This month we are going to LOVE our body RAW.  What better time to do this than during the month of Valentines… the month of Love. Whether you are all raw, eat partially raw or trying to go all or more raw, these tips will help you to show more love to yourself for the month of February and beyond.

1. Eat More Chocolate. What is a better way to start these tips that to say that this month we can use the excuse to eat more chocolate…Raw Cacao.   Chocolate in its raw form is high extremely high in anti-oxidants, magnesium (why do you women think you crave chocolate before that time of the month) and helps suppress and satisfy those cravings.  What makes this a perfect food for loving our body raw this month is that it contains the neuron-peptides that are similar to those we produce when we are in Love.  How many of you LOVE chocolate…there is something to it.

2. Add More Maca. In addition to the Chocolate, how about adding in some MACA, the root that acts as an aphrodisiac So now you are having the love producing cacao and the libido increasing Maca and what do you have… an amazing and extremely tasty combination that’s high in nutrients.  Maca great for rebuilding the adrenals, strength, stamina, endurance, is loaded in vitamins and minerals and is a great source of Protein containing over 20 amino acids.

3. Eat More Red Foods. And then third, let’s add more red foods in this month.  How about some amazing Goji Berries that are known for longevity.  These berries are also very high in anti-oxidant, …  February is a cold month for many of us, soaking goji’s in some warm water can make a wonderful tea.  To top it off there is nothing better than the combination of the Goji’s with Maca and Cacao.  So before we continue, let me give you a recipe.

Let the Goji Berries steep in some hot (not boiling) water for 20 min, then use the Goji water, add a TBSP of Maca, a TBSP of Cacao, a handful of cashews some agave and blend well.  You will have an amazing and highly nutritious Raw Hot Chocolate that will have a malty flavor from the Maca and a hint of berry with all kinds of health benefits.

4. Love Your Skin Too! Get on-line, or look around, there are some companies that carry skin care that is completely chemical free and contain many ingredients that will really help nourish your skin.  My favorite is Simply Divine Botanicals. You will notice a huge difference over the conventional soaps.  Not to mention our skin is a huge absorber of toxins and chemicals, we may be trying to avoid eating them but try not putting them on your skin either and see the difference.  I personally like using products that contain MSM.  Taking pure MSM internally will do amazing things for your skin also.  And try rubbing yourself down in coconut oil, it completely absorbs and your skin will feel amazing and softJ  Maybe on Valentine’s Day, have a jar of coconut oil by the bed…

5. Make Time For You. Most people are living high paced and high stress lifestyles.  The continued excuse “I don’t have time” for anything that involves taking time for ourselves…  Taking time for you is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do.  Without thinking, there IS something that would come immediately to mind that you would love to do for yourself…maybe it’s get a massage or acupuncture treatment, go for a hike or bike ride, read that book that has been sitting on your night stand for months.  All you have to do is just do it.  ‘Ask yourself’ for a little time this month to do some things you want to do and see what happens.  All you have to do is ‘’ask”.  It is actually really simple and there is always time, it’s just whether you chose to do it or not.

6. Eat More Raw. By eating more raw foods and especially greens, we keep our bodies in balance.  When I say balance I am also talking from a pH standpoint and the internal biological terrain of our entire system.  When we chose to eat more raw foods, it eliminates the foods that turn our internal biological terrain into an environment for all the unwanted bacteria’s, viruses, yeasts, fungus, mold, dis-ease causing agents, etc.  We want to love our body, not waste it, which is what we do when we eat process, refined, pasteurized, homogenized, pesticide, genetically modified, hormone induced food. Think of your body as a garden, would you dump trash in it and expect it to flourish or would you love it and tend to it, watering it regularly so that it grows into beautiful plants that are going to nourish.   Would you water your garden with soda and other drinks…do you think the plants would grow or would they die?   Would you put bread in your soil or veggies to help nourish the soil and fertilize it? Think about your internal body as that garden and the more you care for it with natural and raw sources, the more it will flourish into that beautiful garden that will nourish you from the inside out.   The more alive the food you eat, the more vibrant you will feel!  I always like to say, what color is our planet, GREEN, so what do you think are the best foods to eat to live a healthy life…

7. Eat Healthy Snacks. Try substituting raw flax crackers for your regular processed crackers, eat more greens and sea veggies, add some avocados and raw Olives (yum).  Snack on more nuts and seeds, some Goji berries mixed with Cacao nibs, is a great snack!!  And just keep drinking more smoothies.   This is the best way to get all those nutrients in and it tastes great!

