When Issa Rae created the cult web series “Awkward Black Girl” back in 2011, there was the hope amongst fans across social media that her quirky and hilarious sensibility would some day make it to television. 

Well, that day has finally come. Three years after development on the show was announced, the trailer for Rae’s first primetime television show, “Insecure,” has finally dropped. 

The series will star Rae, alongside up-and-coming comedian Yvonne Orji, as women navigating life and love in Los Angeles. The trailer, posted on Thursday by HBO, is less than a minute long, but full of gems like this: 

While the project has been in development hell for quite some time, the trailer also comes with brilliant news: “Insecure” is set to premiere on HBO in the fall. 

Watch the full trailer for “Insecure” above. 

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I have a sweet tooth like you wouldn’t believe. Sugar cravings come on the regular, so I give myself little challenges, like fasting from sweets for a period of time, or I set rules like “No candy Monday-Friday” and “Eat something green before something sweet.” …All in an effort to tame the beast.

I’m just coming off of a 30-day fast from sugar last month, and it feels great. Not only does the rehab part feel great (no more blind binging), but it felt great to lose the craving entirely for a few weeks. Giving something up helps you learn to live without it.

During that time, I saw the truth behind my candy addiction. I saw eating it as taking in processed chemicals. There’s nothing tasty about that.

Normally, I would just eat it without thinking another thought.

But during the 30-day fast, I thought a lot. I paused and observed. I saw how my knee-jerk reaction to stressful moments caused me to immediately daydream of sweet and sour morsels. Like clockwork, memory pulled the flavor to mind and my mouth would water.

Fortunately, I had a trusty resource to keep me honest. My book, “The Declutter Code: 10 Simple Steps to Clarity”.

How did The Declutter Code help me beat the sugar cravings during the fast? Since it can be applied to everything in our lives, I knew I could apply the Code to my sweet tooth. It helped me to be more mindful of all the sugar stimuli out there. Television, music, billboards, overwhelm, despair, stress…

I’m not stronger than the cravings when I’m not mindful and present.

I won’t lie, though, sometimes I’m mindful of the fact that I don’t give a shiz and I eat it anyway. At least I’m aware of it. I’ll watch myself eat it, feel the pending regret, envision the added inches on my hips and do it anyway. But I don’t go overboard when I’m vigilant–so I guess there’s the saving grace.

Some days were harder than others to reign in the craving and stick to the plan. But I made it out unharmed and proud of the accomplishment. I did it, which means I just proved to myself I could do anything I put my mind to. I just proved sugar dependency was always within my control.

People want kicking the habit, stopping the insanity and losing weight to be a natural thing. We want to curb sugar cravings naturally. How do we get to a place where not binging on sugar is second-nature?

I have some theories. At least, I know what worked for me. Here’s how I used the Code.

How to Beat Sugar Cravings

Let’s answer the questions: What steps of The Declutter Code do you take when you have a sugar craving? and How do you beat sugar cravings…with your mind?

1. Isolate it

Isolate the craving. Look at it. Play around with it.

Imagine how you will feel after you give into it. Happy? Relieved? Guilty? Worse off? Which feels better: the idea of giving in or not giving in? (We’re only left with the idea of the food after we swallow, so why not live in the idea beforehand a little.)

Now, isolate what you’re planning on using to cure the sugar craving. Pie, cake, chocolate, sour gummies? Feel fully the temptation the craving offers, but be picky about what you use to satisfy it. If it’s going to be ice cream, stick to the idea that only ice cream will do the trick. And, for this moment, don’t give into any other remedy.

The Declutter Code step used: Slow

To isolate the craving is to slow it down.

Slowing down helps us avoid hasty reactions–like immediately snacking just because we’re stressed. When we slow, we can isolate the craving away from rationales and reasons. We detach sugar from the promise of making us feel better. We remove all associations and let it be what it is: sugar.

This way, we don’t react so blindly. Before we put anything in our mouths, we move in slow motion…watching ourselves, our hands, our eyes, our mouths.

