So the very kind and generous people over at Bella Nutripro sent me a juicer to review. I mean, that is a pretty cool thing in itself. A gifted juicer…I think if the 2008 newbie blogger version of me could have seen that coming, I would have fallen off my chair with gratitude and glee.

I already have a Breville Elite juicer, which I love, but I left it up at my parents house in MA so I could make room for my new experiment with the Bella NutriPro. At first, when I opened the box, I was skeptical. My Breville was all tough and stainless steel, and the Bella NutriPro had a lot of plastic parts. Plus, I am loyal to my Breville. We’ve gone through a lot of emotional experiences together.

The Bella NutriPro juicer is a cold press, bladeless juicer, that claims it gets more nutrients out of produce than traditional juicers. According to Bella NutriPro, traditional juicers and blenders with spinning blades create heat and break open the cell walls of the produce, exposing it to oxygen and reducing nutrients. So that’s the dilly on the benefits. Read more here.

When I finally gave the Bella NutriPro juicer a shot, I noticed a couple of awesome things immediately. First, there are 2 visible spouts – one that spits out the juice, and one that spits out the pulp into a separate container. You can see it all as it’s getting mushed out. It’s actually pretty cool.

But the COOLEST part that I noticed was the screen that the juice goes through after it’s extracted, further straining any bits of pulp. With my Breville I always end up straining the juice through a strainer after I make it, because I just like super smooth juice. The Bella NutriPro has it built in, which is nice.

My first juice was a green juice with kale, celery, apple, cucumber, lemon, ginger, basil and grapefruit. I made it for my roommate and her family and it was a huge hit. (Get 10 of my juice recipes here).

Regarding using the juicer, I felt like it was working really hard to chew up all those fruits and veggies. It was kinda loud, crunching the juice out, and it just seemed like it was doing a lot of hard work, compared to my Breville which seemed to gnaw through the toughest veggies in 2 seconds. I’m not sure what’s “better” or “worse” when it comes to juicers, so please give me your input if you have opinions! The final result, though, was a really good amount of great tasting juice.

Regarding all the plastic, I asked the Bella Nutripro people about it, and they said “the NutriPro is a pretty heavy duty machine. The combination of plastic and steel makes it a bit lighter and easier to store and use in the kitchen.” Ok. I mean, it’s not like the Breville doesn’t use some plastic too.

Bottom line? This juicer makes a lot of juice. The juice tastes great and the juicer is not super hard to clean. I am having fun with it and I love the little pulp screen. As far as which juicer is better, as I mentioned, I don’t know the definitive answer to that, because I love my Breville too. They are similarly priced, with the Bella Nutripro being about $50 cheaper than the Breville Elite.

The Bella NutriPro ($249.95)

The Breville Elite ($299)

Have you tried the Bella NutriPro juicer? What juicer do you use? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Other posts you may like:

The Best Yoga Mat

Juicing vs. Blending

In just a few weeks I’ll be heading out to Boulder, Colorado for the Hanuman Festival.

 

I wrote in detail here on YOGANONYMOUS about why I’m going, and one of the reasons I wrote is this:

 

I go where the high vibe is.
The Hanuman Festival’s tagline is “Raise the Vibration,” and that alone gets me amped up. This is the type of festival where you can literally feel the positive vibration pulsating through the air. Yoga classes, great music and a community coming together to celebrate all that is beautiful in the world? I mean, come on. Sign me up.

I use the phrase “high vibe” constantly, when I’m describing things in life that feel awesome. It seems like the best description, because it invokes an actual feeling about the energy surrounding something. When we surround ourselves with high vibe energy, that’s usually when we feel the most connected, excited and alive.

 

I just looked up “vibe” and here was my favorite definition: “a distinctive emotional aura, experienced instinctively.”

 

YES! I mean, really there’s no way to fully describe what it feels like to be drawn to the vibe of something, but I’m pretty sure you get it. I try to listen to my intuition about where I need to be based on the feelings I instinctively have about the vibe, and it rarely leads me in the wrong direction.

 

Ok, I probably sound like a vibe addict and maybe I am. But now…let’s hear more about raising the vibe at Hanuman.

 

I met Yoshi Aono in October at Yoga Journal in Estes Park, and he told me about the Hanuman Festival. I had a feeling I would be there as soon as I heard about it (most likely because I was high on Colorado vibes at the time).

