#NerdsUnite: The Ramblings of a Raconteuse (Food Matters)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Helenna. We met on twitter not too long ao, and she's totes mcgotes one rad chiquita banana with a flare for all things flair! That's right, Helenna here is what we call an artsy fartsy nerd. She's a poet, into all things dramatic arts, and she's going to come on board to write each week about her love of said drama. Well not like actual drama drama, like some cat fight shit - but you get the idea. I only have one thing left to say ... HIT IT HELENNA!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Helslevy

I’ve been thinking a lot about food lately. In fact, I’ve been thinking about, reading about, and watching a lot of documentaries about food quite avidly for the past 5 years.

I don’t want to get all soap-boxy, but I do want to share my own personal journey and relationship with food.

Over the course of my life so far I’ve gone from being a meat eater to a vegan, and many variations in between. I think my interest in what I’m putting in my body started when I was 14 and first became a vegetarian. While I haven’t eaten red meat since then, I’m now a pescetarian (I eat fish), but for the most part I don’t eat dairy except for in very limited amounts, if at all.

Why have I dabbled in eliminating different types of animal products? To be honest, yes, I have a deep love for animals, but it’s really about what helps my body feel best.

I have found that right now, eating a ton of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, some fish, as few highly processed foods as possible, a ton of water, and almost no dairy, is what fuels my body the best.

Now for the dirty talk…

America is a country where one third of adults are obese. There has also been a significant rise in the rates of childhood diabetes.  To me, it’s astounding that more is not being done for the health of the people in this country. But, not surprisingly, big business has it’s hand on everything, and many are none the wiser.

A show that really got me riled up recently was the Los Angeles based season of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.  If you have a chance to watch this season online, it’s a fantastic eye opener into the state of our mentality in America, and what is holding us back.  And of course, it’s not only America, but we do have an epidemic in this country that needs to be addressed in a very real way.  For example:

I think above all, the only way to go head to head with big business and bureaucracy, is to take responsibility of our own lives and bodies, and make smart choices with what we put in our mouths.  Of course, unfortunately, it is the lower income families in this country that suffer the most, but if we can shift perspective throughout class lines, we can make a difference.

Overall, I think things are slowly getting better, and with increased social awareness there is starting to be a shift. In fact, Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program is absolutely fantastic, but we have a long way to go.

A show called Weight of the Nation was on HBO awhile back (now available to view online), and I kind of feel like it should be mandatory viewing for every person in this country.  It was put together with staggering facts and statistics tackling America’s obesity epidemic, and filled with a very disturbing reality.

There are a ton of other documentaries out there that helped me understand how food gets to our table and how it affects our bodies like “Food Inc,” “Super Size Me,” “Forks Over Knives,” “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead,” and many many more.

There are great books as well that tackle the same issues like “Fast Food Nation,” “Skinny Bitch,” and Alicia Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet.”  But, I think the best resource of all is a very simple, easy to read book called “Food Rules,” by Michael Pollan.  I wish that every person could have this book delivered to their door.  It is such an easy step by step guide to eating food that is good for your body.  For meat eaters, it doesn’t rule out eating meat entirely, but it does say why limiting the amount of animal products in a person’s diet is important.

So, what is it that I eat on a typical day? Well, I did a guest post for one of my favorite blogs The Actor’s Diet awhile back, and my diet has changed a bit more since then.

I’m currently off of caffeine for the first time since I can remember starting to drink sugary sodas, coffee, and tea, and have been on the wagon not drinking alcohol, for a couple of months now due to an onset of acid reflux which also means no spicy or acidic foods for me.  But, that being said, I’ve been really enjoying the clean eating I’m doing lately!

Here’s an example of a typical day:

Breakfast:

-smoothie made with organic peaches, mangos, and blueberries, with a dash of unsweetened almond milk and water

- organic oatmeal (1 1/2 cups when dry) topped with unsweetened almond milk

-ginger tea

Lunch:

- 4 cups of salad (romaine, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumbers – all organic) and topped with Bragg Liquid Aminos

- A half can (90 calories) of wild salmon (boneless, skinless)

-eggplant hummus (Trader Joes)

- steamed organic cauliflower topped with garlic

Dinner: 

- Organic brown rice mixed with carrots, mushrooms, celery, cabbage and topped with organic baked tofu

Snacks: 

- one of my favorite treats: organic brown rice cracker topped with organic peanut butter and carob chips.  You can then zap it in the microwave or in your oven and melt the carob chips to make it extra tasty! SOOOO GOOD!!!!

