All I can say is everything…I mean everything… is in the video below! Leave me your comments!

The tips are amazing! If I do say so myself:)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

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I am rolling out something new and improved ladies and gents. I am proud to introduce my video blog!

Okay you are probably thinking what the heck does that mean?

Starting this week, and every week moving forward I will  be sending you a video telegram, as I would like to call it….

Each video will be packed full of lively,entertaining, and detailed information on how you can take action each week to move yourself closer to your weight loss, health, and loving your body goals…wooohooo!!

If you are thinking how much does this cost well for all my favorites, I am talking about you, it is freeeeeeeee!

So, this week’s video telegram is about Diwali!

This past weekend I celebrated the Indian New Year called, Diwali, and had a couple of epiphanies that I wanted to share with you.

After you watch the video leave your comments below!

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Hello All,

This weekend I celebrated Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, by watching the beautiful movie starring Ben Kingsley. People, if you haven’t seen this movie, it is a MUST SEE. I will forewarn you it is LONG…but it is worth every moment of your life spent on it.

The change that this one man took upon his shoulders, and the impact he made is celebrated and respected by all. He has inspired me in countless ways.

I really believe my mark on this planet is not only to help all of you lose weight and feel your best each and every single day, but to also help you see the beauty and power that lies within you.

Gandhi was one man that changed a country of 350 million people, and he wasn’t born into a family of prestige and wealth, where maybe he would have had the means and resources at his fingertips to make this change.

He believed in rising against injustice, not to be passive, but in a way that was non-violent and peaceful. Most people before him, would have said that is impossible.

But he took on the impossible and lived his life in the most simple way with non-violence as his compass. Peaceful practices and love and respect for all living beings emanated from every fiber of his being, and he was not deterred.

I first wanted to give my small tribute to Gandhi’s life by writing to all of you about him….

Now, let’s get back to Bill, and what he has done to lose over 24 lbs, and how he has gotten back to what he weighed in high school. As you will see in this quick video, he has taken his health into his own hands (getting back to the power within you), and completely transformed his health.

If you are curious about learning more about a diary free or plant based diet.

Please email me at kavita@kavitaholistic.com or leave your comments below, and I will respond to any and all questions that you have.

In love and light,

Kavita

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I went on a short vacation to Mexico last week for 4 nights and 4 days. I have to say, it was a shock to my winter skin, but it felt so good. The sun has so many amazing effects on our bodies and on our psyche. I felt more happy and content while baking in the sun than I did for most of the winter. I know some of you are thinking, “I love the cold,” which is totally understandable. I’m just expressing how the sun can have amazing effects on our total well-being.

As we all learned in elementary school, but lost sight of somewhere along the way, the sun is our greatest source of Vitamin D. Here are several great tips for you to know about the sun and how it is essential for us to feel great both mentally and physically (and yes, there is a definite correlation between how you feel and how effectively you can keep your weight in check – I will get into this in my next blog post).

Some of these tips will enlighten (pun intended) you.

1. 20 minutes is great – Free yourself from lathering on sunscreen for at least 20 minutes while you are in the sun. You skin produces Vitamin D in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.
2. Promotes healthy bones and teeth – Vitamin D is essential for us to properly absorb calcium. So we need the sun to keep our bones healthy – who knew!
3. Not in the car – If you are in the car, you will not be able to produce beautiful Vitamin D because the ultraviolet rays are blocked.
4. Like it dark – The darker your natural skin tone, the more sunlight and Vitamin D you require.

So get out there and get your sun on! Also please post your comments. I love to hear from all of you all the time!

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When spring begins to sprout, the obvious signs are longer days, warmer weather, allergies and blooming trees and flowers. There are some intuitive signs that begin to show up, also. Intuitive signs, by my definition, are symptoms of the body sensing and experiencing cues from nature. We begin to crave different foods, our energy levels shift, we want to get moving more and cleanse. Something about spring overall has a feeling of opening up, rebirth and renewal.

Another intuitive sign that I experience personally is a feeling of “out with the old and in with the new.” The other day I went into my bedroom and stared for a solid 30 minutes at my drawers. I began to feel overwhelmed by all the clothes, jewelry, socks, undergarments and accessories that were stuffed, crammed and rolled into every nook and cranny of each drawer. Now, mind you, these drawers have been like this all winter and all of a sudden I had an urge to stare at them. If that is not nature telling me something, I don’t know what is because I defiantly avoid those drawers at all cost.

So, when you experience these feelings, what‘s the best way to declutter?

