(90-Day Detox) Day 83: Healthy People Taste Good!

Yikes! The countdown has begun.

We have ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT for the 90-Day Detox! I love some of your suggestions about what should come next on the blog. Thank you for sending in your thoughts and ideas. Grrrreat help and clearly I’ll have to make some decisions about that this week.

I’m still in Toronto and probably showing off some tricks with my Blendtec blender. Maybe some banana ice cream, or chocolatey carob cake. Maybe some raw tomato sauce and zucchini noodles. Yummm…

Not too long ago I was talking about the fact that Mr. Right is a bacon and egg eating humanoid. Not even vegetarian. Not even considering vegetarianism. And I’m not planning a conversion strategy any time soon, either. This won’t be a situation of us trying to “change” ourselves to be approved by the other.

I admit that it makes me wince a bit to watch him put prosciutto on his sandwiches, buuuut in the last week alone, he’s tried 3 different fruits he’d never tried bfore some people might consider this a bit intense, you know. I mean, we’re supposed to match ourselves up with someone who shares our goals and interests. Right?

Well, one of the things that excites me the most in life is trying to figure out how to get something as extreme and unconventional as “the raw food diet” into the hands of Joe Smith the consumer. Or at least present it in a way that they don’t feel we’re speaking another language. It’s not always easy to know how to bridge the gap of different realities and understanding about something as personal and vital as diet.

The thing that interests me the most is making the world a better place and I think there are a lot of ways to do that. My new salami-eating boyfriend brings more love, compassion, patience, understanding and creativity to the people in his life than any leaf-eater I’ve ever met. The way he validates who I am and how I live and communicate with the world is more fulfilling than green juice ever could be.

I thought it would be interesting to bring up these ideas, especially while chances are good that right now while you read this, I’m sitting at a table with Captain Crunch, 2% milk and some bacon and eggs on the side. And you know what the coolest part of it is?

I bet you $10 I’m having a GREAT time.

I’m not living my life to do anything other than make the world a better place as quickly as i can. I’ve dated a few raw foodists and I can tell you that chomping on the same salad does NOT make the relationship work.

Neither can NOT chomping on the same salad be reason to allow a relationship to fall apart.  We have so much to learn from each other and it’s often where things feel the most difficult to confront that we have the most to learn and the most room to grow.

Find grace today no matter who you’re with, not matter what they eat, and embrace the beauty of the human spirit which nourishes itself on courage, integrity, honesty, hope and loooooove sweet love. These things kick the pants of raw lasagna any day, Baby!

Enjoy your Sunday and get ready to renew some commitments and turbo charge the last week of our 90-Day Detox!

Love and SUNshine,

Tera

(90-Day Detox) A Constipation Conundrum and a Scavenger Hunt

Okay, while you’re reading this I’m probably waking up in the morning wondering if I’m going to be able to POOP!

I know, I know. Trust me to get all personal and graphic, but the truth is that for as long as I can remember I’ve had a terrible time with regular movements when I’m in new places with new people.

In our teleseminar with David Rainoshek he talked about what happens to sphincters when someone is exposed to certain things (like, loud noises, etc.).

A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, so chances are quite good that I will be packing my enema bag on the bottom of my suitcase, or at the very least a bowel booster herb blend.

Funny thought! This string of consciousness just made me recall living in Japan where we had pink heated toilet seats in fancy hotels. And some people had them in their homes, as well. It can get quite cold in Japan and with no central heating, a heated toilet seat is quite a luxury. Anyway, they have funny buttons on the panels of japanese toilet seats for all kinds of things. (water spray at different temperatures and pressures, etc.) One of the buttons is to make a “fake” flushing sound so that a grunting, gas-producing bowel movement won’t embarrass anyone.

But it’s so funny because everyone can tell the difference between a fake flushing sound and the real one, so it’s almost more embarrassing.

Oh well!

There’s a great kids book out there called, “Everybody Poops!” They should make an adult version.

While I’m in Toronto, I’m bringing my blender with me and I’ll keep food simple. I’ve been getting into the water and lemon thing a bit in the mornings, so I might keep that up.

Was grrrreat to have the support call with Dr. Ritamarie yesterday on the 6-Week Detox. I really love being able to have someone like her to learn from.

Aside from my little constipation conundrum, I’m quite sure I’ll be having a spiffy good time and while I would like to be able to write you from Toronto, I’m bringing my computer to catch up on some writing, but I won’t be able to get access to internet very easily. I wanted to keep my commitment to our 90-day detox and so I wrote this before leaving and it will pop up with wishes for a fantastic weekend!