- Luna Bar – Peanut Honey Pretzel flavor

- organic banana 

- celery dipped in “Better’n Peanut Butter” found at Whole Foods 

Throughout the day I drink tons of water, ginger tea, and rooibos non-caffeinated tea as well.

As a part of “Project Helenna” I’m also doing between 30-50 minutes of cardio exercise 5 times a week, and while I’ve been slacking on strength training lately, ideally I would be doing that 2-3 times a week.  (Dang it. I’ve gotta get back on that train!)

So there you have it!

My purpose of sharing all of this with you is not to be all high and mighty or to shake my finger at potato chip fast food lovers, because I definitely enjoy those crispy goodies from time to time.  But I’m hoping that by talking about all of this, other people out there will start looking at their food choices as well, because healthier people are happier people.  Yes, it’s cheesy, but it’s true.

Until next time,

#xoxo hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com

#NerdsUnite: The Ramblings of a Raconteuse (Thank you Chris Evans)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Helenna. We met on twitter not too long ao, and she's totes mcgotes one rad chiquita banana with a flare for all things flair! That's right, Helenna here is what we call an artsy fartsy nerd. She's a poet, into all things dramatic arts, and she's going to come on board to write each week about her love of said drama. Well not like actual drama drama, like some cat fight shit - but you get the idea. I only have one thing left to say ... HIT IT HELENNA!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Helslevy

Being an actor can be a crazy-making thing. Whenever I hear another actor open up about their fears and anxieties I always feel like I’m not alone, and am actually a part of an insane daredevil group.

While it’s true that we’re not doing something as miraculous as saving lives every day, there is still something very brave about the way we put ourselves out there time and time again.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the chatter in my head lately.  I recently had a audition for a great network comedy that resulted in a callback.  While the callback was fine, I kept thinking about all of the things that didn’t go the way I wanted them to.  Of course, ideally I would have left it all in the room, walked away, and not given it a second thought.  After all, it’s usually the roles you don’t think about too much or really care if you book, that you end up getting.  A lot of people kick around the saying that “you do your best audition in the car on the way home,”  which is not a good thing, but I felt like that was the headspace I was in that day.

For some reason instead of thinking about the character and the scene, I had let myself get into the “I really want to book this job” mindset.  I was fixated on it, and that never bodes well.  Things that don’t usually affect me started to creep in and my monkey brain started to have a party, the vulture on my shoulder started squawking, and before I knew it, I was having that weird experience where I was outside myself watching instead of an active participant in the moment.  Despite all of this, I applaud myself for still doing a good job even though I felt scattered, but it did take me a couple of days to dissect what worked, what didn’t, and what I need to do next time I get into this little cycle so I can stop it before I starts,

In part two of Chris Evans’ interview for the new web series “Becoming,” he talks a lot about the fact that when his mind starts spinning out of control, he literally says “shhhhh” to himself.  That’s it. “Shhhhh.”  For some reason this really hit home for me.

I have my affirmations that I do on a regular basis, and a myriad of other tips and tricks to settle me down when nerves (aka. excitement without the breath) start to rear their trickster little heads, but there is something so simple about just “shhhh.”  The whole idea around taking that moment is just to calm down, slow down, see the world as it really is, breathe, and move forward.

So even in this moment, I’m saying “shhhhhh” to any doubts I have in my head, following it up with some great affirmations, and moving on.  Thank you Chris Evans.  I have a feeling that one little word is going to do me a world of difference.

Until next time,

#xoxo hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com

#NerdsUnite: The Ramblings of a Raconteuse (Fiona Apple)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Helenna. We met on twitter not too long ao, and she's totes mcgotes one rad chiquita banana with a flare for all things flair! That's right, Helenna here is what we call an artsy fartsy nerd. She's a poet, into all things dramatic arts, and she's going to come on board to write each week about her love of said drama. Well not like actual drama drama, like some cat fight shit - but you get the idea. I only have one thing left to say ... HIT IT HELENNA!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Helslevy

I’ve always had a glorious love affair with Fiona Apple.

While all music has the incredible ability to transform us and transport us, there is something very specific about Fiona Apple’s artistry that has always had me in knots more than any other singer.

