Live Lighter

Interview with Bindu Grandhi, Author of “Spice Up Your Life” (Part II)

Head Health Nutter — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:32:24 +0000

Did you catch the 1st part of our exclusive interview with Bindu Grandhi? In today’s post, she reveals a few more healthy living & eating tips, answers several personal questions and shares some her perspectives on life, relationships and health!

Many people find it difficult to make time for healthy eating because of the many steps involved: buying, preparing, cooking & cleaning up. Do you have any tips so that they can find the time to enjoy meals?

I addressed some of the concerns about buying and preparation [in Part I of the interview]. The only thing I would add is that you should try to plan out meals for the week and purchase the ingredients accordingly. I visit the grocery store once a week and in my book, I’ve provided tips about storing foods, herbs, etc. to keep ingredients fresher longer. Being organized helps a lot – I devote an hour to getting dinner ready and I find it relaxing and therapeutic after a long day at work. Sometimes, I watch TV or listen to music during preparation which makes it more enjoyable. As for cleaning up, it’s a cinch because my family chips in – the whole thing is a family affair. Oh, and thank goodness for the amazing dishwasher! My family really appreciates the time, energy and TLC (tender loving care) I spend on making the meals which also brings us closer.

Do you have any recommendations for vegetarians in how they can get more protein in their diet?

Fortunately, there are a lot of plant based sources of protein. Lentils, beans, peas (black-eyed peas, chickpeas), nuts (esp. walnuts, almonds, and pistachios), eggs (depending on what type of vegetarian), soy, and dairy products are great examples. Additionally, legumes are fiber-rich and keep you feeling fuller longer.

Who are your top 3 favourite chefs?

Emeril Lagasse because he is the master of flavor, his passion for cooking and his wonderful personality. Sara Moulton makes cooking look so simple and delicious, her soft spoken persona is also appealing. Ellie Krieger is so knowledgeable about good health and she shows people how to eat healthy in a realistic and easy way.

What is your absolute favourite recipe in Spice Up Your Life?

What a tough question – I really do love everything in my book. I guess I’d have to say the Mint and Cilantro Flavored fish and Yellow Lentil Rice with Tamarind Sauce.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I wanted to be a broadcast journalist. I would put together my own news stories, interview friends and family and then pretend to do my own show. I’m an only child and I found lots of ways to entertain myself.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in writing Spice Up Your Life, your first cookbook?

To paraphrase my Dad [Dr. Balasa Prasad], author of “Stop Overeating for Good” (Avery), “just do your best with the best of intentions and let nature take its course.” This advice served me well throughout my life. It took me three years to write my book. My son was a year old and a handful when I started. Months would go by when I didn’t work on it and I often second-guessed myself if I really had it in me to complete this project. Once I completed my manuscript, I didn’t realize what an obstacle it would be to get published. I was not a chef, or a nutritionist or a celebrity – the platform most publishers wanted from their cookbook authors. I still believed in my book and myself and a year later I found a home for it – Cedar Fort. Patience and perseverance paid off!

You have many fabulous messages in Spice Up Your Life; tell us the one message you’d like readers to take with them.

Life is short, take care of your health so that you can enjoy the ride!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us and your readers?

Here are some thoughts I’d like to leave you with…..

I believe a healthy family is the key to a prosperous nation.

In our fast-paced culture, family togetherness is shortchanged. Eating together is one way to bring a family closer.

Cooking at home is more economical than eating out. Don’t get me wrong, eating out is convenient and we do that on occasion, but a majority of our meals are eaten at home.

Here is the big fat truth: the U.S. is one of the heaviest nations according to the World Health Organization. We are not doing a good job of eating healthy or watching our portion size. We spend $2 trillion dollars on healthcare of which 75% is due to self-inflicted chronic conditions such as obesity which leads to diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. By eating right, we can significantly reduce our healthcare costs and increase our productivity as a nation.

Cheers to your health and happiness!

If you loved this Live Lighter interview, stay tuned for more interviews in the near future. And if you’ve fallen in love with Bindu, then definitely check back with Live Lighter as we might be lucky enough to have Bindu contribute a post or two!

About Bindu
Author of Spice Up Your Life, Bindu Grandhi is passionate about healthy and flavourful cooking, especially when it’s flexitarian. She shares her health knowledge with the world by providing practical, healthy and tasty recipes as The Flex Cook.

