Downtown on Ice Celebrates 15th Season

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Celebrating its 15th season, Downtown on Ice outdoor skating rink opens for the holiday season this month at picturesque Pershing Square. The facility is open every day (including holidays) beginning November 15 through January 21. Downtown on Ice offers the city’s lowest admission price of just $6 for admission and $2 for skate rental.

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Fashion a Passion-Driven Life Realize Your Purpose and Feed Your Soul

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In the midst of uncertainties, many are asking “What am I here for?”
 
Three years ago, Cindy Readnower felt as if work was swallowing her life. As a single mom with two sons to support and two franchise restaurants to run in Sarasota, Florida, she routinely would get up at 4 a.m. and go to bed after midnight. She didn’t see enough of her boys. “I never had a free moment to just shut down and think about what I really wanted,” she recalls.
 
Then the economy collapsed, forcing her to shutter her businesses, file for bankruptcy and consult with a career counselor to plan her next steps. Today, at 57, she’s working as a life coach and business consultant and as she puts it, living the life she is meant to live.

Eight Great Quick and Healthy Snacks

SB_HW_Image Maura Knowles

These are easy to-go snacks, which require a little planning preparation but not much. I use snap top containers or small Ziploc baggies and place them in an insulated bag. It’s great to keep these snacks on hand for those snack-craving emergencies.

For crunchier cravings:
 
#1. Hummus and radishes.
Radishes offer a nice change of pace and are a great detox, too. Note: If you buy the hummus, look for lower sodium and as few ingredients as possible. Some brands add lots of scary non-food additives. 

Powerful Energy Boosters Daily Tips with Staying Power

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Many Americans occasionally complain of having a lack of energy, and for some it’s a daily experience. Low energy levels can arise from a number of underlying factors, but poor diet and ongoing stress are the most likely culprits.

Eat Right
 
A consistently healthy diet can be the missing key ingredient to maintaining high energy in the long term, along with short-term energy dips. A diet featuring antioxidant-rich vegetables, healthy carbohydrates, low-fat proteins and healthy fats will not only keep energy levels high, it’s also essential to long-term health, according to Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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Green Festival Returns to LA Convention Center

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Green Festival, the nation's largest and most diverse sustainability event, returns to the LA Convention Center Saturday November 17 and Sunday, November 18. Los Angeles Green Festival promises to offer a strong sense of community, a diverse and trusted place for learning, and more. The event will feature an organic food court, an environmental film installation presented by the Sierra Club, hands-on DIY workshops, organic vegan and vegetarian cooking demonstrations, an organic beer and wine garden, live music, and a Green Marketplace for all of your holiday shopping needs. The Green Marketplace will showcase products and services from local, regional and national green and sustainable businesses and organizations.

Mac-n-Mo’s Treats Expands Retail Distribution

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Mac-n-Mo’s, a vegan baked goods company committed to producing healthy treats for kids and adults, has nearly doubled their retail distribution. Mac-n-Mo’s Morselicious Treats can now be found in the refrigerated department of Lassens’ in Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Simi Valley and Los Feliz; Mother’s Market with stores in Costa Mesa, Brea, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Laguna Woods, Santa Ana and Anaheim Hills; Co-Opportunity Natural Foods, Santa Monica; Erewhon Natural Foods in The Grove district, PC Greens, Malibu; Rainbow Acres, Marina Del Rey; Full of Life, Burbank; Maddy’s Market, Calabasas; and Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op.

Tony Horton’s Personal Chef Launches Cookbook

Karma Chow Cook Book

Melissa Costello, personal chef to celebrity fitness guru Tony Horton, creator of the highly popular workout system, P90X®, launches her debut cookbook, The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook: 125+ Plant-Based Vegan Recipes for a Fit, Happy, Healthy You, October 1. A Certified Nutritionist and Wellness Coach, the Los Angeles-based Costello is founder of Karma Chow, a web-based TV show, and creator of The Vital Life Cleanse.

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Festive Holiday Recipes

Karma Chow Cook Book

With the holiday season quickly approaching, Los Angeles chef, nutritionist and wellness coach Melissa Costello offers up two healthy recipes sure to please your guests. Costello has just released her first cookbook.

 
Mashed Coconut Yams with Cardamom
 
This is one of my favorite holiday side dishes. My mom always made candied yams for the holidays, which were loaded with sugar and butter and oh so good, but this dish is much healthier and just as tasty. I love the creaminess of yams when you mash them up. It’s like eating candy!

Agape Celebrates 26 Years with Virtual Gala

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The Agape International Spiritual Center will be hosting a virtual 26th Anniversary Gala on Friday, November 30 beginning at 7 p.m. Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith will serve as host of “One Moment in Eternity.” Being a virtual event, attendees will join the streaming celebration online.

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IOBELLA Body-Shaping Spa Opens First US Location

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IOBELLA, an innovative body-shaping spa exclusively for women, recently opened in downtown Santa Monica near Wilshire Boulevard and 5th Street. Originated in Switzerland and evolved in Italy and Argentina, the facility, owned by Roxana Lissa, is IOBELLA’s first ever location in the United States.