I started listening to her music when she released her first album “Tidal” in 1996.  One of my best friends and I would sit in class and listen to the album on our CD players while we were writing poetry. This introduction to her songwriting came at a time when my days were filled with young teen angst, and wishing for ways to transform me and my life.  Every single one of her songs seemed to speak directly to me, and cut right through me like she’s the “hot knife…[and I'm] a pad of butter.” 

My husband Barry and I went to her concert on Friday night at the Greek Theatre in LA, and there’s nothing like experiencing her powerful ability to rock you to your core, than being in a stadium full of people who are feeling similar emotions.  If you can believe it, her vocals were even more filled with pain and grieving than on her albums, and she takes you on that journey with her.  Each song feels like a chapter in a child’s tantrum filled twisted fairy tale, making you feel all at once weighed down with sorrowful nostalgia, and yet still completely filled with wide eyed hope.

If you aren’t familiar with her music, I encourage you to grab a glass of wine, throw on one of her four albums, and get prepared to be transported.  Some songs might take you a bit to get into, but once they have you, you’re hooked.

I wrote this poem awhile back, and while it’s about all artists in general and not just Fiona Apple, it definitely tells a lot about how powerful I think she is:

The Artists – by Helenna Santos-Levy

Jim Morrison once said,
“We could plan a murder, or start a religion.”
  
Our volatile, volatile minds.
  
Volcanic activity erupting under the surface.
White-ashed shadows
mixing the meaning of black and white,
like stone cold monuments
shielding the dark from the sun.
  
But we are also doves of anarchy,
and clowns of shifting perception.
We see the other side, the eclipse,
the paralleled paradox of now,
and show it to the masses, the soldiers, the they.
  
Because, “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.”
The creators, the lovers, the dreamers, the perceivers, 

the eyes.

Fiona Apple lives in Venice, CA, and I’ll never be able to forget this story my friend told…

One fall afternoon a number of years ago there was a massive torrential down pour, thunder happening all around.  For some reason instead of staying inside, he decided to go for a run in the storm.  He ran down to the beach. There was absolutely no one in sight.  He started walking down the end of the Venice pier and there was a woman standing at the end of it screaming into the wind.  That woman, of course, was Fiona Apple.

That story has always made the “feels too much” teenager in me happy, because that’s the exact same thing I used to do.  Ah, kindred spirits we artists are. Kindred Spirits.

#xoxo hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com

#NerdsUnite: The Ramblings of a Raconteuse (Filled with "Aloha")

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Helenna. We met on twitter not too long ao, and she's totes mcgotes one rad chiquita banana with a flare for all things flair! That's right, Helenna here is what we call an artsy fartsy nerd. She's a poet, into all things dramatic arts, and she's going to come on board to write each week about her love of said drama. Well not like actual drama drama, like some cat fight shit - but you get the idea. I only have one thing left to say ... HIT IT HELENNA!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Helslevy

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Hawaii for my niece’s wedding.  It was a wonderful trip filled with family, fun, and frolic.

Being there with the Santos clan to celebrate was incredible.  There is always so much joy and laughter when I’m with my Filipino family. I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing group of people who have been a constant source of love and support.

Now back in Los Angeles I am filled with “Aloha.”  “Aloha is a word in the Hawaiian language that has numerous meanings both as a single word and when used in context with other words. The most common uses are as a greeting, farewell or a salutation. Aloha is also commonly used to mean love. It is also an “acknowledgement of the Divinity that dwells within.“ - gohawaii.about.com

Hawaii, the island of Oahu specifically, is my favorite place on earth.  I’ve been a few times now and every single time I fall more and more in love with it.  There is something about the island that wraps me in an incredible warm feeling, like I’m “home.”

My dream is that one day my husband and I will have a place in Haleiwa on the North Shore. I’d love to have a Jeep that we buzz around in carrying our surf boards.  I’ve realized to make this dream a reality, we’d either have to move there full-time, or become super successful in the acting world so that my husband and I are able to spend a month out of every year there in between gigs.  And…or…option three, book a role on a tv show or film that shoots there.

I’ve decided that super successful is probably the best route to take, and if being on a show that shoots in Hawaii is in the cards, then I’m all for that!

However, every day until my next visit, I know I’ll be dreaming about Oahu and the incredible sea turtle (Honu) and it’s baby that were swimming beside me and popped out their heads to say “hi” when I paddled out to surf Saturday morning.

