RawWannabes

The Body Beautiful: Part I of II

2009-04-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Human beings are, at least to human eyes and senses, the most beautiful of all creatures. Sure, the other animals and plants are gorgeous too. Heck, even a good rock or cloud formation can be bedazzling.

By Dr. Graham

Humans, and the human form, however, are what we are most attracted to. We watch sports and the performing arts in order to humbly appreciate humans in movement, and possibly at their best. Let's face it, we go gaga over the human form. Beauty contests, body-building events, sports of every kind, fashion, art and all forms of visual media focus on it.

Body Sculpting Is Easier Than You Think

Your body is wonderful in its adaptability. It responds wholeheartedly to any and every substance, condition, influence, and force to which it is exposed. Lift heavy weights at near-maximum exertions and develop bigger muscles. Do high repetitions of lower-intensity exertions for relatively long periods of time and develop endurance. Stretch with frequency and you become more flexible. Your body constantly gives you what you ask for; there is no time out.

This is why you will notice that athletes from various fields of endeavor tend to have very specific body types: their bodies have adapted to the use they give them. You can often simply look at a person and guess quite accurately what physical activities they perform. Sprinters are built completely differently from long-distance runners, even though both run as fast as they can. The sprinters, however, rely more upon strength, whereas the harriers focus more upon endurance. Gymnasts tend to be thicker in the upper body compared to skaters and cyclists, who are thicker in the legs. Dancers are light on their feet and graceful. Hockey players lumber from side to side. Tennis players develop unilaterally in the forearms, arms and shoulders. And sumo wrestlers, well ... you know. Not only do the target body parts develop according to the way they are used, but the rest of the body also develops (or atrophies) according to the manner in which it is (or is not) used.

No effort is specifically put in to make the cyclist's thighs hypertrophy--it just happens as a result of cycling. Weight lifters don't have to try to develop bigger biceps--these muscles simply grow in response to the use they get when weightlifting.

You may have your own agenda for the way you would like your body to develop, but you must respect your body's agenda, and intelligently give in to its priorities. By choosing activities that align your body's response agenda with your body-sculpting agenda, you can have your proverbial cake and eat it, too.

So what is the trick to developing the physique of your dreams? Most people are convinced that it takes far more effort than they are willing to exert, so they don't even try. This approach never works. Most people do not know how to get what they want from their body. This is because they do not understand the simplest basics of physical training. Once one learns to utilize just two vital training elements, the "training effect" does all the rest, and rather effortlessly. Here are the two key elements that must be addressed if one wishes to develop the body beautiful: effectiveness and efficiency.

Is your training efficient and effective?

Making Training Efficient

Efficient training gets the job done in the least amount of time. After all, who has excess time on their hands, or even wants to spend more time than necessary in physical pursuits? The first part of training efficiently requires fully determining what you want to train for. The next is to learn to cut the wasted time out of your training regimen. The final part involves eliminating unnecessary aspects of training from your program.

So, what do you want to train for? Do you want broader shoulders or narrower hips? Are you looking for better overall definition or more power? Is flexibility your goal or, are you hoping simply to improve your golf, tennis, or football game? Do you study a specific type of martial art? Are you a runner? Do you desire total and well-rounded fitness? Only you can make these decisions. If you are an Aries, like me, you may want it all.

Reducing the wasted time in your training sessions is usually easy. Many folks find that when they train with partners, they spend more time talking than they do training. While this may satisfy your desire for companionship or connection, it definitely detracts from physical pursuits. You must either learn to train with less talk time, or plan to train on your own. One way to reduce the talk time is to play games rather than simply train. Two folks out for a walk may stop quite often to talk. When they kick a ball around, or play badminton, however, they tend to play a lot more and talk a lot less. Another would be to set goals in advance of each session. For instance, if you decide to walk four miles with a friend, talking won't detract from your success. If you add a time element to the goal, talking may hinder you both from finishing within the limits you have set for yourself. Some people prefer to wear a heart-rate monitor to help them keep from slowing down too much. You can set the monitor so that it alerts you when your heart rate drops below, or exceeds, the parameters that you set for yourself. This is an effective tool to use until you learn to maintain the pace or intensity level that you desire.

Transition is another huge time waster. Moving from apparatus to apparatus, or from one type of exercise to another, usually eats up more time than people think it does. Changing and fooling with your clothes, water-fountain breaks, tying your shoes, adjusting the equipment--these little interruptions cut efficiency. Plan in advance by wearing the appropriate clothing. Use a water bottle you can carry with you. Learn to tie the better bow or use speed clips on your laces, and whatever else you must do so that your equipment doesn't slow you down.

When we are at play, the one thing we do not tolerate well is an interruption. Conversely, most of us will create our own interruptions if we perceive ourselves to be working at something we do not enjoy. Try to approach your fitness goals with a playful attitude and spirit. You will very likely play more intensely and wholeheartedly than you will work out.

Remember that as you make your training sessions more efficient, you are likely to also increase its intensity. Be sure to make the appropriate allowances by either increasing your recovery and sleep time or cutting back on duration or some other aspect of your training to compensate for its increased intensity.

Once you know what you are training for, and you have cut out the wasted time, it is time to drop the unnecessary elements from your training as well.

Making Training Effective

Effective training is the key that allows you to achieve what you are striving for. In much the same way that an effective set of directions makes road travel easy, effective training makes it that much easier to reach your fitness or performance goals.

Let's say that you would like to develop large, muscular arms. This requires a specific type of training regimen, one that focuses effort on using the arms in heavy resistance activities. Running would be an extremely ineffective choice, whereas men's gymnastics would fit the bill beautifully. Similarly, crawl-stroke swimmers, who get more than 90% of their forward propulsion from their arms. would be foolish to devote even 10% of total training into their legs. Bicyclists, on the other hand, rely almost totally upon their legs. Upper-body training for a cyclist should be cut to the barest specific minimum. Push-ups would be an ineffective choice for developing flexibility; juggling would be a good choice in developing hand-to-eye coordination.

Very commonly, people's fitness and body-development goals do not align with their activity choices. Runners looking for muscular development are going to have to spend some time doing heavy resistance activities instead of just running. Many people would love to develop their abdominal musculature to the point that it is noteworthy. Doing so requires two steps: losing excess body fat so that the muscles are visible, and growing the abdominal muscles via high-resistance, low-repetition strength activities. I am amazed at the number of people who hope to develop washboard abs who do tons of abdominal crunches, an endurance activity, rather than a strength activity like prone extensions.

As you home in on your specific body-development goals, and refine your activity choices to meet those goals, you will develop toward the body of your dreams. Become more efficient and effective in your training approach, and your body will hasten in its development of the exact physical features that you desire.

With patience, consistency and persistence, you will soon be proud to show off your newly developed physique.

Overcoming Excessive and Compulsive Eating

2009-04-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

If you do it, you know it and it's not fun. The classic polite smile as the plate of hummus comes around. You politely refuse. But as soon as you've got a moment to yourself behind closed doors the compulsion over takes you.

by Tera Warner

It starts with a dip of the fingers and ends with a half-stunned stare at the bottom of an empty bowl. Many of us inspired about health and vibrant living have come from a background of less than ideal eating patterns.

One of the many traps into which a lot of "Raw Foodists" fall, or any dieter or binger for that matter, is the trap of feast, then famine. If you're one of the women who constantly puts her attention on the last 10 pounds to lose, then you know this trap all too well.

The 24 hour fast followed by the 3 hour binge. What does it take to finally achieve balance? How do we finally get into communication with ourselves and apply the tools that help us thrive and feel our best? At times it can seem a constant struggle, especially if you've come from a lifetime of destructive eating patterns.

Well, here are some helpful tips that may just inspire you to change some habits and create a new attitude toward food.

SLOW DOWN!

Modern day life has us on the move, up late and racing to get things done. Before you eat, relax, and take the time to give your body the message that food is on its way. You'll be more able to digest and enjoy your food and so hear your body's messages best when you're relaxed and peaceful.

Other things that help you to slow down around meal time:

Putting your utensils down between bites.
Giving yourself at least 30 minutes to enjoy your meal.
Some deep, slow breaths before eating.
Silence at meal time.
Take smaller bites, chew more slowly.
Take a little break between bites to smile at the person in front of you, etc.
Take a 5 minute breather. No one will likely even notice that you've taken a break, but doing so allows you to be mindful about your real hunger.

Make Food Time Focused Time

There are lots of great habits you can develop around your meal time and eating rituals. Overeating can happen very easily when we're eating as well as doing 10 other things simultaneously. While women are great at multitasking, meal time is one time where you would be best served by putting your attention on mindful eating, allowing you to be in better communication with your body's signals and needs.

When you're done eating, pop up from the table and start cleaning up the space. If you sit with the plate in front of you and you're anything like any relative I ever had at a Christmas dinner, you'll just keep snacking until the plate is empty, whether you're hungry or not.

Compulsion and composure don't go hand in hand. So if you're prone to food habits that seem out of control, developing some restful, thoughtful patterns around mealtime can make a big difference. Try these:

Leave a few bites on your plate and practice the art of a controlled finish. The end of meal time doesn't need to be signaled by an empty plate or bag of cookies! Leave a few bites without eating it all. Remember, it's better to let it rot in the garbage than in your gut!

Remember, often when we're going after foods it's stimulation we're seeking more than anything else. When over eating, it can become somewhat of means of deadening other perceptions, feelings and emotions, too. You've got to be willing to avail yourself to other pleasures, feelings, emotions and sensations that are in store for you!

Choosing from a selection of foods that are fresh and do not cause food addictions also makes a huge difference in one's ability to manage compulsive over-eating.

Remember that it's progress we're after, not perfection. Find your wins in the adventure of continually striving to achieve the level of health and wellness you're after, and let these helpful tips inspire change and motivation to take the next step forward on the journey.

True Weight Loss Motivation

2009-04-05T10:25:00.001-07:00

My Weight Loss Secret

2009-04-05T10:03:00.001-07:00

Raw Food Testimonial

2009-04-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

What's in David Wolfe's Kitchen?

2009-04-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

Let's come in and have a look...

How to Improve Your Memory

2009-04-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Fun Exercises for Kids

2009-04-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

Raw Borscht Recipe

2009-04-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

How to Make Raw Milk from Nuts

2009-03-31T20:10:00.001-07:00

Chew Your Food

2009-03-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

Philip McCluskey: Weight Loss Story

2009-03-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

Angela Stokes: Weight Loss Success Story

2009-03-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

On CNN.

Going Raw is the Solution

2009-03-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

Wonderful lecture with Karen Sussman.

Real Lettuce

2009-03-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

With Sergei Boutenko.

Juicing in a Blender

2009-03-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

How to Make Banana Ice Cream

2009-03-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

With Tera Warner and her son.

How To Get White Teeth Naturally

2009-03-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

With Victoria Boutenko.

Why is the Raw Diet the Most Proper Way to Eat?

2009-03-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Many have spent lifetimes wondering what caused humanity's "fall from grace." What has caused humanity's disconnection from living in a natural paradise? Why is civilization out of balance with Nature? These thoughts are often triggered by a study of the classical, legendary, or religious stories of a former perfect age.

Every culture seems to have a story about how human life began on Earth. Most describe a place where people lived in harmony with the plants and animals. While living this way, the stories indicate that, people experienced happiness and peace.

These stories often indicate that everything was in harmony until something happened. Some stories tell of a great flood, others tell of humans gaining an understanding of good and evil, still others tell of a shift in Earth's alignment, a few even tell of some godly or spiritual powers that drastically changed the state of life on Earth.

