WHY RAW VEGAN?

WOW, it's been quite some time since I felt the desire to openly share my thoughts and blog. However, there is no time like NOW.

I just completed 3 weeks at my home away from home - the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego. I feel recharged, re-inspired and truly EXCITED!!

Let's just say that the last 2 years of my life has been an emotional whirlwind. Although I pride myself in taking care of my body through movement and a primarily raw vegan lifestyle, the daily stresses of life, death, moving, financial challenges, etc is enough to send one's otherwise perfectly-honed machine (otherwise known as your body) into an adrenal-fatigued, acidic shockwave. Yep, that was me 23 days ago. I can only say that at that time I felt a great sense of nothingness. I was disconnected and unconscious and kind of on an auto-pilot setting. And it scared me. Whew, glad that's over with and forever grateful to have experienced it because:

I thankfully know where to go to detox my god-given flesh temple and achieve a state of ZEN.

Sooooo...I have to admit, my first week at OHI was quite the week...I loaded up the Mini with my creature comforts including my fuzzy blue blanky and my forever love, Pooh Bear - and enough clothes to last for weeks (since my intention was only 1 week which turned into 3, it actually worked out divinely)! As I bid my loving, supportive boyfriend goodbye, I motored off into much-needed alone time. I arrived on Sunday and finally started to BREATHE. By Monday, I was in a full on DETOX. Not unlike a drug or alcohol-addicted humanoid, I detoxed HARD. And I do not drink or do drugs EVER. Thankfully I had my own room and my bear. And my best friend on the other end of the phone when needed. And silence. And presence of self.

By Wednesday I knew I needed another week because I didn't want to stop the detox and was not even close to my usual state of being. Mind you, between detox-inducing raw food (in other words bland), 3 days of juicing per week, WHEATGRASS everywhere and in every place and daily colon hydrotherapy, we exercise twice a day (not intensely but a small driveway feels like Mt. Everest in this state) and attend classes - basically every minute of the day is full if you so desire. I, the over-achiever also felt a need to walk an additional 2.4 miles around Lake Cholla daily and check out the local beaches. Not necessarily wise, but nevertheless..

So I booked a second week which was an early birthday present from my sweetest heart. And my best friend forever joined me. JOY!! Except for the brain ruminating on shockingly unimportant things, I finally reached a state of BLISS. And the people one meets at OHI, as always, remind me that there is a whole world of beauty, generosity and LOVE.

We are all there on a mission at OHI. To be our BEST selves in body, mind and spirit. Only in a safe-haven such as this, do paths that would NEVER cross, not only cross but actually MELD together.

One of the beautiful spirits floating around "campus" quietly gifted me my 3rd week... she truly gets as much joy in giving as I did in receiving such a priceless gesture. I have never experienced such unconditional love and generosity on all levels from so many people.

Side note: I gave a woman I met my first week my Tarzana Whole Foods recyclable .99 cent shopping bag because she loved the colors. She wrote me a thank-you note as if I just gave her a diamond ring. RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS do matter...no matter how large or small!!

And yes, there is always a handful of colorfully strange, sometimes intrusive folks there as well but you go where the love is and practice "cancel cancel" and loving acceptance as needed.

So the point of my blog is that the HEALING POWER OF PLANT BASED FOODS is by FAR more effective then ANY drug, drink or processed poison you can get your hands on. I wanted to share some "side effects" of ingesting things that have one whole ingredient and no eyeballs or faces:

improved vision and hearing

increased endurance and energy

weight normalizes naturally

elimination of allergies

high resistance to sunburn (but the best tan ever!)

strong growth of hair and nails

sharper sense to smell

CLARITY

fresh breath

decreased body odor

less sleep required

elimination of insomnia

vivid dreams

increased flexibility

greater concentration, mental focus and memory

increased LOVE for self and others

decreased stress

less anger in general

increased sex drive

greater awareness of your self as a spiritual being

increased sense of individuality

frequent moments of pure joy

positive body image

releasing weight (we don't lose weight if we don't want to find it!!)

MOST IMPORTANTLY, your body achieves BALANCE and Optimum Health!

In closing, I urge you to do whatever it takes to promote true HEALTH CARE. While the medical community is absolutely essential, it would be safe to say that most doctors are taught to administer medicine and receive very little education in nutrition and alternative healing (unless that is their specialty and thank goodness for those types of doctors!). I will not ever put down doctors for they DO save lives. And YOU too can truly save and extend your own life EVERY day with the right tools. Listen to your body. It speaks very loudly. It wants to be NOURISHED and CLEANSED so it can achieve BALANCE. True story.

If you had a Ferrari would you give it the best gasoline available or put a diet soda in the tank? You get the picture.

Love YourSELF, Love Each Other and Love Our Gorgeous Planet xoxo