by Dawn Adrienne Taylor

Information has finally reached the daily press warning of the link between
mineral-deficient foods and degenerative diseases. But what can we
do to improve our health immediately and prevent future disease?
It took almost 30 years of sourcing optimum nutrition before
I discovered a unique 75 organic plant-derived mineral
supplement that is transforming my health
and that of countless others.

“Minerals in the soil control the metabolism of plants, animals and man.
All of life will be either healthy or unhealthy according to the fertility of the soil.”

This was a statement made by Dr Alexus Carrel, Nobel Prize Winner, in 1912. Almost a hundred years later, agriculturist and writer, Graham Harvey, wrote in The Daily Telegraph, 18 February 2006: “Britain’s once fertile soil has been systematically stripped of its crucial minerals by industrial farming, leaving our fruit and vegetables tasteless and a nation in chronic ill health.”

William Albrecht (1896-1974 Illinois), referred to as the Father of Soil Research for his pioneering studies of the effects of infertile soil on plants and animals, warned in 1930s that if the land was not remineralised, there would be a massive increase in human degenerative diseases.

The Daily Mail has written extensively about the vital importance of minerals in the body; and BBC news in February 2006, reported that “40% of the elderly admitted to hospitals in this country are so malnourished, they are not strong enough to take medication [and of the] widespread ignorance about malnutrition in the NHS.”

In issue 103 of Healing Today, John Lovesey MNFSH, MBTA, CengFIStructE exposed: “The Myth of a Good Diet” in an excellent article Healing Today, February 2006, which prompted my response.

At age 15, while having my healthy teeth removed, the students observing me mentioned the now legendary Dr Weston Price (1870-1948), a remarkable nutritional dentist who had performed extensive work across the world to discover why, even though they didn’t brush their teeth, some cultures had strong, healthy teeth throughout their lives. Shrunken mouths occurred in one generation of these people changing to a refined western diet. The results of his work were that all foods must be grown in mineral rich soil to avoid malnutrition, a depleted immune system and poor growth.

In the late 1970s, and a vegetarian at the time, I discovered more of the dire state of our soil and how our animals are fed growth hormones and anti-biotics; I took vitamin and mineral supplements thereafter, sincerely believing I was replacing what even my organic diet lacked.

However, I found, in more recent years, that the minerals we buy in the shops are from ground rock (hydrophobic), or synthetic and made in a laboratory and are not extracted from plants (hydrophilic).

For minerals to have any value, they must a) be plant-derived so the body can absorb them; and b) contain a full spectrum of at least 70 plant minerals. The average mineral supplement contains only 15-18 hydrophobic minerals i.e. those derived from the ground (soil, ground up oyster shell, salt lakes) of which only a fraction (typically 5 to 7%) can be absorbed by the body.

It never made sense to me that an efficient and sophisticated system like the human body would reject any of the vital nutrients it depends upon in order to function, and no doctor or nutritionist could tell me why so little of a vitamin and mineral supplement was assimilated. I learned, rather obviously, that the answer is that we were meant to eat mineral-rich plants not the earth in which they grow! We are designed to eat apples, but have been given rocks!

Minerals in their metallic form [from the ground contained in most supplements] can be toxic to the human body.  Dangerous levels of these metallic minerals can accumulate in the tissues and create serious health problems. These are found in the 2000 year-old sea bed deposits, and are loaded with chloride. Very toxic inorganic minerals are being sold to an unsuspecting public under the guise of colloidal minerals.  The key factor is true plant derivation. ~Dr Joel Wallach, BS, DVM, ND.” ~ quote by  Dr Joel Wallach, BS, DVM, ND.

A plant mineral is between several thousand and a million times smaller, than the smallest metallic mineral.
The average plant-derived mineral is less than 0.00001 micron in size that could conceivably be 1/10,000th the size of a red blood cell.

The small size of the plant minerals makes it possible for the body to absorb them. They have been tested by specialist laboratories showing that they can pass easily through a one-inch thick paper filter. This means they would pass easily through the skin and enter the soft tissue regardless of a person’s ability to absorb.

COLLOIDAL AND IONIC

Elmer Heinrich, (author of The Root of all Disease) coined the phrase “colloidal” in order to explain the difference between the larger hydrophobic minerals directly from the ground and the infinitely smaller hyrophilic minerals via plants. However, he said that he wished he hadn’t because now everyone misuses it.  The earth is a colloid of the universe, for example.

“[People]…group plant derived minerals with metallic minerals that come from oyster shell, calcium carbonate, limestone, soil and clay and sea salts.   Supposedly, too much of some of these metallic elements have toxic effects on the body.   According to Dr Gary Price Todd [and Dr Robert Bender to name but two], the human body is NOT designed to absorb or assimilate and use metallic minerals.   Forty years ago, the health food industry recognised the metallic mineral absorption problem of no more than 8 percent. Chelated minerals were developed in the laboratory. This process involved wrapping amino acids or protein around metallic minerals to help the body metabolize them.   This did help the problem because these added dissolvers did increase the assimilation to about 40%. However, chelated or not, the fact remains, they’re still metallic minerals.

Don’t be misled by this recently formed IONIC mineral jargon. They just came up with a new descriptive name for an old metallic element solution that really doesn’t contain many minerals, but it does contain a lot of sodium.  The definition of an Ion is ‘an electrified atom of group of atoms’. This could describe anything on earth.”
~ From “The Root of all Disease” by Elmer Heinrich

I’ve never accepted either that, “you can expect to get illnesses when you get older,” or that “after age 40, you get these odd niggling little pains.” This is not how life was designed or meant to be and the suppressive, toxic treatments for isolationist, plagiarist-Pasteurian diseases we are given haven’t helped. These are the symptoms of what doctors refer to as sub-clinical diseases, but which indicate an already depleted immune system is deteriorating further. They are warnings of those illnesses that manifest full-blown later in life, yet which are unnecessary if we consume a nutrient rich diet.

As Linus Pauling, twice Nobel Laureate also stated in the 1950s:

“One could trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to
a mineral deficiency.”

These 75 organic plant-derived minerals has been used successfully by millions in the US/Australia and other countries since 1932 and has received in excess of 15,000 written testimonies, many hundreds of which have been legally attested.    It is extracted from ancient, rich, 80 million year old Senonian vegetate when the Earth was unpolluted, using the purest water filtration methods.

Dr Schrauzer, researcher, inventor, author, chemist and, when younger, was considered to be one of the top twenty scientists in the world, says that these 75 plant derived minerals are, without doubt, the purest of the plant derived mineral extracts that he has analyzed.

Our nutritional needs begin from conception

Pregnant women are recommended to take 600 mg twice a day. I personally take at least 600 mg three times per day because I don’t want to take any risks of missing out on minerals! Stress is leached out of the cells during emotional traumas or physical exertion and perspiration and excreted from the cells by heavy metals in most of our environments, as well as being already absent from our foods. The Powdered Minerals, which last at least two months for one person, can be sprinkled directly into water, juice or into food. For children who weigh under forty pounds, there are 300 mg vegecaps, if you prefer a precise measurement, which can be pulled apart for children who can’t swallow the vegecaps. Older children and adults take 600 mg once or twice per day as a basic dosage.

Here we have the immediate answer to our well-documented mineral-deficiencies, and with the reassurance of the only company I’ve found that insists every batch has an external report certifying its contents contain 75 pure plant minerals.  I’m not aware of any other company in the world that does that.

Versatile – hair, skin and nails – and healing burns!

I sometimes make my own face cream with a blend of oils (almond, avocado, vitamin E, rosehip) and cacao butter gently melted, maybe adding some Rose Absolut or Frankincense, stirring in a little of the minerals just before it sets.   This is ok for night time because it’s a bit shiny! I’m not a professional face cream maker so I mix in a few minerals occasionally into some of the excellent organic creams on the market for the daytime. A little of the minerals goes a very long way.

I’ve even just put a little oil, olive oil in the palm of my hand and mixed it with the minerals especially after a day in the sun.

I reacted very badly to some shocking news and some hair fell out several days later leaving a bald patch. I had alopecia, but I knew the minerals would work – hair is made of minerals, and every one of our cells requires plant minerals to function. It all grew back in six months or so and my hair is healthier, thicker and shinier than it’s ever been since I was a teenager. The work the plant minerals do at cellular level inside the body that we can’t see is by far more important, as the hair, nails and skin are just the outer reflection of what is going on inside.

As well as upping the dose orally, I put it on the bald patches every night and all my hair grew back. It’s better than it’s ever been since I was a teenager and I don’t need to colour it at almost age 55!