I’m getting ready for a 7 hour car ride and one of the things that has helped me pass time in the past is playing scavenger hunts and games like “I Spy…” in the car. And so I decided that today, in the spirit of adventure, I challenge you to a scavenger hunt!

***Your Saturday Scavenger Hunt***

Write what you find below:

1. Look around or scoot around and find something GREEN! What is it?

2. Find something with holes in it. What is it?

3. Find something that moves on its own. (Speed doesn’t matter.) What is it?

4. Find something purple. What is it?

5. Recall a moment when you felt really good about something you had achieved. Tell us about it!

Now, have yourself a spectacular Saturday! This particular Saturday is dedicated to Sparklepuffs like you EVERYWHERE!

Smooches and sunshine,
Tera

(90-Day Detox) Day 81: I’m Going on a Mini Vacation!!

Hey, Whoooooa Nellie!

It’s Day 81. If I had faithfully written every day it would have been even further along. We’ve got 9 days to take this to the finish line and then what?

I’d like to know what you’re thinking we should do from here. This blog has become a cozy little community hub, but maybe there’s a way we can pump up the volume around here and start doing something funky.

Would YOU like to be a regular contributor to the blog?

What do YOU think we should put out here one this 90-Day Detox comes to an end officially?

I love the daily connecting–like a heartbeat (even if it is slghtly irregular).

I love the simplicity of just posting where I’m at, and what’s happening in the moment. No other agenda but to connect with you. Like a love letter.

Today I’ve got to whip together another issue of Health In High Heels. I’ve got a support teleseminar and some packing to do, because I AM GOING ON VACATION!

Poor Keely! I haven’t even warned her, yet. Anyway, for the first time in 2 years I’m going to unplug myself. (I didn’t say I won’t bring my computer and get some work done, though. I’ve got a lot of writing to catch up on!) I will spend less time online and more time enjoying the sun and good people. In general, I’ve been doing a lot more of that than I did at the beginning of this detox program, that’s for sure. I’ve definitely detoxified and unhealthy stress nad manupl Fortunately I can preschedule my blog posts for the weekend.

Mr. Right and I are going to Toronto for a few days. Last night the whole team (4 kids, 2 gerbils and a fish) got together for dinner and a sleep over and it was AMAZING! Soooo easy and fun and I was almost shocked when we arrived 15 minutes early for school. Peddlin to school on bikes this morning was one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. Like ducks in a row, I tell you, it was ADORABLE!

I NEVER arrive 5 minutes early for school.

Teamwork is a beautiful thing. It’s pretty neat to watch how easily it all fits together–as if the pieces we held separately were part of some cosmic puzzle just waiting to fall in place.

So, I’m off to Toronto and feeling a wee bit nervous about the idea, to tell you the truth. Do I pack my enema bag? *gulp* I want to, but I never would. Thank goodness for Dr. Ritamarie recommended herbal bowel boosters.

Today’s Friday! Finish off your week with a bang and let me know what you think we should do around here. I’m off to the support teleseminar then packing for my weekend away. The smell of freedom is in the air and the weather says all is well in the world.

Love and hugs,

Tera

(90-Day Detox) Day 80: The Middle Path

Yesterday’s message took a left turn from what I had wanted to share as I felt my entire being needed to focus on gratitude and gratitude alone.

Do you ever get that feeling like the weather is somehow manifesting your inner space? Or maybe it’s the reverse? Your inner space–emotions and thoughts–are somehow takin orders from the electricity in the air?

Today it’s windy. The kind of wind that humbles you with a reminder that Nature does have the upper hand. Though we do all manner of interesting impositions upon her space, her form, her plan for things… when the wind hits, when the rain strikes or when electricity rips white light through the sky, then you know who’s boss.

Sometimes is takes a mighty wind like this to remind me how insignificant some of my “problems” really are. While I won’t go singing “Dust in the Wind” just yet, I think there’s something to be said for thinking outside of the circle of our own little world.

When a big whipping wind come and rocks your world you can’t help but be affected by it somehow. Today on my bike I’m going to take the things that stress me out, the things that hold parts of my negative attention and I’m going to donate them to the wind. Maybe she’ll find some way of putting them through Nature’s rinse cycle and transforming them into something better. But I’ve decided the wind has come to whip something away, so I’m gonna clip wings on my crusties and let them all go.

*grin*

Don’t Be So Obsessed About What You Eat Detox.

