Raw 2gether!

Making Raw Zucchini

With Fall in the air you might be craving something 'breaded' so here is a short video clip on how to create something delicious that will make up for that comfort food feeling. Also, watch Stacey's face (on the right of the screen) as she notices that Susan is using her crystal wedding bowl that she received as a special gift...priceless! See you next time!
Having It All By Going Raw!
Stacey and Susan

Self Conscious in a TOGA!

We are gearing up for the 1st Annual Tassos Toga party about 7:00 tonight (with about 400 other local Kansas City acquaintances and a top notch band called the Zeroes!) This outdoor event is being held under white tents, with swanky couches covered in white sheets and trimmed in gold, which will be the perfect accompaniment to a 70 degree evening.

Interestingly enough, is that we have found in talking to (both men and women alike) they are more conscious about their weight/appearance in a toga than the event itself.  Of course this is a subject we know all to well, and one we hold near and dear to our hearts because that is the kind of talk we live around everyday. So, what we gently remind ourselves daily to grasp is that the food on the plate lasts 10 minutes, but the feeling and the state of your body lingers for a long time. Food is just a portion of what makes up a healthy body, the mind and its unlimited power has to be changed first in order to successfully lose weight. People focus so often on the stuff they don't want like the fact that they are overweight, or in need of daily exercise, etc, which only expands the current negative feelings, and when the opposite occurs of just "letting go", the wind is behind your back guiding you right into that goal or desire you have been wanting so badly. The solution to all desires that aren't showing up, is to just let go. Find relief wherever you currently are so you can move on. There is no other way. While you're at it choose clean, fresh eating (most of the time) and the rewards are endless, even when it comes to wearing a toga!

1st Ever Raw Bliss Festival

This picture is of Stacey and I with Maureen Veto-Slater at the 1ST EVER RAW BLISS FEST IN KANSAS CITY! You talk about throwing a successful event! Maureen would be our pick any day to coordinate hundreds of people coming together for one common RAW cause! (Her Raw Meetup group probably ranks up there with one of the higher memberships of raw foodists in the country with almost 500 members!)

So,we arrived to the festival at noon, and as we were walking up this steep hill to Maureen's home (better known as a tree house- beautiful) I realized it is such a blessing and a curse (all at the same time) to have a twin and best friend at your side through everything- think Thelma and Louise!

I'm carrying a small purse (packed with both of our things because she doesn't feel like carrying one :)) with hands full of..just stuffffff. sunglasses, and a drink, and she's carrying both our chairs. So, we eventually made it in, and let's be honest, next up on the agenda, where's the food! lol...It's all raw so we're in good hands, right? From raw pizza, chocolate superfood frosty's, and raw cashew ice cream (yep, we had it all) we were in raw heaven!

Stace is the protective one with her food, we actually attempted to share the first frosty, and I just happen to take 2 drinks in a row, and this is what she said... " here's how it works, you take a drink, then I take a drink, you take a drink, then I take a drink" I laughed so hard, because even at 37 some things will never change- we're still splitting everythingggggg!

So, what's not to love about events like these and living in the raw lifestyle?

Besides amazing health, and the fortunate opportunity to better ourselves continuously, the connections and the new friends we meet at these events are so great.

We even connected with a great couple who now grow wheat grass from their home and will be selling us a flat of this healthy, healthy green stuff each week!

This fest had films running so that all who attended would have the opportunity to relax in some cool air conditioning and watch the infamous Raw for 30 Days (Reversing Diabetes). If you have yet to see this click here for more information and/or to watch the trailer! Amazing! http://www.rawfor30days.com/index.php?p=Movie

If you have friends or family that have this disease, the hope that they will get from this movie is priceless! (Ironically, as I was posting this blog, a dear friend of ours had just written me an email saying her sister had just been diagnosed with Diabetes...so go out and share this information, you never know who needs to hear it today!)

How about Food Matters- have you seen this documentary? If not, go now to http://www.foodmatters.tv/ppv/index.php? main_page=product_info&products_id=1 and watch it on line for just a few dollars!! To us, there is only one 'direction' that matters in life and that direction is "in". What's going in your body and what's going in your mind! If you want to get a quick overview that will clearly tell you what's going into your body and mind, just take a look at what is showing up in your life? What does your body look like and feel like!? If your life is working, thank the Universe because you are clearly swimming downstream and your vibrations are working! If you don't like what just came to mind, the beautiful thing is you can change what you eat and you can change what you are putting in your mind, which will thus change how you feel, which will affect your vibrations, and which will then beautifully change your life!  As Esther Hicks says.....How gooooooood is that?