I decided to ask Yoshi what “raise the vibration” means to him when it comes to this festival. Because really, the reason people put on festivals like this is to heighten the collective energy, spread love, and create positive change in the world. And that is super high vibe.

 

Jenny: Yoshi! “Raise the Vibration” is the theme of the Hanuman Festival. What does that mean mean to you?

Yoshi: Raise the Vibration is a feeling which results from community having space to gather and share in a celebratory weekend. We operate with a certain level of engagement at work and at play. By coming together amongst like-minded people and sharing in a transformational weekend, our community is able to raise the bar and connect in a truly authentic manner.

Jenny: When a community comes together like this to collectively raise the vibration, what effect do you think this has on the rest of the world?

Yoshi: The effect of coming together in an intentional community inspires all to explore the best versions of themselves. As people return home, the experience of transformation rejuvenates and creates a ripple effect within communities. Inspired by Hanuman, we can create change through a commitment to authentic connection.

 

Jenny: Awesome.

 

So if you’re not sick of hearing me say the word “vibe,” come hang out with me at Hanuman! 3-day, 2-day and 1-day passes are now available. There’s still space in some of the classes with teachers like Richard Freeman, Kathryn Budig, Tiffany Cruikshank, Saul David Raye and Rod Stryker….get tickets!

What does raising the vibe mean to you?

The other day in yoga class, one of my teachers brought up the concept of “quiet desperation.” I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

He described quiet desperation as something that happens when you “lose your edge” – meaning, you lose any uncertainty about your life, you have the next 10-20 years mapped out and you know exactly what it’s gonna look like. You’ve played it “safe”, you do things the way you have been expected to do things, and you’ve found “stability.” Sometimes, when that happens, some people drop into the state of quiet desperation. Meaning everything is “fine” on the outside, you have everything you thought would bring happiness, but you have a longing inside to feel more alive, to dance along the edge of uncertainty, to follow your heart, to take a risk, to live more passionately, to leave room for the unknown.

Someone else described quiet desperation as “what happens when you’re doing what’s expected of you, without ever exploring what it is you truly want out of life. You know there’s something wrong, but you’re too polite to complain and too busy to think about it much.”

The whole concept feels a little suffocating, right?

I’m not saying that everyone who chooses to take a stable, mapped-out, society-approved way of life feels this quiet desperation. I’m also not saying that wanting stability in your life is a bad thing at all. BUT – I am willing to bet that you know if you feel quiet desperation…you probably knew as soon as you saw the title of this blog post.

This topic really resonated with me because I have always been kind of obsessed with being “edgy.” The thought of living in quiet desperation or feeling mediocre about my life has always repelled me. I used to think keeping my “edge” meant doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, drinking anybody under the table and saying things like “f*ck society” all the time. Kind of a destructive way to keep my edge. In fact, being edgy in that way was actually extinguishing the intuitive voice inside urging me to play bigger. Now, I know that being “edgy” can mean something so much cooler. It can mean taking radically good care of myself, not settling for status quo, and pushing my own boundaries of what’s truly possible in life. Being edgy can mean taking risks in the name of feeling fully alive, and dipping my toes into the unknown.

I think the feeling of quiet desperation comes from knowing there’s a passion and purpose for your life, hearing a voice urging you to step into something…but not listening to that voice.

I actually think realizing you’re living in quiet desperation is a good thing. It means there’s something beautiful inside of you just waiting to be shared…something incredible waiting to be born.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

I don’t know, I feel like there is so much more to say on this topic, but all I can say is that if you feel like you’re living in some semblance of quiet desperation, you can take that as a sign that it’s time to give yourself a really important gift…the gift of allowing yourself to be who you truly want to be.  You don’t have to revamp your entire life, leave your job/relationship/home/town in order to do it (although, some may want to). All you have to do is listen, for a moment, to the desire inside of you and take a small step towards living the life you really want to live.

Maybe it’s time to listen to that inner voice that’s asking you to step into something great. Maybe it means taking a class in something you’re interested in. Getting started on that creative project you’ve always dreamed of. Taking a risk. Taking a trip. Changing something you know you need to change. Having a conversation with someone. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Doing something crazy in the name of love. I don’t know, it’s different for everyone. For me, one of the big steps I took towards living a more passionate life was enrolling at nutrition school.

