Sisterhood Spotlight: Vicky controls Gestational Diabetes with diet alone!

Vicky has been a participant in WISH and was gracious enough to share her experience with diabetes.  We felt her experience could be very helpful to others who may need to adjust their diet to help keep their blood sugar in range.  Please post any questions below.  I think this is an area we will want to be exploring more.  xoxoxo  Lyn

Hello, my name is Vicky Glisson.  I am a 42 yr old mother of five children, 4 boys and 1 girl.  Our baby girl Cadence was born at home on July 29^th.  I would like to share my experience with staying on a raw diet when I developed gestational diabetes during my 5^th pregnancy.

Our family has been on a raw diet (75-90%) since January of 2008. When I became pregnant with Cadence I was very excited to have the chance to experience a pregnancy while on a raw diet and give my next child the most nutritious, healthy start I could.

I find out I have Gestational Diabetes….

When it was time to test for Gestational Diabetes I decided not to drink the glucose drink, but to test my blood sugar after each meal with a glucose monitor for one week.  My blood sugar tested higher than normal.  When I took my results to my midwife she explained that I had Gestational Diabetes and that she could not do a home delivery if I could not keep my blood sugar in a normal range. Read more »

5 Steps to Get Back on the Healthy Food Band Wagon

(Doll’s weekly thoughts on goals, starting over and success!)

Monday is the most popular day to re-start programs.  This goes for exercise, diets and other self-improvement ideas.  We’ve all been there.  We start on Monday.  Then, by Friday, we wonder what happened to take us so far off track.

Here are some thoughts to help all of us enjoy our successes at the end of the Week.

• Begin at the finish line!

  I am very happy with the work I do with The Raw Divas.  My goal is to be a successful businesswoman. I need to set the stage.  Last week Nick helped me buy and put together this great office set up.  There is no reason to wait until I am successful.  The time is now!

• Plan for success

  In my planning for success I’ve placed only those things that are necessary for my work on and around my desk.  I decided that distractions where not helping me to get the work done. You all know what I mean.  Dishes and nick-knacks do not belong.

• Set an attainable goal

  I’d love to set a goal of writing 3 hours every day.  That’s just not possible for me. But, if I set a goal of 15 min, twice a day I can get the work done and feel like I’ve accomplished something.

• Reward yourself

  I work really well with tangible gifts.  Finish a project?  Try a spa treatment, new scarf or even a star on your calendar.  Make it fun!

• Think in the present tense

  No more do I say, “I will finish this on time” or “I will have this piece published someday”.  I make statements for today.  I am writing 15 minutes today.  My published article is informative and fun.  Be positive and specific.

These 5 points can be used in terms of your food planning, exercise schedule, or your over all health and happiness.  Living a Raw Food Lifestyle is planned for and something to be enjoyed.  See yourself as healthy, fit, glowing and filled with energy!

Make this Monday your special Do-Over day!  Create a commitment or goal that works for you.  Sweet Diva, you can take on the world.  One do-over at a time!

With love and warm hugs

Doll (from her new office)

Moments in Thyme. . . Past Reflections

By Joyce Wiatroski

Saturday — a quick trip to the downtown library, a building crammed with knowledge and entertainment as well as a daytime refuge to many homeless souls. Then off to explore a new outdoor market.

I love the city.
Can’t imagine being away from the intoxicating smell of exhaust fumes, the cacophony of autos, sirens and church bells chiming the hour. After many a rainy Saturday, the sky is Florida blue, the sun shines benignly, tempered by a soft breeze and low humidity.

Early April paradise!

The produce the farmers parade looks pretty sad, but then the merchants don’t appear to be farmers. Wilted herbs, stunted red peppers nestled next to overgrown green cucumbers and giant, seed-filled zucchinis. Suddenly I’m surprised by perfect plump mushrooms bedded beside crisp, green snow peas. My mouth waters as I imagine the enticing aroma of the peas and mushrooms sautéing with sweet onions, grated ginger and a dash of roasted sesame oil. A few dollars change hands. Supper is solved.

As I sit surveying the scene, my senses are pleasantly piqued with a wonderful mix of orchid candles and handmade patchouli soap. I suspect I will have to have some of each before I leave.

Indulged myself! Hazelnut iced coffee and a warm fresh, buttery croissant lightly stuffed with caramelized onions and topped with poppy seeds. Probably 1,000 calories or more. Better walk an extra mile or two today.

Live music across the way lifts the spirit. The fountains in the center of the square are bubbling up and a few adventurous children dart in and out. I wonder where I put the slides I took here a couple of years ago for a class assignment. Great candid shots of a group of kids from a foster home clowning around while cooling off in the fountains on a very hot, humid Sunday afternoon. Worth looking for.