So, as we will ALWAYS be students on this journey, we will, just like you are, keep tending to our own garden and getting out there to connect to soul spirits that are also on this path and connect with our city and then our country and the world!

Next up on the agenda for big events right here in Kansas City is the Green Fest- August 23rd and 24th at the Uptown Theater...go to www.uptowntheater.com to find out more.  From Green Friendly Vendors to Eco-Minded Businesses this is going to be one place to be...

Having It All By Going Raw,

Susan and Stacey

Plastic Bags & Bottles! Incredible Reasons to STOP using them!

Habits are hard to break! ...but this one is worth breaking! I tell you what, congratulations to those of you who have been on this 'banning of the plastic bag movement' for several years now! How we wish we would have been more alert to severity of using plastic bags and plastic water bottles sooner! But, as they say, better late than never! I can't tell you the amount of times while at the grocery store checkout lines we were asked the typical question "paper or plastic", and without a second thought answered,  "either or is fine"...ughhhhhh.

A great source for bags that make you want to use them....Flip and Tumble (www.flipandtumble.com)

"A bag that’s designed for those of us who only seem to remember our reusable bags the moment we need them. A stretchy pouch makes it a cinch to go from a full size bag to small ball in seconds flat. Stash one in your messenger bag or purse, ready to go, 24-7."

The topic and "issue" of plastic, wasn't really brought into our FULL awareness until a very good friend, vegan of 20 years, and native of California stopped in Kansas City for a visit. One of our stops was the market and let's just say we had the plastic talk- or how should I put this, we had "uh- why are you guys using plastic talk"! :)

When he mentioned the idea of not bagging our fruits and veggies up, you know what my first thought was, (it had nothing to do with the environment, ironically) but everything to do with the man or woman that was going to have to check my produce out. In my mind, thinking back, I had never seen 10 tomatoes loosely on a conveyor belt not to mention ALLLLLLLL the other produce that the checkout staff was going to have to one by one weigh and bag! Well, what I soon realized was the person checking me out DOESN"T WANT ME TO USE PLASTIC EITHER....so, lesson learned! We have gathered some veryyyyy good reasons to ban the use of plastic bags in your own life! One by one we can make a difference! 

Incredible Reasons To STOP USING plastic bags and plastic water bottles!

1~ You will feel so free knowing you are contributing to a better earth! It wasn't to long ago that bottled water was the only way we drank water, and as much as we loveeeeeee the taste of our favorite bottled water, and the ease of this method of just grabbing and going...we couldn't in good conscience continue to purchase a case and a half every WEEK! Our recycled bins were beyond full, and then, as with every area in raw living, an awareness and a shift occurred and that 'something' clicked for us....in a split second we made a decision to no longer contribute to the major issues that the landfills are facing not to mention our oceans, waterways, and soil due to over consumption of plastic!

2~ It will save you money to NOT purchase water bottles: Want to know what our solution to no longer drinking water bottles? We purchased a 5 gallon water jug from Whole Foods ($20, almost the cost of 2 cases of our favorite bottled water which was completely gone in just 2 weeks) which will last yearsssssss, and we fill it up with PURE FRESH water from Whole Foods, for 39 cents a gallon! Is that unreal!? We then easily pour the water from the 5 gallon into a non plastic 2 liter bottle which also is designed to last for years!

3~ Animals become terminally entangled and nearly 200 different species of sea life including whales, dolphins, seas, and turtles die due to plastic bags. (World Wildlife Fund Report '05) If you were to see a photo of one of these precious animals entangled in a plastic bag it would be enough to turn you away from choosing plastic.

4~ Plastic bags account for 10% of the debris washed up on the US coast line (National Marine Debris Monitoring Program) which eventually contaminate our soil and waterways! Keeping the coastlines clean is one reason we hold near and dear to our hearts as our parents live in Florida and so does our brother, his wife and their 4 children! One day in the next 5 years I believe we will be moving to the coast, to know we are making the slightest difference is empowering! (CNN.com/technology Nov. 16, 2007)

5~ Because You alone WILL make a difference: Have you seen the cloth bags that Whole Foods and other environmentally conscious stores now have to offer? Did you know that if you used a cloth bag you would save up to 6 bags per week, 24 bags per month, 288 per year, 22,176 in your lifetime! If just one out of 5 people did this we would save 1,330,560,000,000 in a lifetime. (Source, unknown)

6~ Be a part of a world that is striving to make a difference- Bangladesh has banned plastic bags. (MSNBC.com March 8, 2007) China has banned FREE plastic bags. (CNN.com/asia Jan 9, 09)   In 2005 Rwanda banned plastic bags! On March 2007, San Fransisco became first US city to BAN plastic bags! (NPR.org)

So make a difference, stock up on a few cloth bags and say NO to PLASTIC!

