Snoopy Never Lived a Dog's Life!

A raw life style forces you to look at more than just what you eat. Once you start cleaning up the sludge that accumulates over the years of shoving garbage into your system, the mind is allowed to explore the inner and outer world in greater depth and clarity.

As my body has cleansed itself (as it has been doing on a regular basis. Yes, that's a pun!), I've been able to review my life.

Remember sitting in front of the TV on a cold winter's night with your family when you were young? You might have had a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of popcorn as the snow fell outside the window. It was a special night that you looked forward to for months. It was the night of the new Charlie Brown special.

We all have a little bit of Charlie in us. We keep trying to kick the football. We might fall flat, but just like Charlie we never give up.

We've got our cool dog Snoopy! He may be real, or he may be imaginary, but he's there. He makes us smile when we need him, and never leaves our side. He never led a dog's life.

Then there's the little red headed girl. Remember her? Charlie was head over heals in love with her. While she never seemed to notice Charlie, she gave him a reason, and a purpose to improve himself. The little red hair (or red headed) girl is only symbolic of course. Anyone can have the spirit of this character in their heart.

I hope everyone knows someone like Charlie Brown knows. These are really neat people. They're so full of energy. They walk a path that may seem harder at times to some, but to others who allow them their freedom, they display a strength, vitality, and honesty others never match.

Some little red head girls face their past and see that by sharing happiness, it is returned tenfold. They love life, and live it to the fullest!

Yeah, I've got a picture of a little read headed girl that meets these qualifications. Those around her find her to be infectious. You can't help but smile when she's around!

I've been lucky in my life to have learned to watch for the "red headed girls". They aren't limited by age, sex, or the usual line up of qualifications. I've been married to one for 24 years now. In the past few years, I've hooked up with someone I've known for lifetimes. Katie and her spouse Kara have done more than they'll ever realize in filling our lives with joy (and sharing Murmur too!). We've loved them both from the beginning.

OK, let me have the chance for a big build-up. Be good or I'll ask for donations through PayPal just to let you look at a picture of the newest person who changed not only my life but Keely's too! Fine. Here's that little red headed girl, curls and all!

No, I won't give you her name! I'll tell you that today she is over 21 years old. You'll know her when you meet her, and will never regret the meeting. She will change your life, through her knowledge, laughter, and sharing.

Never turn your back on the gifts the world will share, when you start living as one with your environment. A raw diet has opened worlds for me, many of which I have yet to acknowledge and explore. I hope your path is as wondrous

OK, I know, GET SOME SLEEP! You're starting to sound like a Hallmark card again!

I may not be posting for the next few days. I've got a big weekend planned. I'm taking my wife to Tai Chi on Saturday. The Doctor said that her hoof is healed enough that she should be able to participate (and count to at least ten if she remembers how to do that. OK, she can really count to 50. But I can count to 51!). I'm hoping to work on a couple of new and exciting raw recipes too! If they work out, I promise to post them in the near future. Anyone know how PayPal works? Just kidding!

Of course then there's the time I'll be spending in the hospital after the woman in the picture gets through with me!

Until next time, remember that whatever your path, its yours to walk. You might invite others with you. Its always fun to share the world with a friend!

And They're in the Home Stretch!

Its been a rough week. No, it has nothing to do with our new raw regimen. Its work, and life in general.

Oh, give me a break! It was the full moon, AND a full lunar eclipse! If that doesn't turn your life upside down, and set the family to baying, I don't know what will! I had to pay Keely to take my muzzle off this morning!

The best thing so far has been our PJ Teleseminar with the Raw Divas! Tera Warner turned 32 on Tuesday! Tera Warner and Amy DeWolfe are the "founding Divas". Its fortunate that Tera's mother also showed up for the call, or it don't think it would have gotten as far out of control as it did! It took me two hours to stop laughing so I could fall asleep!

Besides laying a great foundation for being a raw foodist, the Divas have made these thirty days something to embrace. They've been honest with their experiences, listening and offering support. They've made raw fun! I'm sorry to see that we're in the last week of the Body Enlightenment System!

