CHAPTER 1

THIS IS YOUR
WAKE-UP CALL
pick up, gorgeous!

Are you ready to live like you mean it? Are you ready to get out of your slump, over your fear, and plug into your Crazy Sexy potential? For those of you who are new to the Crazy Sexy concept, let me lay it out for you. Crazy = bold, out of the box, forward thinking, and status quo challenging. Sexy = confident, in touch, whole, passionate, and conscious. Sound good? Well, the Crazy Sexy red phone is ringing—loud and clear. Pick up, gorgeous!

At some point in our lives, every one of us dazzling human beings clomping around in heels gets an important call from the “This Is Your Chance” hotline. For some, like me, the entry point came in the form of medical desperation. Life hits a 911 tipping point and suddenly you’re up against the ropes of mortality, begging for one more shot. You realize that the only way to get out of the rubble is to rebuild a more sustainable you.

For others, a divine disco light ignites the spark and your third eye explodes with love for yourself. In that instant your inner Queen wakes up to the holy “Wow, I’m worth it” truth. Good-bye, woe-is-me thinking, and hello, royal care. The awakening is like a cosmic consciousness cocktail that makes you tipsy with self-empowerment.

Or maybe it’s not quite so dramatic and extreme. Maybe your call to action comes from boredom or just feeling “over it.” You’re literally sick and tired of being sick and tired. No more marking time. No more sofas, remotes, and stalking people on Facebook. No more excuses. Amen, sister!

Say What? DIET?

Let me lay it out for you: The Crazy Sexy Diet is a low-fat, vegetarian—or better yet, vegan—program that emphasizes balancing your body’s pH by eating more lush whole foods, low-glycemic fruits, raw veggies, alkalizing green drinks, and superpowered green smoothies. By increasing the amount of alkaline foods you eat while decreasing acidic foods (animal products, processed sugars and starches, etc.), you reduce inflammation and boost immunity and life force. In short, you stack the good-health odds in your favor. Hip hip hooray!

The Crazy Sexy Diet has two flexible levels, which you can slide between depending on your needs and lifestyle: 60/40 and 80/20: 60 or 80 percent alkaline foods, 40 or 20 percent acidic. While 80/20 is optimum, 60/40 is a healthy balance for long-term maintenance. If you’re already in good health, you will see amazing results with this ratio. The 80/20 ratio is advised for those of you who have been or are living with a disease or illness, or who simply want to go for the gold-standard diet. But let’s get one thing straight up front: These ratios do not refer to 60 percent healthy food, 40 percent junk from the candy, chip, and Slim Jim aisle. It’s all whole food. Lots of it is raw, some of it is cooked, but none of it’s crappy. And as you’ll learn, my definition of crappy may be very different from yours.

To kick off the CSD, after learning all there is to know about it, you’ll have the opportunity to set sail on a 21-Day Cleanse filled with juicy goodness, plenty of produce, and no stinky dead stuff. Not only that, but I’ve packed it with inspiration, affirmations, strong intentions, prayer beads, and some practical tips to kick your beautiful butt and get you into glorious high gear!

Regardless of how you arrived here, you’re farther along than you think. Just by picking up this book, you’ve proved that you have what it takes to become a kick-ass Wellness Warrior. Let’s give you the body and soul makeover you deserve! It’s time to clear the slate and get back to basics. Like the Bionic Woman, you will be stronger, faster, and have great hair, but only if you smarten up and change your life. Stop mainlining stress or pile-driving Cinnabons and get with the Crazy Sexy program, lady!

Do you have any idea what it’s like to feel blissfully whole and comfortable in your skin? Do you know what it’s like to be centered and grounded yet filled with an abundant supply of zippy energy? You will. The Crazy Sexy Diet and lifestyle (otherwise known as CSD) gives you the tools to navigate your journey with clarity and balance. There are many things that are out of your control (your neighbor’s bratty kid, rainstorms, skinny jeans and tube tops), yet you actually have a lot of power over your health, happiness, and life—and it all starts with your mouth. What you put in it, and the words that come out of it, determine your destiny. Shitty nutrition and chemical crutches will wear you out. Stinkin’ thinkin’ and verbal self-abuse amputate your angel wings.

Alysia Cotter Photography

Health is more than just the absence of disease; it is the presence of vitality. Health is freedom from obstruction; it’s living in a harmonious way that creates both inner and outer peace. Change the menu. Rewrite the recipe and break your bad eating habits before they break you. The perception that optimum well-being is beyond our reach enables us to avoid taking responsibility for our lifestyle choices. But when you focus on what you consume literally (food and drink) and figuratively (thoughts, ideas, gossip, bad reality TV)—your world transforms at the deepest level. Saying yes to yourself creates an auspicious shift in other areas of your life. A new job, passion, or cause presents itself. An abandoned dream gets a second shot. Fulfilling relationships replace one-way streets. A health issue stabilizes and in some cases reverses. One thing is certain: Gorgeous you will glimmer inside and out.

Nobody can take away your ruby shine when you’re happy and healthy. And when you’re in that positive space, there’s a cascade effect: You pay it forward by sharing your wellness tips through deed and example. It’s a win–win situation. But there’s more. Your choices are not only terrific for you, they’re awesome for the planet. Holy hip shake, that’s cool!

