This no-cheese recipe made it into Frederic Patenaude's book, 70 Healthy Salad Dressings – Easy Raw Salad Dressings You Can Make in 2 Minutes or Less. It is so creamy and garlicky – the perfect Caesar salad dressing. Vegan and raw, it has all of the flavor with none of the guilt!

Ingredients

Dressing:3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup Ellyndale Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2 large garlic cloves (not necessary to peel if you are blending)

1/2 piece of peeled ginger

Celtic sea salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad: I head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

Topping Suggestions:sliced red onions

roasted or simply cooked chickpeas

sliced or ground almonds

raw or lightly toasted cashews

leftover quinoa or brown rice

or all of the above

Read more: Are You Addicted… to Cheese?

Directions

Combine ingredients in a blender or whisk together in a medium-size bowl. Place bite-size pieces of romaine lettuce in a large bowl, add dressing and toss. Top with your favorite salad toppings.

The post Quick & Delicious Cheese-Free Caesar Salad Recipe appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Rudolph Steiner, who founded the Waldorf schools and an authority on early childhood developmental needs, explains that young children live in their limbs and imagination. This is why sitting for hours at a time in a classroom situation or on the couch watching TV, upsets their innate need for movement. Outdoor time, running and jumping, rolling and climbing are healthy and fun. Moving is a wonderful way to discharge a child’s hyperactivity for it centers them in their body and breathing.

Read more about kids and TV

Here are a few ideas you can try to get your kids moving in the right direction:

1. Climb The Ladder

Believe it or not, I brought a ladder into my living room on rainy days to create an indoor jungle-gym of sorts. Propped up horizontally on two chairs with arms, my toddlers loved climbing across it. Eventually, they discovered several ways to get across – backwards, sideways, on their knees, bum, feet, even from underneath. When they became proficient at those adventures, we would up the ante; we scattered large cushions, propped up the ladder on the wall vertically, and climbed up quite high. I never took my eyes off them in case of one slip – which never did happen due to how hard they were concentrating.

2. Choo-Choo Train

Wow, do some kids love trains! My 11 year young son has been fascinated with them for ten years now. We used to have loads of fun forming a human train, and I would lead us around the house and imagined we were going to different corners of the globe. When my kids were three or four, we created a card game called The Friendship Game of Flags, which taught them 50 flags of the world. Every chance I got, we would pretend to visit different countries to see the flags and taste their food when the train came to rest at snack-time.

3. Paint The Fence

If you are not brave enough to let your kids actually paint your fence, give them little spray bottles filled with plain water and a brush, and let them go wild. This works indoors too with a spray bottle and a clean dish towel for them to help you with the ‘dusting’.

4. Make A Fort

Little tikes love the adventure of a secret little hide-away. Crawling around on their hands and knees helps to increase brain connections and is critical for logical development. I would pretend to be the ‘mama bear’ and they were my little cubs, and we would go on lots of excursions into the ‘forest’, often with them riding on my back.

Read more about tips for raising green kids

5. Hoola Hooping

Remember how fun it was to try and spin that thing around your waist when you were a kid? Have a hoola hoop contest with your kids today and rediscover the hysterics!

These ideas are great for young children. Remember that taking simple walks and bike rides, skipping and going swimming, skating and tobogganing, or simply getting out and throwing a ball around with your kids is a wonderful way to encourage healthy activity in your family’s life. Enjoy being active with your kids.

Image: Shannon

The post 5 Healthy Activities for Kids appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados 

1/3 cup raw honey OR 12 pitted dates 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 Tablespoon raw organic coconut butter or organic coconut milk  

½ cup raw cacao powder

Read more about the health benefits of chocolate

Directions:

Peel and pit avocados and scoop into processor. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. To glam up the presentation, garnish with fresh berries and a sprig of mint.

Image: Kelly Garbato

The post Naked Vegan Chocolate Pudding Recipe appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Just like a baby’s cry is supposed to irritate us so we immediately take action to find out what is wrong, every line, bump, wrinkle, blemish, pouch or discoloration on our face is trying to get our attention about something deep within our body. Our body is very wise and loving. If only we would listen and trust her. Read on to learn what your hair and skin says about your health.

