An Interview With Brendan Brazier: Great Advice for Busy Women

A couple of days ago, The Raw Divas’ Sisterhood enjoyed a super-inspiring call with Ironman, author of The Thrive Diet: The Whole Food Way to Lose Weight, Reduce Stress, and Stay Healthy for Life and raw food super star, Brendan Brazier.

The call was so full of amazing ideas and inspiration, that we’ve decided to share it with our whole community.

Listen in to the recording of the call to hear Brendan and Tera talk about meal planning in advance, simple raw food for kids, and the importance of looking after yourself first in order to look after others.

Can you believe he spends about 4 hours A YEAR to make snacks?! What mother wouldn’t want to know this guy’s tricks of the trade. Fortunately, even though he’s designed his own brand of powerfoods and ready-to-go sports drinks and bars, he’s included all his basic recipes in his book, The THRIVE Diet. 

In this interview he also reveals much of what he’s got planned to release in his upcoming book, as well! A not-to-be-missed inspirational book for people seeking health, fitness and fun at their own pace!

Brendan also has spent upwards of 250 days a year on the road, so if you ever thought it wasn’t possible to be raw on the go, then think again, and definitely listen to this call.

There are a ton of resources available on his website: www.brendanbrazier.com.

You could literally spend hours just reading all the questions he’s taken the time to answer on his site about nutrition, fitness, different degenerative illness and healthy eating.

Enjoy this fantastic interview here!

Every month in the Sisterhood we have 3-4 incredible special guests. We have been sharing a few of these calls with other readers to give you a taste of what we’re up to!

Who knew this 32 year old bachelor would have so much inspiration for women and mothers! And I must say that now being a published author and super inspiring businessman, Ironman Superhero is just one of his claims to fame!

Thanks, Brendan! It was a treat connecting with you and we wish you all the best in your Thriving adventures!

Muah!

The Raw Divas

I Kept Telling Her She Needed a Break…

…and now it seems her computer is enforcing one! That’s right… poor Tera’s computer went for the long sleep tonight. We aren’t sure if it will be coming back or just end up being replaced, but for now, Tera is officially offline!

So, that means if you have recently emailed Tera, she is thinking of you fondly, but won’t be able to reply until she gets sorted out. In the meantime, all of her email will be directed to me (and I thought I was busy already), so anything urgent will definitely be seen and handled.

Tera… if you find yourself at an internet cafe, reading this message… take your spanking from the universe to heart and go enjoy some soon to be melting snow flakes and rosy-cheeked fun with your family! We’ll still be here when you get back!

RUSHING MEANS FEAR

OK, this feels weird, but WONDERFUL! My FIRST blog. I recently found out about blogging purely by ‘accident’ when Angela Stokes visited me this summer at my home and showed me how she shared about my family on her famous blog…I find the idea really cute- I mean, we girls DO love to chat! A healthy, FUN outlet…Not sure what I’ll say but I can promise it will be very candid and real…

What’s in my heart today? Mmmmmm, well, it’s actually very BIG and yet, really small- a small thing that makes a big difference!

Let’s talk about it- RUSHING. You know, hurrying about, getting the kids to hurry, trying to get as much done in as little time possible, multi-tasking while eating or in the lou!, and just basically putting pressure on self and others to ‘C’mon!’ ‘Move IT’ ‘Let’s GO already!’…

Like all moms, I juggle. I hate admitting this but ‘Why CAN’T I brush my teeth while making my bed while my toddler and I play hide-n-seek while I’m nursing the baby’??

(This is an example of ‘just because one CAN do something doesn’t mean one should.’) I actually prided myself on being able to ‘handle it ALL’. (Pride comes before the fall…)

Until I started to see little anxieties in my toddler which were mirroring what I wasn’t able to see in myself- like super-fast eating (I wonder where he learned that…? as I guzzle down my smoothie in 3 gulps) or, grabbing for things (I move quickly, and figured I was being ‘efficient’ gently taking things from him rather than waiting for him to hand them over…Now he was imitating me-YIKES!)

