Are You Getting Enough Calcium on the Raw Vegan Diet?

by Joanna Steven

photo by gokoroko

Many people still believe dairy to be one of the best sources of calcium available. While it is true that dairy products are somewhat calcium-rich, one should keep in mind that they are also rich in animal protein. Because animal protein has an acidifying effect on our organism, calcium has to be leached out of our bones to restore the optimal pH balance.

Even according to the National Dairy Council, “Individuals who consume a low-protein diet, such as some vegetarians, may require less calcium than omnivores or individuals who consume a higher protein diet.”

As a result, dairy products may provide our bodies with calcium, but they also take some away in the process. While the effect is small, there are healthier and more efficient ways of getting enough calcium; many plant foods are alkalizing and filled with many nutrients besides being calcium-rich, low in saturated fat, and devoid of cholesterol.

A similar calcium-leaching process may also happen during pregnancy. The developing fetus needs calcium for proper development, and if the mother’s diet does not contain enough to meet its needs, it will end up being taken from her bones. Unlike other nutrients such as iron however, the calcium requirement does not increase during pregnancy. It is now estimated to be about 1,000 mg per day, but many studies have found this amount to be greatly exaggerated, especially for men. A diet rich in calcium-rich plant foods, coupled with weight bearing exercises, is likely to provide enough calcium easily.

photo by sateda

Besides, ingesting enough calcium is only half the battle. There are many nutrients that help with its absorption, and are just as critical in a healthy person’s diet. Such nutrients include vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

Still, someone  looking for animal-free sources of protein may be a little lost at first, but within a short amount of time, finding high calcium sources will become as easy as recognizing other foods for being high in vitamin C, iron, or other nutrients. Some of the most calcium-rich plant foods include:

−    Sesame seeds (27%/ounce)
−    Chia seeds (18%/ounce)
−    Almonds (7% per ounce)
−    Leafy Greens (kale: 10%/cup, collards: 5%/cup)
−    Seaweed (kelp: 21%/cup; dulse: 6%/cup)

Confessions of a Raw Mom

Raising children is a momentous task, not for the faint of heart. And throwing ‘Raw’ into the mix adds to the scope and dimension in a myriad of ways. At first, its ALL about the food! That enough is daunting. Then before we get a grasp on this, it becomes about so many other things- our communication, our intentions, our healing, their potential, etc. All parents and grandparents and guardians consider these issues and endless others…yet, when we go raw, it can seem intensified by the fact that we know we are going upstream and that we are pioneers in many respects…

It’s late and I can’t sleep…I have over 800 emails in my inbox and have been reading over the survey results we put out regarding the Raw Mom Summit, and it moves me how many people took the time to respond. I want to hear from everyone who cares enough to share about their experience, their needs, and their thoughts. Everyone matters.

As I read people’s testimonies and surveys, I imagine how much people care, what will make a difference, how to help…? And I wonder, How do YOU feel about how you are bringing up your children? Do you feel good about your choices and day-to-day decisions? Do you feel overwhelmed? Usually or just sometimes? What is the hardest part? Do you feel you are meeting your own standards? Or do you feel you are failing? What do you most need to improve? What do you need to make that happen? Do you follow or lead? Do you hug and touch enough? Do you listen well? Do you talk and teach too much? Do you observe? Do you take time to love and nurture yourself? Do you feel in or out of balance at this moment? Do you feel good about yourself as a parent? Do you laugh and love and ENJOY?

I must admit right here and now, that I often have felt consumed by the feeling that this is all soooo urgent! That I MUST get it right! And my very striving and earnestness HAS detracted from the sublime pleasure and satisfaction of my experience of mothering. I have had a lot of fear and worry. I have been so very intense = tense about doing everything right.

Whew!

I exhaust myself! When listening to the RMS interviews, I could HEAR ALL THAT in my voice, my questions, my stories, my trying to prove myself worthy. At times I really got in my own way…

I didn’t GET THIS until I heard/saw myself. What a mirror. I have been trying so hard…too hard. And guess what? It isn’t necessary.

After listening to the calls of my friends and associates and mentors that I had hand-picked, I had many revelations. But it all boiled down to one thing:

LOVE. Love myself. Love the process. Love my children and their process. Love my husband and his process. Love the world and the food industry and its process. Love my listeners and their process. Love my critics and their process. Love all the contributors and their process. Love everything I eat. Love my choices. Love my mistakes. Allow. Accept. Grow. IN-JOY!

I just see no point in living in anything else. Life is so beautiful. Life is so precious. Life is fleeting. Every moment I spend hugging or smiling or laughing or dancing or skipping or tickling or kissing or consoling or giving seems more infinite, more lasting~ time expands!

I have always believed in tithing, but since marrying and staying home haven’t been able to do it regularly. Suddenly I see that any moment I am not giving something feels like a wasted opportunity. There is always something to give. In any situation that is lacking I can give that.