Interview with Bindu Grandhi, Author of “Spice Up Your Life” (Part 1)

Head Health Nutter — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:01:09 +0000

Don’t you love healthy meals that taste good? That’s what you’ll find in Bindu Grandhi’s cookbook, which we reviewed in Spice Up Your Health Nut’s Life. I was fortunate to catch up with the author and ask her some burning questions about her book, influences, health philosophy and life!

In your introduction, you mention how your summers in India with your grandmother influenced you and the writing of Spice Up Your Life. Do you visit India much now that you’re an adult?

Yes, every two years my family and I spend 3 weeks in Bangalore, India. My in-laws live in the same town as my grandmother so I am fortunate to be able to spend time with both sides of the family, especially my grandmother. Bangalore, a thriving technologically advanced city, has a strange duality to it – traditional mixed with modern. For example, Chinese restaurants, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s are across the street from Dosa & Idli restaurants. Yet, even non-traditional restaurants have incorporated Indian flavors so the dishes carry a touch of fusion. During my visits, I always love to find the latest food trends and have incorporated a few ideas into my book such as Chili Cheese Toast.

Do you ever cook or have you ever cooked for your grandmother? If so, what is (was) her general reaction to your cuisine?

When I was a teenager, my grandparents visited New York a few times. My grandmother had never tried broccoli as it was not available in India at that time. The first time I made her Spicy Baked broccoli which she loved. During my last visit two years ago, I made broccoli soup, Mint Rice and Tomato and Cucumber Raita. She was so proud of me. I told her that I developed a passion for cooking because of her guidance and teaching.

Do you have any religious affiliations? If yes, how have they influenced your culinary creations?

I am Hindu and I find that Hinduism is more nature-oriented and mind, body and spirit centric. For example, nature dictates that if you expect your body to serve you well then you must take excellent care of it. Eating healthy is a basic tenet. Therefore, my recipes incorporate a majority of plant-based foods which are healthier for the body.

Your mother is vegetarian, does the rest of your family follow this diet choice? How supportive was your family when you told them that you prefer a flexitarian diet?

My family believes that healthy eating is a lifestyle choice even a philosophy. My parents, grandparents and generations before them are all vegetarian. In fact my Mom, Vasantha Prasad, is the author of “Indian Vegetarian Cooking from an American Kitchen” (Random House). She always found time to cook even though she worked full time. She made cooking look so simple, easy and fun. I also helped her in the kitchen and we would talk about our day. I cherish those moments. I think that experience molded me into the cook I am today.

When we immigrated to the U.S., my parents felt it was important for me to adapt to the American culture while also retaining our Indian heritage. Outside our home, they encouraged me to explore the delights of American cuisine and let me decide what food choices appealed to me. Naturally, I tried everything. Chicken, turkey and fish were my favorites. I tried burgers and steaks too but somehow ‘red meat’ did not appeal to me so I don’t eat it. What I also found is that I enjoyed eating vegetarian most of the times and eating chicken and fish occasionally. So whenever I was asked, “Are you a vegetarian or non-vegetarian?” I would say I’m mostly vegetarian but I like to eat chicken and fish sometimes. Only recently, I discovered there was a term for my style of eating – flextitarian.

Food preparation and consumption is obviously a very important, almost sacred, event for you. Do you find this approach to eating has slowed you down in other areas of your life?

On the contrary, I find that this approach has energized me and enabled me to be more productive in the workplace, in my parenting and in my social life. I don’t find cooking to be a chore because I enjoy making delicious and healthy dishes, and find it gratifying to see the grin of satisfaction on my husband and son. Cooking doesn’t consume too much of my time because I am organized and disciplined in my food preparation.

Have you struggled in maintaining this slow food approach while living in this fast-paced Western culture?

I do not find home cooking to be a slow food approach. First, the more you cook the faster and better a cook you become, where cooking becomes second nature to you. Secondly, the array of appliances at our fingertips, makes cooking faster and easier. Thirdly, the availability of partially prepared products like frozen cut vegetables or pre-packaged vegetables, chicken and fish; broths, spice mixes, etc. also expedites food preparation.

