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don’t get sick this winter (or ever again ;-)

Getting sick this winter is an old paradigm ritual you can release. NOW.

In fact you needn’t ever get sick again if you understand why you get sick in the first place, and are willing to take Exquisite Care of yourself…

Louis Pasteur admitted on his deathbed that Claude Bernard was right- the terrain is more significant than the germ in the cause and cure of dis-ease.

Yes, you can be a Sorceress of Health and Beauty all year round!

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It’s rare to see my family less than bubbling with energy experiencing unprecedented health; we’re ALL meant to live like that.

We are ALL worthy of Health.

I was sick as a child, became extremely sick as a teen, and had my health bottomed-out before I was 30.

Now twenty years later I feel so vibrant and healthy, and its an incredible feeling to not worry about my health anymore.

Since I went High-Raw over 13 years ago I have NEVER been sick, and neither has anyone in my family.

There HAS been barely a couple colds, flus… 😉

but even those I have discovered aren’t illness- it’s our bodies way of cleansing and healing!

A recalibration. A chance to hit the re-set button. A blessing…

Your body is wise.

Wiser than any doctor, pill, potion, shaman or surgery.

There is only ONE healer and that isn’t even RAW FOODS, medicine or any herb, superfood or homeopathic remedy-

it is your beautiful BODY.

Your body naturally moves in the direction of your health and healing, as long as you don’t clog it up!

Of course, your MIND, HEART and SPIRIT must also be allowed to stay clear and flowing for vibrant Health.

SYMPTOMS you may have are your body’s way of telling you to simply:

STOP over-stuffing it, especially with the wrong things; allow it to come into BALANCE.

A good Detoxification Program to assist your body’s balance is The Body Cleanse.

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For NOW, here are some simple tips you can utilize to keep you well over the Winter:

1. Remember, your body is wise…tune in and listen to her.

2. Whenever you have symptoms, don’t think of them as illness- trust it’s your body’s Cleansing and Healing system at work 🙂 a PROACTIVE Mindset assists your Healing and future IMMUNITY.

3. Take responsability for your Health and Well-Being- not as blame but as a powerful Creatrix, know that you are Response-Able 😉

4. Stop wasting money, energy and time on ‘quick fixes and magic-bullets’- other than Detoxification, good Nutrition, & healthy Mindset/ happy Heart/ free Spirit there aren’t any.

5. Eat with the Natural Body Cycles and stop clogging your body up.*Even if you didn’t go Raw, just not eating anything but water-rich foods before NOON would assist your body’s natural detox cycle  (4am – NOON) and dramatically increase your Health.

6. Fuel your body with the food Nature intended~ Raw, Natural, Simple, Fresh, Wild and Organic, Lovingly Harvested, Whole Foods. For exciting new ideas see Nude Food or google Raw Recipes and fall in love with your food again!

7. If you do get rundown and start to have symptoms, Nature’s Invitation when we are feeling under the weather is simply sweet REST…

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* lie down horizontal, eyes closed gently, with a quiet mind and peaceful heart, perhaps some beautiful classical music will rally your vital forces and speed up healing. Avoid over-stimulation- which is one of the reasons you may be under-the-weather already.

8. An Enema or Colonic will take much of the burden of cleansing off your body by releasing toxicity from your colon.

9. A clay bath and/or infrared sauna will draw toxins from your body gently.

10. Plenty of clear fluids (GREEN JUICE, pure water, lemon/ginger tea/nettles/fennel) LIGHT BROTHS (seaweed and miso with lots of garlic- sodium in the broth may actually have anti-inflammatory properties, and it feels good going down) + FRESH AIR in a room with cut flowers and a view, an orderly environment with essential oils. (Lavender, Lemon, Rosemary or Eucalyptus, Ravensara, Clary Sage)

11. I don’t recommend fever medication as fever is ‘burning off’ any infections and is actually a sign your immune system is functional.

To thwart this natural response by giving ‘fever medication’ or other drugs only serves to reduce the SYMPTOMS and discomfort, but doesn’t strengthen the body. (I personally have NO medications in my home…other than food, herbs and homeopathy.)

