Day 11 No gluten, no sugar, no dairy

What fast? What happened to Days 1-10? I wanted to see if I could do this first! And doing it I am! Even though I am on the tail end (I hope) of what I think are detox symptoms, I really want to get this written.

Me and my personal trainer, Eric, swinging those kettlebells. Never thought I'd do such a thing!

When chaos reigns, you need to look at yourself. Not your partner, kids, parents, boss, family, only you. Too many things happened in a short period of time that forced me to question myself.

July 18: I lost someone near and dear to me.
August 17: Interviewed for full time job.
August 19: I didn't get the job as paraeducator, but was offered a position as Inclusion Helper.
August 21: Was let go from a yoga teacher job before I even started, two days after I signed a contract.
August 25: Started full-time job.
August 31/Sept 1: Was sent to the ER from full-time job, with high blood pressure, dizziness, and left side heaviness. What does that sound like? I didn't have a stroke. But I was in the hospital overnight in the stroke ward. Diagnosis: complex migraine.  Nothing like being unexpectedly in the hospital to make you think about your life. And think I did...
September 3: I resigned from full-time job. They were nice enough to ask if I still wanted to be a substitute teacher. I was very grateful. And I still had kept my other job, so I was never unemployed.
September 5: Watched the movie version of the book Wild.
September 18: My last day at the full-time job.

Two things struck me. One, the movie is based on the real story of Cheryl Strayed, who hiked 2600 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone. She was going through major chaos like divorce and drug addiction and the loss of a parent. I could relate, even though my chaos was different than hers. Pain is pain. The second thing that stuck me was a line Cheryl's mom Bobbie said. It was, "When you find your best self, do everything possible to hold on to it."

I was my best self when I was raw vegan. The problem has been sticking to it, even with my culinary training. After watching the movie, I decided to drop the gluten, dairy, and sugar. Sugar is my real problem. When I am stressed, all I want is chocolate. And pre-menstrual, forgettaboutit. Chocolate is all I want. With all that was swirling around me, I was in the midst of the dark night of the soul. I had to do something.

My fridge on Day 1

October 1 was my first day. I am going at least 45 days, and truthfully, I see no reason to turn back. From Day 1 to Day 9, mentally I felt great. And no cravings. I was, and still am, on an emotional even keel. But Friday night, standing in my kitchen, my head was congested in an instant, and I couldn't stop the illness. It descended on me quickly. Friday night and Saturday morning, all I wanted was my mother. My ears, teeth, gums, nose, sinuses, and head were on fire. I felt better when I had the flu. This was horrible. Now it's Sunday night, and I am better, but very weak.

Seconds. Go to your farmer's market and ask for them. Seconds is the name for overripe fruit. That whole bag was $4.00.

My first day.

At first I was going all liquid. My main job is too physical for that. I did juice and smoothies for lunch and dinner. Soup and salad for lunch. I did that for seven days. On Day 8, I started eating again, still keeping the no gluten, dairy, or sugar. And you know what happened on Day 9. Hopefully, it's just detox symptoms and nothing more serious.

I also started my sons on their own cleanse. Jona has been dairy free for a week. I am transitioning him slowly because his eating habits are quite rigid. Raymond has been on no sugar, dairy, and gluten since October 6. The results for him are nothing short of remarkable. What is happening with him is my next post.

:Love,
Althea ◦

Day 11 No gluten, no sugar, no dairy

The Final Step in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

12. I am a teacher

Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys).

Prior Steps:

1. I manifest the life that I want by proclaiming it in the NOW

2. I align myself with my core values

3. I am open and willing to change

4. I study to become a fantastic raw food chef.

4 1/2. I learn where my food comes from.

5. I develop a spiritual backbone.

6. I have allies, supporters and mentors.

7. I heal my relationship with food (I get an emotional grip)

8. I find emotional satisfaction in things other than food

8 ½. I practice forgiveness

9. I practice juice and smoothie fasting

10. I possess an unrelenting desire to heal

11. I am a shining example of health

You are the Hero of your own life. Life IS the Hero's Journey. As a raw vegan, you've decided to take control of your health, in a way that is comfortable for you, and gone against the grain (waaaaaaaaaaaaaay against the grain :-).

The student has become the master. Or, to quote Dr. Maya Angelou, "When you know better, you do better." Those who do better show others how to be better.

A teacher shares what she knows with love and compassion. Because of her "road of trials," she has healed herself and helps other people find their inner light as well.

Shrek, Fiona, and their babies

I've used fictional characters journeys from movies because they are a two-hour replication of real life. Back at Steps Five and Six of this journey, I listed the Top Worldwide movies of all time. All but one followed the Hero's Journey to the letter. These movies resonate deeply with us because we see ourselves in them. Do we not root for the Hero to rise to the challenges (the road of trials) and be "resurrected" so he can bring back a "reward" to his community?

In Shrek, the ogre wins the heart of Princess Fiona, ridding the land of Far, Far Away from the grip of the evil Lord Farquaad.

