Well hellooooooo, you gorgeous creature!

I couldn’t resist writing a few words to kick off the week before another week kicks me.

Just like I compare my thighs to the size of every other woman’s thighs in the street, I was surfing online today and recognized how much room there is for improvement in what I do. I felt that ache you get when you come in 6th place in a race with 7 runners. I only saw what I wasn’t doing well enough or fast enough or often enough…

*sigh*

Then I logged into Facebook.

There were pages and pages and pages and pages of “happy birthday” messages I’d not seen. There were well wishes, expressions of gratitude, validation of one kind and another. I read every single comment and suddenly realized how FAREAAAKING lucky I am.

Oh sure, I could keep up to date on those fancy, shmancy marketing gurus. I could sell more and sleep less, but I’m SoooooOOo grateful to be where I am and to be supported by smokin’ hot women like YOU! I was really moved by the messages left on the blog, my inbox and Facebook. A big word of thanks to all you lovely creatures who helped make that day special for me.

**My Birthday Surprises**

I have received a lot of emails asking for the details of my romantic escape. My day started with smooches and an interior designer who showed up to help me get my new apartment all gussied up and ready for hosting workshops. I’m excited about some of the ideas we came up with and curious to see how it all turns out! I promise to take pictures! (I actually did take pictures of my birthday adventures, but Mr. Right can’t find his camera chord! Sooo…)

After that, my beloved packed my suitcase into his car and took me to my favorite raw food restaurant (the ONLY raw food restaurant in Montreal) for some sushi and picnic treats. We picnicked in the sun, then made our way to the hills. He  took me for a hike in the mountains (I had told him I used to loooove going hiking with my family on my birthday when I was growing up), then it was off to the ONLY Givenchy Spa in North America for a deluxe seaweed wrap, sauna and some five star snuggles.

We stayed in a gorgeous little castle/hotel! I was more than impressed with what the resident chef whipped up for my raw food meals. The entire experience was picture perfect. I felt pampered and adored for a birthday celebration that will be remembered for a long time to come. (We don’t call him “Mr. Right” around here for nothin’!)

**The Poop Report**

Talk about a change of subject! Okay, it’s not actually about poop, but more about what happened since I did my colonic last week. Some interesting things have developed for me. I can’t say for sure what caused the changes, but I can say that the colonic was the trigger to a MAJOR shift in the way I eat and the way I live.

Last night’s cozy coaching call I explained some of the things that have been going on for me. If you’d like the full story, you can listen to that recording, otherwise, here’s what I’d recommend this week as a stepping stone, if you need one, to getting on track with your food:

Portion control!

Hydrate!

Chew!

Eat When Genuinely Hungry!

We spend so much time thinking and obsessing about WHAT we eat, that HOW we eat sometimes gets neglected. Eating too much food, not enough water and not chewing are the reasons my hydrotherapist said I have diverticula and a prolapsed colon!

These are all things I knew, but I’m now able to apply with new determination. Something just “clicked” in place and is working now in ways that it wasn’t before. Maybe it was my transverse colon.;-)

I got this picture as a birthday present this week and wanted to share it. Renata said this,

“Happy birthday, Tera!

I made this picture specially for you today : ) This bee seemed to pose and reminded me of you,
and all the huge work you do to make this world a better place! Thank you soo much!

Wishing you a huge love and happiness!
Renata”

Here are the commitments we’ve made for this week! If you’d like to join us this Sunday for a kick in the pants or a shoulder to cry on, then just sign up to be notified of our weekly support calls! We’d love to get to know you better!

Doll – Drink more water!!

Keely – Get organized and spend less time on the couch! (We slave driver her around here!)

Stacey – Get to bed by 11pm

Tera -

Well, almost! It’s been quite a while since I’ve done any significant celebrating in honor of my birthday, but Mr. Right has got something up his sleeve and I have NO idea what to expect. Oh, sure, a woman can guess at these kinds of things, but Ive stumbled upon a die-hard romantic, so it’s best not to make any predictions and just embrace the adventure.

Just a few hours ago, I got this email in my inbox from the Prince of party preparations himself:

For tomorrow…

Free yourself up by 10:25am.

Make yourself, and your house, presentable (with my help of course ; – )

Wear running shoes, socks, shorts or running skirt, sweat-friendly top and sweater in case you get cold.