2. Observe it

Now that you’ve isolated the sugar craving to be ice cream, observe where in the body that craving is coming from. Why is it there? Is it a trigger response, stimulated by the senses (sight or smell), habit (always grabbing kettle corn when at a fair), stress, or because someone else is doing it and you don’t want them to feel weird? What is your first reaction to it? What does it do to the rest of your senses?

Observe it like you would any object that can fit into the palm of your hand. Look at it as something you can pick up or put down.

It’s nothing more than that.

The Declutter Code step used: See

To see is to observe with new eyes.

We see the object of our sugar obsession with a fresh perspective–one not as limited or powerless as before. Now we’re in a position to choose differently. We are stronger than the craving.

We come to witness firsthand the craving to be just a desire to feel satiated, or comforted, in a way that feels within our control. What we think we’re craving has nothing to do with it.

3. Replace it

If you really spent the time observing the sugar craving, you would come to realize that it is nothing more than a desire to feel satiated. Knowing that, you’re empowered enough to replace that desire with anything else that might have the same effect. Going for a walk in nature, playing with your kids, or going for a scenic drive in a convertible.

And you’ve isolated the sugar craving to one thing: ice cream. Now it’s easier to replace that one thing rather than contending with every sugar option out there. Which means it’s easier to replace; one for one. For example, replace ice cream with a 20-minute walk.

What else does your body want? I learned that when my insides screamed for sugar, I was usually dehydrated. So, whenever a sugar craving creeped in during the fast, I would drink at least .5 liters of water and find that the craving disappeared.

What is it for you? If you close your eyes and look deep within, is there something else that sounds just as yummy as sugar? Would that be a better alternative?

The Declutter Code step used: Shift

This is where distractions can serve us. We can distract ourselves with other activities that don’t involve eating, like going to a yoga class, calling an accountability partner, or reading a book.

And we can shift how we think about sugar. We can tell ourselves a new story. I tell myself it’s an addiction that I don’t want controlling me. I know I have the power over sugar–and that’s what I continued to tell myself, over and over, until I believed it.

4. Eat it

So maybe you did the distracting activity and it worked for awhile. But the craving never let up. And ice cream is still on your mind.

Because you’ve isolated the craving, observed what it does to your body, and even tried replacing it with something else, you are now wiser about what you truly want.

So if ice cream is what you truly want, eat it!! My guarantee is you’ll eat it with new perspective, new dexterity, new tastebuds, and you won’t binge your way to regret. With informed eyes, you now know when to stop. When the taste of it is enough. When the doing it is enough.

The Declutter Code step used: Savor

We go ahead and have that thing, eat that thing, drink that thing. We do so, knowing that we don’t have to eat it all. We slowly savor and really taste the thing. Filled with gratitude for the nourishment, we enjoy it. We feel it hit our tongue and melt in our mouths. We chew and we swallow.

After a bite or two, when we are completely satisfied, we stop. We don’t need another bite.

My friend Juliana is this way. She’s so good about passing on sweets. She has a weakness for chocolate, though. When she gets the craving, she takes one square of a dark chocolate bar and feels completely whole again. One and done. My hero.

(If you’re on a fast, savor sweet *moments* only.)

——–

You learn a lot about yourself when you place restrictions on impulsive behavior–like I did during the fast. I learned that I mostly crave sweets when I’m stressed. When overwhelm hits, my tongue immediately calls in reinforcements: sour gummy worms. It’s like my hand is possessed and my brain is muzzled. I don’t think, I just eat. Now I feel wiser. Now I drink water.

Can you benefit from fasting from sugar? (Or fill in the blank with your own addiction. Salt, coffee, drugs, alcohol?) Give yourself a defined period of time in which you place it off limits. (For me, “sugar” meant candy, pastries, cakes, etc.) Get specific about what you’re addicted to and put up the red tape.

One month for me was long enough to experience myself (skin, body, energy levels, food cravings) off sugar and like it.  Being exposed to myself being just fine (if not better) without it was eye-opening.

Knowing there’s an end in sight, and you will be able to eat that thing again, helps you make it through the withdrawals. Helps keep your perseverance. Sometimes that’s all you need to realize you don’t want to go back to it at all.

