Vol. 2, Issue 19: July 25, 2008

From the Desk of the Divas

If you have ever had to fight to stand up for what you believe in, if you’ve ever had to muster up some unshakable courage to believe in something other than the messages you were given by the people around you, then you’re going to love what Gina Laverde has to say this week on the Raw Mom blog in her powerful testimony of courage in the face of autism and antagonism.

We are delighted to be able to feature the stories of women who overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles against them. Everyone struggles, but when you’re in the mud, it’s hard to see your way out. It’s hard to believe that there are solutions when the problem is slapping you in the face. But Gina, and this week’s second feature article from Jennifer Kleinberg, show that solutions can be found.

As our Raw Mom Community grows, we realize that it’s leading toward the evolution of a Raw Mom Newsletter! This week, because we seem to be just loaded with motherly advice, support, wisdom and storeis, for those of you who do not have children, perhaps you can pass this on as aunties, grandmothers, friendly neighbors to the people you know who DO have kids.

This week Tera made a confession on the blog, and we need your help. If you're a green juicer, send us your recipes by posting them on the blog! Puleeease!

And prepare for GREEN in all its grandeur as we start prepping for International Green Smoothie Day! We'll have prizes, contests and all kinds of fun, so start getting your blenders revved up and raring to go, because on August 15th, we'll be letting out green streamers, sparklers in the name of our favorite celebration of the year!! Green Smoothie Day!!

Sit back and we hope you enjoy this extended version of Health In High Heels. Please let us know what you think so we can continue to make this a source of inspiration for you!

It's not the possibility that you’ll drop 20 pounds, have softer skin, better elimination and a whole lot of incredible new friends that makes the Body Enlightenment System as popular as it is...

It’s the fact that your transformation is GUARANTEED.

Ask Angela

Angela Elliot is our in-house chef and all round kitchen goddess. Send us in your questionsabout good eats, yummy treats and heck, the nature of the universe, if you want to!

Angela On Kale and Raw Veggies

Hi Angela,

I have problems digesting a lot of raw vegetables, especially when I eat kale salads. Is there anything I can do to alleviate this problem? I really want to stay raw but I am getting frustrated, not to mention at times, miserable! Thanks for your help!
--Andrea Ginnis in Virginia

Hi Andrea,

You need to start taking HCI to break down the cellulose in raw vegetables. I would also recommend taking digestive enzymes with every meal. This should start to bring you some relief. I am not a big supplement supporter, but do feel that enzymes, HCI, and Probiotics should be mainstays in everyone's diet and not considered supplements but more like essentials. :-)

Blessings to you. Thanks for writing in,
Angela

Angela on Late Night Eating

Dear Angela,

I'm having SUCH a hard time eating late at night and it makes me feel SO yucky. Can you help me??

-Jessica B

Hi, Jessica

If you must eat late at night, Always, always, always take enzymes with your meals, this will help. Also, before eating take a good probiotic (I recommend Anti-aging probiotics by New Chapter) This should help. Another thing that might help is eat NUT and SEED free late at night, just stick to lighter foods. :-)

Blessings,
Angela

What are YOU doing for International

Green Smoothie Day?

Join Us on August 15^th 2008, for the greatest green celebration ever!

Ask the Raw Mom Team

Hi Raw Moms!

I'm a raw foodie mama of three gorgeous girls! I'm raising them mostly raw vegan as well. I'm having trouble with my two year old as she will eat anything green, and loves seeds but WILL NOT eat fruit unless it is blended in a smoothie... isn't that funny???!!! She's always been this way. Even when she first started eating solids she flat out refused baby food of any kind and opted for noodles / quinoa and smoothies (even green smoothies!).

Any ideas of how I can get her try a piece of fruit???

Thanks!
Jennifer, Jana (2), Naia & Ananda (14 weeks)
(Check out Jennifer’s Story below)

Shannon Says... Hi Jennifer, Things we fear will become the lifelong legacy of our children if we tend to make an issue of it instead of understanding that it really is a passing phase. Now I know it can seem odd to you that your daughter won't eat a whole fruit unless blended, and yes, this phase has been going on a while and may continue a while longer, but the important thing to keep in mind as a mom is always the Big Picture. In this case that is that she IS getting great nutrition- and in her wisdom she is wanting it in the most digestible and balanced form- the Green Smoothie. It is NATURAL for us moms to compare our children to others, but we do so at our and our children's peril because it causes so much stress all around. I used to be a Nanny to a family of 5 girls and 1 boy- 2 deaf and 1 Autistic. The boy ate from Organic Baby Food Jars until he was 8!!! It used to drive his parents crazy. I never worried because he was gaining weight and his health never faltered. Do you want to know when he finally chose to break this little habit? When he went to school he would NOT eat until he came home because he didn't want the other kids to see. But at around 7 or 8 when he started to have kids over on play dates, he had nowhere to hide! He just dropped his baby food diet on his own due to peer pressure that he himself felt. For the next year, I am giving you permission to give yourself permission to give your daughter permission to allow what is- allow your daughter to continue to make her very clear and not unhealthy food choices when it comes to preferring blended fruits over whole fruits...in fact, I would encourage you to go one step further and RELISH your daughter's uncanny ability to intuit what she needs here. Celebrate her clarity and your blessings. With much love and enjoyment, Shannon

