Jim here… This post is for anyone who has turned to raw foods in an attempt to become healthy — to lose weight, lower cholesterol, to lower blood pressure, to beat diabetes, or perhaps to overcome something even more serious. Let me ask you something (rhetorically): Have you ever, in your journey toward optimal health, looked at someone else — someone else who eats “worse” than you do, yet who appears outwardly more healthy – and thought, “Why is it so hard for ME and yet so effortless for that person?”

Have questions run through your mind such as:  How can that other person eat all of the wrong things, and yet look healthy?  Why is it that I eat better than most people, and yet I’m the one facing a health problem? Why is it that some people go raw and their issues clear up so quickly, and yet here I am still not feeling and looking 100% healthy? Why is it that physical health is not always bestowed on those who really deserve it?

I call this kind of thinking “Health Jealousy.” And, if it sounds like I’m finding fault with that kind of thinking, you’re absolutely right; I am finding a little fault with it! However, if it sounds like I’m being critical from some grand, lofty, self-enlightened perch, you should know that I’m basing these observations on personal experience.  Oh yes, friends, I’m as guilty as anyone of this kind of negativity, and probably more guilty than you are. So, don’t beat yourself up about it, okay?!

Actually, let me rethink something I said, above:  I don’t know if it’s exactly negativity at work here. After all, from an evolutionary standpoint alone, there is some merit in what we commonly think of today as negative emotional thinking. Things like anger and pain and fear all have their roots in the primal development of the human psyche.

If we feel angry about something today, it may very well be experienced as a powerful emotional issue to us in the here and now. But, to our bodies, that emotion is signalling the release of certain chemicals long-associated with the emotion — chemicals that, over the span of many thousands of generations, functioned to save our lives. Without the human feeling of fear, we would never have made it to this point. Instead, we’d have simply served as tasty lunches for carnivorous predators many millennia ago.

Let’s dig in a little closer:  In this context, the word “jealousy” is really referring to envy, isn’t it? – envy of another’s physical appearance. So, when you see this other healthy-looking person, you’re really coming face-to-face with your desire to exist in a healthy state yourself. You see this person and you think, “Now that is how I would love to look.” This is a complex issue, though, because there are probably both healthy and unhealthy ways to have this thought. On the healthy side, for example, you could be thinking that you’d like to look like that person because you regard that state as physically fit, in some ideal way. In my view, this is healthy because attaining optimal physical health is certainly a noble goal for everyone.  On the other hand, it’s easy to imagine that motivations for such envy could also be rooted in superficiality.

So, I think Health Jealousy can be (1) basically healthy and productive, assuming that you recognize and channel it well, or (2) destructive. Let’s look at those two scenarios:

1. “Healthy” Health Jealousy

Okay, so you’re feeling down and/or frustrated because you’ve observed someone else who follows a poor diet and/or is considerably less active than you are, and yet that person’s outward appearance is healthier and/or more vibrant than yours. Let’s look at some possible productive conclusions we can draw from that:

• It could be an indication that your expectations are unrealistic. How long have you been following your chosen protocol (be that raw foods, an exercise regimen, or something else)? Is that realistically a long enough trial after which you should have seen some concrete results?  If not, maybe you need to stick to your program for a longer period. (Patience, my friend!)  If your trial was clearly long enough, skip to the next bullet point.
• It could be a wake-up call that you need to modify your diet and/or exercise regimen. The frustration you’re feeling could be an indication that something needs to change. Maybe you’ve given your current diet a true, long-term trial, and you’re still not getting results. Well, if that’s the case, maybe it’s time to make some changes. If not, go back to the previous bullet point.

Here again, in either case, you’ve recognized what’s going on, acknowledged it, and are now attempting to learn something from it. The tough trick here is knowing which bullet point is for you. I suspect that, when it comes to raw foods, quite a lot of people would fall into the top bullet. I honestly do not believe that most raw foodie aspirants give raw a fair enough shot, or a long enough shot, or a deep enough shot. So, for many, many people, my personal advice is to amp up your percentage of raw, if possible, and to go longer. On the modification side, it could mean altering your percentage of fats, proteins, or carbohydrates — and/or changing up your exercise routine.

