DISQUS

yeah - Gwyneth Paltrow brought those to attention when she ordered the fast from her mysterious hospital visit earlier this year...

you are awesome. looking very forward to dr. junger as well - was just reading about him and donna karan - who looks fabulous.

hatching plans to go labor day weekend (location TBD). i know it's going to hurt my bank account - boo weak dollar - but i have been itching to get there for at least a year.... and this probably was a complete overshare.

I totally agree with your definition of a credit score. What I'm saying is that as a young twentysomething living in a city like New York it is easier for me - and perhaps others - to exercise fiscal responsibility with credit cards to build a good credit history through those means than worrying about using manual underwriting down the line - particularly in economic times where parameters around lending are getting increasingly stringent. I know a lot of people who are on subleases, not on bills, and - without credit cards - the only way they would build a credit history is through their cell phone payments. That or people who want to rent and if they do not produce compelling documents quickly will have properties taken from under them by the next person in line. All i'm saying is pick and choose your battles rather than writing off the product entirely. While credit card companies have their own agenda, as a consumer / customer you can use their relationships and powers for your personal gain.

Sorry man - I don't believe in stopping credit card use entirely. Unless you think you can afford to buy a house, start a business, or buy a car (well, maybe not a car - well, maybe a smartcar?) without ever seeking financing, you should have at least 1 if not 2 credit cards to establish a credit history. Exercise fiscal responsibility, however, and make sure you pay those bills in full and on time every month to make sure the numbers on your report go up instead of down. If you decide to only go the cash / debit route, you may find yourself with a low - if not a 'no' - credit score only because you don't have a track record and not able to get a good rate on a bank loan. The hey days of NINA loans are over.

congratulations! you are such an inspiration - and your latest series of tips have been helpful as i navigate my transition as well. looking forward to more progress but you are a sweetheart inside and out

I agree - I'm learning moderation is key. While I perform well on juice fasts in the short term, they have in the past caused me to swing to the other side and binge on SAD cravings. Right now, I'm trying the slow steady tortoise way back to raw.