We Like It Raw - Raw Food Goodness

My Way: Audrey Chew

I am living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico with my 3-year-old daughter, Maia, and working as a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher in Mexico’s first ecological school.

I remember when I read the first “My Way” nearly two years ago, and I thought, “I will never, ever write one of those!” That was when I was eating all raw foods, and now, neither raw foodist nor vegetarian, and here I am giving a peek into my life.

I discovered raw foods in 2006 when I was only 18, one year after becoming a vegetarian. I decided to give it a go just for the fun of experimentation. I continued with it only for one summer, but in 2007, after giving birth to my daughter, I became ill with hyperthyroidism. I went back to raw foods for the following two years for health reasons. I am grateful for the healing that these foods provided me at that time.

A year ago, I made a choice which has radically changed my life: a move to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Here in the Caribbean, I have joined a community of teachers in an amazing initiative–Ak Lu’um International School—which is the first ecological school in Mexico and a developing Waldorf school. My understanding of “health” has been evolving daily since becoming a part of this community.

Now living in a different culture and economy and viewing poverty from a whole new perspective, I am increasingly thankful that I have food to eat at all. Having a daughter with severe celiac disease and other digestion difficulties, I am thankful for any food that is digestible and that provides nutrients to the body. We don’t abide to any particular “diet” other than strictly “gluten-free.”  Cooked or raw, I believe it is best to eat whole foods that are fresh, local and organic whenever possible, and even more importantly, to live a life rich in nutrients for the spirit and soul.

My Way: Audrey

Thursday - I wake up at 6:00 am- 15 minutes before my set alarm. I have been practicing not using an alarm by preparing myself the night before for the hour I must wake up.

Breakfast is a glass of water with fresh lime, yogurt with amaranth and raw honey (local and raw), and I grab an apple as I run out the door.

At 7:30 we have a teacher’s gathering at school to begin the day as a family with a verse, eurythmy, and a song.

“Estoy aqui. Abierto a la vida. Abrazo el mundo con amor, y lo llevo a mi Corazon”

“I am here. Open to life. I embrace the world with love, and take it to my heart.”

8:00 and my kindergarteners begin to arrive. We go together to the school kitchen to get the vegetables of the day, and together we prepare a salad. Today it is simple: lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and lime. At 10:30, our school chef, Señora Laura, finishes making us broccoli and eggs. We all sit down together by candlelight to sing “thanks” and share a meal.

While the children are outside at recess, I see that one of our papaya trees has a ripe papaya to eat. I bring it in and the children and I eat it together.

Our school has well over 30 papaya trees, is covered in passion fruit vines, has several lime and lemon trees, nopales (cactus), spinach, mango trees, chaya (a leafy green), tomatoes, peppers and banana trees growing. One of the school’s fathers has been attending biodynamic courses to help us with the gardens. Our goal is eventually be completely self sustainable. Along with our gardens, we use solar electricity to run a fan in every classroom and a computer in the office, we have a composting bathroom, maintain chickens and turkeys, and have our own water source.

We also have a dog, Pixie, and several cats that live at the school. Another one of our big excitements of the day is that one of the school’s cats has had kittens. We all visit the mother and her three adorable orange kittens. 

On Thursdays we have a staff meeting after school. At the end of the school day, the teachers close the school day together with a song and verse, and we prepare the table to share a meal before the meeting begins. The centerpiece of the table: a single passion fruit flower. Today, Señora Laura has made us a salad (lettuce and tomato) and soup with epazote (a delicious, common herb down here) and mushrooms.

The staff all goes out downtown together to chat after the meeting, and once finally at home, I snack on mandarins with my daughter and am in bed by 9pm. Mandarins are not quite in season, but they starting to come out which means soon one of my favorite winter treats will be available—fresh mandarin juice!

Friday - Today I wake up a full 30 minutes before I need to. It is still quite dark. I get up to take laundry off the clothes line, prepare my daughter for school, and I grab an apple to eat for breakfast as I walk out the door. 

The teachers meet together in the dome, as every morning, for a moment of group unity to start the day.

Verse of the week:

Resurrected deep within,
I can sense the breadth of my own being
And, filled with strength
Send radiant thoughts
From sunlike soul forces
To help resolve life’s mysteries,
And give fulfilment to many a wish
Whose wings were crippled by hope.
Rudolf Steiner, Calendar of the Soul: Week 28

I prepare salad with my children again (this time just lettuce and lime juice) and Señora Laura makes us spinach tacos with the spinach that grows in one of our gardens.

I stay late after school today to talk with the team of preschool teachers. We plan for the upcoming weeks when our children will be living a celebration of Day of the Dead. In a Waldorf School, we study and follow the rhythm of the year—including seasonal changes and festivals—and we bring this rhythm to life through the classroom curriculum.

I head home, get cleaned up, and go out for dinner with my boyfriend, Jaime, and my daughter for fresh seafood. I order a filet of fish with steamed vegetables. My broccoli-loving daughter steals my broccoli and eats the tops off of them.

In the evening, Maia goes to sleep at Jaime’s mother’s house, and Jaime and I head to the jungle and into a cave where a concert is to be held. The band is called “Bole.”  I have never heard of the band before, but I figure anything in a cave is something worthwhile to attend. It turns out to be relaxing music by candle light, deep into an INCREDIBLE cave. The best part is walking through the cave before the music even starts. I could have spent hours upon hours walking around.

One of the most amazing things about the Yucatan Peninsula is that underneath the entire peninsula is a system of underground caves. Many of them are filled with water and open up to tropical swimming holes of crystal clear mineral water called cenotes. The cave we head to is a part of a park with a large underground river called “Rio Secreto.”

Saturday - I wake up with my daughter at 7:30am. I grab a glass of water and begin to tidy up. We eat yogurt, amaranth, raw honey, and apples for breakfast.

The plan for the day is to head to a local, non-profit pet shelter (“The Peanut Pet Shelter”) to volunteer in the Saturday dog washing. When a teacher misses a faculty meeting at Ak Lu’um, they make up for it by volunteering their time to another local non-profit. I love that the consequence can be something so enjoyable. Unfortunately, I have trouble getting in contact with the shelter to find their location, as they recently have moved to a ranch in a nearby village. I decide to reschedule for next Saturday.

Homeless dogs and cats are a big problem throughout all of Mexico. Starving, sick, and often abused animals run through every street in town. The Peanut Pet Shelter puts forth an amazing effort to give these animals a new chance of life and family. Definitely a worthwhile cause to check out!

At noon, my daughter helps me prepare lunch. We make a great big salad. We don’t have a lot in the refrigerator today, so we go with something simple. She cuts the lettuce, and I cut up cucumbers and tomatoes. I serve it with fresh lime juice and sea salt, and tahini on the side. My daughter is a tahini freak and eats three plates of salad with tahini to dip her veggies. She calls it her “special sauce.” We are fortunate to have someone locally who sells fresh, raw tahini, as I have no blender or food processor.

1:00 is nap time for my daughter while I do some preparation for my week at school and start a bit of house cleaning armed with vinegar, tea tree oil and water.

In the afternoon Maia and I walk to a local park, La Ceiba, which is an ecological park that preserves natural wildlife. We bring a few plastic bottles, as they have started the first recycling efforts in town. An extra surprise for us is that today is the monthly Saturday community market at the park. It is just finishing up so we get to listen to some music and pass by the last few booths before they pack up. They are selling plants, baskets, natural soap/sunscreen/repellent products, local honey, clothing, jewelry and more. Afterwards, Maia plays on the swings there at the park.

Tonight for dinner: eggplant, carrots and chayote (a type of squash) in homemade tomato sauce.

Shortly after dinner, we get cleaned up, I tell Maia her bedtime story, and I stay up for a little bit of “me” time.

Sunday - I wake up at 6:30 with my daughter. She tells me that it is best to get up at the same time as the sun. I suppose she has a good point, but I am tired. We go into the kitchen so that I can cut up fruit- apples, mandarins, bananas. I lay in bed and read all morning while she digs in the dirt on the back patio, right outside of the bedroom.

At 11:00, we pack up to head to the beach. First, we make a stop at a local restaurant that makes fresh juice to pick up a liter. We go with a fruity one today with orange, pineapple, strawberry and kiwi. It was a nice treat for a hot, beach day. We meet friends and stay at the beach a few hours. There is hardly any beach (sand) today because the “almost” hurricane we had a few days ago really brought the sea up high, but that is the only evidence of the storm.  The sea is gorgeous, calm and turquoise and the sky is clear blue. I brought a few bananas to snack on, and everyone is grateful to have them after swimming!

At 2:30 we head to my boyfriend’s mother’s house to celebrate the birthday of a cousin. She has made fresh, green mole using a variety of greens, herbs and chiles which was something I had never tried. I tried it with some fresh tortillas, black beans with epazote, vegetables and rice, while everyone else ate chicken.

Once we get home, I eat the salad that is still leftover from yesterday, get Maia ready for bed, review my planning for my week of classes, read, and am in bed by 9:30.
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I have to admit, that when I started reading back on my last few days, I began to feel anxious about sharing my diet with everyone. “Wait, that’s not healthy! That’s not raw! That’s not even vegetarian!” But, then I remember that one of the biggest steps to living a “healthy” life is not to judge, starting with not judging myself.

My name is Audrey and this is My Way

What a beautiful life Audrey. Thank you for being of such wonderful service to Mexico, which is dear to my heart. Please consider checking out Audrey's Walforf School in Mexico, and offering support if you are called to... or hit her up on Facebook!

My Way: Heather Haxo Phillips

Heather Heather Haxo Phillips is an accomplished raw food chef who teaches classes and produces raw food events primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, and throughout California and the Western States.  Her classes are featured at premier venues such as Whole Foods Market and Cafe Gratitude. She is a certified raw food chef/instructor and graduate of the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. Spend time with her and you will find tools and inspiration to infuse more health and fulfillment into your life. Students say Heather’s classes are inspiring, informative, well presented — and fun!

My Way: Heather

Wednesday - 6:25 am, I wake up. 6:30 am, Bashir’s alarm clock rings loudly. Bashir ignores it and falls back asleep for another hour. I lay there for about 10 minutes wishing I could do the same. Doesn’t look like it’s happening. When this girl is up, she is up!

I always ask my husband Bashir to keep his alarm clock off, because I often teach late until the evenings and I really appreciate my sleep, but he refuses. This alarm is part of his routine, even if most days it doesn’t get him out of bed. That’s OK, because Bashir is the most supportive husband a raw food chefstress could ask for. He carries my heavy boxes, allows me to stop mid-sentence to catch phone calls, and dons an apron without any hesitation. For that, he can have his rotten morning routine.