The Divas have provided us with direction without demands, suggestions without being domineering. They've understood our ups and downs, and treated the group with honesty and dignity.

Oh, there I go again, sounding like a Hallmark card. Of course those who know me, and my feelings regarding the Hallmark Christmas Ornaments after being married now for 24 years to a woman who has collected Hallmark ornaments since day one, will tell you, I HATE HALLMARK!

But I digress.

Please check out the Divas, you can't go wrong! DIVAS RULE THE WHOLE RAW WORLD! (And Amy owns two miniature Dachshunds which means she's fantastic in my Dachshund luvin' world!) Make sure to check out their Seven Day Detox program too! ITS FREE!

You'll find a link to the Divas in my list along with other great websites that I'll focus on in the near future. There are tons of great blogs and websites to help you on your journey to health and well being (wellness is not a real word outside of Madison Ave!). Don't just read, SEARCH!

Until next time (when I'm more coherent)! But now I must run to the bathroom, and straight to bed. I feel "Mom's" presence!

(Yeah, I admit it. There's a lot of inside jokes in this one!)

How to Make a Chicken Happy

It would have been so easy to make Keely happy by discussing my nutritional stupidity in the last 24 hours. Or I could relate how for the last hour we've been listening to how we've had a tornado warning in Franklin County as the sirens blared outside our home. Oh, right, and the sun is shining.

I could tell you how a tornado appears to have missed the "futball" stadium at Ohio State University, but I'd rather talk about something positive.

I was originally introduced to raw foods about 5 years ago by a wonderful lady named Candice Hidegkuti. This lady has so much energy, and is so passionate about raw foods it is unbelievable (she hugs great too!). Candice is still a major force in my area when it comes to raw foods. Because of Candice I dropped 50 pounds.

Then came my trip to Viet Nam. Don't ask me how much I put back on. I'd have to shoot you if I told you.

I played with raw foods off and on, never able to commit to feeling good. Its too easy to feel bad. Then after a second trip to Viet Nam in January, 2007, I knew I had to do something (especially after the Vietnamese women tried to rub my stomach and make a wish. Fun but somewhat embarrassing).

Enter Heidi & Justin Ohlander. These two are the creative (and sometimes crazy) minds behind the great blog "Raw Food, Right Now". Heidi has put together a wonderful recipe book of Thanksgiving recipes that you can download electronically. One of the recipes is an Eggless Egg Salad that my lacto-ovo vegetarian friends assure me is just like real egg salad (pictured above on onion bread with Asian Mushrooms and Easy Caramelized Onions) without eating a chicken embryo. (Bet you were wondering when I was going to work the title into this post didn't you?)

Do you think I'm going to give you the recipe for the eggless salad? No way! I'm not about to take the veggies out of Heidi's and Justin's mouths! It was Heidi that turned me on to the Raw Divas (WATCH YOUR MINDS!)!

OK, I know how stingy some of you can be, so I asked very nicely, and Heidi has sent me a recipe to tempt your pallets. This is based upon a Karen Knowler recipe. Karen's the leading raw food coach in the UK.

Smooth Chocolate Avocado Pudding

3 regular sized avocados
3/4 - 1 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup carob powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder or raw chocolate powder
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
splash of salt

First blend the avocados in a food processor. Then add half the maple syrup. Then add the powder while its running. Add sweetener to taste. Add the extract at the end. Keep blending until smooth. Best served chilled.

Happy? Ok, now make sure you check out "Raw Food, Right Now", and support Heidi and Justin. Their blog just turned a year old. They've compiled a list of around 100 raw blogs, a raw ice cream book, and their fantastic Raw Thanksgiving book (which has the eggless egg salad recipe). You can find them at http://rawfoodrightnow.blogspot.com

I owe both Heidi and Justin a big thank you for pointing Keely and me to the Raw Divas, and starting us back down the path to health.

Besides everything else they do, Heidi's a Trekkie. Now how can you go wrong with a Trekkie?

Peace and long life! (Yeah, I admit that I find 7 of 9 hot, and wouldn't have thought twice about kissing Uhura either Gene! Real Trekkies will understand...)

