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Wow this was an extremely negative posting. With not much insight, thought, or gratitude involved. It is true you can follow a raw food diet and be extremely healthy, it is also true you can be unhealthy. You can abide by any diet plan and be unhealthy. It really comes down to your frame of mind. Rather a raw food guru "looks like shit" or not, is completely subjective. I'd love to hear some other examples of raw foodists you feel "look awful" ? I do understand there are some awful looking raw foodists, I've met plenty. BUT, I also understand there are some PHENOMENALLY amazing looking raw foodists, because I've met plenty.

thanks for posting this!

Well.... I must say though, David Jubb is definitely one of my favorites out of the "gurus", he has the best hair. What is it with raw foodists and extreme hair?!?

Wow, I do not trust that at all. Definitely not raw. As long as you are training and consuming enough greens (aka. amino acids) you should be able to build(natural) muscles and strength just fine. And after you are strictly raw for awhile.. your body will not be able to tolerate things of this nature, like something that is not balanced by nature; your body will respond negatively. Typically with a massive drop in energy levels.. as I have experienced, and I know OregonIsaac has experienced as well, when consuming too much protein. Also, here are a few sources on Carrageenan: http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-4892.html http://www.jah-rastafari.com/forum/message-view.asp?message_group=719 I have not trusted this ingredient for many years... just as I do not trust anything labeled "natural"(when typically these products contain MSG in various forms, check out http://www.truthinlabeling.org) I remember when I was slowly eliminating things from my diet.. when I removed carrageenan, (and JUST that).. I felt a lot better, and could no longer tolerate the consumption of it. Thank you for posting this! But I would be wary...

Awesome job on the 2 mile walk! And that sounds like a good plan for your grocery shopping.. though I cannot stress enough... GREENS, GREENS, GREENS, and more... GREENS seriously... you should be adding at least 2-3 heaping salads to your daily food intake, it will also help you ease off on the starch intake. Which is acidic to the body and causes a host of problems. I use to live on pasta and potatoes(granted all organic and homemade ) But I had severe depression, also suffered panic attacks(I've had a tramatic past as well, so I can empathize), PTSD, as well as a very long list of emotional and mental disorders & problems. It was my diet that was doing the MOST damage to me. So, if you do nothing else, add massive amounts of greens into your diet; they are cheap, they are plentiful and full of minerals! Just a suggestion of course, and your plan sounds really good! so definitely stay focused, and positive girl!

I completely agree. I have read, very very extensively both sides of the discussion on B12...I've had 13 years of being vegan to soak it in, think about it, and research it to my hearts content. I was also raised by a nurse and have come from a family of medical professionals, my grandmother was a nutritionist. I do not supplement either, I have been vegan for 13 years and for 4 1/2 of those years, I've been raw vegan. But I am not advising anyone else do this... I advise everyone listen to their body and discover their own truth Great Job durianrider! this is a beautiful, beautiful, thing.

I agree with 80/10/10, absolutely. But when it comes, strictly, to saying if raw fat(like from an avocado) is friend or foe to the human body; I would choose friend. Always. raw fat is far better for the body than cooked, even in overconsumption. Tonya Kay is a good example of a raw fooder who consumes decent amounts of fat(via avocado) and still thrives athletically. I wouldn't be too rigid on yourself. Just know that raw fat is healthy for your body... but moderation is key and you don't want to over consume because it can hinder the healing process. Ditto Tasha!! The beginning of this up coming week will be good for me! I'll message you...

I just had to say... I totally agree with this. I remember when I first heard about Breatharianism... I just threw my hands up in the air! hahah Somethings are very extreme. However after you practice food combining for awhile, it becomes very very natural and fluid. Also, I really love how Sunny is always on your shoulder listening to you! He totally understands and tries to assist, it's cute. It seems he knows what you're saying..by how you're saying things, and your arm and facial movements. Animals are so intelligent.