My morning routine?  Most mornings I grab my iPhone and read email in bed while waiting to see if I can fall back asleep. All this Raw Bay Area energy keeps the sleepies at bay so I head to the kitchen for a big glass of water with a few drops of dhla-nanoplex. On the way out I say good morning to the sprouts:  summer wheat, winter wheat and sunflowers (for this weekend’s class) and broccoli, radish, clover (for me). Then head upstairs to my yoga studio for pranayama.

Today I woke up wired about my most ambitious raw food project yet: a chef showcase at Thanksgiving to help our raw food community stay rawsome through the winter and thrive through the holidays. So I chose a pranayama to help balance my brain. I started with simple Ujjai breathing but the stuffed nose wouldn’t allow it. Khabalabati worked great though so I stuck with that.

By 8am, I am in my office working and drinking chai. Bashir makes the most amazing chai! Ironically, we stayed up late last night too, having a debate about whether chai was healthy. He is starting a chai business, ‘cause his chai is the bomb! He put 100% healthy on the label and I totally balked. Perhaps plain milk and sugar are not as bad for you as a Big Mac, but they are not a health food. Tasty, yes they are. Bashir’s chai is the only animal product that I put in my body with any regularity. It is love in a mug.  I have made it with all sorts of different nut milks but it doesn’t taste the same. Oh well, milky love in a mug it is.

Around 9am, I wander out to the garden to take care of chores. We have a rather large urban homestead, sharing 3 units with raw food enthusiasts, growing much of our food and hosting a menagerie of chickens, bees and even newts. Our vegetable and flower garden is a lot to take care of, but this morning we harvested a-plenty: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, fava beans and much too enormous zucchini.

I came in from the house by 11 ready for breakfast.  Breakfast is eggs for Bashir and somthin’ truly yummy and satisfying for me. Today it was a glass of fresh green juice with a spoonful of Mila in it, followed by some coconut yogurt that I made with Lisa Paris the other day. I made a parfait topped with raw granola, a gift from my friend Chef Lisa Books-Williams. You can check out how to make your own yogurt parfait here.

Powered up, I got a ton of work done this morning.  I had a great planning session with Darcy Crosman, who runs our 300-member strong Oakland Raw Food Meet-Up. I planted my sprouts, and made some hibiscus-orange kombucha.

At noon, I take a break from all the work stuff to take care of my volunteer gig.  I am on the board of the Iyengar Institute of San Francisco. Every day I take time out to do something to improve this world through Iyengar Yoga.

By 2 o’clock I am hungry again. Being in work mode, I just grabbed a small bowl of leftovers, a mash of cooked quinoa and beans with zucchini, topped with homemade raw salsa and nacho sauce. It hit the spot.

At 3 o’clock, I get a huge need for sugar.  Today it was satiated by a large glass of Grapefruit kefirade – a fermented blend of homemade coconut kefir and grapefruit juice.

Then Jeani my marketing angel came over and we worked and worked and worked on a whole bunch of cool projects. I needed another snack just before 5. After taking a huge slurp of E3 Live directly from the bottle in the fridge, out came the carrot-ginger soup made by Chef Patty Searle in her weekly to-go kit.  I topped the soup with my seasoned seeds and ate Lydia’s amazing new kale chips on the side. I lurve the new Mega Green she is carrying.

Tonight was one of the first nights in eons I didn’t have a class scheduled. So I went with Bashir to a friend’s birthday party in an awesome machine shop, in the old part of Oakland. Loved the setting, but didn’t love the food options – would you like the bisteak, tri tip, fish or cheese? Um, how about dinner at Café Gratitude? After enjoying the fire and the good company, Bashir whisked me out of the zone of the meat carnival and over to Gratitude.

I immediately feel festive from the taco salad I was eating.  We sat chatting with the manager Vanessa and ended up brainstorming about my upcoming holiday event. The line between my work and life is very thin, I suppose. Vanessa has so many ideas and we get to sample the very first night of Kombucha on tap. Lovingly made by Terces Engelhart herself. Afterwards, we walk next door to the church where I am hosting my next event and do a late night walk through. Super fun. Again, the line between my work and personal life is very thin.

Back home, spent a few hours on the computer and here it is 11:30pm. Time to go bed. I made the mistake of going to the kitchen and wound up playing with Bashir’s new industrial spice grinder. Another example of my idea of fun. I ground up my sprouted wheat berries a little bit to make them ferment more quickly, and then slipped them into water. In a few days my Rejevelac will be ready so that I can drink healthy probiotics and make some CHEESE.

Thursday -  I had the same morning routine with the alarm clock, but I did manage to get back to sleep.  Then I stayed in bed reading, so my day really didn’t begin till about 9:30. After my water, pranayama, and a cup of tea, Bashir and I got into a big discussion about the politics of humor on facebook, and the science of labeling on packaged goods such as P for parve and V for vegan. I tend to not ever pay attention to labeling on packages, cause I cannot remember that last time I bought anything packaged that I didn’t already know was raw vegan. But Bashir had a lot of opinions, and talking with him is always eye opening.

Its 11 am and I am thinkin’ about what else, food. I made Bashir some grapefruit juice ‘cause it makes him so happy.  I poured mine into a jar with kefir. Call it a mimosa or whatever you like, cause its good!  I chased it with a big gulp of E3 Live.

Before I could eat a real meal, I got distracted with other projects. Jennifer Cornbleet called and we had a planning meeting for the raw food intensives will are going to co-teach this winter. Jenny just moved to Oakland. Yipee! It is great to have a raw food pioneer and partner in crime in the East Bay. 

After the call, I was so hungry, so I went into the garden searching for a snack. My strawberry sugar bombs fit the bill. Bashir caught up with me there and we took some pictures together. I teach for the Institute for Urban Homesteading and Ruby the founder of the organization is writing a book on the subject. Ruby needed some before and after pictures from us. I took pictures with the chickens, which was totally weird for me. After two years of having the chickens I had never even touched them, much less modeled with them. I sorta felt like Brittany Spears and her snake, but not really. This is the thing about me and animals. I stopped eating red meat when I was 15. I went veg about 10 years ago. My raw vegan tendencies started 4 years ago. I just have no relationship with animals in that way anymore. I am not really interested in animals as pets or food. I can understand logically why some people want to have a different kind of relationship with animals. But my heart just really doesn’t get it anymore.

Ok now its 1 o’clock and I am really hungry. The beans and quinoa from our meal a few days ago is still in the fridge, so I warmed them up and put them in a bowl with huge pile of kale and topped it with a raw tahini green goddess style dressing.

The problem now is I need to go practice my yoga. I tried to practice several hours every day, but it takes a lot of discipline to make it happen. I suppose that is one of the main reasons I do yoga; to create and maintain a sense of discipline and order both inside and out. Anyhow, I did practice and felt great.

Tonight I was teaching – Green Juices and Smoothies at Café Gratitude – so I spent some time preparing the materials for that, and then off I went to the Café. It was a great class – well attended and folks were super enthusiastic about improving their own health. I stayed afterward to have dinner with Uma, my friend starting a raw food coop. He is raising bees on our property, and other gardens around the East Bay.

On my way home I did follow up work from the event I just hosted with Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes. You can check out Matt’s interview of me and Bashir from that event right here. In the video we share some tips on relationships when one person is raw and the other is not. 

Anyhow, by 8 pm I was kissing Bashir hello and then back in my kitchen. Bashir brought home a ton of foraged fruit including plums and white peaches. Super yum! I made a bunch of fruit leather and a huge vat of almond milk. I also worked on my new crustini recipe that I recently used for the Hot Chefs, Cool kitchen showcase. Bashir opened a bunch of coconuts for me, so I made some more coconut kefir and yogurt for Saturday’s class. By 11 pm I was in bed.

Friday - Today is a yoga day. Taught several classes, practiced and then helped Bashir get ready for his debut performance as a Chai Walla. My friend Elwyn Crawford makes the most amazing hats, and she invited us to her art opening where Bashir sold his famous brew, and I dished up the raw version.

 It made for a late night, and an early morning cause at 6 am we were at Café Gratitude in San Francisco to teach “Focus on Fermentation” an introduction to yummy foods like kefir, sauerkraut and komboucha. Despite the early hour, it was a ton of fun.

My work and my play are one and the same right now, and I couldn’t be happier. I used to work a day job where my schedule and projects were not my own. I was surrounded by donuts and pizzas and all sorts of foods and people that did not always make me feel very good.

Three years into my business, nearly 5 years into my raw food journey, I cannot imagine a better life. I work with people I love, and who love me back. I enjoy the projects I engage with. Mine is a world of abundance and opportunity, rather than obstacles and “I cannots.” I wake up most mornings feeling awesome and go to bed with peace in my heart. Raw food has simplified my life, helping me to appreciate the most important things. I am so grateful.

My name is Heather and this is My Way

Interested in trying some Iyenger Yoga? Check out Heather at HaxoYoga.com. Or if you are in the Bay area and looking for her upcoming events, check out RawBayArea.com, or catch up with her via Facebook.

My Way: Juli Novotny

I am the mother of two boys, Pierce and Roman, ages 1 and 2 and just 12 months apart. We, a crazy wild family of four, live together in a house near the beach in Leucadia, CA. I spend most of my time with my kids at home; I’m a homebody that loves to cook, eat healthy superfoods, play with my kids and get creative.

I’m also the sole owner of a small raw/vegan food company – called Kookie Karma, the business I started 5 years ago. And the founder of my second project – PUREmamas, a informational blog/site that helps families learn to incorporate raw superfoods into their otherwise normal diets. It’s full of my daily thoughts, tips, product ideas, modern kids rooms and awesome healthy recipes.

My Way: Juli

Monday - We woke up (as I do every day) to the sound of my 2 year old, getting himself out of bed, and then yelling at the bottom of the stairs “MOOOOMM. MOOOMMY!”

I brushed my teeth and then about 2 minutes later my 1 year old yells “mom!!!” really loud from his crib for me to come and get him. He is NOT the morning person, let me tell you. He throws things out of his crib out of pure frustration, things like that. For no reason other than he’s grumpy.

After a fun breakfast of (usually the same) warm brown rice cereal or rolled oats (or we often have Kookie Karma krunchies – sprouted buckwheat cereal) topped with fresh homemade vanilla bean almond milk, flax oil and probiotics, Wes, the boys dad, left for the gym. On a side note: Wes just finished his first full Ironman a few months ago. Congrats to him.

