Wow, lately it seems as if the raw food perfectionists are coming out of the woodwork! I’m seeing lots of well known speakers, authors and coaches writing, blogging and speaking about how you have to be pure raw, or 100% raw, or some other variation of the term if you’re going to be healthy. Labels are silly and not helpful when one is just striving for incremental improvements in health.  A few posts ago, I used the phrase “progress, not perfection.” Here at Revitalive, we really and truly mean it! We always wants to encourage you to take healthy steps, whatever that might mean to you. We are all so different…we have unique fingerprints, unique biochemistries, etc. I respond differently to some foods than you do and vice versa. Some people have never smoked a cigarette, while others struggle to reduce their pack a day habit. You might thrive on a high fruit diet while it could make me very sick. It all depends on the individual, doesn’t it? There’s no one size fits all diet that will make you perfectly healthy and well. We believe, based on our personal experience, formal studies, and lots of research that a plant-based, raw and living vegan diet can help many people. But will you become 100% raw overnight? Probably not! In the meantime, instead of beating yourself up for not being perfect, why not celebrate each day with joy? Any positive changes you make are good changes, right? So keep on reaching for healthy foods, stretching on your yoga mat, and celebrating the many things that are right with your body…let your journey to health be a joyful one!

So it’s the third week of January…how are you doing with those New Year’s resolutions? If you’re struggling and feel as if you need to detoxify to recharge your body, try juicing or a green smoothie cleanse.

Juicing extracts all the fresh juices, vitamins, minerals and fiber from raw fruits and vegetables. It offers the benefits of eating those wonderful sources of enzymes and antioxidants without having to chow down on plates and plates of food!

A green smoothies is a great way to cleanse. Just pop a handful of green, leafy vegetables such as spinach into the blender along with water or fresh coconut water and raw fruit. A fresh berry and spinach smoothie tastes great and fills you up with the great nutrition of leafy greens.

While a regular blender can handle a simple green smoothie, you’ll want to invest in a powerful blender or juicer for regular at home raw drinks. We recommend the Omega or Green Star juicers; both offer convenience, power, and a reasonable price.

For those seeking a blender that can create blended drinks and yummy raw treats like raw “ice cream” made from frozen bananas and fruit, try theVitamix.  The plastic containers are BPA free, they’ve got lots of horsepower in the motor, and the stainless steel blades last a long, long time.

Don’t have a lot of cash to spare? Look for juicers and high quality blenders listed for free on places such as Freecycle.org, a free list serve for people seeking to trade or give away items and recycle them. While you may not find what you are looking for right away, you may come across one that someone is willing to give away. You can also find them at thrift shops such as Goodwill. 

So if you feel the need to cleanse and want a simple way to cleanse at home, try juicing or green smoothies.

Eating more fresh, wholesome raw foods does indeed encourage weight loss. Some of the reasons may seem obvious, others less so.

First, raw foods are naturally low in calories and high in fiber and nutrition. This combination makes you feel full and satisfied without packing on the calories. The high fiber content slows down the absorption of any naturally occurring sugars in fruit, for example, which prevents drastic spikes in blood glucose that can make you feel ravenously hungry or cause sudden rises and drops in your energy level.

Our bodies also eliminate waste more easily when we eat whole foods. Fiber not only gathers up all the leftovers from digestion, it whisks them out of the colon. The fibers in plant based foods, for example, act as little brushes sweeping up digestive debris and carrying it along the colon for elimination. If you’ve spent time and effort on detoxification, why not maintain this wonderful, clean state by only eating clean, fresh, healthy foods?

Eating more raw foods also displaces all the so-called high calorie “treats.” The more you shower your body with love by eating nurturing, healing foods, the less you’ll want foods that harm you.

So encourage natural, healthy weight loss. Give up the crash diets and crazy supplements. Embrace whole, raw foods.

The other day, I was reading the blog of a well-known raw food chef. Normally she’s upbeat and positive. She creates yummy recipes and exudes the goodness we associate with raw food diet followers; positive, joyful, upbeat. 