2. “Unhealthy” Health Jealousy

Above, we looked at some ways that comparing yourself to others could actually be productive. Here are a few ways in which this can be counter-productive:

• When your goals aren’t in alignment with what your conscience knows to be healthy. I’m purposely leaving this one somewhat vague, as it represents all of the unhealthy ways in which one might look on another person (e.g., wishing them harm, wishing to have their life instead of your own, etc.). Because none of these things are productive for you, it’s important to examine your goals and motivations.
• When it becomes an obsession. If you find yourself engaging in Health Jealousy constantly, then it’s not going to be merely unhelpful, it’s probably going to be harmful. You could be flirting with depression, with binging, with “giving up” — or worse. One good way to overcome obsession is to recognize what’s going on, to consciously decide to stop it (without judging yourself), and then to simply go on with your life. Ever read about the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)?  I’m not much more than generally knowledgeable about it, but I do know that two words often come into play during the therapy: “even though.” Basically, the technique involves tapping specific points on your body while reciting affirmations and self-directed sayings such as “Even though I’m jealous that Joe Smith eats the worst diet I’ve ever heard of and still looks like a supermodel, I accept who I am and that I’m still a good egg.” I’m not sure if people use EFT to overcome obsessive traits, although I suspect it’s applicable. My point is to simply recognize what you’re doing and to accept that about yourself, and not to beat yourself up over it. I suspect that this, alone, can help you surmount the problem.
• When you’re waiting for the phone to ring. Realize that diets and exercise regimens take a lot of time, and that we all have our own pace. I’m not a big fan of weighing in on a daily basis. In fact, all while I was losing weight, I almost never stepped on a scale. Wendi did, though. I believe she weighed in rather regularly. But, she was seeing a lot of progress with raw and was encouraged by the weight loss. I suppose the lesson here is:  If you’re discouraged by the bathroom scale, then stay away from it.
• When you DO weigh in, you’re not allowing your body to take things at its own pace. Comparing yourself to others might be a good way check yourself against your fitness goal from time to time, but in the end you have to recognize that your body is going to work at its own pace. And a lot of that is specific to your genetics — and there’s nothing you can do to change those. So, you must ultimately accept your body’s pace. Keep the faith.
• When you cannot recognize unrealistic expectations. This last one is a bit tricky because the topic of unrealistic expectations also appeared above under “healthy.” I suppose what I’m thinking is that this one can go either way. If you’re able to recognize a goal as unrealistic, then a check against that goal can be healthy. But, if you’re unwilling to face the unrealistic nature of your goal, I think it can lead to long-term frustration and disappointment. The issue is doubly tricky, though, because determining “how realistic a goal is” is itself an enormous issue. I certainly would not want anyone to give up their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. But, at the same time, it seems clear that this issue should be listed here. So, we’ll leave it here, and just mark it as highly subjective and a matter of personal decision.

Final Observations

On the more spiritual side of this issue, I would also add that another possible reading of what’s going on here is that there’s more to your situation than you know. This experience in you could be an indication that you’re not ready to change (e.g., that there’s an emotional issue holding you back), that the Universe is not ready for you to change yet, or perhaps that your struggle could mean that you’re to be a compassionate teacher or guide. That last one really hits home for me. Having this experience myself allows me to pass along to you that (1) it’s normal, and (2) it doesn’t make you a bad person. So, again, don’t beat yourself up for having these thoughts. They’re not necessarily  ”acidic” or “negative” or “bad karma.” They’re simply normal, human emotions. The trick is to realize what’s going on, and recognize what’s healthy and what’s not so healthy. Keep the baby; throw out the bathwater.

Update: An astute reader pointed out to me that, while I admitted to personally experiencing Health Jealousy, I failed to note whether I’d partaken of the healthy or unhealthy variety, as defined above. Of course, the answer is:  Both. “The truth is … I’m the tyranny of evil men. But I’m tryin’, Ringo. I’m trying real hard to be the shepherd.” ~spoken by Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction.

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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/

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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/

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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.

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

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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!

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

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… just a quick interruption of “Crazy Week” to do two things:

1. Congratulate Natural Zing on their 8th year in business!

2. To pass along that Natural Zing is offering a flat$5 shipping rate on all domestic online orders now through tomorrow @ noon!!

We just ordered some hemp protein powder (on sale) & chia seed (both great in smoothies).

If you’re running low on any of your raw goodies, visit them today at http://tinyurl.com/NaturalZing to save $$ (and help support Pure Jeevan)!