Those of us who follow a balanced, thoughtful raw-food diet, believe that we have found the major piece of the answer to humanity's obvious disconnection with Nature. A multifaceted collection of scientists, spiritual leaders, researchers, and grassroots raw-food enthusiasts, have come to understand through experience, that the great change in human life occurred after humans discovered fire, and then began cooking food.

The obvious separation created by putting fire between our food and our mouth, the tremendous amount of time and energy people spend to cook food, the use of massive resources to create today's cooked-food culture (with its billions of kitchens and restaurants), the construction of factories and shops all churning out cooked and processed foods, the packaging and wrappers involved in the whole cooked-food process, and the lack of life energy in cooked food are all major contributing factors in humanity's fall from paradise. Subconsciously, we know this, as our picture of paradise usually involves sun, beaches, mangoes, and coconuts; not gloomy cities, restaurants, and cooked animals for dinner.

All animals living in the wild eat their food raw and, almost always, fresh. Raw is Nature's First Law. Only humans and domesticated animals eat cooked and processed foods.

The cooking and processing of foods has become so common that most of us do not even question it. The assumption that cooked and processed foods are as good as raw foods is just an assumption. Most people do not know for sure, because they have never tried a balanced raw-food approach. Einstein once said: "The essential is to get rid of deeply rooted prejudices, which we often repeat without examining them."

Here is a visual experiment to consider: Feed a tribe of gorillas a diet of coffee, donuts, and other processed human foods for a few years. Let us watch what happens. Or consider, a herd of deer who, instead of eating their grass raw, decide to collect it and boil it in a giant cauldron. Picture what would happen in that situation!

What is it that constitutes the basis of human nourishment? Is it refined sugar flowing out of the roaring jaws of factories? Is it the flesh of animals being churned out by combinations of torturous factory farms and horrific slaughterhouses? Is it the milk of factory-farmed cows naturally intended for baby calves? Is it cooked and processed foods containing dyes, flavors, and preservatives?

No.

The basis of human nourishment is obvious: it is raw plant foods. And Nature presents this to us in abundance. Raw plant foods are simple, easy to find, fun to eat, enjoyable, contain thousands of health-giving nutrients, and conform to the biological design of the human digestive system. The sun is the source of all life and raw plant foods represent the purest form of transformed sun energy.

When one eats an orange, the wrapper (peel) becomes compost. When one follows a raw-plant-food lifestyle, the amount of trash produced by that individual decreases to almost nothing. Test for yourself and see.

An individual who eats the typical foods found in so-called "civilized society" who then changes to a raw-plant-food diet can discover energy they have never known. Eating a balanced mix of raw plant foods restores the body on a molecular level, building strong cells, radically naturalizing the body, raising alkalinity, and grounding the person in the natural world. Of course, the body resists shocking changes and everyone should ease into the raw-food approach at an appropriate pace. Also, everyone should educate themselves on this amazing subject (by further exploring this website, reading raw-food books, chatting on-line with other raw-foodists, and attending lectures), so that the common mistakes are avoided.

As the months and years pass, a person switching to a raw-plant-food approach may notice a greater awareness of the spiritual world, become more intuitive, and feel natural powers they have never experienced (or did not know they had). One will find oneself having more fun in a garden than a movie theatre. A profound new connection will arise with plants and animals.

Every person is a work of art in progress. Either one can become progressively more beautiful, or one can follow the fate civilization has set out (miseducation, wage slavery, decay, illness, and an untimely death). Each action one takes determines which of these two destinies will be achieved.

What we eat helps to guide our path. Eating determines what level of health our body will experience. Every bite of food put into the body should add to our strength, spirituality, and beauty. Each meal becomes part of who we are at the deepest level.

"You are what you eat" is a cosmic law. Everybody knows that saying ‹ everybody! It is a concept that has been known in every culture and civilization throughout history. It is written into the fabric of the universe. It is a simple law of Nature that should be remembered each day, and at each meal. Those who wish to heal themselves and the planet, should eat the most healing foods.

"Healing foods" means quality, organic, homegrown, or wild foods and/or superfoods in their raw natural state. Following this principle is not only the simplest way to choose what to eat, but is simply the best way to bring about good health and spiritual transformation. Because of this, this website is dedicated to helping as many people as possible succeed and prosper with the raw-food lifestyle.

We encourage anyone who wishes to experience the bounties of Nature to delve into eating what Nature provides to us. That is: raw plant foods. We encourage people to learn about superfoods, garden foods, and wild plants (herbs), to learn a new way of living, to experience the incredible energy Nature will give to you by accepting the foods she provides, and to live life in a melody with the plants and animals. By doing so, you may experience and reclaim your own little bit of paradise!

Written by David Wolfe, CEO of www.sunfood.com

"Interview with Sergei Boutenko" Documentary

2009-03-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sergei Boutenko has an interesting movie called Interview with Sergei Boutenko. Here is a little preview:

Britanie Faith: Who is She?

2009-03-30T18:43:00.001-07:00

The before pictures were of me from the age of 16-18 years old where I ranged from 185-198 lbs and was a size 18. Now I am 22 years old, down to 125-130 lbs and a size 7/8, thanks to going 70-80% raw and eliminating all gluten/wheat, rice, grains, dairy and artificial sugars from my diet for the past 5 years and just now for the past 26 days being 100% raw vegan.

I was diagnosed with having GERD and a Hiatal Hernia at the age of nine and was immediately put on the acid blocker Aciphex which I have remained on for the past 13 years and am just now discovering has had a lot to do with many of my food allergies and constant bacteria infections, candida and malnutrition. I am working with a well-known Holistic and Medical Doctor who is helping to get me off of the Aciphex and who also treating me for Candida overgrowth in my blood and digestive system, Mercury Poisoning, Hypothyroidism, Anemia, Endometriosis with Ammenoreah, Spastic Colon/Colitis and many B-12, Vitamin D and Amino Acid deficiencies.

I am also fighting to overcome Anxiety Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders due to so many years of debilitating chronic and painful illnesses that have made such an impact on my life and have effected me, my family and my everyday life in an extreme way.

It has been a long and hard road for me to travel but it's made me a much stronger person. I firmly believe that "everything happens for a reason" and that we are here on earth to go through different obstacles and to take what we learn from our hardest times in life, turn it into knowledge and help others to overcome.

Why I went Raw: When I first found that I was intolerant to Gluten, Dairy and all grains, including Rice, I was devastated. It was so hard for me to go out with friends or to family functions and feel so deprived. It wasn't until I found so many great Raw Food Recipes and Websites where I started to learn the joy about Live foods. I discovered how much I truly loved Fruit and Vegetables and started incorporating them into my life daily. Although, I have always been a fruit lover, not up until I was found out to having so many food allergies and feeling limited did I finally decide to start eating more of the fresh Fruits and Veggies. I then decided to eat mainly Organic foods, although I still ate meat and plenty of fish.

For the past 26 days I have cut out all meat and fish and have been 100% Raw (with the exception of certain spices, condiments, herbal teas and possibly toasted sea veggies) and have found my cravings for most cooked foods have diminished. I wake up in the morning now craving a huge watermelon or dates and goji berries with some agave nectar. It's truly amazing how your taste buds change once forced to try something new. I absolutely LOVE eating the way that I do, although of course there are times when I wish I were "normal" and able to eat all the foods that most people around me do but honestly, when I read more about the damage that cooked and processed foods and meats are doing to most of the worlds population, it's truly hard to go back into eating that way. I truly believe that food can be our best friend or are worst enemy. It doesn't seem like a hard choice, yet so many of us are hooked on bad foods.

I think if more of us Raw foodists and health-conscious eaters just inform one person at a time, more and more people will become aware and intrigued by this healthy lifestyle and want to learn and join as well!!

Keep spreading the world people. Live food is love :)

Chocolate, Cheese, Meat, and Sugar

2009-03-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Lecture with Dr. Barnard.

Neal Barnard MD discusses the science behind food additions. Willpower is not to blame: chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances. Dr. Barnard also discusses how industry, aided by government, exploits these natural cravings, pushing us to eat more and more unhealthy foods. A plant-based (vegan) diet is the solution to avoid many of these problems.

How to Stay Raw

2009-03-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

by: Alissa Cohen

There's so much information out there now about going raw and staying raw. So many different ways to do this diet, natural hygiene, mono eating, 80-10-10, no nuts just fruits and vegetables, fasting, juicing, no fruit.

If you are new to raw there is no way you are going to be able to go on a strict mono diet (eating only one food at a time until your full) and be able to stay on it.. Ok, some of you may be able to, for a while. But this is the reason I see so many people fail on this diet.

For years I have worked with people who have spent time at some of the top healing centers, worked with the raw ‘gurus' and finally come to me and tell me they are sick of just eating salads, being so rigid or not feeling like they are having any fun with this.

If you have to 'white knuckle’ this the whole time your doing it, its not going to work.Yes, you may be able to do it for a while but eventually it will just be a matter of will power and that never works. You need to make this fun and easy and joyous! Otherwise why do it?! For health? Forget that. If that’s the only reason it wont work. You wont BE healthy because you’ll be so stressed and uptight and stress and anxiety produce acid in the body which is why you’re eating raw in the first place, to create an alkaline state not acid!

So, you need to make this fun, you need to make this something you can live with, something that resonates with you, something you enjoy and look forward to and not something you dread. So what do you do? Your not having fun, your getting bored, or you want to do it but the smell and look of other peoples food around you looks appealing and you find yourself wavering…
Well, if your dreading this way of eating, not having fun and not thoroughly enjoying yourself, you need to change what your doing, now!

Being new to raw foods, you cannot expect to go from a cooked food diet to a strict one of minimal amounts of food, this does not make sense! Think about this, please! So many times I go to peoples homes after they go raw and they have a small bowl of fruit on the counter. I ask, “where's your food” and they tell me, right there in that bowl. HA! Forget it! When you eat a cooked food diet, even when your are on a diet, there is plenty of food in the house to eat, in the fridge, in the cabinets, on the counters, etc… but for some reason when people switch to raw food they start eating minimally, they hardly have any food in the house or they go shopping and get just enough for what they need for a few days… stock up people! It is only logical that if you get hungry, run out of food and are new to raw food eating you’ll be headed to the nearest fast food place within days! Don’t be so hard on yourself and expect yourself to suffer through this diet with minimal food available.

Now, if your not one to prepare a lot of gourmet meals that’s fine. Many of my recipes only take minutes to prepare, but you have to have something in your house to eat. Stock up on nuts so you whip up a torte within minutes, buy a red pepper, scallion and walnuts to make the mock salmon, have some nori available to roll the mock salmon up with some avocado, so many easy things you can make. But you have to plan and think this out a bit. Its not hard, you would need to do this with any new plan or diet…. Teach yourself how to make a few things, buy the spices, ingredients, etc… and get used to preparing it. It’s so easy with raw food but there is a learning curve just like anything else. Take a couple of weeks to make all these mouthwatering goodies, get your body adjusted to the lighter feeling of raw foods, allow your taste buds to appreciate the pure flavor of fresh natural foods instead of processed cooked foods.

You should not feel deprived or cheated or hungry on this diet, if you are then your not doing this right. What is the ‘right ‘diet for everyone on raw? There is no right one, you need to figure that out for yourself. Ill write more about that in another post. But the only way to find what’s right is to allow your body to adapt and cleanse and shift while eating raw foods. Eventually you will begin to eat lighter and ‘feel’ what your body needs. Eventually after you have been eating delicious raw foods and having fun with it and making this a joyous adventure you will begin to feel better and heal and realize how this diet can be the most wondrous gift you will ever give yourself.

Once you have been raw for a while you know when to eat less nuts, when to eat more greens, when to cut out certain things, add certain things or change your diet and it won’t be big deal. It wont be painful and you will be able to do that with ease, but please don’t expect yourself to do that within the first month or two of changing your whole way of eating which you have known your whole life.