I am so grateful for the blessing of thousands who appreciated the RMS. And I am so grateful for the blessing of the handful of those who shared their criticisms with me so as that Bernie Seigel says, I can ‘polish my mirror’. I have grown so much. I have listened to Byron Katie and David Wolfe and Victoria and Dr Cousens and Lorenna Kacera and everybody’s call SEVERAL TIMES now and am STILL getting so much out of them!

I am so touched and amazed at the generosity of everyone who participated. Thank you for being part of my process, and letting me be apart of yours.

What an amazing community we are! What vibrant, passionate, colourful, and pioneering folk we are. It’s a JOY to be sharing and growing and contributing and unfolding together! Blissings on your children and grandchildren and children-to-be and inner-children and ALL children, young and golden. We are all Earth children, learning and we all deserve and need LOVE.

As Jean Liedloff says to me everytime we are hanging up “I am sending you HUGS through the airwaves”!

Shiny Blissings,
Shannon Shakaya Breeze

With Love From Ireland

I’m sitting in the snuggly “Smuggler’s Inn” in Northern Ireland feeling like the luckiest lasses in the whole wide world. My little Irish getaway has been nothing but a series of serendipitous encounters–the kinds of things you read about in story books and fairy tales. Rainbows and castles, mystical misty cliffs and some of the friendliest, happy-go-luckiest people I’ve ever met.

We came to see U2 play a concert in their hometown of Dublin. We ended up seeing the concert twice and even got within a few feet of the stage! The concert was a Magnificent celebration of the things that matter most in life–love, truth, beauty, freedom and the courage to make each day a Beautiful Day!

We decided to spend over eight hours standing in line so we could ge close enough to smell Bono’s sweat the second night. While in line, we met people from Italy, France, Germany, Chile, Berlin and throughout the U.S.. I was enchanted by the fact that tens of thousands of people from all over the world were coming together inspired by art, music and a positive message about how to live life fully and love without limits!

This is my last day in Ireland, then I’ll be snuggling with muffins and off for a Disneyworld adventure with the kids next week! Around here, our International Green Smoothie Day is just around the corner! If you haven’t heard yet, we have a Blendtec blender, Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator and LOOOOADS of other prizes and surprises up for grabs! If you want to qualify to win these are any of the other prizes, then just make sure you’re signed up and on board for the next Green Smoothie Challenge! You’ll be hearing lots more about it as we get closer to August 15th!

I’m off for another day of Irish adventures and hoping that wherever you are you’re making the most of your Beautiful Day!

Windy wishes and Irish kisses,

Tera

P.S.

We’ve been taking quite a few pictures and I promise to update my Facebook profile with a few doozies of our adventures.

LOOOOVE and hugs!!xoxoxoxo

Who Are The Cozy Coaches?

As you’ve probably noticed, there’s been a lot of talk about the “Cozy Coaches” lately. We just started a group about 7-8 months ago at the end of a session of the Body Enlightenment System. I wanted to include this little blurb from Stacey about our special group and what they’re all about:

Amazing things can happen when you take opposing forces and put them together.  Take rain and sunlight for example!  Somehow, those two very different elements create a rainbow spectrum of beautiful colour that we all stop to admire.

So began the Cozy Coaching group with The Raw Divas. In December of 2008, women, all of whom were striving to improve their lives, were given the opportunity by Tera Warner to come together and be part of a shining collective known as the Cozy Coaching group.  The feisty participants in the group were all members of the The Raw Divas Body Enlightenment System, and they were so enthused with their raw food experiences and the ongoing support that made those experiences successful, that they sought further opportunities to develop their connections with one another and to work together to expand one another’s influence.  As in any rainbow, each individual has brought a unique quality to the whole – knowledge, skills, and experiences that enrich the lives of all those involved.  This is a group as colorful as the raw foods they blend, nibble, and devour!

Developing a healthy lifestyle is not a path one pursues in isolation of all the other variables that affect one’s life.  The remarkable ladies of the group share personal stories and experiences with work, relationships, goals, conflicts, and personal triumphs.  They recognize the importance of community and they continue to grow by supporting one another with knowledge, encouragement, and that ‘just being there’ quality that makes them return week after week to their Sunday evening teleseminars.

When you see a rainbow in the sky, perhaps the most natural thing in the world to do is to look around you and see with whom you can share it.  This, now, is the focus of the group.  Finding individuals who will benefit from the support and experiences of these women and extending and expanding positive influences.

We hope you enjoy their light!

The Cozy Coaches are the women behind the publication of our latest Diva release: Divalicious: Simple. Sexy. Raw. If you buy the book you’ll notice that they’ve taken this idea of the rainbow and incorporated it into the book as a sort of symbolic reference to the strength of the team they’ve created. They are also the warm-hearted heros behind our weekly support calls. You can sign up to speak with some of them every Sunday!

