GIVE AWAY- Is your food NAKED?

I am so excited about this book and hope that it will offer inspiration for you empowerment to get naked too. Visit the Calton's to find out, Is your food…naked?

Can't wait for the drawing?, then go ahead and pick up a copy in my AMAZON store. Remember to share your review on Amazon.

Mira Calton, CN and Dr. Jayson Calton describe “naked calories” as, “calories that have had their micronutrients stripped in one way or another.” They’re talking mainly about the processed factory farmed food that’s so common in the SAD standard American diet. In their book, Naked Calories, they take a look at the global pandemic of micronutrient deficiency that our industrial food system has spurred and how we can take control of our plates and our HEALTH.
Naked Calories has just been released, and the authors were kind enough to offer up a copy for one of our Primitive Diva’s!
Here’s how you can win:

• Like us on Facebook and let us know with a comment here (if you already like us, you can still have an extra entry for this!).

• Follow us on Twitter, and let us know with a comment here (if you already follow us, you can still have an extra entry for this!).

That’s it! Lets get Naked and We’ll announce our winner at 10pm CST on Tuesday, January 17th, so stay tuned!

New Years Eve NOURISHment....

Tonight we reflect on the past year with gratitude and joy. We have planned a quiet evening at home with a fireside dinner to nourish our soul as well as our bodies. The menu we have planned is a celebration of our local foods. Rosemary Garlic Porkchops (Yonder Way Farms pastured pork), Cauliflower Gratin (Wood Duck Farms CSA Cauliflower and Sandcreek Farms Caerphilly raw cheese), Bacon and Sage Wrapped Sweet Potatoe wedges ( Wood Duck Farms CSA potatoes, Yonder Way Bacon and my own homegrown sage. We are finishing our meal with a simple RAW Chocolate Mousse w/fresh Rasberries (Banana,Avocado,Cacao, Rasberries and Honey)while the dessert is not local except the honey.....it is a delightful finish to our celebration.

How are you nourishing your body tonight to celebrate life and prosperity?

Beautiful Words......

I have an amazing friend who is so gifted with words. She paints them beautifully from her heart. I felt moved to share this gift of her New Years Wishes with my readers. Thank you Beautiful Willow

My 2012 Wishes ♥ ♥ I wish that every day that we all wake up we can begin in gratitude, to kiss the morning air and embrace the busy of life and just give thanks that we made it through the night. I wish for women to unite and to make magic at the sea and heal our beauty, free our power and cleanse us to the dark depths of our mystery. I wish that we would link arm and arm, stand up to what is not ...serving in the name of love, and transform our world to a place that feeds and frees. I wish that war would stop because we all know that kisses are so much more effective that bombs and that food is much more healing than poison. I wish that we all have a jarful of seeds that we plant in the Earth and learn the miracle of how what nourishes us grows so perfectly up and out of the soil. I wish for one night of pure debauchery and dance, of friends and crazy laughter, of all night long howling at the moon and in the morning a big jug of juice and no headache. I wish for some land so green that everything you plant grows wild and lush, some trees that offer us fruit and some little creatures that fertilize the ground. I wish for the herbs to find me… to show me which ones want me to know them, work with them, learn to grow them and heal with them. I wish for sunsets across large fields and rivers to sit next to with a journal and a pen. I wish for us all to take more walks through the woods or along the secluded sea, up a mountain trail. I wish for all of us to open up to the whispers of nature and learn what she desires, what she knows, what she sings. I wish for sunshine when our bodies crave vitamin D and dreary, rainy days when we need to hunker in and be alone with ourselves. I wish for hand baked loaves of bread once a week made with local honey and slathered in the butter from my neighbors goats. I wish for the stars in the sky to dance for me as I soak in my handmade wooden tub in the middle of a wildflower field. In the distance the coyotes yip the magic across the way.I wish for hands covered in dirt and fresh pulled carrots piled on the counter for soup. I wish for strings upon the ceiling hung with sage and lavender, thyme and chamomile. I wish for a fire at night to curl in front of, my body aching from working outside, my shoulders sore, my hands rough, my mind cleared and my land filled with love. I wish for the love I feel for the world to travel and shine across the sea to people who might not feel the power and privilege that I have. I wish for a clear and bright path to walk through, holding my dreams and medicine close, ready to share them and release them to the world. I wish for long nights of sleep and mornings where I wake clearly and brightly, knowing the day ahead of me is a gift to mold like a block of clay. I wish for a million healing beads of light to travel from my fingers out and through the galaxy and roll everywhere and people pick them up and are finally healed and see the light. I wish for children to be fed, animals to be honored, arts to be expressed, and the sky to be looked to and revered as a great mystery of life. I wish that I always see my dreams clearly, that they never fade, and if they change, I wish to notice them and honor the new paths that I am led down. I wish for some great new music that forces me to dance my fears out of my hips and gets me closer to love than ever before. I wish for peace. Whatever that may mean. We are long over due for some real, hardcore peace. I wish for us to walk the beauty path, a path where we know everything is divine, perfect, and truly a gift from Beyond. I wish for a book so good I can’t put it down.I wish for the slow show of love every full moon, when magic undresses and reveals how luscious honesty and surrender can be. I wish for a wine bar right across the street that plays jazz and all the people know my name. I wish for the strength to always stand in my truth, to know my enemies as my greatest teachers and to shine with love from the inside out so that others can feel the power of that kind of heat. ♥

