A Winter Wonderland…

So….
I am sitting in the airport at St Petersburg having paid 150Euros for overweight baggage! Who knew that I had so much stuff with me? I mean, when it comes to winter you just need so much stuff!

And winter is what St Pete’s is best at!

On the way to the airport I was witness to spectacular scenery: every tree covered in snow and a fog that blocked the view from the “Stock Exchange” (see photos of the last blog to understand the Stock Exchange).

The Hermitage was practically invisible; it was a view and scenery worthy of Dr. Zhivago! Remember the ice castle where, I think it was Omar Sharif (who I’ve had the pleasure of doing a movie with) and Julie Christy, spent the winter freezing but together never the less?

Who knew that Russia REALLY produced that spectacular scenery by its self. I mean, you know the “magic of movies”!
I thought that they built a set somewhere!

Yet, of course, as I am not a Picture-taker-er(?) meaning that I am not really a person who takes pictures, I never thought NOT to pack my cell phone in my carryon bag now safely snug in the back of the SUV that was needed to move my mountain of stuff (again, where did I get SO MUCH stuff?)

Ok. Well, I did have a couple of Santa Clauses and a small Christmas tree that I packed hoping it would make the journey back to NYC unscathed.

It is always interesting to see what objects make the trip intact and what do not. Or, what ends up making the trip at all. Some things take a small, unplanned, DETOUR along the way, never to be found again! But that is another blog….

I have come to believe that Russians are a long-suffering lot. There has been practically no sun for at least a month now. I remember one sunny day, or at least a partially sunny day, about 5 weeks back. Everyone was in shock that there was sun. Since I was pretty new to a St Pete’s winter then, I did not understand the joy and surprise of seeing sun in the winter.

But the winter nights are very long here—the complete opposite of the summer’s White Nights, which make its appearance in July/August. The darkness lasts from 4pm until 11am the next morning, thereby leaving only about 5 hours of cloudy sky.

However, on New Year’s Eve, we walked to the Stock Exchange and we viewed the fireworks over the Nevsky River. I do believe we saw the Blue Moon AND the Aurora Borealis, the elusive Northern Lights, although it could have been spotlights. However, I have seen both the Aurora and spotlights and they are NOTHING alike…it was the Aurora and that is the story I am sticking with! LOL!

Russians eat very well, and very expensive! If we go to one of the Gourmet stores for food, it is easy to spend a couple hundred dollars and to come home and wonder what food you bought as it is not even enough to feed a hungry hockey player for a couple of days…..

But eating out is 5 times worse in price, and the hotel? Fagettaboutit!

They make Whole Foods seem reasonable, and THAT is amazing!
To shop here for clothes, thinking maybe to bring home that fun Russian piece that will become the centerpiece of conversation, save it.
Even the shopkeepers, when they heard me speak English, (or even my Russian with English accent) told me to buy in NYC—it would be 20% cheaper.

So where does a fashionable Russian girl go to buy? Paris or Italy of course! Anything less would be too expensive!
Makes you like America a bit more.

But don’t get me wrong as I have loved Russia. Mostly because I do like the people! They are hardy, don’t believe me? How about the girls that walk the street in -16C, snow, and ice in High Heels, short fur jackets, and NO hat? And they don’t even blink!

I almost killed myself trying to be fashionable here!

I stopped trying to copy the Russian girls, and their fashion style, mostly because I valued the use of my legs and because they dress so wonderfully that it is nicer to look at them than to immolate them.

I was much happier in my leggings and Uggs, ski sweaters and long-long coat that went to the floor. Totally NOT sexy but hey, warm!

I just don’t know how they do it, those girls. I would take my hat off to them, but my head is too cold. Brrrrrr!

Well, my flight is just about to be called. I guess I should pack up. I just have so many thoughts about Russia floating in my head that I wanted to get them down in print before I arrive back in Toronto and I forget the subtleties of everything I have experienced and seen.

It will be nice to see English on the Billboards again, a relief actually. I spend my time riding in the car trying to read billboards here. It has become a compulsion!

But now I understand a little better how it must have been for a Russian coming to North America to play hockey—it takes a long time to understand the society, if not the language and the Mores of life. And for working—imagine the contracts and trusting a lawyer you never knew before….

Ah well, that is another blog, too!

On one last note, I asked a 12 year old Russian friend of mine if she would take some photos of St.Pete’s to add to my blog. I was hoping that she could take some better photos than I did.

Industrious as this new generation is, she went ONLINE to find photos for me. I know they are not the personal type of photos like I took, but at least you can really see St.Pete’s in all its glory, and on a sunny day to boot!

And she did download some Christmas trees, having seen the poor quality of my personal Christmas tree photos!
And I think to add them to this blog because you, my dear reader, deserve the best photos I can find to show you what I am taking about in Russia!

So, God willing, the next time you hear from me, I will be “stateside.”

And what was that Beatle’s song…..I’m back in the USSR?
Well reverse it: I’m back in the USofA! Well, Toronto, for sure.

 

Carol From Russia – Part II

Hello again from Russia!

My trip here is winding down all too soon!

However, I thought I might share some of photos I took while here and to share what I am seeing and how I see it.

I know in my last Blog I talked about how the Russians drive compared to Americans. By the way, I must say that it seems to work for them. I hardly ever hear a Horn blowing. And having grown up in NYC and living in big cities all my life, horns are a way of life (unfortunately!)

I know horns are silly—I mean, no one listens to them anyway as most people blow them out of frustration or anger–not life or death!

But anyway, back to Russia! And my photos! I must say that I took all these photos on my Iphone! So bear with me and with the quality of them—it was minus 16 degrees Celsius! Yes, I did say MINUS!
My fingers were frozen and to get anyone to stop to take a picture of me at a site was, well, next to impossible (not to mention that my Russian is unforgivable!)
The few I got were not viewable!

I must say that I think that St Pete’s is the prettiest city I have ever seen! It just really appeals to my sense of beauty and order. It is so clean (for the number of tourists in the summer, it is actually quite remarkable!) and the architecture is spectacular! But, being that it is Christmas here and New Year’s (I think New Year’s is more important than Christmas to the Russians because it is promoted more than the Religious Holidays) the city has put on the RITZ!

I do not think that I have seen a city strut its stuff like St Pete’s does. There are Decorated trees on EVERY block! And no two trees around the city are alike! Peter the Great introduced the trees in the 1800’s after a trip to Europe. For the fact that this is not a custom that originated in Russia, the Russians have embrace the tree more and any other European City I have been in!
SERIOUSLY, they are EVERYWHERE! Happily!

I got only a couple in photos because they all have moving lights and look bare in photos

	The bridges are decorated to the hilt all year long-but at Christmas they go all-out. One bridge has a lighted Santa on it and he is bowling with snowballs. As the snowballs pile up they become a Snowman! So funny! And so pretty to watch the lights….. No, I did not photo that because it is the movement of the lights that makes it so special and I cannot capture it on my Iphone! But I did capture the lights down Nevsky Prospect! I have this photo of what it is like during the day (I know, St Pete’s is dark and depressing during the day: it is dark from 3pm-11am practically!) But at night (see side photo!) they let the dogs out!!

I also went to see a little crafts fair—yes, yes!! In -16C!

