Vol. 1, Issue 17: October 18, 2007 From The Desk of The Divas
So many people really appreciated Tera’s honest approach to health and raw foods, and that, tells us a lot about you! Thanks for being the no-BS, loving divas we’ve been hoping to attract to this project. In Sisterhood news, we're featuring family this month and we're interviewing two incredibly loving and inspiring raw food mothers! Tried and true advice on how to get your kids more interested in fresh fruit and veggies is just one of the many family-related topics we'll discuss. We hope you'll join us! CONGRATULATIONS to our Body Enlightenment System participants who just finished up their 30 Day program on Tuesday. We hadn’t planned to offer the BES again until next year, but we receive so many requests and enquiries that we set up a completely automated version that still offers amazing live support throughout the program. That means, you can come and take the Body Enlightenment System whenever you want! We’ve also added some new bonuses you can check out here! Will you be the next to join our BES Graduates Hall of Fame?! To all you mothers, grandmothers and auntie’s out there, this week’s article will give you hope that you too can have a healthy Halloween. We hope you enjoy this issue of Health in High Heels and we wish you a ravishing week! Muah!
Juicy Treats: Spooky Treats for Little Goblins! **Warning: Only the Bravest Goblins and Witches DARE Gobble These Goodies** That’s right, Halloween is just around the corner! Forget the candied apples and trust these gruesome goodies to get those greens into your little goblins and witches! Heheheheheh... Monster Snot (YEEECH!) 4 Tbs. fresh orange juice Place ingredients in the blender in the order listed and blend. This chilly, refreshing pudding is a treat for monsters of all ages. Tip for mom: Frankly, the more they think it disgusts YOU, the more pleasure they will get out of eating it! ;-)
In case you didn’t already know, apples and bananas are terrified of goblins! That's probably because they happen to be a goblin’s favorite snack. This nifty trick is a surefire way to trap those tasty morsels before they flee from your little goblin’s plate in fear!
Spread some almond butter on a piece of lettuce. Sprinkle some banana slices and apple chunks down the center of the leaf. Fold, wrap, or roll and enjoy the little smiling faces revelling in their raw food! This is more fun if your let the kids handle the assembly and some of the preparation!
Feature Article Trick or Treat? A Clever Mom's Guide to a Healthy Halloween As the streets become more and more speckled with Halloween decorations, a spooky sort of vibe fills the air, spurring children into anticipation and preparations for their annual sugar overhaul. I remember as a kid bringing out a pillow case for the collection of my candy—and FILLING IT! I also have very vivid recollections of hurling over a toilet bowl a time or two. If you’re anything like me, the approach of Halloween brings a certain sort of nervousness to the surface of my skin. I believe in compromises and a balanced approach to health, but “candy” in any shape or form is just way out of my comfort boundaries. I’ve tried it all when it comes to creative solutions for a Healthy Halloween, and I’d like to share a bit about what worked and what didn’t. The Deprivation Method
Admittedly, the deprivation experiments worked for a little while. I remember when my daughter Mika was 3 years old, she was offered a package of free Smarties in a movie store. I didn’t say a word. She just looked up at the man and said, “No thank you. I don’t eat those.” Then smiled her innocent smile and took my hand. One of my proudest moments of motherhood I can assure you. ;-) However, as my little muffin became increasingly exposed to life in the “real world”, there wasn’t much I could do to prevent the invasion of those colorfully wrapped poisons accompanying this holiday into her life. So when deprivation was no longer cutting the mustard, I had to get more creative about things. Bring Halloween to Your House, and Be Willing to Get Gross
One of my most memorable Halloweens as a kid was at the community hall where we lived out in the country. They had transformed the basement into a little haunted house, and had plenty of scary food things I had to stick my hand in. To the blindfolded, Spaghetti, jello and pickled duck eggs were "Bats Brains" "Goblin Guts" and "Old Lady's Eyeballs." For a fun and healthy holiday, use peeled lychees for “owl’s eyeballs”, grenadilla for “frog’s eggs” and make a dish of “Goblin’s Guts” from a thick green pudding of bananas, apples and spinach (chilled and firmed up in the fridge). The important part of this is letting them get their fingers in there. Sensation is everything. The grosser, the better!