Naked Calories.....

One of the gifts that I was blessed with this year was a jewel of a book...."Naked Calories" by Jayson and Mira Calton.

Naked Calories is a PERFECT explanation of how we have become an over fed yet seriously under nourished society. The calton's extensive travel, research and professional experience(s) have given great insight to the damage being done to our human health through processed foods, soil depletion and factory farming. This book is empowering and thought provoking. If you are seeking the truth in obtaining REAL health, It should be on your MUST read list.

The 12 days of a Primitive Diva's Christmas....

The 12 days of a Primitive Diva Christmas



Well, the Holiday gift giving season is upon us. You may be pondering what to get the Primitive Diva in your life. Here are a few GREAT ideas that a few of us Diva’s have on our list.

On the FIRST day of Christmas her True love gave to her…One Himalayan Salt Lamp: Made of natural salt crystal from the Himalayan Mountains Gives a warm, soft amber glow to warm her heart and soul .Purifies the air she breathes by emitting negative ions to clear air of smoke, dander, pollen, EMF’s and many other pollutants. Can be found at Solay http://www.natural-salt-lamps.com/saltlamps.html

On The SECOND day of Christmas her true love gave to her…Two Boots a Brooklyn (a pair) of Vivo Barefoot’s , minimalist Brooklyn boot with style that will keep her strong, wild and barefoot(almost) at http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/ladies/brooklyn-27.html

On the THIRD day of Christmas her true love gave to her… Three bottles of earthy scents from Demeter ( her primitive and earthy favorites are likely Grass, Dirt and …..(maybe not the earthworm scent, haha) Mine, is the Pipe tobacco scent (its so rustic and warm)! Visit Demeter at http://www.demeterfragrance.com/58083/All-Classic-Scents.html


On the FOURTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her… Two Baltic Amber Necklaces: Baltic amber is an ancient fossilized resin that is known to have many healing powers (Neural system Recovery, Pain/Inflammation Relief, Supports Immunity, Reduces Oxidation Build up and is sometimes called a modern “elixir of youthfulness”. Looking for a vintage piece that is VERY primitive? visit www.earthlyadornments.com

On the FIFTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her…Five gifts (like note cards, mugs, patches, coffee OR even better yet the entire gift bastket (http://cavegirlcafe.com/shop/holiday-paleo-gift-basket/) A Primitive Diva “eats meat not wheat” with her favorite girls at the Cave Girl Café!