At one point I told my guide: “OK, if it comes down to a hot cup of tea at SINGER (pronounced zinGer) or a Santa Claus—the cup of tea wins out!” So we went to Singer….. I happen to love Singer- it reminds me of the 50’s sweet shops! Not that I was alive then, but I HAVE seen pictures! I don’t think they have renovated this shop in many years, but they take such good care of it—and it is SO nice. Life slows down here! You can sit in the big windows and look down on the hustle and bustle of the Nevsky and feel warm and cozy with a nice cup of Jasmine Green Tea! I Only got two photos of the building itself.

It has snowed for the last couple of days for as much as it snows, I was surprised to see that I got only one photo of the snow! The photo I got of the snow is this one from the front window of the car! It is while I was driving down the Nevsky that I got it. You can just barely make out the snow oh, and the Nevsky lights! I mean, it is hard to shoot photos here because it is always so dark!!

One beautifully decorated area that get honorable Mention is this area called the Stock Exchange. This was an area where all the boats used to dock to bring goods into St Petersburg.

Then they would take the goods into this building And be “traded.” I have never seen a building done up quite like this one! These lights go ALL THE WAY AROUND the building! Every column, every window sill, every eve! By they way, marriages are very simple in Russia. The couple goes to the town hall, signs in and then takes a limo around town to shoot photos. Maybe they stop with their friends to eat… I mention this because this area is also a favorite stop for newly weds taking photos. This is their Hummer limo! I went to see a Modern version of Cinderella— I will not discuss the fact that it had a scene with Prince Charming in a section of town frequented with “Women in RED!!” And a scene with all men…..(ah! Modern take on an old classic!) But I will tell you that the Merinski Theater is BEAUTIFUL inside
And out

I will be going to Christmas Mass in one of my two favorite churches. This church, The Church of the Sacred Blood, is made totally of tiles and mosaic! There is not one PAINTED wall in the WHOLE church! This church was bombed during WWI and WWII. Thank goodness they decided to put the church back together and not tear it down. It is a unique church. I don’t think I have seen another like it.

And my OTHER favorite church is this one. I call it the Church of the Miracles as it has a an Icon of Mary and Jesus that people line up for hours to wait to light a candle and to kiss the Icon! I have done it at least twice. Well, time to go work out! The one good thing about being here (I mean there are many good things here, but for me, right now, I want to rest and take care of ME!) Anyway, the one good thing about being here is the GYM at my hotel!!! The best GYM I have EVER seen. Makes working out a pleasure—well, almost! I eat RAW so I don’t HAVE to work out, I work out because I want to work out! And I think that makes all the difference in the world!

So:
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE:
MERRY CHRISTMAS and THE BEST NEW YEAR EVER!

KISSES,
CA

Carol From Russia – Part I

Hi there,

I am sorry to all my fans if I have been a bit delinquent in answering my webmail, but I have been traveling in Russia to all sorts of small towns and big cities—some with limited web access. As it takes sometimes 6-8 hours for me to answer all of my mail and questions on the site, I have not had that kind of time in any one place for the last month.

However, I thought that perhaps you would forgive me for this fact if I would share my experiences in Russia with you.

I am still a bit of a technical “loser” as I forgot to check my webmail until I got a pleading email from Vlad (my webmaster at Attention Interactive) asking for me to please check my mail and answer.

Actually, I love to answer my mail, but half the time I’m in disbelief I’m actually getting any mail at all, and half the time I forget. And what mail I get! You guys really ask good questions! You are paying attention and I am proud of you all…..

Anyway, I will take you along on the journey that is Russia and when I have more than just one hour I will answer the questions that were posted in the last month! (I am writing this offline at 4:30-6am St Petersburg time! Imagine? And I will post it when I get web access.)

First of all, I have been traveling in some of the smallest towns and cities in Russia because since I was a kid, Russia has just fascinated me! And for good reason, I believe. The History is just amazing and incredible; especially to an American who has only 200 or so years of history to drawn on. For me, WWI and WWII were another generation and fought a world away. The Russians, on the other hand, were front and center and absolutely the object of Hitler’s lust. Russians tell me they lost over 20 MILLION people in WWII to Hitler’s war machine. Neighborly, Hitler was NOT! It is hard to think that Hitler wanted to raze St. Petersburg (then known as Leningrad) and flood it to make a big lake! When you see the beautiful buildings and architecture you understand what a loss this would have been. (Just think Le Hermitage!) But he also wanted to kill most of the residents and keep only a few hundred-thousand Russians as SLAVES!

He already had the invitations to his Victory Party in the famed St Petersburg Astoria Hotel made up! The Astoria Hotel was across from the German Embassy in the city, and Hitler wanted a full victory-worthy reception!

What a different world it would have been had Hitler succeeded!

I don’t think as Americans we have ever come that close to being annihilated.

Anyway, I believe that some of the towns I have visited have not changed since pre-communist days! That is really amazing to a person like me, who was born in NYC, as the city that changes while you sleep at night!

But it’s the people that make this country so fascinating!!

I mean, they look like us. For example, my boyfriend (who is a Russian) has my coloring: big, round, blue eyes, and brown hair. You could mistake him on the street for an average Caucasian American male until he opens his mouth. They just don’t think like us!

Besides the fact that he is extremely intelligent, he looks at a situation without empathy and without emotion. He looks at the actual center of the problem. I, on the other hand, look at everything the problem is; the emotion, who is involved and the relationships of the people involved. In reality, most of the time when I look at the situation as he looks at it, I am able to resolve it immediately. If I look at it my way, I get bogged down by the relationships and the emotion. It takes me longer to figure out the resolution!

Maybe it is just me and maybe I am too empathetic. But, man, being able to clear out some of the emotion of a problem and to just see the actual problem has been a relief.

It is also interesting to see how a non-American/non-Canadian is able to see our country and put to use English words. This is cute and charming and sometimes really funny. And it certainly sets Russians apart! In Russia most people don’t speak English so don’t think you are going to go to Russia and it is easy to get along. Even if they take English in school, the theory is way different than the practice. When you do get a Russian who speaks English or who will try to speak English, it is disarming.

Alexei, my boyfriend, is the perfect example. He eats “smashed” potatoes, and asks me to do him a ‘Favorite’-instead of a favor! And well, if you think about it he is correct, too, as he takes things literally! We do smash the potatoes and he is special to me so I will do something for him because he IS my favorite! I mean, he asks me to do him a favorite and I just about melt. He could ask me to do anything for him…..and well, he knows it.

But also, it took him being his “literal” self in Whole Foods Market for me to see how important it is to BE Literal.

One day he kept asking me: how do they have ORGANIC SEEDLESS GRAPES?

Well, here we go I thought, I have told him how organic works- why is he asking me again?

“Well,” I start out in that wisecracking way that I am when I think I have answered a question for him more than once and I think it is a language problem, “I told you what organic is: they do not use conventional DDT’s or chemicals on the plants. They are as found in nature.”

“But, Organic seedless grapes….” He kept quietly repeating.

“What do you not understand?” I am thinking and I try to placate him: “They grow them in clean soil. Soil that has been fallow without chemicals for 7 years-“
“But ORGANIC SEEDLESS grapes,” he kept repeating patiently.

What is he driving at??

He is making me crazy; I have answered this question so many times….”as found in nature…”

“But, Organic SEEDLESS grapes.” He patiently repeats again!

