Vol. 3, Issue 48, April 9, 2009

Devoted to Detox

From the Desk of the Diva

We're in full detox mode as those of us who started the FREE 90-Day Detox over 50 days ago are now ready and rarin' to go with the next step of the process. The Deep Tissue Detox has arrived and registrations are coming in.

The diva blog has been a veritable source of inspiration and if you've missed any of the interviews, then I encourage you to check them out. Just click, scroll and click again to see what's been going on as part of our FREE 90-Day Detox. (You can still register at any time, by the way.) The fact that I made a commitment to posting on the blog daily for 90 days means things have come alive in a whole new way around here and it's a lot of fun. On the way from yoga last night I was thinking, "Maybe I should start a 365-Day Detox" just to keep the momentum going. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

In the spirit of spring and detox, we've decided to host a FREE teleseminar with detox maven Dr. Ritamarie. It's happening on Thursday, April 16th and I highly recommend you sign up now, so you don't miss this opportunity.  I can't tell you everything, but let's just say that I'm going to do something on this call that is so ridiculous I wouldn't DARE offer it in print. If you have ever wanted to know more about detox, if you've ever wanted to access this information or any of our programs, but just didn't feel you could, then you DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS CALL! (For the reasons I've just mentioned, this call will only be availble for 48 hours after we've recorded it!)

Please feel free to invite anyone you think may benefit from this information as well, by forwarding this newsletter.

Last week I was really into daisies, but this week sunflowers have captivated my heart--the awakening of vibrant spring colors within me! Here's to your happiness, your health and the freedom you have at any moment to choose to have a spectacular day.

Sunshine and love bubbles,

Tera

In This Issue:

Special FREE Teleseminar: Understanding Detox with Dr. Ritamarie

Recipe of the Week: Gluten-Free Tabouli Salad (Adapted for Detox)

Feature Article: How to Lighten Your Chemical Load and Reduce the Harmful Effects of Environmental Toxins (Without Freaking Out The Family)

CLICK HERE to Supercharge Your Smoothies

With Happy Thoughts and Good Vibrations!

Gluten-Free Tabouli Salad (Adapted to Detox)

By CelesteRawMama (In The Powder Room)

Here is a very simple salad that can easily be adapted to the detox diet. This is one of my favorite salads raw or anytime, and since I am gluten-sensitive, it has the added bonus of being gluten-free.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (or a heaping handful of cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in halves).

To replace the bulgar, add your choice of soaked quinoa, raw sesame seeds, or chopped raw sunflower seeds or hemp seeds sprinkled generously on top (might want to go for soaked quinoa, sesame, or sunflower seeds on detox because hemp seeds are more fatty).

Dulse flakes or sea salt (optional! Do not add salt on detox!) to taste.

Your choice of finely chopped green onion, fresh garlic, cucumber & celery (also optional, to taste).

Finally juice of 1-2 lemons freshly squeezed on top. Mix it all together and you'll have the tastiest tabouli you've ever tried!

Another clever substitution: Instead of bulgar, you can process cauliflower in your food processor and use that to replace the bulgar and other suggested replacements above! Sign up for our FREE Nutritional-Myth Busting Mini-Course to find out why cauliflower is one of the best foods you can include in your diet!

Uh-oh!

Did the crackers jump out of the closet and force you to eat them again?

Relax, Sister! We've been there, too!

How to Lighten Your Chemical Load And Reduce The Harmful Effects of Environmental Toxins (Without Freaking Out the Family)

By  Linda Hansen

When you start to become aware of the chemicals that surround you and your family every day, it can a bit overwhelming to figure out where to start making change.  I used to think I would just purge all the bad stuff at once, and be done with it, but it hasn't worked out that way .  I make one small change and then a little later down the road get ready to take on something else.  No matter what I do to improve the situation, I recognize that we cannot ever completely escape toxicity. We can, however, improve conditions enough to reduce the toxic burden we carry and minimize the risks. I hope the tips and resources I've included here will help you do that.

Our bodies are designed to clean themselves continuously, and they had better keep on doing that.  That is how we stay healthy.  The purpose of many of the cleansing programs we find through Raw Divas and elsewhere is to give our bodies a chance to catch up a bit by removing excess and accumulation.  It's much easier, then, to form new habits that will reduce our exposure and miminize the risk of developing illness from toxic overload.  Naturally our organs are designed to eliminate toxins and maintain a healthy internal environment, but when overburdened by excessive pollution, stress and poor dietary habits, these natural lines of defense break down and illness, exhaustion and upset move in.