On the SIXTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her... Six jars of Immunitrition’s cultured creations- for a HEALTHY body--2 of each Garden Blend, Sea Blend and my favorite Sunshine Blend or get a sampler at http://www.immunitrition.com/Organic_Cultured_Veggies.html

On the SEVENTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her…Seven delicious treats from US Wellness at http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok Like, Bone Broth, Grass Fed Steaks and Jerky~ Just what every diva ADORES!

On the EIGHTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her… Eight boxes of herbs, teas,oils and elixirs from her favorite Mountain Rose Herbs. This diva’s new winter favorite is Rose Oil for the face and neck….so sensual, nourishing and healing for dry skin! Hurry and visit http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=116092&BID=770

On the NINTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her… Nine items from her favorite organic active wear boutique--- Athleta! Keep her stylish and comfortable during her MovNat workouts and Cozy Fireside Dinners……. www.athleta.gap.com **Hint to this Diva’s hubby *LOVE* the Oatmeal Sochi Sweater Dress and the Chaturanga running tights, ahhhhhhh!

On the TENTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her…Ten Books for reading: Like her classic kitchen favorite , Nourishing Traditions along with Weston Price’s Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Primal Body-Primal Mind, Robb Wolf’s The Paleo Solution, The Vegetarian Myth, The Nature Prescription, Omnivores Dilemma, Full Moon Feast, The Yoga of eating…. and a NEW diva favorite, the soon to be released Naked Calories! All of these are available in my AMAZON store link to the right side column of my page (helps support my own Knowledge Junkie habit)

On the ELEVENTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her…Eleven of Franks Finest Spices Spicing. The artisan crafted, chef inspired culinary blends are both flavor enhancing and pure healing from nature. Visit Chef Frank Giglio’s magical elixirs at www.franksfinestllc.com while you are there shopping grab a few of his primitive recipes.

On the TWELFTH day of Christmas her true love gave to her…Twelve months of bacon (bacon of the month) from The Pig Next Door at www.thepignextdoor.com.

I am sorry for the technical glitch with my hyperlink not working on the websites. I will try to fix that soon. In the meantime, just copy and paste into your browser and it will take you there. Ho, Ho, Ho.....!

In Health and Happiness,
Melissa ~ The Primitive Diva!

My return from the WILD....

Its really ME …I am back!

I am sorry for my absence but, I had a lot of activity in my world,between getting Three kiddo’s back in the school groove, the primitive princess and her Volleyball schedule, wrapping up the book, and the return of client schedule for my NOURISH Nutrition and Wellness practice.Actually, I have decided to let the book content rest and “gel” a bit. As I began some edit and rewrite of content, I realized, that the message I ORIGINally intended to share with my readers, was NOT all science based and it seemed I had gotten a bit too lengthy. So, I have begun to dissect some of the focused details out, while still including a lengthy reference section, for extended reading for my fellow nutrition geeks. I want this book to be inspiring, empowering and a practical guide, NOT information, statistics and biochemistry overload! I want this to be a book that I could give my busiest friends, mother, sister or neighbor and they could see how easy and simple it is to getting back to basics and embrace a “nature intended” lifestyle (nutrition, fitness, beauty). When I look at the amount of time I spend reading, researching and educating myself---well, most people don’t have the time, desire or need to know that much. I mean the foundation is that we ALL know our world is broken and messed up when it comes to anything relative to our health and well being. Now, we just need to know the steps of returning to what and how our bodies were designed to thrive. In the book I describe my theory on a healthy lifestyle balance that gives a strong visual of our bodies being like a TREE with a ROOT structure. The roots that are responsible for a strong vitality are – Nourishment, Hydration, Sleep, Movement, Nature, Soil (our foundation of support/family/community/relationships) and Climate (perspective of spiritual mindfulness/gratitude/peace). The book is not a cookbook, even though there are recipes. It is not a political expose, despite a few rants from my soapbox and it is certainly not a fad diet book……It is a guide to living a more primitive and intended lifestyle in our toxic modern world. Empowering you to regain your health, your life, our families and in part our WORLD!

