Jim here... Certainly, we're all familiar with the old saw, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink," right ? So often, the life of a raw foodie is perfectly captured by that saying. We are, of course, the ones leading our equine brothers and sisters to the sweet trough of raw foods, just as others coaxed us into the barn for our first drink.

Have You Been Led To This Post ??

So, what is this post It's a big old horse trough to which, if you're a raw foodie, you can lead others. Or, if you're someone unfamiliar with raw foods, and have been sent here by another, what you'll find below is the water. No one can make you drink it. And, please don't be offended at my comparing you to a horse because (1) we're all horses, (2) this is all just my strange opinion, and (3) horses are beautiful, magical beings! Being compared to a horse is a compliment!

And, just because the proverbial horse, above cannot be "made" to drink that which is presumably good for him (or her), that doesn't necessarily imply that the horse is stubborn or stupid. In fact, it merely implies that the horse is independent and capable of making up his or her own mind -- just as you and I are! So, if you've been sent here, no one wants to make you do anything; we'd merely like you to consider a few interesting things.

Now, just as there are humans with varying degrees of awareness when it comes to diet, there are varying degrees of horses roaming the countryside as well. Maybe you're a mongrel horse wandering around without any dietary consciousness. I made it through college this way, subsisting on pizza, burgers, fried foods, breads, candy, etc. Probably, you're a bit more advanced, though. You could be a vegetarian already, or even a vegan. (Sorry, I'm not sure what kind of horse to compare vegetarians and vegans to, my equestrian knowledge having reached its practical limit at the moment.)?

Back before I was lead to the trough, I held fast to quite a number of mistaken beliefs. I still hear these all the time from others. "Diet has no bearing on disease," I'd whinny. "Some people just get sick. It's a cruel world in which victimization by cancer or obesity or diabetes (or anything) is nothing more than a twisted, macabre lottery run by the fates."? Ummmm, yeah, okay.

Some of this is "wild horse denial," of course. Some of it is plain old ignorance. Denial is an energy I'm not interested in addressing here, because it's just too complex for a blog post. But, I AM interested in addressing ignorance. But, before I do, let's all remember that the word "ignorance" need not be judgmental. I know a lot of people mistakenly use it pejoratively. For example, people commonly say "that's ignorant" as an insult or put-down.However, I'm speaking about the technical definition -- simple unawareness. Whatever facts we do not know, we're ignorant of. It's that simple. From the smallest child to the most enlightened master on the planet, we're all ignorant of many, many things.? So, if you're one of the "wild horses" sent here by your crazy raw foodie friend, please take it in this sense.

Okay, so what are you ignorant of ? Well, that's an easy one:? You're ignorant of the healing power of raw and living foods. It's that simple. While there are dozens of great text books explaining the science behind this, the simple truth is that, for many ailments big and small, raw foods can cure you.

Here are some inspirational sites you need to be looking at in order to help convince yourself that maybe there's some substance to what I'm saying here. This is the trough of knowledge. I cannot make you drink, but you can gaze into the waters below and decide for yourself whether they're worth tasting:

• Kris Carr's site. Kris Carr has successfully fought cancer using a raw foods diet. From her site bio: "[A]n irreverent foot soldier in the fight against disease, Carr inspires countless individuals and their families to make the link between personal and planetary health by adopting a plant-based diet and improving lifestyle choices."
• Debbie Does Raw.? Deb conquers leukemia via a raw foods diet.She's quite an inspiration!
• Simply Raw movie. This is a fascinating film documenting a handful of people in a trial study to reverse their diabetes in 30 days by simply adopting a raw foods diet (a special protocol recommended by Dr. Gabriel Cousens). It's simply incredible stuff that defies western medicine. Everytime I meet someone with diabetes, I tell them they must watch this documentary!
• Philip McCluskey's site. Philip lost and kept off 200 pounds by eating raw foods.
• This site!? Wendi Dee lost and kept off almost 100 pounds on raw foods. (And I lost and kept off 60!)
• We have featured many success stories in our "My Raw Story" feature right here on Pure Jeevan. Since this has proven so inspirational to others, we plan to continue posting "My Raw Story" posts in the future.
• We've also included a "Stories of Success" category on the All Raw Directory. So, if you know of a raw success story, you can post it right there for everyone to see! Just the other day, a friend of mine posted about her struggle with MS. I thought to myself, "Wow, I saw a story on someone who'd battled MS with a raw foods diet." Yep, it was right there on the All Raw Directory. I sent her the link.
• "Hmmm," you may be thinking, "what about [insert your own health challenge] "? True, there are too many to single out here. Whenever I'm curious about whether anyone has successfully beaten [that challenge] with a raw diet, I usually Google "[that challenge] raw foods" (or something like that). Invariably, a success story turns up. So, don't forget to do that. And, if you learn something inspirational, post it in the Stories of Success category on the All Raw Directory!

