Articles archived for August 2009

I’ll definitely never, ever forget the few days it took mom and me to pull this dress together. I had a terrible time finding just the right material. I had originally wanted a soft pink with a darker pink (small) floral print but I couldn’t find what I had in mind (of course, that’s what I get for waiting ’till the last minute, huh?!)

I really wanted to go to the 9th Annual Spring Planting Festival, though.

Once I decided on a dress pattern and settled on the green vintage material with small rose print, plus the other stuff we needed, we gathered it all up and got busy….

Sewing Materials

Cutting Out the Pattern

Green Buttons & Thread

Time to Sew!

Almost Done!

Let me tell ya, it took two very, very late nights (Or should I say early?) of staying up ’till around 3 a.m., plus 3 full days to get this dress done. My mom hadn’t sewn an outfit since I was a kid, and me? Well, let’s just say I’d better stick to juices and writing! LOL

Seriously, it seemed like it took a gazillion yards of fabric to make this dress!

And, of course, when it came time to actually go to the festival, we were…

Two Tired-Lookin’ Pioneer Ladies!

(Right before we left for the festival.)

At the Festival

(I’m SUCH a Proud Dork!)

Mom & Me

Singin’ In the Rain!

(Mom wasn’t singing, but it really was raining on us!)

Gotta Love a Stylin’ Goat!

Coming Next

Get ready, ’cause in the next post, I’m sharing the adventures of meeting K.C. Compton, Editor-In-Chief of Ogden Publications. And did y’all know she can sing like an angel? Oh, yes, she can! Totally amazing lady.

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

To Share the BIG News!

A while back, I mentioned to you all that I had gone to an old-fashioned festival, and that I’d had the AMAZING opportunity to meet not only the Editor of GRIT magazine (Hank Will), but also the Editor-In-Chief of Ogden Publications, K.C. Compton. Let me just tell you, I never thought I’d have that experience. It was my first time ever meeting an editor, so to meet both of these fantabulous people just sent this country girl to Orbit!

I feel SO very honored and blessed to have experienced meeting them, and I’ll cherish the memory forever and always. The reason it took so long for me to post about it (I met them back in May of this year) is because that HUGE event of meeting them was SO very bittersweet.

It was that very weekend (while I was leaving the festival) that I received a call that forever changed my life: I found out my 28-year-old precious cousin had lost her life that very morning in a tragic car accident. This girl was the life of the party, and she was far more than just a cousin to me–she was like the little sister I never had. I loved her deeply and have missed her beyond words.

That, on top of the other the recent tragedies I had just faced, was too much–it was all overwhelming. I ended up  falling off the 100% raw food wagon because the old emotional eating habits kicked in.

I do have a writing blog (Writing the Cyber Highway), but I decided to share all this on Healing with (Raw) Juices because the old-fashioned festival I attended is all about heirloom seeds and produce, eco-friendly living, and the old way of life–which is what I feel I’m all about here on this blog.

On a Lighter Note

Y’all know I’m all about inspiration, motivation, and happy, smiley thoughts, so I don’t want to leave you feeling depressed. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming up: I’ll share the experience of my Mom sewing my pioneer dress in the first of this 3-part series. The second post will share photos and my thoughts on meeting K.C. Compton. And the last post of this series, part three, will share photos and my feelings about meeting Hank Will.

And… a sneak peek of the dress my Mom was kind enough to make for me (I helped–cut out the pattern, that is!)

Look Mom, No Sleeves!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

Another contest has ended here at Healing with (Raw) Juices and another winner has been selected by Mr. Random (random.org). So, who gets to gobble up Natalia Rose’s wisdom on detoxing and women’s health?

Let’s see…

Mr. Random shot out #13, and who did that comment belong to?

Winning #

Winning Comment

Comment #13 belongs to Elizabeth, of the Don’t (White) Sugar-Coat It blog.

13 Elizabeth { 08.22.09 at 6:44 pm }

and i tweeted (@ellie88)
what is plurking?? google here i come!

And her comment sharing why she thinks she’ll benefit from Natalia Rose’s book, Detox 4 Women:

12 Elizabeth { 08.22.09 at 6:42 pm }

This sounds like an amazing book! I have never done a detox, and although i really want to, they always feel so daunting! I love that this book is tailored to women and that she allows for a little bit of cooked whole foods in it. I would also like to see what she has to say about irregular menses. thanks for the contest!

Congratulations!

And now you’ll find out–congrats to you, Elizabeth! Shoot me an email (healingwithjuices at gmail dot com) with your mailing address and I’ll get your book in the mail as soon as possible!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

This is just a short post to let remind you about that latest contest that ends tonight, plus a bonus contest I discovered in the blogsphere today and wanted to share with you all. I’m working very hard to bring more reviews and contests to you, so I’ll be posting lots of good stuff soon!

Until then….

Contest #1

Detox 4 Women (by Natalia Rose) ends. Be sure to get those entries in!

Contest #2

Want some honey from Tropical Traditions? Then make like a bee and fly on over to the What’s for Dinner? blog and enter Mara’s Sweet as Honey Giveaway!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First, I’d like to remind you that tomorrow night, August 28th, at 9 p.m. (Central Time), the contest for Detox 4 Women (by Natalia Rose) ends. Be sure to get those entries in!

We have two winners!

The Food Matters DVD contest ended tonight, August 27th, at 9 p.m. (Central Time). There were two DVDs to give away, so when I went to visit Mr. Random (random.org), I went through the process twice. First up, comment #20. Who was this, you ask? Well, Crazy Vegan Mom, of course! Congrats to you!

Winner # 1

Winning entry:

20 Crazy Vegan Mom { 08.23.09 at 3:49 pm }

I tweeted, my tweet name is CrazyVeganMom
here is the url to my tweet http://twitter.com/CrazyVeganMom/status/3498329085

Winner #2

The second time around, Mr. Random shot out #32. And, who did that comment belong to? Stephanie, from The Skinny Plate! Congrats to you!

Winning entry:

32 Titan Peeler & Julienne Tool « The Skinny Plate { 08.27.09 at 7:31 pm }

[...] Check out these awesome giveaways: Food Matters, Detox 4 Women & [...]

Extra entry sharing why she wanted to win:

33 theskinnyplate { 08.27.09 at 7:41 pm }

Thanks for such a great giveaway. I think this DVD is a great motivational film to clean up my eating style.

Congratulations, Ladies!

Zip me an email with your mailing address (healingwithjuices at gmail dot com) and I’ll get your DVDs in the mail as soon as possible!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

It seems like the blogosphere has contest fever!

I wanted to remind you all that the contest for the Food Matters DVD ends tonight, August 27th, at 9 p.m. (Central Time). I’ll be giving away TWO copies of this life-changing, phenomenal DVD!

Tomorrow night, August 28, at the same time, the contest for Detox 4 Women (by Natalia Rose) ends.

I’ve generously given you SIX ways to enter both of these contests to ensure you have every opportunity possible to win.

Bonus 1:

Ever heard of a Vita-Mix? If you’re in to raw nut butters, smoothies, and other healthy creations, I’m sure you have. Want to win one? I’m sure you do. Me, too! Eeek! How exciting, huh?

