andesuma

I say... (loudly) "BECAUSE I'M NOT AN EFFIN' HYPOCRITE!" hah..no, not really... But generally when people ask me this question, I try and stick with the basics and say something to the extent of... (within about 30 seconds because that's general when they tune out..) "Well..I was raised vegetarian, I was taught as a small child to respect all life on this planet... , at the age of 10, My grandmother, after years of struggling with diabetes and chemotherapy from ovarian cancer, she died of cancer. After I looked into it, did my research, now knowing the strong link between animal products and cancer, I went vegan. I went vegan for health reasons, I remain vegan for ethical reasons." Something like that. Anyhow.... the difficult question really is.. when people ask you "SOoOoo... why did you go raw vegan?? you don't eat ANY cooked FOOD??!! " Still haven't come up with a really good one, general if I say something clever like, " Because it's what humans ate before disease existed" , or.. it's what humans were meant to consume, I get a blank stare. So..... I guess I can just ramble off about enzymes.. "Well you see... there are these things called enzymes that all living creatures have, there are metabolic enzymes and digestive enzymes, now,as we age....." blah blah blah blah.

I voted for the Blue shirt with PRODUCE you look totally cute! And, I like the Tennis table one too. Neither would fit what your going for.. but.., that's my vote

Yeaaaaa...... That is along the lines of a bumper sticker I saw today that said.. "Vegetarian: Primitive term for lousy hunter" hahah...I just laugh at stupid things like that... right, YOU hunt & kill ALL of the meat you eat. I mean....come on. On a dorkier note, It also makes me think of the Simpsons episode were Lisa goes veggie, and the pro-meat video they are showing at school, talks about the "food chain" and how we need to be apart of it. Then it shows a human being body, and every animal going (with arrows)into the stomach. hahah... too funny.

alright.. just presenting a word of caution, because I know about 4 people doing Weight Watchers right now, because it "worked for them before".. ummm..obviously not, if they are doing it again, right!? Anyhow... It is just setting you up for failure if you have to approach food and diet in this logical/rational/calculated manner... it makes all the changes temporary until you break and eat something "of limits".. (aka.comfort foods, emotional eating) Just be kind to yourself. Love yourself. eat lots of raw foods, your body knows how to count those calories itself(hence feeling full, and never gorging on 10+ oranges..etc..), and you'll never gain weight on raw foods. Just don't be too hard on yourself

Thanks for sharing! I've emailed it to a couple of people interested in raw foods. Not to be too criticial, but the lecture/speech seemed VERY scattered, it is really difficult to soak all raw foodism has to offer, into an hour of question & answers. AND.... they didn't even mention hemp seeds/protein, ONCE..

Sweet? hmm... not really, but they are...um..crisp? like, watercrest? um... Slightly softer, the veins in almonds come to life and they just look awesome.., still crunchy with a less dry, milder, flavor..

Yes. I am hooked(of course.. knew I would be...) http://poipoi.info/ Bought some black & white poi toys & less than a week ago, I received them in the mail, and haven't stopped spinning since! I am currently completely self-taught, all skillz & abilities.. I have "performed" for two close friends to give me some feed back on my newbie poi status, and they were very "impressed" I am also putting together all of my own choregraphy. Anyhow... maybe when I get alittle more comfortable with it, some forum people in Portland would like to watch me? after a get together, or dinner perhaps? I know I will be nervous, but I am really in love with it as an art form. Oh... so, this is techniqually considered "training", since eventually I'd like to do these things with fire & fire dance.

the best way I can describe it is.. "alive".. like, give you similar energy to eating sprouts. It's just a completely different feeling, they are not half as heavy.

Wasn't able to make it Some unexpected things came up and my timing for the day was off... lame. I would still like to hang out sometime though.. I guess tonight just ended up being a bad one for me.