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Something has got my attention since I’ve been in Ibiza. There’s been a recurring and overwhelming response to the daily blogs I’ve been publishing and my live Instagram and Snapchat feeds from the island. People are surprised! In this digital media age of viral videos and explicit memes, it takes a lot to surprise people.
What’s the big deal then? My readers cannot believe what Ibiza is really like.
They’ve seen It’s All Gone Pete Tong, watched Ibiza Uncovered and maybe even visited the White Isle themselves, but never made it out of San Antonio or Playa d’en Bossa. They’ve been to Irish bars in the West End and water parties in Es Paradis. Admittedly, more than one of my past encounters with Ibiza followed a similar theme, so this time I was determined to do things a little differently.
I turned to Essential Ibiza who are the number one go-to guide for insider knowledge and what’s going on all over the island, both on and off the party scene. They drew from their extensive archives on essentialibiza.com to recommend some of the best alternative activities and lesser known gems.
My list is unintentionally predominantly day time stuff, proving there’s a lot more to do on the island than just party!

Where to eat, drink, sleep and play; here are my top ten favourites from Ibiza

Walk Ibiza
I joined the donation based ‘Short and Sweet’ (there’s tea and homemade cake at the end) two hour long walk from Isla Blanca in the north of the island on an overcast Wednesday morning. Leader Sheila from Walking Ibiza is founder Toby’s mother. He started organising tours after walking the entire coast of the island in 11 days with just €1 relying on generous donations of food and drink from locals. We got to experience some incredible unobstructed views as the clouds dispersed and walked along while learning about Ibiza’s history in the process. The perfect antidote to a heavy night on the party scene and really interesting to talk to people who’ve moved to Ibiza and hear their stories about life on the island. Warning – this may make you want to shut up shop and move out here!
Walking Ibiza also run kayaking trips and are about to launch their food tours which will bring you to 8-10 stops around the city of Ibiza sampling typical Ibizan and Spanish local delicacies.

A photo posted by Nadia El Ferdaoussi (@nadia_dailyself) on Jun 10, 2016 at 2:19pm PDT

2. Watch Ibiza’s infamous sunset at one of the best spots on the island
Most people flock to Cafe del Mar or Mambo for sundowners or sit out on the stretch of rocks in front of the bars, but if you want somewhere with a slightly less rowdy crowd I suggest going to Hostal la Torre for dinner and drinks on the terrace, Sunset Ashram for chilled out vibes or on Sundays go to Benirrás Beach. Grab a pizza from one of the beach front restaurants (I was underwhelmed by Elements cafe) and pick a spot on the sand watching the sun dip into the sea beyond the iconic Cap Bernat rock. After dark, enjoy the drumming and fire throwing and feel like you’re in Thailand for the night.

A photo posted by Nadia El Ferdaoussi (@nadia_dailyself) on May 31, 2016 at 5:02am PDT

3. Go on a boat trip
For me, there’s nothing like getting out on the water to get a unique feel for a place and see it from another perspective and literally a different angle. There are tonnes of group boat excursions from San An, but for a completely luxe experience, you’ve got to go for a private charter. I’ve wanted to visit Formentera for years so I was excited when Smart Charter Ibiza organised a day trip that brought us to Juan y Andrea, an exclusive seafood restaurant on the island of Formentera by super fast speed boat. They had paddleboards and a seabob on board, if you fancy braving the waters, or kick back and sip chilled champagne in the sun. Read about the full experience here.

A photo posted by ⏩ Michael Vanarey ⏪ (@michaelvanarey) on May 18, 2016 at 6:12am PDT

4. Spend time in Dalt Vila
I was lucky enough to be in town when IMS held their outdoor concert right at the top of the castle at Dalt Vila (literally ‘upper town’) in Ibiza’s old town, but it’s a spectacular sight on any night of the year. The walk up the steep slope, across the drawbridge and under the archway to the UNESCO heritage site is Game of Thrones-y AF and the lighting and views make you seriously snap happy, but stand back and take it all in.
Some of the best restaurants on the island are along the tiny cobbled streets of Dalt Vila. Two of my favourite meals were from La Mezcaleria a ‘Mexiterranea’ and Mezcal restaurant and bar (the pork tacos and cocktails with ginger and lime to enhance the smokey mexcal flavours were to die for) and La Dispensa whose interiors will blow your mind!

