What is the Optimal Diet for Your Family?

Judgement is like an eclipse of the sun…It blocks the light. ~ Marianne Williamson

Have you noticed there seems to be a movement sweeping through the raw community..? Many people are discussing it, many are doing it, and some are advocating it. I’m talking about the idea of widening our conception of what in fact is the healthiest diet. Let me ask you something, do YOU know what the optimal diet is? Most of us here would say a raw diet. Buuuuut, what exactly is a raw diet? How raw are you supposed to be to be considered raw? Is it all or nothing, or how important is the percentages of raw to cooked ratio for health? Does being raw mean being vegan? How healthy is the struggle of striving for a particular ideal, only to fail time and time again? How about when you desire certain goals, but the stress of striving for them outweigh the results? What about if there is judgement from other people or YOURSELF? Are there issues that lie underneath that aren’t being addressed through diet alone? Is focusing solely on diet as the means of obtaining health balanced? Or can it become toxic? What about the kids?? What does all the hyper-focus on the food mean to them? Is being raw a rawligion? What does it really mean to YOU?

There are truly amazing people in the raw movement who seem to be quite adept in their ability to trust their instincts and do due diligence with their research- using both hemispheres of the brain to ascertain what is right for them on their health journey- and we have learned much from them and been so inspired. However, it was always what worked for THEM that they did and eventually espoused. Of course, when anyone has the clarity and passionate beliefs and acts upon them with conviction, the innate strength and rightness of being which one is imbued with naturally shines a light outwards- not only guiding them onwards, but also attracting others.

Many people noticed this light in these particular individuals, and started to investigate this idea of becoming Raw for themselves. And for a decade now, many of us have been raw. The effects of changing our diet, our personal standards about not only food and nutrition, but also the ethos and ethics of our choices, and the consequences socially- for many of us have been profound. Some have found their purpose. Some have regained their health. Some have been released of the burden of excess weight or addictions. Some have reversed disease. The list goes on and on of the Read more »

365 Days of Green Smoothies With Jessica – February Update

I think it’s time for a little inspiration this marvelous Monday morning!  In January, I was thrilled to introduce you to Jessica Mauk.  Jessica is a green gal after my own leafy heart.  She’s really stepping up to the plate this year and is taking on 365 days of green smoothies!

Each month, she’s going to share with us a little update about her progress and what she’s learned, so here to tell you more is the fearless chlorophyll challenger herself.  And if you like the idea of green smoothies, but just can’t see yourself doing 365 days just yet, then perhaps our upcoming 10-Day Challenge will be more to your liking!  It’s a live challenge starting on St. Patrick’s Day, so order yourself a green jug now and get ready to chug down some shamrocks!

- by Jessica Mauk

Hello everyone!  I now have two months under my belt in my 365 days of smoothies challenge.  I can not wait for spring to hit as I’m getting a little tired of frozen fruit and I’m longing for all of those luxurious greens that are so abundant at our local farmer’s market each year.

So, in addition to this new supply of energy that I’ve found, what are a few things that I’ve learned or noticed in my two months of drinking a quart a day?  My fingernails are growing like weeds, green weeds!  I’ve never had strong or long nails in my life.  They always split and tear as soon as they eek out just slightly above my fingertip.  Now, I actually have to file them back a bit.  I’ve also noticed that if I drink a green smoothie about an hour or so before bedtime I sleep so much more soundly and I wake up refreshed and ready to tackle my day.  I can honestly say, after only two months of my challenge I will never go back to a S.A.D again.

I have found heaven on earth and it’s green!

To read more about Jessica’s challenge and her year of green smoothies, please visit her blog: http://365smoothies.blogspot.com/

In Celebration of International Women’s Day

In celebration of International Women’s Day, the biggest WISH there’s ever been is coming true. On March 8, 2010, women from all around the globe are invited to attend W.I.S.H. (the Women’s International Summit for Health) – a series of free on-line interviews with leading health and wellness experts who answer the most pressing questions faced by women of all ages and from all cultures. This incredible summit is produced by Tera Warner, the dynamic force behind the web sensation, The Raw Divas [www.therawdivas.com].

Women can register online for W.I.S.H. at www.wishsummit.com and listen to the entire series of interviews for free from March 8-19, 2010.

