Eve and I

As I was running through the park on Sunday, I was struck with my own intensity level.

I mean, I was struck by how much I love my life, the colors, textures, smells, emotions and movements of my life. Every shudder and giggle and twitch. Every glance and breath are like a single note in a symphony that plays itself out through me, in me and all around me.

And it’s really almost intoxicating sometimes when I realize how beautiful life is.

And then I was thinking of Eve.

Was she the first raw diva?

Maybe.

Humpf.

Love ya,
Tera

Why I Dont Eat Raw Pizza

I love clean counters and few dishes to wash.

I love spending time doing diva-stuff, reading, running and being with my kids.

I prefer the smell of peaches!
(Shhh… Deborah S called me The Orgasmic Peach Diva! Guess she read my fruit erotica this week!
http://terawarner.com/blog/?p=35 )

I find monomeals blissful.

Today I was watching a TV interview with a well-known raw foodist. There were all kinds of recipes and concoctions. I can’t imagine how many hours were spent pulverizing, dehydrating, grinding and layering all that stuff.

I mean, “rinse it, peel it and eat it” has been my policy for quite some time.

I definitely respect the fun-filled adventures of others, though. And they make the food look very lovely.

But I prefer to bask in the playful, carefree air of simplicity and I would pass up a raw cheesecake for a handful of succulent cherries ANY DAY!

Nature made it so easy.

Try it. I mean, just eat a few meals with nothing more than the tools you were born with. Skip the plate, skip the knife, skip the blender. Just rinse and crunch. Feel it in your fingers. LOOK at those colors and that juiciness. BE WITH your food as it is and as you are.

What more could you possibly want?

Love ya,
Tera

3 Biggest Obstacles Women Face When Trying To Get Fit

Feature Article
The 3 Biggest Obstacles Women Face When Trying to Get Fit
By Tera Warner

Who hasn’t struggled at one time or another to put a fitness program into action. We start, we stop. We make promises and leave them unfulfilled. Here are three of the biggest obstacles we ladies face when trying to implement a fitness program:

1. Making Ultimatums and Unrealistic Expectations

Do these sound familiar?

“I’m going to run every day!”

“I’m going to do one hour of yoga every morning.”

These are the kinds of ultimatums we set for ourselves that put a barrier in our path before we can even get started.

What if you said this:

“I’m going to get my butt outside for at least 15 minutes today!”

Now, that’s doable. Of course, all target setting needs to be done in consideration of where we’re coming from personally, but if you’ve not been active physically, and you drop a nasty ultimatum on the table before you even strap on your sneakers, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, and here’s why:

Nobody, nobody, NOBODY feels good inside when she says something and doesn’t follow through. When you proclaim your promises to the universe, and then find a number of excuses or things to stand in your way, you die a little inside every time. Sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Keeping our commitments is one of the most basic and fundamental principles to thriving in life. Yet time and time and time again we sabotage ourselves on this one.

It’s okay to have ideals, it’s okay to have targets, but state them as such.

“My ideal is to run one hour every day!”

That’s fine. But when you use the words, “I will…” “I’m going to…” then stop and think about it carefully. Make it an objective you’re committed to achieving and then GO FOR IT, and by Goddess, don’t let ANYTHING stop you from keeping your word.

2. Believing You Don’t Have Enough Time

We all try this one at some time or another. The classic, “ I just don’t have time” syndrome. I gotta be honest and say:

You will never have enough time until you decide to make it.

“But, I just have to much to do!”

I know, I know. Trust me. I’ve been there. Two full time jobs and single parenthood. Here’s a little secret for you:

Urgency creates necessity, and pressure creates an increase in production and efficiency.

I’m going to say that again.

Urgency creates necessity and pressure creates an increase in production and efficiency.

Think about the last time someone called you and was going to just “pop over” for a visit. The house is a mess, and you know the door is going to ring in 30 minutes. I know this has happened to you, because it happens to all of us. How much more quickly do you clean the house and get into action when there is a sense of urgency or pressure to produce?

Well, what if you could have that level of efficiency a lot more often?

As far as I can see it, the very best thing you can do for yourself when you think you have too much to do and too little time, is slap another hour onto your daily timetable for exercise and another half hour for sleep and you will see how quickly you become efficient at what you do.