Why was my little sweetie-pea acting so frenzied?

It became painnnnnfully clear to me one day we were making Play-dough and I was whipping the dough together with a wooden spoon when suddenly my 3 year old burst into tears. What could be the matter, I wondered? Through his tears he sobbed “Mama, are you mad?” Huh? I thought we were having a wonderful time. “I’m not mad, honey…Why do you think that?” “Because you are stirring so fast.” Whoa- BABY BUDDAH! I’m crying too now for I was trying to finish the play dough quickly so-I-could-get-him-happily-set-up-playing- so-that-I-could-tidy-the-kitchen-before-the-baby-wakes-up-so-that-I-could-get-them- lunch-and-be-on-our-way-shopping-before-I-need-to-be-home-to-make-dinner-before-Hubs-gets-home. Whew! Take a deeeeeep breath…

Underneath my ‘Isn’t this fun?’ mummy demeanour, I had an agenda and was very rushed, stressed and POOPED-OUT! Young children lack filters and literally ABSORB their environments- you can fool yourself, but not them. They express what we repress.

I’d like to say I have never multi-tasked again or panicked over another TO DO LIST, but to be honest, its 6 years later and I am still working on it. But here’s what I get:

RUSHING MEANS FEAR. Just think about it. Really think about it.

Like you, I deeply wish to create an atmosphere of happiness in the home, not stress. So I have incorporated little saving graces into my life. I have trained myself to allot regular periods of rest, repose, relaxation into each day so my energy remains centered and my home life is imbued with that soothing, nourishing vibe instead of frantic panic. So can you!

Here are some suggestions you may wish to experience today to welcome more Peace:

*LESS IS MORE- When we are raising a family on top of everything else we have going on, it can be intense. Instead of trying to ‘do/have it all’ TAKE ON LESS and ENJOY IT MORE. Focus on the basics and forget trying to squeeze in ‘just one more thing.’

*TUNE INTO YOU- take a minute every hour on the hour to do a brief ‘check-in’ with yourself. Just STOP everything and BREATHE asking yourself ‘what am I doing now?’ ‘what am I thinking now’ and ‘what am I feeling now?’ Reality check.

*SLOW DOWN TO CALM DOWN- By slowing down the pace of your speech, movement and even thoughts, you will feel more relaxed. Breeeeeeeeeathe.

*REWARD YOURSELF DAILY- In case you don’t have your own cheering section constantly applauding how patient you were when the baby peed in your face, or how gently you peeled your pre-schooler’s every last hair free of bubblegum with peanut butter, etc., then please honour yourself! Do SOMETHING for yourself everyday even if it is simply reading, bathing or going for a walk with a neighbour. You need it!

*TAKE BREAKS- Instead of ‘powering through’ task after task from morning ‘till night, FILL UP YOUR OWN WELL by taking little breaks to relax and acknowledge what you have accomplished in between tasks. A friend of mine says she is religious about her afternoon naps or at least her afternoon cup of tea. I stretch out and say Thank you’s.

Raising kids is like a Meditation Retreat- YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE MOMENT for it to really work. Let’s ENJOY this precious time of our life and LET GO of stress and strife. Make time for HUGS as well as mis-haps and everything in-between, and meet them all with calm confidence knowing you are modelling a skill for life.

Well, that’s it- my very first blog. YaHOOOOOO! It was fun for me and I hope helps SOMEONE out there!

I’m signing off for now as it is time for a break!

With Blissful Blessings and deep breathes,

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,

Shannon

More Thoughts About the Lemonade Cleanse

Wow.

I’ve really been blown away by the effects of this Master Cleanse and have been learning sooo much about detox and how simple life can really be.

I could never have pulled off this kind of adventure on a water fast given my lifestyle.

