RE: Journey of a lifetime (WAS: Leslie, My Introduction) [s]

April 26, 2005

Leslie <chai_mama <chai_mama >

chai_mama Tuesday, April 26, 2005 9:46 AM [Raw Food]

My Introduction

Greetings~

I have been in this group for a couple months, but I have never introduced

myself--I am pleased to have discovered this group because I am learning so

much and find the folks here to be very compassionate, understanding &

helpful.

My name is Leslie, I am a widowed mother of four kids & I am

forty-something. I have been vegetarian for years, then became vegan

macrobiotic. (I have seen several folks use macrobiotics to recover from

cancer, and I became quite healthy, energetic, clear-minded & thin on

macrobiotics.) But I noticed that I really craved fresh food while involved

in this lifestyle (all fruit/veggies are cooked in macro). I also spent a

LOT of time COOKING--argh!

I have been on the raw journey for about 3 yrs. & it has been a struggle for

me! In the beginning I loved it & felt successful with it (good energy/good

food/potlucks/raw festival, etc), but then I noticed less energy, cravings,

weight gain, etc. & began to wonder & explore more . . .

I discovered the work of Gabriel Cousens & began to suspect FRUIT!

But I have not been successful with his lifestyle suggestions & found myself

sneaking FRUIT!!!!!!!

So, this group (esp. Elchanan's suggestions) have been a sort of revelation

for me & I am just beginning to put these suggestions into practice. I am

noticing how MUCH FAT has been a part of my regular diet & the sluggishness

that results--

but

I wonder how one manages to eat so much produce in a day? I think I ofen use

fat (nuts, etc) & dehydrated foods as a quick way to eat in a hurry. My life

is so busy, I wonder how I will manage to eat enough . . .

Anyone care to comment on this? Suggestions as to how you manage it in your

day-to-day?

many thanks to all the thoughtful souls here--

I am grateful to you all!

blessings,

Leslie

_____

Hi Leslie! Thanks so much for introducing yourself in this way. We've all

seen your posts, it's so nice to know a bit about the woman " behind " them

all!

You have " arrived " at a core transitioning issue. For many of us, the

" modern " lifestyle we choose keeps us busy and stressed beyond any

conceivably constructive or healthy level. But this lifestyle is indeed one

of choice, we do not " have to " do virtually all things we believe we " have

to " do. Once I " got " this basic point, I began to change everything, far

beyond my diet. In fact, in many respects my dietary changes have followed

rather than led other changes I have made.

Each of us has the opportunity, in every moment, to make basic choices about

who we are and how we shall live. None of these choices is ever " right " or

" wrong, " " good " or " bad. " But each and every choice we make does have its

consequences, and in most cases, these consequences are rather predictable.

For example, if we eat too quickly, we are likely to experience a bit of

" indigestion, " no matter WHAT we eat. If we keep ourselves busy, to the

point that we no longer make time to connect with self, Divinity (whatever

that may mean to each of us), and others, then we feel alone, disconnected,

depleted, isolated, etc. And eventually angry and/or depressed.

So you are not really experiencing a problem transitioning to a high-fruit

diet. Rather, your exploration of a high-fruit diet has brought you

face-to-face with the reality of your whole lifestyle. No food in the

universe can ever substitute for proper rest and relaxation, nor for

laughter, playfulness, or connection with self and others. None of these can

ever substitute for any of the others, we need them ALL, if we are truly to

thrive and live in the fullness of our own being and energy.

Our " modern " society has built itself, in large measure, around

" convenience. " We no longer walk anywhere, carry or lift anything, build

anything, or really produce much of anything at all, in a physical sense. We

have made ourselves completely dependent upon others for our food, water,

energy, clothing, tools, and for almost everything else in our lives. We

have truly stripped away our own self-reliance.

And in the process, as a group, we have become the loneliest, sickest, most

stressed society in human history (other than during times of war or natural

disaster, and these END!!!)

So, though you may not really wish to hear this, to be perfectly honest with

you, if you want to be healthy and vital and STAY that way for the rest of

your life, then I suggest that you take back yourself, your time, energy and

talents. Just stop. I actually did this... 3 1/2 years ago, I literally

stopped everything I was doing. I made the choice to live with little money,

little entertainment, no new clothes, no new car, etc. And I am now happier

and healthier than I have ever EVER been, even in spite of a very

challenging injury I experienced in August 2003 CE.

This may sound scary or even almost impossible. It is also the opportunity

of a lifetime, if you dare. But in any event, you cannot resolve overload

with food, of this I am certain.

Having said all this, there are a few helpful things to say about the food

specifically:

1. Focus on the sweet fruits, build your program around these. Sweet fruits

include, for example, bananas, dates, figs, apricots, some grapes,

persimmons, etc. These will give you the caloric foundation and the bulk to

be successful. Carry these foods with you wherever you go, if you feel

hungry, eat something. EQUALLY IMPORTANT, IF YOU DO NOT FEEL HUNGRY, DON'T

EAT.

Smoothies can be helpful, you can easily put 4-8 bananas into a smoothie,

perhaps along with some dates and celery, or perhaps alone, or in some other

combination you enjoy. But please remember to " chew " your smoothie,

everything will work much better that way.

