It all began with a decision that was grounded in emotion. I wanted to keep my parent’s house in the family. My two brothers and sister had neither the time, not the inclination to keep it. So, quite simply, I bought them out.

The sale happened in July 2004. I moved into the house around September of that same year. Now all the time I was negotiating the sale with them, I was focused on one thing, keeping the house in our family. After all, it represents their dreams and hard work; that was my perspective.

So there I was, in this 4300 square foot home, surrounded by wonderful memories, warm and fuzzy feelings, grounded in love, and full of excitement. I also had damaged and rotted out balconies, leaky gutters, thirty-five year old shag carpet, and three bathrooms in which the showers and tub needed gutting out. And this list covers only a few items that needed attention.

Each of the bedrooms were absolutely filled to the brim (so to speak) with stuff; but I had a plan. It was to start with the big stuff, and eventually make my way down to the little bitty papers, books, and other stuff. Here is how I did it.

First, I contacted my siblings and gave them a date to come and get what they wanted. Next I opened the house to friends and others who wanted to take advantage of free stuff. Next, I rented large dumpsters and threw away broken furniture, boxes, trash, and other items. Then I hired someone to come in and gut out the showers and tub, and to replace a couple of the toilets. Everything was humming along well, until I got to my Dads office. That is when, what I had been feeling in my gut during this process, came to the surface; and I got stuck.

Here is where I got stuck. When I began to go through my Dads papers, hand written notes, letters to associates, pictures of family, and the tens of boxes in his office, the emotion of his passing came to the surface. When it did, I began to attach the emotion of love and endearment to every letter, every hand written note (even though I couldn’t read the writing), and to every little trinket in his office. My logic was that someone may need this and that logic allowed me to hold on to it. So I did.

I stayed stuck for weeks. Then I got depressed, because I was stuck and couldn’t seem to figure out how to get unstuck. Once I got stuck with one thing, it snow balled. I then began to hold on to his clothing, his shoes, and other stuff as well. Then I wanted to hold on to broken furniture, that my Dad never got around to fixing. Eventually, the house began to (at least in my mind) get clogged up again with stuff. I began to get frustrated with myself, and that affected my ability to deal with my business and other aspects of my life. Something had to change.

Then one day, a friend came by to visit the house. While walking around and looking at all the stuff, I shared with her that I was stuck. She looked at me and said, Darren, I know a guy who wrote this book that may help you. It is called Letting Go of Stuff. Then she laughed and left. I was shocked that she had the audacity to hint at the fact that I needed to let go. But then again, she was correct. I was stuck and needed to apply my own philosophy. So I did.

The first step was for me to acknowledge being stuck, and explore why. Without acknowledging however, I could not have been prepared to explore the reasons why. Acknowledging is the first secret to Letting Go of Stuff. This step sounds simple, but you may be surprised at how many people are in denial of needing to change. That is why; this is the most important step. Until I am ready to acknowledge I need to change something, I won’t. My friends and family can tell me I need to change. They can even have interventions to assist. But until I am ready to accept and acknowledge it, it won’t happen.

Next is to then realize that I will go through changes, trying to make the change. Because we, as humans, tend to naturally resist change, when we attempt to change something about ourselves, we sometimes become our own internal change resistor. Claiming change, yet unconsciously resisting it can keep you in this two steps forward, two steps back dance with your self.

The third secret is to manage and listen to your internal conversation. We all talk to ourselves. I believe the internal conversation is the most believed of all conversations. So it is easy to convince yourself that you don’t need to change, or let go of something, because you believe what you say to you.

Paying attention to that conversation is critical. Becoming consciously aware of what you say to your self is powerful in that it will allow you to begin to change that conversation into what you want. Especially since you believe everything you say, to you. Think about it.

These are three of seven secrets that will assist one in getting “unstuck”. They certainly helped me to clean out my parents home. Which by the way, is on the market today.

I know, I went on and on about keeping it in the family and all of that. But hey, what can I say. It was my parents dream home not mine. We do have a dream for our daughters future. It is that she remains healthy, makes great choices for her life, is happy, and that she honor her parents memory in any way she sees fit. The same way I have done for mine.

Selling the house is my way of closing the chapter on this phase of my life. I will start a new chapter knowing that I did everything I could to enable the house being sold with dignity and grace. That, to me, is honoring my parents. Though it is really for me, it makes me feel better that in my heart; I am honoring their memory.

