Attacked! (By Salt Cravings)

My new roommate is awesome. I just love her. She’s from the Hippocrates style of raw foods, and the other day she came home with a whole bunch of raw stuff. First of all, she’s a wheat grass juicer. So, we have a whole field of fresh cow cud material on our kitchen table. The kids love watering it, and it looks very pretty, but juicing grass is new to me. Tomorrow will be my first adventure in wheat grass juice. Just never found the idea of grass juice naturally appealing. I can’t say that I necessarily find it appealing now, but everyone makes so much noise about it, I’m at least going to try it.

Better than tomato sauce, no?

Anyway, Marie-Josée (my roommate, who will be hereforth affectionately referred to as MJ) had a BIG, like BIG bag of sunflower sprouts and alfalfa sprouts, too.

The guy at the sprout place was quite taken by her, and kept offering her stuff for free. She’s a looker. Anyway, she came home with all these sprouts, and all kinds of weird, salty dips, which… admittedly, I tried.

To my disappointment, it was not a great success.

I just cannot do the oily, salty raw food path. As soon as I got that dip in my mouth, the floodgates opened. Salt is really my nemesis (my enemy that usually triumphs over me!). I am looking forward to taking a few days to really PURGE the salt from my system. For those of you suffering from excess water retention, kicking salt COMPLETELY off the menu is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. I have NEVER felt better than when I really abandoned salt from my life. I’m looking forward to getting back there again. 7 Day Diva Detox, HERE WE COME!!!

Oh yeah, so, Marie-Josée (my roommate) came home with all kinds of “raw” treats from the sprout place. Including $40 worth of “raw” chocolate. And I swear to you, this stuff is definitely “raw” because just this afternoon, I promise, it jumped right out at me from the fridge. I mean, I just opened the fridge and BANG, next thing I knew the stuff was in my hands and melting in my mouth. Talk about living foods! I was virtually attacked by the stuff!

Yum. I actually rarely to never eat chocolate, but there is something so marvelously “diva” about the stuff. I mean, it’s practically legendary for women. I don’t necessarily believe that it plays any part of the healthy raw food diet, but neither does complete deprivation. So, today was an indulgence in some high quality, intoxicatingly delicious chocolate. Ahhh…

Anyway, if you’ve been following the blog, then you know that I made a bit of a commitment the other day to go hard core. My personal background is in the high fruit path. When I started on the raw food path I was training for a marathon. Now, living with MJ and hanging out with Amy, I’m adventuring more into the sprout kingdom. It’s fun, but I’ve got to admit, I’m really not in support of the sauces and dips and salty, oily stuff that many sprout-eaters drench their supper in.

So, sprout it up, but keep the grease off the plate, the salt in the sea and I think it makes a lot of sense. Too much fruit alone has caused me problems, so I’m sure that we fruit-eaters and sprout munchers together can find a harmonious path to success.

Okay, that’s enough from me. Sure is WONDERFUL to see so many amazing women signed on to be a part of this adventure with us. Soooo looking forward to getting to know you all better.

Love and chocolate kisses,

Tera

3 Easy Tricks to Lift You Up When You’re Feeling Down

Hee hee.

I love that. I mean, I can just hear Fred telling me, “Tera, don’t use a word like THAT in a headline. It doesn’t sell.”

Little rebel, I am.

Anyway, in case you missed it, Amy and I just released our first newsletter. You can check it out with pretty pictures here:

http://tinyurl.com/3cz98o

Otherwise, I’m posting the juicy article for those who need some oompf-boosting.

Muah!

I got this letter from my mom today. I love her. She said she was ‘sitting around getting fat’ and waiting for Amy and I to get started with our detox program.

Her words really resonated with me for a few reasons. I mean, I know that feeling so intimately–’Sitting around getting fat.’

I’m all too familiar with the feeling of being STUCK, almost paralyzed, in my health process. Even though I know perfectly well what to do to feel better and eat better, I just sat there – pure inertia*. *(Inertia is the property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force. Merriam-Webster Online)

So, when I got this letter from my mom, I thought to myself, why is it that despite the fact that we all know perfectly well WHAT we’re supposed to do to be healthy, we don’t do it and instead fall back into old patterns, cravings, and introversion?

