Woohoo… the very bright and beautiful 2012 is here! It is a new year, which means it is time for a new and improved you right? Well, we have all heard this before but what gets you moving in the right direction? What gets you to change? Do you want more energy or do you need to lose weight so you can have more fun? Whatever your reason is to move in a healthier direction you should know that there is no better time than the present to change. Ignite your SPARK, let it shine bold and bright in 2012. You deserve to sparkle.

My wake up call came twelve years ago when my cancer ridden grandmother moved in with my family in 2000. At the age of 11 I watched my once full of life 66 year old grandmother completely deteriorate from pancreatic cancer, and there seemed as if there was nothing anyone could do to help her. After her passing I began to find ways to combat “cancer”. It has taken years for me to assemble a new way of looking at  the disease. Over the years I have diligently researched ways to  protect one’s body from disease and have found through  consuming vibrant foods and adopting a active lifestyle health and energy can be yours. Now, I am 23 years old have more energy than I know what to do with and have transformed my life through eating whole living foods and though being an active participant in my physical/spiritual development.

I atribute a lot of my findings to Kris Carr, the mulit-talented brillent vixen, wellness warrior, and New York Times best selling author of “Crazy Sexy Diet“. She is one of my all time favorite people to learn from, you will love her too. She has reshaped my perspective on Cancer and has changed my life forever “where ever you are right now I thank you for being so brave and honest”.

Even though cancer and disease run through my family I have no anxiety about disease because I am actively taking a role in my health and you know what… it feels pretty good, if I may say so my self.

I would love  to share a few vitality tips with you from one of my favorite Cancer surviving pioneers of our generation. Here are a few tips from Kris Carr’s New Book “Crazy Sexy Diet”. She is one of my all time favorite no-nonsense no-bull$hit authors Kris, you’re a true CRAZY SEXY FIRE THAT IS IGNITING THE WORLD!

If you really want to feel good, day in and day out then I suggest you pick up the call you wont regret it.

WAKE UP CALL / PICK UP GORGEOUS/HANDSOME!

1. Everyone needs to have his/her own wake up call.  A true call to action because you deserve to be healthy… NOW!
2. Kris emphasizes a low – fat vegetarian, fruit and veggie-stacked program, which seeks to balance your beautiful bod’s PH levels and restore energy and vitality.
3. Ditch processed sugar/ junk food/drinks and Milk – Grab more juice drinks, smoothies, raw living foods full of nutrients and minerals to keep your cells healthy!
4. In her new book Kris destroys the common myth that you can only access protein through animal products. You can get all the protein and calcium you need from a varied plant based diet!!! Don’t believe this; go to page 68 in “Crazy Sexy Diet.”
5. Invest in a good Juicer ( I own a Hurom Slow Masticating Juicer and it is Kick’s Ass!), Blender (VitaMix Blender), and a good Food Processor to create sustainable life force meals for your glowing body.

 More Crazy Sexy Tips to come. In the mean time for your own sake pick up Kris Carr’s new book Crazy Sexy Diet!

 BERGAMOT APPROVED

Breath Beauty. Love Extravagantly.

Jillian

The Bergamot a Sparkly New Year.

Nowness is defined as the quality or state of existing or occurring in or belonging to the present time. What do you initially think of when you hear the term NOWNESS? O.K. take a moment to think of what you think of when you hear the word NOW?

Do you think of the laundry list of activities you need to accomplished, do you contemplate silence, or think of the present and just pause? When I think of the term NOW I begin fidgeting, sifting though a cluttered mind full of  to-do lists that never seem to cease. Yet, when I think of NOWNESS I begin to shift gears into a zone where I can deeply focus on the beauty in the present moment. Can adding NESS to the word NOW make that big of a difference? I believe the answer is yes it can. We live in a “NOW” society where everyone wants what they want NOW… because of this way of living there is so much built up stress and pressure and quite frankly I think the 36 million depressed Americans are fed up with feeding the I need it “NOW” mentality more than ever. The “NOW” mentality feeds our candy wants but not our soul.

With the 2012 holiday season right around the corner I challenge you to take 5 minutes a day and begin your journey to be in the present moment. By practicing being in NOWNESS your stress level will decrease and your happiness will increase. Sometimes doing a gentle activity while listening to soothing music will help you be present and more relaxed.

