Victoria Boutenko author of Green for Life will be the official
Kick Off Queen of our Green Smoothie Day Celebrations hosting
an quick, inspirational LIVE teleseminar to Green Smoothie Goers
EVERYWHERE!!
(We will be revealing OFFICIAL Green Smoothie Day Prizes, Sponsors
and Activities as August 15th draws near. Email Us if you'd like
to sponsor or share your enthusiasm with us!)
Upcoming Events in Divaland
**Surprise!!**
In this issue of Health In High Heels, we've got something NEW to unveil, but you'll have to scroll aaaaall the way down to find out what it is!
In the mean time, check out what's up and coming in Divaland!
The Raw Divas are proud to announce the production of the sexiest, eco-friendly shopping bag on the planet, and we want your help to make it as diva as can be!
You aren't an ordinary diva, and since this bag is for you, it goes without saying that this won't be any ordinary cloth shopping bag! To make the hottest bag design ever, even HOTTER, we're asking YOU to submit your ideas for eco-inspiring, green smoothie loving, living foods advocating quotations, sayings, or witticisms to appear on one side of the Raw Diva Shopping Bag.
Please submit your entries (there is no limit to the number of entries you may submit) to amy@therawdivas.comby 11:59 pm, August 13th. Our favourite entry will appear in full colour, on the side of the bags, and YOU will receive a free bag, guaranteed to make your shopping adventures as FRESH as a daisy and snappier than May West (value approx. $40)!
To make the fun even more DIVA, we're going to send every entrant a sweet little diva treat!
On
August 29th, Dr. T of Ecopolitan
will be coming to Montreal to give a presentation on skin conditions.
If you know anyone who has concerns about the presence of moles,
blemishes, skin tags or other potentially pre-cancerous conditions,
we invite you to come and learn more about his totally safe, natural,
and pain-free removal of these conditions! If you'd like to learn
more about how to prevent these skin conditions, click here!
Juicy Treats: Raw Frozen Coconut Popsicles by Celissa
Ingredients:
2 young coconuts (use all juice and flesh)
raw agave nectar (to taste) add peaches or whatever type of
fruit you desire
a little ice
Blend all ingedients (we recommend a Blendtec
Total Blender); pour into popsicle molds, and freeze...yummy
...sooooo good...you can change the flavor in so many ways!! "Put
the lime in the coconut and drink it all up..." EnJoY!
-Celissa!
***Public Service Announcement*** This Just In - From The Powder Room Press
Kick off your stilettos, pull up a green juice, and giggle with
the girls in The
Powder Room while your read success stories like this one
that just rolled in on the Diva Press:
"OK!
I am feeling GREAT! I started eating RAW over 3 weeks ago. I have
been on the Detox for 6 days. Now are you ready for this? I have
lost 20 lbs. I feel energized and clear headed. I feel very comfortable
eating this way. I do miss my nuts and oils, but this has been
a great experience for me. I have learned what my relationship
with food has been and I feel like I have control again. Not only
have I gone through the food issues but it is interesting how
the emotional stuff has come up for me. I have realized how little
I do for myself. I love this life style because I know I am doing
it for me.
Thanks Diva's. I would recommend this detox
to anyone."
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!
What the heck do they put in seasoning salt? Can
you help me find a substitute?
-Susie H
Hi Susie,
Here's a gourmet
seasoning salt recipe to replace regular IODIZED (bad for your
body, body for your heart!) salt. The salt we are using to replace
regular bleached iodized salt is highly mineralized natural salt.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 T Himalayan or Celtic salt
3 T black pepper (Did you know that in the Ayervedic tradition,
black pepper is good for increasing your stomach fire, which
aids digestion?)
2 T paprika
1/2 T onion powder
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 t dried thyme leaves
1/2 t marjoram
1/4 t curry powder
1 t dry mustard
1/8 t dill weed
An airtight container
Coffee grinder
Directions:
Blend all the ingredients in a coffee grinder until you get a
fine powder. Store in an airtight container.
