Is it really a green smoothie? Yes because it has curly lettuce but no because the wild blueberries give it a fantastic purple color! Add some ginger and coconut water and this is the best treat ever my friend my sister!
You can add toppings such as grated coconut and cacao nibs from Raw Living of course:
Justine is a French blogger who invites us each month to have a look back at the previous month.
How was November for you my friend my sister? November brought me serenity and hope. Indeed when I have to reply to the question: What helped me in November? There so many things and people who helped me.
I feel so grateful also because I feel peace in my heart. I know I lost people I loved but at least I really loved them. Now my exes are like angels protecting me from afar.
I also feel more at ease with being a solo entrepreneur, thanks to the help of Dougs who is my accountant (well, they are a whole team of course!). I feel better each time I hung up the phone with them. My brain is bursting with ideas for you my friend my sister!
Lastly, my great tip for you is to dedicate one day of your week to yourself. You may not be able to take 24 hours of course. Still, taking a day and going for a walk by yourself, doing some exercise and just resting and contemplating the beauty of life is so worth it!
The photo of the month has been taken during one of these solo outings in the Gorges de Toulourenc in the South of France (video available on December 16th).
On the first day, I soaked hazelnuts in water with a bit of sea salt.
On the second day, I soaked chia seeds in the hazelnut milk I made using my blender. I added grated coconut and cacao nibs from Raw Living:
On the third day, I added cinnamon and ginger and ate this amazing silky dessert with great pleasure!
During pregnancy, the four seasons that we can identify within our menstrual cycle do no longer apply. You may remember the review I did on Wild power here “#Book review Wild Power by Alexandra Pope #divinefeminine“.
Therefore, I highly recommend you focus on the specificities of pregnancy and childbirth at this magical time.
I have great books to recommend you my friend my sister.
The first one is by Michel Odent, a French OB-GYN who introduced natural childbirth in France.
I was very privileged to be born in his hand so I am going to get a bit emotional recommending his books, such as “Birth Reborn: What Childbirth Should Be” and “Birth and Breastfeeding: Rediscovering the Needs of Women During Pregnancy and Childbirth“.
Then I love author because her book Natural Health after Birth: The Complete Guide to Postpartum Wellness helped me so much after my first baby. She has also written The Natural Pregnancy Book, Third Edition: Your Complete Guide to a Safe, Organic Pregnancy and Childbirth with Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices with Ina May Gaskin.
Lastly, I was very moved by the book The Birth Of A Mother: How The Motherhood Experience Changes You Forever by Daniel N. Stern and Nadia Bruschweiler-Stern.
And the most important thing is: enjoy a very happy pregnancy my friend my sister!
Hemp seeds? You can use them to create vegan milk. You can also add them to a smoothie for extra protein and a good texture. Lastly, I like to use hemp seeds as toppings for my raw soups. Enjoy! They are extra rich in omega 3s and have a delicious nutty flavor.
I buy mine at Raw Living by bags of 5 kilos!
I was asked on youtube if the way I eat, aka healthy eating, had an impact on my mental health and my energy levels.
Not eating sugar definitely helps me to stay focus and work better with my brain, while having less mood swings.
Furthermore, I attribute the way I can handle so many things in my life to healthy eating habits, whether it is being a single mother of two very time-consuming kids or moving from one continent to another within two years.
My way of eating is simple: fresh produce! I add nuts and seeds, seaweed and sardines.
Randa’s youtube channel is L’audace d’être soi (in French) and this is her facebook page.
In this live my friend my sister, Randa and I talked about the following subjects:
Far from cultivating resentment, the approach here is to get informed to identify narcissistic behaviors and manipulation in order to protect ourselves.
Randa mentioned several great books and research on narcissistic abuse and she knows what she is talking about because she experienced a toxic relationship in her life.
To understand what codependency is, Randa warmly recommends the book by Lisa A. Romano Codependent – Now What? Its Not You – Its Your Programming.
I also got trapped into a toxic relationship my friend my sister, as mentioned notably in the video “I chose to live with a psychopath by ignoring the red flags #phenix“.
It is crucial to understand that codependency leads us to make irrational decisions my friend my sister, because as empaths we are driven by the desire to please others and save them, even to our detriment.
Moreover, gaslighting is a manipulation of reality which can make us almost hypnotized, exhausted and unable to have any discernment, because we already have a poor self image.
Randa mentioned the book by Ramani S. Durvasula “Don’t You Know Who I Am?”: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility and the one by Ross Rosenberg The Human Magnet Syndrome: The Codependent Narcissist Trap.