It’s inspiring to watch what community can do and we’re grateful that you’re on board with us as well! Thank YOU for helping to make this a thriving community powered by wisdom, grace and girlie-girl adventures.

How to Make Coconut Kefir: A bubbly, tangy, yummy elixir of health!

by Michelle Rankin

We’ve been sooo excited for this article to come and you can be assured we’ll be posting it in our next issue of HHH, too. It’s brilliant and so helpful! BIG thanks to Michelle Rankin for putting this one together!! Go ahead and let her know what you think and if this was helpful for you!

Kefir: A bubbly, tangy, yummy elixir of health.  From Michelle Rankin’s Fermented Kitchen

First, the caveat: I don’t claim to be a kefir expert but I am a big fan and I did offer to write this article so here goes. Since this is primarily a raw vegan audience, this article will focus on how to make fermented young coconut kefir and a similar probiotic drink using either a powdered kefir starter or probiotic capsules. Like all my articles, this is intended to be a very basic overview. I’m one of those people who quickly gets analysis paralysis, but if someone just spells out the basics, I will get started, then do an afternoon-wasting, in-depth research project on the topic later.

Having said that, if you do perform an internet search for ‘kefir’ and even more interestingly ‘kefir history’, you’ll learn that a whole new world exists and I believe it is one worth checking out. However, I recommend you follow these simple instructions first and make yourself a gallon of coconut kefir to power your search and ward off the analysis paralysis that will likely ensue as you ponder the many varieties of opinion you’ll encounter based on the fact that kefir likely originates from a discovery by shepherds that fresh animal milk carried in leather pouches on hot days would often ferment into this health creating, effervescent beverage. As a more interesting story, I’ll let the following history lesson taken directly from http://www.kefir.biz/history.htm set the stage for the great importance of the information you’re about to learn.

“Amongst the people of the northern slopes of the Caucasian Mountains there is a legend that Mohammed gave kefir grains to the Orthodox people and taught them how to make kefir. The ‘Grains of the Prophet’ were guarded jealously since it was believed that they would lose their strength if the grains were given away and the secret of how to use them became common knowledge.

Kefir grains were regarded as part of the family’s and tribe’s wealth and they were passed on from generation to generation. So, for centuries the people of the northern Caucasus enjoyed this food without sharing it with anyone else they came into contact with.

Other peoples occasionally heard strange tales of this unusual beverage, which was said to have ‘magical’ properties. Marco Polo mentioned kefir in the chronicles of his travels in the East. However, kefir was forgotten outside the Caucasus for centuries until news spread of its use for the treatment of tuberculosis in sanatoria and for intestinal and stomach diseases. Russian doctors believed that kefir was beneficial for health and the first scientific studies for kefir were published at the end of the nineteenth century.”

And with that, the secret was out. Today, proponents of kefir claim that it helps with everything from cleansing the liver and endocrine system to increasing energy and calming the nerves. Donna Gates, author of the Body Ecology Diet reports that it helps with food cravings as it nourishes and balances the body. It is used for sleep disorders, ADHD, and depression. In addition to its antifungal properties, it is also antibiotic in nature. And for all these reasons and more, there is a large constituency using kefir in healing from Autism.

Concerning candida and kefir, from http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk, I found the following quick overview:

“You might find it odd that a drink containing yeasts would be good for treating candidiasis but it has been helpful to many people, both by restoring a better balance to the gut flora and because some elements of the microflora will kill off Candida Albicans. Not all yeasts are harmful.”
Thanks to Donna Gates of the Body Ecology Diet, raw vegans too have access to this elixir of health by substituting the water of young green coconuts for the traditional dairy.

Unless you can find the small transparent water kefir grains, also called sugary kefir grains, regular large white dairy grains don’t generally transfer well from an animal based source to coconut water and tend not to live very many generations. In order to know exactly what you’re fermenting with anyway, the solution is found in powdered kefir starter, available for purchase online. I buy from the Body Ecology website http://www.bodyecology.com or Wilderness Family Naturals http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com.

Usually, one box of powdered kefir starter can be used about 6-7 times in coconut water. After that, you might have errant bugs take over and should start over from scratch to ensure you are drinking what you intend to be drinking. While I’m on that topic, if you already take a high-powered probiotic, you can make a similar fermented drink substituting two probiotic capsules for the kefir starter. Just know that you’re not drinking the real thing and if your health doesn’t resolve like the claims made above, break down and buy the kefir starter. Your own probiotic will colonize better anyway while drinking the kefir regularly, and kefir generally colonizes your intestines much better than a probiotic alone.

Oh, and one more thing to note, I have looked many times at the kefir starter in the refrigerated section of my health food store and it does not contain any kefir. How it can be labeled as kefir is beyond me but if you’re looking to buy it locally, look for fancy long words that resemble: Lactococus lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococus lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococus lactis subsp. Diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris, Lactobacillus kefyr, Kliyveromyces marxianus var. marxainus, Saccharomyces unisporus. Phew, what a mouthful. I don’t know why many of those words look the same; I just borrowed that information from the Wilderness Family Naturals site.

