A Salad in Motion Remains in Motion

When you launch into a diet high in living foods, you will discover that these foods contain a force that creates motion. Non-living foods—such as cooked proteins, cooked starches, nuts, and all manner of processed substances—do not have this effect on the body. Given the physical laws of motion, if you eat foods with no life force, your intestines will be mostly stagnant.

When living foods suddenly enter your stagnant, acid-waste-impacted intestine, you may feel like you swallowed a bunch of expanding jumping beans! People usually embark on a diet of living foods for the weight loss and digestive benefits, so they are perplexed when their midsection suddenly starts moving and expanding.

One thing I am stressing to everyone these days is that WE MUST ALL BECOME SCIENTISTS. People are too quick to cry confusion in the face of all the conflicting information circulating in health and raw food circles. If everyone would just take a moment to sit with the common scientific sense of chemical reactions and the laws of motion, they could find all the answers they need without opening a single book or visiting a nutritionist, spa, doctor, or raw food guru.

Pay close attention now. Here are two scenarios that illustrate the two important concepts that will serve you well in this living-foods lifestyle:

1. Imagine taking the remains of dinner and tossing it into a garbage can. Seal the lid. The next morning when you wake up, go to the garbage can, and open it. The stench that assaults you is noxious carbonic gas that has started to grow rogue bacteria. This is what happens in your body—but your body is much warmer, so the chemical reaction and resulting bacteria are much more pernicious.

Now imagine what would happen if you took fruit—the cleanest, healthiest food known to humankind—and added it to the garbage, or to the contents of your stomach, at this moment of chemical decomposition. Would that be healthy? Health means cleanliness, so even though fruit is wonderful, it is not going to generate health in this scenario. Since the chemical reaction in the body is already troublesome, the fruit in this case would just make it worse. If you are bloated, gassy, and constipated, think scientifically about what your next move should be: something that reduces the gas and bloat and annihilates the bad bacteria.

Given the kinetic motions and chemical properties of foods, when you place fruit sugar on top of acidic waste and gas, the result is more gas, fermentation, and putrefaction. This scenario adds insult to injury, contributing to the intestinal distress, and ultimately endangering the bacterial balance of the intestine and constipating the bowel.

Therefore, if you were a scientifically minded live-foods enthusiast, you would take one of the following steps:
(a) Wait for your body to remove the waste and gas that supports the proliferation of bad bacteria;
(b) Have a vegetable juice or vegetables, which will have a neutral effect at worst and a beneficial effect at best, by hydrating the waste and contributing good microbes to fend off the bad bacteria (ideally, you would first consume some quality probiotics to help the process along); or
(c) Just wait a few hours before eating or drinking to give the body a chance to clear up this digestive upset (which is commonly caused by poor food combining, poor food order, overeating, eating while stressed, etc.).

Remember, living food is only potentially health-generating. It is only health-generating if it has an advantageous chemical reaction with everything else going on in the great petri dish of the body.

2. Next, imagine the average person off the street who has consumed mainstream food or “gym-head health food”—meaning lots of protein bars, lean meats, soy, peanut butter, etc. This food is dead; it has no kinetic energy. Living foods are alive; they have a lot of kinetic energy.

Again, most people come to living foods because they want to lose weight and heal digestive issues and other illnesses. Therefore, they don’t expect what usually happens as soon as they eat their first living-foods meal—a ballooning midsection with lots of gas and motion! But if they put on their scientific thinking cap, they would remember Newton’s first law of motion: “A body persists its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force.” Dead food piled on top of dead food keeps the intestine pretty dead. But add living foods—with all their live enzymes kickin’ around—and that system will be moved according to the rate and force of the added food. Living foods will act upon the body in a state of rest.

Most people assume this means that the cleaner, living-food meals don’t agree with them. But what’s happening is ultimately a very good thing. The all-raw hydrating substances are just reacting to the acidic waste and helping to eliminate it. This is a temporary state of awakening the old matter in the intestine. The only way to clean it out is to introduce these ultra-clean living foods (think of them like soap for the intestine), allow them to awaken and magnetize the waste, and then eliminate.