Today has been strange. I've really missed cooked food. I can't explain it exactly, but...I think I've reached a different level in my raw foodism, cooked food seemed very appealing today. (usually I find it repulsive) Not that I would eat it, but maybe it was more of a nostalgic mourning. Has anyone experienced this?

Even those raw foodists aren't "100%" And a number of those types of gurus live in very polluted cities (aka. LA), so that too could factor into why they must strive harder to be more pure. They need to detox at a phenomenal rate, since merely breathing LA air doubles your risk of getting cancer there. Anyhow.. I am currently reading "Dining in the Raw" by Rita Romano, VERY good so far.. the concept is very elequently put. Be as raw as you feel comfortable being. For me, personally, on my raw food journey, I was comfortable being 75% raw for a couple of years, then after awhile, things changed. Now, I am coming to terms with the fact, I cannot even handle dehydrated foods, condensed foods, or foods that have gone thru a "process".. My body feels it. And I will feel awful. I can really only consume fresh foods/sprouts, nearly 100%. Knowledge is power, and the more knowledge you have about something, the better you will be able to impliment the right kinds of changes for your life. The raw life is not for everyone. You will benefit more by eating the cooked foods you do consume with absolute love and appreciation, then in fear of some toxins. Indeed, intention is everything.

I would personally steer clear of any kind of "program/system to lose weight"... I feel like all of those (weight watchers included) make things a hundred times more complicated than they need to be... If you're on a budget, I would say buy more GREEN.. eats lots more salads, if you're craving something fatty.. instead turn to avocadoes, rather than a PB & J. Also, try and consume as much fruit as possible in a day. Especially bananas, apples, oranges, kiwis, berries, etc. , they will keep you satisfied.. Increase your produce/raw consumption and you'll get a lot more bang for your buck (nutritionally speaking)

The concept of germinating and sprouting nuts is that of.. if you were to put a raw almond into the soil, after it rains, it begins to grow.. the lifeforce in the nut has been awakend. Before long, an almond tree will grow. Put a roasted almond into the soil, and what happends?? Nothing. It is dead food. The lifeforce has already been destroyed by cooking. It is rare, that you'll find "pre-soaked" nuts or seeds anywhere, it is just best to do it yourself, you can germinate them while you sleep, since most take about 8 hours for soaking time. You will know a live nut/seed when you see one, they look full of life/water/essence. And(to me anyhow), they taste different. All nuts and seeds should be (at least) germinated.

Are you getting organic ones? Also, have you tried just slicing the avocado in half, spinkling some Celtic sea salt on the inside, and eating it with a spoon?? It is amazing. And personally, I think without the sea salt, it is fantastic.

You just responded in another thread saying you ate like 5-8 avocadoes the other day!! hahah... And, yes, I eat more than one avocado a day typically. The amino acid profile is far superior to the inferior banana. Not that bananas aren't good too.. You know, I do consume both of them... sometimes even in the same day....but only sometimes.

Nutritional yeast aka. Brewer's yeast(the Red Star kind), has live active bacteria, and is a reliable source of vitamin B-12. As for being raw, I haven't heard anything one way or another. When you are raw, you need to allow yourself breathing room. & not act like you have an eating disorder about it. Does nutritional yeast taste good to you? do you feel comfortable using it? I personally do not consume Brewer's yeast, one because yeasts don't go over well for me, and two.. I am just not drawn to it. So, I have no idea if it's raw or not.

I should be there. I have all of my running training going on in the morning, so I think my evening is available. I think I'll make leaf(chard/collard greens/kale) wraps, I have some funky dishwear I really need to get a chance to show off! hah

oh man, I totally want to go! Can a girlie help you guys out with the booth? hmmm??

Personally....... I think bananas are overrated. Avocados have 3 TIMES the electrolytes than bananas! And they are more nutritionally diverse. Kiwis have almost double the Vitamin C as oranges! Strawberries are good for calcium. Apples have acidophilus (probiotics) on their skin. Cherry tomatoes are delicious. You can't juice bananas or avocados.. (I believe) raspberries are actually higher in antioxidants than blueberries. Blackberries are VERY good for bowl movements. Never eat melons with other fruits. You can end up with digestion problems and gas if you do improper food combining, especially with fruits. Anyhow... bottom line is, variety, variety, variety.