Friend! Avocados are wonderful for you, and if you're consuming a good amount of calories and having one per day, that should be totally fine! Raw fat is different than cooked fat, in term of how the body assimilates and stores it. Raw fat actually aids the break down of old toxic fat within the body and helps you release it. So, you will not gain weight. Also, if you don't already consume flax oil (like say in a smoothie or on your salads), or ground up flax seeds; I would recommend at least 1-2 tbs. per day (maybe alternate between avocado and flax days ) Flax will help you lose weight. I recommend looking into the book "Fats that Heal, & Fats that Kill" http://www.amazon.com/Fats-That-Heal-Kill-Cholesterol/dp/0920470386 It explains a lot of this, indepth. Also, I remember when I was first going raw.. I seriously went a few weeks of consuming like 4-5 avocados per day, eating giant bowls of guacamole! And I didn't gain weight.

Oh, ..it's amazing. The fruit salad. You will not be disappointed. Especially if you make it with Manila Mangoes.. they are just too addictive... haha

I love the photos!!!! Great job! I think I'll probably be using some of those recipes for mine too... Some of them look absolutely amazing. And definitely delicious

Great job! It can be tedious at first.. but, I would definitely keep up with Angela Stokes she's gotten a lot of this stuff completely figured out. Also, to make this seem even more doable, achievable, & matter-of-fact Focus on Abundance Focus on what you do have, not what you don't. Focus on what you can do, not what you "can't". Focus on doing everything 'within your budget', and doing it well. The key to your success.. is realizing everything you want to be... everything you want to achieve, is already inside of you. You just need to finish the molding process Gaia ...and your body, love you. They only know how to be healthy. Your body only knows how to create HEALTH. (it is our society and conditioned habits/addictions that are the interference) The more fresh foods you add to your diet.. the better and more motivated you will feel. Everything is within your budget, because everything is abundant! Do not focus on scarcity, focus on abundance. (just keep that thought in mind, regardless if it's "reality" or not... ) You are doing it. You are changing your world. And it is such a blessing that you have a loving husband to be on the journey with...

Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant!! Thank you so much for this, I am SO starting one in August. Seriously, as long as I have the variety of produce, enemas & a few colonics (from Chakra 17 and yes, Wendy is amazing), my blender. I should be fine. I'll probably do a lot of blended foods too..and maybe one or two juices a day as well. This is so inspirational.. seriously.. it's VERY easy to fall into a habit of gourmet raw foods, especially when you live in a city where there is tons of ways to eat heavy. And some raw foods are even more heavy and toxic than cooked! But this is totally fabulous and I am excited to start mine, we'll discuss more in person for sure! I know exactly where I want to take you to break the goodness... Proper Eats! I know everyone will want to go to Blossoming Lotus.. but, there is a salad at Proper Eats I think will be gentle enough for your system... Great job, and delicious photos!

Yes I think the indigo children is also deeply connected to our society overprescribing medication... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_children especially when it comes to Bipolar/Manic Depressive diagnosis, and just poisoning someone who is purely submerged in a toxic environment. Hence the polarities. I really hope everyone is able to understand you can heal yourself from anything... you can heal yourself from anything. (my body has proven to me and shown me time and time again, this is possible) However I do believe emotion heals someone quicker than anything else.