What Is That I Hear?

Ann Wigmore in her book “Why Suffer?: How I overcame Illness & Pain Naturally” talks about taking her cues from watching animals in the wild and how they dealt with illness and injury. Animals have a tendency to listen to their bodies and look for what they need in the world around them.

Sorry to tell you this, but you’re an animal too. However, we’ve all gotten away from listening to our bodies. We allow ourselves to be influenced by people, television, and other outside influences that say they know more about what we actually need than we know. By listening to these influences we surrender our freedom, and do our bodies an injustice.

Today I got out of bed, looked in the mirror, and almost ran for the toilet (OK, so I was standing next to the toilet, but please allow me some editorial license.) I could barely stand. I thought how people at the hanger were going to have to pick up my hearings, and I might get docked a few hours under the State’s sick leave policy.

But I realized that I had to listen to what was happening at that moment. I could allow myself to be influenced by what others believed or would have to do. I could only think of the signals I was getting, and those signals told me to listen to my body and accept the signals I was getting. Others will cover the work as I’ve done so many times in the past.

What does this have to do with eating raw? Most experts suggest that it takes at least 6 months for the body to completely detox. I’m not too sure about this number. I think it could be a lot longer, given the number of years of built up toxins

This morning I was supposed to have papaya and bananas. I couldn’t even imagine cutting that papaya today. The only thing that sound, or felt, halfway decent to my body was grapes. So I settled on a mono meal. I only ate about half the grapes.

I’m hoping lunch will be better. I’ve got a salad prepared that I was going to take to work today of mangoes, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, and a dressing of balsamic vinegar and agave syrup.

Sometimes a mono meal is the best thing you can do for your body. Listen, and go with the flow. If you’re on a structured raw diet, and it calls for 10 bananas for dinner, don’t force it down (especially if they won’t stay down). Learn to substitute. Any great program, like that offered by The Raw Divas, gives options and is flexible. None of us are the same, and require different amounts and types of fuel.

The wonderful thing about being raw is that you become more aware of your body. I hear the creaks, and the sloshes. I know when the body wants to eliminate wastes (and boy, had I better listen to that signal!). I know when the body is distress. I know I have to listen to my body. I think a person who eats raw walks a finer line when it comes to their body, because the body expects so much more. The food we eat is in its natural and pure form. When we step to one side of the line, and eat something refined, the body is quick to slap us upside the head for our poor choice. Our body wants that which is pure and natural. Not something dead, and full of chemicals.

What ever you do, listen to your body, and do your own research. There are literally hundreds of great books and websites on eating raw. Don’t settle on one, unless you’re happy with what you read. After all, it’s your body you’re living in.

Listen to your body now before it screams so loud that it forces you to stop to listen.

Sniffle, Snort, AH CHEW!

I've read a lot of books that say people on a raw diet tend not to be as sick as those on a Standard American Diet (SAD) of cooked foods. That's easy for a person to say when they're not snorting, sniffling, and sneezing because their sinuses are so clogged they can't breath!

Oh, so Bob isn't feeling too well is he? Let's just say that there are many factors involved in a person's well being besides what we ingest. There is no question that the fuel we cram into our bodies probably has the biggest impact. But if there isn't the support structure in place, the food doesn't make a lot of difference.

A great example is the plane that decided to explode at the airport in Japan. It seems like it might have had a hole in the fuel tank. Not a good thing if you're a plane. Nor is a hole a good thing if you're a person.

A hole isn't just something physical. If you're not committed to a raw vegan diet, it won't work. If your focus is not on your life, it won't work. If you're stuck in a cubicle in a converted airplane hanger....(see, I'm not perfect, no matter what Keely might tell you!)

I keep hammering away at a good friend of mine that there is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself, and putting yourself before all others. Just like the plane that can't carry its passengers without being in top shape, we can't take care of those we love unless we take care of ourselves first.

Sometimes we have to resort to a little extra help from someone like a Doctor (ACK!). In our frame of existence, they do have their place. Although I won't let them make the ultimate decision for my well being (no, wellness is not a real word!). I've picked people who give me the options, and respect my decisions. All my doctors think my raw food choices are great! I'm going to prove them right over the coming months!

