As you all know by now, I am extremely passionate about two things that have emerged this year.  Can you guess at least one of them?  (Hint:  It “started in September 2008.”)

Still can’t figure it out?

Okay, how about this….a good handful of you have been following me on this thing and you’re trying it out for yourselves.

Give up?

Okay, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you guessed correctly:  the raw food journey!

The other topic has to do with something I announced the beginning of this week.  (Hint:  It’s in the last gratitude post.)   The first commentator who guesses the right answer wins a prize (yet to be determined but the prize will come from the answer given).

So what will today’s “interview” be about?

RAW FOOD!

Now, I realize not every one of you are into eating raw food exclusively but I’m assuming that most of you are at least interested in losing weight, increasing your energy ten-fold, waking up more alert, experiencing clarity of the mind and sporting a healthy glow?

Most people want these things.  I have accomplished all of that plus so much more since changing my dietary habits over 3 months ago.   While I’ve been chronicling my experiences, I haven’t really defined what exactly it means to eat raw food or how it’s affected my life in other ways.

So today I’m going to put up a couple of questions that some of you have been asking me lately.  Let’s do this!

1.  What is Raw Food?

It is uncooked, unprocessed food.  I mentioned in the last post that this way of life is fast catching on and sooner or later the media will start labeling it the “plant-based” diet.  Just the other day I saw David Wolfe, the biggest raw food guru on what looked like “Entertainment Tonight.” (I was at the gym running on the treadmill and didn’t quite catch the name of the show).

Uncooked and unprocessed foods are for the most part, natural plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables.  It helps if you buy organic because there are no pesticides or other chemicals involved.  By definition, uncooked foods means nothing is heated above 42 C/118 F degrees.   That means if you make “raw soup” for example (which could be a blend of tomatoes, carrots or whatever you desire), it cannot go above those temperatures because otherwise it’s no longer “raw.”  (More on this in the next question)

2.  So if you eat raw food, you must not be eating cooked meals.  Why not?

At this stage of my journey, while a substantial portion of my diet includes fruits and vegetables, there are occasions when I will order chicken with my salads, especially when I’m traveling.  But when I’m home, I’m pretty much eating between 90 to 100 percent fruits and vegetables.

If you heated your foods above 42 C/118 F degrees, the live enzymes are killed off.  Enzymes are used to help digest your food.   We are all born with a reserve of enzymes but they are gradually depleted over a person’s life.  When you are eating meat (or anything that’s cooked above those temperatures), there are no live enzymes in the foods to assist with digestion.  What happens is the body’s reserve of enzymes are being used instead.  Along with that, the body is consuming enormous amounts of energy to digest those “dead foods.”

Have you ever felt lethargic after eating a heavy meal?  Ever wonder why?  It’s because your body has to work harder to digest what you just ate!  On the other hand, plant-based foods are full of live enzymes, making digestion easier, faster and more efficient.

There are other things that happen when you eat cooked meals but suffice to say that cooking destroys the life force.   Eating cooked food is like eating “dead meat.”

3.  If you’re eating primarily fruits and vegetables, where are you getting your protein?

Would you believe it if I told you that you do not need meat to maintain an adequate intake of protein?  Most people don’t know that -  – when I tell them I’m on a raw food diet, that’s usually the first question they ask. (Photo:  alaskaveg*n)

Raw food has twice as much protein as cooked food so you’ll actually need less!  All the green leafy vegetables I use for my smoothies and salads have a ton of minerals and protein all of which more then exceed the daily minimum vitamin/mineral requirements.

For example, the average percentage of calories from protein in green leafy vegetables ranges between 35 to 50%!   Unless you just eat fruit and nothing else (not much protein in them), it’s very hard not to get more than enough protein from your green leafy vegetables, certain nuts and seeds (among other things).

4.  Is eating raw food safe?  I heard you can get e-coli from eating spinach!

One day I was at a coffee shop on my way out when I noticed a man reading a book that led me to think he was a raw foodist.  I can’t remember the title but the cover had a photo of vibrant fruits and vegetables.  So I asked if he was.

His immediate response was, “Heck, NO!  I don’t want to expose myself to e-coli!”

He isn’t the only person to think that way.  My mom warned me of the same thing when I first told her about going raw.

Folks, this “outbreak” happened in 2006.  Not long afterward it was reported that eating spinach was safe again – take a look at this two year old article from a medical news website:  “Fresh Spinach Safe to Eat Again.”

Unfortunately, that spinach scare (initiated by the FDA, believe it or not) may have done more harm than good because it’s indelibly imprinted on the minds of many people like my mother and that man from the coffee shop.

Here check this out:  “Spinach scare may have done more harm than good by discouraging consumption of healthy greens.”

5.  Okay, so what do you eat on a daily basis?

My raw food diet is actually very simple.  Even when I was eating “SAD” food (Standard American Diet), I never cooked up a storm or made elaborate plates for myself unless I had company over.  I’m pretty simple when it comes to preparing meals.

Generally, I start off the day with a cup of green tea (no more coffee!) followed by a green smoothie using my Vitamix (the ingredients of which change daily except for some kind of green leafy vegetable that serves as the base ingredient like spinach, kale, red leaf or romaine lettuce).

A mid-morning snack might consist of superfoods like a handful of gogi berries with cacao beans or barring that, a frozen banana.  Lunch would usually consists of a spinach salad or a variation thereof.  A mid afternoon snack could be a juice drink, depending on my inclination to make one.   Dinner is any one of the above or something out of a raw food cookbook if I’m feeling adventurous.

6.  My God, you’re depriving yourself of life’s pleasures like coffee and cigars!

The old Stephen smoking a cigar at brother's house.

I have to smile at that one because just the other day I was talking to someone from church who I used to hang out with who said to me that I was depriving myself of life’s simple pleasures like coffee and cigars.

When she said that, my first response was that it was her, not me, who felt that I was depriving myself because if she were in my position, she’d feel that way.  In other words, she was transferring her feelings to me.

To be honest with you, I really don’t feel that way at all.  When I stopped smoking cigars and drinking coffee, it was a natural byproduct of the new lifestyle.  It just clashed with what I was doing and I knew it.

I never said to myself, “I’m going to quit smoking cigars and give up coffee by a such and such date.”  It just happened naturally.  I still have a bag of unused coffee sitting on the shelf in the refrigerator – I see it every morning and not once have I felt the need to make some.    As I type this blog post, I’m in a coffee shop – the wonderful aroma of coffee doesn’t entice me into wanting a cup.  Isn’t that interesting?  Especially after YEARS of starting off my mornings with a hot cup of steaming coffee.   Miraculous if you ask me!

Not long after I started drinking smoothies in the mornings, I saw an incredible increase in energy that lasted me throughout most of the day.  Isn’t that why we drink coffee in the first place?  For the caffeine?  To stay awake?

So, no I don’t feel I’m depriving myself of cigars and coffee!

7.  I understand some of your friends no longer hang out with you because they think you no longer have anything in common with them. Is that true?

Yes, it is.  I used to hang around with a certain person a lot before I decided to embark on this dramatic switchover from the SAD to raw food diet.  I remember one day she was over at my house visiting.   It was right around the time I was making the dietary transition.

I was preparing myself an avocado with cherry tomatoes sandwich and asked if she wanted one.  Her nose wrinkled in distaste and she appeared to take a step backward saying, “There’s nothing in there for me, is there?”   I got the distinct impression this was a bit too much for her to digest.   Understandable.   I thought she’d get over it.

She never did.   A week turned into two into three.  Never heard a peep out of her.

Today we are no longer hanging out.  It was a choice both of us made, really.  What we once had in common, we no longer do.   And it wasn’t isolated to our different eating habits either.  My whole way of being (physical, mental and spiritual) has also gone to another level.  It’s like shedding old skin and emerging as a different person.

Left Behind

She even commented the other day, “You don’t drink coffee anymore?  My GOD, I don’t even know who you are anymore!”  Radical changes like that tend to scare your friends off because you’re no longer the same person they knew.   Yes, it can happen.  (Photo:  rebelshootsfan)

I asked why she was distancing herself from me to which she replied that she “didn’t want to get hurt.”  I was saddened to hear that but I also understood.   She was choosing to stay where she was while I moved forward with what I needed to do with my life.

When anyone makes a dramatic change in their life, whether it involves going into business, taking on a whole new physical fitness program, eating different food or changing careers, it’s inevitable certain people will get left behind because it’s part of life’s natural ebb and flow.

It’s like this.  An alcoholic decides to clean up his act and gets sober.  How does he improve his life and stay that way?  Not only does he go to AA meetings but he also leaves behind his drinking buddies because otherwise he’d slide backwards.

Because I no longer eat SAD food, I’m now wanting my circle of friends to be those who understand what I’m going through and eat healthy alongside me.  I can’t be eating burgers at fast food joints anymore.  My friend made a good point when she asked, “Tell me Stephen, do we have anything in common anymore?”

Point well taken.

Food for thought:   I have a couple thoughts I want to leave with you today:

1.  Have you ever made a dramatic change in your life (hopefully for the better) only to find that some of the people you once hung out with have made a decision not to go with you on your new journey?   How did you deal with that?

2.  Have you figured out what my other passion is?  (The first commentator who guesses the right answer will get a prize from me – the prize is directly correlated with the answer).

3.  Have you thought about buying a Vita-Mix for your kitchen for the holidays?   If you order your Vitamix through me, you get FREE SHIPPING!  (a savings of $25).  Click here for more details.

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Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the beauty of winter around here.   In fact, I happen to live in the Valley where I’m surrounded by miles and miles of woods and state parks.   It’s one reason I continue to stay here.

Just because Thanksgiving came and went doesn’t mean we can’t continue to find things we’re grateful for.  If I’ve learned anything from writing 55 weekly gratitude posts, it’s the value of maintaining an attitude of gratitude even when times are tough.  Like right now.  Seems that America is falling apart, right?

But are you falling apart?

Maybe you’re worried about your pension because the company you once worked for might not survive if they don’t get bailed out by the government.    Maybe your finances are tight.  All of that stuff is probably swirling around in your head.    Stop and ask yourself if any of these things are within your control.

I’m willing to bet that the answer for many of the things you might be worried about is no.  But what you can control is your outlook.     Why not look at what’s working in your life and focus on them instead?   For some of you, that might be all you think you have.    Maybe you’re just hanging by the thread.   If you are, I’ve been there but I certainly hope not!

All of us are affected in some way by the current state of economy but not all of us deal with it the same way.  So how about writing down a list of things you’re grateful for and thanking God for your blessings, no matter how small they might be?

Here are mine:

3 Day Juice Feast/Fast a Success

Remember I wrote earlier this week about my 3 day juicing experiment?  It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.  (Photo:  Margot)

For the last 3 months, I have been drinking mostly green smoothies in the mornings followed by a variety of different plant-based dishes including but not limited to spinach salads, “Hoppy Loaves” (romaine lettuce with avocados sprinkled with cherry tomatoes), raw spaghetti (zucchini made into noodles with green sauce) and others.

After a few weeks of reading up on the benefits of juicing, I went on a 3 day juice fast where I had nothing by freshly made juice every 3 or 4 hours.   Let me tell you, that really took discipline!  But it was fun  – I wanted to see if I could do it.

And I did!

I was surprised how much easier it was than I thought it would be.   Surprisingly, I had super high energy throughout the entire time and never felt so clean inside.   Working out was no problem at all.  I didn’t even need to take my “cat nap” in the afternoons.   I kept going all day until it was time for bed and the moment my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light and slept like a baby.   Incredible.

My weight dropped from 152.0 to 148.5, the LOWEST EVER in 20 years.   Thursday was the first day I broke the fast and went back to solids but unfortunately I rushed back into it too quickly.   I ended up emitting so much gas it was embarrassing!     My energy wasn’t up to par at the gym.   Even the green smoothie I had that morning didn’t seem to help much.   I should have paid attention to recommendations on how to break a juice fast in “The Complete Book of Juicing” but I was so eager to eat again that I went overboard.

Lesson learned.

It’s now Saturday and I’m fine.   As expected, my weight went back up to its normal level (153.0) (151.0 on Sunday).  That’s the interesting thing about the body.  It knows what your “normal weight” should be and it will operate on its own.  In other words, there’s really no need to push your body to a certain weight level because it will find its “natural position” all by itself.

And now that I’m back to solids, everything seems to be back to pre-juicing energy levels.   It seems my body has readjusted nicely (no more gas!).    I’m very grateful I had an opportunity to see what it was like to go on a short juice fast.    I now know that I will do this again, perhaps for 5 days instead of 3, probably sometime during January 2009.

