setting goals are important. But they should not be a prescription for self condemnation. Try your best today but remember there is always tomorrow. This life is a marathon not a sprint and with the right intentions you will reach the finish line..one way or another. Wishing you a happy and healthy you. Dr. Adrienne Youdim MD
Dr. Adrienne Youdim is well-recognized for her expertise in the areas of clinical nutrition, medical weight loss and preventative medicine. Formerly the Medical Director of the Cedars Sinai Center for Weight Loss, in 2014, Dr. Youdim founded the Center for Weight Loss and Nutrition in Beverly Hills, California where she has partnered with hundreds of patients to achieve their health and weight loss goals. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Youdim has developed a line of premium vitamins, minerals, supplements and protein powders created for health, beauty, weight loss and fitness. Dr. Youdim is board certified and diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists and the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
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Happenings GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS MENU PREVIEW The Beverly Hilton’s Executive Chef Troy N. Thompson and Executive Pastry Chef Thomas Henzi today revealed the exclusive new menu that will be enjoyed by 1,300 invited guests of the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards in the hotel’s famed International Ballroom. Additional highlights of the menu reveal included a tasting of this year’s Golden Globes Champagne Cocktail created by Moët & Chandon and the reveal of a custom Moët Mini Champagne Caddy created to celebrate its 25th Anniversary as official champagne of the Golden Globes this year. Home to the Golden Globes for 41 consecutive years, The Beverly Hilton hosted the awards show, which was broadcast on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016.
The three-course menu included an appetizer of the California market salad featuring eggplant, bok choy, daikon, lotus and mustard greens with ginger dressing followed by an entrée of filet of beef with marinara crust and slow-roasted black garlic steelhead trout with spaghetti squash, fried capers and sweet potatoes. The vegetarian entrée consists of salt-baked heirloom sweet potatoes with creamed corn glaze with a fricassee of winter vegetables. For dessert; a trio of flourless Grand Marnier carmella, lemon mousseline croquantine or California almond cake.
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Happenings
GRAMMY AWARD CEREMONY DINNER Staples Center, CA After catering the Emmys for 20 years, Patina Catering has been appointed the Official Caterer of the 58th Annual GRAMMY Celebration. In addition to curating a menu fit for the star-studded celebration, including gourmet gluten-free and vegan bites, Patina Restaurant Group is currently offering GRAMMY cocktails at select LA restaurants. Photography by Daniel Collopy
Crispy Pacific Rock Cod Street Tacos served on mini corn and flour tortillas with pico de gallo, onion, cilantro, avocado crema and Arbol chile sauce
Caramelized Rainbow Cauliflower “Steaks” with a creamy parsnip puree, garnished with vadouvan-spiced golden raisin relish
Roasted Kabocha Squash with Vermont maple syrup and toasted pecans and thyme
Winter Citrus Salad with honey-sherry vinaigrette
GRAMMY NOMINEE INSPIRED COCKTAILS (left to right) She’ll Be the Death of Me | Vodka, Ancho Reyes Chile Liquor, Honey, Lemon, Mint Inspired by “Can’t Feel My Face”
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Drunk on Jealousy | Rye, Blackberries, Lemon, Honey Inspired by “Blank Space”
All The Love | Mezcal, Aperol, Lime, Bitters Inspired by “Really Love”
Say It Loud | Rum, Lemon, Simple, Strawberry, Basil, Sparkling Wine Inspired by “Think Out Loud”
Gon’ Give It to You | Gin, Lemon, Apple, Ginger, Soda Inspired by “Uptown Funk”
Happenings MOMFAIR Westwood, CA MomFair 2016 held at UCLA in Westwood. Once a year MomFair gathers experts under one roof so that moms can directly interact with hiring managers, home experts, entrepreneurs, business and home resources and likeminded moms. momfair.com
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Happenings ART ANGELS GRAND OPENING 9020 Beverly Bvld, Unit B, West Hollywood CA 90048 Founded by Angels Jacquelin Napal and Katherine Emery in 2013 - Art Angels was created to offer a full service solution to all art needs, specializing in finding the perfect statement piece for any client, home and project. The new location currently features works by David Drebin, Niclas Castello, Michael Moebius and Russell Young. Instagram: @art_angels artangels.net
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Happenings FAVIANA FASHION SHOW Santa Monica Focus Events is On the Red Carpet For The Faviana Fashion Show At Crown Diva Boutique With Miss Faviana and Miss Malibu USA 2016 Brooke Ashlyn Miller. Held In Santa Monica. Photos by Chuck Salisbury Photography chucksalisburyphotography.com
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Who, What,
CATT SADLER/ANDREA SCHRODER/MARK STEINES/BROOKE ANDERSON/EDEN SASSOON/APRIL BEYER/MEGHAN MARKLE/TRACY O’CONNOR/LAURIE DAVID/HEATHER BILYEU/VICTORIA TENNANT/ALLI WEB/BRANDE RODERICK/SANDRA TAYLOR... NICHE DEMOGRAPHIC, AVERAGE INCOME $113,000, AVERAGE HOME $1 MILLION. MEDIA KIT AT FOCUSMAG.US/ADVERTISE OR EMAIL:
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CHARITY EVENTS A NIGHT TO INSPIRE Beverly Hills
Red carpet coverage of the Catt Sadler hosted, Women of The Agency event in Beverly Hills. Co-branded/banner/Red Carpet/ Interviewer/ Video coverage/Photo gallery focusmag.us/inspire
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LA HOME /
CALIFORNIA FOR SALE
1352 Miller Drive, Beverly Hills Offered at $4,995,000
Gemstone Ranch, Ojai Offered at $5,495,000
Minorca Road, Pacific Palisades Offered at $6,999,000
Collina Strada, Bel Air Offered at $8,990,000
Oak Pass Road, Beverly Hills $23,000,000
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