Your Magic Mirror

Your face is a mirror of your health. It is a map of your internal organs and how they are doing. So is your hair. For example, your nose represents your heart. Your cheeks correlate to your lungs. The lines running down from your nose to your lips represent your colon. Your chin represents your reproductive system.

This type of diagnosis has been studied for thousands of years in the Chinese and Ayurvedic traditions. In these traditions, your constitution, emotional tendencies, longevity and character are all revealed in your face.

One of the core beliefs in Chinese medicine is that ‘the part contains the whole’. This means that every line and spot, scar, wrinkle or blemish means something. They do not appear on your face at random; rather the location they appear corresponds to an energy meridian that connects your face and body with your internal organs.

The Roots Create The Fruits

Natural beauty is like the fruits of a tree. What shows up on our face is a reflection of our health. I learned this in my teens after my mom died and I developed anxiety and insomnia. During this time, my eyebrows became very sparse.

I discovered through Chinese Face Diagnosis that eyebrows sit on energy meridians in the body that connect to the adrenal glands. When the adrenal glands are exhausted and weak, the eyebrows tend not grow, especially the outer third. People with a very strong constitution and a lot of energy have full eyebrows.

Lines between the eyebrows correspond to the liver. According to Jon Sandifer in his book Oriental Face Reading, if this area has deep lines, this indicates an imbalance in the liver. Interestingly, if the liver becomes overworked we can develop anger issues, and when we are angry a lot, this can damage our liver.

Read more about the importance of a healthy liver

When the liver becomes overloaded with toxins in the body or toxic emotions, it cannot function in storing iron, vitamins, glycogen and fat reserves, creating bile to digest our food, and detoxifying chemicals and pollutants from our environment. The best thing we can do for our liver and our looks is to avoid alcohol and over-eating.

Every mole, pimple or wrinkle lies along an energy pathway which energetically connects to one or more of your organs. Pimples seem to show up at the most inconvenient time, don’t they? Or, perhaps right before that big date is actually the perfect time to get your attention regarding a back up of waste in a certain organ that could be dangerous to your health.

Our Hair: A Reflection Of Our Energy

Our hair is also a reflection of our life-force or energy. The kidneys play a major part in our energy and the strength of our hair according to traditional Chinese medicine. Emotional turmoil, stress, and a lack of sleep can greatly weaken kidney energy and accelerate hair loss.

In his book Heal Your Face, Markus Rothkranz explains that, “The more split and frazzled the ends of the hair are, the more the person is over-eating, especially sugars, juices, sweets, fats, oils and drugs. Eat more vegetables, seaweed and minerals.”Read: Magnesium: The Most Magnificent Mineral

Avoid these foods to strengthen the kidneys and reverse grey and damaged hair:

• excessive meat
• dairy
• salt
• excessive cooked foods

Foods that strengthen the kidneys and can help reverse grey and damaged hair:

• Seaweed
• Blackstrap molasses
• Black sesame seeds
• Nettles
• Wheat grass
• Chlorophyll (found in green leafy veggies and sprouts)

Influencing Your Genes

Many people believe that hair loss, obesity and other health issues are strictly genetic and that they are stuck with them. The latest scientific discovery in Epigenetics proves that gene expression is not set in stone and may be changed. There are groups of genes that are totally influenced by thoughts and emotions, and can shift things instantly. Dr. Dawson Church, who wrote The Genie In Your Genes, says, “You are a Genetic Engineer. You are working on your body right now and can change even the molecules you produce in your system through your intention!”

Read more about patenting human genes

Looking and feeling young does not come from pills, potions or plastic surgery. It is simple: health and beauty is about keeping your physical and energetic channels clear and flowing.

Your bathroom mirror can be your friend. Like good friends who tell you the truth in loving and diplomatic ways, your face is also communicating with you.  This is the wisdom of the body, and awareness of this can be powerful.  Without painful tests, embarrassing exams or surgery, you can see what is going on with your body just by looking in the mirror.