Later on in the new year I might even do a 92 day juice feast like Philip McCluskey and Angela Stokes did.   Once I make my decision, there’s no going back!   I’ll bet you can’t wait to see if I end up doing it, huh?    If you’re not a subscriber, you might want to sign up so you won’t miss it!

Launching a New Business

Part of this very interesting raw food journey is that not only have I taken my life to the next level by living with zest and a sense of adventure (like going to London last month at the drop of the hat), but after lying dormant for YEARS, my entrepreneurial spirit has finally been revived.

Even though that took me by surprise, I wasn’t really surprised because I had been reading that something like that might happen along way.   Many new raw foodists go through a metamorphosis of sorts.  They completely change the way they carry on their lives, the way they perceive and take risks and uncover hidden talents along the way.    It’s like being reborn.   You’re on a wonderful, exhilarating journey self discovery, clearing out old debris and allowing the real you to emerge.    That’s what detoxing your body with healthy food will do for you.  In fact, it’s made me leaner, cleaner and more alert than ever!   There’s more of me coming into the light that you don’t yet know about.   Hold on to your seats boys and girls!

Thanks to people like Corinne Edwards, Sharmaine Hobbs, Christine O’Kelly and others, my mind has been constantly been on the lookout for multiple streams of income.    Over the years, I’ve been exposed to several different business models but none of them appealed to me for a variety of different reasons.   But I’m very excited to tell you that I finally found something that resonates within the deepest core of my inner being!

The beautiful thing about my latest food journey is that because my mind is clearer than ever, I’ve put myself in the position of manifesting things at a faster rate than before.  I’m more alert to opportunities that are passing by.   God is placing new people in my life, gifting me with me speaking engagements and other fortuitous opportunities.  I’m so very grateful for it all.

Since I am still in the process of establishing this new business, I’m not yet ready to announce it to the world but I do want to share how it all got started.   If by the end of my story you want to know more about it, send me an email or fill out the “contact me” form above.

One day, I got an email from friend of mine who also happens to be a pilot.    She sent me a couple video links which took 7 life changing minutes of my time.   By the time I finished, I knew immediately that God was using her to reach out to me because I found something that made my spirit tingle!

Despite the inner conviction, I still wanted to pray about it and ask God for a sign.

It came a week later in the form an announcement by the editor of a very highly respected health newsletter (with over a million subscribers).   He had mentioned that this particular business model was poised to explode in the coming years and listed reasons why he thought so.   I literally fell off my chair – I had my sign!

I thank God for this fortuitous event and look forward to developing it into a full-fledged online business.  Stay tuned!

Other things I’m VERY grateful for:

1. I’m in better shape today than I was when I was in my 30′s because I made a firm decision to take care of the body I was neglecting at the beginning of this summer.

2. Despite the economy, I continue to hold my head up high and have faith that I will continue to prosper and grow my businesses.

3. A national aviation association that awarded me a $2500 scholarship for my historic instrument flight training in 2006 invited me to speak at a fund raising event in Las Vegas next year – I’m grateful to be giving back as I’m donating my speaking services for them in exchange for an all expense paid trip to the strip – this will be my second time in Las Vegas!

4. If you are a serious blogger, then you probably know about SOBCon09, a business school for bloggers in Chicago.  I’m extremely excited to inform you that I was invited by the very famous Liz Strauss to give a presentation on “Blog Accessibility” along with Karen Putz and Glenda Hyatt.

Go to SOBCon09 and check out the program – I’m scheduled to give my portion at 4 pm on Friday, the first day of the conference.    Us three will rock the place!  Whoo hoo!

5. I continue to cultivate friendships with those who understand what I am going through and support me, especially during my raw food journey.  I’m grateful to those people who have emerged into my life in ways that have been unexpected yet divinely orchestrated.    I thank God for bringing them into my life.

This means getting rid of toxic people who do not understand what you’re doing and do nothing but surround you with negative vibes.    They are usually those who complain about the economy or do not want to make changes with their lives.    I need to surround myself with people who are go-getters, people who want to succeed and actually make changes with whatever they’re not happy with – I’m talking about people who are consistently working through their challenges (no one is immune!) and have a healthy attitude about them.

Back when I first started this blog, I wrote an article called  The Importance of Surrounding Yourself with the Right People.    I was inspired to write it because I had just got done releasing certain people with whom I had been involved with for several months that had to be let go.

6. And finally, I thank YOU for being with me for so long.  Many of you have seen what I’ve done with my life and I’m proud to know that I’ve touched you as much as you’ve touched me with your comments and interest.    THANK YOU.

Food for thought:

Two things:

1)  Has anything happened to you this week that you can be grateful for?  Name one thing and tell us about it!

2)  Are you curious to know more about my new online business?  Email me for details if you want to know more about it or use the contact form above.

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By the way, for those of you who are RSS/email subscribers, just so that you know, I have two articles for you today.  This one and “End of the Week Gratitude Theme # 54.”  Simply scroll up your email/RSS notification and you’ll see both of them.

The last time I interviewed myself, I received a couple of interesting comments from the community who thought this was a good idea because it’s a way for them (i.e. you) to get to know me more (especially now that I’ve taken on a whole new lifestyle, the raw food way to optimal health).    I mean, after all, just about every post I write these days have made some reference to this.

I’m thrilled to say that a good handful of you have actually taken the initiative to check this out for yourselves.   That’s GREAT!   Your success is my success.   That’s why I do this – for YOU.     Feedback from the community is incredibly important – I totally rely on your comments as a way of knowing how well you’re doing with your own experiments.  So please keep them coming, okay?

I’m trying to put myself in your shoes and determine what you would want to know about me.  While I’ll compose a couple of questions tonight, why don’t you add your own in the comment section for the next time I do this again?   As you’re formulating them, keep in mind these are questions you’d ask as if you were sitting across from me at the table.

Let’s roll with the questions!

1. Do you see yourself continuing with the raw food lifestyle forever?

When I first made the decision to go raw, I also adopted the philosophy of  “eating to live, not living to eat.”  Big difference!   While I am super conscious of what I am putting in my body these days, I’m not obsessed with eating.   Instead, I’m very focused on bringing my body, mind and spirit back into wholesome health, the way God intended for me.

Vita-Mix Blender

Having said that, not long after I made that decision, I went out and bought a Vita-Mix blender, which was not cheap.   However, by taking that sort of action, I was sending a strong statement to my subconscious that I was very serious about making good on this life-altering decision.

I was also letting the universe know that I was worthy of such an investment.   How many of you have said to yourselves at least once, “Oh I don’t want to spend that much money on myself!”???

My thoughts exactly – been there, done that.

After learning as much as I have so far, I cannot possibly return to SAD.    How could I?

I show no signs of slowing down.   In fact, I continue to delve further and further into this world, becoming more and more astonished at the kind of information I never knew about.   I look up to people like Philip McCluskey (who I interviewed here recently) and others who have gone this way.   I see how they’ve successfully made the lifestyle change and how much it’s markedly changed their lives for the better.

Isn’t that what we all want?

So, yes, I see myself continuing with the raw food lifestyle.    I also want to add that the raw food movement is gaining momentum in the mainstream.    People are gradually catching on to the lies and deceptions of the big pharma companies and their cozy relationships with the FDA.    More and more raw food restaurants are popping up in metropolitan cities.   It’s only a matter of time.

This is why I previously recommended that you subscribe to the free Natural News newsletter.   Reading their articles will definitely be an eye-opening experience for many of you.

Okay, next question?

Stephen’s Response to Himself:  Whoa, not so fast my buddy boy!  Let me just say you packed a wallop of an answer to that first question.   It’s true that when you follow a decision with strong action like buying a $500 blender, you are indeed sending a strong message to the universe as well as your inner self.  Of course, there’s always the chance that one day you’ll abandon the whole thing (like most people) but knowing you, that’s highly unlikely especially since you’ve kept yourself accountable in a very public way via this blog!

2.  Does maintaining a raw food lifestyle mean you’re eating raw meat and fish?

Raw Meat

Good heavens NO!

As we speak now, the raw food movement is quickly moving from the “hippie-peace-loving” image into the mainstream.    It hasn’t quite reached critical mass but it’s getting there and I think the media will eventually label this way of eating the “plant-based diet” because that’s what we’re really doing — eating fruits and vegetables, not raw meat and fish!

I can see how the mere mention of “raw foods” can be off putting, even scary, because the first thing that comes to most people’s mind when I say those words is raw meat and fish.

Besides, I’ve pretty much eliminated meat except for the occasional pieces of chicken in my salad.   I don’t think I’ve had fish since September but I do think I’ll have one every so often.  You see, I’m not 100 percent raw and I don’t think I ever will be.

So the next time you hear someone say “I’ve gone raw,” think plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables!

Stephen’s Response to Himself:  Well, I think you singlehandedly cleared up a very common misconception.   Nothing more I can add to that, is there?

3.  You mentioned in your last blog post that today was the 2nd of a 3 day juice feast that you’re doing.  What’s that all about?  Are you trying to starve yourself to death?!?!?!?!?

Hahaha, no, of course not!   Without going into too much detail at this time, let me just say that I’m actually undergoing a very short-term experiment as a result of in-depth research I’ve done on juicing.   Have you ever heard of people feasting on water for a certain number of days?

Well, it’s like that except I’m drinking freshly made juices, giving me not only calories (versus zero for water feasts) but also a ton of nutrients.   It is another way to clean my body of old toxins and waste.   Large amounts of nutrient liquid are passing through my body, cleaning, rehydrating and alkalizing it, according to juicing experts like Angela Stokes, author of “A Juice Feaster’s Handbook.”

I’ve mentioned Angela Stokes several times by now.  In her handbook, she talked about how she went on a 92-day juice feast and what it did for her. That might be considered drastic to some of you but I will probably do that sometime in 2009, especially after I buy a more powerful juicer like the Greenstar.    I’ve been using Juiceman, Jr,. a decidedly low-end juicer, which has been good enough for my purposes for now.

Just think of this 3 day juice feast as a mini-experiment to see how my body reacts.  Based on yesterday and today, I’ve noticed the following:

Separate container full of pulp after juicing

1.  My body is still producing waste, which means I am getting rid of old stuff left behind in the colon even though I have not consumed any solid foods in two days.

2.  Both days I experienced fantastic energy.    It was not hard at all to wake up early (between 4:30 and 5:30 am) and get a head start with the day.   Even though juicing experts recommend plenty of rest, yesterday afternoon I had a vigorous workout.   Today I got wrapped up in my work and didn’t make time for the gym because time flew like crazy.

I’ve read reports that the reason you’re on a roll during a juice feast (at least in the beginning anyway) is because your energy is sky high and your mind seems to be sharper than usual.  As a result, you end up having fun with whatever you’re doing to the point where you don’t notice time flashing by.

3.  On the morning of Day 2 (today), the scale reported my lowest weight in several years (151.5).   What will it say tomorrow? 

Update:  I just stepped off the scale on the morning of Day #3 and it said:  150.5!  That’s a total of 2 pounds lost during the 3 day juice feast.  WOOT!    I love watching my tummy shrink.  But once I start eating solids again on Thursday, my weight will probably rebound to its natural range which I think is somewhere between 153 to 155 lbs (according to the running average lately).  By the way, in case you forgot, I began this summer at 178.5 lbs. – you do the math! 

If I can do it, so can you!  Just a matter of commitment, focus and dedication to returning yourself back to natural health.  It’s that simple!

4.  The juices were surprisingly filling although not as much as the smoothies because the juicing machine separates the fiber by dumping it into another container (see photo).    To my surprise, I felt satisfied after making at least one cup of juice every 3 or 4 hours.   Sure, I felt some hunger pangs in between but they were not severe enough to cause me to fall off the wagon.    Yes, it took a fair amount of discipline but so does anything you want to achieve!

Okay, that’s enough, I’ll write a full article on the benefits of juicing sometime in the future.

Stephen’s Response to Himself: Don’t forget to mention that if at anytime during the feast you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, STOP.  Don’t push yourself over the edge.  It’s not meant to be horribly uncomfortable.  There’s nothing wrong with taking small steps like you’re doing with a 3 day juice feast to see how it goes before going back to eating solids again.   If you decide to extend it to longer periods, that’s up to you.  The key is listening to your body and doing what it tells you do to because it “knows.”  Guidebooks are only meant to serve as a guideline, the rest is up to your inner spirit.

Judging from the in-depth responses you’ve given tonight, we’ll stop here and turn it over to the community for questions they want to see in the next “self interview.”    Meanwhile, thank you Mr. Hopson for doubling as the interviewer and interviewee.  You sure have a split personality!

To everyone else, that’s enough entertainment for today.  Go and have a great one until the next time.  And oh yes, don’t forget to use the comment section for questions you want for the next time I interview myself.

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Then BOOM, the Thanksgiving holiday came and went and now it’s DECEMBER!!