Thanks, all! See you tomorrow for the conclusion of “Crazy Week”!!

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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 more of the excellent responses sent in! Enjoy!!

Mimi Kirk San Diego, CA Raw for 3 years.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

Mimi: I might think anyone who is not conscious of what they eat and ignores all the warning signs might be the crazy one. Some people eat animals shot up with hormones and steroids. They eat processed foods with a list of unhealthy ingredients, loaded with salt, chemicals and fats. Anyone who doesn’t read labels and continues to eat this kind of food might be the crazy one. I guess I could be called crazy being a raw food person, but that’s okay with me. I’m 72 and feel like I’m in my 20’s … now that’s what I call crazy.

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Mimi is online at: http://youngonrawfood.com/

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Pete Vincent Long-term raw humourist from the U.K.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

Pete: The simple answer to this question is YES! Raw foodists are crazy compared to most people! Some raw fooders are even considered crazy compared to other raw fooders. You don’t HAVE to be crazy to be into raw food, but, being considered “crazy” by “most other people” in the crazy world we are living in right now isn’t a bad thing! Some might even see it as a good thing to be considered crazy as it shows you as being someone who is able to live their life and think outside of the box that we are all placed in if we don’t stop to question stuff.

I am sure that some people get into raw food purely because it makes them stand out from their mates and gets them attention from people who think they are crazy.
But it has to be said that some people are just plain old crazy and raw food only serves to completely disconnect them from reality and then they lose themselves in a crazy haze of raw bliss unable to interact with any other fellow human beings and so end up living solitary lives in isolation.

I recommend a semi state of craziness where you are crazy enough to question society’s norm, and yet not too crazy that you completely lose yourself and any sense of direction that would enable you to use what you are learning for the power of good to turn others on to the potential benefits of eating a “crazy” diet!

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Pete is online at: http://www.rawhumour.com/ and http://www.therawfoodmovement.com/

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Courtney Pool Patagonia, AZ Into raw foods for almost 5 years.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

Courtney: Those who eat raw food, at least a higher percentage of them than the average cross section of society, tend to have rampant energy, overflowing creativity, and a generally positive outlook on life. This is definitely unique. Definitely the minority. Often, things unique and the minority are seen by society as crazy. The reality of a person radiant in health, energy, creativity, and a sense of connectedness is definitely rare to find these days. Not because it’s rare, in fact, it’s the real normal, but because the majority of society is plagued with poor health due to dietary and lifestyle choices, we’ve forgotten what’s actually normal.

It is possible to become ungrounded with raw food, but there are many things one can do to ‘ground’ with a raw food diet if they tend towards ungroundedness. Some of these things might include eating more grounding raw foods, herbs, and superfoods. One can also use aromatherapy and breathing and meditation exercises to ground.

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Courtney is online at: www.CourtneyPool.com.

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>>> TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR MORE ANSWERS TO “ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY?? FROM MORE SURPRISE GUESTS! <<<

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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 more of the excellent responses sent in! Enjoy!!

Charles Balcer New Jersey City, NJ Started dabbling in raw foods in late 2006 and got more serious about it in 2007.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

Charles: Are raw foodies crazy? Are we normal? According to that bastion of information, Wikipedia, “normal” is defined as referring to “a lack of significant deviation from the average.” So, just by going that definition, I guess we don’t fit in as normal folk. We eat a diet that varies greatly from what the majority of people eat.

But that does make us crazy? I guess it would be best to define this word as well: “brainsick: affected with madness or insanity; foolish; totally unsound.” Personally, I think ordering any food from a fast food joint is totally unsound, and well may be a form of madness. Just the other day, the new fried cheese melt at Denny’s was the number one trending search on Yahoo. Whom exactly are the crazy ones?

Yeah, this raw food “movement” has it share of colorful personalities. Anyone who’s met David Wolfe knows what a character he can be. Brian Clement is always impeccably dressed as the sharpest car salesman you’ll ever meet. Paul Nison’s got a beard that would put most bikers to shame. Gabriel Cousens has over a dozen different colored beanies. Juliano is jumping around like a cheerleader in the pages of his book. And Durianrider is… well, he’s Durianrider.