Remember, taking care of ourselves doesn't just mean a great raw diet, but taking care of our emotional well being too, or else you'll wind up taking a day off work, trying to find the Kleenex.

Now where's that box.... There it is, hidden behind the pile of mangoes in the.....AH CHEW!

Physician heal thyself....

Check out my dinner. Yes, this is an unsolicited endorsement for The Raw Divas!
They're GREAT!

Can it Get Any Stranger?

We're back....

OK, there are just some things too strange to imagine. I'm sitting here with Ripley's Believe it or Not on the SciFi Channel. Jerry Springer only dreams of stories like the man who gets breast implants (and his wife who didn't know he had them for three months), or the people somewhere in Asia that believe two bulls are blessed so they let the bulls lick them, and then ingest as much of their urine, and dung, as possible....

Now, what was that cooked food craving you were talking about?

Speaking of raw food, my Doctors were very pleased today with my new diet. My blood pressure was at 110/64, and oxygen level was at 97%. How many of you can say that you have the full support of your family doctor?

A lot of blogs like to post their recipes. Well, I'm going to do something different. I'm going to give you a recipe to delete, and never look at again!

Monday night I was slaving over a counter at a motel in Springdale, Ohio fixing our lunch for Tuesday. Mango juice was all over the place. It was smoothie night on the BES program. So, I decided to make my own concoction. Now there was a mistake.

DO NOT mix coconut water, pineapple, and romaine lettuce to make a smoothie. It is absolutely horrid! I couldn't drink it and went to bed soon after.

I have a wonderful recipe courtesy of "Raw Food, Right Now" that I'll be sharing with you, but I'll save that for later this week when I'm not slinging bull....

Stay tuned!

Lunch With A Friend

So I know today was to be an all smoothie day, but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. The other night I got an email from our first waiter at Ha Long Bay Asian Kitchen. This is the best Vietnamese restaurant we've eaten in outside of Viet Nam. Larry Hromalik worked at the restaurant for almost two years, but decided that the opportunity to study in Korea was something he couldn't pass up.

So today we met him for lunch. Larry has been studying both Korean and Japanese. He plans to continue on to grad school studying Chinese and Vietnamese (and how many of us just have enough trouble pronouncing nuclear in English?)
As usual our meal at Ha Long Bay was wonderful. Unfortunately for me Larry ordered my favorite dish: Tofu with Lemongrass and Chilies. I came so close, but stuck to dishes that were 80% raw or more.

For an appetizer we had "summer rolls" filled with avocado, and other vegetables. The wrapper was a rice wrapper. This and some noodles were not raw, along with the peanut dipping sauce (with extra Hot sauce to give it a kick!). The main course consisted of a wonderful mango salad.

We plan to meet Larry again in December when he returns from Korea to hear all about his great experiences!

Keely has been reading again. She does this every now and then to remind me that people from Northeast Ohio really can read something besides "Dick and Jane" (the children's version. Please this is a family oriented blog! Yeah, right Bob!) I guess if I'm not able to update my blog for a day or two I'm supposed to give official notice that I'm not going to be blogging. It sort of reminds me of William Shatner on Saturday night live years ago. Billy Boy was speaking to a group of "Trekkies" and pointing out one person looked at him and said "You, I bet you've never been kissed!" (Some of us are proud to be Trekkies who have been kissed too!)

Well, I'm just as bad. There are some blogs that I really enjoy getting updates from. If they go too long without a post I feel like I've missed my favorite TV show. I guess I hope you'll miss me, too, as I travel to Cincinnati for a night to dispense justice to those who wish I'd have stayed home. So stay tuned. In the near future I plan to be highlighing my favorite raw blogs!

Until either Tuesday or Wednesday night just remember, its just life. Don't take yourself so seriously for in the grand scheme of things this is just a moment in your existence. Stop and smell a rose, make a child laugh, do something nice for a coworker, or hug a sheep.....