For example, dry skin, crow’s feet, puffiness, discoloration, rashes, and bags under your eyes are not only signs of aging or menopause, and may not be random. They may be signs guiding you to a specific health challenge that needs your attention. They are like warning lights on your car’s dashboard.

Read these signs and ask for guidance. Your intuition will become louder when you consciously practice being receptive. You will naturally be guided to eat healthy, get enough rest and sleep, be positive, feel good and will look like the amazing goddess you so are!

Read more about getting better sleep

Self Care Is Sacred, Not Selfish

Know that you have the power to reverse grey hair, soften lines and wrinkles and clear up your skin with every thought you think and meal you prepare. Health and beauty are a reflection of how you take care of yourself. The next time you look in the mirror, smile and wink at the lovely creature looking back at you and promise to be in communication and take care of her!

Photo Credit: Vivian Chen

The post What Your Skin Says About Your Health appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Getting kids to eat properly in today's fast-paced, fast-food world is a huge challenge for us moms. With the school policies on no nuts and the fact that food has to stay unrefrigerated for 3 hours, you have to be very creative and resourceful to get your kids on healthy lunches. Yet, so much hangs in the balance if we fall short. Food will affect their bio-chemistry, energy level, ability to focus, and even their sense of self. If blood sugar levels are unstable, or if meals are not being digested, children will eventually be handicapped when it comes to reaching their potential. It is our privilege and responsibility as mothers to give our children the very best chances to succeed in life, and we do that by putting care and attention in the meals we serve.

Here are some clever tips for making healthier kids lunches:

1. Good Food Can Be Fast Food, Too.

For some kids, the most color in their lunch is on the logo of a "Twinkie" wrapper. As well, the excessive packaging in processed foods is an environmental nightmare! Make no mistake – just because some people know how to market to busy, multitasking women, does not mean what they're selling is ethical. Juice boxes, "Lunchables", mini crackers and cheese, and chocolate dips with cookies, all neatly packed and ready to send might be quick for you, but the long term consequences of these choices cannot be overlooked. The fastest food out there is an apple!

2. Insist a bit and be prepared for "Withdrawal"

Understand that many of the foods kids eat these days are physiologically addictive. You can actually think of your children as mini drug addicts, hooked on refined sugars, salty meats, cheeses, crackers, and many poor quality breads. You need to get them through their withdrawal! But be warned, Mom, you are going to need to get yourself through withdrawal too if these eating habits are reflective of your own unresolved patterns. Once you have decided you're going to do it, prepare for war! War against every bit of nutritional indoctrination you have ever been fed! When your children come to you protesting that they NEEEED those sausage links and cheese balls, when they tell you they HATE melon, celery and cucumber, simply smile and tell them you understand and that this, too, shall pass. They are in withdrawal! Persist and your children will be healthier, brighter, calmer, and clearer eyed than you have ever experienced. You will reap the rewards of transitioning your kids to a healthier diet soon. You will have the assurance of knowing that you are giving them the very best start in life you can, and that they will be thriving in those little bodies of theirs.

Read more about artificial colors and health concerns

3. Don't Overdo A Good Thing: Treat Reduction = Increased Appreciation

Remember when 'treats' were a rare and special thing growing up?

I was talking to a lady who works in the grocery store where I shop. She calls me the GREEN QUEEN because they say my cart looks like a GARDEN. So, I mentioned something to the effect of “kids today get way too many treats”. Her reply was "Kids today don't get any treats". I was confused and asked her what she meant. She responded, "Kids today get whatever they want, whenever they want, so nothing is ever saved as a treat." Well said! This is a double rip-off because it means kids are missing out in more ways than one. GONE is the satisfaction that comes from longing for something special, having to wait until the right occasion, then achieving it and feeling how much more wonderful it is after having waited. Today, kids are missing out on this subtle pleasure, which is also the learned skill of waiting to delay gratification.