Warning: this is going to be a long one.. hah Ah, yes... all fruit is very Yin from my understanding of Macrobiotics. I did a vegan/raw food-ish version of the Macrobiotic diet for about a year or two before I got more into raw foods. So, I too have researched it plenty and have a variety of books on the subject. I also fully agree with Chinese philosophy and dietary principles (to the extent that my body allows..), my acupuncturist and I always have nice little discussions about "why I'm still eating raw...?" in the Winter time because of this But that is the balancing factor I have with raw foods.. trying to find a Yin/Yang balance (because I KNOW it matters)... that is why GREENS are such a perfect food. They are neutral. They are balance. Anyhow... needless to say I have gotten a couple of Yang deficiencies in the Winter times because of my excessive Yin consumption. Still trying to find balance with that.. since I don't do spices often. Again, my body does not like them. But, what I mean by that fruit salad 'messing me up' is... it's improper food combining. Food combining deals with enzymes within the human body, and the notion that particular enzymes are needed to digest particular foods. Like say, the enzyme secreted to digest pineapple would be different and "clash" with the enzyme secreted to digest an apple. So they should not be eaten in the same meal. Studying food combining can be VERY overwhelming and confusing at first. But I notice when I properly combine my foods.. (meaning fruit with fruit, veggies alone or with greens, nuts with greens or alone) I feel like a different person. I can't describe in much more detailed than that... you'll have to look into food combining a bit more to understand it. Here are some links: http://chetday.com/fcnecess.html http://www.formerfatguy.com/food-combine.asp http://www.living-foods.com/articles/ I'll give you a break down of why that fruit salad doesn't make any sense when it comes to proper food combining: Bananas: are a sweet fruit, and should be eaten with other sweet fruits. Avocados: are well... a fatty fruit. And typically, for my body, should be eaten alone, or with greens(which go with everything) Mangoes: are an acidic fruit, and should be eaten with other acidic fruits like strawberries or pineapple. So, the combination of this.. yes, makes me feel tired, but also leaves me bloated. Onto to 2012... Wow, I could write a novel about what I know about this and what I feel(intuitively) will occur. However I do not think it will be involving UFO's, or.. the "end of the world". The end of any world could be a very metaphorical statement, so I wouldn't always take that at face value. It can have many many meanings. (Just as the Bible can have many interpretations...) I work closely with a Shaman, and do a lot of spiritual development; so I have a lot of what I would call... understanding when it comes to 2012, and where our society is headed as a whole. I believe things will, as they are, become much more polarized. In the end though... it always comes down to 'survival of the fittest'. Which is why the raw food movement is taking off in an ever increasing fashion, and will only be gaining momentum. Our point is to raise the vibrations of this planet(yes, literally). Our point is to spiritually evolve. If you study tachyon energy at all.. it explains a lot of this, a lot of the power and potential that lies within the human being. Our realization is what is coming in 2012. The deconstruction of the Human Ego(Ego in the sense of shallowness, Ego in the sense of surface beliefs, Ego in the sense of holding yourself back from accomplishing everything you've ever dreamt of doing..) I believe it is when we, as human beings, will begin to push thru the barrier... The barrier of the self, to realize that we are all one. (Like the understanding that we need love & community to foster growth & change, not money.) In short, that is my feeling for 2012. (We are at the breaking point of working against Mother Nature... that she is & will be showing us, that we have to work with her, or not at all.) Also, studying the differences between The Age of Pisces, and The Age of Aquarius... will help you understand this development within humanity as well. ok... that's all for now. Hope I articulated that correctly?

I agree... hemp is the way to go with omega consumption. It has a balanced ratio of Omega's 3 & 6 , for prolonged consumption. As were flax is only high in Omega 3's... meaning if consumed for a prolonged period of time, it throws your body out of balance. The book "Fats that Heal, and Fats that Kill", is the best read that describes a lot of this in detail.. highly recommended reading! So, my suggestion would be.. to take cold-pressed Hemp Oil, and put 1-2 tbs. in some fresh juice.. (I remember Angela Stokes loved it in OJ..) and drink your Omegas That is probably what I will do for mine. Also, your last post! My favorite thus far!! (picture wise..hah) Great work. Also.. I have been curious... what are your thoughts on food combining?? I typically have to stick very rigidly too it..or my body gets out of wack.. I'm a typical mono mealer. I can rarely deviate from it.. like, one of my favorite fruit salads is: bananas avocado and mango sliced up and mixed together. I LOVE it, it's total comfort food. But it messes me up!! hah Anyhow, just curious.

I will be in Portland for that time period... so I'm definitely in(if I haven't replied to confirm officially?). I'll be around for at least one or two days for the cabin (not staying, just visiting), and for some of the Portland days. Though I'll be up in Seattle on the 26th. Are we going to wear forum member name tags??!

aww...that is so great you feel motivated! It is such a powerful force. The trick is... developing endurance driven motivation Keeping with a habit long enough, so you can reap the benefits of health thru consistency. & , wow, well I am glad you know of Angela Stokes now! She is a sweetie pie and I love her outlook on life. She's gone thru many of the obstacles you probably have experienced with weight gain & loss.. as have yet to experience, so I think her wisdom in the matter will help you immensely! Also, GIRL you need more fruits and veggies!! hah Don't focus on purely eating comfort foods all day.. it will leave you feeling worn out very quickly, and unmotivated. Definitely look into Green Smoothies to start your day! Also, try and consume about 1-2 litres of water within the first few hours after you awake.. it will help you through out the day, more than you can imagine! If you can just focus on your water consumption then, then you don't have to worry about it the rest of the day! Also, I find what helps me with grocery shopping (aside from trying to shop at a CO-OP, natural foods store all of the time..) is always start in the produce section. Try and plan nearly all of your meals, or foods you like, around that section! That will help immensely. Not only to increase raw food consumption, but to decrease processed food consumption! You have all of my best wishes.. you can do this!