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is transported to the Land of Oz only to learn that she already has everything she ever wanted.

In Titanic, Rose, with Jack's help, frees herself from a suffocating, abusive relationship, survives epic tragedy, and goes on live the life of her dreams.

Master Jedi Luke Skywalker

In Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Luke has become a Jedi Master and forgives his father, allowing Darth Vader to redeem himself before his death.

In Cars, Lighting McQueen transforms himself from a bad-ass superstar into a race car with heart, transforming the dilapidated, forgotten town of Radiator Springs into a hot tourist spot.

In the darkened theatre, we are cheering the Hero, hoping he gets his act together and sees the light.

You, the Hero of your own life, have people (allies and mentors) cheering you on! For as you transform yourself, you give others permission to do the same thing. And that is the reward you bring to your community!

You have gone through all the steps with laughter and tears, and now it's time for you to step onto the stage to help others. A raw vegan teacher can do many things:

-Start a blog

-Teach raw food classes

-Start a YouTube Channel

-Become a raw food coach

-Become a chef

-Become a caterer

-Write books and ebooks

-Go on television

-Create endless possibilities for yourself!

But is it really The End? Movies must end, but life continues. The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey has many highs and lows. But the clarity, the energy, the vitality you feel are worth it. You are worth the journey. The world is waiting for you.

Thank you for reading.

Love,

Althea

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The Final Step in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Eleven in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

11. I am a shining example of health
Inspired by the mythical Hero's Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos, this time, are of REAL people on their own journeys).

You've been raw for a while.

You are feeling good.

People are asking you, "What are you doing different? You look amazing!"

Resist the urge to preach.

Simply share what you have been doing.

Everyone is not going to jump on your raw bandwagon at your speed. They will jump on at their speed.

At this point in your journey, rather than proselytize, be a shining example of health. Defy conventional wisdom about health, aging, athleticism, and nutrition. By "be-ing" the change you want to see, trust me, people will pay attention.

I've been using photos of fictional archetypes in the previous steps. Although there is one more step to go, I had to use photos and stories of real people this time. I am in awe of the three people I introduce to you today.

Marcus Patrick

Marcus is best known as an actor, but he is so much more than that. He is a personal trainer, holds a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, Life Coach, and committed raw vegan. I have spent a lot of time on his You Tube channel and on his blog, and I'd like to book a flight to Hawaii so I can train with him. Marcus has dedicated his life to helping others achieve the same level of fitness and health that he possesses. When I look at his videos I am amazed by his glow. Is he not a shining example of health?

http://www.organiclifeandfitness.com/

www.youtube.com/user/marcus1974

Christy Dufell Seguin

I found out about Christy while doing a Google search on what to eat after exercising, specifically for a raw vegan. I browsed her site and was stunned when I saw her 40th birthday photos. She took them on February 7, 2009. I'm 38 and wouldn't yet wear a two-piece bikini in public. Christy has gorgeous photos of herself on her website.

 
Christy wrote me and said, "Just for full disclosure, I am not completely raw vegan anymore, due to the rigors of a competition diet. I am very open about this and feel it opens up great conversation and education. There are schools of thought that are quite compelling regarding raw animal products, for example--The Primal Diet by Aajonus Vanderplanitz."



I asked her if she was raw when she took her 40th birthday pics: "Yes, in my 40th birthday pics I was completely raw vegan (except for the VERY occasional sushi every other month or so--never could give that up 100%), and had been for about a year and a half at that point."



"I am still very high raw. For example, I eat sprouted oat groats instead of oatmeal. I never cook any of my veggies, except when my coach assigns me red potatoes. I eat my sweet potatoes raw--cut 'em into sticks, shake in a baggie with pumpkin spice--yum!!!"


Is she not a shining example of health?

www.defiant-health.com

Nature's Fitness Model Sherif Kamal

Sherif is the one who inspired me to write about real people this time. I first read about him on Facebook via an invitation by Richard "Raw" Tasca, Jr. I saw Sherif's photos and my jaw hit the floor.


Viktoras Kulvinskas, author of the 70s classic Survival in the 21st Century is also spreading the news about Sherif: "Sherif is known as Nature's Fitness Model, and in his first UFE (Ultimate Fitness Events) competition placed fourth, which qualifies him to go to the next level UFE Elite Competition in November. No drugs, no synthetic supplements. Just nature."


Sherif was named "Rising Star of the Month" by World Physique magazine. In his interview, I loved his passion for living naturally. Not only is his body beautiful, but so is his heart.
Is he not a shining example of health?

http://www.sherifkamal.com/

print interview: http://www.worldphysique.com/risingstarofthemonthmay10.html?reloaded=true
radio interview with raw food author Rhio: http://nytalkradio.net/wordpress/podcasts/hookedonraw/show-101-rhio-interviews-raw-body-builder-sherif/

Be a walking billboard for raw vegan and natural living, and the world will come to you. The next, and final step, in your journey naturally follows.