Let's address some of the ways we can eliminate or reduce the level of toxic exposure in the home. Depending on your lifestyle, this is a place we spend a lot of time, so it would make sense to address the risks of toxicity. Around here we try to respect a healthy gradient. If you do realize your home presents some significant health risks, make gradual changes first and observe the results. Don't get overhwlemed by the idea of change and avoid becoming excessively fearful of your environment. Just keep moving in the right direction and you'll get there eventually. Here's an idea that might help:

"The Box": A Tool For Transition

In our family, we keep a box in the laundry room, right next to the back door.  Mine is an apple crate I got from the produce section of my grocery.  It is a good size box and strong enough to support some weight.  It's there to store the things that we consider to be "in transition" or on the way out--things we'd like to stop eating, using or having around the house. Old habits die hard and having this box means we've got a way to eeeease into some new choices. I'm not interested in imposing change on my family in a way that causes upset or a rebellion. So, when I want to make change as painless as possible for my family, I put something in "the box".  It can be anything from a food product, to a cleaning product, to a personal care item. It really can be anything!  It just gives me a period of evaluation, and time to find a convenient replacement that is healthier, or build a new habit.

We have actually eaten out of the box until whatever we were trying to eliminate was finally gone!  (We just kept returning the container to the box to remind us that this food was under consideration and on its way out.)  We try to address different areas of our lives, not just the food, but shampoos, cleaning products or other objects we'd like to do without.  Sometime it goes in spurts, but we just keep gently, persistently working at incorporating new changes and remain open to the needs and suggestions of all the members of the family.

Keep Your Cleaning Supplies Simple

I use common baking soda for quite a bit of my cleaning now and it does just as well as the old toxic variety.  We buy distilled vinegar by the gallon and keep it in a spray bottle by the sink.  We also use ordinary hydrogen peroxide solution in a spray bottle, too.  Dr. Mercola, has an interesting article on his website about the amazingly powerful cleaning combination of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar and you can read Dr. Mercola's article right here. Thanks to just this simple trick, I have finally been able to get rid of dangerous disinfectant wipes in my kitchen and bathroom.

Other Helpful Resources

I have found some websites that have been very helpful to our learning and thought I'd share them with you.  EWG, Environmental Working Group, is a wealth of information.  You can learn what foods have the most toxic residue based on testing and print out a pocket guide to carry with you as you shop.  (I suggest you print off several copies to keep in your purse, so you can share them with people.) They have a page for body care products where you can look up your soaps, shampoos, contact lens solution, etc.  The information on these pages will help you  make informed decisions about what you bring in to your home because you'll understand how it affects your health and that of your family.

Another resource I have found helpful is The Organic Consumer's Association.   Ronnie Cummins has some great information on dioxin residues that have been found through independent testing in personal care products we buy at our natural food stores.  While the words "made with organic ingredients" may be on the label, this doesn't guarantee the integrity of the product. Ronnie Cummins tells you which brands tested consistently clean and how to read labels to buy safer natural body care products. Mike Adams, The Health Ranger, has many helpful and informative articles and interviews on his website. You can find Mike Adam's interview with Ronnie Cummins on dioxins here.

These are just a few ideas and resources that I hope will help you on your path.  They are a place to start. Whether you are looking at your food, what you put on your body or what you use to clean your home, "the box" is a great tool to gradually transition  yourself to healthier, more ecological choices. Remember to take change on a gradient. There's no need to become fearful or stressed when you can consciously, gently make change in a way that is comfortable for you and others who are directly influenced by these changes. The fact that you're on the path to increasing your awareness and becoming action-oriented means we'll all benefit. Remember to talk with your friends and share resources.  Forward this article to someone you know and encourage them to make change on a gradient, too.

Self-improvement and taking responsibility for our environment is a lifelong process.

Linda Hansen

You cannot escape them.

They are in your food, your water and in the air you breathe.

You make them when you eat, are stressed or exhausted.

KNOW THY ENEMY!

(So you can kick it in the butt and feel AMAZING!)

SIGN UP NOW for a FREE In-depth Teleseminar with Dr. Ritamarie and Tera Warner.

Find Out How To Comfortably Eliminate Toxins and Get Back the Health and Energy You Deserve!

Marketplace and Recommended Resources

5 Minutes to Fresh Food! (And check out the BONUSES!)

Can't resist those late night snack sessions? Read THIS!

Raw desserts that will end your cheesecake cravings!

CLICK THE RASPBERRY! ;-)