Ardis Says… Dear Jennifer, I think it's great you are raising your 3 beautiful daughters raw! It sounds like, since your 2 year old will eat her fruit in the form of smoothies, loves greens and seeds, she is getting a wonderfully nutritious and well-rounded diet. As for getting her to eat an actual piece of fruit, a couple tricks that have worked for me are: Get her involved! When making her smoothie, let her put the chopped pieces in the blender. Take bites as you go along - "mmmm, mango! mmm banana!" Maybe she'll want to take nibbles as you go along, too. Just keep offering her a wide variety of fruit as an option (particularly when she's really hungry), but without any pressure. You might be surprised to find that on the 15th offering she actually accepts! My son does this all the time. For example, he would never touch tomatoes, and I actually stopped offering them to him. But recently, he saw some cherry tomatoes and devoured almost an entire pint! Now he can't get enough. It also helps to make sure the fruit is perfectly ripe and in season; children's intuitions about these things are really strong. I hope some of this helps. But for now, it sounds like you're doing a great job! Love, Ardis

Tips from Tera Skewers and kebabs make for amazing fruit sculptures. While I can't easily find any pictures right now, I know that my very first cookbook as a young girl had spiders made from peach halves, carrot shavings for legs, and clove buds for eyes! There was a mouse, too, made out of half a pear! Playing with your food is perfectly acceptable, Mom. Get your muffin to build fruits sculptures and peek around online to see what you can find about making animal shapes out of fruit. I think the other advice from moms are great, too. Also, exercise, getting outside and running definitely increases the desire for fruit. When your little muffin starts to get more physically active and working up a sweat, the hunger for fruit will come, I'm sure. Keep us posted, my dear! Love and hugs, Tera

Whoever said you can't have your cake and eat it too, was clearly NOT a raw foodist.

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Feature Article:
3 Simple Steps To Get Clutter Under Control

By Vanessa Stewart, the Clutter Free Diva

Does the clutter & chaos in your living space feel like it's taking over your life?

Are you feeling tired, confused and overwhelmed by it all?

Would you like to have a sense of peace, calmness and control in your life?

If you're like most people, you've answered YES to more than one of the above questions! In today's busy and hectic world, we tend to gather way too much clutter. It may be in the form of paper, books, toys, clothes, or who knows what. The big question is…"What do I do with ALL this "stuff ?"

Clutter most often represents delayed decisions.

Today I'd like to give you a few "Helpful Tips" to help you make the "decision". Take back the control, add peace & calm as well as become more in love with your home again!

1. Schedule "de-clutter time"
Set aside a block of uninterrupted time, even 15 minutes a day will go a long way. Use a ticking timer to keep track, you can always re-set it if you want to do more!

2. Pick One Area
Decide on an area to tackle. Be real; set a goal that will allow you to see progress. It may be a drawer, closet or even a small room. When you start small, you are more likely to do it!

3. Evaluate your belonging
Walk thru your home or office and take a "look" at what you have. Are your belongings enriching or draining you? You want to be surrounded only by the things that you love, need and use.

Simple Steps to De-clutter your life!

ASK THESE 3 SIMPLE QUESTIONS:

Do I LOVE it?

Do I need it?

Do I use it?

And just for final measure…

How is it serving me in my life today? If it isn't, and you didn't answer YES to the 3 questions, it's time to it let go! Give back!

Once you decide what you no longer need, don't just throw it away. Give the items to a homeless shelter, or like-minded organization. This act of "sharing" will give you a sense of abundance and doing good in the world, it's a win-win for everyone!

Clutter free kisses,
Vanessa

Vanessa Stewart is a certified Professional Organizer and Feng Shui Consultant. Her main goal in life is to "help people fall in love with their homes & offices all over again!" And she's also our Clutter Free Diva!!

Her 30 Day Clutter Busting program will be coming out in juuuust a few weeks, so watch for it!! ;-)

What will help you handle your raw food roller coaster better than anything else you’ve ever tried?

The Support of some amazing women who believe in you!

Tales of Transformation

Check out these two dynamite divas and their powerful stories of transformation!

Confronting Autism With Unshakable Courage, Common Sense and Raw Food
By Gena Laverde

Due to the length of this inpiring story, we've posted it Raw Mom Blog with pictures, so you can check them out there.

Sometimes Life Throws Us Unexpected Surprises. Be Ready To Catch Them When They Come!

By Jennifer Kleinberg

My story into RAW starts when I was 21 and I went out one night with some friends and someone at the club drugged me with homemade ecstasy which caused me to go into seizure. The seizures went on for months, several and often many times a day resulting in me having to move in with my parents and be under constant supervision. The neurologists told my parents that as far as they could tell the damage was permanent although they could not quite pinpoint the origin of the convulsions. I got under regular Chiropractic care as well weekly acupuncture and started to detox my highly animal protein based diet into a diet more focused on greens and fresh foods. Within 3 months I was able to get around on my own and started to care for myself a little more at a time. I found local government funding and eventually convinced them into funding my flight and part of my tuition to school. The day I left, my mother refused to come to the airport but I told her not to worry - I believed in the innate power of my body to heal itself.

