journey to raw health

There comes a time when one has to decide to take a stand for what they believe in., speak up about what they want instead of continually speaking about what is happening as if there is no alternative.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas stands up for many issues that I believe in… smaller government, the abolishment of the Federal Reserve and the return of our currency to one backed by gold and silver., the elimination of the personal income tax based on earnings from your labor, and the legalization of medical marijuana.

I have spent a good part of my time at home this week watching videos about the candidate that I would endorse for President 2008. That would be Ron Paul. The collection of videoes can be viewed at www.youtube.com/user/AmericanPatriot2008.

I believe it is time to vote for what you believe in. Do you want less war, no war? Vote Ron Paul. Less Government, vote Ron Paul. More stable economy, vote Ron Paul.

Our power, the power of the People, is the numbers. We are the masses and we have a voice. That voice is called a vote. If everyone votes for what they want, and throw away the idea of voting for the lesser of two evils. Ron Paul is the best chance we have to return to a constitutional Republic. Let’s vote for FREEDOM!

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Tags: U S Constitution, Ron Paul, government, patriotism, voting, Peace // Add Comment »

Anyone who has read this blog knows that I am a Vegan. That means I do not consume anything that comes from an animal for food, including the wearing of leather or fur for clothing, shoes, furniture, etc. I subscribe to Robert Cohen’s email and often refer people to his site, www.notmilk.com . It has lots of documented information about the dairy industry. Believe me when I tell you that if you have any doubts about whether or not the comsumption of dairy is “good for you”, just get on over and do yourself some educating.

I got an email from Robert today asking me for 95 minutes. I happened to have it, so, I did as he asked and watched a documentary entitled “Earthlings“.

Now, I need to tell you. I usually do not watch animal rights films anymore because they are very upsetting to me. I know of the abuse, it is one of the reasons I no longer eat animals. But, there were 3 parts to this film, and each part had more parts.

To view this planet as a human being, as the caretakers of all other species and the good Earth itself, we truly need to stop and think about our daily actions and how they impact the world around us.

I encourage anyone that happens to read this blog to take that 95 minutes that Robert asked me for, watch this film, and think about how your daily actions impact the lives of the animals on this planet. The suffering of and violence to the animals  that we claim ignorance of for our own selfish pleasures, has much to do with the violence that is spreading all over this earth. It is all energy!

“Earthlings” is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, Music by Moby.

Written, produced & directed by Shaun Monson.

Please take the time, go to http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings and get an education. Perhaps it will give you that nudge to help you upgrade your own consumer choices when it comes to food, clothing and companion pets.

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Tags: animal rights, vegetarian, vegan, not milk, health, life experience // Add Comment »

I have no access to the internet from Saturday evenings until Tuesday mornings. During that time I “earn a living”, so to speak, with one of those things called a job for which I am grateful. When I get home a bit before 8, I turn on the computer and as it is checking for viruses, etc. I make my morning  Green smoothie.  I then go through my personal email and then  to my Google Reader to find out what thoughts are floating around out there.

Today, I followed a few links inside several of the bloggers I follow. Somehow I  found my way to a first time visit for me. A blog by Bob entitled every, every minute. I can’t seem to figure out how I arrived there, but, I was attracted to this site because of The Desiderata Project. Why? Because I have had a copy of the Desiderata for many years. I can not recall where or when it came in to my awareness, but, it is framed and sitting on one of my dressertops. Reading it brings me great comfort, a gentle reminder to “be nice”, keep it simple. I have given it as a gift before, presented in a pretty frame. Such a simple yet powerful, thought-provoking piece. So much said in so few words.

I look forward to reading the posts of the project. The posts I have read so far are introducing me to many of like-mindedness.  What an uplifting adventure awaits!

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Tags: life lessons, personal development, Desiderata, Peace, life experience // 1 Comment »

 Even though this is a relatively new blog, when I began to write I thought that I would be sharing my experiences with changing my eating habits to include more and more living and raw foods, and my journey with addiction. These could broadly be interpreted as personal development. Alas, I feel compelled to  mention the forbidden, since learning about the below information.

