Hello, My Name is...

Hey Gorgeous, My name is Stephanie Marinello.

I strive to better myself everyday, and I do that by acquiring knowledge. I find knowledge in the research I do, the experiences I have, the things I read and the people I surround myself with. Knowledge is power, it goes beyond a simple education or a job—it becomes you, it influences the next decision you make, the next meal you reach out to feed your body, how good of a friend you are, how good of a family member you are and how good of a lover you are. If you care about anything, even yourself —educate yourself.

I want to share the new things I learn, the new things I see and experience in the City of Angels with you. Subscribe yourself and I promise I won’t send you emails with junk but only things that encourage me to be better then I was yesterday and even today. If we individually are better, then we contribute for a better tomorrow. Who knows maybe one of the emails might just strike your interest. Food for thought anyone?

Smart is Sexy, Let’s turn heads the right way!

What's Beneath the Smile

"After some time you learn the difference, the subtle difference between giving a hand and fettering a soul;
And you learn that to love doesn’t mean to support yourself, and that company doesn’t always mean security.
And you learn that kisses are not contracts and that gifts are not promises.
And you start to accept your loss with your head up and eyes straight ahead, with the grace of a grown-up, not the sadness of a child.
You learn to build the roads of today, because tomorrow’s land is too unknown to make plans and the future usually falls from nowhere.
And you learn that it doesn’t matter how much you care, some people just don’t.
And you accept that it doesn’t matter how good someone can be, they will hurt you once in a while and you have to forgive them for that.
And you learn that talking can be a relief to emotional pain.
You learn that it takes years to build trust and just seconds to destroy it, and you can do things in a second that you will regret for the rest of your life…
You learn that friendship continuous to grow even with the distance and that what matters is not what you have in life, but who you are in life.
And you learn that the people you care the most are taken away from you too fast, that is why we should always say caring things to those we love, because it might be the last time we see them…

You learn that patience requires a lot of practice.
You learn that maturity is about what kind of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them, not how many birthdays you have already celebrated.
You learn that there’s more of your parents in you than you suppose.
You learn that you should never tell a child that dreams are foolishness, few things are so humiliating that it would be a tragedy if he believed that.
You learn that when you are angry you have the right to be angry, but that does not give you the right to be cruel.
You learn that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want to be loved, it doesn’t mean that the person doesn’t know how to love, and s/he loves you as much as s/he can, because there are people who love you, but simply don’t know how to show it.
You learn that being forgiven is never enough, sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

You learn that with the same harshness that you judge, you someday, will be condemned.
You learn that no matter how many pieces your heart was broken into, the world doesn’t stop so you can fix it.
You learn that you cannot go back in time, so you have to take care of your garden and not wait for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn you can really bear it, that you’re really strong and that you can go farther than you think, and that life has a value and you have a value before life!
And you learn that our doubts are disloyal and that makes us lose what we could achieve, if it weren’t for the fear of trying.”

Veronica Shoffstall

Should you go Gluten-free?

1-Minute Med School

  
Should you be eating Gluten-Free?


Short answer: Only go gluten-free if you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. People with celiac disease are sensitive to gluten, a special type of protein found in wheat and other grains. They may experience diarrhea, bloating, anemia, weight loss, and eventually long term damage to the small intestine as a result of eating foods that contain gluten. A gluten-free diet eliminates symptoms and reverses damages to small intestine in most people with celiac disease, but for others, a gluten-free diet carries no benefit. In fact, needlessly restricting your diet may lead you to miss out on important nutrients your body needs, such as iron and B vitamins.


*johnshopkinshealthalerts.com

Courage Sometimes Travels Alone

"Try something totally new. Go Somewhere you've never been. Do something you've never done. It will shake up your vision of what the world is like and give you a fresh new perspective on things."

Last Year I set my mind on making it to Machu Picchu, one of the Wonders of the World. I bought the ticket and made the plans with my then boyfriend. Life happens. Things change. We broke up and last minute he bailed out. Huge Fuck you to me.
What did I do?
I packed my bag and backpack and got a grip on my fears of heading to a new country, as a girl and alone.
Most of all I would hike the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu for 4 days and camp for 3 nights, ALONE (with a guide of course)--mind you I have never hiked before in my life (I am very athletic though).
This was new and this was scary as shit.
But it was a dream and I was going to do it. Being a girl and alone would make a difference traveling but it would not make a difference if I was SMART.
So I made a pact with myself;

By being open to meeting new people, visiting a new city that I didnt know but am curious about, changing up my routine a bit or having a taste of something that I assumed wouldn't be to my liking, I am gradually strenthening my ability to be courageous. 

Damn straight. Take a look at the pic above. Thats me at the top of Machu Picchu in Peru.I hiked my sexy ass through the crazy altitude and overcame my negative thoughts with positive ones and kept a smart approach to traveling alone as a girl, and I kicked ass.
And Oooooo baby did it feel good :)

Don't be scared to walk alone, and don't be scared to like it. Keep doing what you know in your heart is right, for you.