Don't forget to bring your cloth bags to shopping malls, Target, Wal-mart, and Bookstores!

Love, Susan and Stacey

Kansas City Hot Spot: Our Meet Up!

What does raw food, avocado masks, hip hair, natural coconut manicures and pedicures, raw hors d' oeuvres, and real girl talk have in common? THE RAW BODY TWINS 'MEET UP'!  Click here to see more about it! http://rawfood.meetup.com/480/

For all you local Kansas City women, join us at our Meet Up as we will be demonstrating and discussing something new, helpful and exciting during each Meet Up to make your insides healthy and your outside radiate!

If you have questions about transitioning to raw food or have been really searching for weight loss results but having struggled with seeing real results or if you are ready to get that glow back, we are here for you! You can expect a comfortable and intimate setting where women of various ages will sample new raw appetizers each time while they sit back and relax after a days work, for an hour and a half, and watch us as we demonstrate what a Raw Body Makeover could entail for you: HOW FUN!

Do you wish you knew exactly what to do to feel better, look better, and raise your self esteem? Since we have been little girls we have always had compassion for others and to this day it still remains our passion to reach out to women of all ages to help them reach a new awareness that they can be all that they were intended to be. We would love to meet you!

Space is limited to 10 women per meet up, so please RSVP to reserve your spot on the couch! Save the date...July 23rd 6:45

http://rawfood.meetup.com/480/

Having It All By Going Raw!

Love, Susan and Stacey

Get FREEDOM from that extra weight!

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!!!!

It's been tooooo long since we've talked... but today, we're back and more than ready to connect with you on this 4th of July weekend! How did you spend your 4th? Were you lakeside, poolside, or oceanside? Did you take advantage of your "day off" from work and just catch up on things to do around the house? Maybe you relaxed and did NOTHING! Sign us up! :)

For us, we spent the holiday pool side among close friends and family! Might we add we packed our own spread of goodies so as not to be enticed by the buffet of deliciousness that seemed to be everywhere! We packed veggie burgers, guacamole and hummus with flax crackers, grapes, and beans... and yes, we had a few celebratory beers to top it off, and we were set for the day!

As little girls we LOVED this holiday. It was magical as we gazed into the sky at all the gorgeous, bright sparklers that were shot high into the sky and falling into thin air like pixie dust, to be followed with a large BOOM and colorful sprays of fireworks that lit up the skies in the shape of palm trees! So prettyyyyyyyy!

To be honest, somewhere along the years we lost the magic and the thrill of it all as now we began associating summer holidays with swimsuits, shorts, and all of the other body image pressures that were completely self-induced but we're amazingly real for us. We're talking about that awful trait of being self-conscious, uh, how exhausting! Many, many, summers have come and gone with that heart pounding anticipation of how to make it through yet another event of trying to avoid exposing the body!

BUT, what we are SO eager to share with you (mainly to bring you hope) is that this 4th of July brought with it freedom! Freedom from self-depreciating thoughts, freedom from excess weight and freedom to enjoy the holiday that we are so blessed to be celebrating, and most importantly freedom to get the focus off of ourselves and to live in the moment!

Here is what we want you to know! If you have struggled, if you have worried, if you have missed events, if you have been so caught up in yourself that you missed the whole reason you were even at your event, then we have a solution for you! We have a way for you that after reading this, and once you make the commitment to signing up for a "better you" the "real you" that is, you can rest assured you will not be the same person in 7 days! YES WE SAID 7 DAYS...YOU TRULY WILL BE 7 POUNDS LIGHTER!

Just what is it we are talking about? It is our 7 Day Transition Detox Program. You guys, if you are wanting to feel different and look different fast and achieve your success the healthy way, then take it from two girls who want the best for you to realize we have an answer for you. You will be eating foods that are so vibrant, and water packed that they will not only satisfy your taste buds but our plan for you will have you waking up in the morning so excited to eat healthy for another day because the reward of feeling good about yourself far outweighs processed, sugar laden foods! We admit, transitioning from what you normally eat to fruits and veggies and raw recipes might not sound so easy but with our daily support the next 7 days will be exciting and lead you on a whole new path!