For those of you who are on my RSS/email subscription list, you will see two blog posts today.

The first, of course, is this “End of the Week Gratitude Theme” that was supposed to have been delivered last Friday.  The second is a short interview of myself…once again, giving you yet another opportunity to get to know me while I wait for future interview guests to get back to me with their responses.

I thought it was funny because when I didn’t write my gratitude post, one faithful subscriber wrote and asked if I was down and out without anything to be grateful for last week.   She jokingly asked if I wanted some chicken noodle soup to nurture and reassure my soul that all was well.   The thing is I have MUCH to be grateful for!   Time just flew by so quickly!

Where shall I start?

My First Semi-Raw Thanksgiving Dinner

You see, I knew embarking on a raw food journey was not going to be without challenges, especially around the holidays.  I don’t know about you but I grew up eating traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in the Hopson household.  Not very much of it was raw food, heh heh. (Photo credit:  stephgum32807)

But since I live in Ohio and my folks are in New York, I made the choice to only go home for Christmas and stay here for Thanksgiving.   With the two holidays being so close together, it’s an arrangement that’s worked out rather well for me as well as the rest of my siblings (all of whom have their own families to contend with).

Since moving here to Ohio in September 2005, I’ve gone to my church for Thanksgiving but this year I went to my friend Linda’s house.  Linda is the lady who did my first-ever colonic on me several weeks ago, remember?   Take a look at this post and look for the sub-heading “Take the Garbage Out – A Visit With the Hydrotherapist” if you haven’t read about it.

Fortunately, Linda understands my raw food journey and made a concerted effort to ensure that healthy portions on the dinner table were of raw nature not just because of me but because it’s healthy for everybody.     I had a fabulous spinach salad (that I made!), grilled asparagus, grilled red peppers (I used to hate them!!), cranberry and morsels of stuffing and turkey (just a few pieces).  I’d say this was my first substantially raw Thanksgiving and I’m very grateful to Linda for going out of her way to accommodate me.

Declining Gas Prices

The supermarket where I buy most of my food is Giant Eagle.  They have a program where the more you buy, the more of a discount you get on their gas.

Because of the 60 cent gas discount I racked up last month, I was able to fill up my car for only 99 cents a gallon!   It’s been so long since I was able to fill the tank for only……

EIGHT BUCKS!

I thank God for little things like that.

Toshiba Laptop Finally Brings Me into the 21st Century!

I know many of you will be SHOCKED when you hear this but up until now, I’ve never owned a laptop!

Yes, my fellow friends, It’s heartbreakingly true. (Is there such a word?)

I don’t know why but maybe I’ve been afraid of technology when I should have been embracing it.   I’ve watched virtually everyone in America carry their laptops on planes, buses and into various coffee shops.

My problem is that when I buy something, especially if it’s electronically-based, I want nothing but the best.

While there’s nothing wrong with that, when you select top of the line, it not only adds up (and you end up getting more than what you really need) but based on historical experience, prices almost always tumble rather drastically after only a few months on the shelves.  Look at what happened with PDA’s, desktop computers, laptops, state of the art television sets, GPS’s, etc.

As a result, I’m always waiting for the prices to drop except when they do, faster and more efficient products come out, making what you just bought virtually obsolete overnight.   It’s like a never-ending cycle.    I’ve learned the hard way – with electronics, you just have to bite the bullet and get what you want!

One day I was scouring the Internet and found a website called something like Black Friday dot com   Curious, I went online to see what was going on.  One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was staring at an ad for a Toshiba laptop with 3 GB of RAM, 250 GB hard drive with wireless WiFi capabilities for just under $600.    A brand name laptop with those features would have fetched a couple thousand dollars a few years ago!

My heart lurched.

But there was one problem.

It meant I would have to join the mass onslaught of bargain hunters at 5 am on “Black Friday.”   I’ve avoided that for as long as I can remember because I’ve never wanted to become part of the herd mentality, desperate to snatch up rock bottom bargains.   But this time I succumbed and became part of them, I’m sorry (and not sorry) to say.

The alarm on the day after Thanksgiving woke me up at 5 am.   I quickly showered, dressed and sped to Walmart.  Imagine my shock when I saw that ENTIRE parking lot was full.   I couldn’t believe it – it looked like the whole town was there at that hour (5:30 am)!    Before I got out of the car, I made a firm, prayerful resolve that I was going to be calm, collected and centered amidst the chaos that I was surely going to greet me inside that store.

As soon as I was directed to the backroom for the laptop, I joined a very long line.   I took a deep breath and waited patiently for over an hour.   Somehow the time passed quickly and I was soon within reach of the cashiers.

From where I was standing, two laptops were left standing on the counter behind them.  There were 8 people in front of me.

My mind did a quick calculation.

My heart picked up a beat.

I felt a slight change in body temperature.

And my eyes suddenly became shifty.

GOOD GOD, WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME?!?!??

If you had been observing me from above, you would have seen me biting my lower lips while I watched each and every person in front of me advance to the front.  Thank goodness they were oblivious to the two laptops because by the time I got there, I was able to buy one for myself.

Last night, I took it to a coffee shop where wireless WiFi was available and had a great time getting it set up.   I kept marveling how much I was missing by not having a laptop all these years.   Now that I finally have one, I’m going to be able to create blog posts on the fly, regardless of where I am.  No longer will I have to wait until I come home to do them.

I also see myself creating persuasive PowerPoint presentations for future speeches.     My newfound mobility will surely increase my productivity tenfold.   New ideas will come to me because I’ll be working in a different environment, giving rise to the potential of stimulating new and inspiring ideas simply because I’ll be out of my element more often (i.e. not in my home office).

Whoohoo – what freedom!  Thank you God for leading me to this laptop.

Raw Food Journey Continues to Drastically Improve My Life

Despite the cold winter in Ohio, I’ve managed to make a success of eating mostly raw foods.  I’m in my 3rd, almost 4th month with this lifestyle.   To say at the least, it’s been incredible!!!

First Aqua Chi Footbath at Crossroads Education and Wellness Center (

During that time period, I’ve slimmed down to my lowest weight ever (151.5), bought a cheap juicer (I’m actually on my second day of a juice feast – more on that in a moment), went through 1 colon cleansing, 1 detox foot bath (see photo) and 2 or 3 sittings in an infrared sauna (all of which are designed to help my body detoxify).

On top of all that, I went out and bought a tight fitting top for use at the gym.  I no longer have a gut, which continues to shock and delight me to no end.  It felt so good to slide that thing on me (the kind that runners use – see the photo below).

My raw food journey has not only substantially enhanced my health and well being, but it’s also given birth to a sense of entrepreneurial spirit that I feel has been missing.    In other words, I feel reborn – perfect timing since we are almost at the end of the year.  2009 will be a chance for me to wipe the slate clean and refocus on my God-given rights to increased prosperity.   For those of you who have been long-time subscribers, you’ll agree with me when I say I’ve never sold anything on this blog.  There are no ads, no e-books to sell, no products or services (other than my speaking business).

Taken with my Blackberry - I took my digital camera to Linda's for Thanksgiving and left it there. Photo is a bit blurry but it'll do for now. Notice I no longer have that "belly"! This is what I look like after 3 months of eating substantially raw food! (151.5 lbs)

Well, folks, that’s about to change.

Thanks to opportunities that have come my way, I am now about to embark on two or three online businesses that I believe will forever alter the course of my financial future (and yours if you choose to participate).  I’m incredibly excited about this and can’t wait to tell you about it!

I mentioned earlier that today is my second day of a juice fast.  After reading a couple of great books (links provided below), I decided I would embark on a very short 3 day juice fast beginning yesterday.

It would take several articles to describe the benefits of juicing so I’m not going go into detail other than to tell you I managed to go through yesterday without eating any solid foods and still experienced incredible energy throughout the day.  I made myself juice every 3 to 4 hours, all of which were smacking deeeeelicious!

Technically speaking, I was not supposed to be working out (per the juice handbooks) but I went ahead and had a fabulous run at the gym doing my usual thing, running 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by some vigorous weightlifting.  I came home feeling a supernatural high.

Want the recipe?

Put the following in your juicer:

• Several sticks of celery
• 1 apple
• Handful of romaine lettuce (later on I will substitute kale, spinach, etc)
• Handful of parsley

Glass of Freshly Made Juice

While you’re juicing, soak one tablespoon of chia seeds in water for several minutes and then mix them in the glass of juice.

Chia seeds have incredible benefits – see Angela Stoke’s “The Chia ‘Cheat Sheet’ and Ten Raw Chia Recipes” to see what I’m talking about.

The key is to have fun with it.   Allow your intuition to dictate what you will end up creating.  Let your taste buds be the judge.  So far I have not made a juice (or smoothie) that I did not like (except for that one time when I tried to blend one whole lemon, which was too strong for me).

If you’re interested in learning more about juicing, I recommend you get Angela Stoke’s Juice Feaster’s Handbook as well as the The Complete Book of Juicing (believe it or not, I found the 2nd book in a Goodwill store while accompanying a friend who was shopping for clothes last weekend – while she was browsing, I made a beeline for the bookshelf and was thrilled to find this juicer’s book for only two bucks!).

By the way, for those of you who are interested in reading unbiased, independent news on natural health, nutrition and more, I also recommend you subscribe to a free newsletter at Natural News.

Their newsletters contain incredible information that the FDA and big drug companies do not want you to know about as well as useful information on superfoods, raw food diets, supplements and many other things.  I’m learning a lot through this newsletter and can’t recommend it highly enough.    I think they have a million plus subscribers.

I’m so very grateful for the continuing improvements I have been making with the raw food journey.  Thank you God for bringing it to my attention.

If I don’t stop, I’ll keep writing forever so I better end this post now and concentrate on creating another one where I’ll interview myself.    Stay tuned.

Food for thought:  Did you remember to tell everyone what you were grateful for during Thanksgiving?

a

Here we are, with Philip McCluskey, the inspiring raw foodist who lost half of his body weight in 2.5 years just from adopting a raw food lifestyle.  If you missed the first part, go see Stephen Hopson Interview with Philip McCluskey, Loving Raw, Part I of II before you read the final part.

Before we call Philip from the back, I just want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I’ll be writing my weekly gratitude post at the end of the week as usual, after Thanksgiving.    Hopefully you’ll have a moment to look at it despite the holidays.

Okay, let’s do it – I can’t put it off any longer.  This guy is the real deal!  He is proof that embarking on a raw food lifestyle (not diet) works.  His story is one of the most inspiring I’ve encountered in a very long time, which is why I’m thrilled to have him back her for the second part of my interview with him.

PHILIP, COME ON OUT, WE’RE WAITING FOR YOU HERE!!! (SOUNDS OF CLAPPING, HOLLERING, WHOOPING).

Philip McCluskey

11.  What would you say was the defining moment (personal “tipping point” per sey) that forever changed the course of your life?  For example, was it someone who made an impact on you or was it a spiritual revelation?

More than anything I think it was just my time.  My evolution had been continuously pushing me to this point.  But if I were to have to pick an event, I would say it was actually a combination of many, many events.

1. Being pointed and stared at because of my weight when I was in Europe, like I was a freak.
2. Having a lady ask me “How did you get so big?”  And have that echo in my ears for years later.
3. Standing on the scale and seeing the needle hit 400 lbs.

It was time.  It was beyond time.  I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I was also going through a shift in consciousness regarding food and spirituality.

I wanted to be FREE!

Stephen’s Response: I know exactly what you mean when you say “it’s time.”   That’s what happened to me earlier this summer when I saw photos of myself with a bulging stomach.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that stomach inflate and deflate over the years.  This year, I got fed up with it and decided to make a firm decision to move forward, which somehow led me to raw foods.  Like you.

Yes, it’s a shift of consciousness to finally put the bad habits behind us and move forward.   I made sure my subconscious mind knew I was serious by purchasing a Vita-Mix blender, the most expensive kitchen counter-top equipment I had ever purchased.  I wanted to send a strong signal to the universe and my consciousness that this lifestyle change was for real.

All it takes is a firm decision backed by strong action (like buying a Vita-Mix, LOL) and everything falls into place, right?

12.  At Adversity University, I often talk about the value of changing our perceptions in order to deal with adversity.  How have you dealt with adversity in your life?  Give us specific examples of adversity and what you did to overcome them.

It felt like my life was filled to the brim with adversity… a state of misfortune.

1. Only being able to shop at one store in town that had size 58 pants.
2. Having to sit in giant handicap seats at a Broadway show because I was too big for the regular seats.
3. Having to buy two seats on airplanes to travel, just to fit me.
4. Hiding in my home watching movies during all my free time.