CRAZY = bold, out of the box, forward thinking, and status quo challenging.

SEXY = confident, in touch, whole, passionate, and conscious.

OH MY GOD!
I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M WRITING A DIET BOOK!

To be honest, my dream was never to create another diet book. Especially because “diets” don’t always work! Yet I couldn’t keep my years of research and experimentation to myself. As a result of the success of my documentary film Crazy Sexy Cancer (which I wrote and directed for TLC) and my first two books, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips and Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor, so many people wrote to ask me what I eat, how to meditate, what books to read, where to go for detoxification or wellness retreats, and how to best balance it all. These letters didn’t just come from cancer patients—curious seekers from around the world who were looking to make healthy changes in their lives also reached out to me. These motivated mystics gravitated to my anything-ispossible attitude and real-deal information.

The program I lay out for you in this book encompasses far more than diet, it’s the overall lifestyle that works for me and countless other people. While I am not a doctor or a scientist, I am a Crazy Sexy survivor. Since changing what I eat and how I live, my body and mind are healthy, strong, and empowered. I prove my own point every day, and the proof is definitely in the pudding. This is why I have included some inspirational testimonials from folks who have adopted my lifestyle. Their stories are as powerful as the people who share them. Join us! In these challenging times it’s crucial to become “Prevention Is Hot” cheerleaders. Set an example, teach your children, and lead the way to health, spiritual wealth, and happiness through personal action. Nobody knows your body like you do, and waiting around for someone else to fix your woes is playing a risky game of roulette.

This book is my gift to you, a love letter to life born from a crappy diagnosis that became the catalyst for a healthier existence. You’ll read some of the details of my mud in a minute. But hey, no mud, no lotus, right? The most beautiful things spring from the compost pile. Cancer rocked my world and forced me to find a “new normal.” The Crazy Sexy Diet is the result of my years of questioning and study—it’s loaded with information that will deeply transform your life and possibly even save it—or at the very least reduce the pesky cellulite! It’s an awakening without the disease, knowledge without the price. Changing your mind may be the biggest obstacle you face. But once you do, you’ll realize that you are the one you’ve been waiting for …

MY STORY:
FROM ILLNESS TO ACTIVIST

My wake-up call came on February 14, 2003. “Happy Valentine’s Day, you have canSer”—spelled wrong to piss it off and take my power back. At the time I was a fabulous thirty-one-year-old actress and photographer living in New York City. Actually, I was a party hound and stress slut, trying to get my shit together and make a name for myself. Sometimes I lived high on the hog; other times I could barely put the fast food on the table. That’s kinda the nature of the arts: feast or famine. On my personal D-Day, I found myself lying on a cold exam table while a nurse named Mildred passed an ultrasound scanner across my belly. Piercing abdominal cramps and shortness of breath had forced me back to my primary care doctor. It was the same pain I had felt for three years, only magnified. Since my doctor hadn’t found anything wrong with me on the previous visits, I learned to live with the discomfort. “You’re like most uptight city girls,” he said. “Constipated!” Plus, I had Teflon youth on my side: Nothing could happen to me. Yet on that particular day the pain was unbearable. I figured I’d blown it out a few weeks before while partying at a film festival where a movie I was in premiered. Showing off for a hot dude in yoga class probably didn’t help, either.

The nurse’s distressed look forced me to ask her what she saw. “I can’t tell you that,” she sternly replied. “You’ll have to speak with the doctor.” Okay, I could wait a few more minutes. In walks the doctor. “The surface of your liver is covered with about a dozen lesions,” he said. I had no idea what that meant. I thought lesions meant cuts and I wondered how I’d cut my liver. Yes, I regularly enjoyed a few cocktails and other recreational substances, but wasn’t this an extreme result of a few indiscretions?

Then he clarified things for me. The lesions were tumors, a twelve-pack of misery that made the ultrasound images of my liver look like Swiss cheese. But that wasn’t all; about ten more tumors were in my lungs. And get this, the cancer was completely inoperable, no surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and—here’s the knockout punch—no cure! In an instant I went from hot chick to sick chick, saddled with an extremely rare sarcoma called epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) that affects less than 0.01 percent of the cancer population. Little is known about my annoyingly hard-to-spell and -pronounce disease, and none of the big C cancer bucks go into studying it. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (that’s military speak for “what the fuck?”).

BAD LIVER

This must be a joke, I thought. I had no medical history of cancer. I was barely a day over thirty-one and single, which to me meant that my freelance dating career was now officially over. No more opportunities to taste a bunch of appetizers without having to commit to one main course. It was sexual fasting time. My life was stigmatized and shattered. Friends dumped me, colleagues stepped back as if I had some contagious plague, and the “So sorry to hear you’re dying” sympathy cards started pouring in.

How did this happen? I was good, I followed the rules, I didn’t jaywalk or rob banks, I exercised, drank in moderation-ish, ate “right” from time to time, I said please, thank you, tipped 20 percent. For God’s sake, I was a Democrat and a Bud girl!