At about the same time the wonderful babysitter got here. Monday is the ONE day a week I actually go into my Kookie Karma office here in San Diego. I have promised myself, and my family, that I will not work too much outside the home right now. So…we don’t push sales and I’m not rapidly growing my business, nor have I been for a few years. I am focusing on the west coast until my kids get a little older and keeping everything very low-key and stress-free.

My main love, purpose and passion in life is my kids right now! I think it’s important for mom AND dad to be there as much as they can IF and WHEN he or she can! Every family is different. I am lucky to have created a life that is fulfilling for me both as an entrepreneur and as a mom! It feels good to be at home with my kids everyday. Working on my other stuff during naps and in the evenings.

That being said, my Mondays are my empowering days when I get to accomplish a ton of non-kid things, be with adults, create, inspire and GET inspired.

But today, I spontaneously told my 2 year old that he could come to work with me??

Two of my main employees are actually husband and wife. They have been out of town on vacation so I have been in charge of a lot of ingredient buying, customer service and shipping stuff. It’s been so long since I have done it, but luckily it’s been a breeze and actually SUPER fun.

I took my son to our special market to buy vegetables for all of our krackers. We also picked up a few snacks (carrot beat juice – which he loved) at the health food store before ending our day at my office. Everybody always likes seeing him. He was so fired up to hang out that he of course kept touching things he wasn’t supposed to, pushing random buttons, running down the hallways yelling, and so on. At that point I remembered WHY I don’t usually bring him.

Note: my “office” is a large industrial kitchen where we make all kinds of raw vegan kookies and snacks. My team, on a normal week, also spends a lot of time creating new recipe ideas, which I love because that means I get to come in and taste test. I do most of the recipe making but it’s fun to play around with leftover dough, sauces, veggies, etc. In fact, Susan (she and her husband are vegans) created our choco banana cookie – a web exclusive. My employees have been with Kookie Karma for so long that MOST of the workday is really spent just sharing stories about the weekend, talking about life and politics and laughing at everybody’s bonehead mistakes.

Since I’m only in my office/kitchen ONCE a week I get really excited for cheesy kale krackers, salt & pepper krackers and kookies! I don’t stock too many at home so I devour when I go to the office. This is a good thing because on these workdays I’m usually too busy getting the boys all dressed and ready, breakfast together, etc. that I don’t have time to eat much food.

Plus, I normally would grab a HUGE glass of fresh squeezed orange juice but my family is on a no-sugar / candida diet this month. We have been on it ever since our trip to Napa. We sort of fell off the health-food wagon when we left for our trip. It’s hard to feed the children amazing healthy food when you travel. I do my best but realized that fruit/juice/wheat consumption was in excess. Ever since removing that stuff and ALL dairy from their diets we’ve been happier with more normal energy levels and sleeping patterns.

Speaking of kids and diets, last year we had a joint birthday party at a nearby park and it was an all raw party. The snacks included boxed organic raisins, a raw ice cream cake (courtesy of Tomberlies), fresh squeezed lemonade, cheesy kale chips, and my famous macaroons! I had no idea that everything would be such a hit with all the children – I was nervous that they would look at us like we were crazy – and of course some did not even want to touch any of it. 

On the way home I grabbed some new succulents and a few herbs and kale plants. I LOVE succulents and my yard is full of them. I get super excited to pot new ones.

When I got back it was SO hot that I decided to close all the blinds and turn on the fan. We are having a terrible heat wave in SD. It was 105 at my office. We live a block from the ocean so it’s much cooler but it was still in the 90s (first time all summer). After sitter went home and I planted plants and totally cleaned the house – windows, etc. Then I made this super awesome seaweed and cabbage salad with tahini dressing. I also baked brussel sprouts and cauliflower in the oven for a good 45 minutes (added olive oil, sea salt, miso mayo and majestic garlic paste) until they sort of caramelized. Then I added them to cooked black rice (black rice is my new favorite grain right now), sesame seeds and raw garlic.

We had friends and their two little girls coming over for “happy hour”. Again, we’re on this candida diet thing right now and wine is not an acceptable beverage. But, I served it up anyways! ;) We all gathered outside in our indoor/outdoor courtyard and talked for hours while our kids all played around us and were coming inside and outside all night. Our house is fun in that it has these doors that open up onto an indoor/outdoor space with a cool fireplace, beer tap and tropical landscape.

The salads were a huge hit. Their 3 year old gobbled up the seaweed & cabbage.

That was our night! I put my kids to bed while Wes cleaned the dishes! We were tired and it was TIME FOR BED!

Thursday - I woke up totally happy because not only was the massive heat wave over with but there were huge thunderclouds overhead! One of my favorite things in the world is a THUNDER storm.  We don’t get them much down here in. Feels tropical.

The day started off quite mellow… made pancakes (whole grain, gluten-free, cooked with coconut oil) and topped them with that yummy Nutzo stuff (have you had this stuff yet?) as well as homemade xylitol jam. I don’t make pancakes more than once a month or every two months, but when I do, we ALL get excited. Sometimes we use maple syrup, too.

After such a long, crazy three days of work, it was nice to just drink green tea and sit around watching Thomas the Train in my pajamas, listening to thunder and playing in the rain.

During the boys naptime I cleaned the house and then sat down at the computer and wrote another post on my blog –a raw PB&J recipe makeover.

It’s actually really good and my boys loved it.

I checked emails and organized my calendar. I am terrible at this. I never usually even know what day it is! So that was quite a feat.

My blog is really easy for me to keep up. I basically just take photos of all the fun things we make, buy and do here at home. It doesn’t take as much time as you might think since I do my own graphics. In fact, I created my entire web site www.puremamas.com - for both my blog and my online store http://www.julinovotny.com using Dreamweaver and of course all those Adobe applications. I was quite proud of that and that’s why you’ll see lots of typos and weird programming errors at times, ha.

But, I’m still perfecting my camera skills. I have the Nikon D80 but don’t know how to do much more than to set it on AUTO and point and shoot. Terrible. So, I grabbed the camera a few times today and practiced focusing.

Then after naptime the boys’ dad took Pierce on the train downtown to the last Padres game of the season. I, meanwhile, took my youngest, Roman, shopping to one of my favorite local home décor stores and then to the paint/art store to buy a large canvas. I had a GREAT idea today and wanted to spend the evening alone, painting something for the wall above our sofa.

I SUCK at painting - I mean I’m TERRIBLE at it - but every time I do it, I tell myself “this time, it will be amazing!” And it never is. 

So, that brings me to now…I just got finished painting the base coat. It’s 4pm, I’m at the computer, it is super dark outside (because of the black clouds) and pouring rain as I write this. I love it.

Dinner tonight? Hmmmmm. Probably a salad – tons and tons of avocado with some herbs and greens, sesame seeds, and a ginger garlic dressing! That’s what I eat when I’m alone. My son will have some quinoa and avo as well. I make my kids breakfast, lunch and dinner almost every single day and night. It’s a challenge to come up with new healthy things, but again, that’s where my blog comes in.

As for myself, I normally have smoothies and green drinks a few times a day. But right now, for this “cleanse”, I’m trying to EAT more of my food, as opposed to drinking more of it. I’ve gained 5 lbs since I started and I’m assuming that is why! The ebbs and flows…right? Or maybe it’s because I’m eating more grains than normal.

Anyways, then, after dinner, I’m sure I will get in bed and watch the show Parenthood on DVR.

It’s been a GREAT, cozy day. 

Friday - Somehow I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today! Not sure why. I’m having an off day and I’m trying my best to keep my cool with my kids and everybody around me. Do you ever have those days? Ladies?

It’s not an ‘unhappy’ day, it’s more of an impatience thing. I have to take deep breaths so that I don’t take it out on my little boys that drive me crazy sometimes.

And then, on top of it, my 2 year old was playing with his dad’s keys, which are actually the ‘spare’ to my car. Well, not only did he lose the keys someplace, but he locked my car while doing so. And of course MY keys, the main set, were in the car.

So needless to say, I spent the majority of my morning searching the house for the keys and making my son trace his steps. Of course he’d rather watch Yo Gabba Gabba than help me find the keys, right? So…about 30 minute later, we found them under the sofa.

By that time we missed the ‘class’ that I wanted to take him to. So instead we went to the park.

We get to the park and behind us is an old rusty Tercel with a bearded crazy guy (with a black eye) inside smoking pot. He was drying out his car mats and a ‘rope’ of some sort, hmmmm? Well, of course, he wouldn’t stop talking to me.

He told me that he will have his car longer than I will have mine. And I said ‘you’re probably right!” and that opened a can of worms.

He then asked me if I have any ‘hippy’ in me! I replied ‘of course!’

He then decides to talk to me about peace, deadheads versus hippies, and where pot is legal and where and why it’s not. All the meanwhile I’m unloading children out of my car. He didn’t quite look the ‘pacifist’ type if you ask me.

The park went fine and then on the way home I hear my 2 year old say “I’m sorry I peed mom!” Yup, he peed himself and his car seat. This is the moment today when I had to dig really deep to find that patience I was talking about.

Normally, I don’t really get upset over things like this, but today, today was different. I had to bite my tongue as I DRAGGED him and his sopping pants by one arm to the bathroom. He didn’t want to go. So he pouted and threw himself on the floor.

Meanwhile my 1 year old sat in his car seat in the garage. After I finally got him, I put him down for a nap, made myself some tea and my 2 year old some strawberry/vanilla herb tea as well. He loves it because he can drink it out of a mug, like me.

I hate to say it, but I’m very excited about tonight. It’s Friday and we have a babysitter coming so we can enjoy the evening while our kids sleep tight! A great day for this considering I’m having ‘one of those days’! It’s probably a hormone thing - you know - like when the phone is ringing and you can’t find it anywhere and you’re so annoyed that you want to cry… and then you realize that it’s in your kids room after you just finally got him down for a nap! 

We are off to the bistro at Stone Brewery with a huge group of friends. This place is super cool. Everything about it is pretty aweome – from the sustainable industrial/urban architecture, to their organic, in-season & local ingredients, the great beer selection, the outdoor gardens, and they even do a ‘meatless Monday’! ha.

Alright. I’m long winded and so now tired of typing. I’m going to leave you with a few things I like to tell myself and my clients on a daily basis: stop being so hard on ourselves, stop judging others; Embrace the ebbs and flows!

Ok, on that note, my son is up from his nap. I gotta go.

Happy Weekend Everybody!

