Vol. 3, Issue 39: January 22, 2009

From the Desk of the Divas

Wintery kisses to you, Sunshine! I have sooo been enjoying the frosty wonderland here in Montreal! Spending time skating, rolling in snow and running in my new winter gear has has been enjoying (yes ENJOYING) winter so much!

Things have literally been hopping and buzzing around here as our incredible Raw Diva community grows by leaps and bounds. In response to the increased activity around here, we're pleased to officially welcome Doll Creelman to our Customer Service desk. Keely, who is the "real boss" around here, will be working her magic in The Powder Room, handling your orders and making sure we're running a tight ship!

Big thanks to Shayla, who put this week's Health in High Heels together, Jimblolicious Gilker fields the constant attack of to do lists from all sides, and to YOU, dear diva, for being here, supporting us and taking the time out of your busy schedule to see what we're up to!

We want to let you know that even with all the action going on around here, we've received your emails, seen your concerns listed in the buddy surveys and on the forums, and we're here to help!  This week's newsletter is going to to address some of the most common hot topics, such as detoxing, finding portable raw snacks for work and travel, and the NUMBER 1 question of the season: How to STAY raw in cold weather!

We definitely encourage you to check out the articles and support on The Raw Diva blog the Green Smoothie Blog and Raw Mom Shannon Leone has been busy, busy busy with some amazing interviews with Caroline Dupont, Kate Magic and much, much MORE!

Thanks again for being here! We hope this issue brings you something useful and puts a smile on your face.

Love and hugs,

Tera

In this issue:

• Staying Raw When it's COLD Outside
• Tonify Your LIVER
• Portable Raw Snackeroos
• NEW PRODUCTS including a 90-Day Deep Tissue Detox
• Hot New E-book from Angela Elliott
• Find out how you can get a brand new Green Smoothie Recipe E-Book for only $1 (THIS OFFER IS NOW FINISHED)
  

How to Stay Raw in Winter Weather

By Shannon Leone

This is a question that comes up a lot.  I remember when I first discovered the whole raw thing...I mean, I had HEARD about the benefits of a raw food diet, I thought it was mostly for really ill people.  I didn't know people were doing it voluntarily! When I finally went raw many years later, voluntarily haha, I remember really wondering how we would get through our first winter...was it dangerous to even try?  LOL.  I actually wondered about that!  As a mom, I didn't mind experimenting on myself or my husband, (tee hee) but our children were so little, 3 and 4, and I was concerned.

So, what I did first, was steep myself like a tea-bag in as much data and information as I could get my hands on (which wasn't that much because I didn't have a computer).  I went to a few lectures with Brian Clement, raw chef Juliano, and David Wolfe.  Then I took a workshop called THE POWER OF RAW with life-food instructor Erika Wolff.  A girlfriend gave me a copy of Nomi Shannon's book RAW GOURMET and armed with all that plus regular visits to the Library and Chapters to research more and find recipes, I made up my mind.  Raw was doable- even during the winter!

Perhaps it was more inspiration than good judgement...all I know was WE DID IT!  We all went 100% raw.  Did we miss our comforting hot pots of soup?  YES!  Did we miss our steaming rice bowls piled high with cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and beets, sprinkled with black sesame seeds and some nori shreds with lemon, tahini and Braggs? YES!  What about a cup-a-tea, or baked squash, or oatmeal with apples? Oh, YES!  We DID miss all those.  But, we noticed something really beautiful happening inside the 4 walls of our little country home...we were HAPPY!  We felt ALIVE!  We felt inspired!  We had already been 5 months raw before winter hit, so we were pretty confident we could continue.  We were bonding during this challenge.

In fact, what was interesting was we found it almost EASIER to be raw in the winter because of one simple fact:  It is sooooo cold, about 30 below often, that you just kind of ‘hunker down' and HIBERNATE.  Unlike the summers which are so social, we didn't venture out much, so avoiding DISTRACTIONS like parties, picnics, barbecues, not to mention even just driving by all the restaurants and fast-food joints- all that wasn't tempting us, so we just did our own thing.