Second and third opinions, along with endless hours at the University of Google, followed. I quickly learned that illness was a business, and if I wanted to successfully navigate hurricane cancer, I needed to take my emotions out of it. Good-bye Broadway. Hello CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.! I was the CEO, and the doctors worked for me. In order to survive I needed to staff up posthaste.

The job description read something like this:

Freaked - out patient SEEKS BRILLIANT ONCOLOGIST WHO KNOWS ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT HER EXTREMELY RARE AND RIDICULOUS DISEASE.

Must be a geeky scientist with his or her finger on the pulse of the latest cutting-edge treatments. Team players only. No my-way-or-the-highway-one-size-fits-all-nonsense will be tolerated. A pleasant bedside manner is mandatory. No Hell’s Angels or military strategists, please. Those applicants with degrees from trade schools located somewhere in the Caribbean need not apply.

There were a few qualified applicants, as well as a bunch of duds. The doctor who suggested a triple organ transplant was rejected immediately. I mean, how rude! The one who gave me ten years to live can still kiss my ass. Though I knew I was in a shit storm, I still didn’t know how quickly the cancer was moving. So pulling out organs, blasting my body with chemicals, or dying seemed a bit premature. It was clear that I would have to advocate for myself and learn how to navigate the system.

I traveled everywhere searching for my second in command and finally found him. Honestly, if it weren’t for my oncologist, I might not be here today. Guess what he confirmed? The cancer was slow moving, so in essence I had the one thing all cancer patients long for—time. This was great news, and because of it I chose a radical course of treatment: Do nothing. He agreed.

“We’ll take a watch-and-wait approach,” he said. “Let cancer make the first move.”

Great! But how about a watch-and-live approach? And what if I made the first move?

If I couldn’t be cured, could I still be healthy? Could wellness be redefined to include someone like me? Perhaps instead of calling it cancer, I would call it imbalance. And what if I could find the source of the imbalance? Maybe, just maybe, I could help my body and my mind keep the disease in check. Clearly, I had a lot to learn, but joy came back, and curiosity started bubbling. This wouldn’t be my battle: It would be the greatest adventure of my life.

Could wellness be redefined to include someone like me?

ENTER THE INNER MD

Through some down-and-dirty personal exploration, I met my Inner Physician. She’s smart, curious, and highly intuitive (plus she looks lovely in a white coat). The prescription she offered was quite simple. “Renovate your life, kiddo. Be a self-reliant detective and put the pieces of your health puzzle together.” Suddenly I felt like one of Charlie’s Angels. Would any of them crumble under pressure? No! They’d put on a cute outfit, some gloss, and get down to business. My Inner MD encouraged me to collaborate with my body, to work on simpler things that would make a profound difference. In order to do that, I had to get the hell out of the way so my body could regain homeostasis.

Because my diet had been based on what to eat to stay slim for the camera, I had no idea how to be healthy. I’d spend endless energy weighing my food and counting calories and fat grams. Meals were planned around convenience, auditions, and cocktail hour. My mantra: Unwrap, nuke, GO! Vegetables were far too elegant and way too time consuming to buy and make at home. Fake foods encased in plastic or cardboard were time-effective and cheap. The multisyllabic poisons on the label didn’t scare me. I figured, “If it was dangerous they would never sell it to me. Doesn’t the FDA ban the bad stuff?” Besides, all I cared about was the promise on the package. “Look great and lose weight while still enjoying this sensible cake.” I could eat this crap and my ass would be teeny-weeny. Hallelujah!

The early signs and symptoms were obvious, but I couldn’t see them for what they were: a toxic lifestyle and environment that was causing physical and emotional stress. I had a bunch of chronic health problems, including zits, colds, chest infections, allergies, depression (Prozac and wine helped that), dry skin, eczema, low sex drive (in my twenties!), bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, acid reflux, yeast infections, and fatigue—all distress signals from an imbalanced body. Yet rather than dealing with the real issues in my tissues, I’d often compound the problem by tossing drugs down my gullet. Over time, my symptoms worsened until they became unbearable. Obviously, I needed to make some changes.

Next stop: Whole Foods, my new pharmacy. In the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing. I would race around the store frantically filling shopping carts with books, videos, supplements, powders, potions, and every piece of organic produce I could get my hands on. Kale? Okay! It was dark green and leafy, so it must be good for me. Yet in the back of my mind I wondered what the heck I’d do with this scarylooking weed. If the cancer didn’t kill me, this plant certainly might.

I made a checklist of my physical problems and began working on them. I addressed my insomnia and taught myself how to sleep. Practices like meditation helped me deal with the wild animals in my head. I learned that my excuses for not exercising were really lame. If you’re like me, you max out your time and leave nothing left for sweat. Earth to us: A regular exercise plan is not optional. It heals our bodies, calms our minds, and gives us the energy we need to kick ass.

I went back to school to study nutrition so that I could finally learn how to eat and take care of myself ! Fuck geometry, I’ll take nutrition any day. I also quit my acting career, sold my apartment, and became a full-time healing junkie (with certifications). After trading in my fast-paced New York City party life for snail-pace living at a Zen monastery in New Mexico, I finally settled on a simple, nature-filled existence in Woodstock, New York. I exchanged road rage for prayer, fast food for fasting, swapped martinis for organic green drinks and a compassionate vegan diet.

