All this week we're continuing to feature a variety of answers to the question "Are Raw Foodists Crazy " from various friends of Pure Jeevan. If you're just now tuning in, please read the back story and introduction to this, as posted on Monday.But, for now, let's continue with posting the rest of the excellent responses sent in! Enjoy!! :-)

Kevin Gianni Lives in the "Kale Whale" RV!

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY ??

Kevin: A picture is worth a thousand words:

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Kevin is online at: http://renegadehealth.com/blog/

Bryan Au Los Angeles 15+ years raw.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY ??

Bryan: We are a little crazy in so much that we actually care about our health, well being, the environment and the planet and each other! So a little crazy in a good way. Not only that but we are aware enough to eat Organic food and avoid the problems associated with non-Organic foods which are very serious and causing most of the health problems in the World. If you don't believe me then just Google.com to find out the facts and truth. It is REALLY CRAZY, shocking and scary what is happening in the food world and what is the result of eating inorganic food. People tend to think that inorganic food, junk food, fast food and other foods are cheap, fast and easy, that it saves them time and money. But because of what I do I have seen the future and results of what happens when you eat inorganic foods and junk foods in general. People end up with a terrible condition, cancer or disease then they wish they were able to avoid it and that they were just a little more raw organic to begin with. Often times by then people turn to RAW to try to reverse, heal or cure something they got but they could have gone RAW to begin with in a really fun enjoyable way and avoid having health problems later which does not save you money at all in hospital bills, doctor visits, prescription pills and so on. It is best to PREVENT things and eating all natural delicious healthy organic fruits and vegetables really is the key to do this but in a fun, fashionable gourmet way of course.

People tend to make fun of what they do not understand and that is a natural reaction. But with RAW Organic Cuisine, Snacks and Desserts it just takes one bite and sample and believe me people will become instant fans and love it! But it is important to get the right raw organic food and recipes because they are not all the same. Some are random, some have been well researched and so I would trust the raw recipes that are actually based on research only -- like mine are actually all based on Gabriel Cousens MD's research, advice and recommendation a real practicing leading doctor and health expert. [Some] other raw recipes are not really based or researched well although they may look or taste good they can actually be very unhealthy or even dangerous if you see that they have high mycotoxin ingredients or very high sugar ingredients in the recipes then you know they are not researched and random.

That is why I have come out with my recipes and new Eco Chef App and soon new recipe books to address this issue and bring balance to the RAW FORCE! I urge people to read Gabriel Cousens MD's books CONSCIOUS EATING and THE RAINBOW GREEN LIVE FOOD CUISINE to become educated about what is the most optimal and proper raw organic food, ingredients to use and those not to use or eat that way you will know for yourself which RAW recipes are truly beneficial and which are actually harmful even if raw organic and seemingly good looking or tasting you need to know the facts, become aware and learn the RAW TRUTH! Often too many people just assume or say "Oh it is raw organic! It must be good for me and healthy!" This is not the case so please read these books and learn the facts from an expert. I did. It changed my life and I have more muscles, strength, health, energy, anti-aging and rejuvenating experiences to prove it. My vision actually even improved to the point where I passed my DMV Eye Vision Exam for the past 3 years in a row! Even before on a cooked organic vegetarian or vegan diet I never passed this exam but on a Raw Organic Diet I was able to and have proof of it on my Driver's License! RAW is incredible this way where many miracle stories and health benefits are real but again you have to do the research and find out which raw recipes and ingredients are the most optimal for you according to your age, health, city, climate and many other factors to consider. Gabriel Cousens MD's books that I recommended addresses all of this and more so you will be a RAW Expert. With my RAW IN TEN MINUTES series of books and DVDs or my new Eco Chef App you can rest assured I made sure that all my fast, fun, delicious raw recipes are well researched, safe and the most optimal, healthy and amazing! We might be nuts and eat nuts but we are not as crazy as people may think!

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Bryan is online at: http://www.EcoChefApp.com/

Barefoot Artist (aka Rhonda Lee) Sandhills of NC and Eastern NC Into raw foods for about 7 years, very serious the past 4.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY ??

B.A.: This lifestyle provides endless entertainment to say the very least. The responses I get are rather varied and can range from intense interest to completely bizarre. Years ago I really got tired of just hiding myself and started carrying my smoothies, green juice, and raw goodies with me everywhere. I really don t think anything about it all these days since it is such a natural thing for me to do when I walk out the door. However, it does seem to provide opportunity for a lot of discussion and questions.

Probably the question I get the most is: How do you prepare the meat? This is right after I explain that I don t eat meat. For some reason that never sinks in, so I have to explain it again. Then the whole cycle starts again. But you said you eat raw? To which I reply, ?Yes. I eat vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. The next question I get after that is, yet again, How do you prepare the meat? It s a vicious cycle. LOL I often leave the individual standing there bewildered.