These are just a few examples.  Being 400 lbs… well, there were tens of thousands of situations.  Raw food was really the answer for me for all accounts.  After switching away from foods that contained pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemicals, dyes, etc… I noticed a beautiful shift in consciousness.  This coupled with my weight loss and new found confidence propelled me to literally redefine myself in all areas of life.

Stephen’s Response: I hear you my friend – a shift in consciousness.  I’ve only been raw since September 2008 and I already feel this internal spiritual shift.  It’s awesome.  I feel more in touch with my spirit than ever.

And this is just the beginning.  That’s why I love your story Philip – I don’t know if you realize it my pal, but you’ve inspired me to soar and keep going.  You’ve inspired me to let my spirit shine through my eyes and glowing face.

13.  What is your favorite word?  Least favorite?

Favorite: Love

“Whatever the question, love is the answer.”  – Wayne Dyer

Least Favorite:

I don’t think I have one.  Why you ask?  Well, I could say my least favorite is hate, but that would only continue to maintain the feeling of hate in this world.  Energy flows where our attention goes.  If I put my attention on something I don’t want to see in the world, I really only help it grow.

Years ago Mother Theresa was asked if she would march against the war.  She said no, but when you have a march for peace I’ll be there.

Stephen’s Response: Well, I ask because I am interviewing you, LOL.  I ask because I am curious to know if someone like you has a least favorite word that you hear, read or speak of.

You’re right though  – energy flows where our attention goes.    I once read somewhere that during a presidential campaign if you focus on the candidate you like the least, you are actually giving that person more power and energy.    Once I became aware of that, I shifted my attention to the person I wanted to win and tried to ignore the other one.    I guess it worked!

Speaking of marching for peace, have you ever heard of the “Peace Pilgrim”?  It was the name of a book and as well as the name of a woman from quite some time ago who marched across America in the name of peace.  It was quite an inspiring book and I highly recommend it.  I’ve read it at least two or three times because I was so inspired by it.   I think you’d enjoy it too – she told reporters she did not have a name other than “Peace Pilgrim.”

14.  What was the most embarrassing moment of your life that you now look back at and laugh, cry or smile?  What was the lesson(s) you learned?

I don’t even think I could pick one; my life was filled with embarrassing moments.  If my shirt lifted, and someone saw my stomach accidentally, that was tragic for me.  Not being able to do any of the standard exercises in gym class year after year while in school.  Walking out of the door every day, embarrassment…

The lessons I learned – humility, self-love, patience, gratitude.  I learned to really love others that were “different.”  I learned that by giving myself a daily dose of love I could have prevented this a long time ago.

More than anything… I learned not to give a shit what other people think!

I know who I am now and continue to be release attachment from the opinions of others.

Stephen’s Response: I’m not surprised that you are the loving, accepting person that you are today because of went through.  Isn’t it interesting that some of the adversities we face end up teaching us how to be more loving and accepting?   I can definitely identify with feeling left out and embarrassed because of the monstrous hearing aids that I wore while in elementary school.  I certainly felt like someone from outer space.  But looking back, all of these things I (and you) experienced were divinely orchestrated events, designed to shape and mold us into the loving people we are today, wouldn’t you agree?

Ah, I love that “I learned not to give a shit what other people think of me.”  Have you heard of the book from the 70s (or thereabouts) called “What Other People Think of You is None of Your Business!”    It’s true, who cares what they think?  Why is their opinion so important?  Are they paying your bills?

If not, the screw them, right?

LOL.  Okay, maybe not but……..

15.  What 3 books, blogs and/or mentors have influenced you and why?  (ONLY THREE IN TOTAL)

“Anastasia” – Vladimir Megre

The greatest superhero of our time.  It’s pretty much a must read if you live on this planet and are ready for manifesting and co-creating heaven on earth.

“Way of the Peaceful Warrior” – Dan Millman

I read this book every year.  I support Dan and all of the books he has out.  It was a powerful tool in helping me transition out of complacency to recognize the true peaceful warrior within me.

Brother Sun Sister Moon – Movie

This was a key tool that guided me along the process of breaking away from what society thinks and really go for happiness in every situation.  It also helped to awaken the nature and animal lover in me.

Stephen’s Response: I read Dan’s book, “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” and saw the movie.  Loved both!  Haven’t seen the movie “Brother Sun Sister Moon or “Anastasia.”  I’ll have to put those two on my every expanding list of things to see and read.

16.  Name the top 3 articles from ”Loving Raw“ that you believe readers at Adversity University would benefit from.  (ONLY THREE IN TOTAL)

• Born Again
• The Naked Truth
• Trusting In The Universe

Stephen’s Response: My favorite was definitely “Trusting the Universe” because it spoke to my spirit and reflected a strong sentiment that I have about trusting the universe to help coordinate what you cannot do for yourself.  I’ve experience many situations that I could not have created on my own.   Those divinely orchestrated events NEVER fail to awe me.

What’s interesting is that people are starving to hear simple truths.  No wonder Randy Pausch’s “Last Lecture” at Carnegie Mellon University ended up touching millions of people!

17.  What do you hope God will have to say to you when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Welcome home.

Stephen’s Response: Simple yet profound!

18.  Being deaf, I am always curious to know which sounds other people love and hate to hear.  Tell us a sound you absolutely adore and a sound you detest.

Sounds I love… The crunchy crinkly sound of leaves being blown across the ground.  Wind rustling through trees as the branches wave to me while I lay on the ground.  The sound of someone breathing softly while sleeping.

Sounds I could do without… Complaining.  Whining.  Words spoken without regard for the power they have.  Not really defined sounds I guess – but it sure feels like it in the moment.

Stephen’s Response: Fascinating!  I have to admit this question was really for my own enjoyment than for the readers.  It fascinates me to learn what sounds hearing people like or dislike because I hear none of it!

19.  We all have our likes and dislikes.  What would you say turns you on and what turns you off?  Give the first answer that comes to your mind without censoring or editing it.

Turns me on… Smile.  A smile of “knowing” from a cute girl across the room.  That smile that speaks volumes to me in just a second.  The connection behind the smile more than anything.  The silent prayer that says, “I know”, “I love you”, and “I recognize the God in you” all in one moment.

Turns me off… Drama.  People and situations that manage to manifest drama or unnecessary chaos in my life despite my efforts to pursue bliss in every moment.

Stephen’s Response: Haha, who likes drama?  We have enough of it in this world, don’t we?  As for the smile – it’s quite powerful.  I make a point of smiling when I’m out in public and am consciously aware of how it can make another person’s day, especially if he/she is having a bad one.  It seems that a genuine smile can truly melt barriers, wipe away anger.  Such is its awesome power, which reminds me…….

I was watching a movie, the title of which I cannot remember but there was a scene where I was watching a young, handsome man who was recovering from Iraq War injuries in a military hospital somewhere in the United States.   Two or more of his limbs were missing because of a roadside bomb that exploded when his caravan rode over it.

As the scene in the hospital room was unfolding, this war veteran was being visited by a friend who was in perfect shape with functioning limbs.   As the two of them were talking, the injured guy gave the most beautiful smile.  It made me cry because the man’s smile was so brilliant that I forgot for a moment that he had missing limbs.

Philip, that is, my friend, the power of a genuine smile!  You have it in your videos and photos.   It’s hard to miss.

For those of you in the audience today, try giving a beautiful, genuine smile in the supermarket as you shop for Thanksgiving stuff today.  Conduct an experiment and you’ll be rewarded with smiles even from the scruffiest of people.

Bottom line, a smile has the power to transform, right Philip?

20.  What’s the biggest, boldest dream you have for yourself Philip?   In other words, using inspiration from the movie, “The Bucket List” (Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freedman, 2007), what’s on your bucket list?

Co-creating a world in which we manage to keep our technology, and go back to the garden at the same time.  Not a space of moving backwards and having to go through disaster and be humbled as a people.  Rather moving forward, raising our consciousness, and making the choice to pursue that way of life just because it makes the most sense, and is truly the answer for every economic, global warming, relationship, and community issue that we currently have.

Stephen’s Response: I had to smile when you said you’d like to see a world where we could be humbled as people without having to go through a disaster to experience it.  Remember 9/11?  The whole nation practically bonded because of that event but then it wasn’t long before we went back to the “same ole, same ole.”  Sad, but true.

You are on to something here Philip–I’ve seen scores of people across the nation trying to help raise our consciousness.  I think embarking on a raw food lifestyle is definitely helping me raise mine.   I am astonished at how eating raw has raised my spiritual vibration and brought me closer to my inner spirit.

21.   And finally but not least, where can we find out more about you?

Check me out at Lovingraw.com.

You can also find links to my Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, YouTube, and GI2MR accounts there as well.

Or, catch me when I dance through your state for a lecture, dinner party, or just because…

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share with you and your readers.

Thank you for being the Change we want to see in this world.

The time for Love is now.

Pursue Happiness at all costs.

Philip McCluskey

Turning to the audience:

Whoa!  “Catch me when I dance through your state for a lecture, dinner party or just because….”

Are you coming through Ohio or neighboring states by any chance?    Don’t be surprised if I end up coming back to my old stomping grounds in New York City in the near future.  In fact, I’ve been contemplating a return visit these days.  It’s been at least 10 years since I’ve visited my old hometown.  I think it’s time.

P:hilip, thank you so much for coming here – I had a great time today and wish you the very best with your ongoing raw food journey.  May God bless you!!!

To everyone else:  Have a FABULOUS THANKSGIVING.    I hope my interview with Philip has inspired you to no end, regardless of whether you have embarked on a raw food lifestyle or not.

Until next time, enjoy!

a

The last two posts got screwed up because of this HTML thing.  Thankfully it was spotted by Nita, an alert subscriber, who told me she couldn’t see parts of the article and the comment box – they had “mysteriously disappeared” said Nita.

After a brief investigation, I found some HTML gooblygook lurking somewhere inside the post – somehow it found its way there.   When I removed it, the whole article plus the comment box miraculously reappeared.   But when Philip’s interview first went live this past Wednesday, I hadn’t yet caught it.  The questions and answer section was completely cut off, including the comment box.    Not good.

But now that it’s been fixed, could I ask you to give a little comment love to the Philip McCluskey interview (Part I)? Philip is the inspiring young man who lost 200 lbs as a result of pursuing the raw/living food lifestyle two and a half years ago.   Thanks!

Okay dokey, now moving on with this week’s gratitude post.

I’ve noticed a peculiar pattern in my life.  Whenever I am passionate about something, I literally go crazy and raid Amazon dot com and the local brick and mortar bookstores.    In last two months, I’ve bought and read at least 5 raw food books already. I’ve also joined Give It To Me Raw, a raw food community with thousands of members, many of who’ve already reached out to me, sharing their thoughts and making me feel welcome. Check it out – - it’s free.

My life has changed so much that every time I go to the supermarket, I’m like a kid in a candy store — in the fruits and vegetables section!   My eyes take in the colorful array of produce, usually looking for something I just read about.

Found this photo of Kale at Wikipedia.org

Like for instance, kale.   Have you ever heard of it?  It’s a very dark green leafy vegetable that dwarfs other produce on the shelves.  It’s a large, dark intimidating bunch of green leafs, looking rather beastly.   For years I ignored them until now.

In fact, I’ve already used kale for my morning smoothies.   Despite its reputation for being bitter, I actually liked it.  Of course, it helps that I put in a combination one or more of the following in the blender to make it sweeter:  apples, strawberries, mango or blueberries.    All I noticed was that my green smoothies were significantly darker than when I used spinach!

By the way, it’s recommended that you use a variety of different green leafy vegetables for your green smoothies.  When I first started, spinach was used as the base ingredient but then when I learned that it was best to switch among different green leafy vegetables, I began alternating between kale, red leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce.    What fun it is to try different ingredients!   The only time I had to dump a full container into the sink was when I tried to blend two lemons with other ingredients – man, that was HORRIBLE!  LOL.

Can you tell that I’m having a hellva a good time??   I have absolutely NO idea why I’m so fascinated with raw foods but I’m supremely grateful because I’ve benefited from it enormously.  My friend Linda (the certified Colon Hydrotherapist who did my first-ever colonic cleansing a few weeks ago) told me that she thought I fell into this way of life because I was divinely led to it.    “Looks like you’re being prepared for the next stage of your life,” she said, adding, “becoming better physically, mentally and spiritually for whatever God has in store for you.”   Sure makes sense to me!