Every day, I prepare dinner for my family and it takes me an hour at the most. I believe dinner is the most important meal of the day where our family spends time relaxing and catching up with the day’s events. We eat a simple and nutritious breakfast at home which doesn’t demand too much time. Lunch is usually eaten outside and we make it a point to select healthful choices.

Do you enjoy every meal with this approach? If yes, do you have any tricks you can share to help people adopt a slow food approach?

Yes, I do enjoy every meal. There is no need for any tricks if you enjoy what you make.

Stay tuned for our next post (Thursday, March 11, 2010) where we get more personal with Bindu Grandhi as she shares with us her childhood dreams, her feelings on becoming a first-time author and some of her thoughts and tips on healthy eating.

About Bindu
Author of Spice Up Your Life, Bindu Grandhi is passionate about healthy and flavourful cooking, especially when it’s flexitarian. She shares her health knowledge with the world by providing practical, healthy and tasty recipes as The Flex Cook.

Walnagranate Kale Detox Meal

Head Health Nutter — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:34:53 +0000

The weather is incredibly balmy today here in Toronto, Canada – it feels like spring! And thank goodness because I don’t know about you but I’m starting to feel the winter heaviness set in deeper. The perfect time to replace a few usual recipes with green detox recipes.

This blended green meal is made from powerful pomegranate seeds, walnuts and kale. The pomegranates make the texture of this gazpacho-like meal very chewy; so much so that you’ll find yourself quickly satiated.

The taste is very green and earthy, and while you sit there munching, think of all it’s living, raw energy course through your blood stream! It ain’t pretty but close your eyes, sup up your body machine and savour this natural `human nitro’ mixture.

Walnagranate Kale Detox Meal

Makes: 5.5 cups (1-2 servings)

Ingredients

1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
2 stalks celery
1 apple, quartered and seeded
1 handful fresh parsley
2 handfuls fresh kale
1 cup filtered water
0.5 -1 cup (to texture) pomegranate and lime Ceres juice

Preparation

Blend walnuts.
Add remaining ingredients.
Blend until desired consistency.
Enjoy!

Tip for seeding pomegranates:

Roll the pomegranate on a smooth surface, a counter or cutting board will do, putting pressure on the fruit and squeezing it. You should hear or feel the seeds loosen from the rind. Cut the fruit width-wise (avoiding the top & bottom). Squeeze one of the ends over a bowl, collecting the juice and dislodged seeds. Take a spoon and scoop out the remaining seeds. Pick out the pieces of inedible yellow rind.

Living with Asbestos

Head Health Nutter — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:08:55 +0000

Editor’s Note: We’ve all heard horror stories about asbestos. In today’s guest post, Ben Stillwater from Asbestos News reveals the dangers of this infamous substance, signs of exposure, who’s at risk for asbestos-related illness and who needs to watch out for exposure now.

For almost 100 years asbestos was a miracle product. Asbestos is a fibrous, tough mineral that is remarkably fire resistant, has incredible insulating properties and in some of its forms can be woven into textiles.

It was used in all forms of insulating material, in flooring and ceiling tiles, in gaskets, wallboards, cement, adhesives – the list of industrial and consumer products runs into the thousands. Asbestos products were popular and widespread until asbestos was declared a known carcinogen in the mid-1970s and eliminated from usage in 90% of the products where it could be found.

The danger posed by asbestos is the fibers from which it is composed. They are microscopic, light enough to float in a cloud of dust, and are released into the air by deteriorating asbestos products or by disturbing them though cutting, sawing, drilling or tearing.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled by a human, they remain within the body and eventually, can cause havoc. In most cases where asbestos fibers are inhaled, they either get lodged in the lung or, more often, pass through the lung and work their way into the external lining of the lung, a layer of tissue called the pleural mesothelium.

Tens of thousands of workers were exposed to asbestos fibers in plants where asbestos insulation was used to keep heat down. Auto plants, steel mills, oil refineries, chemical plants – all used asbestos products liberally. So did ships, covering their boilers and engine rooms with asbestos.

The result has been the development of asbestosis or mesothelioma cancer in workers from that era and those industries, as well as workers who used asbestos products like brake shoes and gaskets. Malignant mesothelioma often does not become an active disease until decades after the asbestos exposure has occurred. Thus people who worked in a shipyard or power plant in the 1960s or 1970s are, in some cases, just now getting sick.