My son burnt the top of his hand putting a log into a sauna stove in Finland and he put it under the cold tap to no avail. It was painful and red. I already had a large water bottle for everyone to drink to which the plant minerals had been added because saunas leach out minerals through the skin, being the largest organ of the body. We poured the minerals into the bowl to bathe his hand and the pain went away in less than a minute. He went to remove it in amazement but I suggested he leave it in for 20 minutes to allow the skin to repair. It did. The mark was barely visible the next day. The remaining mineral water was given to a deserving shrub as we left the summer cottage! The minerals are used in burn-units as they are much more effective than aloe vera.

These 75 plant minerals have also been used in ongoing trials in two small African states (Guinea and Burkina Faso). The populations were so severely malnourished they were incapable of absorbing the nutrients or digesting the food supplies they were being given. Initial results indicated extremely encouraging improvements. As minerals are the basis of all nutrition, there is a real chance of feeding the Earth’s population and ending hunger and preventing widespread disease.

Small groups of people are working to re-mineralise the earth but this could take hundreds of years and, as individuals, we need to supercharge our own immune systems right now to resolve our health issues as a matter of urgency.

“Osteoporosis is a preventable disease,” says Dr Robert Bender, physician for over 40 years. Food intolerances, allergies, hyperactivity etc. result from a lowered immune defence, as do degenerative diseases inaccurately attributed to age such as: high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, strokes and cancer. They are all avoidable if we consume optimum nutrition.

It makes more sense to say “minerals and vitamins,” in that order, because it is minerals that form the basis and contribute the most essential source for our bodies being able to function. We can survive longer without vitamins than we can without minerals; without them, vitamins cannot be absorbed. “Vitamins are basically useless in the absence of minerals,” says Dr Gary Price Todd.

“Minerals and trace minerals are the catalysts for all the vitamins and other nutrients your body uses for developing and maintaining good health.”

David Thomas, Naturopath and Chiropractor, appearing on Radio 4, February 2006

In 2002 having vastly overstretched myself consistently for many years in multiple ways (not to mention the vaccinations to travel, and specifically unrequested hidden under porcelain mercury dental bridge), I contracted Epstein Barr Virus (glandular fever) and subsequently the very severe and wide range of approximately 80 symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). Within a few weeks of taking these minerals, my energy levels soared, my mental agility returned, exogenous and endogenous depression and anxiety went and the carbohydrate cravings associated with the gut yeast, candida albicans, have also disappeared. I eat less, generally, as my body is satisfied with the nutrients it is receiving on a daily basis. Later, I made further changes to my lifestyle and eat a predominantly raw diet.

Minerals are the very source of physical life and the very foundation of nutrition because our bodies, inner and outer, consist of approximately 98% minerals and we need a full range each and every day. Minerals control every organ and all the electrical impulses in our bodies. Minerals, like the 50+ trillion cells in our body they feed, work interdependently and we therefore need a full spectrum, the way they used to exist in plants. If minerals are not in the ground, they are not in the plant, organic or not.

What the sentient body needs is a full range of instantly absorbable, hydrophylic, plant-derived minerals that have already been predigested by plants, which must have grown in mineral rich (about 70+) land. This is how we were meant to consume them. However, this is no longer available to the majority of us on the planet, organic or not, unless we live somewhere like Mount Etna where I’ve met people living to a ripe old age and vibrant because they plant their all foods in mineral rich volcanic deposits from deep within the ground (and the sun and alfresco, living with a strong family unit, ions in the sea air, etc.); or in Africa where I lived and my Father and grew enormous vegetables–aubergines/plantain–the size of rugby balls because our gardens were virgin soil, never before farmed, and had been unaffected by rain erosion because of the density of the foliage.

Taste in fruits and vegetables is also to do with minerals. When there are sufficient minerals fed to growing vegetables, it increases the brix (fruit, vegetable sugars) enormously as shown in the tests in Japan by New Zealand scientists. Cravings, hunger even, relate to plant mineral deficiencies leading to chronic diseases. Dr Gabriel Cousens has written a great deal about minerals and, in particular, his work with Diabetes 2 in terms of a mineral deficiency.

Diabetes 2 seems to respond exceptionally well to 75 plant minerals with many people coming off medication, we’ve noticed. People are reporting that their blood pressure is down for the first time in years, that they have automatically cut down on smoking, dropped a dress size or if they get a cold it doesn’t last and many other people have far more dramatic health experiences. The most common experience is that everyone taking this full spectrum of plant minerals reports an increase in energy.

In his book, The Root of All Disease, [is a lack of minerals], Elmer Heinrich says, “I have been monitoring and studying thousands of mineral-deficient people for twenty-five years. In my opinion, heart disease is a direct result of a [plant-derived] mineral deficiency!”

These pure plant minerals provide the essential food we cannot obtain even from discerning shopping as well as enabling the quickest and most gentle detoxification (a lack of minerals prevents the body from detoxing normally, some people report increased bowel movements especially initially or a cessation of constipation). I call them “the food I can’t get from my food!”

From my own results alone, I am tempted to say this 75 mineral supplement is miraculous but taking plant-derived minerals really is a matter of very simple common sense and of biology and geology that should be taught in schools. If we return to the agricultural wisdom of the past e.g. three-field systems where one field is left fallow for several years to regenerate, instead of spraying every possible inch with chemical feeds to create bulk crops for profit, I’m certain we would develop a society rich in health and intelligence, with a population who understand the wisdom of nurturing their planet and fellow man.

Rick Bockner, the 22nd and last Reiki Master to be initiated by Mrs Takata (the remarkable lady who brought Reiki from Japan to the West in the 1930s) told me that Mrs Takata always said to him: “All illness starts here,” patting her solar plexus to indicate where the absorption and digestion of our nutritious fuel begins.  Mrs Takata who devoted her life to healing through Reiki, understood the body well. I believe she knew of the essential importance of minerals from plants as she drank a special mixture of blended raw vegetables several times each day, in those days when there were minerals in the ground, which she took with her wherever she went, in addition to practising daily Reiki.

Although, “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, but spiritual beings on a human journey,” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin). We are, nevertheless, very much physical beings on this beautiful, blue-green planet and, as such, must nourish our bodies to enable us to follow our true paths in optimum physical health and developed consciousness. I wish I’d found these special plant minerals sooner, but better late than never. All my family take them, too. It is clearly evident we cannot rely upon officials to make health choices for us, we must take the responsibility ourselves, and I shall continue to share this information with everyone. I strongly recommend you try them for yourself.

“We can now visualize our universe: its light, gravity and heat, its seasons, tides, and harvest, which prepare a habitation for the universe of vital forms, microscopic and majestic, which fill the oceans and the forests. We have a common denominator for universes within and around each other, our world, our food, and our life have potentials so vast that we can only observe directions, not goals.
Yes, man’s place is most exalted when he obeys
Mother Nature’s laws.”

Dr Weston A. Price, DDS (1870-1948)

To purchase 75 Plant Minerals (or read the free e-book “The Root of all Disease”) go to www.usnaturals.net/taylord1854 click on Buy Products and select “Powdered Minerals” from the Products menu. Dawn may be contacted by email: girasoledawn@hotmail.com

- by Joanna Beujekian-Steven

Many raw foodists and western dieters love cashews for their smooth creaminess. They are an invaluable ingredient in raw vegan desserts, nut cheeses, Asian inspired dishes, etc. But there is more to cashews than their delicious taste; they are also powerhouses of nutrition, providing a wealth of important minerals and amino acids. While some may deplore their fat content, it is important to look at cashews within the scope of a healthy, varied diet. When you eat a variety of vegetables, fruits and leafy greens, cashews will not hinder your health and could in fact fill in the gaps and significantly raise your nutrient intake – not to mention enrich your diet with healthy desserts, creamy nut milks, and more!

Protein: Cashews, like most nuts, are rich in protein, but cashews are a bit different in that they are also a very good source of quality amino acids. The website Nutrition Data lists cashews as a “complete or high-quality protein” due to their high amino acid score.

Iron: Iron is a very important mineral, and deficiencies will lead to dizziness, fatigue, and even anemia. Cashews are rich in iron, and they satisfy 10% of our daily requirements in just a single ounce.

Magnesium: Magnesium is such an overlooked nutrient, and the wide majority of the U.S. population is thought to be magnesium deficient due to soil depletion and generally poor eating habits. But just one ounce of cashews will satisfy 20% of our daily needs, making it a delicious way to get enough magnesium.

Phosphorus: One ounce of cashews fulfills nearly 20% of our daily needs. But what is the purpose of phosphorus in our diet? According to the National Institutes of Health, “The main function of phosphorus is in the formation of bones and teeth. It plays an important role in the body’s utilization of carbohydrates and fats and in the synthesis of protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. It is also crucial for the production of ATP, a molecule the body uses to store energy. Phosphorus works with the B vitamins. It also assists in the contraction of muscles, in the functioning of kidneys, in maintaining the regularity of the heartbeat, and in nerve conduction.” Another reason to include cashews in our food rotation!