Seven years later I still have cancer, but it’s stable. My beauty marks, as I call them, lie dormant. But thanks to my diet and lifestyle I feel and look better than I ever have in my life (even before my diagnosis). Whether my success is due to the nature of my disease or the nature of my choices doesn’t really matter. The fact is, my blood work is fantastic, I have endless energy, my immune system is strong, and (drumroll) … I’m happy! That’s right, happy.

In this Crazy Sexy book you’ll learn the secrets that have helped me thrive in the face of a deadly chronic disease. Imagine what they can do for you. Sorry, I don’t mean to brag, but there is one more thing and if you’re a love-hunting (bad-relationshipfinding) lady like I was, it might inspire you to know that I found my soul mate after my diagnosis demanded I change. So much for “damaged goods.” I married the editor of my film. Cancer or not, when I dumped the junk and aligned myself with my higher purpose, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. There’s no need to wait for the bad things and bullshit to be over. Change now. Love now. Live now. Don’t wait for people to give you permission to live, because they won’t. That permission is your birthright, hot stuff; grab it!

Change now.

Love now.

Live now.

WHAT’S YOUR
SHIT PICKLE?

So … what’s your cancer? Are you overweight, depressed? Do you have heart disease or diabetes? Is your cholesterol too high? How about regret, procrastination, or maybe even a crazy (notso-sexy) divorce? What the shit pickle happens to be doesn’t really matter; it’s what you do with it that will transform your life. Let it be your guru rather than your jailer. Let it ignite your gut wisdom and introduce yourself to your own Inner MD. She’ll straighten you up just like mine did.

Here’s where diet and lifestyle choices really matter. To hear that voice, you must strip away the garbage. You can’t get clear when you’re running on Lucky Charms consciousness. Meet your genetic potential by shifting what you eat and how you think about food—that’s where the Crazy Sexy Diet comes in. Think of the diet as your Inner MD’s medical assistant.

Don’t get down on yourself. Remember we’ve all got our own version of cancer—even the seemingly Perfect 10 girl who lives in the next condo. Lucky you that you realize it and are willing to do something. More than half of all Americans die of heart disease or cancer; two-thirds are overweight and stay that way for their whole lives. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world and yet we’re ranked number thirty-three in health care (behind Slovenia). When I was in grade school, my friends weren’t getting adult diseases like Type 2 diabetes, nor were we doped up on behavioral medications. Everyone ate their peas and drank an extra glass of OJ when they had the sniffles. If someone had restless leg syndrome, they were told to take a walk!

In the United States we spend more on sickness than wellness. Young people are being diagnosed with catastrophic diseases common among their grandparents. Some medical researchers say that the next generation will be the first generation to die younger than their parents. The solution is clear as far as I’m concerned: Combine the latest reliable science with smart nutrition and positive lifestyle changes. So as our brilliant doctors continue to break new ground, we must meet them halfway by improving our diet and lifestyle choices, controlling stress, and cleaning up our environment in order to stay well.

Not so Facts

We’re in trouble like never before! If a decline in our well-being doesn’t have anything to do with the crap we’re shoveling into our mouths or breathing and walking through, I’ll eat my cowboy boots (with Tabasco sauce). According to the World Health Organization:

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and deaths are projected to increase by 45 percent from 2007 to 2030. New cases of cancer in the same period are estimated to jump from 11.3 million in 2007 to 15.5 million in 2030.

In the United States heart disease is the number one killer. In 2005 more than 17 million people died of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke. Up to 80 percent of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable with diet and lifestyles changes.

More than 180 million people worldwide have Type 2 diabetes. Deaths from diabetes will increase by more than 50 percent in the next ten years without urgent action.

Approximately 1.6 billion adults are overweight, and 400 million are obese. Globally, more than 20 million children under the age of five are overweight.

In the 1970s autism affected about 1 in 10,000 children; today, in some states, it’s 1 out of 150. Every twenty minutes, a child is diagnosed with autism.

BAD GENES
VERSUS BAD HABITS

The latest discoveries in genetic research are all the rage these days. Genes are touted as the miraculous great hope and the future of health and happiness. Science, medicine, and technology are all getting on the Gene Train. But when things go wrong with our health, genes often get all the blame. Whether it’s cancer, alcoholism, cheating, or a fat ass, we’re quick to pass the buck to our go-to scapegoat. As Dr. Dean Ornish suggested so eloquently in the foreword to this book, our genes are not our destiny. In fact, the relatively new science of epigenetics proves that our daily choices (diet, lifestyle, and environmental stressors) can actually change the way our genes express themselves—without changing our DNA. These non-genetic factors can literally switch disease, obesity, and other health issues on and off.

For example, only 5 to 10 percent of all cancers are caused by inherited genetic mutations, according to researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. They, along with other top tacos, believe that between 70 and 80 percent of cancers are linked to diet and other behavioral factors like tobacco and alcohol—and not genetics. According to a 2009 study by the American Institute for Cancer Research, excess body fat alone causes more than 100,000 cancers every year. But here’s the good news: If we can screw it up, then there’s a good chance we can fix it, too. Nature meets nurture and beyond. Olé!