If living-food enthusiasts of all levels keep their science caps on and make choices that minimize the development of new carbonic gas (following my guidelines for food order and combination) they will eventually have clean, contracted, healthy cells. This will correlate to a lean body with tremendous vitality. Keep this in mind so you don’t misunderstand the changes your body undergoes as you introduce more living foods to your diet.

So let’s all keep our science caps on and consider the chemical reactions and the laws of motion as we make our meal choices. This way, we can use food and our food preferences as tools for our health. It’s really fun getting to know our bodies in this new way.

Here’s to the kinetic energy of living foods and harnessing the laws of science to improve our life experience!

Net Gain: Increased energy through conservation, not consumption

The nutritional value of food as stated by the “label claim” is of course pertaining to what is in the food, not what the body actually gets from it. A more sensible way to assess the energy providing attributes of food is to consider its net gain. The net gain of food is the term I give to what we are left with once the food has been processed for energy by the body. We all know that the body gets energy from food in the form of several nutrients. However, the more energy the body has to expend to digest, assimilate and utilize the nutrients in the food we give it, the less we are left with.

An example would be the consumption of white bread. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that served French bread before the main course? In the past, I would wolf down the bread and though my stomach was physically full, I would still be hungry. Since white bread is basically void of any useful nutrients, my body wanted to continue eating despite the fact that my stomach was full. To digest, assimilate and then eliminate the white bread requires a large energy expenditure. As a result, the net energy gain from it is very low. In fact, if the bread is buttered or if a trans-fat containing spread is added, the result can actually be a net loss.

In today’s hectic, fast-paced world, we are inundated with nutrient lacking foods. Consumed mostly for convenience sake, processed and refined foods have led us to a decline in health and elevated medical costs. Having to consume more of them to “fill up” due to their absence of usable nutrients, yet high sugar and calorie counts, we have become an obese, energy depleted society.

Back a few years in my more conventional thinking days I would try to gauge my caloric intake requirements based on my activity level and body weight. Eating about 8,000 calories on heavy training days, I would usually need a rest day soon after. I realize now, a large part of my need for the extra rest day was not just to recover from the energy expended during training, but primarily from the energy expended digesting an inordinate amount of low net gain food.

By consuming more easily assimilated foods a large amount of energy can be conserved. Due to two main reasons, the first being that the nutrient rich easily digested foods can be assimilated with less expenditure. The second being that when more nutrient rich foods are present in the diet, the body does not have to eat as much as if it were fed “average” foods. As a direct result, not as much needs to be eaten and therefore digested. This is a huge net energy gain, to be spent as you please. If the body is left to decide it will likely choose improved immune function and quickened restoration of cells damaged by stress—essentially, “anti-aging” activities.

Once realizing the value in nutrient density, assimilation, and absorption of food, I began eating in terms of net gain, with no adherence to calorie consumption guidelines. Instead, I focus on consuming nutrient dense, easily assimilated foods. As a result my recovery rate has significantly improved. I no longer need an extra day to recover from eating copious amounts of conventional food. Enhanced by simple means of increased efficiency, my body now pools its retained energy resources to more quickly recover from muscle damage associated with training. Today, I consume about 30% fewer calories than I did just two years ago yet have more energy—by means of conservation, as opposed to consumption.

Instead of feasting on common refined foods, I now consume whole foods almost exclusively. Raw, alkalizing, enzyme intact, living foods have become the foundation of my diet. Switching my main carbohydrate source away from refined starches to whole fruits, vegetables and grains was my starting point. Raw nuts and seeds, with an emphasis on hemp and flax, as well as legumes supply me with protein and essential fatty acids. The majority of vitamins and minerals I require come from fresh, raw vegetables – dark leafy green ones in particular.

It’s easy to pack nutrients into liquid form thereby improving assimilation; basically allowing the body to get what it wants while expending less energy to get it. I have one or more nutrient-packed shakes daily to insure that I get all the nutrients I need to support my activity level. Also, since it’s important to eat several meals and/or snacks a day, making one or more of them liquid adds variety.

