Women we love: Going global with… Manuela Testolini

Growing up in the worldly city of Toronto the daughter of an Italian father and Egyptian mother, Manuela has appreciated the richness of other cultures for as long as she can remember. It only makes sense, then, that she grew up to be a true citizen of the world. Along with her global-minded lifestyle company Gamillah, Inc., makers of the very obsession-worthy Altru candles, she started the foundation In a Perfect World (iapw.org) to help children become socially-responsible leaders. Busy, busy Manuela truly lives by her favorite quote, from Ayn Rand: “The question is not who is going to let me, it’s who is going to stop me.” Not us!

Name: Manuela Testolini
Age: 32
Location: Toronto and L.A.
Occupation: Philanthropist and entrepreneur
What makes you tick: Being able to have a positive impact on my surroundings.
Where my time goes: I’m currently working on the launch of my Altru Purity fragrance collection. It’s a beautiful fusion of exotic white flowers (altrubygamillah.com).
Favorite section on Skinny and the City: I love them all! But I definitely gravitate towards articles on health and wellness, as well as Raven’s section. My dad was a restaurateur and I’m a diehard foodie!
If I had one hour completely to myself I would… take a nap! Sleep is a hot commodity in my busy life.
If I had one year completely to myself… I’d choose six places to travel to, and spend two months in each place, immersing myself in the culture — language, food, music, and traditions.
Likes: Travel, foreign films, language, quantum physics, cooking, community service, world music, love.
Dislikes: In no particular order — goat cheese and avocados, inconsiderate people, long flights.
Favorite healthy snacks: Applesauce (unsweetened) with cinnamon, flaxseeds, slivered almonds, and raisins.
Favorite indulgences: Fran’s dark chocolate & grey sea salt caramels. Yum!
If I could tell women one thing to make a priority in their lives, it would be… themselves! As women, we too often put everyone else first. We have to understand that unless we replenish ourselves, we cannot be of any real service to anyone else.

Skinny Contest: Win $100 to Shopflick.com

Skinny Bonus: Email us at contests@skinnyandthecity.com to tell us who your favorite up-and-coming designer on Shopflick is and why, by Wednesday April 1, 2009 at 5 p.m. EST. We’ll choose a winner, who will receive a $100 credit to use on ShopFlick.

If you haven't already, make sure to check out all our favorite online shopping sites for spring!

Skinny gives back

On Sunday March 8th, Skinny and the City participated in the Diabetes Research Institute’s Carnival for a Cure in Manhattan. Over 900 people attended the carnival, which had bumper cars, bounce houses, and treats for all ages. We offered free nutrition advice and guidance to attendees from our booth. Also, our founder Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, donated a nutrition consultation package from her private practice for the silent auction.
We had a blast but more importantly, the event raised almost $375,000 for cure-focused diabetes research!

Be wary of nutrition facts

In 2008, fast food restaurants in New York City and other major cities nationwide were required to list nutrition facts along with their food items. However, it is important to use your own knowledge as well to make healthy choices when eating out. There may be many reasons why the menu labeling is not totally accurate:

Check out the corrective actions Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts had to take after their numbers were proven wrong as written in Restaurant News!

Our Dining Out section aims to teach you how to navigate a menu. The basics are to stay away from foods that are overly processed, fried, or contain added cheese and sauces while choosing items which consist of fresh ingredients and are prepared without excess fat or sugar.

Stick with us to keep getting the info you need to make educated decisions for yourself!

Skinny Contest: Win the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Collection

Win the Bronze Goddess Collection! Hey Skinny readers, wanna kiss winter goodbye a little early? Tell us why you think you deserve this little spring break (the whole 10-piece collection) in five sentences or less by sending an email to contests@skinnyandthecity.com by 5 p.m. EST, Wednesday March 18th. Whoever makes their case best wins!

If you haven't already, check out our Fashion and Beauty article on the Estee Lauder collection!

 

And the winner of the Judith Ripka ring is…

Paige from New York City! We got tons of fantastic answers, so this was a tough one. We were truly overwhelmed and touched by your dozens and dozens of beautiful stories. Thank you for sharing with us! In fact, we loved them so much, we want to give all of you a prize. If you entered, stay tuned for an email from us with more info on that.

So how did Paige get our attention — and the ring? We loved that she loves the things we hold near and dear to our hearts at Skinny, too: friendships, love, fun, and last but not least — the rules! As in, she used just five sentences as we requested in our contest call-out :) Without further ado, here’s the answer that won Paige a fabulous Judith Ripka ring:

“Two years ago, my single friends and I sent each other beautiful flowers at work, which made watching all of our attached colleagues receive flowers and gifts from their significant others a breeze. Then, that night we had a “BYOB” party - "Bring Your Own Boy," where each single girl brought a single guy friend to hang out, drink champagne, play Guitar Hero and mingle with new people! The party was a huge success - two matches were made that night that are still together today! It turned out to be a super fun night, with no Valentine’s Day pressure and lots of laughs! It was definitely the best Valentine's Day ever!”

Sounds like a fun night, Paige — next time you have a “BYOB” party, give us a call!

As for everyone else, keep checking back. We have lots of contests, which means lots of chances for you to win.

- Your friends at Skinny and the City

National Nutrition Month

Sure, we give you tools to eat right every single day, but since March is National Nutrition Month, it’s the perfect time to really take a look at your health and make the changes you want! Think about your diet, how you feel about yourself and your body, and where you can potentially make healthy changes — then make a plan to reach your goals. And don’t forget, we’re here for you every step of the way!

Speaking of… Mark your calendars because March 11 is Registered Dietitian Day (ahem, yours truly). We’ll be expecting your gifts and cards (just kidding!). But seriously, there is one little thing you can do for us: Tell us about someone who has inspired you to make healthy changes in your life and why (please keep it to 5 sentences). We may choose to highlight your story and that fabulous person on our blog to give us all a little inspiration. We can’t wait to hear your stories!