5. Long and lazy beach bar lunches
Some of my favourite afternoons in Ibiza were spent having long and lazy lunches in beach bars, but there are so many to choose from it can be difficult to know where to go. I was most impressed with Babylon Beach for the small and intimate surroundings, bean bags lined up along the rocky coastline and comfortable and casual dining tables and chairs both shaded and in the sunshine. The difference with the food here is that it’s all sourced locally and organically and you can really taste the difference. The flavours are so fresh and their cocktails are a bit different, like the smoked chilli and basil, gin-based one I tried. Delish.
Tropicana Beach Club does some of the best tapas including melt in the mouth jamón carved on site and I was sold by the stairway-to-the-sea!

A photo posted by Nadia El Ferdaoussi (@nadia_dailyself) on May 23, 2016 at 3:44am PDT

6. Ride the waves at Surf Lounge
There’s no better way to shake off a hangover than donning a wetsuit, making a fool of yourself in the waves and then recovering with a cold beer and sharing a feast with friends for lunch, which is exactly what I did at Surf Lounge in San Antonio. It’d be easy to miss this place, set on the seafront by the inflatable water park, but it’s well worth a visit. For only €30 for an hour you can try out the only automated wave machine on the island, surfing or body boarding or just generally flirting with the friendly instructors. Read more about Surf Lounge here.

A photo posted by Nadia El Ferdaoussi (@nadia_dailyself) on May 26, 2016 at 9:38am PDT

7. Stay at Pikes
The Ibiza Rocks House at Pikes Hotel has to be my favourite place to stay in Ibiza, or at least to hang out at. I managed to squeeze three visits into my trip which included an overnight stay, an outdoor movie screening and an epic Sunday roast. Each time very different and I’ve got the feeling that’s always the case. There’s a genuine sense of mischief in the air, permeating the rock (‘n’ roll) walls from its colourful past – Wham!’s Club Tropicana video was filmed at the pool here!
Jump in the ball pit for bathtub karaoke, race giant inflatable flamingos and unicorns across the pool or lounge on the massive round day beds with goblets of gin & tonic soaking up the sun. Whatever you get up to at Pikes, its bound to make a good story.

A photo posted by Nadia El Ferdaoussi (@nadia_dailyself) on May 30, 2016 at 1:43am PDT

8. Browse the stalls at Las Dalias Hippy Market
Saturdays are for shopping and eating too much. Well, that’s what I did anyway and I highly recommend it. Every Saturday from 10am the stalls are set up at Las Dalias Hippy Market selling clothes, jewellery, leather accessories, you name it. Go hungry and share food with a friend so you can try something from each spot. Our favourites were the fresh juices and pizza.
Browse Essential Ibiza’s event calendar for listings.

9. Hire a day bed
The ultimate in beach side luxury, make what is already a blissful experience of lounging in the sand by the sea for the day even more paradise-like. Lots of beach bars in Ibiza have big sumptuous beds to sink into, but my favourites are the Harbour Club where the price includes chilled water and fresh fruit and the waiters carry over the chalkboard menu and come to set up little tables with proper linen for lunch. Or, head to Nassau Tanit on Sundays if you want to stick a magnum of blush wine on ice, try some Thai influenced food and listen to DJ Jo Mills on the decks while getting your tan on.

A photo posted by Nadia El Ferdaoussi (@nadia_dailyself) on Jun 2, 2016 at 4:39am PDT

10. Refuel at Wild Beets
Based in Santa Gertrudis slap bang in the centre of the island and close by lots of countryside walking trails, Wild Beets is a raw, vegan and plant based cafe. Organic and locally sourced breakfast, lunch and dinner in an airy stylish new restaurant in the village provided a refreshing balance to the heavy tapas and wine I’ve been eating all week out here. I’m not about to go vegan or even vegetarian, but there’s nothing wrong with a meat free Monday every once in a while.
Naturopath Chloe Silverman has teamed up with Wild Beets to design juice cleanses in partnership with iPurify.

