See Beauty in Diversity by A Distinctive Style Magazine

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YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL I have never felt more open and more raw in my entire life. 2012 was a year of deconstruction for me personally. I have been confronting some of my greatest fears in the last handful of months and have been amazed at how empowered I can feel when I muster up the courage to turn and growl back at those monsters under the bed. The songs on this album are a true reﬂection of everything I’ve come to experience in recent months and I'm going to celebrate that with the next most terrifying thing I can do…go back on the road…totally alone. Just me. And my piano. And maybe a guitar. And some whiskey. And some jokes. And my songs. I’m excited to share this next stage of my career with each and every one of my fans. ~Sara Bareilles

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MASCULINE CHARISMA

BVLCAR I

MAN

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music

Music from the heart, for the heart.

icholas David Mrozinski is a vibrant, dynamic and multi-talented singer/songwriter from Saint Paul, MN. For more than a decade, Nicholas has composed alternative soul music that connects with people worldwide on a deeply human level. Prior to his unforgettable 2012 run with Team CeeLo on NBC’s The Voice, Nicholas had already recorded five critically acclaimed albums, experienced national radio airplay and participated in multiple charity and collaborative projects. Fans of The Voice were introduced to his soulful and storied career during this time where he struck a chord with America and finished a fan favorite in the top three. Nicholas recently returned to The Voice as a guest artist to unveil his new original single, titled "Say Goodbye," and the eponymous EP. The response was astounding; within 24 hours the EP hit #1 on the iTunes Alternative Chart and #2 on the iTunes overall Top Album Chart. Minneapolis’ own Star-Tribune heralded the release as “versatile country soul.” Nicholas’ music is a fully integrative experience, incorporating multiple genres and influences ranging everywhere from Prince to Beethoven. His captivating melodies embody an unbridled passion for music, and his lyrics convey the thoughts of a truly humble, intelligent and genuine human being. Nicholas has always loved keeping things local, and this sentiment is evident throughout his music. Incorporating dozens of Minnesota musicians, his critically acclaimed 2009 album

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Together We're Stronger features local Minnesotans from over 40 different bands. Nicholas also played a role in the hugely successful charity album, The Minnesota Beatle Project, named "Best Local Compilation CD" by the City Pages. His rendition of The Beatles classic “Across the Universe” was in extended heavy rotation on 89.3, "The Current." To date, the project raised over $50,000 to help keep music programs alive in Minnesota Public Schools. Nicholas also appeared on The Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 3 in collaboration with local legend Charlie Parr on "Rocky Raccoon." Nicholas and his own Label, Wake the World, are among an emerging trend of ConsciousCapitalists and Eco-Entrepreneurs focused on minimizing environmental impact. All CD packaging and mailings feature "green" designs, utilizing recycled materials and FSCcertified products. Nicholas and his label are actively seeking to connect with other likeminded organizations, charities and individuals to help make a difference. To connect with Wake the World regarding ways to help, please email wtwmusic@gmail.com. Nicholas' original music is available on iTunes. Web site: www.thefeelin.com

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Maria Gregersen for Pilgrim Photo by Henrik Bulow www.henrikbulow.com

H&M 2013

tony juniper What has nature done for us?

alicia Keys empowering women with aids

Katy perry be yourself and you can be anything

leonardo dicaprio Growing up with great family & friends

ricK GuiGotti | positive exposure

betsey and lulu johnson

changing the way we see beauty

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living life to the fullest

contents a distinctive style magazine summer 2013

J.ÂŁCI.io lt4. summer reads

entertainment

editor's favs

eco fashion

environmental awareness

healthy living

104

pete nelson the treehouse man

environmentalist tony juniper

katy perry - love who you are

positive exposure with rick guigotti

leonardo dicaprio relating to gatsby

johnny depp - smoking a peace pipe

emma watson-working with sophia coppola

betsey and lulu johnson - living life

~tm

jon bon jovi's soul kitchen

alicia keys - empowering women with aids

great reads for your summer pleasure

mikaela jones on finding your inner muse

donna seebo - life is 10% what you

make it and 90% how you take it

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music

electronic soul Quadron is a Danish duo consisting of singer Coco O (Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj) and musician/producer Robin Hannibal. The group calls itself and the music they play, electronic soul. It started with two young Danes growing up in Copenhagen, with a love for 1970s soul music. "It's not part of the culture and the history," Coco O, the singing half of the duo Quadron, explains. "Soul music was kind of a cute thing, but not serious. Rock music was serious." Coco's vocals have been compared to those of Amy Winehouse and Mary J. Blige. Jay-Z produced her recent cameo on the Great Gatsby soundtrack album. As she explains, the creation of that impressive voice owes a lot to what her Danish upbringing lacked. "I think a lot of soul music in America, a lot of soul artists, they learn how to sing or play in church," she says. "They learn how to really, really sing, with a lot of power and a lot of phrasings. And that's what I wanted growing up.” "I was so sad that I didn't have, like, a real church where I could learn how to really sing. But I think, because I didn't do that, I'm more sparse in my vocals. And I think that's a Danish thing — to just have what is necessary."

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Glowing Sculptures Inspired by a magical Greek potion that eliminates sorrow and suffering. Seattle-based Artist Dan Corson recently completed a permanent series of four 17-foot tall photo-voltaic sculptures along NW Davis Street in Portland, Oregon entitled Nepenthes. These glowing sculptural elements are inspired by the carnivorous plants called Nepenthes, which are named after the magical Greek potion that eliminates sorrow and suﬀering. By referencing the patterns of native Oregon and other carnivorous plants and inserting a quirky expression of nature into an urban environment, these sculptures celebrate Old Town Chinatown neighborhood's unique and diverse community. The sculptures are created out of robust layers of translucent ﬁberglass with LEDs wrapping around a steel spine. A custom created solar panel on top energizes the batteries, and also allows circular shadows to backlight the tops of the sculptures in the daytime. Each sculpture is physically identical, yet they all have unique translucent color and patterning that gives each piece its own distinctive personality. Dan Corson’s artworks and installations often straddle the disciplines of Fine Art, Architecture, Theatrical Design and Landscape Architecture. His work is infused with drama, passion, layered meanings and often engages the public as cocreators within his environments. He is particularly interested in green design and new technologies and how these tools can help frame and amplify the natural word and our shifting relationship to it. www.dancorson.com

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KT Tunstall Photo by: Jane Mingay

As one of the most successful British singer-songwriters of the past decade, KT Tunstall had it all until last summer, when her life changed.

“Music isn’t who I am any more — it’s what I do.” In August, her father, David Tunstall, 73, a lecturer at St Andrews University, died. A month later, she and and her husband separated and are now divorcing. Facing a ‘wave of emotions,’ KT admits she is still coming to terms with it all. “Losing Dad made me examine my own life, and my priorities have changed,” she says. “He had Parkinson’s disease, so he wasn’t well. But he died as a result of a cycling accident.” “It was very sad, as he was always an impressive man physically. He ran marathons and hated getting old. But he had lived a good life. He didn’t want to stick around in bad shape.” Her new album is her most personal yet. A move away from the ‘stompy, sensitive girl-blues’ of old, it’s a softer, more tender

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sound, with strings, clarinet and of course her sweet voice.

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Amos Lee draws inspiration from soul music, contemporary jazz, and '70s folk.

mos Lee has been recording his new album with producer Jay Joyce (Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Eric Church, Cage the Elephant) in Nashville. Amos is the first artist to record in the new studio Jay built in a church in East Nashville. Amos’ previous record Mission Bell debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums and Billboard Rock Albums charts when it was released in January 2011, earning the Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter the highest chart position and best sales week of his career. Earning critical raves from scores of media outlets, the album also spawned the Triple A radio hit “Windows Are Rolled Down,” which gave him his first-ever No. 1 single. Lee's "folksy, bluesy sound" has been compared to that of John Prine and Norah Jones. His music is said to utilize the "supple funk of his vocals and arid strum of his guitar" while recalling "the lowvolume, early-'70s acoustic soul of stars like Bill Withers and Minnie Ripperton." A New York Times music critic described Lee as having a "honeyed singing voice – light amber, mildly sweet, a touch of grain" which he features "squarely, without much fuss or undue strain" in his "1970s folk rock and rustic soul" musical song craft. According to a music writer at ABC News, "has that folksy, bluesy vibe, with a bit of country twang" and a voice that is "ever soulful." Simultaneously Lee has been both lauded and dismissed as the "male Norah Jones" and his lyrics are said to convey "the complexities of everyday emotions" without falling into flowery imagery.

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Treehouses are powerful little structures. They bring people together in nature like no other building I can think of. -Pete Nelson Where are the trees in your life? Are they in your yard? Or did you leave t hem behind in your childhood? Do you love them? Do you miss t hem? You can get them back; Pete Nelson will show you how... BY MATI KRAMER

rees silently bear our weight, supply our oxygen and uncomplainingly give of themselves so we can build homes, furniture and beautiful musical instruments. From Johnny Appleseed to Julia Butterfly Hill, the champions for our trees have been passionate and colorful characters. Pete Nelson, considered the world's

foremost expert in the design and construction of treehouses, is no exception. Designer, builder, author, workshop leader, and now the host of his own television show, Nelson's enthusiasm and expertise, from selecting the right tree to meditating on the tree's contribution to the design, has helped thousands of people to attain their own dream tree house. Continued next page

Nelson's love affair with tree houses began when he was eight years old, appropriating available lumber and abandoned storm windows to build his first arboreal home. After high school, Nelson seemed to forget about trees, studying anthropology and economics in college and building residential homes in Seattle after graduation. When he was twenty-five, a friend sent him a book about building forts and tree houses that rekindled his childhood passion. He began to study the work of architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright who diverged from designs that attempt to overpower nature, seeking instead to harmonize with the geology and ecology of the location. Nelson's design process combines expertise with a metaphysical sensibility. “From picking the right kind of tree, Douglas fir and western red cedar are among my favorites; to assessing the health and structural availability of the tree, consider how the tree grows and moves in the wind; those factors will have a major effect on the stability of the tree house. Also, beware of cottonwoods; they tend to drop heavy branches from above with no warning,” Nelson advises. But his expertise really shines when it comes to vision and creativity. Inspired by the innate structure and nature of each individual tree, Nelson's designs are often magical and breathtaking; you can see some of his favorites in his 2004 book, Treehouses of the World (look for the shingle style bungalow in West Falmouth, MA.) In our interview for A Distinctive Style, Nelson reflected, "So many times it's the wonderful clients that make a project outstanding to me. Saltspring Island in 1992 is a stand out as it showed me all of the possibilities." He also waxed fondly about a round "Irish Cottage" in a southern California olive tree. While the fruits of Nelson's labors are frequently stunning and often whimsical, his

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expertise has been hard earned. Some of his biggest challenges involved learning how to work with local building authorities that needed to "go by the book" but their book had little tolerance with Nelson's uniquely inspired treehouses. One of the most important pieces of advice Nelson has for the home treehouse builder ready to start the task is to always, always let your neighbors know your intentions. If you don't, as he shared, "Unfortunately, things can get ugly fast when someone objects to a treehouse. There are few happy stories when that happens. Try to be within setbacks, buffers, and height restrictions. Some jurisdictions do address treehouses directly in building codes. King County, WA, for instance, allows 200 square feet or less ‘tree supported structures’ without permits, provided they are outside setbacks." Nelson is very excited about his latest book, The Ultimate Treehouse: Inspiration / Design / Construction, due out next spring. If you are feeling inspired; in addition to his books, which you can find on Amazon or his web site: www.nelsontreehousesupply.com, he also recommends The Shelter series by Lloyd Khan and a great little book by John S. Taylor called ‘A Shelter Sketchbook: Timeless Building Solutions.’ If concrete walls and waves of traffic are numbing your senses and dulling your mind, maybe it's time to unplug. And, per Nelson's advice, “Trees are the ultimate place to unplug. And when you think about getting back to your roots, consider those roots that go back millions of years. You can live there now.” Pete Nelson and his environmentally sustainable, architecturally unique and whimsical treehouses, are the subject of Animal Planet’s new TV series Treehouse Masters which can be seen on Fridays at 10pm www.animal.discovery.com/tvshows/treehouse-masters

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inspiration

Making a difference.... One SOULAt ATime eliminating hunger. building relationships. celebrating communities.