Hi Angela,
Pleeease give me your secret ice cream recipes. Pleeeease. It's
summer, it's hot, and I'm aching for sweet, creamy treats!!
Thanks,
Sally in Arizona
Hi Sally!
I bet you are, I remember ARIZONA! FRY EGGS ON THE SIDEWALK, CRAZY
HEAT! You are in for a special treat today!
How about vanilla ice cream? I don't use cashews!!
1 ½ cups either almond, pecan or walnut milk (check out
The Raw Divas Blog
for my dessert milk recipe)
3 cups Thai Young Coconut water (you can buy these at 99 Ranch
Market on 44th Street and McDowell in Phoenix)
¾ cup Thai Young Coconut meat (after you chop open the coconut
and use the water, scrape the inside of the coconut to get the
meat)
2 tablespoons raw coconut oil (I like the Nutiva brand, and
it's easy to find, too.)
½ cup raw agave
For strong vanilla flavor, I recommend using both fresh vanilla
bean (it will be gorgeous in the ice cream) and vanilla flavor
(use FRONTIER brand Vanilla Flavour, it is pure, no sugar, and
organic) I use half of a vanilla bean, just break it in half and
throw the bean in the blender with the ice cream ingredients.
Use 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla flavor.
In a Blendtec
Total Blender or other strong blender, combine the coconut
water, nut milk, coconut meat, and oil and blend on high until
smooth.
Add sweetener and vanilla, and blend again until smooth. Transfer
mixture to a Cuisinart ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers
directions for the time needed to make the ice cream.
Natural Skin and Body Care: Vino Therapy By Tracy Neely
Close your eyes and imagine that you are spending a glorious day
pampering yourself with this scrumptious body treatment at your
favorite spa. Not only will you be rejuvenating your soul, but
your skin will be left feeling soft, supple and refreshed.
Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed Oil (Vitis vinifera) is produced from the crushing and
expeller pressing of whole grape seeds and is light green in color
due to the natural chlorophyll content. Grapeseed oil strengthens
tissue cells, preserves the moisture of the skin, easily penetrates
the skin and has a high linoleic acid content.
Honey
Honey is a by-product of honey bees when they collect the flower
nectar in their mouths and the nectar mixes with enzymes and then
it is turned into honey. Raw honey is honey that has not been
heated for pasteurization, filtered or strained to remove the
wax, pollen or propolis. Honey is a natural humectant that attracts
and binds water to the upper layers of the skin.
Red Seedless Grapes
Red seedless grapes add a luxurious feel to this treatment and
will also soften the skin.
Organic Ground Almonds
Ground almonds help replenish oils lost during the cleansing process
while producing a gentle massaging effect during exfoliation.
Corn Meal (Course)
Corn meal is milled from corn and corn cobs and is a natural abrasive
to safely exfoliate the skin.
Rosewood Essential Oil
Rosewood Essential Oil (Aniba rosaeodora) is steam-distilled and
occasionally water-distilled from the chipped wood of A. rosaeodora.
In skin care treatments, rosewood is an antiseptic and is beneficial
for treating acne, dermatitis, sensitive skin, mature skin and
damaged skin. This oil combines well with rose otto and lavender
essential oils. Rosewood is also an excellent oil to use in deodorant.
Lavender Essential Oil Lavender oil (Lavendula angustifolia) is widely known for its
wound healing properties and with caution can be used on the skin
neat. Lavender Essential oil is generally used in skin care for
its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic properties.
Rose Otto
The two major species of rose used for essential oil production
are Rose damascena and R. centifolia. Rose damascena is commonly
known as Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose or rose otto. Rose centifolia
is known as rose maroc, French rose, attar of rose or rose absolute.
For the purpose of this treatment I have used rose otto. The major
rose oil producing countries are France, Bulgaria, Morocco, Turkey,
Italy and China. Rose oil is steam-distilled from the fresh petals.