Are you really maximizing your production level and efficiency? How much time do you spend feeling lost, unproductive, or staring into space thinking about all the things you’ve got to get done, instead of just doing them?

Be in control of time instead of allowing it to control you. Maximize it, stretch it, use it to push, excite and inspire you instead of wrestling against it. You can do this. Time has officially been struck from the excuse list. Onward!

3. Thinking About It

In some ways this ties into the previous point, because it creates a loss of time that could be spent doing. Just add up the number of minutes, hours, and even days that have been spent thinking about how you really “ought” to get in shape, or how you should probably get a gym membership. Imagine if you’d spent that time strapping on your shoes and getting those buns out the door?

Don’t let the mental chatter stop you from taking ACTION. The next time you catch yourself thinking, “I should really…”

STOP RIGHT THERE.

Get down on the floor and do some curl ups.
Pick up some weights and pump iron.
Squat 20 times.

It doesn’t matter if you walk, wiggle, jump, bounce or roll! But if you want to thrive; if you want to achieve the level of health I know you’re looking for, then you have got to make fitness a part of your LIFE, and keep it that way! If it starts with 7 minutes a day, then that’s okay. But if you’re missing out on fitness, you’re only half-living.

Your body was built to move and if it’s not, it’s going to be struggling in some way or another. Don’t fall into the trap of inertia. Be the best you can be and get that body in shape!

We need you feeling strong and sexy, because there are others out there who didn’t get this message today. There’s a world of people who need a gentle prod to get off the couch and onto the jogging trail, and YOU can make a difference.

Start now. Start with you, and make a difference out there.

Love ya!

Tera & Amy

p.s. Our Body Enlightenment System contains a thigh-bustin’, butt-tightenin’ FUN fitness program that is designed to challenge you whether you’re a marathon runner or chronic couch potato!

p.p.s. Unfortunately, the BES is closed to registrations! SOLD OUT! If you’d like to be kept in the loop for the next round, and get a sneak preview including a FREE week of menu planners, check this out: http://tinyurl.com/3bq6l3

The perfume of peaches…

Bask in it, Ladies.

I’m often overwhelmed, intoxicated and profoundly grateful for how sensual, how succulent, how perfectly delicate and colorful and JUICY life is when one is committed to an abundance of fruits and vegetables. I won’t deny my dull yearning for salty, cooked classics from time to time, but there is nothing that can compare to my giddiness when taking a stroll through a fresh produce market.

Parsley–so spunky and spikey and brave. Just nibbling those curly, crisp leaves makes me giggle.
Romaine–the stallion of the greens. So strong and delicious. CRUNCH!

Cherry and grape tomatoes. And of course, cherries themselves! All that rich, staining color packed into a succelent “pop” of a bite.

The creamy ecstasy of avocado. Not just any avocado. The fat ones from Florida!

Grapes. I can get lost in dreamy wonder when I think of all the different kinds…

I’m enjoying being single right now, but I dare say I’ve a love affair with fruits and vegetables that is stronger than myself.

I’m almost embarrassed to talk about how I felt the other day when seduced by the perfume of a handsome white peach.

*shudder*

I blush sometimes and nibble and giggle and fill my basket with an orchestra of textures, colors and sensory indulgences and OH! all the juicy wonderfulness I can possibly fit!

Just thinking about it weakens my knees.

I’m going shopping!

Go make a spectacle of yourself and fall in love with fruit and veggies!

Fall in love with life!

Muah!
Tera

Juicy Treats: Amy’s Guacamole

Juicy Treats: Amy’s Guacamole

2 Ripe Avocados
1 Ripe Roma Tomato
2 Tbs Fresh Minced Corriander (Cilantro)
1 Tbs Fresh Minced Onion
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
Sprinkle Cumin (optional)

Peel and pit the avocados and place the flesh into a sealable container. Keep the pits aside. Dice the tomato and add it, the corriander, the lime juice and the cumin to the avocado. Use a potato masher – or better yet, add some love and use your hands – to mix the ingredients and mash the avocado. Don’t try to make it too smooth. The chunks of avocado are delicious!