For 10 days, women will come together to hear the stories and share the wisdom of a star-studded list of 40 speakers. In the first week, W.I.S.H. presenters explore the subjects of sensuality, spirit, food, and relationships. The second week’s stimulating topics include fitness, beauty, health, money, attitude and family. Whether it’s the kids, the cellulite, the hot flashes or steamy romances, W.I.S.H. promises to bring women’s pressing questions to the agenda and get them answered!

The list of distinguished experts participating in the Summit reads like a who’s who of so many vital areas of concern: New York Times best-selling authors Janet Attwood (The Passion Test); Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations With God); Rory Freedman, animal rights activist and author of Skinny Bitch; Sheila Kelley, creator of The S-Factor; Susun Weed, internationally-acclaimed herbalist and author of Wise Woman Herbal; Donna Gates, creator of The Body Ecology Diet and many, many more!

Program creator, Tera Warner, suggests that, “If you ever heard yourself whisper aloud, looking for help in your moment of struggle, then chances are we’ve heard you.” Tera adds, “A group of remarkable individuals have come together to share their wisdom in the hope that they will be able to change the way women view themselves and their lives. I am so thrilled about the possibilities of what will come from this miraculous opportunity.”

Tera Warner is a spirited online entrepreneur with a passion for developing projects that empower and inspire women. Having built a community of over 30,000 women through her Raw Divas, Green Smoothie Queen, and Body Enlightenment System projects, her vision was to create a virtual community that would touch the lives of millions of women around the world and empower them to dream big. She’s partnered with world-renowned conscious parenting expert, Shannon Shakaya Breeze, to help make this wish come true for the benefit of all women.

Recipe for a Pick-Me-Upper: How to Make a Green Juice

Need a great, healthy pick-me-up? Want to build your blood? This refreshing drink will do just that! Green Drink Delight provides lots of vital magnesium-rich chlorophyll, vitamins, and minerals.

• ¼ cup chopped fresh edible wild young green herbs of choice (chickweed, miner’s lettuce, plantain, young dandelion leaves, young yellow dock leaves, purslane, and Lamb’s-quarter are good choices)
• ¼ cup fresh pineapple or apple juice
• ¼ cup water

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until pureed. Strain through a strainer, pressing all liquid out of herbs. Enjoy!

Reference: Healing Tonics by Jeanine Pollak

Christina Menefee
www.livingonliquidsunshine.blogspot.com

Frisky Friday Fun! Letters and Foodscapes

What a fun week!  Blenders were loved, smoothies were drank, and health was shared!

And speaking of sharing, I’m going to send you a couple really fun things for you to enjoy ‘just because’ today!

The first is a letter from Mary I wish I’d written myself! I could use Merry Mary outside my castle! 

I’m takin’ over the world…one green smoothie at a time…
Anyone who dares cross my drawbridge gets a green smoothie…

I taught two small adult classes this week…took my blender on the bus…what a fun time!
Next, I’ll be going to a progressive dinner which will begin at my home for appies…bwa ha ha…

I will do three smoothies…red, white, and green… (peeled cucumber for the white one, red Swiss chard for the red, and kale for the green) Each colour will have 5 fruits corresponding to the colours of the veggies mentioned above. There will be a game card where you guess what is in each of the 3 coloured smoothies. The prizes… are you ready for this? …will be bouquets with skewers inside green onions with a dozen radish roses and leaves of kale, romaine and red Swiss chard…yes, I started doing this B4 the Olympics!!!

Love and chlorophyll… OH… punch for St. Paddy’s Day… white (green) grapes, lime juice, kiwis, spinach, etc. with Stevia to make it palatable for the newbies!

Merry Mary

Thank you! Bless you! Love you!

And THESE are a set of photographs that Joan, one of our program participants sent along our way to enjoy!  I loved them soooo much, I had to find out where they came from. So, a little google here, a little giggle there, and voila!  I’m happy to share with you the incredible creative artwork of Carl Warner (those Warners… always the creative ones eh?).  And these photos are just a small taste, so to speak, of his beautiful work.  If you’re hungry for more of these, and you’d like to see the images in their full size and glory, then please visit his website and click on his collection of FOODSCAPES (the pretty teal box on the left!).