Hmmm…

We were supposed to kick off this week with a Green Smoothie Revival. 3 days of green smoothies or green juices.

How did you do?

I made it through the first day of juices, as I believe I mentioned. Then at the end of the second day, I decided that it had been enough.

I needed to take back the reins and do what made the most sense for me. One of the things that’s really easy to do is get on a binge-fasting roller coaster. I wanted to avoid that kind of scenario, so once I realized that I had handled my not going to bed at night, my late night eating and overeating and other questionable habits… Once I realized my cyst has shrunk some, my skin softened, by mood improved, I said,

“Well done, Tera.”

And satisfied with my improvements, I got off the juice wagon. I admit the juices no longer had much appeal to me anymore.

I want balance, not perfection.

Overeating, bingeing, eating late at night–these things cause my system grief and are behaviours I’d rather avoid. The Green Smoothie Revivial did good things to get me back on track with my attention on something besides food for a while.

And I’m not perfect but I’m not trying to be. I feel like I made the right choice for myself, because I didn’t roller coaster into a ravenous binge or overeating session. I got back in control and I’m going to stay there for a while.

Today, my love buttons, a salute to the middle path–to knowing YOUR limits and having the courage to respect them.

• Here’s to making change on a gradient, YOUR gradient.

Here’s to keeping a spirit of play alive and well in your life. Don’t take stuff too seriously. Roll, play, giggle a bit more. Fall down, but get back up and take the steering wheel back on YOUR life. We don’t need to measure success against the accomplishments of others as much as we need to measure progress against our own experiences.

That’s what I like about you, Sunshine. You always come up with the good ideas.

Keep on chuggin’ along. I’m totally on your side.

Looooooove and windy wishes for warm spring kisses,

Tera

(90-Day Detox) Day 79: Gratitude

Sometimes life dishes out days like today.

Maybe it’s because TODAY is the day we decided to do the Emotional Detox teleseminar for the 6-Week Detox that Life thought it would be a good exercise for me to experience the full range of human emotions in one 12 hour period?

Maybe it’s because my moons are in Saturn, or something?

Either way, one of the things that I know for sure is I can’t go wrong with an attitude of gratitude. And so it is, my dear Sparkle Puff of looooooove, that I thought I’d take the time to soak in some of that good stuff.

Care to join me?

1. I’m grateful for my bike ride this morning with the kids. I laughed and smiled the whole way to school. They were beautiful and so many people who passed us smiled or made comments about how happy we looked. Parc Lafontaine felt like an enchanted forest. It was a truly magical morning.

2. I’m grateful for the kids I saw playing in the park this morning. They were so small and SOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL. I couldn’t figure out why the morning had gone so “wrong” until I saw those kids and then thought…”Ahhh… maybe it was all just so I could arrive in time to catch THIS moment.” It was beautiful. They were beautiful. Tomorrow’s presidents were practicing a 2-year old’s version of tennis in an open field surrounded by dandy lions that roared a brilliant yellow back to the sun.

3. I’m grateful for how many times and how many beautiful ways Mika told me she loved me today.

4. I’m grateful that I kept my promise to buy the kids fruit popsicles despite the fact that it was way past bedtime by the time we got to the store.

5. I’m grateful for Sebastian who, this evening, when I was feeling frazzled and impatient for him to get in the bath, caressed my hair and head lovingly with both hands and said, “I know, Mom. You’re having a hard time. It’s okay. I know. It’s not about me, Mom. It’s the popsicles.” I love that kid.

6. I’m grateful for the smell of lilacs and the color of the sky as Mr. Right toured the kids and I on bikes in a park near his house.

7. I’m grateful for every single email that reaches my inbox and doubly grateful for the ones that come with declarations of victory, hope and inspiration attached.

8. I’m grateful for another humbling opportunity to confront myself today and the wide open spaces within me leaving plenty of room for growth. I’ve come a long way, but still have a long way to go.

9. I’m grateful for feeling “back on track” with my food, my sleep and my late night nibbling patterns.

10. I’m grateful to all those people who, in spite of fears, insecurities, doubts and other assorted open wounds, take the time and make the risk of reaching out in love to trust, to hope, to heal, and to believe.

These are the people who make life better–they commit to making things go right and things go right. These are the people who  believe in their dreams despite all the apparent reasons NOT to believe, and they live them. They make magic happen. I’ve met a lot of people like that around here. Perhaps you’re one of them, Dreamin’ Diva.

Go on! It’s your turn. What are YOU grateful for?