Well, Jessie Hawkins is hosting a contest for a Vita-Mix. Competition is fierce–and I DO mean fierce, people–so be sure to get those entries in! She gives you several ways to enter: comment, Facebook, Twitter, mention on your blog. Hurry, contest ends August 31st! Click here to enter. (Oh, and it’s valued at $450!)

Bonus 2:

Love Greek yogurt? I do! Heather over at Heather Bakes is hosting a Chobani Greek yogurt contest with all sorts of yummy flavors! Head on over for several chances to enter: via comment, linking back, and/or Twitter. Contest ends 8am Central DST this Friday, August 28th. Click here to enter.

First, I’d like to remind you about TWO contests I currently have running:

• Food Matters DVD Review + Contest. (Contest ends Thursday, August 27th. There are SIX ways to win!!)
• Detox 4 Women (by Natalia Rose) Review + Contest (Contest ends Friday, August 28th. There are SIX ways to win!)

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

My sparkling blog pal, Cindy (from A Sparkle a Day) has been insisting I try this overnight breakfast oatmeal cookie thing. She first got the idea from Alison (of the Mama’s Weeds blog). I have taken long enough to give it a try and she’d probably already given up on me, but I finally got in the mood to try it out. I decided to whip it up “Hemp-Loving Girl” style and got a little crazy with the phrase….

Going Green

I decided to go green with my first oatmeal breakfast cookie because 1) I have a ginormous container of Hemp Pro 70 to use up and 2) because I don’t have a blender at the moment and need to be creative with using my hemp powder. I’ve already had it in steel-cut oats and a chocolate hemp shake–it was just time to green up the breakfast cookie, I think!

So, what went into my green (hemp) oatmeal cookie?

Raw Chia Seeds

Organic Green Stevia Powder

Hemp Pro 70 Powder

Original Hemp Bliss (Unsweetened)

Goin’ In a Bowl

1/2 cup organic rolled oats

1 tablespoon certified organic (RAW) chia seeds (NavitasNaturals)

1 tablespoon certified organic almond butter

4 tablespoons Hemp Pro 70 powder (www.manitobaharvest.com)

1/2 teaspoon organic green stevia powder (from Navitas Naturals)

6 tablespoons Original, Unsweetened Hemp Bliss (www.manitobaharvest.com)

Note: I didn’t have any nanners

Mashed Into a Cookie

Into the Fridge

This Morning

Adios!

Verdict?

I think this is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever eaten. Last night when I put this in the fridge, I was a little worried. I mean a big, green glob of oats smeared flat on a plate just kind of blew my mind a little. I wasn’t sure Raw Juice Girl knew what she was doing–seriously!

Does that mean it was horrid? Nope! After the first few bites, I actually really liked it! It was still weird, though. I mean, it’s weird eating a cold, smashed oatmeal thing on a plate. Don’t ya think? LOL

What I liked is that I tasted the yummy nutty hempness (thanks www.manitobaharvest.com!) and I could taste the sweetness of the organic green stevia powder (thanks Navitas Naturals!) and the oats were soft and chewy. I’m still wondering how it would have turned out if I’d had bananas. I’m definitely going to make this again when I have bananas to see how it tastes then. And, of course, I have all sorts of other combos running wild in my mind!

Have you ever made an overnight oatmeal breakfast cookie? Did you like it? Not like it? Why/why not? Leave a comment and share your cold oatmeal cookie experience–and a link if you have one!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First, I’d like to remind you about TWO contests I currently have running:

• Food Matters DVD Review + Contest. (Contest ends Thursday, August 27th. There are SIX ways to win!!)
• Detox 4 Women (by Natalia Rose) Review + Contest (Contest ends Friday, August 28th. There are SIX ways to win!)

Let’s Talk Chocolate!

You may remember the other day when I posted my chocolate avocado pudding experiment (it turned out delish!) or yesterday when I posted my Chocolate-Vanilla Hemp Bliss Shake recipe.

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!

I’ve always had a great love for chocolate. Growing up, I’d always lean toward the German Chocolate cake, Snickers candy bar, or even an Almond Joy. Now, after losing over 100 pounds and focusing on a high-raw, whole foods diet, I tend to hold those forms of chocolate a distant memory–other than a rare, rare occasion when I go bonkers and splurge (like on my birthday).

But there’s bound to be a way for a girl to enjoy her chocolate in a healthy way, right? A way other than a tiny square of dark chocolate (which I really don’t like all that much, by the way). I’ve always been more of a milk chocolate gal myself. (See my dilemma here?)

Enter: Heather’s Gluten-Free Blog

I’ve been a fan of Heather Strang’s blog for a while now. Although I didn’t really intend on being gluten-free, I suppose I am–other than an occasional splurge. My diet basically consists of a foundation of TONS of raw veggies, a little fruit (mostly berries), nuts, seeds, nut butters, organic Oikos Greek yogurt, and sometimes organic farm fresh eggs (from either my farm, or my neighbor’s).

Back to Heather’s blog…

I’m subscribed to Heather’s blog via email and saw this recipe a while back: Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free RAW Chocolate recipe.

I was really excited when I saw it because it looked delicious, seemed totally simple to whip up, and it was HEALTHY! Things got busy, though, and I either had other stuff to do or didn’t have one or other of the ingredients.

The other day I finally ended up with some free time and realized I had ALL the ingredients Heather used for this recipe. Yay!

Note: I made my recipe a little differently than Heather’s.

Getting Things Ready

Ready to Mix

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup organic cocoa powder

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Heather’s recipe called for a blender or food processor. I don’t have a blender anymore (mine died )so I just whipped it up the old-fashioned way. Hey, it works!

Stirred + Poured

With Chopped Pecans on Top

(I just sprinkled enough to cover the top–I didn’t measure ‘em.)

Heather didn’t add nuts to her chocolate recipe but chocolate isn’t chocolate without nuts, in my opinion.

In the Freezer

(…)

Waiting

(…)

1 1/2 hours later….

Out of the Freezer

Cut in to Pieces

Hands-On Chocolate

We Hated It!

(Like you believe that?!)

Verdict?

Um, I’ll be making this recipe until I’m 100 and can find the ingredients–and hopefully know what they’re for!

Seriously, though, this was delish! It was kind of like fudge, I think. It was soft, but had a firm texture (it doesn’t fall apart!). I can totally see this as something you could make for a Christmas party or some other party or event. In my opinion, it definitely rocks!

And… the reason it left so fast is because I shared it with some folks. I’d say they liked it too, wouldn’t you?

I, of course, tasted the chocolate in its liquid form before it went into the freezer. I’m thinking it would be YUM just like that, drizzled over Gena’s banana soft serve.

Off to freeze me some nanners!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First, I’d like to remind you about TWO contests I currently have running:

• Food Matters DVD Review + Contest. (Contest ends Thursday, August 27th. There are SIX ways to win!!)
• Detox 4 Women (by Natalia Rose) Review + Contest (Contest ends Friday, August 28th. There are SIX ways to win!)
  