Bring:

• Your back pack
• Water bottle
• A fruit or Larabar or two for snacking
• A change of clothes (casual)
• Your bathing suit
• Water sandals
• Nice shoes
• A pretty dress
• “Jewelery” optional
• Warm sweater or shell for an after-dinner stroll
• “Jammies”
• Tooth brush, floss
• Hairbrush
• Curler
• Anything else you usually bring when sleeping away from home

That’s it for now.

À plus tard mon amour!!

Soooo, as you can see, there are some surprises in  store for me! I actually think I need to do some laundry just to get everything on the list packed! Before I disappear for some birthday celebrations I wanted to let you know that…

…after 4 weeks of trying and hoping and wanting to make it happen, but just not managing to get it together, I have finally whipped up another issue of Health in High Heels. It’s ready! My birthday edition! Check it out!

Giddy and glowing,

Tera

Weeeell, for those who requested I get “up close and personal” this one may be overstepping the boundaries a bit, but bears sharing.

Forgive the puns if they happen. Given today’s subject matter, they’re virtually unavoidable. (If you’re pressed for time, just skip down to the part that says: “What I Learned From This Experience”) For the rest of you, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Today I went for my first colonic.

I didn’t do any fancy foot work or ask for recommendations to find this particular colon clinic. I just did a search for “colonic, gravity and montreal.” Having discussed things with Michael Perrine in our Scoop About Poop call, I knew gravity was the way to go. On the phone I asked to confirm that this was indeed the gravity method, and while they spoke neither French nor English terribly well, they assured me that this is what I was looking for.

I booked myself an appointment.

Warning sign #1: It was way too easy to get an appointment whenever I wanted.

Today was the big day. I didn’t do anything special to prepare for this event. I didn’t take bowel-busting herbs or do any kind of fasting at all. I didn’t even avoid eating breakfast this morning. I just showed up to see what I could see and learn what I could learn.

About 20 minutes before my appointment, I hopped on my bike and made my way to the colon clinic.

Warning sign #2: All the offices in the building were for lease, except ONE–the colon clinic!

When I arrived at the clinic, I was met by a woman who immediately directed me to a room and told me to take my pants off. (This diva isn’t whipping her pants off for just anyone without getting a few questions answered, first.)

Upon examination of the equipment, naturally, I had a few questions and concerns. If this was a “gravity” method, then what were all those pressure gauges about and why wasn’t there anything above the height of the bed?

I asked her again if this was a gravity colonic.

Warning #3: She said the word “gravity” didn’t appear to be in any of her dictionaries.

That’s when I picked up my purse, dropped it to the ground and explained that this was gravity and at this point it became clear that we were not dealing with a gravity-operated colon-cleansing machine.

The floors creaked. The baby “bum wipes,” toxic room deodorizers and water-stained, sun-bleached, Scotch taped, photocopied pictures of bowels and cancer statistics on the walls all contributed to a rather uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

All the warning signs were there.

I had every reason to walk out the door, and maybe I should have, but a voice in the back of my head said, “Be willing to experience anything.”

She explained that she was an anesthesiologist (my favorite!) in her home country and had been doing this for 15 years. She was trying to be gentle and supportive and I guess that, coupled with my laziness at the idea of booking another appointment, were enough that I sucked back my fear and bent over.

Once de-robed, it was time to prep the passage with an inspection to assure there were no hazards or hemorrhoids.

Apparently the coast was clear, because she whipped out an intimidating collection of tubing supplies, and it was time to get serious.

It wasn’t comfortable, but you get used to it.

I was expecting a miraculous outpouring of the macaroni and cheese dinners I ate in high school. I was expecting bubbles, heat, discomfort, ooze or SOMETHING! I was expecting drama and got plain, old, ordinary poop. Either my pipes were disappointingly clean, or I am more anal retentive than I thought.

She massaged my bowels and there was some definite “release” but not on the scale of the “oooohs” and “aaaaahs” I’d been hoping for. I guess those stories of 4ft gluey intestinal gunk and super flat stomachs are what inspired me in the first place, so I was naturally disappointed when, at the end of the ordeal, I looked and felt…

…exactly the same.

She told tell me that I have diverticula and a prolapsed colon.

*GASP!*

She explained that these were because I was eating portions that were too big for me. She explained that my portions should not really exceed a small handful of food at a time.