Copper: Copper is an important mineral similar to iron in some ways, as it plays a crucial role in the formation of red blood cells and is important for the health of our circulatory, nervous, and skeletal system. Cashews will satisfy in just one ounce more than 30% of our copper requirement for the day! According to the National Institutes of Health, “Lack of copper may lead to anemia and osteoporosis.”

Manganese: Did you know that the word ‘manganese’ comes from the Greek word for magic? Indeed, manganese is a somewhat mysterious chemical, but it is absolutely crucial for brain health, sexual well-being, and skeletal health; it serves important anti-oxidant purposes as well. One ounce of cashews will fulfill nearly one quarter of our magnesium needs.

Raw? Not Raw? Some have argued that cashews cannot possibly be raw, and that they are even poisonous in their raw state. Nothing could be further from the truth! Cashews themselves are not poisonous; only the shell is (and you would not want to eat it anyway!). Also, while nearly 100% of cashews sold in stores are indeed heated at high temperatures during the shelling process, ethical raw food stores will only sell hand cracked, hand polished cashews, which are indeed raw.

References:

Nutrition Data: Retrieved February 3, 2010 from: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3095/2

National Institute of Health – Phosphorus: Retrieved February 3, 2010 from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002424.htm

National Institute of Health – Copper: Retrieved February 3, 2010 from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002419.htm

I’ve been writing a lot lately, but most of my love notes have been directed to participants of our 6-Week Deep Tissue Detox. We’ve been immersing ourselves fully into the process and it’s been quite the learning experience. You’re welcome to read one of my posts on the 6-Week Detox blog. I thought I knew a few things about food and my relationship to it, but I’ve still got lots to learn.

Today I’m starting a week behind the others, because I just simply was not ready. I had a few more steps to put in place for myself to get to where I’m settled and comfortable enough to put my focus and attention on simple, cleansing, GREEEEEN food.

I haven’t forgotten about our 21-Day Challenge. I just decided that they might not be 21 consecutive days. In spite of all the best-laid plans and good intentions, sometimes life has a way of prioritizing what you need most when you need it. We had been working on a 21-Day challenge to put new habits in place for the year 2010. I can see that putting changes in place gradually has really been helpful for me this time around. In the past I used to just declare a bunch of resolutions on January 1st and break them by noon the same day. It’s happened more slowly this year, but I can really feel clarity and control (the good kind) moving into my life in an empowering way. Already, I can see really clearly that:

• I am putting new habits in place to help me with organizing my finances.
• I’m being so much more disciplined about taking time to read, to learn, to study and to improve things.
• I finally made it to a yoga class after SIX MONTHS of saying I would, should, could. I DID IT and I’m going again tonight.
• I’m better about scheduling and writing battle plans for the day. I’m learning how to let go of things, delegate and delete when necessary.
• I’m prioritizing in a healthier way.
• My love life is SOOOooOOOO amazing and supportive and just keeps getting better and better.

The upcoming W.I.S.H. Summit is really going to take the areas of life we addressed and focus on them for about 10-days. We’ll have 4 speakers on each topic touching the most intimate and pressing questions on womens’ minds. I’m so excited about this happening and we’ve been working on months to get it this far.

I mentioned on the 6-Week Detox blog, that my children are making some fabulous compromises to the way they eat in order to accommodate my new detox regime. It has been fascinating to put new discipline in place and see the improvements in their health and attitudes. I’ve experimented with different levels of intensity before, but they’re older now and a bit more autonomous, so it feels more significant that THEY are choosing to cooperate and support me in this adventure.

After just one week of gluten-free, high-green foods, my daughter’s psoriasis has really improved!! They both seem a lot nicer to get along with, too, but that’s probably because I’m being pretty careful about gluten and other foods for myself. (Not such a crusty mommy.)

One decision I made recently, in light of the changes I’ve observed in the kids and myself this last week, is that I am going to be securing myself a cacao-free home. After my consultation with Dr. Ritamarie, I need no more convincing. Having removed it from our menu plan for a few days, then put it back in, I really got to see that this is NOT a food I need or want to include in my diet anymore. I flushed all soy-based products down the sink, too. I’m not saying I won’t ever eat them again, I’m just saying I won’t keep them in my home and for the duration of our 6-Week Detox, I’d like to avoid them wherever possible.

Cleaning out my cupboards was a big part of my being able to clean up my family’s diet this last week. If the cupboards are full of junk and tempting treats, then it’s a lot more difficult to put discipline in place. There’s also something spiritually cleansing about clearing out your cupboards–as though the space we’re in affects the space within us. You know what I mean? I’m really working on being more disciplined about putting the laundry away before it stacks on my bed. I’m trying to keep the receipts sorted, the dishes washed, the counters and ledges clear. It’s a sort of dance, really. Especially with two kids who sprinkle, splash and spill wherever they go! We have a fantastic program for helping clear out the clutter and get organized. You can check it out here, if you feel the tupperware is spilling from all corners of your kitchen.

Our 6-Week Detox will be ending on March 7th, but the following session will be starting up right away. If you’d like to cleanse and detox this spring, I cannot recommend the 6-Week Detox highly enough. The next session will be starting on April 3rd! You can register now and reserve your place.

The preparations for W.I.S.H. are stepping up to full steam ahead. I’m very excited about what this program will do and decided that I’m going to do a 40-day countdown to the big day. Since we have about 40 speakers on the program, it will give me a chance to share a bit of the information on the calls and help get us all excited and ready for the big event. Speaking of which, I’ve got work to do.

Smooches ’til next time.

xo

Tera

Hey there, frisky critters. I’ve been slimed!

I can’t believe how I have upped the green quotient this week! I’m practically impressed with myself. I’ve fallen in love with one of the green supplements we’re using in the 6-Week Detox. As a multi-tasking, somewhat over-ambitious, self-employed, single-mother, being able to drop a blob of swamp scum in water and call it a meal is a luxury I can handle. To top it all off, by upping my greens I have completely handled my chocolate cravings. Amazing!

Those of you who were listening in on my consultation with Dr. Ritamarie know that I have to give up the chocolate for a while. Interesting reasons why, too, but a bit too juicy for the blog. You’ll have to listen in to the consultation if you want to know why.

I’m SOoooooOOOooo glad I’ve given myself this week to wean myself off a few foods. I’m both fascinated and shocked at how completely unconscious my food choices are sometimes. This detox is challenging me in so many ways. Last night MAC took me on a date. We just went to a cozy, nearby bistro where I ordered tea and a salad. He ordered other stuff that probably tasted great but were most certainly NOT on the menu. Thanks to the ho-ho-holy-cow-did-I-ever-eat-too-much disease of the holidays, I have been a bit more liberal than usual in my finger-dipping. Last night I observed myself putting back new boundaries and resisting the formerly-irresistible foods I’d been nibbling on. I admit that the most effective trick for me was massaging the cyst on the side of my cheek.

*sigh*

Why do we wait until there’s a problem before we prioritize our health? I guess prevention is a pretty good medicine. Feeling the little lump on my cheek is just a reminder to keep things in check. I’ve spent the week weaning myself off most things, but have until Monday to reach my 100% liquid diet ideal which I’ll be carrying out for the next 6 weeks.

**Several hours later…*

Oh oh! What a revelation.

MAC just left for New York for the weekend. Sitting here alone, I think I finally understand my relationship to food. Looks like I’ll be white-knuckling through the weekend. This detox is forcing me to make some pretty strong evaluations and observations about my food choices. Like this one:

You can eat all the great food, fancy superfoods and Omega fatty acids you want, but you if you don’t sit down, relax and CHEW, CHEW, CHEW your food, you’re wasting money, time and creating toxicity. So, simply practicing the art of eating, sitting and chewing with patience requires a rather significant act of discipline for me.

As for our 21-Day Challenge challenge, all this talk of detox doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for cleaning up your house and sorting your finances for the year! I recommend taking a bit of time to look through the categories we laid out at the beginning:

1. Attitude
2. Fitness/Activity
3. Spirituality/Creative Expression
4. Sensuality
5. Health
6. Family
7. Relationships
8. Beauty
9. Home
10. Money/Abundance.

Have you taken the time to review the different areas in your life? I had a 2-hour accounting meeting and a another one with my banker, so I can scratch the financial review off the list. This is definitely an area where I have a lot of room for improvement. (I seem to prefer focusing on the green stuff with chlorophyll in it.)

Since MAC is gone for the weekend, I’ll be focusing on some of my professional and personal goals. I’ll be spending some time going through clothes, and getting some of the things I need for my apartment. For those of you who are a bit more settled than I am, you may want to try our 30-Day Clutter Free Diva program. In order to help inspire you with your new year’s resolutions and start the year off right, we’ve put this program on a temporary half-price offer. It’s one of our best, but lesser-known programs. We just spend so darn much time talkin’ about food, we forget to talk about the declutter program, but it is an AMAZING program for anyone wanting to spiff up the home front.