Until then,
love,
Althea ◦

Step Eleven in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Ten in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

10. I possess an unrelenting desire to heal
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys).

Prior Steps:
1. I manifest the life that I want by proclaiming it in the NOW
2. I align myself with my core values
3. I Am open and willing to Change4. I study to become a fantastic raw food chef.
4 1/2. I learn where my food comes from.
5. I develop a spiritual backbone.
6. I have allies, supporters and mentors.
7. I heal my relationship with food (I get an emotional grip)
8. I find emotional satisfaction in things other than food
8 ½. I practice forgiveness
9. I practice juice and smoothie fasting

April, Tanya, and Sandino in I Can Do Bad All By Myself

“You are determined to heal, aren’t you?”
My husband has said the aformentioned sentence to me several times over the past few years. Yes, I am determined to heal. Healing is not so much a “finish line” but it is a journey. And it’s an integral part of The Raw Vegan Hero’s Journey.
In short: possess an unrelenting desire to heal.
I don’t care how many time you run in circles with raw food. You are ultimately running back to yourself. The sooner you acknowledge you already possess all you need to heal, the sooner you’ll feel peace.
My six-year anniversary with my relationship with raw food was in April. As the date passed, I reflected on my challenges along the way. This blog, and this journey, was to help other people as they struggle.

Dr. Maya Angelou, Tyler Perry, and Ciciley Tyson on set of Madea's Family Reunion

I realized two things:
1) I had to stop making new dishes. After six years, I’ve made countless raw juices, smoothies, soups, entrees, salads, and desserts. I was looking outside myself for an answer I already had. I have enough knowledge to pull together my favorite raw foods. I stayed up past midnight last night to compile those foods. I have a list of 15 entrees, 5 salads, 3 salad dressings, 22 drinks, and 11 desserts that I love. I made 2 copies: one for my purse, and one for my kitchen. It’s time to stock my kitchen with those items and master them. My focus, now, is healing maintenance for myself so I have the energy to do other things I want to do. I’ve hit the pause button on blogging through Light Eating for Survival and Everyday Raw. I’ll come back to them again when the time is right.
2) A struggle with food is never about the food. You are hungry for something else if raw is not doing it for you. I read Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth. It’s one of those books you must re-read at least once. Time must be given to let it marinate in your mind. A review is a month or two away for that reason. I’ve zeroed in on what I’ve been really hungry for.
Don’t ever give up on yourself. You are a Divine entity meant to shine your light and love in this world. If something is not working, pause, ask (insert your name for God here) for help, listen, then act. Love is always ready to help you.
Love,
Althea ◦

Step Ten in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Nine in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

9. I practice juice and smoothie fasting
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys).

Tony Stark a.k.a Iron Man drinking a green smoothie

If you're not including smoothies and juices, especially green smoothies and juices, in your raw vegan diet, you are missing a large component.

-From The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore: Chlorophyll is the blood of the plant...it is condensed solar energy. Chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus and the lungs. It is a tonic which, considering its stimulating properties, cannot be compared with any other.

-From Your Right to Be Beautiful by Tonya Zavasta: Our blood is very similar to green juice. The main difference between a molecule of chlorophyll in green juice and a molecule of hemoglobin in the blood is the central atom. Hemoglobin, the protein that makes our blood red, has iron as its central atom. Chlorophyll, the protein that makes plants green, has magnesium at its center.

-From Heal Thyself by Queen Afua: Chlorophyll detoxes and rejuvenates tissues, cells, blood, arteries, and nerves. The more we consume chlorophyll, in the form of eating green leaves like salad and herbs as well as green veggie juices and wheatgrass, the healthier our skin, hair, and bones, the purer our thoughts, and the more harmonious and healthy our relationships will be. Chlorophyll consumption brings heaven on earth...I would go so far as to say that if a community, a country, or even the world consumes chlorophyll consistently, we would see an end to world famine, dis-ease and war.

People ask me all the time, "How do I get started in raw food?" My answer is, "Add green smoothies and juices to your diet."

Get Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko (www.rawfamily.com) and any book on juicing.

What's the difference between the two?

Smoothies have fiber. All you are doing is blending fruits and vegetables and water, retaining the fiber in them. That fiber has to be extracted by your digestive system, which takes time. Juicing extracts fiber from the fruits and veggies. The digestive transit time is much faster than smoothies. In my opinion, one is not better than the other. They are simply different. (Anyone can feel free to comment about this.)

The most successful fast I did was fourteen days, from March 31 to April 13, 2008. The first seven days I did both smoothies and juices. The last seven days, I only did juice. To read about it, click here: Juicing. Scroll down 6 posts, and Days 13-14: Success! will be there. Scroll down to Inspiration: Terilynn. That is the beginning of the journey.