What prevents us from just getting up and doing what it takes to feel great?

Having pondered these and similar ideas rather obsessively for the last 15 years, I’ve got a few thoughts on the subject.

Generally our decisions to overeat, binge, and just get down-right lazy about health, are triggered by events or circumstances in our personal life and immediate environment. Perhaps it’s a communication upset, a loss of someone or something significant, feeling unproductive or without clear purpose. Sometimes there’s someone in our environment bringing us down. No matter what the circumstances, we cannot separate diet and food issues from our emotional situation or physical environment.

We can’t always predict when life is going to throw us a fastball. Recently life threw me a super high-speed fast ball, a curve ball, and a bowling ball – simultaneously. (During the month of August, I’ll be sharing a four part series of mini stories that tells the whole adventure in juicy detail.) But you know what, no matter what life throws at us, we always have a choice in how we RESPOND. The point of power is in how we choose to react to the events and circumstances of our lives.

Which brings us to the question of the day:

How do we, as divas, jump up and heed the call to health and high energy?

Here are three powerful secrets that dare to answer this question:

1. Take a Walk.

Sounds simple enough, huh? But when you’re sitting in that moment of paralysis, it might feel like one of the biggest chores imaginable. You don’t have to strap on jogging shoes or make an event out of this. Don’t worry about giving yourself the pressure of gym memberships or yoga commitments. Just get outside and walk! Honestly, few things will do more good for you than this simple trick. Break a sweat, boot it up a hill, and practice your buttocks squeezes while you’re at it.

No matter what state of mind you’re in, no matter what is going on around you, taking a walk is going to help. In fact, the worse you’re feeling, the more it will help. Not only will you feel better, but this will make a huge difference on your energy and overall motivation.

2. Do a Detox

Food is a marvelously complicated subject, and one of the best things you can do to break that cycle of addictive food habits is to DETOX! The 7 Day Diva Detox that we’ve put together is designed to do exactly that.

When you’re in an eating rut, taking a day to fast followed by several days of cleansing raw foods and loads of fresh water makes a HUGE difference in energy levels, self-confidence, and yes dear sisters, it helps drop a few un-wanted, un-needed pounds.

3. Find a Supportive Community

Just the fact that you’re reading this letter is a pretty good indicator that you may have this one covered already. Being a part of a community, a supportive environment, is VITAL to success. No diva is an island, and there’s power in numbers. Being a part of The Raw Diva’s Community of Women is going to offer you the companionship, sisterhood and support you’ve been looking for. Prepare for fun and success!

No matter what endeavor you’re undertaking, doing it with the support of a community, a buddy, a sister, is guaranteed to boost your results.

If you’ve not yet signed up for our free 7 Day Diva Detox, then please take a moment to do that now. We’ll be starting our detox on July 14, and just these 7 Days alone will help you put all 3 of the secrets mentioned in this article into place.

Sign Up to Reserve Your Spot for The 7 Day Diva Detox Now!

We’re sure glad you’ve signed on to receive these newsletters. You’ve stumbled upon a marvelous opportunity to explore new possibilities and embrace change in a community of inspiring women. We’re thrilled to have you along for the journey. Pull out the canvas, the adventures have only just begun…

With love from us both,

Tera & Amy

The Tomato Sauce Curse

I don’t know, maybe I was a big Italian Mama in a past life, but one thing I know for sure is that tomato sauce is my torture. It’s like the one food that seems almost impossible to resist for me at times.

I supose it just comes down to that nasty white potion – salt.

*sigh*

So, today I gave in. *giggle* Yup. I tomato sauced myself! Yummm. I simply love the way it tastes in my mouth… until, that old familiar feeling of addiction comes in for the attack. I mean, when I eat an apple, I don’t feel like “Oh my GAAAWSH, I’ve just GOT to have another apple or I’ll die.”

It’s almost as if when salt gets in my system, the floodgates open, and anything and everything becomes fair game. And then, once I’ve indulged… it’s like INSTANT nap time. My system is pretty used to running on clean fuel. Exceptionally clean fuel. So, when I put something cooked in the pipes, it creates a pretty dramatic reaction. Fred talks about that really well in The Raw Secrets. I’ll have to pull up some quotes on that sometime.