If you have a feeling you’re meant to do something creative (and really, we all are)…I highly, highly suggest picking up The Artist’s Way. For real, big time, it’s a game-changer. After taking a 3-day workshop with the author, Julia Cameron, I started this blog…

When it comes to living passionately and keeping your edge, it looks different for everyone. There’s nothing I can say to tell you exactly what it looks like for you. Chances are, you already have at least a small spark of an idea…

“We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine…it’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”  - Marianne Williamson

I have just scratched the surface here, and this post feels a little ADD, so I would love for you guys to weigh in on this topic. It’s important and complicated and has a lot of layers. What do you think?

Guest post by Raya Ioffe of Raya Wellness

Sauerkraut is sexy! I bet you haven’t seen those two words together in the same sentence before.

What comes up for you when you think about kraut? Is it that cabbage stuff you put on a hot dog at a baseball game? Is it a strong smelling garlicky dish that your grandmother or great grandmother may have served?

There is literally a whole world of cultured and fermented foods and beverages such as kombucha, kimchee, kefir, kvass, miso, and more! And they are all great choices. For today we are looking at traditional sauerkraut, but all the benefits of other fermented foods are the same.

So what is so sexy about fermented vegetables?

They’ll give you..

1) Glowing skin
2) A flatter tummy
3) Better digestion
4) More energy
5) A stronger immune system

Alright, Are you in?

What I’m talking about is old fashioned, lacto-fermented sauerkraut (pickled cabbage).

What in the world is lacto-fermented?

Lacto-fermented means the good bacteria that live on your veggies, in this case cabbage leaves, are kept alive and are cultured so that the “beneficial bacteria” – the lacto-baccilli – are working for you. Lacto-baccilli are the friendly bugs in your gut, making lactic acid, and making your tummy happy! They keep the bad bugs such as opportunistic bacteria, yeasts, and parasitic bacteria from taking over and making you sick.

The more of these probiotic (gut friendly bacteria) you have, the stronger your immune system – therefore less colds, less tissues, less missed days of work and more time to take “mental” health days.

How do the bacteria help?

These good bacteria are living organisms and just like you, they have to eat. When they eat the sugars from cabbage leaves or carrots for example, one of their by-products is lactic acid.

Lactic acid? Isn’t that bad?

Nope! This is the good kind of acid you want working for you in your stomach. Acid helps to lower the stomach pH and makes it a less hospitable environment for the bag buggies that can come in our food. Acid in your stomach activates digestive enzymes that help break down proteins. This means less gas and bloating. When you eat kraut, it actually alkalizes your blood. You want that! When you are alkaline, you get back to a strong immune system – less yeast infections, less inflammation, less breakouts. You get that “healthy glow.”

When is it good to eat kraut?

For maximum digestive power, consume kraut with your meals, especially foods that are high in protein. But, anytime you can get it in would be fantastic!

Where do I find lacto-fermented kraut?

Look for it in your health food store’s refrigerated section. Make sure it says either “lacto-fermented”, “raw”, or “unpasteurized.”

How can I be sure if a particular kraut is alive with the good bacteria?

If vinegar is listed as one of the ingredients or if it is unrefrigerated, though it may be very tasty and it will be preserved for a very long time, it ain’t the cabbage with the best bacteria bang for your buck.

Easy Saurkraut Recipe:

Ingredients:
4 1/2 lbs of thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 lb of shredded carrots
3 Tbs of Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
2 cups of water
Optional: couple of cloves of garlic, minced

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Begin to knead the cabbage as if you would dough. Massage the salt into the cabbage and keep squishing it down and mixing it. The cabbage will begin to release more of it’s own juices and you will end up with a lot of liquid and “less” cabbage.

Once you have massaged the cabbage, carrots, and salt for 5 or more minutes, you can begin to press it into a crock, a glass jar, or even a pot. Press it down as firmly as you can to get as much of the air out as possible (the lacto-bacilli like an anaerobic (no oxygen) environment). Press the veggies down with a plate and put something heavy on top like a jar filled with water so that as the kraut begins to ferment and gases are released by the bacteria they don’t push your veggies out of the brine. Finally cover this whole thing with a large kitchen towel.