By eMily Zhang

ope is delicious. It truly is. But it’s not just a saying – it’s the motto of a restaurant: Soul Kitchen. Their manifesto? “All are welcome at our table.” A meal at Soul Kitchen, a non-profit community run by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul foundation, is a truly unique experience. Not only do volunteers run this restaurant, alongside the kitchen staff, but also the menu has no prices. You pay a minimum donation of $10 per meal, or you give more if you want to help others. For those unable to pay, “an hour of volunteering pays for your meal.” This restaurant truly seeks to serve those with economic difficulty. And like a proper restaurant should, they don’t skimp on the meals. According to their website, “Soul Kitchen serves a 3-course meal based on American Regional cuisine, starting with your choice of salad or soup, followed by a choice of a fish dish, a meat dish or a vegetarian selection. The meal is finished with a fresh baked dessert. All of the dishes are made with fresh, local (and when possible) organic ingredients.” Those searching for a hot, plentiful meal will definitely find one here. But Soul Kitchen isn’t just about eating food – it’s a community restaurant! “A place where individuals or families can come to eat a hot, nutritious meal in a warm, welcoming setting and meet their neighbors.” Although food, shelter, and water are the three basic necessities, Soul Kitchen’s three-pronged goal is pretty important too: “eliminating hunger, building

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relationships, and celebrating communities.” Volunteers get just as much out of the restaurant as the diners. “Those who volunteer are guided by Soul Kitchen staff through their tasks. Volunteering at Soul Kitchen can lead to qualifying for job training.” And for those still skeptical of the change this restaurant can create, they’ve provided a section called “Kitchen Stories” full of peoples’ experiences there, including a recent trip by the Girl Scout Troop 770 from Andover, New Jersey to volunteer. The Soul Kitchen is just a small part of a bigger organization: the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, whose mission statement reads, “Through the creation of programs and partnerships targeted at breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness, the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation exists to combat issues that force families and individuals into economic despair." Rather than giving a handout, they give a hand up, addressing the root of the problem and giving people new chances. Okay. But what specifically will they do to address the problem? It’s quite simple. “It is the organization's goal to recognize and maximize the human potential in those affected by poverty and homelessness by offering assistance in establishing programs that provide food and affordable housing while supporting social services and job training programs.” By tackling poverty through all available means and facets, they’ve really got all the bases covered! www.jbjsoulkitchen.org

Jon Bon Jovi

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V~sit his~odisease.org

wHAT HAS

NaTure EVER DONE FOR US? HOw MONEY REALLY DOES gROw ON TREES By Tony Juniper Foreword By HRH The Prince of Wales

The Orbit of Tony Juniper The passionate environmentalist talks about his new book and his desire to educate others about a healthy planet and a healthy life.

BY DEBORAH LINDQUIST

uring recent years, environmental debate worldwide has been dominated by climate change, carbon emissions and the greenhouse effect. But a number of academic, technical, political, business and NGO initiatives indicate the emergence of a new wave of environmental attention focused on “natural capital,” “ecosystem services” and

“biodiversity,” things nature does for us. A s a leading environmentalist and special adviser to the Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit, Tony Juniper has a unique and learned perspective, having studied, advised, and campaigned for environmental issues over the last 30 years. Continued next page...

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In his book, What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? Juniper points out: “As a species we think that everything nature does for us — providing water, pollinating plants, generating oxygen, recycling miracles in the soil and much more — is free, but it isn't. Its economic value can, and has been, measured. And upon realizing what that value truly is, we would stop treating our natural systems in a destructive manner. For example, in 2005 Hurricane Katrina cost the US $81 billion and the damage still remains. If the land around the levees hadn’t been redeveloped for shipping and aquaculture, at an estimated value of $100,000 to $450,000 per square mile of natural mangroves, then, it is believed, much of the damage caused to the city would not have occurred.” “Nature gives us everything, and it gives us life. The destruction of nature will ultimately lead to our own destruction. We are ignoring the very thing that is truly our life support system. When nature suffers, we do too because without nature we have no life,” he adds. A sobering but realistic viewpoint. When asked what the book was about, during our phone conversation, Juniper explains: “What this book is all about is an explanation of what nature does for us, why it is so important, and what we can do to ensure nature keeps on doing it." He continues, “Unfortunately most of the people reading scientific reports about the environment are scientists. The task of conveying this information to a bigger number of people is my most important job. For instance, I prefer to use the word ‘nature’ over the word ‘environment’ because people relate to it better. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize what nature really does for us.” He further outlines the points made in What Has Nature Ever Done For Us? About natural resources: “When we speak about natural resources, they often become things that we take for granted. Our fresh water, healthy soil, air quality, pollinating insects, climate stability, and so many more essential services are all things that exist in nature but have true economic value. Natural resources are not just a set of raw materials we are

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provided with for free, but things we need to maintain and protect. The word ‘nature’ in itself has an implication about our true relationship with the rest of creation.” Our air quality, quality of our water supplies, even our soil is suffering. We as human beings are sicker than ever before. Many people are on a cocktail of medications to treat everything from anxiety to cancer.

“When nature suffers, we do too because without nature we have no life.” ~Tony Juniper What medical professionals say: “In my meetings recently with medical professionals, their findings are: “research indicates that In the treatment of psychological conditions such as stress, the idea of taking time in nature has been found to be an even better treatment than mainstream drug treatments.” On how to ‘view’ natural resources: “The leap of insight that the book is trying to communicate is that we need to see our natural resources as valuable, and that we are ultimately in the same lifeboat as nature.” As Prince Charles points out in the book’s forward: “The services and countless benefits to the human economy that come from Nature have an estimated value every year of around double the global Gross Domestic Product, and yet this colossal contribution to human wellbeing is hardly ever mentioned when countries consider how to create future growth.” Juniper offers a profound example of such a cost: A story about vultures and their relationship to the health and wellbeing of human beings in India. “Anti-inflammatory drugs administered to cattle and buffalo in India ended up costing the country 63 billion dollars. How? By poisoning and killing the vultures that clean up the dead carcasses of these creatures. It is estimated that 40 million vultures

TONY JUNIPER

were responsible for cleaning up 1.2 million tonnes of f lesh each year. The death of these very important vult ures t hereby created a chain reaction that led to an explosion in the population of the country's wild dogs w ho now had more food. M ore dogs led to mor e dog bites, creating rabies infections in people. Not only did rabies kill tens of thousands of people, it cost t he cou ntry billions of dollars." How do our children experience nature today? Do they spend their t ime connected to ... iPads, televisions, or computers? Or does their ed ucation in life and in school involve experiencing nature first hand? If our children don't learn about and experience nature, t hey will understand it even less than our political leaders do today. Help them understand its worth. Because, as Juniper points out, 11 lt's a simple truth t hat nature is good for you." Nature is balanced. We need to be, too.

Tony Juniper frequently lectures on environmental and sustainability issues. He also writes extensively and contributes to a wide range of publications. What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? his first book, published in the UK in January 2013, where, following many favorable reviews, it quickly became a best seller. The North American edition will be published in HOW MONEY REALLY DOES GROW ON TREES the US by by HRH Tlte ftintt of WJ/u Synergetic Press www.tonyjunlper.com in August 2013.

TONY JUNIPER

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Poaching for ivory kills more than 25,000 elephants per year.

End of the Wild When the buying stops the Killing can too!

WildAid joins Prince Charles and Prince William to Reduce Global Demand and Stop Illegal Wildlife Trade

As a father and a soon-to-be grandfather, I find it inconceivable that our children and grandchildren could live in a world bereft of these animals. ~Prince Charles

RH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duke of Cambridge called on the highest levels of government to form a global partnership to stop the illegal trade in wildlife – a trade that presents a grave threat not only to our natural world, but also to our global security. The conference took place in the St James’s Palace State Apartments, London. The conference featured speeches from The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge, a short film highlighting WildAid’s work with Yao Ming to end the demand for ivory in China, and remarks on effective demand reduction through communication by WildAid’s Executive Director, Peter Knights. The audience consisted of more than 160 NGOs and government representatives from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America that play a role in the illegal trade: those that are a source of the wildlife and related products; those where the contraband crosses their national borders; and those whose citizens fuel the demand for the illegal products. “We face one of the most serious threats to wildlife ever, and we must treat it as a battle, because it is precisely that,” remarked HRH The Prince of Wales. “It is clearly vital to tackle the demand for such products amongst consumers by recruiting the help of every form of media to communicate more widely and effectively its disastrous consequences.” “As a father and a soon-to-be grandfather, I find it inconceivable that our children and grandchildren could live in a world bereft of these animals,” he added. “Humanity is less than humanity without the rest of creation. Their destruction will diminish us all.” In recent months, the killing of elephants and rhinos has reached epidemic levels with losses threatening certain populations of African elephant with extinction for the first time within a decade. Both the black and white rhino are also under unprecedented attack for

their horn on a scale previously unseen. According to conference organizers, “experts are finding increasing evidence that the illegal activity is being driven by international organized criminal networks and, in some cases, terrorist and rebel militia groups. It seems no country with valuable wildlife populations is immune from the activity, which not only robs citizens of natural resources, but also contributes to global instability.” “The poaching and trafficking crises invariably coincide with rapid economic growth in consuming markets,” said WildAid’s Knights. “We can only solve these crises in consuming nations as we did until 2008, with stronger laws in consuming countries and consumer awareness that reduced demand. When the buying stops, the killing can too.” WildAid was honored to stand with The Prince of Wales and the British Government to put what has become a battle against wildlife trafficking at the top of the global agenda. The meeting focused on promoting international efforts to: • reduce demand for endangered wildlife and related products in markets around the world; • increase capacity for global law enforcement against the organized syndicates engaged in this activity; • assist rural communities to find long-term, viable alternatives to the trade. Convened by The Prince’s International Sustainability Unit (ISU) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), it is hoped that this conference will be the first stage in a process which will result in key countries signing a “Declaration” at a meeting in Autumn 2013 to commit at the highest levels to end the illegal trade in wildlife. A Distinctive style . com

ourself and you can be anything... based on figuring out who you are.

~Katy Perry

By eMily Zhang

opsinger, songwriter, businesswoman, actress, Billboard’s Woman of the Year 2012, Kid’s Choice Award for Favorite Female Singer 2013, Katy Perry says it’s not fame that makes her happy. “It’s about having a good support system, good friends with good morals, and concentrating on supporting yourself and strengthening yourself.” “When I am home, taking time off, I like to eat well, hike with my girlfriends and do things that really serve me well. Be kind to yourself. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she says, “I think to have a positive outlook on life means you are actually living. You are winning the life goal. Be yourself and you can be anything, it’s based on figuring out who you are.” “Who we are isn’t determined by the place we started out at. We can’t control how we were born or what we were born into, but we can always change that. I grew up in a very strict, religious household, but what I was able to take away from that was that my moral compass is very valuable, and to stay in tune with it,” she reveals. “Integrity and respect are important characteristics to adopt. I got to kind of sift out the other stuff that I didn’t really care for early on.” Perry was a rebellious teenager. “When I was growing up, anything my parents said I couldn’t do, I actually wanted to do more, funny enough. So I always had to hide my love for the Smurfs and for Madonna. Can you imagine? Madonna and The Smurfs as taboo?” On following her dreams, Perry shares, “I knew I wanted to be a performer when I was nine years old. I just had too much energy, which I wish I still had today. I was bouncing off the walls like a monkey, when I was a kid, I really was! And I remember people going, ‘Oh God. This kid has so much energy,’ I was just such a showoff, but that’s what got me here.” She continues, “I have an older sister. I am a middle child, I have a younger brother, and with older sisters of course, if you have an older sibling you are kind of in

competition with them. You want to be like them, you want to wear their clothes or what have you. So my sister came home from spending a couple of weeks with her godparents during the summer, and she brought home a demo, because they had a recording studio in the basement.” “I wanted a demo as well when I was nine. And so I practiced her demo, and then I performed it for my mother, and eventually she [mother] said, ‘Oh, you are the one that needs the singing lessons.’ So it was like I found my magic trick.” Luckily, this little episode didn’t foster any resentment between her and her sister. “There’s no more competition between my sister any more, she’s the closest person to me in the world.” And just as Perry is a role model for many young girls, she too had female role models. “I wasn’t allowed to watch much [TV] growing up. My parents were particularly strange about certain things and because I grew up in a very strict religious household, a lot of things were monitored,” she reveals. “But as far as my own heroes, I like Wonder Woman. And I like Gwen Stefani and Angelina Jolie and Lara Croft.” Perry is quite fond of acting too. “I really enjoy playing the opposite of what you would expect in live action ﬁlms. I have done a couple of little TV spots and really like playing characters, self-deprecating characters,” she states. “My heroes are like Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, those are all of my favorite types of actresses. So I would like to follow in that type of work.” But she also loved playing Smurfette in Smurfs 2, in theaters now. “Life can never be too cartoonish. I like to exaggerate and be larger than life when it’s appropriate for stage and for ﬁlm and for animation. I love doing animation work because I can go in my pajamas, with no makeup, no lashes. And there’s always like a snack area, which is horrible. Horrible, horrible! But it’s fun, really fun to do animation.” A Distinctive style . com

Positive Exposure Sheds Light OnAll Types of Beauty.