Fresh flowers are picked before 8 AM and it takes about 10,000
pounds of flowers to make 1 pound of rose oil. Rose oil has excellent
emollient, softening and hydrating properties which accompanied
by its stimulating and antiseptic qualities make it ideal for
all skin care treatments.
Recipe
½ cup grape seed oil
¼ cup honey
½ cup red seedless grapes
2/3 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup course cornmeal
5 drops rosewood essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops rose otto essential oil
Combine grape seed oil and honey and mix well. Place grapes in
a mortar and pestle and crush into a pulp or you can also place
in a blender and pulse one time. Pour grape pulp into grape seed
oil and honey mixture and stir until completely blended. Place
raw almonds in a blender and blend to a ground almond consistency.
In a separate bowl combine ground almonds and cornmeal and stir
to completely mix both ingredients together. Combine grape seed
oil, honey, grapes, almond meal, cornmeal and stir into a smooth
consistency. Add rosewood essential oil, lavender essential oil
and rose otto essential oil into the mixture and blend until all
ingredients are blended.
Gently massage your entire body paying close attention to your
feet, knees and elbows.
Enjoy!
by Tracy Neely
This is Your LAST CHANCE to sign up for our SUMMER!
"Help! This Raw Food Thing Just
Isn't Working For Me!!!"
This week we thought we'd take the time to CAREFULLY address
one of the kinds of messages we receive rather often. You may
be able to relate to Elizabeth, and if you do, we strongly encourage
you to get in touch with us so we can support you, or help you
find the right resources and people who can!!
We don't want to pretend that trying to succeed on the raw food
diet is always peachy and easy. Check
out our blog and you'll see we struggle just as much as the
next person, but with community, commitment, and persistence,
we know we can come together to find solutions! Isn't that
what girlfriends are for?
Divas,
I love everything about your website and how you approach the
raw food lifestyle. You are very encouraging and balanced in your
presentation which is VERY refreshing, but, I have a few concerns
about this type of eating. I have done your 7 day detox (which
was great!), attempted Alissa Cohen's 30 day raw food challenge
(I lasted about 2 weeks), and have tried my own challenges and
lifestyle changes.
There are a few things that I have noticed for myself when eating
mostly raw/vegan. The first was that my monthly cycle was much
lighter and flowed better (Yippee!). I also lost several pounds
initially (gladly). I had better overall energy and was in a better
mood. But, there are a couple things that concern me regarding
the raw food diet, and that is in the category of hair, nails,
and teeth. I found that my teeth became very sensitive, my nails
weren't any healthier than when eating a healthy diet consisting
of cooked and raw foods, and my hair began falling out. Now, before
you send me an email saying that it's part of the detox process,
I say "No way, Jose!"
I can drink all the green smoothies and eat all the green salads
in the world, but only until my sensitive kidneys protest and
start aching from too much oxalic acid. I lost a lot of hair after
having two babies while eating the SAD diet, but after changing
my diet and taking a green powder, things began improving. I still
don't have all my hair back, but most of it has returned. But,
when I think I am going to the next level of healthy eating, my
hair starts falling out again and that sends alarms through my
mind and makes me wonder if this whole raw food diet is not as
great as all the promoters say.
I definitely do not argue that eating fresh fruits and vegetables
and eliminating processed foods is healthy and beneficial. But,
what's a person to do? I've tried this diet about a handful of
times now. I even became a certified raw food chef so I can teach
my friends how to make healthier dishes for their families, but,
would I really be doing them a service by teaching them something
that could lead them down the path of disappointment and unhealthy
body changes? I feel better when I eat a normal salad with a little
bit of grass-fed beef than if I were to eat only fruits and veggies.
It's almost as if nobody really knows how to eat this way and
we are just on a blind path hoping we get to the right place.
I know that there are people (like you) who do this successfully.
