Sunday, March 27, 2011

Hot Rawks

Hello all. Sorry for the absence. I've been readjusting to being home while simultaneously ingesting a Superfoods product for review. So here it is: This is the real deal. The fine folks at Hot Rawks were kind enough to send me a bottle to review. There's a ton of great information on their site, http://raw-nation.com/ For me it's also a local organic Raw Vegan supplement here in NC. You can only get this online and at a handful of places at the moment.
The first day I opened the bottle,  I gave half of it away to my co-workers and girlfriend along with taking two capsules myself. I wanted as many perspectives as possible. I'm not one to write a fluff piece and I had to be sure this was a legitimate product. It far exceeded my expectations. Everyone who tried it loved it. I only have 12 capsules left out of a 60 count bottle. I'm a giver, in a lot of ways. I like to share my food, my time, and my energy with others. This is marketed as an aphrodisiac. My girlfriend and I can now attest to the power of these Superfoods. Maca Root, Horny Goat Weed, Ginseng, Cayenne, Catuaba Bark AND Cacao makes for a pretty good weekend, let me tell you. After the initial physical effects,, it gets spiritual. All three elements of Chinese Medicine are represented here. The powder in these capsules is so well balanced. I've found that my favorite way to ingest them is mixed in my morning green smoothie. Brilliant!
I'm always cautious about taking anything. I don't even take aspirin unless my head is pounding. I think Hot Rawks has helped me find my inner balance along with a boost of energy that has no crash, no withdrawal, and most importantly, no side-effects. I gave my Dad a few and he had great things to say about it as well. I wish Julie much success. The herbal supplements market is highly competitive but I feel confident she can hold her own. The proof is in the (Raw!) pudding.
Until....

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Location, Location, Location!

That's what you hear in real estate all the time. If it's that important for your home, it's equally as important for your body. Well, I happen to believe you can make your home anywhere. I also believe one can adjust their diet based on location, climate and available food sources. If you live in the desert or tropics, by all means you would be well served by an 80-10-10 Raw Vegan Diet. If you live in the Midwest of the United States, maybe that diet's not for you. Native cultures have always sourced their own local food and it usually revolves around availability.
I firmly adhere to a Vegan diet. That can be achieved in any geographic location. Alaska and Iceland may be the two exceptions. It is not my place to tell anyone what to put in their bodies. It is my humble duty to remind you of the harm inflicted upon innocent creatures and Mother Earth. What you decide is best for you is your right as a member of the human race. After witnessing the utter chaos and devastation in Japan, I'm reminded of the fact that we are but mere mortals. On our flight into California, I watched the news of the tsunami that was yet to unfold. That put everything in a new light. I don't actually have problems, I have opportunities.
A lot of this blog has been pretty self-serving, which I guess is why most people blog. I'm not interested in leading the pack or herd or whatever you want to call it. I'm only one piece of the puzzle, as are you. If the whole world went Raw Vegan tomorrow we'd still have many issues at hand. Granted, they would be reduced five-fold.
My location is going to change. Whether it's a new home in Winston-Salem or on the other side of our continent. We have tornadoes and floods, they have earthquakes and the occasional tsunami. Whatever you want out of life, I hope you get it. Time to get mine.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Fear

We got in from our trip to California on Tuesday night. When we left North Carolina, the earthquake hadn't happened yet. As soon as we got there, I saw what Mother Earth is truly capable of. She's growing, as are we. My parents were concerned about the yet to come tsunami and we'd barely checked in. That was the beginning.

After we'd been in Berkeley a few days, things started to calm down. The West coast was going to be just fine. Just prior to that, I had a meltdown. Our hotel in Berkeley is known as a "soft building." Essentially our building was not up to code. We were booked for three nights through Monday morning. I thought the big one was coming. My big one did come. I had everything we brought stacked by the door in case we had to "make a run for it." At this point, Liz started worrying as well. I realized that before I'd turned on the local news, I had been in a good mood. I turned it off and we went out for dinner.