Chocolate Business

I mentioned the other day that the fantabulous people at www.manitobaharvest.com sent me samples of their Hemp Bliss milk to review. I LOVE that they sent one of each flavor: chocolate, vanilla, original (unsweetened), and original (sweetened)–and they’re Certified Organic. Yay!

Also, I wanted to mention that my contact at Manitoba Harvest reassured me that Hemp Pro 70 dissolves nicely in liquids and that I didn’t have to only consume it in steel-cut oats (see that review here). I took his word for it, and decided to combine Hemp Bliss with Hemp Pro 70 powder. Know what happened? Keep reading!

Hemp Bliss Samples

(All in a row…)

But first, let’s take a peek at the nutritional value of these flavored hemp milks…

Chocolate Hemp Bliss

From the site:

Size: 32 Fl oz / 946 mlDescription:
A blissful way to start your day! Hemp Bliss is more delicious and nutritious than other non-dairy beverages.

Chocolate Hemp Bliss is made from organic hemp seeds and organic cocoa powder. We cold filter Hemp Bliss for a great taste. This blissful beverage is rich and creamy with a chocolaty nutty flavor.

Enjoy Chocolate Hemp Bliss served chilled by the glass or “hot chocolate” style. Try adding it to cereal, coffee, tea and other recipes that call for milk. Chocolate Hemp Bliss provides a protein and Omega 6 & 3 EFA boost in your smoothies and shakes.

Suggested Use: Serve chilled, shake well and drink often. Refrigerate after opening.

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Cocoa Powder, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum. Contains No Preservatives. Lactose Free. Soy Free. Gluten Free. Cholesterol Free. Nut Free.

Certified Organic by: OC/PRO

Vanilla Hemp Bliss

From the site:

Size: 32 Fl oz / 946 mlDescription:
A blissful way to start your day! Hemp Bliss is more delicious and nutritious than other non-dairy beverages.

Vanilla Hemp Bliss is made from organic hemp seeds and organic vanilla. We cold filter Hemp Bliss for a great taste. This blissful beverage is rich and creamy with a nutty vanilla flavor.

Enjoy Vanilla Hemp Bliss served chilled by the glass. Try adding it to cereal, coffee, tea and other recipes that call for milk. Vanilla Hemp Bliss provides a protein and Omega 6 & 3 EFA boost in your smoothies and shakes.

Suggested Use: Serve chilled, shake well and drink often. Refrigerate after opening.

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum. Contains No Preservatives. Lactose Free. Soy Free. Gluten Free. Cholesterol Free. Nut Free.

Certified Organic by: OC/PRO

Non-Dairy Milk Comparisons

Hemp Bliss + Hemp Pro 70

Hemp Pro 70 Powder

All Shook Up

a serving of Hemp Pro 70 powder (4 tablespoons)

50% Chocolate Hemp Bliss

50% Vanilla Hemp Bliss

a couple of ice cubes

Poured into my Amazing Grass shaker cup

Note: My shaker cup holds 12 ounces or so. I’d say it was filled up but I took a gulp before taking these photos.

Chocolate Bubbles = YUM!

Verdict/Grade?

I give Chocolate and Vanilla Hemp Bliss a big, fat, delicious A+! Seriously. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this shake tasted. I shook it up a lot, so there wasn’t any random, floating hemp powder. I also tasted both the Chocolate and Vanilla Hemp Bliss separately before I added them together with the Hemp Pro 70–they are delicious!!! The Chocolate Hemp Bliss really tastes like chocolate. It’s sweet, chocolaty, and divine. The vanilla is super vanilla-like and sweet, too. No complaints here at all–although some of you hemp haters may taste the hemp, I only tasted a very, very slight hempness about it. Honest. Of course, I always like to mention that I am used to taking strong, herbal tonics and drinking fresh, raw green juices, etc., so I may not notice some tastes as strongly as some of you who have never included a lot of earthy, herbal-type foods/drinks in your diet.

These hemp milks are $4.99 USD per 32 ounce box. With their nutritional value + yummy taste, I think it’s totally worth the price! Visit www.manitobaharvest.com to order your own hemp milk, or check out their other healthy products.

You may have to start calling me the “Happy Hemp Girl”. LOL 

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First, I’d like to remind you about the OTHER contest I currently have running: Food Matters DVD Review + Contest. (Contest ends Thursday, August 27th. There are SIX ways to win!!)

Detox. This one short word is everywhere. We watch TV shows about it, buy books about it, search it online. Toxins are all around us in massive amounts. They’re in the air we breathe, a lot of the foods we eat, our water, our clothes, even bath and body products. What are we to do? How do we detox and get them out of our bodies? Natalia Rose to the rescue! I know her book is titled Detox 4 Women,  but she emphasizes that her tips aren’t for women only–men can find success with them, too!

I’d like to take a moment to thank Sharyn Rosenblum (of HarperCollins Publishing Company) and Natalia Rose (www.detoxtheworld.com) for graciously sending a brand-new copy for my review, and Natalia, for sponsoring this contest so one of you could own a copy of her latest book!

Detox 4 Women

What will you find in this detoxifying read?

Natalia has broken Detox 4 Women up in to 5 sections…

Part One: Detox for Women

This is the section where Natalia dives right into the world of detoxing, what it is, why you should detox, and much more. I particularly love a certain part where Natalia shares “A Path to Freedom”–a self-care philosphy for women, she says.

“Women are very good at persevering on sheer willpower–pretending they’re okay and presenting a face to the

world that falsely bespeaks contentment. But when you’re weight down by your body or your inner pain, no matter

how good an actress you are, you are suffering and missing out on the pleasures of a free, happy life.”–Natalia Rose

The above Natalia Rose quote is not only beautiful and true, it’s the foundation she sets this book’s theme upon. Yes, it is about detoxing like the title suggests, but it’s also about learning to love and care for ourselves, take time for ourselves, to learn that our lives–and most importantly, our health–matters.

Part Two: Three Steps to Detox

I won’t give away Natalia’s steps, but I will tell you that I strongly agree with all three of them! I have had quite a bit of personal experience over the past few years of detoxing. I’ve done this through raw foods, water fasts, juice fasts, herbs, colon cleansing, etc., so I do know just a little bit about the detoxing life.

I would like to mention (for you 100% Raw Foodists) that Natalia isn’t on the 100% raw bandwagon. While she definitely feels that raw foods have their place in our diets–and lots of them–she also feels that raw food was meant to be the foundation of our relationship with food, and not the only source.

She has a small section she titles “Raw Confusion”, where she shares her heart on this topic.

“The original intention of the raw food movement was to bring high-water-content plant food back into

the diet because it contained Life Force Energy andenzymes that the standard diet lacked. Raw food’s

origin was rooted in recognizing the value of simple food and it’s potential to clean cells.”–Natalia Rose

Natalia feels strongly that cooked, non-vegan food sources absolutely have their place in our lives.