Lots of flowers and plants. Gorgeous orchids. Actually, the flowers and plants steal the show. It would be nice to have local, organic produce for sale. There are interesting artisanal breads and colorful ethnic salsas and a couple of coffee stands run by a mother and son with prices to put Starbucks to shame.

Young and old, fat and thin, black and white. The yuppies, the guppies, and even the old mullets, swarm around the square competing for walking space with a group of foraging pigeons. Little red legs, iridescent green neck feathers and amber beady eyes pecking away at whatever crumbs they find upon the ground. I pull apart small pieces from the end of my croissant and toss them out to the avian crowd. They come from clear across the square for a few small morsels of bread, then rise en masse, as they leave for another crumb sighting, startling dozing seniors resting on the scattered benches.

I reluctantly gather my things and prepare to leave, but not before I take one more turn around the square.

Finding these notes from six years ago reminded me how easy it is to find pleasure in the little things in life regardless of social standing, finances or location. Whether living in a big city, medium-sized town, or tiny village; single, married, widowed, divorced, young or old. We need to get outside and enjoy the riches Mother Nature offers. Stroll in a park, hike in the woods, check listings for art festivals, outdoor fairs and craft shows. Soak up the beauty in life — it’s one of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves. Get some fresh air and sunshine.

Breathe deeply, smile widely and continue to manifest . . .

Like fine wine, women grow better with thyme.

** Joyce Wiatroski is the wit and wisdom found on foodiefumblings blog. You can watch for her contributions on the Diva blog on Tuesdays.

Moments in Thyme . . . The Little Things We Do

By Joyce Wiatroski

“Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” —Gandhi

As I thought about these simple words I was struck by the depth of wisdom they impart.

When I take into consideration the magnificence of the universe on one hand, and the immensity of the challenges that face mankind on the other: securing world peace, protecting the environment, eradicating disease and alleviating poverty, I wonder how anything I do will make a difference.

Gandhi’s admonition that it’s important to do whatever little we can, resonates a simple truth. A cumulative effort will produce dramatic results.

Think about it.

• I can contribute to world peace by starting in my own neighborhood. By reaching out to a new neighbor, I’ve made an acquaintance out of a stranger.

• I’ve learned to smile at the homeless and greet handicapped people I pass on the street, instead of avoiding eye contact. When they smile back I no longer feel uncomfortable in their presence. Maybe their day will be a bit warmer and brighter, too.

• With a concern for protecting the environment, five years ago I stopped using plastic or paper bags when I shop. I’ve accumulated a collection of canvas tote bags and like a piece of plastic we often hear advertised, I “never leave home without it”.

• Even though I live on a very limited budget, I’ve made a small monthly commitment to an organization that helps the homeless—The Salvation Army Bed and Bread Club.
There are many other worthwhile organizations that would appreciate a few dollars regularly.

• Because I love and listen to my local FM station, practically 24-7, I support it with a nominal monthly donation. My small amount, added with the contribution of others, makes non-commercial news reports, classical music and mind-expanding programs possible for the whole community.

• I subscribe to the local newspaper, along with the RSS feed for a major metropolitan newspaper, giving me a different perspective and assuring that I’m aware of what’s happening in the world at large, as well as in my own backyard. Apathy is dangerous. We must take an interest in our world locally and globally.

• I subscribe to a variety of health, nutrition, and raw food related blogs and websites. With the marvels of modern technology, I take advantage of interviews, seminars and podcasts that inform and direct me as I pursue a healthy lifestyle.

• I keep up with issues that affect me personally and take note of subjects that pertain to family and friends as well. This allows me to forward information and encouragement to assist others on the road to abundant vibrant health.

• I take full responsibility for my own health and well-being. No one cares more about me than me. No one cares more about you than you. Never forget that.

Many of the things I do seem so insignificant. But in retrospect, I see how important
it is for each of us to do small things to make our neighborhoods a better place, to help our communities blossom, to heal relationships, to work on building healthier bodies.

If we adopt the rationale behind Gandhi’s quote, and do simple things consistently, the outcome may well have a far-reaching and lasting impact.

These individually insignificant actions will exponentially build a better world.

It’s up to us to make it happen. Let’s continue to manifest . . .

Like fine wine, women grow better with thyme.

Joyce Wiatroski is the wit and wisdom found on foodiefumblings blog. You can watch for her contributions on the Diva blog on Tuesdays.

Moments in Thyme . . . Breast Cancer Awareness Month

by Joyce Wiatroski

It’s October. Once again we are inundated with the annual mammography marketing campaign.

What we need is more emphasis on education and prevention, and less on detection, as a means for women to conquer breast cancer.

Researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Center in Denmark studied 500,000 women to determine the results of breast cancer screening programs. They found that for every one woman helped by breast cancer screening, ten were harmed through false diagnosis or unnecessary treatments that devastated their health.