So at the end of it all, while I had achieved a victory in preventing the consumption of sugar, I’d spent countless hours, dollars and a whole lot of energy putting this event together. Was it worth it? To a certain point, but I was sure that better solutions were to be had. So, that’s when I tried… The Bargain The next year, I decided that there was no way I was going go through all that hoop-lah again, just to avoid some sugar. The financial burden alone was prohibitive, never mind the number of hours that had to go into preparing for that event. (The thing that would have made it much easier, by the way, would have been a group of other parents as motivated as I was to create a Healthy Halloween. As it was, most parents wanted their kids out in the streets getting as much candy as possible so they could pillage the bowl at the end of the night!) So, we inevitably decided to join the masses and walk the streets for Halloween like everybody else, BUT with a deal in place. The deal was that nobody touched any candy until we got into the car at the end of the night. At which point, they were both allowed 2 candies, then they had to pass over the bag. They did it willingly, because the next stop was a supermarket with aisles and aisles of kids’ toys. Which is where I let them loose to indulge in a different kind of consumption.
This year, I’m making it their choice! The deal still stands. “You give me your candy, I give you my money”, but this time it’s with a twist. The more candy I get, the more money I give. The choice is theirs. No ultimatums. No desperation. If they decide to cash in their stash for some money, they do. If they decide to keep their sugar, they can. The one big thing I’ve noticed, is that the more I honor their right to choose, the more I am impressed, almost humbled frankly, at their ability to KNOW what is right for them and choose accordingly. The kids are already talking about how they’re going to spend their money this year and I haven’t heard much talk about chocolates or candies yet! This year I’m also trying to put the focus on an adventure rather than a toy. Maybe we’ll go on a little trip by train, or out to the movies! Maybe we’ll go to a ceramic studio and paint our own pots! I Don’t Wanna be a Wonka Mama
There was a time when extremism served me. I’m not there now. I recognize the value of being balanced and conscious of the fact that health is about more than just food. Besides, there is something magical about walking the streets on Halloween, and seeing the costumed kids, proud parents and pumpkined paths - not to mention the ecstasy of a teeny piece of Halloween chocolate as it melts in your mouth! Happy, Healthy Halloween
The Divas Recommend: Lots more tricks and treats for kids in this month's Sisterhood! It's Family Month in The Sisterhood! Don't miss out on this month's amazing and inspiring raw mom guests Rozalind Gruben and Melissa Gilbert! Learn how to introduce raw to your family, from two moms who done it best!
You asked and we answered! For those of you who have wanted more recipes and even greater support for our 7 Day Diva Detox, CHECK THIS OUT!
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“During the 30 day program, I released 15 lbs. That’s truly amazing for me as a 49 year old woman who's been overweight for over 10 years. But that's not all, I've also reversed my acid reflux, gotten silky soft skin, stopped yawning all day long, drastically reduced food cravings, and feel as energetic as a 21 year old!”
“I have released 12 pounds! I actually have a waist! I have no more allergies or hotflashes...Yahoo!! I have conquered my addictions -- absolutely NO coffee or chocolate! I have learned to conquer my cravings -- NONE! Exercise is fun and I have learned to challenge myself for greater gain -- I'm feeling great! I feel confident I have the tools to stay 100% raw for the first time!” -Denise Brown Collins
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Wow! All the feedback from last week’s article has been amazing! If you didn’t get the chance to catch Tera indulging in the alleged temper of her red-haired heritage, then you might want to 
(If you want to get really gruesom with this, let them eat it with their fingers! Blech!)
I think every hard-core health extremist tries this at some stage, only to realize that outside of moving to the jungle and tucking yourself away on a fruit farm, it’s nearly impossible to avoid the influence of the standard modern day family and their traditions and habits. 
Okay, this one takes guts, sweat, creativity and hard work! I decided that if I couldn’t keep the kids from Halloween, I could bring Halloween home and thereby control the adventure myself. 
One year for Halloween I rented a community hall. We planned games, had prizes and there was even a marvelous haunted house going on in the hall which saved me a bucket load of extra work! The kids were still young enough that this was acceptable and enjoyable. No one really asked about why there were no candies. There were other things… little toys and prizes, games and good friends.
Feels a bit desperate looking back. There was still a lot of fear on my part in trying to avoid the evil sugar villain, and in my desperation I distracted them with toys instead. Nonetheless, I felt a victory had been won. That year had been much easier on the pocket book and my personal energy and resources than the previous year’s Halloween Party.
If you’ve not seen the movie Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, then do so! Willy Wonka himself is a perfectly brilliant demonstration of how deprivation just ends up creating extremism. His father was a dentist and a candy-despising tyrant!
You know the 7 Day Diva Detox,