Mesothelioma is a relatively rare disease today, with new cases being diagnosed in the U.S. at the rate of about 3,000 annually. Often those diagnoses occur long after the disease has been active because mesothelioma symptoms are so similar to those associated with more common diseases.

A persistent, dry cough can often be ignored for a long period. Many doctors will mistake that symptom for pneumonia; chest pain and trouble breathing is often diagnosed as bronchitis. It is only when the common afflictions have been eliminated that physicians will look for a less common problem. For that reason, a mesothelioma prognosis is often relatively grim.

Asbestos exposure today occurs most often when someone is trying to remove an asbestos product such as flooring or insulation that has been in place for decades. Flooring tiles that are crumbling can release asbestos fibers, as can scraping the adhesive that was used to put them down.

Home insulation that was blown into a wall sometime during the 1970s should be removed by a professional. Those “cottage cheese” ceilings and walls that were so popular in the 1960s and 1970s should be tested for asbestos before a young, enthusiastic do-it-yourselfer turns them into dust.

Information on asbestos in the home can be found at this EPA site, along with suggestions about how to deal with suspected asbestos products.

Article Source:

Ben Stillwater is a freelance writer for Asbestos News, an online resource on asbestos and mesothelioma cancer.

POM Heart Art Contest: Submission & Lessons

Head Health Nutter — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:13:25 +0000

Have you checked out the latest POM Wonderful contest? Did you submit a work of art? I did. And if you’re interested, I share my slightly embarrassing submission experience in this post.

POM Wonderful put on one of the best contests I’ve ever had the pleasure to participate in. They left it easy, open and allowed the creativity to flow!

There are some really inventive pieces and I invite you to check them out here. A community prize is being offered to the most popular, so make sure to vote for your favourites.

Lessons learned in the POM Heart Art Contest

Although I had fun with this contest, life (and myself) got in the way a little. POM gave us an entire month but I still managed to barely get my submission, POM Wonderful Angel, in on time.

The embarrassing part of this is that there was another earlier submission very similar to mine. It totally appears as if I copied this other person’s idea. Oy! *blush*

And, it’s about 20 times better than mine so if you like the concept, please vote for berfrancis’ Cupid’s Love Potion.

Here are my lessons from entering this contest so you won’t make the same mistakes:

Submit as early as possible, especially when there’s a voting aspect to the contest.
Check the other submissions before you submit yours. I did check them when I first contemplated entering the contest but because I left it to the last minute, I neglected to check again. And now I’m SO embarrassed.

Moral of the story? You may be on the same wavelength as another contest participant so get your idea in first!

If you check out the contest entries, I’d love to hear which ones you liked most. And if you’ve had a similar experience, would you share it with us so I don’t feel so silly?

Healthy Tunes: Love Planet Earth

Head Health Nutter — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:14:08 +0000

Healthy living is more than just exercise and nutrition. It’s about respect. Respect for your body, mind, soul, other people, animals and planet earth.

Can you tell when someone appreciates something in their life? Of course you can. There are some 50 year-old homes that look almost new while there are houses 20 years younger that look like they should be condemned!

Everything in life, no matter how it was originally built or created, requires a certain amount of time, energy and attention for maintenance. It’s obvious when neglect has been the reigning approach because it looks run down. It’s actually a form of abuse.

If you really feel blessed for something in your life, if you really love it, you’re more motivated to care for it because you want it to remain in your life in the best possible condition for as long as possible.

Engineers in Your Ear are a couple of stand-up guys who try to love the planet earth every day. They love it like apple pie. Check out their 3:35 minute tribute to her:

What do you think of the video and song, Readers? Thumbs up or down?

Caring for our bodies, relationships, material possessions and the land that provides us everything we need to survive are all important to living a healthy lifestyle. Let’s hear how you try to care for our planet earth in the comments below!

Healthy Living Makeover: How 1 Man Changed a Town

Head Health Nutter — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:42:29 +0000

Instead of forcing people to diet and exercise, Dan Buettner is inspiring people towards healthier lifestyles by changing their environment. The Vitality Project is an incredible concept and very promising for future generations!

Awhile back, we reported how Mr. Buettner was studying the world’s “blue zones”, places like Loma Linda, California, where people on a whole in the community lived similar lifestyles and had unusually long lives. Based on his studies, he wrote and published a book in 2008 called, “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.”