Read: An (Unplanned) Artificial Color Experiment

4. What To Put In Their Lunches?

Many schools have strict policies that packed lunches cannot include nuts. This means no garden burgers, patés, or desserts with any nuts or nut butters. PLUS, the food has to hold up for about three hours without a fridge. There go the avocados, too. Let's face it, school lunches are tough, but here are a few helpful suggestions:

• Loads of fresh fruit, berries
• Freshly grind sesame seeds and mix with a bit of honey
• Manna Bread: Sprouted grain breads and loaves
• Rice and sushi loaded with veggie strips
• All vegetable sticks
• A cool pack with a smoothie

Read: Kids Like Green Drinks Too

• Bean salads (chick peas, sprouted lentils, etc.)
• Rice cakes
• Veggie paté

Don't feel guilty about keeping it simple. Let your kids' lunches be a beacon of color. Try including cute notes, loving messages, and little surprises in their lunches. Nothing is more beautiful than big slices of melon and fresh strawberries!

5. Slow Down, Mom! This One Counts!

I know how difficult it feels at times to keep all the plates spinning in the air with the busy lives we are living. If we do not have time to nurture our children by feeding them wholesome food, we set them up for all kinds of unnecessary, avoidable struggles and difficulties. It could then be considered that we are being remiss about the purpose and privilege we have to be raising children. We need to bring ourselves back to basics and get this right. Of all the things on your to do list, Mom, this one really is worth taking the time and making it happen the right way!

Read more about making family meals healthy and fun

While you might be putting out a bit more time to put together your ecologically conscious, healthy school lunch, and while you may also have a bit of protest to get through in order to pull it off, the results will speak for themselves with a child who is calm, concentrated, has natural hunger, and whose body thrives on good food and mama's lovin'.

Image: Elana's Pantry

The post 5 Ways to Make Your Kids' Lunch Way Healthier (and Still be a Cool Parent) appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

You spring clean your house—so why not do the same for your beautiful body-temple? We depend on our body to do so much for us, and it depends on us to take care. If you have been feeling weighed down or less shiny than you would like, now is the time for a little spring tune-up that will give you that Goddess glow!

Our ability to detoxify can be a key factor to overall health and beauty. A detox can help to:

• Renew your energy, concentration and immune function
• Rejuvenate your cells and ‘youth-ify’ your body, mind and spirit
• Release extra weight and regenerate your skin
• Reset your appetite and shrink your stomach
• Reduce puffiness, bloating, aches and pains
• Revitalize your natural joy for life
• Raise your vibration and reconnect spiritually
• Release, relax and renew

Although our bodies automatically detoxify daily, this natural process could use a little help from time to time. A detox program is a holistic approach that restricts certain foods from a diet for a period of time, while increasing specific foods, herbs or supplements for nourishment. A detox program also includes practices such as deep breathing, stretching, sweating or skin-brushing, which can further your results.

Let go of foods containing chemical preservatives, salt, sugar, rancid fats (such as fried foods) and add in raw plant foods that are hydrating and nourishing for a soothing rest on your digestive system. With this switch, you will quickly feel a sense of rejuvenation!

Gorgeous Greens

Fresh fruits and veggies are key foods to include in any detox program because they contain lots of water to help flush out toxins, while adding in hydration, phyto-nutrients and detoxifying enzymes.

Sun-kissed leaves are powerhouses containing green gold: chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the blood of the plant. It helps neutralize toxic acidity in our system caused by poor diet, overeating, or stressful thoughts. When you are green on the inside, you are clean on the inside!

Drinking Your Greens

The effects of drinking the juice of leafy greens and other vegetables is like drinking from  the “Fountain Of Youth”, and all you have to do is try it for yourself to see why!

Green juices made with about 50% greens, fruits and veggies are a great source of sodium, potassium and magnesium. These particular minerals keep your electrolytes balanced and your cells plumped up and hydrated.

Here are two delicious recipes to enjoy during a detox:

Pineapple Pasha

Pineapple contains  proteolytic enzymes, which means it helps to break down stored proteins in the body and can reduce inflammation.