My thanks to Gene Wilder for that last visual.... (Oh, just when you thought I was going to get totally serious! HAH! NEVAH!)

A Fantasy Fulfilled.....

There have been many requests from Raw Divas to see me in "Official Diva Attire". Well I'm not getting a tattoo on my butt, nor will you find me in high heels or a pink thong anytime soon!

With the help of those with long memories of a hockey blade to the groin, I'm able to bring you the next best thing. After Keely hacked into my blog, and posted a picture of me at a young age, I figured I might as well post a pre-raw picture of me too! Notice the white bread in my hands, the glassy look to the eyes. Off camera you'd find a jar of processed peanut butter, a case of cheap beer, and a marijuana plant hiding behind the curtains in full few of Ohio State University Police.

"Marijuana"? Hey, it was raw! OK, the dorm was having a contest to see who could grow the largest plant by the end of the year, without smoking, eating, or inserting it in some fashion.

Happy?

Anyway, we're at the halfway point of the Body Enlightenment Program. Both Keely and I went through another cleansing yesterday. Her experience was longer than mine (yes, proof positive that one sex is more full of it than the other!). Of course this is her first real experience at being 100% raw so I expected a longer detox. I couldn't be prouder of her for committing herself to the program!

The next two days are smoothie days. Mangoes have been around a dollar here in Ohio. Right now there are more than a dozen about the size of a large grapefruit waiting for the morning. I figure those should last ....a day maybe?

We'll have to wait and see....

Rachel Ray Don't Know Yum!

I really wasn't planning on posting tonight. I finally turned off the light last night at 12:05 AM, and at 3:30 AM the storm from hell decided that I'd had enough sleep for the rest of the night.

Of course my wife headed to safer ground, concluding that it was best to let sleeping dogs lie. Needless to say I don't operate well on under four hours of sleep, no matter my diet.

At least she made dinner. Of course she shoved tomorrow's lunch off on me. I'd planned on dumping the ingredients in the container, and going to bed, but then I saw what I'd made. A thing of beauty is something to be shared! This Mango Salad is one of the meals in the Raw Divas' Body Enlightenment System. I've been so impressed with the recipes. Just don't expect me to share their secrets. I have too much respect for them both. Tera and Amy have been a strong guiding force in our lives when it was most needed. The fact that I've lost 6 pounds in the first week isn't too bad either!

Besides a wonderful BES day, my Tiffin came in the mail! Such great service from Tiffin Raw! I love the little devil. The Tiffin provides just enough space for lunch for a person. No, you can't get a 10 piece meal in it, but why do you want to take two lives? The bird has as much right to live as you do! (Oh, God, I've gone and said something controversial! Please don't send me a one year membership to PETA!)

With the weekend fast approaching we're getting our first test. We've received 3 invitations to go out to eat. One is from our good friend Larry Hromalik. Larry used to work at the best Vietnamese restaurant I've eaten in outside of Viet Nam. HaLong Bay Asian Kitchen is within walking distance of our home in north Columbus. Larry is leaving to study in Korea this next week. We just can't let him go without spending some time with him.

The owners of the restaurant are such wonderful people, and know what we're doing. They go out of their way to make sure we have a wonderful time. OK, I'll post their new baby's picture sometime in the near future just to appease the parents in the group. (She is a doll!)

Until next time just remember, there's no such thing as "falling off the wagon". The wagon doesn't exist. We only make choices. Just watch your step and make the choice that's best for you and those you love.

So What's Wrong With That?

I missed my exit this morning on the way to the doctor's office, and had to go to the next exit. There at the exit were two hotels and a "Waffle House". Now if you're lucky enough to have one in your area, you know how much fun these places can be. When you walk in the door everyone working behind the counter yells "Hello!". Its sort of nice to be recognized in such a manner. Is it a healthy place to eat? Only if you're in to coffee and animal based cooked foods.

So why am I talking about "Waffle House"? Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating there, and I plan to eat there if I want a nice plate of sunny side up eggs, hash browns, scattered, smothered and covered, wheat toast and coffee.

