Releasing It All

Its Spring time. Time to cleanse...Release.

Its 2012 and our eyes are opening!

Many people are figuring it out! Their purpose here in this moment, I mean. And its beautiful to see.

Have I? Who knows? I don't.

All I know is I feel that I've been stuck since having children. Stuck in basically every area of my life. I feel like I'm treading water and keep trying to swim, but get nowhere.

And then it occured to me this past week as a large chapter of my life has closed (I've finished 7 years of pregnancy and breastfeeding last week)...what am I trying to swim away from? And what am I trying to swim toward? I don't honestly know. My "purpose" has not been a huge Las Vegas billboard that flashes in front of my face as I had the expectation it would.

So, I choose to release.

Not actually release things, but just be prepared to release everything. Because all I really have...is ME. All the other "things" in my life are just that...things.

If I lost my home, my car, my clothes, my husband...I am then naked. And that's the scariest, most vulnerable place to be, but that is also where I can just be ME. Without societal norms (keeping up with the Joneses - you mamas know what I'm talking about), preconceived notions or lifelong goals.

Pure Freedom.

And you know what? Its liberating!

I choose to go with the flow and not force things any longer. Because forcing things to happen had the opposite effect - they never happened. I tended to get overwhelmed with the ideas and could not follow through on any of them.

I choose to release.

Its not up to me what I release. I'm prepared to release it all. I'm prepared for a breakdown.

Do I care what people think of me? No. Not anymore. I think that's what has kept me stuck for so long. I've been constantly worried about what my community thinks of me.

I feel liberated and free that I don't care anymore.

I am actually far from a breakdown. I actually feel joyous. Just knowing in my soul if I lose it all tomorrow that I'll be okay.

More than okay. I'll be free.

The only true security in my life is simply me. Only then will I be of true service to the world.

I have this insatiable need to be of great service to others yet cannot seem to figure out what it is and how to do so. I want it to be grand. I want to show my children the path of service. I want to be that change I wish to see in the world. Its been incredibly frustrating and I keep hearing myself say "I want, I want, I want". Its time to release all those preconceived notions of how it should be.

What is my message? I don't know yet. This incredibly loud voice inside of me is screaming though. If I could spend 40 days naked in the desert, I'd do it. But now in my life I guide young souls (my 2 children), so I can't. I just choose to be vulnerable and be of service in any way I can.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I've found that so many people actually feel the same way, but are not expressing it.

There's no time for small talk anymore.

We must focus on making great changes to ourselves and our world. Work through the muck to find the essence. The muck that keeps us stuck - physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. THAT is when we can all unite for the greater good.

So "cleansing" or "detox" are the hot words right now. And they should be.

Its time for us to rise and be the change. Not just physically or for selfish reasons of looking good in a swimsuit, but to get out of our heads, to free our bodies and spirits and to connect en masse so that we can all change the world for the future of our children.



I am guiding an online group cleanse starting this weekend (March 24th/25th 2012) and haven't really been into it. I haven't even wanted to advertise it. But now I realize that I have the knowledge and ability to guide other people into finding freedom too. Because what we carry around is all just a facade.

Get back to your essence. That's when you will shine brightest.

If you're interested in my holistic health cleanse or coaching, please visit my current website www.vitalityventures.com.


Blissings,
Stanzi

Winning the Cold and Flu Battle

A few friends have just posted on my Facebook wall that they're not feeling well. Its cold and flu season! But there's great news: you can win the fight with these germs and nasties!

Over the past few years, I've been working on my protocol and I finally have it. After getting the flu for 10 days for the first time in 25 years, I was on a mission to NEVER go through that again! Since then, I have fought off every virus I've contracted. I can't say the same for my family, but its a work in progress.

Here's what I do when I feel a virus coming on:

1. Drink super hot, fresh ginger tea with extra chopped ginger to stop proliferation in the gut. I drink it throughout the day. Sometimes I add fresh lemon juice and even a dash of cayenne pepper.

2. Neti pot to stop proliferation of the virus in the nose. At least once per day. I mix my own saline: 1/8 tsp salt with 1 cup pure filtered water. If using raw spring water, I boil the water and allow to cool.

3. Salt water gargle at least 4 times per day to stop proliferation in the throat. I mix 1 tsp sea salt or himalayan salt with 1/2 cup water. Its salty!