2. No one can succeed, in the long run, on a high-fruit program (or on any

program) without a reasonable level of DAILY physical activity. When people

" fail " with 80/10/10, one of the most common reasons is inadequate exercise.

Exercise changes almost everything in our metabolism, and regular exercise

changes things permanently. And NO ONE CAN EVER ATTAIN THE PROPER BALANCE

BETWEEN TOTAL CALORIES AND TOTAL PROTEIN WITHOUT A REASONABLE LEVEL OF

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, no matter what anyone says about percentages of

nutrients. (I can explain further if people are interested, just ask.)

3. Eat a large fruit meal within 60-90 minutes following exercise. Your body

will process the food much better, though I'll not go into the details here.

4. Eat greens generously, in heads, not leaves or bowls (unless they are

serving bowls!!). Although greens provide few calories, the fiber, vitamins,

minerals, phytonutrients, etc. they contain are absolutely essential to good

digestion and to overall health. Failure to eat sufficient greens is another

leading cause of problems with 80/10/10. People encounter dental problems,

energy problems, etc.

All of which leads me into this...we hear often about " listening to our

body. " But in reality, most of us have become so disconnected with

ourselves, over time and even over generations, that we don't even notice

most of our body's messages, much less have the slightest idea what they

mean. So we need to relearn all this. In the meantime, guidelines such as

the foregoing may be helpful.

But if you really want to reclaim yourself, your self-reliance, your

liberty, indeed your place as a sovereign being in the Creation, then you

must relearn yourself. So here is one simple, yet essential place to begin.

Start paying close attention to what you feel in your mouth and in your

throat. Just notice, notice, notice, and when you notice yourself not

noticing, remind yourself to notice. :) Almost everyone I know confuses

hunger and thirst, until we teach them how to distinguish between the two.

Notice what is happening in your throat, all the say in the back.

- Whenever you feel a little dry or raspy there, even the tiniest bit, reach

for some water. Not much water, just sip until satisfied, until your body

withdraws that feeling.

- Whenever you THINK you are hungry or " tired, " FIRST check out your thirst

signal. Often, we are merely a little dehydrated and/or deoxygenated. Drink

a little water, wait 15-20 minutes, just see what happens in you.

But wait, there's more! :) Notice EVERY TIME you salivate, notice what you

saw and/or smelled, OR what you remembered and/or imagined and/or felt,

just BEFORE you salivated. Notice what happens in your body when you

experience a " craving " for cooked food or the like. Do you salivate? Or does

something rather different occur first, or period? Notice whether there is a

distinctive taste to your own saliva, perhaps salty or a bit " acidic " or

otherwise.

Notice any itching, burning, cracks, etc. in your mouth. Just notice

everything about your mouth. Notice what preceded what you are noticing.

Notice all these things, then WRITE AND SHARE THEM HERE. And then we can

help you (singular and/or plural) begin to relearn yourself.

Why all this talk about noticing? Because, in my opinion and experience, the

ONLY way to self-awareness is through self-awareness. And the only way to

health, vitality, joy, peacefulness, wonderful relationships with self and

others, etc. is through self-love, which requires self-awareness.

We'll work on satiation and other things later, this is just a beginning, an

invitation to anyone in this group who wishes to try it.

Best to all,

Elchanan

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April 26, 2005

Thanks Elchanan. I will try this. I have noticed two nights in a row that my

throat feels tight and even a little sore, although I don't have a " sore

throat " . There is a tiny bit of mucus with it too. I at last night at a raw food

restaurant, as each Monday I attend a raw food support group meeting there. I

notice I don't always like the way I feel after eating there. I really want some

sweet juicy fruit and instead they have other sorts of things, usually pretty

dense.

I also notice that I hardly drank all day, although I ate a huge pile of

watermelon slices for lunch and they had plenty of water in them. But when I go

to bed I get thirsty. I'm not sure why this is. It's 11 pm now here, (in NYC),

and I am in bed getting ready to sleep. I feel thirsty. That happens a lot while

I am in bed.

By the way I just thought I'd share.... I travelled last weekend to a

Scrabble tournament and wanted to keep my raw regimen even though I would be at

a hotel. With only one arm working for carrying purposes, (I broke the other one

a few weeks ago,) I brought my little wheely suitcase and packed into it my

blender. Not my new (reconstituted) Vita-Mix, but my regular one half the size

and weight. Then I packed a few hands of bananas, some apples, nut butter, kale,

blueberries, dates, avocados etc. I did fine. I made my smoothies in the morning

and washed out the blender in the bathtub.

On Saturday night there was a " banquet " . As decoration around the sumtuous

offerings, were bits of water melon. I went around and took lots of pieces.

Nobody else wanted them as they were having lavish chicken things etc. And I ate

a huge pile of watermelon. It was delicious. I had salad for dessert along with

the avocado I brought along. I was delighted with my meal, although I think I

ate too much. I kept almonds in my bag in case I got hungry during the long

playing sessions. I also brought half my morning smoothie with me to the playing

sessions and drank when I got hungry.

I am glad to know I can travel and do this. By the way, the snacks all came

back home with me. I had not found a use for them, but the fruit got all eaten

up except for a few apples.

Thank you group. Lane

-

INFO @ Vibrant Life

rawfood

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 2:50 PM

RE: [Raw Food] Journey of a lifetime (WAS: Leslie, My Introduction)