Its amazing to me that after 40 years of eating pizza and chips and cookies and candy, people go raw and after three days are worried they will be deficient in protein or certain vitamins! Come on, think about this, silly isn’t it? First of all you will be eating healthier then ever before, you probably have never eaten as much fruit and veggies before right? And it takes years to become deficient in most things…. After a couple of days of not rotating your food choices or having a green drink you’ll be fine really, trust me on this one. Most people have never had a green drink in their life!
So, closing thoughts – JUST DO IT! Stop talking about it, stop worrying about it, stop obsessing over it. Stop thinking you need to make this even more rigid (mono, natural hygiene, no fruit, no nuts, raw food is strict enough) Do it for a month and see how you feel, make the commitment and you’ll be floored!
Have fun, stock up on tons of food, make fun things to eat, talk to people about what your doing, stay connected (very important!) and discover your true self!

Best wishes on your journey to a new life!
Xo Alissa

www.alissacohen.com

My Raw Journey

2009-03-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

With Matt Monarch.

Do they know about raw food? Music Video

2009-03-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

With Angela Stokes.

Raw Food Musical

2009-03-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

With Angela Stokes and Matt Monarch.

Angela Stokes: Who is She?

2009-03-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Woman Loses 150 Pounds from Raw Food

My name is Angela Stokes, I am 30 and I experienced recovery from morbid obesity by adopting a healthy lifestyle of raw food and natural health care.

BEFORE - Aug 2001 - 279lbs (approx. 20st/127kg)
AFTER - August 2008 - 138lbs (approx. 9st 9lbs/62kg)

Website: www.rawreform.com

Back in 2002, I was 23 years old, about 19 stone (266lbs/120kg), UK dress size 26-28 and lost in miserable cycles of a non-existent love-life, uncontrollable overeating and complete denial. My pride stopped me discussing my weight with even my closest friends and if anyone tried to broach the subject with me, I strongly resented them for 'interfering'.

My weight had steadily increased since my thyroid gland went under-active aged 11. By 16, I was 16 stone (224lbs/101kg) and my weight increased with my age, a stone a year, until by age 21, at my university graduation in 2000, I was 21 stone (294lbs/133kg). That was the heaviest I reached and when my health began to suffer so much that I thought I had diabetes, I knew this couldn't continue.

Two summers later I was introduced to the idea that revolutionized my life. A friend lent me 'The Raw Family' by the Boutenkos - a testimonial book about eating mainly or only raw foods for optimum health. I was utterly absorbed - I'd never been interested in diets, health fads or slimming aids and suddenly it seemed the right answer was in my hands. I began the very next day and the improvements in my health over the next weeks were astonishing. You could almost see the weight burn off me - I'll never forget seeing my collar bone again for the first time in years; my skin and hair quality improved dramatically, my energy soared and I was filled with vitality and a new hunger - for real life.

Within just a month of going raw, I had my first boyfriend in over 5 years - I was thrilled and increasingly inspired and dedicated to my new lifestyle. I found that as I became less of myself physically, I became more of myself as a whole person. I began to open up in ways that I hadn't found possible before, allowing truth, honesty and trust to develop. I had been locked up in that body for so long and now the real me was appearing and generating much interest, especially from men. ;)

It's been over five years since I started eating raw and I'm happier than I've ever been - I'm now UK dress size 10, can wear whatever clothes I like, eat delicious raw food daily and take great pleasure in treating myself well.

I will always bear the scars of my experiences - physically, my skin is marked and emotionally and spiritually I experienced great depths of loneliness, depression and insecurity that take time to heal. However, the process has been an extraordinary learning experience and I would not wish to change what I've been through to become the woman I am today.

Raw Food Combination - 8 Rules

2009-03-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

By: Tera Warner

Though the subject itself has only really come under investigation in the last 100 years, it has been covered in so many ways by some many different people that there are entire shelves in bookstores devoted to this very subject. Unfortunately, this makes for a whole lot of confusion for the average health-seeker.

No other creature on the planet seems to need elaborate charts and pyramids before they dive into their daily feast, so let’s see if we can’t come up with something simple so we can get out of our heads and on with the joys of eating and feeling good!

One of the first things to understand about food combining, is that the need for these principles comes from the fact that we have removed ourselves from our “natural environment”. Meaning that most of us can’t go out and pick our own mangos and then graze on the green leaves we find along our merry way. In modern society we have an infinite selection of food stuffs available to us at any moment. Combine that with our seemingly endless need for stimulation and we find that even though some apples, bananas and celery sticks would be a perfectly acceptable, nutritionally complete meal, we seek complication. The end result has been some marvelously elaborate recipes and a whole lot of indigestion.

The main problem with our combo-abombos and "gourmet" meals, (raw or otherwise), is that different foods digest at different rates. Generally, in order of speed of digestion, it’s sugars, starch, fats and then proteins. If you put something in your stomach that takes a long time to digest, followed by something that would normally digest very quickly, well the latter is forced to sit in the pipes and wait. Given the nature of the environment in the stomach, this leads to fermentation (sugars) and putrefaction (proteins). The byproducts of this gastric volcano is alcohol, indigestion and a whole lot of hot, smelly air. LITERALLY!

So, how can we avoid these physically and socially uncomfortable experiences? If you are going to get adventurous in your raw food play, take the following simple guidelines into consideration:

1. Fat and Sugar do not mix well.

Fat, which takes several hours to digest, and sweet sugars, which digest and are assimilated very quickly, do not make great belly-mates. Unfortunately, when you look around at most raw food recipes, you’ll see there is a discouraging number that contain mixtures like dates with nuts, banana with avocado, or sweet fruits with coconut. These recipes are an open invitation for digestive fermentation (never mind what they do for blood sugar issues)!

2. Bananas and Acid do not mix well.

Mixing bananas with oranges, for example, is less than ideal. Bananas are a starchy sweet fruit and where other fruits are concerned, combine best with other sweet fruits (like mangos) and sub-acid fruits (apples, pears, berries etc.) You should always listen to your body's response to the combinations you try, but we definitely advise you to avoid combining bananas and Durians. Other fruits generally mix fairly well together.

3. Acidic Fruits and Fats are okay for some.

Some people have no problems combining acidic and even sub-acid fruits with fat. The understanding is that these foods can actually help digest fats. The idea makes for some nice salad dressing combinations:

Tomatoes and tahini…
Orange juice and avocado…

4. Avoid Mixing Different Fats in the Same Meal.

Mixing different sources of fat like coconut, nuts, seeds, avocado or durian at the same sitting can make for a heavy-duty digestive workout and is best avoided. It’ just a lot more work than necessary for that beautiful body of yours.

5. Dark, Leafy Greens Go With EVERYTHING!

Mix them in your smoothies, or smother them with your favorite avocado dressing. Either way, leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, celery, etc. combine well with anything! (Green vegetables like broccoli, and cabbage do NOT mix well, and are not considered dark, leafy greens. They can be mixed with fats without any problem, however.)

So What About Cooked Foods and Other Vegetables?

If you want to eat fruit in the same meal as other foods, (salads with fatty dressings or cooked foods) then allow at least 20 Minutes for the fruit to make its way through the system, thus avoiding the uncomfortable side-effects of bloating, gas and digestive fermentation!

The Sweetness of Simplicity

Ultimately, we recommend simplicity because it most closely resembles the way things would be in nature. When you permit yourself the luxury of enjoying foods for the individual wonders and works of biological art that they are, you also allow your body to digest in “layers.”

Eating one food at a time, follow the following guidelines:

1. Eat Your Watery Foods First!

Because of its high water content, melon digests very quickly and within minutes of eating, it has already left the stomach!! While it does mix with other fruits very well, in sequential eating watery foods first, please!

2. Eat Acidic Fruits Before Sweet or Starchy Foods!

Things like citrus, kiwis, pineapples, and tomatoes should be eaten before other fruits. Again, if you think that most oranges tend to be less “concentrated” than a mango or a banana, this makes sense. *Dried fruit can be considered a concentrated food and should be eaten after fresh fruits, if eaten at all. We do not recommend more than occasional consumption of dried fruits.

3. Fat, Protein and Other Vegetables To Follow.

That’s it. Think generally in terms of eating your least concentrated foods first, and you’ll pretty much have it covered.

We hope these tips are comfort to your tummy and help to simplify what can appear to be an awfully complicated subject. The simpler you keep your foods the better you’ll feel!

Here’s to your health!

How to Stick to Raw for Good

2009-03-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

by: Heidi Ohlander

It's funny how some things come in waves. We've been receiving a lot of questions lately about how people can stay raw all week long. They start their week out right, but somewhere along the way they slip up here and there.

We both want to say right now that if you "slip up", we don't think it's a big deal at all! You ate something you didn't want, it's not a crime. Remember: it was your choice. Celebrate it! And better than that, take it as an opportunity to learn from it!

Here is our list of 9 solid tips and tricks on how you can stay raw this week:

Eat your staples. What are your daily staples? Most of us do not deviate very much from what we eat on a day-to-day basis. Do you eat a lot of banana smoothies? Do you juice regularly? Whatever it is, keep a mental or written list of what you eat. Make sure you are regularly making and stocking these things in your kitchen.

Focus on the benefits. When you start feeling so good, you often forget how bad you felt before. It's easy to stay raw when you are focusing on the benefits. Keep a list of ailments you used to have, or before and after pictures. Read raw food blogs, watch videos...stay motivated.

Try a new recipe. Even though we often only eat our tried and true recipes, adding at least one new recipe a week keeps things fresh. Try something new. The best thing that could happen is you find something new you love and want to eat often!

Have a raw stash. Carry raw food bars in your bag or purse. Bring a trail mix with you in a container. Pack fruit that stays good for a few days or weeks and travels well, like apples and oranges. Bring superfoods with you, like goji berries and raw chocolate.

Avoid coffee. For many of us, coffee can be a major trigger for eating heavy foods or cooked foods and vice-versa. Do what you can to reduce the amount of coffee you drink or eliminate it all together.

Eat foods that will give you long lasting energy. Fruit is great, but it can burn out quick. Throw a tablespoon of your favorite raw oil in your smoothie. According to David Wolfe in Sunfood Diet Success System, this will help release the fruit sugar more slowly for extended energy. You can also eat a handful of nuts or seeds for longer lasting energy, but don't overdo it or you may get tired.

Have your favorite raw food or raw food dish. This is so simple but often overlooked. Make your favorite dish or have your favorite fruit. This can really reignite your raw food passion and make you wonder why you ever wanted cooked food!

Make a raw dessert you can freeze or have in the fridge. Personally, we love coming home to an awesome pie or ice cream waiting for us in the fridge or freezer. These can last up to weeks and be there for you when you are hungry and don't want to make something. (For more information on making raw ice cream, you can sign up for our free raw ice cream ecourse.)

Eat something that makes you feel good right away. Durian, raw chocolate, and green smoothies are our favorites. They can immediately make you feel ecstatic and joyful!

There you go! Nine easy tips to keep you raw, Right Now!

Remember, being raw isn't like being in the military. You don't have to do something you don't want to do and you have no one to answer to but yourself. Don't make this into a war with you on one side and food on the other.

How To Survive On “Raw Food” In A Cooked Food Restaurant

2009-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most common questions people ask as they encounter the raw food diet. The dinner parties, the corporate events, and the evenings out on the town with someone you love...

“What am I going to do??!!”

If you’re not fortunate enough to have a vast selection of Raw restaurants to choose from, then you’re going to have to improvise. But don’t be worried about it, it’s actually much, much easier than you think.