Once we have understood how a toxic relationship works, once we have become aware that we were not responsible for the emotional abuse we may have suffered during childhood when we were totally vulnerable and dependent, then we can take our power and personal responsibility back in order to live our adult life more peacefully.
Sometimes we get a very idealized version of our parents. This prevents us from connecting back to what really happened. Some of us experienced emotional blackmail, borderline personalities, suicide threats, the fear of loosing our parents love with no reason.
When I choose to be clear on the fact that I did not get the love I desired so badly to receive from my parents just because I was alive, then I can move forward.
I choose to grieve the mother I will never have and I can cry on the family I wanted to get.
I choose to grieve and to understand that I am enough just the way I am. On that note, Randa mentioned the book Will I Ever Be Good Enough?: Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Doctor Karyl McBride.
I choose to grieve while not taking things personally, as taught by Don Miguel Ruiz in this great book The four agreements.
Moreover, Randa talked about the author Susan Forward, who has written Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life (I did the review of that book here: “#Book review Toxic Parents by Susan Forward“) and Mothers Who Can’t Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters.
You will get lots of information also thanks to neuropsychiatrist and psychoanalyst Boris Cyrulnik, notably about toxic shame and how to overcome recurring flashbacks. Boris Cyrulnik has written Resilience: How Your Inner Strength Can Set You Free from the Past.
What remains at the end of this process is compassion for the suffering of our parents who really did the best they could.
Randa explains very well how we can get free of manipulation when we get clear in our mind. Furthermore, she identifies three steps on the way towards rebuild our sense of self, the self we neglected.
The first step is about getting aware that there is an issue. Then comes grief. Lastly, the last step is alchemy or turning what happened to us into something positive.
Randa also underlines the importance of addressing chronic stress thanks to mind-body therapy and grounding, for instance walking barefood in nature.
Indeed, what happened to us is stored inside our body, even when we cannot see it anymore. On that topic, a must-read book is The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk.
Randa also mentioned yoga and recommended that you choose a certified teacher carefully, for instance using the website about Iyengar yoga in the US.
Lastly, it is possible to learn to remother ourselves and comfort our inner child. Joanna Smith has written a brilliant book on the topic called A la rencontre de son bébé intérieur (in French).
Thank you for supporting Randa and I my friend my sister,
Lots of love,
Claire
Today I want sweetness in my smoothie! It is going to be green but with mango, Sharon’s fruit and pineapple.
Of course let’s add ginger! Excellent for blood circulation!
I am topping this delicious smoothie with raw cacao nibs from Raw Living of course!
First, what is cellulite? The body has too many toxins to deal with so fat is a way of trying to deal with it. Therefore, let’s start by lowering the amount of toxins in our body.
Second, cold is our friend but not aggressively. I finish each shower with cold water on my legs, belly, hips and chest.
Third, the lymph moves to remove toxins. The great thing is we can help it to move, especially in the morning when it has accumulated during the detox our body undergoes at night. This is where trampoline enters the picture. It is a game changer. I do rebounding 10 minutes every morning now.
Four, gentle exfoliation of the skin is so helpful. Every day I gently brush my skin under the shower with a natural loofah.
Lastly, exercise in general will make things move around in your body. So whatever your favorite sport is, practice! Cellulite is linked to things being stuck. So we need to move in one way or another. The worst thing is sitting on a chair all day long, something I have done most of my professional life and won’t do anymore.
I have a great book to recommend which touches a bit on the subject of cellulite. It is Renegate Beauty by Nadine Artemis. She has many tips about cellulite and notably she recommends “lymph-loving essential oils of cypress, rosemary, grapefruit, and laurel in jojoba oil“.
I have been asked by a member of our beautiful community what was the best way to start law studies in France and in French of course.
First you need to get acquainted with the legal vocabulary. This is where great books such as Vocabulaire juridique by author Gérard Cornu and Lexique des termes juridiques 2019-2020 – 27e édition by Serge Guinchard and Thierry Debard come into the picture. Get to know them well!
Second, you will be required to do essays and comments about French judicial decisions. Books can help you to learn the method. It is always the same, you just refine it as you go deeper into your law studies. I can recommend Méthodologie du droit by Frédéric-Jérôme Pansier because I had the author as a professor.
Lastly, you will get a nice and clear picture of the French legal system with books dedicated to introducing law in general within the French context. This is very valuable because afterwards you will learn through areas of focus only: criminal law, civil law and so on. You can have a look at:
Make the most of it and of course you can get your diploma with distance learning in France thanks to the CAVEJ.