Discomfort is an ally 😉

Otherwise, you may still be running around when what you obviously need is rest. To keep a fever in check naturally and still allow the body to let Nature take its course try:

a cool cloth to the forehead, a cool bath in the tub or sponge bath, wearing wet wool socks soaked in lemon juice/lemon essential oil wrapped in a towel while lying in bed… all can help the fever stay in safe range while it is doing its work to get you all better.

 

SORE THROATS

Could be Strep Throat which is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus. If you do feel it is worth taking an anti-biotic for, ensure to take plenty of Probiotic capsules to replace good bacteria.

A scratchy, sore throat is soothed with the following:

– warm drinks: lemon/ginger/fennel and honey tea

– fresh juices: a simple mixture of 1/3 greens and the rest fresh orange, apple, pear or pineapple juice etc

– chewable Zinc lozenges with Vit C

– Slippery Elm Bark powder- take 1T and dissolve into hot water with some honey for a really soothing tea for an inflamed throat

– Keep a little pot of boiling water in the room if you don’t have a humidifier to add steam into the air (maybe with a few drops of Eucalyptus) and help moisten the dry tissues of throat and nose

– Herbal Honey/ Cough Syrup- by the teaspoon or in teas: add a drop of essential oils (must be organic, pure and food grade) SAGE, EUCALYPTUS, MINT to a couple teaspoons of honey and mix thoroughly

-Gargling several times a day with warm salt water can reduce swelling in the throat and loosen mucus, helping to flush out irritants or bacteria. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water. Swish around your mouth and gargle for a few seconds then spit out into sink. Repeat.

Homeopathic remedies:

ACONITUM: initial onset of the sore throat; symptoms come on suddenly, often after exposure to a cold air.

APIS: red, shiny, inflamed throat with swollen tonsils; aggravated by warm drinks or food and relieved by cold drinks or sucking on an ice cube;

BELLADONNA: for acute tonsilitis; scarlet red throat;  burning pains and a constant desire to swallow, despite the fact that it hurts to do so; tickling in the larnyx; head is hot, though extremities are cold.

HEPAR SULPH: radiating pain to the ears on swallowing; hypersensitive to touch and cold and are highly irritable.

IGNATIA: lump in the throat, sometimes related to the suppression of some strong emotion.

LYCOPODIUM: sore throat that is worse on the right side or one that has started on the right and moved to the left.

MERCURIUS:  colds that settle in the throat; pain when swallowing; noticeably bad breath.

RHUS TOX: shooting pain from the throat into the ears; tonsils and neck glands swollen.

 

COLDS
The main thing here is to avoid further congestion of the liver or bowels as your system is already clogged up, so avoid:

– eating and especially over-eating

– cooked starches, flesh foods, sugar, dairy

– keep a little pot of boiling water in the room if you don’t have a humidifier to add steam into the air (maybe with a few drops of Eucalyptus) and help moisten the dry tissues of throat and nose

– Get lots of fluids, and maybe some nice warm garlic laden vegetable broths

– Gargle with warm salt water with a drop of Oregeno Oil

– use a Neti Pot to relieve sinus pain and congestion

– put a little coconut butter or sesame oil in the inside of your nostrils

– Homeopathics: Belladonna; Arsenicum; Aconite; Antimonium tartaricum.

 

EARACHES

I have had the experience when I was a nanny for a house with 6 kids of being woken in the middle of the night to screams from little ones suffering from intense ear pain. Here is what works like a charm and its best if you have this on hand so you don’t have to keep your child or yourself waiting while you make it:

Garlic Oil – put a few cloves of peeled garlic into a few ounces of Olive Oil and let infuse for a week. Then remove the cloves and place the oil into fridge. All you need to do is warm up the whole jar by placing it into hot water for a couple minutes and then when it is liquid again and warm (not hot! Make sure to test before putting into your/child’s ear)

Take a teaspoon full of the oil on a spoon and tip the oil into ear. Have a cotton ball ready to catch the excess.

If you haven’t this on hand and an earache strikes, you can buy in the Health Food store a little dropper bottle of a preparation already made up with garlic, oil and Lobelia herb which works well too, and is convenient.

– Homeopathics include Aconite, Hepar Sulph

FLU

Influenza refers to many strains of viral infection that are more intense than a common cold, and typically include fever, muscle aching, headache, and fatigue.