Check out our page www.therawbodytwins.com/raw-body-makeover.html and scroll to the bottom for testimonies! We love what Tony Robbins says, in a minute your life can change! Are you ready for that minute?

Having It All By Going Raw!

Love,

Susan and Stacey

Are You Craving Alone Time?

When was the last time you spent real time by yourself?   To think, dream, eat, and do the things that only make you feel really good!

As I am writing to you it is a gorgeous Saturday morning, the sun is shining and it's going to be a beautiful day here in Kansas City. I am about to go on our deck and just relax...can't wait!  As I write, Susan is in New York City (on her way to take a drive down the coast...HOW FUN!) with a guy she has known since 5th grade.  Brett, my husband is also out of town and having a great time, too. It has been a long time since I have ever had an entire weekend by myself! I found myself yesterday going around in circles right when they first left because there was so much I wanted to do and I also wanted to do nothing all at the same time!

What about you?  What are you doing this weekend?  What are you craving to do for yourself or by yourself?  How can you fit this into your day or even next week or next weekend?  Even if friends call It is really important as I am finding out, to get clear on this and not to lose yourself because you can't even here your own voice anymore. Can you relate?

I do have to tell you that I spend most of my time with one of these two people above because they are my absolute favorite people to be with and if I'm not working with Susan everyday, I am on my way home to meet Brett after work. I know that many of you can relate...and I don't even have any children yet, so I can only imagine how you must feel when you can carve out time for yourself!

The first thing I did was I started cleaning.  To everyone else our house would have seemed clean, but to me I know what really clean is,(no papers laying around, laundry done, floors clean,etc.,etc. and I took care of some things yeterday.

It is amazing how much more clear my head is this morning and how much cleaner I feel like even eating!  I am not in the mood for heavier foods today, but yesterday I was. Today calls for fresh fruit before noon.... refreshing! Then I think I'll run to Whole Foods and get a fresh salad and some vegetables to steam tonight.  I  do love to eat mostly raw, but steamed vegetables taste great in the evening to me.

I feel like magical things are happening over here and I can hardly wait until the rest of the weekend unfolds!

Here's the things I am discovering:

!) It feels really good to listen to my own voice and do what feels right for me.  It will also be a gift to your family because when we are truly happy, it's like it just overflows onto everyone else!

2) A clean house is a clear mind!

3) Nature is calling!  Now this is interesting.  I love to get sun and I am now craving to get out near any body of water that I can find! Here in Kansas I want to find a pretty lake, or I could drive for an hour or so to get to a bigger body of water....hmmmm, not a bad idea?

Taken from personal experience it is so worth it to take a weekend for yourself even if it means planning it way ahead of time because that might be the only way it could ever happen.  You may come to find just exactly who you are when no one else is around.  Nobody will be asking you questions about what time dinner is or when will you be back home, or any of that.... don't get me wrong, at the same time, come Monday, I will begin to miss those questions and especially the people that go along with those questions...but for now it is just me, the sunshine, and a good book....Ahhhh, life is good.

Have an incredible day,

Stacey

How Do You Live 'Socially Raw'

Hi Friends~

Let's get this on the table (no pun intended) right from the beginning! We love food, always have and always will....we have cravings, and we have moments when we would like to dive head first into a bowl of queso dip!  :)

Trust us, we are no stranger to LOVING food! Having grown up on the East Coast and experiencing some of the best Italian white pizza with garlic and white cheeses melted into a bubbly crisp topping (slurp), along with eating some of the BEST Tiramisu, Canoles, and Napoleons on this planet, we have been associating food with a 'good time' for as long as we have been alive!

So, how have we learned to undo years of emotional ties to smells, tastes, textures and oooey-gooey cheesy hors de' ovours?

Well, for one it is ALWAYS an on-going process, and two, we are re-programming our minds by paying constant attention to moving towards what feels good in the AFTER-MATH, NOT what feels good instantly!

THIS IS A HUGE SECRET TO LIFE! If this one little statement is something "you grasp onto" you will TRANSFORM your mind- your body- and your life - LITERALLY!

Let us give you an example: this weekend came to a close with all of its fun events, parties and social gatherings that we attended!