My name is Juli and this is My Way

Juli is a UCLA grad and has studied in Spain and Japan. She is 31 years old and has been in the health food world for over 14 years now. She has been baking and cooking professionally since she was 16 yrs old. 

Juli and her family are big travelers who go to Napa, LA, Mexico and NY almost every year! Green smoothies, coconut bacon and steamed collard greens are some of Juli’s favorite foods. You can check out her websites and learn more about her products and services here: Kookie Karma, PUREmamas, and JuliNovotny.com. And... you can follow Juli on Twitter, and find PUREmamas on Facebook  and Kookie Karma on Facebook too!

My Way: Meredith Geller

 

Meredith Geller, as a holistic nutrition and lifestyle consultant, guides her clients towards radiant health and vitality. She passionately believes in the transformative power of cleansing one’s system in order to achieve a higher state of well-being. Meredith lives and loves the holistic lifestyle and hopes that her commitment inspires clients and offers a sense of shared mission.

My Way: Meredith

Friday - I have never been to Aspen in the summer. However, I am fortunate enough to be spending 8 whole days here (a little vacation time, moments with extended family and friends, and a bit of education thrown in- PERFECT). Jewel tones of the earth magnified at every turn. It is not possible to be in the presence of such brilliance and feel separate from anything.

I am staying with family who know every inch of this town (including all hikes, summer events, and restaurants), which makes me feel even more at ease, as I won’t have to spend much time on that kind of research. Right off the plane I am already exhilarated. The air is crisp and clean and instantly I feel completely different in this environment. Elliot (my relative) is at the gate and takes me directly to a wonderful health food store in the next town over to stock the house with foods I love. How sweet of him. I feel at home.

I buy up some gorgeous produce for juicing (did I mention he bought a Breville for the house upon my suggestion?), including watermelon, cucumber, kale, apples, ginger and various other staples (greens, more fresh fruit, dried figs and dates, raw seeds and almonds, carrots, beets, squash, swiss chard, quinoa, and spices). When I travel I always pack Himalayan salt, nori, herbal teas, a variety of dried herbs, and some simple raw chocolate in case I have a sweet tooth. In my day-to-day life, I infrequently choose the sweet type of treats anymore, but it feels comforting to have around when traveling for some reason. I find preparation and organization is key until the world catches up with us (us being the ones who like to eat clean, fresh, organic, unadulterated, simple, delicious, gorgeous foods all the time, at every meal).

We get home and I throw on my bikini and head out to the deck. Stunning weather. It’s really quite magical. I snap some pics around the house in the back (fields of wildflowers far and wide compel me to) and then lay down. I feel calm and at peace. It just feels so lovely here. Quiet and still, shades of green, blue, and speckled yellow everywhere, white fluffy clouds in the distance. Sheer heaven.

Saturday - Wake up early and I let Gus the dog out. Make some fresh cucumber apple juice for everyone in the house and then head to town for the first day of the Environment Forum at the Aspen Institute, which is a remarkable place. Aspen Institute’s Mission Statement: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The grounds are gorgeous. The weather is off the charts.

Gratitude abounds.
I need to pinch myself.

The schedule for three days is basically the same: There is a main morning session that everyone attends, and then concurrent sessions all day so one has to pick and choose. I want to go to every single panel discussion, of course.

Melting Arctic: Adapting to a Rapidly Changing World, Plastic Planet: Stemming the Tide of Waste, Efficient Energy: Why Is It So Hard to Change? Environmental Deficit Disorder: The Biology of (Not) Being Outdoors. Nature’s DNA Bank: The Rising Value of Biodiversity, Food: A Second Green Revolution.

I mean, really! Finally, I decide which lectures to attend. I meet some amazing people, including two Italian men from Rome who are sponsored by their companies to be here. During lunchtime they offer to cook my cousin Marissa and I an authentic Italian meal at our house. Yeah, we excitedly jump all over that!!

So now it’s off the market again. Fresh spaghetti with tomato and basil and linguine with carbonara (I supplemented rice pasta and ate the tomato basil option). There is something about a man from Italy, who naturally once worked in a restaurant in Rome, preparing a simple dish in a beautiful kitchen in the middle of one of the most gorgeous places in the country that just makes the food taste BETTER! They all kind of scoffed at my rice pasta substitution, but I love it and think the meal and the company is both delightful.

 
Sunday - Things like this simply do not happen to me in NYC. I wake up at around 6:15am, roll over, and quietly staring at me literally about 3 feet away is a young mule deer (determined by his antlers). Did I mention the room I am staying in is like a crystal box, with floor to ceiling windows on both walls? To be honest, I’m not even really that startled. I slowly reach for my iPhone, which luckily is right next to me already, and start snapping away. He is so curious. We stare at each other for at least 5 minutes, and then suddenly he turns his head, then turns his body, and is gone with the wind. Gus, the house dog immediately trailing behind him, is barking away. If not for Gus, there is no telling how long he would’ve been there. No words to describe how truly stunning this experience was. I am happy to have been able to appreciate it so much, normally waking up to a view of brownstones living in the concrete jungle.

Next on the agenda: my first hike. I go with Elliot’s brother-in-law who is here for the Environment Forum. All we have to do is walk out the back of the house and head up. There is some of the best hiking in the area behind the house. I like this.

Almost two hours later our lungs are filled with fresh oxygen. The Anaerobic Nightmare trail is no walk in the park, but we both feel so accomplished once at the top. It is well worth it. On the way we see a million Aspen trees, bear claw marks, wildflowers, streams, butterflies, birds…and the sounds! The sounds! Peaceful yet powerful. I am in awe and promise myself to take this feeling back with me and draw upon it when I am smack in the middle of NYC and all of the madness again.

For now, I just breathe.

My name is Meredith and this is My Way

Meredith, born and raised in NYC continues to call this great city her home. She loves fresh green juice, hanging out with friends, taking pictures, and of course her amazing clients. You can find out more about holistic wellness and nutrition at MeredithGeller.com. For fun health updates, follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.

My Way: Cecilia Kinzie

 
Cecilia is a raw foods community organizer, writer, teacher, and consultant in beautiful Sonoma County, California. Her raw journey started 8 years ago when she was able to heal herself from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and asthma through a high raw food diet and positive thinking. She loves to give people the practical tools they need to easily add more raw food into their diets so that they can lose weight, have boundless energy, look and feel years younger, and radiate a happy healthy raw glow. To learn more about Cecilia and becoming raw visit her website Rawglow.com.

My Way: Cecilia

Friday - My day starts with a kiss goodbye from my husband before he leaves for work, then I hear the roar of the Vitamix blender as he blends the green smoothie I made for him. I carefully put all the fruits, leafy greens, and superfoods in the blender carafe the night before, so all my husband has to do is blend and go.

I get up shortly after he leaves with a million ideas running through my head. I leave one sleepy Chihuahua in the bed to catch up on her sleep and I say good morning to another Chihuahua, who is wide awake and raring to go. I should probably introduce my two furry babies; I can already tell they are going to steal the show today (they usually do!).

Meet Dancer, a white (with tan freckles on her ears) 6.5 pound Chihuahua mix that we rescued from a shelter a little over a year ago. She is sweet, gentle, elegant, and dainty with a feminine energy about her. Rescuing her was such a fulfilling experience and one of my best decisions ever! Meet Olive, a brown (with a white chest) spunky 4 pound Chihuahua mix with strong vocal chords, loves to fetch, and twirls when she is excited. We also rescued her from a puppy mill through a local dog rescue. My husband and I consider our puppies part of our family, and as you'll see they are a vital part of my day.

I stop by the kitchen to make some tea. I've gotten in the habit of drinking a liter of herbal tea or plain water in the morning. I've been having fun learning about the nutritional value and healing power of herbs. Every morning I make a different herbal concoction, today it's Pau de Arco, known for itís candida fighting properties. Sweetened with a little bit of stevia, it tastes pretty good.

With Olive in hand I go to the computer and I let her sleep under my shirt, right on my belly, while I sip tea and type away. This is my time during the day that my mental focus is the strongest so I try to do my best and most important work before noon. I write about raw foods for my website, blog, newsletters, and other projects I'm working on. I've always loved to write and I'm grateful to be able to write and share what I've learned about raw foods, healthy living, and healing over the last 8 years. The cool part is: I'm still learning everyday!

I want to inspire people to transform their lives through healthier living. I was able to heal from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome through raw foods and other lifestyle changes and believe strongly in the amazing power of change. My goal is to show people how easy it can be to take that first step.

I check my e-mail and to my surprise the N.Y. times used two of my quotes for a web article about Vegan Weddings. Cool! Hope the article encourages other brides to not compromise on their wedding day. My husband and I served only vegan food at our wedding almost a year ago and it was a hit.

I decide to take a break from the computer and play in the kitchen. I try out a new no-nut recipe for buckwheat cookies for a new project I'm working on. I munch on the cookie dough and a handful of blueberries. I put the cookies in the dehydrator and it takes all my willpower not to eat them before they are fully dehydrated.

Dancer wakes up and wants to play. I take the dogs for a walk in the sunshine and remember to think about all the things I'm grateful for, I call it my gratitude walk. Just looking at all the flowers and trees and feeling the sun on my skin gives me something to appreciate. Gratitude, I have found to be the number one most effective tool for transforming my life. Everyday I try to think of at least 5 things I'm grateful for.

After the dogs are fed and taken care of, I make my smoothie for the day. Usually it's a big green smoothie, but today I feel like something different. I take a bunch of nectarines from the farmer's market, coconut kefir, vanilla, maca root powder, sweeten it with a bit of stevia, and go back to the computer to work some more. Maca is one of those super foods that I really notice a difference when I take it, makes me feel sexy!

It's now time to take another brisk walk to run some errands and exercise. My dogs are so good for my health, they get me moving out in the sunshine, and anytime I need a stress reliever they are there to play and cuddle. What would I do without them?

Back home now and my friend Nova comes over bearing a huge flat of wheatgrass and some homemade dehydrated coconut flakes. Raw food friends rock! Nova made the most awesome nut free raw berry cobbler with blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries last weekend and I plan to recreate it with the coconut flakes she gifted me.

We catch up as we get ready for the raw food potluck that I organize once a month. It's been a busy week as last weekend we were part of a local Raw Food Health Expo. At the Expo I remember just feeling so genuinely happy. I was doing what I love best: teaching people (in this case about raw foods), and I offered energy healings as well. Teaching, healing, and writing are some of my favorite things, just not quite sure how they will all come together yet. I know I'm on the right track because I'm following what I love to do; I just need to have the faith that I'll be shown the way to bring everything together.