It seems obvious that the body is trying to tell us not to eat right now.

It needs rest.

Simple, easily digested nourishment and calm is mostly needed here. Replenish fluids if vomiting or diarrhea.

Homeopathics:

Aconitum napellus: flu that comes on suddenly and intense; with fever alternate with chills; symptoms worse at midnight; exposure to cold wind or a shock of some kind often precedes the illness.

Belladonna: sudden, intense symptoms; fever, hot skin, extreme sensitivity to light; red sore throat, a pounding headache, a nagging cough, or other throbbing and inflammatory symptoms.

Bryonia: grumpy, miserable , wanting only to lie still and be left alone; headache, muscle aches, and cough or stomach pain may be the major symptoms; slightest motion makes it worse.

Gelsemium: fatigue and achiness that come on gradually, increasing over several days; face feels heavy, with droopy eyes and aching; headache at the back of the neck and skull; anxiety, trembling, dizziness, perspiration.

Nux vomica: high fever, violent chills, strong nausea; headache; oversensitivity to sound, bright light, and odors.

Phosphorus: weak and dizzy;  headache, hoarseness, sore throat, and cough; stomach pain and nausea or vomiting; strong anxiety; strong thirst, with a tendency to vomit when liquids warm up in the stomach.

Rhus toxicodendron: extremely restless; fever accompanied by bone and muscle aches; ore throat, red tongue, cough, and nausea and bloating ; soreness and stiffness-improvement from hot showers or from getting up; relieved by massage, stretching.

MOST IMPORTANTLY

Our bodies are always communicating with us
 any pain, illness or discomfort is our body’s way of getting our attention and letting us know what we require.

It isn’t medication that we require…it’s the natural, Nature-intended health-giving foods and lifestyle that keeps us vital and well.

Sometimes, getting sick is our way of creating a time of rest, a space of love for ourselves. (ILL = I lack love)

Often it is a simple reaction to foods that aren’t healthy, or perhaps an unsettled emotional conflict.

If you are worried, by all means seek advice from your Naturopathic or medical health practitioner.

Keeping a medicine chest of Homeopathic Remedies, Bach Flower Remedies, healing Herbals like Echinacea, garlic, slippery Elm Bark, and Essential Oils etc is empowering.

Eat beautiful raw, whole foods. Enjoy being out in Nature. Have only loving relationships. Do what you love.

It’s so simple…

People all over the world are restoring their health in miraculous ways, and it isn’t complicated.

Healing and Health is really so delicious.

with love and healing,

Shakaya

 

 

 

 

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a woman’s essence

Iris Apfel Photo © Bruce Weberthe ever iconic Iris Apfel

Some women really know how to radiate their most exquisite self- their true Essence.

Growing up in the disguise of a Plain Jane, I know the torture we endure when we’re not embodying our essence.

Your Essence is your snowflake signature, your unique beauty, your Treasure of gifts and talents, your Soulprint.

When you tap into it- it’s ecstacy for you…and mesmerizing for others.

No one else has the unique combination of life experiences, passions and purpose that you have…and no one ever will.

Your essence is precious; embodying it unleashes your most FULFILLING life.

Exquisite Self-Care and being High-Raw is an Embodiment journey.

You become infused with new dreams and desires, and a whole new Vision of yourself.

One of the most exciting things a woman can do is to CLAIM and capture her Essence in a photoshoot!

This a revealing, healing and anchoring process like nothing else…simply MAGICAL.

A reveal of my radiant client Anna’s Essence Embodiment Photoshoot with photographer Josephine Auciello:

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Hear Anna share about her Transformation in this video HERE

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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV075NKjiSs

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 with beauty,

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ps For more details join me in the jewel-toned forest of Autumn HERE

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxZMAd4X75w

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2013 SOLD OUT!

NOW BOOKING for 2014

josephine and shakaya and anna

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walk in beauty

earth empress raw beauty
How you walk through a room…is how you walk through your life. Shakaya Leone

Women inspire me.

Their beauty…oh, their beauty. And to know I possess it, too…

Claim it.

I love the way we move…

I love how we walk differently depending upon what kind of room we are walking into…

I love that we have that intuitive knowledge of the strut, the glide, the hip swing, and the slow to the quick.