Start Slow. The first step towards decluttering is pacing yourself. You don’t have to conquer the home in one day. Start with one thing like the closet, bookcase or several drawers. The test is if you feel overwhelmed then you need to go smaller. Feeling overwhelmed will just keep you stuck and will prevent you from doing anything. So, go as small as needed for you to take action—even if it means starting with one drawer.

Throw It All Away. The second step is learning to part with possessions that don’t serve you anymore. I took a couple of deep breaths, and told myself it’s now or never. I pulled out three large trash bags and began to sift through everything. Into the bags went shirts with stains. You know the kind—stains you thought you’d remove with bleach one day but never did or never could. Toss out those socks with holes, socks with no mates, belts that no longer fit and tops that only your 16-year-old niece would wear. Once you have filled several bags, take them to a local clothing donation box or a non-profit organization like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or Dress for Success. If you have high-quality clothes to declutter, you could try selling them to a local thrift store or consignment shop. Items like old makeup, costume earrings missing a match or old sunglasses, should also be looked at—either donate, recycle or trash them.

Be Generous. We all have items in our drawers and closets that we won’t wear again but are reluctant to part with. When I was cleaning, I came to the more emotional drawer, the one that held the skinny jeans that I was holding onto as a constant reminder of what I should look like. If you don’t know if an item should be kept or thrown use this rule of thumb: if you haven’t used it in the last year or if it makes you feel bad because it doesn’t fit, away it goes.

Let Yourself Go. Once I overcame some of my initial hesitation over decluttering, I let the process take over—it become addicting. I filled up bag after bag of donation-worthy stuff and other bags of items destined for the dumpster. As you declutter, you might start feeling as I began to feel: less stagnant and more free. When I slam dunked those skinny jeans into the trash bag, I immediately felt lighter and more flexible. It was like shedding weight. We, unknowingly, carry the weight of the clutter around mentally and rarely break away from it, but you can gain an increase in clarity through this process.

Imagine the Space to Create. A new thought emerged, as I looked at the emptier drawers and the filled up trash bags when I finished decluttering. I realized that I physically had space in the drawer but I also had space to create something new. One thought was, “What new items can I shop for, to fill the space?” I won’t lie—this sparked some excitement. Then, I realized it just feels good to have less. I had expended years of energy keeping and saving items of the past. I now had space to visualize and create something new.

Take a look at your home and consider performing your own decluttering ritual. It may or may not lead to some heavy realizations, but at the very least, you will have a cleaner home, donations to make for people in need and maybe a little more peace of mind.

Written for ABCDLady http://abcdlady.com/2010-05/art5.php

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Spring weather is kicking in, and many of us are getting our yearly dose of allergies. One way to combat overall sinus issues, runny nose, and those pesky allergies is to eliminate dairy from your diet over the next month or so. Okay okay, I know what you are thinking, do I have to eliminate all dairy? What about the cheese, yogurt, and butter. Well, I do believe in moderation, so just begin with replacing your milk and see how far that gets you. Take it one small step at a time. Even if you can just replace your milk with these alternatives mentioned on Blisstree.com you will notice a difference. Hailey (from Blisstree.com) and I paired up again to give you the low down on some really great milk alternatives…

No Dairy No Problem

Please post your comments and let me know what you think of the dairy alternatives!

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I have some exciting news to share. I was interviewed for an article on MILK for Blisstree.com. The writer of the article Hailey is an amazing writer and she did a fantastic job summarizing the GREAT MILK DEBATE (that is what I call it).

I receive many questions on what milks are good. There is so much vocabulary to understand like grass fed, local, organic, non-homogenized, and pasteurized what does it all mean! Well, Hailey and I paired up to give you all the information needed to make the best decision for you (and your families).

Click on the link below and you will be transported to a wealth of information:

A Good Milk is Hard to Find

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Spring is here and although the weather lately feels like summer and or winter, spring is definitely here. It is a great time to stop and check in with yourself on how you are feeling. Have your cravings changed, do you feel more alert, has your mood changed? After you have asked yourself these questions write them down. When spring arrives eating foods craved during winter, no longer feel good. So, it is great to check in and see how you feel.

Spring brings on cravings of something light, fresh, and nourishing. As the buds on the trees begin to blossom so do our bodies and our stomachs. To eat with the cycles of nature keeps your body working at its ideal potential and ideal energy level. If the winter has made you feel heavy, energy less, and mentally clouded, here is an opportunity to start feeling and living with more energy.

You may have noticed that you aren’t as hungry for large heavy meals, this is a symptom of Spring. Spring is the season to eat a low fat diet by eating more salads, leafy greens, veggies, beans, sprouts, and berries. Below you will find a short list of fruits and vegetables that can be eaten during spring (this is not the entire list, just a sample). So, spring up and start eating seasonally now!