Really....someone is actually listening to me?
I have had a few tweeters say, recently….oh, I read your blog. Along with a few people in my local community and even some recent international followers that have connected with me. I was surprised and flattered just knowing that someone would take time to read some of the information that I enjoy sharing. I send a Thank YOU to my readers/followers by “re-launching” the BLOG. Still not saavy enough to transfer to a website (remember….I am PRIMITIVE Diva not TECHIE Diva)but that will come in time….any web people out there who could share some advice? It would be greatly appreciated. However, in a renewed spirit and momentum of Primitive Diva- I am going to be sharing several stories from our WILD sisterhood of Primitive Diva’s. I am so inspired by these women and feel so thankful to call them friend. Today, I would like to introduce Jami Lynn McCormack. I feel confident that you will enjoy getting to know her. She resonates all that a Primitive Diva embodies, especially that intuitive reconnection to our ancestral sisters. Also, please join us on the Primitive Diva Facebook page where we share all kinds of WILDLY practical wisdom.



Welcome to our own, Jami McCormack!
Jami lives in Little Rock, Arkansas and is a Holistic Health Enthusiast! She describes herself as "being born this way." As a child she loved to eat "healthy". It brought her great joy and excitement to eat healthy and feel good. Growing up she was always reading about nutrition, herbs, essential oils, etc. She was just drawn to the things and ways of Nature. She came into the Holistic Health field through the study of Reiki Energy Healing and beginning a yoga practice. Not long after that she discovered the art of Colon Hydrotherpay, cleansing and healing the digestive system. Her latest studies reach into the broad spectrum of individualized health through the Chek Institute Holistic Lifestyle Coaching program. Jami has an understanding that health and happiness have great potetial to be expressed when we tend to all parts of ourselves-physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual.

Her credentials include:
Advanced Level Colon Hydrotherapist
CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach
Certified Body Ecologist
Reiki 2 Practitioner

Primitive Diva in a Modern World

Anyone else having this experience out there?!?! I know I am! And I'm loving it! I am experiencing a freedom and a wildness that has been stuffed down, trying to conform to the modern world and I've realized it doesn't have to be that way. There are ways to nurture the primitive, instinctual self and live in the world nowadays. This has not always felt so free-ing, it has been a journey. A journey physically, mentally/emotionally, and spiritually. Like many folks my age, I grew up eating processed food, drinking sodas and not knowing anything different. During my early teen years I became very interested in "healthy" eating and "natural" things. This was and is totally an innate desire. As I grew into a young adult I began to have challenges with my body. In my early twenties I began working in the Holistic Health field and studying and learning more and more and more.....until eventually I was a mess! My body had developed celiac disease and hypothyroidism. Now, mid-thirties, it's back to basics. Back to the way Nature intended. Grass fed beef, tallow, pastured chickens and eggs, lamb, etc..organic vegetables (working on more "local") organic fruits, cultured foods and beverages, etc. Basically eating food that was here, provided for us to live and thrive on. We as humans are hunter/gatherers. Nowadays our hunt is to actually find the right kind of food. Find the right people who are caring properly for the animals, the right sources of whole, organic produce, oils, cosmetics, etc. All of these things are so life giving to me that I feel excited when I think about it! I am able to utilize and give expression to the hunter part of me. I feel so blessed to be able to live this way, to nourish my family properly, to use my wild feminine self to find what we need, prepare it, make our house a home, make real food alternatives for the sweet tooth when it hits..I love all of it! I feel like a Wild Queen when I take my salt baths with essential oils and even just using pure, plant based shampoo, deoderant, oils, natural dentistry. I feel like I am in alignment with my soul, with nature. I am still on my journey. I have made great progress and yet I am aware of the ever expanding journey ahead..and I am grateful to be where I'm at. The more I live this way, the stronger I feel, the freer I feel and more open to "what is"..as opposed to living in resistance.
One of my great struggles along this journey was the subject of eating meat. And the fact that many "spiritual" communities believe that it is not right to eat meat, or it clouds you from being in touch with your spirit, or it causes cancer or it is "harmful" to the animals.....being the person that I am, I took this seriously. I genuinely wanted to be led by spirit and yet every time I explored healing my body it was presented to me to eat meat, good fats, etc. what is now known as the "Paleo" or "Primal" lifestyle. At the same time I kept thinking about original people, or cave people, tribal people, and it kept coming to me that they must have been so extremely in tune with their instincts in order to survive the land. In order to hunt the animal to feed and clothe themselves, to live with the laws of nature. How could it possibly be "wrong" to eat meat????? Did not add up to me..at all! That to me is the ultimate spirituality, being in tune, in alignment with our instinct.
After I got diagnosed I just had to let go of what the world thought and give myself over to what was right for me. I am so glad that I did not only for the sake of my health but for the gift of the amazing community that is out there living this way too! Getting back to our ancient ways (as much as we can) and living wild and free! Going outside to move the body, soaking up the sun responsibly ..not being afraid of nature and all it has to offer us, but embracing it, utilizing it's wonderful gifts.