Okay, moving right along to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…How to make kefir.

Making kefir is as simple as this: warm your coconut water, dump in the starter, stir, cover and let sit on your counter for 24-48 hours.

That’s it. Too easy? In case you can’t believe it is that easy; I made a batch and took a few pictures to prove it. Here are the details for you Type A’s like me.

1. Order your kefir starter and a case of 9 young coconuts from your local Asian grocer. I pay $12.50 for mine. A case makes nearly a gallon, give or take depending on how much you drink in the process. The directions on your box of kefir say something like use 3 coconuts. That would last me through breakfast so I use a gallon and still only dump one starter packet in.

2. Open your coconuts. Now, do not do a u-tube search for this topic unless you want to crack up. Do not get out your cleaver either. That comes later. Do not, I repeat, do not cleave off the top of your coconut and waste half the juice. Instead, get a clean little screwdriver and a clean little hammer that you can dedicate to this task. You’re going to hammer one hole in the top and turn it over on a glass and poke through the bottom. You’ve created two holes and it will drain out quickly. There is an eye on the bottom, you’ll get used to finding it, and in the meanwhile, just hack away on the bottom until your screwdriver goes through, it is really pretty fun.

You’ll notice that I’m draining it into a little glass jar. I only drain one coconut into a little jar at a time, and then transfer it into my big gallon container. That way, if you get a purple one, you haven’t contaminated your whole brew. I’ll get to the details on the purple ones later. Try not to drink all the water you’re draining out and do your best to get a lot of it into your big container. Donna Gates says it’s too sweet for you in that form. I say it’s YUUUMMMMMY!

3. Put your big container into a pot of water and heat it until your coconut water gets just below 100°F. You can test it with your finger, you shouldn’t be able to really feel it as it will be the same temperature as your body. Remove it from the water so it won’t heat up anymore.

4. Dump your starter or probiotic capsules in and stir it up.

5. Cover it and let it ferment overnight. Test it in the morning with a clean spoon. It should taste tangy and tart, not sweet anymore. It will have gone from clear to a little milky. If it is still sweet, let it go another 6 hours. 24 hours is plenty in the summer where I live but if you’re cranking your air conditioner, it might take a little longer. If it is winter where you are, first, I’m sorry; second, it will probably have to go closer to 48 hours. This isn’t rocket science, you’ll know when it’s ready, just taste it.

6. Refrigerate it to slow down the process and drink it with meals and throughout the day.

Purple water: Now, your coconut water will vary from coconut to coconut. What you don’t want is a purple or pink tint to the water. If you notice that, throw it out. If you’re not sure (it can be subtle), open that coconut to check the meat. You’ll be able to notice a distinctive purple or grey tinge to the meat. There is quite a debate online about this, some people claim it is a delicious baby coconut and some people claim it is spoiling. It likely won’t kill you any more than eating a spoiled apricot will but if you’re trying to heal from your own inner spoiling ie. Candida, why risk it? I took a picture of the purple water (I told you it is subtle) and the meat of a normal coconut and the purple one side by side to try to illustrate this point. I asked the owner of the grocer about this and her exact words were, “No Michelle, we don’t eat the purple ones”. I took her word for it. She’s been eating them much longer than I have.

Opening your coconut to get the meat out. This is where you get to get out your cleaver. We use a cheap machete. My husband hacks it on each side then the top along the same line. You get the picture. Open it up and scoop out the meat. Use it in your smoothies or to make cheese by blending it up and adding a little of your fermented kefir. Let it sit out overnight the same way and enjoy when it gets tangy.

Formaldehyde. There has been considerable debate about weather or not young coconuts have been sprayed with formaldehyde for shipping. This is a rumor that has spread for years and scared many away from this healing drink. Matt Amsden recently had a bunch of different brands tested and he found that they did not contain formaldehyde. They might contain something else to preserve them but I doubt it. They spoil just like my mangos from the same region in the same amount of time. Anyway, you just can’t worry about everything. I just wanted to bring that up because if you haven’t heard it yet, you will.

Transferring to another batch. If I’m using a probiotic, I usually start over each time with two new capsules per gallon. If I’m using kefir starter, I transfer about a cup of it to a gallon and let it ferment away. No need to open a new packet until you’ve fermented six or seven batches or if the taste changes drastically.

Cost per batch: Kefir starter at both of the above links is $26.95 USD for 6 packets; each can be used 7 times so each batch costs about 65 cents plus $12.50 for coconuts. So, roughly 13 bucks for a gallon of coconut kefir elixir of health, not bad at all!