“But what about…”

“But I only eat…”

“But that’s going to be…”

A thousand “buts” raced through my head and the only one that really mattered was the one still being fed 100 liters of water!

She said I should chew about 30 times a bite, that my blood pressure was VERY low, so I should drink 10 cups of water  per day. All these things I knew, I guess, but as a woman is washing out your colon and massaging your “diverticula”, it somehow becomes easy to take her very seriously.

What I Learned From This Experience

People have a right to be comfortable in the environment in which they are being treated for their health.

It’s not just about what you eat, it’s about how you eat–how much, how often and how you mix things together.

I’ve known all these things, but now chewing and calorie restriction will be on my to do list for real.

I didn’t like the experience, but I’m glad I did it. I intend to take what I learned and move forward from here–inspired with new learning and personal wisdom. Perhaps later down the road I’ll try again, but for now, I’m keeping a “Do Not Enter” sign on my exit door and chew, chew, chewing my chow with new determinism.

Love and peristalsis,

Tera

P.S.

2 more sleeps until my birthday!

P.P.S.

I did finally meet the avocado. Nice guy. Got totally DRUNK on chocolate, but that’s another day and another blog post.

That’s what Lora said on our BES teleseminar last night when I announced that I had booked an appointment for my very first colonic. *blush* Of course, there are other, more discrete terms like; “hydrotherapy” I could use to describe what I’ll be doing on Friday afternoon, but when a woman decides it’s time to flush her gut with a few hundred liters of water, then why be discrete about it?

I’ve been asked to get more up close and personal on the blog, so there you have it, Ladies. (Careful what you ask for. )

Now that the Green Smoothie Day festivities have come to an end, I’m reorganizing particles and getting my feet back under the desk. Check out the comments  I received in response to last week’s little love note sent out in lieu of a Health In High Heels Issue.

EVERY TIME I SEE YOU OR READ YOUR CUTE LITTLE MESSAGES I KNOW THERE IS A GOD. YOU’RE A WONDERFUL PERSON AND I AM BLESSED TO HAVE YOU IN MY LIFE.
HUGS & KISSES FROM LINE.

*gush*

I can honestly say I haven’t heard that kind of beauty in a text for the whole year. I really took your words to heart, and words like appreciation, and grateful and most importantly THANK YOU, spring up from my inner being. Every woman is better for the raw divas. It was a good decision to step into your world and I am the better for it. Take care of YOU,  and THANK YOU.

Soooo here’s what the rest of my week looks like:
*The Avocado*
Most people know of David “Avocado” Wolfe. I’ve never read a book or even listened to him speak for more than an hour, but this Friday a mutual friend of ours is hosting a potluck and it looks like I’ll finally get the chance to shake hands with the King of Cacao himself. I’ll let you know how it goes.

*Poop*
After hosting the interview with Michael Perrine about “The Scoop on Poop” I was determined to give this enema thing a fair try.  Now, I’m a believer. I avoided enemas because I’d been told that some people do them, then never have another natural bowel movement again. Michael said that sounds like a load of “crap”. I figure if anyone knows about crap, he does, so I tried it.

The “proof is in the pudding” metaphor leaves me slightly uncomfortable in these circumstances, but I can admit that my regularity, moods, comfort and overall health have much improved since incorporating “The Big E” into my life.

Expressions like:

• “feeling like crap”
• “having a shitty day”
• “being full of shit”

all have new significance for me.

I’ve never had a colonic, so can’t consider myself qualified to share an opinion on it. This Friday, all that will change, and you, Sweet Thing, will be the first to know about it.

The strange sounds coming out of my computer indicate to me that it’s time to get some fresh air. As the end of summer approaches, I struggle about in post-holiday restlessness. Bet the colonic will help.

9 more days until my birthday!

Wheeee…

T-raw

by Joyce Wiatrowski of www.foodiefumblings.com

Why should vibrant health, abundant energy and permanent weight loss belong only to those who can afford fancy equipment and expensive supplements or superfoods? Health is available to anyone with a willingness and determination to take responsibility for herself.   And it can be done on a limited budget.