If you have never fasted before, start for one day. Then perhaps a three-day weekend. Regardless, you need to prepare your body for a fast. Cut down, or eliminate, acid-forming foods: processed foods, dairy, meat, sodas, etc. Eat more salads, and fresh fruits and veggies. You are making your body more alkaline. Trust me, if you go from eating french fries on Thursday to fasting on Friday, you will be hungry, cranky, headachy, and bitchy. Do yourself a favor and ease into a fast. Read as much as you can before you start one.

You will experience emotional breakthroughs you don't expect. When you stop eating, clarity comes rushing in. The mental, physical, and emotional clarity will knock you over.

Relating this to the mythical Joseph Campbell Hero's Journey, the best time to fast is when you are "in the belly of the beast." This is when you are the middle of some crap that feels like it's going to kill you. You can't see straight. Your life, or emotions, are dark. You've had it.

Movie examples of characters trapped in "the belly of the beast":
-Star Wars (the first one): Luke, Han Solo, and Princess Lea are trapped in the garbage section of The Death Star. The walls are closing in on them, literally. C3PO and R2D2 have to stop the walls remotely. The three leads are not physically strong enough to stop the walls from crushing them. Death is imminent. The robots stop the walls just in time.

-Finding Nemo: Marlin and Dory are inside a whale. It's dark. They feel trapped. Marlin believes all is lost. He will never be able to rescue his son. Dory, who also happens to "speak whale :-)", says, "if you promised your son that nothing would ever happen to him, then that's not realistic." Marlin awakens, determined to find Nemo.

-Toy Story: Woody and Buzz are trapped at Sid's house. Woody is stuck in a milk crate. Buzz is strapped to a rocket. Sid plans to explode Buzz the next morning. Their owner, Andy, is moving to a new house that same morning. It appears the toys will never see their owner again. All is lost. But Sid's mutant toys come to the rescue.

In all three examples, the protagonists are either about to die, literally or metaphorically. That is the belly of the beast. What follows is "resurrection." (The last three steps in this twelve step series reflects this truism. Remember, the Hero's Journey is a metaphor for life.)

Fasting will certainly resurrect you. It will heal your pain, and release energy you thought you had lost. It's a critical part of your raw journey. Be gentle, and ease into it when you feel you are ready.

Love,
Althea ◦

Step Nine in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Eight and a Half in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

8 ½. I practice forgiveness
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys).

The infamous scene from Ghost

Forgiveness: Why is this included in a series about The Raw Vegan Hero’s Journey? It’s tied into emotional eating. Speaking for myself, I realized a few days ago that I was holding on to anger and resentment, primarily at myself. A friend of mine told me that depression is anger turned onto oneself. So what was I angry about? Choices I had made. Things I had said. Once I began forgiving me, I stopped craving food which didn’t serve me, like sugary sweet stuff. This process is a new one. But I can feel the emotional difference already.

The women of Why Did I Get Married?

Forgiveness is, to me, one of the hardest spiritual lessons to practice. It’s easy to point fingers and say, “But you don’t know what he/she/they did to me.” If, as a child, you were wronged (abused, molested, raped, teased, bullied), that was not your fault. But it was your experience. As an adult, it’s now your responsibility to do what you want with the hurt and pain. Would you rather walk around angry blaming others for what they did to you, or would you rather be free of that pain living an amazing, happy life? One type of life certainly feels better than the other. The key is forgiveness.

This topic is far too big to deal with in one blog post. But forgiveness will open your heart. Don't wait until you are on your death bed before you acknowledge the need to forgive others.

Resources:

- Read the April 5th issue of People magazine. There’s an interview with David Smith, Susan Smith’s ex-husband. Fifteen years ago, Susan Smith killed their children. David’s story of forgiveness is a powerful one.

- Any book about forgiveness and how to achieve it.

Love,
Althea

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Step Eight and a Half in the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Steps Seven and Eight on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

7. I heal my relationship with food (I get an emotional grip)

8. I find emotional satisfaction in things other than food

Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys).

Tampopo

Food, at its essence, is fuel for the body. The purpose of food, from the time we are conceived, is to nourish every cell, organ, and tissue, so that we, as humans can function at an optimum level. We can argue about what are the best foods for our bodies. Since this is a raw vegan blog, and the author feels that raw food is the best fuel for her body, then she is going with that. (But I always say listen to your own body’s wisdom.)

I love food. I love everything about it. Texture, taste, smell, combinations, and possibilities all make me swoon. The problem comes in when food becomes a substitute for expressing feelings, otherwise known as emotional eating.

Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans

I am no psychologist. I’m just someone who has struggled with this issue for years, particularly the past seven years. What I can say is the moment you recognize that you are an emotional eater, you are on your way to healing. The phrase, “It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you” is a truism. Watch any episode of the TV show The Biggest Loser and you’ll see that the contestants have been eating their pain for years instead of dealing with it.

My biggest suggestion is to find a faith, or belief system, that grounds you. I’ve been doing some soul searching. I believe I’ve found a faith that supports what I receive from The Mocha Angels. Therapy, yoga, chakra work, particularly throat chakra work, will all help. I focus on the throat chakra because that is the seat of communication. When we force down our self-expression with food, that stifles the throat chakra. It’s important to feel safe when you speak.