But not everyone agrees. After I gave a recent speech at a hospital in Georgia, a woman in the audience raised her hand to tell me I was wrong. In her mind, lifestyle choices didn’t matter; if our name was in “God’s book,” we got sick. It’s the book that matters, not the pepperoni pizza. I can’t think of a more disempowered way to look at life. If that were the case, why bother trying to do anything other than pick lint out of your belly button? Didn’t God give us free will? Isn’t that the beauty and the bitch of being human?

TIP

When you go veg the right way, you’ll get all the nutrition you need from a varied plant-based diet loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, oxygen, and enzymes. Don’t believe me? Check out what the American Dietetic Association has to say: “Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. Vegetarians also appear to have lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes than non-vegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates.” The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has some thoughts, too: “Vegetarian diets can meet all the recommendations for nutrients (including protein and calcium).”

Each of us has a genetic predisposition for something. Sometimes life flows by with no rough edges. George Burns lived to a hundred and certainly had a ball with his cigars, steaks, and highballs. He also had an incredible attitude (“Happiness is: A good martini, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman … or a bad woman, depending on how much happiness you can stand.”) that might have made up for the meat and martinis. The George Burnses of the world are very rare, however. Genes load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. Think of it like seeds and soil. Without fertilizer, the seed can’t always take root. You are the seed and your diet and lifestyle are the fertilizer.

This very important fact can freak a lot of folks out. Educating ourselves and taking charge of our health doesn’t mean we’re taking the blame. There’s no need to point fingers or feel guilty. I’ll never know what made me “sick.” But it helps for me to ponder how I may have participated so that I can stop participating in my illness.

Next time you fill out your medical history, pause for a minute. Think about what runs in your family and also what’s served on your family dinner table. A teacher of mine once gave me a helpful wisdom nugget. “Heart disease and diabetes don’t run in my family,” he said. “Sausages and doughnuts do!” It takes guts to look at the messy pain and truth in order to reevaluate the game you’re running, but you can do it, sunshine!

BE A
VEGGIE VIXEN

As Joni Mitchell, the high priestess of hippie, says, we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden. Nature is the source of all things healthy; it is the ultimate surgical table and the basis of the Crazy Sexy Diet.

So what is this revolutionary game plan I’m gabbing about? Well, I gave you a snapshot earlier, but let’s circle back. And don’t worry, it’s simple. You don’t need a granola stigmata to figure it out. The Crazy Sexy Diet is a low-fat, vegetarian (or vegan) program that reduces inflammation and balances the pH of your gorgeous body with whole foods, low-glycemic fruits, raw veggies, alkalizing green drinks, and superpowered smoothies. On the CSD I encourage you to reduce or, better yet, eliminate all animal products, refined sugars and processed crap, and anything (other than an exotic vegetable) you can’t pronounce. By decreasing the amount of acidic foods you eat, you give your body the chance to heal and repair naturally.

Your new mantra: Clean food in and waste out. An alkaline diet has the power to release stored bullshit and toxins and truly set you free. As a result—and this is important—your pH comes into balance as does your overall health, your sinuses clear (and so do your zits), your taste buds resuscitate, your eyes sparkle, the dimples on your thighs will be gone (bye-bye!), sex will be better (ooohhh!), and so will your memory (especially good when you dig the person you have sex with), and your elimination system will work like a Ferrari (vroom!).

There’s more, baby. When you understand why eating green and clean works at a cellular level, your enthusiasm for the Crazy Sexy Diet will grow like beans up a pole. Science is sexy and exciting! I’ll explain why a plant-based diet is a great way to eat on so many levels—for health, bliss, beauty, even your purse. You may well lose fat on this diet, too, but that’s just one of the fabulous side effects. Eventually you’ll find your perfect fighting weight and forget about it because you’ll be too busy enjoying newfound vitality and zest. That’s because the Crazy Sexy Diet is not a temporary fix or a part-time hobby. It’s a luscious lifestyle—a loss of dis-ease, a health gain program that is meant to last a long lifetime.

The Crazy Sexy Diet is a lowfat, vegetarian (or vegan) program that reduces inflammation and balances the pH of your dazzling body with lush whole foods, low-glycemic fruits, raw veggies, alkalizing green drinks, and superpowered smoothies.

WHY IT WORKS

By increasing the amount of raw and living foods and organic green juices and green smoothies in your diet while decreasing or (ideally) eliminating processed sugars, refined starches, animal products high in saturated fat, stimulants, and too much cooked food, you shift from an acidic interior environment to one that’s alkaline- and oxygen-drenched. Yummy. This allows your magnificent body to recover from the constant barrage of stress and inflammation created by the Standard American Diet (aptly abbreviated as SAD) and lifestyle. Once your body repairs, it will renew. Eating this way is a miracle on your plate. The domino effect that occurs will influence every nook and cranny of your life.

What you’ll learn on the DIET

The healing power of pH and how to eat alkaline foods in the right ratios.

