Viva La Cleanse!

In the above video, I outline Raw Food Rehab's 11 Week Total Health & Weight Loss Initiative. We will have 4 Initiatives in 2010 and this week we are putting the finishing touches on our first public initiative program of 2009.

RFR's next Initiative will begin on January 9th. In the meantime, many of us are participating in a Post Holiday Cleanse to knock out the cobwebs of any recent overindulgences.

Here is my personal menu from the past two days.....

Sunday's Detox Menu:
11 am Bright Green Drink
1 pm water from one young thai coconut
3 pm carrot, beet, celery, lemon juice
6 pm Creamy Corn Chowder & a small herb salad w/ Champagne Vinaigrette (recipes in new years ebook)

Monday's Cleansing Fare:

Water fasted until 1 pm

1 pm Large mixed herb salad - tomato, jalapeño, bell pepper, sprouts, hemp seeds w/ lemon, olive oil & honey

4 pm Hard Core Green juice - chard, parsley, cuke, celery, lime....it was good, really!

6-ish Energy Soup (new years ebook)

Viva La Cleanse!

Focus, Renewal & Cleansing

I decided to take this sacred week between Christmas and New Years to slow down, get focused and find physical, mental & spiritual clarity in which to formulate my goals and vision for 2010....the beginning of a new decade. I have a sense of expectancy this year that I have never felt before, but I also know that in order to realize certain dreams and plans, I must have a clear cut game plan and then work that plan.

The reason I wrote my most recent eBook, New Years Raw Solutions, was out of my own need and the expressed needs of the community. People share with me all the time that they have the desire to make real and lasting changes in their diets and ultimately in the big picture of their lives, but somehow they find themselves struggling, ebbing and flowing between just surviving and feeling like a failure. This kind of thinking is commonplace it seems, not healthy....it's limiting and defeating and I wanted to offer some real solutions, practical helps that if people will just implement, they'll begin to realize their full potential, becoming who they were created to be.

So, yesterday I began my cleanse, which I have outlined in detail for the community at Raw Food Rehab. You can join us there for absolutely free. At my "virtual health retreat" you'll find daily encouragement, inspiration, ongoing education, group support,tons of amazing recipes in our raw food kitchen and how to videos in our Culinary Center. Meanwhile, here at Real Food Tulsa, I'll be sharing with you what I'm eating each day and I also plan to share any additional insights that might come from this time of reflection. I would like to extend this as an invitation for you to join me in a post holiday detox, as you are able.

Saturday's Menu:

9 am - Blueberry Almond Milk Shake (blueberries, spinach, fresh almond milk, 1 frozen banana)

12 pm - Large salad w/ romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, sunflower seeds, cucumbers & olive oil & lemon juice dressing.

3 pm - Green drink - kale, parsley, granny smith apple and lemon

6 pm - Creamy Tomato Soup & a small side salad

Many of the cleansing recipes I will be using can be found in my New Years RawSolutions eBook and on the Raw Food Rehab Kitchen under the tab of Recipes for Detox & Cleansing.

Fight Cravings, Stay Warm & Save Lives.....

Many of you may already know, Angela Thomas. Not only is Angela a Raw Food Rehab member and very dear friend, she also passionately runs her artisanal tea company, The Giving Teas Project. Angela's business/outreach donates ALL of its profits to sponsored children in Haiti, Uganda and around the globe. Angela has recently "adopted" a number of children in Uganda, all of whom are being fed, clothed and educated through the profits of her new organization. She has set an initial goal of being able to sponsor 100 children as soon as possible. This "company" is a way that Angela is able to marry together her love of fine teas and her heart's passion in helping to fulfill the world mission vision.

The Giving Teas Project currently distributes incredible hand blended teas and Angela is also working to produce an additional line of Holistic teas to help promote peace and health. One tea in particular that might interest you is Pu-erh. If you are on the path of seeking a tea that is anti-aging, cleansing, and promotes weight loss, this tea has it all rolled into one!

Here is what Angela has to say about her labor of love: "Every purchase you make from the The Giving Teas Project helps to feed, clothe and educate children in Uganda and Haiti. I am just an American mom trying to help children on the other side of the world, by bringing you some of the best hand blended artisanal teas available here in the States. I have spent countless hours finding the most exquisite and aromatic tea and herbal blends, targeted to those of you who appreciate something above and beyond the ordinary. Like fine wines, artisanal teas have personalities and distinctive properties, outside of the realm of what you may have ever experienced. For every personality, there is a signature tea for you!"

Here is Angela's daughter, Anna, giving her thoughts on mom's teas. Anna is clearly the young Vana White of tea:

Drinking herbal tea is THE perfect solution to help warm yourself during the cold months, up your body's infection and virus fighting power, and to ward off unhealthy food cravings. Drinking tea from The Giving Teas Project will also warm your heart because with each sip you are saving lives around the globe. It is an honor and passion to promote and spread the word about an integrity filled organization such as The Giving Teas....an outreach that is dedicated to spreading the love, lending a helping hand and making a difference to our brothers and sisters around the globe. I want to invite you to join me in supporting Angela's noble efforts by reading and following her blog, checking out her amazing selection of teas, telling others and perhaps....buying a spot of tea!

