journey to raw health

I believe that we have a purpose when we show up here on the planet, something we are to contribute to humanity. I have questioned mine since as early as I can remember. I would lie awake at night wondering what was I supposed to be when I grew up that would make me happy? What was my passion, what got me excited?

I know that one of my passions is learning about healthy living. For most of my working life, I have learned about different aspects of health and incorporated what I learned into a profession. But, each new thing only lasted as a full time career for less than 10 years and then I would move on. Granted, everything I studied was health related, but, I did not just study diet and nutrition, or massage therapy or colon therapy. In looking back, I suppose I was most interested in healing myself and all of these different avenues played a part in the healing. I sometimes visualize retiring to live in a tropical environment, offering a quiet, peaceful place for someone wanting the same thing:  a place to go to do their own healing. I could offer them therapeutic massage, use of a LIBBE to aid in their detox and of course an all raw cuisine. A tropical bed & breakfast with the ocean at your doorstep. Sounds heavenly.

I know that I am to share  my experience with sprouting and raw foods. Changing my lifestyle had such a positive impact on my health that I want to tell everyone to stop eating cows. Following my intuition led me on a wonderful learning adventure as the sprout lady. And, although it was one of the most tedious of professions, I loved growing sprouts for the community. But, I would probably never do it again. I would rather teach folks how to grow their own. Watching them gain some connection to the food they eat. Self responsibility. I enjoy sharing my experiences as ‘the sprout lady” and the history of Living Greens, the sprouting business that kept me grounded for many of my working years. I want to share many of the recipes that we made when Living Greens was open for business. I am passionate about sharing with people the importance of adding leafy greens into their lifestyle with green smoothies & how simple it is to have fresh greens growing in your own kitchen. Greens, which are loaded with enzymes and nutrient rich vitamins & minerals needed to rebuild our bodies on a cellular level, have chlorophyll, the beautiful, green fluid that is so molecularly similar to our own hemoglobin. I love to suggest the possibility of living a life free of dairy and the many diseases that are associated with  animal consumption. But, that is not my only passion.

For fun, for passing the time creating something pretty, I enjoy spending my time with colored glass. My sister, Kris, taught me the basics of stained glass several years ago. And I have been playing ever since. I have enjoyed making flowers from photographs, angels & ornaments during the holidays and am currently working on a series of yoga postures. Last year I started combining glass with mirrors. My first attempt became simply Girl with Pink Bow. A friend saw the mirror hanging in my apartment and asked if I could make one for her godchild as a gift. She brought me a photo of the girl and I went to work. Long story short, I have since made one of my daughter, when she was a child and one of her husband in his youth. Also, my grandson, Lucas  , from a photo wearing his favorite ball-cap.

I had visions of someday having a website offering my glass creations, but, for now, a page is being created on this website showing some of my art. Because, the reality is, I enjoy making the mirrors, etc., but, do I want to spend every waking moment making things out of glass? I don’t know if I can. I know that I would not want to lose the fun in working with the glass., the creative part. And I do not feel the creative drive every day. So, if it became a full time business, I might not like it as much. But, would I like making a custom stained glass mirror image for someone from a favorite photograph? Yes. Because every mirror is a unique piece  made for someone special. A truly “one of a kind” piece of art. Subjects for a mirrored image could be your child, grandchild, god child or inner child. It is all up to your imagination. I am also experimenting with doing an overlay in glass on mirror.  I create in glass because I feel the need to be creative. And I love the medium because I have always loved color and sunlight, and stained glass uses both. I believe that we should consume a rainbow of foods for health and that we need to have things of beauty around us.

Getting back to the beginning of this post and searching for our purpose, our contribution to humanity. Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, believes our utmost purpose is to awaken to our beingness. I know I am awakening. His book was instrumental in affirming that for me. The staying awake part is the challenge! And then he states, secondary, we learn the meaning of awakened doing. And I quote, “Not what you do, but how you do what you do determines whether you are fulfilling your destiny. And how you do what you do is determined by your state of consciousness.

Thus, I believe, what we are to contribute to humanity will change, as we grow and change. In my earlier years, my enthusiasm was in building my sprouting business which evolved into selling organic produce and feeding folks raw food. Then it shifted to teaching others how to grow their own sprouts & greens and how to prepare simple and delicious raw & living foods. And I know I will continue to do that on a local level by possibly offering classes thru the community college and offering my experience and resources online, because I want to help others transition to a more living and raw lifestyle. 