Since delving into this lifestyle, I’ve heard of some wild practices. Stuff like urine therapy and breatharianism. I met one guy at Quintessence, a raw restaurant in NYC, who told me he does urine therapy with his neti pot. Yeah, just think on that for a minute.

It would be easy to dismiss some of the more outlandish elements of this movement, and even easier to lump us all together as a bunch of crazed, hippie loons who chant “om” and get high on ’shrooms at our little raw festivals. But that’s just not the case. I’ve had the good fortune of meeting a wide variety of people from all over the country, folks with a keen interest in eating healthy by getting back to the basics. And that’s all the raw food diet is: a very basic diet. It’s learning to fall in love again with fruits and vegetables, with becoming BFFs with the produce manager at your local supermarket.

I don’t have a degree in medicine and I hated biology in school. There are others who could explain better than me why the raw diet works. And I would not presume to say it works for everyone. I’ve met a few folks who have a struggled with it, and it would not be fair of me to say that they did something wrong. We live in an environment in which our bodies are under a constant toxic assault, so it’s hardly surprising that some people may require a more individual approach to healing. But I can tell you my experience: eating this way helped me lose nearly 40 lbs and got me off several prescription medicines, including one that my doctor said I’d have to take every day for the rest of my life.

If eating food in a fresh, unaltered state is crazy, then lock me up in a padded room and throw away the key. Just be sure to leave me with plenty of kale, mangoes, and my Vitamix.

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Charles is on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/cbalcer

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Philip McCluskey Danbury, CT Raw for 4.5 years.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

Philip: Hell yeah! Most people that take responsibility into their own hands are often called “crazy,” and a myriad of other labels like that. Does that bother me… nope!

But on the other hand, some people do go overboard with judgments, opinions, and wanting others to do things the way they do it too.

Just let it be, enjoy life, be in the moment, and shine! : )

___________________________
Philip is on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/philipmccluskey and http://www.LovingRaw.com

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>>> TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR MORE ANSWERS TO “ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY?? FROM MORE SURPRISE GUESTS! <<<

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We’re super excited to devote the rest to the week to featuring a variety of answers to the question “Are Raw Foodists Crazy?” If you’re just now tuning in, please read the back story and introduction to this, as posted yesterday.  But, for now, let’s get on with posting a few responses. We have at least 10 different ones to share this week, from a number of friends of Pure Jeevan. Some are short, humorous quips, others longer essays. Enjoy!!

Markus Rothkranz Las Vegas, NV

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

Markus: If humans are the only species that cooks it’s food and the only species that gets cancer, heart disease, diabetes, leukemia etc. (except for animals fed by man), then why would people who try to eat naturally like every other life form on the planet be considered “crazy”? Eating chemicals and drinking flourescent soft drinks and expecting health is crazy in my opinion.

Now as for those “raw foodists” and channel Lemurian crystal grid activated superhero Pleiadian cosmic purple fairy ascension pixie lightbeam DNA strands … the jury is still out.

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Markus is online at: http://www.BeautifyLife.com

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Dr. Doug Graham Key Largo, FL Raw 32 years!

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

Dr. D: Yes, some raw foodists are crazy. But in this day and age, with the information that is readily available to one and all, you GOTTA be crazy to eat cooked food, or else, you just don’t care about yourself or your health, which is crazy, yes?

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Dr. Doug Graham is online at: http://foodnsport.com/

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Durianrider Byron Bay, Australia Started his raw journey April 2002.

PJ: ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY???

D.R.: Am I nuts? No I’m bananas! Certified organic too! Yeah I’m crazy … I want to live in a crazy world where animals run free, humans love each other and give fruit not bombs. I want to live in a crazy world where we have tree planting in the Olympics and dudes pump up steroids so they can plant faster. I want it illegal for anyone to not be fit and healthy: punishment will be a ‘prisoner of fruit camp’ where inmates get trained, fed, massaged and rebirthed back into a sane system. Yeah I’m crazy … crazy about making my life count, making it worthwhile and making the world a better place for me, you, the animals and the environment.

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Durianrider is on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=608626426

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>>> TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR MORE ANSWERS TO “ARE RAW FOODISTS CRAZY?? FROM MORE SURPRISE GUESTS! <<<

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Brutal Honesty. 100% Transparency. Unedited Feedback. Absolute Truth. … How often are we treated to these things by those we know? How likely are we do conduct ourselves with these ideals in mind?