Through his beautifulphotography, NYC-based photographer Rick Guidotti promotes a more inclusive, compassionate world where differences are celebrated. by rachel soKol

ick Guidotti photographed some of the most beautiful people in the world for high-end magazines and campaigns. It was indeed a glamorous job with many perks—at least, for a little while. In the 90s, while walking down a Manhattan street, Guidotti noticed a striking-looking woman with pale skin and white hair; a woman with albinism. (A genetic condition that results in loss of pigmentation in the hair and eyes) Inspired by this woman, Guidotti began a process of self-discovery; and was disheartened to learn that in medical textbooks, children with a

difference were seen as a disease, a diagnosis first, not as people. Suddenly, the world of hi-end fashion didn’t seem so pretty anymore, and Guidotti didn’t love the concept of being told who was ‘beautiful’ and who was not. Thus, he decided to move his career in a different direction. First, he photographed a woman with albinism for a well-received Life magazine spread. Then, in 1998, in Manhattan, where he still maintains a photo studio, he launched a not-for-profit organization called Positive Exposure. Continued next page

Positive Exposure utilizes photography and video to transform public perceptions of people—mostly children—living with genetic, physical and behavioral differences—from albinism to autism. Some colleagues were skeptical about his career change, but Guidotti decided to follow his heart. “These kids are gorgeous and somehow we’re told not to look in that direction,” says Guidotti via phone from his Manhattan office. It became clear to Guidotti that it was essential for people to understand and see the beauty in our shared humanity. Over the years, he has photographed many children and teenagers with disabilities; his campaigns have been featured in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and in the lobby of Manhattan’s Conde Nast building and Grand Central Station. “Today, we’re encouraging the Mother of Pearls Project,” says Guidotti. “This program enables student audiences to gain a deeper understanding and respect for human diversity.” For a recent Pearls mission, Guidotti photographed mothers and their sons (who had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) both separately and together. These photographs were featured on the Mother of Pearls blogs, along with the mothers’ written posts to raise awareness and educate others about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Amazingly, a survey revealed that the blogs changed not only the medical professionals’ perception of what it’s like to live with Duchenne, but also their practice and their expectations of individuals with Duchenne and their caregivers. Furthermore, many of the mom's enjoyed the experience and almost all of them agreed to continue blogging. Guidotti says some children have told him “it’s sometimes more hurtful when people look away from them, then it is to be stared out. So, I like to say, when viewing their photos, ‘Change how you see, and see how you change’.”

According to Guidotti, photographing his subjects gives them a voice. “The person is empowered with a new sense of who they are. It’s incredible. We want to take the stereotype out and want the public at large to meet these kids.” Although he is extremely proud of his work and formed wonderful new friendships through Positive Exposure, Guidotti points out that, “Diane Arbus has photographed cognitive differences before. She was the first person to say ‘these beautiful people are worthy of a photograph.’ And I agree. It’s about embracing differences and beginning a dialogue about it.” Mothers have thanked Guidotti for showing the world their children are beautiful. “One parent said to me, ‘You photographed my child the way I see him— as a beautiful human being, through the eyes of his mom.’ These moms see in their children hope, love, and light; and our mission is to show the world the beauty in human diversity.” Positive Exposure also runs panel discussions at schools throughout the world about self-esteem, confidence, and coping with teasing. Guidotti shares a heartwarming story about a teenager he photographed in the United Kingdom with albinism that “warmed my heart.” “I was photographing many different kids and she didn’t want her picture taken. She was about 14 and it was rough for her because even a teacher made fun of her albinism. Finally, she agreed to be photographed and we had a blast—the other kids cheered her on,” says Guidotti. “Later she said to me, ‘the hatred I had for myself disappeared. I finally feel like I can be proud of my albinism.’ ” Positive Exposure will soon be featured in a documentary called On Beauty in which Guidotti photographs different women, and their personal stories are shared. For more info on the documentary, and on Positive Exposure, visit: www.positiveexposure.org.

PoSitivE

ExPoSURE

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srra

PHOTOGRAPHER

rick guidotti

Over the years Rick Guidotti has spent a lot of time in Africa photographing children with Albinism. On one of his many trips to Tanzania he met a beautiful young girl named Sira, and her family. What he learned was incredible: "When Sira was born her father's family put her out of the house because they thought she was cursed. Not knowing what to do, her mom put Sira in the sun to get her dark like her brothers and sisters." Beyond the threat of being hunted in the streets, Tanzanian albinos are highly susceptible to sunburns and skin cancer. Approximately 98 percent of the deaths in this country are linked to cancer, making it rare for them to survive past the age of 40. It's ironic that their biggest enemy is not the violence they are exposed to, but the sunlight. For more information about albinism visit: www.albinism.org/publications

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mem nahadr

PHOTOGRAPHER

rick guidotti

ARTIST. ACTIVIST. ALBINIST. ALCHEMIST. Mem Nahadr, also known as simply 'M,' says of her albinism, "I'm an African-American woman with white skin." The little girl who long ago looked into a mirror and discovered her uniqueness, has been on a destined journey expressing her creativity through her many talents. A devoted advocate of breaking down the stigma surrounding Albinism, M is part of the "Positive Exposure" family PLAY VIDEO and a cherished friend of Rick Guidotti. M wanted to share this video message about the man behind the camera.

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Add years to your pet's life By BPt

ew things in life are as special as the unconditional love and loyalty a pet provides. With 78.2 million owned dogs and 86.4 million owned cats in the United States, according to The Humane Society, its obvious Americans enjoy having pets. What might not be so apparent is how best to care for them. When it comes to making sure your pet stays healthy and lives as long as possible, what steps can you take? Jodi Ziskin is a holistic nutrition and wellness specialist for pets. Her mission is to help cats and dogs live healthier and happier. She has a Master of Science degree in Holistic Nutrition and is the owner of Holistic Healthy Pets by Jodi Z. Her top tips for adding years to your pet's life include: 1. investigate pet food While many pet parents feed their cats and dogs the same thing day after day, they may not realize it's a habit that can lead to nutritional deficiencies and food intolerances. "I recommend a holistic approach to a pet's diet," says Ziskin. "That simply means using real, whole food, not by-products, rendered ingredients, artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives. Homemade (cooked or raw) is optimal." She recommends you work with a holistic veterinarian or pet nutrition specialist to create a good, basic recipe you can make at home. "If a pet guardian is not interested in preparing homemade food, the next best thing is frozen raw food. All the pet parent has to do is defrost portions in the refrigerator overnight. Freeze-dried or dehydrated raw food is another good option. Finally,

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there are a handful of canned foods that are very high quality," comments Ziskin. She suggests always reading the label when selecting food. The first ingredient should be highquality meat, like de-boned white chicken. If the first ingredients are different types of grains and starches, then that food should be avoided. 2. consider supplements Many people take multivitamins and other supplements to better their health, and this practice can benefit pets too. "There are many factors that contribute to a pet's lifespan. Some are out of our control, like genetic, congenital and environmental factors. However, providing a species-appropriate diet, including supplements like omega-3s, contributes to overall wellness, helping pets thrive," says Ziskin. Supplementing a pet's diet with omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) has many health benefits, including healthy skin and coat, reduced inflammation that causes itching and hot spots, joint health with less inflammation, strong immune system and a healthier digestive tract. "Using fish oils specially made for pets is highly recommended," Ziskin says. "The fish oil I recommend to my clients is Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet.- This product is made from wild-caught sardines and anchovies that are cold processed. It is free from heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins and chemicals." 3. Prioritize play and rest "Exercise is paramount to the physical health of cats and dogs," says Ziskin. "After all, a body in

motion stays in motion. The simple act of walking a dog (or cat) helps to lubricate joints, preserves flexibility, maintains muscle mass (which protects joints), and keeps blood circulating through the joints and muscles." Make time every day to play with your pets. Cats need only five to 10 minutes once or twice a day for interactive play. "On days when you simply do not have a minute to spare, hide some cat toys around the house. Some high, some low. Your kitty will get extra exercise by finding and playing with their 'prey,'" Ziskin suggests. Walking a dog once or twice a day is good for both you and your pet. "If you cannot devote the time, please look into hiring a dog walker. Since it is

detrimental to a dog's health to have him hold urine all day long, having a dog walker come midday is optimal," stresses Ziskin. Remember, resting periods are just as important as physical activity. "Spending quiet time with our pets is so important for their overall well-being," says Ziskin. "The simple act of petting a dog reduces their stress and helps them feel secure. The same is true for cats, however, most cats do not liked to be stroked for a long period of time." In addition to these tips, Ziskin advises pet owners of young and middle-aged pets to see their vet annually. Older pets should see the vet at least twice a year. This helps ensure you and your furry family members have many happy, healthy years to look forward to. A Distinctive style . com

Alicia Keys

EmPoWERS

WomEN WITh AIDS

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inspiration

Women are vital in changing how we think and talk about HIV/AIDS in our relationships, our families, and our communities. ~Alicia Keys

licia Keys wants to change the way YOU think about HIV. Learn more at. www.greaterthan.org Find out what inspired Alicia to take up the issue of women and HIV in America and learn more about what YOU can do in your everyday life today. From who it affects to what a life with HIV can look like to how we can all make a difference, let's change the way we think about HIV. Start by WATCHING and sharing this video with the people in your life. Of the more than 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S. today, one in four is a woman. Women of color have been disproportionately affected. One in 32 Black women will contract HIV today if current trends continue. “Women are vital in changing how we think and talk about HIV/AIDS in our relationships, our families, and our communities,” said Alicia Keys. “When we empower women to have a voice and share their stories to help educate and bring understanding we’re taking charge in the fight to make the end of AIDS a reality.” “Media plays a powerful role in confronting the stigma that still surrounds this disease. With VH1’s support, EMPOWERED will reach millions of viewers across the country with information about HIV/AIDS and real stories of women who are both living with HIV and thriving,” said Tina Hoff, Senior Vice President and Director of the Health Communication and Media Partnerships program at the Kaiser Family Foundation. A focal point of the EMPOWERED campaign is a conversation between Ms. Keys and five women living with HIV. Each week VH1 will feature a new spot profiling each of the EMPOWERED women and their stories, including: • Cristina, a graduate student from the San Francisco Bay Area who was born with HIV • Eva, a home health care worker living in Atlanta

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with her family • Jen, a wife and mother in Portland (OR) who has being living with HIV for more than 20 years • Kym, a young professional living in Texas who learned she was positive after her new husband became sick and died as a result of HIV • Stephanie, a recent college graduate from North Carolina, who appeared in an MTV special on youth and HIV last year They each open up about their lives in the hopes of showing other women that we are all empowered in this fight. HIV is both preventable and treatable. For those who are positive, there are highly-effective therapies today that improve health and extend life, as well as help prevent the spread of the disease. Research confirms that people living with HIV who are on regular antiretroviral treatments reduce the chances of passing the virus to sexual partners by as much as 96 percent. Furthermore, according to the CDC, condoms are highly effective in preventing the spread of STDs during sexual contact. Yet, despite the progress of the past three decades since the first diagnosis, stigma and misconceptions continue to be significant drivers of HIV today, keeping many from taking actions – such as talking openly, using protection, getting tested or staying on treatment – that can stem the spread of the disease. Launched in March 2013, EMPOWERED highlights the power of women – as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, partners and people living with HIV – to change the course of this disease through everyday actions. For more information about Greater Than AIDS and the EMPOWERED campaign visit: www.greaterthan.org/empowered. A Distinctive style . com

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art business book, part life manifesto, UNTHINK is a radical look at the work that fills our days. Do we simply try to get things done, asks Wahl, or are we striving for meaning, fulfillment, and contentment? We must do the latter, he argues, or we’ll achieve our most secret fear: living a meaningless life. He encourages everyone to re-evaluate their ability to create things that are meaningful and important–even if that creativity doesn’t come in the form of a painting. • How to recapture the naturally creative mindset we all had as children, and channel it in our professional life • How increased creativity leads to business breakthroughs, offering companies meaningful ROI • Practical and effective strategies for injecting play, spontaneity, free time, adventure, and mystery into workday schedules “Ask what you believe and who you long to be,” Wahl writes at the close of UNTHINK. The book offers the reader bold new ways to unwrap our minds from the cobwebs of habit and conventional wisdom, and reach a new plane of fulfillment and effectiveness at work.