I just finished reading a book by Glenn Greenwald, “How Would A Patriot Act? defending American Values from a President Run Amok”. I also watched the DVD by Aaron Russo, “AMERICA, freedom to facism“.

I believe that ALL Americans should be reading this book, watching this DVD,  and then the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

I believe that ALL Americans should research the beginning of the Federal Reserve Bank, the IRS and the deliberate illegal collection of income tax on private citizen’s labor. I believe the Federal Reserve Bank should be abolished, and we, the United States of America should return to a money backed by gold and silver standards, as we did until the establishment of the Fed by private bankers. They have bankrupted this country with fiat money and stolen all of our gold. Services have always been traded, value for value, thus the reason why coins began to appear which maintained an intrinsic value. Trading for a service became more diverse because you could trade with coins rather than another service. To move to a system of printed paper money that is backed by nothing but DEBT, creates indenturement. We, the people, have become slaves to debt, from the moment of our birth, we are paying the interest on the money printed by the Federal Reserve and charged to the US of A. Our Founding Fathers cautioned of a central banking system. Have we not been paying attention? or are we so caught up in consumer madness that we actually buy into the idea of the convenience of a moneyless system? never carry cash, have everything you purchase recorded in a paperless system that can delete you with the push of a button. I do not care how boring or mundane your life might be that you do not care if someone is silently collecting data about your consumer habits, we live in a country that prides itself on individual Freedom. It is No ones business what I purchase, where, or when. As a law abiding citizen, I have the right to live my life in Peace, to own land and make a living. The Law of the Land protects me from my government spying on me, or arresting me, without just cause. And even then, I deserve a phone call. (excuse me, I think Bush took that away in the name of freedom!)

I would venture to say that the majority of Americans do not know that the Federal Reserve is NOT part of our government, but, a private, powerful entity who has been taking us to the cleaners, so to speak!

I believe that ALL Americans should study the importance of VOTING, register to vote in your local elections and vote for anyone that is NOT owned by a lobbyist. There should be NO campaign contributions.  We, the people, have the power of the Vote. At this point in time, that is about all we have! And the powers to be are betting that we will Not use that power and vote them all out of office!

There is little difference between the Democrats or Republicans. They are for themselves and care little for the common, working man. There are 2 exceptions that I know of running for the Presidency next year, Rep. RON PAUL and Dem. DENNIS KUCINICH. Together, they would make a fantastic team. With a joint vision of a Department of Peace, the abolishment of the Federal Reserve and return of the US to a money system backed by gold and silver standards, the elimination of the IRS and illegal income tax on labor; we may be able to bring this country back to the great nation it once was. I will be registering as a Republican for the first time in my voting history, and casting my vote for Ron Paul in the Primary.

Can we visualize a world of Peace? Can we make the committment to cause no harm, to anyone or anything? That sure would solve alot! think about it…

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Tags: government, U S Constitution, Ron Paul, patriotism, voting, Love, acceptance, Peace // 2 Comments »

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.

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Tags: raw foods, acceptance, sprouting, living foods, health, life experience // 3 Comments »

I was browsing a particular mail order catalog for the first time today. I enjoy seeing what other artistic folks are creating and came across an item for sale that touched me. I thought, gee, if everyone decided to adopt this Alphabet for Life, what a wonderful world it would be!

Accept differences. Be kind. Count your blessings. Dream. Express thanks. Forgive. Give freely. Harm no one. Imagine more. Jettison anger. Keep confidences. Love truly. Master something. Nurture hope. Open your mind. Pack lightly. Quell rumors. Reciprocate. Seek wisdom. Touch hearts. Understand. Value truth. Win graciously. Xeriscape. Yearn for peace. Zealously support a worthy cause.

It certainly is worth the effort!