For many people, embarking on a raw food, vegan lifestyle can be an intimidating proposition. Not only are we attempting to re-program our way of thinking about food and nutrition, we’re challenging ingrained habits, and breaking cycles of perceived pleasure that have developed over many years of eating cooked foods laden with sugar, salt and fat. Then we top all that off with changing the way we shop for food. It’s no wonder many experience a lot of frustration starting out. Lack of knowledge, lack of experience, and quite often, lack of funds can ultimately destroy our best intentions.

Have a Plan
Start increasing the amount of fresh food you buy with the same food budget you’ve been using.  Switching to a live foods diet should be a gradual transition. It’s easier on the body and the budget and offers a better shot at success. If you are eliminating meat and dairy from your diet, and that is the best first step toward a healthier lifestyle, allocate the money you would have spent on animal products for fresh, organic fruit and vegetables.
Check your local supermarket weekly sales flyers for produce specials.  Seek out produce markets in your area and certainly check out farmers markets within driving distance.

Make a List
Having the right foods on hand at mealtime and snack time keeps us on track. Invest a little time in making a list based on how you plan to eat.  Green smoothies in the morning?  Salad or raw veggies and dips for lunch? Another smoothie for dinner or some lightly steamed cruciferous veggies?  Be sure you have enough greens and fruit to cover meals and snacks for 3 to 4 days at a time.

Shop Wisely
Make an effort to add one or two new organic choices along with plenty of commercially grown fruit and vegetables each time you shop. Include plenty of dark, leafy greens.  Watch the grocery store ads for produce specials.  This week, at my local grocery chain, organic, vine-ripened tomatoes were $1.99/lb. The commercially grown ones were $2.49/lb. Organic was the better buy.  Shop late in the day at the farmers markets, often locally grown items will be reduced rather than having to truck them back home.  Most local farmers are generous with their count, too, come closing time.

While fresh is best, frozen is next best.  Take advantage of summer specials on berries and melons.  Cut up cantaloupe and honeydew melons, line cake pans or a baking sheet with waxed paper and freeze the pieces individually, when frozen store them in freezer bags for later use.  Wash and hull berries, freeze individually then store in bags.  Squeeze limes and lemons and freeze in ice cube trays. Then transfer to freezer bags. One cube is approximately one tablespoon.  These are great to have on hand to add to salad dressings or when making pâtés, dips and flax crackers.

Do a Little Research
Make your transition an adventure. Don’t worry needlessly about organic vs. non-organic.  Buy organic, when you can.  Get a list of the ‘dirty dozen’ (most pesticide) and choose organic when purchasing those items.  But commercially grown produce beats processed food any day.  The amount of pesticides you may ingest won’t be anything new to your digestive system. If you’ve been eating processed foods, fast foods and packaged convenience foods, your organs have been dealing with fungicides, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, synthetic chemicals, diesel fumes, mold, mildew, fruit flies, larvae, rat droppings and who knows what else.  Our kidneys, liver, digestive system and other organs are proficient at moving it out or storing it up.  Start including more fruit and veggies at every meal and replace at least one meal a day with a big green smoothie.  That’s a recipe that fits anyone’s budget.

Get Your Blender Whirling
Don’t worry about fancy equipment.  The best blender is the one in the cupboard that you aren’t using.  Get it out, set it up on the counter and join the Green Smoothie Challenge.   That’s the best first step anyone can take regardless of economic situation.  If you have a super duper workhorse of a blender, then shame on you if you aren’t putting it to work everyday.

Simplify Superfoods
Don’t fret about not being able to include all the superfoods we hear about.   “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” isn’t some old wives tale!  Buy a bag of organic apples, eat one every day, it’s a great super food. And by the way, apples and pears make a great fruit base for green smoothies without adding too much sugar.

Live Life Fully
Why should vibrant health, energy and permanent weight loss, the benefits derived from adopting a live foods lifestyle, be only for the affluent?   My brimming bags of dark leafy greens cost a fraction of the grocery bills I watch being rung up ahead of me in the check out line.  Best of all, I’ve no need to shop at the pharmacy.  I’ve taken to heart Hippocrates’ admonition:  “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”   Green Smoothie, anyone?

Joyce Wiatroski, retired, pursues a vegan lifestyle on a limited budget and blogs regularly about live food meals.

I am more than pleased to announce the fact that Victoria Boutenko will be joining us tomorrow morning for an exclusive (don’t you love that word!) teleseminar interview in honor of International Green Smoothie Day!