Oh my gosh! He is right because he is taking everything he sees on a literal basis, he is asking how can grapes be SEEDLESS and ORGANIC when the very definition of organic is “as found in nature” and, well, God did not make seedless grapes—man created them in a hybrid fashion! He was right and, of course, I had to apologize because I was not ‘getting’ what he was asking.

I am not so literal and I am used to Marketing practices which mislead the consumer. Therefore, he has become my consumer barometer because he picks out the inconsistencies of marketing that his literal sense of the English language makes apparent to him but not to me……

But this is just language.

There are so many customs in Russia that I find so incredibly different. For example, do not pass the salt from one person to another directly to their hand. This will make a Russian “rewind” like a video and force your hand to the table where you MUST put the salt down on the table so that they can pick it up. No matter how many times I tell my boyfriend that this is a superstition that is a left-over from the days where salt was an instrument of trade (like gold). To pass it from one hand to another without a bag meant that you could be cheated as salt could stick in the cracks of your hand and you could short change someone.

It does not matter. Drop the salt or drive your Russian dinner guest from the table.

Another rather strange custom is that you can drink alcohol right on the street! You can walk down the street or hang out on a street corner with an open bottle of whatever you wish: beer, vodka, or wine! No one stops you. The police do not care. It is amazing to see people at the end of the workday walking home with an open beer and a cigarette.

Which reminds me—they smoke everywhere. Even in Italy, which is THE smoking capital of the world where babies are practically born with a pack in their hand, they have No Smoking Laws. But Russia just won’t give in and every time I arrive back in Russia and I walk into the lobby of the hotel I am startled to see people walking around smoking in the elevators and even at dinner. Just as I am about to say something to the people I am with, I remember and catch my breath (mostly because I’ve got a lungful of smoke) and remember: they CAN smoke everywhere.

This includes their cars, buses, taxi’s…..which reminds me: Russian drivers are not like any drivers in the world.

I mean, I grew up in NYC! We are THE “he who hesitates is lost” city of the East! But we do not compare….

I have driven Mercedes in Italy and motorbikes in India; Audi’s in Brazil and Ferrari’s in France, but my managers and friends will not allow me to drive in Russia. Russian drivers bring new meaning to the idea of “your heart pounding in your ears.” Where in other countries it is the joy of a FAB car that makes your heart pound, here it is the experience of kamikaze driving that is not for the faint of heart.

Even Russians who have been in America for a bit of time who come back to Russia and drive end up cursing under their breathe for being stuck in one spot for half an hour as no one waits in a line.

If you want to turn left, first, you have to fight the cars that come from behind you and cut you off turning left in front of you. Then you have to battle the drivers who just push through the red light.

Police are everywhere, but Russians tell me you just pay them and move on. No points on your license…..so no real incentive to follow rules…..

Most people (at least 50%) of the country have LADA’s that are pre-World War II anyway, so one more scratch does not matter. But the fact that they have these cars, and they still are in good shape and they still run, is unbelievable. Their motto is: if it runs and gets you there, it is a car. And anyone is a taxi. If you have a car, you can be a taxi. They have taxis, for sure. But you can just step into the street and wave your hand and anyone can stop and pull over and if they are going your way, they will negotiate a price and give you a ride. Hitchhiking, it is called in America, and we warn our teenagers NOT to do it. In Russia, it is an art form: to pick the right car and the right time to step into the street to flag down that car, to wear the right clothes that will make a driver pull over (not every driver pulls over) but that does not scream money so that you can negotiate a fair price for the ride….

And believe me, on a cold Russian winter night, you WILL dress the part to get a ride. Either that or you freeze to death in the street. Nothing like getting home quickly when it is cold out.

Speaking of home, I have noticed that Americans are very interested in what the outside of the house or apt looks like. “Curb appeal” is the technical term. Russians, on the other hand, take painstaking care of the inside of their house. I have been in buildings that actually look condemned from the outside only to find the most brilliant apartments done with painstaking care inside.

And their sense of History is unrivalled! They do not take down a building because it is old. In fact, it becomes a celebrated part of their history, unlike Americans who take down a building the minute it celebrates its 20th year or if it is sitting on a great parcel of land, even more reason to clear it off and build new.
Speaking of Old and New. It is amazing to see little old Russian women selling pickles and cabbage on the streets of major cities in plastic baggies—right in front of huge new futuristic shopping malls.

This is really where the past meets the future in Russia.

100 rubles, less than $4 American, is a tip worthy of a hotel housekeeper going to a dictionary to learn to say “God Bless You” in English. While the bag of choice for Russian women with money is the $10,000.00 Birkin by Hermes. The difference between the have and have-nots is as wide as Russia is BIG!

It takes 10 hours to go from St Petersburg to Harbinsk. (In America NY to LA is only 4.5 hours)

I haven’t yet figured out North to South yet. Or if they go from Sun to Snow like we do in America from Florida to Maine.
Oh and speaking of Snow. Have I yet mentioned the SNOW? Or how about shoveling snow?

In a country that manufactures snow from September to May, it is unbelievable that they do not shovel the sidewalk. To see these little 90-year-old babushkas (Russian for grandmothers) walking on ice and snow to sell their pickles for 50 rubles in little rubber boots on dreary winter days is just beyond belief. I say ‘beyond belief’ because if they fall, there is no recourse. In America an un-shoveled sidewalk would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. Here there are NO lawsuits, which is somewhat of a relief because they have a greater sense of personal responsibility than we do in America but at the same time they care less about some public safety issues: stairs to metros and icy sidewalks being just a couple of examples.

How about plowing the streets you ask? What’s the matter, can’t you drive?

Russians drive on snow, ice, rain, sleet-if it is in the road they will drive over it. (See paragraph above on Russian drivers!)

No right or wrong on either side, just different; just one thing in a long line of little things that makes us so different from each other.

But these are just outwardly things. I am constantly amazed how differently they think, and the food they eat (they juice everywhere!) and how they view the cold war with America (this has led to some lively discussions with Russian ex-military), and how they celebrate holidays (chicken is the bird of holiday feasting for example)
Oh and how- just for the record: Russians hardly EVER say sorry or thank you. So don’t feel bad if they don’t thank you when you do something! It is just not the custom.

But I think THAT blog is for next week—right AFTER I answer my webmail.

See ya then!

The 515 Chemicals Women Wear

Very interesting article from Jstine van der Leun… check it out.

We think it’s a treat for our body when we exfoliate, moisturize and polish, but are we actually making ourselves sick? A recent study by Bionsen, a natural deodorant company, estimates that the average woman wears 515 chemicals a day — from eye shadow ingredients linked to cancer to perfume ingredients linked to kidney damage.

In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found extremely high levels of lead in lipstick. In addition, recent research from the Washington, D.C.-basedEnvironmental Working Group (EWG) showed that teenage girls are exposing themselves to potentially hormone-altering substances by engaging in that seemingly-innocent coming-of-age tradition of applying makeup. Yet, despite the dangers, women need to bathe and groom — and most of us like a little extra color on our faces. So what can we do to stay healthy and still look good?