Punishing myself for the indulgence would be a complete waste of time, and totally toxic to do. I mean, I’d rather salt circulating in my system, than salt & guilt & regret! Sheesh. So, I’m just going to giggle this one off, but recommit. In fact, we’re getting very, very excited about our upcoming 7 Day Detox. And just to make sure I’m in shape and feeling strong to support the team, I’m going to put some personal ethics in on myself.

Today I made some commitments, even had them signed and witnessed by friends.

The first, and most important, was my new commitment to get A MINIMUM of 7 hours of sleep a night. No matter what. One of the biggest reason that the whole drama happened in Costa Rica was because I just wasn’t getting enough sleep. So, that’s my life’s new priority.

In fact, coming back to Canada, it was the only thing I really invested in. A disgustingly indulgent PUFFY, PILLOWY DREAM BED. It really is quite Puffy and Perfect. I’m afraid to admit it’s not a stellar example of my desire to be ecologically oriented when consuming, but by golly, it was for a good cause.

So, my other commitment is to be hard core about my raw food again.

And EXERCISE! 30 minutes of sweaty stuff. When I think that I used to do 32 km runs on Sundays, it’s crazy to realize how little physical activity I’ve been getting lately.

But, I do want to be gentle with myself.

Since coming back from Costa Rica, it’s been a process of getting things in priority. I mean, for a while physical survival was the priority. Finding a place to sleep was the priority. I had to completely rebuild my life, and most of the wiring in my brain.

So, the good news is, we’ve been moving up from there. Now, I have the luxury of making some commitments and goals, dreams and objectives for myself. Feels good to be on track with that.

So, I’m starting tomorrow! Declarations and commitments have the potential to be very empowering things. IF they are respected. They also can be opportunities for disaster. Commiting to something without the intent to follow through at all costs, and with full intention to complete is darn-right dangerous.

So, I DECLARE, (muahahaha—I feel the power of the universe conspiring in my favor) to being the sexiest, smilingest, raw food diva Montreal has EVER seen.

Starting tomorrow.

Today, I will just let the tomato sauce run her course. Don’t think she was alone, by the way. I mean, what’s tomato sauce without ___ ? (Wouldn’t you like to know?)

Okay, so I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m doing the trial run of the 7 Day Detox, but I’ve committed to 30. Once we get everyone through an amazing 7 Day Detox, we can invite you to take part in our 30 Day Body Enlightenment System, which is a dynamite program.

Whew! I’m long winded today.

Musta been missin’ ya.

Hugs and love,

Tera

Raining Raspberries

Lucky me. This quaint little fruit and vegetable store keeps putting raspberries on special! It feels like Christmas every time I turn the corner and see those little beauties shining up at me.

I struggle to wonder what could be more beautiful than a perfectly crimson raspberry. I mean, all fruit have their own beautiful look, but that fuzzy little work of wonder we call a raspberry is special to me. I mean, how those little juicy beads all connect to make a perfectly shaped chapeau is a wonder to me.

The kids and I put them on the ends of our fingers like little hats and gobble them up. I watch the people race by me on the street with their sandwiches and pizza slabs, and I giggle as I lose myself in the miracle of those little fuzzy hairs on my favorite berries.

There’s something innately attractive about fruit and vegetables. I always get a few giggles and smirks when I lay out my lettuce and banana wraps in the park.

When I used to run, I would always finish my run by grabbing an entire head of Romaine lettuce and devouring it as a walked back home. It would make just about every person I passed smile.

Be a spectacle in the name of fruit and veg and watch the world giggle and glow in your presence. It’s a beautiful thing to be a picture of health. Set the example. C’mon, go make some crunchy coos in public.

Hugs and love,

Tera

A Beautiful Afternoon

I’m sitting at my computer.  Etelle is asleep in my lap.  It is pouring rain outside, as it does on Florida afternoons.  The thunder and lightening are just getting started up, but I’ve drowned them out with the internet and Keane on my itunes.