Your New Years RawSolutions Are Here

Just in time! Are you ready to kick start your New Year with a goal-setting, vision inspiring, motivational raw food solution eBook? New Year's RawSolutions is now available! Simply click the button below to order your copy for just $5! I promise that this gem will exceed your expectations with over 35 delicious and cleansing raw food recipes that require nothing more than a knife, cutting board and a blender.

This eBook will act as a companion to successfully steer you through the next 2 weeks and into a bright and beautiful 2010! Just click the link below to order now!

Best of Raw 2009

Which Raw Vegan Leaders do you want to celebrate and honor this year?

BEST OF RAW 2009 is a

publicly nominated Raw Vegan Celebration produced by Laura Fox + Visionary Culture, honoring movers and shakers in the raw vegan movement! Check it out and cast your vote!

Winners will be announced on the Dec. 30 Visionary Culture/Raw Inspirations Radio Show!

The Best of Raw celebrates ALL people who are moving the raw vegan movement forward. Thousands of people are on the leading edge of this powerful culture of RAW living, which is life promoting, life enhancing and life sustaining. Many experience the healing itself through adding more raw vegan foods to the diet while eliminating the worst foods of our culture.

When you vote, you will receive Best of Raw Updates AND an e-booklet with a couple of Laura Fox’s yummiest Raw Vegan Holiday Recipes.

The BEST OF RAW philosophy is to have fun while encouraging the energy of playful coopetition — cooperation plus competition. We truly wish to celebrate all leaders and to have some fun with an engaging community activity designed to be delightful and promote the raw vegan lifestyle.

Raw Food Rehab is one of the proud sponsors of this annual event!

Click here to Vote Now for Best of Raw 2009!

Raw For the Holidays - FREE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate our new Facebook Fan Page, Raw Food Rehab will be giving away a copy of Raw For The Holidays every day this week.

To enter your name into the drawing, click the link below to be entered into the drawing.

Raw For The Holidays is a collection of over 80 wonderfully festive and raw food friendly recipes to be enjoyed at the holiday's and year round. Created by Penni Shelton and the Original Cast of Raw Food Rehab.

Raw For The Holidays eBook Giveaway Feel free to leave comments here regarding the eBook, but you will only be entered into the drawing if you go to the Fan Page!

URGENT REQUEST FOR ELAINA LOVE

I just received this letter from Living Light in Ft. Bragg, Ca. I believe that this is an opportunity for us as a community to support a raw food family in need. I ask you to consider donating any amount that you can to this precious cause. As you give out of your own need, I believe that you will reap so much more than you sow. Please join me in a selfless gift to this amazing raw food chef, teacher and friend. Be Blessed - Penni

"Dear Friends, We are writing on behalf of our dear friend and Living Light Chef Instructor, Elaina Love. Many of you who are graduates know that besides being a Master Raw Food chef, Elaina is a beautiful loving person and caring mother who always gives generously to others.

We were saddened yesterday to hear that her son, Dominic, who has been in a treatment program for leukemia, has taken a turn for the worse. Dominic was diagnosed with leukemia on January 15, 2009. He underwent the traditional cancer treatment of chemotherapy, radiation, and bone marrow transplant, and he seemed to be responding well, until recently, when the leukemia suddenly and aggressively returned. There is nothing more to do in the medical arena.

Elaina has faith in the body's ability to heal itself, so she took Dominic to Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida for 3 weeks where he will eat a completely green, raw, vegan diet of juices, daily wheatgrass implants, and oxygen therapy. She is there with him now and will remain there with him through it all.

This program is very costly, starting at $20,000 for the first three weeks of expenses, so we at Living Light would like to invite you to participate in a fundraising effort for Elaina. If you choose to participate, you can donate as little as $5 to this campaign. If you donate $20 or more through the Living Light fundraising campaign for Elaina and Dominic, we will enter your name in a raffle to win your choice of a FREE FUNdamentals of Raw and Living Foods class (a $365 value), or 2 tickets for the Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase, August 27-29, 2010 (a $450 value).

100% of all proceeds will go directly to Elaina Love to help with Dominic's expenses. We have set up an easy way to donate funds - you can put it on your credit card by clicking on the link below to contribute in increments of as little as $5 (every little bit helps!) We know that this is a challenging time for us to ask you for money, but if you or someone you know has been touched by Elaina and her gentle and joyful presence, or you simply would like to be an Angel this holiday season and help someone whose young life hangs in the balance, please consider helping Elaina and her only child in their time of need. We greatly appreciate anything you can do and most of all we appreciate your warm wishes and all your prayers. Thank you for your kind and generous support of our beautiful sister, Elaina, and her wonderful son, Dominic.

Cherie, Dan, and the entire Living Light staff "

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO ELAINA & DOMINIC

And to offer your prayers for Elaina & Dominic, join the prayer thread in the Chapel at Raw Food Rehab.