But, I haven't found this to be true for myself. I know you cannot
give medical advice, but I think I am just searching for someone
to give me an answer to all this raw food mumbo jumbo. I want
so bad to be successful at this - to see the results that so many
people have experienced, that it's just plain frustrating. I can't
afford to lose anymore calcium out of my teeth or stand to see
my hairline recede one more time. I want to be healthy and vibrant
like you two beautiful ladies with a bright white smile and a
full head of hair. :
Thanks for listening,
Elizabeth
Answer:
Hi Elizabeth,
Glad to hear that you like our website. To answer you concerns
I would need to know some more about your lifestyle. Since I don't,
the answers will have to be a bit general, but hopefully they
will be helpful. You will have to decide after reading this, which
areas apply to you.
You mentioned that your hair is falling out, so lets deal with
that first. If mine was falling out I'd be concerned too, but
I noticed that you said you also had this problem before going
raw. This leads me to believe there is an underlining issue
here and you just have to find out what it is.
There are many things that can cause us to lose our hair, but
I can tell you for certain it is not a Raw Food Diet.
Here are some causes:
Stress (this is one of the biggest). Types of stresses: shock,
infection, childbirth, family, any type of change in your life,
etc.
Thyroid problem - get it checked.
Genetics
Nutrition
Kidney problems
For more information on the causes and nutritional info. please
read the article I wrote: 'Raw
Food Nutrition; Hair Loss and Healthy Nails.'
Before you say, 'What is she talking about, I'm not stressed.'
I want you to be really honest with yourself. I'd like you to
do the Stress Scale Exercise below.
When you're done this exercise send us your results (total) for
assessment.
Score - Event
100 - Death of a spouse
73 - Divorce
65 - Marital separation
63 - Jail term
63 - Death of a close family member
53 - Personal injury or illness
50 - Marriage
47 - Fired at work
45 - Marital reconciliation
45 - Retirement
44 - Change in health of family member
40 - Pregnancy
39 - Sexual difficulties
39 - New baby or a new family member
39 - Business adjustments
38 - Changes in finances
37 - Death of a close friend
36 - Changing jobs
35 - Arguments with your spouse
31 - Mortgage is more then your year's salary
30 - Repossession of your house
29 - Responsibilities at work change
29 - Children leaving home
29 - Problems with in-laws
28 - Personal achievements are great
26 - Your spouse starting a new job or loses his job
26 - Going back to school (college or university)
25 - Living conditions change
24 - Personal habits change
23 - Boss is giving you trouble
20 - Moving to a new place
20 - Changes in schooling (college or university)
19 - Changes in your recreational habits
19 - Changes or changing your religion
18 - Changes in your social activities
17 - Loan is under one year's salary
16 - Sleeping habits change
15 - Change in family gettogethers
15 - Your eating habits change
13 - Vacation
12 - Major holidays
11 - Minor law violations (car ticket)
Your Total Score __________
I know it's a long list, but it will help to give you a clear
picture of your stress scale, so please take the time to do this
exercise.
Now lets look at Nutrition. I've heard it many times from
my client. 'I eat a healthy diet', but after getting them to fill
out a simple health questionnaire, they find out that their eating
habits were not as healthy as they thought. Not even close.
I'd like you to fill out the following questionnaire. Again be
honest with yourself. This is for your benefit.
Tick those that apply to each question.
Do you eat more then one piece of raw fruit a day?
Do you eat five or more servings of raw vegetables every day?
Do you eat sprouted whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, millet,
and other grains
at least 3 times a week?
Do you eat soaked raw nuts and seeds at least 3 times a week?
Do you eat seaweed at least 3 or 4 times a week?
Do you chew your food until it is liquid, before swallowing?
Do you avoid foods containing preservatives, additives, food coloring,
etc.?
Do you avoid sugar or foods with added sugar?
When you're stressed do you wait until it's gone before eating?
Did your mother breast-feed you as a baby (child)?
Do you take time to eat properly, even when tired?
Do you have breakfast each day?
Do you drink alkaline water (other pure water source) every day?
Do you drink 8 glasses or more of water each day?
Do you avoid drinking when eating?