Vegetables – Asparagus, Cauliflower, Kale, Artichokes, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Jicama, Corn, Alfalfa Sprouts, Bean Sprouts

Fruits – Dry Fruits, Strawberries, Pomegranates, Papayas, Pears, Grapefruit, Lemons/Limes, Raspberries

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It is amazing when it snows. It is so beautiful to watch the little perfectly crystallized white flakes fall to the ground. Let me also mention that it is beautiful when you are watching it from your window, but if you are driving, walking, or running in it, it can significantly slow you down.

I live in New York City, and one of the only times during the year that the city feels like it is taking a break, is during a blizzard. That got me thinking. The very nature of snow is to slow things down. Sometimes winter feels like it lasts forever and summer seems to fly by, why is this? Winter is a time when most mammals hibernate, when we gain the most weight, when we get sick or the flu. Literally the amount of clothes that we wear to survive the winter can even physically slow us down.  A friend of mine the other day was wearing two pairs of socks, stockings, leggings, and then her jeans. And that was just beneath the waist!
All of these aspects of winter slow us down. I know it doesn’t always feel that great being in the cold, trust me I am the first one to prefer the heat over the cold, but I do appreciate the winter for providing me the time to slow down. Why is it important to slow down? Well, because it helps me to get present to the NOW, de-stress, and become more aware.

So, I am appreciating the rest of winter for allowing me the time to slow down before I shed my layers and jump into spring.

My top 5 ways to SLOW it down:

1. Make some homemade hot chocolate (whole organic milk, and high quality dark chocolate cocoa powder, put as much cocoa powder as you want it to be chocolaty, and add some maple syrup (natural not Hungry Jack) to sweeten it, boil it up, and wallah.
2. Take a warm shower or bath, it doesn’t have to be really long the point is to enjoy the moments you are in there. Use some expensive oils or soaps to get you even more present.
3. Listen to an old song that gets you feeling the way you felt at that point in your life. This is not to feel like you want to go back or life was better then. This is to remind you of how far you have come, and have some fun reminiscing.
4. Drive to the same locations that you always drive to but take the longer route.
5. Take 5 minutes (or more) to just close your eyes and breath.

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Before I left for my spiritual, mental, and physical retreat, I was feeling stuck. December 4th was my last day working for someone other than myself, and little did I know that it would be a major adjustment for me. I had a lack of direction, was very unclear about what I was going to do next and overall massively confused. While I felt chaos inside, friends would tell me you are living the dream working for yourself, making your own schedule, and living out your passion. And I knew they were right but I just couldn’t match their logic with my emotions.

People who love me the most in life, kept telling me give yourself a break and “don’t push yourself,” “go to India” and once you come back you will feel much better.  At the time I didn’t feel like anything would help me and that I had to figure out my direction right then and there, of course all I did was exercise on the hamster wheel in my head and achieved very little clarity.

Does this sound familiar or am I kind of out here on a limb? If I were to guess you too have felt stuck before and wondered the ultimate question: what is my purpose?

I arrived back here in New York City this past Sunday, and I can say with certainty that the trip was everything I hoped it to be. I have come back clearer than I have felt in a long time.  One reason for all this clarity was the vacation itself; which gave me physical change of being away from home and routine. Another reason was that I was focused on new experiences and a different culture, so there was a break in thought pattern. Lastly or should I say firstly, in my opinion, the number one thing that helped me was perspective! During my pilgrimage I climbed a mountain and the perspective from that peak, Samet Shikar, was indescribable – I felt humbled and in awe of natures beauty.

This trip has allowed me to see everything with fresh eyes; my home (NYC) and relationships all seem to have bloosmed new flowers. I see everything with more appreciation than before. Feeling purpose, I have realized is a state of mind not an act of heroism, and as long as I continue to appreciate who I am and the choices I make, life will keep moving forward in an upward swing.

So, my friends, I think the best thing to do when you’re stuck or feeling purposeless is to seek out ways to change your perspective.

Here are some ways with which you can shift, alter, reorganize, or even change your perspective:

1. Simply take a walk by yourself
2. Find and listen to a positive person in your life who can offer up thoughts that sometimes we cannot see because we are so close to our own thoughts (this can also be a coach, you knew I had to throw that one in)
3. Meditate
4. Visit a spiritual place where the energy in the space alone helps you achieve some peace
5. Have fun like a child (draw a funny picture, color, dance, slide down a slide)

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