The reason this blog post stood out to me was the sheer honesty of it. No sugar coating the truth here, if you’ll pardon the expression. You see, her entire post was on how she’d indulged in sugary baked goods at an office holiday party…and how she felt afterwards. Crummy, as you can imagine. She spent a week focusing on detoxification to help her body deal with the sudden onslaught of not only cooked foods but sugar and white flour filled junk that she found herself eating when faced with the holiday cookie tray. 

Now here’s a gal who’s been raw for five years, and who lovingly guides many people through the raw food journey – and she over indulged at a party. As you can see, nobody is perfect! Yet I hear so many people beating themselves up if they’re not “perfect” on their diets. “Oh, I tried raw foods, but I couldn’t eat 100% raw, so I just gave up,” they tell me.   

Percentages are silly and are generally meaningless.  Statistics applied inappropriately do not provide any usable information.  I have seen several people that were 100% raw overeat 100% raw pies and gain a lot of weight. Eating an entire 100% raw pie is disasterous to your digestive system.  I have worked worked with several bulemic women that binged and purged on 100% raw carrots and bananas. The point is that as Ani Difranco says “Every tool is a weapon if you use it right.” We can harm ourselves in many ways with things that are generally beneficial. It all depends on the intention behind it. Am I eating to avoid living the life I want? Am I eating because I don’t know how to speak up to get my needs met? You get the idea.

Did you know that nature never, ever creates a perfectly straight line? Even if something looks straight to the naked eye, like a tree branch, it’s actually always slightly off.  That’s because perfection is an illusion. I want you to reread that sentence. Perfection is an illusion. Our friends in 12 step programs have the saying, “Progress, not perfection” and I sincerely wish that anyone reading this who is making positive steps towards eating better thinks about that statement a lot. 

There’s no such thing as perfection, no such thing as a perfect raw foodist. So stop beating yourself up. Just pick up right where you are, today! Every little step you take to enhance your health and well being, whether it’s weaning yourself away from a bad habit or cultivating a good habit, will help your body.

Temptations affect everyone. I don’t care how healthy you are, how much of a pure raw vegan you might be, or how committed you are to a healthy lifestyle…someday, somewhere the siren song of your particular weakness will call to you. Whether it’s sugar or white flour, cooked foods or fats, everyone’s got something that temps them. You can’t avoid all temptations. You can probably control your home environment to eliminate temptations, but what happens when you get to work? The donut and cookie tray is out and the meeting is boring. Those chocolate chips are staring you in the face. Temptation strikes.

Before succumbing to temptation, it’s a good idea to do one thing. Breathe. It sounds so silly, but taking a deep breath refocuses your mind on your body….and you’re all about a healthy body, right? You’ve given up a particular tempting food because you know it’s not the best thing for your health. By breathing deeply, you’re reminding yourself that you are taking good care of your body. You can choose health instead of succumbing to a temptation.

Another little trick I’ve learned along the way is to tell yourself, “Well, just for today, I’ll pass on this food.” It’s a neat trick because it puts no pressure on yourself, just moves your mind along away from the temptation and onto another thing. The mind shrugs and says, “Well, okay, if it’s just for today – I can live with that if maybe I can have that thing tomorrow.” Now here’s the trick. Tomorrow, tell yourself, “You know, you can have that thing tomorrow if you really want, but today we’re going to pass on it.” Before you know it, the temptation will fade away. This is a great mental trick to get yourself over any bad habit you’re trying to break, whether it’s overeating, indulging in sugar, or anything else.

We have found EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to be very helpful when dealing with cravings and temptation. Check out www.emofree.com.

It’s the new year, and so many people are focused on making changes that change is definitely in the air – you can practically smell it! Or maybe that’s another winter front coming through to dump snow on us. Who knows?

If you’ve vowed to lose weight this year, you’re not alone. By some estimates, several million people want to lose weight in any given year. Yet the statistics on how many people actually lose weight and keep it off are pretty depressing.

We can all list dozens of reasons why people aren’t successful at weight loss. But how about listing a few things to keep in mind that we’ve learned from people who are successful?