It’s coming up tomorrow and friends, family and frisky health-seekers around the world will be raising their glasses in celebration of the great, green health elixir: GREEN SMOOTHIES!

You’re more than welcome to raise a green glass with us and tune in for tomorrow’s teleseminar with Victoria. You can access the call information here! You’ll see when you get to the teleseminar page, there’s a place where you can leave comments, questions, etc. We’d love it if you put in your great, green greetings–tell us where you’re from and what your favorite green smoothie ingredients are.

I’ll do my best to include pictures, feedback and success stories as they happen throughout the next few days!

I’m playing some groovy tunes in the background and getting excited

A balanced diet is essential for healthy, vibrant skin. The good news is that the foods that happen to be good for your skin are also good for your overall health.

When you here the word “antioxidant” what comes to mind? Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage can lead to chronic disease. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals might otherwise cause. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and other substances.

Because there are many different types of antioxidants that can protect your tissues from different types of damage, it is best to eat a wide range of antioxidant-rich foods. How much you benefit from the antioxidants found in the foods you eat depends on how well you breakdown and absorb these foods. One of the best ways of making sure that you are getting plenty of antioxidants in your diet is to strive to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are plentiful in plant foods, particularly those that have bright colours. I’ve included leafy greens in this list because they  provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage.

The following is a list of antioxidant-rich foods:

• Leafy green vegetables (kale, collards, spinach, dandelion, swiss chard, romaine)

• Small red beans

• Wild blueberries

• Red kidney beans, dried

• Pinto beans

• Blueberries, cultivated

• Cranberries

• Artichoke hearts, cooked

• Blackberries

• Dried prunes

• Raspberries

• Strawberries

• Red delicious apple

• Granny Smith apple

• Pecans

• Sweet cherries

• Black plum

• Russet potato, cooked

• Black beans

• Plum

• Gala apple

There are many foods that if eaten regularly as part of an overall well-balanced diet will benefit the skin. However, some foods are better than others and eating these foods that I’ve listed will provide your skin with the extra nutrients required to boost your skin’s health and give you that great complexion you’ve always wanted.

This article was contribute by our in-house esthetician, Tracy Neely. You can learn more about her and her services at www.nourishandflourish.com.

In honor of our upcoming International Green Smoothie Day, this is another friendly hijacking courtesy of the ever-youthful, ever-green, Green Smoothie Queen:

In preparation for International Green Smoothie Day, I’ve been upping my green smoothie quotient.

This morning was a test.

I’ve always told people that you don’t need a fancy, shmancy blender to do the Green Smoothie Challenge. I’ve always told people that they can just use a cheap $10 Osterizer from a garage sale to do the trick.

But as long as I’ve been a raw foodist, I’ve always had a fancy, shmancy blender. So what did I know? Until, this morning!

I had spotted his Osterizer some time ago and decided that it would be perfect for trying out some kitchen experiments for raw foodists on a budget!

Well stocked with Swiss chard from our little garden plot, and oodles of fresh fruit, this morning I decided it was time to pull out the OSTERIZER!

I loaded it up with:

• 2 fresh bananas
• 2 frozen bananas
• 2 peaches
• 1/2 cup of Mr. Right’s Tropicana juice.

If you’re hard core, just add water. I was trying to impress the Prince of Prosciutto, so I sweetened it up with some of his favorite juice!

Then I got this whizzing, whirring, stirring and blending in the old Osterizer until there was a creamy smooth consistency happening. (Honestly, at this point I was already very impressed with the smooth texture.) I was expecting the peel of the peach to be a bit chuncky, but it was smoooth as smoothie gets.

That’s when I started adding the Swiss chard.

I don’t usually add the spine of the leaves. I suppose I added about 5 or 6 big leaves before I called it quits.

I was SHOCKED, AMAZED, IMPRESSED and sooooooo SURPISED that the cheap little Osterizer had pulled off a green smoothie of magnificent smoothness.

Could she have pulverized parsley with the same finesse? I’m not sure.

Could she have done it to grape skins, or think, curly kale? Hard to say.

But this morning’s ingredients were no competition to the persistent little blades of this blending beauty.

I still loooove my Blendtec. I don’t think this little Osterizer could ever pump out almond milk or other concoctions that I’ve come to love with my fancy, shmancy blender. But the proof is definitely in the green pudding this morning:

When you’re starting out on green smoothies

and managing a budget, you definitely,

definitely do NOT need to spend

a fortune on a blender!