Here’s what that’s going to look like:

1. Bend the rules, don’t break them.

Just because you’re in a restaurant, don’t let all those saucy smells seduce you into thinking “one slice of double cheese pizza won’t hurt.” It will hurt. And worse, you’ll ride the guilt train for having done it along with indigestion, constipation, water retention and oh-ho-ho, doesn’t that make for a lovely way to feel on a date?

You can find compromises if you have to. There’s no need to play pious Susie while you crunch on iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato.

The raw food lifestyle is a lifestyle of abundance. Though it may not seem that way at first, once you get in the groove of things you realize how much there is to discover and create from an extraordinary selection of foods that improve your health and well being on so many levels. And they just look better, too!

2. Put some boundaries in place for yourself. Hands off the cheesecake!

Before I give you the tricks for sticking to raw in a cooked restaurant, I just want to qualify it all by saying that it’s okay, sometimes, to make compromises.

I guarantee that some lightly steamed vegetables and brown rice will not back on an extra 10 pounds overnight. But, if a floret of steamed broccoli leads to the justification that a thick slice of double-chocolate cheesecake would top it off well, you know you’ve gone overboard and will likely be feeling the consequences the next day and may have a hard time getting “back on track” easily.

3. Make it an adventure—a challenge!

I’ll be honest. I’ve had some disastrous experiences in this area. In the beginning I would go through the very laborious process of explaining everything I did NOT want to eat.

“Nothing cooked.”

“No noodles.”

“No, no croutons.”

“No toasted nuts, either, please.”

“Nope, I don’t do salad dressing!”

And despite all my qualifiers and explanations, I invariably ended up with a plate loaded with toasted walnuts, goat cheese and croutons.

I felt defeated. An outcast doomed to disappointments in a cooked food world. I’ll admit to having taken it all so seriously that one day, I was drawn to the point of tears at the table.

Then I changed the Game a bit. I heard about one chef who loved a challenge and so decided to play the “I wonder if you’ll be able to save the day...” card.

I admittedly gave them my woeful puppy look when I said,

“You know, I have a little favor to ask of you, and I’m not sure if you can do it, or not, but I thought it can’t hurt to try. Just so you know, every other restaurant that I have asked to get this right, has totally failed. They just didn’t get it. But this looks like a good place, and you look pretty clever, so here’s the thing…”

A-ha! A chance to rise above the competition. A challenge and an opportunity to impress had been placed on the table. At the time I ate very simply and had gone on to request that the only thing I wanted was a billowing plate of spinach and freshly sliced tomatoes on top. But I didn’t want some flimsy side dish show. I wanted a mountain of spinach and lots of tomatoes.

I also made it clear that money wasn’t a concern for me.

It was a total glory moment when my plate arrived. I was thrilled. It was so simple, but they really did try and make it look and feel exactly like what I wanted. And they refilled my plate as often as I asked.

We all had a great time, and it wasn’t weird or strange and awkward to make these requests. It was FUN! I left a generous tip and felt completely satisfied with my meal.
Another glory moment came when I’d offered up the challenge to the chef to impress me with anything Fruit or Vegetable, but nothing in between.

WOW! One of the most gorgeous salads I’ve ever had.

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of going out for a night on the town. Whenever possible, you can call in advance, too, and let the chef have a bit of notice! Often they’ll go to special efforts just to show off their skills a little. Whatever you do, don’t look upon the opportunity in fear. Make it an adventure.

4. Whatever you do, don’t apologize.

Some people have suggested or saying that the “Doctor says I have to eat this way…”

That’s just no fun at all and completely apologetic.

You do not have to make apologies for the fact that YOU are a health seeker. You do not have to make apologies for trying to go against the system and improve your conditions.

Smile with pride. Beam, giggle, flirt with your simple foods and look like the gorgeous diva you are! The world will catch on soon enough when they see your healthy glow! You are a pioneer for health in the world, and you should show it off, not hide in shame or apologize.

Don’t feel cooped up and isolated socially just because you happen to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. Snack a bit before if you have to, but get out and show off your healthy ways. If you keep the right attitude about it all, you’ll be sure to convert others who see your healthy habits.

Tera Warner's Website

"How to Save the World" Documentary (Genetical Modifications)

2009-03-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

www.howtosavetheworld.co.nz

"The Future of Food" Documentary

2009-03-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

www.thefutureoffood.com

How to Start a Raw Food Diet

2009-03-29T14:37:00.001-07:00

Lillian Muller & the Raw Food Diet

2009-03-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

David Wolfe Interview on Green Smoothies

2009-03-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

TIP: How to Transition to a Raw Food Diet

2009-03-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

Growing Your Own Food

2009-03-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

With David Wolfe.

Tera Warner: Who is She?

2009-03-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Meet the Woman Behind The Only Online Community for Women Who Are Passionate about Health, High-Energy Living, and The Raw Food Diet!

Website: www.rawdivas.com

Tera's formal studies were in anthropology, English and primate studies. After years of dabbling in the study of herbs, nutrition, fitness, aromatherapy and natural health she stumbled upon the "the raw food diet" and has been actively living the lifestyle for more than 5 years.

Now a passionate online entrepreneur, she has created The Raw Divas as a means of building an international community to support women seeking health through nutrition and working to achieve a natural, sustainable lifestyle. Her intent is to create opportunities through this project to enable and support other women in building their own independent, at-home businesses powered by passion before profit.

Tera's other online projects include: Green Smoothie Queen, Body Enlightenment System, Clutter Free Diva and Raw Mom! She invites you to visit these and thanks you for being a part of this community.

Tera Warner Offers the Following Programs:

Free Raw Weight Loss Program

Body Enlightenment System

Green Smoothie with Victoria Boutenko

2009-03-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Victoria Boutenko TV Interview

2009-03-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Valya Boutenko TV Interview

2009-03-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Boutenko Family: Who are they?

2009-03-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

We are the Boutenko family, also known as the Raw Family.

The four of us embarked on a diet of entirely raw foods in 1994, when we became seriously ill. Victoria had arrhythmia and edema and was obese and depressed. Igor suffered from painful rheumatoid arthritis and had severe hyperthyroid. Sergei was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and was supposed to go on insulin. Valya had asthma.

After we went on a raw diet, we healed all of our health problems. You may read our complete story in our book Raw Family.

Having been on raw foods for so many years, we have acquired invaluable experience in living on a raw food diet. In our lectures, books and videos we share our knowledge.

Visit their website at: www.rawfamily.com

Learning Programs

2009-03-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Boutenko Family: Books

2009-03-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

“What To Do When You're Craving Unhealthy Foods”

2009-03-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

5 Actions You Can Take to Beat Food Cravings Now

by Frederic Patenaude

Every time I ask my readers what's the most frustrating thing they experience when trying to eat a very healthy diet, the number one answer that comes up is *cravings* for unhealthy foods.

It seems that even though you may know what's good for you, the “bad” foods or the foods you're trying to avoid are still not only tempting, but sometimes temptation is stronger than anything. Like the movie said, “Resistance is futile.”

Now, I know it's been said that the best way to resist temptation is to yield to it, but today I'm not going to suggest that. Instead, I'm going to give you 5 actions you can take when you're craving unhealthy foods.

1. Eat More Raw Food

From my experience, the number one reason why people experience cravings on a raw food diet is that they haven't learned to eat enough fruits and vegetables to be well nourished. They eat a starvation diet that may be good for short-term detox, but it's not enough to sustain them over the long run.

So the one thing you can do whenever you're craving unhealthy foods is to eat more raw foods. Make yourself a big banana/blueberry smoothie and don't consider eating anything else until you've finished it.

Then you can learn to gradually increase the amount of raw foods that you eat, to the point that you're no longer craving unhealthy foods.

2. Wait for True Hunger

In my book The Raw Secrets, I explained the difference between true hunger and false hunger. In true hunger, you will be satisfied by simple foods. With false hunger, you will *crave* complex, spicy, or salty foods, and might not feel at all drawn to eat fruits and vegetables.

One thing you can do when you're craving unhealthy foods is watch how you feel and identify whether you're experiencing true hunger or false hunger. (Those signs are listed in the book The Raw Secrets).

If it's false hunger, commonly referred to as “appetite,” then it won't hurt to simply wait until you are truly hungry before eating. At that point, you may find that a green smoothie or a fruit salad might be the food that you're really craving.

3. Break Out of the Pattern

Often, cravings arise when there is a situation that “triggers” the cravings - some mental or emotional association that is “anchored” to the particular foods that you're craving.

For me, I would always crave all sorts of foods when I visited my mom. The emotional triggers associated with the place where I grew up were strong, and for many people it's the same.

You can learn to avoid these circumstances as much as possible, and/or break free of the emotional patterns or triggers when the cravings occur.

For example, if a certain situation triggers a craving for you, then you have to understand that your brain has been “conditioned” to react that way.

One thing you can do is simply break the pattern by doing something you wouldn't normally do in that situation.

That can be go out for a run, go take a walk, jump in a pool, do some jumping jacks, laugh... anything to break the pattern!

4. Identify the Emotion

You can also be craving unhealthy foods when certain emotions arise. The reason is that we often use foods to “numb” ourselves whenever we feel emotions we don't like.

And it's not just lonely or fat people who have that problem - everybody does, to some degree. The foods we call “comfort foods” are in fact “numbing foods” that prevent us from experiencing our feelings.

The solution is not to run away from the emotion, not to “express” it, but to simply feel it. Accept the emotion, feel it, and observe what happens inside of you when you're not running away from the emotion by using “comfort foods” to numb it.

You might discover very interesting things about yourself in the process.

5. Get at the Root of Your Cravings

Ultimately, you want to get at the root of your cravings. If the cravings are of a nutritional nature, you want to learn how to eat a healthy raw-based diet that fulfills your nutritional needs. I recommend as a minimum that you invest some time in learning the basics of this diet by referring to the following resources:

o Raw Health Starter Kit
o Making Friends With Your Food

But there are also complex chains of emotions attached to our relationship with food, and if you've been raised in a Western culture, chances are that you use food for many reasons, not just for nourishment.

In order to eradicate cravings completely, you need to change your *relationship* with food, so that you can do away with cravings and feel confident in facing the inevitable social obstacles that present themselves when applying a raw diet in a predominantly “cooked” society.

Frederic Patenaude: Books

2009-03-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Frederic Patenaude: Who is He?

2009-03-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Frederic Patenaude has been working in the natural health movement for over 8 years, and has over 10 years of experience in the field of nutrition, health and personal development. He is the author of several books and his articles are read by tens of thousands of people every week, in various online newsletters.

Frederic also wrote and published the book The Raw Secrets: the Raw Food Diet in the Real World, which is widely recognized as one of the best and most practical, down-to-earth books on the subject.

He also created several recipe books, over a dozen courses and information products, and hundreds of articles that have been published online and offline.

Frederic spends his time between his home country of Canada and Costa Rica, where he lives at least half of the year.

Website: www.fredericpatenaude.com

Philip McCluskey: Who is He?

2009-03-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss Man Loses 200 Pounds

A true raw food transformation!
More before and after pictures are available.
How did he do it? His story is below:

My Goal: To be half the man I used to be
From 400 lbs to 200 lbs.

I have literally tried it all. Here's the list:

Weight Watchers (3 times)
Weightlifting at gyms (7 memberships at different gyms)
Physical Trainer (2 times)
Atkins (2 times)
Blood Type Diet
Diet Pills (2 times)
Fasting w/ water (2 times)
Vegetarian (2 times)
Vegan (2 times)
Hypnotism for weight loss (2 times)
Guided Imagery
Hospital Nutritionist
Nutrition Counselor (2 times)
Juicing
Martial Arts Classes (2 times)
Exercise videos (countless)

I have either tried or bought every fat caliper, elliptical machine, trampoline, and weight bench set I could find. I had more weight lifting magazines than you can shake a stick at, and still nothing, until...