People who successfully lose weight…

Understand that weight loss is one day at a time. They don’t go for quick fix, crash diets that hurt their bodies. Instead, they make haste slowly and choose health one day at a time.
Simplify their diets. You don’t need fancy shakes, drinks or prepared foods. It’s real food, whole food, natural food that satisfies our bodies and provides all the nutrients we need to stay healthy. And not surprisingly, nature packs these goodies into low calorie packages.
Drink water. Preferably filtered water, but any water will do. Water is the best beverage for health. Green smoothies and juices are also helpful.

Cleanse. Your body can’t metabolize foods if it can’t shed excess waste. Cleanse, detoxify, and shed those extra pounds.
Move! Move your body…exercise doesn’t necessarily mean puffing away in a gym, although if that’s what you love then do it. Go for a walk, ride your bike, take a yoga class, bounce on a rebounder. Whatever you choose, movement is essential for keeping our bodies fit and healthy.

Make 2010 a great year. Focus on health and wellness rather than simply on weight loss. You can starve yourself on a cabbage soup diet and lose weight, but what will that do to your body? Love your body and nurture it with healthy daily choices.

A few more thoughts regarding cleansing as we head into the New Year!

You’ve heard about the toxins and chemicals found in your food, but there are many other toxins in your daily life that you might not be aware of … like chlorine from your shower water… or acetone from your nail polish… formaldehyde from your new clothes… and you’re even affected by cleaning products with bleach and other harsh additives.

But don’t worry! There are a handful of simple ways to start combating these toxins!

Try airing out your new clothes before you wear them and avoid the dry cleaners, as these are sources of questionable preservatives and treatments. Or get a filter for your showerhead (http://www.revitalive.com/store)The chlorine in your water becomes most hazardous when it becomes steam in your shower. Another quick fix is to change your cleaning products to more environmentally (and subsequently health) friendly cleansers.

WATER also plays an important role in the cleansing process on a day-to-day basis. We need to keep things fluid and moving! The general recommended amount of water is half your body weight in ounces every day.

Consider your body in terms of a “soup” or a “stew”. When we’re properly hydrated our body functions as a soup… vitamins and minerals are going where they need to go, nutrients are moving freely. But without enough water… our cells turn into more of a stew…slow moving, and thick, with the potential to clog passages, etc.

This imagery always gets through to me!

Another important cleansing key is EXERCISE! Movement allows all the toxins to be shaken up in your body, and once they’re dislodged, you can let your healthy and hydrated body flush them out. Colon hydrotherapy is a wonderful way to start flushing out toxins and hydrating the body as well.

Remember, these are GREAT starts! But there’s no substitute for the benefits the safe and structured lifestyle change programs that Revitalive offers.

So don’t forget to take advantage of the January Promotion!

$500 dollars OFF the 7 day cleanse, and $1000 dollars OFF the 14 day cleanse.

Both include three living foods meals a day, fresh-pressed vegetable juices, wheatgrass juice, continued education, personal coaching, and services including colon hydrotherapy, foot bath sessions and infrared sauna sessions!

Happy New Year! Let’s start 2010 off right!

Why Cleanse?

“It is easy to believe that toxins are assaulting us on all fronts, but the worst toxins are often within…” Anna Johnson. Three Black Skirts: All you need to Survive.

Its true! There is so much toxicity around us! From the idling of cars, to the fluoride in the dentist’s chair… we are exposed to an abundant amount of chemicals and toxins our bodies don’t approve of. But often the most damaging offenders are found right in our refrigerators and cabinets!

You might be familiar with Mental Stress (job related, relationship related), and Physical Stress (exercise or trauma related injuries)… but our bodies are also bombarded with Chemical Stress in the form of processed foods (and medication). These toxins are not designed to be in our bodies and they’re doing damage!

A big part of the cleansing process is to STOP putting these toxins in your body. The ones you can help anyway… like changing your diet to eliminate processed foods. And START structuring your diet around life-giving foods such as raw fruits and vegetables; foods that possess enzymes designed to produce healthy cells.

But just as important, is getting rid of the toxins that have already accumulated. Cleansing these toxins out with a combination of raw foods, colonics, footbaths, skin brushing, and regular exercise are the foundations of cleansing at Revitalive Heath and Wellness.