How we move can ENHANCE how we feel about ourself, and how others perceive us, too!

Have you noticed that one of the most beautiful and memorable things about a woman can be her walk?

One of the things I can remember most about my mom was her walk- she had an amazing walk…

Men used to literally drive into each other when she walked down the street!

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Our posture and poise is part of our feminine mystique…and a powerful daily form of Exquisite Self Care.

When I had the pleasure of talking to Sheila Kelly of S Factor fame, she shared with me about the power of our curves.

In our Western culture we walk very linear and straight, which doesn’t feel very sensual or satisfying…

Because we disconnect from our body and from our sensual, feminine curves.

Allow yourself to take a deep beautiful breathe and settle into your body.

Have your shoulders relaxed and back, heart open, upright in your upper body.

In the lower part of your body, instead of holding tummy in (no no no!),

you want to sink down, into your body, into your hips.

Centered in your feminine.

Be aware of your sensual pace…

SLOW DOWN…feel the pleasure of that.

It’s so gorgeous to see a woman in her body, grounded, sensual and radiating from her feminine.

And it feels very relaxing, healing and sensuous too!

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Walk as if you are ‘kissing the Earth with your feet’.

I was with a client on her VIP Day and I demonstrate in sensual walking thisVIDEO.

The battery died in the middle so there is an interrption but we continued once we got it recharged.

In-joy!

 

walk in beauty,

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healing beau-tea for your crown

96616354475420092_EaQmFkkV_b‘A woman’s hair is her crown’

Do you want beautiful hair and a transfusion of vital nourishment that is easy and delicious?

Every Goddess knows that  weak, lifeless or thinning hair can cramp her style.

There are several factors that cause such ravages, such as styling methods or chemical products.

However, the main reason is poor nutrition.

A typical SAD (standard American diet) contains just too much sugar, starch, salt and animal fat, which overloads the body
with toxins and depletes our B vitamins and essential fatty acids.

That is why when you think of hair care you must not think simply shampoo/conditioner.

Healthy hair depends on a consistent supply of oxygen and nutrients, which tells us the true remedy for any hair condition starts with what you eat and drink.

earthempress.com

Today I share with you the power of nourishing nettles.

Like woman, nettles is a powerful Beauty who can nourish or sting you depending on how you treat her!

She demands respect and special attention or her secrets will be lost…but just a little appreciation and she can become an allied elixir able to transform you from the inside.

I know this because when I was just a teenager I suffered a terrible health crisis in the wake of losing my mom and went into a very dark depression.

I had severe adrenal exhaustion from insomnia, stress and Epstein Barr Virus.

Much of my hair fell out and my scalp was visible- I was horrified.

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your barefeet and the winds long to play with your hair. Khalil Gibran

Fortunately I knew about stinging nettles and was able to nourish my nervous system and grow back my hair to health!

Drinking deep green Nettles infusions has a replenishing effect on tired hair.

I learned about the power of nettles when I met Herbalist and keeper of the Wise Woman Tradition, Susun Weed, when I was 16, and have been utilizing them as part of my Exquisite Self Care ever since.

This beauty tea steeps for 4 hours, is made from dried nettles and hot water, and contains silica and other nutrients specific to hair, and is amazingly nourishing.

You can drink it daily, and use it as a simple hair rinse too.

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Nettles are high in a wide variety of minerals and vitamins like iron, silicon, Vit C D and K, magnesium and copper that is highly absorbable and nourishing for your blood and hormones.

Copper is a trace mineral, which means we need relatively small amounts to stay healthy and have happy hair. Copper is found in sesame seeds, cashews (raw) and Swiss chard. It has been documented that health heroine Anne Wigmore, who made sprouting and wheat grass so popular, reversed her hair back to black in her fifties.

Drinking infusions of nettles will help stabilize your blood sugar levels and restore your adrenal vitality which means more energy for you!

Nettles can also mend your auric energy system and reweave your neuropathic energy circuits.

And a really WILD tip I learned from herbalist and author Brigitte Mars when I interviewed her for an online summit was also about nettles. She said that rubbing fresh stinging nettles on one’s scalp is the best way to increase circulation and prevent hair loss. I usually like to juice my stinging nettles from my garden, and haven’t tried that one yet. If anyone tries this, cover your hands with gloves, be very careful of your eyes and face, and let me know your results!