Hawaii is such a magical place and I can’t wait to go back! Until I step foot on your shores again, “Mahalo Hawaii.” See you soon. xoxoxox

#xoxo hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com

#NerdsUnite: The Ramblings of a Raconteuse (About Affirmations)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Helenna. We met on twitter not too long ao, and she's totes mcgotes one rad chiquita banana with a flare for all things flair! That's right, Helenna here is what we call an artsy fartsy nerd. She's a poet, into all things dramatic arts, and she's going to come on board to write each week about her love of said drama. Well not like actual drama drama, like some cat fight shit - but you get the idea. I only have one thing left to say ... HIT IT HELENNA!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Helslevy

So, I mentioned affirmations briefly in a past post, but I thought it’d be a good idea to elaborate.  Some of you might scoff at the idea of saying affirmations out loud or even in your heads for that matter, but I’ve found that they do wonders.

Affirmations are essentially something that you say over and over again. They can be seen as a practice in positive thinking, a prayer focusing on a positive outcome, and/or a declaration that something is true.

For me personally, there are certain types of affirmations that work, and certain ones that don’t.  I’ve found that I can’t lie to myself at all by saying things like, “I am a millionaire”  because my brain goes, “um, no you’re not.”  Then I’m just back in a negative cycle.

I love career coach Dallas Travers‘ take on affirmations which she calls “Living Mantras” which turn a statement into a question.

As she states on her site, “Your subconscious mind is programmed to affirmatively support the questions you ask it.  It will automatically answer your questions and even provide evidence to support the idea you’re inquiring about.  So if you ask, “Why do bad things always happen?” your subconscious mind will give you all the reasons why bad things do indeed happen to you.”  She has a great way to flip this around and says that “the trick is to simply ask yourself different questions.”

For example, “Why am I so lucky?”  The idea behind the affirmation formed as a question is that your mind answers you with a reason which is positive i.e.) “Because I have wonderful friends and family in my life” or something like that.  It essentially puts you in a different head space.  This works for some people, but unfortunately not for me.

For me, the affirmations that really seem to be effective are the ones that acting coach Jack Plotnick teaches.  Perhaps this is because I’m an actor and he has designed them around the specific needs and circumstances of this profession, but they just work.  I think that he’s been a student of Marianne Williamson‘s so I’m not sure if some of these are affirmations taught by her, and while I don’t know if he also reads a lot of Louise Hay‘s books, the teachings are also similar.  You can read his affirmations on his site, but these are a few of my favorites. (NOTE: The affirmations below are fabulous no matter what profession you are in)

“I release and destroy my need to feel unworthy.  I know I am worthy of all of the good in my life and now lovingly allow myself to accept it.  As I repeat this affirmation the outer effect of procrastination fades away and I no longer feel the need to delay my own good.”

“This or something greater for my highest good and the highest good of all concerned now manifests.”

“I release and destroy my attachment to results. I am here to enjoy the journey.”

“I am grateful for all of the good in my life, I am worthy of all of the good in my life.”

“All is well in my world.  I am one with the universe and I have more than I need.”

“I am relaxed trusting in a higher plan that is unfolding for me.”

Why do I love these particular affirmations?  I think it’s because they come from a place of gratitude and giving.  I also love the idea of releasing and destroying something because then it no longer has power over you.  Personally, when I say these affirmations they put me in a very calm place instead of the crazy monkey brain I find myself running around with a lot of the time. I often experience a great energetic positive shift that seems to trickle out into my daily life in a really powerful way.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  Sometimes I’m really diligent about reciting affirmations throughout the day, and sometimes I just completely forget.  I’ll then go for a month or so feeling really crappy about life, realize I haven’t been doing any affirmations, and then as soon as I get back on the affirmation bandwagon things begin to change. The best part is that you can say them anywhere: in the car, on a hike, while brushing your teeth, before you go to sleep at night, taking a shower, on the treadmill, waiting in line at the grocery store. You can say them out loud to yourself in the mirror, or quietly to yourself doing the dishes. Personally, I say them everywhere and anywhere, especially while in audition waiting rooms.

I have definitely noticed a shift in my perspective about life in general and the way I go about my day to day actions.  For my career specifically, they have made a huge difference.  Somehow they have put me in a place of “trusting” as opposed to “needing” and “feeling desperate.”

So, thank you Jack Plotnick for selflessly sharing these wonderful affirmations with everyone.  These may work for you, they may not.  Perhaps Dallas’ take on affirmations will be more effective for you, or maybe someone else’s.  I think it’s important to figure out what works for you and run with it!

Until next time,

#xoxo hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com