1/3 Pineapple, skin removed and cored

1cup of Parsley or Kale

A few leaves of fresh Mint

Juice all the ingredients. Drink immediately and receive a transfusion of active, detoxifying enzymes. This is the kind of cocktail  you can drink all day long and feel good about later!

Mango Tango

This is a simple, fast and delicious pudding that is sweet and tangy and contains no dairy, gluten or added sugar.

 1 to2 Mangos, peeled and pitted

1 ripe Banana

1 Lime, squeezed

½ cup of Spinach or Parsley

Blend ingredients until smooth and creamy and savor with a spoon. This little treat will give you energy to dance all night long!

Helpful Detox Hints

While on a detox, here are some ideas to enhance your experience:

• Clear your cupboards of temptation, and cut out clutter. Clutter in your space is a drain on your energy, so ditch the debris and feel free!
• Unplug from media and reconnect with nature. Go for walks in the fresh air and enjoy the regenerative nourishment of silence and rest.
• A bath using Dead Sea Salts, Moore Mud, LL Clay or Magnesium Baths (Epsom Salts) is a great addition during your detox journey.  Adding a drop or two of pure essential oils, like lavender, rosemary, sage, spruce or lemon, is an aromatic special treat that also helps detoxification. Light a candle and bathe in a glowing peace and warmth. Even a footbath will work wonders!
• Let your emotions flow like rain—this may be a sun shower, or may be a torrential downpour. Tears can be a sacred medicine. While you may feel a little drained and dehydrated, drink a green juice with celery and lemon, or a nice ginger or mint tea. Be tender with your heart.
• Use a journal (make it a real one, not a computer file) where you can write out your intentions for your detox:  what you want or do not want to eat, how you want to feel afterwards, what special practices you may want to try. Most importantly, this journal can be a place to collect your reflections and dreams for yourself.

You may have lost touch with your inner Goddess during the winter, but a regular detox can reactivate your vitality and radiance to bring her out! Open the floodgates of health and beauty with a simple spring cleanse that will make you look and feel so fresh and alive that you glow!

The post Spring Cleansing Your Body appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Your face can tell you what is happening inside your body.

The Chinese have been studying the face for thousands of years to determine character (known as physiognomy) and medical diagnosis through Face Reading or Mien (face) Shiang (reading).

Those spots and wrinkles are not random

One of the core beliefs in Chinese medicine is that the ‘part contains the whole’.Without x-rays or tests, you can literally see what is going on with your body just by looking at your face if you know what to look for.

Every line and spot, scar, wrinkle or blemish means something. They do not just appear on your face at random as we might think. The location they appear corresponds to an energy meridian that connects your face and body with your internal organs.

Your face is your mirror

Your face is a map of whatever is happening internally. Some doctors and Naturopaths use Hair Analysis to determine mineral deficiencies in the body. These are all safe, non-invasive and effective ways of diagnosing your health, with no harmful side effects.

Every mole, pimple or wrinkle lies along an energy pathway that energetically connects to one or more of your organs. For example, moles or warts often show up where an area is weak or underactive, perhaps overburdened by viruses, parasites fungus or trauma.

Pimples seem to show up at the most inconvenient time, don’t they? Or, perhaps right before that photo shoot or big date is the perfect time to get your attention regarding a back up of waste in a certain organ.

Please do not Botox the messenger

Laser, Botox and facelifts are temporary at best and dangerous at worst because they are hiding the warning light without addressing the underlying problems. If you think they are needed because of what you see on the outside, soon life-saving surgery may be needed on the inside.

How to read your face

With a mirror, let’s see what is going on inside your body by looking at your face.

Your forehead

This area is called the first zone and is about your early childhood.

It represents your nervous system and small intestines which are related. In fact, your gut (stomach and intestines) has as many neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) as your brain has.

Lines on the forehead indicate excessive mental energy that is literally coming through the skin. Mental energy is mostly based on fear and worry. This is because our reptilian brain, which is the oldest of the limbic and neocortex is based on survival. Whatever is unknown could be ‘unsafe’ and so our loving mind tries to warn us of every possible threat.