So there you have it, my top ten alternative things to do in Ibiza. There’s so much more I still need to tick off; like visiting Es Vedra at sunset, eating at Aubergine cafe and Bambuddha restaurant, that inflatable water park in San An I mentioned earlier, the workout club at Hostal la Torre, beachside voga retreat with House of Voga, the list goes on! That’s the thing with Ibiza, it somehow manages to remain consistent yet change with the times, I know I’ll be coming back for years to come!

Images by Michael Vanarey, check out his aerial footage to see Ibiza from the sky!

Wrapping up my first week experience of editing with @nadia_dailyself for @essentialibiza and want to give @harveynormanie and @kaiserbaas a big thanks for supplying the #deltadrone for me to fly around! ✈️ #Ibiza #gopro #drone

A video posted by ⏩ Michael Vanarey ⏪ (@michaelvanarey) on Jun 1, 2016 at 9:29am PDT

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One of the greatest things I learned in recovery is that it is none of my business what others think about me. Now, in theory not caring what others think is easy but putting it into practice is hard. Let’s just say I fall short on many occasions.

Like when I go to my gynecologist I always have to make sure that my toe nails are freshly painted and my womanly business is sparkling like a princess cut diamond. Why, you ask? Well, because I don’t want my doctor thinking I’m some French whore whose lady flower smells like hot Chinatown garbage (took that Chinatown garbage line from Amy Schumer).

And don’t ask me about posting on Facebook. I used to post jokes until one of my friends told me that one of my jokes wasn’t funny so now I literally rewrite each joke to make sure it pasts the test. I’m not taking into consideration what is funny for one person is not funny for another and that this dude isn’t a stand-up comic so what the hell does he know anyway!

Here are some signs that you suffer from caring too much what others think:

1. Taking things personally — As evidenced above, you’re hurt by feedback someone gives you and you take it personally. After my friend made that comment the first thing I thought was, “well I guess I have to stop doing stand up!” Would I be the first comic to tell a bad joke? No. Dane Cook does it all the time!

2. Self- Censoring — Also when my friend made that comment it made me censor my comedy posts. I was too afraid of getting bad feedback from others so I just posted “safe” stuff, like pictures of my cat sleeping in a dust pan.

3. Not Pursuing Your Dreams — Caring what others think about your career or other choices can halt your pursuit of your dreams. I wanted to be a stand-up comic about ten years before I actually did it. My fear of bombing on stage and caring what drunken strangers at a comedy club thought about me kept me, for years, from telling the world some stellar dick and fart jokes.

4. People Pleasing — You want everyone to like you, all the time. I suffered from this for a long time. I wanted everyone to think I was awesome and approve of me even if I didn’t like them! On-line dating will test your people pleasing to a really uncomfortable degree.

5. “I got this” Mentality — You don’t ask for help because you may appear weak, stupid or needy. In early sobriety I lost everything. I was sleeping in my car, showering at my gym and eating out of Starbucks dumpsters before I was like, you know what? I’d really benefit from some indoor plumbing and a hot meal, so I asked for help.

6. Fear of Rejection — Do you care about others opinions so much that you don’t put yourself out there for fear of rejection? I’m sending out my book proposal now and every rejection has me doubting myself. It makes me want to retreat to the mountains and make moonshine for a living. But I can’t let that fear stop me from sharing my work which helps a lot of people. It would be selfish of me to withhold my God given gifts.

7. Approval Addiction — Yes, seeking constant approval is an addiction. Ever get a high from a compliment then crash once it’s over? In early sobriety a guy would tell me I was pretty and I was on cloud nine then I would seek out more validation for my hot Jewessness to get that “fix.” It was my only way of being happy and fulfilled.

Where does this caring too much what others think about you stem from? Well, most likely from a lack of support from when we were children. When we’re kids if we didn’t get that much needed validation from our parents and teachers we will seek out that validation in unhealthy ways in our adulthood.