When the Thanksgiving and Christmas HOLIDAYS came...it was tough, it was really tough.  My husband's family was already put off by the fact that I had chosen to forgo vaccinating our children, and was homeschooling.  They didn't understand our choices.  I knew the ‘food thing' was going to possibly be another ‘issue' for them...I had no idea how BIG!  But, we just brought TONS of food- platters of crudite and raw dip, salad, fruit platter, a RAW soup, and RAW PIE.  I figured, if I could just sorta ‘blend-in'...well, this was all sooooo different from the standard PIZZA, PASTA, FOCACIA, BRUCHETTA, MEAT, and CHEESE laden meal that we all normally share...Everyone thought it was ‘cute' and ‘a lot of extra work, and for what?' lol.  I don't think it really bothered anyone what Luke and I chose to ate, but when I refused the sacred pasta for the kids...the bleep hit the fan!

So ya, holidays have always been challenging.  Over the years, I have learned to make compromises when we go out, for everyone's sake.  But now, I am actually reverting back.  It has been 7 years on this beautiful journey, and although certain people are NOW asking ME for recipes and tips on their diet and health, YAE!  Many are still closed-minded and negative.  I believe that diets that are concentrated and highly addictive, including alcohol and cigarettes, can affect people's ability to open up to new possibilities, to change itself, which is what growing and Life is all about...

So now, I choose to hold my own standards more now, even if others find it disagreeable to them.  I have never ridicule their choices, and find it amazing that they would be so critical of another's...but, again, I feel compassion for their rigidity, their anger, their pain.  And I am sooooo grateful that I have been BLESSED to have learned about, and have been able to incorporate and discover more and more benefits of a RAW food lifestyle.

One of the lighter sides of being a raw foodist, especially in the FREEZING months of winter, has been noticing how much STRONGER and resilient and healthier we all feel, and TESTING ourselves.  Especially me- I used to SUFFER every winter.  I can recall hiding inside the bathrooms during recess as a schoolgirl whenever it was cold out, only to be found out by the janitors and forced out into the old!  NOW, I am learning to not only make peace with the weather, all weather, but to enjoy it as much as I can.  I do ">POLAR DIPS and ">BAREFOOT hikes in the snow and I refrain from putting the heat on as much as possible when in the car or house.  It took years to reach this point, but being raw in the winter is as easy now and enjoyable as any time.

Do we still eat raw during the winters?  Absolutely!  About 90%.  For the most part,  it's grated root veggie salads, including DAIKON, and squashes, yams and sweet potatoes with curry and other spices and peppers for warming, more dehydrated foods than normal,  such as muffins, energy bars, breads, cookies, crackers and fruit leathers, PLUS sprouted lentil chilli, nut burgers and pates, parsnip pine nut nori rolls, zucchini brazil nut crust pizzas, and heavy nut milks, ‘cheesecakes', raw oat groat porridges, lots of AVOCADO and DURIAN (see pic) all this and more is hearty winter chow too!  Kids don't care if food is served warm or room temperature, so that helps.  But, I find with kids, they almost NEED the ‘symbolic' warmth from some of their traditional meals they remember and love, brothy soups or grain with veggies...it ‘grounds' them, and just feels comforting. Cheese made from raw milk goes in the school lunch 2x a week.  Plain yogurt, too. We eat very simply, especially when I cook- usually less than 5 ingredients per cooked dish, in fact usually only 2 ie millet and asparagus, quinoa and cauliflower, that type of thing. Or some boiled yucca/cassava root. No sauces, no chemicals.  Just maybe some olive oil, and lemon or celtic sea salt, miso or tahini.  It is actually 30 below with 3 feet of snow as I write this- has been for weeks, will be for months more.  A nice wholesome soup once a week, or a whole-grain dish or baked squash, enhances our beautiful, simple raw diet.

Amazingly, my family is so used to GREEN JUICES OR GREEN SMOOTHIES or FRESH FRUIT every morning for breakfast  that even in these freezing temperatures, they would never even think of having eggs or hot cereal or toast. They also make a great after-school snack. (see pic)  Being RAW makes your body adjust to life better- even frosty mornings or long, cold nights. I am currently writing a book which will really address this issue and so much more called RAW MOM/COOKED DAD which will be out THIS SPRING!

Enjoy your food, whatever level of rawness you can manage this winter, follow your heart and its commitments, and may the light of that peace and acceptance bless and warm your happy home!

Love, Raw Mom Shannon

Shannon Leone is a passionate writer, domestic engineer, and Raw Mom who brings amazing interviews, recipes, support and content to our Raw Mom website. You can contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and find her amazing DVD, Raising Children Raises Us here.

Click HERE to Take Our Toxicity Self-Assessment!