Why is all the money and emphasis being spent on detection? What ever happened to seeking PREVENTION? Why are women not being educated on ways we can prevent this disease, instead of waiting to be diagnosed with it and then being given ‘treatment’?

Cancer is a pharmaceutical pot of gold that we all buy into year after year.

Shame on us.

The big business of breast cancer is alive and well and extremely profitable. Before you fork out dough for more walks for the cure and pink ribboned paraphernalia, think about the industry you’re supporting. Think before you pink!

Take a gander at all the companies that have jumped on the bandwagon with their Think Pink messages. Many of these companies are selling products that contribute to cancer. (Cosmetics and beauty aids made with synthetic chemicals, cereals and pastries made with processed white flour, sugar and hydrogenated oils, etc.) These manufacturers ask us to buy more of their products so we can get more cancer. Then generous souls that they are, they offer to donate a few cents from each purchase for more cancer research. Meanwhile, their profits steadily rise by riding on the coattails of breast cancer and its victims.

As a breast cancer survivor, woman and concerned citizen, I believe it’s a mandate for every woman to become more familiar with the literature on how one can avoid known carcinogens—factors that have been proven to contribute to breast cancer.

It’s also our responsibility to become familiar with the steps we can take to avoid this aggressive disease that will strike one in — how many women? Currently, it’s one in every eight. As we continue to ingest more synthetic chemicals and toxins from our food, water, air, clothing, cleaning products, etc. will we see this ratio escalate?

For an eye opening exposé on the correlation between synthetic chemicals to the near epidemic diseases we now face, I recommend reading The One Hundred Year Lie by Randall Fitzgerald. This noted investigative reporter shows, in layman’s terms, how the ‘progress of modern technology’ along with corporate greed has led us down the road to the current state of health in the Western world today.

Are you familiar with Breast Cancer Action (BCA)? Check out this organization that is actively AGAINST breast cancer and all the contributing factors that have proven to be precursors of this dreaded disease.

• Help support a worthwhile cause by joining the Think Before You Pink campaign.  Use the leverage of your influential purchasing power by NOT purchasing pink items that contribute to breast cancer and other debilitating diseases.

•  Make it your business to know what’s in the products you buy: the food you serve your family, the cleaning agents you use in your home, the cosmetics and beauty products you use on your skin and hair, the synthetic fabrics in your clothing.

•  Don’t expect the guy who is making his living by selling you these items to inform you they are harmful. Find out for yourself if they are safe.

•  Don’t wait for cancer to strike and then look for a treatment. Make it your first priority to find out how you can contribute to your own well being and then take essential steps to prevent it.

•  Don’t let big business, whether it’s the medical community, the pharmaceutical industry, chemical companies, or factory farms and food giants dictate our future.

As women we need to unite and speak up for our healthful rights.

As a concerned sisterhood let’s continue to manifest . . .

Like fine wine, women grow better with thyme.

* Joyce Wiatroski is the wit and wisdom found on foodiefumblings blog. You can watch for her contributions on the Diva blog on Tuesdays.

(21 Day Challenge) Day 2: New Beginnings

 
  The beginning is the most important part of any work, especially in the case of a young and tender thing; for that is the time at which the character is being formed and the desired impression more readily taken.

(21 Day Challenge) Day 1: You Will Fly!

As Tera is in the middle of her move to a new apartment … a new chapter in her life … and will be without internet connections until Wednesday,  I thought I would send you a little bit of inspiration for your first day of the 21 Day Challenge! 

I hope you fly through these next 21 days!

Kiwi Kisses!
Keely

Divalicious Thinkables

“It’s not what I do, but the way I do it. It’s not what I say, but the way I say it.”

-Mae West

“Some people regard discipline as a chore. For me, it is a kind of order that sets me free to fly.”

-Julie Andrews

It's a Conscious Reggae Party

The latest issue of Pear Magazine was recently published (online), and I’m so excited about the awesome graphic that Jinjee arranged of the Honorable Robert Nesta Marley and me after she read the article below that I wrote for Pear about my reggae roots. Enjoy!

I grew up listening to the conscious lyrics and reggae beats of Robert Nesta Marley — thanks to my conscious, reggae-loving dad. Today, I use Bob Marley’s music (and that of his children’s) as one of my tools for renewing my mind and freeing my soul. And, I’m having one of those moments right now. I’ve had the house to myself this evening and have been loving this one-person conscious reggae party: just me and the sounds of Marley (via YouTube videos).

As Annette Larkins says in her book Journey To Health: “…Turning on a favorite tune of the moment, grabbing a groove and synchronizing with the music is such a natural activity for me. Whenever I hear music that strikes a chord within that part of my musical self, I must move to it; I cannot sit still. If it’s my kind of music, and its force touches me, I can lose myself in its depths…”

And, that’s precisely what I do — lose myself in the depths of Marley’s music. Period.