In just a few moments we’ve got a support call for the 6-Week Detox.

I think I need it.

Love and loney vibes,

Tera

Well, last night was pretty interesting. There were a LOT of other people listening in last night as Dr. Ritamarie gave me a rather complete health consultation. I thought it might be useful to share a bit about what I learned, though I would still encourage you to check out the recording for the juicy details.

The biggest things I wanted to address were:

• my cyst
• my lowered immunity
• my late-night eating and salt cravings

There were a few other things in there, as well, but these were the biggies.

At the end of the call, here’s what came out of it and what I’ll be doing to get a solid grip on my health and high-energy living.

First of all, chances are pretty great that I’m running a Vitamin D deficiency. I suspected this and now will be dosing up on D to help handle the situation. I’m a bit too stubborn to get tested, so asked for a supplement regime that wouldn’t hurt me and would still help me catch up. Knowing that I live in a Northern climate, knowing how little sun I got last summer, and observing the fact that my immunity seems to be challenged right now, I’m going to dose up on:

• 10,000 units/day of Vitamin D for 2 weeks.
• Then 4,000/day for a month.
• Then down to 2,000/day.

I’m on GREEN JUICES and green smoothies, BIG TIME. But more green juices than green smoothies. I’ll be doing the 6-Week Detox, and will follow the protocol and recommendations that are a part of this program, but I’ll also be starting out with a minimum of 4-days/week on liquid green love and working on an ideal 6-8 weeks on liquid–green smoothies and green juices. She said I could add some salads, and I’m sure I’ll do that.

There were some very interesting ideas circulating about salt, and if you listen to the consultation, you’ll hear my epiphany! Very interesting to observe how the mind works its magic on us!

The other things I need to do are try to get to sleep earlier and wake up EARLY instead. Going to sleep after 10pm is likely to kick up late night food cravings. I love this idea, but it’s practical application in my life continues to evade me. There’s something serene and peaceful about waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning ready to start the day, but I’m not sure I can commit to getting these regularly any time soonn.

I’m supposed to dose up on wheat grass (*gag*) and put hot compresses on my cyst. I’m supposed to measure it and see how it changes over time. I’m going to up the sea vegetables and supposed to add more Omega fatty acids. I thought all that Omega fatty acid stuff was a big ol’ conspiracy, but it seems Dr. Ritamarie is convinced and has seen a lot of benefits, and so she’s putting me on hemp, chia and other delightful omegalicious eats.

I’m supposed to go to hot yoga twice a week and run four times a week for half an hour. I’m supposed to do weights, too.

Okay, maybe somewhere inside I knew those things. Maybe I knew most of what I needed to do, but I know I would never have done it if I’d not had someone else there telling me, reviewing and guiding me. I am committed to doing the 6-Week Detox and by investing in a health consultation for myself, I’ve just stepped up the intensity a few notches. I admit, that having invited 30,000 people to come and listen in on my health consultation is motivation enough to get some results.

What’s going to motivate you?

Back to our 21-Day Challenge:

I looked at my new journal for 2009. I’ve writted some great family goals, personal health goals and romantic goals, too. I’ve taken the time over the last couple days to sit down and invest in my health–put my attention on some serious health goals. Now I need to apply the discipline to make things happen.

It’s been a bit more chaotic and free-flowing than planned, this little 21-day challenge, but what I love about it is the fact that rather than putting a whole bunch of pressure on my shoulders to put my new years resolutions in place on the 1st, I’ve given myself some time to implement positive changes and plan, dream, envision and build the foundation for a great year to come.

If you’ve been following along with me, then just check in and see where you’re at on the following major life areas that we agreed we would address:

1. Attitude
2. Fitness/Activity
3. Spirituality/Creative Expression
4. Sensuality
5. Health
6. Family
7. Relationships
8. Beauty
9. Home
10. Money/Abundance

I know that I’ve covered attitude. My attitude is great. hee hee… Working with Dr. Ritamarie I put in place my fitness related targets for this year. Now I need to make them happen. Spirituality and creative expression for me have a lot to do with personal study–the time and energy I invest in understanding Life and myself better. I have some targets related to study that I’d like to put in place and will start working to make that happen.

Health–certainly look at some big targets yesterday with Dr. Ritamarie and I have my work cut out to make these things happen.

I suggest that if you’re following along with the idea of doing a 21-Day challnge, you take out your journal and just see which areas of life have fallen in place for you so far.  I wrote the list of major life areas down in my journal and will continue to lay down a few of the targets I have for each area. The watch as life wriggles and weaves its way into my hopes, dreams, visions, etc.

Oh my! What do you know?! How remarkably coincidental that these categories/life areas we are addressing here on the blog seem to align themselves exactly with the major topics of our WISH Summit!! Coincidence? I think not. I hope you’re signed up, Sunshine. I’m so, so, soooo excited about making this event happen! But for now, in order to meet a few of my health and fitness targets, I’ve canceled some appointments and put myself on the top of the to do list.

I’m off to shop for greens and make my day a winner. Hoping yours will be, too.

Smooches and chlorophyll kisses,

Tera

I’m sitting here nibbling on dried mission figs and sun-dried tomatoes. Strange combination, I admit. Technically, both of these food items are “breaking the rules” of my new suggested foods list. As I prepare for the 6-Week Detox, the list of foods I’ll be weaning myself off of is long, but since today is the first real day of getting started, I don’t care what anyone says.

Figs are on definitely on the menu.

The 6-Week Detox has 3 different protocols based upon your schedule, work load and experience with raw foods. I’m too lazy to take supplements, and way too lazy to order them, so I need to do Option 3, which is based more on whole foods, enemas, colonics, etc. It’s a bit paradoxical, really, because this is a far more time-consuming path, but I can spend an hour juicing foods, I just can’t be bothered popping pills. Maybe it’s just a question of doing what is most familiar and comfortable for me. I’ll try a bit of both and keep you posted. The thing I love about this whole program is that it is so customized.

Tonight is my consultation with Dr. Ritamarie. Before I spout off too long, I thought I’d include the second part of the preparatory exercises that I’m supposed to do before the consultation. You’re welcome to listen in and comment in the background if you can catch it live. If you get to this and the call has already happened, you’re welcome to listen in to the recording and pass it along to anyone you think may be able to benefit from it.

I know it’s not every day someone puts the intimate details of their bowel movements and cardiac history up on a blog to share with the world, but I think it’s really important that transparency be one of the primary Raw Diva colors. The pink and green are pretty catchy, but at the end of the day what matters to me most is that I’m living what I’m preaching and committed to helping other women find the solutions they’re looking for. I have some health issues to sort out, so I’m going to the person I trust the most to help me make it happen.

I thought you might enjoy coming along for the ride, so I’m inviting you to listen in to my private health consultation with Dr. Ritmarie tonight.

I gotta prepare for my big night. I hope you find this useful and would love to hear your comments and feedback about the process.

Love and support,

Tera

p.s.

For those with a weak stomach, do not proceed. What follows is the metabolic, bowel-blasting assessment Dr. Ritamarie asked me to fill out before my consultation. Hope you’ll be joining us this evening and benefitting from the experience along with me.

p.p.s.

If you’d like to be notified about updates and challenges on the blog, just make sure you’re signed up to receive our Health in High Heels newsletter, or have taken the free 7-Day Diva Detox.

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Metabolic Assessment Form

Please list the 5 major health concerns in your order of importance.
1. The cyst on the back of my leg.
2. Scanty menstrual cycles. Is this a problem? I don’t mind it.
3. Salt cravings and late night eating.
4. can’t think of any others…
5.

Please select the appropriate number, from ‘0-3′ on all questions. 0 as least/never and 3 as most/always.