A New Page on the GSQ Site! Green Graduates and Free Green Smoothie Recipes!

by Stacey

Greetings fellow parsley lovers and kale kissers!  The first run of The Queen’s 3-Day Mini-Course finished yesterday, and folks are now spreading the news, inviting their friends, and signing up to be part of the live 10-Day Green Smoothie Challenge that The Queen is releasing for St. Patty’s Day on March 17th.  And while taking part in the program myself,  I’ve been happily sipping green glop and helping the Queen make sure that everything is running, well, smoooothly.

And I’m pleased to let you know about a new page that will be a great addition to The Green Smoothie Queen Website.  As more people complete the 3-Day Mini-Course Green Smoothie Practicum, we’ll be able to post their original green smoothie creations on our new Green Graduates page.  Over time, this will be a great place to come and salivate over free green smoothie recipes!

I foresee many YUMS to come!

Who’s Going to Prioritize

Time for an update, Ladies!

It’s been a while. The last time I stopped to send a juicy update was around Christmas time. While we still mysteriously keep getting sign ups for our Christmas Cookie Countdown, the season has definitely passed. Love is in the air now, and soon spring will follow.

Last weekend I went skating along a 10km river here in Quebec and it was magnificent. Thousands of people come every weekend just to skate outside, but last weekend was particularly special, because they had the North American Speed Skating Championships. I enrolled in the 10km race and was delighted when I was awarded the bronze medal. (I probably should mention the fact that I was third place out of three participants in my age category.)

It’s so important to take the time to get outside and play, move, BE with life. I really appreciate every moment I get right now, as so much of my attention has been going into the preparation of WISH, which is now less than two short weeks away.

WISH: Women’s International Summit for Health

Since the idea sprouted up in the cluttered recesses of my multi-tasking mind last year, I knew wish summit for womenthis was going to be something special. I have an ever-present ache within me. You probably have one, too. The kind of ache that drives you to do whatever you can to make the world a better place. Sounds lofty, but if you’ve got the same ache, you know what I mean.

Picking up the phone to have a heart-to-heart with Sheila Kelley, creator of the S-factor did something to me. Exchanging emails with Neale Donald Walsch and Marianne Williamson just made the world a smaller place. Instantly. After months of playing phone tag, Janet Attwood, co-author of The Passion Test, and I finally caught up for a conversation that left us both in tears.

When the people I’d always admired from a distance were now only 10 digits away, limitations flew off my life.

Keeping them off is another story.

I admit that applying the spiritual laws of success and empowering information is easier said than done when I look around my life and realize:

• the kids are fighting
• the laundry needs folding
• the floors need mopping
• the dishes need washing
• the door STILL needs fixing
• …and…

*sniff*
“What’s that smell?”
“Eeeeew! It’s ME! I haven’t had a bath yet, and it’s 4:00 in the afternoon!”
I don’t mean to be graphic, Lizzie, but that’s what life for a multitasking, self-employed, slightly over-ambitious, single mother is like some days. While the details may differ slightly, chances are good you can probably relate to what I’m saying.

No amount of universal laws are going to fold your laundry, mop your floors or pick up the kids from school, but understanding these laws will certainly make getting these things done a whole lot easier. As long as you’re always stuck in the muck of a day’s work, you risk neglecting your own needs to grow, learn, expand and improve conditions in your life! If you want life to improve, if you want things to get easier, you’re going to need to roll up your sleeves and prioritize yourself more often.

If you don’t prioritize yourself, who will?

In every moment, you have an opportunity to create the life you want. You may not always have the answers or the solutions, but they’re out there. It’s your task to put aside enough time and commit to studying, learning, and applying the information you need to make your life what you want it to be—what you know it can be.

It starts by putting yourself on the to do list.
Starting on March 8, 2010 (International Women’s Day) you’ll be given the chance to put yourself on the to do list in a major way. 40 of the world’s leading experts in health, fitness, food, sensuality and relationships will be coming together to be a part of WISH: Women’s International Summit for Health.

40 of the world’s most inspirational thought leaders have put their best information out there to support You and all women. For 10 days we’ll be making these calls available for FREE to anyone who signs up.

Every day for 10 days we’ll be focusing on a specific area of life; sensuality, money, relationships, family and health. There’s no denying that when one area of your life is out of balance, everything else is affected by it.

WISH is giving you a remarkable opportunity for you to prioritize your health, your confidence and your life in a magnificent way. The laundry piles and dishes will still be there when WISH is over. But your chance to take part in this event, won’t.