This is so awesome, thank you so much for putting the time and effort into posting all this stuff! When I start mine in August I will do the same... only minus the photos... haha, unless they are artsy. haha Also, just wanted to say: 1 bunch organic watercress -2 bags of organic macintosh apples -3 organic nectarines -3 organic peaches (millions of peaches peaches for me! I'm assuming someone from here is from my generation ) -2 organic mangoes -6 organic avocados (ripe) ALL MY FAVORITE FOODS!! weeeee... Nectarines are complete nostalgia for me...my favorite food growing up. And macintosh apples, ah! a complete godsend. Again fabulous job!

That is SO awesome your eventual goal is to be raw!! It's the most profound, life changing thing imaginable! Being positive and full of LIFE is the natural state of the human being. Congratulations on your goals and achievements thus far, it can sometimes seem like a long road.. but take it one day at a time, one step in front of the other, and you can climb any mountain Also, I do just wanted to offer advice in the realm of GREENS consumption. I find that not consuming enough greens(salads, green smoothies, etc.) really contributes to giving into cravings and sweets. I have found.. for my body, it comes down to mineralization. So, maybe add a green smoothie to your diet in the mornings to help energize you, hydrate you, and mineralize you Also, I don't know if you know of Angela Stokes but she is an astonishing creature: www.rawreform.com

It's a dragonfruit!! *lick*

It's a fabulous book AND it's NEON PINK (which is why I bought it... that and the title is Alkalize or Die, how could you not love that??) As far as I remember, all fruits are alkaline to the body.. some more than others. Greens are alkaline and neutral, when speaking in Yin/Yang terms... Nuts are slightly-moderately acidic. And yes, peanuts were not meant for human consumption... give up peanuts for awhile, eat some, and it will hurt your body just like wheat and soy.(but then again...everyone is different..)

OMG! This is amazing... I'm totally inspired, I think I'm going to juice feast sometime soon... screw it, I'll do it with my blender.., karmatically a juicer has to come into my life then. Anyhow, I think I'm going to start one in August to bring in my birthday. It seems apparent I'll still be able to run. This is very inspiring though, so.. beautifully done Giacomo! Very inspiring and I'm totally going to jump on board soon... I do plan a 3 month long juice feast for this coming winter.. since it just makes the most sense for me to do it then. Thank you so much for doing this and keeping this blog!! Also, William, you look freaking amazing!! I remember when I was first "coming out" about eating all raw... I was having this discussion with a business man about it.. His name was Eric, he was dealing with high cholesterol. (so, I told him to just stop consuming it... ) Anyhow... When I told him my diet/how I ate... his response was: "Oh my god! You're going to live forever!" That is when I knew I was doing the right thing...

I love that! Have you studied Dr.Fred Bisci? He talks a lot about this sort of thing... But I know, energetically, we are not at that point in humanity yet. However I do eventually see myself being liquitarian/blended foods driven. At least for most of the year... This is still probably 5 years away though. My goal with raw foods is my spiritual and emotional well-being & development.

OMG! something I can go off about... haha I've studied Calendar systems for a very long time, I think I know pretty much everything(& nothing of course) about nearly all of them! I love ancient civilizations and all of there within... Anyhow... My birthday is when the Mayan calendar began ! August 13th. It is estimated that the calendar came into existence between August 11th-13th, all of the revolutionary artists and figures I know in my life.. that I feel very energetically connected to, either have their birthdays at the beginning or end of the Mayan calendar. (just an observation I've made from an early age) It's very interesting indeed. Though... I do not believe chaos will occur when it ends. I think we will come to the end of the beginning of starting to push thru the barrier. It will be the end of the Minds Ego. The analytical, doubtful, cooked-food mind. Seriously.... I have a lot of theories about this. That one is much more involved, but ingeneral.. that is what I feel will occur... within my being, that is what resonates. So, congratulations lovely Giacomo! For doing your part in the deconstruction of the ego...