Propriety. Politeness. Decorum. Political Correctness. … How often do these conventions in others prevent us from knowing what others think of us? How often do these conventions in ourselves restrict our own words when directed at others?

If you could know what others truly thought about you, would you want to? If someone asked you for brutal honesty, would you hold back? These are powerful questions in general. I won’t delve into them in that broad way here. But, as they apply to raw foods and the raw food diet, I’ll continue.

Mi compadres, I was given a GIFT recently. I was subject to, you might say, a sort of “intervention.” Well, not really anything that formal. But, effectively, it functioned that way for me. You see, I received an unedited glimpse of myself through the eyes of others – others who honestly believe I am at least partially insane(!), mostly for following a relatively strict diet of raw and living foods.

Don’t get me wrong; this wasn’t huge news to me. We’ve regaled you all before right here about the various social challenges you’ll face if you decide to go raw — things like endless jibes from coworkers, concerned questions from friends and relatives, warnings and other scare tactics from health care practitioners.

But, this was different. This was one of those, “Dude, we all seriously think you’re misguided and basically in a cult”-type of thing. It was like being pulled aside by a good friend and told, “Look, I’m not going to name names, but lots of us think you’ve gone ’round the bend.”

So, in a way, even though I always pretty much figured that most of my friends (well, the non-raw ones) probably thought this, this was a kind of confirmation. And, let me tell you:  Psychologically, there’s a major distinction between (1) supposing that people believe you’re a little bonkers, and (2) actually hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth, in no uncertain terms.

I’ll be the first to admit that, at times ideology and practicality do not always mix pleasantly. I mean, for example, I recognize that there can be a bit of a cost (socially and otherwise) to following a raw diet. If my coworkers decide to go to a steakhouse for lunch … well, I probably won’t go. Yes, I know there’s always a junky iceberg lettuce salad to order at even the most meaty venue you can imagine. But, most of the time, I’d honestly rather have a smoothie (which requires my going home to make it). If a person were on, say, some kind of corporate career-track, the cost of regularly skipping out on such networking opportunities might be significant. So, there’s always a kind of balancing game that goes on, especially early-on in the process.

Obviously, Wendi and I are both of the opinion that there’s nothing foolish at all about raw foodism. In fact, whether one is a raw foodist or not isn’t necessarily the issue here. The issue is: Are you being conscious about what goes into your body? Certainly, not all “cooked” or “SAD” people are cognizant of the dangers of their diet, or they simply do not believe their diets to be harmful. But, if a person develops a true conviction regarding diet (be it raw foodism, Atkins, or anything), then it’s indicative of some kind of problem when that person does not follow said conviction.  The issue of pitting one conviction against another is a separate issue. We’re proponents of raw veganism here (a stance that we believe holds up to any scrutiny — be it scientific, moral/ethical, nutritional, etc.), and so that’s what we’re advocating, and that’s what we’re living.

Now, the word “crazy” has many meanings. Among other things, it can be a somewhat disparaging yet common term for mental illness (to be crazy), an adjective describing excitement (crazy-wild ambiance), an oft-used description for the infatuated (to be crazy about someone), and even a term of degree (crazy-good at something). I think it’s pretty clear that I was told I was mentally affected. While I certainly have reservations about perpetuating such pejorative expressions, I nonetheless felt that the word captured the belittling judgment I felt in the above scenario. And so I approached others, explained my take on this, and put the question before them:  Are Raw Foodists Crazy?

All week long, we will be featuring responses from various raw foodists! Make sure to come back each day, starting tomorrow, to read responses from all sorts of people! There are some really great ones, ranging from short quotes to longer essays. It’s super stuff, and all highly inspirational!

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Jim here… Just a brief, fun post for the weekend… We just saw the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World a few days ago.  It’s a great movie, for many reasons. But, vegans will get a real kick out of one scene involving a character named Todd Ingram, who has super powers.  Why?  … Because he’s a vegan!  We won’t spoil the scene, though. But, if you’re a vegan, or know a lot of vegans, you should get a pretty good laugh from this! I think they nearly had to throw Wendi and me out of the theater, as we were laughing so hard (especially Wendi).  Enjoy.