Part Three: The Detox for Women Program

Here, you’ll find a “Detox for Women” test, toolbox, shopping list, and more. Natalia touches on those all-too-familiar stimulants like alcohol, nicotine, and coffee. She shares a “Day in the Detox Life” in which she starts with the question most of you would have: “Okay, I’m out of bed–now what do I do?” You’ll learn step-by-step exactly what to do. Natalia also includes a 30-day schedule for you to follow, including lifestyle tips.

A day during this 30-day schedule looks something like this:

• Wake up and follow her lifestyle tips
• Mid-morning, drink raw juices (recipes included)
• Sneak in some herbal tea
• Ideas for lunch (recipes included)
• Ideas for snacks (recipes included)
• Mid-afternoon = more lifestyle tips
• Ideas for dinner (recipes included)
• Ready for this? DESSERT! (Yep, she even tells you what to do about the dessert situation!!)

Natalia also emphasizes the importance of hygiene and devotes a page to body brushing.

Part Four: The Recipes

Um, guess what’s in this section?! LOL Yes, all sorts of recipes. (You deserve a reward!)

Have you been wondering about that herb called Stevia? Learn all about it in this section!

Natalia touches on cooked food in this section, too.

Then, she jumps right into the recipes:

• Raw Juices
• Soups
• Salads
• Raw and Cooked Vegetarian Entrees
• Sides and Snacks

There’s definitely a lot of variety here. I don’t think you’ll get bored or have too many out-of-your-mind cravings while adhering to her 30-day plan.

Part Five: Detox and Exercise

Here, you’ll learn even more about your health:

• Exercising
• Excuses we make for ourselves
• Energy
• The importance of oxygen
• and more

I love that Natalia is big on rebounding. It’s one of my favorite exercises (other than my new found love for yoga!)

Natalia also hits on a few health issues we women sometimes find ourselves with:

• Osteoperosis
• Polysystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Menstruation and Menopause
• Cancer
• Bladder Infections
• Thyroid Imbalances
• Body Odor
• Infertility

Do you have brittle hair and nails and/or horrid skin? Ever had an eating disorder? This section addresses those issues as well.

More Thoughts

If you’re looking to cleanse your body, improve your health, learn to find time for–and love–yourself, and discover creative, new recipes that will bring healthy additions to your table, this is the book for you!

I also love how throughout the book, there are pages here and there titled “Real Woman”, along with a real woman’s name, age, and location. They each share their stories, struggles with their weight, health trials, and more.

Detox 4 Life is not just a boring book filled with words telling you to cut out junk and take an enema. Natalia shares her heart and passion for life, health, and healing for her fellow women.

You can learn more about Natalia Rose, her work, and her other books on her website: www.detoxtheworld.com or her blog: www.detoxtheworld.com/blog

Let the Contest Begin!

You’re allowed FOUR FIVE SIX entries for this contest:

Note: Please leave a comment for each thing you do (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends. (DO NOT just say “thanks for the contest” or something like that–I do not publish those type of comments because they seem like spam and aren’t fair to the other contestants who leave a thoughtful, genuine answer.) Thanks!

1. Visit Natalia Rose’s website (www.detoxtheworld.com )and take a look around. Leave a comment sharing  anything that speaks to you and/or why you think you need this book in your life.
   
2. Do you Twitter? Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can swipe this tweet: RT: @RawJuiceGirl Win Detox 4 Life by Natalia Rose (a $17.00 value) http://bit.ly/qbxLy
3. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.
4. Share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. (The pingback will be counted as an extra entry.) If you don’t see your pingback, just email me at healingwithjuices@gmail.com and let me know. It may have gone to spam for some reason.
5. Add Healing with Juices to your favorites on Technoratori. Comment again to let me know, with a link to your technoratori profile to show you added us.
6. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

NOTE: REMEMBER TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY SO I’LL KNOW YOU DID THEM.

ANYONE can enter this contest. You DO NOT have to be in the United States. Oh, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner….

Contest ends Friday, August 28th, at 9 p.m. (Central Time) so you have a WHOLE WEEK to get all your entries in. Have fun trying to win!!

Check it out!

Run to the Finish is having a BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY. Run on over and enter!!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First, I’d love to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone involved with this amazing film, and for FoodMatters.TV kindly sponsoring this contest. Not only were they gracious enough to send a copy for me to review and glean wisdom from, they were generous enough to send TWO extra copies so TWO of you would have the opportunity to have the same experience as me and own a copy (a $24.95 value!)! Thank you!!

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

The Father of Medicine

The people behind Food Matters believe that Hippocrates truly paved the way and laid the foundation for caring for our bodies–and so do I. Sadly, though, his natural approach to health has slipped through the cracks and is a distant memory for many, and is not yet known for others. Modern medicine has evolved to a place where the vast majority of our medical world focuses on prescription medicine, handing out scripts for bottle after bottle of pills that merely mask symptoms–when they even do that. You’re left with side effects you don’t know how to handle, so you go back to the doctor and you’re prescribed more pills. Treating illness now consists of chemical therapies that kill out our immune systems. We’ve reached a place where it’s “normal” to pop a dozen pills before we walk out the door to go to work and are on a schedule to take that many sometimes a second, and even a third, time within 24 hours.

Yet, so many in our world still ignore the fact that Hippocrates was right. His theory was right on: Our food is absolutely our medicine! Ever heard that phrase you are what you eat? I’m sure you have. I know almost everyone I talk to has heard it. Some live by it; it’s their creed. Others despise it, detest it, rebel against it, and downright refuse to believe that what they put into their mouths, their bodies, has anything to do with the way they feel, what their blood pressure levels are, or how their clothes no longer fit. Go figure…

Chapters

When you insert your DVD, you’ll notice there is a Chapters section. I love this because it gives you a sneak peek of what you’re in for! Don’t cheat, though. Start at the beginning and watch it all the way through. You’ll be so glad you did.

You’ll learn all sorts of awesome things! This film really makes you reflect on what you put in your mouth, how old it is, whether it’s really feeding your body–or if it’s feeding disease.

Note: You’ll also learn about natural cancer therapies and how to detox, lose weight, and keep it off!

Inspiration

I love the strong message of hope and healing Food Matters brings. As someone who has lost over 100 pounds and steadily improved my health by living a high-raw (and at times, 100% raw) food lifestyle + raw juices, smoothies, and juice fasting, I am extremely aware of how food is not only my medicine, but my strength, my healing, and literally my future–or the lack, thereof!

It excites me that as the film proceeds, anticipation about being healthier increases and you truly take away a sense of hope that it’s not too late to turn your health around in the right direction. Sure, it may take a while. Yes, it may be hard most of the time. But as long as we have a breath in our body, there is hope for better health! (I do realize there are situations that may be irreversible, where the patient is too near death to make a U-turn. So, I’m not preaching miracles here–although I do believe in ‘em! )

Experts

You’ll hear Experts chime in on why the quality of and type of food we eat truly matters. Here’s a glimpse of what each of them have to say about the medical industry, our non-organic farming methods, raw foods, and more…

“Good health makes a lot of sense, but it doesn’t make a lot of dollars.”–Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D, Therapeutic Nutrition Specialist and Author

“Dr. Paul Kouchakoff was the first to show in the 1930′s that if  you ate a diet that was more than 51% cooked food, that your body would react to the food as if it was being invaded by a foreign organism. Dr. Kouchakoff was the first to demonstrate that if 51% of your meals were raw, you’d have no leucocytosis; you’d actually have no white blood cell reaction, so your immune system would not be activated with a false alarm. Because we’re dealing with so many immune system issues today, we have to make sure that at least 51% of every meal that we have is raw so that we don’t overburden that already-overburdened immune system.” – David Wolfe

We have a winner!! I know everyone’s excited and anxious so I’ll just get right to it. The contest for the yoga mat (from The Bolder Mat Company) and the yoga DVD (by Stacy McCarthy, of Yoga Nama Stacy) has now ended. We owe a BIG thank you to both of these companies for sponsoring the review and contest and allowing us the amazing opportunity to enjoy their healthy products!