Do you drink water 30 minutes before eating your meals?
Do you eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds,
grains, seaweed,
sprouts, instead of the same foods every
day?
Do you make raw vegetable juices more than once a week?
Do you have at least one green smoothie a day?
Let's look at one more thing for now and maybe we'll address some
other things another time.
Your Kidneys: You mentioned that your kidney's are sensitive. First I'd like
you to check with your doctor to make sure you don't have any
kidney stones. Before you start blaming oxalic acid, there are
other major causes of kidney stones. The oxalic acid issue is
going to be addressed in the green smoothie challenge coming up
soon, so join in and see for yourself what it's all about.
Here are some things to think about. The growth of your hair depends
on you having strong kidneys. Yes, you read that right. If you
have healthy strong kidneys, your body will produce lots of fast
growing healthy hair for you, guaranteed.
'So if my kidneys aren't strong, what do I do' you ask? Here are
a few suggestions:
Drink the proper amount of water each day for your weight
Avoid salt and processed foods (meats etc as well)
Eat foods that strengthen your kidney's (see list below)
If you would like a more extensive list and more information on
how to improve your teeth and nails, please call to set up a consultation
call with me.
Hope to hear from you!
To your Health
Monique Bastien
A Few Words From Tera
Hi, Elizabeth,
First of all, thank YOU for your courage to send in this letter.
I can only imagine how many hundreds of others consider doing
the same thing, but never do. So many people are afraid to ask
for help, or have just plain given up hope on the idea that help
can be found.
I've never been convinced by the idea that "you are what
you eat". I think you are the mosaic of all the thoughts,
painful memories, heartbreaks, and accidents you've ever experienced,
too. I'm so much more a believer that we are what we think. People
have overcome terminal illness by changing their minds and deciding
to live and to overcome their conditions.
If you've already taken the
Body Enlightenment System, then you know that we are committed
to offering a tremendous amount of support to our clients. What
you may not know, is that we have an ongoing coaching program
called, Body
Enlightenment Mastery, and you can learn a lot more about
it HERE.
These programs were created after observing women come for help
and healing through the raw food diet, then stumble and struggle
without success. I cannot even begin to state how totally important
it is to address and handle in a safe, supportive way the underlying
emotional/mental/spiritual issues that are the primary contributing
factor to your health.
Then, where food is concerned, the most important thing I think
I can tell you is that I will never say the Raw Food Diet is the
right diet for everyone. The very best friend you have is your
ability to observe how specific foods affect your body, then make
changes according to what feels best for YOU!
While I believe there are a lot of people who walk the talk,
I've also encountered many, many raw food educators that struggle
but aren't necessarily open about their struggles with their readers.
Remember to keep a somewhat critical eye where online information
and dietary advice are given. YOU are your own best guru! Don't
forget that!
Thanks again for sharing so much of where you're at, and for
reaching out. We'll do our best to help you find the solutions
that inspire, empower and uplift you to achieve the health and
the life you want and deserve!
Love and hugs,
Tera
A few more words, from Amy...
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for your message. I just wanted to add
my 2 cents, for what it's worth. While both Tera and Monique have
offered some excellent information and suggestions, I wanted to
add one final thought.
There are so many factors to health, as both Tera and Monique
have mentioned. I hope you get to the bottom of your hair-loss
mystery, but in the meantime, consider this:
Being successful on a raw food, doesn't necessarily imply that
one must be 100% raw.
Don't feel that adding
raw foods into your diet more slowly makes you any less successful!
Success is radiant health and doing what works best for YOU!
In my opinion, the key to raw success are greens, greens, and more greens. The rest can keep things very interesting, but if you find grass-fed beef works for you, why not enjoy it with a great, big, green salad and be happy as you toss your lovely locks and dig in!
All the best,
Amy
(Note: We did email Elizabeth and offered her a free consultation
to help address solutions for some of the underlying issues that
may be contributing to her struggles. For anyone with persistent
struggles and in need of more on-going support, I strongly suggest
you take a look at our Body
Enlightenment Mastery program.)