S U M M E R aking the issues of health, diet, and weight loss head on for the first time, bestselling author and New York Times columnist Mark Bittman presents a straightforward and sustainable way for both food lovers and the vegan-curious alike to lose weight and live a significantly healthier lifestyle without giving up dining out, favorite meals, or other aspects of pleasurable eating. Bittman’s plan is simple and approachable: eat exclusively vegan meals for breakfast, lunch, and daytime snacks, and enjoy the foods you crave, with no restrictions, for dinner. After receiving a distressing pre-diabetic, pre-heart-disease health diagnosis and a suggestion to go vegan from his doctor six years ago, Bittman knew he had to make a major lifestyle change. Completely cutting out animal products was not a viable option for someone whose career revolves around food, so Bittman’s solution was to eat a strict vegan diet (forgoing all animal products as well as any hyper-processed foods) for breakfast, lunch, and snacks; but after 6:00 p.m., he put the diet on hold—a compromise that offers the benefits of restraint without the hardship of perpetual denial. He called it “Vegan Before 6,” or VB6, and the diet worked. Four months later, he was down 35 pounds and has maintained the weight loss and has kept his cholesterol and blood sugar levels firmly in the normal range. VB6 includes 60 delicious master recipes that put plants first, plus dozens of easy variations and quick ideas, so you can cook from this book for months without eating the same thing twice.

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powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an elevenhundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again. At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Paciﬁc Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

R R E A D S

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Henrietta Lacks(HeLa) was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells— taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa’s cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave. Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells. Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits.

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entertainment By eMily Zhang

eo DiCaprio has become a household name, and although he hasn’t won an Oscar yet, his work is certainly deserving of one. Best known for his roles in Shutter Island, Django Unchained, and Inception (a box-office hit which had the second-highest-debut for a science fiction film and was the sixth-highest grossing film in North America in 2010), DiCaprio now tackles the role of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, based on the famous novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Because the work is such a literary classic, he had to do his research carefully. “I basically did everything that I could to investigate Fitzgerald’s words and his imagery that he created for who Gatsby was, and anything that was right for the character is what I tried to achieve,” DiCaprio says. “We were pretty meticulous about every stitch of clothing that Gatsby had, the way he wore his hair, the type of suits that he owned. I also investigated each different sequence and tried to understand the intent of, not only Gatsby, but also all the characters around him.” And the pressure of playing such a character was risky. “Everyone has his or her own version of The

him, and the great tragedy at the end is that he throws these lavish parties that everyone wants to be part of. They want to connect with him, and join in the fun. But once he becomes a tabloid fodder, and people start investigating his past and where he made his fortune, nobody shows up to his funeral,” he details. “For me in my life, I have grown up with great family and friends surrounding me, but Gatsby is somebody that erased his past and left all of his connections and humble beginnings so he could re-invent himself. I do identify with the ambition, and I think certainly everyone does,” DiCapro states. On the director of the movie Baz Luhrmann, the DiCaprio says fondly, “As much as Baz [Luhrmann] creates these fantastic worlds ﬁlled with imagery and modern connectivity, he’s very meticulous about remaining true to the essence of what makes these stories great, he praises. “Baz is a bit of Gatsby himself. He is the manifestation of his own dreams, and he’s been vigilant about being his own unique artist and creating a world around him that supports him. He is one of the most infectious directors I have

I am desperately holding onto my 30s for two more years. ~Leonardo DiCaprio

Great Gatsby story. I can’t tell you how many people come up to me and say that this is their favorite book of all time,” he reveals. “There aren’t many projects that you’re part of where people already have an expectation going into the theater. They are going to see you dramatize things that they have stuck in their mind. It can be very risky in the sense that every time you make a movie, you have to be speciﬁc.” But his hard work has paid oﬀ, in his ability to relate to Gatsby. “Gatsby to me is one of the most compelling, interesting characters I’ve ever read, because it’s all very subtle,” he states. “He is completely disconnected with what is going on around

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ever met as far as his enthusiasm for doing great art.” He continues, “You cannot get in a room with Baz and not feel nostalgic for the world that you are going to create. I knew that as soon as he handed me the book, as hesitant as I was about venturing into such respected material, I knew I wasn’t going to say no.” But at the very end, Gatsby’s inability to cope with growing up and not being able to go back to the past highly contrasts with DiCaprio’s journey. “I am desperately holding onto my 30s for two more years. I have grown up in this industry and have been acting ever since I was 13 years old, so in a lot of ways, I have grown up on screen and in the public eye.”

“I do feel more comfortable than ever before. It’s just in the realization that it’s just been this grand journey to fulﬁll my childhood dreams in a lot of ways,” he continues, “I am just so excited to be able to do what I do — it’s been a long journey.”

Editor’s Note: It was recently announced that DiCaprio is gearing up for another historical part—this time one that's not ﬁctional. The actor will play famed Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin in an upcoming biopic. Although no timeframe for the ﬁlm has been announced. A Distinctive style . com

entertainment

I do smoke a peace pipe, as often as possible, because I like peace. ~Johnny Depp

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By eMily Zhang

ohnny Depp has embraced his roles as a whole plethora of characters, from the Edward Scissorhands to the slightly crazy yet charming captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean” to the vampire Barnabas Collins in “Dark Shadows.” His charisma extends off the screen as well, having been twice named “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine and the highest paid actor in 2012. And now, Depp has tackled another role—Tonto, a Native American spirit warrior in the newly released film “The Lone Ranger.” Depp did everything he could to prepare for the role and has fully embraced the character’s culture. When he first saw himself in makeup he said, “I saw my great-grandmother. She apparently had Indian blood and wore the braids and had the tobacco down her bosom, so the idea was just to scope in the era of my grand-grandmother. And Joel Harwell, a magnificent makeup technician, killed it, he just killed it.” As an honorary member of the Comanche tribe, Depp declares, “I do smoke a peace pipe. As often as possible. Because I like peace.” He feels the history of the Native Americans can really be seen through the film. “The period was a horrific period in terms of the indigenous peoples of America, who forged like prisoners westward. And they were forced to become Christians and Catholics and abandon their culture and their beliefs and their religion, so it was a very insane time for those people,” he explains. “What I loved about the idea of Tonto was that he’s a band apart. He feels that there was done a horrible act on his people; therefore, shamed, he goes out on his own to avenge that. To be able to show these people as warriors, which is what they are, even in the face of some hideous corporal smacking them around or shooting them in the foot or raping their women. There was a whole lot of history and Fort Sill is filled with it,” he shares. The filming process has taught him a great deal about Native Americans. “I learned, generation after generation after generation of what their ancestors have been through, that they have come out of it, yes

some have fallen along the way, but the majority, the elders, some of the kids, are trying to hold onto that heritage, and keep it alive. I learned that they are warriors, still. Even if you lose your way, now and again, you are still a war hero. And they are. They have made it this far. It’s incredible.” Depp has an incredible respect for Native American people and for everything they’ve gone through. But perhaps his admiration for this group of warriors can be shown best through his goal in The Lone Ranger. “I was told I was Cherokee as a kid, I was told I was Creek as a kid, Chickasaw, so many different things in Kentucky,” he details. “I mean growing up, you just knew that somebody told you what they told you, but I have always had a fascination and a connection with them, and this film was a great opportunity to be able to try to at least chip away a little bit at the cliché.” For those who have criticized Tonto as a cliché, Depp has an explanation. “My hope was to embrace the cliché so that it’s recognized by people who have been conditioned to watch the Native American and see how they have been represented in film.” “So it was a kind of a trick in a weird way to suck them in, then take them on a different path,” he explains. “So in a way, I had to embrace what is deemed as cliché for Tonto. I wanted to convey that Native Americans were only deemed savages when Christopher Columbus hit the wrong fucking place and decided that was in India.” Flipping the conception of Tonto he in fact brings them closer to the truth, giving them the ability to break the clichés themselves. Playing Tonto hasn’t been all daisies and roses. “There has been some repercussions of my portrayal, and it’s okay. I expected it, I still expect it, but as long as I know that I have done no harm and represented at the very least the Comanche Nation in a proper light…” he shrugs, keeping a positive attitude. “There’s always going to be naysayers, there’s always going to be. Everybody has got an opinion. People can critique and dissect and do what they want. I know that I approached it in the right way. And that’s all I can do.” And truly, that’s all anyone can do.

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For a preten really try to the ca

erhaps most well-known for her role as Hermione Granger in the world-renowned Harry Potter series, Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson rose to prominence as a child actress. But she’s not just known for her role as the book-smart witch—she has also starred as Sam in Stephen Chbosky’s film adaptation The Perks of Being a Wallflower and plays a role in Sofia Coppola’s Bling Ring as well. But no matter how famous she gets, she always has her family to keep her grounded. “My parents have helped me in terms of keeping my life very down to earth and I’ve tried to live as normally as I can, attending university and creating a life away from my film career,” she says. “Going to university enabled me to define my identity apart from my work and all the attention. When you’re making big movies and being chauffeured everywhere that’s a very strange and isolating kind of life.” University helped with her role as actress as well. “At university, I enjoyed being treated like everyone else and meeting people who have no interest in celebrities or films or anything like that. That’s been

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very important to me. You also need to live and be part of the real world if you’re going to grow as an individual and add more layers to your work as an actress,” she states. “I am trying to find roles which define me as a character actress because that’s how I see myself and the type of films I want to make. I learned a lot from my work in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I think I’ve grown a lot with Bling Ring.” To prepare for her role, she fully did her research. “I watched a lot of reality TV and material with Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton and some of the girls from the Hills and gradually put together this picture of who Nikki was and what her psychology was like. I wanted to try to understand how she saw herself and why she was drawn to that kind of celebrity culture. Sofia and I were trying to strike a balance between being funny and entertaining and still being conscious of presenting Nicki as a real person who was part of this wild circle.” She continues, “I was taking an English course at Brown university (in Providence, Rhode Island) while at the same time watching reality TV. So I found myself

long time I tried to nd that I wasn’t y famous and I would live as if that were ase.

~Emma Watson

in this bizarre situation where I was switching from reading Virginia Wolfe to watching Kim Kardashian! But in some ways I loved that contradiction and immersing myself in this mix of super-high and super-low culture.” And she loved working with Sofia Coppola. “I’ve been a big fan of Sofia’s for many years and I was so anxious to work with her. She has a very acute perspective on celebrity culture and I am very appreciative of the fact that she writes and directs her films and has a very distinct and uncompromising sensibility. Sofia is a very smart and strong woman and I feel privileged to have had the chance to work with her.” We wanted to know how Watson balances her celebrity life with her private one. “It’s thrilling in many ways. I’m enjoying everything and trying to take it all in and not feel overwhelmed by it all. I’m also glad that a film like The Bling Ring will help more people see me in a new light and that I can keep being part of projects where people will be surprised at different sides of me. I’m still evolving and learning more about myself and I hope that journey is going to lead to good things,”

she reveals. “Being a celebrity becomes easier to handle — once I accepted it. I feel fortunate in that I’ve never really known what it’s like to have total freedom and anonymity. It’s not like I had it and it was taken away from me. It was something I grew up knowing and a process that happened gradually. I’ve never known anything else, so I guess in a way that’s a blessing.” “I want to live as normally as possible. Of course, I can’t just go to certain places and hang around too long before people start noticing you and you start signing autographs and soon a crowd gathers around. I’m used to that, though, and I’ve learnt to accept that.” “For a long time I tried to pretend that I wasn’t really famous and I would try to live as if that were the case. Of course, you very quickly discover that that’s not the case and you have to learn to adjust your life accordingly. But now I’m quite comfortable with it – I just have to be careful!” The Bling Ring is in theaters now.