By the way, it always hurts me that I can’t give away whatever prize I’m offering to each and every one of you…

On to business: There were 65 comments in all, and I used random.org to select a winner.

Here’s Mr. Random’s answer:

So, who was the lucky owner of comment #58?

PlaidEarthWorm (Beth Bartlett, of www.plaidearthworm.com)!!

Her winning comment said:

58 plaidearthworm { 08.19.09 at 5:55 pm }

You should get the pingback, but I thought I’d let you know I also mentioned you and the contest on my personal blog: http://plaidearthworm.livejournal.com/21207.html

Her first comment (there was seven ways to enter):

45 plaidearthworm { 08.15.09 at 10:47 pm }

Before today, the last time I tried to do yoga a year ago, I cried, because I was too heavy to do the poses anymore, and didn’t have enough room in my living room to move my big body. Today I did 45 min. of yoga b/c I’m 90 lbs lighter. It felt great! I’d love to win Fish Wish, so I can keep swimming upstream against the stress.

Congratulations!

I’m so happy for you, Beth! Comment #45 is a real tearjerker, in my opinion! Let me tell you, folks: Beth has been on a journey to improve her health. I’ve lost over 100 pounds myself, so I know that her losing 90 pounds is NO EASY TASK! I commend her for sticking to it and keeping her eye on the prize.  She’s persevered and deserves applause–and this prize! *claps hands*

So, keep swimming, Beth. Keep swimming! Just zip me an email (healingwithjuices at gmail dot com)with your mailing information and I’ll get it to the companies. They’ll be in touch with you and you’ll get to tell them you want that Fish Wish mat. I know you’ll enjoy years of yoga with your mat and DVD. Yay!

Didn’t win?

Don’t worry! There are a TON of upcoming contests!!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life PLUS get to enter all sorts of awesome contests!

Wednesday, August 19th is FINALLY here! You still have a few hours left for entering to win a yoga mat (of your choice) + a yoga DVD (by Instructor Stacy McCarthy). Contest ends at 9 p.m. (Central Time) and there are SEVEN ways to enter. Hurry, while there’s still time!

As the yoga mat + DVD contest is nearing its end, I’ve been working hard to gear up for other reviews and contests. Some will just be reviews of products I’ve received as samples. Others will be both reviews and contests like I normally host. I’m exciting to have the amazing opportunity to review the following and share my thoughts with you!

Books from Book Publishing Company

(The Book Publishing Company (www.bookpubco.com) is a health-minded book publishing company.

It’s their desire to be your #1 resource for health reference, recipes, and enjoyment.)

The Raw Food RevolutionDiet, by Cherie Soria, Brenda Davis RD, Vesanto Melina, MS, RD

Raw Food Made Easy, by Jenny Cornbleet

Raw for Dessert, by Jenny Cornbleet

I can’t wait to dig in to these books. Thanks, Richard!

(Autographed Copy!!!) of Gillian McKeith’s Boot Camp Diet

I’ve been a HUGE fan of Gillian McKeith’s for years. I love her approach to a healthier lifestyle, and she’s quite thefeisty little lady! (See for yourself: www.gillianmckeith.com) And I’m SO honored that she not only sent a copy of her Boot Camp Diet book for me to review and one to give away–they’re BOTH autographed! Eeeek! Thank you, Gillian!!!

Sarah’s Wicked Witch Hazel Spray

(This is an eco-friendly yoga mat cleaner from The Bolder Mat Company. Can’t wait to try it!)

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Milk (Bliss)

Thanks to my contact at Manitoba Harvest (www.manitobaharvest.com ) for sending me one of each of the Hemp Bliss flavors they offer:

Chocolate

Vanilla

Original (sweetened)

Original (unsweetened)

They’re all organic and I can’t wait to pry into ‘em and see how blissful they truly are!! Eeeek!!

Been Busy!

Besides working hard on quality reviews and planning awesome upcoming contests with fantabulous sponsors (I love you all!), I’ve been busy helping my mom with her herb business. We’ve been setting up at outdoor markets. Her blog is updated now with one of our latest marketing adventures. You might want to take a peek. You’ll get to see me dressed up in a pioneer dress and a bonnet!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 Food Matters DVDs (I’ve watched this now… it’s AMAZING! Review + Contest coming tomorrow!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life PLUS get to enter all sorts of awesome contests!

First, I’d like to remind you about the current contest I have running: The Bolder Mat Company Yoga Mat + Stacy McCarthy’s Yoga DVD. (Contest ends Wednesday, August 19th. There are SEVEN ways to win!!)

“As always, your positive energy leaps off of my computer screen and makes me smile.”–Mika Hebeka

The morning started like any other morning (recently, anyway): I woke up, did an hour of yoga (with my Stacy McCarthy DVD), hopped in the shower, and then had a rich, creamy organic Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries on top. I checked my email, did some writing, a couple of loads of laundry and all that good stuff.

Then, I got my mail. I tore open the envelope and peered inside. Here’s what I found: Ali MacGraw – Yoga Mind & Body + a SWEET, handwritten, beautiful note card!!! Eeeeek!! Thank you so much, Mika!!!

Yoga DVD + Sweet Card

Mika had sent me the most precious gift: her all-time favorite yoga DVD, and not just any DVD–her personal yoga DVD that she’s enjoyed for the past 3 years! Gifts like this mean SO much more than new ones. It came from her heart, from her own personal belongings. Gifts like this one are what I treasure most. They mean the most because they’re thoughtful and not just grabbed off some shelf while walking through a store in a rush.

This is the first gift a reader has ever sent me–that makes it even more special!! Thank you, Mika, from the bottom of my heart. I’m so honored and blessed.

The very next morning, I practiced my hour of yoga with Mika’s DVD–I LOVED it! I was so relaxed during the Shavasana, I almost fell asleep! It’s wonderful!

Mika recently won one of my contests (for Nomi Shannon’s raw recipe books) and is starting a raw revolution in her small town. Go, Mika!!!

As Healing With (Raw) Juices grows and evolves, I dare to wonder: Where would I be without you readers? Your subscriptions increase my readership, your comments bring value to the site, your emails brighten my day and encourage me beyond belief, your presence brings joy to my life…. Thank you, Mika (you’re the bestest!!), and each of you, for continuing to be such huge blessings to me!!!

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life PLUS get to enter all sorts of awesome contests!