I also know that I am enthusiastic when I am working with the glass, I enjoy the process of making a pattern, selecting & cutting the glass, grinding & foiling, fluxing & soldering, cleaning & polishing. Yes, when the piece is done, it is exciting to hang it in the window and experience it changing with the light., but, I enjoy every step of the journey.

In beginning to share my life experiences through this blog and website, I have observed my behaviour towards myself., the judging, questioning, analyzing. And I had to remind myself that it (the blogging & website), in itself, is a process. It will never be done, there is no ‘wrong’ way. So I decided to enjoy the journey here too. I am bringing enjoyment, enthusiasm and acceptance into the present moment each time I make an entry, or add a photo of a new piece of glass art.

Enjoy doing the dishes, running the vacuum, shopping for food.  Tolle says bring acceptance, enjoyment or enthusiasm to all you do.  That is awakened doing.

Tags: mirrored image, mirrors, stained glass, personal development, sprouting, raw foods, life experience by Deborah
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It has been many days since my last post. I have been in  strange places in my head, having made a committment to myself to go ALL RAW with my diet. It was challenging enough to eliminate coffee from my daily routine, then I added the removal of television viewing! It was too much. I did not stick to my RAW program. So, I avoided posting anything as I rambled around deciding just what is important to me!

My health is very important. I have rarely ever had any kind of health coverage except when I was married. I always felt that I was gambling with insurance, and betting that I would lose, and need it. I would rather take care of myself; eating healthy, organic food that is whole, not processed, taking supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps, and doing something for exercise. These I have been committed to for many years. I strongly believe that I would not be as healthy as I am if I had not become a vegan, eliminating all animal products from my lifestyle. And I have mentioned in previous posts that I currently do not possess a vehicle. I bicycle or walk everywhere I need to go and am grateful that I live in a small town where I can get most everything I need within bicycling distance. It appears that I am living the simple life, my footprint is light.

So, I had to ask myself why I felt possessed to be even more strict with my food choices. And the only answer I came up with was “I must have some kind of belief that only 100% raw folks qualify to speak about it.” Part of me does believe that I would be healthier if I was able to go 100%.   Eating only fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds gives one a multitude of choices as to what to eat. I eat the majority of my food RAW, and feel good about the foods I prepare. I love making Green Smoothies every morning.

Was I setting myself up for failure? Yes, I am good at that. Do I feel perhaps, that I do not have the experience or credentials to be able to suggest others go RAW? Yes, and no. Yes, I have had NO formal training in Raw Food preparation, no certificates to hang on the wall. My experience comes from doing. I was the proud owner of 2 sprout growing businesses, the last also selling organic produce. I had a raw food kitchen where we offered a diverse lunch menu and taught classes in Raw Food prep. My experience came by reading and following directions, and led to creating some of my own recipes for cookies, pies, smoothies, etc. I’ve been growing sprouts for almost 30 years, and have some growing in my kitchen every week.

No, I am not 100% RAW. But, I know that the more raw I eat, the better I feel. Perhaps, someday, I will be 100%. When I am living in a tropical region of the planet, with access to fresh tropical fruits. For now, I am accepting that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Doing the best I can. Sharing my experience, my beliefs.

I believe we should keep it simple. Eat close to the earth, and  strive to cause no harm.

Be gentle, especially with yourself.  For the time being, I am not going to set any unrealistic goals for myself. Baby steps…

Laugh more. Raise your vibration with good thoughts, clean food and warm friendships.

Tags: raw foods, acceptance, sprouting, living foods, health, life experience by Deborah
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I have known of the addictive qualities of television since the 70’s. When my first daughter was born, I kept the tv in the closet. It came out occasionally only to find that it often had a challanging time finding it’s way back into the closet. When I moved with her to the ocean, we had no tv for quite a while, there was none when her sister arrived in 1981. And I do not believe that we missed it. We had other things to do to keep us busy, and entertained. The ocean and nature’s sandbox were 3 blocks away. Even the backyard was full of life because of my sprouting business. There were always earthworms moving in and out of the soil, enriching as they went. Tray upon tray of buckwheat lettuce and sunflower greens lined the side of the fence along with wheatgrass. The composting trench along the back fence rewarded us with rich dark soil to grow the trays of greens. Life was simple. We lived close to the earth. Enjoying the sunshine and the rain.