The importance of detoxification.

How to keep your delicate internal ecosystem in balance.

Anti-inflammatory raw foods = real energy.

How juicing can change your life—make juice, not war.

The benefits of going gluten-free.

Why sugar is crack and how low-glycemic choices are a better option.

The painful truth about meat and dairy.

Stinkin’ thinkin’ and stress create acidity.

Fun should be taken seriously.

How to shake your ass …

… and then place it on the meditation cushion.

How to techno-detox.

The importance of setting boundaries.

Prayer and affirmations rule.

You can do anything you set your mind to.

Do you have to be a raw foodist to eat this way? Nope—steamed veggies that are crisp and crunchy and lightly sautéed veggies count, too. How about a strict vegetarian or vegan? Nope and nope. The Crazy Sexy Diet is flexible. You’ll enjoy healthier cooked food in smaller amounts. The acidic portions of your diet can include some animal products, but once you read how detrimental they can be to your health (and the planet), and how you don’t really miss them, you may reconsider. And remember: Not all vegans are healthy. Even the most ethically conscious people can suffer from eating too many processed or overly acidic foods. French fries, Fritos, white bread and pasta, Pop-Tarts, Kool-Aid, Crisco, and many sugary treats are vegan, but they aren’t exactly healthy. I call these misinformed veg-heads “muffin vegetarians.” When I eat like a muffin vegetarian, I develop what is known as a “muffin top”—a puffy tube of blubber that hangs over my jeans. These well-meaning souls junk up on crap and excessive amounts of soy, and wonder why they’re tired, fat, and sniffly. A vibrant and effective vegan or vegetarian diet means that the majority of your food is real and comes from … vegetables! (Duh.)

PICK A NUMBER—NOT JUST ANY NUMBER

The Crazy Sexy Diet has two levels: 60/40 and 80/20. I encourage you to aim for an 80/20 approach: 80 percent alkaline foods, 20 percent acidic. Though 80/20 is the goal, it’s not the rule. For many people, especially those of you who are transitioning from the Standard American Diet, a 60/40 ratio is enough—and very healthy. Amen! The 60/40 ratio is a maintenance level, and if you’re already in good health you will see amazing results by getting and hovering there. If you want to kick it up a notch or are recovering from an illness, an 80/20 (or more) ratio is your target. Touch it as often as you can. Start where you feel comfortable and stay where you feel the best.

Don’t freak out at the math. I use the 60/40 or 80/20 ratios solely as a visual reminder. Look at your plate and divide it like a pie. More than half of the space should be taken up by fresh and organic delights from the garden. Make sense? Before we get to the heart of the plan, my posse of dynamic experts and I will teach you the whys and hows so that you can grab the steering wheel and zoom off on your own.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?

Science and technology are totally groovy. Unfortunately, their misuse tends to complicate just about everything. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, we ate real food! Getting a good meal on the table wasn’t a multibillion-dollar industry driven by focus groups, slick advertisers, and government subsidies. Today chemical companies dominate the food business while their inbred cousins, the pharmaceuticals, are standing by ready to mop up the damage—and they’re laughing all the way to the bank.

As my nerd crush, Michael Pollan, says in his must-read book In Defense of Food, “The chronic diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food; the rise in highly processed foods and refined grains; the use of chemicals to raise plants and animals in huge monocultures; the superabundance of cheap calories of sugar and fat produced by modern agriculture; and the narrowing of the biological diversity of the human diet to a tiny handful of staple crops, notably wheat, corn, and soy. These changes have given us the western diet that we take for granted: lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of everything—except vegetables, fruits and whole grains.”

The Benefits of the DIET

Okay, ladies, you’ve already heard about the vanishing cellulite and clear, sparkly eyes the Crazy Sexy Diet can bring you. Now see what you think of this list of further charmers. Your gal pals will beg you for your beauty secrets. Give them a high five and share your inner health regime—no sense in keeping something this great a secret.

A super-sexy glow

Fewer colds

Quick healing of both cuts and colds

Terrific, regular, stink-free poops

Healthy organs

Clear skin and sinuses

Leaner abs and a tighter butt

A revved-up sex drive

Better sleep

Sweet breath

Strong bones and pain-free joints

Lower cholesterol and blood pressure (without pills)

Balanced blood sugar

Consistent energy

Fewer blues, and more clarity

Less “disease”

OMG, he’s red hot! And guess what? He’s right. We no longer discuss actual food; instead we talk nutrients. Through the miracle of chemistry, we’ve lost sight of the forest for the trees, the kale for the vitamins. Tunnel-vision scientists assume it’s the isolated elements in the kale that matter. But what if it’s the glorious green leaf itself, in all its wondrous natural complexity, that rocks our world? What if we applied this dissection to people? If I cut myself into pieces and sold you my foot, would that help you navigate your journey better? We’re greater than the sum of our parts, you, me, and the broccoli.

The truth is that real foods and fake foods will always be different—even if they have things in common on paper. Your body knows that a fresh tomato is better than corn syrup and red dye #40 ketchup; it also knows the difference between a sprouted whole grain and a partially hydrogenated hubcap with a hundred-year shelf life. But the food science game is about outdoing nature, and the rules say more is always better. If we find a good thing in the tomato, then we’ll double it in the fake version. This hubcap has 11 grams of lycopene because our competitor has 10.