I realized that the failure of so many diets is because we deny ourselves something. There's a big difference between "denial" and "choosing". When we say we can't have something, we tend to want that item all the more. But when we realize we can eat that same item any time we want to eat it, but decide we just don't want the food, its a lot easier to stay away from unhealthy foods.

So, if you want to gorge yourself on a steak, or pizza, or anything else, go ahead. Its your choice. Oh, yeah, just remember, the consequences are yours too! Yes, there's always a yin to your yang!

OK, here's my first recipe. I've named it "Bob's Raw Diva Delite" in honor of a great program. Its been 9 days on the BES and I've lost six pounds! So check out the Raw Diva's "Body Enlightenment System"~

2 mangoes, peeled and chunked
3 bananas
1 cup water
1 cup pineapple, chunked
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 handfuls baby spinach

Put all the ingredients in the Vita-Mix and 'WHIP IT GOOD". (Thank you Devo!)

BES Update and more!

We've now completed our first week on the Body Enlightenment System. Am I bored yet? Not in the least. I look forward to getting my daily message from Tera and Amy. I love getting emails from my Buddy Petra in Germany. I'M STUFFED!

Probably the best thing about BES is that its teaching us to plan. We're being forced to plan our meals, and plan our shopping. I think one of the biggest dangers we face is that in today's world its too easy to drive up to a window, order a filler, and move on without even thinking about what we just crammed in our stomachs.

Keely and I are discussing what we like and don't like about each of the recipes. Instead of her grabbing a frozen dinner, and me grabbing whatever I can find in the refrigerator, we're reconnecting on a basic level through our food intake.

I've added a couple of new links to my favorites you should check out. Kristen's Raw has some great looking recipe books that I'm looking forward to integrating into our daily date. Kristen is an Associate Raw Chef, and Instructor. She has attended the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in Fort Bragg, California (sigh....).

The other is Raw Tiffin. The Tiffin is a traditional Thai lunch box. Caroline Jones offers a 2 tiered Tiffin. You can get the Tiffin in larger sizes, but I couldn't see doing that unless I was taking it to a party. The neat thing about the Tiffin is that it is stainless steel. No worries about your food leaching chemicals from the plastic.

What I really like about Caroline's site is that she has videos showing you how to make dishes to use in your Tiffin. She's made it a lot easier in using something so new to our culture.

Of course make sure you check out The Raw Divas, if you haven't already done so. The Divas are a wonderful way to introduce yourself to a healthy lifestyle, and a new chapter in your lives.

Ho, Ho, Ho....

There's nothing like a business trip to test your ability to stay on a raw vegan diet.

I realized just how many bad habits I've created for myself. When I stopped to get gas (after taking out a loan) I felt lost after not grabbing a bag of oil laden chips to eat at 6:30 AM. When I stopped at a great grocery to fill up at the salad bar at 8 AM, I felt like all the processed garbage was trying to jump off the shelves.

I didn't do too bad. I survived the cravings. Then on the way home today, there was the Hostess truck broken down along the highway. That was enough to send me over the edge. If I believed in guns, I would have hijacked the truck and left him for dead. But I survived (as did the driver) and focused my energies for the next 40 miles into thinking how to make a raw HO, HO like treat. I promise to post the recipe if I ever figure it out.

After six days of being in the BES program developed by the Raw Divas, I'm starting to see exciting changes. My watch is loose on my arm, and I took my belt in a notch. Not bad for just six days.

But is loosing weight my real goal? No, weight loss is just a by-product of a raw diet. The real purpose is to cleanse and bring one closer to the world I have chosen to live in at this time. As I looked out the window of my parents' home today I noticed how much greener things looked, and how crisp and defined the edges of the leaves were.

I'm still detoxing, and have noticed mood changes. Consistency is the biggest problem when you commit to a lifestyle. No matter what you do, bouncing back and forth between choices can lead to more problems than sticking with one choice, even if the choice is the lesser.

Just remember that in the framework we have developed, we have chosen to believe that there is no pain without gain. Maybe someday we'll have grown enough to realize that health is the natural state, and our birthright, if we live and eat right....

Klown Krazy....