I will no doubt miss the television. Having them pick up the box and the simple gesture of unplugging the thing brought peace. I know that if I absolutely need to find out what happens on the next season of Lost, I can go to abc.com and watch the episode right after it views on tv.

 I remember reading a book by Jerry Mander in 1978, Four Arguments for the Elimination of TV. It was printed in Mother Earth News magazine in a series.  His arguments are valid today & exhibited throughout this man made world we exist in.

I understand how life is different today compared to my youth. We lived in one of the first suburbs of our small hometown. Our days were spent outdoors as much as possible, having our own experiences, creating our own memories.  Today’s youth have been brought up with the same imaginary friends, all growing up living vicariously thru the television. They do things and they have no idea why, they hold beliefs that they never made a choice in. Living en masse doing the same things as their friends.

 I loved Mother Earth News magazine. It helped me stay connected to the earth when I was living in the apt. on Main St. It gave me a clue to my future business ventures as Living Greens.

Since returning to my hometown, I have been riding a bicycle for transportation. I have gotten to know the neighborhoods by riding through them, seeing all the flowers and the vegetable gardens. This is very much small town. You have to look for the pretty stuff because there is alot of decay. But, people still sit on their porch and have a conversation. They say hello as you ride by. I like the feel of that.

This is the best I have felt living in my hometown. Maybe it has to do with accepting. I am choosing to look for the good in everything and accepting those things I can not change.  The courage to change the things I can… goodbye cable. hello freedom.

Tags: sprouting, acceptance, living foods, addiction, Peace, life experience by Deborah
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As I mentioned yesterday, I subscribed to Mother Earth News magazine, and usually read it cover to cover. The beginnings of my life as the sprout lady began after I read an article from the Nov./Dec. 1978 issue. The front cover had a star with a caption inside which read “Earn $1,000 a month Growing Sprouts”. I can not tell you how many times I read that article, but, I can tell you that I said to myself,”Someday I am going to do that!” I still have the magazine, and I began growing sprouts in my tiny kitchen.

In another issue of the same magazine, I saw an ad for a live-in housekeeper, girl Friday position in Florida. I researched the address, found out the chiropractors name, and submitted a photo of my daughter and myself with a brief letter of my interest in health and desire to some day be a massage therapist. I sent it special delivery. The chiropractor called me several days later and I ended up flying down for an interview. I left Sarah with my folks and took a flight, staying in Bradenton for several days. Although I decided to not take the position, I took the opportunity to hop over to Cocoa Beach and visit friends. Someone there offered to let me stay with them until I could get settled, should I decide to return to the sunny south with Sarah in tow. I accepted the offer.

I packed our belongings and shipped them UPS, purchased a futon over the phone and had it delivered to FL and then bought a one way ticket. Sarah and I moved to Cocoa Beach right before her third birthday. It was less than a month from the time I had committed to return to my second home.

Within weeks of my arrival, I had connected with some of the people at the local co-op, but I was having trouble finding a place for us to live. I got a job with a dear friend, Lydia, who had a lawn maintence business. And then one day at the co-op, I met a guy who was looking for someone to take over his lease. He wanted to go out west and study with Dr. Christopher Hill. Needing a place to live, I bicycled down to Woodland Ave. to check out his one bedroom duplex, 3 blocks from the ocean. It was the perfect place for Sarah and I, so, I told Rainbow Jim that I would take over the lease. Then he said the most beautiful thing to me. “Oh, by the way, I am growing the sprouts for the co-op, if you are interested, you can take over growing them.” Another example of the Law of Attraction happening in my life!

I took to sprouting like a duck to water! I named the business LIVING GREENS …our business is growing. Although the business started with 3 women, it eventually became all mine, and I loved growing my business. I grew sprouts, buckwheat lettuce and sunflower greens and lots of wheatgrass. I also made tabbouleh, raw hummus & raw sauerkraut. At first I delivered only to the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area. Then I got a car and expanded the route to include Melbourne Beach, Melbourne and Cocoa.

It seemed that everyone loved the sprouts. I could not grow enough to meet the demand and I continually shorted the wholesale produce account that I had in order to fill the stores & restaurants that went direct with me. I loved being the Sprout Lady, but, my secret darkness kept coming back. I had an intense fear of success. Making mistakes came easily to me, and when things were going well, I had the uncanny ability to self sabotage. I certainly knew how to do things the hard way.

Tags: sprouting, Law of Attraction, living foods, Hope, health, addiction, life experience by Deborah
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