My husband comes home and we get busy setting up for the potluck. At least twenty people show up with an abundance of raw food dishes. I try a little bit of everything, but my favorite is the beet salad with the apple curry dressing. Itís my lucky night as someone has brought my favorite dessert, a luscious raw coconut cream pie! I usually don't eat desert much, but I make a worthwhile and delicious exception.

The speaker for the potluck's topic is: Helping Modern Day Mystics Find True Abundance by Putting Foundations Under Their Dreams. He has us do an exercise where we imagine our highest vision for ourselves and then we ground the vision into the earth. It was a very powerful exercise for me. My vision was so big that I don't fully understand it yet, but he told me to have trust in it. I'm just going to trust that the Universe has something bigger in store for me than I can wrap my head around at this point.  The talk and visualization exercise was perfect for where I am right now. The Universe always works in perfect ways.

My husband, Nova, and I finish cleaning up and go back to my place to try the raw dehydrated buckwheat cookies that are ready. Yum! They are warm, chewy, and vanilla goodness. We all agree they are delicious and they make a sweet ending to a busy day.

Saturday - Next morning, I get up early to walk and feed the dogs as my husband and I need to make it to the farmer's market before closing time. Going to the farmer's market has become such an exciting ritual. We love people watching and being surrounded by an abundance of good people, good food, and good music. I rush to get some organic peaches before they sell out, while my husband heads to the Yucatan Tamale Stand which has some fantastic vegetarian options that he enjoys. I meet him later with a big jar of locally made apple, red cabbage, and juniper berry sauerkraut. We eat together and bask in the sun, gushing over how lucky we are to have such a lively farmerís market in our area. Eating a whole jar of sauerkraut for breakfast at the farmer's market is my Saturday treat.

Then we head to our local Co-op Health Food Store where I pick up some extras I couldn't get at the market. Some garlic red pepper chickpea miso and some herbs to use in my morning teas: licorice root and shizandra berry, both powerful adaptogens, and milk thistle, a liver regenerating herb. I'm also out of B-12 so I pick some up too. I supplement everyday with a B-complex, Vitamin D, a mineral supplement, and probiotics. My husband tries a locally made pineapple Kombucha, I think itís his new favorite.

We get home and my husband goes out to hit some golf balls. I take the dogs for a long walk and make a note to take a deep breath, put my feet on the earth, and soak up some earth energy. I take any chance I can get to connect to nature. The sky is blue, the sun is shinning, what a beautiful California day!

Even though it's a Saturday, I decide to work. I'm one of those very lucky people for whom work is like play, so I'm happy to do it. I make a few videos that I'll post on YouTube in the next few days. One video I made is a recipe demo of a Basil Avocado Sea Vegetable Salad using locally sourced Mendocino Silky Sea Palm, Bull Whip Kelp, heirloom tomatoes, and Japanese cucumbers. After the video is finished, I devour the beautiful summer salad for lunch made with only organic, local, and mostly heirloom ingredients. How awesome is that?

My friend calls and I put her on speaker phone so that I can make food while we talk. I make some raw dehydrated sweet potato chips to have something to snack on during the week. I also decide to make some raw crackers with the soaked buckwheat I had left over from the cookie recipe from yesterday. I have a hard time finding dehydrated treats without a lot of nuts, so I make my own occasionally. I use some zucchini squash that my husband and I have grown to put in the crackers. We have grown so much summer squash in our two garden plots this year that I am constantly trying to find creative ways to use them in recipes.

I put all the cracker ingredients in the blender (soaked buckwheat, chia seeds, flax seeds, almond milk pulp, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, curry, and sea salt), spread them on the dehydrator sheets, and hope for the best since I didn't bother to use a recipe (where's the fun in that?). I'm one of those creative types that loves experimenting in the kitchen (by the way they turned out great as I'm using them to scoop some avocado and sauerkraut as I type right now).

My husband comes home and we head out to our community garden to harvest our crops. Our community garden has been a fun project this year. My husband used hydroponic technology to start the plant starts from seed. We added mycorrhizae, a beneficial bacteria for the soil and rock dust, among a host of other good enzymes and nutrients for our plants to flourish. So lucky to have married a man with a green thumb; we're a good match because he loves to grow the kind of food that I love to prepare and eat.

We harvest all types of summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, basil, and other herbs such as stevia and lemon verbena. Mother Nature is amazing, even with little effort on out part, our garden produced some beautiful produce.

When we get home I make some lemon verbena tea (my favorite) and make a beautiful salad with all the ingredients from our garden dressed with a hemp seed oil dressing. I also make a huge pot of vegetable soup with onion, garlic, zucchini, Korean eggplant, sweet potato, chard, kombu seaweed, basil, ginger, and a small amount of the garlic red pepper chickpea miso.

Not 100 percent raw anymore. I was for about 5 years but in the last three years I've added some steamed veggies, squash, sweet potatoes, grains like quinoa and amaranth, and some legumes as well, mainly to add variety to my diet and to get away from the high nuts and the high fruit on a 100% raw diet. I'm still eating a high raw diet but just a bit more relaxed about it. For me, trying to be perfect was exhausting, but striving to be happy and whole is a much more satisfying journey.

My husband and I enjoy our soup and salad dinner and then end the night by connecting with Dancer on the couch and playing fetch with, little firecracker, Olive. Moments like this one I feel so grateful and fulfilled to have so much love and support in my life from my family. I have the grounded and simple life I always dreamed of: full of love, good food, and the opportunity to give flight to my dreams.

My name is Cecilia and this is My Way

To keep up with Cecilia check out her bi-monthly newsletters full of important information pertaining to the raw food's lifestyle, health, and healing. Plus when you sign up you will get a Free Raw food Starter Guide E-book and a Free Raw Foods List to set up your raw food kitchen today!

My Way: Veronica Bosgraaf

My name is Veronica Bosgraaf and I run a company that makes certified organic raw fruit and nut bars called the Pure Bar. I was inspired to make the Pure Bar in my kitchen, when my 6 year old daughter declared herself a vegetarian. I was desperate to feed her correctly so I created a nutrition bar made with whole, simple, raw and organic ingredients that would meet her needs for protein, fiber, omega three fats and antioxidants. I started the company in 2006, and we are now sold nationwide at Whole Foods, Trader Joes and lots of other awesome retailers natural and conventional.  Here are 4 days in life of me, a mom, a business owner, and a lover of all things Pure!

My Way: Veronica

Wednesday - Today is my last day in Southern California (been here for a week often travel here to promote the Pure Bar at events and at retailers that carry our bar in Southern California.

I’m from Holland, Michigan where raw food restaurants don’t exist, so pretty much if I want raw food when I’m home (I always do), I have to make it mysel, which luckily I’m getting better at doing. But when I’m in Southern California, Costa Mesa to be exact, I can pamper myself by going to a raw food restaurant instead of having to prepare it myself. I always frequent one of my favorite restaurants called 118 degrees. 

I decided to go to 118 degrees on my last day for dinner so I could relish every bite of raw goodness before my long trip back East. 118 describes itself as a restaurant dedicated to serving the finest "gourmet living cuisine". Everything is organic, no ingredients are ever heated to over 118 degrees (thus the name). Chef Jenny Ross who runs it has been preparing raw foods for 7 years in the LA area, and her unique and delicious raw food recipes have won her numerous acclimates and awards. I am always amazed at the incredible concoctions Jenny comes up with.

From Florentine Lasagna, to Sweet Corn Tamales, to Trio of Enchiladas all of which I’ve had the opportunity to savor, the menu is incredible and diverse. They also serve wonderful organic beers, wines, and freshly squeezed juices.

Oh it is all so delicious, much better than cooked food, much more flavorful, and much healthier. It’s a win-win-win situation! I had a fresh squeezed beet with lemon and kale juice, so yummy, and delighted in the “fried” avocado tostado and pesto stuffed mushroom. The food is served warm at the 118 degrees temperature so you still get the sensory benefit of eating warm food which always makes me feel cozy and comfy inside.

I have had the opportunity to take my meat loving, “cooked food only” colleagues to 118 degrees and although skeptical, they always end up loving it and giving it rave reviews. And now, interestingly I found out Jenny is partnering with Whole Foods in Southern California to create fabulous dishes for the raw food bars within the stores so you can get fast raw food. Yeah, lucky customers! Ugh. When will Holland, Michigan be so lucky?  

Thursday - This was boring day of flying home (I’m leaving on a jet plane…) to Holland, Michigan, my beautiful and quaint little home town that I am always so excited to return to. My biggest hassle of course is finding food to eat that is healthy and raw when I’m traveling. Today I ended up eating a banana and luckily a grapefruit from my friend Chanelle’s tree that I had picked earlier that week. And then of course I had my Pure Bars, and enjoyed my current favorite one, the Cranberry Orange on the plane ride home. It was also super cool to work on my board presentation, and be online in flight. Ahh technology.

I’m super excited because we’ve been working long and hard on new packaging and a new website.  Everything has launched, the new packaging is slowly making its way through the distributors and starting to show up on shelves, and I get to talk to the board about all of these exciting new aspects to the Pure Bar and the growth we continue to see. What a blessing.

Friday - Friday, Friday, everybody happy? I certainly am. Today I took the kids to my favorite organic blueberry farm, Pleasant Hill Farm. This farm is a little slice of heaven in a busy life. 

The farm has acres upon acres of beautiful, fat, sweet, organic blueberries, as well as apple orchards, peach trees, and raspberry gardens, all untouched by harmful pesticides and herbicides, and surrounded by huge Michigan forests.

I love taking my children to places where they can connect with the earth and our food sources. They also understand where and how food is grown seasonally, and the benefit of organic produce. They pop plump little blueberry after blueberry into their mouths while breathing fresh air and interacting with creation. What an amazing experience.

The weather was nice, not too hot. We left with 12 pounds of organic blue blueberries…yay!

Saturday - Today there is not a cloud in the sky. I am going kayaking down the Pigeon River, all the way to Lake Michigan and then back again.  It should be about a 5-6 hour trip depending on how much we want to play in the water. I am taking a couple Bell jars full of drinking water, apples, oranges, sprouted Ezekiel bread, almond butter and Pure Bars.