Ideally, a shake should contain all the nutrients that a compete meal does. First, make sure that the protein is an easily digestible one, such as hemp, which is packed with live enzymes that improve digestion and absorption. For essential fatty acids (especially Omega 3), I use ground-up whole flax seeds. Maca, as an adaptogen, adrenal tonic and a source of sterols and sterolins, is also a critical ingredient. Chlorella, for its detoxifying properties, naturally occurring vitamin B12, growth factor, nucleic acids and rich chlorophyll content, is another worthy addition.

Hemp, flax, maca and chlorella are the four primary ingredients in all my shakes. After adding them, I blend it all up with whole fruit and water or nut milk. Feel free to experiment with all kinds of fruit for variety. Berries are always desirable as they are loaded with antioxidants. Raw carob powder is also a nice addition. In fact, making this blender drink years ago lead me to formulating Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer.

Remember, when it comes to improving net gain, the key point to remember is if you don’t spend it, you’ll still have it. Think in terms of energy conservation when it comes to vital body functions such as digestion and assimilation to help you perform better at anything you attempt.

Creating Harmony Around the Dinner Table

Feeding people, especially one’s family, is a sacred task. This is why I have embraced the Living Foods lifestyle. Everything about it brings harmony. It has been so exciting, yet not without its challenges. My husband comes from a well-meaning Italian family; meat, pasta, bread and cheese dominate every celebration. Being RAW is tricky- you learn to plan ahead. I fill us up with Green Smoothies; bring the salads, fruit platters and raw desserts. Then I let go and enjoy the party! Being flexible and adaptable is a sign of good mental health. ‘A little of what you fancy does you good’ and being rigid is more stressful than allowing occasional compromises, especially when it comes to the kids!

HARMONY IS HEALTHY AND PLEASURABLE

I have learned that an over emphasis on food can mar the entire experience and though I am Raw and convinced it is the best way to go, I do not judge. Having traveled the world, I was always touched by the loving (not stressful) relationship other cultures had to their food. Be it Asia, South America, Australia or Europe, the focus was never on calories or health per se. The central theme seemed to be about PLEASURE. Everything about food brought enjoyment: The beautiful way food is displayed in local markets, artfully prepared and gracefully served and shared. HOW we eat, our state of being is as important as WHAT we eat. When we eat on the run, while driving, watching TV or reading the news, while standing up… Where is the sanctity, or nourishment in that?

WHAT’S EATING YOU?

Sadder still is how everyone here is on a diet- even pre-teens! All the dieting in the world won’t guarantee physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. And no matter how much we binge we still remain hungry and empty on some level. Mindfully eating with our senses fully open and awake will we be truly nurtured and fed. When I fully understood the damage of ‘shoulding’ on my family over food I determined that I needed to find ways of bringing harmony. Here are some rituals to re-establish a more balanced, peaceful connection with our food:

RITUALS THAT BRING SANCTUARY AROUND OUR EATING

*When preparing a meal for yourself or the family, light a little candle just for YOU.

*Think about ways to charge the atmosphere with excitement, connection, calm, or fun.

*Put on some music to enjoy, or sing, chant or pray- this relaxes you and puts your energy, your love into the food- which is the most important ingredient!

*Set a beautiful table with fresh flowers, a centerpiece of leaves, pine cones, berries, acorns, sea shells or crystals- something lovely to reflect the season.

*Use the ‘good dishes’ and simple but cared-for linens.

*Clear away remnants of work, mail, phone, etc.

*After hands are washed and everyone is assembled, light the dinner candle.

We all enjoy holding hands and singing the blessing. (I love to take this moment to see the light in my family’s eyes) Then the feast begins! I encourage my little tigers to take their time and really savor every bite. Whatever I serve it will be of the freshest, mostly raw ingredients prepared with love, and eaten in gratitude.

Having a loving and healthy family is the pinnacle of success and pleasure for me.