Here’s a rundown of the benefits that I’ve garnered so far from this way of eating:

• Clear, soft facial skin (it seems shiny, clean and clear, not to mention soft to the touch)
• More energy throughout the day, especially at the gym
• Lowest weight in several years (currently at 153.5 lbs – at the beginning of this summer, I was almost at 180)
• Been resting and sleeping well yet getting up earlier and earlier without feeling tired (averaging between 4:30 and 5:30 am without the alarm clock)
• Waking up fresh and energetic
• Relying more on my inner intuition leading me to take greater risks at the drop of the hat like that one day when i was out running errands and heard an inner voice tell me, “It’s time to go to London.”   Then off I went without so much thought put into it!
• Bright eyes, white, not bloodshot
• Quick healing of things like cold sores (had one on my lower lip recently and it went away sooner than normal)
• Lost of desire for toxic foods and substances
• Cleaner teeth (the stains from smoking cigars and drinking coffee are gradually fading)
• I no longer smoke cigars (been 3 weeks now!)
• I no longer drink coffee (which is something I had every single morning for several years!)
• My jeans feel comfortable on me as opposed to being too tight (I now need to tighten my belt to hold them up, which feels fantastic!)
• Buying new clothes that are smaller and snug, making me feel deliciously attractive (example would be the athletic tops that runners use to keep the upper body warm while running outside in the cold – they’re nice and snug)
• Rarely eat meat and dairy products (except for raw cheese, the occasional chicken pieces and pasteurized cheese but that’s about it)
• Discovering incredible things like the value of live enzymes found in raw foods versus meat (which contains no live enzymes and are therefore considered “dead meat”), the long term effects of consuming pasteurized/processed foods/drinks on the colon and how they have caused many illnesses and diseases.

The more I do research, the more dismayed I become at the lengths the food, drug and medical industries will go to cover up vital life-saving information for the stake of making a buck.    One day, I was visiting a friend of a friend in a nursing home when it suddenly struck me that the reason they were there was because of years of consuming the Standard American Diet (SAD) over the years!

I’m also angry to learn how many of the prescriptions given by doctors have done more harm than good.    I feel like I’ve stumbled on to the greatest health secrets that aren’t really secrets because all of it is readily available to the public!   All they have to do is make good use of Google.   But people just don’t know about it because they are distracted by misleading advertisements and subliminal messages financed by powerful drug and food companies.

Let me give you an example.  Did you know that soy milk is the biggest cause of mucus?  Yet you don’t know about that.  Why?  Because you are bombarded with misleading advertisements saying that soy milk is very good for you.    Same thing with pasteurized milk.   You get the picture.

In short, I’m grateful for the incredible amount of information I’ve been absorbing lately.  I’m also grateful for the raw food movement pioneers who have gone before us and shared their experiences in the form of books, articles, videos and so on.

Juiceman Jr. Juicer from WalMart

Every week something new happens – this week was no exception.

After much research on the value of juicing, I decided to buy my first juicer. Alas, a cheap one from Walmart to start with.   Thanks to another faithful subscriber, Patricia Singleton of Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker, I was introduced to a low end juicer called Juiceman, Jr.

Patricia told me she found this to be adequate for her juicing needs.  I talked with a juicing expert at a seminar the other night and she concurred that if I wasn’t ready to spend another $300 to $500 for a commercial juicer (remember, I bought the high end Vita-Mix blender for $500 in September), I would be fine starting out with Juiceman, Jr. and then working my way up.

Ingredients for the first-ever morning juice (carrots, spinach, parsley, several celery sticks)

Soooooo, I had my very first juice this morning!  Several celery stalks, a handful of spinach, another handful of carrots and some parsley were all put through the paces in the juicer.

Juiceman, Jr. seemed to do its job.  Even though I loved the taste, I suspect that because the juicer is on the low end of the juicing spectrum, I probably didn’t get all the nutrients that I could have gotten with something like the GreenStar but that’s okay for now.  At least it’s a good start.

I would suspect many of you would probably want to start off the same way, especially if you aren’t ready or willing to invest several hundred dollars for a juicer.  In my opinion, it’s best to start cheap and work your way up (except for the blender – I actually recommend you get the Vita-Mix right from the get-go, especially if you’re serious about making yourself healthy green smoothies in the mornings).

First Ever Morning Juice! It was deeeelicious!

After downing two glasses of homemade juice this morning, I felt great energy throughout the rest of the day.  The difference between green smoothies and juices is that I feel full after having a smoothie whereas the juice leaves me wanting more.  That’s because when you mix the ingredients in the blender, the fiber remains (making you feel full) whereas the juicing machine separates the fiber by spitting it into another container.

The Juiceman, jr. has 6 movable parts, which took about 15 or 20 minutes to clean but it was relatively easy to take apart and put back together after a couple of attempts.

For those of you who don’t work at home, you might have to either get up earlier to make your juices.   Or if you’re really in a hurry, you could always use your blender and then strain the pulp/fiber by using a nut milk bag.

I’m grateful to Angela Stokes who wrote a juice feasting handbook, A Juice Feaster’s Handbook.   You may recall that I met her and Matt Monarch when I was in London a few weeks ago.   I highly recommend the handbook because she did a great job describing the benefits of juicing.

One day I will embark on a juice feast program similiar to what she did (to help detoxify the body more) but not now.  I’m still new at this and will only make myself an occasional juice throughout the week to balance out the green smoothies.

Infrared Sauna at Crossroads Education and Wellness Center (Canton, OH)

Not only did I attempt to make my first juice but I also used the infrared sauna and had my first-ever detoxing foot bath at Crossroads this week!

Both are additional ways to help my body become cleaner.  For more information about them, please visit the Crossroads website to learn about what the infrared sauna and an Aqua-Chia foot bath can do for you.    It’s fascinating stuff!

In closing, I’m incredibly grateful for the vitality I feel these days.   The right people, places and circumstances appear to be manifesting in my life faster than ever before.    My energy vibration also seems to be rising further and further, putting me more in touch with my inner spirit.

Could these be the reasons why I was divinely led to this way of life?

Hmmmmm……..

Food for Thought:   Have you ever tried changing your life in dramatic ways to the point where you can’t help but be grateful?  If so, share them with us in the comment section!  You never know, you might be helping someone who’s experiencing whatever you went through!

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This is a plate served at the famous Gratitude Cafe in SF

GOOOOOOOOD morning folks – at least it’s morning here – 4:52 am!

I got up at 4 am which has become the norm for me this week starting with 3 am the day after I returned from London followed by 4 am and 5 am the two mornings after that.

What’s going on?

I’ve read in several raw food books that the cleaner you become inside, the less sleep you need.   Could this be what’s happening?   Or am I still getting over jet lag?

More on that later.

So here I am wide awake, pecking away at the keyboard with incredible energy and clarity, the likes of which I’ve never before experienced, especially this early!

This is how I found out Obama won the election while in London!

As you know, I like to end my week with a gratitude post where I share things I’m grateful for.   I’m going to make this week’s post a little different today.

When I wrote  How Making an Irrational, Last Minute Decision Can Change Your Life (which was about my trip to London), I tried to add a ton of photos from the trip but it messed everything up horribly.  I ended up working on that piece for over 12 hours, uploading, deleting and then transferring photos from WordPress to Facebook!

But because some of you are not members of Facebook and therefore not able to access the other photos, I’m going to put a few more of them throughout this post even if they have nothing to do with what I’m writing about.    Thankfully, due to a new feature with WordPress, you’ll see captions beneath them explaining what you’re looking at.   How’s that?

So, let’s have at it.

What am I grateful for?

Raw Food Journey Continues to Produce Fascinating Stuff

Need Less Sleep

OH NO, deaf guy caught faking it by the press! Mooohahahaha!

As I mentioned above, I have been getting up earlier this past week.   At first I attributed it to the 5 hour time difference but it’s now Saturday.  That’s a full 4 days after returning from London -  don’t you think that by now I’d be settled in?   I think that’s plenty of time to readjust to the 5 hour time difference, don’t you?

I’ve been reading in numerous raw food books that one of the things that tends to happen to a person when he/she becomes cleaner on a cellular level, that there is less and less need to sleep.    Hmmm….interesting.

I got up at 4 am this morning, 5 am yesterday, 4 am the day before and 3 am the day after returning from London.   Not only was I able to climb out of bed with incredible energy but I also seem to feel a sense of clarity too.   It remains to be seen if this pattern will continue but I find it utterly fascinating!

Before I left for London, I was getting up around 7, sometimes 6.  But 3, 4 or 5 am????

Stay tuned!

Been Two Weeks Since I Smoked A Cigar!

WHAT!?!?!? The famous what???????? Who would have thunk that for the name of a pub in London?

You all know how transparent I’ve been while on this raw food journey.  In one of my posts from a couple months ago, I admitted that while I was getting cleaner inside, I was still enjoying my daily cigar smoke.  I even posted a picture of me smoking one night behind my brother’s house in Virginia.

Well, I’m shocked to tell you this because I am a huge cigar lover.  For 10 years I had been smoking at least one cigar a day.  But it’s been TWO WEEKS since I last had one.   And believe it or not, I’ve not had the desire to light up since returning from London.

Will this last?  That remains to be seen.  One thing I’ve noticed about this raw food journey is that the things that were not good for me seem to be falling by the wayside, not because I’ve forced myself to give them up (in other words “deprive myself”) but because they seem to be falling away naturally.

Like what’s been happening with less intake of meat, particularly chicken, my favorite cooked meat.  I was a huge chicken lover – I practically had chicken several times a week but it’s been a while since I’ve had a hearty portion of it.  I haven’t stopped eating them entirely since I sometimes have it in my salads when eating out but not once have I opened the frozen chicken bag inside the freezer!

Trying to sort out British currency and figuring out what was what!

Basically what I’m trying to say is that somehow all the things I once craved (coffee is another example – I’ve actually not had a cup in at least 1 month) have become less and less attractive.

It’s AMAZING!  I have not felt deprived nor have I forced myself to give up anything.  They just seem to drop away naturally.  That’s another thing to be grateful for.

Will the cigar habit be completely eliminated?  We shall see but having gone two weeks without lighting up is definitely a good sign!

By the way, I wouldn’t be surprised if the fact that I haven’t had a cigar has changed my taste buds, which leads me to the next subject……..

Drinking Water From the Supermarket Now Tastes Funny!

Taking the train from Brighton to Highbury, UK by myself. By the 4th day, I was comfortable enough to get around on my own.

Of course, when I got back from my trip, I had to go grocery shopping.    Among several fruits and vegetables I bought, I also got a gallon of spring water.   For quite some time, I had been buying spring and/or distilled water from the supermarket because at least in theory they are cleaner and safer than tap water.  Right?

Well, imagine my shock when I had my first glass of water the morning after I got back.   It tasted like…..

PLASTIC!!

I was like,  WHAT THE HECK?!?  No, let me be blunt here – WTF!!!!!!

YUCK!

A couple of things are happening here.

Number one, my taste buds are changing because I haven’t had a cigar in two weeks.  I also think it has to do with the fact that my whole body has been changing on a deeper, cellular level.

Did you know that you have to pay to use public bathrooms in England?

You all know that I started eating raw in September 2008.  That’s what, two months now?  (Counting on my fingers….September, October…..).  Yeah, two months, almost 3.

During that time, I’ve also been doing a heck of a lot of research and one thing that keeps popping out is how the raw foodist tends to become more sensitive overall.   The senses become heightened in ways never before experienced and I’m just starting to see that.

My other senses are also becoming more acute like my sense of smell.  I still can’t read long distance without my glasses so I’m not sure about that but still…..

What do I drink now?  LOL.

Stay tuned!

People Are Telling Me That I Look Different

Remember this? This was at the beginning of my Raw Food Journey in September 2008. Now compare this to other photos you see here. See the difference?

The other night I was at my church’s board meeting as I’m Vice Chair of its foundation.  When I arrived, the few people that were there seemed to look at me in a way they never did before.  Intuitively I knew they were looking at me in wonderment but not quite understanding what they were looking at.  You know what I mean??

Have you ever had someone look at you in a funny way because they see something different about you but can’t quite put their finger on it?

After it was over and I was on my way home, I got a message on my Blackberry.  It was from the interpreter who was at the meeting (the foundation hired an interpreter to help me understand what’s happening at board meetings).

In her message she said not once but twice that I glowed!

Apparently this is another common feature among raw foodists.  You recall a snippet of a report Steve Pavlina wrote about his experience at the Raw Food Festival in Sedona, AZ earlier this year.   He said that even people who were 20 years older than him seemed exude a certain amount of sensuality and chemistry that he found intoxicating to the point where it was like everyone had this inner radiance that was coming out.    In other words – they were glowing.   Every single raw food book I’ve read also said the same thing.

Famous Harrods shopping center

And now it seems to be happening to me.    Even I noticed it in the London photos.   Here, take a look at a photo I took back in September in my bathroom and compare it with the others you see here.    Do you see a difference?

It’s amazing, and I’m very grateful for it.   Thank you God for leading me down this incredible journey!