RAW LIVING FOODS!!!

I know what you are thinking... How did this all start? What is this all about? It is truly my pleasure to share with you what worked for me.

It started with my first International trip, to Germany and Amsterdam. In Berlin people were constantly staring at me, even tugging on a friends shirt and pointing. Berlin is a fashion capital, and I am not concerned with the latest trends so I thought that was the cause for attention. What, plaid shirts aren't in style anymore?

It was only after an older lady who worked down stairs from our Amsterdam apartment asked me "How did you get so big?" I realized what the staring was all about. It came crashing down on me all at once - I hadn't seen one person even 30 lbs overweight in my two weeks of travel in Germany or Holland, except of course the occasional American tourist. They weren't staring at me because of my clothes, they were staring at me because I was 400 lbs. It has become increasingly common in the U.S. to see morbid obesity, but I just had no idea how uncommon this was for the rest of the world until traveling overseas.

Needless to say I felt fairly uncomfortable. My first response was to get angry, but deep down inside I was in pain. And, with all the pressure of the stares, maneuvering with difficulty my suitcases from trains, hotels, and airports, and not knowing the language, I became utterly overwhelmed. When I got home I had a panic attack / nervous breakdown. This was my rock bottom. I no longer wanted to live that way - things has to change.

I had never before experienced those feelings. I was always the calm and cool guy - the guy in control. I mean I use to do my bills in my head while laying in bed at night. I had everything under control... or so I thought.

Now you may be thinking, "What does this have to do with raw food?" Be patient... this is the build-up! Every great decision you make in your life and every change in your path starts with you realizing were you're at, and what you have become, right? I was a well planned-out, organized, control-freak, who had every string pulled so tight they were all bound to snap. When I went to Las Vegas for vacation I had just about every minute of the trip planned out for a full week. I mean if I took too long brushing my teeth in the morning I was getting panicky because it might throw off my schedule. That sure is no way to live. Some of you may be able to relate...

Dealing with depression, the next weeks and months felt like hell - I was stuck in a revolving door with no exit. I had no control over my life - which was rushing at me all at once and didn't feel able to push pause. It was tough - it was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. Despite the pain and hard times, something was born within me I never knew was there. Actually it was always there... I just forgotten it. Something new, something wonderful, something so unexpected...

My hard times morphed into something so amazingly wonderful. My eyes were opened to a world I couldn't see before - or at least one I didn't want to see. Eating raw living uncooked organic vegan food (veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds) was just the beginning. It lead into so many other changes in me - I began caring for the planet, becoming green conscious, learning to love all over again, releasing control, exercising and liking it, trusting more in myself, realizing the importance of prayer and meditation, discovering nature like a child, and beyond.

The best thing is that I have lost weight for the first time in my life, and I couldn't be happier. Do I miss processed foods, nope! Do I miss colds and drained energy, nope! Do I miss being an emotional wreck because I looked through the entire Big & Tall store and could not find one pair of size 58 pants that look good on me, nope! Do I miss not being able to squeeze behind the wheel in my car because my stomach touched the wheel, nope! Do I miss having to give up my $150pp 4th row seat tickets to Cirque Du Soleil at the Bellagio in Las Vegas that I was waiting to see because I couldn't fit in the theater seats, nope!

And I sure as heck don't miss a slice of pizza!

I started this raw foods journey on May 1st 2006. In about 5 months I had lost 75 lbs and was down to 325 lbs, then lost an additional 25lbs over the next 6 months. I really could have done more but I honestly didn't start to exercise until I lost about 100 lbs. That's right, I lost 100lbs and hadn't even started to exercise yet.

I decided to create this website to document my weight loss and life transformation with pictures, stories, times of inspiration, times of hardship, whatever comes is what I will share. Just the truth, nothing more and nothing less. I will reveal all the tender sores that life has pushed and prodded at in hopes that we can all heal and grow together.

His Website: LovingRaw.com

"Food Matters" Film

2009-03-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Featuring David Wolfe.

Film Info

David Wolfe: Books

2009-03-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

"I Will Eat Raw" Music Video

2009-03-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

The story of one man's personal journey from fast-food junkie to raw fooder. Written, directed, and produced by Joel S. Jacobs. Music by Kerry Oakey.

Read an interview about this music video here.

David Wolfe: CNN Appearance

2009-03-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

David Wolfe: Who is He?

2009-03-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Health, Nutrition & Natural Beauty Expert

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, Sunfood Nutrition (www.Sunfood.com)
PRESIDENT, The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (www.ftpf.org)
CO-FOUNDER, TheBestDayEver.com (www.thebestdayever.com)

You'd think he was a rock star with a fan base like his - America's TOP CEO's, Global Ambassador's, Hollywood celebrities, busy professionals, and even the most powerful buying influence in the nation - Mom's! But it's not rock n' roll that they flock to him for...it's his nutrition mission and the natural-health and beauty eco-revolution that David Wolfe champions.

With a masters degree in nutrition, and a background in science and mechanical engineering, David Wolfe is considered one of the world's top authorities on natural health, beauty nutrition, herbalism, chocolate, and organic superfoods. Leading the field with his vision, mission, education, and business, David has over 14 years of dedicated experience and understanding of the inner workings, the delicate chemistry, and hardcore mechanics of the human body and how the body is affected by the modern-day stressors of today's fast-paced, over-worked, and unbalanced lifestyle, which is literally a "killer" to our beauty, health, and longevity.

Through his down-to-earth and simple approach, David shows us that no problem is created without a solution and that we DO have the opportunity, right at our fingertips, to make new choices about our lifestyle and take our health back into the power of our own hands.

As the author of the best-selling books, Eating for Beauty, The Sunfood Diet Success System (7th Edition), Naked Chocolate, 21-Day Peak-Performance Weight Loss Program, and his newest release, Amazing Grace (Random House 2008), David Wolfe empowers and inspires people to take charge of their health even up against all the modern-day demands of bills, technology, environmental pollution, commuting, and inflation. By making simple, informed decisions, David shows us that we can all enjoy quality time for ourselves and with our family, because, after all, Health is Wealth!

David is also the founder and chairman of Sunfood Nutrition™, an all-green and eco-friendly business that continues to be the world's premier source of the most innovative, highest quality, organic superfoods and healthy-lifestyle related products and information. With the highest quality and eco-control standards anywhere in the market today, Sunfood Nutrition leads the field with products inspired by the principles of sustainable agriculture, living in harmony with nature, and ethical global cooperation.

Taking the world by storm with a trendsetting sense of eco chic style, David Wolfe, ground-breaking businessman, entrepreneur, and lecturer is like many other successful 'non-jet set' 30-somethings, who are turning conventional living on it's head and bringing awareness of green living and natural health into mainstream consciousness. By championing environmentally-friendly (yet still profitable) business, David is a living example of the next frontier of success technology. David is a sound believer in the power of the dollar to bring eco-friendly living into the mainstream and teaches, through his work, how by practicing just a few key principles anyone can improve their health, fashion, physical appearance, and sense of well-being.

As an innovative environmentalist, David Wolfe is also the President and Founder of The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (www.ftpf.org), a non-profit organization with a mission to plant 18 billion fruit trees on planet Earth. David's organization has planted, to date, tens of thousands of fruit trees in locations spanning from Africa to Canada, from India to Hawaii.

In addition to running his global nutrition company that consistently sets the precedent for the highest-quality level of clean, organic and fair-trade superfoods, David Wolfe privately consults and inspires the ordinary into the extraordinary and the extraordinary into "peak states of flow." His celebrity fan base includes Woody Harrelson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Alison Lohman, Tony Robbins, Steve Jobs, Angela Bassett, James Caan, and many others.

A highly sought after health and personal success speaker, David has given over 1500 live lecture events in the past 14 years. Today, David Wolfe continues to share the stage in the company of Anthony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Buzz Aldrin, T. Harv Eker, John Gray, Les Brown, Barbara DeAngelis, Brian Tracy, and many more.

David Wolfe is also a gourmet chocolatier. He is a passionate proponent of the healing and beautifying power of raw chocolate (cacao beans). By bringing cacao beans and nibs into mainstream distribution throughout North America, David has continued to promote the economies of indigenous cultures through ethical business. Just ask David how - he won't be shy to tell you why chocolate is the greatest, most prosperous, nutritious, mood-elevating, highest energizing, and top weight loss aphrodisiac food on the planet!

Source: sunfood.com/MyPages/about-david-wolfe.aspx

"Go Raw Now" Tour

2009-03-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

"Simply Raw: Raw for 30 Days" Documentary

2009-03-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Reversing Diabetes in just 30 days with raw foods.
Six McDonalds-munching Americans eat 100% vegan live foods for a month. Medical results are fantastic. Doctors , experts, and raw foodists are interviewed including Gabriel Cousens, MD, David Wolfe, and Woody Harrelson. This is a trailer for the feature film, now in post-production.

More Info

You are What You Eat - Cartoon

2009-03-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

Raw Food Comics

2009-03-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

Diabetes Reversed with Raw Food

2009-03-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

Sergei's story is remarkable. Back in the day before 1994, every member of his family was diagnosed with something, for him specifically it was Juvenile Diabetes. With the help of the raw food diet, the diabetes was reversed, never to come back.

Today Sergei enjoys great health and is part of a fully raw family. Together they go around the world spreading the miracle of their lifestyle. He and his sister have even written a wonderful book called "Eating Without Heating."

Here is an excerpt from Sergei's story:

"I feel extremely lucky to have been given another chance at being healthy. I know that the active lifestyle that I live today would not have been possible to live had I had diabetes. I am very grateful to my parents for not being afraid to try something out of the ordinary and for not being afraid of what others will think of them. It is because of them that I have my health today."

Chris Carlton: Who is He?

2009-03-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

I was sick a lot. That's what I remember now, when I think back on my health. I don't mean that I grew up in hospitals under constant care or made appearances at fund raisers for charity. My sickness was considered to be quite normal. It was just a fact of life, that I had to deal with.

I grew up with what they called back then 'sinus trouble'. This meant I got all the colds and flu that went around. I had breathing troubles from time to time. I got ear infections and sore throats and the usual 'sinusitis', many times a year.

I was overweight as a kid also. Only a little, 10 pounds or so. My Mom said I was just 'Husky'. Even though it wasn't much, in my head I remember, it defined me. I can't remember a time as a kid that I didn't hate myself for being fat.

I always compared myself to my Dad's side of the family tree. They we're mostly all very overweight and all had a whole history of major illness throughout their lives. My Dad's mother was even known affectionately as 'Big Mama'.

Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease and Obesity were just part of the plan. For Dad's side of the family it wasn't a matter of 'if' but 'when' we would get these diseases. I grew up knowing this is what I would be like too. I never considered that I could be healthy. I was never led to believe it was an option for me.

The strangest part to me now though, has got to be life between the ages of 17 and 22 or so. I was part of a small group of close friends, there was 6 of us. We were always together and I was "the fat guy" in our group. My nickname was 'The Fat Man' or just 'Fatty' for short.

I accepted this. I went along with it. I played up to it, answered to it, and never thought anything of it. My weight was a constant source of self directed humour. It was a social tool for me that I depended on. The amazing thing about this is that, during this time I was never more than 10 to 15 pounds overweight.

After I settled down at 23, I began to gain about 10 pounds or so a year. I would try the latest fad diet, join a gym for a few months or buy a new fitness machine every once in a while. But my weight just kept climbing. This was no surprise to me at all. I had expected it to happen for as long as I can remember.

I developed severe Asthma, High Blood pressure and Hypertension. I checked my Blood sugar often, just waiting for the start of Diabetes. My bouts with colds and flu got worse and were normally accompanied by Pneumonia or at least Bronchitis.