SHANNON LEONE created a documentary about raising raw kids and un-schooling called RAISING CHILDREN RAISES US www.rawmom.com

Life with Crohns

Crohns disease? What’s that? I had never heard of Crohns until I was diagnosed with it 2005. An inflammatory bowel disease, Crohns can be debilitating, embarrassing, and painful all at once. It is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Here I was a perfectly healthy 21 year old girl, just moved in with my fiancé, my whole life ahead of me, nothing to slow me down; man was I wrong! I thought I was invincible.

I ate a healthy diet (so I thought), exercised for over an hour a day, and took great care of myself. How did I get Crohns? I asked myself this question over and over again. I worried about it day and night which didn’t help my symptoms. I was a constant worrier. I stressed out over everything! My head was always consumed with worries. What if this? What if that? What if? What if? What if? Having a disease that there is no cure for and no explanation of why people get it made me a mad woman!

I refused medication because before Crohns I wouldn’t even take Tylenol! They think I am going to take steroids? They must be crazy! My arrogant attitude caused me to be hospitalized for a week. I had to receive blood transfusions, cat scans, and I was pumped with fluids and medications. This all just added to the stress of my everyday life. I was going against everything I believed in. When I left the hospital I had a new found look on life. After all, my doctors told me I was moments away from cardiac arrest. I felt blessed just to be alive.

I followed my doctors instructions and took all the medications I was given. I felt like a pin cushion from all the needle poking and a human pharmacy from the pill popping. The side effects from all the medications made me feel crazy. It was if I was a different person. After I got over the trauma of the whole situation I decided to talk to my doctor. I asked him if there was anything I could do to get off of medication. Since my intestines were so inflamed and ulcerated it was very unlikely. So I asked him about my diet. Maybe I was eating something that caused all of this? He told me that diet has nothing to do with Crohns. I found this extremely hard to believe and decided to do my own research.

I hadn’t touched red meat or milk since I was a child, but the doctors and my family were pushing it on me since I needed protein. Grossed out by the thought of putting red meat into my body, I consumed lots of other proteins like eggs, turkey, chicken, fish, soy products, and yogurt. I still wasn’t feeling better. I noticed after I would eat these foods, I would feel sick immediately. On my wedding day, I was sick! We had to leave our honeymoon two days early due to the pain I was feeling. Hmm, maybe white meat and dairy aren’t as healthy as I thought? So right away, I took extreme measures and became a vegan.

I felt better instantly. I remained healthy without flare ups for over a year. Maybe NOW I could go off of my medication? My doctor again turned me down! It was time to explore elsewhere, so I found an Osteopath. He ran a few tests on me and told me it was fine to go off of medication. Oh glory day!!! For the next 3 months, I ate a vegan diet which consisted of mostly cooked and soy foods. I was drinking a ton of wine on the weekends, and I thought “as long as I stick to being a vegan, I won’t flare up“. Even though I changed my diet, I was still stressing over everything! I would do yoga once a week and felt extremely calm for hours after the class. Once a problem arose in my life I went right back into worry mode. Of course, I became sick again. I can NOT get away with anything. Back to the hospital, back on steroids, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medication. It was time for a new game plan.

I read a book by Paul Nison when I was first diagnosed. He talked about raw food and how it helped him cure his Crohns disease. So as an extremist, I decided to take it on. I slowly started adding more raw foods, green juice, and smoothies into my diet. I started to feel like myself again. On Christmas Day 2008, I stopped my steroid, and antibiotics (with my gastroenterologist’s permission) and I had never felt better. I only take one medication, a shot, every other week. Now my diet is what I call high-raw vegan. I eat raw all day except for dinner which I might have some cooked food. I am in no way perfect. Once a week, I have pasta (I am Italian- tomato sauce runs through my blood), but my diet is mostly raw. I exercise, practice prayer, meditation and yoga.

I feel alive again! Will I flare again? Who knows? However, this time I know how to get myself back on track. Will I ever be able to stop my medication? I don’t know. I will not allow myself to worry about it. I take it a day at a time and I’ve learned not to worry about the little things. I feel that Crohns has put me on a path I would have never explored. The best part is that I truly enjoy this lifestyle and am confident that it is the healthiest decision I will ever make.