First, I’d like to remind you about the current contest I have running: The Bolder Mat Company Yoga Mat + Stacy McCarthy’s Yoga DVD. (Contest ends Wednesday, August 19th. There are SEVEN ways to win!!)

My day started out with an hour of yoga, which was fantabulous! I almost fell asleep during Shavasana, I was SO relaxed! (Have I mentioned lately that I’m in LOVE with yoga??!!) After that, I gobbled up an organic Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries on top (this is by far my FAVORITE, non-raw meal)!

Then, I did some writing + blog work and some other stuff. Once it was time for lunch, I was STARVING.

Spinach Salad

a bunch of baby spinach leaves (this is a bigger bowl than it seems)

organic tomatoes (from my garden)

frozen peas +organic  bell pepper from my garden (lightly steamed with coconut oil + Italian herbs)

hemp seeds (from www.manitobaharvest.com)

macadamia nuts

THIS SALAD WAS DELICIOUS!!! YUM!!!

Once lunch was finished and cleaned up, it was time for me to stop procrastinating and make some chocolate pudding from avocados! Enter: Chocolate (Avocado) Pudding Heaven!

Cleanin’ Out the Fridge + Garden Overflow

There was a little of this, that, and the other in the fridge where veggies are concerned. I’ve been eating a LOT of salad but needed to clean out those odds and ends. Also, I needed to use up some freshly-picked garden veggies…

Organic, Heirloom Tomatoes

Organic Heirloom Bell + Banana Peppers

All from My Garden

First Up: Tomato Juice

(After I washed all that garden dirt off!)

Beautiful Tomato Juice Bubbles!

Made 3 Cups + a Little Leftover

Just for me!

Next Up: Juice Concoction

rest of the tomatoes

3 bell peppers

5 big banana peppers

whole bag of organic carrots (16 ounce) + a few other stray (organic) carrots

2 big cucumbers (from my garden)

teeny bit of spinach

Juice Concoction Bubbles

Juice Concoction Pulp

(The pulp went to the ducks, chickens, and turkeys.)

Organic, Heirloom Cucumbers

9 big cucumbers went into this juice!

Gorgeous Cucumber Juice Bubbles

Those 9 cucumbers made 3 cups of juice (shown above) + half of my oversized, favorite cup for drinking right away!

Cucumber Juice for Me!

It’s a Raw Juice Party!

In all, I ended up with:

1 – 3 cup container of tomato juice

1 – 3 cup container of cucumber juice

1 – 3 cup container which contained 3/4 cucumber juice + 1/4 juice concoction

2 – 3 cup containers of juice concoction

1 – 12 ounce Amazing Grass shaker cup of cucumber juice

1 – 12 ounce Amazing Grass shaker cup of cantaloupe juice

leftover 8 ounces or so of cucumber juice, which I drank in my polka-dotted cup (shown above)

Cantaloupe Juice

I forgot to take a photo of the cantaloupe but it was organic, heirloom (from my garden) as well.

It made 12 ounces–which fit perfectly into an Amazing Grass shaker cup! This one went into the freezer for later. Yum!

Juices in a Nice, Clean Fridge!

What’s in your fridge?

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life PLUS get to enter all sorts of awesome contests!

First, I’d like to remind you about the current contest I have running: The Bolder Mat Company Yoga Mat + Stacy McCarthy’s Yoga DVD. (Contest ends Wednesday, August 19th. There are SEVEN ways to win!!)

For the longest, I’ve been meaning to make Angela’s raw chocolate pudding (which is RAW and VEGAN) but have never got around to it until today. Gosh, have I EVER been missing out! Seriously. This chocolate pudding is the best stuff–and it’s WAY healthier than the chocolate I ate on my birthday!

Note: Since I added the organic Oikos Greek yogurt, my recipe isn’t raw or vegan like Angela’s. If you’d prefer it to be, head on over to her site (linked above) and use her recipe. If you don’t mind the yogurt, feel free to make mine! (I am going to try it without the yogurt next time. I think I added too much cocoa powder this time, or maybe it was an after taste from the agave nectar. Ya think? Should I try a different Agave? Any suggestions on that?)

Organic Blue Agave

Cocoa Powder, Vanilla Extract, Agave

Into the Food Processor

4 avocados (forgot to photo them separately, sorry!)

1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder (I used the Certified Organic NOW brand)

3/4 cup agave nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons of water

All Combined

It tasted TOO chocolate-y. Does that make sense? So I added a 5.3 ounce container of organic Vanilla Oikos Greek yogurt to try to mellow it out some….

After the Oikos

Scraped Clean

Into a Container

(Notice the recipe on the fridge in the background for lots of future use!)

Creamy Chocolate Heaven

Half a Banana, Sliced

With Chocolate Pudding On Top!

Yum-O!!

(This chocolate lovin’ girl is H-A-P-P-Y!!!)

How’d your Sunday go?  After I made this awesome chocolate pudding, I cleaned out the fridge and between fridge veggies and stuff from the garden, I juiced up a few containers of raw juice. I’ll post about it next. I thought you’d love taking a peek at my avocado chocolate pudding adventure! Hope you did!

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life PLUS get to enter all sorts of awesome contests!

First, I’d like to remind you about the current contest I have running: The Bolder Mat Company Yoga Mat + Stacy McCarthy’s Yoga DVD.

I get so many emails thanking me for sharing snippets of my personal life, I thought I’d share with you that in between writing reviews and hosting a contest, a birthday snuck up on me. The big 34 slapped me on Wednesday (the 12th). It seems pretty weird how time whizzes by until one day you’re in your 30s and you wonder where “Sweet 16″ went.

No, it isn’t raw…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually thrilled to be 34. Back in my 20s, some of my doctors weren’t even sure I’d live to see 30–my health was really, really bad. It’s surreal, actually, that I’ve come so far.

If this post seems a little heavy–and long–I apologize. I just thought I’d share my heart with you….

In February of this year, I lost a cousin. He would have been 33 this month. He was a handsome young man, a great husband and dad. I grew up with him, went to school with him, and thought we’d make fun of each other’s wrinkles when we were old. He was one of those cousins who was more than “just another cousin”.

Not long after that, I lost another cousin. I didn’t know him well. He lived in another state. He was only 36.

In early May, I lost yet another cousin. She would have been 29. She died just about 3 weeks shy of her birthday. She was always more like a little sister to me, than a cousin.

All 3 of ‘em left children and spouses.

And, as I celebrated turning 34 over 100 pounds lighter than I was at one time, I had an epiphany: I could die tomorrow. Although I’ve worked hard to be slimmer and healthier for the past few years, it isn’t always health-related issues that bring on death. Sometimes it’s a car accident. Sometimes it’s a freak act of nature.

I can’t tell you how many times I had walked by those glass doors and peered in at that turtle ice cream cake (pictured above). Oh, I have the willpower to resist. There’s no way I could count the times over the past few years that I sat on the sidelines and watched everyone else enjoy cake and ice cream or cupcakes at birthday parties and other celebrations–because I was on a mission to lose weight and attain my ultimate health. I didn’t lose over 100 pounds by gobbling up cake and ice cream. I lost it because I have a strong will, I’m dedicated, and I can persevere through almost anything.