We listened to live blues music, we attended a shower of a dear friend, and met friends at restaurants and believe us when we say there were temptations! Had we been in normal pre-day operatus mode I can guarantee you we would have pulled up a chair to the buffet and still been worried we weren't going to get enough! 

Here are two things to implement now into your lifestyle if you want to see changes in your behavior which in turn will lead to changes in your health:

1.) We have a goal in mind, or as we mention on our site, we are clear as to what our "WHY' is for wanting to live a healthy (mostly raw fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, and a cooked meal of veggies or cous cous a few days of the week) lifestyle! Yes- weight and stomach pain was our reason for journeying down this path, but now this lifestyle adds so much more~

2.) We have learned to make a new association between food and what we once associated as pure pleasure. For instance, if the food was some crispy french fries or a heaping plate of pasta, we actually had an inner moment of what we thought was PURE JOY- only to be left with a bloated belly, weight gain, and instant guilt...and we thought we were just ordering a meal!

Now, we trust the emotion that occurs AFTER we eat to be our guide as to what our bodies are saying "YES" to...thus, we are creating a new association of food and pleasure to the "good stuff". So, when we eat an avocado or we sit down to a gorgeous colorful salad of tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach, pine nuts, and fresh mushrooms, we feel better from start to finish: when ordering, when eating and in the after-math, so, this is where the re-programming occurred!

The guilt and the inner destructive dialog that used to occur on a DAILY basis was now being replaced with different emotions, positive emotions~ Ones of 'YES, I ate a great meal', 'YES, I can do this', which creates a confidence, and then ultimately a gratitude occurs that we were eating "right" for our bodies, and not just looking at a meal as it is simply a meal, but rather looking at every meal as the building blocks for everything about who we are!

Let's be honest, we all are in our bodies 24/7. How we move, think, sit, talk and carry ourselves all rests on how we feel about ourselves. Your body is a walking billboard as to how you feel about yourself, it tells your story to the world! What you do in private is what you become in public! Isn't it about time to share the best chapters of you with the world?

Love, Susan and Stacey 

More Tips For Unveiling 'The Bod'!- How About Those Arms!

Let's talk about those arms..particularly the upper region! :):):)

This topic can be a source of dread for some women and for those that have been consistent with arm workouts, well, the warm tank top days feel like heaven!

From personal experience the biceps are one of the quickest places to see results. I wanted to share with you a personal favorite that is just one of the exercises in our routine...and you will notice a difference in your arms and fast!

Stand in front of a mirror, choose either free weights or a bar and get ready for results!

Crazy 8's for your arms:

For upper body, I cannot tell you how much I love 'crazy eights' for my arms!

I take a barbell or you can use free weights (I use a 20 lb barbell) and I do 3 sets of 8 at each level.

What I mean is, I begin with the weight at the bottom and slowly lift it to the center 8 times. Then, for the next 8 reps I take the barbell from the center to the top. Then, for the next and last set of 8 for this set, I take the barbell and raise it and lower it like a full, regular bicep curl would be performed.

Then repeat the above moves for 3 more sets!

Give this exercise just a few weeks and you will notice changes you can be so proud of in your arms!

Happy workout!

Road Trip to Austin Texas!-World Wellness Weekend

We are jumping in our car early this Friday morning for a little road trip to Austin Texas~ Home of World Wellness Weekend!

If you've never experienced World Wellness Weekend it is one large group of spirited, healthy people from all over the world who are coming together to spread the word to the thousands of health conscious seekers that will be flooding into those doors this weekend...more than 150 booths will be at this event!

We were sponsoring a booth there as of just a few weeks ago, but with 3 of our coaching programs landing on the same weekend we opted to still participate (how could we not) but just more casual style while we go and mingle among the best in the health field! (World Wellness Weekend graciously saved our spot for next year, so we for sure will be there next year, but for now if you are in or near the Austin area come meet us, we, of course will be soaking up all the good energy that this place will be exuding!)

Read below and make plans to come if you can! :)

FREE YOUR SOUL and YOUR ASS WILL FOLLOW!

Michael Franti

World Wellness Weekend Center May 30-June 1.

This is a unique Health, Wellness and Sustainable Living Festival

Go here to find out more

www.worldwellness.org

The Expo features 150 cutting edge

exhibitors and over 80 classes, speakers, and special guests. World Wellness has

gathered local and national thought-leaders as well as cutting edge businesses and

professionals involved in all aspects of wellness including environmental, financial, and

social as well as the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.