I had a steady regiment of 'Actifed' (Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride/Triprolidine hydrochloride) and 'Tylenol' (Acetaminophen) and also whatever prescriptions the Doctor had me on at the time. I was always near a few pill bottles and I was never more than 10 feet away from my rescue inhaler.

At the age of 35, I was in bad shape. I weighed 26 stone (363 pounds). I began to have mysterious health scares, that would sometimes include a few days in the hospital with no diagnosis. I was also scheduled for a BPD/DS operation. (stomach surgery) Remember, I thought all this was normal. I wasn't even really concerned.

In 2002, I retired from my job. I wanted to travel and I bought a Motorhome. I was on the road full time, seeing America. For the first time in my life, I began to cook my own meals, because it was cheap, convenient and I had plenty of time.

Before I knew it, I had lost 2 stone (30 pounds). I felt better too. I was amazed. I thought for the first time that maybe I could do something to improve my health. My travels took me to California and there I became a vegetarian. 2 months later I went vegan. I just kept improving my diet and getting more active.

In 2003, a woman named LaWanna Rine told me about 'Raw Food' and fed me my first 'Raw' meal. It was 'Spaghetti' (made from squash) with a nice thick tomato sauce with all that great Italian flavour I loved. She even gave me 'Ice Cream' (made from frozen bananas) for desert. It was incredible and I couldn't tell that what I was eating was 'Raw'.

I was hooked. I knew that my new goal was to go 'Raw'. I began experimenting with my food processor and making soups and such but I had still never seen a 'Raw' recipe book. I met a few more 'Raw' enthusiasts at RBI, Leonard Orr's Training Centre in Virginia. One thing was obvious. These were the healthiest people I had ever met.

When I met Zoe, we fell in love right away. She was vegan also. We were making our favourite vegan meals for each other every day. We were in vegan heaven! Then I told her about 'Raw Food' and she insisted that we try it. We downloaded a few recipes and We've both been 'Raw' ever since.

All in all, I've lost 12 stone (165 pounds), but even better than that I've got something I never had before. I am healthy. Really healthy! I haven't been sick in three years. My blood pressure is normal and my cholesterol is 2.5 UK (below 100 US).

At 35, I never would have believed that I could be healthy. Now I know that I always will be. My whole life has changed. I've discovered Bikram Yoga, Rebirthing Breathwork and conscious thinking along the way and I am still improving my health every day.

My life and my healthy body is now my most valued possession and no one can ever take it from me. Wow, Wow, Wow! Life is Great! I am so Blessed.

Paul Nison: Who is He?

2009-03-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

At age 20, Paul Nison was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (also know as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), a deadly affliction.

His search for a cure began with medical doctors, but they didn’t have the answers he needed. After trying almost every so-called cure to overcome his pain and suffering, Paul finally discovered the benefits of eating more simply. He started by getting rid of foods that were no good for him. Simplifying his diet was the first step in his cure.

“I was eating so much unhealthy food, but didn’t care because I felt great. When I got sick, I finally realized health doesn’t start with what we add to our diet, but with what we leave out.”

Paul started to leave out all unhealthful foods, and the healthful foods he was left with were raw, ripe, fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

After turning to a more simple diet called “the raw food diet” consisting of just that, raw foods, Paul was amazed at how quickly his health returned. He was even more amazed because doctor’s told him raw foods would not help his condition. In fact, they warned him by saying a diet of raw fruits and vegetables would be harmful to anyone with inflammatory bowel disease.

This led Paul to simplify all areas of his life. With his new understanding of “less is more,” Paul left his office job in the financial industry on Wall Street in New York City, wrote some books about health, and started traveling, giving lectures about health and living simply.

Paul didn't know it at the time, but his return to health and a simpler life was just the beginning of a path that would bring him to question the connection between today’s fast-paced urban lifestyle and the sadly diseased state in which so many people find themselves. “The more I started to realize what was really going on, I would see most people moving around like robots, barely surviving while I was thriving.”

This led Paul to continue to search for an answer. He realized that people are being controlled by the world. Most of the people in control do not have the best interests of the people they are controlling at heart.

As Paul continued to study, he was led to read the Bible. When he saw that it clearly said, we should not be controlled by the people of the world, but by the Master Creator, Father YHWH. Everything made perfect sense.

As a definitive confirmation that Our Creator had all the answers and not the world, Paul found Genesis 1:29:

“See, I have given you every plant that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, in which there is life, every green plant is for food.”

“Discovering healthful eating was a big step for me, but finding building a personal relationship with Our Creator was the biggest. My life has definitely changed and is better than it ever was.”

Paul’s life is now dedicated to studying and living according to the Scriptures and to developing his relationship with The Most High. It is Paul’s prayer to help as many people as possible to see the amazing health message of the Scriptures, and to help them get to know and understand their Creator. According to Paul, the Scriptures comprise the greatest book on health ever written.

To convey his message, Paul will travel wherever he must. He spends most of his time on the road. Paul explains that the hectic life on the road, working many hours, is only possible with the help of Our Creator .

“There is so much to get done, but each second I spend working on this is a joy because I know it’s not for me, it is for Our Creator and it is helping people.”

Paul will speak anywhere and is accepted everywhere. He usually speaks at health food stores, retreats, churches, Messianic assemblies, yoga studios, parks, and corporate offices. Paul says there is nowhere he wouldn’t speak, as long as people are interested in helping themselves get better.

Paul is on a mission to bring the message of health and healing to the world. His experiences and background in raw food nutrition, along with his study of the Scriptures, have helped him develop a unique teaching style that is fun, simple and to the point. Paul has helped people in several countries achieve their goals while pleasing their Maker.

He’s known among his peers as one of the most humble, enjoyable people to be around, while, at the same time, he speaks boldly and to the point. He has a unique style combining humor and boldness to get his message across to everyone. From children to seniors, men and woman, everyone stands to benefit from Paul’s message.

Audrey Walker: Who is She?

2009-02-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

I was raised on the typical Standard American Diet, including processed convenience foods, meat, dairy, and junk foods. Like most parents, my parents meant well but didn't know any better.

As a child I developed an emotional attachment to (and love affair with) food and started the unfortunate habit of using food to comfort myself. As a result I grew up overweight. As many of you know being a “chubby kid” can be very miserable. I suffered tremendously because of it. I was also sick a lot. I had frequent throat and ear infections, colds and flus.

As a young adult my eating habits became even worse, being on my own and being on a budget meant that I ate nothing but cheap convenience and junk foods. I never ate any fresh fruits or vegetables. Everything was out of a box, bag, or can.

Even after I became a vegan for ethical reasons, I had a horrible diet. A lot of junk food is vegan! I ate lots of fried foods, processed starches and sugar and was addicted to Diet Coke. The only health benefit I noticed after going vegan was that I stopped getting throat and ear infections. I assumed that I was lactose intolerant; little did I know that dairy is not a food that is meant for humans at all!

After about ten years of this constant abuse, my body starting rebelling. In my late twenties I developed chronic fatigue syndrome. It was terrifying. I literally could not get out of bed. Walking across the room took every bit of energy I had. Other than running a low-grade fever, conventional medicine could not find anything wrong with me.

I was also severely depressed and suffered from panic attacks. I turned to alternative medicine and spent lots of money on chiropractic, naturopathic, acupuncture, and other “natural” therapies. At one point I was taking upwards of twenty different kinds of vitamins, herbs, and supplements per day. None of it seemed to help very much. The only positive thing to come out of all of this was that I decided to give up wheat and gluten products to see if that would help. It did seem to help somewhat. I recovered enough to start working again. I was sort of limping through life though, not really living. I didn't have much energy and I was often depressed and anxious.

After a few years of living like this my body gave me another wake up call: I developed fibromyalgia in addition to chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, hormonal imbalances, and chronic bladder infections. It seemed like my body was falling apart all at once. Once again I got on the conventional and alternative medical merry-go-round, although it wasn’t so merry. I had constant severe headaches and incredibly tight, painful muscles. I would just lie on my couch with a heating pad and cry. No amount of ibuprofen could touch the pain. I was miserable and could not imagine living life this way. Desperate for help I tried all different kinds of natural treatments, herbs, supplements, massage...nothing helped.

Luckily I decided to take my health into my own hands and started to research everything I could about the symptoms I was having. I happened to run across a website where someone had posted something about the importance of eating raw vegetables to improve intestinal flora balance, and since I had been diagnosed with dysbiosis, an imbalance of intestinal flora, which was supposedly causing my IBS, I decided to try it. I was desperate so I decided to eat nothing but raw vegetables for a few days.

Surprisingly I started feeling better. Amazed, I decided to see if anyone ate raw vegetables exclusively and I typed in raw diet” in a search engine and came across the huge variety of raw websites online. I quickly learned that I needed to be eating fruits primarily in addition to some vegetables, nuts and seeds. I started right away. The pain from the fibromyalgia was almost entirely gone in about three days!! I couldn't believe it.

I had been suffering for months, trying everything under the sun and a simple diet change relieved my pain! I kept at it and I was completely pain free with two weeks. My IBS and depression and anxiety were all gone within the first month. I was ecstatic! I was getting my life back!

My energy took a little longer to come around, it slowly improved over a year or so. The fact that my depression and anxiety went away as well as the physical ailments I suffered from was a real surprise to me. I had once been so crippled by panic attacks that I could not drive on the freeway. Now I drive anywhere I want. It is amazing!

I had intended to stay around 75% raw but as time passed I realized that I didn't feel as well after I ate a cooked meal, even if it was a healthy vegan meal. I made the decision to go and stay 100% raw for the rest of my life . It wasn't always easy. Sometimes it was very difficult. I found that I had to work on my complicated emotional issues around food. I did a lot of work on the emotional and mental connections with food and things have improved drastically for me in that area.

I now realize that for many people the emotional and mental aspects of changing their diets is often the biggest challenge facing them. Food is such an emotionally charged issue in our lives that changing our relationship to it can be very difficult. It is my desire to help other people deal with the emotional, mental and social aspects of going and staying raw. There are tools and techniques that can help us re-establish a healthy relationship with food and having a good support system in place is crucial.

In summary, I can honestly say that I feel better now, physically, mentally, and emotionally, than I ever have! All due to the raw food diet! Some of the benefits I have experienced include:

Healing from the following conditions:

Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Depression
Panic Attacks/Anxiety
Chronic Bladder Infections
Hormonal imbalances
PMS/Painful periods
Dandruff
Excessive perspiration
Bad breath

Other positive improvements that I've noticed include having much more energy, a healthier looking skin tone, my eyes are clear and bright; my total weight loss has been 60 lbs. I'm so much more relaxed, positive and hopeful about the future. I feel much more spiritually connected. I have moments of absolute joy for no apparent reason. I now look forward to each day with a sense of optimism and wonder. It is truly wonderful to be alive. I believe that all of these benefits are possible for everyone, all we have to do is nourish our body the way that it was meant to be.

Michelle Reeves: Who is She?

2009-02-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

On January 1, 2004, my partner at the time (41 years old at the time) and I (29 years old at the time) decided to go "raw." Although it was quite a sudden decision, the constant desire for better health and permanent weight loss, was a major factor in this lifestyle change.

We were "standard" vegetarians from January 1, 2003 until December 31, 2003; not Vegan, but not meat-eaters for sure. But the problem with being a "standard" vegetarian, at least for me, was that the only restriction I had on myself was animal meat. I still ate bread, cheese, chips, pasta, pizza, sour cream, butter, and many soy processed products; all of this meant I was indulging in foods high in saturated fat, excess calories, unnatural sugars and preservatives, and endless other man-made ingredients.