SimplyRaw with Natasha Kyssa

I had the unexpected pleasure of running into Natasha at my local Health food Store this summer while my boys and I were popping in to do a little shopping. I had met Natasha on Facebook, and knew she was on a book tour. It was a great meeting! She gave me a copy of her book and I devoured it. It is full of simple, straight forward and up to the minute, yet, timeless nutritional advice on a proper detox. I am inspired again to make rejuvelac- but now instead of making it with wheat berries, I am using her cabbage recipe:

• 3 ½ C purified water
• 6 C coarsely chopped organic cabbage

Blend until liquefied. Strain out the small amount of pulp through a Nut mylk bag.
Pour liquid into a sterile mason jar right to the top and cover tightly with a lid so no air gets in. Leave for 3 days to ferment. I use about 2 cups in my children’s green smoothie and they don’t even notice! This is FULL of healthy enzymes and lactobacteria. The rest I refrigerate until the next day and use in smoothies again. It can be drank on its own too, though I can’t imagine by too many kids!

Natasha shares about superfoods, colonics, socializing, skin care, and has oodles of wonderful recipes too!

Here’s a new favourite of mine from her book:

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

• 2 C Almond mylk
• 1 med Cauliflower chopped
• 1 Red Pepper seeded and chopped
• ½ Avocado
• juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 T raw Tahini
• 2 T unpasteurised Miso (I use a mellow one)
• ½ Jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
• 2 cloves Garlic

BLEND UNTIL CREAMY.

Here is a recipe my boys are enjoying that your children can try:

CRÈME BUCKWHEAT

• 1C sprouted Buckwheat (even soaking for ½ day and draining and rinsing overnight works to soften, but waiting until it sprouts a tail is the best)
• ½ C purified Water
• 1 Banana
• ¼ C soaked Raisins
• pinch of Cinnamon

PROCESS until smooth. I add chopped apples on top.

Now, a little bit more about her book:

The SimplyRaw Detox Manual

by Natasha Kyssa

The modern world is a toxic place, and we’ve all become less healthy because of it, whether it is from the air that we breathe or the foods that we eat. Natasha Kyssa is a raw foods chef and lifestyle coach, and her company SimplyRaw helps people improve their health and wellbeing by integrating simple, natural-based guidelines into their current lifestyles. This informative and useful manual outlines Natasha’s twenty-eight-day detox program, which includes only raw and “living” foods (i.e., those that have been soaked, sprouted, or fermented). It is a gentle, effective method to cleanse the body of toxins and to provide optimal nourishment for healing. The author believes that we can heal ourselves naturally to mend the damage done to our bodies due to unhealthy environments and improper food choices.

Raw diets have become all the rage lately, but Natasha believes that proper digestion, essential for one’s health and vitality, can be greatly improved by a living foods diet. This manual, which includes 135 recipes as well as plenty of guidelines and background information, follows a proven approach to better health, natural weight loss, increased vitality, and healthy lifestyle changes.
Natasha Kyssa is a former international fashion model who has been a raw and living foods vegan for almost twenty years. At the age of forty-seven, she leads an active lifestyle and trains daily, including rock climbing, long-distance running, hiking, skiing, yoga, Pilates, and cycling. She attributes her strength, well-being, and youthfulness to her raw and living foods diet. She lives in Ottawa.

Why and when did you choose the raw food lifestyle?

I became interested in raw food approximately seventeen years ago while struggling with a very
debilitating eating disorder – specifically, anorexia and bulimia. Adopting the raw lifestyle not only
changed my approach to foods but completely transformed my life!

What are living foods?

Living foods are easy-to-digest foods that contain great amounts of enzymes and vital nutrients through
the process of soaking, sprouting and fermenting (for example, sprouts, soaked nuts and seeds, and
sauerkraut).

Your book is about detoxing. Why should we detox?

We are living in an extremely polluted world, and our health is threatened by the many chemicals in our air, food, and water. These toxins accumulate and can overload the body, causing various symptoms including fatigue, a weakened immune system, infection, weight gain, and vulnerability to illness and disease.

A detox program is an excellent opportunity to help the body remove some of the toxicity and reduce stress on the digestive system. It is the first step to bringing your body back to optimal health. When the
body is cleansed, it becomes more efficient with digestion and elimination. As a result, symptoms of illness often disappear and the body becomes balanced.

Is there a wrong way to detox?

Detoxifying in a harsh way, such as fasting or taking harsh products, can be harmful to the body – if not done properly. One must always make sure to return nutrients to the body so that it will not become depleted. There are a lot of detox products out on the market, but many of them are too abrasive and aggressive for the average person.

How does the SimplyRaw detox differ from other detox programs?

The SimplyRaw Detox Program is unique in that it focuses on nourishing plant foods and life-enhancing practices to incorporate into one’s daily life. Rather than popping a superficial “detox” pill or going on a restrictive fast, one instead learns to cultivate the necessary dietary and lifestyle
changes that help the body’s natural cleansing process. These high-quality living foods also help nourish and rebuild the body.

What is your favourite raw recipe?