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Jim here… Yesterday, we talked about exceptions — those non-raw food items that raw foodists sometimes allow themselves to eat. I listed mine, and a number of people here and on Facebook noted some of their own. (Seems a lot of us enjoy olives, by the way!) It struck me today that a natural follow-up to a list of exceptions would be a list of non-exceptions — basically a list of things I personally never ever ever ever consume.

This makes sense, right? I suppose all people generally have three basic lists: (1) those things we eat regularly, (2) those things we eat sometimes, and (3) those things we never eat. Hopefully, none of us keep these lists etched in stone, as diets are dynamic things that tend to evolve over time. A few of the items I’ll list below may only apply to my current practices, while others (like refined sugar) I hope to permanently exclude. So, let’s see:

Microwaved food. Wow, I really went through a nuke food phase years ago. For years, my daughter and I would chow down on Amy’s organic bean burritos daily — freezer to plate in minutes! You know, I may be eternally young now, but I admit to being old  enough to remember when microwave ovens first came out. Let me tell you: They absolutely freaked my grandmother out, and we all thought she was nuts for regarding them this way. But, who knew… Grandma was right! Hey, I’m no Luddite. You want to bring me a new computer to use? Bring it on!  But, where my food is concerned, I’ll stick with leaving it the way it comes from Mother Nature. Raw food: No technology required.

Refined sugar. I just can’t do it. We’ve invested too much time into studying diabetes over the past few years. Maybe a Coke would taste pretty good, but I just couldn’t enjoy it knowing what it’s doing to my body. I think I had two or three throat lozenges last year that had some sugar in them. But, that teaspoon or so is nothing in comparison with the upwards of 150 pounds of sugar many Americans ingest each year! If my list of Never Foods here seems short, just consider how many thousands of things I’m ruling out with this single line item!

Meats. As far as I’m concerned, I never wish to eat meat again. I know there’s a trend in certain enclaves of the raw community about this, but it’s not for me. Regardless of what it tastes like, or what its health merits may be, or what its health risks may be, I’ve been at a point for at least two years now where I want no part of it purely for personal, ethical reasons.

Dairy. While I also do not consume dairy at the moment, I admit that that decision is mostly for health reasons. However, I think I would be open to dairy if I thought that my body would benefit from it. Right now, though, I’m enjoying a healthy vegan existence. I should note that, if I did ever decide to consume dairy products, I would definitely strive to source organic products, and if possible nothing from a huge factory farm.

Alcohol. I know that the body regards alcohol as toxic, yet many raw foodies do enjoy wine from time to time. Certainly, we’ve all known old people who have had wine and/or other alcoholic beverages their entire lives. We’ve all read about the supposed heart benefits of moderate alcoholic consumption. So, my decision to abstain from it isn’t so much health oriented as it is my desire to largely avoid that consciousness (for myself).  I added that parenthetical because it doesn’t bother me at all to be around others who are drinking. In fact, it can be very entertaining to be the sober guy for a change. However, as I’ve said before, it’s always been a dream of mine to go into a pub in the U.K. and have a pint or two with the locals. So, I’ll probably do that someday. (Maybe I’ll blog about that. Until then, give me a club soda and a wedge of lemon — and keep them coming.)

Breads. You know, I never had a digestive issue with wheat, as do so many people. Blame my heritage, my O-positive blood type, whatever… I used to eat bagels by the dozen, and always had bread around. But, looking back, I do think it had an addictive quality. Maybe I was really tuned into the whole opiate-releasing qualities of wheat gluten. And, I strongly associate my nonconsumption of breads to my weight loss. I know there are some scary studies out there — acrylamide and so forth. But, I honestly still don’t view good quality bread as particularly evil, at least for those who can handle it. I just happen to like my 160-something pound self a lot more than I did my nearly 240-pound self. This is my primary rationale for staying raw, although there are certainly other reasons as well.

Irradiated foods. Well, there’s no practical way to ensure that I will never eat irradiated foods. But, where I have a choice, I’ll definitely avoid them.

GMO foods. Same here. I do try to stick with organics where possible. And, where it’s not possible, there are things that I’ll almost never eat if I can’t get organic. But, living in this time, it’s probably tough to absolutely avoid this, although one can try. I might say something similar about overly hybridized produce, although avoiding that is even tougher.

Mushrooms. They’re fascinating … but disgusting (to me).