So, I decided this: None of those 3 cousins I mentioned above got the chance to have another birthday. So, I celebrated. I splurged. I enjoyed my special day. And, yes, I ate cake and ice cream. I ate it for my cousins (yes, I’m an emotional eater!), and I ate it for myself.

I realize Raw Food Purists would frown on my decision. But I just couldn’t stand the thought of dying without knowing what that turtle ice cream cake tasted like! Some things are better left NOT a mystery. I don’t have to ever eat it again–although I enjoyed every single bite of the one piece I had (the rest went to family). I also enjoyed that little bit of Rocky Road and Peanut Butter Panic ice cream you’ll see pictured below.

I had a wonderful birthday. I’m so blessed!

My piece

Gooey Caramel Center

I actually had the piece of cake and ice cream with my family the night before my birthday. My mom thought it was funny to get me the two ice creams below (they’re those teeny tiny little containers) because she knows how much I used to love coffee ice cream and caramel… well, there’s not enough room here to write about my love affair with caramel over the years. Anyway, I saved those little containers for the next day, my birthday. And they were delicious!!!

Coffee Ice Cream + Dulce De Leche

On the morning of my birthday, my mom made me my all-time favorite (non-raw) breakfast EVER: a spinach omelet made with farm fresh, organic eggs (from our farm), spinach, bell peppers, sea salt and herbs, and a tiny amount of cheese. Also, a cup of herbal tea (in my favorite, big pink and white polka-dotted OVERSIZED cup).

Birthday Breakfast

Couldn’t finish it!

I decided to eat whatever I wanted on my birthday. Maybe next year I’ll have a raw cake and some raw ice cream. This year, I wasn’t equipped with a dehydrator, and a professionally made raw cake just wasn’t in the budget (or even available in my area).

I don’t think I splurged too bad,do you?

Birthday Lunch

bunch of spinach leaves

frozen blueberries

yummy macadamia nuts

DELISH!

I remembered my leftover omelet, so I threw it on top of my salad–YUM!

Zero Candy Bar

Turtle

I nibbled on that Zero and Turtle all. day. long. I was too full to eat dinner.

Birthday Cards

Here’s a few of my favorite cards I got this year…

(From my brother)

(From my parents)

(From my aunt)

I also did over an HOUR of yoga–it was FABULOUS!

What is your favorite part of your birthday? Do you splurge on cake and ice cream (raw, or not)? Or, do you chow down on raw veggies and treat it as just any other day?

And, if you’ve read this long post all the way through, you’re a fantabulous reader!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

UPDATE: This contest has ended and a winner has been chosen. Do feel free to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed. You can also sign up here to have fresh articles delivered via e-mail and be notified of future contests.

*****************

It’s contest time here at Healing With (Raw) Juices again! I’m SO very honored to have the amazing opportunity to host a contest sponsored by The Bolder Mat Company and Stacy McCarthy of YogaNamaStacy.com. A special thank you goes out to them for so graciously and generously sending a GORGEOUS yoga mat (with the vibrant 7th Chakra design) + an outstanding Yoga DVD for me to review–I’m truly enjoying them both!–as well as for teaming up to sponsor this contest!

You can read my reviews of The Bolder Mat Company and Stacy McCarthy here:

• Review: The Bolder Mat Company
• DVD Review: Yoga Body Lean & Defined Total Body Workout (by Stacy McCarthy)

Below is the DVD and Yoga mat I was sent for review. I LOVE them!

Yoga DVD by Stacy McCarthy

7th Chakra Heaven Mat

Georgeous Yoga Mat Designs

The Bolder Mat Company has been kind enough to offer the winner the opportunity to choose the Yoga mat design they like the most! How exciting is that?!

Here’s a sneak peek of the Yoga mat designs offered by The Bolder Mat Company:

Cosmic Breath Mat

Peace Prayer Mat

Fish Wish Mat

Go with the Flow Turtle Mat

Flower Power Mat

7^th Chakra Heaven

Let the Contest Begin!

You’re allowed FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN entries for this contest:

Note: Please leave a comment for each thing you do (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends. (DO NOT just say “thanks for the contest” or something like that–I do not publish those type of comments because they seem like spam and aren’t fair to the other contestants who leave a thoughtful, genuine answer.) Thanks!

1. Visit www.theboldermatcompany.com and take a look around. Leave a comment sharing which yoga mat design is your favorite and how you plan to use it (Yoga, Pilates, etc., or tell us if you’re new to either of those and will just be starting out on your mat journey.)
2. Visit www.yoganamastacy.com and tell us anything you like about what you read about Stacy McCarthy on her About page, or which Yoga DVD sounds most appealing to you.
   
3. Do you Twitter? Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can swipe this tweet: RT: @RawJuiceGirl Win a GORGEOUS yoga mat (from The Bolder Mat Company) + a yoga DVD (by @YogaNamaStacy) (a $70 value combo!) http://tinyurl.com/ldoqx9
4. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.
5. Share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. (The pingback will be counted as an extra entry.) If you don’t see your pingback, just email me at healingwithjuices@gmail.com and let me know. It may have gone to spam for some reason.
6. Add Healing with Juices to your favorites on Technoratori. Comment again to let me know, with a link to your technoratori profile to show you added us.
7. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

NOTE: REMEMBER TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY SO I’LL KNOW YOU DID THEM.

ANYONE can enter this contest. You DO NOT have to be in the United States. Oh, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner….

Contest ends Wednesday, August 19th, at 9 p.m. (Central Time) so you have a WHOLE WEEK to get all your entries in. Have fun trying to win!!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 Food Matters DVDs (Haven’t had a chance to watch this one yet, but do check out their site–they have a RAWsome message to share!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First, I’d love to thank Manitoba Harvest (www.manitobaharvest.com) for so graciously sending a generous (16 ounce!) container of their latest  hemp product for me to review: Hemp Pro 70 protein powder. Thank you!

I was really excited when I received this great big tub of hemp protein powder. I was dreaming up smoothie concoctions like crazy–then I realized my blender had broken and I wouldn’t be getting a new one anytime soon, so I had to put my thinking cap on and get creative with how to use this nutritious green goodness!

No worries, Raw Juice Girl is quite the creative chick-a-dee so it wasn’t long until I knew exactly how to consume it.

But first, let’s take a peek at how healthy that green powdery substance is for us!

From the site:

Description:
Manitoba Harvest HEMP PRO 70 is the world’s first WATER SOLUBLE HEMP PROTEIN CONCENTRATE. HEMP PRO 70 is rich in Essential Amino Acids (Protein) and Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). This rich and creamy protein concentrate touts a 70% protein concentration providing 21g of Protein and 800 mg of Omega-3 per serving. With your health in mind, this product has been without the use of Hexane, a petro chemical commonly used to make soy and other protein isolates.

Suggested Use: Mix one serving (30g) into water, juice, or other beverage and enjoy! Refrigerate after opening.

