I'm Miriam Ava, the ambassador of good taste. I share ideas worth spreading, one Dispatch at a time.
Eager to learn how to live their lives fully charged, New Yorkers defied the snow and slush to attend the launch of Joe Cross' new book at ABC Home. Fully Charged: 7 Keys to Losing Weight, Staying Healthy and Thriving is an easily digestible manual designed to amp up the quality of your wellbeing.
Cross, the green juice revolutionary whom you may know from his documentary films Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead and FSND2, says this book contains his "philosophy of how I see things and what I've learned." Even if you're not into juicing, you'll find practical inspiration. Cross' down-to-earth approach is backed by internationally acclaimed physician Mark Hyman, MD who wrote in the foreword: "What he gets is that it's not about a short-term fix, but about changing your long-term habits and ways of thinking about food." Here are a few of the nuggets of wisdom Cross elaborated on:
Your Relationship with Food: Ever looked at food and said, "Oh, this is bad for me!"? You classify it as bad but have it anyway which results in guilt, which usually results in eating more of the bad food. Solution: Get rid of the good/bad judgments around food. Start loving the plants on our planet and realize how nourishing they are. Become aware of how important our relationship with Mother Nature is. Once you reboot your mind you'll naturally be drawn to the beautiful whole foods the earth provides. "Say Yes to Mother Nature!"
Maintain the Machine: In order for your body to run at its most awesome, it needs the best fuel. Exercise and sleep are key in achieving and maintaining optimum health. "Don't make exercise a chore," Cross advises. "The only way you can sustain exercise is if it's fun, and then it's actually better for you." Likewise, a good night's sleep is vital to great health. In the book, Cross shares 18 tips on how to recharge optimally.
Community: A lot of things are easier and more pleasurable to do when you're with buddies. The book's designed to guide and support you through making the changes; energizing stories and pictures of successful rebooters are literally at the core of the book, in color. Another way is to join like-minded people. Pay attention, though, to not be preachy in your eagerness to improve your diet because, as Cross put it, "no one likes the fruit and vegetable nazi. Clean up your own health-backyard first."
Know Where You're Going, Aussie Style: Cross recommends to once in a while "climb the tall tree and make sure you're in the right jungle." Clarity, vision, further, faster.
Work in Progress: Piggybacking off of the jungle metaphor, Cross reminds us that we're an "ongoing work in progress." Ever-changing, ever-evolving, forever learning.
If you're wanting to meet the people's hero of wellness in person, pick a city. Cross is embarking on a 10-week world tour across North America, Europe, Oz, and Asia to inspire you to live fully charged.