Resources:

Losing Your Pounds of Pain by Doreen Virtue

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

The Great Debaters

While you work on healing your feelings, find other things to do which don’t involve food. I love kickboxing, yoga, reading, and writing. Make sure you love to do your activities. Choose things which make you feel good. For those of us who love food, it’s pleasurable. You want do things which are equally as pleasurable and fun. You don’t want to feel like you’re being distracted. You want to really have fun!

And speaking of having fun, I made the Grapefruit Cleanser juice from Everyday Raw. It’s grapefruit, apples, limes, and kale. I do not like grapefruit. But this is a refreshing, tangy drink. When I’m still thinking about a drink a week later, it’s a good one.

Love,

Althea

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Steps Seven and Eight on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Steps Five and Six on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

5. I develop a spiritual backbone.

6. I have allies, supporters and mentors.

Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys).

Celie and Shug in The Color Purple

Comments you’ll hear when you go raw:

From your brother:
“What are you eating for dinner tonight? Lettuce?”

From your friend:
“We’ll have carrots for you at my birthday party.”

From your dad:
“What is that pie made from? Cashews? You must be kidding me. I’m not eating that.”
Or my favorite:
“Aren’t you going to die if you don’t eat meat?”

From acquaintances:
Blank stare……

If you can’t handle comments like these, keep your rawness to yourself. But a better way to handle disparaging comments is to grow a spiritual backbone. It’s time to grow a very thick skin.

Raw food is not even close to being mainstream. America is very much, still, a meat and potatoes country. Even vegetarians and vegans have to deal with the oft-asked question, “Where do you get your protein?” Tell doubters that even fruit has protein in it; and that eating meat is a second-hand way of ingesting protein.

The reasons why I say grow a “spiritual backbone” is that you have to have faith in one, two, or all of these things:
-a Higher Power
-other people
-yourself.

Faith is required in order to be successful. When it comes to raw food, you have to have faith in yourself that you will indeed read all the books you can, study, learn, and grow. As you eat more raw food, you will feel amazing. Your faith in the food itself and its healing, transformative powers will grow. And while faith in God is highly personal, I have experienced feeling more connected to a Higher Power when raw. Take time to think about what you truly believe in, and why.

Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy's toys in Toy Story 2

The raw path can be lonely, which is why Step 6 is critical: “I have allies, supporters, and mentors.” No one succeeds alone. In his book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell puts a new spin on how people really become successful. I highly recommend this book. The rugged individualism myth of America is fiction. Everyone needs community. And every person needs at least one other person who believes in him. Others’ faith in you reinforces the faith you have in yourself.

In the archetypical Hero’s Journey, the HERO needs ALLIES and MENTORS. Some well-known examples:
-Luke Skywalker’s allies: Han, Princess Leia, Chewbaca, C3PO, R2D2, Obi Wan Kenobi (mentor)
-Dorothy’s allies: Glenda the Good Witch (mentor), The Lion, The Scarecrow, the Tin Man
-Shrek’s allies: Donkey, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots

I went to the Internet Movie Database to see the Top 10 Worldwide movies of all time.1. Avatar (2009) $2,209,344,204
2. Titanic (1997) $1,835,300,000
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1,129,219,252
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1,060,332,628
5. The Dark Knight (2008) $1,001,921,825
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) $968,657,891
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) $958,404,152
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) $937,000,866
9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) $933,956,980
10. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $922,379,000

I’ve seen them all except Avatar. The other movies follow the Hero’s Journey to the letter. Except for The Dark Knight/Batman myth, the hero has allies and mentors. But even Batman had his butler Alfred as an ally. Bruce Wayne needed someone to take care of him while he was out saving Gotham City. Remember that the Hero’s Journey is a metaphor for real life. The Hero cannot win his battles alone. Those who think they can live life all alone become sociopaths.

As a raw vegan it is crucial to have allies, mentors, and supporters. Going this journey all alone steps you up for failure. You are going up against your emotional eating, limiting beliefs, fast food on every corner, family & friends critical opinions, and holiday feasts. Don’t you, the Hero of your life, want to have allies along the way?

Suggestions:
-Host potlucks
-Search meetup.com to see if there are raw groups in your area
-If there are none, start one yourself
-Create a separate email account for all raw food email
-Subscribe to raw food yahoo groups
-Befriend raw foodies on Twitter and Facebook
-Join Ning social networks dedicated to raw food

-Subscribe to raw food blogs
-Get a raw food coach
-Call your raw food friends, often
-Read, read, and read more books

Love,
Althea

Recommended reading:
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

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Steps Five and Six on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Four and Four and a half on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

4. I study to become a fantastic raw food chef
4 1/2. I learn where my food comes from
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys)

Prior Steps:

1. I Manifest the Life That I Want by Proclaiming it in the NOW

2. I Align Myself with My Core Values

3. I Am Open and Willing to Change

Julia in Julie and Julia

I know I was on hiatus from blogging for a month, but something hit me today. An important step in the journey is studying how to make delicious raw food. It sounds obvious, but it's not.