I love all green juices and green smoothies. They not only nourish your body with alkaline minerals,
they’re quick, delicious and make you feel good. Smoothies are the perfect fast food!

Here is our family favourite smoothie:

SWEET MANGO SMOOTHIE

• 2 cups water
• 2 mangos
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup sprouts

Blend and enjoy!

www.simplyraw.ca

Smoothies, Smooches and Shamrocks!

By the time you get this, I shall be frolicking in green fields of shamrocks and drunk on Irish whiskey! Okay, just kidding about the whiskey thing. I don’t drink whiskey, but the fiery redhead in me is feelin’ cheeky.

So, I’m in Ireland taking an entire week off to soak up (literally, I think it’s supposed to be POURING rain) some exciting adventures with Mr. Right! YOU, Sweet Diva, may as well take a few moments in your busy day to enjoy the latest issue of Health in High Heels!

CLICK HERE to check out the latest issue! It’s got loads of iron-packed recipes, and two fabulous articles. One is all about getting enough iron on the raw vegan diet, and Tracy Neely hits a home run with a fantastic article about the most important foods to include in your diet if you want to be assured of keeping that silky, soft skin for a long time to come.

Hope you enjoy this issue!

Here’s another bit of inspiration and good cheer that came whipping into my world this week:

Thank you Tera for the thought provoking, sincere, and lovely closing letter you scribed to us all. It is very amazing to be a human [woman] alive in this whirlwind time of change, technical advances in technology and medicine and in man’s evolution. To think what a telephone looked like in my childhood compared to those today…and to know that the horse and buggy was the common mode of transport in the very near past! It is no less than astounding. My dietary evolution is no less amazing. In my 48 years on our lucious orb, earth, I have always been seeking a better way. I went from eating what I thought was healthy (not!), to vegetarian, vegan and then raw foodie. And I learn something new almost daily to refit my knowledge and retool my habits. Life is a journey of stops and starts and lessons. It is an honor to be among such lovely contemporaries and to look forward to overcoming the challenges we all face as we and our planet ages…

Love is All…Peace Everything else!!! Best wishes in all you endeavor to do.
~Amanda Thompson
Gulfport, Florida

I’d like to get a bit better about sharing some of the feedback that comes in–if only for the sake of giving you a taste of what’s going on in the inboxes around here. The big focus for the next few weeks is going to be International Green Smoothie Day.

I’m VERY excited about all the sponsors we’ve pulled in for this event, and I’m sure we’ll get a lot more. Anyway, if you want your chance to win a Blendtec blender or an Excalibur dehydrator, then this is definitely your chance!!

Check out more in this week’s Health in High Heels!

Love and hugs,

Tera

“If Tummy Sounds Could Write” by Stacey Terry

ONCE UPON A TIME, there lived a little growl named Famish.  Famish was the caretaker of Tummyville, a rather insidious (some argue that the original spelling was insideeus) place whose residents never stayed for very long.  To Famish, Tummyville was a vast and empty land, and the more it seemed that residents came and went, the more the space grew big and empty and difficult to maintain.  Famish was always happiest when Tummyville folk were about, for it seemed that Tummyville was then full of life. And when Famish was happy, he often nestled himself quietly beside the liverlilly pond and went fast to sleep while the residents were consumed with their daily business.  Yes, as long as he had company close by, Famish was quietly peaceful.

Sadly though, when the little growl Famish woke up, he was often all alone.  It was then that Famish was prone to blubber and moan and bewail, and when little Famish wailed, he wailed to be heard and the sound echoed throughout the empty recesses of Tummyville.  “Woe, woe, woe!” he would sob sadly…  “Why won’t anyone stay?”  But as always, no one was left there to answer his starving questions.

Famish was ravenous for fulfilling friendships.  And even though they didn’t stay long, Famish still delighted in the typical residents of Tummyville, for they were all that he knew.  He’d become quite close with the greasy Cheese family and often there were crowds of salty Fries or groups of flavoured Chips to chat with.  Some of the best nights were when the spicy Pizza slices were in town.  They were so peppy, and, more often than not, Famish would meet one that was also a really fun guy.  But, truth be told, whenever these folk left, Famish had to admit he sometimes felt worse than before. Afterall, the conversations were never really that sustaining (if they bothered to interact with Famish at all for he was often overtired and napping) and if you asked Famish, he would tell you that he just couldn’t stomach many of the bad habits he observed among these folks.  In any case, whenever the little growl felt terrible thinking of such things, he’d once again let out a piteous yowl such as would send you down a river of tears on a flotilla of rubber hankies.

Nothing ever lasted it seemed.  The more people Famish met, the more he craved endless company, as he just couldn’t seem to get enough.  He was simply insatiable.  Tummyville seemed ever more empty and lonely.

One day, Famish was sitting alone by a gallstoney creek and lamenting his longing when a stranger arrived.  Famish squinted warily at the strange looking girl whose hair was compellingly leafy and whose complexion was a strange shade of green the likes of which Famish had never seen before except among the oldest of the Cheese family, but this person was obviously not old.