The quick answer is: Use fewer products and educate yourself. The average American uses 10 products every day, and chances are, she doesn?t know what?s in them. “It?s simple: Read the labels and be a smart shopper,” says Leann Brown of EWG. “Buy from companies that disclose their formulations.” Since producers aren?t required to make their ingredients public, many choose not to. “A company that discloses all ingredients and keeps out ingredients of concern will probably have lower risk products than cosmetics with mystery ingredients,” says Brown. These transparent products are likely to be equally effective — your hair will be just as smooth, your cheeks just as bright — but without the lurking health hazards.

When shopping, there are a few key ingredients to be avoid. However, due to lax regulation, you may find them in products marked “organic” and “all-natural,” so be on the lookout. Choose from the many nail polishes that have been reformulated to remove a common “toxic trio:” Dibutyl phthalate, a reproductive toxin; toluene, which affects the nervous system and may cause headaches; and formaldehyde, which can cause allergies and irritation. Stay away from sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate, which are spopular in cleaning products, such as body washes, as they can cause skin irritation.

Triclosan and triclocarban, which pop up in antibacterial hand soap, can damage both the thyroid and the environment. Instead, use plain soap. If you wash for 20 seconds, you?ll be just as germ-free.

Finally, stay away from parabens, common in shampoos, lotions and shaving gels. These preservatives have been so widely and publicly exposed as toxic contaminants that it is now relatively easy to find clearly-marked parabens-free products. Brown also counsels cutting out fragrance completely, since the term “fragrance” is poorly defined and could contain any number of mysterious and unhealthy synthetic compounds.

If the ingredients sound too long to remember, the Cosmetics Database offers a free pocket-size ingredients guide, where you can also find out more about over 50,000 products. If improving your health and helping the environment isn?t enough, think about this hidden benefit: Eliminating every mascara with toxic ingredients will make choosing from the overwhelming array of drugstore brands (Thickening! Lengthening! Double-thickening and lengthening!) much quicker and easier.

I AGREE WITH LINDSAY LOHAN

I agree with Lindsay Lohan: I am bored! I am not sure how many celebs are willing to say that, but this rain…it has been raining on the east coast for at least two months non-stop…is making me bored, ‘cause I don’t want to go out in it. I am beginning to mold and mildew, for heaven’s sake!

From Toronto to Florida and even in the Bahamas! I went there for a break for a few days and it rained non-stop! I even got to see my first tornado up close, first-hand, but from a safe enough distance. It was out over the water! I could not believe it! It took about 20 minutes to touch down on the water and when it did, it made a huge splash and a water funnel worked its way back up into the air! It was incredible to watch! I was on the beach in the rain, just sitting, taking in the awesome power of this phenom!

But vay-k was over soon enough! I came back to Toronto to do some selling of my skin care line on The Shopping Channel. The people who work there are just great! They were supportive and funny and I had lots of time on-air to teach people about my skin care and why it is so different from anything else out there. Let’s face it: I know people think I am some crazy raw-foodist! But seriously, what is so crazy about eating everything I want, as much as I want, whenever I want to? I just have to be careful about how it is prepared. I lose weight, I stay healthy (it even cured my cancer!), I have lots of energy and I am anti-aging with the help of my raw skin care line!

I eat cheese now, which I did not eat as a model because it was fattening, or so I thought! I didn’t know about raw milk cheeses; I only knew pasteurized! And pasteurized cheese, even if cold, is cooked BEFORE we get it!

I eat some cooked foods. I eat popcorn, for example, which of course is cooked (how else would it “pop”?!), – simply because it doesn’t exist raw! I have to eat something at hockey games! But most other things I find raw, or seared or marinated or salted…but not cooked. (Yes, even nacho chips! And ALL online.)

But my skin care is a labor of love, I made it in my kitchen for so long and I started to notice my sisters, my friends and even some of my friend’s friends lining up on the days they knew I was making a batch. The stories they were telling me about the results they were getting was a surprise to me only because I’d been using my product on my own face for so long that I had gone past the new result stage to the point of maintaining my youthful skin. So, the changes in their skin were amazing to them but not necessarily to me! What was amazing was the speed at which they were getting these results.

Anyway, I get to tell my story on HSN every other month (will be there on July 12 again) and YOU can get my FAB skin care at a great price.

So anyway, I was telling you that I am bored and maybe I lied a bit. Maybe I am just a little depressed that my boyfriend, who is a hockey player, and I have spent our 10 year anniversary amidst him packing for another 10 months on the road. He has been hired by St. Petersburg to play in Russia and he will be gone for the winter again. Perhaps that is why we lasted 10 years! Absence makes the heart grow fonder????

One nice thing is that this year, I get to go to St Petersburg instead of Yaroslavl! Yippeeee! At least I can bring some friends and family with me….everyone wants to see the summer palace of the Czar! Le Hermitage, baby, here I come!

So, the next thing on my agenda is to tell you that I will be signing my new book at the book fair in August, in NYC! Come on out! The New York Post called my new book, Model Incorporated, “ MUST reading for the summer!” In fact, I will read it again myself! It makes me nostalgic for the old days when I modeled every day and when love was new…when I met my hockey player…. when life felt easier…It makes you feel young and in love all over again! At least for me…..let me know your thoughts!

CAROL ADDRESSES FAN MAIL

“One of the real delights of my life is fan mail. I think the fact that someone cares enough to sit down and to try to communicate with me by writing a good ol’-fashioned letter is wonderful—I so appreciate the effort.

“But…and there’s almost always a ‘but’, isn’t there?!” she laughs, “My assistant, Karen and I were discussing fan mail the other day, trying to come up with a better, more efficient system to answer my mail! She suggested that we spend a little time clarifying some ‘hidden truths’ about fan mail in the hopes that we can all work together to make this process move more quickly, so that you get your photos signed and your responses back! I thought that Karen was right! We decided to use my blog on my website to try to help you help us with the process, so that you can get your collectors photos more quickly and easily!

“The following info comes from years – no, make that DECADES – of handling fan mail! I hope it helps.

“First of all, I want everyone to understand that whatever you mail to me first goes thru the Post Office and, well, let’s just say that people are human! The mail sometimes never gets to its intended destination as the Postal mail is NOT like email- it is not a sure thing! Snail mail can go astray! However, if it does get to its intended destination, that address is usually my agent’s office. It never comes directly to my home or to my own office. And my agents office gets lots of fan mail for lots of celebrities–so you are at the whim of the assistants at the agency who collect all of my mail, stockpiling it until they get a bunch together, to make it worthwhile to make a trip to the Post Office and to forward it on to me…..(Let me just say that that is usually at their convenience!) Therefore, depending on circumstances, mail can take weeks to reach my agent and then several more weeks to reach my office.

I understand that meanwhile, the writer is probably anxiously awaiting a reply! I can also understand that it feels like that reply may never arrive! They may even assume (perhaps) that I didn’t even bother to read their letter. Well I want to reassure you that nothing could be further from the truth. I PERSONALLY READ EVERY PIECE OF MAIL I RECEIVE.”

Karen picks up and explains further:

“Carol is a rarity is this respect, because she really does read every piece of mail that arrives here and sometimes it can be overwhelming. If she’s out of town on a shoot, for example, she might be gone for several months. All of the fan mail accumulates, unread, until she comes back. Then she has to designate hours and hours of her time to reading and answering the mail, all while she is trying to catch up on the rest of her life.

“That was why I thought if I could explain how the fan mail works in our office, and to set down a few easy ‘guidelines’ we could all help Carol to get thru the fan mail more quickly and thereby get responses back to anxious fans!