We launched at Hemlock Crossings. The water is exceptional high today which makes the current go faster. It will definitely be harder coming back up later in the day. Even though it is Saturday and there is a lot of activity, it was so peaceful and serene on the water. We barely saw any other people. The beginning of the trip was challenging as there were lots of bends in the fast moving river and the water level brought us close to many low hanging branches. The middle was a different kind of challenge as it was pretty windy on the open water of Pigeon Lake, but the Kayak is so easy to manage that it wasn’t bad at all. The smells on the river and then lake are remarkable. What I love most about kayaking is how you feel one with your boat, and therefore so close to the great outdoors. It's therapeutic to be on the water and physically engaged with nature.

I love the variety of kayaking in small rivers with lots of bends, and then moving to open water and onto Lake Michigan with 3 ft waves. There is no place I’d rather be right now than out in this beauty.

Another thing I love about kayaking is that it is a sport everyone can enjoy. Even Noah my seven year old can handle a kayak very well. I always see people of all sizes and shapes in kayaks out enjoying themselves. What other sport is so accessible to so many? 

The ride was gorgeous. My life is full and I am a happy, happy girl. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share a sliver of my life with you all. Blessings to everyone!

My name is Veronica and this is My Way

Veronica currently lives in Michigan where she continues to rock out the Pure Bar. You can friend her up on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

My Way: Christine Gutierrez

Christine Gutierrez is the founder and owner of Sacred Space NYC, which she opened in the fall of 2010, with the desire to heal, empower, and inspire women through love, holistic wellness, and community.

She is 24 years old. A Scorpio. Passionate. Loving. Fierce. Christine holds a BA from Fordham University in Human Behavior and Development with a minor in Philosophy and her Master from City College in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on prevention and community. Christine's mystical experience and healing training includes reiki training, tantra counselor, priestess path, breathwork, meditation, and healing bodywork. She is a cosmic warrior, a green love business entrepreneur, and urban hippy.

My Way: Christine

Friday - Today I woke up like a little kid excited to go on a trip. Today is the day of my launch party for my women’s wellness and lifestyle company, Sacred Space NYC. I woke up and sat in the bed with my eyes closed and said “wow, and thanks!” So grateful that the day finally had come that I wrote down in my journal "wow, I really made it happen.” I got clear on my intention, for me intention is where it's at. It’s magical and powerful, I wrote “my intention for tonight is to be calm, have fun, and share the gift of my vision of life, love, and wellness through my company Sacred Space NYC and share in happiness of like minded people in community.” I am peaceful, radiant, a goddess of light and love sharing my light with others. I am abundant and prosperous. I set my intention of making lasting connection with the people I meet tonight. I set my intention of this freeing my spirit and opening doors into the world of press, to get comfortable with it, to get use to success and to spread the love. Ahhhh, all that on my bed in my jammies, that’s how I roll. It's probably one of the best ways for me to really start off the day the right way and get tuned into what one of my favorite authors Gabrielle Bernstein calls your “~ing.” I call it your “inner goddess,” your light, whatever you call it, that feeling of bliss and joy that makes you feel alive and joyous and ready.

I then went to grab some grub, some carrots, ranch dressing, breadsticks, and water... random breakfast. I went to the city and ran some errands for the party, then checked out the gorgeous space Sacred Space NYC rents from. I then went to a wonderful woman’s house and did a intenSession. An intenSession is our signature service where we combine guided breathwork, guided meditation, intentions, aromatherapy, east meets west massage, and energy work. It was a wondrous journey and a reminder of the divine light within each of us.

I was floating away as I guided her on a journey to the stars, and with the elements. The energy of the room was filled with live green and colorful plants, transformed all love,  our hands were pulsating with the energy, and it was like a cosmic orgasm. She was smiling and hugging the energy of herself, loving herself, and healing herself. I was reminded again, as I am every time I work with people, that this is my mission, this is my truth, and this is my gift. Even more than that cosmic energy, that magic is real, and is powerful. I left with a smile, as did my client of course, and I went home to get pretty (prior to this getting pretty mode, I was looking like a hot lil hippy, probably smelly mess.)

I headed to our little Astoria cottage, blasted some music from an awesome band I heard once on 14th street in the train called Raices group. I blasted it as loud as I could, lit a white candle got nakey, and bathed with the vibrations filling the room. I danced like a goddess in the shower, or from the outside looking in like a crazy lady, and smiled and repeated positive affirmations while breathing. I got out, applied makeup, put some Young Living lavender oil on me to feel calm, put on my awesome jingily dress and packed my stuff heading to the launch.

Miracle workers were there to support me, my hot momma my friends, so many people there to help. The party was gorgeous, there was a huge turnout, and I had amazing people supporting me as my sponsors in this event, like the sexy and incredibly inspiring Vanessa Barg from Gnosis Chocolate, Jared from Clean Plates, Bianca from Sacred Space Acupuncture and Arganica Oil, Adam from BluBerry Delight, amazing cookies from Purely Elizabeth, and the beautiful Arielle with BeWellwithArielle. I mean this was a rockstar sponsor list and the guests were just as gorgeous and filled with light. We snacked, we laughed we networked, we experienced sample intenSessions, and meditations from Macha. Lori from RealBeautyis.com, Nitkita from YourBella Life, and Kelly Lynn were there to offer raffle prizes. A success, and of course I cried. It's on camera. I am still vibing and grateful with bliss.

Saturday - Woke up exhausted and in shock. Wow, this really happened. I rolled over and smushed my boyfriend, closed my eyes and breathed in the feeling that finally I am where I deserve to be. Happy, with family, friends, my partner, and my cosmic baby Sacred Space that I love, and loves me right back. I felt alive. I also felt exhausted all at the same time from the prior days, hard work in putting together the event which I am proud to say I have never done before in my life.

I'm Puerto Rican and it's like the hugest deal in the world to have a sweet 16. But me, nope, 1 friend and my parents. So this was such a huge shift for me and was so proud at the way it all turned out. I then plugged on my facebook, sent out some thank you's to my amazing guests, helpers, and sponsors. I logged on to my iTunes and listened to Add More Ing Meditation, and just allowed myself to be still. I went to read my emails and got an exciting email or two from press opportunities. I did a happy dance and yelled to my boyfriend to hear all the great news. I am sure he is thrilled that he lives with a bouncy lil fairy who insists on hearing happy news early in the am, lol.

I got on the train to go to meeting, I am literally floating. I have never took a class in business or saw anyone in my family run a business (though I figure I will plug my dad in; my daddy just launched an amazing restaurant though not vegan, actually the opposite it’s a south east asian BBQ spot, but delish and has some vegi options- called Fatty Cue’s in Williamsburg) but nevertheless with my intuition and my fearlessness I was making ish happen. Dope. I left smiling.

I walked around the city, went to a bookstore and wrote down the names of magazines I want to get featured in, then went through the farmer’s market. I love just smelling the herbs, getting lost in their pure scent, their wisdom of healing through real fresh foods.

Sunday - Today I just lounged. I listened to music, cleaned, sent emails, networked, and tried to use twitter. I sent more thank you’s and literally just vegged out. I stopped by my best friend’s house, had a lil bite of some cheese, fruits, with tons of water, a couple of blocks from my house. Then away to work on the new upcoming soon to be released website, designed by Christina Zayas, and logo by Alison.

I drank a cold Blue Moon and listened to meditations (yes beer and meditations do go together at times). I went home and pranced around the house with my lover. We laughed, then he farted on me and thought it was funny. I almost puked.

Looking back I guess my definition of lounging is still quite active and not really lounging, I might want to meditate on that. I took my alone time and watched Sex and the City 2 online. “Take the tradition and decorate it your way.” I loved that line, I love the feeling of decorating anything you do your way. We are all unique, why not show that with decorating - with our own touch? Love it. And “keep the sparkle!” We all have a sparkle in us and we got to keep that sparkle bright by doing things that make us happy and glow, like reading, writing, meditating, eating raw, whatever it is that works and has you bright and healthy. Just sparkle!

Monday - Woke up, made a greek frappe for my man, got some water, popped in a multi-grain bagel with some peanut butter for me, and started off my day. I plopped on my music from Pandora with it set from ‘thievery corporation,” meditated, and got ready for my day out with my best friends in the city. Ladies day, just walking around and back to farmer’s market. This time we spent time sniffing the lavender and all the herbs, gosh I love thyme. Such a beauty to feel all that freshness in the middle of the bustling city. This is what I feel like in the middle of a session with someone, silence, beauty, calm, in the midst of the chaos of the city life. The space transforms, the farmers market is something like that for me.

We walk around get some Pump health food, fresh watermelon juice, and lots of water. Yum yum yum. We headed back to house and just laughed. I laughed so hard I almost peed on myself, yes, very cute. Then we decide to go look around the city and just browse and people watch. It's so beautiful to see so many different kinds of people in the city, so many strange things happening, there's such a beauty in that.

We eat some more head home to watch stupid/funny YouTube videos. We enjoy some cantaloupe and frozen grapes (try it if you haven’t), then pee on ourselves some more. We kiss our goodbyes, very dramatically, and I head home. My hubby is finishing up his thesis (energy management), woohoo!  He does green energy, and I do reiki energy. I always find that funny, though I totally get it's not so humorous on outside, but I am a nerd, so yup-hilarious, and again laughing at myself, bigger dweeb.

I rush into the room to make it in time for my first interview with the amazing Macha. I spend time listening to music and moving around in spirals to get ready and get creative juices flowing for my interview. In the meantime, I can smell my hubby’s delish salad and Cypriot dish he's cooking. I am so excited to eat. Macha then calls in, I am pumped. She interviews me on my spiritual journey and my entrepreneurial journey, and I share tips that will be posted on herfuture.com. I chow down, we chat about our day, kiss a little, laugh a little, and again I smile, grateful for another beautiful day.

My name is Christine and this is My Way

Christine currently lives in New York City where she holds space for women's magical transformation at Sacred Space NYC and continues to learn about the cosmos and healing everyday. You can read more about Christine and the healing services at Sacred Space NYC. Or friend her on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Goddess' mention that you read this here and get $10 off your first session. Check out her upcoming retreat, "Get Your Goddess On" in Oct.

My Way: Noelle Twiggs

Noelle Twiggs is the founder of Green Lemonade, a healthy living guide. It’s for women everywhere who want to live more naturally, eat well and still do it in style.  Friend Noelle on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.  Noelle lives in New York City with her husband.

My Way: Noelle

After working on Wall Street for over a decade, I started GreenLemonade.com to celebrate the fact that living a naturally cleansing and rejuvenating lifestyle can be chic and fun. Everyday, my goal is just about doing fabulous, fun, feel-good things and inspiring other people to do the same (good thing I love my job). 