Eating this way, I actually ballooned from 270 pounds (as a meat-eater) to 310 pounds (as a vegetarian), instead of losing weight as was my goal. I couldn't understand how being a vegetarian, I was having such weight and health issues. Now I know.

Karyn Calabrese Eats Raw

2009-01-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

Woody Harrelson: Interview on Raw Foods

2009-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

Athlete Woody loves raw food.

Anthony: the Raw Model

2009-01-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

How to Improve Your Vision

2009-01-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

With Victoria Boutenko.

Alissa Cohen on Tyra Banks

2009-01-30T19:19:00.001-08:00

Paul Nison on CityTV in Canada

2009-01-30T19:19:00.000-08:00

Interview With Dr. Gabriel Cousens

2009-01-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

Part 1

Part 2

"Breakthrough" Raw Food Documentary

2009-01-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Shazzie: Who is She?

2009-01-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sadly I wasn't given the best start in life. As I grew up we were literally fed the same lies as everyone else in our world. My diet consisted mainly of roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, cod and chips and bread and dripping. I remember having salad, meat and chips on a Monday. I didn't like vegetables (who really does like boiled cabbage and carrots?), and I always wanted to eat bananas.

I remember once when I must have only been about 5 asking my mum for sandwiches with cress in, but I didn't know what cress was exactly called so I kind of mouthed it and she thought I meant crisps, so that's what I got. Bless me for trying to go the sprout way at such a young age!

My mum was worried I wasn't getting enough nutrients as I was so very fussy about my food, so she'd give me this horrible tasting green supplement. And she'd hide baked beans under my Yorkshire puddings to try and get me to eat some by accident. Funny how she thought baked beans were healthy and I was missing out if I didn't eat them.

As a teenager

My diet changed radically after I'd been through a major trauma. At that time I realized that I would never want to inflict suffering on another being, especially one who couldn't even defend itself. In 1985, when I was 16, I became a vegetarian. As I stopped eating meat I started eating cheese, cheese and more cheese (as well as crackers and pasta...). Then I realized that although I didn't feel any worse on this diet, it just didn't feel right and I couldn't live on it for long. I didn't know anyone else who was a vegetarian and I wasn't really into books, so I read some magazines and experimented a bit. My family had a restaurant at the time and I persuaded them to sell vegetarian or vegan specials on the menu. No one bought them -- this was Norfolk!

A year later I gave up eggs. I tried to give up milk but soy milk gave me a terrible tummy ache, and my 3 Shredded Wheat for breakfast was my one remaining pleasurable link with my food past. 6 months after giving up eggs, I finally managed to give up milk. I desperately wanted to be a vegan but had to overcome the cheese addiction. I managed it two years after first turning vegetarian. So by 1987 I was an alienated vegan who was relieved that I'd removed as much suffering of others from my life as possible.

I heard of The Fresh Network

After becoming vegan, my diet and my state of mind didn't alter for a few years. I slipped in and out of depression (concealing it very well from those around me), and started putting on a bit of weight. While at college in 1992 I picked up a Fresh Network leaflet. I read about some bloke who lived on fruit. I read how this bloke had lots of energy and that he did a stack of skipping in his spare time. I thought "What a waste of a life, skipping". Interesting though the booklet was, it didn't rattle anything in my head -- although I now realize that was the planting of my raw seed, destined to grow many years later.

I muddled my way through college, leaving early yet still finding some few excellent jobs which took me through several jobs all in the design and corporate identity field. One thing I did know was how to turn on the charm at an interview! Remembering the many poverty-stricken years before, I ploughed much of my energy into work as I was determined to live a better life. Men came into my life and went again -- they didn't keep me happy for long. The only real identity I felt I had was being vegan -- Being kind to our Earth through my love of animals. I sometimes felt like leaving this society and living in a community, but I didn't think I'd fit in -- I'd never really fitted in anywhere. In any case, I was so stressed out about having the security of a home and job, because I didn't want to be poor ever again.

As time went on I found myself a social life, did a lot of dancing and started drinking alcohol at the age of 25. Isn't this when people start to think about giving it up? Well, I never did follow convention. My diet remained vegan, but as more vegan convenience foods were being developed (soya cheese, soya meat, burgers, grills etc), my diet became worse. Eventually, most of the food I ate came out of tins or packets.

I met a raw person

My first meeting with John Coleman was in 1996. At that time he was eating a high-raw diet, with the intention of soon eating all-raw. He bought me a book called What Doctors Don't Tell You by Lynne McTaggart. While reading it I nodded my head in agreement that the medical profession is there to mask symptoms, not cure diseases. Even at that time of little confidence, I wouldn't have trusted my life with them. I hadn't taken many tablets in my adult life, because I was so against animal cruelty. I'd frequently get bronchitis and cough up blood, but I only went to the doctor once about it. I mostly just suffered, thinking that this was meant to be because I was weak and couldn't change that. Meeting John was like pouring water on my raw seed that was planted several years before. But only a bit of water.

Over the next few years, I started reading some raw stuff on the web -- mainly recipes but the odd fact here and there came up. I'm staggered now to think that I didn't look for more raw stuff on the web, as I had full access to it and looked for everything else on there. In 1997 I even found my house on the web!

As my mental and physical health deteriorated it seemed that it still wasn't the right time for my heart to embrace living foods. I was obviously not prepared for the massive changes it would impose on my life.

Everything started deteriorating

I know I'm not alone in this, but as time went on I just started getting more and more things wrong with me. I'd suffered some of the symptoms for years or or sometimes as long as I can remember. I'd always felt that I was runt-like but I'd started to find survival on a day-to-day basis increasingly difficult.

The health of my family is no better, and whenever I looked at them to see how I'd turn out in 20 years I was truthfully horrified. Close members of my family suffered heart disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes and all the other diseases that are accepted as normal but unfortunate these days. I didn't want to end up like like that but as I was related to them, what chance did I have? Without radically changing something in my life, I don't think I had much of a chance at all. After all, I was a next generation runt, my illnesses were bound to have been bigger!

So without boring you with everything that was wrong with me, (and there was already a big list building up) here's the abridged version. See how many of these symptoms you recognise in yourself:

Constantly tired: unable to sleep, but then unable to wake, felt jet-lagged all the time
Colds and flu: I had always suffered two week stretches of colds or flu about 4 or 6 times a year
Emotionally unbalanced and depressed, feelings of hurt, anger and disappointment, apathetic
Difficulty breathing, a really runny nose, cellulite, overweight, whole right hand side aching, cystitis
Short attention span (daydreamer), difficulty understanding simple stuff such as left and right and map reading
People took my energy and I was powerless to stop it, feeling exhausted by the presence of some. I also felt the pain of others so much it hurt. Leaking my energy and absorbing the energy of others in totally inappropriate ways.

To the outside world I seemed fine -- I could laugh and joke with the lads in the pub all night. But on the inside I was dying --I could feel my life force slipping away. Sometimes I don't know how I got through the day, sometimes I didn't get through the day. I would come home at night and cry and cry and cry. I told my boyfriend that I couldn't cope with the stress of work and wanted to be a housewife but the reality was that I often couldn't stay awake for a whole day -- if I did I was so depressed that I wanted to be asleep. I was living in a vacuum waiting to be sucked away.

I reached rock bottom

The lowest point in my adult life was just around the corner. In 1998 I'd been very stressed for about a year. I was even more tired than usual. Work was taking its toll on me, I was working about 12 hours a day most days and getting no thanks for it. I had a permanent pain in my stomach which I'm sure was an ulcer (but I wouldn't go to the doctor). I always wanted to throw up and most days could only eat boiled rice with vegetables.

After gradually putting on weight over the years, there was now a surprising 11 stone (154lb) of me struggling to fit into size 12 clothes. I flatly refused to ever buy a size 14 -- that would mean I'd been defeated. My thighs were like two sea lions -- My friend Chef said I had "Cider thighs"! I had a permanent frown, my face was baggy and puffy like a Yorkshire pudding with jowls. In fact, I was puffy and squashy all over. Internally I was no better -- I had a pulse of about 90 and my blood pressure had started creeping up. I wondered how I got like that, and whether it was my destiny. I thought about most other women, and how overweight they are -- and thought maybe that's just what happens to you as you get older. At the age of 29 everything was heading south -- my skin, my chin and my spirits.

One day towards the end of this very stressful year, I think I had a nervous breakdown -- how exactly do you know when you won't go to doctors? I even resigned from my job (which I didn't end up leaving). Nothing was right. Yes, I had a nice house, a lovely boyfriend, a well paid job, some very dear friends and a family who loved me, but nothing was right. Why, when I had so much, did I have so little inside? Why was my heart and spirit so empty? I didn't even understand how these problems were real -- after all, I wasn't in a wheelchair or an asylum, but I truly felt like the world had ended. I couldn't get any lower. One day I was standing in the car park at work crying and my boyfriend at the time said that he couldn't take much more of this, he didn't know how to help me. The truth was, I couldn't take any more either. I gave myself a good talking to: "Either do something about this state of your life or kill yourself. You are not going to continue living like this any longer". Well, I didn't kill myself...

I picked myself up off the floor and picked up a book

Shortly after that time I spotted The Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford in a bookshop. I flicked through it and noticed that depression and stress were mentioned. He also seemed to advocate or at least condone a vegan diet, so I bought the book. I read it twice and did the test to see what I was deficient in (the test asks you a long series of questions and from that you work out how deficient you are in certain vitamins, fats and minerals). I wasn't surprised to find out that I was deficient in almost everything. I was on a vegan diet because I didn't want anything to suffer just so I could have a life, but I was suffering so much. I thought about it and realized that I might have been even worse off on an animal-based diet -- I was a runt, remember. It then made sense that my body was puffy -- there was no good stuff holding it together. I decided to change my diet and take mega supplements immediately. I also took St John's Wort for my depression. I was determined to get out of this slump. I really wanted to start living.

At work I went on confidence and assertiveness courses. People laughed at me going on these because they didn't distinguish confidence and assertiveness from the aggressiveness and loudness which previously displayed. I also bought tapes on how to deal with difficult people -- I needed these social skills because whenever I got attacked at work I'd attack back which was both unprofessional and unproductive. These positive actions did me so much good. Coupled with the supplements I was taking, I could see an improvement. Also, because I'd reduced my coffee intake to just one cup in the morning, I was sleeping a tiny bit better.

In that year, I also had reflexology, lots of massages, acupuncture and osteopathy. This very tight ball of wool was slowly beginning to be unraveled.

I did think about how unnatural (not to mention expensive) taking supplements was. I'd always tried to look to nature whenever I questioned what humans did but I was now popping pills morning noon and night. In hindsight, it's very odd how the penny still hadn't really dropped about eating natural -- uncooked -- food. I believed that food must be so deficient these days due to modern farming methods that we all had to take supplements. I believed it was an unfortunate modern-day necessity. Of course, that's what authorities would like us to believe, so we can then buy their essential pills and potions and get locked into society. I read a few more of John's raw emails and got turned off soya but then turned on it again when I missed it.

I decided to lose weight

As I'd seen an upturn in my mental state, I decided it was time for me to go a diet ready for Christmas of 1998. I told myself that if I turned 30 and was still fat then I was a failure and must remain fat for the rest of my life -- how horrible are we towards ourselves? I found a vegetarian weight loss diet, which I easily converted to being vegan (I was an absolutely amazing cook by this age!). I went on the diet and lost about a stone (14lb).

That Christmas I got the flu and had to cancel the whole day. I couldn't eat for about a week and questioned why my supplements weren't being as miraculous as they seemed to be at the start. I thought maybe I was so weak that even supplements couldn't help me. I lost another 7lb that Christmas because of the flu. I was down to 9 and a half stone (133lb), and almost happy with that weight.