We then proceeded to Cafe Gratitude. This is where everything changed. All menu items are named "I am x." I ordered I Am Elated and Liz had I Am Transformed. This unconsciously became our mantras for the remainder of our time there, we just hadn't realized it yet. I could commit every adventure to text, but I'm not going to. Let's just say that one thing led to another.
 Amber from epicself.com met up with us in San Francisco. I really liked the city but it didn't feel like it could be home. Amber was so helpful and so engaging. Positive energy flows from her. She mentioned being from Santa Cruz. She recommended driving down through Silicon Valley to the beach there. I'm so glad we did.

We fell in love with Santa Cruz, pretty much from Saturn Cafe on. That's where I met the crust punks. Those are my people, plain and simple. It reminded me of my time in the band Undying and our European tour. Nicest people on Earth and I'm not at all exaggerating. They have a "Free Skool" that teaches kids to get out of our current, impending system of doom. They have a great record store and health food store as well. There's a pretty good chance we'll end up moving out there at some point in the future.

After that we took the Pacific Coast Highway into the Redwoods. If you've never made this trip, it's something you should do before you die. I didn't even take pictures there. I didn't want to miss one moment of the sheer magic that inhabits the area. From there it was on to Napa and Sacramento. I like Sacramento a lot and we ate lunch at an Ethiopian Vegan Buffet. I stayed as Raw as I could on this trip without infringing on Liz's right to eat cooked Vegan.

I conquered my fears on this trip. All of them. If I can handle a tsunami/earthquake warning, I can handle just about anything else as well. Fear is a subtle parasite. It fed on my energy for 32 years. No more. I found a transcendental balance I never even knew was possible. I challenge you to face your fears as well. Life is Raw just like the food we put in our bodies. I welcome it with open arms.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

The End of the Beginning

Hi everyone. I hope this finds you well. This week has been pretty hectic, not so much externally as internally. I purchased an iPhone and have been trying to figure out the best way to continue this blog. We're cancelling the home internet and I really don't want to type this with my thumbs. So, do I make it a video diary blog? Do I take the laptop to Wi-Fi spots where I have to mooch free service? This very well may be my last typed post.

My head is also spinning trying to figure out where to move. It's price versus amenities. I feel like if we're going to make a move all the way to the West Coast, we deserve to go wherever we want. I'm considering all possibilities. Opening a Raw Vegan Cafe in Winston-Salem may very well be the easiest thing to do. Though, I don't like doing the easy thing. I need the kind of challenge I can only get in a move this big. I think we'll both have a better idea after our trip. We leave Thursday morning.

The Raw Vegan is flourishing in me. I've never felt so alive. My intuition is still in the driver's seat. My meals are simple yet filling. Fruit for breakfast, an avocado for dinner and a green smoothie in the mix as well. There's a balance starting to settle in and it's becoming clearer by the day. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Take a look around this week and ask yourself: "Can I continue growing in my current city?"

I'll be back on the 15th.

Until....

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Sucking the Marrow Out of Life

There's a new Eric. The old one is still inside, lying dormant. The parasite known as fear is slowly being lulled to sleep. The world appears bright. Appearances can be deceiving just so you know. It's so funny to think about how this blog came into existence. I started doing a little journal on the laptop back in October. I wasn't 90+ Raw then but I was slowly guided myself there. I've been Vegan for a long time now. After the juice that cured my flu/sinus infection, it was on. That was on November 16th, 2010.

It wasn't that I thought I was a great writer. I'm not. It wasn't that I wanted to be a blogger. I've never been a huge fan of blogs. I'm still not, but there's a few I love. No, it was because I had to write. Emitting from my psyche was, and still is, a will that cannot be quelled. Raw Veganism has propelled me into a place I never thought possible. I don't want to gush. I've done enough gushing in this blog to flood the Grand Canyon.

We leave for San Francisco next week. I personally want to live in Berkeley or Oakland. I have no desire to pay $2,000 a month for rent in the Mission District. It's hard to not let the excitement consume me so I'm trying to "Attach, Detach" as Don Miguel Ruiz would say. I may not do another post until after we get back on the 16th, who knows. This blog is my outlet. It's my medium at the moment. If you enjoy reading my ranting and raving, thanks. If you don't, why are you reading this? Have a great week everyone. We'll talk to soon.