A Green Smothie Liver Tonic

By Tracy Neely

Come this time of year, I feel my body say, it's time to cleanse so I can feel rejuvenated. This is a very powerful blend so start out using a small amount of beets. They are great and make one of the best tonics for the liver. The liver is the largest gland in the human body and is responsible for producing bile, metabolizing, and performing several other functions that keep us in good health. A healthy liver benefits all parts of the body. Without a properly functioning liver, the body can't function at peak capacity.

Beets

Beets are a two-in-one vegetable as you can enjoy both their roots and leaves. Studies show that beets protect liver cells from harmful chemicals with the compounds betacyanin, a red pigment found in red beets and betaxanthin, a yellow pigment found in yellow beets. Both of these pigments can provide powerful antioxidant protection. Beets are rich in folate, a water soluble B vitamin important for a healthy heart and essential for normal tissue growth. The red pigment in beets raises antioxidant enzyme levels in the liver and may promote detoxification in the intestines, blood and liver.
Beet greens are delicious and are rich in vitamins and minerals as well as beta-carotene and lutein. They have almost twice the potassium of the beet root and contain high levels of folic acid, which can help ward off certain birth defects and lung cancer.

Dandelion

Dandelion has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a powerful liver tonic. Dandelion is said to enhance the flow of bile in your body, improving the function of your liver, and remedy liver conditions such as hepatitis, gallstones, and jaundice. A daily cup of dandelion tea is recommended for anyone who feels run-down, sluggish, and over-stressed. Dandelion greens are also an incredibly healthy food - chock full of vitamin C, higher in beta-carotene than carrots and richer in iron and calcium content than spinach.

Live Tonic Smoothie Recipe

• ½ small beet, juiced (you can blend the beet in your blender, if your blender has a powerful motor)
• 3 to 4 beet green leaves
• 3 to 4 dandelion leaves
• ¼ to ½ lemon
• 2 apples
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1 cup water

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy is busy studying nutrition and holistic health in Orlando, Florida where she lives with her husband, Michael and their cute little tiger, Connor (1).  Watch our blog and weekly newletters for her recipes and pampering tools, and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any of your beauty questions.

"Portable" Raw Recipe:  Power Balls

By Shayla Roberts

I've seen SOOO many people asking the same question..."What can we take in our lunches to work that are portable, filling, and easy to prepare?"  This recipe  (and WOW do I feel silly calling it a "recipe") is just something I've been playing around with this week.  And the great thing is...you can adapt it to WHATEVER ingredients you happen to have.   I like to make big batches of these because they last for a long time in the fridge.

These are VERY dense and it takes very few to tide you over.  My husband LOOOVES having a few of these in his lunchbox every day at work.  He'll eat them with a few bananas, apples, or grapefruits and just make a meal of it; he's perfectly satisfied all day!  The kids dig 'em, too...they taste like gussied up FUDGE!

Wet Ingredient base:

• Agave Necter
• Raw nut butters (I like raw CRUNCHY almond butter, or sometimes tahini)
• Coconut butter (we use Artisana, and fork mash it to leave some chunks, which give a sort of "white chocolate chip" effect when these are cold)

Dry Ingredient base:

• Hemp/flax/sesame seeds (ground OR whole)
• Other nuts/seeds such as raw sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, walnuts (larger nuts should be chopped pretty finely, to about sunflower seed size)
• Dry fruit such as raisins, goji berries or other berries, prunes, figs (chopped or processed in a food processor).  But NOT TOO MANY unless you're going for a "date ball" kind of thing; I prefer to eat fruit fresh and add a few powdered goji berries for taste ONLY.
• Any powder ingredients you like the taste of, like cacao, carob, or mesquite (I'm loving mesquite, which is so lovely and chocolatey!) Maybe a little vanilla bean powder?

The idea here is to pick ingredients that pack a nutritional WALLOP while still being pleasing to your tastebuds.  Don't force yourself to eat goji berries and maca if you don't ENJOY them!

Once you've mixed the wet and dry ingredients separately, combine them until a thick, sticky dough forms.  Roll little blobs of this in coconut or sesame seeds until they're roughly blob-shaped.  Refrigerate and enjoy a little pick-me-up throughout the week.

Your Rabbit Food Days Are OVER!

Angela Elliott has Released Her New Book!

Raw Food Meals To Impress Without The Hassle!

ORDER NOW and Save $5.00 off our Regular Price

Imagine "You Can't Believe It's Not Meatloaf," "Alive in Italy Bread," "Lost on the South Sea Corn Chowder," and our favorite..."Pot O' Captain's Chili."  Which, by the way, is perfect for these cold winter months, so we're including it as a teaser! See below!

