After being diagnosed with a rare Stage 4 cancer, Kris Carr discovered how to live her life to the fullest. Eight years later, Kris is sharing her advice for healthy living. Find out how to live a Crazy Sexy lifestyle with her seven tips for wellness.
1. Get back to nature and back to the garden, preferably the organic garden when affordable. When not, choose fruits and veggies that are sprayed less. Find the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides at FoodNews.org. There are over 80,000 chemicals in our world today; eating them and putting them on our bodies impairs our immune systems.

2. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Learn about the health detriments of inflammatory foods (wheat, gluten, dairy, meat, sugar, coffee, soda, energy drinks, alcohol, processed foods—aka the white stuff). Say goodbye to the standard American diet (acidic and inflammatory) in favor of alkaline organic veggies, sprouts, green drinks, green smoothies, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, oxygen and peace.

3. Make juice not war. A nutrient-dense green juice is a terrific way to get an instant blast of sustainable energy. Green smoothies are fantastic too. Adding healthy fats like avocado or raw almond butter to your smoothie will help you feel satisfied longer. Here's an idea: Reach for a fresh vegetable juice or smoothie instead of your morning cup of java. Your adrenals will thank you! Also, drink lots of clean, purified water. Aim for drinking half your weight in ounces of purified water. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon to your glass to help alkalize your body. If you're drinking green juices regularly, you'll need less water.

4. Decrease the amount of animal products you eat (especially dairy products) and move toward a varied plant-based diet. Many experts believe that the more animal products we ingest, the more our chronic disease rates soar. Need more convincing? Check out what Dr. Neal Barnard says in his blog post "Poor Eating Habits: A Century in the Making" on CrazySexyLife.com. Begin by reducing the amount of flesh and animal fluids you consume (including eggs) to no more than two to three times per week instead of two to three times per day. Choose card-deck size portions and look for the Certified Humane seal of approval.

5. Dump refined sugars. If it's made in a lab, it takes a lab to digest. If it has a shelf life longer than you, don't eat it. White sugar fuels cancer and candida, spikes your blood sugar, taxes your immune system, robs you of minerals, is highly addictive and floods your body with excess insulin and IGF1, which stimulates the growth of cancer cells. Learn about the connection between sugar and cancer from Jacki Glew, RN, in her blog post "Does Sugar Feed Cancer?" on CrazySexyLife.com. Get to know the glycemic index and choose low-glycemic foods as much as possible.

6. Shake your booty and sweat your prayers. Your lymph system, which carries away waste, needs you! Unlike your heart, it doesn't have a pump. Doing aerobics is the pump. Brisk walking is the pump. Yoga is the pump. Shake it four to five days per week for at least 35 minutes. And instead of carrying the weight of the world, choose weight-bearing exercises that will strengthen your bones and your God pod. I love rebounding on my minitrampoline.

7. Create an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Vibrant health is not just about what you eat, it's also about dealing with what's eating you. Inflammation (inner fire) creates stress. And stress creates acidity. Find and regularly commit to activities that help you bring it down a notch. Some ideas: meditation, deep-breathing exercises, gratitude journaling, dancing, guided relaxation or visualization CDs, therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or tapping), deep relaxation, prayer, self-reflection and time in nature. And, of course, remember to make time for fun, love and laughter. Giggles are good for your immune system.

Published 10/20/2011