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Citizens...

IT’S TIME TO UnITE! The crisis of corporate inﬂuence over American democracy is the latest subject of award-winning Internet ﬁlmmaker, Annie Leonard, who released “The Story of Citizens United v. FEC,” an animated short.

etting corporations out of our democracy is critical to making progress on a huge range of issues that we Americans care about, from good jobs to clean air to safe products,” says Annie Leonard. “Unless we act, those concerns will take even more of a backseat to the concerns of Walmart, Exxon, and Dow than they do now.” This video explores the history of the American corporation and corporate political spending, the

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appropriate roles of citizens and for-profit corporations in a democracy and the toxic impact the CitizensUnited decision has already had on our political process. It ends with a call to amend the U.S. Constitution to confirm that people—not corporations—make the decisions in a democracy. For more information go to: www.thestoryofstuff.org

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ny artist, a painter, musician, or writer…a sculptor, yogini or father seeking to find the best way to create empowered, happy children, yearns to know the most bountiful approach to catching the power of their inner muse. However, asking how we can catch our muse may be asking the wrong question. In my experience over the years as a dancer, writer and Intuitive, I’ve found that the best way to catch your muse is to make yourself available for your muse to catch you. So how do we make ourselves available to be caught? If you’re serious about your commitment to your creative expression, you’ll want to make yourself available daily. First, declaring to the Universe that you are open and available to be used as a creative vessel -wholly and completely -- welcomes the Infinite Creative Expression to flow through you. Speak it out loud and/or write it in your journal. Repeat it whenever you forget. “Infinite Universe, I am grateful to be a vessel through which Divine Creativity flows uniquely through me, in me, and AS me with grace, ease, and joy. I delight in co-creating beauty in the world.” Light a candle, declare it, and allow your inner muse to take hold of you with passion. It is also helpful to know your unique creative process. For example, you may find it helpful to play in one medium as a ‘key’ of sorts to open the flow for your chosen medium. This might take the form of dancing or going for a walk or meditating first before you write or paint. Have fun with it. Ask your inner child to play with you as they are the part of you that is closest to that free, uninhibited flow of your muse. See what arises within and follow what resonates in the moment. This also creates openness for the process to shift as your muse sees fit. You may find that meditating does the trick for a few weeks and then shifts to playing with your children or walking in nature in following days. The key is to go with the flow and allow yourself to be guided to the spontaneity and feeling of ‘play’ in the moment. This will keep your creative channel open and fresh; free from limiting beliefs of how it ‘should’ occur. Lastly, be serious in your commitment to your creativity, but ‘light’ in your approach. When you have a day where you feel ‘blocked’ in any way… it doesn’t

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How to Catch Your Muse Mikaela jones

mean you will never produce anything unique or that you will never create beauty that surprises and takes your breath away in the moment you create it (and don’t we creative types all live for this?!)… It only means there is another avenue more suited for you in the moment, and you would be wise to be light and go to the park and roll around on the grass or go see a movie or take a nap. Ask your muse, and see how you feel guided to move. You see, rather than capturing or getting captured by your muse, in being light and open with your process, you will be creating a lifelong relationship, and that in and of itself, is worthy of poetry. Mikaela Jones is a published Author, Speaker, Delight Frequency Teacher, and Intuitive. Her latest book, “The Little Book of Light: 111 Ways to Bring Light into Your Life,” is available everywhere books are sold. Sign up for her newsletter, the “Beam of Light,” to help you live your True Self and Shine. www.MikaelaJones.com

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life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

-mails, the Internet, phone calls, social networking and so much more happens in our daily lives today. Do you sometimes feel so overwhelmed that you would like to move to another planet? Maybe you wish you knew someone like Harry Potter who could wave a magic wand and transform your life? Personally I prefer Cinderella’s fairy godmother, at least the Disney version, or maybe sassy Merriweather in Sleeping Beauty…who cares! Just wave the magic wand and transport me to a kinder space of quiet and order! I was having one of those ‘Leave me alone I am trying to learn social networking’ moments when my email signal sang to me about a message that had just come in. I have a dear friend, Betty, who sent me this timely story and I just have to share it with you. It is called the Law of the Garbage Truck. “One day I hopped in a taxi and we took oﬀ for the airport. While we were driving in the right lane a black car suddenly, without looking, drove out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy, and I was amazed. My driver was really friendly. “So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' “This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now

call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. “The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so ... love the people who treat you right and pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!” Whoever shared this story with my friend Betty, who passed it along to me, did me a big favor as the taxi drivers’ attitude is a good one to keep in mind regardless of the challenges we face. Whoever the author of this tale is…I thank you! I am passing it on to you as garbage comes in all sizes, shapes, colors and sometimes is accompanied with mental, or physical, fragrant fluffies none of us like. We don’t need to be a dumping ground for unnecessary stuff..so if you are having ‘one of those days’ bag the attitudes, shift to a nicer, uplifting space of thought and action…and have a garbage free day! By the way magic wands not required. ☺ A Distinctive style . com

EDITOR,S

FAYS

Marie Veronique Organics Body Oil www. mvorganics.com Marie Veronique Organics has formulated an all-over oil with essential fatty acids that hydrate and firm skin. It sinks in immediately and, thanks to natural grapefruit and lavender oils, leaves skin sweetly scented. Natural oils are your skin's best friend: they help form a lipid barrier that seals moisture in and prevents environmental damage. This silky blend is packed with replenishing rose, neroli, avocado, and jojoba oils and formulated without parabens, harmful chemicals, and water, making it both pure and concentrated.

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Gucci's new ecologically traceable bag Gucci has teamed up with Livia Firth to design a new ecologically 100 per cent traceable bag. It is a rich burgundy brownish-red, because that was the most satisfying and covetable of all the vegetablesourced hues they came up with. And the leather is among the softest, can't-believeit's-not-butteriest you will find anywhere, let alone in an ecologically 100 per cent traceable bag.

Holistic Lip Cream Organic Goodness In A Sweet Package www.lipstockist.com

Lipstock Cream Lip Conditioner is 100% natural and handmade from organic ingredients. It has no fragrance or flavor and is preservative- and cruelty-free. A creamy formula with ingredients that include watermelon seed oil, grapeseed oil, beeswax and avocado oil. This holistic lip cream is very hydrating and it really works. Check it out for yourself!

Hydrating Mask for Summer Parched Skin Summer months mean long days spent outdoors in the sun, which means we need to take extra care of our skin to reverse the sun's effects. This Hydrate Antioxidant Mask is a leave-on mask that is super-hydrating and offers environmental protection and anti-aging benefits. Green+Glam’s fabulous new mask is a musthave for summer-parched skin.

Just in Time for Summer: the Pelcor® Sunshine Capsule Collection www.PelcorUSA.com Fresh and unique, the Pelcor® Sunshine Capsule Collection combines summery canvas with genuine water-resistant cork skin for breezy, versatile style. Trendy yet timeless, Pelcor fashions Portuguese cork into beautifully conceived and designed accessories

for everyday life, the office and travel. A blend of the Portuguese words for skin (pel) and cork (cor), the brand has innovated the use of cork skin, creating products that are striking in look, soft to the touch, sustainable and practical. A Distinctive style . com

Malie Organics

Sweetly fragrant with an uplifting aroma of pulmeria. This soft and sensual scent is varied and complex, hinting at jasmine, citrus, gardenia and spices within its own elegant character.

www.malie.com

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Eco Princess Organics www .organicbeautynow.com These products were created by a mom who got fed up with highly toxic kids' products, Eco Princess Organics are all natural/organic bathtime products and play makeup sets designed just for kids and the environment.

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Tuff Stuff Strong Styling Shield www .ecokidorganics.com Tuff Stuff sure takes a beating, it's completely water soluble and waterway friendly. Tough, matte clay that helps to keep hair at bay. Formulated with pure Australian essential oils, that smells nice to us but not nice for lice. Points, twists and bits... this stuff is for serious styling.

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A personal note ... From Deborah Lindquist I am an eco conscious clothing designer who began my business in New York City in 1983. Now I live in Los Angeles. But I'm a farmer's daughter and I grew up on a beautiful140 acre farm on a lake in Minnesota, first owned by my great grandfather who immigrated from Sweden, then my grandfather, then my Dad I experienced firsthand the wonder of nature every day. We grew our own food that fed us and many others. I could see changes that occurred when new hybrid seeds, pesticides and herbicides were used to grow our crops. Corn grew faster and stronger. Yield apparently was better. One day my dad spilled pesticide meant for the crops on his foot by accident, leading to a severe chemical bum. His leg and foot developed gangrene that nearly cost him his leg. He was treated with heavy doses of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs to combat the spread of the chemical, which had entered his bloodstream. At 65 he developed unexplained dementia and died at 72 of advanced alzheimers. My strong, capable father left us too soon. My mother died 3 years ago at 94 of alzheimers. My family lived and worked in nature. Can a parallel be drawn between chemicals used in farming today and the health of my family and others like them tending to farml~nd? What about these chemicals that exist in our food? I believe the changes we have made in how we grow our food has affected me directly and affect others as well.

I get it. I am part of the "choir" that eco activists speak to. My desire is to be part of the plan to save nature. Because I agree that nature does everything for us. Thank you Tony Juniper for writing What Has Nature Ever Done For Us. It's an important and inspiring book. I think everyone should buy it, read it, and share it. It will inspire you! See Page 36 for my interview with Environmentalist Tony Juniper.

BRIDES Deborah Lindquist Wedding Dresses A devoted sustainable, and ethical fashion designer, Deborah lindquist creates gowns with the environment in mind. A proven leader in the green clothing movement, lindquist has made a positive impact in the fashion world by remaining true to the environment that she cares so deeply for. THE DANA DRESS: Made of organic linen and vintage lace with pearl beading. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Luke and Suzie VanDyke www.lukasandsuzy.com

THE DANA DRESS BY DEBORAH LINDQUIST WWW.DEBORAHLI NDQUIST.COM

Made of organic linen and vintage lace with pearl beading. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Luke and Suzie VanDyke www.lukasandsuzy.com MODELS: Images Talent and Model Agency HAIR & MAKEUP: Lacey Walke

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DEVI DRESS BY DEBORAH LINDQUIST WWW.DEBORAHLINDQUIST.COM

Made of silk charmeuse and vintage sari with glass beads. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Luke and Suzie VanDyke www.lukasandsuzy.com MODELS: The Yodsukars HAIR: Alex West MAKEUP: Beautiful Faces By Denise

ROSE DRESS BY DEBORAH LINDQUIST WWW.DEBORAHUNDQUIST.COM

Dress and Is made of silk organza with a vintage brooch and &lass beads. PHOTOGRAPHER: SheaAme

www.sheaanne.com MODEL: Senna Thomas HAIR: Lauren Prohaska MAKEUP: Elegance by Alex

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MARILYN DRESS BY DEBORAH LINDQUIST WWW.DEBORAHLINDQUIST.COM The marilyn dress made

of vintage lace, glass beads, SJ1k organza. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Luke and Suzie VanDyke www.lukasandsuzy.com MODEL: Briana Tejada HAIR & MAKEUP: Betsy Difrancesca

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BY RACHEL SOKOL

nown for her punk-meets-pink feminine dresses, turning cartwheels on the catwalk, and her "out there" blonde hair, designer Betsey Johnson has always been a fearless fashion icon. Although Johnson fell victim to the poor economy and thus shuttered all her whimsical retail stores in 2011, she's very much still kickin'- in her leopardprinted wedges, of course. Now 70, this glam-ma (She has two granddaughters) and breast cancer survivor continues to razzle dazzle The Big Apple, the Connecticut native's favorite city and current residence.