P.S.

Aside from the 10 reasons I’ve written before about why I prefer Blendtec, and aside from the fact that Blendtec wins the banana ice cream making competition HANDS DOWN, E V E R Y TIME over other blenders that might attempt to compete against it, the BIGGEST reason I am fiercely loyal to Blendtec is because they have no quarrel with the fact that we tell people they do NOT need to buy a fancy, shmancy blender to make green smoothies.

When International Green Smoothie Day launched last year, we were actually approached by another company who offered to sponsor us. We politely declined when we were told that their sponsorship was conditional upon us removing all traces of garage sale/hardware store blenders from our site and instead telling people that they must buy their fancy, shmancy blender to make green smoothies.

Pshaw!

Money should NOT get in the way of your health!

Here’s a BIG Green Smoothie toast to Blendtec,  and to Osterizer-uses everywhere and here’s to making due with what you’ve got when you’ve got it!

Because grass roots grow, Baby, and you’ve gotta start somewhere.

Now, I’m off this soap box and outta here to take on the day!

Charmed by chard,

Green Smoothie Queen

Okay, Divas! Prepare yourself for the greatest green extravaganza we’ve ever given. For the next week your friendly neighborhood Diva blog is going to be hijacked by the Green Smoothie Queen who is the smoooooth operator of some exciting plans for our upcoming International Green Smoothie Day on August 15th.

YOU can get onboard and join the celebrations and help make this an AMAZING event! Here’s the blog entry “The Queen” posted on The Green Smoothie Blog! We’ll be keeping you posted here, so stay tuned for some chard and parsley-inspired adventures!

Oooooh sweet, Swiss chard! I can’t believe our International Green Smoothie Day will be kicking off in just a few days! For those of you who haven’t yet registered, it’s not too late to jump on board for this adventure! You can sign up at our Green Smoothie Queen site.

When you check out that page, you’ll notice a whole lot of logo lovin’ going on. That’s because we’ve had scads of enthusiastic contributors joining in to help us with this event. Many of you are likely wondering:

How Can I Win That Spanky New Blendtec Blender??

Well, my little lambs quarter lover, I’ll tell you all about it.

You see, the tradition with our Green Smoothie celebrations is that we give away a Blendtec Blendter (sometimes two) to the person who makes the biggest impact on their social community. This program is all about making health and vitality accessible to EVERYONE! It’s about sharing wisdom, not profits. It’s about health, not Hallmark!

We’ve very lucky to be sponsored by Blendtec and Excalibur and we want to make sure that the winners of these prizes feel honored to be given these gifts! That’s why we invite participants of our Green Smoothie Challenge to host a Green Smoothie Party of some kind. The last time we did this event for St. Patrick’s Day, our winner was from Mexico, and she shared Green Smoothies with her entire school of elementary-aged children! You can check out the pictures and the submissions of our other winners here! We requested the most creative Green Smoothie photo, and the classiest Green Smoothie photo, too! We had all kinds of things and it was REALLY exciting to see everyone’s contributions. Our winner recorded a fantastic video and it was really an exciting thing to see.

Last year’s International Green Smoothie Day winner invited as many friends as she could over to her house. Cats and dogs included, the numbers were high enough that she won the grand prize! Another winner brought little handouts to work and shared green smoothies with her co-workers!

We’re not asking for the impossible, we just want to see some initiative and inspiration! Show us that you’re out there making a difference and we’ll acknowledge you for your efforts with accolades and express packages in the mail!

We have TWO grand prizes to give away this year. The Blendtec blender AND a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator! There are LOADS of other treats, goodies, DVDs, books, ebooks, coaching and all kinds of surprises contributed by friends and associates, and those will be chosen by a draw. All participants of the program will be entered in the draw, but those who contribute to the Powder Room forum, those who send in recipes, videos, etc. will get their name thrown into the hat a few more times.

Contribution counts. What are YOU doing to get involved, inspired and sharing the good news with your community?

That’s what Green Smoothie Day all about!

If you’ve not yet read our announcement page, it’s worth checking out. Not just because it does a rather fine job of summing up my view on life as a raw foodist, but because it explains the purpose behind this event!