But how do we really know if these abstract ingredients actually work once they’re isolated or created in a lab, then jammed into a noodle? They can glue some fiber to a jumbo sausage, but that doesn’t make it good for you.

We’ve been brainwashed to believe that we no longer understand our bodies, that our innate wisdom is faulty or dangerous. And because it’s all so confusing and scientific, we think we need a master’s in nutrition just to get through dinner. But who has time for that? Enter the “experts.” Don’t ask where their research money comes from; just accept that they’ll clear it all up with a trusty shopping list full of manufactured foods. Well, here we are with all this expert help and where has it gotten us? Broke, unhappy, dying early, and screwing up the planet on our way out the door.

Sadly, our government is a big part of the problem. Agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA, which are meant to inform and protect us, often just increase our confusion. How? Because government food guidelines rarely mention food anymore! Instead we get gibberish about—you guessed it—nutrients. This is no accident. As family farms gave way to corporate consolidation over the past half century, our food system has been increasingly politicized.

A watershed moment that fueled the Age of Nutritionism came in the late 1970s when Congress, responding to growing awareness of the links between diet and disease, set out to rewrite the nation’s health guidelines. Known as the McGovern Report, the new standards were clear in the first draft: Eat less meat and dairy. Sounds pretty straightforward to me, but the meat and dairy industries went bananas. Snap! Heads rolled and revisions were made. In the final draft this clear message had mutated into “reduce the amount of foods high in saturated fat.” A generation later we’re as lost and confused as ever. It shouldn’t be so Zen koan complicated.

If products on the grocery shelves could speak, this is what you’d hear …

“Buy me, I have omega-3s!”

“Pick me! I’m doped up on antioxidants and have fewer calories than the fiberless bee-atch next to me. I mean, who does she think she is?”

“Oh yeah, well, I’m fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Plus, I reduce cholesterol and toe fungus!”

“Big whoop. I’m the new white meat, raised on a ‘Happy Farm.’ Sacrificing myself for your thighs was really fun!”

“Purchase me and you’ll have more sex because you’ll be skinnier and happier, and then you’ll make more money and go to Paris and buy Gucci and meet Johnny Depp … and … and … [the package is thinking] … you’ll solve global warming because I’m in a green box!”

The nonsense on packaging and advertising gets sillier all the time. The marketing behind a common breakfast drink claims that antioxidants found in this sugary, processed dairy mixture will strengthen the immune system. Well, a little understanding of that sexy science reveals that sugar and dairy actually suppress our immune system. Not to mention that any antioxidants in this pasteurized product are dead. No thanks!

Smart labels are another ridiculous campaign. Since when are Froot Loops healthy? Since never! Yet they have a smart label seal of approval. These mean absolutely nothing because there are no regulations or guidelines. The companies themselves determine whether or not a product is smart. And a lot of us dumbed-down consumers buy it hook, line, and sinker.

INNER AND OUTER GLOBAL WARMING

Wellness is not just about nutrition. It’s also about ecology, spirit, passion, and culture. The Crazy Sexy Diet takes in all these interconnected issues. Illness made me look at myself in a new and honest way. It also woke me up to so many of the bigger issues facing us today. The choices we make really matter. What’s happening in our bodies is a mirror of what’s happening to the planet. It’s our feeling of disconnectedness that keeps us from realizing we’re all one organism.

Like the planet, our bodies have rivers, streams, lakes, oceans, soil, and air. These ecosystems make up our personal and planetary terrain. Both depend on a clean environment and a delicate balance. Chemicals poison our rivers and veins; pollution chokes our air and lungs; overacidity plunders minerals from our gardens and our tissues. pH affects everything from our forests to ocean life, bone strength, even cancer cells.

As we continue to expand our definition of wellness, we realize that the best place to find solutions to our personal and global challenges is on our dinner plates. Imagine the changes we could make if we simply started voting with our forks. One person can truly make a difference. You can start a revolution right at your kitchen table. In order to do that, let’s touch upon some of the more immediate obstacles we face.

Imagine the changes we could make if we simply started voting with our forks.

MONEY, TIME, AND FAMILY VIBES

Two common speed bumps to a healthier lifestyle are: “I can’t afford it” and “I don’t have time.” Drive around them: In chapter 8, I’ll give you lots of tips for cutting corners and stretching the dollar.

Yes, healthy food can seem more expensive, but if you choose wisely and buy in bulk, in season, and on sale, it’s very affordable. In terms of dollars per nutrient, it’s downright cheap compared with packaged food and animal products. It will certainly save you money in the long run. I’d much rather put my paycheck into my crisper than the medicine cabinet. My medicine cabinet is for emergency use only. In fact, there are only four things in it: Advil (for New Year’s Day), Band-Aids, chemical-free tampons, and healthy cosmetics. Sadly, most Americans load those shelves with expensive “magic bullets.” Your crisper holds the real medicine.