Funny, I did not include “cooked foods” on that list, did I?  I guess maybe I’m not against cooking as much as I am simply for raw. I feel as though I’ve forgotten some hugely disgusting type of food on that list, but I suppose it’s complete enough. What do you think?  Have I left off anything important — and major Never Food?

On a final note, I want to just say this:  Never say never.

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Jim here… We know a lot of people who exist on a high-raw lifestyle, and many others who aspire to eat a 100% live food diet. I don’t believe there is an exact threshold that makes one a “raw foodist.” That term is more or less just a general description you might use about yourself or anyone. Aside from the labels, though… If you want to talk about recommended levels of raw intake for optimal health, quite a number of web sites and health books seem to recommend shooting for around 80% of one’s intake to be raw, with a careful eye on the other 20%. We certainly agree with that as a good starting goal, adjusting upward or downward as you gain feedback from your body.

Of course, most of the people who do follow a high-raw diet are usually by definition highly health-conscious about any non-raw foods they eat. I’ve yet to meet, for example, a raw foodist who occasionally eats Burger King Double-Whoppers  (although, I’m sure that seemingly odd combination must exist somewhere).

And then there are the “grey” food areas, much of which becomes subjective as to whether they’re raw or not. I’m speaking of things like spices, teas, fermented foods, cured foods, dried foods,  frozen foods, blended foods, food-processed foods, etc. Some people consider these things raw and/or, more importantly, not harmful to the human body.  And, in cases in which foods are not considered harmful, they’re generally considered to be health-neutral (like, say, herbal teas) or beneficial (as with fermented foods). Indeed, many people consider quite a variety of cooked foods to fall within these categories (neutral and/or possibly beneficial). Quinoa is a good example of a cooked food eaten by a number of (primarily) raw foodists.

In any case, if I do come across one interesting thing about raw foodists, it’s that a lot of us have some “exceptions” to our dietary practices, or at least rationalizations about whatever we eat that is not raw or is questionable as to its “rawness.” For some, it’s just a general “allowance” of sorts. For example, they strive to eat a relatively high-raw diet, but will occasionally eat a cooked meal or even a small indulgence. This may be to “fit in” easier in a social situation, or just because they happen to love a certain style of cooking — something without which life just wouldn’t be the same.

I’ve been “high-raw” for going on four years, and darned near 100% for going on two years now. But I certainly have my own exceptions. So, I thought I’d list them here, if only for my own interests:

• Frozen foods. Yes, I do consume frozen foods. Almost always, it’s some sort of fruit that I’ll blend into smoothies. Frozen vegetables have been blanched prior to freezing, so I usually have fresh ones. Although, on rare occasions, I find that its easier to use something like frozen peas (gently thawed) in an otherwise raw recipe.
• Olives. I won’t eat canned olives. But, I really do love many varieties of fresh olives, most of which have been cured in some way. To be honest, I haven’t put a lot of research into which varieties can still be considered raw, although quite a lot of brands are specifically labeled as such. (Natural Zing has some amazing ones — try the herbed ones, and the ones with aji, but avoid the dry ones in the jar — yuk!).  I avoided anything but “100% raw” olives (labeled as such) for a good year or more, but always found myself pining over olive bars at high-end grocery stores. Finally, I just said, “You know what? This is ridiculous. I can eat olives if I want to!” And so I do, sometimes. On occasion, I’ve also been known to eat a few of the artichoke hearts that you’ll see at olive and salad bars. I’m certain those have been boiled or steamed, though.
• Teas. Yes, I enjoy them. At least 50% of the time, it’s an herbal tea. The rest, it’s green tea (even though I’m aware of the caffeine content). I haven’t had coffee or black tea for many, many years (although I once adored my daily java!).
• Fermented foods. I love sauerkraut, kimchi, and also high-quality pickled items (such as the higher-end pickles — no preservatives, etc. — that you sometimes find in refrigerated sections). Many raw foodists seem to tout the benefits of these foods — the probiotics, etc.
• Spices. Yes, I do use them, and don’t always check to see if they’re raw.  I do strive for organics, though. However, there’s not always a guaranteed organic source — especially for things you can usually find only as imports (such as curries, garam masalas, and the like).
• Dried foods. Yes, but I do dry them at 105 degrees.
• Blended and food-processed foods. Yes, I consume them. I’m not in the camp that believes that the nutrition is destroyed by this kind of brief processing.