Kendell Reichhart is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and Integrative Nutritional Consultant.  Specializing in healing through raw and whole foods.  Nutritional Microscopy.  Towson, MD.   443-250-9335  www.naturalvibranthealth.net

“When the body is properly nourished, it then has the ability to function optimally.”

Wake up, morning routine, breakfast, out the door, traffic, work, work, work, lunch, work some more, work, work, work, grocery store, errands, traffic, home, dinner, phone calls, emails, facebook, myspace, twitter, bedtime.

Breathe….

There is something missing here. The average person is busier than ever, often times jugging a job, a home life, a social life, and everything in between. How do we achieve balance? We step out of bed and we practically hit the ground running, leaving little time to stand still or think of anything other than what’s next to do on our schedules. What happened to the idea of slowing down, appreciating life more, and remembering to LIVE? Have we forgotten those simple things that our spirit longs for?

Did you know that something as small as taking 15 minutes a day to sit in silence, meditate, close your eyes, pray, write down your thoughts, take a walk, talk to a friend, play the guitare, whatever it is for you, can make an unbelievable difference in mood, energy, and quality of life? Furthermore, it will be fuel for managing the constant flow of demands that can wear down your batteries.

Let’s say that you need to rejuvenate or replenish your energy but you might not be able to afford an exotic retreat or an all exclusive getaway. No problem! How about instead you do something much simpler and make a retreat in your home. (Say what??) That’s right, let’s take it to the home front. Turn off your phone, your computer, your television and all other electronic distractions and plan your escape. It’s much more practical.

Set up a mini retreat in your home. This is less expensive than a major vacation, much easier to plan, the follow through will be a breeze, and the benefits are endless. Here are some suggestions to get you thinking:

• Stop by a craft store and pick up a new project kit to try (tie dying, paint by numbers, knitting/crochet, fabric/tshirt decorating, wood painting, stain glass sun catchers, etc)
• Go to your local bookstore and splurge on a couple great books
• Make it a point to rent new movies on a schedule so that you get the opportunity to do something for you
• Buy a relaxing CD (meditation, nature sounds, light instrumental solos), then close your eyes in your favorite chair and let the tunes take you away
• Go to your local bookstore and invest in a journal for writing (pick the journal that speaks to you because of its shape and design)
• If you enjoy pets but can’t have one at this time, volunteer at the local shelter to walk the dogs or spend time with rescued cats that need attention
• Volunteer for a cause that you truly enjoy (like working with children for example)
• Treat yourself to a delicious meal or dessert, set the table and style the plate with love, and then savor the flavor of every bite
• If you want to make a day trip/weekend out of it, do a little research for local getaways (visiting local museums, going to a concert, hiking on a nearby trail, camping in a National Park, visiting a day spa, going biking or other outdoor sports, or just picking a winding road and driving with the wind in your hair)

The company you work for pays you money for your time, but how do you pay yourself? We suggest with something more important than money….time. Making time for yourself, whether it is 15 minutes a day or 1 day out of the week, will allow you to decompress and obtain clarity of mind. These little moments when you take time to be aware of yourself and your needs break up the “gotta do this now” routine that we often fall into.

You deserve better. You deserve you. Take out your planner, or write on a post-it note. Whatever it takes,  schedule in some me time.

Resources:

Get Some Me Time by Will Meek, PH.D. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/09/19/get-some-me-time/
More Important than Money – Paying Myself With My Time by Sid Savara, http://www.sidsavara.com
The Importance of Me Time – Indulging or a Necessity? by Jan Hoadley http://www.associatedcontent.com