That is a big part of what Letting Go of Stuff is all about; doing what you can to influence a situation by focusing only on what you can control, then choosing to move on with dignity and grace. That is the sixth secret to Letting Go of Stuff.

Until next time.

Darren L. Johnson

Darren L Johnson is an expert on Letting Go of Stuff® and is known as the Letting Go Pro. He has written and published numerous articles on letting go. In 1994 Darren created and began teaching Letting Go of Stuff®.

During his twenty-five year career stint, Darren has worked with fortune 100 companies such as General Motors and Nissan, USA. As a speaker and consultant he combines personal experience, theory on change, and proven methods - all leading to success for his clients in the process of letting go of stuff.

In 2009 he founded the National Letting Go of Stuff Day and in 2007 founded a 501c3 NGO called the Global Business & Organization Development Foundation.

• Identify the reason for grieving - for example - loss of family members, co-worker, and the like. Sometimes the not so obvious reasons cause us to grieve without realizing it. For example, if one is terminated from a previous employer; that person may come into the next (new) job feeling sad, and grieving over the loss of that previous job. Another example, people may grieve over the loss of a department, due to downsizing, and still some may grieve from the loss of a co-worker “not from death” but because that person left the company unexpectedly. There reasons to grieve are many. The key is to first identify the reason for the grief, if possible, because that will determine what needs to happen to help work through the grief.

• Identifying the reasons also allows you to begin to accept and acknowledge the situation and your feelings. This is part of the first step in Letting Go of Stuff that may be causing the feelings of grief.

• Make sure you have someone you trust in the work place, whom you can talk to in confidence. If that situation does not exist, then make sure there is someone outside the company you can talk to and share how you are feeling. It doesn’t have to be a counselor, but just someone who cares enough to listen without judgment.

• Take advantage of the employee assistance offered at work. These programs are designed to help on to work through any grief and depression one may be experiencing.

• Know who “not to talk to” about your feelings and situation. Talking to the wrong people, or to too many people in the work place could leave on open to criticism, judgment, and sometimes ridicule. So think carefully about whom you confide in.

• Don’t blame your self for what has happened, and for experiencing the grief. You have a right to feel the way you do and cannot process through this time until you allow yourself to experience the feelings associated with it.

• Do not take on any feelings of guilt about grieving. Again, it is your right to feel the way you do. And for goodness sakes don’t let anyone make you feel as though something is wrong with you because of what you are experiencing.

• If you have time off  vacation, sick time, and/or personal days take them if you are getting a gut feeling you should. Don’t ignore that feeling, it is there for a reason. So act on it as soon as you can. By honoring this feeling and need to take authorized time off, you will protect yourself from burnout, depression, and other challenges that could mount while at work. But remember that when at home, take the steps to move forward with your life as you work through this period.

• Love yourself, be good to yourself, and if you have a personal journal write in it.

Darren L. Johnson

Darren L Johnson is an expert on Letting Go of Stuff® and is known as the Letting Go Pro. He has written and published numerous articles on letting go. In 1994 Darren created and began teaching Letting Go of Stuff®.

During his twenty-five year career stint, Darren has worked with fortune 100 companies such as General Motors and Nissan, USA. As a speaker and consultant he combines personal experience, theory on change, and proven methods - all leading to success for his clients in the process of letting go of stuff.

In 2009 he founded the National Letting Go of Stuff Day and in 2007 founded a 501c3 NGO called the Global Business & Organization Development Foundation.

Do you have a child who’s starting school soon, or maybe you’re planning to home school?

It’s never too early to give them a head start. School starts in only a few short weeks, which means you still have time to help them get prepared.

To help you out, Kid’s Activity Calendar is giving away a pretty nice kit of activities around the letter ‘A’.

This pack includes:

• Fun alphabet snacks that start with the letter A
• Letter A coloring sheets
• Letter A search worksheets
• Letter A trace sheets
• Letter A flash cards and
• Game of out of the week idea around the letter A

You can download them for free from this page.

The year was 1988, I had experienced the worst financial difficulty in my life, just a couple of months before the holiday season.

Not only did my attorney at the time make me feel very bad about myself for considering filing bankruptcy, but also after having spent time as a bill collector, I knew how the banking industry treated people who would choose this alternative. Needless to say, the blues had found its way into my life, settled in, made a home, and had gotten very comfortable.