I started eating fruit, my family got ill

I had no New Year resolutions for 1999 but something inside me pushed me towards eating more fruit. I made loads of salads, too. I cut down the coffee to a half a cup every other day, if that. I was hooked on papayas, tomatoes, avocados and melons. I didn't think too much of it, except I felt even more mentally balanced. Though I was eating more raw food than ever before, I was still very cooked. I ate fried breakfasts every Sunday, and made full use of stews, bread and pasta. But about half the time I ate fruit for lunch, the other half I'd have a baguette with hummous and sun-dried tomatoes! Because of my stomach pain, I hadn't eaten breakfast for several years, so my first meal of the day was often fruit while sitting at my computer. But I didn't think I was preparing to go raw, it just made me cope with life and prevented me putting on weight.

I also experimented with wheat products in this year. This happened after chatting with Dr Doug Graham at the Vegan Festival about my problems. I bought his book, Grain Damage which explains that wheat is not an optimal food choice. During the times I stopped eating wheat, my mood was lighter, as were my sleeping patterns. My bloated tummy deflated, too. During this year I was a UK size 10 (but still with womanly thighs!). I naturally bought many new clothes to celebrate!

My boyfriend said that for most of this year I talked about raw food and how good it was supposed to be. I bought an uncook book from the States which really didn't inspire me, but I knew I wanted to believe in raw -- I just needed the right words.

Early on in this year my mum was diagnosed with spondylitis, her vertebrae had fused in her neck and she was in agony. She had about 6 months off work. I looked into ways of helping her but she was frightened and confused by what the doctors had told her. My sister also developed back problems. I was concerned about my back (I'd been crashed into a few times and two vertebrae were out of place) -- my osteopath wasn't improving my back, and I really didn't want to end up like my mum.

Then one day in 1999 I heard that my lovely uncle Ray had cancer. I'd read and been impressed by The Cure for All Diseases by Hulda Clarke a few months back, and so when I saw The Cure for All Cancers by the same author in a shop in the States I bought him it. But when I went to visit him, I could see the confusion in his face. This wasn't where his head was, and besides that, the surgeons had already butchered him. I thought about these times when I tried to help others with their health issues but I would always find something too radical for them to believe in or trust. Then I thought about me, slowly getting back on my feet but still not feeling anywhere near well or right. I wondered when I'd be shown the way. I wondered when I'd get shown something radical which I could believe in.

I looked at the statistics for cancer in the UK -- something like 1 in 11 women will get breast cancer at some time in their lives. That's too much of a risk. I questioned why so many people get cancer. I looked for information and realized that out of all the scientific research there was one thing standing out head and shoulder above the rest. Only humans have these massive odds stacked against them. This is the same for all diseases: arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, obesity -- only humans suffer so much with them. At that time I didn't make the connection (and it hadn't been pointed out to me) that only humans (and their "pets") eat cooked food.

I thought about burning causing toxins -- I wasn't sure how but I thought cooking and cancer were linked. I thought about this feeling, as I'd thought about raw food before and filed it under "Yes, sometime in the future or in another life, maybe". When I was making my "healthy" stir-fries, I'd look at the bright crisp and flavorsome vegetables as I was chopping them, and then I'd see them wilt and wither in the wok and I'd have to add a sauce to replace the flavor that they'd just lost. I wondered "What is cooking doing to these vegetables? It can't be adding any goodness to them".

I imagined what I'd do if I got cancer, then I thought "I don't want cancer. I don't want arthritis. I don't want diabetes." Why should I get these illnesses? Though the odds were stacked against me, I'm not a statistic, and won't be ever counted in this medical charade. I knew I wasn't going to be a victim to anything ever again in my life, I was going to be strong. But I still I didn't really know how. I just felt some real optimism for the first time in my life.

Some time that year my weight started creeping up, only by a couple of pounds. I thought exercise would take care of that in the future as I was too tired to do any now. I'd been a member of a gym for the previous 3 years and hardly ever went due to tiredness and apathy.

Towards the end of this year, I was more or less happy with my life -- some things weren't right, but on the whole I'd had a better year than ever before and was really pleased with my progress. I was standing in light for the first time in my adult life. And I wanted more. I knew I was ready.

A book changed my life

That Christmas, in 1999 my boyfriend bought me Nature's First Law: The Raw Food Diet, by Arlin, Dini and Wolfe (USA) (UK). I read it while we were in Scotland, and as I turned every page I was saying "Blimey!", "Cor!" "F*** me!".

Finally the penny had dropped. How long did it take? I'm not very fast on getting hints, am I? At last I was reading something that made complete sense to me. It was telling me what I felt but I could never make sense of these feelings.

The one thing that stands out in the book is the final sentence at the end of each chapter: Cooked food is poison. As soon as I saw it, I knew that was it -- I was being poisoned! No wonder I felt like I was dying. I was toxic since before I was even conceived, even since before my mum was conceived! Every cell in my body was made up of substandard material and with these shaky foundations there was no wonder I'd been crumbling.

I understood

Finally, I understood why my life had been such a struggle. And I understood about generations degenerating -- I was from weak stock and had been fed dead food since before I was conceived. No wonder I felt like such a runt. I immediately understood the importance of raw mummies and raw daddies making raw babies. I understood that even the most unhealthy people could turn their life around a long way by being raw. I knew I'd never be the fittest, healthiest person in the world, but I could rejuvenate and remove the toxic cells in my body and replace them with healthy raw ones. I knew this raw food natural law was right -- it hit me in the gut as if it were a brick. I understood. I finally understood. I can't begin to say how humbly grateful I was at having this lifesaving book come to me at a time when I felt strong enough to fully digest the information.

I wanted to be raw

This was the key to the door that I'd always found locked, no matter how much I'd batter and kick it. I can't say how relieved I felt just by reading this book -- it also proved to me that I wasn't mad in looking to nature for the right way to live, but I was just so fogged up that I couldn't think or trust myself to look to nature regarding food. As soon as the shops opened after Christmas, I went and bought a load of salads and fruit. I preferred them over the fake turkey dinner which I had a couple of days before, and the soya cheese on biscuits which I'd been eating to pretend like I was having a pigging-out Christmas just like the meat-eaters. I ate my salads and thought about the different tastes, textures and feelings between the raw bits and the cooked bits. I read my golden, beautiful book at every opportunity that holiday. It went everywhere with me. I carried it around as if it was a bible, and I read it at every opportunity -- unsociable woman that I am. I tried a whole raw day as soon as I got back home, and wanted to put the raw diet it into practice straight away. However, it was almost the year 2000...

Happy new millennium

We spent New Year in Hull at a house party. There was meat in all the salads! I was trying to eat as much fruit as I could when I was in Hull but the shops were either closed or only sold something like one mouldy apple. I resorted to Pot Noodles and jars of baby food. In hindsight I think I'd probably rather have gone hungry but people question you too much when you don't eat.

I talked to my parents about going raw, and told them why. I remembered back to when I was 16 and my dad thought I'd only be a vegetarian for a year so I expected him to think this was a phase, too. My mum said that I can't just live on raw food: where would I get my protein, my B12, wouldn't I get bored, and can't I just be normal? I just trusted this way of eating, I didn't have any questions myself because it felt right. I didn't think about how many greens I'd need, or how much fat or what type of fruit, I just knew that from now on, while living according to this natural law, I'd be guided and protected. But I also knew that I had to find out all the questions and answers because I'd get bombarded with them --and I had to be prepared for that. I knew that saying "Well, animals don't ask all these questions and they're healthier than most humans" wouldn't satisfy people -- and I wanted people to know this was the only real true way to eat. Before I'd even tried it -- what faith! I knew I'd have to read a fair bit to get that ammunition, yet I knew it would be worth it.

Happy new life

After reading and re-reading my lifesaving book it didn't occur to me that I should gradually go into raw food: 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, then finally 100% raw. If cooked food is poison and I wanted that poison out of me then it was all or nothing. I suppose I'd just had enough of hanging around. I don't know how much raw food I ate the previous year, I was only semiconscious about it. However, that year had been good enough for me to realise life could be OK and I wanted it to be great. I wanted it to be fantastic. I wanted it to be perfect. I wasn't armed with any other raw information except a half-raw recipe book and my old uncook book, but on the 3rd of January 2000 (the first normal day of the year), I stopped taking my supplements and thought I'd try a little experiment -- just to see how I felt...

Update

As I write this final section, it's almost 2 years since I went raw, and it did change everything. I'm living in a different country, have a different man, have a different job, I look different, I feel different. I'm so glad, so very very glad that the Universe put me on this path.

I'm also glad that I kept notes of how I felt before I went raw, and during, as I had forgotten the deep despair I used to feel. I remember feeling depressed, but that enormous black cloud which used to engulf me had long gone from my memory. It took me a while to recover, and it still seems like a dream that I don't have to sleep in the middle of the day, and my aches and pains are barely there. When I treat myself correctly -- when I get enough sleep, do yoga, meditate and eat lightly -- I feel fantastic. It just takes time and practice to get used to that fantastic feeling. I realise that I sometimes suppress it, so my next challenge to myself is: Channel my energy, all the time.

I can't imagine how I would feel right now if I hadn't gone raw. Everything I've experienced in the last 2 years has been nothing short of magical. This is a different life. It's real. It has to be experienced...

Erini Loucaides: Who is She?

2009-01-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

It all happens step by step, so quietly in fact, that you don’t realize it and it’s not until you reflect much later, that you are able to understand where life was guiding you all along.
I was born 23rd January 1975 and thought that turning vegetarian at age 15 was healthy but a few years later, after reading the Diamond’s ‘Fit For Life’, I realized that there were good and bad vegetarians. I was bad! By this time I had finished my degree in English Literature from London University and had begun teaching at a private school where a colleague and I set up the school’s Ecology Club. Over the decade that followed, we promoted care for the environment in its many forms and highlighted the essential fact that just as there was outer ecology, there was also inner: the food we eat and its impact on us. This led to many trips including one up in the Machairas mountains around 2003. There, Dr Maria Georgiou and her husband provided some valuable insights into proper eating habits. Impressed, I returned there again, alone, and out of everything Dr Maria said to me over that weekend, one big truth resounded within me.

‘Always make sure you eat something living with each meal’

I had read Ann Wigmore’s ‘Be Your Own Doctor’, but after that day, I saw food very differently. Of course I was still unaware one could have a 80-100% raw lifestyle, but I’d look at the grilled vegetables, then at the large salad and wonder, ‘If that salad is living, then what is the cooked stuff?’ Quite dead of course! At this point, I increased my intake of greens, made juices and was probably 50% raw – but the other 50% also comprised of ahem…certain nasties.

And so it was that a few years after that I attended a detox talk where my life was truly about to swivel. I thought it would be like any other such lecture and in some ways it was with the exception that I came out more inspired than usual. At the end of the talk, Siri Shabd Singh recommended a book, ‘Detox Your World’ which I bought soon after and within days, the world of the raw lifestyle made its fullest impact upon me. Life would never be the same.

I had a three month honeymoon period where I was pretty much 80-90% raw and I was overwhelmed at the changes. The weight fell off, my mind grew clear and the world was one gorgeous adventure! However, I guess you can’t kick 30 years of bad habits in three months and the drastic change did catch up with me. Eating raw is just as much an emotional, mental and spiritual change as it is a physical one. I had to start with basic steps all over again, ones that had to be learned well before moving to the next level.
Now I feel that I have tuned into the rhythm of my raw dance. Although I am not always sure what is around the corner, I know one thing: raw is always there to catch and pirouette me! And is it perhaps your time to dance?

Scott Jackson: Weight Loss Transformation

2009-01-01T08:50:00.000-08:00