The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey is a work in progress. It's alive and flexible while I get the steps in order. I realized today that becoming a seasoned raw food "chef" is important. I put "chef" in quotes because not everyone is going to culinary school; but "cook" is weird because we're not cooking. We're creators, preppers...something. So for lack of a better word, I'm going with "chef."

I love food. I am a true foodie. I dream about food. I dreamed about eggs last night (go ahead and laugh...I did too. :-) I ran downstairs to make scrambled eggs from Mark Bittman's book How to Cook Everything (which I do not own, but he wrote an article that I'd saved from a magazine). I tasted them, then gave them to my husband. I said, "Oh my goodness, these are fantastic." Rom said, "They're okay. They taste like regular scrambled eggs to me."

I said, "I'm the Remy to your Emilie! You can't taste how awesome these eggs are? And I don't even eat eggs!" If anyone has seen the Disney/Pixar movie Ratatouille, then you know what I mean. If you haven't seen it, it's another Oscar-winning movie from the geniuses at Pixar.

And I'll admit here that I am a Pixar Uber-fan. Total Pixar geek. I watch the credits looking for the people who work in the story department. If you've seen the Intel commercial where geeks go nuts over the guy who created the USB port, and at the end it reads: "Our rock stars are not like your rock stars," then you understand how I view the Pixar people. The only thing I appreciate more than good food is good storytelling. I'd work there for free just to learn how to write a great story.

But I digress.

Remy in Ratatouille

Frustration can build when you transition to raw because the food may not taste great, depending on where you learn. But with raw, you are preparing the freshest ingredients possible. You only have to learn how to put the ingredients together.

You must possess an unrelenting desire to learn how to make great food that is tasty and doesn't cost a fortune. Raw food books are everywhere. And like anything else, you'll find a couple of stinkers amidst the winners. But that's okay. Don't give up.

Check out books from the library first. That is what I do. I won't pay for a book unless I feel it's worth it. And if your local libraries don't carry raw food books, request them. Three years ago, my local library had zero raw food books in circulation. A librarian told me to write down what I wanted. That way, the library would know my interests and may possibly buy those types of books. Today, there's six raw books in circulation, with many more in libraries across Maryland.

Classes abound. DVD's are everywhere. Get serious. Start investing your money in these things so that the food you make keeps your interest. That was my revelation. My food should be awesome to me. Until I get back to

Chef Carolyn, or trek to Oklahoma to study at 105 Degrees Academy, then I've got to keep learning the basics of raw food preparation.I'm still working my way through Light Eating for Survival. I have added:
Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney
Incredibly Delicious (the Rawsome Recipes section) by Gentle World Publications
Have Your Cake and Eat it Too! by Monique Bastien

I don't own, yet:
Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis
Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis

Sweet Gratitude by Matthew Rogers and Tiziana Alipo Tamborra

But I'm working on that. (If anyone would like to gift me early birthday presents, feel free! My birthday is March 7!!!). I see these books as textbooks. I am in training to learn how to make awesome raw food. Anyone serious about their raw journey will do the same thing.

I consider this Step Four and a Half: I learn where my food comes from.

Rom and I watched the DVD Food Inc. today. If you have kids, they need to see this too. I don't buy DVDs much. I'll rent them or get them from the library. This one I will purchase because I want my kids to watch it again as they grow up. Go get this movie TODAY!

From the official website: http://www.foodincmovie.com/
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Go get this movie!
Love,
Althea

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Step Four and Four and a half on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Three on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

3. I Am Open and Willing to Change
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys)

You say you want to go raw because it sounds good. Who doesn't want perfect health? Who doesn’t want to be free of physical pain? Who doesn't want to wake up in the morning fully alert, refreshed, and ready to create a wonderful day? If you’ve been a raw vegan for even a few weeks, you’ve experienced those things. But then you fall off the wagon.

First, if you are not “thinking from the end” and have not written your core values, go back. Without clarity, the raw journey is a muddy one filled with stops and starts.

If you have completed Steps One and Two, then ask yourself, “Am I really open and willing to change?” Are you truly ready to live in alignment with your values? Are you terrified of breaking out of your comfort zone?

In the archetypical Hero’s Journey, the hero lives in his ORDINARY WORLD (Dorothy quietly lives in Kansas; Luke Skywalker, restless, lives on a farm on Tatooine; Shrek lives alone in his swamp).

Marlin and Dory in Finding Nemo

But there’s always a backstory. In Finding Nemo, Marlin’s wife and all of their unborn children, save one, are killed. After that one fish, Nemo, is born, Marlin is an understandably overprotective father. Marlin’s Ordinary World is the anemone. Never, ever leave the anemone. When Nemo is kidnapped, Marlin receives his CALL TO ADVENTURE. He must travel outside his comfort zone. What is at stake? His only child. Marlin wants to REFUSE THE CALL, because he is a RELUCTANT HERO. Marlin is “facing the greatest of all fears, terror of the unknown. 1.”