Some of my favorite things:
Living Libations skin care, dental care, deoderant, etc..Oh! and chocolate
Tropical Traditions coconut oil..and EVERYTHING coconut
USWellness Meats....: )
cultured vegetables and beverages
Hiking with my fellow wild woman friend
Connecting with people from my wild self to theirs!

I have been more able to communicate truthfully and with integrity with the cleaning up of my life. Many of the fake foods out there frazzle the natural self. The gut and the mind (brain) are interconnected. Erratic emotional behavior is often times calmed with the proper nutrition. I am a proponent for as many holistic therapies as one chooses. I am very blessed to be married to someone in the medical field because it helps me to know that there are people in the medical field that really care about helping others, and they feel passionate about their medicine. It is different, but it's coming from the same place. I have had to use conventional medicine for diagnoses and to boost my thyroid. This was another challenge I faced. I had to learn how to accept the help I needed and let it help get me going...so I had the energy to do what needed to be done. It is ok. I am on my journey..my plan is to receive complete restoration of my body.....while remaining unattatched to a deadline, just doing the next step that is presented to me.
I hope to be able to help other people create a more natural and wild life for themselves. To find out what their body needs to function optimally, to experience a new found energy and joy. To feel strong and able to express who they truly are....in this modern, convential, conformed world!!!!
I love this journey. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to share on Primitive Diva's blog. Thank you, I am so blessed

Naked Beauty....?

As a FORMER beauty queen, free lance print model and simply being a female raised in the south, I certainly relate the sad but true "bondage" of self-image. In the past, like so many women, I would never leave the house without at least swiping on a quick coat of mascara, lip gloss or hiding behind sunglasses (*See DIVA, haha). However, over the years, I have slowly stepped away from the use and reliance of chemical cosmetics. I instead have focused of building beautiful ageless skin from the inside out. At an age...(Okay, I proudly admit that I am approaching 46)when I should be hiding age spots and wrinkles- I am embracing the natural character of my features by enhancing a glow that can be achieved ONLY with healthy fats, limiting sugar(highly inflammatory)and avoiding chemicals that can damage the skin and upset the bodies natural cycles.Instead of spending so much money each month of cosmetics, cover-ups and chemicals in a tube--have a relaxing, luxurious and nourishing spa facial (all natural Primitive Diva style, of course!)

Diva's,I know it sounds like such a simple idea- but when it comes down to it, you may be surprised by how hard it is to strip off that protective layer, step out of your comfort zone, and deliberately show the world your makeup free faces.But...I know, that soon,you will feel much more comfortable bearing a fresh, makeup free healthy glow to the world. it’s scary to bare yourself to the world and then wait for their reaction, but the reaction will be good and imagine if we could overturn prevailing thoughts that a woman needs to hide behind makeup in order to be beautiful!

Nourishing your body with healthy foods, using natural skin care products and methods (i.e. dry brushing, oil cleansing, garden facials, sleep and respectful time in the sun) will give you a GLOW to SHOW. You will realize how liberating, inspiring, and, needless to say, time saving it can be! Ready? Set? Shine.....!