Category I (Colon)
Feeling that bowels do not empty completely – 2
Lower abdominal pain relief by passing stool or gas – 1 (if I eat something I know I “shouldn’t”)
Alternating constipation and diarrhea – 0
Diarrhea – 0
Constipation -0
Hard, dry, or small stool -0
Coated tongue or “fuzzy” debris on tongue -0
Pass large amount of foul smelling gas -0
More than 3 bowel movements daily -0 (I WISH!!!)
Use laxatives frequently – 0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 3

Category II (Gastric Enzymes)
Excessive belching, burping, or bloating -0
Gas immediately following a meal – 0
Offensive breath -0
Difficult bowel movements -0
Sense of fullness during and after meals -0
Difficulty digesting fruits and vegetables; undigested foods found in stools -0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 0
Category III (Gastric Irritation)
Stomach pain, burning or aching 1-4 hours after eating -0
Do you frequently use antacids? -0
Feeling hungry an hour to two after eating -0
Heartburn due to spicy foods, chocolate, citrus, peppers, alcohol, and caffeine -0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 0
Category IV (Pancreatic Enzymes)
Roughage and fiber cause constipation -0
Indigestion and fullness lasts 2-4 hours after eating -0
Pain, tenderness, soreness on left side under rib cage -0
Excessive passage of gas -0
Nausea and/or vomiting -0
Stool undigested, foul smelling, mucous-like, greasy, or poorly formed – ?? 1
Frequent urination - 0 (not too frequent. Just normal)
Increased thirst and appetite – Sometimes. ? When I’m hungry and thirsty. 2
Difficulty losing weight – 0 – not if I stop eating.
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 3
Category V (Biliary)
Greasy or high fat foods cause distress - 0 What do you mean by distress?
Lower bowel gas and/or bloating several hours after eating - 0
Bitter metallic taste in mouth, especially in morning – 0
Unexplained itchy skin – 0
Yellowish cast to eyes -0
Stool color alternates from clay-colored to normal brown – 0
Reddened skin, especially palms – 2 maybe this is me a bit.
Dry or flaky skin and/or hair – 4 I have this right now.
History of gallbladder attacks or stones - 0
Have you had your gallbladder removed? No.
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 4
Category VI (Blood Glucose Fluctuation)
Crave sweets during the day – 0
Irritable if meals are missed – 0
Depend on coffee to keep yourself going or to get started – 0
Get lightheaded if meals are missed – 0
Eating relieves fatigue – 0
Feel shaky, jittery, tremors – 0
Agitated, easily upset, nervous – 0
Poor memory, forgetful – 0
Blurred vision – 0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 0
Category VIII (Adrenal Fatigue)
Cannot stay asleep – 0
Crave salt - 5
Stow starter in the morning – 0
Afternoon fatigue – 0 (only if I eat cooked foods or haven’t slept the night before)
Dizziness when standing up quickly - 2 (only happens when I’m trying to get off salts)
Afternoon headaches – 0 (Only happened after the lice treatment)
Headaches with exertion or stress – 0
Weak nails – 0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 7
Category IX (Cortisol Elevation)
Cannot fall asleep -
Perspire easily – 2 (when I’m nervous or physical. But not in an uncomfortable or unnatural way)
Under high amounts of stress – 2 well, for me stress isn’t that stressful.
Weight gain when under stress – 1
Wake up tired even after 6 or more hours of sleep – 0
Excessive perspiration or perspiration with little or no activity – 0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 5
Category X (Thyroid – Decreased Metabolic Activity)
Tired, sluggish – 0
Feel cold-hands, feet, all over – 2 (eating bananas in winter doesn’t help me)
Require excessive amounts of sleep to function properly – 0
Increase in weight gain even with low-calorie diet – 0
Gain weight easily - 2 (if I eat poorly)
Difficult, infrequent bowel movements – 2
Depression, lack of motivation – 0
Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses – 0
Outer third of eyebrow thins – STRANGE idea! 0
Thinning of hair on scalp, face or genitals or excessive falling hair – 0
Dryness of skin and/or scalp – 4 YES! Seriously.
Mental sluggishness – 0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE:10
Category XI (Thyroid – Increased Metabolic Activity)
Heart palpitations – 0
Inward trembling  – 0
Increased pulse, even at rest -0
Nervous and emotional -0
Insomnia -0
Night sweats -0
Difficulty gaining weight -0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 0
Category XII (Pituitary – Decreased Metabolic Activity)
Diminished sex drive – 0
Menstrual disorders or lack of menstruation - 1 (it’s very low flow and one day of cramps, but not unmanageable)
Increased ability to eat sugars without symptoms - ? Maybe. 2 Not sure what this means.
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 3

Category XIII (Pituitary – Increased Metabolic Activity)
Increased sex drive -0
Tolerance to sugars reduced -0
“Splitting” type headaches -0
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 0

Category XVI (Menstruating Females Only) – Female Hormones
Are you perimenopausal – Nope.
Alternating menstrual cycle lengths – actually, I seem to be right on target these days. Used to be VERY irregular.
Extended menstrual cycle, greater than 32 days – nope.
Shortened menses, less than every 24 days – nope
Pain and cramping during periods -2 yes. Just for one day. Minor compared to what I experienced before childbirth.
Scanty blood flow - yup. 4
Heavy blood flow – nope.
Breast pain and swelling during menses -nope.
Pelvic pain during menses – nope.
Irritable and depressed during menses -nope
Acne breaks out – nope
Facial hair growth – nope.
Hair loss/thinning – nope.
Please add the scores and put the TOTAL HERE: 6

How many alcoholic beverages do you consume per week? none. Maybe 3 in the last 10 years.
How many times do you eat out per week? maybe average of one, but we work with the raw food restaurant.
How many times a week do you eat fish? 0
How many caffeinated beverages do you consume per week? 0
How many times do you eat raw nuts or seeds? uh… if I eat at the raw food restaurant, a lot more. Usually 2-3.
How many times a week do you workout? Well, not as many as I’d like. *sniff* 0 but I am just very active with the kids, walking here and there, etc.
List the 3 worst foods you eat during the average week. uh… if I have a bad week I’ll get some refined sugars from something the kids left kicking around (chocolate, or something), hummous, glutenous bread.
List the 3 healthiest foods you eat during the week. greens, fruits and greens.
Do you smoke? no.
Rate your stress levels on a scale of 1-10 during the average week. 2
Please list any medications you currently take and for what conditions: none
Please list any natural supplements you currently take and for what conditions? none.

By Joyce Wiatroski

“In the long run, we only ever hit what we aim at.” — Thoreau

Reading that Thoreau quote really had me thinking about the steps necessary to reach a goal. How important it is to consciously aim, to set our sights, to make a plan, to dream of success, to go for the gold! Otherwise, we’re only kidding ourselves that our lives will change for the better.

With the start of a new year, we hear so much about resolutions, new beginnings, and fresh starts. Most of us have good intentions that this year will be the year for real change in our lives, whether it’s shedding pounds, eating healthier, exercising regularly, spending less and saving more, or clearing out clutter. The well-intentioned list of resolves sounds great on January 1st, but where will we be come December 31st?

As most of us know from past experience, the follow-up often falls short before we reach the finish line. Yet, if we don’t at least try how will we ever succeed?

Here are six suggestions to help with staying focused on the road to achieving our dreams.

1. Make a plan. Write it down. Set realistic goals, both short term and long term.
2. Start with an easily achievable short term target – take baby steps.
3. Develop and practice consistency — repeat those little steps.
4. Seek support. Enlist a friend; find a mentor.
5. Don’t let a lapse derail you. Remember, each day is a new day.
6. Keep singing, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” Believe you will do it!

If it’s true that we only ever hit what we aim at – then to achieve our goals and dreams we need to develop a plan, and keep our eye on the target. We mustn’t be afraid to adjust and re-adjust our aim if it will allow us to go the distance!

Getting to the finish line begins with making a start, then following through, one step at a time. That’s certainly doable for all of us.

Let’s take aim at our dreams as we continue to manifest . . .

Like fine wine, women grow better with thyme.

Joyce Wiatroski is the wit and wisdom found at the Foodiefumblings blog.

Health, huh?

How does a multitasking mother find enough hours in a day to balance her “health” into the neverending pile of laundry to fold, dishes to wash, floors to clean, etc.? I’d love to fit in more fitness, casual conversations with friends and more time to float in a spa or go for pedicures. I’d love to, but there’s a certain amount of discipline required if we’re to get the things we want in life. There’s a certain amount of commitment necessary if we’re going to achieve our goals and dreams and visions. We’ve been talking about the 21-Day Challenge. We’ve been talking about taking a few days to put new habits in place and create the vision of what we want for ourselves this year. We’ve looked at fitness, spirituality (though only telepathically ) and we’re taking a look at “Health”. It’s time for you to create the ideal. Let’s make the little pimples and zits of our health equation VANISH by putting in place the discipline and dietary choices we need to thrive.

Easier said than done, right? Well, its all starts with a decision to make it happen. Recently, I had to make a decision when I was confronted with yet another unexpected “gift” from my body. The kind of gift that isn’t necessarily wanted, but appreciated none the less. As I sat here the other morning on the throne of the Diva empire, I was busily singing the song of health and high energy living when all of a sudden…

…I found another cyst.

*gulp*

I have one on the back of my upper leg and I have one now on the side of my…

…cheek.

*sigh*

It’s small and most people might not see it, but I do.