The
Raw Divas Proudly Presents Our Newest Release…
We've helped your release toxins,
fatigue and unwanted pounds.
Now get ready for the next level
of Diva Detox-CLUTTER BUSTING!!
If you would like to send
The Raw Divas feedback, suggest a "Health in High Heels Newsletter"
topic, or ask a question that could be featured in a future issue
of "Health in High Heels", please do not hesitate to send us a
messagecustomerservice@therawdivas.com.
Please note that we are unable to offer medical advice.
You aren't an ordinary diva, and since this bag is for you, it goes without saying that this won't be any ordinary cloth shopping bag! To make the hottest bag design ever, even HOTTER, we're asking YOU to submit your ideas for eco-inspiring, green smoothie loving, living foods advocating quotations, sayings, or witticisms to appear on one side of the Raw Diva Shopping Bag. 
Do You
Have Moles, Skin Tags or Skin Blemishes?
Will
YOU be the Winner of a spankin' new 
Ingredients:
Kick off your stilettos, pull up a green juice, and giggle with
the girls in 
Here's a gourmet
seasoning salt recipe to replace regular IODIZED (bad for your
body, body for your heart!) salt. The salt we are using to replace
regular bleached iodized salt is highly mineralized natural salt.
Enjoy!
Hi Sally!
, it is pure, no sugar, and
organic) I use half of a vanilla bean, just break it in half and
throw the bean in the blender with the ice cream ingredients.
Use 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla flavor.
Close your eyes and imagine that you are spending a glorious day
pampering yourself with this scrumptious body treatment at your
favorite spa. Not only will you be rejuvenating your soul, but
your skin will be left feeling soft, supple and refreshed.
Lavender oil (Lavendula angustifolia) is widely known for its
wound healing properties and with caution can be used on the skin
neat. Lavender Essential oil is generally used in skin care for
its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic properties. 
Combine grape seed oil and honey and mix well. Place grapes in
a mortar and pestle and crush into a pulp or you can also place
in a blender and pulse one time. Pour grape pulp into grape seed
oil and honey mixture and stir until completely blended. Place
raw almonds in a blender and blend to a ground almond consistency.
In a separate bowl combine ground almonds and cornmeal and stir
to completely mix both ingredients together. Combine grape seed
oil, honey, grapes, almond meal, cornmeal and stir into a smooth
consistency. Add rosewood essential oil, lavender essential oil
and rose otto essential oil into the mixture and blend until all
ingredients are blended. 
There are a few things that I have noticed for myself when eating
mostly raw/vegan. The first was that my monthly cycle was much
lighter and flowed better (Yippee!). I also lost several pounds
initially (gladly). I had better overall energy and was in a better
mood. But, there are a couple things that concern me regarding
the raw food diet, and that is in the category of hair, nails,
and teeth. I found that my teeth became very sensitive, my nails
weren't any healthier than when eating a healthy diet consisting
of cooked and raw foods, and my hair began falling out. Now, before
you send me an email saying that it's part of the detox process,
I say "No way, Jose!" 
100 - Death of a spouse
Do you eat more then one piece of raw fruit a day?
You mentioned that your kidney's are sensitive. First I'd like
you to check with your doctor to make sure you don't have any
kidney stones. Before you start blaming oxalic acid, there are
other major causes of kidney stones. The oxalic acid issue is
going to be addressed in the green smoothie challenge coming up
soon, so join in and see for yourself what it's all about.
First of all, thank YOU for your courage to send in this letter.
I can only imagine how many hundreds of others consider doing
the same thing, but never do. So many people are afraid to ask
for help, or have just plain given up hope on the idea that help
can be found.
While I believe there are a lot of people who walk the talk,
I've also encountered many, many raw food educators that struggle
but aren't necessarily open about their struggles with their readers.
Remember to keep a somewhat critical eye where online information
and dietary advice are given. YOU are your own best guru! Don't
forget that!