4. At least 5000 IUs per day of liquid Vitamin D3. I usually take 8000 IUs per day for 1 week.

Some other helpful hints:

-Eliminate sugar, bread, and processed foods of any kind. This includes fructose/fruit besides some berries in our smoothies.

-Drink plenty of green smoothies. Mostly savory with extra greens to keep sugar low. Germs love to feast on sugar.

-Hot vegetable miso soup. Freshly prepared always. I mix the miso with my soup right in the bowl. 1 Tbsp miso to 1 bowl of soup.

-Plenty of rest - that means canceling activities (yes, even my kids' activities). Our health is more important. We simply reschedule for the next week.

I do this for 2-3 days. The virus doesn't proliferate.

Additional protocol includes:
-extra colostrum than usually taken during the cold season which is researched to have a higher success rate of staving off flu than any flu shot.
-Oil of Oregano is reported to kill 94% of pathogens when it is strong enough. Flu Fly is a great and very potent brand of Oregano plus other botanicals.



If you find other protocols that work for you, please enter them below. I'd love to check them out!

I wish for you a happy and healthy 2012!

Dip Into Delight

This is by far one of my most popular snacks for playdates, parties, and meetings. I make it in large batches and it keeps for a couple weeks in a closed container in the refrigerator. Its a great way to get the kids to take in some raw nutrition. The kids eat it after school, for snacks, desserts and we've even poured it in the morning green smoothies. Celery dipped into this is awesome!

This is especially great for moms who want to transition their kids off of processed and artificial foods (its fast and simple to make). Its tasty and sweet so there are never any complaints about it being "health" food. This is a recipe included in the first part of the Transition To Nutrition program in the works.


Raw Caramel Sauce

3/4 cup raw almond butter
1/2 cup maple syrup or raw honey
4 Tbsp unheated coconut oil
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
5 soft dates, pits removed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp himalayan salt or celtic sea salt
1/4-1/2 cup pure water for desired consistency

In a blender, blend all ingredients with only 1/4 cup water until smooth. Add more water to reach desired consistency - The more water added, the thinner the sauce.


One last note: Be sure to give the teeth a brushing after consuming fruit and sweet snacks. My oldest has always eaten a lot of fruit although no processed sweets. He ended up with a handful of cavities due to high fruit and not enough brushing. We now eat for good bone and tooth health, and are sure to brush after eating fruit and sweet snacks with a natural xylitol toothpaste or Living Libations' Wild Child Healthy Gum Drops.

Less Is More

We had brunch with friends today and my fellow mama friend and I commented on how we like giving our children space to just "be" without any planned activities, organized sports or playdates.

Tonight, I opened my Parents Tao Te Ching and it opened to this page:

48. Less Is More

Your children do not need more.
Each day adds more facts,
more gadgets,
more activities,
more desires,
and more confusion
to their lives.

Your task is to subtract.
Each day seek to remove,
to clarify,
to simplify.
Society's wisdom adds,
and confusion grows.
The wisdom of the Tao subtracts,
and serenity flourishes.

******

If each day one minute less was spent doing something, and one minute more was spent being present, in simple pleasures, with your children...in two months you would transform your life, and theirs. One minute less.

Good words to sleep on tonight.

Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins

Road Trippin' with the mini muffins


The family's been mostly grain-free for the past 3 months and we're feeling good!

Why eggs and why so many? Eggs are a natural source of choline - a nutrient that is essential for healthy brain function and for all the cells in the body to function normally. They're high in assimilable protein, folic acid, vitamins B6, B12, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. The egg is one of the few foods to naturally contain Vitamin D. I'm going to try these muffins without eggs too and if results are good, I'll post the recipe.

Coconut flour is naturally sweet, so less sweetener is needed. It can be found in any health food store. Its more expensive than other flours, but remember you need MUCH LESS, so it lasts much longer.

This Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffin recipe is to LIVE for! Its gluten-free, high in protein and has no refined anything (sweetened with raw honey). If you make them, please post below and tell me what you think!

1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt or himalayan salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
grated zest of 1 lemon
6 eggs, organic and pastured if possible
1/3 cup raw honey (so the enzymes are intact to help break it down)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted but barely warm
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (Wyman's wild blueberries are my choice when our summer supply has run out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, salt, baking soda and lemon zest. In a large bowl, mix eggs, honey, melted coconut oil and vanilla until well combined. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until smooth, then add blueberries. Pour into greased muffin tins (I grease mine with coconut oil). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tested done. Or use mini-muffins tins and cook for 15 minutes or until tested done. Kid approved!