Go back to Step Two, I Align Myself with My Core Values.

Answer these questions:
1. What are you afraid of?
2. What is at stake if you do not pursue a raw vegan lifestyle, even partially?



I suffer from yeast-related health problems. I am afraid of never healing myself. I am afraid of feeling less-than-optimal for the rest of my life.



What is at stake? My relationship with my husband and children, family & friends, books, and teaching will never rise to their highest level. Living a raw vegan lifestyle is now personal.

Jamal and Latika in Slumdog Millionaire

Being open and willing to change is a concept Louise Hay writes about in You Can Heal Your Life. In movies, the protagonist is usually a reluctant hero, forced to leave the Ordinary World (Dorothy is transported to OZ via tornado; Luke’s aunt and uncle are killed; Shrek’s swamp is overrun with fairy tale creatures).

Health problems often force us to change our lives. They are a Call to Adventure. The adventure is a healing one. My yeast issues are persistent, and INSISTENT. They will not disappear with a magic wand. I have to ACT. But I have to be willing to act.

Exercise:
Say as often as you need to: “I am open and willing to change.” A thousand times a day is reasonable (smile). I’m serious.

Look around and see where you have not been willing to change in terms of raw food. Are you willing to make your juices and smoothies at night, so you can enjoy them in the morning?
Are you willing to try new recipes?
Are you willing to consider a one-day juice or smoothie fast?
Are you willing to invest in new appliances?
Are you willing to get support?

Being “open and willing to change” opens the windows of beautiful healing adventure to you.

Love,
Althea

1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Volger

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Step Three on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Two on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

2. I Align Myself with My Core Values
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys)

Ruth and Walter in A Raisin in the Sun

Becoming a raw vegan is an inside out job, which I don’t think people realize until they are on this journey. We eat some a-frickin-mazing raw food, and think, “I am raw for life! This is awesome! I can do this.”

But as soon as the smell of your favorite cooked food wafts across your nostrils, sending you into stupor, you then think, “Bump that raw stuff. This mac and cheese is calling my name!” And off you go. The next morning, you wake feeling as if a bus hit you. Your eyes are full of icky crackly crud. Your nose is stuffy. You have a headache. All of your muscles ache. Then you think, “I’ll never eat cooked food again.”

Riiiiiiiight….

Then we hear stories of people who went from cooked to raw overnight. The rest of us are like, “If they can do it, what’s wrong with us?” Feeling like losers, we stuff ourselves with chocolate fudge brownies, washed down with soy milk.

What to do?

Lion, Scarecrow, Dorothy, and Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz

Steve Barnes, a novelist and teacher I greatly admire, recently wrote in his LifeWriting newsletter, “…we should have a clear sense of our morality, ethics, and values. You just can't overstate the value of knowing who you are and what you believe when you are writing...or living."

In other words, get clear…about everything in your life. Steve writes a lot about the importance of core values. Know what they are. Write them down. Look at them daily.

Why is getting clear even relevant to the Raw Vegan Hero’s Journey? If you are not clear on why living a raw vegan lifestyle is important to you, you’ll never remain on the path. You’ll continue to fall off. And you’ll continue to beat yourself up for not have the “willpower” to stay raw. It’s not about willpower. It’s about clarity.

Here is what I did to get clear about what my core values are. Replicate the process. But remember, it’s about what is important to YOU, not anyone else.
1. Write down what you know for sure. Take a piece of paper. Write down every single thing that is important to you. And write down beliefs that you are concretely convinced are true, for you. My list filled every line of my paper. What you know for sure will look totally different. Here are some of my examples:
· I am the co-creator of my reality
· My family and my connection to them is important to me
· Raw vegan food is like sunshine in food form
· Being emotionally present for my children is important to me
· Experiencing perfect health is important to me

I had twenty-six of these. See if you can fill at least one side of lined-paper. It’s okay if you repeat yourself, or same the same thing a different way. Then look at the list. See if themes arise. Those repeated themes are your core values yelling back at you.

2. Take all the sentences you wrote, and condense them into FOUR core values.

3. Write “Why?” Again, take all those sentences you wrote to figure out why those four values are so important to you.

Elliot and E.T.

Here are my core values:

Living a raw vegan lifestyle.
Why?
“Being a raw began allows me to heal my body, feel the Universe’s love, connect with my family and friends, consciously co-create my world, increase my intuition & angelic connection, and improve my sleep & memory.”

Experiencing a loving, harmonious relationship with my husband, sons, and family.
Why?
“I chose my husband and my children chose me. They are my life, my joy, and reason for living. My family is an extension of myself.”

Being a published novelist and author.
Why?
“My novels are inspired gifts from the Universe and I honor my gifts. My non-fiction (Mocha Angels, raw food books, etc.) inspires and heals people.”