Harvesting the kraut:

Tips and tricks:

• Weigh your cabbage at the store on one of their scales – close enough to 4.5 lbs plus or minus a bit will be fine.
• Cut the cabbage in half or quarters, and de-core it before slicing.

Here’s to peaceful digestion!

If you struggle with reflux, gas, bloating, IBS, constipation, diarrhea, colitis, Crone’s, and other digestive woes or want more “make your belly happy” recipes from Raya Ioffe, check out Raya Wellness!

Have you ever made feremented veggies before? Share your tips!

When I first started Healthy Crush, I had this vision that it was going to be the next big healthy recipe site. All I wanted was to do was come up with awesome healthy recipes, cook, take photos of food, and blog about it. To fuel this dream, I quit my 9-5, bought a fancy-pants camera that another food blogger told me was great for food photography, and got to work. I picked up cute bowls and plates whenever I came across them and asked for pretty kitchen stuff on every holiday. I spent hours looking through cookbooks and hanging out at health food stores to come up with recipes. I would wait until the sun let the perfect amount of mid-day natural light stream through my kitchen windows, then I would style the food and take 100+ pictures (no exaggeration) of every meal I made. Then, of course, came the choosing of the perfect picture and the actual writing of the blog. I spent most of my time on it and loved every moment of it. Browse through my recipes to see some of my favorite photos.

Then, life changed, as life tends to do, and I ended up having to leave my apartment, my beautiful kitchen, and my life of constant healthy cooking. I embarked on a long stretch of traveling and I realized a few things. 1) I couldn’t sustain my recipe blogging while in a state of transient living and 2) I had to give in to the desire to write more about personal development, yoga, and other things that my heart was begging me to write. I let go of the idea of my blog being the next 101 Cookbooks.

That being said, my point here is that I can really, really appreciate a great recipe blog. I understand how much work needs to be put in to produce great recipes and immaculate food photos, especially while focusing on healthy ingredients. Seriously, it is no joke, it is a full time job, and it really impresses me. For that reason, I gotta show some serious love to a few food bloggers I admire.

Here are 5 food blogs I really dig:

1) 101 Cookbooks

The original site that inspired me to start a blog. You’re probably already familiar with it, it’s one of the most popular recipe blogs out there, and with good reason. If not, get familiar. Heidi Swanson focuses on natural, whole food ingredients, and many a meal in my life has been inspired by her.

What to make:

There are so many great recipes on 101 Cookbooks, but one of my all-time favorites is the Double Broccoli Quinoa.

2) My New Roots

Sarah Britton of My New Roots takes some really beautiful food photos and her recipes are healthy and amazingly delicious. I love how she explains the health benefits of certain ingredients…it’s really an all-around great resource. She really knows how to make health food look (and taste!) good.

What to make:

Stop everything you’re doing, do not pass Go, do not collect $200, until you make The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread. I won’t say anything else….just TRUST ME ON THIS. Ok?

3) Naturally Ella

I think I freaked out when I found Erin’s site, Naturally Ella. She focuses on healthy, seasonal foods that are easy to prepare, and her photos will make your mouth water. I remember emailing her when I came across her site, telling her how I was obsessed with it and sending her a virtual hug just for creating it.

What to make:

Red Lentils and Spinach in Masala Sauce. I can’t describe in words how delicious this is. Red lentils cooked in coconut milk with spices and spinach…I mean, it’s way too good. Make it tonight.

4) Oh She Glows

This is another blog that I’ve had my eye on for a long time. Angela’s blog “celebrates her love for plant-based foods,” and all of her recipes are meat and dairy-free, many of them being free of gluten, soy, and processed foods. She has TONS of great recipes and her pictures are legit. I’m getting hungry just looking at her site.

What to make:

I am so in love with the step-by-step photos of her Homemade Almond Milk! This is the recipe that inspired me to make my first-ever batch of almond milk at home. Super creamy goodness.

5) Sprouted Kitchen

Sara Forte calls herself a “food loving, wellness craving, veggie fiend.” How can I not love that? Her recipes are awesome and the photos are gorgeous.