Fundamentally though, it is a self-worth issue. Lucky for you guys I write a blog on self-worth (selfworthdiet.com). Believe me, I learned the hard way that if you base your self-worth on anything outside yourself (other people, money, children, career, etc.), you’re screwed. It has to come from inside.

What I found helpful is to do what we call in recovery, a “positive inventory.” Write down all the people you’ve helped and all of the things you’ve done well. Then read it to someone. You will realize that you don’t need anyone’s validation or approval anymore because you can validate, approve and, most importantly, love yourself.

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A group of 116 lawyers, criminal defense attorneys and public defenders have signed an open letter in support of Judge Aaron Persky, who handed down a controversial six-month jail term for convicted sex offender Brock Turner.

The sentence, widely considered far too lenient, sparked a national backlash against Persky, including plans to launch a recall effort in 2017. At least 1 million people have signed petitions calling for Perksy’s removal from the bench in Santa Clara County, California, and even members of Congress have suggested the judge lose his job. 

Turner was found guilty of three felony sexual assault offenses in March for attacking an unconscious woman on the campus of Stanford University. On June 2, Persky sentenced Turner to six months in jail, despite a request from prosecutors for six years in state prison. 

Sajid Khan, a public defender in Santa Clara County and the lead organizer behind the letter supporting Persky, understands people are upset with the sentence, but believes a recall effort is not the right course of action. 

“If there is a concern about his sentence, that should be taken up with the state legislature rather than by seeking to remove the judge for doing his job, exercising discretion and showing compassion,” Khan told The Huffington Post.

Indeed, some California lawmakers are proposing to change the legal definition of rape, which could result in stiffer penalties for convicted offenders. This week, another proposed bill put forward would change state law to require prison time for sexual assaults of unconscious people, like in Turner’s case. 

[Related: Brock Turner Was Not Expelled From Stanford]

But Khan worries these efforts to essentially implement mandatory minimums could have unintended consequences if a judge can’t assign a sentence consistent with the facts of a case or a guilty person. 

“This lack of discretion that comes with mandatory minimums will perpetuate policies that have previously resulted in mass incarceration,” Khan said. “Such policies will disproportionately impact the underprivileged and minorities in the criminal justice system and in our communities.”

The letter was organized after attorney Laurie Ellen Park contacted Khan about a blog he wrote tying Turner’s case to the culture of mass incarceration. Khan and Park wondered if they should start a petition in support of Persky. Park and Khan decided to draft an open letter, crafted with help from public defender colleagues Avi Singh and Jennifer Redding, and collected signatures from other attorneys in the area. 

[Related: If You Don’t Get Why Campus Rape Is A National Problem, Read This]

They initially placed the open letter as a petition on MoveOn.org, but said it was taken down without explanation. MoveOn.org’s terms of service state it reserves the right to remove a petition that is “inconsistent with the goals, objectives, philosophies, and/or purpose” of the liberal organization. The organizers reposted it on Change.org and have collected 279 signatures so far. 

Khan said he doesn’t know of a similar firestorm in recent decades over a single sentence in California. It’d be “refreshing” to see outrage when judges impose too harsh of sentences for a particular crime or offender, he added. 

“Unfortunately,” Khan said, “the countless defendants who have suffered relatively harsh sentences in our state fall below any headline.”

Below is the entire open letter in support of Judge Persky:

_______

Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter, focusing on higher education and sexual violence, and is based in New York. You can reach him at tyler.kingkade@huffingtonpost.com, or find him on Twitter: @tylerkingkade.

Related Coverage:

• If Not For 2 Strangers, Brock Turner May Have Never Been Arrested
• In One Woman’s Sexual Assault Case, Police Succeeded Where Her College Failed
• How A Stanford Student Accused Of Assaulting Multiple Women Graduated
• Brock Turner Was Not Expelled From Stanford
• Columbia Students Reveal University Missteps In Sexual Assault Investigations
• Students Accused Of Sexual Assault Say Schools Don’t Interview Their Witnesses
• Students Accused Of Sexual Assault Likely To Escape Judgement
• Why Even Small, Progressive Grinnell College Has Trouble Dealing With Sexual Assault On Campus

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