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Her reality show XOX Betsey, which debuted this spring on the Style network and features her bombshell daughter Lulu, 38, captures the best of our beloved Betsey... today. We schmoozed with both Betsey and Lulu Johnson via phone and at the NBC Experience store in Manhattan, where the mother-daughter duo was promoting XOX Betsey and greeting fans. Q: What's the sexiest thing about being 70? Betsey Johnson: Well, that is exactly what I am going to try to figure out. I have to make up sexiness, it is not in my life and that's why I like designing the clothes I

like. Because if you can’t have it, at least you can design it. It’s all in the mind. For me, it’s like the candle is burning at the other end…what’s that saying? Me: Life’s too short? Betsey: F it…It’s your 70s. If you can’t be and do what you want, your family tries to check you into a mental farm and so you need to celebrate, “I’m me.” Q: In the premiere episode of XOX Betsey, I loved the scene where Betsey just barges in on you, Lulu, and doesn’t understand why you’re annoyed. You live in the same apartment building, but in different apartments, so what have you learned from each other as “neighbors?” Betsey: (Referring to Lulu) She would say: Call me every morning before you want to come down here with your cup of coffee. Give me a warning. My advice to Lulu is keep the boundaries. Lulu: I think boundaries are very important in any kind of close, intimate relationship. I didn’t grow up with boundaries, so I think that’s why [I think that]. Q: What made you decide to do a reality show? A: Lulu: I remember where we were when I first mentioned it. Mom was stuffing fake flowers into the garden and I asked her, “What do you think about a reality show? We can get on top of what’s going on with all these reality shows.” I thought, my kids are getting older, I wanted to get back into the fashion industry…my mom didn’t know if there was going to be a company anymore…it was the perfect opportunity to create a new, fresh start. People are fascinated by my mom’s journey; the show has been a support system for us. Overall, it’s been scarier for me to put our lives on display—my mom is more used to it so it’s been really fun for her— but I hope people can relate to my career and personal life, with me getting back into the working world and starting my line, after being a stay-at-home mom. Q: Lulu, you’ve been open about the harder aspects of your life: your divorce, raising two young daughters, and launching your own line. What is your favorite expression to help get you through the rough times? Lulu: I just read ‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz and I think you have to not care what anyone else thinks, live in the moment, do your best—this is what I’m trying to live by now, taking it day by day, don’t assume anything.

Q: What do you love the most about New York? Betsey: Right out the window there! [Points to Rockefeller Plaza] Rockefeller Plaza, the flags…Oh, they’re not skating anymore? I just love New York. Someone’s always up with you. You’re never alone. The lights are always on. Lulu: I love that you can just walk out of your apartment, and there’s instant entertainment; an energy. Q: What advice do you have for fellow cancer survivors? Betsey: Keep your sunny pink side up! Early detection is so important, look at what just happened with Angelina Jolie. Q: What charity work is near and dear to your heart? Betsey: I’m active with Women’s Education Project and I support causes with Cornell Presbyterian Hospital because that’s where I was for my treatment. Lulu: I’m supportive of my mom’s charities, but I’ve been wracking my brain to create a charity where women donate work clothes. I know these charities currently exist, but I’d love to help style single moms getting back into the workplace. Q: Do you have any family heirlooms? Betsey: I have my mother’s 8th grade graduation dress. It’s the only thing she ever saved and it inspired me and I’ve remade that dress. It’s sleeveless chiffon and has ruffles; it’s very retro 20s. It was off white but I dyed it mint green! I wish I didn’t dye it…. I love dyeing…I’m too precious about things and I feel awful I dyed it. I lose a lot of things, so it’s best I only have a few items I treasure. Lulu: In my teens, we were on vacation, in St. Tropez, about 20 years ago, I think? —And my mom liked a Cartier fountain ring. I told her “you deserve it” and encouraged her to buy it for herself because she really cherished that ring. Betsey: I think I lost it, but I’ll find it. Lulu: What? You’re a hoarder! You have so much crap in the Hamptons house. Q: What’s your reality show’s main message? What do you want fans to walk away knowing? Lulu: I hope that we’re inspirational and relatable, both of our situations. The show is really about family and how much we love each other. Betsey: I want you to be entertained, be happy, to love us, smile and see how we enjoy life and live it to the fullest. A Distinctive style . com

awareness

GMOs, Enslavement and Poverty: Seeds of Freedom Documentary The story of seed has become one of loss, control, dependence and debt.

t's been written by those who want to make vast profit from our food system, no matter what the true cost. It's time to change the story. Narrated by Jeremy Irons. Seeds of Freedom charts the story of seed from its roots at the heart of traditional, diversity rich farming systems across the world, to being transformed into a powerful commodity, used to monopolize the global food system. The film highlights the extent to which the industrial agricultural system, and genetically modified (GM) seeds in particular, has impacted on the enormous agro -biodiversity evolved by farmers and communities around the world, since the beginning of agriculture. Seeds of Freedom seeks to challenge the mantra that large-scale, industrial agriculture is the only means by which we can feed the world, promoted by the pro-GM lobby. In tracking the story of seed it becomes clear how corporate agenda has driven the take over of seed in order to make vast profit and control of the food global system. Through interviews with leading international experts such as Dr Vandana Shiva and Henk Hobbelink, and through the voices of a number of African farmers,

PLay viDEo

the film highlights how the loss of indigenous seed goes hand in hand with loss of biodiversity and related knowledge; the loss of cultural traditions and practices; the loss of livelihoods; and the loss of food sovereignty. The pressure is growing to replace the diverse, nutritional, locally adapted and resilient seed crops which have been bred by small-scale farmers for millenia, by monocultures of GM seed. Alongside speakers from indigenous farming communities, the film features global experts and activists Dr Vandana Shiva of Navdanya, Henk Hobbelink of GRAIN, Zac Goldsmith MP (UK Conservative party), Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser, Kumi Naidoo of Greenpeace International, Gathuru Mburu of the African Biodiversity Network, Liz Hosken of The Gaia Foundation and Caroline Lucas MP (UK Green party). This film is co-produced by The Gaia Foundation and the African Biodiversity Network. In collaboration with GRAIN, Navdanya International and MELCA Ethiopia. Please support the original filmmakers by donating or purchasing the DVD: www.seedsoffreedom.info. taKE aCtion: www.seedsoffreedom.info/takeaction/what-can-i-do

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Top children's vitamin brand chock-full of GMOs, aspartame and other deadly ingredients By: ethan a. hUFF | natUralnewS

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o you know all the ingredients contained in the multivitamin you feed to your children? Thousands of American parents apparently do not, as one of the top selling multivitamins for children, Flintstones Vitamins, is loaded with genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), aspartame,

aluminum, petroleum-derived artificial colors, and all sorts of other toxic additives that are literally poisonous to humans, and especially to children. One would assume that because it is a "multivitamin," and one marketed specifically to children, that it contains only nutritious ingredients in the most

appropriate doses and nothing more. To the contrary, the Flintstones Vitamins brand, which is manufactured by global drug giant Bayer, contains a host of synthetic additives that are actually banned in many countries due to their toxicity not only in humans but also in the environment. FLINTSTONES Continued next page

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FLINTSTONES continued

A quick look at the Flintstones Complete Chewables page, for instance, reveals a laundry list of additives that serve absolutely no nutritional purpose whatsoever. Refined sugars, sorbitol, ferrous fumarate, hydrogenated soybean oil, GM corn starch, and artificial, aluminum-based food colorings top the list of questionable additives in this particular children's multivitamin. Also included in the mix is a host of synthetic compounds labeled as vitamins, all of which have minimal bioavailability. Also included in the mix is a host of synthetic compounds labeled as vitamins, all of which have minimal bioavailability. "Bayer's Flintstones vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it," writes Sayer Ji on his health site GreenMedInfo.com about the issue. "It is important to hold accountable brands that refuse to label their products honestly, especially when they contain ingredients that have been produced through genetic modification." You can view the full ingredients list for Flintstones Complete Chewables here: www.flintstonesvitamins.com The rest of the Flintstones vitamin line is not much better. Flintstones Complete Gummies, which are labeled on the company's site as having a "new formula," contain many of the

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same toxic additives. Artificial flavors, coal tar-based artificial coloring agents, and synthetic isolated vitamin compounds are all present in this particular vitamin formula as well. Many oF thE 'vitaMinS' USED in FLintStonES aRE ConSiDERED hazaRDoUS SUBStanCES in EURoPE Interestingly, many of the ingredients promoted in Flintstones vitamins as helping children get their daily intake of nutrients are actually listed as hazardous or outright banned in places like the European Union (EU), where additive safety is taken more seriously. Cupric oxide, for instance, which is listed as a supposedly nutritional source of copper in Flintstones vitamins, is actually classified as a "hazardous substance" in the EU's Dangerous Substance Directive. Similarly, zinc oxide, which is often added to conventional sunscreen products, is listed as a substance that is "dangerous for

the environment." Not only is zinc oxide a poor choice for a zinc supplement as the human body can hardly recognize or use it, but the EU Dangerous Substance Directive considers the substance to be an environmental hazard - how, then, can it be considered healthy for children to ingest? Then there is the issue of the extreme neurotoxicity of aspartame, which has no place in the human food supply, let alone in children's multivitamins. And the same goes for artificial colors, which have been shown in scientific studies to trigger attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and various other behavioral disorders in children - why add these to vitamins in the first place? Parents looking for an alternative to mainstream vitamins like Flintstones can look at whole foodbased vitamin supplement brands like MegaFood, Garden of Life, and Pure Synergy.

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ONE NATION. UNDERFED.

awareness

Hunger. It isn’t just a problem for starving children in a distant third world country. It’s a very real issue for many people here in the United States, wealthiest nation in the world.

espite having the means to provide nutritious, aﬀordable food for all Americans, the U.S. allows nearly 50 million people to be food insecure, which means they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. If these statistics are shocking, it’s because the stigma of hunger in our society has kept it hidden. Your neighbors, friends, coworkers could be food insecure and you would never know because people are too ashamed to talk about it. How is it possible for a nation with so much food to have so much hunger? Participant Media, the entertainment company responsible for such acclaimed documentaries as An Inconvenient Truth, Food, Inc. and Waiting for “Superman,” turns its attention to the crisis of hunger in America today with A PLACE AT THE TABLE.

Director/Producers Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush examine this issue through the lens of three Americans who struggle daily with this issue, interwoven with insights from experts and the ordinary citizens and activists who are working to improve the lives of others. Through this mosaic, the ﬁlm reveals the serious economic, social and cultural implications hunger poses for our nation and the systemic issues that cause inequality of access to healthy food. Moreover, the ﬁlm shows that this is a problem that America has solved PLay viDEo in the past, and can solve again, if average Americans demand it.

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awareness

idespread industry claims that the altered traits of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) do not persist in food and are thus harmless to humans have once again been proven to be false. A new study published in the open-access, peerreviewed Journal of Hematology & Thromboembolic Diseases has revealed that GMOs indeed damage and toxify human blood cells, and can consequently lead to the development of deadly blood diseases like anemia and leukemia. Researchers from the Department of Genetics and Morphology and the Institute of Biological Sciences at the University of Brasilia learned this after feeding test mice various doses of Cry proteins, or Cry toxins, which are insect-killing agents purposely engineered into many GM crops. After administering just one dose of these toxins, the team observed the development of a number of different blood abnormalities, many of which became progressively worse in the week following the single dose. Even at the lowest dose tested, Cry toxins were observed to induce damage to bone marrow cells and cause anemia, the latter of which is marked by a lack of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the system. And this was in vertebrate mammals, a

species that Monsanto and the rest of the biotechnology cabal has long claimed is not affected by Bt toxin and its resultant toxic byproducts. In the end, damage caused by Cry toxin exposure was found to result in severe hematological malignancies such as leukemia, a deadly type of blood cancer. "Our study demonstrated that Bt spore-crystals genetically modified to express individually Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac or Cry2A induced hematotoxicity, particularly to the erythroid lineage," wrote the authors. "This finding corroborates literature that demonstrated that alkali-solubilized Bt spore-crystals caused in vitro hemolysis in cell lines of rat, mouse, sheep, horse, and human erythrocytes and suggested that the plasma membrane of susceptible cells (erythrocytes, in this case) may be the primary target for these toxins." Long-term exposure to GM toxins proven to cause systemic damage to human health. Beyond their inherent toxicity to humans, Cry toxins were also found to activate this toxicity much more easily than previously believed. Rather than have to be exposed to an alkaline pH in the digestive tract of a susceptible species in order to become active, Cry toxins were found to elicit their

adverse effects after merely being exposed to distilled water. Cry toxins were also found to bioaccumulate in the body over time, causing progressively more damage in the long term. "Taking into account the increased risk of human and animal exposures to significant levels of these toxins, especially through diet, our results suggest that further studies are required to clarify the mechanism involved in the hematotoxicity found in mice, and to establish the toxicological risks to non-target organisms, especially mammals, before concluding that these microbiological control agents are safe for mammals," added the authors. In other words, there is no sound scientific basis for the use of such toxins in food products consumed by humans, as they are dearly unsafe. Put another way, if independent studies such as this one had been required to be conducted prior to the approval of GM crops with Bt traits, such crops never would have been approved in the first place, as it would have been abundantly evident from the start that they are not safe for human consumption.