Join us in making this a most magnificent celebration of women there’s ever been.

Love and girl-power,
Tera

Day 2 Green Smoothie Testimonials – You Like Me! You Really Like Me!!

I’m soooo looking forward to sending out diplomas to all the green graduates who complete our 3-Day Green Smoothie Mini-Course practicum when they share with us their own experiments and photos of their green smoothie creations.  Once they’re submitted, I’m going to create a new page on our website dedicated just to those… AND the great thing about it will be that we share more fantastic and free green smoothie recipes with the world!

And I happened to pop into the Emerald Lounge a few minutes ago, and I saw even more great posts!  I’m so flattered and pleased by the positive response so far!  And I hope all those bodies out there are humming with green energy and optimism!  I myself am on a high that I think involves a lot of gratitude… gratitude that I can spend my days doing work I love and that makes other people feel better and positive.  It’s WIN WIN!!

And though there are dozens of great posts to choose from, I hope you don’t mind if I select a couple from our Day 2 live program to share with you:

My name is Julie. This is my second Green Smoothie class! I LOVE all of the BEAUTIFUL art work on the Green Smoothie Queens/Raw Divas colorful web pages, E-letters and E-books! (Art work is very inspiring!) I find the Queens and Divas to be very enthusiastic, offering such wisdom/logic and encouragement! The Queens and Divas offer SO MUCH information – we simply cannot fail!!! This is a wonderful web site!

Looking forward to joining the group this time around and getting on the Green Smoothie bandwagon full time! I am a Vegan, but would like to drink more Green Smoothies, lose some pounds, and learn more about raw foods.

I made a big “Green” jug up yesterday morning and another jug last night — to be ready and waiting for me this morning!

I had a big glass for breakfast. Then my husband and I left on errands all morning. It was LATE afternoon when we returned home. As soon as we returned home, thinking it would not take long, my husband made a business call to try to straighten out some red tape! He was put on hold for 30 minutes and I know he was very, very hungry by this time! I quick poured him a glass of my Green Smoothie and he commented how refreshing the drink was! He asked for a second glass while he was on hold! …Looks like my husband will now be on the GREEN SMOOTHIE QUEEN’S program with me!

Julie

I’m so glad Julie that you find us as beautiful on the outside as we feel on the inside around here.  And I’m tickled you have your husband receptive to green smoothies!  It’s always just a matter of getting people to try them… really…

Hi, Stephanie here.

Our day 2 smoothie was:

• mesclun, arugula, raddicchio lettuces (1 cup packed)
• 2 stalks of celery
• spinach (3/4 cup frozen, drained)
• 1 carrot
• pineapple (1/2 cup fresh)
• strawberries (3/4 cup frozen we had picked this summer)
• flax (ground, 3-4 Tbsp.)

I had this with the kids around our regular dinnertime, which was great because they were filled up enough that when my husband got home from work I was able to pour him our latest smoothie and my 7-year old was beaming with pride about the creation & couldn’t wait for his Dad to try it. The kids played while we had a chance to chat. Later that night, both boys wanted toast (whole grain) with some of the natural peanut butter we use.

It is hard to find great produce in the northeast during winter, which is why I use frozen veggies, at times, and why we stock up on the fruits we pick during summer and freeze those. Wish we had a Trader Joe’s closer! There are small, independent natural food stores ‘growing’ all around us, but the selection isn’t always great nor is the pricing.

I am enjoying this greatly and moving onto the 10-day challenge. I can see how this small change has the “ripple effect” the Queen speaks of; how it will overflow into other aspects of our life. I was able to reconnect with my husband when he got home. Some nights prior to our new lifestyle, I would’ve been flying around the kitchen, making sure the carnivores had their meat timed to be warm with the starchy side-dish. And, the vegetables would’ve been an afterthought, like, how quick can I throw together a salad before everything cools, or throw some veggie mix in the microwave in a plastic bag (cringe!) just to alleviate my own guilt and be able to say I served something green. (cringe, again!)

I have always liked my greens, but felt outnumbered with what the three guys in my life would expect as a meal and have struggled to get any one of them to like (and eat) the greens they need. The Smoothie Challenge has changed that dynamic and we all are looking much closer as what we eat and are paying attention to our bodies’ needs.