Observe your thoughts and receive their gifts of awareness, however, tuning into and listening to your HEART will reduce mental and emotional stress.

The electrical field of the heart is the strongest of all our organs, extending several feet outside of our body…Trust your heart! Our brain is prone to negative thoughts and our heart is attuned to loving ones. Each thought has an effect on every cell in all our organs.

Processing thought in a clear and calm way keeps your nervous system balanced, and will actually help your body process your food better, too.

Eating light, resting or cleansing your digestive system can soften forehead lines over time.

It is all connected. After a heavy meal that is stressful on your digestion (meat, dairy, bread, pasta, grains, and poor food combining or overeating) or a stressful day, lines on the forehead can appear more pronounced.

Your mouth

As a former Colon Hydrotherapist and Aesthetician, I have studied how the condition of the lips and mouth is intimately connected to what is happening in a person’s digestive system.

Your mouth is a neon sign of your digestive health.

The lips correspond to your intestines; swollen lips indicate inflammation and congestion in the digestive tract.

Swollen or red lips indicate inflammation in your digestive system usually from overeating or poor food choices. This inflammation can lead to IBS, Crohn’s disease, Colitis and Diverticulitis.

The top of your upper lip reveals how your stomach is functioning and the bottom of the upper lip shows the condition of your small intestine. The lower lip corresponds to the colon.

The corners of the mouth show the condition of the duodenum, which is the valve connecting the stomach to the small intestine.

If the edge of your upper lip lacks definition, your stomach may be weak from either low stomach acid or overeating. Lines on either sides of the mouth that go down past the lower lip usually mean rectal fissures, constipation and hemorrhoids.

Dry lips

Cracked, peeling and dry lips mean your system is dehydrated. You will notice dry lips also accompany constipation. This can be caused by eating a lot of dry food, such as bread, chips, crackers or salty foods. Dry lips also indicate that you are very low in healthy probiotics in your gut and that the ratio of good and bad bacteria in your system is out of balance. Hydration is critical.

Stress, low stomach acid (very common) and hormonal imbalance can show up in the lips. Abundance of sleep and relaxation and probiotics are what your body and lips need—not another tube of lip balm.

Tongue

I want to share a little about the tongue because that is the first part of my body I began observing over 20 years ago. It is a map of your body’s nervous system, heart, digestive organs and liver, so it is great place to start for you, too.

The tongue is a great body part, right? It helps us taste delicious food and makes kissing fun!

• The tip of your tongue represents your heart and nervous system. Can you hold your tongue out straight, or does it curve or tremble?
• Spots on the tip of the tongue or a trembling tongue means acute stress.
• The center of the tongue corresponds to the lungs, stomach and digestive system, the back of the tongue corresponds to your reproductive system and kidneys, and the sides represent your liver
• A normal, healthy tongue is slightly reddish pink with or without a thin light coating, while a pale tongue body indicates deficient chi or vitality.
• An overly red tongue indicates excess heat in the body, which means hot emotions and/or physical inflammation.
• Cracks in the tongue indicate deficient Yin or too much heat drying up the fluids in the body. Drinking green veggie juices with lots of cucumbers and celery is cooling and hydrating.
• If a tongue is enlarged and flabby, it indicates deficient chi. Fresh air and exercise can correct this.
• If the tongue has scalloped (or tooth marked) edges, then it indicates stagnation of fluids caused by water retention. Celery, cucumber, watermelon, parsley are natural diuretics.
• Stinging sores on the tongue means too much acidic food like unripe fruit and sugar, or that your system is acidic, which could be caused by overeating or stress.
• If your tongue is coated when you wake up (check in the mirror in natural light daily) it means your body is trying to detoxify flour, sugar, processed foods, cooked foods, dairy, animal foods. When your system is cleaned out and healthy, your tongue will not be coated and your breath will not be foul-smelling.

Bad Breath

Bad breath (halitosis) is not natural. It is a sign that the body is filled with toxins. Here is a natural mouthwash you can make at home that will keep your mouth fresh and clean.