What to make:

My roommate Ali made these Smoky Beet Burgers for me and I was blown away. I don’t even like beets, and I loved these things!! They are packed with lentils and spices and golden raisins….just freaking delicious. I hear they are a bit time consuming to put together, but really worth it.

Whew! Ok, that’s my healthy food blog roundup. What are some of your favorite food blogs and recipes? Share in the comments! Let me know what I’ve been missing out on!

Now…get cooking!!!

Other posts you might like:

The Best Yoga Mat

Juicing vs. Blending

Last summer, I left my apartment and life in New York with a heavy heart and ventured out to live in Los Angeles for a few months.

Every time I sat in a meditation and asked for guidance on what to do next, I kept getting the message “focus on your healing and everything else will fall into place.” When I asked what I needed to do to heal, my intuition kept saying “yoga.” So I listened. Once I got to LA, I threw myself into whatever yoga classes came my way. One day I decided to venture over to Runyon Canyon for a 10:30am outdoor yoga class in the park, taught by Daniel Overberger. Despite the fact that we were practicing outside on the dirt on a slanted hill, and there were sometimes bees buzzing around me and ants crawling around on my mat, it quickly became my favorite yoga class to go to.

The reason? Well, at the end of the class, Daniel would always say these words:

“You’re living your dream. Don’t miss it. Namaste.”

Every time the class ended with that phrase, I would think about my life. “You’re living your dream.” I would realize that even though my life was far from perfect and I was going through some really difficult emotions, there were so many beautiful things I did have in my life that I’d only dreamed about in the past. Every time, it filled me with intense gratitude.

It also made me realize how much time I spend thinking about the things I don’t have yet, the things I’ve lost, the things I need to “work on” and living from the “when I have _____ everything will be great” mentality.

While it’s cool to have goals and dreams for the future, I think most of us spend a lot of time trying to get that next thing we want, and then saying “NEXT!” without actually taking the time to appreciate and be present for the beautiful life we’ve created. “You’re living your dream. Don’t miss it.”

A few of years earlier, sitting at a 9-5 job, I had dreamed about creating a life where I could travel and live bi-coastally and do work that mattered to me. At the time, it seemed so out of reach. Now I was living it. My sister and I had always talked about living together. Now, I was sleeping in a bedroom across the hall from her in Hollywood. For so long I had dreamed about being a writer. Now I had a healthy living blog that was allowing me get press passes to yoga festivals on the regular. I mean, so much amazing stuff was happening that I wasn’t really taking the time to fully appreciate. 

Maybe I didn’t have everything I had ever dreamed of all at once, there was heartache and endless things to work on and improve and figure out, but it was true…in so many ways, I was living my dream. And in so many ways, through focusing on hurt and lack and endlessly searching for the next thing I needed to change, I was missing it.

With all of the gorgeous blessings in our lives, we so often choose to focus on the areas we feel lack. Focusing so much attention on what’s not working in our lives totally takes away from the pleasure and enjoyment of what we do have, even if we feel like we’re not “there” yet. I mean, really, are we ever “there” anyway? How about being HERE? Here is actually pretty damn good, if we would actually pay attention.

It reminds me of a quote from a Paramore song, “Looking Up” – this quote gives me the same feeling.

“Taking for granted most everything that I would have died for just yesterday.”

Think about where you were a year ago, five years ago, whatever. What do you have now that you only dreamed about then? Big or small, it doesn’t matter. Do you take the time to really soak up all the wonderful things you’ve created for yourself, or are you always just onto the next thing, never feeling like it’s good enough or “complete”?

Sitting on my dirty yoga mat in Runyon Canyon with an ant crawling over my foot, I realized, even with all the tears and the difficulty, how kick-ass life really is.

I decided to ask Daniel where he got the phrase, and what it means to him. Here’s what he had to say:

What things about your life, big or small, are you experiencing today that you had only dreamed of? Are you taking the time to appreciate what you do have in your life? Let’s get some gratitude on here, friends…

“I have been missing the rapture this whole time, of being forever incomplete.” -Alanis Morissette

There is no better way to celebrate, in my opinion, than with raw chocolate. (Surprise, surprise).

And thanks to my dear friends at Gnosis Chocolate.

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My friend Gabby says this all the time, and I think it’s definitely true. I don’t know if I’m using the correct wording, but the basic idea is this:

“Your task isn’t to seek a lover, but to become a lover of life.”