I was able to overcome the holiday blues and in this article will share how. Even though I had to wander through the thick blues forest, one can avoid wandering by using these simple steps for managing the blues.

Right now, there are lots of people who, for whatever reason, experience the blues during the holidays. For some, it will come and go. For others the blues will find a place and remain there for a while, often too long.

First, let me define the blues. I don’t want to assume that everyone is on the same page about the definition of the blues. It’s a feeling you get when your self worth is reduced. Often the feeling is achy, painful, and can sometimes make you feel like you can’t breath. Other times the blues is just this lingering feeling of despair that manifests in some physiological way. One could feel sluggish, lazy-like, and not want to do anything or deal with anybody. Sometimes the blues hits a person right-smack-dab in the middle of the heart and feels painful, like someone is beating on your chest. OKAY!! Enough already!! I think you get the point - hopefully.

Now that we have pinpointed a clearer definition of the blues, lets look at how to overcome it. More specifically, I will share what I did to overcome in 1988 (and still do today). After looking back over my life and processing through that period when I was heavily burdened with the blues, I have been able to put my activities into steps.

First, I began to write about my experience in a personal journal. So if you don’t have a journal, my suggestion is that you bite the bullet and get one. I stumbled upon writing in a journal while writing letters to my attorney about how I felt when she told me I was going to be a “worthless person if I filed bankruptcy.” And she wasn’t talking about being financially worthless, she was referring to my person.

Even though I never mailed the letters, I remember how good it felt when I wrote to her about my feelings. Somehow I was able to transfer that experience into journaling, and have been keeping a personal journal every since that period in my life. I have a journal for dreams, another for special tasks, and I kept one while I was in graduate school. Since the birth of my beautiful daughter in January 2008, I have kept a journal about my experiences as her Dad and will give it to her as a gift when she is older. These are just a few journals I keep.

Second, make a list, in your journal, of how you want to feel at the end of the holiday season. Dedicate one page in your personal journal to answering this question: How do I “want to feel” about my self and the world around me - after the holiday season ends?

After you have written that question at the top of a page in your journal, schedule quiet time and start writing your responses, on the same page - under the question.

This is an important step because with the responses, you are equipped to create a vision in your minds eye of how you will be (change) after the holidays.

During the time that I was dealing with the backlash of my financial woes, I began to imagine myself being a deadbeat. Deadbeat was what, in the world of bill collecting, one was referred to when one did not pay bills on time. Well, I went from labeling folks as a deadbeat, to defining myself as one. It was terrible. Then one day, thanks to the writing of Leroy Brownslow, I decided to create a vision of my future. What did I want to “be” like in 1989, as a person? How would my life be better in 1990? Responding to those questions helped me to create a clear and wonderful picture, in my mind’s eye, of my life.

Third, in your personal journal, write a description of YOU as you deal with the world around you - after the holidays. What will you feel like? What will you wear? How positively will you respond to those you care about, and who care about you?

Writing, in detail, about how you will interact with the world, based on your responses to the previous two steps, will help you to clearly see yourself being better.

Next, make a list of what you need to do, between now and the end of the holiday season, to make all of this a reality. This list will become your action plan for bringing it all together. Remember to make this final list in your personal journal as well.

Finally, choose a start date - for example - January 2, 2009. This is the date you will experience this wonderfully delightful change in your persona. Don’t just choose a date, but pick a time on that day to begin.

This five step process is so very simple, yet the impact is powerful. Using these steps in 1988 and 1989 I was able to overcome the “bankruptcy blues” and by 1990 had purchased a condominium in downtown Nashville. This was an incredible experience for me, especially after having been told that not only would I not amount to anything, but that I would not be able to make any major purchases for at least seven years.

Today I attribute a great deal of my ability to face challenges to that time in my life when I learned how to create a clear picture of who I wanted to be and began writing about how I would deal with the world around me.

One key to all of this is stick-to-it-tiveness. You must read over all of those pages of writing in your journal, with belief and passion, for a minimum of thirty days after your start date.

Are you worth doing this for YOU? Of course you are worth it!

Dareen L. Johnson “Letting Go Pro”

Darren L Johnson is an expert on Letting Go of Stuff® and is known as the Letting Go Pro. He has written and published numerous articles on letting go. In 1994 Darren created and began teaching Letting Go of Stuff®.

