Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Red and white.

I feel like lately I've been treading into territory I said I never would before. First khaki, then black, and now white and red.

Sweater: Victoria's Secret. Dress: Thrifted. Necklace: Gift from Mom. Shoes: JC Penney.

Why not, say you? Well, my relationship with white went sour one afternoon in 8th grade. I had happened upon a white jeans/white jacket combo at TJ Maxx or somewheres and wore it to school feeling like Lauren Bacall. Until someone complained that me being so white and wearing white was causing them visual discomfort. I earned the nickname "Great White Shark". Gawd.


I'm telling you now that if you need shoes, clothes, or anything remotely related to covering yourself, you need to go to JCPenney. After years of assuming it was where blue-collar guys got bland polo shirts from, I went in on a whim and proved that to assume is to make an ass of u and me. These babies were a cool $9 on clearance. If that doesn't deserve a "Dammmmnnnn...." then I really don't know what does.

As for red? Well, red is vivid and alarmist and unapologetic. I like colors that can be bent and shaped to create meaning. Blue can be professional or placid; green, stuffy or outdoorsy. I'm finding that gray and khaki do a lot for red's malleability... as these shoes have now become my "power shoes", I suspect I'll happen upon other unexpected combos.


I love bright colors, I just prefer to have them tempered, which is funny now that it strikes me in writing this that that attitude is a perfect reflection of my personality (according to me) which is eclecticity-loving, but ever-seeking of moderation.

Speaking of red, a rather red package arrived for me today from the folks at Perricone MD.

perricone acai berry. I'll pop a bubble and think of you.

Having red --ahem-- read of my need to fit into my size-to-small wedding dress, they forwarded me this box of Acai supplement and some guidelines for following the Perricone Diet. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that I absolutely am completely against taking weight-loss drugs or products. They provide fake results, don't promote a healthy lifestyle, and rob you of the joy of (in the case of SlimFast type products) cooking and eating healthfully. And, I'm equally against diets, be they Grapefruit, Adkins or Master Cleanse. They're weird and unnatural.

I'm happy to report that this Perricone stuff is nothing of the kind. The diet is basically a lot of healthy fats from fish and nuts, cutting out white carbs, and comprised of things that any Tom, Dick, or Harry can get from their local grocery (no bonito flakes here). And, as someone who drives about 200 miles a day, it's plain to me that I don't eat as well as I should, so I have been looking for some healthy and straight-forward guidance. So. I'm giving the plan a whirl, in addition to taking the supplement for 30 days. I'll report back on how I feel!

In the meantime, if you'd like to join me on my magical mystery acai tour, the good people at Perricone MD also have a 30-day supply of this same supplement for one of YOU magical readers!

All you have to do to enter and win this contest is to leave a comment on this post telling me about one healthy thing that you like to do for yourself-- be it exercise, alimentary, religious, silly! Contest ends at 12a.m. EST on September 2, 2009. A winner will be chosen at random and announced shortly thereafter. In the meantime, you can pop on over to Perricone MD and take the skin quiz, learn more about berries, or merely develop an appetite for salmon!

Good luck!

Yours,

Elissa.

35 comments:

charlie said...

One thing that I love to do for myself is dance, it was one of things that I started to do at a young age with no training that i begin to recently start taking classes for. Just dancing around often always made chores go by fast and made any horrible situation a better one.

Tania said...

Something that I've started doing lately is I've installed a program that will remind me at set intervals to get up and stretch when I am at the computer. Otherwise, I just carry on working and never move my butt. This way I feel like I am still exercising and stretching and I feel healthier for it.

Kate said...

I generally have a pretty straight forward approach to health -> jogging everyday and eating healthy. But, one non-traditional thing that I like to do for myself is burn dried sage. Not only is it helpful for sinus congestion (goodbye allergies)and migraines but it is also supposed to ward off evil, nightmare causing spirits and bad energy. It may be placebo effect but I always feel clearer and of course, healthy afterwards.

Anonymous said...

The power shoes RULE. And $9? As you said, "Dammmmnnnn...."

Curious to hear more about your experience with the supplement.

ambika said...

*Love* red. It's such a classic and in shoes it's just killer.

I've recently been won over to white on something other than tops for the first time in I don't know how long. I wish I'd been won over sooner!