The loose hair strands of beautiful women don’t have to be combed. Rumi

Take care of your hair on the outside too- refrain from washing your hair every day. Over-washing can strip your hair of its natural oils. You want to keep those oils, which protect and beautify your hair.

Use as little shampoo as you can and ensure it is a natural brand that contains no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This is a cheap and therefore widely used industrial cleaner. SLS is a highly irritating and corrosive chemical found in many soaps, shampoos and conditioners, and is also found in carpet cleaners, fabric glue, laundry detergent and stain removers. It will dry and damage your hair and weaken the follicles, causing hair loss.

Wash your hair in pure, non-chlorinated water. I use natural spring water or rain water for hair washing.

If this isn’t practical for you, buy a water filter for your shower head so you can shower without all the chemicals and chlorine found in tap water.

This is important for your skin and entire being because the hot vapors from your shower open your pores and so you will be ingesting a heavy dose of toxins internally, as if you were drinking them every time, you bathe or shower.

I take you into my garden today in a video I made for you to see how easily you can transform this super wild edible into a delicious infusion of health and beauty.

stinging nettles infusion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjaqE3b2U0Y

I make herbal infusions every week and use them in the base of my green smoothies or drink them hot as a tea or cool them and make iced tea with added flowers, mint and a little honey.

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If you can’t easily find wild stinging nettles growing you can purchase dried nettles at a Health Food Store or online.

Once you discover nourishing nettles, your hair cares and other health and beauty issues will mostly be a thing of the past.

In-joy!

with wild beauty,

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ps Along with Nettles, I share more happy hair recipes and tips I used to heal my hair in Naked Beauty.

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raw thanksgiving

DSC09625Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian siStars!

I used to avoid this holiday gathering…now after 14 years high-raw, I embrace it!

We actually celebrated Thanksgiving on Sunday and again yesterday…

lots of raw pumpkin pie (see recipe previous post), cooked pumpkin pie and everything in between.

Its a blessed celebration of Abundance.

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We also shared about some of our favorite ways of giving back…

I recently donated to The Leprosy Mission of Canada.

If you make a donation too, let me know and I will send you a surprise!

For the meal, my husband and mother-in-love go directly to the farmer’s and load the car with a gorgeous variety of seasonal root vegetables:

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turnips, rutabagas and squashes- acorn, butternut- plus brussel sprouts, cabbage, beets and my favorites- arugula and raddicio.

There are always several salads~ beets and celery hearts, tomato and red onion, arulula and raddicio, coleslaw-

garnished with fresh herbs from my garden: sage, chives, mint, parsley, basil and thyme.

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I make a raw stuffing with manna bread, walnuts, herbs and apples, and raw cranberry sauce with orange zest and cinnamon.

I make raw pumpkin pie (and someone also brings a cooked pie) and rainbow platter of fruits:

dragon fruit, pommegranate, prickly pear, and durian,

with celery carrot juice cocktails and pommegranate sparkling water spritzers

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plus an organic turkey (compliments of my mother-in-love).

It’s a production.

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One of the most memorable highlights is holding hands saying grace by candlelight, reading from The Course In Miracles and going around the table to share what everyone is grateful for…

At one point before the feast I quietly slipped out for a barefoot walk through the forest to the lake for a dip…brrrrr!

On my way back I was reflecting on how my raw journey has evolved over the years and how blessed I feel now…

I thought about how difficult it can be trying to stay raw at these family gatherings with all the traditional foods and opinions abounding…

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And it occured to me that for some of you, a getaway to celebrate in a new paradigm way would be uber inspiring!

I made a video HERE about a special RAW THANKSGIVING for my American siStars:

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If you wish to find out more write me at customerservice at earthempress dot com for details.

I look forward to creating rejuvenating Thanksgiving memories with you soon!

I’m so grateful and thankful you’re here!

with cranberry kisses,

securedownload ps Yes, you’ll notice in the video that I’m keeping my silver strands…at least for now-

it’s a woman’s perogative to change her mind and her hair color (I found an organic salon 😉

pps A fun video of my boys and I enjoying a cold dip in the lake 🙂

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