During his twenty-five year career stint, Darren has worked with fortune 100 companies such as General Motors and Nissan, USA. As a speaker and consultant he combines personal experience, theory on change, and proven methods - all leading to success for his clients in the process of letting go of stuff.

In 2009 he founded the National Letting Go of Stuff Day and in 2007 founded a 501c3 NGO called the Global Business & Organization Development Foundation.
Journaling is a powerful process that will help you to slow down, examine your true feelings, get them out, and even process them. The processing kind of happens naturally as you write. So go get your personal journal and get started as soon as you can.

Darren L Johnson is an expert on Letting Go of Stuff® and is known as the Letting Go Pro. He has written and published numerous articles on letting go. In 1994 Darren created and began teaching Letting Go of Stuff®.

Dareen L. Johnson "Letting Go Pro"

During his twenty-five year career stint, Darren has worked with fortune 100 companies such as General Motors and Nissan, USA. As a speaker and consultant he combines personal experience, theory on change, and proven methods - all leading to success for his clients in the process of letting go of stuff.

In 2009 he founded the National Letting Go of Stuff Day and in 2007 founded a 501c3 NGO called the Global Business & Organization Development Foundation.

Disclaimer:
Though the Darren L Johnson is a personal development coach and an expert on letting go, the responses you receive about your specific situation is not being offered in leiu of or as therapy and/or counseling. If you act on his advice you agree to hold Darren L Johnson, InsideOut Learning, Inc., and the owners of HealYourselfMagazine.com and any of its affiliates free from any and all liability that may result from your actions.

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RE: Many People Need Guidance When It Comes To
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Should you have any problems with the download please email Rebbekah at Rebbekah@healyourselftalk.com

Betty Jo Tucker will be on Heal Yourself  Talk Radio on Thursday July 23, 2009 from 1:00-1:30 pm est. We will be discussing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince as well as other great new releases, all part of our “Movies That Inspire” Section with Heal Yourself  Network.

Cinematic Wizardry
by Betty Jo Tucker

Producer David Heyman summed up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in a recent Entertainment Weekly interview. “What I love about the movie is that it has many different parts — comedy, romance, suspense, good versus evil – but it also sets up the final chapter that is Deathly Hallows,” he explained. Indeed, this sixth Harry Potter outing includes all those elements, yet the film’s marvelous visuals are what I admire most about it. While watching Harry unlock memories captured as liquid in crystal capsules or visit an eye-popping magic novelty store or struggle with a host of horrific zombie-like creatures or – well, the list goes on – I couldn’t help going deeper and deeper under the spell of its cinematic wizardry.

Of course, I confess being a longtime Harry Potter fan. So my interest in the fascinating characters here is a given. The strong bond of friendship among students Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) has always meant a lot to me. Seeing them face the stirrings of young love in The Half-Blood Prince offers fans a bit of humor amid all the suspenseful intrigue at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft during this particular term.

What are Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and “Defense Against the Dark Arts” Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) up to? Who should be trusted? Why does Dumbledore give Harry such a dangerous mission? How can Harry uncover the truth about the villainous Lord Voldemort’s time as a student (Hero-Fiennes Tiffin) at Hogwarts, especially his relationship with “Potions” Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent)? Why is Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) acting even more sinister than usual? And who is The Half-Blood Prince? Clearly, there’s evil afoot, and the stage is being set for a showdown between Harry and Voldemort, which will take place at the end of the franchise.

But back to the amazing look of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. Director David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (whose visual artistry also enhanced A Very Long Engagement) must be modern wizards, for — with the help of magical special effects, sets, music and costumes – they have created a movie of incredible beauty despite its mostly dark themes. I understand they had to recolor the film before its release, and whatever that means, it definitely worked for me.      

Another highlight of this movie is Bonnie Wright’s lovely performance as Ginny Weasely, Ron’s sister, who sparks Harry’s interest in more than a friendly way. It’s a delightfully understated turn, one that comes across as quite warm and genuine. However, as usual, Alan Rickman, takes the acting honors. With that intense facial expression and those unique vocal inflections, Professor Snape simply commands the screen whenever he’s on camera. Everyone else also does a fine job, but I wish Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) had been in more scenes.

Although The Half-Blood Prince is not my favorite Harry Potter movie (I liked the first one best), it’s definitely a must-see for Harry Potter fans as well as for anyone who loves well-made fantasy films.

(Released by Warner Bros. Pictures and rated “PG” for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality.)

For more information about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, go to the Internet Movie Data Base or the Rotten Tomatoes website.