Earlier this year I started by really simplifying my meals and coming back to just one food at a time. That was fun, and I learned a lot. Experienced some great benefits and now have just taken it up a notch to the level of cleansing, not just simplification.

Amy and I just finished putting together the materials for our upcoming 14 Day Monomeal Cleanse. Participants of our Diva’s Guide to Cravings and Emotional Eating program are in for a treat, because this adventure really is going to do so much to help people who are struggling with:

overeating
cravings
emotional eating
late night eating

Whether you’re participating in the program with us, or not, I can’t recommend enough, the importance of simplifying things in order to increase your personal power. I mean, sometimes we just get so distracted by everything that is coming and going these days.

Make your food your meditation if you’re not taking the time to still your thoughts now and again.

Just pick up an apple, or two or three or four. And when you don’t want any more apples, well, then you’ve had your meal, so get on with your day.

Many of us have years and years of ingrained emotional eating habits to overcome. Some days it feels like it takes more than just will power, it takes brute strength and determination to apply the lifestyle choices we believe serve us the best.

When you eliminate a whole lot of variables and distractions, life instantly reveals itself as the simple, enjoyable adventure it is.

With that, I’m off for more lemonade!

Cayenne kisses,
Tera

Oranges Here, There and Everywhere!

I am currently enrolled in a Natural Systems Thinking Process course that is designed to reawaken many of our senses that have, well, been lying dormant — for a long time! Typically, we learn about five senses, right? Add 48 more senses to that, learn how to reawaken them, and chances are you’ll be thinking, feeling and sensing in the most organic, balanced way possible. Regular, hands-on contact and genuine relationships with nature and its guiding voice and a belief that elements of nature operate in perfect balance help ignite or reawaken these senses. (More about this in the weeks to come!)

To me, this recent experience below — full of nature-full connections — is one of nature’s many examples of how it naturally flows and attaches like a puzzle to to nourish and heal us.

There is a neighbor of mine, one whom I don’t know very well who has a lovely Orange tree in her front yard. I met this neighbor once, about a year ago as I was returning home from a walk. As she was removing mail from her mailbox at the entrance of her driveway, I paused from walking, introduced myself, met her and learned that her children are grown — after telling her I would soon be off to my son’s soccer game. "I remember those days," she said.

On the rare occasion that I see this neighbor pulling in or out of her driveway, I wave to her, but other than that, I just don’t see her very much.

Recently, Charo and Chris, friends of mine, were visiting me and saw the Orange tree in this neighbor’s yard. "Do you ever get oranges from over there?" Chris asked as he sat in his car admiring that divine tree. "I would love to," I replied "but I just don’t know those neighbors that well."

I often pass that tree, longing for some oranges from it, but the most I’ve done to make that happen is merely think about asking the owners if they’re interested in selling some of their delicious-looking fruit. "When I ask that question, they might be interested in just giving me some oranges," I said to my son one day.

Only a few days after Charo and Chris’ visit and inquiry about the Orange tree, I happened to see one of the owners of the tree pulling into their driveway as I was in mine unloading bananas, grapes, plums and peaches I had just purchased from the grocery store. With grocery bags in one hand, I waved with the other to the neighbor. I really couldn’t tell if it was the lady I had once met, but I waved anyway. Turns out, it was her.

She exited her car and started walking toward my house. "Penny, would you have any use for some oranges or Ruby Red grapefruit?" she asked. Wow, not only was I impressed that she had remembered my name from meeting me about a year prior, but she was asking if I wanted fruit from the trees in her yard — just days after Chris’ inquiry. And, she grew grapefruits, too? I had no idea.

I did hear what she had said, but because of my shock at how this was unfolding, I had to be sure. "Excuse me?" I asked as I began walking toward her. To think that she had even used the words "for juicing" when she asked if I had use for oranges. "How did she even know I juice?" I wondered. How’d she make that connection?