Mona Lisa Mouthwash

The menthol and other active ingredients in these special oils are antibacterial, which is great for oral hygiene, and they also have a strong taste and are very fragrant.

They will make your mouth will feel so fresh and shimmery you will not want to eat anything after this beauty treatment, so this is also a great way to curb late night snacking!

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup water
• 1 drop Clove Essential Oil and/or 1 drop Peppermint Essential Oil
  • Clove EO is one of the strongest antioxidants known. Clove is the highest rated essential oil with an ORAC score of over 10 million.
  • Peppermint EO contains menthol, which causes a physical reaction when inhaled or applied topically. The essential oil is cooling and soothing.

Method

Mix all ingredients in a sterile glass bottle. Swish a small amount of the oral rinse in your mouth after brushing your teeth or after meals. Use up within one week.

You have just regenerated, strengthened and beautified your gums and teeth. Note: It is especially important that you use only pure essential oils internally.

The post Face Reading appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

How do you feel about receiving? Most women have been raised to believe that giving is a feminine trait. Most women will give until their well runs dry. It is feminine to nurture, but giving is actually masculine energy. Receiving is feminine.

Although both the masculine and feminine energies are equally important, for women who are raising families, running businesses and saving the world, spending more time in the feminine is important, or women may feel burned out.

Feminine energy is replenishing and refreshing. When you are aligned with the feminine, you will feel relaxed, open, supported, healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

There are 7 Sacred Rivers that keep a woman in her energy flow:

1. Reflection: I check in with myself often to stay connected to my Spirit
2. Reconnection: I ground in my body through movement and Nature
3. Release: I let go of what no longer serves me to make room for magic
4. Receive: I receive before I give to keep my well filled to overflowing
5. Relaxation: I embody my Essence through poise and Self Trust
6. Renewal: I receive Nourishment for my Body and Dreams
7. Revel: I make pleasure a priority and celebrate my love affair with life

How can you express your femininity through one of those receiving channels today?

A woman's sweet spot is being self-centered, or centered in the Self. However, this is not selfish, it is sustainable. It is actually the most generous way to live because when you allow yourself to receive, you naturally have more to give.

There is a saying that goes “Fill up your cup and give from your saucer.” If you are giving too much, your receiving channels may be blocked. To keep my channels open, I created a decadent daily ritual that I love and I hope you will, too!

I call it ‘Queen's Tea.’ Every afternoon, the Queen of England enjoys a little treat, and so can we! Take time in the middle of your day to bask in whatever makes you feel royal, whether that be a rose petal bath, a candlelight meditation, eating exotic fruit, or curling up with a good book. These are simple ways to celebrate yourself like a Queen and stay centered in your Self.

Here are some additional daily 'mini vacations' for you to receive: 

• Enjoy a piece of dark raw chocolate and let it melt slowly
• Go for a stroll in a botanical garden or a barefoot walk in the forest
• Have a Vanilla and Lavender-scented bath, or a massage
• Swim in a lake or ocean in Mama Earth’s embrace
• Take time to catch up with a girlfriend by phone or have a girl's night out
• Buy yourself your favorite flowers or a beautiful plant
• Lounge in a hammock or write yourself a love letter
• Read at the park, visit an art gallery or rent a movie
• Play hooky for the rest of the day and go get your hair done

Whatever else you can conjure up, do that and more will flow to you.

Cherish yourself, notice what fans your flames and lavish yourself with love. There are dozens more indulgences in my book Naked Beauty. Whatever feels good to you today and would make your petals shimmer, do it!

The post Daily Rituals To Celebrate You appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

3 Cups Fresh Blueberries

1 Sprig of Fresh Lavender

3 Tablespoons Agave Nectar (or Honey)

Steps/Methods:

Blend the blueberries, lavender and sweetener into a liquid, then pour into a serving bowl and chill in the fridge for half an hour. The pectin in the berries will firm up the liquid into a thick gel that is a cross between the texture of a jell-o and a mousse. Enjoy!

The post Blueberry Lavender Mousse appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.