“Songwriting keeps me grounded in the present moment by teaching me to be aware and fully devoted to each word, breath, and note.”  If your a musician try songwriting, if your not try drawing, taking a long walk, or writing in a journal. Do what ever it takes to de-stress your body and rejuvenate your senses you will be happier for it.

Music and the Present 

“What can music do for humans? According to Sari Harrar, “Clinical studies and anecdotal evidence from music therapists suggest that the sound of music helps to …

• manage pain
• improve mood and mobility
• reduce the need of pain relievers and sedatives accompanied with surgery
• relieve anxiety
• lower blood pressure
• ease depression
• enhance concentration and creativity

He continues by suggesting that “music has the power to soothe the savage–stressed out–beast.”

Dr. Gaynor says, “Listening to music is proven to reduce stress.” According to a Japanese study, stress hormone levels (ACTH and cortisol) were measured in surgical patients just before anesthesia was administered. Patients who listened to soothing music immediately before, showed a drop in stress hormones by more than 50 percent. The opposite happened to those who did not listen to music. Their hormone levels showed a rise of more than 50 percent. They concluded that any music a patient finds pleasurable will reduce levels of stress.” (Stress and Environment) 

The Bergamot came out with “Haven” as a stress reducer and it has done just that for thousands of people. Additionally, I have placed a few tips below on how to stay present.

( taken from the resourceful website  zenhabits.net. )

Focus On Nowness
There are three things we can think about:

1. The past. Reliving things we messed up about. Being embarrassed about something we did. Wishing we could have something back that is gone. Living in memories of good times past. Being angry about things done to us. You get the idea.
2. The future. Worrying about things we need to do later. Worrying about what might happen, or a big event coming up. Being anxious that things might go wrong, or that we might mess up. Hoping for something wonderful. Dreaming of great things to come.
3. The present. What is happening right now, at this moment. What we are doing now.

The Bergamot

Today, I (Jillian Speece) will speak on behalf of The Bergamot when I say that The Bergamot believes Simplicity = Happiness. The first time we toured America (Autumn 2010) we spent weeks making check lists of things that we thought we needed to bring. Everything from band-aids to a full out screen printing machine went into the “Tour Bus” (aka a Volvo Hatchback). A year later looking back on that first tour it is amazing to think about how much stuff we brought along and did not need. Just think, over the span of 2 1/2 months we barely used the stuff that fit into less than 20 cubic feet! And yet we had the best time of our  lives just living off the bare essentials while pursuing our passion. This life lesson changed the way I think. I now take action based off of the theory that less=more.  Essentially, every human is  renting everything that we possess from God. When you die you can not take your home, dog, diamonds, or  your wheat grass juicer with you, it will all just be re-purposed. If your looking for happiness start by taking a life inventory (from the belongings you are “renting” to the way you treat others and yourself.)  A good way to begin or end your day is to be grateful towards God for all of your blessings.

TIPS: For you, with love The Bergamot 

1. De-clutter : Start simplifying by de-cluttering your living space. Begin with a small space like your bathroom. Throw away or recycle unused products, get storage/shelving unitis and minimize your body products by at least half. Then once you have organized that space go to your bedroom grab a good friend and ask them to just stand there and help you decipher what would be useful to keep and what should be tossed. The key here is that you have a friend with you, since they will not be emotionally attached to the objects you are seeking to give away. Also, do not get hung up on the dollar bills you spent on that blouse from the early 1990′s. It is time to free your self and part of that process is letting go of the monetary side of the things you will be giving away to people in need. For great references on how to de-clutter your life please scroll down to the bottom of this blog. 

2. Meditation: By meditating you have an opportunity to de-cluttering your brain and open your senses up to new enlightening opportunities.Take 10 minutes to just focus on your breath pattern. Sit outside and let the sun hit your face for a few minutes and just be present to the moment and to your breath. You’ll be glad you did.  Click this link to learn more about meditation. The site is called Whole Living, there you can learn many beautiful things on how to benefit your mind/body/soul. 

3. Kindness: Be kinder to yourself. We live in such a dishonest media community, where just about every where you look you see altered photos of women and men that set us up for unrealistic expectations. So today when you look in the mirror please treat your self kindly. Start by saying at least 3 positive things about yourself.

 Click this link to find out more tips on how to be Kind to yourself. 

References: on how to de-clutter your life. I found these references on a blog called  Zen Habits check it out for yourself.