I mentioned in my last blog post that I had some health issues I wanted to investigate. That’s one of them. My late night snacking and crazy salt cravings are worthy of investigation, I figure. I caught a cold this fall and it lastest way longer than it should have. Had a really violent reaction to some toxic hair chemicals. Maybe it’s some mineral out of balance, some parasitic invasion from Mars. I don’t know, but I want to find out. I don’t want to white knuckle cravings for food, I want to get help, invest in solutions and make amazing things happen. I want to feel that I’ve got the steering wheel on my health.

Compared to many people I’m a frisky little critter in fine health.

But it’s all relative and after spending 7 years talking the talk and walking the walk, it’s time to step it up a few notches. I’ll be doing a complete health consultation with Dr. Ritamarie and you are invited to listen in to the call. I will skip some of the personal details on the blog, but anyone who would like to listen in to the consultation call, can listen in live or follow up with the recording. I’ll be asking some questions about menstrual cramps, my cysts and circulation. I’ll be asking questions about late night munchies, salty snacks and a request for help sorting out the nutritional mumbo jumbo that creeps up in the recesses of my mind, sometimes. I might get a boost or two of support regarding my step-daughter’s anxiety attacks, my daughter’s psoriasis and my son’s boogery nose. I probably already know some of the answers, but investing in my health is the best way to help me prioritize making good changes in the new year.

So I’m taking the plunge and inviting you to join me. The consultation will be happening on Monday evening. I’ll let you know on Sunday what time it will happen. I thought you might be interested to see a few of the questions that I’ve been filling out on in preparation for my consultation. Funny thing is, I’ll be sending her here to read my responses. The only copy she’s getting is the one you’ll read below. If she has more questions, she’ll be asking them in the comments section leading up to our consultation on Monday night.

Hope you get something out of this exercise in transparency. In order to keep the blog light and friendly, I’ll be keeping the juiciest details for the call. If you’re really interested, you’re welcome to listen in and join us. We’ll post the information on the blog over the weekend. Here are the forms and questions I’ve been working on filling out for my consultation. (In case you’re interested in following along.)

Over the next 3 days I’ll be spending time investing in the “Family” area of my life. We’ve rented a minivan and are heading out to the country for a few days. Fresh air, clean snow and some quiet time together are just what the mama ordered. Perhaps I’ll come back with a few family pictures worth sharing. For now, I leave you with an incredibly comprehensive form I took the time to fill out this afternoon for my health assessment. Unfortunately, there’s still more to do. Seems taking responsibility for your health requires sitting down to confront a few of the things that are going on. I hope this exercise is helpful and inspires you to confront a few of your own health issues and objectives. While you’re looking through these questions, why not answer them from your own perspective. Simply reflecting over these things may help bring new light to the situation.

Off to the hills with the little hillbillies,

Tera

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Coaching and Health Questionnaire with Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

Name Tera Warner    Age 34    Date Jan 4/10
Height 5’7”    Weight 130ish
Marital Status In love        Partner’s Name: Marc-André
Children’s Names      Age    Health Concerns,  Including Allergies    Food:  likes, dislikes, preferences
Mika 9    psoriasis    She’ll kill the cow herself, if I let her. Very strongly attracted to meats and sweets and salty foods. No allergies for either of the kids.

Sebastian 7 in Feb    None that I know of. Gets boogery when he consumes dairy products.    Loves fruits and veggies, simple foods. Not heavily spiced or salted. Would be a gluten addict, if you let him.

In Case of EMERGENCY Notify The Goddess Above and tell her I’m COMING HOME!!!    Phone:

Please describe in as much detail as possible your reasons for signing up for health coaching.

I think it’s about time I take responsibility for informing myself about my own health issues. I don’t think living on raw food should bring up other complications in my health and I want to know what’s going on inside. I don’t want to spend 4 years studying the stuff, just hit me up with the concentrated version of what I need to know. I want to understand WHY I have a cyst on the back of my leg and why I retain water sometimes and why I have a circulation issue that comes up when I eat too much spinach. I want to understand why my menstrual cycles are so light and if that’s okay. I want to UNDERSTAND what’s going on in my body so I am better able to take charge of my health and well-being and better support my family in doing the same.

What are your top 3 goals for our sessions?
1    Inform myself about what I may or may not be missing and how to get all the body systems in tip top shape.
2    Understand what a health consultation with you is all about.
3    Share with other people the process that is involved so that they can be inspired to look for solutions rather than feel like they’re fighting an uphill battle trying to improve their health with carrot sticks and getting frustrated if it doesn’t work out as they expect.

List the top 5 priorities in your life.   I.e. What 5 things do you value above all else?
1    Uh…. Communication, creative expression and reminding people that they are able to create the things they want in their lives and in their health.
2    Being a good mom.
3    Understanding what it takes to run a successful business and create a company that has a powerful impact on an international community of women.
4.     Hmmmm… learning more about myself, my triggers, my potential and my health.
5.     Create! Create! Communicate!

What obstacles could prevent you from changing those lifestyle habits that are detrimental to your health and that of your family?
My craving for salt. ☺ Nothing, to be honest. Just discipline and determination. I don’t suffer in my health much, or I would probably be a bit more disciplined about it. For me the worst side effect I get is feeling a bit crabby if I dip into the proverbial cookie jar. (Which usually is a salty cookie jar, by the way.)

How are you most irresponsible and/or how do you self-sabotage?
Ooooh. I don’t like that question. Do I have to answer it? I’ll answer it on the phone.

What are your strengths?
What do you mean here? Are you talking about related to food, life in general, or what?  My strengths are that I’m passionate, committed, clear communicator, etc. I have lots of them, but let’

What do you enjoy doing so much that it gives you energy?
My work–writing, teaching, supporing women on the path to healthier living. Arranging food platters. Crisis management.

What might stop you from following the plans that we create together?
Hmmm… if ordering things is a pain in the butt, I might not follow through. Whatever I’m supposed to do from here needs to be simple, easy. Would be better if you order for me and send me the bill. I’m a bit lazy when it comes to online shopping. Salt cravings are my nemesis. If I have to be around my kids the first few days of a cleanse, it will be a lot harder for me.

APPETITE, DIET and FOOD PREFERENCES
Please detail the diet you are currently eating with additional info and background as appropriate.
90+ percent raw vegan diet, with a bit of a dip in that statistic over the holidays.

How would you ideally like to eat and why?
I want to eat ethically and responsibly. If I thought that meat was good for my health, I might do it. If I thought it was ethical and good for the environment, I might do it. I have no agenda in terms of the food I put in my body. I have no need to be “raw”. I want to be healthy and empowered and confident that I understand what’s going on in my body.

What do you feel is stopping you from eating the way you aspire to? (List as many reasons as you can think of.)

• Constantly being around and preparing cooked foods for the kids.
• Having a boyfriend who doesn’t necessarily share the same food ideology.
• Having a skinny, apparently healthy boyfriend that doesn’t share the same food ideology.
• Sometimes just lacking inspiration and support to do what isn’t easy.
• Having a seriously addictive relationship to salt.
• The pleasure of being “normal” or at least pretending to be normal by eating what other people eat.
• Discipline. I have no major health issues that motivate me to be an extremist.

What kind of a person do you need to become to eat this way?
Informed. Inspired. Committed.

What are the benefits you are looking for through achieving your dietary goal/s?
Mostly the confidence that comes with knowing your path and walking it with clarity.

What books have you read so far on healthy eating? And which ones did you particularly enjoy and why?
Honestly, I’ve not read that many. Diet for a New America turned me vegan overnight. The Raw Secrets got me to go raw. Can’t think of another that I actually read and completed. I can give you a looooong list of books on emotional/mental health, creativity, crisis management, etc.

Do you have any issues around eating such as an eating disorder, or comfort eating, or eating for stimulation/out of boredom etc? (About 99% of people do this!)
Uh. Yeah. Definitely. Does anyone NOT have issues here??

Where do you currently purchase your food and why?
Wherever I can get to on foot easily. Ideally the little local health food store up the road, but sometimes I cave in and support the megamonster shopping chain because they have so many organics.
How familiar are you with whole foods, vegan foods, and living and raw foods?
Ridiculously so.