I often turn up Marley’s voice, sing and dance about, and get totally full, completely uplifted by this philosophical Rastaman. Right now, here in my house, it’s as if I’m at a “session” — a term we use in Bermuda for an all-reggae party!

A mega-fond childhood memory for me is that of the many Bob Marley albums my daddy collected and played regularly in our Bermuda home. Daily, as Daddy prepared tasty island dinners for our family (my dad loved to cook), the voice of Marley and other reggae artists, such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Dennis Brown, Third World, Jacob Miller and many more could be heard throughout the house. Indeed, this reggae seed my daddy planted in me has never died. And my mom teaching me about the I-Threes is a cool memory, too!

In fact, let me take this all a step further…some of these reggae artists mentioned above visited our home when they came to Bermuda to perform. My dad was friends with a Jamaican reggae producer, Tommy Cowan, and Mr. Cowan would make contact with my dad when he was on the island. Often, my hospitable father would invite Cowan and whatever band members he was with at the time for dinner. When Peter Tosh and his crew visited our home, I recall my cousins and I competing for who would serve Tosh his meal.

Another memory that stays with me is my daddy’s interesting account of when he visited Jamaica and drove as a passenger in Jacob Miller’s car, experiencing Miller’s aggressive driving on some winding Jamaican streets. When Miller visited our home, I was quite young (10 or younger, I think), and one question I remember asking him was, “What other reggae artists do you like outside of yourself?” I overheard him telling my parents that I impressed him with my questions. I also have a vague memory of him telephoning our home, and I was excited that I answered the phone at the time and got to hear his voice.

Fast forward to my adulthood…

In a recent yoga class, the first song that was played as we began our practice was one of Marley’s. I had e-mailed the instructor, Mary, earlier in the day with a request for some Bob Marley music in that class. Mary obliged, and Marley instantly restored me as I had felt a little out of sorts at the beginning of class because of arriving there just at the moment it was about to start. However, Marley got me right on track and the rest of the hour was powerful. “This is for Penny,” said Mary as Marley’s voice kicked off the line-up of songs for our yoga time.

In addition to feeling such a connection to Marley’s music for reasons mentioned, I can’t help but wonder if there’s a Natural Mystic blowing through the air from him to me because of our Ethiopian Orthodox connection. We are both baptized members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and Abuna Yeshaq, the Ethiopian Archbishop who baptized Marley and performed his funeral ceremony, also flew to Bermuda in 1996 to perform my daddy’s burial. That same day that same archbishop baptized my son who was five months old at the time. Three years before that, Abuna Yeshaq had flown to Bermuda to marry my husband and me.

Abuna Yeshaq was a close friend of Bob and Rita Marley and also a close friend of Ainsworth and Caroline Burgess (my parents), so in some spiritual way, Bob and Rita feel like an aunt and uncle to me. Who wouldn’t love their uncle’s music — especially when the beats and lyrics are as rich as those of the one-and- only Robert Nesta Marley? His music strikes a chord in my soul; his sounds and lessons certainly make my life richer. Thank you, “Uncle” Bob!

In fact, early into my one-person party today, I decided that on my birthday in December, I want to invite some of my friends to an all-Marley-music yoga class taught by Mary. Everyone is sure to have an uplifted day!

So, off I go to contact Mary about setting this up. Maybe I’ll have our yoga party videotaped and The Raw Divas will show it on their new, darling pink TV.

In the meantime, join my party in this moment by listening to the sounds and lessons from a timeless voice. Indeed this legend lives on! Some of the songs I’m here jammin’ to are below (and so many of these lyrics are stuck in my mind from the days of my youth):

~ Roots Rock Reggae

~ Forever Loving Jah

~ So Much Trouble In The World

~ So Jah Say

~ War / No More Trouble

~ Africa Unite

~ Crazy Baldheads

~ Rastaman Vibration

~ Is This Love

~ Give Thanks And Praises

~ One Love! (Peace Concert)

And, the list goes on…

Here’s a brief interview with Ziggy Marley about his dad, and a heartwarming letter, via song, from Ky-Mani Marley to his infamous dad. This “letter” brought tears to my eyes the first few times I watched it.

I just love this Marley family! Well, if Bob is my “uncle,” I guess that makes all of his children my “cousins,” right? I love ‘em all; there is a booming ray of love light that just seems to shine from each of them right into my soul. And how can you not love love?

It’s all about love! So love with all you’ve got!

One Love!

*Photos in collage, flickr.com.
(1) sugaree_gd (Kerrie)
(2) edsonmoreira_sk8
(3) Levi Yeomans

*Photo of Penny Powell by Caleb Powell