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E R a W BE

By LAURA SESANA

The EPA increases herbicide tolerance allowing even more glyphosate to threaten the health of farmers, eaters and the environment.

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised the permitted tolerance levels of glyphosate residue—the controversial herbicide and active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup—in many of the fruits and vegetables that you eat. Last spring, when the media was clamoring against the Senate’s passing of the so-called “Monsanto Protection Act,” the EPA quietly promoted the rule change regarding glyphosate levels without much attention from the media or public. The new regulation raises glyphosate levels in oilseed crops, which include sesame, flax, and soybean, from 20 parts per million (ppm), to 40 ppm. It also raises the allowable glyphosate contamination level for sweet potatoes and carrots from 0.2 ppm to 3 ppm for sweet potatoes and 5ppm for carrots, that’s 15 and 25 times the previous levels. The change in tolerance levels affects several other agricultural products, including animal feed, root crops and fruit trees. While the regulation is effective beginning May 1, 2013, there was an open comment session, closing July 1, that received over 10,800 comments against the proposed change in regulation. It is unlikely, however, that the comments will have any bearing on the decision, which is already final. Glyphosate, a powerful herbicide, is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer, and is the world’s best selling herbicide, used in over 150 crops in over 90 countries. Today glyphosate can be found in products like Roundup, Touchdown, Rodeo,

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and others. Monsanto began marketing glyphosate under the Roundup trade name in the 1970s. Roundup quickly became popular and gained even wider use with the introduction of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops, which are genetically modiﬁed (GM) to withstand glyphosate, enabling farmers to use more of the herbicide to kill weeds without harming the crops. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), use of glyphosate has tripled since 1997, due largely to Monsanto’s introduction of Roundup Ready crops. By 2007, glyphosate was the most widely used herbicide in US agriculture and second most widely used herbicide in the home and garden sector. In that year, the agricultural sector applied 180 to 185 million pounds, the home and garden sector applied ﬁve to eight million pounds, and industry, commerce and government applied 13 to 15 million pounds of glyphosate. The rise in tolerance levels for glyphosate residue came as a result of a petition prepared by Monsanto in early 2012. While FDA did not perform independent tests on whether higher residue levels of glyphosate were dangerous to humans or the environment, it relied on tests and data provided by Monsanto. Alarmed, many activists believe that a rise in tolerance levels will allow farmers to spray food with more chemicals, which will increase health and environmental risks. While Monsanto (and by default the EPA) guarantees the safety of glyphosate in general and Roundup in particular, recent independent

studies conclude the opposite. Even the EPA's technical factsheet on glyphosate states that chronic long-term exposure can cause kidney damage and reproductive effects. It also states that and there is 11 inadequate evidence" as to whether it can cause cancer. A 2013 MIT study argues that glyphosate residue in food and water induces disease by disrupting normal cellular detoxifying functions. According to the study, 11 negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body." The damage is manifested in increased risk of gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. In another recent European study, commissioned by Friends of The Earth (FoE) and GM Freeze, volunteers from 18 countries submitted urine samples to be tested for traces of glyphosate. All of the volunteers lived in cities and had never used or handled glyphosate prior to the test. Laboratory tests concluded that 44% of people had traces of glyphosate in their urine. The rate of positive samples varied by country, with Malta, Germany, the UK, and Poland having the highest rates and Switzerland and Macedonia having the lowest rates. Finally, who other than Monsanto will benefit from

this raise in tolerance levels in the long run? While farmers may benefit for a short while because being able to spray more herbicide may give them a larger crop yield, it may be possible that other countries will refuse to import U.S. produce due to the higher tolerance levels. After all, it was a little over a month ago that Japan refused to buy U.S. wheat after a strain of unapproved Monsanto GMO wheat was unexplainably found in an Oregon field. A week before that China incinerated three shipments of U.S. corn after discovering it contained unsanctioned GMO corn. It is unclear whether the EPA took the above independent and other studies into account when making its decision to raise glyphosate residue tolerance levels in many of the foods we eat. Monsanto and corporate agriculture will argue, as they usually do, that the new tolerant levels are 11 insignificant" and could not harm humans. Many disagree. The bottom line is that the items in your produce department may be a little more poisonous today than they were a few months ago. Follow Laura Sesana on Twitter at @lasesana Facebook: www.facebook.com/Lasesana Web site: www.lasesana.com A DISTINCTIVE STilE. COM 9-:f

nacceptable Levels examines the results of the chemical revolution of the 1940s through the eyes of affable filmmaker Ed Brown, a father seeking to understand the world in which he and his wife are raising their children. To create this debut documentary, one man and his camera traveled extensively to find and interview top minds in the fields of science, advocacy, and law. Weaving their testimonies into a compelling narrative, Brown presents us with the story of how the chemical revolution brought us to where we are, and if we’re not vigilant, it may take us. Over 80,000 chemicals flow through our system commerce, and many are going straight into our bodies. Even our unborn children are affected. Due to this constant exposure, we have approximately 200 synthetic industrial chemicals interacting with our cells every single day. Until recently, modern science really didn’t understand what that could mean for all

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of us in the long run, but that is changing. Globally, disease rates are on the rise. Theories about the causes abound, yet the issues are complex and often muddied by the maneuvering of political and corporate interests. To explore different facets of common chemical exposure, Unacceptable Levels, was made in consultation with experts in multiple fields and is guided by a father on a personal journey as he attempts to bring these issues to light for everyone. Its primary goal? To determine whether we can prevent disease before it strikes us. Unacceptable Levels opens the door to conversations about the chemical burden our bodies carry so that we can make informed decisions now and in the future. The film poses challenges to our companies, our government, and our society to do something about a nearly-unseen threat with the inspired knowledge that small changes can generate a massive impact.

We have approximately 200 synthetic industrial chemicals interacting with our cells every single day. ~Ed Brown PLay viDEo

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Top Health Threats Affecting Children, Yet Denied By The Mainstream Media By WWW.WoRLDTRUTh.Tv

he mainstream media and government have peddled the same lame health concerns affecting children for decades. Whether it's drug abuse, smoking, teen pregnancy, obesity or any other perceived public health threat, no officially recognized health concern affecting children compares to the actual threats which are rarely if ever discussed by public health entities or the mainstream media. The reasons for this convenient ignorance are simple...deception and distraction. The typical diatribe coming out of government

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organizations who claim to be enforcing good health and protecting our children is nonsense and always has been. They parrot the same mundane health threats aﬀecting children decade after decade without actually doing anything about them or telling us what actually causes them. They insist things like smoking, drug abuse, obesity, teen pregnancy, bullying and abuse are the top health concerns for children and teens when they are nothing but a miniscule fraction of a threat compared to the following:

1. Vaccines Vaccines, all vaccines, are immune suppressing; that is they depress our immune functions. The chemicals in the vaccines depress our immune system; the virus present depresses immune function, and the foreign DNA/RNA from animal tissues depresses immunity. Chemical toxicity and depressed immunity likely make vaccines the number one long-term health threat to children. 2. sweeteners, colors, FlaVors and

PreserVatiVes Dangerous food additives are creating a toxic environment for our children's health spurring allergies and ADHD. Two recent British studies found that certain food dyes, as well as the common preservative sodium benzoate, may have an adverse effect on some children's behavior. Researchers said the increase in ADHD diagnoses could be partly to blame on preservative. 3. Genetically ModiFied Foods Genetically Modified (GM) foods are likely the single biggest threat to humanity in the coming decades and certainly a threat to the health of future generations. If you're new to the dangers of GM foods this article "The 7 Biggest Reasons To Never Eat Genetically Modified Foods" sums up the reasons to stay away from them. Problem is, they're everywhere and it's almost impossible to escape from them. GM foods pose a threat to the environment, polluting the fertile soils of the world with unnatural genetic material that may have unknown long-term consequences. Cross-pollination with non-GM crops, monoculture practices and the liberal use of chemical pesticides alongside GM crops are just a few of the serious threats to sustainable life on Earth posed by food scientists playing God with seeds. 4. enVironMental toxins BPA, fluoride, parabens, phthalates, PFOA,

ﬁberglass, oxybenzone, BHA and dozens of other chemicals makes up a very long laundry list of environmental toxins affecting every household. Combine this with geoengineering intiatives polluting the entire atmosphere with toxins, and you have a toxic planet from soil to sky. Developing children are at even greater risk than adults for harm from the above chemicals. Their toxic effects are far reaching affecting almost every body system. 5. MainstreaM Medicine Perhaps the biggest health myth today (although more people are catching on) is the public's misconception that mainstream medicine and the healthcare system helps sick children. Nothing could be further from the truth since physicians and psychiatrists alone are extremely dangerous to the health of children. They are the ones that prescribe the dangerous medications, vaccines, antibiotics, and debilitating psychotic drugs. 90 percent of all diseases (cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, etc.) are easily preventable through diet, nutrition, sunlight and exercise. None of these solutions are rarely if ever promoted by conventional medicine to parents and their children because they make no money. One can only hope that a child does not contract cancer as physicians only have one tool for that--cut, poison and burn via surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. No pharmaceuticals actually cure or resolve the underlying causes of disease. Even "successful" drugs only manage symptoms, usually at the cost of interfering with other precious physiological functions in young bodies that will cause side effects down the road. There is no such thing as a drug without a side effect. Mainstream medicine is the leading cause of death in the United States. They recruit children into the system when they are young and vulnerable and they attempt to keep them as life-long clients as they age.

Treating deadly childhood diseases

No child should die in the dawn of/ife. -Danny Thomas ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL, founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, is one of the world's premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Children from all 50 states and from around the world have come through the doors of St. Jude for treatment, and thousands more around the world have benefited from the research conducted at St. JudeÂˇ research that is shared freely with the global medical community. No family ever pays St. Jude for anything.

Hallie Bob and Melanie Crawford's baby girl, Hallie, was recently diagnosed with a Grade 3 Ependymoma brain tumor and is currently undergoing intense treatment. Please keep Hallie and the Crawford family in your thoughts and prayers. Let's uplift this family in our prayers and send some positive energy their way. No matter your maker; prayers, thoughts, good vibes, and positive energy are all welcome, needed, and appreciated. Families never pay St. Jude for anything, but it costs 1.8 million dollars to operate the hospital every day and because 75% of St. Jude's funding comes from public contributions, we need your help. For more information on St. Jude and how you can help kids like Hallie, please visit stjude.org. Thank you. 102 A DISTINCTIVE STYlE. COM

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This video portrays a day in the life of Bob and Hallie Crawford.

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healthy living

Turmeric produces recovery from dementia symptoms, multiple case studies show.

By: JoNAThAN BENSoN

f you or a loved one suffers from Alzheimer's Disease or some other form of dementia, there is hope and healing to be found in turmeric. Based on the recent findings of three independent case studies, turmeric, whose primary active ingredient is curcumin, has the power not only to heal both the behavior and psychological symptoms associated with dementia, but also help lead to full recovery of the disease in as little as just a few months. A traditional cooking spice that has been used copiously throughout India and Southeast Asia for many millennia, turmeric has been the subject of myriad scientific studies in recent years. The circulatory, digestive, and neurological systems of the body, it turns out, are all positively impacted by turmeric, and the seemingly never-ending list of diseases for which the spice is known to provide healing is continually expanding all the time.

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This is deﬁnitely the case with regards to turmeric's impact on cognitive health, as evidenced by new research out of Japan. The chief physician at Kariya Toyota General Hospital in Kariya City and his colleagues evaluated three separate case studies involving turmeric and came to some fascinating conclusions about the herb's therapeutic value. In each case, turmeric was shown to both relieve dementia symptoms and improve overall cognitive function. "In a study involving three patients with Alzheimer's Disease, whose cognitive decline and Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia were severe, exhibiting irritability, agitation, anxiety, and apathy, supplementation with turmeric powder capsules for over one year was found to be associated with improvement in symptoms," wrote the authors of the study in their summary.