After a few years in school and on / off a vegetarian diet I married my sweetheart - Adam, who cared for me while I was ill. He had been a vegetarian / vegan for 12 years and he coached me into living a more healthy, sustainable and balanced diet.

We were living in Holland when I became pregnant with our first daughter - Jana. It was in the first months of her pregnancy that I began to research the best possible diet for pregnancy which would be easy to assimilate, provide the most nutrients, and the most energy. That is when I stumbled onto the THE GARDEN DIET. A website by a family of raw foodists with remarkable health and 4 beautiful, vibrant children. (They now have 6 I believe). They inspired me and I'll never forget my initial reaction to reading Jinjee's story - I thought, "WOW. THIS IS ME. THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR." I shared the testimonials with my husband and together we began down the path toward live food. I researched further and discovered the Living Light Institute - the worlds' premier raw vegan chef school. I set it in my mind that I was going to attend the school and become a Raw Vegan Chef - SOME HOW, SOME WAY, SOME DAY. I kept the image in my mind and meditated on its' fruition.

It was nearly 18 months later that my dream was realized and, 4 months pregnant with twins and with my 18 month old daughter in tow went to Fort Bragg, CA for the two month intensive Chef Training Program. Graduating was one of the happiest accomplishments in my life. You can imagine how taxing 7- 12 hours a day in the kitchen on your feet 6 or 7 days a week with no days off for 2 months is when your pregnant with twins - let alone with an 18 month old to care for when I went back to my room and no help. BUT WE DID IT! Many of my classmates frequently commented on how much energy I had and how enthusiastic I was. I told them that I attribute my energy to my highly Raw Vegan diet and found when I ate cooked food during this time I felt PREGNANT! :)

Shortly after I returned from Fort Bragg I was approached by a photographer for Pregnancy Magazine and asked to do a test shoot which resulted in me being on the cover of two magazines and getting representation by FORD (as the first pregnant model they have ever hired) and also by Expecting Models - the agency for the T.V. show RUNWAY MOMS.

At 34 weeks pregnant I went into labor. Our dates were off, and we were expecting one full term very large baby. We had plans to deliver the baby at a Birthing Center in San Francisco attended by a midwife. Although we did not know we were expecting twins I had my suspicions but was reassured by our midwife that I was too small to be pregnant with twins. I had gained 28 lbs with this pregnancy at the time. My labor was long, hard and I had several convulsions due to the tremendous physical stress as my body was not ready to give birth but as we learned later - little Ananda was in distress and had initiated labor to save her life. When our Naia was born we all stared at her in shock - SHE WAS SOOO TINY! THERE WAS NO WAY THAT WAS THE ONLY BABY IN THAT HUGE BELLY!

Our midwife, who was not licenced to deliver twins or preemies in her center, called out to the assistant for help shouting "This baby is Premature - very, premature! I need an ambulance and oxygen NOW!" I felt movement in my belly and said to the Doula "There's another baby... I can feel it!" My midwife who was giving my daughter oxygen yelled back "THAT'S JUST YOUR PLACENTA" I said, "Placentas Don't have elbows! AHHHHHHHH!!!!" And Ananda (Bliss) was born, breach, in the sac, with the cord wrapped twice around her little neck. She was blue. My midwife didn't miss a beat - GOD BLESS HER. She handed Naia over to her attending and dropped to her knees, ripping open her sac and unraveling the cord and when I heard a yelp, I knew my little girl was okay.

We were rushed off to the hospital, two ambulances, a fire truck, our attending friends and 7 burly fire fighters in our entourage. My poor husband - spinning around and flipping back and forth from crying to laughter went with our daughters to be sure that they were properly cared for while a friend went with me. The Doctors informed us that the babies had a twin to twin blood transfusion where Naia had sent Ananda just enough blood to help her survive her journey into the world. AMAZING.

The Doctors said that it was also amazing was that the babies were breathing on there own and seemed to be just fine! They were taken aback (and even rechecked me several times) that I had no rips or tears, and left the hospital in good health the next day. My husband later asked the doctors what the chances were if we had known we were having twins, that one was breach with the cord around her neck and with me having convulsions -of us having a natural, drug and Cesarean free birth in the hospital? They all answered unanimously "ABSOLUTELY NONE."

My husband and I know that although to the general public and medical minded our birth story is a MIRACLE we give the credit to our lifestyle choices and practices. Highly Raw Vegan Diet + Chiropractic + Meditation + Regular Exercise = Extraordinary Healthy and Functioning Nervous System which was responsible not only for my healing from seizures but for the Miraculous Healthy Birth of my undiagnosed, premature twins.

GO RAW! GET ADJUSTED! LOVE THE LIFE YOU LIVE!

Many Blessings,
The Kleinberg Family - Adam, Jennifer, Jana, Naia & Ananda

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