Betty Jo Tucker is a member of the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and the San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS). She teaches an online class, “The Reel Deal: Writing about Movies” for the LSS School of Writing and has published three movie-related books including CONFESSIONS OF A MOVIE ADDICT, an amusing memoir about her life at the movies. Betty Jo serves as the editor/lead film critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews and hosts a weekly radio show, “Movie Addict Headquarters,” for BlogTalkRadio. She also writes monthly film commentary for the Colorado Senior Beacon. For more information, please go to www.BettyJoTucker.com

If you haven’t seen all the Harry Potter movies yet, I suggest you go and purchase them now! My kids love to watch Harry Potter over and over again!
Harry Potter Years 1-5 (Full-Screen Edition)

If you would rather have your kids do something this summer other than video games and sitting in front of the TV might I suggest they read the Harry Potter Series:
The Complete Harry Potter Collection Box Set: The Philosopher’s Stone; The Chamber Of Secrets; The Prisoner of Azkaban; The Goblet of Fire; The Order of The Phoenix; The Half Blood Prince; The Deathly Hallows (The Complete Harry Potter Collection, 1-7)

One way to help attain and maintain optimal health is by supplementing your dietary intake with fresh juice extracted from raw fruits and vegetables. There are two ways of doing this:  Juicing and Blending. While both of these techniques use whole raw fruits and vegetables, there is also a big difference between the two. When you’re juicing, the liquid from the fruits and vegetables is being squeezed out and separated from the pulp or the fiber, leaving only the liquid to consume. The remaining pulp then can be used to create some amazing dishes. (There is little to no waste with raw food. Almost everything can be reused to create something new and amazing!) By separating the juice from the fiber we are able to get more of the nutrients of the food. Our bodies are able to assimilate those nutrients far faster, thus allowing our digestive systems to have a much needed rest! When we eat food, as opposed to juicing, it takes an enormous amount of resources and energy from our bodies to digest that food.  When we juice, we’re allowing our bodies to work less and use that reserved energy to heal and maintain our body’s health. Raw juices, unlike bottled juices, are entirely whole-food based. They are loaded with high amounts of oxygen, enzymes, minerals and vitamins - not to mention the medicinal effects of the antioxidants, chlorophyll and phytochemicals they contain. Fresh juice is like a liquid vitamin supplement.  It hits the body fast! It provides the body with greater energy and faster recovery from illness and juicing actually slows the aging process!  Forget botox, just juice! All of these substances found in raw organic whole juices work synergistically in our bodies to create some amazing healing miracles, even some that science has yet to understand.  When juicing, always drink your juice right away. Because juices are live foods, they will oxidate quickly and lose their enzymatic effect if not digested within the first 20 to 30 minutes of the juicing process. So, if you have juices left over and refrigerate it, know that it may still taste pleasant but it no longer has the same healing benefits that in did when it was originally made. When preparing your green juices a good rule of thumb is to use only 1 part green vegetables to 3 parts carrot, apple or beet. This sweeter base makes the drink far more palatable.

One painless way to get started juicing or blending is to replace one meal a day with a delicious whole food juice or smoothie.  Some people find that they get a greater cleansing effect by choosing one day a week when they only drink juices or smoothies.  I personally juice every morning and also pick one day per week when I drink nothing but fresh juices.
When juicing keep in mind some the therapeutic and cleansing effects of the following fruits and vegetables.

• Apples help to detoxify the blood. They are a fantastic digestive aid and they also act as a laxative.

• Beets are amazingly cleansing to the liver. They also stimulate bowel movements and are very high in iron content.

• Carrots are very alkalinizing to our bodies. They are a great source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K.

• Celery is very high in organic sodium. This makes them a great thirst quencher. Celery is also known for it calming effects; it’s great for our nerves.

• Kale is cleansing to our kidneys, super high in chlorophyll and is loaded with protein and calcium.