Sneak Peak Recipe from: The Simple Gourmet

by Angela Elliott

Pot O'Captain's Chili

Special equipment needed: dehydrator

Chili ingredients:

• 1 cup raw barley, soaked for 3 days, drained and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, unsoaked
• ½ sweet onion
• 3 tablespoons of raw olive oil
• ½ cup of the following fresh herbs: cilantro and parsley
• 1 tablespoon Celtic salt
• 10 heirloom tomatoes
• 5 stalks of celery
• 2 bell peppers, one yellow and one red
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 hot pepper of choice
• 3 ears of corn, use more if needed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon raw agave nectar

Directions:

Put everything except for the barley and corn in the blender and blend until smooth, it will still be a little coarse, you want that texture! Add the corn and barley and place in a pot. Put the pot in the dehydrator for 16 -20 hours on 104 degrees.

ORDER THIS BOOK TODAY and Save $5.00 off our Regular Price!

How To Get Our Latest

Green Smoothie Recipe E-book for Only $1

(So sorry, this offer is now ENDED!)

Dear Green Smoothie Goer,

You know how people keep coming up and asking you how you lost that weight, what you do that makes your skin looks so fabulous, or what gives you that extra pep in your step when your friends and coworkers are barely dragging through the day?

How do you answer them?

If you're like me, you probably try to explain about green smoothies! Of course, the idea of blended spinach and bananas can make a few eyes roll. People say they could never do that, how strange or unappealing it sounds.  You dig through your purse for a pen and a piece of scrap paper to jot down the GSQ web address, because you know that if they could get more info, read testimonials, see the lovely pictures...you just KNOW they'd want to give it a shot.

But who can ever find anything in their purse, anyways?  

What you need is a hook, to lure people in--something intriguing and appealing, with FLASH POWER that just BEGS to be checked out. 

Introducing the shiny and beautiful Green Smoothie Queen business cards!  We've printed 10,000 of these babies!  That's right...TEN THOUSAND.  But we can't sprinkle them around this planet on our own. That's why, we've decided to offer you a brand new collection of Green Smoothie recipes from our Green Smoothie Countdown to Christmas program. There are 50 green smoothie recipes and they're all yours for $1, IF, you're willing to help us out with spreading these cards around your local area.

You can help us out.  I want to send big chunks of these cards out to anyone who's willing to get creative in helping spread the green smoothie love!

Anybody who is interested would send ONE DOLLAR to us through Paypal at . We aren't asking for the $1 as payment, but to help your busy busy Queen with shipping, so that she can print labels and mail these from home and save a lot of going back and forth to the Post Office.

When sending the $1, you can note "GSQ cards" in the subject line, and you can note in the comments box how many you want, or if you just want a "big chunk" (how ever many I can stuff in the envelope).  If you have the opportunity to pass out more, let us know if you want a larger amount...200, 500, or more!  Honestly, I probably won't count these out EXACTLY, but I promise to be in the ballpark.

For anyone who CAN'T pay with Paypal, you can still get your GSQ cards, just email Shayla at  and let her know how many you want and what your mailing address is. Once we receive your $1 or your email message, we'll send you the latest ebook collection of Green Smoothie recipes. Of all the things we do around here, we think the Green Smoothie program is the most appropriate for introducing others to a healthier diet. We've made the program user-friendly for people at any level of experience with the "Raw Food Diet" and we've made these cards flashy and gorgeous enough that anyone with half a sparkle in their eye will pick it up and check it out!  (Remember: 60% of the cost of this program go to supporting the vegan sailors on Captain Watson's ship who are out there saving whales with the Sea Shepherd Organization!)

Unfortunately this offer is now ENDED. Check back again soon, we may be offering it again in the future.

So that's the scoop, my dear. Thank you so much for your support in helping us get the message out!

*Smoooch!*

The Green Smoothie Queen

Marketplace

Registrations Close on February 1st! Sign up for our 90-Day Deep Tissue Detox program TODAY!!

The Simple Gourmet is hot off the e-press! Impress your guests, without the hassle! ORDER TODAY and Save $5!

We are running out of POI again!  The poi-spinning phase is sweeping our raw community and we're having trouble keeping up, so get 'em before they're gone!  (Better than push-ups for getting a gorgeous upper bod!!)

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HOODIES, T-Shirts, Mugs and MORE, all emblazoned with the Raw Divas LOGO.  You'll be stylin' in gear from our Cafe Press shop!

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