“First of all, if you’re requesting an autographed picture, please, please, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). If you live in a foreign country, it is better to put U.S. stamps on the envelope then to buy the postal coupons for foreign postage. The Post Office in America will NOT redeem those coupons and we end up buying the stamps again anyway, thereby having given the Post Office twice the price for one piece of mail!!

“But seriously, the main reason for the SASE is because we put mail into piles and Carol gets to them in a hierarchy! Believe it or not! We choose who we answer first as it is not on a first come/first served basis because the mail arrives all together in a big pile from the agency! Depending on how much time she has to allocate to mail, Carol does the easiest and fastest mail first–those with a photo AND an SASE! Then she does those with just an SASE, moving onto those which have photos and no SASE– thereby leaving the most time-consuming fan mail of all until last- those that have no SASE and no photo included—and that can mean that it may be months that that mail sits in our office, since Carol is answering fans while juggling work and family!

So my suggestion to fans who want a more instant answer to their fan mail? Put the photo you want with an SASE into your envelope with your letter—by the way, some of the celebrities who I have worked for are really LAZY!! If you do not include an SASE AND a PHOTO they just toss your mail unread (I hope that answers any questions as to one of the reasons why you may not have received an answer back to your letter- no SASE, no autograph!) That, or their assistants read, sign and answer their mail FOR them! Not so with Carol, so we ask for patience in order to get an authentic signature!

“Keep in mind also, please, that we don’t keep huge piles of different photos in the office just for the purpose of supplying fans with them. If you want autographs on several different photos, supply them! Also, we sometimes run out of photos and we have to wait until the new prints arrive before mailing them to the fans. And, too, we may send you a photo that we are using at that moment to answer mail but you may not like the photo or the size of the photo! Or you may want your own special photo signed to you—not just whatever we have in the office. To be sure you get what you want, help us out! The last thing we want is for you to be unhappy or dissatisfied!

“Carol, like many other celebs I have worked for over the years, prefers to autograph a photo specifically to the person requesting it. If you’re asking her to sign one for every relative you have (oh, please don’t do that unless you supply the photos, then you have to give her their names. Otherwise, you might wind up with the same name on every photo you send! And that name would be yours–NOT good for gifts!! LOL!

“Next, if you write a return address, please make sure we can read it. I can’t tell you how many times Carol has written to someone, only to realize that neither of us could make heads or tails out of their return address. But because Carol is so intent on writing back to people who have written to her, she has been seen (because I have seen her) trying to copy illegible writing so it looks exactly the same as what appears on the incoming envelope. Or else she cuts the return address off the correspondence hoping that the Post Office or Postman can decipher it! It is funny really to watch her frustration, but sad when you don’t get your response, which we have worked so hard to get to you, because it comes back to us by our return address….

“Then there are the requests for donations. Carol has spent a lifetime donating to various causes and this is what we look for (oh, and just an FYI? We only have books left): Carol will gladly autograph one of her four books that she has written provided we receive the appropriate paperwork verifying the charity’s status. That is fair, right?

“Speaking of ‘requests’…Carol feels awful when something marked ‘urgent’ has been sitting in her agents office for months while she is on location, only to arrive in a pile of mail to sit in her office for some days, weeks or months! We realize that something urgent to you is not urgent to the Post Office or to Carol’s agents. Even though it is important to Carol to get it back to you ASAP, time has already been wasted. We apologize that the fan mail process is so lame! We apologize that we cannot figure out a way to make it any faster or any better. So if something was urgent and did not make it back in time for that birthday or holiday, please forgive us– it is not for lack of caring! And we will send it back anyway– even if I we already know it will arrive late!”

Carol picks up the thread again: “I think the most important thing is for my fans to understand that I’m not ignoring them. In fact, some weekends all I do is answer fan mail! It is SO important to me that I will spend my entire weekend – 10 hours a day – answering mail. So you can understand that it truly hurts me when I get an angry note from someone, because he or she thinks I’ve been ignoring him or her– though I certainly understand why he or she might think that. You might write to me in March, but I might not even see the letter until November, or later! And then, of course, there is always the possibility that a piece of mail can be misplaced or never even arrive. I am a natural target for people who have been mistreated by other celebrities who have ignored them. But please know that each celebrity is different and to keep an open mind. Remember that perhaps your mail never even made it to my attention!”

“And may I take this moment to thank all my fans throughout the years who have written to me! I have read some of the most heart-warming, most incredible letters from my fans! As I said before, it is what I LIVE for! So keep ‘em coming!”

THE PROMISE I MADE

You know, sometimes doing what is right is the most difficult thing in the world. When I went raw (about 13 years ago now), I made a promise to God that if he saved me and saved my life, that I would take whatever little celebrity I had and I would try to do good in this world. I just asked Him to show me the way to do that good, to show me where I could be helpful.

Since, as we all know, God works in mysterious ways, it was a full 9 years or so before he took me up on my offer. The way it began was so innocent and so natural that at first I did not realize what was happening.

I moved my office to New York City from Los Angeles, but I was quite upset, because I wondered where I would get my RAW milk, cream and cheeses, as L.A. is far ahead of NYC in the ability to obtain raw dairy.

Then I received a phone call from the NY Post Newspaper, asking if I would let them shoot a photo of me at a RAW food restaurant. I was shocked: First, that they knew I was a RAW FOODIST, as I had not yet gone public with this info and second, that there are RAW food restaurants in NYC.

When the paper called, I thought, “Not for nothing, but this I have to see.” So I agreed to do a photo I would not normally have done, just to get to see and eat at a RAW food restaurant.

I am very glad I did that photo shoot, because besides finding a whole network of RAW friends in NYC, that photo started me on the path to becoming a very outspoken advocate of raw food.
Prior to that event, I had not intended to write books on RAW food; I was writing another book inspired by my friend Bill O’Reilly- and only one chapter in it was about RAW food. Instead of selling that book, however, everyone I pitched my idea to wanted me to write about the chapter I was most passionate about: RAW FOOD! I immediately sold a book (or two) on RAW.

The letters from the Ottawa Citizen were depressing in more than one way. As each letter seemed to say that I was crazy and that I was the only one in the world who was doing RAW and that I was out of touch with the real human condition. These particular letters pointed out how in shape I was, how lucky I was, how rich, able to have chefs, that I had no kids and my lifestyle was such that no one else could do what I was saying they should do! They picked on everything, including the fact that I had a great boyfriend, that I was genetically blessed and that I did not know how to live life like a “normal” person, etc., etc., etc.

They were going after ME. They were not listening to the message. Therefore, I started to think that perhaps I was the WRONG role model for this lifestyle.

People are used to seeing “fat” people say they lost weight and apparently “ill” people say they found a cure for something. But I was silent about my cancer and I fought it not on the front page of People Magazine, but in my home, working diligently with the most brilliant minds in medicine. Yet, when I changed ALL that afflicted me and I came out to tell the world, I was told that my message was not worth listening to because I was SUPER MODEL Carol Alt, who was soooooo genetically blessed that I could not possibly have problems and I was soooooo blessed with my job and my boyfriend and my family, etc., that it could not BE that I did not really have a fairytale life!

In other words: “How could a famous supermodel possibly have human afflictions?” EVEN PEOPLE MAG WOULD NOT PUT MY STORY ON THE COVER AND I DID SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT THIS MIRACLE!