I gladly accepted her offer and walked with her to collect a bag full of oranges and one filled with grapefruit. She explained that in order for her Orange tree to blossom next season, she and her husband had to pick all of the oranges off of the tree; they ended up with an abundance of them that they had been distributing to friends, family, anyone who would take them. And, they still had a bunch left.

I mentioned my friends who had recently asked about the oranges on her tree. "They eat oranges all the time, so if you need to get rid of more, they’d be happy to receive some," I stated. "Take them a bag, too," she said.

A few days later, when my husband and son returned home from a basketball practice, my husband asked: "Did you see two bags of oranges at the door?" "No, I didn’t," I replied. Lo and Behold, this lovely neighbor had delivered more fruit right to my door. It wasn’t two bags of oranges as my husband had thought, but rather one bag of oranges and another of grapefruit. Because I knew the oranges would be used more quickly than the grapefruit in my household, and I didn’t want the grapefruit to spoil, I ended up giving a fair amount to my next-door neighbor and another friend.

Before getting the opportunity to give my fruit-giving neighbor a thank-you card, I caught a glimpse of her in her yard picking more oranges yesterday. I walked over to thank her, and another bag of oranges came home with me — just what my son had hoped for when I told him I was going to pop over there to thank her.

I have been deeply touched by her generosity and have volunteered help from my son and I the next time there’s a need for pickin’ oranges from that tree.

Turns out, my son ended feeling under the weather today. He has a fever, and it seems fresh Orange juice (and lots of water) make the perfect remedy for his needs. See how yesterday’s freshly picked oranges have come in handy? Yes, I could have simply made a trip to the store for oranges, but I ended up with some perfectly organic ones instead.

Take a moment to pause and reflect on this story and the way nature perfectly aligned its elements to send the freshest of oranges to my family…and friends!

Is that not perfect nature at work?

With Gratitude,

Penny

More Updates About the Lemonade Cleanse

Whoooa. This week’s Health In High Heels took me a looong time, but it’s definitely our best issue ever, loaded with juicy tips, treats and exciting announcments. One of which is the fact that this beauty to your left has finally come out of the electronic closet after two years of awaiting her release.

Raw Mom. Amy, as always, did an amazing job with the design, and we’ve been really blessed to have some marvelous contributors to this project. Do take the time to peek and see what’s happening here. Especially if you’re a mom with little ones. You will find so much support, inspiration and nifty tips as we grow and develop the project.

The other little project that is bootin’ along just fine, is our Lemonade Cleanse Blog. You can check it  out here, and if I get the chance to update it, there will be some lemony pictures and juicy news about what today was like for me! I am officially DETOXING. But I’m not the only one. Pop in and peep from time to time, there are more lemon lovers coming on board as we speak…

So, just a little note then, to let you know what’s shaking. This week’s Health in High Heels really was put together with lots of love and we hope that it brings you something useful and inspiring. It’s the kind of issue you’ll want to come back and read again and again to check out the little stuff you’ve missed

You can check out it here, in case you missed it!

Bizzy Shmizzy

‘Mum, can we look up a website with you?’

‘Hmm? No, not at the moment, honey. I’m just a bit –’

I stop myself from saying it. The dreaded ‘B’ word. Busy. I hated my mum saying that when I was little. It felt like a knife was cutting me in two, and that mum was telling me that she really just didn’t love me. At all.

But then, I was always one for melodrama.

How do we do it, getting things done around the house (or writing emails for work) while letting our precious babes know that they’re the most important things in our world? That they mean everything to us?

I’ve come up with a solution – if I have a busy day coming up, I’ll write its to-do list the night before, and include an activity with the children on the list (with a note that says ‘MOST IMPORTANT THING’ – yes, in capitals). A bit cold and calculating, I know, but if I don’t do this then I tend to let other ‘important’ household jobbies creep in ahead of time with my bambinos. Problem is, the girls play so well together (they are twins, after all…), which makes it easy for me to think I can blend into the background and get on with the million things that just ‘need’ to be done.