Thank you to all of you that work so hard at Green Smoothie Queen. What a concept! Really give someone something for free and I do believe you are the one that receives in the end. I will do my part to spread “the ripple effect” likewise. And, I agree with the other posts- your graphic design & artwork is inspiring on top of already being wonderful in of itself in concept.

Thanks once again green-team!

Stephanie

Stephanie, I’m grateful to maximize your green ripples by sharing your words and your recipe with our green smoothie community at large.  And you made so many important points.  Sometimes, there are so, so many of us flying around kitchens looking after others it takes a real effort to just step aside from the busy lives that we lead and just give some quiet attention to where we’re at with our lifestyle.  How often do we take the time to just put something in our mouth and savor it for a moment before we consume it?

And when families can decide together what kind of health they want for themselves and their future, it’s very empowering.  We have some great information coming up in the 10-Day Challenge about some great approaches to take with your family and children!  We want to build on the basics and provide more knowledge for you to make the best choices for your circumstances.

Of course, even though this is the last day of our live 3-Day Green Smoothie Mini-Course, the program, my Green Team, and I are all here to stay and we’ll continue to share recipes, testimonials, and answer questions on the blog.  So I hope you’ll spread the word!

Wrapping you in kale hugs and sending cilantro smooches,

Your Grateful Green Smoothie Queen

Buzz from The Emerald Lounge

I love it!

I love it!

I LOVE IT!

I just returned from our Green Smoothie online community, The Emerald Lounge (all you need to do to become a member is take one of our programs, including the FREE one below), and was looking to see how our participants in the FREE 3-Day Green Smoothie Mini-Course are doing.  As I mentioned to them in the lounge, it’s so wonderful to see carnivores, vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists all getting along and supporting one another to eat more greens.

We are all at different stages of health and different levels of comfort with making improvements, but here we are… all agreeing that adding more greens (and this is a relative measurement) is a fun and delicious adventure! Some are here to get healthy, some are here to improve health conditions, some want more energy, and many are here to lose weight.  I see so many “stuck-in-a-rut”s and “fell-off-the-wagon”s and “banging-my-head-against-a-wall”s in there.  We’re all so very, very human.  We slide, we give up for awhile, we do things we know we shouldn’t.  Some people are just looking for a kind ole kick in the pants!!

I can trade high heels for boots if I have to!!  But really…the best kick I can give you is to remind you that it all starts with love and self-worth. It’s hard to make improvements  for yourself when all your energy goes into beating yourself up for the things you don’t do.  You only have so much energy each day… how will you choose to use it?  By listening to the voice that knocks you down and makes you feel guilty, or by just going to the fridge and grabbing that bundle of soon-to-be-blended green joy?

I’m so flattered that we have such a keen group of greenies!  Thank you for sending in your stories and goals.  And I hope you’ll stay with us for more green smoothie adventures!

Happy Day 2!

GODDESSES IN EVERY WOMAN

Even though I have been running rawmom for quite a while behind the scenes already, now that I am officially the owner, it feels like a thrilling but daring adventure, and I feel excited and nervous! I do not consider myself a business woman. I identify with one role, my calling, being a mom. However, I’ve have heard that people born under my sign in both the Western and Chinese horoscopes make good leaders and can lead successful enterprises, and as my children are growing up, it’s the perfect time for me to gradually transition back out into the world…I’d like to believe I can learn what I need to, and attract people to help me. If am to grow to the corners of my potential as a fully realised woman, as well as facilitate my mission to make a difference, I must have courage. I feel alot of changes coming…it started with changing my name from Shannon to Shakaya, and even endowing myself with a second name, one of the elements, Breeze. I didn’t consciously choose these names, they seemed to just find me.

The archetypal images of the Goddess come to mind. When I interviewed Susun Weed for WISH, I asked her which Goddess archetype she most identified with and she said for a long time it was Artemis, autonomous Goddess of the Hunt, Nature, Birth, a protector plants and animals and a Super Sexy Virgin who never bowed to the rule of any man. Powerful! I have always been fascinated by Goddess archetypes since reading ‘Goddesses in Every Woman’ when I was in my 20’s and later work by Caroline Myss. Here are some of the archetypes as described by Myss whom I have identified with- perhaps you will see yourself in some of these- and some others whom I feel the desire to connect more deeply with so as to draw from their well for my growth and expansion that I feel is needed now:

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