Of course, worse than being a super model, I was not a doctor, so how could I possibly find a cure for cancer? Therefore, anything I did was looked at with a wary eye, which I do, on a certain level, understand. Perhaps if I had started out fat, for example, and not just sick, tired, bloated, and aging rapidly with digestive problems, headaches, weight gain and skin rashes, and ultimately cancer — perhaps if I had gone to the press with my diseases and put my sick face on the cover of People Magazine, instead of coming forward with a possible cure – people could more easily believe my message. Perhaps if I were a secretary, or a teacher, or a factory worker, they would hold me up as “The Everywoman” who could make a difference.

It has been so depressing for me to hear comments like the ones from the Ottawa Citizen, because people attack the messenger and do not listen to the message. (And trust me, I do not mind that people attack me as crazy, as I have been called everything from a “Tsunami of stupid” to doing a “disservice to women”! The only thing I really mind is that they do not hear the message!) It has been SO demoralizing that I wanted to stop doing this work. And believe me – it is WORK.

Fortunately, I understand that it is in God’s hands and that it is progressing as God intended it to. I understand I was afflicted with cancer and was able to change my prognosis because that would make me a stronger, more credible advocate for this way of eating. (I mean, I understand free will – I got cancer because I CHOSE to eat badly and to stress my body, and starved myself on every diet there was!) I believe God has been able to use my mistakes to put me on a path to help other people.

I also understand that God’s intent with this way of life is because it changes a person SPIRITUALLY and that is probably one of His goals. I mean just LOOK at this world! So I cannot and do not question God. I cannot question the things I think He is asking me to do in order to get the word out. I can only thank Him for bringing me this knowledge and saving my life with it (and giving my life back to me, which is a whole other thing!), and then trudge on ahead, with all the slings and arrows that come with this journey.

I must say at this point, that the following incredible e-mail (which is one of many positive ones) was a real boost to me personally. It made me cry with sadness for all of the Lisa’s (see “Ottawa Citizen”) in the world; at the same time it made me cry with happiness for all of the Susan’s (below) in the world. Sometimes it is hard not to lose hope that people will see how polluted this world is, and how sick people really are, and how our food has changed so much in the last years – and how EDUCATION is REALLY, REALLY needed.

Letters like the following help me to not lose hope that people will want to look for something to give them an edge in this world.
I found it in RAW…as did many OTHER people. Read the following email to see this truth.

- Carol

Notice to all readers of Carol’s Blog About Raw Food

Hi, there!

I’m sending a big “Thank you!” to so many of my fans who have written to me. I want to take a moment to tell you that I do read a great deal of my mail…not all of it, of course, as that would be a practical impossibility, since I am still shooting movies, and modeling, and promoting my skin care line, and oh, dear…my next book is due! But I read enough of it to know that I have some detractors and naysayers out there! So, I’m going to take a pause, albeit a boring pause for some of you, to address a couple of blogs that caught my attention.

Who knew that raw food would arouse so much controversy? The emotions run the gamut from anger, curiosity and judgment to absolute joy and grateful disbelief from the people who actually did try eating RAW before they wrote to me! Those “pioneers” who stuck with it did experience some of the same kind of amazing results that I did! And when I write “grateful disbelief”, I mean it! Many people could not believe that the simple act of changing the preparation of their food could alleviate so many health problems. Certainly I didn’t believe it when I started! But boy, what great results I got from taking that first leap of faith! The changes in my health were so numerous and incredible to me that I have documented some of them in my book, “Eating in the Raw”! Not only did I get relief from certain health problems, but in the 12 years I have been eating RAW, they have not come back! And some of these were chronic problems that had persisted for years before I went RAW!

Now, let me state the obvious: I am neither a doctor nor a scientist and I do not speak (or write) in specific doctor or scientific language. To put it more clearly, I cannot and don’t really want to speak in language that normal, everyday people find difficult to understand! To speak of primary, secondary, or tertiary protein links when speaking of enzymes – well that is boring even to me, an old hat at this who loves to learn new stuff about foods and the human body! Imagine how boring that is to people who are just starting out learning about raw food?

So for those of you who have written in and asked – and not for those of you who could care less “how” it works, but rather “that” it works – I respond in the following way:

Enzymes are of course protein links!
The body uses proteins (amino acids) and fats (essential fatty acids) to rebuild and regenerate the tissues, muscles, tendons, bones, and other systems of the body, skin, hair and nails. It uses only trace amounts of carbohydrates (glucose) for cell metabolism. And those carbohydrates are best coming from long chain carbohydrates such as veggies – not short chain carbs such as breads and pasta, etc.

Enzymes are what make fruit appear to go bad. When air hits the meat of the fruit, the enzymes start to “digest” the fruit. This is when I want to eat it!! When the nutrients are released. The easier it is to get at the nutrients, the better for me – as I need to be ‘nutritioned’. Same idea for nuts: A raw nut (say an almond) can germinate when put in water – meaning it can start to grow, releasing the nutrients. That is when I want to eat it; when the nutrients are easier to get at! A cooked almond will not germinate – go figure! Heat causes that much of a chemical change that a cooked nut will never grow again!! Man, you killed it!!! I am a ‘living’ being; why do I want to eat dead food?

Whatever heating does on a molecular level, I don’t need to have explained to me nor do I need to explain it to anyone else in detail.
All I NEED to know and all I ABSOLUTELY DO know is this: I digest raw food better and it makes me feel better. Period!

(By the way, if you do want more info on enzymes, I found the following website to be very informative and easy to follow: www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/enzymes.htm — It covers much of the information that I really don’t have the time to write about….I mean, come on guys, I can’t do it all!!)

As for heat changing minerals, I am sorry I did not get specific enough!! Of course heat does not change minerals! In any case, I said it “denatures vitamins and minerals”, not wanting to go into specifics there again. I did not realize that the “scientists” in the group would want to take me to task for not being clear.

What I understand is that the “bonds” between the vitamins and minerals and proteins are very sensitive to heat. When heated, these bonds can be altered or broken. As any woman who takes Calcium knows, Calcium can be absorbed more readily in the presence of Vitamin D and Magnesium. That is supposedly the way they are found in nature – with bonds linking them together, helping to make them easier to absorb. (Also fat plays a role here, but I digress.) So, by heating them and breaking the “bonds” between the vitamins and minerals, we have essentially “denatured’ them from the way they are found bonded together in nature. (Again, I have found other websites that explain this better and in more detail. But for a general explanation of how this RAW food stuff works, take a look at www.rawguru.com/reshape.html – it may help you understand it better and me explain it better, too!

To any of you raw-food naysayers I say this: If eating processed, preserved, non-organic, chemically induced, altered, cooked or GMO’d food makes you happy and feeling healthy, go for it!!

However, please do remember: When (and notice I did not say “if”, but “when”) you are not feeling so well, and when you start to take that first over-the-counter med (assuming you are not taking any already i.e. stomach remedies, aspirin, allergy/sinus meds, sleeping aids etc. etc!!), please, please, please, let go of your ego and your anger towards the idea of RAW food, and just try it! It is an inexpensive way to help your self!

