Martina Carlina, Naturally Savvy’s Environmental Specialist and the publisher of Organic Lifestyles Magazine, shares her exclusive interview with Mariel Hemmingway.
Martine: What does the organic lifestyle mean to you?
Mariel: Organic living and sustainable lifestyle are extremely important. Both create a sense of peace and good health. There is so much fake in the world today. There are so many products and everyone is trying to sell you something. We have many distractions like TV, radio, cell phones. By surrounding yourself with enough of the real things in life you prepare yourself to tackle the world and all the things it throws your way day to day. It’s important to get back to a balance…to a calm. This balance also helps you from getting sick.
Martine: I know you are a very busy person but you also advocate slowing down. Please explain how you do this?
Mariel: I don’t force myself to do stuff that I just can’t do. Also, if you meditate or even surround yourself with complete silence, you are creating space for your body and mind. When you stop and breathe you tend to contemplate and not over-think. It actually gives you energy.
Martine: How long have you been living the organic lifestyle?
Mariel: I have been aware for 35 years, but practicing for 25 years.
Martine: Do you consider yourself an activist?
Mariel: In a way…I don’t like to tell people what to do. It’s important to be conscious of your environment and express your own feelings, if it’s your passion.
Martine: For our readers, in your words, how do you connect organic (nutrition) with yoga?
Mariel: Whenever you do anything like yoga you have a tendency to weed out bad food. The very process of yoga makes you aware of your body and what you put in it.
Martine: Is your family into organic?
Mariel: I have two girls who are 18 and 16 years of age. As they get older they are eating healthier. They always ate balanced meals at home but I couldn’t control what they ate outside of the house when they were with friends or at school. I just thought what I didn’t know wouldn’t kill me.
Martine: What are the biggest challenges to eating all organic for you?
Mariel: I’m lucky. I live in area in California that is rich with options. We have a Whole Foods Market store close by and so many other shopping options. I don’t do fast food…I simply don’t make it an option.
Martine: Eating organic must be tough when you are on the road. How do you do it?
Mariel: If I am working on a set with caterers who don’t do organic and fresh food, I simply bring my own. It’s not that difficult.
Martine: I’ve read you eat no carbohydrates…when did you start and why?
Mariel: Too many carbohydrates created problems for me. Sugar does not work well in my system so It’s really grains that I don’t eat as I eat a ton of organic vegetables. It’s not so much the carbs themselves but how they are processed in the body. Carbs convert to sugar in the system. Human beings have a tough time breaking down these sugars and what causes aging is how they breakdown in the system. There is also much research linking cancer to high sugar consumption. Also, abhorrent cancer cells eat sugar. I have been researching for my new book and found that people don’t process carbs the same. The Japanese and Chinese have larger pancreases than us so they are equipped to break down sugars better. I eat moderate protein and good.
Martine: If you don’t eat grains where do you get your fiber?
Mariel: I eat a ton of vegetables. I even eat them in the morning for breakfast. I’m a veggie fanatic.
Martine: Tell us about your book.
Mariel: It focuses on environment, nutrition, yoga, and meditation.
Martine: How do you think that nutrition and environment affects us in our everyday life?
Mariel: You are what you eat and that’s not a myth. If you put bad fuel in our body it will function poorly. If your internal environment is healthy you will also have less stress.
Martine: What advice do you have for the less conscious consumer?
Mariel: If you can make one change, it will have a tremendous effect.
In addition to her many acting endeavors, Mariel is also active in sharing her passion for the organic lifestyle and is the author of two books including Finding My Balance a memoir including Yoga and Meditation Routines in 2002 and Mariel Hemingway’s Healthy Living from the Inside Out in 2006.
Interview with Martine Carlina of Organic Lifestyles Magazine
Copyright Organic Lifestyles International Media Inc.