  It can be found for purchase at www.acaciacatalog.com.  Or print it on a piece of paper and carry it around with you. It can fit on an index card, propped up on your nightstand, so you can look at it before turning out the light.

fyi, I am not an affiliate of acacia, although I did think about it. 

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Tags: Light, forgiveness, acceptance, Law of Attraction, Hope, Peace, Love, life experience // 1 Comment »

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.

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I stopped eating cows in 1972. It was a money thing that turned into a health awakening thing that now is a harm nothing thing.  It was a slow progression which eventually lead to my becoming a vegan in 2000. I like being a vegan. It agrees with me. I never liked milk, thought it strange that we drank it. I did like ice cream, but, that is another story. Eggs were in and out of my food choices over the past 30 years. They have been out for many years now. Eating baby embryo seems barbaric. Why not stick to the fruits, leafy greens and veggies that we are designed to eat? Add in some nuts and seeds and you have a healthy, balanced intake of carbs, protein and fats. Also, you are doing the least amount of harm to all of life. And from my own personal observation, fruits & veggies are a higher vibration than dead flesh.

Think about it and act accordingly…

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 Change… the one reliable constant in our lives. The Universe reminds us of change with the seasons and the weather. If everything is energy, is it our negative thoughts that bring about natural disasters? And does the bombardment of “bad news” lower our vibration to attract more of the same. As I accepted that as a truth, I understood why I had so many dramatic life experiences growing up. Without the space to process the energy of the experience, I hung on to the pain and attracted more. When I began to learn about focusing on my passion and giving my attention to what I truly wanted, it began to arrive.

I seem to be a slow learner. It is in hindsight that I began to piece together, “When I was doing this, I felt like that. Happy thoughts, happy experiences. letting go of the fear or doubt and taking the leap of faith. Moving into action and paying attention to what shows up.

My sister and I had a conversation today about energy. I have been able to join her in the neighbors’ pool for some casual water aerobics this summer. It had been very rainy all week here, one of the reasons I have not thought about this blog.  I am one of those folks that really need to have contact with the sun. Thus, when it is overcast and rainy, I tend to feel more sadness it seems. So, today I took a half hour and stretched out beside the water to absorb some energy direct from the source. It felt wonderful!

How could anyone possibly ever believe that the Sun is bad for us? There would be no life without it. And having our fuel come from that which is closest to the Sun makes the most sense. It is the easier for us humans to digest, and it has that exchange thing going on with us: they breathe out what we breathe in, we breathe out what they breathe in. No harm done.

I decided to gift myself a “detox” for my bellybutton birthday. I am committing to all Raw and Living foods, one day at a time. No more Soy Delicious. I know how to make it all from raw, but, my self-sabotaging behaviours can keep me from allowing. I want to experience the energy of all raw, explore the emotions that will rise up as I stop altering my reality with  cooked food and stimulants. My first goal is to make it 30 days., one day at a time. 

 My morning coffee will be gone. I probably drink the equivelent of 3 cups every morning, with Soy Hazelnut creamer & honey. I may get a headache. That means I am physically addicted. I will have to try some different herbal teas to take its place because I enjoy the ritual of holding the cup, feeling the warmth, drinking in the aroma and flavor. 

I am off to my second solo shift. When I return, it will be my first day on my detox.   

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I have been overwhelmed with training for my new job & busy with out-of-town company, so, I stopped looking at my blog. I’ve been blank. I felt I was having to learn so much before I begin my new position. Shadowing both day & night shifts to learn the routine. I will be 3 nights away from my home; watching over the ‘ladies’, fixing their meals, keeping them busy with crafty things. Crayons, coloring books, soft shapes to glue together, Disney movies. Going for rides to see the boats.

Of course, I want them to like me, but, more importantly,  I want them to be happy with their lives, and feel as much in control as they can.

 Is that because I felt my own life was so ‘out of control’ for so many years? Some. 

Accepting ‘what is’ as just that, ‘what is’, with no other attachment. Looking for the Joy in everyday accomplishments.

I will surely be learning from them as I assist them in their lives.

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