My garden is billowing with Swiss chard, fresh parsley and all the ingredients I need to make the best green smoothies ever!Prepare yourselves for the adventure! Stock up and get your blenders ready and revved for action! Saturday we kick off our International Green Smoothie Day Celebrations and want YOU on board making it all happen with us!

Okay, Sparkle Puff, my to do list is calling, but I’m excited to have kick started this Green Smoothie extravaganza and look forward to hearing from you! Just so you know, all Green Smoothie Day contest entries need to be submitted in the Powder Room this year! If you have any questions about how to get started and join in the fun, then contact me at:

thequeen at greensmoothiequeen dot com

Love and lambs quarters,

GSQ

*smooch*

Are you one of those women (or men ) that really knows she needs to exercise but something ALWAYS gets in the way?

I know what that’s like. I’m a mom, I run a business, I have a family, I have friends – life is busy. I can find 101 reasons a day to skip exercising. Especially when we’re talking shoving another 30 minutes to an hour into my day. Now, granted, my business IS exercise… but still – I do have to make time for my own personal routine. And even I have a hard time getting motivated and fitting it in at times.

Sometimes, we let time get in our way. Other times, we don’t exercise because it just seems so overwhelming – how do you start, where do you start… it just seems so complicated.

Exercise shouldn’t be complicated. The more simple you can make it, the better. One study found that the more simple you make, the easier it is to actually stick to.

Not only that, but when we think of exercise as a chore, no wonder we don’t want to make room for it. Exercise doesn’t have to be “exercise.” In other words, you don’t have to force yourself onto the treadmill if you hate the treadmill.

Finding exercise or movement you like is as simple as asking yourself, how you’d like to move.

Here are some ideas to get moving some may sound fun, others may not – you decide and do what inspires you!

1. Why not chunk your exercise into 10 minute increments? A study out of the University of Virginia found that women who completed 15 ten minute exercise routines a week were equal in aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility to people 10 to 15 years younger.

Why not take 10 minutes in the morning, 10 at lunch and 10 in the evening. Your evening routine can even be done while watching TV.

2. And speaking of TV, why not exercise while watching your favorite show at night. Do a small circuit: 1. Run in place for 1 minute. 2. Jump rope for 2 minutes. 3. Do jumping jacks for 1 minute. 4. Repeat steps 1 – 3. 5. Do 20 push ups. 6. Do 15 crunches. 7. Do 15 bicycle crunches. 8. Do 10 – 15 Triceps dips. 9. Repeat steps 5 – 8. 10. Repeat the entire circuit.

3. Walking and jogging provide a really simple cardio workout. And, doing intervals helps with the calorie and fat burn. Intervals are simply, doing light cardio for a few minutes, then upping the intensity for a minute or two, and then bringing it back down to a lighter pace.

An example of an interval would be, begin your routine with a warm-up, then, do 1 minute of fast walking. Up the intensity by either increasing your speed, or increasing your incline (or going up a hill). Do that for 2 minutes, and then bring the pace back down for 3 minutes. Then, pick up the pace and see if you can do higher intensity than the second segment.

4. For resistance training, body-weight training is simple and you can do it anywhere. Body weight training is simply using your own body weight as resistance. Push-ups, sit-ups, seated triceps dips, squats and plies all qualify as body-weight exercises.

5. As Lady Ga-Ga says, just dance! Put on some music and just do it. Doesn’t matter if you don’t think you can – no one is watching!

Once you get moving, you’ll find that you want to move more. And once you see how simple it can be, you’ll have no trouble finding time and activities to get you going.

Jenn Givler, helps women break their fitness hiatus in a non-competitive, non-judgmental environment. Through group fitness, distance learning classes and personal fitness coaching, she can help you get back into your groove! You don’t have to “learn to love exercise” or become an instant fitness buff to enjoy moving your body. Jenn’s specialty is helping clients find creative ways to fit movement into their daily activities.

Jenn has been into fitness and dance almost her entire life. She currently teaches yoga, Pilates, and cardio classes. She also teaches intermediate and advanced jazz and contemporary dance classes. When she’s not in the studio, Jenn enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities with her family including hiking, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking. Her 7-year old daughter Maddie loves dancing and doing yoga with mommy and is a competitive Irish Step Dancer. Check out Jenn’s web site for tips, recipes and ideas for adding movement to your life.