You see, even if I don’t know the scientific terms for every chemical process that happens with food in the body and even if I am not a doctor, I do not need to be one to know that I have reversed my own problems and taken myself off of all the over-the-counter meds I was taking – and I have never looked back! Nor do I miss those meds or their side effects! (or the expense!)

Bottom line: Whatever the scientific explanation – and yes, some, if not all of you can explain it better than I can! In the end, when you don’t feel well… remember RAW FOOD. Regardless of HOW it works, just remember THAT it works!! And it may just save your life!!

- Carol

A letter to all my Fans

This is a letter to all my Fans!!

Last night many of you joined me in a wonderful SOLD OUT debut on HSN of the first four products in my new line of skin care Raw Essentials! Thank you, thank you for your support….

As I realize some questions may arise from that debut I wish to take a moment out of my crazy schedule (I am packing for a 3 month job overseas!) to alleviate some concerns and to answer some questions….

My History in the beauty business is well documented. In fact, NOTHING is secret in this business….
that said, let me get to the meat of your questions:

Did I have a face lift?

NO! I have a problem with keyloiding in my skin. If I had a face lift, I would have scars- and any makeup artist would love to be the whistle blower who becomes famous from unveiling any improprieties…. I do have dermabrasion- every now and again- maybe twice this year. and maybe once last year for a deep clean….

I had no acid peel. I once tried a cool lazer…did not see much change…. My lids are not cut or tucked…. I had an injection of restyln when I made the mistake of injecting a pimple because it became a nagging problem and my girlfriend told me to get it injected- as much as I fought it, I could not see going on the “celebrity apprentice” with a big bump on my face that was not really quite a pimple…. well, the injection ate my skin and collagen… and you know what? The CAUSE of the pimple did not go away (a blocked pore that needed to be cleaned out!! simple problem- simple solution!! but NOOOOO! I had to deal with the symptom and cause my self other problems!! Sound familiar? Go to the cause of problems and save yourself more problems!!)

So I had to have the “hole” left by the injection-filled…. and as it already went against my philosophy to get anything chemical….I kicked myself the whole show and while watching it because you can see the “hole” on the left chin area all the way…. eventually my own collagen filled the spot and the filler-as I am told is normal- disappeared… So injections? Yes….

What else? Ask me by posting your questions on carolalt.com for anything I missed…

Le Mirador

Yes! I was under contract for Le mirador with QVC! Le Mirador was the homegrown QVC brand. I love QVC! They were great with me…. When my books came out, I decided to create my own line! Following the Philosophy of Raw! And QVC was very understanding of that…. I believe you can still get those products from the Spa in Switzerland.

My Raw calling!!

My line is as close as I can possibly get to how I eat! In fact, some of my ingredients are coconut oil and tamanu oil and Aloe Vera in their “purest” form possible and cold manufactured to keep all the integrity of these ingredients-or as much as humanly possible…

I know raw is a controversial subject, I know many people don’t think you get any benefit from raw…. Well, I am a walking bill board to the benefits of raw…. I changed my health…. Not a stomach/acid problem, not a headache, not a flu in 13 years!! (and I was ALWAYS sick with one thing or the other!!)

I had terrible allergies since I was a kid…oh my gosh!!! Terrible- no live Christmas tree for the Alt’s, Carol can’t handle the dust and pollen etc off a live tree…..my brother and sisters were so mad at me…
well, not any more, I have no more allergies!!

I feel better, I think I look better (although there was some debate about that, I will answer that below….) I am definitely healthier…..and I owe it all to the change in my diet… I went “cold turkey” with my diet changes….not everyone can do that!! I understand!! Believe me I have friends and family following in my foot steps and I went thru the changes with them all….. I wrote Eating in the Raw, my first book, as a response to people wanting know how to do it!! I took an non-raw foodie thru the process and we basically wrote about it! All his questions answered for you to read…. but I digress…..

The point is that you just need a little education on label reading and to understand how “normal” food is processed to change… and in fact, if weight is your problem (as it was mine) eating this way is the best way I know of to keep the weight off…and to find your most natural, healthiest weight! And man, I eat like a race horse now….Yum!

So I always suggest if you do not have access to your own “raw food” escort, find a doctor who knows this way of life and ask for help….you can’t believe the benefits and you can’t believe how easy…
I wrote Eating in the Raw to be a guide to helping you find the raw, and I wrote The Raw 50- (meant to be the Raw 50 Menus but hey even supermodels make mistakes…LOL) to help you remain healthy and safe while changing to the raw food way of life…

There has not been a person who has talked to me who has gone raw who regretted it…. And don’t forget, the first couple weeks, you may detoxify! you may feel worse first! Stick to it, follow your “escort’s” guidelines….and you will get thru it…and the “other side” of the detox experience is not like anything you have experienced before…funny, how after I detoxified….and I was feeling great…I then thought back to how I felt before I went raw and was astonished to think that I had THOUGHT I FELT GOOD BEFORE….BUT it was nothing like how good I felt after….

I did have cancer…in 1990 I had cervical and in 1999 I had uterine. I got help from both sides of the issue: conventional doctors and homeopathic. As I had gotten rid of all my “little” problems: allergies, sinus infections, colds, flu, headaches, stomach acid…with raw I called my homeopathic doctor who taught me raw and said: how can this be? I am raw 3 years…..he told me the following:

“Carol, I am surprised that is all you have!! When you came to me with your little aches and complaints, i knew you were in for a long haul. You had so many illnesses about to happen that i could not tell you because I did not want to scare you. But, I knew if you did not go raw, you would have had a very different future than you have now. you would have had many more problems than this and far more serious problems (more serious than cancer?? wow!!). Stay the course, and keep diligent, follow my Protocol for you and we can beat this!”

and I did- it was a roller coaster ride, but I followed my path of raw and supplements and enzymes and herbs, and I have had clean tests for the last 5.5 years. No surgery, chemo or radiation….This was my path….

Then I wanted to keep my environment clean, too, chemical free to help my healing and healthy process… Well, when it came to looking at all the things around me that had chemicals, the research that I did, in order to help save my own life, led me to understand that the air and water is polluted and that the body ends up trying to clean this…and it is taxing on the body…. And then I looked at skin care and realized that whatever we put on the skin goes into the bloodstream and becomes part of the body!! Scary!! Even more scary? THE FDA DOES NOT REGULATE SKIN CARE OR BEAUTY PRODUCTS!!!!

So, I decided that if I am putting it on my skin, I want the cleanest possible, most raw possible, most pure possible products…. Well, nothing that existed passed my test! So I made my own! In my home, in my blender!! And everyone loved them… And then I got the chance to make it for you! or as close to what I was making as possible! The biggest tests were the preservatives!! And the cold processing!! And we pioneered both. I believe this is the future… OH- and so does some of the other cosmetic companies… as they told me to my face, that in 5 years, they will be copying me… So draw your own conclusions!!

The before and after photo on HSN….

The before and after of me seemed to be of big debate online… Well here it is- first of all, the lightening in the photo was a yellow light and HSN has a more FLAT blue light! Better to show you FAB products!! But well, Yellow light is much more flattering for people and skin. I did the best with what i had….LOL

I had no foundation OR blush….I wanted to show you clean skin!!

I am 26 years older than that photo- so you need to separate the maturing of a “look” and the “quality” of the skin…. I was trying to show you that my skin quality is just about the same…as 26 years ago- as any makeup artist can tell you- I mean any artist who has been up close and personal with me that is!!