Caffeine borrows "energy" from your adrenal glands, also stimulates the parasympathetic to put your body into a constant Fight or Flight mode. The exact response military troops have in a time of war. This can only go on for so long before your body becomes permanently fatigued/exhausted. It is a drug, that's why you build up a tolerance to it. And experience withdrawal symptoms. It also releases a number of stress hormones in the body. (like cortisone) Among other things... Caffeine disrupts natural sleep patterns, it messes with your bodies natural rhythm, can cause severe headaches, depression, fatigue, irritability, mood swings, etc. Those are the main things I know... however.., if your caffeine consumption of choice comes from coffee. I urge you to think about the ethical & moral implications of that decision. Unless it is fair trade, you have no guarantee those farmers and workers are being paid for anything. Even if it is fair trade, corporations will do anything to save a dollar. You need to be very picky about who you purchase your coffee from. & not only that, but that coffee is SO processed, usually with the involvement of chemicals, that harm the environment and thus yourself also, it's travelled nearly 3,000 miles just to be up north!! That alone, is why I don't consume it, think about the pollution involved... Anyhow, it's all a personal choice, but overall, coffee does more harm than good(for all those involved in it's making).

Whoever says they haven't felt "full" on a raw diet, obviously hasn't eaten 5-8 avocadoes in one day in the form of GUACAMOLE! Any raw foods high in fat will fill you right up. raw almonds, walnuts, avocadoes, olives, etc. What I made for "dinner" tonight: Chard & Kale wraps Ingredients: Rainbow chard leaves & Lacinato kale leaves big enough to make a wrap sandwich with. Sprouted sundried tomato hummus. (I don't consume often, but if I want something heavy..) You can also use raw nut butters, tahini, seed cheeze, whatever you want. thinly sliced yellow bell pepper. shredded zuccini. Hass avocado. alfalfa sprouts. also is good with: thinly sliced (red)cabbage, diced tomatoes, red pepper, all sprouts, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, kelp flakes, etc. etc. Wrap up just like a burrito, and eat. Be creative! I made about 5 of these, all different combinations. I also ate another avocado. Pretty filling to me...

Well... it's an idea. Everytime(recently), that I've gone to my acupuncturist(which I get every 2 months or so..), she says I am 'deficient' in either yin or yang.. Strange, but it explains some unexplainables. Acupuncture always balances me. Exercise does as well.. but it depends. The environment also plays a deep role. But, I would, like to consume something more balanced, rather than just Yin. I'm sure I'll let my body sort it out..while I overanalyze it.. hah

Perhaps your morale and ethics are stronger than your imprint. That doesn't discredit any of what Victoria has researched and spent decades learning about... It doesn't generalized everyone into one catagory. It's a biological thing, how suseptible you are to the cravings is an environmental one.

You know... tonight I got to see Victoria Boutenko give a lecture on malnutrition and the raw vegan diet. And she was saying how the foods you were exposed to, as a child, from 9 months old-15 months old, are the foods that are imprinted in you for life. The foods you will crave, the foods you will be tempted by. I also remember my mother telling me how when I was a baby, my baby food was fresh from the garden into the blender. "Spinach in a blender", is what she fed me. I am so thankful for this, because it makes being RAW for me, not only a pleasure, but a nostalgic one as well... Raw Fruits and Veggies were always my favorite.

I am totally down. And would love to be more involved in helping out with this one as well.. since, hopefully , work(s) won't be so much of an issue this year. Anyhow, I would like to recommend we have two weekends of events, rather than lots of stuff thru out the week.. I missed out on too much last time cause of schedule clashes Story of my life.