I even have accountability factored in, because one of my girls will read the list out loud in the morning, saying happily ‘Oh, Mummy is going to play Junior Monopoly with us and read in the big bed! Yaaaaaaaay!’. They’ll even prompt me throughout the day, saying ‘Mum, you haven’t played Junior Monopoly with us yet, and it’s on the list!’.

‘Yes, sweetie, I’ll just put this load of washing out, and then I have to go to the toilet, so why don’t you set up the game and I’ll be there soon, OK?’. Ah, the gentle art of negotiation.

I love that they force me to do what I want to be doing anyway!

On Moonbeams I Sit and Ponder…

Humpf.

Spoiled again on Day Two of my lemony adventures, but since I’d prefer to keep my personal ranting to a minimum on this blog, I’ll be taking it up here in much juicier detail on my new lemonade cleanse blog. If you’re doing the cleanse, I’ll give you your own page to post and share your experiences with others.

The call with Peter Glickman was more than inspiring. I really want to give the Master Cleanse a chance and will explain more about what’s not working for me on my lemony blog.

In some ways, it’s not a surprise I flunked again.

The other night I looked up through my kitchen window and the full moon was tugging on my molecules like CRAZY! She was just sitting there looking at be and bright as can be. This morning I woke up to discover her pull had done its job.

My “moon cycle” arrived to remind me of my youth and “creative ability”.

I mean, just think about what the moon does to oceans, as if it wouldn’t affect little ol’ 5′ 7″ me.

Ha!

I don’t know why, but since diving into my raw adventures, EVERY, EVERY, EVERY moon cycle is preceded by an evening of insatiable, compulsive, over-indulgent FAT consumption. It’s like the gas needed to start the engine.

My cycles are very normal. The only way I have to predict that it’s coming is this fat binge, but I rarely figure it out until the next morning when I realize… DOH! She got me again! I call it a moon cycle… because I want to. And while I get all the physiology, my cycle is unquestionably linked to the cycles of the moon and the emotional state of my closest girlfriends.

In fact, my research in university was on primates, and I did an extensive independent study on menstrual cycle synchronization in human and non-human primates. Fascinating stuff, “la lune”.

I have no excuse for this self-indulgent rant, other than some hormonally induced, astrologically inspired, detoxification of thought. Maybe that’s what it’ll take before I finally make this lemony adventure take its hold on me.

Anyway, you, too, are under the gravitational pull of Madame Moon, and if you still your body and thoughts enough, you might just feel it sometimes. Like the tides of an ocean, the cycles and rhythms of life move within us…right down to our breath and the very heart that beats within our chests.

It moves through all of us, so remember that when you hold bitterness, resentment or hostility toward someone.
As divided as we may seem sometimes, we all look up at night to the same moon in our sky. We’re all susceptible to her charms, her pull.

Next time you peek at her, know I’ve tucked away a few raspberry kisses and parsley hugs up there for you, so be sure to take them the next time you need a boost.

With that, I’m off for more exciting homeschooling adventures. Today we map earth’s time line along the hallway corridor and learn about mammals.

Loving thoughts on moon beams wherever you are in the world,

xox

Tera

My Lemonade Cleanse. Day One: Take Two

The thing I’m trying to hande with this cleanse is some late night eating patterns. And a successful CLEANSE! Last night’s call with Peter Glickman ranks as one of my most inspiring interviews EVER. It was truly PACKED with very valuable information about detox, weight loss, cravings and cleansing. I wasn’t expecting it to be THAT good, but it was truly one of the best calls I’ve ever heard! WOW! It’s not too late to register for the Sisterhood and take advantage of this call! It will sell later separately for more than the cost of membership to the Sisterhood.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: For those who didn’t notice, we set up a $5 trial for the Sisterhood. But that offer will end at the end of February. This is the only place you’ll find access to that link, and we’ll be editing this little special note out of this lemondae message in 9 days. It’s a way of thanking our blog readers for their interest and support!)