ELM said...

Charlie: I love dancing too! I would love to be on Dancing with the Stars, but I think I need to be a star first.

Lucky Canuck: Awesome! I've never heard of that. Something I oughta try!

Kate: My friend burns sage a lot too... I definitely would try it this time of year, my allergies are going crazy!

Sal: Thanks! And I have a sneaking suspicion you most definitely will. ;)

Ambika: I love white tops and dresses and I like the idea of white jeans but white on the bottom is definitely tricky to work. Good luck and there's no time like the present!

Anonymous said...

I SPLURGE AND BUY HEALTHY BERRIES JUST FOR ME!! I LOVE THEM AND ALL THE GOOD THINGS THEY DO FOR MY BODY. I'VE HEARD ALOT ABOUT YOUR SUPPLEMENT AND HOPE IT DOES AS PROMISED-KEEP US POSTED!

Pat said...

I love walking ,gardening and eating healthy foods.

Unknown said...

I would like to get back to gardening and healthy foods but have some problems to overcome.

Anonymous said...

Although I'm not able to exercise due to a bad back, I do take a multi-vitamin every day to help me feel better. It seems to really work well.

susan wiener, swiener1[at]tampabay.rr.com

Yoonmee said...

One healthy thing I do for myself is weight lifting. I love how it makes me feel and it's such a great exercise. Thanks for the great contest!

Damsels said...

one healthy thing i love to do is to walk ..i do tons of walking and i like to walk at a fast pace where ever i go. i like to think that it does me good. i certainly can walk much faster then anyone i know

weweredamsels@gmail.com

Jules said...

I like to eat healthy and walk as much as possible!

Jules said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I exercise at least four times a week. It makes me feel better mentally and physically.

Cynthia.Richardson said...

I always get 8-hours of sleep. It makes such a huge difference in my busy life. I really notice when I don't get enough sleep - and so does everyone else!

TZel said...

I eat as naturally as I can, not too many prepared foods. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I would love to win that.

MJ said...

My kid brother acts as my long-distance personal trainer. He's into all kinds of fitness, and we talk several times a week to keep each other accountable for working out and eating right. Plus he's convinced me to drink tons more water, which really does make me feel better.

butterflyrouge(at)yahoo(dot)com

Claudia said...

I take private exercise classes twice a week. Very expensive but worth every second!

Amanda said...

One thing I love to do for myself is take long, long walks down the beach near my house every week. Sometimes, I end up walking for 50+ blocks just running around, digging my toes in the sand, and wading in the water. It helps me centralize myself, in addition to being extremely healthy! :)

Aik said...

One healthy thing I do is taking a walk outside my house every day after dinner. It's cool, nice and good for my health.

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Lizzie said...

I love to drink water. It makes me feel so much better and helps my skin too.

smrtmouse at yahoo dot com

Sophie said...

i've been bad about hydration and have recently started drinking more water! still not enough yet but more water and more sleep has been a priority!

thank you!

lifeinrapture at yahoo dot com

nightowl said...

I like to laugh with my kids to help relieve stress.

Amanda K said...

I drink 2-3 can of diet pepsi everyday. =X I want to cut that habit!!

Anonymous said...

I would like to try program.

E. Mejia efmejia(at)breakthru(dot)com said...

I like to pray for forgiveness and for spiritual cleansing because I don't just a have physical body to keep healthy but a spirit and soul also.

Anonymous said...

Sleep

robertcschulz2003@yahoo.com

/\Heather/\ said...

Mine would be to clean this house (or have it done for me!) so that we can breathe some clean air! Thanks!

Chris said...

I love walking ,gardening and eating healthy foods.

Louise said...

If I'm going to have to dedicate a good portion of a day to cleaning house (ie, spring cleaning, deep cleaning, whatever you want to call it), I put on CDs of music from my youth and dance and sing unabashedly as I did way back when...

djgroz said...

I need to do theraband exercises more often

Anonymous said...

I LIKE TO LAUGH. Gut laugh. It's free, fun and...it does work your abs.

ELM said...

Thanks so much to everyone for entering! I really enjoyed reading your health tips and sharing them with my pals. The contest is now closed, but I thank you again for your participation and for your readership! Til next time!