Update:  While taking a shower this morning and seeing the dry brush hanging in there, it occurred to me that dry brushing my body from top to bottom might also be contributing to the “glow factor.”   When dry brushing yourself, you’re getting rid of dead body cells that don’t always wash off when you take a shower.   That and the recent colonic I did at Crossroads.  Interesting, isn’t it?   Every little bit helps!

Miracles Seem to be Sprouting Everywhere

View from on top of the London Eye (see www.londoneye.com for more information). Notice light from the heavens pouring through the clouds!

The best example I can think of this is what happened on my recent overseas trip.    I made a last minute, seemingly irrational decision to drop everything and go to London for a whole week without much thought or planning put into it.

Not only did I find a very reasonable airfare but everything fell into place the moment I made the decision to go until I got back.  I felt GREAT throughout entire the week I was there and made  awesome new friends, many of whom I will not only stay in touch with but also travel with and perhaps conduct business with some of them.

In fact, this trip did bring me some business opportunities the details of which I cannot reveal just yet.  I’m stoked!

On top of all that, my desire to travel the world has been reawakened, thanks to a man I met there who is a teacher for the deaf who somehow manages to travel the world on a meager salary.  If he can do it, why can’t I?  Why can’t you?

That’s just one example.  There are other miracles that appear to be manifesting as we speak.

As I like to say, stay tuned!

Some of You Are Also Embarking on the Raw Food Journey

Outdoor antique market somewhere outside Central London

It delights and humbles me to know that some of you have taken up the raw food journey alongside with me.  Some of you have increased your intake of fruits and vegetables.  A couple of friends from London are getting themselves the UK version of the  Vita-Mix blender.   You have taken my suggestions and bought books like The Raw Food Detox Diet and others.

WOW!

I am grateful to know that my own journey has inspired you to reach new heights with your own life.   Whether or not you decide to experiment with raw foods, I’ve been receiving feedback on how my blog posts have encouraged you to step up to the plate and face whatever fears or issues you maybe having.  That really makes my day!

It’s humbling to know that whatever I’m doing is actually making a difference in your life, regardless of what I write about.  I’m thankful to know this.  I’m also excited to see the level of participation grow here at Adversity University.  You guys ROCK!

Front view from the top level of a bus.

Life has become very much more exciting since I went raw in September.  Before we go, let me just make it clear that I am not 100 percent raw and don’t think I will be.    I would say that I am about 80 percent raw with the rest being the occasional snippets of cooked and processed foods like chicken and peanut butter pretzels (I LOVE THEM!), to name a few.

My raw food intake in London was approximately 50-50.   You will find that when you travel, unless you’re 100 percent committed to eating nothing but raw food, you will slide up and down the percentage scale.  The key is not to beat yourself up over it.

All I can say is do the best you can with what you’re presented with and everything will be fine.  Remember, this is a lifelong journey, not an overnight crash diet.  You’re gradually changing your relationship with food, enhancing your life, becoming more aware/selective about what goes in your body and taking your health to the next level.    All of this takes time.   So if I may say so myself, I say, CHILL!

If you want to see more photos, you’ll definitely have to go to Facebook to see them.  You have to be a member and be “friends” with me on there in order to access my photo albums (London Trip 2008).

With that said, have a fabulous weekend – you deserve it.

Food for thought:  How has the attitude of gratitude helped change your life?

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"Reflect Each Day On All You Have To Be Grateful For And You Will Receive More To Be Grateful For." -Chuck Danes

Wow, what a week!    The weekly gratitude posts are turning out to be more popular than I thought – who ever knew?

First of all, the week was filled with mostly travel to and from Dallas for my Frito-Lay speaking engagement, which I will touch upon with some photos.

Today (Saturday), I am packing to fly to London tomorrow for a week.    It was a sudden, last minute decision where all the pieces of the puzzle magically fell into place.  Unbelievable how it happened – more on that in a bit.

If you look underneath the picture on the top left corner, you’ll see we already have a quote for this week.  I got it from the Gratitude Quotes website through Googling.   (Ah, the power of Google!)

I have no idea who Chuck Danes is but his simple, yet profound statement makes sense, doesn’t it?  The idea is to be grateful even when you’re not feeling well or things aren’t going your way.  All it takes is just a shift of thinking to the positive and looking for hidden gems in your life.   It’s not only a great exercise for the brain but it fosters a healthy state of mind that only you can switch to the “ON” position.  No one else can do it for you.

I have much to be grateful for and I’m thankful to have a community of almost 600 subscribers to share it with!   Which, actually, brings me to the first point of gratitude……

Subscriber Community Increasing Steadily

I admit it.  Every time I open the home page of this blog, I like to see if any new subscribers signed up.  It’s a tiny little ego thing and it makes me feel good.  It also puts me in a state of gratitude knowing that people like yourself continue to be an active part of the AU community.

As a matter of fact, we’ve been seeing several comments ranging from the low 20s to high 50′s lately.   Your comments continue to make the art of keeping this blog alive a worthwhile endeavor!

Thank you!

Frito-Lay Speaking Engagement – Dallas, TX

I have to tell you this client went over the top in taking good care of me while I was in Dallas this week.  They treated me like a member of their family and put me up in a very nice hotel suite, had a limo pick me up/drop me off, among other things.

When I arrived, I was delighted to discover just how warm it was compared to where I had just come from (Ohio).  On my way to the airport that morning, it was snowing lightly with temperatures hovering in the 40′s.   Since I crave the sun’s energy, I jumped at the chance of spending some more time in the warm light.

Enjoying an avocado/shrimp salad in bright sunlight

After checking into my hotel, I had lunch at Cafe Express, a few blocks away and found myself a table basking in direct sunshine.   It was like heaven.   I must have languished there for at least 45 minutes, soaking up the sun’s warmth – it made me feel sooooo good.

Later that night, the committee that brought me in for the following morning’s keynote, treated me to a fabulous dinner at Jasper’s, one of the best of the best restaurants in Dallas.   We had a private room and was presented with a delicious array of appetizers, wine and a main course.    All of us had a great time, myself included.

There was a gathering the following morning for key executives to formally introduce themselves to me prior to my talk.  I was very impressed with how everyone made sure they were facing me so that I could read their lips.  When it came to my turn to say a few words, I told them how much they felt like family to me by that point.

They have a phenomenal program at Frito-Lay called “Enable,” the group that was responsible for the now-famous Superbowl TV commercial with two deaf guys trying to find the house they were going to for a party.  It was hilarious.  If you haven’t seen it, you can see it here.

Giving Keynote to about 200 people in the audience

Rick Calamari, VP of Engineering introduced me to the audience after which I got up and spoke for an hour.   This was a speech where I completely let go and let the Spirit work through me.

It was quite an experience – let me tell you!

When it was over, several people, including a young man in a wheelchair (see photos below) wanted to meet me.  The young man, who I believe had some form of cerebral palsy, said it was his dream to be a policeman.     I asked if he’d mind a hug from me at which point he raised both arms as best as he could.  It was a very touching moment.   There was not a dry eye within earshot.

One of the Group VP’s of HR also approached me with gratitude written all over his face.  He handed me a business card and gave me a hug as well.  It wasn’t until after I got home last night when I realized he had written a very special note on the back of his card:

One man's note on the back of a Frito-Lay business card

Young Man telling me his dream was to be a policeman - not a dry eye of those within earshot!

I am grateful for this incredible life transforming experience.   Thank you Frito-Lay for giving me the privilege of inspiring your workforce and for going all out to promote the event.  You definitely had a great turn out and I can only hope my presentation did you justice!

New Recipes for the Raw Food Journey

Linda using the Spirooli Slicer to make Raw Spaghetti out of Zuccini!

Among the good things like being at the lowest weight ever (154.0 on the scale yesterday, down from 178.5 at the beginning of the summer), I am also making new friends who also have an interest in the healthy eating lifestyle.

Remember I told you last week about getting a colonic cleansing?  Well, Linda Clifton, the woman who administered my first ever colonic, and I have become good friends.  Like me, she eats healthy, owns a Vita-Mix blender, among other things.

Just before I left for Dallas, she invited me to spend the day this past Sunday to hang out.   We went for a ride on her scooter to a park with a gorgeous man-made pond (fountain in the middle).  We talked for quite some time and then it started to rain.    By the time we reached a shelter (roof covering several picnic tables), it poured.

Soon the rain died out and it was time to scoot back to the house for dinner.

You’ll never guess what we had.

RAW SPAGHETTI!!

No, I’m NOT kidding!

The plate Linda gave me which I thought was way too much! NOT!

Not only was it delicious but it was very satisfying.   It was strange to see a plate resembling Italian spaghetti.   When Linda handed me my over-sized dinner, I  protested and told her, “I can’t eat all that – it’s way too much!”

But she replied it wouldn’t stuff me like spaghetti used to.  She turned out to be right.  Even though it was a big plate, I ate every morsel of it, even having enough room left for raw dessert (pitted dates with coconut covering – YUMMM!)

Raw Spaghetti.

I mean, who knew I’d be eating this kind of food?!?!?

Do you see the green sauce on top of it?  That was easy to make too.  Linda threw in the Vita-Mix blender the following ingredients to make “spaghetti sauce”:

• Fistful of Cilantro
• Fistful of Basil
• Handful of Onion Greens (long green stems with white bulbous ends)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 big organic tomatoes (cut to thirds)

Mix them in a Vita-Mix blender and you’re done!  When I make raw spaghetti the next time, I plan to throw in a few extra items in the blender for the sauce – I just don’t know what yet.  But that’s the fun of it!

That reminds me, I’ve been listening to my intuition and doing what it tells me to do in terms of when to eat, what to eat, what to put in the blender when I make green smoothies, etc.  It’s been an interesting journey because now more than ever, I’m listening to what my body is telling me.

I suspect that if you decide to embark on a similiar journey, you’ll find yourself doing the same thing.  Okay, that was one recipe.  Here’s another one for you.

About to eat!

The Hoppy Loaves

The Hoppy Loaves

This is even easier to make!  You see?  It’s not just about eating boring celery and carrots.  You get to be creative and it doesn’t take all that much time either.  Just a little planning is all you need.

The “Hoppy Loaves” are good for either lunch or dinner.   You can have them as a mid-day snack if you want but I prefer turning these loaves into a meal because they are so filling.

Some people in the raw food movement call this recipe “Romaine Lettuce Roll-ups” but I am calling them “The Hoppy Loaves.”   (Get it?  Hopson is my last name so Hoppy ………)     

There are two kinds of Hoppy Loaves.

The first is made of romaine lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado and minced garlic cloves.   Scoop out the insides of an avocado and mesh them with pieces of garlic in a bowl.  Spread them on the romaine lettuce and then decorate them with sliced cherry tomatoes.

I made this platter for a holiday party recently and while some people wrinkled their noses at the sight of the healthy-looking tray, others were curious and decided to try a few.   Did they like them?  Well, the entire tray was empty within a half hour!  You tell me.

This is how you can adapt to “reality” – you can’t stay home and eat raw food forever.   Sooner or later, you’re going to be invited to a party of “non-raw foodists.”  That’s okay.  You can adapt like I did.   What you bring might raise some eyebrows but so what?  At least you’re bringing something YOU like and feel comfortable eating.  If no one else wants to eat what you bring, GOOD!   At least you can have it all to yourself.  LOL.

The second kind is even easier to make.   Simply spread raw almond butter on the romaine lettuce and eat!  Both recipes take not even 5 minutes to prepare.   Go and tell the others about this recipe – it’s healthy, delicious and filling!

Before I get into the last and final gratitude piece of the week, I just want to alert you to a new category here.   Until I get my own raw food blog up and running, every time I mention anything having to do with my raw food journey, I’m going to put it in a new category called “Raw Food Journey.”

LONDON HERE I COME!

London at Night

The way this trip materialized was a bit strange but because all the pieces fell into place so easily, I have to think it was meant to be.

The last time I went overseas was when I went to Italy with a friend in the mid-eighties.  That was a lot of fun but I had not been back to Europe since then  (Photo Credit:  davidgutierrez2007)

Ever since I went on the raw food journey in September 2008, I’ve come across many inspiring raw foodists on the Internet including, but not limited to, Philip McCluskey (Loving Raw – look for an interview with him here very soon!), Dhrumil (We Like It Raw) and Anthony Anderson (Raw Model).

I’ve also discovered David Wolfe who is very well known in the raw food movement.  I bought one of his books, The Sunfood Diet Success System, which I really enjoyed.  It was both motivational and practical.

And then I learned about Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes both of whom are raw food celebrities in their own right.    Angela lost half of her body weight on raw foods while Matt went 100 percent raw overnight while working as a young rising star at MTV Networks about 9 years ago.  The interesting thing about Matt that he was somehow able to take his raw food journey and turn it into a compelling story even though he was always in great shape before he went raw.  Angela on the other hand, lost 160 lbs on the raw food diet.