1. Simplify Your Life. My favorite all-time author on simplicity is Elaine St. James. Actually, all of her books on simplifying are good. Also check out Living the Simple Life. See my review on these two books here.

2. Unclutterer.com. I’m a big fan of this blog, which is written by a small group of decluttering fanatics like me. If you don’t read them regularly, look through their archives

3. Flylady.net. One of the best sites on the Internet for those who want to take control of their clutter, Flylady inspired me before I started Zen Habits. A couple of my favorites: How to Declutter andDeclutter 15 Minutes a Day. Don’t let the look of the site or the focus on stay-at-home parents fool you … there’s great stuff here for anyone looking to declutter or create routines.

4. 30 Days to a Simpler Life. A book by Connie Cox and Cris Evatt, it takes various ways to simplify your life, including decluttering, and puts them into a 30-day program.

5. Your Life. Organized. An excellent blog by Monica Ricci, who is a professional organizer. You can’t get better than this professional. You might also be interested in her book, Organize Your Office In No Time.

6. Real Simple: The Organized Home. Real Simple is one of my favorite magazines. I don’t subscribe, but often read the website,RealSimple.com. This book (“The Organized Home“) takes a lot of their best advice on home organizing, including decluttering, and puts it into one volume.

7. Interested in seeing some of the smallest most beautiful homes ever. Visit  Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

First, I always eat a good breakfast…( no matter what). Secondly, I eat whole foods ( food that is colorful, food that contains nutrients and is primarily raw (ex. apples for that matter all fruit, carrots, spinach, whole grain breads,quinoa, nuts, legumes, beans ext.) Also, I never ever drink sugar laden drinks and for that matter stay away from processed foods. I always, shop on the perimeter of a store since the middle is where all the junk food is located. Additionally, I am a die-hard ingredient label reader, if I can not pronounce a word on the list or if the list is longer than 10 -15 words than it is typically not worth consumption because it is dead of nutritional value.

Here is The Bergamot’s ENERGY boosters Drink

Juice drink Recipef rom The Bergamot’s door to your door.

Juicing Kahle with The Bergamot

The Bergamot’s Mean Green Motha-Truck’n Monster (Juice Drink)

3 heads of Kale

1 Carrot

1 Beat

1 Lemon (peeled)

1/2 of a bag of spinach

1 red Organic Apple

1 thumb piece of Ginger root ( or as much as you want)

3 Garlic Cloves ( these are used to boost your immune system)

(Directions)

1. Place all of the fruits and Veggies on your Kitchen Table. Wash them and peel the lemon and garlic cloves.

2. Get your Juicer out ( if you don’t own one find a friend who does, if you can’t find a friend head over to Whole Foods or a small locally owned Natural food service store) and begin by juicing the Kale and continue on down the list.

3. Catch the Mean Green Motha- Truck’n juice in a glass bowl then get your hand-held strainer out and strain over a drinking glass then drink it up and reap the benefits of more ENERGY!

CHEERS FROM THE BERGAMOT 

Jillian from The Bergamot drinking Mean Green Juice Drink

 watch Candy Wrappers click this linkor for another version click the link below  

or here 

Fall, winter, spring, & summer have left us speechless with blessings of music, joy, and life. Here are a few moments captured in the past 6 mo. The Bergamot has born a new album Haven and are working on their 3rd album Static Flowers set to be released Fall of 2011. 

Energy. Love. Music.

The Bergamot’s on Fire and loving the heat.