Put the avocado pits on top of the guacamole, seal the container and place in the fridge for several hours so the flavours can combine. Delicious eaten with romaine lettuce leaves and sprouts, or on celery sticks!

On the road again…

I can’t tell you how good it feels to be on the road again. I’ve been doing a bit of running every day and it has made a HUGE difference in my mood, general state of mind and yes, tightness of buns and thighs.

It’s all good. I really can’t say enough about the importance of getting some good sweat time in. I mean, I would hardly consider myself someone who is low on energy or struggles with feeling down. But now I feel like I just want to bounce and dance around… which is much better than the jiggling and introversion I was getting into.

I wish I could just take you by the hand, strap on your shoes and drag you along beside me through the park, but I can’t. So, I really need you to just trust me. If you’re not active these days, you owe it to yourself to get FIT. Just get outside, one foot in front of the other and START. Once you get going, it’s an upward spiral and you’ll want more and more and more.

Do it!

Today.

Go sweat, dance, run, jump, squeeze, roll, leap, pounce do ANYTHING!

Get fit.

You’ll be glad you did.

Love ya!

Tera

Holy Cat Walk!

So, a Superdiva friend of mine Sandra Dwan (who really is the essence of Diva in the very sparkly sense of the word) sent me for my birthday some exercise DVDs.

Now, let me just set the record straight that THESE are no ordinary exercise DVDs. They are Sheila Keeley’s S Factor DVDs. If you ever felt the overwhelming urge to meow and purr and twist and flow with the essence of your womanhood, THESE are the DVDs for you.

I recommend some knee pads for the super aggressive cat crawl at the end, but these just really take an unabashedly sexual and sensual approach to exercise. And it was really fun.

Personally, I realized I’ve got some kinks to iron out before I’ll have the moves that this woman is pulling off, but overall I was fascinated and amazed with the experience.

Which just confirmed for me that when we do our first live Raw Diva Event, we’ll definitely be getting some pole dancing specialists to come and bust a move with us!

Speaking of which, on our teleseminar the other night with our Detoxing Divas, we were howling with laughter as we discussed the possibility of Amy and I going on tour to do a series of Pajama Parties! We decided we’d definitely need to get a Winnebago and pile the car seats in the back, paint our Detox Daisy and Raw Diva Raspberry along the sides and then hit the highway smiling!!

Ahhh.. it brings a giggle still.

Alright, so, in the words of Sheila Kelley, “Go and Take Up Some Space!” We women have a semi-chronic history of wanting to be smaller. Stick out that behind, lift up the chest, shoulders back, tummy tight and STRUT YOUR STUFF!

PUrrrrr!

Love ya!

Tera

The Two Most Important Ingredients In Your Health Transformation

In the two and a half years that I’ve been working in this business, I cannot possibly count the number of emails and letters that I have received from women who are desperate, discouraged, and losing hope about the fact that they feel they simply cannot get off the eating roller coaster or implement the kinds of diet and health changes they would like to put in place for themselves.

They feel isolated and alone and most of them are afflicted with guilt, continually encounter frustration, and usually wind up feeling discouraged and hopeless.

Being the curious and compassionate diva that I am, and having also been prone to such moments of desperation myself, I sat down one day and started typing. I decided that I was going to create a solution to all of this separation and discouragement.

That was the day I started to write the first materials for The Body Enlightenment System. Whether you participate in this program with us or not, what follows is guaranteed to inspire you to take the next step in your health transformation and feel stronger and more confident than ever.

You see, having worked with thousands of women all over the world, it became very clear that the most important factors in assuring the success of diet changes or any lifestyle changes required two things: a holistic SYSTEM and SUPPORT.

The Importance of Having A System

When information comes at us from all directions, we can get disoriented quickly and wonder which way to turn. When we lack a rhythm, a SYSTEM to put all this information in order and apply it, the information tends to slip through our fingers and is lost to us.

Most of us already find it a challenge juggling work, families and the demands of modern day living as it is. Deciding where to start once we’ve got all this great information in our hands can be just as much of a barrier to taking steps forward.

So, we’ve got to have a system.

But what does that mean?

Well, I’m talking about more than some menu planners and shopping lists, here. Too many people approach diet changes without considering the degree to which such changes affect all the other elements of our lives.