Another response that I get is that sometimes individuals that I am with will get very anxious if I am not eating. I always tell everyone that I am fine to go anywhere to eat, because I am. I bring my stash of goodies. I go out to eat with friends to socialize. The food is really rather unimportant. I eat before or after or take goodies. My friends that have been with me the longest on this journey are fine with it now, but newer individuals who are not into raw become quite anxious. I m always good. I never go to anyone s house and expect them to accommodate my needs and I certainly don t depend on a restaurant. I get plenty of looks mind you when the crowd is all standing in line at Burger King and I m sitting at the table eating my avocado, but that s okay. Fortunately I haven t had to sit in the BK but a couple of times on trips. I admit the smell makes me queasy.

Truly I get some quite hysterical responses, but the one that I like the least is for someone to just blatantly make a comment that my food looks disgusting. I m always nice about it and have never once made a comment about someone else s food such as a BBQ sandwich or ribs looks gross to me. I don t know, I m weird that way. Never push my opinions off on others and tell them what to eat. I m a live-and-let-live kind of person so I m not very fun in an argument over this kind of thing. If I get comments I usually just let it roll off, but I ll go on record for the first time and say I feel that it s unnecessary to make comments about other people s food. That being said I would also like to explain that I am not the raw food police either. I can t tell you how many times people have seen me and hid their food imploring me to not look at what they are eating. No need to confess here. I ll let someone else take that job. I love you for you and not what you eat. However, if you want some raw goodies then you need to make it to my table and I will stuff you full of raw goodness.

To answer another question that I do frequently is: No, I am not tempted by your food. You should see the distress that individuals have on their faces when I encounter this. If I happen to be around an accepting group of my food preferences, then it s only a matter of time before I notice individuals starting to look uncomfortable. My honest answer is that my body doesn t register most of cooked foods (fast foods in particular) as food. Show me McDonald's and I may as well be looking at cardboard. I m not tempted.

One of the most memorable experiences I have had with a response to my raw lifestyle was at a fairly recent event. I was contracted out to provide a program (Laughter Yoga) for an event at a hospital. The event provided hotdogs, hamburgers and chips for the participants of which I did not eat. The individuals that hired me knew of my eating preferences before this & knew that I would not be eating, just presenting. (Can I tell you how much it hurt me to see everyone shoving in the junk food ?? Broke my heart, but that was not what I was there for.) Anyway, the MD that was the head of the facility asked me to please help myself to the buffet to which I responded that I was fine and ate before I came. I really wasn t going to get into my lifestyle right before my presentation. However, a lovely couple that I had just met rushed over and burst forth the wondrous news that I would never touch the food there. They couldn t wait to tell the MD of my lifestyle. They were GIDDY with delight. The good doc was not so impressed. He stepped back from me as if I had the plague and just stared at me for a long hard minute and shook his head and walked over the buffet. I m not sure what his look meant, but I knew he was not amused and I have never had a look like that before. Maybe he thought I was CRAZY.

Anyway, the responses that I get are as varied as the individuals that I encounter. I have found that you just have to take yourself lightly and you certainly have to take others opinions lightly. People are often so afraid to be presented with the concepts of raw foods. This can really throw them for a full on loop. I do believe that this lifestyle, when observed from the outside, can cause individuals to evaluate themselves and that can sometimes come across as a very strong reaction. I only remember their reaction is about themselves and not me.

On a more humorous note I have gotten some of the craziest responses ever:

• What s the best raw thing to eat if you re hungry !? Seriously?
• So you never heat up anything, just eat it right out of the can?
• I don t think I could eat crunchy raw spaghetti noodles.
• Oh, there is a festival for this kind of thing? Does everyone get naked? Yet again, seriously? I ve been to a lot of events over the past few years and I ve never seen anyone naked.
• I want to do a fast like you do, but I don t want to start on an empty stomach.
• You look too healthy to eat raw. Everyone is so skinny and weak. Really? Come meet some of my friends and yes I have energy to work out at least 2 hours a day if not more.
• It s so unhealthy to eat that way. You ll make yourself sick! Actually I made myself well.
• And my personal favorite: I know you eat raw and I have a hemorrhoid, so tell me what I should eat!!! Turns out this dear lady had a HERNIA instead.

So I guess my question is: Who s crazy? Us or them !? LOL You gotta love the diversity that life offers.

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Barefoot Artist is online at: www.laughyourlife.com and infusionoflife.blogspot.com.

In closing, we'll leave you with one final quote from our own kiddo, KDcat (now known as simply Cat). ?When we told the Cat about this project, the Cat just nonchalantly meowed a typical catlike response:

Sir KDcat (aka Cat) Sometimes eats raw. Child of two raw foodies.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY ??

Cat: It's not the raw foods making them crazy, it's the crazy making them raw foodists!

Well, that was a fun week, right ?!! ? We hope you enjoyed it and are inspired to continue your raw journey with confidence!