“Why hello there little growl,” pipped the girl.  “Where is everyone?” she asked looking around with a concerned expression.

Famish gave a little sigh.  “There’s just me,” confessed the little growl, stirring his big toe in the bile brook.  “There were some others here awhile ago, but everyone always leaves so quickly.  I get awful lonely.”  He looked at the girl with his sorrowful gaze.

Her eyes softened gently.  “Awww, why that’s a sad shame,” said the girl, extending a leafy frond to pat the little growl gently.  “My folk, we tend to stick around when we find a nice place… though this one does seem rather big and empty.  It’s no wonder you get lonely. My name is Aruguella by the way.”  Aruguella flashed him a verdant smile.

“Aruguella…  What a lovely name… I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it before.  It’s nice to meet you Aruguella.  I’m Famish.  Are there more of you?” asked Famish hopefully.  He’d never met anyone this friendly and kind in Tummyville before.

“Why yes, of course!  Bunches of us!  Though we tend to travel in smaller groups.  But if you like, I can ask my friends to come for a visit on one condition.  We try to spend time with as many good, wholesome folk as we can, and we try to limit our exposure to negative people.  If I had a nickel for every time one of the Potato children went astray with the Canola-gang…”

Famish was thrilled.  Without a moment of hesitation, he sprang from his previously lonely perch and quickly set about putting up signs outside of Tummyville restricting access to the town.  The old residents were surprised when they returned and found they were unwelcome, but there were plenty of other big and empty welcoming towns to go to.

Soon, Famish started to meet all sorts of new and colourful individuals who loved to interact with one another – Persimmons and Spinaches getting along smoothly; Tomatoes, Peppers, and Beans all wrapped up together, and Blueberries, Mangoes, and Bananas all blending beautifully. Famish did find the Whole-Grain’s to be a highly complex family, and he was always forgetting which grain was which.  Nor could he remember how to properly say little Quinoa’s name.  And strangely, the Sprouts never seemed to tire of showering.  But, with increasing appetite, Famish found himself enjoying lasting conversations with crunchy Carrots and crisp Celery.  Of his new friends, Famish became particularly fond of the unpredictable, always satisfying Zucchini’s who seemed to fashion themselves according to whatever company that they kept.

The best part of the whole experience, much to Famish’s surprise, was that though these folk traveled in much smaller numbers, they had so much energy among them that Famish never quite got peaceful enough to fall asleep for very long.  Aruguella’s friends didn’t seem to be in as much of a hurry to leave either, and they took far better care of Tummyville than any of the previous residents ever had before.  In fact, after awhile, Famish didn’t notice Tummyville seeming large and empty at all anymore…  It became snug and cozy.

“Oh Aruguella!” gurgled Famish…  “You’ve brought so many changes to Tummyville.  I’m oh so repletely satisfied!”  He paused to wave gleefully at one of the boisterous Broccoli children who scampered by.  “How is it that I’m so much happier?”

And just as she had on the first day she’d arrived, Aruguella extended a leafy frond to pat the little growl gently.  “Sometimes Famish, less is just more,” she said.  She put her arm around the little growl and they walked along side-by-side.  “Now come with me; there’s this girl named Stacey Cashew I’d like you to meet…  I know you’ll just love her.  She’s such a nut!”

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY, HEALTHFULLY EVER AFTER…

Stacey Terry is one of our cozy coaches and you can read more about her here. You can also chat with her on our cozy coaching calls by signing up to be notified whenever we host a live support call!

Holidays, Vacations, Downtime…

If you live here with me in Australia (or New Zealand), you’ve probably been experiencing some somewhat chilly weather, with it being winter and all… But we haven’t let that stop us! Term 3 schooling started last week, but before that we had two blissful weeks of wintry holiday fun (in Aus, we call “vacations” holidays).

And it wasn’t always that cold – my girls and I made it to the beach one sunny day (see pic of Evie and Bella). They insisted on rolling up their jeans and going for a brisk paddle. Brrr! They loved it!

I made sure I spent plenty of time with them these holidays. We usually spend a lot of our holidays catching up with friends, but this time we kept socializing to the first week, and then kept it to just the three of us in the second week. My reasoning, apart from always loving being close to them? I’m actually heading away on a holiday of my own in a few weeks, and wanted to have some quality connection time with my girls before I head off.

Where am I going? Well, I am very, very fortunate – my young aunt recently won a trip, and asked me to go with her! In early August we’re heading to somewhat warmer climes, with a trip to Moscow and Helsinki, staying in five-star hotels! Woohoo! We’ve also decided that, because Europe is so far from Australia, we may as well add on a visit to another favorite city of ours – Paris! Well, why not?