We cannot expect to make lasting diet changes without it impacting every element of our lives. That’s why a truly effective system is going to have to take into consideration the many different factors that play into your total health equation. It’s not just about the food! It’s about the fitness, the relationships, creativity, and confidence too.

And from diva to diva, let’s be honest, how much does something like our sexuality and sensuality play into our relationship with food?

It doesn’t make sense that we would even consider making major diet changes without understanding the fact that these changes are going to impinge themselves upon all the other aspects of our lives as well.

So, the ideal system would be a system that looks at diet and nutrition for what it is: just one factor that plays into your overall health equation.

The Body Enlightenment System is designed to do just that.

Even More Important Than A System, You Need Support

Finally, and I dare say most importantly, the missing piece that far, far too many people overlook when they ask themselves why their efforts to succeed with diet and health changes seem sabotaged, is a chronic lack of real, loving SUPPORT.

Modern day society has caused us to become somewhat individuated. We see our problems as being unique to ourselves and we can easily become introverted and isolated when we struggle with health and diet. When we’re in that place, we can forget that this is a shared universe, and we’re all in the process together.

Each of us has a ripple-potential—an ability to impact the lives of others. That impact will in turn touch the lives of even more people than you can imagine, because each of those people you touch has their own sphere of influence, too. That’s the ripple.

One person can make a difference, or neither of us would be finding ourselves here, right now, like this.

Me in my little apartment in Montreal, typing away, and you in your cozy nest wherever you are reading this. Both of us have the ability to transform ourselves and in turn assist in facilitating a transformation in others. And as the ripples of what we create span out across the miles, well, there’s just no limit to what great things we can achieve.

Now, I’m not saying you won’t run into difficulties even if you have a system and support.

You will meet with challenges. We all will. But how you approach them makes all the difference in the world. You see, within a supportive community, when we are confronted with challenges in our health and our lives, we understand that we’re also simultaneously presented with an opportunity to learn, to grow and to take this growth and learning and use it to affect positively the lives of others.

When we’ve eliminated isolation from the equation, bumps in the road present opportunities for support, for sharing and for growth instead of reasons to fall off the proverbial “wagon.”

Wherever you are in your health progress, know this:

You have something to learn, and whatever that is it may very well be the missing piece in someone else’s health puzzle.

Be bold. Be courageous. Your health journey is not just about you, it’s about all the lives that you can touch when you’re really feeling and looking your best ever.

If you’ve been struggling with your health and feeling isolated, come out of your closet, you Diva, it’s time to sparkle. Climb on board for our 7 Day Diva Detox, or even better, our Body Enlightenment System, and you’ll get a taste of what support is all about.

Until next week, be true to your own goals, trust the process and ripple, ripple, ripple!

With love from us both,

Tera & Amy

Today’s a Special Day!

  Yippeee!!

We’re releasing our very first product, The Body Enlightenment System.

http://www.bodyenlightenmentsystem.com

Check it out and tell us what you think!

Gotta go for a jog!
Yup, the redhead is back in sneakers and it feels good!

Love ya!
:
Tera

Cuban’s Have Big…

MANGOS!

Holy cow. Have you ever seen a Cuban mango?

I can barely believe it. It must be the size of about 3 regular mangos. Hee hee. This weekend my roommate and I went to the fresh fruit and vegetable market and stocked up on all sorts of wonderful things. Cuban mangos and Haitian mangos and some other kind of mango, too.

But those Cuban mangos are really something else.

Besides the fact that I did enjoy an incredibly delightful Cuban mango, today was a monumental day. It was a day that should go down in my personal history books. This afternoon I laced up my running shoes and hit the trail for the first time in two long years. To say it felt great would be an understatement, for sure.

I only ran for about 45 minutes, but it felt good. I mean, it felt sooo good. I can’t believe I ever gave it up. There is something so vital, so complete and so nourishing about a good, solid workout.

Tonight my body feels well used and satisfied.

Amy and I have been working really hard to prepare for the official release of our Body Enlightenment System. The Announcement page is so gorgeous. Amy, you’re the best. I LOVE YOU!!

Ahh… all is well. A nice, deep cleansing breath.

Every step is a step forward. I am grateful.

Goodnight.

xo

Tera