I have shopping to do, a website to redesign, a house to clean, laundry to switch over… so many things.  But, since I’m currently immobilized by the aforementioned sleeping 2 year old, here I am… catching up on blogging and anxiously awaiting work from Tera on my latest version of a graphic for The Raw Divas.  I’m so excited to get things officially off the ground.  Excited and impatient (poor Tera – I’ve been hounding her this week).

But since I must wait, it is nice to do it with the mixture of rain and music in the background, the beautiful thoughts and images of the world wide web at my figure tips, and a sleeping sweet pea across my knees.

Coffee shop thoughts

Well, here I sit in a 24 hour internet cafe.

The music pounds.
Sirens wail as an ambulance races by outside.
The smell of grilled sandwiches and roasting coffee beans waft through the air. I sit firmly resisting the assortment of salt-soaked salads on display in the cooler. Maybe I’ll eat a red pepper when I get home…

*sigh*

It wasn’t all that long ago that I was listening to the mating song of frogs in the small pond outside our Costa Rica home. You know, the adventures that sent me packing back for Canadian soil are quite extraordinary. Sometimes, like now, when I find myself in a situation I wouldn’t have expected myself to be in, the whole thing feels a bit surreal.

I’m happy to be here, starting this adventure with Amy.

She’s amazing. So smart and so supportive. I’m really, really lucky to have teamed up with her. Thanks.

I just moved apartments last week, and I’ll be living with one of my dearest friends and her two children. Two single moms with two little rascals each. It’s quite an adventure.

The new place feels nice. There’s just something comfortable and reassuring about the neighborhood, too–surrounded by loads of trees…

Uh-oh! I’m drifting off to sleep as I write. That’s a sign it’s time to head home.

I have a puffy, puffy bed, and I’m quite looking forward to nestling myself beneath the covers this evening. It’s been a big day. Learned a lot, had some laughs and took a few more steps closer to launching this glorious website we’ve been working on.

xoxo
Good night.

Tera

Red Pepper Valentine

Tera has been wonderfully prolific with our brand new blog, so I figured I’d better pipe up too, lest anyone start thinking she just made me up!

Things are cruising along. The full site will be officially “live” soon. We are working hard at getting everything “just so” for your enjoyment! I can’t wait to get things really rolling.

In the meantime, I wanted to offer a neat little reference for you. It’s called “What Does 200 Calories Look Like“. This could be fun for anyone looking for raw inspiration!

Regarding the image… if you look closely, you’ll see the seed group of my red pepper look like a heart.  How sweet!  When was the last time a cheeseburger gave you that much love?

I’ve got plenty of more fun to come, but for now, back to work!

Hugs,

Amy

“Sitting around getting fat.”

I love my Mom.

Yesterday I got an email from her. She said she was sitting around getting fat and waiting for Amy and I to release our new detox program.

*giggle*

Isn’t it true, though. I mean, could you say it more eloquently than that? “Sitting around getting fat.” That’s exactly what we do when we fall off the proverbial wagon and stop taking control of our health and vitality. It’s a process of introversion that cuts us off from others and eventually from our own innate ability and willingness to take action. That’s why we’re so committed to a full-support detox program. I mean, without support, what’s the point?

Amy and I are really going to step outside of the ordinary by making sure that everything we do is centered around the creation of a community. We’ve all been in that chair, sitting around getting fat, and it’s not fun. And the truth is, it is way, way harder to get off your butt when you’re alone.

The entire foundation of therawdivas.com is built upon the very sisterhood of which I speak. Amy and I have been there for each other through all kinds of circumstances and adventures. There’s comfort in sisterhood. There’s accountability, support, inspiration and the knowingness that we are not in this game of life alone.

When you drop a pebble in a pond, it creates a ripple. Each of us has a ripple-potentional–the ability to impact and influence the lives and environment around us. Often we fall into the trap of being influenced by our environment, and let’s face it, it’s not always a pretty picture out there.

When we, as Raw Divas, band together in the interests of moving forward toward our health and success goals, we become a mighty strong pebble in the pond, and our capacity to impact change increases.

Anyway, those are my thoughts this morning. I’m off to wake up the kids and get some shopping done. I’m excited about our webpage finalizations being put in place. It’s the start of another week, filled with possibility…

Sending big ripples out to you,

Tera