Divine Beauty Opus

Divine Food for Divine Beauty

Excerpted from the book “Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You” by Tonya Zavasta. The book is available at: http://www.beautifulonraw.com/html/righttobe.html

The phrase "natural beauty" has been abused and misused beyond restoration. The modern use is almost never associated with its true meaning. Someone said there should be a portrait of a healthy person in a museum so people would know what they are talking about. If we don’t know what a healthy person looks like, how do we know what natural beauty is?

In our unnatural world, the word "natural" no longer means without effort, at least not in the realm of obtaining your best look. One thing is a must in defining natural beauty: its achievement must not involve any sacrifice of health. None, period. If health is compromised in any way beauty is not natural.

Our body was created in the image of God, the Supreme Beauty. When our actions are in opposition to nature, the results are different types of bodily ills, deformities, and ugliness. Since there can be no natural beauty without eating 100 percent natural food, most of you have never seen the natural you.

There is an urgent need for another word. The contemporary meaning of natural is too far from the divine. I suggest filling this void with "rawsome", a new word circulating in the raw food community. It is a combination of two words:" raw" and "awesome" with the meaning being something between natural and divine. The diet of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds also needs to be renamed. I have often been told that the phrase “the raw food diet”, sounds like eating raw meat, particularly sushi, which is misleading. The raw food diet is so awesome that it should be called the very name it inspired- the Rawsome Diet.

Most of us feel our appearance lacks something. In reality, ugliness is more about excess. Toxic accumulations in our bodies are responsible for stealing our health and attractiveness. Beauty lies latent under cushions of retained fluids, deposits of fat, and sick tissues. Your beauty is buried alive, but in most cases it can be revived in a version that will be satisfactory to you. You must take immediate action to revitalize it. When you do, your uncovered beauty will surprise and delight you.

Eating cooked food will leave residues the body cannot utilize, and they will be deposited in places our Creator never intended. Everything not fully digested and properly eliminated, the body will treat as an abnormal substance. It will pocket these toxins as far away from the vital organs as possible--on the peripheries of the body--where it will invariably be reflected in our outward appearance. If the body cannot use it inside, it will deposit it on the outside. Nutrients from the food you eat spiral upward to the epidermis, and their quality will determine whether you will have a glowing clear complexion or skin spotted with growths, such as moles and skin sores.

Some physical characteristics of our face and body we cannot change--they were determined prior to our birth. But the consumption of the raw plant diet as an adult will make a difference in the texture of skin and hair, the health of nails, weight and complexion. All of these traits and more are determined by daily choices, with food being one of the most important and, luckily, the one we can fully control.

The Rawsome diet is the most suitable one for human physiology. It is salubrious to the body’s health and salutary to its beauty. The ability to renew cells is built into your body, and the body itself is capable of making you look more attractive. After all, we were designed to bloom continuously as old cells get replaced by new ones. The Rawsome diet makes the most of this rejuvenating ability of our bodies.

Rawsome beauty is not manufactured from the outside but cultivated from the inside by nutritionally charged food. Whole raw food restores the integrity of every cell and facilitates the optimal operation of every organ inside and out. The body, having been awakened by the improved diet, in its wisdom, will reach out to the places where health was lacking, and you will gradually see your beauty surfacing. The Rawsome diet will eliminate all the toxins on a deeper level and bring amazing changes to your appearance.

Only the body sustained on raw food will host natural beauty, or should we say Rawsome beauty. The landscape of the body will change. The surface of the skin will become soft and smooth but still firm and supple. Visible pores will diminish. A sallow skin with a yellow pallor will turn into a porcelain-like complexion. The whites of eyes, once red, will become bright with a bluish tinge. As natural collagen production improves, it will fill in the places where it is needed as in hollow cheeks. Raw food eating will clarify and refine your features and bring delicacy to your face.

On the Rawsome Diet, you will marvel at how the Master Artist will make the most of your individual features and bring balance to the entire face. Texture, hues, and shape will be harmoniously arranged into a genteel whole. Perfection and imperfection will be tied together into a unique original version of beauty.

Each time I see a woman, I study her appearance, and I see not just the way she looks but the way she could look. What I see is how far her image falls short of her potential beauty. I perceive her beauty as it would stand out after the body has cleansed itself from toxins and excesses.

From age 15 until recently, I wore my hair permed, only to discover at 45 that straight hair in my natural color was the best possible frame for my face. Did my preference change? Not at all. My face did. So let me give you a hint, if you need a camouflaging hairdo, you are not looking your best. The changes in your face brought about by raw foods will bring the freedom to arrange your hair in any way you want. When your peer group is thinking: “I am losing my looks”, you will be finding yours. At 45, I enjoy looking in the mirror while before I detested my reflection.