We are both so excited. We’ve met up overseas before, many, many moons ago – in this pic, Lindsey (left of the picture – she’s only a few years older than me, and is more like a big sister than an aunt) is at the airport, about to go back to Melbourne after visiting Darren and I (a wide-eyed 21-year-old) just before the lad and I left for our Big, Year-long, Overseas Adventure. (Not sure who decided it would be a good idea to have that car in the background of the photo – maybe it was to match our lipsticks.)

As it happened, Lindsey visited England when we were there (we all traveled around with my newly retired grandparents, visiting family), and when she and a friend went to Europe, we met up with them in Innsbruck. She and her friend were on a young ’uns bus tour, and Darren and I were camping – well, this time, Lindsey and I will both be staying (mostly) five star!

We’ve always been very close, despite living in different states of Australia for most of our lives. Here’s a pic of us just after we moved out from England – check out Lindsey’s grimace as she braces herself against the cold…I’m obviously not too worried, being rugged up snugly in the pram. Heh heh.

We have all of our fingers and toes crossed, hoping that our Russian visa applications go through without a hitch, and we’ve been madly scouting stores for some new summery outfits and shoes to take with us. It’s so hard to think of dressing for summer – especially for our stopover destinations in Asia. I tell ya, though, I am so looking forward to feeling the sun on my arms!

There is, however, something that makes me feel a little anxious, and sad. It’s the thought of leaving my babies, and Darren. I haven’t been away for the girls for this long before – the odd weekend away has been about it. Darren has been building it up into a big, exciting time for them, saying how they’re going to have parties, jump on the beds etc while I’m away (he’s taking holidays to look after them, although they’ll be at school most days). So, hopefully, they won’t miss me too much.

I’ve told them how I will miss them, and we’ve come up with an idea. They are each going to cut out pieces of card, smother them with kisses, and fold them in half. Then, whenever I am missing them, I can take out the cards, unfold them, and press them against my cheek, knowing that they are giving me kisses. I’ll make “kiss cards” for them, too.

I’ve also told them that our hearts are connected by heartstrings, and that we will always be connected, even when I’m all the way around the other side of the world. I haven’t told them this yet, but I’m going to record me reading some stories, singing our bedtime lullabies, and reciting little personalized love letters to each of them.

I’d better get used to leaving them, because I’m going overseas again in September, to be matron of honor at my sister’s wedding in England! Honestly, it never rains but it pours. I haven’t been overseas for years, and now, here are two trips in one year, within a month of each other! My brother in England is getting married in 2011, so we are planning on taking the whole family over for a big holiday then.

Not long after returning from my trip to Moscow, we should be just about ready to unveil our latest baby. Remember the raw children’s recipe book that we’ve been telling you about? Well, Monkey Mike’s Raw Food Kitchen: An Un-Cookbook for Kids is in its final stages of production, and is waiting excitedly in the wings, patiently bobbing up and down while we pat the last bits of make-up onto its cute little face. Hope ya like it!

Is anyone else finding that 2009 has been, and continues to be, a HUGE year?

Hugs to you, until next week!

Love Jo

A New Definition of Wealth

“A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”

This woman lives in my heart and inspires me to heights I’ve never known…until now. After ‘living in this story’ for several years now, I have come to embrace her mystery. My new definition of wealth is not what I have but what I give, what I let go of…

Having completed my biggest project to date, the Raw Mom Summit, I learned so much from the wise teachings of our honoured speakers. I opened myself up so deeeply to be able to receive their teachings. I had to let go of my own ideas and hold a space for theirs. It was nakedness. I felt so vulnerable and empowered at the same time. I really received their gifts. Here is a picture of the ‘Crimson Birthing Rainbow Nadine experienced while outdoors giving birth to her son’. It is so beautiful, and it reminds me of ‘The woman in the mountains and her beautiful stone’ somehow…magical.

With my RMS earnings, I bought myself a bike! Its actually a TRIKE! It has 3 wheels and a large basket so I can now do my grocery shopping and banking and other errands without having to take the car. Me and my boys have been riding EVERYWHERE- even to their TKD class which is an hour. I also got a Mac laptop, so now I can be outdoors while working and talking to YOU!!! And besides paying bills and repairs and other boring stuff, I literally was able to give away nearly half of what I made…to charities, to friends in need, to RESPs of my friends’ children for their future~ It was just such a JOY to be able to GIVE! It’s literally addictive.

I am thinking of ways to create a program that would sponsor a family next Raw Mom Summit…If anyone has ideas or suggestions for how to go about this, please contact me at shannon@rawmom.com, I’d love to hear from you!

TIME is the most precious gift of all…every moment I spend with my children and husband I treasure. I know it won’t always be this way that we all are together every day…As I write this, my husband just dropped off our boys to his mom’s, and is packing up the cooler with green smoothies and a salad and my famous ‘spinach chips’ and we are heading out for the weekend together. We are going to start off with a walk in the forest, a cold plunge in the lake, (his new habit since being away at Hippocrates!) and a beautiful country drive…

Blissings