My raw line:

I will have another 7 products in the normal to sensitive line in January on the 27th…I will fly in from Europe and go right on air….so please be kind if i look stressed!! Listen to the message and stop picking apart the Human messenger…. We will have a melting scrub….I hope….I am working on it NOW!! We will have body moisture, masks, toners, scrubs….bath products…..what ever you need to start your Raw Skin Care Regime! I did the work for you…. join us and learn more!!

OK, OK…. I am not a scientist, but I hired the best, most unbelievable scientist!! One who loves natural ingredients and was up to the challenge of making a natural preservative and pioneering the cold process of mixing the line… In March, I will come out with my FAV line- as I have mature and ageing skin!! It is the Anti-aging line…

Do they Work? I aim for all the best results you need for skin, and then I work backwards to find the ingredients that are in nature that do this!! Then I work forward again to create a LUX, elegant, sexy line that is easy to use (no refrigeration!!) try it!! You will not go back……
AND JUST WAIT ’til you see my testimonials in January 27/28th! (most after two weeks of use only- some only 10 days of use!!) Even I was most pleasantly shocked at the results!!! I knew this line was good…..but THAT GOOD???? Wow!!

Feed your skin…. I am trying to educate you to make the right choices in your skin care and food regime…. Education is the beginning of change. it was for me…. and I do not force this philosophy on anyone….it is just that I had such amazing, incredible results from it, I cannot imagine that other women-IF THEY KNEW ABOUT IT- would not want those same changes…

Do I get too thin on raw, yup! I do- minor side effect….

I am happier, healthier, more aware, in less pain, more clear in my thinking and my spirituality than ever before….than even when I was 20!! I thank God for that… all I am doing is “Paying it Forward…”

SUMMERTIME AND RAW EATIN’ IS EASY

When the subject of summer vs winter raw foods is brought up, Carol Alt knows that in this day and age, there is virtually no difference between the two in terms of easy availability.  Access to foods that are grown internationally and transported all over the world is commonplace and relatively inexpensive, thanks to modern transportation methods.  No more waiting for the first warm days of summer if you crave strawberries, grapes or asparagus.  Winter vegetables?  No longer any different than the summer ones.  With very few exceptions, all fruits and vegetables are now available year-round.

What does seem to be seasonal, however, is the way many people think of summer vs winter meals.  In the wintertime, nothing seems more inviting that a hot cup of soup, followed by a rich, heavy, warming plate of…well, you name your favorite foods.

But who wants a heavy meal during the heat of summer?  Certainly not raw food enthusiasts and really, not too many other people, either.  We all want to cool off and a terrific, interesting salad, or a plate of fresh fruit, can be just what the doctor ordered.

Carol loves the variety of dishes available during the long, warm days of summer, and is happy to share a few choice ideas.  For example, a beautiful, yet simple salad composed of cucumbers, dill and cold-pressed olive oil.  She sometimes includes her own homemade kefir and a little sea salt in the dressing, for variety.

“I love kefir and since it’s so easy to make, especially during the summer, when it’s warm outside, I keep some going all the time”, says Carol.  “Ask your favorite Indian restaurant to sell you a kefir ‘bud’, which is just a scoop of their own kefir.  Heat your milk  (about a gallon) until just before it comes to a boil, let it cool, and add the kefir ‘bud’.  Set the bowl outside in the sun (cover it with a towel or plastic wrap), come back 8 hours later and voila! you have your own homemade kefir!  If the kefir isn’t quite thick enough, just leave it in the sun a while longer, until it’s the consistency you want”.  Carol likes to add granola to her kefir when it’s ready to eat and of course, you can add whatever fruits you prefer.  “Kefir contains more beneficial bacteria than yoghurt and by making my own, I know that the ingredients are not chemically altered”, something that fits right into Carol’s raw and healthy lifestyle.

Back to the salad dressing, Carol says there are countless variations on the cold-pressed olive oil and kefir base:  Curry, a pinch of cayenne (if you like things spicy), minced onion, garlic, etc., can all be added to suit your taste.  “Experiment with it.  You’ll discover a lot of different tastes that work beautifully with fresh salad greens, as well as other raw vegetables.  By using the cold-pressed oil, you also know that the dressing will be of the highest possible quality, especially in terms of raw.”

If you can’t resist eating pasta, Carol urges you to try rice pasta.  Chop up some fresh tomatoes, a little cilantro or basil, celtic sea salt and cold-pressed olive oil.   “Don’t cook the mixture – in Italy it is called ‘pomodoro al fresco’ or ‘cold tomatoes’”, Carol advises, “but even if you  HAVE to have a hot tomato sauce, which will probably give you heartburn, at least add the oil after cooking…” and toss it with the hot pasta.  “When I gave up wheat pasta, along with the other wheat products that I no longer eat, I never had another cold, or sinus infection, or allergy attack!”, she says.  “Before I changed that part of my diet, I was constantly taking aspirin, cold medicines, allergy medicines – I was sick all the time.  Never again.”

Depending on where you live, the myriad summer fruits – cherries, peaches, mangos, berries, pineapples, etc. – can be cut up, tossed together, and served with a kefir-based “dip” or dressing.  Add a little honey and some of the juices from the cut fruit to the kefir for a lovely, slightly sweet dressing.

Speaking of something sweet, Carol will combine a fresh banana, some fresh fruit, perhaps a little freshly squeezed orange juice and kefir, all whirled together with a little ice in the blender, for a delicious slushy.  And to cover her bets during the winter, or if she forgot to go to the market for fresh items, Carol freezes some fruit (including cut-up bananas) for emergency use.  She also recommends keeping commercially frozen fruits in the freezer year-round, with the caveat that they not be processed with added sugar or syrup.

These are just a few of the ideas and recipes included in Carol’s book, “The Raw Fifty”.  The book covers nearly 130 menu ideas and recipes, which help raw enthusiasts (and anyone else looking for delicious additions to their usual fare) come up with easy, tasty, family-pleasing dishes.

In case you’re wondering – and who doesn’t? – how the calorie count in raw fruits and vegetables stacks up against that of the same foods when they’ve been cooked, Carol has a great analogy.  “I compare the foods we put into our bodies to the gasoline we put into our cars.  It’s all going to be burned up, but if you put cheap gas into your car, it’ll leave a residue and not burn cleanly.  That will ultimately damage your car’s engine.  The higher quality the gas, the cleaner it burns.  With our food, the purer it is going in, the cleaner and more energy-efficient it will be.  What can be more pure than raw fruits and vegetables?”.

One of the things that Carol emphasizes is that “raw” really means “unprocessed”.  Every time you open a can of something – anything! – the food in that can has been processed, meaning that in a very basic way, it has been altered molecularly.  The human body then has to process the altered food differently (and less efficiently) than it would if the same food were raw and unaltered.

Carol has given lectures and even spoken to doctors and other medical professionals about the molecular changes that occur when raw food is cooked.  She is trying to teach everyone that by eating raw, your body receives the purest possible energy source and is really forced to burn it all off in the cleanest, healthiest way.

In a future article on this website, Carol will explore what it was like being a fat – yes! you read correctly! – kid.  But for now, she hopes you’ll push back from the computer, and take a walk…maybe to a fresh foods market nearby, for some of that luscious summer produce she’s been talking about

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