As the cleansing initiated by this diet is completed, you will be very pleased to see how you were meant to look. Your body will exhibit beauty and dignity. You will become satisfied, even fascinated, with your appearance. When you look your very best, you look perfect, in a sense that you are as close to the divine image for yourself as you could ever be. You accept yourself completely. Natural beauty is above conformity; it doesn’t demand to be accepted by the dictates of the beauty norm.

People who have been on the raw food lifestyle for several years begin to have a glow, the kind not often seen in middle-aged people. Optimal health is recognized by an emerging radiance. Glow is hard to fake because it is internal. It comes from an abundance of clear, pink, almost transparent cells that light up the face. Only superior blood circulation can bring this transfiguring glow. Several years on the raw food diet will make you look as though you just stepped out of a painting by Renoir--the impressionist best known for his preoccupation with light.

I have come to believe if you do not embrace the 100 percent raw food diet, you will never meet The Most Beautiful You. The best proof that the Rawsome diet is optimal for the body is it makes you beautiful. Slim face, slender waist, and clear skin with smooth coloration-these subtle changes will convince you the raw plant diet is the best for good health and graceful beauty. No woman knows her true beauty until she cleanses her body completely of all waste.

You can say there are people who are beautiful, and they are not on this diet. That is true. It is hard to believe, but even they haven't seen the best of themselves. Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance arises not from perceiving our bodies inaccurately but because subconsciously we are aware we haven’t achieved our optimal look. The Rawsome diet gives a feeling of authenticity, an assurance we have become what we were meant to be.

Raw food not only corrects beauty’s shortcomings but also lifts the limitations of one’s spirit and releases strains and tensions in both your mind and body. People on the raw food diet have an aura about them, a transcendent nobility and complacent dignity. Sickness is goodness lost, and our unhappiness is a longing for goodness. One takes in the goodness in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and feels its purifying process on the inside. Goodness in one’s food summons up goodness in one’s appearance and character.

Do you think it is hard to follow this life style? Women have done so many outrageous and dangerous things to themselves in the pursuit of beauty, I believe they should at least try the Rawsome lifestyle, which promises to transform them into beautiful people. What a woman won’t do for health, she will do for beauty. This is the first time beauty asks no sacrifice from health.

Written by Tonya Zavasta, author of the book “Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You” and of the soon to be published its sequel “Beautiful on Raw”. In these books Tonya comes across as an ambassador for plain looking women in their quest for physical beauty. Tonya knows firsthand what it is to be humiliated, face adversity and meet the complex obstacles of daily living with a congenital disability. Facing several reconstructive hip surgeries to enable her to walk, she sought a way to offset the devastating effects of anesthetics on her health and appearance. She became more and more convinced that the solution to her quest for health and beauty was to be found in the raw food lifestyle or the Rawsome Diet as she calls it. The Rawsome Diet not only helped her to sail courageously through troublesome times, brought her general health and appearance to an all time best, but also opened a new chapter of her life. Firmly believing that the roots of under-performing and under-achieving lie in feeling and looking less than your personal best, she is on a mission: she wants every woman to look and feel beautiful. Tonya is convinced that by eating as God intended everyone can look uniquely beautiful as God envisioned. To learn more about how you can uncover your Rawsome beauty, visit: www.beautifulonraw.com. Tonyazavasta@hotmail.com. © Tonya Zavasta

This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety as long as the entire article, byline and URL are included.

Baby Chewing Serenade

Five Reasons For Preparing Your Own Baby Food

Here are 5 good reasons to start preparing your own baby food, as opposed to buying it in the store.

1. IT'S HEALTHIER AND MORE NUTRITIOUS Commercial baby foods contain additional fat, salt, sugar, fillers or other ingredients that are completely unnecessary (and often inappropriate) to your baby's diet. These additives are an attempt to add flavor, texture and bulk to poor-quality products. They contribute nothing at all to your baby's health or well-being. By preparing the food yourself, you can be sure that your baby is getting exactly what his/her little body needs - and nothing that it doesn't.

2. YOU'RE IN CONTROL By preparing your baby's food yourself, you know exactly what your baby is eating. When you prepare an apple sauce, you know he/she is getting fresh, pure apple and all the goodness it contains. However, when you buy apple-sauce at the store, you'd almost need a degree in nutrition just to decipher the list of ingredients.