Continuing where I left off, I found an article on CNN.com that just proves my point about little we care about our children at times.

A study will be appearing in the August's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. A researcher took three different menu items from McDonald's. Using 63 inner city children who were Head Start children were each given 2 identical items of each of the 3 foods. One was in a plain wrapper. The others were wrapped in McDonald's wrappers. The children said that the McDonald's food tasted better than the identical food in the plain wrapper!

I like reading science fiction. I don't like living it! How many books have been written of a world which is controlled by multi-national corporations? We show so little concern for our present and our future that we let a clown control what we eat, and how we taste the food!

Who's the real clown in this picture....

On to day four of the BES!

I actually felt better. I'm not as tired, and felt lighter. I had a harder time keeping my watch in its place on my arm.

When I first saw today's menu I wasn't sure how I was going to respond to a smoothie called a Banana Slug. When I think of a slug, I think of a little slimy creature that looks like a snail without a shell. Let your imagination run wild when you think of a banana slug.

Man was that a fine slug! The banana was not overpowering. It had a sweet taste. It was the best smoothie I've had all week.

OK, so, do you want the recipe? Go ahead, on your knees and....beg, yeah, that's the term. Beg me for the recipe.

Ready? The way you can get the recipe is by signing up for the next BES program. Just search out the Raw Divas. They'll help you! No way am I giving it to you! I'm a Diva fan, and want to see Tera and Amy's business expand! So stop complaining. At least do the free 7 day Detox!

Say It Ain't So!

I won't bore you with the usual "what I had to eat list". Suffice it to say that Day 2 on the Body Enlightenment System (BES) from THE RAW DIVAS was a cleansing experience.

Oh, great. Just what you need to hear, Bob sat all day in the bathroom. Sorry, but that's a good thing. I don't like spending a lot of time, doing that which comes naturally, but when giving the body "live and natural foods" the body will dump the garbage.

This is not the time to become embarrassed or run away to go back to SAD and eat the little white rabbit! Stick to it. Buy the jumbo rolls of your favorite toilet paper and sit on the throne! Once you've passed this hurdle, (sorry, but I'm not changing the word "passed". Accept it for the pun it is.) you will have a much lighter and brighter future!

Tera and Amy (The Divas!) have done a great job with matching Keely and me up with our Buddies. What's a buddy? These are people we corresponded with by email, or phone. My buddy Petra lives in Germany. Keely's buddy is from Scotland! We share our experiences, and give each other support!

The Monday evening tele-seminar put on by the Raw Divas was with Mary Bonnet (www.BonnetUnlimitedPotential.com). I was shocked that someone out there believes that "we create our own reality"! God forbid! What would people do if they couldn't consider themselves victims? How could we live with the fact that every thing we do is of our own design?

Think of what would happen to the drug companies! If we take the responsibility for everything we do, everything we eat, everything we say, all those drug salespeople who hand out samples like candy will be out of a job!

All I can say is: WAY TO GO MARY BONNET! Check her out! She's got some great tools to overcome not only cravings but various issues in life.

You would think that after 24 years of marriage to Keely, she would finally realize that if she doesn't want me to do something, don't tell me not to do it, whatever it is.

I'm pleased with the outrage of the public with the discovery of lead paint being used on children's toys. Lead paint can kill!

But why aren't people just as outraged at what children are allowed to put in their bodies? We are so concerned about that which kills in a short period of time, but don't seemed to be concerned about the long term dangers of the Standard American Diet.

Keely and I spent 3 weeks in Viet Nam in January. Our guide in Ho Chi Minh City told us that his children were so excited when KFC opened a restaurant. They love the pop, and the chicken with all the fixin's. They've also put on weight.

Mary Bonnet is right. We are responsible for our lives.

Just as we don't want lead paint on our children's toys, we need to take responsibility for what we put in their bodies.

Think about it, and be revolutionary. Accept responsibility for what you create (and what you eat)!

Legally Raw: The Beginning

I've been reading blogs, but this is my first attempt at actually blogging. I'll try not to repeat the things I don't like, and emphasize that which I've liked in other blogs.