"Total score on the Neuro-Psychiatric Inventory-brief questionnaire decreased significantly in both acuity of symptoms and burden of caregivers after 12 weeks of treatment," they added. "Score on the Mini-Mental State Examination {MMSE) went up five points (from 12/30 to 17/30) in one of the cases, and the other two cases were able to recognize their family within one year of treatment." Consuming a little as one gram of turmeric daily for three months can lead to 'remarkable improvements' So while the conventional disease industry continues to waste billions of dollars searching for a pharmaceutical-based silver bullet "cure" for dementia, a simple, inexpensive cooking spice made from a plant is already getting the job done. Taking as little as one gram, or roughly one-quarter of a teaspoon, of turmeric powder or extract daily, it turns out, is enough to produce improvements in dementia symptoms.

Earlier research published in the journal Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology back in 2008 corroborates this fact, having found that turmeric's natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying mechanisms help improve memory in patients with dementia. Simply consuming more of this flavorful spice as part of one's normal diet, in other words, has the potential to completely transform brain health and alleviate even the worst dementia symptoms. "Curcumin as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipophilic action improves the cognitive functions in patients with AD {Alzheimer's Disease)," wrote the authors of this earlier study in their Abstract. "Due to various effects of curcumin, such as decreased Betaamyloid plaques, delayed degradation of neurons, metal-chelation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and decreased microglia formation, the overall memory in patients with AD has improved."

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elf inquiry is one of the most powerful and effective meditation techniques used by thousands of people all over the world. Taught by the enlightened Guru, Ramana Maharshi, this meditation technique alone has helped many people experience profound states of meditation, samadhi and even self realization. At the most mundane level, self inquiry is asking "Who am I?" In asking this question, your attention reverses back onto itself, the mind becomes still and for however long it lasts, you experience nothing but pure consciousness, pure attention itself. Dualistic subject/object perception is gone and there is only the experience of one infinite consciousness. The amazing thing about this meditation technique is that it uses the mind to stop the mind. "Who am I" is not an intellectual question, instead it is a question to cut right through the intellectual mind. Because if you really look to find the answer, you will find that your name, body and occupation is not what you are. Certainly intellectually, these things would be your answer. But if you really inquire into the nature of what you are in this moment, you move past all mental definitions and come to something which cannot be put into words, something that actually silences the words. So in practicing the self inquiry technique, in asking "Who am I," your attention moves inward instead of outward, past intellectual knowledge to that which cannot be described or defined. You begin to experience what is here beyond your thinking, beyond all ideas and definitions of what you know intellectually. This experience of pure consciousness, pure attention is often referred to as the Self, Atman, the feeling of 'I am,' stillness, silence, the void and the absence of me. All of these words may point in the direction of what is here, but it is necessary to note that the words themselves are not the answer. The answer is the silence, the mystery that is there every time you ask the question. You use the self inquiry meditation technique to take you to the essence of what is here beyond thought and in that you learn to remain in that essence, to rest in pure consciousness. When you begin practicing the self inquiry meditation technique, you may ask "who am I?" and the experience of pure consciousness may only last a moment before you are again caught up in thinking.

So then you repeat the question to again take you out of thinking and into your natural state of pure consciousness. At first, it may be that you ask "who am I" with every inhale and then on the exhale you experience what is here beyond thinking. But as you improve, you can remain in your natural state of pure consciousness for longer and longer periods of time. At first, the experience of pure being may last 2 seconds, then 5 seconds, even 30 seconds before you are again get caught up in thinking. But with practice, you come to a point where the question is no longer needed; you come to a point where the feeling of pure consciousness becomes dominant enough that your attention can remain in that without actually needing to use the question any longer. It is here the meditation technique no longer becomes an inquiry, but rather you simply relax into pure being, you surrender in pure consciousness. You begin to be able to directly experience this moment beyond mental perception, without having to use your mind. You begin to experience that you are not your thoughts, but the consciousness behind the thinking, the consciousness from where the thoughts arise and disappear on their own. It is important to note that a large part of Ramana Maharshi's teaching has been overlooked, and that is the Guru himself. Ramana Maharshi radiated Shaktipat, the energy of enlightenment. Just by sitting in Ramana Maharshi's presence, people would effortlessly experience deep states of bliss and self realization, without having to practice any meditation technique. You can receive this same Shaktipat by listening to a very unique meditation CD. Simply by listening to meditation music, this Shaktipat is awakened in you and you effortlessly attain deep states of meditation and bliss. Visit our website to hear free samples and experience it for yourself. Web site: www.blissmusic.com/meditation_music.htm

Learn Ramana Maharshi's Meditation Technique for Enlightenment BY: KIP MAZUY

healthy living

STreSSeD?

By CARL o. hELvIE, R.N., DR.P.h.

ultiple factors initiate a disease process with various points in this process where health professional can intervene using multiple interventions to beneďŹ t the individual and population. (Helvie, 1998). These concepts can easily be applied to stressful situations. In this article the focus is on multiple interventions (a holistic approach) to resolve stress. Some interventions are short term and others require long-term mastery. In addition, interventions

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can be separated into physical, mental and spiritual although there is often overlap between them. Some physical activities to reduce or eliminate stress include eating appropriate foods, avoiding chemicals, maintaining an exercise program and obtaining adequate sleep and rest. One way to reduce stress with nutrition is using an alkaline-based diet recommended by Edgar Cayce that works well to reduce stress. He identiďŹ ed foods that produce acid

A Holistic Approach to Stress Management and alkalinity in the body and recommended eating 80% alkaline producing foods and 20% acid producing foods. Some acid producing foods include meat, grains, and sweets. Foods that are alkaline producing include fruit, vegetables, and milk products. He also recommended avoiding food combinations such as citrus fruits and cereals at the same meal. You can test for the acid-alkalinity balance in your body using litmus paper. A further discussion of this diet can be found in McGarey (1989). Chemicals such as alcohol and cigarette smoke or obesity from improper nutrition may also produce acidity. When the body becomes too acidic you may experience gastric reflex that further aggravates stress symptoms. In addition, stress will turn the body balance acid. A temporary, natural solution to resolving acid reflux is orange peel with dlimonene. Long term solutions include avoidance of chemicals and acidic foods and losing or maintaining weight. A walk around the block to cool off may help in an emotionally tense situations and regular exercise that releases endorphins and elevates mood will also reduce stress. In addition, obtaining adequate rest and sleep are important. Rest and relaxation helps us unwind from the work tensions and sleep makes most situations seem less overwhelming. Some activities to promote sleep include a warm bath, massage, a warm glass of milk, infuse the room with jasmine scent, avoid caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes in the evening, avoid tyramine producing foods near bedtime such as bacon, cheese, chocolate, and wine, and use visualization and meditation. Some mental activities that may help in stressful situations include relaxation exercises, visualization, affirmations, replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, and maintaining continual positive thoughts. These activities are processes that must be practiced regularly over time to be effective and may range from simple head and neck exercises to those that relax the whole body. A brief overview of selected ones follow.

healthy living

One brief relaxation exercise is to sit with your eyes closed and imagine the most peaceful setting you have been in. It might be a mountain setting, a flowing stream in the meadow, or the sun setting over a lake. As you watch the sun set on the horizon be aware of your breathing and with each exhalation think relax, relax. With practice your worries will quickly dissipate. “Affirmations can be used to help you remain positive, to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, or to improve your self concept. All reduce stress.” Some affirmations are: “I am happy and healthy at my ideal weight, God is with me always;” “I have a wonderful boss and co-workers who are very supportive of me.” Spiritual activities may include prayer for self and others, meditation, strengthening faith, patience, and forgiveness, and being of service to others. Like mental activities, spiritual ones must also be practiced regularly and strengthened over time. One spiritual attribute-faith-will be discussed briefly here. There are many definitions for faith but I like “Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” Start strengthening faith by becoming aware of situations in which it occurs and then replace negative with positive thoughts. For example, make a list of all experiences in which you used faith. Analyze the factors that influenced your faith, How did you feel and have you practiced this again. Now look at situations in which you expressed doubt and relive the experience using faith. How did you feel and will you use this again? Many more exercises that strength spiritual attributes and mental activities can be found in Helvie (2007, 2012) and a CD on stress management can be found at: www.HolisticHealthShow.com.

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Address your skin's needs through a holistic approach to facial skincare

By BPt

any women cite a number of external factors that can trigger sensitive skin flare-ups, including harsh ingredients, weather and makeup. What they may not know is that lifestyle choices can also influence the health and appearance of their skin. Different lifestyle factors, including diet, fitness and stress management can affect skincare in addition to the facial skincare products used. Simple, a line of facial skincare products that is perfect even for sensitive skin, recognizes this, and therefore, takes a holistic approach to skincare by focusing on the link between all of the factors that impact skin. Dr. Debra Luftman is a Board Certified Dermatologist who believes that healthy skin can have a positive impact on overall health. She also firmly believes skincare does not need to be complicated to be effective. top tip: sooth tired eyes with a cool home remedy Sometimes when eyes are feeling tired or irritated, the wakeup call they need might be found in the refrigerator! Chill spoons in the refrigerator and place them over your eyes for an instant soothing sensation and an immediate, chilly jolt back to life. Dr. Luftman says, "your eyes will feel cool and look refreshed, the blood vessels around your eyes will shrink and eye circles will appear to vanish!" Trainer-to-the-stars, Kacy Duke - whose client list reads like a red carpet who's who - is one of the most sought-after personal trainers and fitness consultants in the world, in addition to being one of the founders of Equinox Fitness Clubs. top tip: Get moving and get skin fit Exercise can be hard to fit into busy schedules and often takes a back seat to other priorities. On the days when you cannot make it to the gym, find alternate

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ways to squeeze in some movement so your daily routine can help you pick up the slack. Take the stairs over the escalator, get off the bus a few stops early or jump around the living room to your favorite song. By finding ways to move - even on non-gym days - you promote better blood flow and circulation, which show in the health and beauty of your skin. Gita Bass is no stranger to the stars. She's credited with creating amazing looks for many celebrities on and off camera and is the talent behind numerous editorial photo shoots and advertising campaigns. top tip: take it all off (makeup that is) before hitting the sheets One of my top tips for a great make-up look is to start with the proper base: prepping your skin. If your skin is smooth and even, then your makeup is halfway done, which makes getting ready for a night out much easier. Just because you look amazing for a special date or dinner with friends doesn't mean that you can forget about your skin once you get home (even if it's past your bedtime). The best way to ensure your skin achieves a natural, healthy glow is by getting into the routine of cleansing before bedtime. Overnight, skin needs oxygen to repair itself, and sleeping in make-up can clog pores, causing breakouts and puffy eyes. Gita's favorite way to cleanse gently and rid skin of impurities before sleep is with the new Simple Foaming Cleanser. Ellie Krieger is a "New York Times" bestselling author and host of the Food Network and Cooking Channel's hit show "Healthy Appetite." A registered dietitian, Krieger holds a master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University. Her success can be attributed in part to her unique way of offering real life advice without any of the gimmicks and crash diets that permeate today's trends.

Top tip: Put tomatoes to the test Fine lines are a natural part of aging, but you can help combat them with the right diet. Tomatoes, in particular, contain an antioxidant that is proven to reduce skin cell damage, which can often lead to fine lines. Try an easy spinach salad with chopped tomatoes. Go the extra mile and top your salad with almonds or sunflower seeds. The vitamin E found in these nuts and seeds can help further protect against cell damage. Dr. Josie Howard is a board-certified psychiatrist with a practice dedicated to general adult psychiatry. She specializes in psychodermatology, an area of medicine that focuses on the relationship between stress, emotional well-being and skin health.

Top tip: Say it with a smile Any level of emotional stress we experience can readily be detected on our face, whether it is seen through breakouts, irritation, blushing and of course, frowning. When we smile, we look better, less tired and more refreshed. An added benefit of smiling is that our brains interpret this as a signal that we really are happy and content. Moreover, smiling can help others react to us in a more positive way, which can lead to better and less stressful interactions. For more information about Simple and tips from the Simple Advisory Board visit www.simpleskincare.com. While there, check out the Simple Sense diagnostic tool to receive a personalized skincare routine that includes lifestyle tips. A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM Ill

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See Beauty in Diversity

Articles inside

Top Health Threats Affecting Children

Be Informed

Emma Watson

Betsey and Lulu Johnson

Johnny Depp

Leo DiCaprio

Alicia Keys

See Beauty in Diversity

Katy Perry

Prince Charles and Prince William

What has Nature ever done for us?

Powerful Treehouses

Soul Kitchen