3. IT'S EASY Once you get started cooking for your baby, you'll quickly realize just how easy it is. All you need is a food blender and some fresh ingredients to quickly prepare healthy, tasty, home-made meals for your little one. Furthermore, by making large amounts of his/her favorite meals in advance, and then freezing them for later, you'll be able to serve up delicious, healthy meals in minutes -- every day of the week.

4. IT'S MUCH CHEAPER The prices that baby food manufacturers charge for their products is nothing short of scandalous and are in no way justifiable. The reason they can charge so much is because they've conditioned most parents to believe that they have no choice but to buy from them. By preparing your baby's food yourself, you can avoid being a victim of this daylight robbery, and find yourself with extra cash to spend on all those other things that a growing baby needs.

5. IT'S VERY GRATIFYING Watching your baby enjoy the meal you've just prepared for him/her is already a very gratifying experience. On top of that, however, you have the satisfaction and pride of knowing that you're giving your child the gift of a healthy and nutritious diet - and saving yourself money as well.

And finally...

If all that weren't enough, here's another great reason to do it yourself: home-made baby food is much tastier than any commercial product. Delicious food is one of life's great pleasures and your baby deserves to enjoy the rich flavor and texture of real home cooking just as much as you or I. After all, none of us would enjoy eating 'TV Dinners' morning, noon and night - and that goes for your baby too!

So, don't put it off. Get started today. Your baby will thank you for it in more ways than one.

Written by Nancy Miller, author of 'How to Make Your Own Healthy Baby Food' and a full-time working mom. Visit Nancy's website at http://www.healthy-baby-food.com.

Good Sweetener Verse

The Sweet Side Of Science

Everybody's heard of aspartame. The list of products using it for sweetness is long, including breakfast cereals, soft drinks, desserts and yogurt. But what exactly is aspartame?

Aspartame is a tabletop sweetener that gives foods a sweet taste, but contains a negligible amount of calories and carbohydrate. Aspartame is not the only sugar substitute to have these properties. Sucralose is another sweetener like aspartame that is used in numerous food products. Based on its name, you might think it's sugar, but it's not! What is the difference between these two tabletop sweeteners? Basically, the difference is in their sweetening power. Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than white sugar, while aspartame is 180 times sweeter.

Where does aspartame come from? It was actually discovered by coincidence in 1965 as a US scientist was researching a drug to treat ulcers. He was quite surprised to discover that the substance he was using in his work had an extremely sweet taste! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wasted no time in commissioning a number of studies, which eventually led to them approving the use of aspartame for commercial purposes. The food industry quickly began using aspartame in manufacturing as a low-calorie sugar substitute to sweeten some food products. Canadians first began seeing aspartame used in foods after Health Canada authorized it over 20 years ago, in 1981, as a tabletop sweetener and food additive.

"Aspartame has probably been studied more than any other food additive," states Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of the McGill University Office for Chemistry and Society, and author of the book That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles, which devotes a full chapter to aspartame. "Over 70 million North Americans regularly consume products containing aspartame."

So don't be surprised by the number of food product ingredient panels that list this popular tabletop sweetener on grocery store shelves!

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Sweet Aspartame Opus

Debunking The Aspartame Myth

Whether or not you've ever consumed products containing aspartame, you've surely heard all kinds of things about it - many of them contradictory. So who's telling the truth? Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of the McGill University Office for Chemistry and Society, devotes an entire chapter to aspartame in his new book That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles. He maintains that aspartame is safe: "Aspartame has probably been studied more than any other food additive. The vast body of research conducted over the past 20 years has shown it to be harmless to health."

Aspartame has given rise to many popular myths. But if you want to get to the bottom of things, you can't rely solely on rumours and hearsay: it's important to separate myth from reality.

Myth: Daily consumption of aspartame-sweetened products is harmful to your health.

Reality: Aspartame has undergone close to 200 studies over the past 20 years and is approved by Health Canada since 1981. Aspartame is used in thousands of products. The Acceptable Daily Intake recommended by Health Canada is approximately 3,000 mg/per person/per day. So, you would have to eat or drink the equivalent of 100 low-cal yogurt cups (113g) sweetened with aspartame, 20 cans of soft drink sweetened with aspartame, or 97 packets of the tabletop sweetener. The average Canadian consumes about 500 mg of aspartame per day, which is well below the acceptable limit.

Myth: Aspartame causes headaches.

Reality: Headaches can be caused by many factors, including stress and lack of sleep, as well as a variety of physiological and psychological disorders. It has not been proven that aspartame is more likely to cause headaches than other products. If you have headaches, it is important to consult your doctor to have a proper diagnosis made.

Myth: Aspartame is harmful to people who are affected by diabetes because it increases blood sugar levels.