At the moment I've turned off the comment section. I'd rather people email me directly. Just a personal preference.

Why "Legally Raw"? Its more of a statement about what many think is a whacked out way of living. "Not eating cooked foods? Why do you think God invented ovens!", I can hear some saying.

A person doesn't need permission from anyone to change their dietary habits. Food is the most personal thing in our lives. It can change our moods. It gives us the energy to get out of bed. Food defines us. Too often we allow others to define us.

There is nothing wrong with eating the way you want to eat. I decided to stop eating dead flesh about 20 years ago. Now I've decided that cooked foods aren't right for my body. What you do with your body is your choice. Don't let anyone make the choice for you.

OK, so I'm an attorney in my spare time. Please don't try to contact me about anything legal. I'll ignore your requests. This is my escape, and my chance to develop personally, and spiritually. I'm a Buddhist.

As time goes on, this blog will change. We fail to accept that from moment to moment that our entire world changes. Each breath we take is a new and exciting world. So please don't expect normalcy. Those who know me will tell you that I'm far from normal.

My favorite links are in alphabetical order. The first site that needs acknowledged is "The Raw Diva" Both my wife Keely and I think that The Raw Divas are great!.

The Raw Divas is a Raw website offering "raw solutions for women". Some of you might be wondering what a man is doing being involved with a bunch of women. Gee, do you actually think that a man can't learn something about life from women? Besides, I'm not that sports minded and don't get a kick out of sitting around expelling bodily gases while drinking beer, and lying to others of my sex about life, while becoming more obese, and dying before 60 of an artery clogging diet.

Tera Warner, and Amy DeWolfe have developed a wonderful program dealing with raw foods. They offer a free seven day detox program with teleseminars, and an excellent support system.

My wife Keely and I thoroughly enjoyed the detox, and are now embarking on their "Body Enlightenment System" (BES). There's no b'sing this program (yes, I love a bad pun at times). In my opinion, its well rounded and will work for any person no matter your sex. Besides, Tera's formal training was in anthropology and primate studies. She is well suited in dealing with men.

Make sure to check out Amy's hobby too! She's a fantastic artist! I can't wait to have one of her prints hanging in my sorry excuse for an office called "the cubicle". (May the creator of the cubicle spend eternity surrounded by cheap walls, without any privacy to work! I digress)

Tera and Amy are always quick to respond to any concerns. While they need to make money, (a failing of our reality that we must all face) they realize that money is not an end unto itself. They know that by being honestly concerned and interested in those they are dealing with, the ultimate rewards are gained much quicker.

I learned of The Raw Divas from "Raw Food, Right Now". This is a great blog that touches on all sorts of wonderful issues. Heidi's Raw Deviled Egg-less "Egg" Spread recipe is to die for!

Teri at "The Daily Raw" is an absolute wizard when it comes to the creation of new and wonderful recipes. Of course she has children to use as her testers. Anything that a 2 year old loves, is something adult will enjoy. As I progress further in the raw lifestyle, I look forward to incorporating her magic into our diets.

I can't forget "The Sunny Raw Kitchen". Carmella has just published a fantastic ebook titled "The Best of the Sunny Raw Kitchen". She asks that people pay anywhere from "$6.99 to $9.99" for the book. Its your choice. After downloading the book, I wish she'd just set the price at $9.99. Its what I paid, and I feel that its worth twice that amount.

There are literally hundreds of resources on the web. People are finally admitting how important food is in our lives, and revolting against the revolting S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) that has spread like a cancer around our world.

For at least the next 30 days I'll be sharing my experience with "The Raw Divas". Today my wife Keely and I are fasting, along with others from around the planet, as part of the Detox and BES program. I'm looking forward to a meal of fresh mango at 6 PM EST.

Right now I've got one hell of a headache. If I had listened more closely to my body, and if I had given it what it needed on a consistent basis, it wouldn't be out to teach me a lesson at the moment. I believe that the body is an organism unto itself that we inhabit for a short time. Treat it well, and it will respond in kind.

Don't forget to check out my links, especially "The Raw Divas".

DIVAS ROCK!