One day, I decided I wanted to buy a couple of Matt’s books (Raw Spirit and Raw Success).   I’m the kind of person that loves to read voraciously when I hit upon a new area of interest to me.   It was like this when I first began flight training back in 1999/2000 – I filled row upon row of my bookshelf with aviation books.   Now I’m doing it again with books about raw food.   Pretty soon I’m going to have to build a large library to accommodate all these books!

Shortly after I ordered Matt’s books, I received an email from him thanking me for the purchase.  While this was nothing out of the ordinary because I often receive automated “thank you’s” for purchases I’ve made, when I took a double look, I realized it was a personalized note from Matt himself.

I sent him an email to express my surprise about him responding personally to a small order of books.   That led to a flurry of emails back and forth where I introduced to him some of my YouTube videos as well as my speaking website.    He wrote back saying he’d love to find a way to work with me in some type of capacity but wasn’t sure exactly what (he speaks all over the world at various raw food festivals and events).

That’s what sparked an idea while driving around town, doing errands one day.

TIME TO GO TO LONDON!

The thought came on so strongly that I knew I was supposed to go there.    The first thing I did was to tell Matt of this “crazy idea.”  His reply was down right enthusiastic  – “Come on out” he said.

Then I remembered I had a long lost friend named Mike who also lived in London.  He had visited me years ago when he went to New York City during the mid-eighties.  I let him and his friend stay at my place for a whole week.  His parting words were, “If you ever need a place to stay when in London, give me a shout, okay?”

It was time to call in that favor.

I contacted him and said I was thinking of going to London the first week of November.   His reply almost made me fall off my chair.

“Godod news!” he said.  ” I’m on vacation that week!”

I got went right to work finding myself a flight but reasonable airfares was almost impossible to find since I was looking to book a seat only the week before.   Many available seats were being listed in the thousands.  I almost gave up but decided to continue searching the next day when I hit the jackpot and found a seat on Air France at a reasonable price.

The departure date is……..

TOMORROW!

The flight leaves out Detroit Metro.  That means I am driving 3 hours from Ohio to Michigan to catch this overseas flight.   That’s okay.  The flight isn’t scheduled for departure until early evening anyway so that means I’ll have an opportunity to catch up with some old friends in that state.   I’ve been meaning to do that anyway so I might as well catch two birds with one stone.  (I know that sounds cliche, but hey, who cares, right?)

I’m very grateful that from the moment this CRAZY idea was conceived, everything fell into place so easily and effortlessly.  I am already packed, my passport is current and all I need to do now is finish this post and go rest up for the long day tomorrow.

Ladies and gentlemen, for the next week, it’s going to get very quiet around here.  The Adversity University campus will continue to hum with new and old visitors alike (hopefully with comments) but no new articles will be forthcoming until I come back to America on the 11th.

Thank you all for your continued love and patience.  I look forward to sharing scores of photos and hopefully interesting stories to tell of the London trip!

Until then, enjoy!

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View outside my office window Thursday morning

As I sit here Thursday morning, I am feeling a burst of incredible sense of gratitude that it only made sense for me to write it NOW rather than waiting until later.

I HAVE SO MUCH TO SHARE WITH YOU.  Let me start off by saying that for some reason, I’m feeling indescribably clear-headed with full energy coursing throughout my body.  While I peck away at the keyboard, I am looking outside and witnessing the emergence of a gorgeous, sunny Fall Day.  Nothing compares to looking at crystal blue skies with the sun spilling every-which-way!  I’m so grateful that we can be blessed with something equally accessible to everyone – THE SUN!   It just amazes me how the sun can be out in full force like that, giving everything life-sustaining energy.

Okay folks, I am so excited about writing this week’s gratitude post because I’ve been blessed in numerous ways.  It has me on a natural high – better than smoking a cigar!  Let’s get started, shall we?

The Decision to Reconnect with My Inner Self

Vita-Mix Blender 5200

You all know I embarked on a raw food journey on September 9, 2008.  Well, GOSH, I’ve learned so much since that day.  AND I’M STILL LEARNING.

After reading up on numerous articles online, I went out and plunged down almost $500 for a Vita-Mix Blender that I use almost every day to make my morning green smoothies.   A few of you have asked me to share my smoothie recipe, which I’ll give at the end, okay?

I cannot begin to tell you how this has radically changed my life, especially from the inside out.  A friend from the area thinks I’ve gone bonkers.  I think she’s scared of me now because we haven’t spoken all week.  LOL.

While I cannot exactly pinpoint how I began the raw food lifestyle, the more I think about it, the more I realize this is something I felt divinely called to do in order to take my potential to the next level.  I believe that God has called me to do something without realizing what it was that I was doing.

Reconnecting with my inner spirit.

Basically, I’ve been on an internal cleanse of sorts.  Releasing a whole bunch of toxins stored inside my body, mind and spirit.   While I was never “obese,” I did let myself go to the point where I wasn’t caring much about what I was eating.  I also let myself subscribe to the ridiculous belief that because I was over 40, it was “normal” to have a potbelly.    So, I thought, “Who cares?  It’s normal!”

Because of that defeatist attitude, I stopped working out and lost all motivation to exercise.   There were days when I would literally drag myself to the gym but then once I got there, I hardly pushed myself.  I would just go in for a quickie workout and then murmur to myself, “There, I just visited the gym.  That counts for something, right?”

One day at the beginning of the summer, I looked at the mirror and truly didn’t like what I was seeing.  I was almost at 180 lbs – not obese but a bit over the edge for my 5′ 7″ frame.  That’s when I made a firm decision to do something about it.  I discovered the “Tim Ferris Diet” which I experimented with for 30 Days and reported the results here (see “30 Day Experiments” in the sidebar).  Little did I know that this experiment was preparing me for something else entirely – the raw food adventure.

Remember my famous quote, “We are life’s perpetual trainees”??  Yep, that’s right.   Throughout our life, we are constantly preparing ourselves for what’s to come.   You and I are trainees for life.    How’s that for a different way of thinking?

So I’m very grateful for this new journey because not only have I witnessed myself eliminating excess body weight (I now weigh 154.5, the lowest in a long time!) but I’ve also noticed that I appear to be much more clear headed.  There’s no sense of fogginess or feelings of sluggishness – NONE AT ALL.   I feel as if I can tackle the world!

Last week I hinted that I was planning a visit to a local Hydrocolonic Therapist and then tell you about it.   Some of you were like, “Nah, leave that one out” while others were egging me on.

Like it or not, here it is ladies and gentlemen!

Take the Garbage Out! – A Visit with a Hydrotherapist

Thanks to Natalia Rose of “The Raw Food Detox Diet” a seed was planted in my head to have a colonic cleansing.  In an appropriately titled chapter, “You Need To Take the Garbage Out!”, she outlined different reasons why one might consider a visit with the hydrotherapist.

In that chapter, she gave the new raw foodist a couple of options including getting an over-the-counter enema kit, using a specially designed stool in the bathroom, deep breathing exercises, sweating it out (via physical fitness for example), dry brushing and visiting a specialized colon therapist.

Body Brush (Walmart)

Not only did I get myself a dry body brush (see photo), commenced deep breathing exercises and continued to sweat it out at the gym but I also made an appointment to see a therapist.

Hey, for those who know me, when I am committed, I GO ALL OUT!!!   I’m like a locomotive train that cannot stop once it picks up speed.  There’s no holding me back when I’m excited about something.  That’s how I became very successful on Wall Street, the world’s first deaf instrument rated pilot (Feb 2006) and now a national motivational speaker.

By the way, I found myself laughing and smiling while reading Steve Pavlina’s amusing list:  You Know When You Are a Raw Foodist When……. Check it out!

Anyway, because I never had a colonic done, I had no idea where to start looking for one.   So I went totally on faith and trusted that I’d be led to the right place.   First and foremost was that I wanted a certified hydrotherapist.  No way I was going to visit some fly-by-night operation for something like this!   I wanted to be administered by someone who knew what he/she was doing.

Colon Hydrotherapy Room at Crossroads Education and Wellness Center

I looked through the colonic network and found a couple of certified therapists in Canton, a 30 to 40 minute drive south of here.  To my surprise, there weren’t any listed in my area.  After checking out both of their websites, I emailed one of them and called the other.

I ended up speaking to Linda Clifton, a National Board Certified Colon Hydrotherapist at Crossroads Education and Wellness Center (website currently under renovation today).  After talking with her for several minutes, I went with my intuition and ended up making an appointment to see her on Monday, October 20, 2008.    Interestingly and  synchronistically enough, the other therapist never responded to my email.

Let me tell you, it was an incredible, uplifting experience!!  The moment I walked into Crossroads, I immediately knew I had done the right thing.    The place was warm and inviting.  The air was filled with a pleasant scent, reminding me of the incense I used in my own home.  The walls were painted soft, relaxing colors and the receptionist was very friendly.

What confirmed my initial feelings was when I met Linda herself.   Not only was she full of light and energy but she was super easy to lipread – a big deal to someone like me.   She has a soft spoken way of speaking that easily reaches the depth of your heart, instantly putting you at ease.   She carried out the procedure with remarkable efficiency and integrity.    Not once did I feel my dignity violated.

What was interesting was that she commented several times throughout the procedure that I had one of the cleanest colons she had ever seen.   At one point she looked at me and said, “You don’t really need me!”

When she said that, I knew I was in the midst of a genuine person with integrity.   Here was someone who could have egged me on and suggested that I have 2 more cleanings and then “I’ll be good as new.”   Not her.

She told me of clients who actually clogged her equipment that I was looking pretty darn good in comparison!   Although I couldn’t tell immediately whether I benefited from the cleansing (since there was little to clean to begin with!), I did weigh myself the next morning and found that I had lost another pound and a half.

But something strange happened later that night.   Around 2 or 3 am, I woke up to find myself sweating profusely  – a major detox symptom.  I told Linda about it the next morning in an email and she replied that my liver was trying to communicate with me in a state of confusion.  There I was, putting my body through a major detoxing program with raw foods and a first-time colonic treatment, yet before I went to bed, I had a cigar!  At least that was Linda’s interpretation.   Interestingly enough, the next night I lit up another one and did not experience the sweating episode again.    Hmm……….

Enjoying a cigar at my brother's house in Virginia a month ago or so...

Despite the liver’s rather profound statement, I’m not ready to give up on cigars.  Yes, I know it clashes big time with the new raw food lifestyle but I’m not there yet.  I may or may not give it up.   One step at a time baby, right?

I’m still evaluating the outcome of my first colonic.   The last few days I’ve not only experienced fabulous energy throughout most of the day (which is something I was already experiencing), but I’ve also noticed a surge in clear thinking.  I’m hoping that will translate to my writing and speaking endeavors.  On top of that, I hope to feel even closer to God, the universe and my angels.

Other people have reported better digestion, sensation of overall well being (like enhanced sense of smell), more energy and additional weight loss, to name a few.

Bottom line?  The decision to have a colonic was definitely synchronistic.   Not only was I led to the right person (whom I highly recommend for anyone in the Northeastern Ohio area – please go to her website or make an appointment at 330-477-6400) but I have also developed a great friendship with her.    Since that day, we’ve been constantly emailing each other back and forth, sharing thoughts, ideas and may even end up partnering in a speaking venture!

God is indeed working wonders in my life and leading me to bigger and better things – for that I AM GRATEFUL!

Interview with Barbara Swafford Generated the Biggest Response EVER!

First, I want to once again thank Sharmaine Hobbs for leading me to Barbara Swafford of Blogging without a Blog.  After I visited Barbara’s blog, I knew Adversity University was in for a major treat if she accepted my invitation to be interviewed here.

Not only did she accept but when it aired this past Wednesday, it generated a GIGANTIC RESPONSE from the Internet with over 50 comments and still climbing!  That, my fellow friends, is unprecedented at Adversity University!   Many of her fans took the time to leave comments about how much Barbara helped them see the light when they were just beginning bloggers.

This whole thing makes me feel great because I listened to my intuition which said to “interview this special lady.”  I really enjoy shining the spotlight on those who help others.  She left a comment saying after this interview aired and the comments that followed, it made her cry.

For those of you who have not seen Part I, please do so – I guarantee you’ll be uplifted especially when you hear about how her siblings supported her mother when the father died plus how she got a job as an Executive Housekeeper with ZERO experience.  It’s not to be missed – see it at the Stephen Hopson Interview with Barbara Swafford of Blogging without a Blog – Part I of II.

You’ll be glad you did.