These toxins are clogging cells, and disrupting chemical and hormonal processes in your body… so once they’re gone, you can imagine how grateful your body will be!

You’ll see changes in your skin, weight loss, increased energy and better sleep!

But mentally too, cleansing is beneficial in improving your mood, and combating depression and anxiety. The chemicals in your body will be able to return to their intended functions without the disruptions of external (food) chemicals interfering.

It’s exciting to know that your body will respond positively as it returns to the way it was designed to function… chemical free! For a more in depth look at the benefits of cleansing take a look at this link. http://www.revitalive.com/benefits.html

Stay tuned for Thursday’s Blog Post, which will explain some simple changes you can make at home to start cleansing!

Also make sure to take advantage of the JANUARY PROMOTION Revitalive is offering! Sign up for a cleanse this January, and receive $500 off the 7 day cleanse, and $1000 off the 14 day cleanse! Email Anna for scheduling at revitalive@gmail.com

2010 is going to be your healthiest year yet!

We talked the last time about the lymphatic system. This is the series of organs, glands and ducts in the human body that provide immune system cells and transportation for many substances throughout the body. The main players in the lymphatic system are the bone marrow cells, the spleen, the tonsils, and the thymus. Lymph nodes are bean-shaped areas of tissue near the neck, groin and many other places in the body. They’re not solid, but rather honeycombed, and the lymphatic fluid flows through them. When you’ve got an infection, they become enlarged.

The lymphatic system is really the unsung hero of the body. Your lymphatic system is hard at work on the following tasks, day in and day out:

Maintaining fluid balance: the lymphatic system shuttles the fluid called plasma throughout the body. It makes sure that fluid levels stay balanced throughout your body.
Defend against invaders: The lymphatic system produces lymphocytes. These specialized cells defend against invading viruses, bacteria and other microbes. They protect you from catching a cold, flu or communicable disease.
Removes waste and excess fluid: this is closely linked with maintaining fluid balance, but it’s also an important cleansing function in the body. The lymphatic system sweeps clean the dead cells, toxins, and debris that hangs out between the body’s cells and the tissue spaces in between. As part of your body’s method of cleansing waste, it’s a critical but little discussed aspect of detoxification.

This is just a glimpse into the many functions of the lymphatic system. Although it’s a cursory look at this important body system, I hope it helps underscore the importance of taking care of your lymphatic system. As you can see, it sure is hard working – and sometimes, it needs a reward!

Did your high school have one of those life-sized plastic models of the human body? We had one at the front of the classroom. You remove plates that represented the skin, and all the organs of the body were life-sized. The teacher could pull out the liver, the heart, the stomach, the lungs and other organs when he was explaining their function. He also had pull-down charts at the front of the room depicting the various systems of the body. There was the circulatory system, the nervous system, the respiratory system, the digestive system….but there was one system that seemed to be missing: the lymphatic system.

If you were asked to list off the major systems of the body, I’d bet that you’d get most of them correct, but you’d probably forget the poor lymphatic system. It’s like the Rodney Dangerfield of the body; it gets no respect. And that’s a shame, because thanks to your lymphatic system, you’re alive and reading this today.

What is the lymphatic system? It’s a network of organs, ducts and tissues throughout the body that shuttle a clear fluid called lymph through the entire body. Inside the lymph is where magic happens. That’s where the immune system’s heavy hitters are transported from place to place.

Maybe it’s so hard to wrap our heads around the lymphatic system because it’s not as clear cut as, say, the circulatory system. We intuitively understand the circulatory system because we hear and feel our hearts beating; we see blood when we cut our fingers, and we understand that the heart has to pump blood around the body for oxygenation, nourishment, and more.

But the lymphatic system is vital to your health and well being. Not only does it move important players in the immune system from place to place, the lymphatic system is essential for removal of toxins. If your lymphatic system gets sick, you get very sick indeed.

For the next series of posts, let’s take a look at the lymphatic system – what is does, and how to keep it healthy. In the meantime, love your lymph – it certainly loves you.