Lauren Nastasi is a 25 year old vegan who lives in New Jersey with her husband and pug Ginger. She has a food blog that she updates frequently: Gingeristhenewpink.blogspot.com

Tales of a Colon Therapist

My name is Donna Perrone and I have a holistic health office in NYC called Gravity East Village. Yes, you guessed it, I clean colons for a living!

Maybe I should start at the beginning. In 1989 I had a nasty little health problem called Candida, also known as a chronic yeast infection. There were other problems too, such as constipation, gas, acne (serious), PMS (bad cramps, ouch!), and I was noticeably underweight (blink and you’d miss me). Over the course of three years I visited 5 different doctors and all they did was to prescribe more meds. I was in my early 20’s and for the first time in my life the doctor couldn’t cure me. I thought that I was too young for this and this Candida thing was uncomfortable. I had a friend whose mother recovered from Arthritis on a raw foods diet. She urged me to do a little research about Candida, better known as Candida Albicans. So, I read every book I could find and slowly over the course of one year I changed my diet. I went from the SAD diet to a vegan diet. Yet, nothing changed. Not one bit.

Then, March 1989 arrived, and at age 24 I made a commitment. Finally, my friend convinced me. What did I have to loose? So I did it. I went RAW! My diet consisted of 75% raw foods – fruit, veggies, nuts & seeds, and sprouts, and 25% steamed veggies, a baked potato, or brown rice. And I ate it plain. And very simple. No condiments. No catsup. I agreed to do this for one month. Yikes!

The first thing I noticed was that I woke up at 6 am without the alarm. That’s a miracle! And I felt cleaner. No wiggles in the eye pits or dry crusty eardrums. Also, for the first time in my life, I skipped a menstrual period. I felt no fear, only excitement. I knew something had changed and I was inspired to keep going.

Month two: I got my period. And no cramps. Hallelujah!! Two miracles. I was having an epiphany. I maintained a high raw diet for another month, even though the yeast persisted. Month three: jack pot. No yeast infection. That was almost 20 years ago and I’ve been good ever since. So long Ray’s pizza, and chocolate cannolis! I never looked back.

For several years I was riding high on raw foods, feeling empowered by my ability to heal myself. Then, after about five years of raw food living, my energy level was not quite the same as it had been. I found that I needed to eat every 2 or 3 hours or I wouldn’t feel ‘grounded’. The amount of food I was eating was enormous and I was bloated. I started having panic attacks. My skin had never cleared up and I had the worst acne ever. My face looked like the Catskill Mountains. And even worse, my menstrual pain was back with a vengeance. What was I doing wrong? I was such a good raw foodist. So, I rationalized that I needed to cleanse my body further. I juice fasted, I flushed, and I even tried energy healing and herbs. I was eating 100% raw almost all the time. If anything, I was feeling worse rather than feeling better. I was in denial for a long time. I thought raw food was the answer. How could it let me down?

Then, I met a raw food friend who had the answer: You need a colonic! “Are you kidding?” I replied. I was constipated as a child and was pooping at least 3 times a day. I don’t need a colonic. She persisted for a long time. Get A Colonic! Finally, I paid a visit to my future colonic guru, the master himself, Gil Jacobs. My first session went on forever. He called it an exorcism. I was never the same. I went to see him only one time per month, as that was what my artist budget would allow at the time. Within one year my skin cleared up and the PMS had improved drastically. I compared the health of people from the raw food community (who had not incorporated colon therapy) to the colon therapists I met, and knew the missing link to vibrant, radiant health could be found at the colonic office. This experience has directed me to the work I do today. So, that is how it started. Stay tuned. More tales to be told in my next blog!

Thank you Kris for this gracious opportunity. Hugs & Kisses.

Donna Perrone is a Certified Colon Hydro-Therapist with her own wellness center located in NYC called ‘Gravity East Village’. Donna has a bi-monthly internet radio program called ‘Vitality’ found at www.NYTalkRadio.net.