One year later, Buettner decided to bring the health benefits he saw in these blue zones to middle America by partnering up with AARP magazine to start the Vitality Project.

Albert Lea, Minnesota, a town of 18,000 residents, signed up for the five month project and with some fairly subtle changes to the environment, they saw amazing results!

Almost 3,500 townsfolk participated. (Source: CBS) They got motivated, made friends, added a few years to their lives and had so much fun that they can’t stop! Read Dan’s article here in AARP magazine for testimonials and a more in-depth view on the project.

Some Results (Source: NewsWeek):

Participants lost an average of 2.6 pounds.
Boosted life expectancy by an average of 3.1 years.
Health-care claims for city & school employees fell for the first time in 10 years – by 32% over 10 months.
Residents uniformly reported feeling better physically and emotionally.

What were some of the environmental changes?

New sidewalks linking residential areas with schools and shopping centers.
They built a recreational path along the lake.
Dug new plots for community gardens.
Restaurants made healthy changes to their menus.
Schools stopped selling candy for fundraisers (instead they sold wreaths).
Schools banned eating in hallways (to reduce opportunities for kids to snack on junk food).
Participants selected from more than a dozen heart healthy changes to implement at home, such as trashing their super-sized dinner plates.
Community worksh0ps were formed to encourage more social engagements with one another.

Dan Buettner may have something here. Rather than try to persuade individual lifestyle changes, he changed the environment in little ways designed to help support and nurture healthier lifestyle habits.

What do you think of the Vitality Project? Would you support (financially, politically and personally) changes to public policy that enhance and encourage healthy living?

Why You Should Thank People Who Piss You Off

Head Health Nutter — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:39:56 +0000

Have you ever had someone you love let you down or another who failed to fulfill their end of a deal? Maybe you’ve had complete strangers wrong you by letting a door close in your face or by cutting you off on the highway? Would you believe these are gifts?!

Last week I shared with you that I was starting Debbie Ford’s 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse on Opera.com. Yesterday I finished Day 4: The Gift of Forgiveness.

(It’s an incredible program and only takes 10-15 minutes every day!)

I consider myself a very forgiving person; even thinking on occasion that I let people off the hook too easily.

But after yesterday’s cleansing ritual and meditation, I realized that I was harboring some pretty toxic feelings – and towards people that I absolutely love!

Ms. Ford revealed:

Releasing the invisible ties to those who have left you, betrayed you, disappointed you or hurt you, you open up to higher realms of love, peace and joy. Without forgiving them and cutting the cords of resentment, you continue to be imprisoned by the very people you’ve spent years (or a lifetime) trying to get away from and you are bound to the incidents that caused the resentment in the first place. And because the outer world is a steadfast reflection of your inner world, these resentment and grudges ensure that you re-create situations that spark the same bad feelings you want to escape from. Resentments and grudges are two of the main culprits that perpetuate cycles of self-abuse and victimhood.

What I realized from yesterday’s consciousness cleanse was that when people piss us off, they are actually presenting us a gift – if we choose to accept it.

I can hear you now, “Have you lost your freakin’ mind, Steph? These people are disrespecting us, walking all over us and damn it, we deserve better!”

No, I haven’t lost my mind and yes, we deserve to be treated better. However, people don’t intentionally set out to hurt others (maybe some do but it’s a small percentage); they’re just wrapped up in their own world. They’re dealing with their own issues or simply trying to cope with life the only way they know how.

So what’s this gift we’re talking about?

When someone does or says something that disappoints, angers or hurts us, they are triggering a very old, internal wound within us from childhood. These are our personal issues that we haven’t yet bothered to heal.

Now before you balk at this, saying that you had the perfect childhood, please keep in mind that perfect parenting is impossible! Childhood development is so rapid that no parent has the capacity or resources to fulfill every need a child experiences. Plus, we’re extremely sensitive as children. We get hurt very easily.

Time to get REAL personal

I’m about to share my recent revelations in hopes that you’ll be inspired to look within yourselves to identify your triggers and childhood wounds. Because, let me tell you, it’s such a FREEING experience! I guarantee that it’ll help you live lighter.

I found out yesterday that I have lingering feelings of resentment and anger towards my Mother, Grandmother and even, my Honey. My Mom is a brave woman and decided to raise me on her own. Needless to say, it was impossible for her to be there for me every time I needed her. As a child, I felt abandoned and neglected at times.