Answer YES or NO to the following Questions:
Do you only eat when you are hungry? NO
Do you frequently crave food? NO
Can you go a long time without eating?  What’s a long time?? ??? 36 Hours? YES
Is it easy for you to skip meals and maintain energy and a sense of well-being? YES
Does a high-carbohydrate diet with fruits, vegetables and sweets satisfy and sustain you emotionally and energetically? What do you mean by high-carbohydrate? Are you talking about fruits? For me, if I were eating 80 10 10, that would be a high-carbohydrate diet. So, mostly, YES, but I miss the salt and fat.
Do you get sleepy or lethargic after eating a high-protein, high-fat meal? Well, I can get sleepy in the evening if I eat a cooked food meal, for sure.
Do you have a strong appetite for breakfast? Not if I overeat the night before.
Do you feel better after a high-protein meal? Not necessarily. What would that mean? Lots of nuts, etc. NO.
Do you need to snack often to feel okay? NO
Do you prefer fatty foods over sweets? Hmmmm… between an avocado and a banana. NO. Sometimes I want sweets and sometimes I want fats.
Does eating sweets throw you out of balance? NO
Is it hard for you to fast on juice or water? Depends on for how long. More than a day or two, YES!
Do you get a quick lift and then a sudden drop of energy from sweet foods? NO
If you skip meals does it cause you to be weak, jittery, low-energy, and unbalanced ? NO
Does eating before bedtime worsen sleep? You mean in general, or my sleep. Makes me feel gross. Yeah. But I sleep fine.
Is it easy for you to go more than four hours without food?     YES
Do you love or crave salty foods?    YES!!!!!
Do you enjoy eating?    USUALLY
Do you have a good appetite?    YES. Wish I didn’t sometimes.
Do you eat because you have to? Huh? What do you mean here?   NO. I eat because I have to and because I want to.
Do you usually feel tired after eating?        NO.
Do you feel weak or irritable if you miss a meal?        NO.
Do you know what true hunger is?    YES.
Do you consider yourself to be the ideal weight? YES, But I will always think I need to lose 5 extra pounds. I am in the standard chart’s ideal weight, but I know I could weigh less and feel more “me”.

Please answer the following questions in the space provided.  The space will expand to fit your answer.
What do you consider your ideal weight? It seems to be an unpleasant pattern of wanting to weight 5-10 pounds less than what I weigh no matter what I weigh.
Describe any difficulty in maintaining your weight. My weight is pretty steady at 130ish and has been for years.
What foods do you consider binge foods? Usually starts with something salty. I’ll do kidney beans sometimes, hummous and other bean dips. Not really attracted to carbs, unless there’s salt on them, like noodles and tomato sauce, but usually, I would just go for the sauce. Veggie patés get me. Usually it’s cooked salty veggies. Sometimes I’ve gone as far as breads and dairy products, but not much. A bite of this, a bite of that, but these are pretty rare occassions. I’ve had a couple bites of a tuna sandwhich in the last year, but nothing more than that. Something like canned artichoke hearts or palm hearts would make me buckle. SALT!! Baked potatoes would be tough to resist. SALT!
What foods do you crave most? SALT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many times per day do you currently eat and at what times? Uh… 2-3 times per day. mid day and evening. Trying to eat less late at night, but not always easy. Okay, actually, I pretty much suck at it. I eat late. I confess.

Do you live alone or with a partner/family/friend? Please detail. I live with my kids one week out of two. I have a partner, but we live separately. When we don’t have our kids, we spend the week together. He eats ANYTHING and everything. I watch, drool and sometimes nibble.

Please indicate which of the following foods you eat by bolding them.  Also, indicate how often you eat the food and how much you like it.

Frequency eaten
How much you like the food
(rate as 1-5)
1=not at all,  5=can’t live without
Red Meat
Poultry
Fast Foods
Fish
Fried Foods
Seafood
Raw Nuts and/or Seeds      2-3
Roasted Nuts and/or Seeds
Nut or seed butters     2-3
Eggs
Milk
Cheese
Butter
Ice Cream
Other Dairy
Margarine
Snack Foods
Dessert/sweets
Soft Drinks
Fruit Juice        2-3
Vegetable Juice     3-5
Fresh Fruits       4-5
Dried Fruits       3-3
Salads       4-5
Green Leafy Vegetables     X5
Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
Sea Vegetables (nori, wakame, arame, sea palm, kelp, dulse)            X
Raw Vegetables            X Frequency 5, Like it: 5
Cooked Vegetables         X Frequency: 1 Like it: 2
Beans or peas            X I’ll dip my finger in hummous and sometimes dip a spoon a few times a month. Like it: 5
Bread
Pasta
Whole grains       X  1-2/month  like them: 2-3
Chips, crackers, rice cakes     X 1-2/month  like them: 2-3
Tortillas and other types of wraps
Other:

Please answer the following questions in the space provided.
How often do you eat at home? Almost all the time.
How often do you eat in restaurants? 2-3 times a month. Always the raw restaurant.
How often do you eat at someone’s home? Almost never.
How often do you eat on the run? ALWAYS.
If you eat grains, approximately what percentage of the grains you eat is whole and unrefined? hardly eat any, and it’s usually always whole grain.
Approximately what percentage of the food do you eat that is raw or living (uncooked-vegan fruits/vegetables/nuts/seeds/sprouted grains)? 90% or more
What types of oils do you use in preparing foods? coconut and olive
Approximately what percentage of the foods you eat are organically grown? 80 to 90%
Do you drink coffee? No way, José.
Do you drink tea? Nope.
If so, what foods do you typically eat for breakfast? Fruit.
If so, what foods do you typically eat for lunch? Veggies, avocados and whatever I have going on.
If so, what foods do you typically eat for dinner? Whatever I have going on. A big salad with little nibbles on the side.
Do you eat between meals? Sometimes
If so, how often, when, and what foods do you typically eat? Salty ones, Crunchy ones.
List your favorite foods. Hmmm… raspberries, green juice and fresh fruit and veg. Of course, Salt.
List your least favorite foods. Heavy foods. Dead animal foods. Cheesy, bready foods. Might taste good, but make me feel like YUCK.
List the foods you eat the most frequently. Whatever fresh fruits and veg are in season.
Which foods are you unwilling to give up regardless of health implications? None. I have no attachments to a specific food.
To what extent are you willing to make diet life-style changes to improve your health? Any extent. Just need to motivate me.

Do you or have you in the past followed any of these dietary plans (Place an X beside all that apply and comment on how well it has worked for you.)

Macrobiotic    X – Constipated me.
Raw Vegan     X – love it. But have more to learn.
Vegan X – became pretty food obsessed. Overate a lot.
Gluten Free    X – just tried this as part of raw veganism.
Dairy/Casein Free  X - just tried this as part of raw veganism.
Wheat Free    X -doesn’t do as much for me as raw food.
Rotation Diet for Allergies
Allergen Avoidance
Kosher
Zone,  Atkins, or other high protein diet
Eat Right for your Type
Weight Watchers
Ayurvedic
Other Special Diet (please describe)

If you are currently working with any coaches, book or program for personal development, please detail.If you are currently seeing a Doctor, naturopath, chiropractor or any other health practitioner for any reason, please elaborate.
If you gave your health a rating out of 10, what would it be? It’s a 9. What’s up with the cyst? My scalp is dry, I carry 5 more pounds than I need, but otherwise, NO health issues of significance.
What’s stopping your health from being a 10? You kicking my butt.
How do you see things in 5 years if you continue doing what you are doing now? Ridiculously pleasurable.
Please list any medications, nutritional supplements and herbs you are currently taking and note why you’re taking them and how effective they seem to be. None. I bought Vitamin D, but haven’t even been very good about taking it.
Please list any surgeries, accidents or injuries you’ve had that may be continuing to impact your life. None.
Please check any conditions you or your family members have ever had.

X        S=self, SP=Spouse, C=Child, P=Parents
G=Grandparents
Alcoholism
Allergy       ex-SP – allergy to cats.
Anemia
Aneurysm
Angina    - G
Arthritis   - G
Asthma
Breast Cancer
Bronchitis
Cancer
Candida
Celiac Disease
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Colitis
Colon Cancer
Diabetes
Depression
Diverticulitis
Eczema
Emphysema
Epstein Barr
Fibromyalgia
Gall Stones
Glaucoma
Gout
Heart Attack
Hemorrhoids
Hepatitis
Hernia
Herpes       S
High Blood Pressure
Kidney Infection
Kidney Stones
Lung Cancer
Lupus
Mental Illness
Migraines
Mononucleosis        S
Multiple Sclerosis
Pneumonia      S
Polio
Poor Circulation        S
Prostate Problems
Psoriasis   C, ex-SP
Rheumatic Fever
Rosacea        are these little pumps on the back of my arms? If so, yes.
Seizures/Epilepsy
Shingles
Sinusitis
Skin Cancer
Stroke
Thyroid Problems
Tuberculosis
Ulcers or Gastritis
Varicose Veins        S – little tiny ones.
Venereal Disease
Other

Please list any health concerns, symptoms, or diagnosed diseases in each of the body systems below

Musculoskeletal System
Neurologic System
Cardiovascular System
Respiratory System
Digestive System
Urinary System
Reproductive /Sexual Function
Skin and Hair    - dry scalp
Mental and Emotional Systems
Immune System
Hormonal System
Learning and Focus
Surgeries
Serious Injuries or Hospitalizations

-none to speak of.
Please list any other health conditions or concerns that you want me to know about

Please rank the following areas of your life from 0 (totally dissatisfied) to 10 (totally satisfied):
Physical environment
Money
Personal growth
Fun/Recreation
Partner/Relationship/Romance
Career
Continuing Education
Spirituality
Travel
Creativity
Friends
Family
Children
For all of these areas, there’s always room for growth, but I am super inspired by what I do and in love with my life, actively making things better. I wouldn’t complain about any of these but my aparment. The rest, a beautiful work in progress and always will be.