Thursday - Wake up with the sun, roll out of my bed and stroll onto my patio to take in a breath of the warm, summer beach air. This summer I’m fortunate to be spending time between my apartment in New York City and a little pad in the Hamptons. Let’s just say that I’m totally PUMPED. There is so much fabulousness to be celebrated in the Hamptons. I wake up excited everyday.

After a few moments of reflection on the deck, I head inside and change into my swimsuit, grab a wetsuit and surfboard and head down to the beach for a morning swim. This summer I’ve promised myself that I’m going to learn how to surf. Even if it means floating on top of the longest and thickest Cadillac board there is, I’m going to conquer those waves. Watch out Montauk! 

After a few early morning hours in the surf (it’s just so revitalizing!) I head to my favorite smoothie shop in Montauk, Joni’s, and grab a green smoothie. I love my morning green smoothie, it’s so energizing.  I head back to my pad, smoothie in hand, to do some writing for Green Lemonade.

Later in the afternoon, a friend calls and invites me for a bike ride down to the local farmers market to check out the bounty for a home cooked dinner. I love my farmers market trips, and jump at the opportunity. While we’re cruising around checking out the mid-day local scene, we stop and celebrate the day with a yummy salad and some freshly made hummus.

I wrap up the day with a few more hours of work, a fun homemade meal with my husband and call it a night.

Friday - Photo shoot baby! Today I’m invited to dress up and be fabulous. Who could turn that down? I’m off to do a summer photo session in response to a request I got from a magazine. I put on my favorite party dress, toss up my hair and add a splash of makeup and head out. Before I’m out the door, my husband hands me a morning breakfast smoothie he has made for me. Love that guy.

At the shoot, the crew and I have some laughs and share some smiles. I’m excited to see how the photos and the article turn out.

Early afternoon comes and we wrap up the shoot and sit down for lunch. The guys at the shoot have ordered lunch for everyone – a fabulous spread of farm fresh, summer delights. Delicious.

After a fun morning, I head home finish up some writing and prepare dinner together with my husband and a family friend.  Preparing and enjoying a good, quality meal together with my husband and good friends has become an event I look forward to every night.

Saturday - Beach bound. My husband is up at dawn because he has checked the surf report the night before and the waves are supposed to be PULSING. “Yikes!” I think to myself. Not sure I’m quite ready for a pulsing surf day, I’m still working on the double-overtoe days. Ha! But nonetheless, I hop into the car with him and we head over to the beach. I bring a book just in case the waves are too big for me.  Indeed, the waves are big. I give them a go though and then satisfied with my efforts tuck into a good book while my husband spends the next hour in the water. 

We’re starving after the adrenaline of the morning surf session and head into town for a rejuvenating breakfast. I’ve been craving a bowl of fresh berries and an iced tea. My husband enjoys a surprisingly delicious rice-bagel with almond butter. We then prepare an early lunch, and head back down to the beach for another afternoon surf session. After all, you have to take advantage of a good wave day when you can! 

After a fun day, we meet up with some friends at our favorite sunset restaurant in Montauk, Surf Lodge, and have a bite to eat. Before we know it, we are dancing until late….

Sunday - After such a big water day on Sunday, we take a little time this morning and relax.  My muscles are a tad bit sore.  But after a bit of down time and a peruse of the Sunday Times, I’m ready to head back out into the water again for another rush of adrenaline.

My name is Noelle and this is My Way

Noelle lives in New York City with her husband. You can friend her up on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Also be sure to check out Green Lemonade.

My Way: Latham Thomas

Latham was born and raised in California, and is a graduate of both Columbia University, where she earned a degree in Visual arts and Environmental science, as well as the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She is a certified holistic health counselor, who mixes her passions of plant physiology, botany, holistic nutrition, fitness, yoga, and green cuisine into a lifestyle program that supports the various needs of her clients. Specializing in maternal and child wellness, Latham served as Program coordinator for the Healthy Moms-Healthy Babies project for the B-Healthy organization. She is the co-founder of Panela Productions, a company that educates parents and children about food, through cooking classes, and events, and founder of Tender Shoots Wellness. Latham has developed partnerships with Vogue Magazine, Destination Maternity, Jurlique, and Euphoria Spa to produce events for expectant and new moms.

My Way: Latham

Wednesday - Montauk Monarch: a butterfly omen. I woke peacefully to the morning sun peeking through my curtains and realized I had about an hour to get ready and catch the next train out to Montauk. I quickly gathered my things, borrowed my son's mini-suitcase and headed out for a weekend getaway, soccer, and fireworks out East. The train ride was long and ice cold with the A/C blasting, but I made a new friend whom I chatted with the entire ride, Leslie. She was a music teacher who won a grammy for the masterful production of her album. I finally arrived in Montauk, thirsty, hungry, and desperate to pee, not a good combo.

In the distance I can see my good friend Drena DeNiro smashing down the street in her Mercedes like its the Autobahn Expressway. Dust picks up as she pulls into the station with a straw hat, aviator shades and a smile on her face... you ready to eat? I secure my things and hop in the front seat and we're off! We went to a local market to pick up some seasonal fruits and veggies, then made our way to the house. As we leave the more populated town I notice my cell phone bars diminishing and finally I get the flat line "Sem Servico", translation- no service... I keep my settings in Portuguese.

As we pull up to the house, there is a little driveway that bends and curves around taking us on a decent to the dunes. We've arrived and are literally on the beach. As soon as I get inside I put on my bikini and saunter down to the beach for a much needed dip in the ocean. The water was freezing, but it was soothing to surrender to that coolness. I got out and lie on my towel allowing the sun to beat against my skin. I love the sensation of the salt stinging as it dries, purifying.

Drena finally joins me and we decide to take a long walk along the shore picking up sea shells and lovely elements of the ambient landscape along the way. As we are walking along I notice a Monarch Butterfly seemingly washed up on the shore. He looked lifeless. I took note of the tidal rhythm and before the next wave crashed upon the shore I rescued him. I was standing with a precious butterfly in my hand that had very little energy and seemed possibly injured. Perhaps the salinity of the water was shocking for it's little system. We continued on our walk and I held him in my left palm. Drena and I shared our deepest goals, dreams, and desires, about love, careers, etc. That walk went on for two hours and the butterfly still nestled comfortably in the palm of my hand. I was mesmerized, what an omen. It felt like he was listening to our requests. We stopped and I said "let's make 3 requests or wishes each, and send them upon his wings to carry to the heavens that they might be granted"... and we spoke our dreams out loud.

We made it back to the house and the butterfly was still attached to my hand. I couldn't believe it. He trusted us. I figured he needed some energy so Drena fixed a little dish of water with Beet Sugar for him and I placed him inside and observed him for a few minutes as his tongue unfurled and drew up the nectar. I would gaze over at him periodically and he seemed not to be doing too well. We left him alone to just be, and soon night fell and I had almost forgotten he was in the house with us. The next morning I woke up to little barking from Drena's Maltese puppy Daisy who was signaling me to rise and come into the living room. I couldn't believe my eyes! The Monarch was flying all over the room and against the glass doors. It was a miracle, he was totally restored to good health. When he calmed I gently picked him up and opened the screen door. I said "you're all well now, you're free to go" I placed him in my palm and let go and he took flight up towards the clouds and I smiled knowing that he would now be able to complete his life cycle.

Thursday - Hustle Mode. Back in the city, and things are a bit hectic. I have some important meetings lined up today, and I've breezed through two of them - no sweat and it's only 11am. I shoot across town and saunter over to Soho House for a meeting with my good friend Adam Eskin, CEO of Pump Energy Foods. What a productive and insightful meeting in the sixth floor dining room while noshing on salad greens and alkalized Organic Avenue water. My phone is ringing off the hook, voice mailbox full. I need to dip to run a quick errand and head to the farmer's market in Union Square. We wrap up with a big bear hug and I head to the elevator answering my phone on the way out.

I dip out to my next task at hand, shopping at the farmer's market for gift basket items. I have a new client to cook for tomorrow being referred to me through my good friend and client Maxwell, so I need to get things prepared for her. I head over to Union Square where I source some young organic herbs for her window boxes, fresh local fruits, glorious greens, squash blossoms, flowers, etc. I am baking some vegan and gluten free goods for her as well as packing a feast for her and some friends. What's on the menu: Watermelon, tomato, avocado salad (see the recipe), quinoa, tabouleh, microgreen salad, stuffed squash blossoms, and sprouted raw falafel.....yum!

Then off to the kitchen to put it all together. The driver will arrive in a few hours and I'm cooking under pressure. The food and basket have to be ready for the evening to be delivered to Brooklyn. Working under pressure makes my performance flawless, but it also makes me want to sleep when I've completed the task at hand. So after all is done, I head home for a nice lukewarm shower, apply some essential oils, call my awesome seven year old son, who is up in Cape Cod for the summer with his grandpa, and lay down for the evening listening to his stories of explorations on the beach and in the woods.

Sassy Watermelon, Tomato, Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 5lb watermelon
• 1 large cucumber (peeled and cut)
• 2 medium sized tomatoes (heirloom if available)
• 1 avocado (cut into chunks)
• 1 red onion or vidalia onion
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 4 tbs fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• Cut the watermelon into inch size chunks
• Slice the onion into thin strips and soak in cold water for at least an hour.
• Discard the water and remove onions.
• Slice cucumber into 1/4 thin slices, cut tomatoes and avocado into chunks.
• In a large bowl add the watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, mint, cilantro, parsley, lime juice, and onions, gently mix then add salt and pepper to taste.

This is an amazing seasonal salad that is hydrating, and cooling on warm summer days and helps to reduce swelling caused by heat and poor circulation. Watermelon is a powerful food, rich in Vitamin A, B Vitamins, vitamin C, lycopene, magnesium, and potassium.

Friday - Full Moon, Baby Birth. It's one of those HOT ass steamy summer days in New York, the kind where you step outside and momentarily go into shock because the air is so dank with humidity. I can't seem to keep cool and I have so much to do. I'm not really into sweating on my way downtown, I hear a C train on the way so I quickly dip into the subway for some A/C in the train to cool off.

I'm on my way to meet with my client who recently became pregnant to teach a prenatal yoga private in her home. I exit the subway and feel the sun burning off the moisture in the air. On my way I see billboards of my client pre-pregnancy modeling lingerie. On my way over I detour to pick up some juices from Organic Avenue then arrive at her doorstep bag lady style, juggling four bags! We chit chat for a bit then flow seamlessly right into the practice. Nearing the end I apply essential oils and apply some light massage techniques to relax her. Afterwards she shows me a video on her computer she created about her pregnancy, its so sweet. I answer some pregnancy related questions and we drink our juices. I love my prenatal clients, off to another in Tribeca!

