THE DAILY KALE : Krysten Jorgensen

Whats your name? Krysten Jorgensen 

Any nick name or one you wish you had? Hmm. Well I have been called Big Red. KJ. And Kris. But I think I'd really like the nick name 'K' to stick. Just doesn't seem to work out. Haha. I'll keep trying! 

Where do you live? Los Angeles, Ca. 

But where are you really from? Good ole' Georgia. (born in Wisconsin)

Who or What inspired you to begin your healthy lifestyle/ or have you always been healthy?
Well I think there are a lot of different reasons. I worked at Whole Foods for a few years and that def. got me interested in a lot of things I never knew anything about. Working there, also introduced me to Engine 2 Diet/Forks Over Knives. So documentaries for sure. And my mom was sick a few years ago (she's better) and I just decided to go vegan with her for a month and from then on thats when I got really serious and interested about health. I stopped eating meat in 2012, never looked back. 
*Gotta give a shout out to Oh She Glows as well. That was why I ever bought kale, to make my first green smoothie- back in like 2009.

What are your favorite places to eat? Cafe Gratitude. Mohawk Bend. Lifefood Organic. Babycakes NYC. 
Shojin. Sage.  Gracias Madre. Natalee Thai. Veggie Grill. 

Drink of choice? Oh man. I love all kinds of drinks. Lets see.. There is my morning iced mocha mushroom latte. And then I love matcha tea & also sparkling water with lemon juice & ginger juice added. Kombucha. And I also love red wine. 


Foods you eat on a daily basis? (ie. Breakfast/Lunch/DInner):
I'll have whatever I've meal prepped that week. Basically it's always brown rice or quinoa, a sauce & whatever veggies I have in the fridge- usually broccoli & kale. So I'll make grain bowls based around that. It's the winter time so warmer foods is what I'm having these days. For breakfast I'll usually have avocado toast with hummus on it. Always ezekiel bread. Until I can find good vegan gluten free bread. And for lunch & dinner it's usually protein like beans, tofu, tempeh + sauce (pesto, cashew cheese,kung pao sauce, marinara tahini) + vegetable: kale or broccoli typically. + complex carb : quinoa, brown rice or whole wheat pasta. From there you can do anything! It's a simple base that makes it so easy to create a healthy meal pretty fast if everything is prepped. It's worth it to meal prep. Really really helps me stay on track.


Snack/Treat: PEANUT BUTTER just by the spoonfull. Crackers & hummus (by Roots- favorite hummus right there!) oh and dark chocolate bar dipped in peanut butter. anything peanut butter & chocolate is my favorite. Treat wise: raw key lime pie from Cafe Gratitude. it's insane. soooooo good.


Shy or outgoing? Shy with people I don't know. Crazy with the people I do know :) My boyfriend knows. Haha.


Hobbies /Other interests? Singing. Painting. Basically any crafts, I love making stuff on my own. Michael's is my favorite store. (I have an etsy shop with all my painting- in case your interested.) Swimming. Directing & writing shorts. Cooking (obviously).


Disneyland or Universal Studios? DISNEYLAND DUH!  I just love it.


Favorite Movie? I don't have just one. But, Philadelphia is definitely very high on the list. Forrest Gump. Sleepless in Seattle. (I loveeee Tom Hanks). And many many more. I love anything that moves me. 
I also love Big Fish, Ratatouille & The Proposal. I watch A LOT OF MOVIES!

Favorite TV show? High Maintenance on HBO. Master of None on Netflix. This is us.
Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. I love food documentaries too- love learning about different cultures.

Favorite Color? Mustard Gold. And a close tie would be Turquoise. 


What is your favorite season? I absolutely love fall and everything about it. But summer is also a favorite. (I love the beach).

Favorite vegetable ? Well, besides KALE- I think cauliflower, for it's versatility. But I also love sweet potatoes. 

Favorite place to visit? Besides home (Georgia), I'd have to say Santa Ynez Valley & San Fran. Hopefully adding some other places to the list very soon. 


What has been your best vacation to date? Hands down Cancun, Mexico. Best trip of my life. 


Favorite Singer or Band? Well there is Celine Dion. She's been my singing inspiration since I was 8 years old. But I have loved Sara Bareilles for a while now. And oldies. I think my go to on spottily is my Golden Oldies Mix. It's just very uplifting and happy music. I also love to relax with Bon Iver's music. So good.