Reality: According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, all sweeteners available in Canada go through rigorous testing. Once they have been approved it means that they are suitable for use by all Canadians, including those with diabetes. Since aspartame is a non-caloric sugar substitute that gives food a sweet taste without raising the level of glucose in the blood, people with diabetes can turn to aspartame-sweetened products to increase their variety of foods, while maintaining a diet appropriate for their condition.

Myth: Aspartame is harmful to pregnant women and children.

Reality: Aspartame is deemed safe by Health Canada. It is safe for pregnant women and children. Given that both groups have high energy requirements, however, it is important that their diets contain all the calories required for health, growth and development. People with phenylketonuria are one exception. This is a rare, hereditary disease that prevents the proper metabolism of phenylalanine, a substance found in protein foods such as chicken, milk and vegetables, and also in aspartame.

So before jumping to conclusions, be sure to get the scientific facts straight!

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Sweety Ode

All The Sweetness, Without Sugar!

Imagine eating sweets without having to think about all the calories you're taking in . . . Believe it or not, it's a reality! Tabletop sweeteners are powerful sugar substitutes used in food products as an alternative to white sugar. Since they contain very few calories, these agents provide a sweet taste without the added energy - much to the delight of people watching their caloric intake.

In addition, tabletop sweeteners are also suitable for people who are affected by diabetes and who need to limit their sugar consumption in order to control their blood glucose level. So when they feel like indulging in a sweet treat, they can reach, for products sweetened with aspartame!

There are two main sugar substitutes on the market: aspartame and sucralose. A number of foods claiming to be "light" or "diet" - such as juices, cereals, yogurt, chewing gum, desserts, breads, pastries and soft drinks - contain aspartame (sold under the brand names NutraSweet and Equal) or sucralose (marketed as Splenda). Both products have a pronounced sugary taste: aspartame is 180 times sweeter than white sugar, while sucralose is 600 times sweeter.

Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of the McGill University Office for Chemistry and Society, devotes an entire chapter to aspartame in his new book That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles. He stresses that aspartame has undergone numerous studies, and it is currently found in thousands of products. Health Canada approved its use over 20 years ago, in 1981. Over 70 million North Americans regularly eat or drink products sweetened with aspartame and that consumption is growing steadily.

So, what will you choose to sweeten your coffee in the morning, sugar, sucralose or aspartame?

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Prostate Cancer Killing Ode

Preventing Prostate Cancer

It is increasingly recognized that diet plays a role in prostate cancer, a disease that affects one in eight men. For optimal health, it's important to exercise regularly and eat according to Canada's Food Guide, which recommends lots of fruits and vegetables, many of which contain the antioxidant selenium.

"Antioxidants help neutralize the influence of free-radical oxygen molecules which can cause cell damage that can lead to prostate cancer," said John Blanchard, President of the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada. "Our bodies need a diet rich in vitamins and minerals to help prevent the disease."

Recent studies suggest that selenium and vitamin E may reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. One study showed that the incidence of prostate cancer was markedly lower in those who supplemented their diets with selenium, while another found that the occurrence of prostate cancer and the risk of death from prostate cancer was significantly less in those who supplemented their diet with vitamin E.

Because of these positive findings, a large study called the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) was recently launched to specifically determine whether selenium and vitamin E, individually and together, can help prevent prostate cancer.

Foods that contain selenium include seafood, meat, grains, and certain types of nuts. It is very difficult to get the recommended amount of vitamin E through diet alone, however it can be found in vegetable oil, nuts, whole grains and wheat germ. As it's not always easy to eat well, consider taking a daily multivitamin such as Centrum® to ensure an adequate intake of selenium and vitamin E on a regular basis.

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Let It (Yellow) Snow Verse

Yellow snow never tasted so good,
Your award is on its way.
Although some rain would be like food -
As long as I am here, I will not be away.

Let It Snow

Yellow snow never tasted so good, thanks to the new Hamilton Beach electric Snowman™ Ice Shaver that produces mounds of soft, fluffy snow in seconds for cool snow cones, slushies, tropical drinks, sorbets and more. Unlike crushed ice, the fluffy consistency of shaved ice absorbs the ice flavouring so no puddling will occur at the bottom of the container. Entertaining…produce eye catching ice beds with the Hamilton Beach Snowman™ Ice Shaver for appetizers, shrimp cocktail, salads, fruits, oysters, etc. The Hamilton Beach Snowman™ Ice Shaver produces inexpensive, nutritious, high quality entertaining treats that are enjoyable for all occasions and ages groups.