When blending or making smoothies, as opposed to juicing, the pulp or fiber still remains a part of the final product.  In that way, smoothies truly are a meal and have some amazing health benefits. A big plus for smoothies is that any food can be blended into a creamy texture. Anything! This makes it perfect for someone with dental or digestive problems and ideal for babies. Smoothies are a phenomenal way to transition into a healthier lifestyle. Whether you are completely raw, vegan, vegetarian, or even carnivore, you will be amazed at the immediate health benefits of smoothies. I highly recommend smoothies to those who are just learning how to incorporate raw foods into their lifestyle. They should be a part of your daily routine. Blended drinks are also a fantastic way for kids and adults to get an amazing amount of vitamins and nutrients all while having something that appeals to their sense of fun. There are some incredible recipes for smoothies that will have your kids and YOU thinking they’re chugging down a dessert rather then something that is actually amazingly healthy for them! I can see it now - they’ll be rolling their eyes in pure delight thinking that, somehow, mommy or daddy has lost their mind to be serving this for breakfast, lunch or even dinner!

However, not all smoothies are created equal.

So what’s the difference between smoothies available for purchase in some of those popular local chains and those that I’m referring to here?  Plenty! Unfortunately most of those smoothie chains serve their smoothies with protein powders, dairy, sweet syrups and who knows what else!

Take out all of those crazy and unnecessary additives, and add a few frozen fruits like blueberries and bananas, some fresh kale leaves (or other leafy greens), a little coconut oil, water or almond milk and you’ve got yourself a smoothie or blended drink! It’s really that simple and they’re absolutely delicious!

The downside to drinking a blended mixture is that the body still has to work or expend more energy to digest this drink because of the fiber content.  However, if you’re blending and want to remove the pulp, this can be done very simply. Place your blended contents into a milk bag or sprouting bag and squeeze the juice from the fiber.

So, if you’re wanting to give your body a rest, juice. If you’re trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your lifestyle, both juicing and blending are perfect options!  They both also help our bodies to eliminate waste in a more healthy and timely manner. One important element to both juicing and blending is to CHEW! This may sound crazy, but chewing (or making the chewing action) actually helps get the digestive juices in the mouth working. This way, when the liquid hits your stomach it doesn’t cause any belly discomfort.

Because many fruit smoothies are high in acid, it’s best to use a straw positioned at the back of the mouth so that the liquid avoids the teeth. Then, rinse your mouth with water after you’re done drinking - this prevents enamel erosion.

To get the most out of your juices and smoothies always use organic produce. When shopping look for organics that are on sale and create and organize your menus around those products. Always wash all your produce in a bath of cool water in your sink, dry gently, and then place in green bags.  Be sure to place the day’s date on the bag and then refrigerate. You’ll now be ready to grab anything from the fridge at a moment’s notice and prepare juices and smoothies in an effortless manor.  When fruits are on sale or during the summertime and when farmer’s markets are everywhere, purchase your fruits by the case and freeze them. This makes them a perfect addition to your smoothies any time of year! One thing that I have learned over the years is when freezing my fruits, zipper sandwich bags work like a charm. They allow for easy stacking and access. The fruits don’t freeze into on solid ball when laid flat. This makes it so much easier to open and remove the desired amount, without having to resort to using a hammer to break the frozen fruit apart. When you’re preparing your juices and smoothies remember to cut your fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces. This not only saves on the wear and tear of your appliances, but helps prevent your food from being overheated because your blender or juicer won’t have to work as hard. This will help keep all the enzymes and nutrients intact.

OK, now that you know a bit more about juicing and blending, you’re ready to get started!  So, download some recipes from SplendorInTheRaw.com and start choosing your favorites!

To Your Health!
Chef Tina Jo

Visit Tina Jo’s site below

SplendorInTheRaw.com

Well it’s that time again Fruit and Juice Monday! How did you do last week? Did you stick to it for just one day? How did you feel?

Today I am honored to have Chef  Tina Jo Stephens who has created two videos just for Heal Yourself  Magazine for our Monday Fruit and Juice Day! The first video is on how to create Pineapple Mango Salsa and the second video is about juicers at the end of the last video you will be able to receive a FREE Pdf or audio file “Three Tips for Radiant Health”.

Coming later today an article by Chef  Tina Jo about “Juicing and Blending” so be on the look out for that new article.

Here are the videos:

Green Star Juicer-For More information click on the picture.

If you have any wonderful juicing recipes, questions or comments please add them to the bottom of this post.

We will do our best to answer your questions and if we cannot find them we will contact our experts Viveca Stone-Berry from Fatigue Be Gone and Chef Tina Jo Stephens from Splendor in the Raw.

Our goal is to have a whole community of  blogs juicing each Monday, baby steps is how you change your life and your health! So we are starting out with the Fruit and Juice Mondays so that we all can get into better health one baby step at a time!