Favorite Song (or songs- cause this is a ridiculous question) ?
Whoo whee. Yes, very ridiculous indeed. I love a million songs. But a few that come to mind are Celine Dion- 'The Color of My Love'. I also love Otis Redding- 'These arms of Mine'. 'Unforgettable' - Nat King Cole. Anything from the show "Smash". And 'Endless Love' . The music from Pride & Prejudice. K, thats more than a few. But I just love music. I think harmony is the most beautiful sound in the world. It literally makes me cry sometimes cause it's just so beautiful. 


Favorite recipe you make? Cashew Cheeze. I put it on e v e r y t h i n g. And I am kinda obsessed with my recent recipe for buffalo cauliflower. I can't get enough. Although I really love this pizza crust I make. I just would prefer you try my cauliflower. It's so good. 

Favorite Food? Well since I'm from the south, I basically love anything to do with cornmeal. I love grits. I love cornbread, tacos, my pizza crust. Etc. I also love any type of mexican food. 


Sweet or Savory? Savory all the way. I could eat cashew cheese and sweet potatoes and avocados all day everyday. 


What do you like to do for exercise? I'm not the biggest workout fanatic. I love to take long walks. I am really trying to get into yoga. I've recently been just trying out new things to see what is best for me. So far taking long walks around my neighborhood or hikes in L.A. is what makes me the happiest. (Griffith observatory hike is my all time favorite hike in L.A.)


Any particular skin care regimen ? Coconut oil. Carrot seed oil. Pomegranate oil. Cocokind skincare products too. I also love doing my diy turmeric oatmeal mask. It is amazing.
- I am actually sitting here typing this with coconut oil all over my face. Haha. I also put it all over my body after the shower. Seriously- try it. It's so moisturizing. 

Night Owl or Early Bird? Night Owl for sure. I do love the mornings. But I'm up to late to enjoy them. haha.

Any advice you’d like to give someone who thinks it’s hard or expensive to eat healthy?
I think that eating healthy is worth the price. There are some foods you don't need to buy organic- which I know it's expensive to buy only organic. I don't buy everything organic. I also know that beans, lentils, rice & quinoa are the base of most of my meals & buying those things in bulk is actually very inexpensive for the amount of food you get. Buying things in bulk really help. Regardless- I understand it might be pricey- but being healthy is always going to be the most important thing for me. I haven't ate fast food in like 8 or 9 years. I think people spend a lot of $ on lattes at starbucks and fast food. And if you just make your drinks/food at home- it's way cheaper. 


Favorite quote? "Want it more than you're afraid of it"


Who or what motivates you ?
Music & people. (Especially my mom, sister, my brother & boyfriend). I see a lot of ugly/bad things here in L.A. But when you see the good, it's like the brightest shining light. And I do see it. People who care and are so genuine and sincere and just down right nice. It's refreshing and it makes me want to do better and be better. So thank you to all of you out there changing the world. Just by being caring to one another.


Any natural remedies you swear by? Chinese medicine for sure. Yin chiao is amazing. Whenever I start to feel a tickle in my throat- I take that & I hadn't got sick for a whole year.
Lavender essential oil. So important to have at home. If you get bit by something put that right on it. I love a lot of essential oils. Peppermint oil is one of my favorites. Aloe vera is one of my first loves.
Calendula is like a natural neosporin. Turmeric supplements for inflammation & probiotics for digestion & for everything really.  Also apple cider vinegar is a must to have for me- it's a cure for so many things. If you start to feel like your getting a UTI, take a shot of it every 30 m-1 hour for about 2 hours, it'll make the symptoms go away.
Tea tree oil is another favorite as well. 

Whats one of your favorite things about life? 
Oh man. Life is just so crazy beautiful. I can't believe where I am right now. From what I've been through to be here right now- in this moment. I can't believe it. I'm so thankful. 
I love the magic of life. The magic of music. The magic of nature. The magic of color.
Sometimes I look at life in disbelief. Tears. How lucky we are to be alive right now.

Proudest moment?
I think the fact that I haven't given up on myself. Yes I know I'm an actress- and no I haven't stopped doing that. But if I ever wanted to stop that'd be fine. It wouldn't be 'giving up'. But  I mean it in a bigger picture. I get up everyday. I eat healthy. I go outside. I try. I care for myself. 
I'm proud that I have become who I am. 
Acting wise I will say one of my most proudest things *yet* is the scene I wrote/directed & starred in on Funny or Die. It's a parody on The Notebook. I am still very very proud of it when I watch it.

Any final words you'd like to share?
I wish for everyone to be kind to one another. To give people a chance. We have no idea what others are going through. Slow down. Don't rush. Take it in. Close your eyes. Feel the beauty. Feel the music. Really listen. Really love. Really live.