How much time can you comfortably give per week to your health program?
How much are you going to ask of me? How much time can I afford to lose by being worried about my health or just holding off healthy changes?

What do you see as a bold goal you would like to accomplish over the next 90 days?  Reach on this one.  Make it something that seems just a little bit beyond your reach. Making my cyst DISAPPEAR!!

What is your most pressing question about achieving vital health?
Why do I have this cyst and am I missing anything?

How can I most impact your life in our first session?
Share everything you can about what you know with me and anyone else listening.

Taking into account your financial investment in your coaching, what results, if achieved, would you consider to have a value far in excess of the price paid?
Kicking my own butt to put in the discipline to take my health to a higher level in spite of the fact that I already thrive compared to most people around me.

Is there anything else would you like me to know? (This is your opportunity to fill me in on those things that are especially important to you and will help me to better understand your needs, situation and what you most want).

I think you RAWK, Woman!

If you’d like to start off on your own consultation, please contact Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, or sign up for our VIP version of the 6-Week Deep Tissue Detox.

The last two days we’ve supposed to have been focusing on Creative Expression and Spirituality.  Did you get my telepathic posts?

Okay, I admit. Life threw me a few fast balls and I’ve not been able to spend nearly as much time as I would have liked near my computer.

But, interesting how life has a way of prioritizing the exact thing you’re trying to address. So many people get frustrated in the midst of unexpected circumstances. I know we talked about attitude already, but wheever you’re at, consider how you’re responding to the events on your plate. What you resist, persists. It’s so true.

The last couple days have brought some health emergencies and mental health emergencies and unexpected disappointments, but I’ve learned over the years to roll with the punches, to catch the fast balls and run with them. So, I’m still smiling and observing the process as life whips me around in all manner of unexpected ways.

All this chit-chat has been part of our 21-Day Challenge. The goal was to spend 21 days trying to implement some new life habits and targets for the new year. I spent some special time on January 1st and 2nd filling out my calendar with goals and projects and targets for 2010. I see the plan, now need to work on implementing it. Sometimes, simply by articulating the target, the stars align to help you make it all happen. Sometimes, it’s not effort as much as intention that steers the boat.

We started this 21-Day challenge and the goal is that we spend some time addressing different areas of our lives and taking the time to imagine our ideal scene, then focus on the action steps necessary to make these things happen.The next category I had put on the list (though I’d not listed them in any particular order of importance) was sensuality. But due to some of the fast balls I’ve been catching, I’d like us to do it on Health instead.

First let me say that if you’ve been contemplating the 6-Week Detox, it starts on Monday, and this is your last chance to register. We’ve already given out the initial preparatory materials and participants are gearing up for the adventure full steam ahead.

I am one of the participants.

I’ve had a tough time bouncing back to a “healthy” regime after the holidays. I guess once the boundaries are broken, discipline is harder to put back in place. But it’s clear that I’m struggling with a few health issues and if I’m gonna walk the talk, I better gear up and get serious. I thought I would include you in a bit of a personal process as i lead up and go through the 6-Week Detox.  I’m addressing some “minor” health issues, but health issues none the less, and I’d like to see what I can do to fix ‘em. My health care practitioner of choice is Dr. Ritmarie, and over the next few days (if life could PULEASE slow down on the fast balls) I’m going to take the time to fill out the necessary forms and have a health consultation with her. I thought you might like to see what that’s all about and get an idea of the problems I’m addressing and watch how she helps me handle things.

For now, my sweets, while I’d love to chat, I must get the muffins geared up for another day of school. If the focus is health, let’s start by painting the picture of our ideal scene and putting in place a few of the action steps that will get us there. Keep your fingers crossed that I get back here soon and if you see any fast balls flying by in my direction, could you catch a couple for me!

I’ve had enough for one week.

Love and light steps,

Tera

Today is Monday and it feels like things are getting back into full speed ahead mode after the holidays. I’m certainly glad I’ve given myself these 21 days to put things in place. I know today is supposed to be the day that we buckle down and address fitness, but I need to interrupt your regularly scheduled 21-Day Challenge programming with an announcement about toilet talk and other pertinent poop issues.

Okay, so I need to get right down to the juicy stuff here because I’m just aching to share with you my big news. Brace yourselves, if you’re the sensitive type.

Around here it is to be expected that if you’re talking about food, you’re talking about poop. I have yet to meet a woman with whom I couldn’t have a great conversation about the pleasure of a satisfying bowel movement. Either we’re consitpated, gassy, bloated or just irregular, but without exception we all know that the pleasure of a productive bowel movement has been daringly, but not unjustly, compared to the pleasure of a sexual orgasm.

In the last few hours I’ve had four intensely pleasurable experiences of the non-sexual variety and I feel like a new woman!

The secret?

I’ll tell you in a moment.

As you know, I’m prepping for the 6-Week Deep Tissue Detox. It’s starting in just a week and today is the first day I’ve really been able to consider getting myself on track for food and prepping myself for the detox that’s coming. The timing is PERFECT for a detox. After the travel, irregular sleep, mashed potato indulgences and other chocolate-coated conditions that come with the holidays, I am so ready to clean out and clear up. But more than that, I’m ready to learn.

I’ve been at this now for seven years and am astonished still to realize to what degree I am the byproduct of the information I’ve been fed by other health enthusiasts. I can remember when I first jumped on board the raw food bandwagon, I was rubbing noses with a lot of friendly fruit-eaters and running about 30km on an average Sunday afternoon. I was doing my best to learn the ropes and ask questions and get the results I was hearing about.  Unlike many raw foodists, I didn’t come to this lifestyle seeking health improvement. I was simply curious.

I was following a pure path at first. Avoiding salt was a spiritual arm-wrestling match unlike any other I’ve ever had. The white-knuckling didn’t last long for me. The recommendations I followed at the time were probably better than what I’d been doing before, and so I got results. I still felt bloated and constipated and remember asking about enemas and colonics at the time and got a big ol’ resounding “NO!” That’s “BAD”. The ideas put out were that some people have had enemas and colonics and then never had a natural bowel movement again in their lives.

Last year after encountering a few health professionals that do recommend and use enemas and colonics themselves, I decided to call upon Michael Perrine and ask him to give me the “Scoop on Poop”.  Looking back at 2009, I can honestly say that one of the best things I did for myself was invest $20 in a rubber enema bag from my local drugstore! SUCH a good move. The reason I’m telling you all this is because I don’t think you should believe anything I say. I think you should find out for yourself.

With the 6-Week Detox coming up, this is the perfect opportunity to learn for yourself what happens when you really clean out your body and understand more about what’s going on inside it. We are so indoctrinated to avoid things, fear certain practices, etc. Inform yourself honestly and objectively, then try stuff. Listen to the teleseminar that I recorded with Michael and read some of the comments left by other people and have the courage to walk your own path. The reason I started all this toilet talk in the first place, actually has nothing to do with enemas, but is related to bacterial balance in the gut and my extremely productive morning on the throne.

Here’s the secret to my high productivity:

The last time we did the 6-Week Detox, I learned SO much about the gut and healthy bacterial balance, but I didn’t really apply it all. Over the last few days I’ve been drinking LOADS of fermented Kombucha and may I just tell you that stuff works!! I could never be convinced that enemas are a bad thing because they have just done way too much good for me. And now I am most thoroughly convinced that drinking and eating fermented foods is a health-building habit to have and one I intend to keep for a long time.

Through Crudessence we’ll be offering a fermentation workshop very soon. You can access the Crudessence calendar for more details if you’re in the area.

As for you, my dear, and our 21-Day Challenge, please spend some time tonight dreaming of your fit, hot body and how you feel when you’re fitness is at its ideal. What do you want to do and how often? Set your ideal scene and tomorrow we’ll do some action steps and target setting to put things in place. I know today and tomorrow are devoted to dreaming of and putting in place our fitness goals for the year, but with my glorious gut adventures this morning, I simply had to tell you how excited I am about learning more, about deconstructing the myths that I didn’t even realize I was operating with.

I mean, I’ve heard all this bacteria stuff and people say it works, but holy smokin’ toilet seats, now I’m a believer. If you’re joining us for the 6-Week Detox we’ll make a believer out of you, too. Otherwise, start googling about fermentation, Sister!

Okay, back tomorrow with the fitness focus!

Love and laughter,

Tera