All those who participate in our Monday Fruit and Juice day will be recognized on Adrenal Fatigue Be Gone and Heal Yourself  Magazine on our contributors page. We will have a graphic for all those who participate to add to their blogs as well. If you are interested please comment below and leave your blogs URL so we can contact you

Off to juice for the morning!

-Rebbekah White

P.S. I personally use the Jack LaLanne juicer, so like Tina Jo Stephens says if you already have a juicer use it You don’t need to run out and purchase a new one

You can view a video about the Jack LaLanne Juicer by going to this post:

http://healyourselftalk.com/magazine/fruit-juice-mondays-introduction

Gangster Lament
by Betty Jo Tucker

Playing John Dillinger in Public Enemies, Johnny Depp proves why he still rules filmdom for me. His intriguing performance here contains the same impressive attention to detail he’s brought to so many other movie characters. Simply by watching Depp’s expressive face, we know Dillinger gets a kick out of movies, enjoys singing while driving away from a crime, loves the public’s attention, and — though calm most of the time — is prone to violence when provoked. Too bad the rest of this eagerly awaited crime drama comes across as a mixed bag, making it difficult to invest emotionally in what’s happening on screen during much of the film’s two-hour-plus running time. Depp and Marion Cottilard, as Dillinger’s spunky love interest, cause a few sparks to fly in their scenes together, but that’s not enough to evoke a strong emotional attachment to Public Enemies throughout.

Back in the 1930s, the FBI named bank robber John Dillinger as Public Enemy No. 1, and Michael Mann’s (Collateral) movie focuses on the FBI’s relentless campaign to bring him down. Key figures in this zealous crusade are G-Man Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) and his boss, J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup). Both of these ambitious men realize funding for their crime-fighting activities depends on the outcome of their work on this case. But they’re up against America’s obsession with gangsters — which reached a peak during the Great Depression — and Dillinger’s favor with the public. During that decade, distrust of authority even helped boost attendance at gangster films featuring stars like James Cagney (The Public Enemy), Humphrey Bogart (Petrified Forest) and Edward G. Robinson (Little Caeser).

Claiming he “robbed the bank’s money, not the people’s money,” Dillinger took many risks during his crime career, which garnered him a lot of press. However, he probably  underestimated the tenacity of Purvis and the agents in his crew, especially a new member played with stunning clarity by Stephen Lang (The Treatment). Public Enemies deals — perhaps too briskly — with those facts.

Of course, we know how the story ends, so the movie includes very little suspense for viewers. But we are treated to provocative revelations about Dillinger’s romance with Billie Frechette (Cotillard, Oscar-winner for La Vie en Rose). It’s interesting to see how quickly Dillinger zooms in on Frechette, and how willing she is to go along with him, despite his criminal activities. Depp and Cotillard project a steamy chemistry as lovers, and their passion for each other reminds us of the sexy rapport between Depp and Juliette Binoche in Chocolat.

Unfortunately, the “crime story” part of Public Enemies frequently appears disjointed.  Although Dillinger claims he “sticks with his pals” and they stick with him, I had trouble seeing sufficient evidence of that, perhaps because of the fast-moving pace emphasized in most of these sequences. A few continuity issues also bothered me. For example, what was going on with Dillinger’s moustache? Now you see it, now you don’t. My husband says that’s being nitpicky because it takes only about two weeks to grow a moustache and, after all, matinee idol Clark Gable sported one then. But anytime I start thinking about something like this while watching a film, it takes me away from the total immersion experience I expect from a movie.

On the plus side, period costumes, sets and background music succeed in transporting us back to the 1930s. Like Johnny Depp’s acting, these elements of Public Enemies get all the details just right.  How do I know? No time-machine magic needed – I was there.

(Released by Universal Pictures and rated “R” for gangster violence and some language.)

For more information about this movie, please go to the Internet Movie Data Base or Rotten Tomatoes website.

Betty Jo Tucker is a member of the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and the San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS). She teaches an online class, “The Reel Deal: Writing about Movies” for the LSS School of Writing and has published three movie-related books including CONFESSIONS OF A MOVIE ADDICT, an amusing memoir about her life at the movies. Betty Jo serves as the editor/lead film critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews and hosts a weekly radio show, “Movie Addict Headquarters,” for BlogTalkRadio. She also writes monthly film commentary for the Colorado Senior Beacon. For more information, please go to www.BettyJoTucker.com