Raw Like My Life Depends On It

Raw Oatmeal

Hi Everybody!

I know it's been a while since I posted. I've been suffering from PMS and DMS (During Menstrual Syndrome). This has been the worst I've had in at least six months. I had it all: bloating, irritability, cravings for baked food, you name it. I've been off and on raw for that reason.

Sometimes it feels like there's another person in me that wants nothing but rich, cooked food in order to satisfy whatever issues she has. In Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom Dr. Christiane Northrup says that PMS is a time when a woman's true needs come out. The husband wants her 'fixed' ("Fix her, doc. Can't you just give her a pill or sum'thin?") and the woman is a heaving, crying mess. This time, for me, my creative self was itching to come out. So everyday since June 1 I've been working on two of my books. I'm doing the absolute final round of edits for Mocha Angels. And I've been typing the first draft of my second novel. I've committed to at least 250 words a day in the novel. Uninterrupted, it takes 10 minutes for me to type 250 words. I got up this morning and typed 500 words in the manuscript.

And I was able to do that because yesterday I was all raw. I had lots of fruit and cashew nori rolls and kale. I got up before my kids this morning and typed pretty fast. Hence, why I said I'm "Raw like my life depends on it." I think it does.

Me and my mom talked yesterday. We have the same reaction to cooked food. We wondered if we have food allergies. We don't know, but we know how we feel: like &$#@. And feeling like
$!*^# on a daily basis is not acceptable to me. I have a family to raise. I need to be my best everyday. So for me, and my mom, 80/20 or 75/25 or 50/50 raw/cooked is not doable.

So this is not about labels. I don't judge what other people eat. But I am paying attention to my own body and what it is saying to me. I have to have the courage to say, "I don't eat cooked food, thank you for offering though." And if someone asks why, I'll answer and maybe help someone in the process.

I feel like I'm on a hero's journey (or heroine's journey). Hero With a Thousand Faces is a book by Joseph Campbell that explains mythological archetypes across continents and centuries. The hero faces trials that tests her mettle and always challenge her and ultimately, make her stronger. Think all the Star Wars movies or The Wizard of Oz or Titanic. (Nearly all Hollywood movies follow the Hero's Journey, by the way. Read The Writer's Journey and you'll see what I mean.)

My biggest challenges are healing my feelings toward my disabled relatives and finding the courage to be who I am without apologizing. The Way of the Public Psychic is not the easiest road to travel. Rolling eyes, disbelief, snickers, and sometimes, vicious hostility come with what I do for a living. But I know what I've got is legitimate. The hugs, the thank yous, and the atta girl's keep coming and give me the energy to do readings for people. I also meet at least one other person with intuitive gifts once a week. At some point on our planet, I hope that everyone will know they are intuitive and won't feel the need to hide it for fear of reprisal.

But back to my hero's journey. If my ultimate purpose, outside of raising my sons to be holy, healthy, and happy men, is to be a multi-published author, Academy Award winner, and raw food cheerleader/coach/chef, then being those things, behaving as if I am all those things, is my charge in life. So I consider today, June 16 to be my Day Two in my raw journey.

And about the pictures. The oatmeal at the top is really easy.

Soak one cup of oatmeal for 30 mintues. Pour the water off. Add raisins, apples, bananas, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add maple syrup if you please. Add a "mylk" if you like. If not, it tastes great without it.

Above is a nori roll with avocado. Below is a salad with an awesome lemon dressing.

I got them both at my oldest son's homeschool promotion ceremony. Lots of wonderful food there. Most of if was vegetarian. Some of the other mom's are doing the raw food challenge at the Yabba Pot right now, so there were smoothies and lots of fruit there. We had a wonderful time.

So tomorrow, I'm going to BE a raw food coach and tell you the way you begin your raw journey.

Love,

Althea

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Raw Like My Life Depends On It