Check out yet another interesting fact from the sizzling Michael Pollan. He reports that in 1960, 18 percent of our national income was spent on food while 5 percent was spent on health care. Today 9 percent of our income is spent on food and 17 percent on health care. Clearly, the less we spend on food, the more we spend on health care. Take a look at your overall spending. I’ll bet you can find places in your life where you can reallocate the do-re-mi. Do you really need more techno-crap? Shoes? Bags? Fashionable jeans? Even if you’re not trying to find bliss with Blumarine, a realistic peek at your spending habits is in order. Your health deserves it.

As for time, I know you’re very busy and the world demands a lot from you. But at the end of your life will you be bummed that you didn’t plow through your master to-do list? Will you wish that you had worked longer hours and spent more time on Twitter? No way! You’ll wish you climbed that mountain and took your kids to the moon. Astronauts like you need to be in good shape. If you don’t make time to tune your instrument, then your music will always end on a flat note. And just like with money, I’ll bet there are wasted minutes that could be better spent.

Weekends are a great time to catch up on meal planning. How about zone-out time? Exchange an hour of TV for washing, cutting, and bagging your veggies for the week and you’ll save valuable time in the morning. Each day you commit to nourishing yourself will bring you one step closer to health. String the days together like pearls on a necklace.

Warning: A new you might freak some folks out. Family, friends, and food go together. If upgrading your diet stirs up a hornets’ nest around the dinner table, step softly and use common sense. The best approach to a resistant loved one is blunt but polite honesty and leading by example. When your peeps see a happier, healthier you, they may follow in your footsteps. They should at least stop looking at you cross-eyed.

Others will want you to stay the same so they don’t have to look at their own mess. Sorry! Change is frightening to those who find safety in routine. Plus, when you’re living like you mean it, you’re a force of nature. Now is the time to work on those boundaries and do what’s best for you. It’s not selfish; it’s self-nurturing.

PERFECTION AND BAR STOOLS

These changes may seem overwhelming at first. But this is not an all-or-nothing program. Most diets don’t work because they don’t take into account all the emotional work needed to stay on track. I’ve helped thousands of people transition to health, and what I’ve learned is that success has more to do with being kind to yourself and dealing with your emotional shit than it does the food itself. If you stumble, cut yourself some slack!

Consistency is important, but you don’t have to be perfect. Health is about keeping in an overall “right” direction. Will you travel the same straight highway every day for the rest of your life? Snoozeville! You’ll take scenic byways and even stop at honky-tonk bars. You may have a beer and chips in the afternoon followed by a shot of tequila for dessert. This is life—it’s sweet, fun, and unpredictable. I am not perfect and I never will be. Perfect is beige. I am red hot! So are you. Red and Wild. You don’t politely sit at tables—you dance on them. And after last call, you get back out on the health highway.

Why is it that so many of us make food so complicated and loaded? Food is nourishment; it’s not the enemy. Food is romantic, creative, and divine. No diet that makes you feel deprived or socially isolated is worth it. I recognize that everyone is dealing with different circumstances, including our health, location, free time, income, family dynamic, and yes, our own psychology, to name a few. Do what you can and know that any change is better than nothing.

LET’S GO!

Are you ready to grab a bikini and dive in? Why wait till you’re on the ropes to take charge of your well-being? It’s gutsy to take a stand now! Devour the knowledge and dare yourself to step out of the comfort zone. Together we’ll reset your dietary GPS and guide you to your dreams. Whether you’re a CEO or a homemaker, life is complicated, gorgeous, staggering, and wild. Let your hair down and ride it bareback. Your new Crazy Sexy Diet helps you get over the finish line every single time.

Alysia Cotter Photography

testimonial: Viki S.

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis eleven years ago and was put on several medications for it. The medications relieved the pain, but after being on them for several years I began to realize that all those drugs were not good for my body. I began to seek out sources for the new lifestyle I would need to pursue in order to achieve freedom from both the drugs and the arthritis and that’s when I found Kris Carr and have been hooked on her ever since! Her energy, enthusiasm, and devotion to helping others are inspiring and her accessibility via her Web site (crazysexylife.com) is a true gift for those of us who are just starting to “lean into” a raw, vegetarian, or vegan life-style. After converting to an almost 100 percent vegetarian diet and incorporating yoga and acupuncture into my life as well, I have been off all of my RA meds for just over a year now!

CHAPTER IN REVIEW

REMEMBER:

You deserve to be healthy.

The time to take charge of your wellness is now.

Good nutrition will positively affect all areas of your life.

The Crazy Sexy Diet is a low-fat, vegetarian program that emphasizes balancing the pH of your dazzling body with lush whole foods, low-glycemic fruits, raw veggies, alkalizing green drinks, and superpowered smoothies.

Your grocery store can be your new pharmacy.

Your daily choices can actually change the way your genes express themselves.

The Crazy Sexy Diet is flexible—even small changes will give you great results.

The CSD has two levels balancing alkaline foods with acidic foods: 60/40 and 80/20. Start where you feel comfortable and stay where you feel best.

The CSD will teach you how to go vegetarian—and even vegan!—the right way, so you can get all the nutrition you need.