Today, I struggle with people-pleasing and tend to need love, attention and acceptance from others to feel fulfilled and happy. More than likely an effect of my childhood. I’m working on this, mind you.

So now, when my Honey is dealing with stuff going down in his life and lacks the energy to pay me enough attention when I need it, I get angry with him. I feel unloved, betrayed, neglected, etc. Just as I felt with my Mom when she lacked the resources to meet my needs!

Funny thing, though, I also discovered that I was harboring resentment towards my Grandmother because she would try to make me feel guilty for not spending more time with her. She was feeling neglected and unloved by me! I didn’t realize it at the time because I was so self-absorbed with my own life and troubles.

But this was an amazing insight! And I have to ask, “Did I try to make my Mom feel guilty for not being there for me?” and, “Do I make too many demands on my Honey’s time and energy or try to make him feel guilty?”

What’s my gift in all this mess?

When my loved ones piss me off, they give me the gift of independence. I don’t need anyone to make me happy. Sure, they may help facilitate feelings but essentially my feelings are my own and come from within me. No one can make me feel anything – that’s all up to me.

It seems as though we’re all a bit needy, whether it’s love and attention or autonomy and respect. So what Debbie Ford teaches us in Day 4 of her consciousness cleanse is of the gift of forgiveness. Because really, we’re all just hurt children looking to have our needs met.

So next time someone pisses you off, will you thank them? If you’re up for it, please share some personal insights with us. What are some of your triggers and where do they come from?

Steph’s Tasty Garden Veggie & Rice Soup

Head Health Nutter — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:22:33 +0000

Although the sun is setting later these days in Canada (yay!), it’s still very chilly. Soups are a great way to warm up, get your recommended vegetable intake and fill your belly with a low-calorie, high-nutrient meal.

Thanks to the rice and variety of veggies, this soup is uber hearty. It’s also simple enough to throw together when you’re short on time; just make sure to cook your brown rice ahead of time.

And since it’s short on spice but just flavourful enough with a few herbs, it’s guaranteed to please those who have sensitive palettes!

Steph’s Tasty Garden Veggie & Rice Soup

Makes: a whole pot-full.

Get ready to freeze!

Ingredients

2.5 cups brown rice, cooked
6.5 cups broth, veggie or chicken
1.5 cups filtered water
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and chopped
1/2 small green cabbage, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 tsp each dried thyme, marjoram, rosemary
sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Preparation

Place broth in pot (with fitted lid) and bring to a boil.
Add veggies and herbs.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.
Add cooked brown rice.
Bring soup to a boil again, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered for another 10 minutes.
Season soup with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.
Enjoy!

21-Day Consciousness Cleanse

Head Health Nutter — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:44:20 +0000

We talk a lot about detoxing and cleansing the body here on Live Lighter, and even went so far as to detox TV in January. We’ve also touched on how subconscious beliefs sabotage our efforts to change – that’s why I’m psyched to take Debbie Ford’s 21 day consciousness cleanse!

Ms. Ford talks about waking up one day without our old fears, doubts, unmet needs, limiting beliefs and perceptions that keep us locked in our repetitive, destructive patterns. I don’t know about you, but that sounds great to me!

Debbie has written The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse: A Breakthrough Program for Connecting with Your Soul’s Deepest Purpose. But what’s it all about?

She says:

“It’s a practical program that promises to alter the quality and direction of your life and support you in not only obtaining your goals for the new year, but, more importantly, creating a new loving and nurturing relationship with yourself and with the power that sources you. This program will enable you to take back your power from the outer world, turn inward and reconnect with your inner guide and your highest self. Instead of being guided this year by your head and what you think you should do, you will be inspired and directed by your heart’s deepest desires.”

But you don’t have to buy the book to participate in what she describes as “a detox diet for the soul”. Check out Oprah.com to access 21 links (1 per day) for excerpts from the book, exercises and even meditations!

Here’s a 1:28 minute video with Debbie sharing some of the testimonials from her program:

Special thanks to Emmanuel Lopez from Motivatorman.com for notifying me of Debbie’s new break-through consciousness cleanse program.

I’m starting the 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse tomorrow! Will you be joining me on this soul journey? In case you missed it, click here when you’re ready.