The day is winding down and I still have to meet with my financial advisor. I jet uptown and meet him for a glass of wine and chit chat about finances after a really long but fulfilling day. I'm feeling the need to get home and rest, something is telling me I should. I wrap things up and we walk outside to head our separate ways. I decide to walk home and I notice the moon is ripe like a peach and low on the horizon. I'm trying to finalize weekend plans knowing I have a birth client due in the next week, but looking at the pregnant moon my inner-guide tells me this baby is coming tonight.

I get home and get ready for bed, the stifling heat eases me to sleep. Somewhere in slumberland I awake to my cell phone ring at 3:49am and I intuitively know who is on the other end. I say "hello" in my sweetest of pillow voices. It's Pete and Nina calling to let me know they are in labor. I sit straight up and begin to ask a laundry list of questions, "did her water break, how far apart are contractions, how long are they lasting, how intense are the sensations, etc" everything Pete reports confirms that we should head over to the hospital where they are delivering because this labor seems to be progressing quickly. I pack my bag of tricks, some snacks, brush teeth, throw some water on my face, yoga pants, flip flops, my badge, and I'm out the door.

It's hard to hail a cab in Harlem at this hour, but I get a kind Muslim brother who is also expecting his fourth son any day now and delivering at the same hospital. He gets me there in record time. I get upstairs and Nina is in triage laboring beautifully. She is obviously in active labor and after 2 hours in triage the resident checks her to find that she is 7cm dilated. By the time we move to her room she's ready to push. 7:53am we settle into her room and she is in her primal goddess space, riding the wave of labor and in a beautiful trance. After an hour of pushing 9:12am a baby girl is born! 8 pounds and 9 ounces, no drugs, no interventions. The hospital staff said less than 1% of women delivering there opt against epidural. It was so amazing to be there to help coach Nina through this experience. I was reminded of my son's birth day as I took pictures of the new mother and baby in the first couple minutes of life. I quietly collected my things to leave as relatives entered the space. This is a precious time for bonding. I left the room and could still hear cries of joy as I approached the elevators, my heart was full with love, gratitude, and hope. I was reminded of the Tagore quote, it goes something like this- "Every baby born is proof that God has not lost faith in man."

Saturday - Sag Harbor to opening of WellNest. It's Saturday morning and I'm having a smoothie and I'm really focused on finishing this book chapter. I'm writing on pregnancy and wellness. I have to set up a cleanse for a client appearing in a commercial in a few weeks so I am prepping the cleanse protocol to start next week. I'm hustling to get my writing done and head out to Sag Harbor to the opening of my friend Rachel Paletsky's and Dr. Ash's amazing eco-wellness space, WellNest.

I get dressed in a beautiful knit dress and heels and head down to East 86th street where I will catch the Jitney out east. On the way my friend Tracy Piper from The Piper Center calls and we have an amazing pow wow on our goals, pregnancy, the molecules of emotions, and colonics. Before I know it I've arrived and I'm boarding the bus. After 3 hours of light snoozing and answering emails we pull up to Main Street in Sag Harbor.

Sag Harbor is such a quaint town. I remember going there from Bridgehampton almost daily when my son was newborn and we were living in Bridgehampton for the summer. I glanced into little shops and made my way over to WellNest, just before I arrive I see an old building with a placard "The Latham House c.1754," wow, not only was this house here since the 1700s but it shares my name. Next door is WellNest. What a party it is inside. Donna D'Cruz spinning, people mingling on all three stories of the converted barn house. People were even outside in the yard hanging out in Eames chairs and sipping on champagne. Rachel gives me a tour of the space and where she wants to host my women's yoga event in the moody attic space, it was divine.

Suddenly I run into my book agent and dear friend Gabrielle Bernstein and feel tempted to stay for the night, but need to go back to the city for an early appointment in the morning, so I decide to take the Jitney back. I travel with a few really great people and we get back into the city in two hours. I was buzzing from the energy of the evening. I knew I needed to relax to sleep, it was midnight and I had to be at a client's house to cook first thing in the morning. I lit some candles and sat in a brief meditation... I am thankful. I went to bed.

My name is Latham and this is My Way

Latham lives with her beautiful son in NYC. You can find her website Tender Shoots Wellness, which is a boutique holistic wellness practice striving to enrich the lives of women during their childbearing years by empowering them through nutrition awareness, yoga, green culinary arts and plant medicine. Also, be sure to hit her up on Facebook and Twitter too.

My Way: Santiago Guido

Santiago Guido is a personal trainer, martial arts instructor and raw food fitness coach, who has always believed in the healing powers of meditation. He started his raw food journey, with his wife, in the year 2008 and was amazed at the tremendous amount of energy and stamina that he had throughout the day, and during his 2 ½ hour workout routine. He has made it his life mission to spread the word about the power of raw foods and how it can enhance your fitness goals. Not only can you lose fat but also gain muscle and strength from eating on a raw food lifestyle. Santiago also believes that growing your own organic garden  is a key to getting the best food available. Not only is it more healthy for you and supports a sustainable planet, but he also strongly feels it’s very important to spend time out in nature with your bare feet to connect with Mother Earth.

As a husband and father of four, Santiago understands the difficulty of juggling work, family and staying healthy. He enjoys working one-on-one with people to help them reach their fitness goals. You can find Santiago at his website The Raw Food Muscle and see his videos on is YouTube Channel.

My Way: Santiago

Thursday - Waking up at around 6:30 am to kids screaming, “It’s mine! No, it’s mine!” Walk downstairs to break up the argument and keep the peace. Serenity Now! Kathy starts breakfast for the kids while I start an awesome yummy raw green shake for us. Walk outside in our garden barefoot to take a few big deep breaths, connecting with nature, and saying hi to all my plants as well as give them water. For the past few years Kathy and I have been moving towards being more sustainable by growing as much of our own fruits and vegetables as possible. You just can‘t beat the taste and nutritional value of organic food grown with the love that you give to it. Even though we really don’t eat eggs anymore (our kids do), we have 12 chickens in our backyard that give us eggs every day. After feeding our kids, the remainder of the eggs go to our local soup kitchen, neighbors, or get sold to the organic market.

Time to take the kids to the park so they can burn some energy (man, I can’t wait for school to start). After getting back from the park, it’s time to upload the video of the day while having a raw snack. Later that morning, I watch some of my favorite workout videos to get in the zone and go down to the house of pain (my basement). After my 2 hour workout routine I drink a raw green shake mixed with yummy fruits, now it’s time to get back to work, strategizing a workout regiment and high raw meal plan for my new client.

It’s time go outside and play with the kids before dinner. For dinner we make my favorite pesto with kelp noodles, while the kids eat some fish with steamed rice and vegetable (hoping the veggies are not the only thing left on the plate). Our kids journey into high raw is a slow and painful process. After dinner the kids go to watch one of there favorite Disney movies while we enjoy some of our home made raw chocolate fudge, it tastes so good! It’s finally time for the kids to go to bed. Yay! We love our kids to death but when you are outnumber 4 to 2 (ages 8,6,4 and 2), trying to run 2 businesses, and caring for 4 kids 24/7, it can be very challenging. Now that the kids are in bed, we spend the rest of the night enjoying our quite time together.

Friday - I woke up first thing in the morning to do an awesome 30-minute cardio routine on my recumbent bike. There’s nothing like starting your day with some cardio to help get your heart moving and set the pace for the rest of the day. It also helps speed up your metabolism throughout the day, which is great if you are trying to shred off some extra weight.

After my shower I go to make a cacao super food shake which is one of my favorite shakes. Who doesn’t like chocolate? I am off to do a raw food fitness presentation at one of my local gyms to help spread the word on the power of training on raw foods. I am making it my mission in life to educate as many people on the benefits of eating a high raw lifestyle. The seminar went extremely well and met lots of new people and possibly some new clients. It’s great to see so many people really wanting to get more into a raw lifestyle.

Once I got back home I take my shoes off for a walk in my yard and hang out with Kathy and the kids before I start my weight training routine. It’s such a beautiful day and I love the feeling I get from walking barefoot on the grass and the breeze blowing through my hair (oh wait, I have no hair). Lol. Time for dinner and tonight were making collard salad with steamed veggies and raw teriyaki sauce, while the kids indulge in a pizza. After dinner we all go back outside and hang out until bedtime. Once the kids are in bed Kathy and I go over possible products for The Raw Food Muscle business.

Saturday - Today I woke up to my son kicking me in my face, I guess he snuck into our bed sometime during the night. I start my day with a nice bowl of sprouted buckwheat cereal with fruits and fresh almond milk. I’m off to go teach martial arts, which is something I really enjoy doing. I have been into martial arts ever since childhood and have learned many different styles. I have such a great respect for all forms of martial arts. After the class, I stuck around and do some one-on-one sparing with my sifu.

It’s time to go home to visit the house of pain again to train legs (I hope I make it back up the stairs). As the day draws to an end Kathy and I go over our website and some of the new programs we will be offering, as well as discussing video topics for the coming week.

Sunday - Start the day off with a quick sprint and walk, which is not only great for the cardiovascular system, but it helps build the legs and burn fat.  After my run I have one of my favorite raw green shakes, and soon we’re off to do some shopping at our local organic market, and then the farmer’s market. The fun part about coming home for shopping is how to fit all the stuff in our frig, especially when it comes to young Thai coconuts.

After unloading all the fresh produce, I take some time go out back to sit under  my tree and meditate for a good 40 minutes.  For me meditation is a very important part of my life, not only to unwind and connect with nature, but to feel the endless expansion of the universe and to remember where I came from. I first began to meditate about 20 years ago to heal my shoulders, instead of going through surgery. Then after learning the true healing powers that we all possess within ourselves, I started diving deeper into higher states of consciousness, which took me into a much deeper level of understanding.

As the day draws to an end Kathy and I discuss our excitement on all the wonderful things we have planned for the week. It is such an amazing feeling to see how we are making a big change in peoples’ lives, and how inspired they’ve been by us. But the truth is they are the ones who have inspired us.

My name is Santiago and this is My Way

Santiago lives in Maryland with his wife Kathy and their 4 children. You can find his website The Raw Food Muscle, which offers raw food fitness coaching, gear, and e-books. He also has a recipe book coming out in late fall. You can also watch Santiago's videos on his YouTube Channel, or Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.