A Life Changing Comment by Sid Savara

Sid Savara from Hawaii

While I love all of your comments, every once in a while I get one that truly gets my attention, especially before retiring for the night.  While I have solicited endorsements for my future book, Obstacle Illusions, I’ve never asked for testimonials for the work I do here.

Here’s what Sid Savara wrote one night:

Hi Stephen,

Congratulations man! I loved reading your stories about advancing, and I’m really happy you won – unlike some other writers out there who talk about improving, they never put themselves out there. You on the other hand, do – you don’t just talk about losing weight, you tried a couple different approaches. And this isn’t another “How To Give a Great Speech” article – it’s a play by play of how you did it.

Amazingly, though we’ve been interacting on your blog and on facebook, somehow I didn’t make the connection until today when a friend forwarded me you Next Best Selling Author video from YouTube that I had seen you before, months ago! I’m of course talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuqlVivegXg

At the time, I sent emails to dozens of my friends, as I first saw the video right around May or June, and people were talking about how hard it was finding a job out of college etc. I thought it was a great story and hit home the point that if you want it badly enough, you can have it.

Funny what a small world it is, isn’t it? I don’t even remember how I first came upon this site – I think it must have been through one of the other blogs I read no doubt, but now it’s one of my “A-List” blogs – my personal folder in google reader, with a handful of blogs that I always read – I may go on vacation and ignore TechCrunch when I come back, but I always catch up on yours!

WOW.   Wouldn’t you be floored with a comment like that?   THANK YOU SID! 

Okay, that about wraps up this week’s gratitude post.   Now for the recipe you’ve all been waiting for……….

Stephen’s Favorite Green Smoothie Receipe

This morning

2 fistfuls of Spinach leaves (preferably Organic)

1 orange (peeled)

1 fistful (or two) frozen strawberries

1/2 banana

1 tsp flax seeds (any health food store)

1 fistful of ice if desired

8 oz. of water

1 – 2 sticks of celery

1/2 tomato

Put them all in a blender and voila!

The amazing thing is you can mix and match.  Green leafy vegetables work well with just about any fruit and vegetable you put in there.  This happens to be my favorite but I make them on the fly every single morning.  No two smoothies are ever the same.  I just listen to my intuition and play.

Some days I’ll take out some things and add mango, apples; while other mornings I’ll mix in blueberries, cranberries or blackberries.  Sometimes I’ll add raw honey.   Hemp seeds, Chia Seeds, gogi berries and even raw caceo beans (raw chocolate) have found their way in the blender too.   The variety is endless!!!

The benefits I’ve experienced include but are not limited to:

• More energy, especially for workouts in the morning
• A sense of calm
• Detox of the body
• Better “waste management”
• Clear head
• Less desire for cooked meat and coffee (a big one since I LOVED coffee and still do but drinking it much less these days – in fact, I didn’t have any coffee this week!!)
• Vivid dreams at night that I can remember the next morning
• Sense of closeness with my inner spirit, God and the universe

You might have other experiences completely different from mine but I’ll tell you this – it has completely changed my mornings!!!  In 46 days since I started the raw food journey, I’ve lost a total of 11 additional pounds (remember I started the Tim Ferris Diet earlier in the summer and lost about 7 lbs. from that) plus 3.5 inches off my “belly to belly” measurements.

Food for thought:  What about you?  What are you grateful for?  Go and tell in the comment section!  Don’t be shy.  We want you to tell us because then you’ll feel better after the telling.  Try it and you’ll see what I mean!

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Everyone I heard back from was in favor of it.   Some people said if I were to start a new blog specifically devoted to the raw food lifestyle, they’d become active subscribers.

Other people like Rhonda James said, “I think whether people want to admit it or not, they are constantly thinking about weight and health.  Slowly but surely everything you report about will start to “sink in” and you will be helping to change a lot of lives.”

Even though this blog appears to be about overcoming adversity because of the title, it is a personal development site covering a wide range of topics including health-related issues.

Think about it for a second – if we aren’t taking care of our bodies with the food we eat, what will happen?  We’ll get sick.  What happens when we get really sick (cancer, diabetics, etc.)?  We have to see the doctor or go to the hospital for treatment.  Think of my raw food journey as “preventive medicine.”

So while I am still thinking about creating a separate raw food blog, I am committed to sharing snippets of what I’ve learned right here at Adversity University for the time being.

You already know that 30 days after I started eating primarily fruits and vegetables, I lost an additional 10 lbs and trimmed another 2.5 inches off “belly to belly” measurements.

You also know from last week’s gratitude post that I’ve been feeling a sense of inner calm along with improved financial, emotional, physical and spiritual well being.

David Wolfe in his book “The Sunfood Diet Success System” was right when he said improvements in the way you eat tend to spread to other areas of your life because when you’re operating with higher energy, a sense of calm and a disciplined mind, you’re also developing better habits, making well informed decisions, improving interpersonal skills and aligning yourself with the Divine, among other things.

When I first started this journey in September 2008, I came in with virtually no knowledge other than what I heard in terms of extraordinary health benefits.   Most of my assumptions about the raw food lifestyle were, to my surprise, incorrect.

The first book I picked up (“The Raw Detox Diet” by Natalia Rose) cleared up many of the myths for me.   Even though it was specifically written for women, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy regardless of your gender.

Okay, let’s start by shattering commonly myths surrounding the raw food lifestyle:

Myth #1 – Raw Food is BORING!!!

The raw food eating lifestyle is boring because you’re constantly eating plain celery sticks, carrots or unappetizing green leafy vegetables like the way gorillas do.

NOT SO!

There is an incredible array of fruits and vegetables out there, many of which I’ve never heard of before.  The more I educate myself, the more I become aware of funny-sounding fruits and vegetables.  In fact, there are so many of them that it’d take several lifetimes to try every single one of them!

You can get creative and learn how to mix and match, create appetizing (and easy to create) dishes that will dazzle even the worst doubters.

While I’m certainly no raw food chef, I am making myself delicious, easy and appetizing meals like slathering raw almond butter on my celery sticks, making green smoothies for breakfast and creating an avocado/cherry tomato sandwich for lunch.    Nothing sophisticated but they’re all easy (and quick) to make!

As far as the green smoothie is concerned, it takes very little time to prepare.   All you need is a good blender, throw in spinach leafs, a peeled orange, 8 oz of water, a peeled mango, frozen strawberries and you’re in business!  You can try different ingredients in the blender.    The more variety, the more fun!

Myth #2 – I’ll always be HUNGRY

Not if you eat every three hours (which is what we’re supposed to be doing anyway).   This is not about denying yourself anything.  Note:  There is fasting but that’s another whole subject for another article.  (Photo:  JeffreyWiden)

Without getting too technical, eating every three hours not only prevents hanger pangs from attacking you, but you it also keeps your metabolism running around the clock.  Believe it or not, this can actually help you lose weight.

Eating as consistently as possible (every 3 or 4 hours) also keeps your blood sugar levels stable (instead of the energy spiking and crashing).

Myth # 3 – I’ll be severely lacking protein, calcium, etc.

When I make my morning smoothie, not only do I get my protein, calcium and vitamins but I am also getting countless minerals, many of which have properties scientists are still trying to identify!

The key is to arm yourself with knowledge and then go forth and conquer the supermarkets!

Myth # 3 – Going Raw Will Prevent Me From Interacting in the Social World

Unless you’re a hermit, it’s impossible to not to go out in the world.  As a professional speaker, I travel, which means I can’t always make my green smoothies in the mornings or prepare my favorite raw dish.

So what do I do?

I adapt.

When I go out with friends to a restaurant, instead of just ordering “any ole thing,” I now look for the “healthiest” items on the menu and order them even if they’re not 100 percent raw.

Let’s say everyone in your group wants to go to McDonald’s for lunch – not exactly the healthiest of places but you can still order one of their salads and bring your own dressing.    See what I mean?

It just takes a little planning, that’s all.    If you’re going to a dinner party, you could always prepare your favorite raw dish and bring that along.   I stay in hotels throughout the year.   Your server can be asked to bring you a plate of fresh fruit or a melon for breakfast, etc.

Myth # 4 – Buying Fruits and Vegetables is EXPENSIVE

Not to bury my head in the stand on this one but while the total grocery bill may, in fact, be higher than your normal grocery bill, think of the long term ramifications.  (Photo:  Lab2112)

Think of how much you could potentially save on medical expenses if you kept eating the way most Americans do (i.e. fast food, meat, pasteurized dairy products, etc).

Personal development is very much part of the raw food journey because not only are you enhancing your state of being and getting healthier but you’re also telling yourself that you are WORTH the extra expense.

For instance, buying organic bananas versus regular bananas will cost you more money but aren’t you worth eating something that hasn’t been treated with chemicals and pesticides?

Myth # 5 – If I go Raw, I must go 100 Percent Raw!

While there are many people who have committed themselves to eating 100% raw fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to as well.

Really, it’s totally up to you how you go about doing this.  If you love chicken or beef and you still want to eat them, by golly, who’s going to stop you?  In fact, Natalina Rose (“The Raw Detox Diet”) and even  former talk show host Montel Williams said in his book “Living Well, 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health and Feel Spectacular” that you do not and should not go 100 percent raw overnight.

Why are they saying this?

Because this journey is about YOU listening to YOUR body and making appropriate decisions at a pace you are comforable with.

I remember Montel telling his readers that every once in a while he’ll crave a hamburger from his favorite joint.  He goes for it and doesn’t feel guilty but he’s just careful not to make that a habit.

Natalina recommends that you ease yourself into the raw food routine and take your time with it.   The key is to go slow, give your body a chance to adjust (especially if you’ve led unhealthy eating habits throughout most of your life).   On the other hand, if you’ve maintained a relatively healthy diet over the years, you might be able to start with a higher portion of your diet in fruits and vegetables.

Natalia has a great chapter in her book to help you determine your personal “raw food transition number.”   In this chapter, she has 15 questions for you based on previous eating habits.  Then she gives hints on how to make the transition to raw food based on your score.  I found her little quiz very helpful and I think you will too.

As you gradually detoxify your body, you might end up wanting to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to a higher percentage but that, of course, would be totally up to you.

Myth # 6 – I’ll Have to Count Calories, Carbs and Fat Grams, Which I HATE!

The beauty of this way of eating is that you NEVER have to worry about counting calories and other stuff again!  Instead of how many calories you are consuming, you’re now asking yourself a totally different question: Can my body break this down?

(Photo:  Charm and Poise)

If you had on one hand an avocado (which has 400 calories and 14 grams of fat) and a Power Bar on the other (which has 200 calories and 2 grams of fat), which one do you think most people would choose?

If you said the Power Bar, you were right.

According to Natalia, your body processes these two things very differently.  With the Power Bar, the body sees that and thinks, “that’s loaded with sugar and chemicals which I can’t break down.  This causes me to store fat and gain weight.”

On the other hand, your body sees the avocado and says, “I know exactly what to do with you.  I can break you down completely!”

Over a month ago, I would have chosen the Power Bar over the avocado because I would have erroneously made my decision on the wrong information.

Myth #7 – I’ll NEVER Have to Exercise AGAIN!

Not in my experience.  Certainly if you never exercised and ate nothing by raw fruit and vegetables, it’s plausible that you’d lose weight and/or improve your skin tone.  But I didn’t lose 4.5 inches around the waist over the summer by sitting on the couch!

I believe strongly that vigorous exercise goes hand in hand with any kind of diet.  As for myself, I go to the gym at least 5 times a week.  Most experts say 3 times a week is sufficient.

I usually start off with a cardiovascular workout (i.e. treadmill) for 30 minutes followed by weight training.  The results speak for themselves.

Myth #8 – Eating Raw Means I’ll Have to Buy Expensive Equipment

While I did buy myself a top of the line blender (Vita-Mix), if you can’t afford one, there’s no reason why you can’t start off with what you already have in your kitchen.

As you progress further and  become serious about turning this into a new lifestyle for yourself, you will probably want to upgrade to better equipment like the Vita-Mix blender.

In other words, you don’t necessarily have to rush out and buy high-end equipment.   While I did go out and buy a Vita-Mix blender (about $500),  I still haven’t bought a juicer or dehydrator and I don’t plan to for some time.

More on this in a future article.

Myth # 9 – I’ll NEVER BE ABLE TO EAT CHEESE AGAIN!!

For those who don’t know me, I LOVE cheese.  If I could, I would eat a whole slab of cheese for lunch AND dinner for the rest of my life if I knew it wouldn’t clog my arteries and give me a fatal heart attack!

Believe it or not, I am STILL eating cheese but it’s of the raw/unpasteurized kind.   Have you ever tried raw cheddar cheese?   Tastes just like the pasteurized version!  Unbelievable!

There are more myths but these are good enough for now.  They are based on my personal experience.

Until next time, have a great beginning of the week!

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