Don’t you think it’s super attractive when you meet someone who just seems to dig their life? Someone who is just kind of jamming out to their own tune, and happy to share the good vibe with whoever they meet? It’s fun to meet people who are all lit up like that.

There’s a quote from a song that Gabby also put me onto, that embodies this idea.

“I’m in love with a girl who’s in love with the world…I can’t help but follow.” -Amos Lee, “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight.”

When you’re in love with what you’ve got going on in your life, people can’t help but feel magnetized towards you. I really like this concept because people always think they need to change who they are or become somehow perfect before they can attract more love in their life. But if you’re feeling good in your own life, then when you meet someone you have chemistry with, it will be (as Gabby also says), “the icing on the already awesome cake.”

Plus, energetically, if you’re feeling good about your life, you’re more likely to attract someone who’s in vibrational alignment with that. Same goes if you’re not feeling good.

So if you find yourself always feeling the need to change, manipulate things, become perfect, chase “unattainable” partners, or whatever, it might be time to focus more on getting snuggled up and cozy with the love you can experience just through being happy with your own life, first. I mean, either way it’s a win-win.

So go ahead, be the already awesome cake. (gluten free, dairy free, naturally sweetened cake)

What do you think?

Get more inspiration from Gabby

Last year, I did a 10-day juice cleanse. It was a crazy awesome yet mildly insane experience. At the end of the cleanse, I had firmly decided that food and creativity were deeply linked. In fact, at the time, I thought for sure I was going to write a book on eating for creativity. Maybe I still will.

I felt so strongly about the link between eating and creativity during this cleanse because I had gotten rid of all the crap in my diet – all the sugar, the flour, the caffeine, the dairy, everything. All the things that I never realized might be affecting my creativity. I never would have even thought about it, really. But during the cleanse I had crazy bursts of creative energy, and felt an almost uncontrollable need to express myself creatively. Everything I experienced was touching me on such a deep level, and I had so much clear, vibrant energy at times that I found myself completing entire projects in one day that I normally would have taken a week to do. I didn’t want to stop. Some nights it got excessive, and I would stay up writing until 2 or 3 in the morning because I had creative energy pulsing through my veins.

I know that sounds intense, and it was. I love intensity. But I realized something at the end of the cleanse. Once I started eating regular foods again, I found I didn’t need to be juicing exclusively in order to feel creative energy, but there were a few things that DEFINITELY, without a doubt, blocked me from feeling inspired, caused me to hit energetic walls when I was trying to create something, and caused my energy levels to dip deep into the caverns of creative apathy.

There are certain foods that can lead to fatigue more than others, that can cause us to crash, feel lethargic, and even moody, anxious and depressed. While I certainly believe that depression can lead to deep creative insights (hello, some of the best songs in the world), even the most emo songwriter needs to actually have the energy and mental clarity to produce.
So what are some of the things can block creative energy? Here are 4 that do it for me. I’d love to hear in the comments if you have others to add, or if you’ve had a similar experience.

Gluten - Even those without a gluten allergy can feel lethargic, have a suppressed immune system, experience digestive distress and become foggy-brained after consuming gluten. A muffin is not your best friend when trying to get something creative done.

Sugar - Oh, the rollercoaster of mental insanity that comes with this drug. A sugar high might give you instant gratification and giddy energy for like, a second, but the crash can bring you to new lows of awfulness. A sugar crash can make you feel unmotivated, unproductive and creatively bankrupt, and that’s just not cool.

Coffee - I hate to add this one, because MAN do I freaking love coffee. But, unfortunately, I’ve learned the hard way so many times with this abusive lover. I always think YES, if I have that cup of coffee, I’ll be able to just bust through this project quickly and be done with it (same feelings I had back in the day when I used adderall, which is no coincidence). It’s the instant gratification feeling. But for me, this often leads to a crash that only leaves me wanting more. Oh, I feel like crap now and I’m exhausted, but I need to finish this work so I guess I’ll have another coffee. That, my friends, is called borrowing energy from your future, which is in turn creating an energy deficit in your body. As you get more addicted to that artificial energy, the crashes get lower and lower every time until it just starts to ruin your life. (Whoa, I’m ranting). Listen, I totally get that some people can have a cup of coffee, enjoy it, and go on with their life just fine. And when I’m just enjoying a coffee once in awhile (not using it to create continuous fake energy to work on a creative project), it can be a completely enjoyable, sane thing (so don’t come up to me and say anything if you see me drinking a coffee at brunch). I’m just saying that using coffee as a means of enhancing your creative energy can, for some people, be a slippery slope.

