Healthy Living

The Weight of My Perfectionism

I decided to quit my candida cleanse.  Because, I don’t feel like the timing is right and it required too much will power.  When I first started the cleanse my stomach was upset a lot.  I don’t think this is because of any cleansing but because I had to eat a lot of nuts to get the calories that I needed.  Then, when I tried to eat less nuts I was extremely hungry, and this took a lot of will power.  I probably wasn’t getting more than 800 calories in a day.  I did not want to do this for 3 months, or for even another week.  I found myself praying a lot for relief.  And the answer I feel like Heavenly Father gave to me was that I needed to relax and be who I was.  And with time my sinuses would heal, and that I did not need to eat a perfect diet for that to happen.

Also, after this experience I decided that I am not going to force myself to eat 100% raw.  For the past few years I have felt like I was missing an important element of myself  that I had when I was younger.

Read Laurel's entire article The Weight of My Perfectionism

Laurel Pehrson, our official Raw Food Expert

Surrendering To The Light

In the fall of 1972 as I began my sophomore year in college, my sister joined me as a freshman, sharing an apartment near campus along with 4 other friends.  Janice & I had grown up very close, being only one year apart in age.  We were so excited to be together again at school, though we were far from our home in Tennessee.  Mother told me later that Daddy cried all the way across that 2000-mile drive home, feeling the loss of leaving his two little girls so far away from him.

I recognized my father’s feelings last week as I attended my two youngest—my baby girls—going off to school, leaving my husband and I to what is commonly known as an empty nest.  While my drive home was only a little less than 6 hours, the loss and recognition of the changes were very real.

Read Judy's entire article Surrendering To The Light

Judy Hansen, our official Guided Meditations Expert

I Give Up!

As I was kayaking across Lake Tahoe’s northern shores last week, mesmerized by the intense cobalt blue waters so clear you can see all the way to the bottom—I had an epiphany. I was not entirely happy, and I knew why: I was holding onto a lot of other people’s stuff, and it was sucking the life out of me!

As I glided along across the miles of glassy water towards a gorgeous rocky point, I noticed some extra pounds of heaviness—added weight in my heart that did not fit my style in that moment. I knew I had to let go of something in order to return to my own peaceful center.

Being so connected to energy means I get to feel all kinds of energy: the intense vibes of this blessed beautiful earth, my own joy of being able to be a part of it, my own longings for self-actualization, and unfortunately, other people’s burdens as well.

Read Judy's entire article I Give Up!

Judy Hansen, our official Guided Meditations Expert

Pomegranate-Chocolate Cherry Parfait

As a teenager triple chocolate parfaits were my favorite dessert.  Growing up, my dad owned his own catering business and he made the the best triple chocolate parfaits.    So, when I saw that Heather had created a raw, dairy-free version of my favorite dessert I knew I had to try it.  Heather’s Triple Chocolate Parfait certainly does not disappoint, it tastes just like my daddy’s yummy triple chocolate parfaits, but guilt free :D .   I decided to take a spin on my favorite parfait treat with a Pomegranate-Chocolate Cherry Parfait.

Read Laurel's entire recipe Pomegranate-Chocolate Cherry Parfait

Laurel Pehrson, our official Raw Food Expert

Self-Care and Motherhood: 8 tips for taking care of yourself as a mom

It is very easy as a mother/parent to neglect one's own self-care. The competing demands of tending to our children, while also juggling the many other roles and responsibilities in our lives and careers, can leave very little time left over for self-care activities (or inactivities as the case might be). Self-care and self-nurturing are foundational to our well-being and effectiveness as mothers (and as human beings). We not only have our children to love and care for, and our partners where they exist, but also ourselves.

In many ways, we ultimately love and care for others, to the extent we love and care for ourselves. Again, the extent to which you can fully show up on your own behalf, will be reflected in the distance you are able to take others on the healthy lifestyle path, including your children. A wise woman, Ruth Sauvee, once said to me, "we only take people as far as we have gone ourselves."

Read Lynda's entire article Self-Care and Motherhood: 8 tips for taking care of yourself as a mom

Lynda Monk, our official Self-Care Expert

The Gingerbread Man’s Blueberry Cheese Cake

Here is a great and healthy recipe for those that enjoy a great dessert.  Laurel Pehrson the Raw Food Expert at Ideamarketers for her family that loves Blueberry Cheesecake.  Get the The Gingerbread Man’s Blueberry Cheese Cake

Allowing I Am To Be

Here I am, sitting on a foreign beach of the massive Atlantic Ocean, watching the waves roll in. It’s La Pedrera, the stones, in beautiful Uruguay. Azure blue ocean and sand and stones—stones that have been here, holding onto the edges of the sand and waters, as far as the eyes can see, for as long, I suppose, as life has been happening.

Feelings of being more peaceful come to me near these stones, as if I too am strong and real and timeless. Being here is a grounding experience, bringing my soul and these rocks and all that we both represent, into a state of oneness. Such a spiritual connection is what I call, simply being. In this moment, I am here, and none of me is anywhere else. I simply am.

Read Judy's entire article Allowing I Am To Be

Judy Hansen, our official Guided Meditations Expert