Hmmm, am I forgetting anything?  I don’t think so. Everything else is just raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds at the moment. I’m definitely drawn to beans lately, although I haven’t had any in years. If I were to expand my list, it would be in that area — beans, legumes, dal.  So, what are your exceptions? I’m curious to know what our fellow raw foodists (well, those that consider themselves primarily raw, anyway) eat that isn’t raw. And, if you care to ponder it, let us know why. There’s no right or wrong here, btw. I’m not stating all of this stuff, or posting this kind of conversation, as a way to engage anyone in an argument or to ask anyone to be defensive, justify their diet, or post their rationale for eating whatever they like. It’s more of just a general, light-hearted discussion, based solely on our interest in talking about food and nutrition.

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Today’s post isn’t specifically about raw foods. But, we wanted to post a few videos highlighting some interesting research by an Italian doctor named Tullio Simoncini, who just might be onto something HUGE! Dr. Simoncini treats certain cancer patients with ordinary sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), based on his premise that cancer is a fungal problem and that a solution of baking soda is anti-fungal. Naturally, he’s been vilified by the medical establishment for making such a seemingly simplistic claim. But, what if he’s right?

Here at Pure Jeevan, we’re very much into health research — not so much with an aim to cure any specific disease or ailment, but rather to understand ways in which our bodies can become what we like to call unbalanced, as well as the ways in which we might return our bodies to proper balance, when necessary. In this way, I suppose that we, like many in the natural health world, feel that the body is amazingly capable of healing itself (in many circumstances) as long as the body is able to find a favorable state from which it can properly do what it naturally wants to — which is to return the body to an optimal state of health.

Medical doctors don’t buy into this theory very much.  However, it’s certainly ironic how, where certain areas of standard medical practice are concerned, what I described above is exactly what doctors do. Take something like a broken bone, for example. A doctor does not normally attempt to surgically repair the bone itself. Rather, the standard and time-honored practice is to set the bone (say, with a cast), and then to let your body heal the break naturally, on its own, making those skeletal connections as only the imponderably complex, ever-evolving wisdom of the human body can facilitate. (True, doctors do often intervene these days with surgery for broken bones. But, their aim there is mainly to position the bones for proper healing, and/or to do things like insert pins in an attempt to improve functionality after healing. Either way, the procedure here still relies on the body’s ability to eventually heal the problem.) Standard medical knowledge in this area is without question outstanding — and this is why most people in the natural health world have little problem with going to see a medical doctor for emergency treatment.

Chronic disease treatments are another story. In the standard medical world, they’re generally aimed more at relieving the symptom rather than considering the cause. Diabetics, for example, are given insulin instead of being asked to change their diets. Here at Pure Jeevan, we’re generally more interested in learning about the root causes as well as the possible ways to reverse a given condition naturally — or, when that’s not an option, doing so as naturally as possible, working in harmony with the body’s processes.

So, it was pretty exciting for us to review these videos because of their simplicity, the more natural characteristics and components described, the way that Dr. Simoncini’s methods seem to cooperate more with the human body rather than by effectively poisoning it (as with chemo and other harsh chemicals). And, not only that, but considering the education in live blood and “Nadi Balance” work that Wendi and I have been accumulating, we’re excited that quite a lot of his theories fall in line well with the research we’ve been engaged with lately. Also, I’d just mentioned last week how we’d been interested recently in Dr. Gabriel Cousen’s book, “There Is a Cure for Diabetes.” In that book, Dr. Cousens relates the Seven Stages of Disease, a well known 80-year-old theory from a doctor named John Tilden. Quite interestingly, Tilden specifies that one possibility for the final, seventh, stage is “Fungation,” which basically means cancer. (There’s a pretty good summary of that here.) So, again, a lot of what Simoncini is saying strikes us as important.

In any case, while we may not be focused here at Pure Jeevan on, say, the causes and cures for cancer, the following videos did catch our interest this week because the hypotheses discussed fit in rather well with the overall body of research we’ve been doing over the past few years. So, we hope you find them informative and thought-provoking.

Tullio Simoncini – The Fungal Hypothesis 1/3

Tullio Simoncini – The Fungal Hypothesis 2/3

Tullio Simoncini – The Fungal Hypothesis 3/3

Site for further info: http://www.cancerisafungus.com/

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