Overeating anything - When you overeat, your creativity is all blocked up because it’s taking so much energy to digest all the food. Can you really produce something creative when all you want to do is take a burrito nap? I can’t, anyway. I think the key is not to let yourself get so stuffed that you can’t operate at full capacity. Steve Jobs had it right when he said “stay hungry.” I know he didn’t mean it like that, but still.

Have you experienced this with anything I mentioned here? Do you agree or disagree? I would love to hear how you think eating affects your creative energy. Enlighten me!

The other day I reluctantly got on a phone call with an accountant that manages one of my investments, an account I barely ever touch. He scheduled a call with me just to “get my updated facts into their system.” I put off actually getting on the call because I just didn’t think it was necessary. I thought, why can’t I just email them my updated information and let that be the end of it? Scheduling a phone call felt tedious, but his assistant kept pushing the idea of getting something on the calendar. After the 3rd email he sent (I ignored the first 2), I finally agreed to get on a call. (I’ve been using “I’m too busy” as an excuse for everything lately, which is lame). The truth was, I hadn’t spoken to this accountant in many years (which became hilariously clear when he asked if I was still dating my college boyfriend), so I guess it was about time.

It turned out to be one of the most inspiring business conversations I’ve had in a long time. In fact, it reinvigorated me to get back to my blog and stop using being “busy” as an excuse.

The last thing you’d really expect to get into with a financial analyst is a deep talk about life, but I mean, you never know, these days I find myself getting into it with everyone. So instead of just giving him my new address, I found myself telling him (mildly venting) about my Healthy Crush business, the work I’m doing with Dr. Lipman, and the challenge of juggling everything I care about and spending enough time nurturing it all.

I went on to tell him how much I was inspired by books like the 4 Hour Workweek that made me think about my time and money so much differently. I told him about how last year at Wanderlust, Kate Northrup told me her intention was to have her passive income exceed her expenses, and that I intended to do the same.

Then he said the following, and I found myself punching his words into my “notes” section on my iPhone as he was talking.

“You know, Jenny, what I’ve seen after working with a lot of different clients on their finances is this:

The people who generate the most financial wealth are typically the ones who are doing something they really believe in and can create passive income that compounds as time goes on.

Being who you are, being creative, and being a hard worker will take you where you want to go.”

Yes, I thought. Yes, this is what’s up.

I especially liked the “being who you are” part. Because that’s really the most important thing, right? And that’s also the thing that we can so easily throw to the wayside in exchange for money, which, at the end of the day, never ends up truly feeling good. Funny how that works.

An example – a couple of months ago, I was in California having dinner with a friend. I told him about a book I was working on that was paying me a decent amount of money and was a “good opportunity,” but I was finding it challenging to even get the motivation to get started. As I spoke, he could tell I wasn’t all that excited about it. All he said was, “the money will never be enough.” Those words stuck in my head. I knew it was true. After a few more tireless attempts, I ended up ditching the project. As a result, I felt so much lighter, so much more like me, and I created so much more space for things to come into my existence that are in perfect alignment with who I really am.

My point is this. You can do a lot with hard work alone. Of course. Many businesses are built that way. I’m not saying you should quit your job or just refuse money all willy nilly if you need the cash. What I am saying is that the being who you are part is what really takes things to the next level. It’s the thing that puts your own unique flair of passion into what you do. It’s that inspired creative genius inside each one of us. It’s where brilliant ideas and inventions spark from. It’s the thing that will make people feel deeply connected to what you do. Being who you are doesn’t mean doing things by the book. It means writing your own book. (The crazier, the better). Putting energy towards things that feel like they are coming from a place inside of you – yes, that feels worth it, no question.

It’s one of those things that I need a constant reminder about. And I’m so glad I got on the call. Go figure.

So what do you say? Do you think being who you truly are, adding a dash of creativity, and putting in some serious work is the recipe for success? Let me know.