For tropical flavourings, sample fruity liqueurs such as a yellow banana, bright green melon, orange coloured passion fruit, or, if iced coffee is more your cup, try Irish cream drizzled over shaved ice. Colourful sodas such as grape, lemon-lime, cream soda, orange, etc. are great nonalcoholic choices. For vitamin packed alternatives, flavourings such as frozen unsweetened fruit juice, fruit or yogurt provide a nutritious base for tropical drinks, sorbets, or snow cones. Many cultures for centuries have enjoyed snow treats. Generally sweet, snow treats can alternatively be seasoned with chopped herbs, nuts and spices for a nice accompaniment to an entrйe. Or, if you need to cleanse your palate between courses, a sorbet does the trick.

Overcome by the heat of summer, need something to quench your thirst, having a pool party or you simply crave a light tasting dessert, a snow treat is the answer. Simply place the electric ice shaver on the countertop; place a bowl, cup or other container onto base platform to hold shaved ice; place ice cubes/pucks into ice chamber; push the child-friendly oversized on/off button to start shaving process; scoop ice shavings into paper cups, glasses or bowls; pour flavourings on top of snow.

Whether you lick it, eat it with a spoon or slowly sip your frozen treat, you can't help but forget summer's heat. With its easy cleanup, portable size, and safety features, the Hamilton Beach Snowman™ Ice Shaver is a great addition to your existing barware/ kitchen appliances. The Hamilton Beach Snowman™ Ice Shaver will be available in leading retail outlets starting early June. Suggested retail price of the Snowman™ Ice Shaver is approximately $39.99.

For more information on the Hamilton Beach Snowman™ Ice Shaver, or other innovative Hamilton Beach products, visit the Hamilton Beach Website at www.hamiltonbeach.com.

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Morning Nutrition Poem

Beat the Morning Rush

From eating exotic leftovers to brushing their teeth in the shower, Americans get creative when it comes to simplifying morning routines.

With today's hectic lifestyles, many Americans say it's all they can do to get out the door in the morning.

According to a recent survey conducted for Chex(R) Morning Mix(TM), a new portable breakfast product, 75 percent of Americans multi-task in order to manage their morning routine, with some people performing up to four tasks at once.

Often the challenge starts with getting out of bed. More than 30 percent claim to oversleep on a typical weekday, and 31 percent say they hit the snooze alarm. To minimize oversleeping, 39 percent of Americans set their alarm to go off earlier than needed.

Once their feet hit the floor, however, the rush is on. When mornings are packed with making lunches, grabbing clothes out of the dryer and squeezing in a few minutes of exercise time, respondents in harried households say multi-tasking is the name of the game. Tasks encompass everything from brushing teeth in the shower to grabbing weird leftovers from the fridge. Rushed breakfast choices include everything from leftover liver patй to rattlesnake stew.

While the "ideal way to start the day" is having breakfast in bed for 20 percent of all respondents, 62 percent say they frequently eat breakfast "on the go." One third say they skip breakfast altogether, with a third of these people citing not enough time as the reason for not eating breakfast.

"Getting the day started right and having a nutritious breakfast can be the most important part of a busy day," says Bibie Wu, General Mills marketing manager. "But with hectic morning routines, the importance of breakfast is often overlooked. Chex Morning Mix is one way for people in busy households to start the day right, no matter where life takes them for breakfast."

For those who feel like they never have enough time, Chex Morning Mix is a one-of-a-kind portable breakfast that's filled with all the right ingredients -- delicious Chex cereal, wholesome fruits and nuts.

Instead of turning breakfast into one more task to complete before heading out the door, busy people can simply grab a bag of Chex Morning Mix and eat it on the run -- walking to work, on the bus or at their desks.

Other survey findings include:
* If given 15 extra minutes every morning, most people would sleep in.
* Laying out clothes the night before was considered the most effective time-saving tip.
* On average, women reported performing up to four tasks at once compared to men performing up to two.
* 32 percent of women claimed their morning routine typically made them feel "always a bit behind the clock," compared with 25 percent of men.

Chex Morning Mix is available in three flavors: Fruit & Nut, Cinnamon, and Honey Nut, and contains Chex cereal, almonds, raisins and cranberries in each single-serve pouch. Part of a balanced diet, Chex Morning Mix is a good source of calcium and provides nine vitamins and minerals. It has 130 calories per serving, 3.5 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein.

Chex Morning Mix comes in 1.15-ounce single serving pouches, with six pouches per box. It can be found in the granola/breakfast bar aisle with an approximate retail price of $2.99 per box.

For more information about Chex Morning Mix, visit the General Mills Web site at www.generalmills.com.

Courtesy ARA Content, http://www.aracontent.com.


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