Jauary 3, 2011

The Bergamot originated in the Spring of 2009, out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Singer/Songwriter’s Jillian Speece and Nathan Hoff created the group after performing and writing music together for over seven years. Both Speece and Hoff are dedicated to creating songs with catchy melodies, strong rhythms and above all a relatable message. Speece is known for her silky-smooth, soulful, and strong vocals, while Hoff’s dynamic guitar playing is full of intensity, passion, and effortlessness. Their genre is Pop/Organic Pop, and their sound is reminiscent of notable artists such as, Joni Mitchell, Sara Bareilles, James Taylor, The Weepies, Norah Jones, Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, Colbie Caillet, Joss Stone, Ingrid Michaelson, John Mayer, Regina Spektor, Natasha Bedingfield, and Feist, to name a few.  During May of 09’ they decide to name their duo the Bergamot after Hoff suggested to Speece that the name would suit their fun, lively, multifaceted music well. The groups’ name the Bergamot derives from the natural oil of the fruit, Citrus bergamia, a fruit used to bring about a feeling of freshness, joy, positive energy, and happiness, while concurrently reliving stress. Prior to naming the group The Bergamot, Speece and Hoff would burn the oil in their studio as a method of aromatherapy. They would also regularly drink Earl Grey tea which is made up of the bergamot oil. After great deliberation Speece and Hoff decided the name was a perfect fit for their group since they felt the uses of the Bergamot paralleled with the purpose of their music. They believe that “music” is meant to bring happiness, joy, and positive energy to its listeners in the same way bergamot oil brings joy and energy to its users. Five months later they decided to expand their duo. During the fall of 09’ they began collaborating with Grant Inman (Drummer, of Elkhart, Indiana) and Andrew Teeple (Bassist, of Fort Wayne, Indiana). By January 29^th they headlined in Chicago, IL at The Elbo Room and Uncommon Grounds. The next week, February 6, 2010, they were featured on the globally syndicated Greg Jarrett Show, WGN Chicago Radio.  “Wow the Bergamot oh boy… I am telling you we’ve got people outside on the sidewalk clapping as well. That is a nice sound… the heck with American Idol, the heck with the Grammys, we had no pitch correction, that was live right into the mic’s in the studio, Jillian that is a fantastic sound…remember you heard them first here on WGN Chicago.”(Greg Jarret WGN Chicago Radio Show, 6 February 2010.) In addition, to The Bergamot’s growing popularity by the third week of March (March 18^th, 2010) they released their first EP, “Smile”. After two weeks it was released on i-Tunes and became a top seller on Digstation.com. The flavor of Smile is fresh, fun, and retro it is lively and catchy. Currently, The Bergamot (Speece and Hoff) continue promoting their music world-wide while playing gigs all over the United States. They recently took America by surprise on their first National Tour, from Cincinnati, Ohio to Los Angeles, California. Their dates ranged from September-November 2010. They played over 38 gigs while crossing over 22 state lines. “The tour was a success; we managed to grow our fan base exponentially, while growing our musical talents. Going on tour offered us more opportunities than we could have ever imagined. We are thrilled and can’t wait to tour this year.” (Speece, Jillian. Personal Interview. 20, December 2010.)  Upon their arrival home The Bergamot released “Haven”, November 25, 2010, their first full length album on i-Tunes. The excited responses they received from fans worldwide were promising. As their album was streaming online, the hard copies of Haven were brewing and set to be released January 20^th 2011. Meanwhile, Hoff and Speece were itching to return to their studio to do some exploratory work. While on the road they had been inspired and grew a deeper understanding of how music functions and what it means to come into one’s own. On December 12, 2010 they released their first ever single, “Winter Anthem”, a song that encompassed the soul of winter and the presence of Christmas. Once again, Winter Anthem was greatly received by their fans. As far as 2011 is concerned Speece and Hoff are diligently working to submerge themselves and their full bodied works further into the music world. Recently, The Bergamot created a new genre of music called, “Organic Pop”. This genre of music integrates elements of catchy melodies and strong rhythms with the presence of a more organic intimate sound. Organic Pop, eliminates the superfluous processing requirements of traditional pop, this genre is open to the exploratory side of music with a focus of keeping the music pure. The Bergamot believes this genre better suits their sound and will hold a greater appeal to their steadily growing audience. Additionally, they plan to tour the east coast during the Spring of 2011.  As far as this winter goes The Bergamot will spend much of their time writing, recording, performing live (predominantly in Chicago, IL), and promoting their music nationally. Mainly you will find this group together most all the time. They go together like birds of a feather and you can tell by the way there eyes light up in each others presence that they are, very much in love, serious about music, and living life to the fullest.

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.

Crunchy numbers

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has 296 steps to reach the top. This blog was viewed about 1,200 times in 2010. If those were steps, it would have climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa 4 times

In 2010, there were 10 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 50 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 61mb. That’s about 4 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was September 2nd with 250 views. The most popular post that day was Jillian Speece and Nathan Hoff.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, thebergamot.com, wedding.ebonito.com, touch.facebook.com, and mail.yahoo.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for bergamot music, the bergamot band, the bergamot music, the bergamot cincinnati ohio, and bergamot.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

THE BERGAMOT: MUSIC September 2010

About US September 2010

TOUR DETAILS September 2010