So, time for the confessional!

*sigh*

I am not successfully sticking to this, and there is only ONE reason.

Just one lonely little reason. And if I handled this one little thing, I would revolutionize what health means for me, and I’m sure I would succeed with this cleansing experience.

It’s sleep.

I just need to go to bed before 11:00.

The last two nights in a row, I’ve sabotaged my own cleansing process, because it’s like my alter ego sneaks out at 11:0opm.

As I should have known, however, it all falls under the umbrella of destiny’s greater plan (or my higher plan, however you like to look at it).

Besides the fact that I love starting things on even numbers, and today is the 20th of February, I also got an email from a dear friend and founding Raw Diva, who is in need of a good internal scrubbing, too.

So, I have a buddy in this lemony adventure. And she’ll be sending along her upates, too. But, in the interests of keeping the Diva Blog Pure and free of detox grumblings, we’ll probably start a new one where we share our lemony rants and detox manifestations. I’ll let you know about that a bit later, because I’ve gotta run it by the boss, first.

I’m excited about doing this, and I’m looking forward to the process. So… today’s my second Day One. And as I said to my dear friend, Katy, sometimes we have to stumble so we really appreciate how good it feels to fly.

If anyone catches me writing an email, or posting a message, or being on the forum after 11:00, take off 10 points and tell me I’m BUSTED!

Okay, off for some homeschooling adventures with lemonade and a clear conscious, lots of hopeful determination packed in my pocket.

All my lemony love and hugs,

Tera

p.s.

I ordered my Diva Ionizer and I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited. I can’t wait to feel the difference of drinking alkaline water.

We’re so excited about what this evolution in health can offer the world, that we’ve got yet another diva website where you can learn ALL about why alkaline water makes the most sense for long term, overall health.

My last roommate had an ionizer, and it was night and day in terms of taste and quality. I’ve not felt the same since. Also, last night’s interview with Peter Glickman, really reinforced the importance of drinking quality water.

*I can’t wait till it comes! Expect pictures and more personal experiments!!*

Calling the CEO from the Closet

Amy and I were having a business meeting the other day, and I couldn’t help but laugh at how we were together. There were a lot of:

"Just a sec"

"Sebastian, I’m talking on the phone. Can you please wait until I’m finished.’

"Okay, Amy? Sorry. Where were we?"

Then it was Amy’s turn and in the background Etelle started signing that her mommy was a princess mommy and that Tera was also her friend, not just mommy’s friend.

Then Sebastian was pounding with elephant feet on the floor, and we DO have downstairs neighbours.

And then Mika pushed Sebastian and closed the door of her bedroom and Sebastian’s feeling were very hurt.

Then Etelle started singing even LOUDER making it very clear it was time for some ATTENTION!!

*sigh*

It’s a good thing I’ve only ever tried to be myself, because if I ever had to call the CEO of some big company to introduce myself or our projects, I’d have to do it while hidden in a closet, or outside on a snowy balcony hoping some siren didn’t come by.

The greatest honor I have in life is being a mom, and I wouldn’t trade some stuffy office for my 24/7 zone of unpredictable adventure.

I’ve finally managed the art of getting the kids in bed WELL before 9:00pm when my teleseminars start. Tonight I had them all in bed before 8:25 with the lights out.

It gives me a few more minutes to lie next to Sebastian while he prepares for a night of dreaming.

Tonight, while I lay on my right side, I hid my face a bit in the pillow. My left eye (the eye he could see) was closed, but my right eye peeked from below to watch him as he caressed my cheeks, my chin, my face.

His eyes grew heavier and heavier and eventually closed while a chubby fingered hand rested on my lips and chin.

And it is for those moments that I do what I do. The crazy whirl of a single, home-schooling, self-employed raw mom.

*sigh*

Life IS good.