Ingredients: Hemp protein concentrate(70% protein by weight), natural plant extracts. Gluten Free. Soy Free. Nut Free.

I often receive emails from you all asking for products and/or ideas for foods and drinks that are  soy, nut, gluten free due to your or your family members’ allergies and special diets. So, this is something any of you with soy or nut allergies or who are gluten free can enjoy!

Also, I get asked a LOT about how Vegans, Vegetarians, and Raw Foodists get enough protein in their diets. Well, 21 grams of protein per serving is provided in Hemp Pro 70 so that’s a fantabulous source of non-animal protein!

Hemp Heaven

This tall container of hemp powder is truly “Hemp Heaven”!

The recommended serving size is 4 tablespoons. Hmmm…. The more I thought about it, the less desirable it sounded to add it to juice or water. Even I didn’t want to guzzle 4 tablespoons of hemp in my drink. A smoothie would be ideal, but with that broken blender I was out of luck!

I kept thinking. Hey, how about putting it in steel-cut oats, I thought! Then I realized…. FOUR TABLESPOONS in my oats? I hesitated. What to do?! So, I added one tablespoon at a time. I’m an earthy/green lovin’ kinda gal. I mean, I take herbal tonics straight up like there’s no tomorrow. I don’t mind how ANYTHING healthy tastes, so long as it’s going to improve my health and keep me alive and full of energy, ya know? But FOUR TABLESPOONS of hemp earthiness? I wasn’t so sure on that one. Keep reading. It’s going to surprise you!

Hemp Pro 70 + Plain Steel-Cut Oats

With 1 Tablespoon

(Stir, stir, stir..)

With 2 Tablespoons

(More stirring)

3rd + 4th Tablespoons

(I had done a taste test after the 1st and 2nd tablespoons were stirred in and it actually tasted quite delicious! So, after the 2nd tablespoon, I just dumped the 3rd and 4th in at once and stirred ‘em all in.)

The Verdict?

I was actually surprised at how totally YUMMY these green hemp oats were! I mean, the Hemp Pro 70 powder gave the steel-cut oats a nutty, delicious flavor that was really enjoyable. I loved how they tasted SO MUCH, I had ‘em again the next morning! It’d TOTALLY recommend Hemp Pro 70 in your oats!

Hemp Pro 70 dumped in

(The next morning, I just dumped all 4 tablespoons into my steel-cut oats and stirred it all up. DELISH!)

Up Close

YUM!

About the Company

Manitoba Harvest is running on superb business practices! Not only are they extremely caring of their customers’ health, they’re mindful of preserving our gorgeous environment.

Check out the information I found on their site:

“Established in 1998, Manitoba Harvest is a farmer owned company. We operate a 20,000 Sq. Ft. state-of-the-art, 100% wind-powered, organic and kosher certified facility where we make hemp foods fresh daily and adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). We have and will continue to guarantee you the freshest and highest quality hemp food products on the market.”

Now, that’s a company I can whole-heartedly support–and so can you! Give them a visit: www.manitobaharvest.com.

Overall Grade

Hemp Pro 70 gets an A+ for nutritional value and, I’d say, also an A+ on taste. I KNOW I’ve been giving a lot of reviews an A+ lately, but I found out I didn’t need to “disguise” the taste like I thought I would. This hemp powder really added a nice nutty flavor the oats wouldn’t have otherwise had–not to mention the extra protein boost! Way to go, Manitoba Harvest!

Next on My Agenda

Raw banana ice cream + Hemp Pro 70!!! (Yep, I’ll be posting photos!)

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 Food Matters DVDs (Haven’t had a chance to watch this one yet, but do check out their site–they have a RAWsome message to share!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

First of all, I’d love to thank Stacy McCarthy and The Bolder Mat Company for providing this awesome Yoga DVD for my review and enjoyment, and so I could share it with all of you!

“Having a balanced approach to your health is like having a set of maps all leading to the correct destination yet with possibly different routes to choose to fit you and your life.”—Stacy McCarthy

About the DVD

I’ll be honest: It sort of scared me a little that this Yoga DVD lasts an entire hour! I’m fairly new to yoga and have only been doing 10 – 20 minute routines about 5 mornings a week. In the past,  when I’ve tried any type of exercise workout video that lasted an hour or so, I always felt overwhelmed and just turned it off and gave up. I was worried that would happen with this DVD—especially since I’m so new to yoga and have only been practicing a few minutes of the morning. I thought I may get 20 minutes in and have to pause it and come back later. Guess what? That didn’t happen at all! Eeeek!

Let me tell you, I LOVE this DVD and will cherish it and use it until it wears out and won’t turn another single time in my DVD player! Not only did I make it the entire hour, it seemed like only moments had passed and I didn’t want it to end at all!

About the Instructor

Stacy McCarthy, the Yoga Instructor, is a Raw Food enthusiast. She has even hosted several Raw Food/Yoga events!  Her voice is calming and soothing and she has such a beautiful outlook on practicing yoga. She started her own yoga journey almost 20 years ago, but has been in the health and fitness industry for over 20 years.

Stacy emphasizes numerous times for you to NOT focus on actually achieving certain poses, but to focus on staying aligned while stretching only as far as your body will go at that time. In her words: “Be slow to judge and quick to acknowledge your efforts toward a healthy life.”

We’re all at different fitness levels. Some of you are recovering from injuries; others haven’t exercised in years—or ever—so there’s no way you’ll be as flexible as a Yogi who has been practicing for years and has become flexible enough to do those amazing Yoga poses.

I love how reassuring Stacy is as she encourages you to not judge yourself based on performance. Instead, she wants you to feel good about yourself for actually trying to do something healthy for yourself!

You can visit Stacy’s website: Yoga Nama Stacy (I LOVE that clever title!) and she has a blog in the works, too!

About the Yoga Style

Stacy teaches a Yoga form she developed that is based upon the Ashtanga. At the beginning of the video, she mentions the three unseen fundamentals of yoga:. The first of the three unseen fundamentals are called Bandhas: 1) Mula Bandha, the Root Lock 2) Uddiyana Bandha, which is the Abdominal Lock and 3) Jhalandara Bandha, the Throat Lock. This one is used less frequently than the first two.

Then we learn that the second unseen fundamental is breath. The breath type Stacy uses in this video is called Ujjayi breathing (through the nose), which means victorious. As you’re breathing through your nose, your breath deepens toward the back of your throat, Stacy says.

She mentions Pranayama, which is breath control.

The example Stacy gives is to imagine yourself breathing like Darth Vader (of Star Wars) and you’ll be doing it right.

The third unseen fundamental we learn is the Gaze, the Drishti . This is your focus as you keep your eyes steady.

Overall Grade

I honestly give this Yoga DVD an A+! If I (of all people!) am able to make it through an entire hour of exercise—without it even seeming like an hour has passed!—then I know you all can. I’m still so amazed at how each  pose flows harmoniously into another pose until an hour has gone by and you’re wondering where it went!

Namaste,

Michele L. Tune

aka Raw Juice Girl

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 Food Matters DVDs (Haven’t had a chance to watch this one yet, but do check out their site–they have a RAWsome message to share!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.