Impressed ? If you're not, well, I don't know if I have it in me to convince you. But, if you are, then I invite you to look into this lifestyle further! And, if you are in fact impressed, then we should also look at why there's so much ignorance about this oddly esoteric topic. If this way of eating cures cancer, diabetes, obesity, and so much more, why don't people know about it?

Well, for one, it's not an easy lifestyle for many. The emotional attachments we have to our current diet are numerous and strong. The question is: Is your attachment to health stronger than your emotional attachment to [insert the cooked food of your choice here] Ask Bethany, above, if she likes cooked foods. I've heard people ask her this. And, if I recall correctly, she answers "yes." Yes, she does like it. She simply likes walking more.

Or ask me. Do I like to head out to, say, India Garden, order a samosa, a few pakora, a large plate of creamy malai kofta served on a bed of basmati rice, a couple of garlic naan, and a pint of Guinness? Oh yes, reader, I do. I adore all of those tastes. But, I'm infinitely happier being 170 pounds as opposed to 230+. I'm infinitely happier taking no prescription medicines as opposed to a tiny white pill that slowed my heart down enough to keep it from exhausting itself prematurely.

This page is necessary because many of us raw foodies have been where ever it is that you're at, wild horses. It pains us to watch you struggle with something for which we know at least one potential way out. It's not the traditional path that's so ingrained into our culture -- meaning, surrender your power to a physician and enter a life dependent upon pharmaceuticals. And it's not easy, either. Yes, it probably means abandoning some things you're used to and that you love. But those are secondary issues, to which there are wonderful solutions. The question is: Are you interested?

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Finally, I just want to acknowledge that many people could be sent to this post during a time of a personal health crisis. This makes my job much more demanding in terms of a certain call for diplomacy. Trust me, I realize that, during such times, tensions and emotions run high. How must it seem to, say, a mother, when some raw foodie suggests that the reason her child is repeatedly ill or even critically sick is because of the child's junk food diet ? I mean, wow. That's tense...

If you're a raw foodie, how would you handle such a situation ? Probably, you'd simply stifle your thoughts, right? Why anger the mother or ruin a friendship ?Trust me, I understand completely. On the other hand, the problem with this is that keeping silent also furthers the collective ignorance. After all, few people, relatively speaking, know about raw and what healing miracles it holds.

So, what phrasing is available to us that would allow us to make a suggestion like that without angering an already stressed-out mother? I guess I'm offering you a chance to relieve yourself of that burden. You don't have to call the mother a "horse" and risk losing a friendship. Instead, let me do the name calling. Point them here (click this post's title to get the URL) and allow me to break out the horse sense. Just say, "Wow, here's a link where they talk about raw foods and how it can help cure almost anything. Maybe there's something to it." I did say "almost" anything. And, as in life, there are no guarantees. In fact, in an upcoming post, I want to discuss this phenomenon a bit further.

For now, I'm asserting that this is indeed ignorance here; it's not just my opinion that people can cure their diabetes. I've shown you, above, a documentary in which cures happen. It's not my opinion that people can beat cancer via a live foods diet. I've shown you two living examples that you can connect with yourself, personally. It's not my opinion that one can lose 100 pounds (Wendi) or 200 pounds (Philip); it's fact. So, I need you to understand the spirit of what I'm doing here. I needed a place to tell you what I know without, hopefully, coming off too preachy. So, this post is meant to say it all. From here, you decide. And, if you decide to ignore this, that's fine. If you decide that your faith lies in Western medicine, that's fine, too. But at least you're no longer ignorant of the kind of healing going on in the world. And, if you've actually read this far, you're an amazingly awesome horse. Here's a carrot for you!

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