Being a teacher.
Why?
“To whom much is given, much is expected. Knowledge is meant to be shared. I choose to leave this Earth better than I found it.”

4. Whittle your core values down even further. You've got four clear sentences. Looking at those sentences again, I can say my core values are: union with Spirit, relationships, honoring gifts, and sharing.
5. Write, or type your core values twice. Keep one on your person (in your purse, or in your wallet). Frame the other one. Keep it in a place where you see it daily.

6. Write down the consequences of not living in alignment with your core values.

Now this one will stop you in your tracks. In short, your life will never look the way you want it to look. That is a sobering reminder that we are all responsible for our own lives. As adults, we have to develop the emotional maturity to handle life without using food, or other vices, as crutches. Living from your core, with diamond-like clarity, will help navigate your Raw Food Hero's Journey with grace.

Love,
Althea

Recommended Reading:
Steve Barnes' sites: www.darkush.blogspot.com and http://www.lifewrite.com/ ◦

Step Two on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step One on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

1. I Manifest the Life That I Want by Proclaiming it in the NOW

Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys)

Becoming a raw vegan requires letting go of the past. Unless you were raised by raw parents, then you’ve got some internal changing to do. You’ve got to release habits, and emotional attachments to food. Neither is easy to accomplish.

When I began this journey in 2004, I had no idea how hard it would be. Even though the first raw vegan book I read was 12 Steps to Raw Food by Victoria Boutenko, I didn’t get it. The first step, according to Boutenko is, “I admit that I have lost control of my addiction to cooked food and my eating is becoming unmanageable.” The word “addiction” distracted me, and turned me off from the book. Boutenko had gone overboard with that word to me. Six years later, I have a new respect for 12 Steps to Raw Food. Willpower is not enough to stay raw. The minute depression, exhaustion, or sadness hit you; you are ready to dive into your freezer for ice cream, or your pantry for cookies.

Princess Tiana in The Princess and The Frog

So what to do? I’ve come up with steps I see as necessary to becoming successfully raw. They may overlap, and that is okay. Life is not exactly linear, and neither is healing.

To me, the first step is “manifest the life that you want by proclaiming it in the now.” In other words:
· see yourself at your ideal weight
· open your refrigerator door and see it overflowing with produce, nuts, seeds, and sprouts
· see your ideal appliances on your kitchen counters
· feel the money needed in your palms
· see yourself at raw food potlucks
· see yourself feeling fabulous, fantastic, and full of energy

Don’t just see them. FEEL them. Feel how you would feel if you had all those things. You’d be ecstatic, right? Then be ecstatic! Who cares if your family is watching you? You are celebrating your healing! Go for it. Jump for joy. Say thank you. Feel the appreciation and gratitude flowing through your body!

Jack and Rose in Titanic

Thoughts are powerful, because they are THINGS. Your life, right now, is the outer manifestation of your inner beliefs. If looking around at your life, job, mate, and money scares the hell out of you, then you’ve got to change your thoughts.

Here are some suggestions:

· Create a Vision Board
Don’t just see and feel your ideal life. Create a visual representation of it. That’s what a vision board is. You cut up pictures and words from magazines that represent the life that you want. Tape them all to a huge poster board. Tape your vision board where you can see it every day! Make this fun!

Luke Skywalker and Yoda in Star Wars

· Write Down Your Proclamations/Intentions/Goals

Keep this simple, concrete, and in the present tense. Simple keeps you focused and grounded.

Examples:

- I am a raw vegan now

- I weigh 125 pounds now

Look at those intentions twice a day. Burn them into your psyche. Those are just two easy intentions. Create intentions that resonate with you. Don’t get tripped up in the “how” those are going to happen. (“But I don’t have the money, the time, the support, the blah, blah, blah.” I know. I get it. However, if you keep declaring that you don’t have the time/money/support, then you will continue not to have the time/money/support. Get it?) Your Raw Food Journey has steps and actions you must take to make those intentions manifest.

Shrek

· Exercise: I Deserve
Looking in a mirror, you say to yourself two to three times:
"I deserve to have (or be) _________________ and I accept it now." Say it two to three times.

How do you feel? Always pay attention to your feelings, to what is going on in your body.

If you have any negative feelings in your body, then go back to affirming, "I remove the patterns in my consciousness that prevent me from my highest good. I deserve to have (or be) __________________ and I accept it now."

Repeat the exercise until you get the acceptance feelings, even if you have to do it several days in a row.
-from You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

Give yourself a few days for all these things. This is the beginning of the rest of your healthy life, so have fun with this. Don’t give up. To paraphrase Louise Hay, tomato seeds don’t try to hurry up their growth into tomato plants. Your seeds of a new consciousness, a new thought process, have been planted. Those new thoughts will manifest into a new life.

Love,
Althea

Recommended Books:
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
Hero with an African Face by Clyde W. Ford
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Volger
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay
The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
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Step One on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey