We Are Risen

The journey is the adventure. The destination is completion. This is a very linear way of thinking. I'd like to think of things more like this: The circle is spinning in its cycle. Being that it's Easter Sunday in a lot of Western households, it's a great moment to reflect on our own cycles. It's a great metaphor for inner light and transparency. I've been battling myself for quite a while now. I'll let you in on a little secret: It's Exhausting! 

Raw and Living foods has, at times, spun me out of control and, other times, into perfect balance. Such is life. Having some cooked organic grains a couple times a week has been my saving grace. As long as it's Vegan and healthy, I have no issue with eating Asian and Indian cuisine. What I will always stay away from, is gluten and tofu. I'm not a huge fan of being binded up with glue and mucus. 

My mind and body have pretty much served as a biological and culinary science project for the last six months. My spirit, on the other hand, is unshakable. I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. I investigate everything, with great skepticism. I go to great lengths to critique my own understanding of this Earth, its inhabitants, and the Universe as a whole. I've given you, the reader, a glimpse into my own undoing and subsequent rebirth via diet and lifestyle change. I've nothing to offer anyone and I expect nothing in return.

In the Daniel Quinn sense of the word, I am a Leaver. To co-exist in this culture is emotional and social suicide. When everyone and everything is healthy, organic, and taken care of, including and especially the homeless, maybe I'll stop blogging. Until then, expect fierce resistance in every sense of the word. I am not angry. I am not bitter. I am not scared. We have a responsibility to do better. We are risen, right here, right now. May love and peace conquer all.

Santa Cruz, California

It's been decided. We're moving to Santa Cruz in late July. I'm not a tourist, I'm not a nomad. All the health food stores and organic food growing there will be a constant reassurance that even if the big one comes, we'll be just fine. The elevation of the high cliffs that outline the Central Coast will provide safe haven in the event of a tsunami. When we visited the local shops and grocery store a few weeks ago, we felt strangely at home. I'm ready to get there, embrace it, and blend in. Buddhists temples are all around. The way I see it, I have nothing to lose.
My body and intuition has been very kind to me lately. I'm running like a well-oiled machine. I've been trying to tone down my rhetoric as of late. I've been known to be a loud mouth from time to time. Sometimes it works in my favor, but I think it rubs a lot of people the wrong way as well. It's no fun being a one-dimensional Raw Vegan punk. There are many sides to Eric Wheeling. I'm learning to embrace my Italian roots. I'm not full-blooded but I feel that side more and more the older I get. I'm passionate, stubborn and giving. The Scorpio side only intensifies that. I'm not blaming my wins and losses on my heritage, but it does explain a lot.
I'm ready to wipe the slate clean. Begin the begin as R.E.M. said. Today is open to so many wonderful opportunities. Liz made some amazing kale chips which I matched with stuffed peppers last night. Simple, easy food that keeps us alive. What more could I ask for? I'm doing my best to spend time with my friends before I move. I've been pretty busy and I have a lot to take care of before we leave. If you live in NC, hit me up before the end of June. I would love to see everyone at least once. I'm doing my best but I need you to meet me half way. If you have my number, I'm just a phone call away. If we're friends on Facebook, message me.
I know exactly what I'm going to do in Santa Cruz but cannot share it yet. Some things are private. The support I've already received has far exceeded anything I could've imagined. Who knew me typed so pretty?

The Yin and Yang of Raw Veganism

Hello all. I hope this finds you well. I've been trying to balance my Raw Veganism as of late. Figuring out how Raw to be is a wonderful opportunity to re-evaluate your body, mind and spirit. I feel pretty comfortable at 90 percent. The cooked food my body personally needs is organic whole grain or brown rice and the occasional indulgence of steamed veggies. I'm learning how to not be 100 percent anything. I've been so firmly rooted in my own bullshit for so long that I didn't even know. I largely attribute transcending the mundane details of human existence to Superfoods. Mother Earth makes everything we need, we just have to find it. I think it's possible to get too far out there. If you're partaking of deer's placenta, something's up. Everything's not a product to be sold and consumed.
The one exception I'm allowing myself, in regards to 100 percent, is Veganism. Consuming animal products, while natural to some, truly repulses me. The way our culture has subjugated this planet is indefensible. We are but one species on a planet with finite resources. We have almost reached the point of no return. Only love can save us now. Love for ourselves, our fellow sentient beings and every other living thing that doesn't have a heartbeat.
Rooting myself in the present moment is a task worth pursuing. We are all creators in our own moment. As I type I realize how much I'm capable of creating. Thoughts lead to words, words to action, action to character. So take a step back from your present situation and envision your place in it all. As a friend reminded me this week, "wherever you go, there you are."

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....

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.

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....

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.

The San Francisco Treat

No no, not the rice, I'm referring to our trip coming up next week. We've made a few, let's say alterations, to our trip. We'd been planning on going up to Mt. Shasta CA and Ashland OR to find a place to live. While I absolutely love that area, it's a little isolated for me. See, here's the thing, I want to go to Living Light. It's one of three Raw and Living culinary schools that exist in this entire country. It's an hour or less from the Bay area. My new but dear friend, Amber of Epic Self, is going to show us around San Fran, locals style. If you haven't checked out Epic Self you're missing a very talented Raw and Living enthusiast. She does great online yoga and pilates videos and has a very interesting blog. She's a free spirit indeed. That much is obvious by her writing. She's also interviewed some of the most interesting Raw Foodists out there. I have to say that everyone I've encountered so far in the Raw and Living Foods community is so nice, so approachable, so helpful.

We don't need to live in the San Francisco city limits. Anywhere in the area will do. I think people who move there sometimes make the mistake of being attached to that one particular city. Most times they realize they can't afford it, move somewhere near by and never spend as much time there as they intended. Just getting out of NC for a while will be good enough for me. Berkeley, Oakland or any other surrounding city will be just fine with us. If we don't fall in love with it, we'll probably move to the Los Angeles area. We have friends in both places.

I keep putting off what I really want out of life. Well, I'm finished with that. I had a great conversation Friday night with my friend Steve. He challenged me. He said "What's your passion? Yeah? Why the fuck aren't you doing THAT! Stop making excuses." I'm so thankful for such an honest friend. It all boils down to fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of not being good enough. I've slowly let my humility morph into low self esteem. I'm going to die one day, maybe tomorrow, maybe in 50 years. From this moment on, I'm going to live my passion. I'm going to stop putting off life. Life is what happens while you're making plans. It all seems so simple now. 

Home is Where you Hang Your Hat?

    As our west coast trip and move date get closer, I'm staying open-minded to any possibility. Sure, I want to move out West, so does Liz. It's also important to not let anything sway you too much in any one direction. I love NC, I love Northern CA, and I love L.A. What a wonderful problem to have. A good friend of mine, Jason, told me once that home is where you hang your hat, as opposed to "where the heart is." My heart is always just a beat away. It seems like the moment we opened our mind to new possibilities, the universe opened up. I'm letting my intuition hold the reins. My ego has truly "let go."
    The Raw Vegan lifestyle has been my greatest blessing to date. I wish I'd started eating this way years ago. I'm a changed man, all for the better. I'm searching for ways I can give back. I've taken so much in my life. Taken from people, the Earth, and myself. I'm unlearning the conditioning that's clouded my mind for 32 years. The original mind is clear and pristine. My karma appears to be shifting in a good direction. Though appearances can be deceiving. I'm just watching it all go by and playing my part as best I can.
    One of the things that still makes me disappointed in myself is something I let happen on Facebook, of all places! I let myself get caught up in petty partisan politics. It ruined a couple really great friendships. I've apologized for myself but it doesn't seem to matter to them. One of those friends I'd had since the 3rd grade. It's a shame that people hold so tightly to their beliefs. The more your brain "believes" anything, the more it stops critically questioning everything. It literally stops functioning in that "belief zone." A non-functioning mind is clinically dead. I hope they come back to life in my life one day. This isn't a judgement or critique of them, it's a plea.
    There's love pulsing through every atom in my body. I feel so connected to everything, as if for the first time. The world is changing day by day and I think it's for the better. People are scared and they shouldn't be. We are the government. We can make the laws we want to live by. We can end the corporate democracy for good if we fight for what we belief in. Let's fight with our money, our hearts, and our minds. Have a good week everyone. I love you.

All In

    As I listen to the new Radiohead album I'm reminded of my own innate qualities. I'm a Scorpio that's also half-Italian. I feel that predisposes me to a lot of intense passion. Sometimes it manifests in a positive way, other times not so much. Raw Veganism has only widened the spectrum. I don't want to see auras or anything like that, but I definitely feel a deeper connection to all things living. I can read people easier. Not judge them, that's not what I'm about. Though I'm quick to share my thoughts, people can take it or leave it. If they leave it, they leave me. I AM my thoughts, words, and actions. A communal consciousness is within our power. We have so much power, and we give it away every day. We can all be a vehicle for change and a greater good. We need each other.
    I seem to be settling into a good place as far as diet goes. Fruits and greens in the morning and fats in the evening. I'm still maintaining a 90% Raw diet but am considering going the full monty. All in, 100% Raw Vegan, all the time. Coffee is gone as well. The only time I eat anything cooked is when we go out to a restaurant. I had a coconut curry last night with veggies and jasmine rice. Before I got home, my ears were filling with fluid and my sinuses were getting clogged with mucas. I skipped the tofu and still had this problem. Most places serve GMO crap with hydrogenated oils and I'm fucking sick of it. I don't feel this is an allergy as much as a refining of my digestive system. I never noticed it when my gut was loaded down with gluten and old toxins. But now it's in and out within a day. My system is clean and I intend on keeping that way. I just passed the three month mark and there's no going back now. I feel great!

The Door in Front of Me

    I sometimes feel immense frustration at the wool that's been pulled over our eyes. Our social and environmental conditioning is by design and yet blameless at the same time. The members of our culture can't help but feel isolated and abandoned in such an ugly age. The powers that be are raised from childhood in a familial climate of power, greed and selfishness.
    I also believe that the seed of enlightenment is within us all. It begins with letting go. If you hold a bird too tightly in your hand, you'll crush it. If you release your grip too much, it'll fly away. Finding that balance isn't easy, at least it hasn't been for me. We're so disgusted by the world we see that we try our best to control as many things as we can. As well we should, lest we fall from the brink of our own collective madness.
    For me, a Raw Vegan lifestyle has been a door that's opened me to new possibilities. I never imagined, in my wildest dreams, that I'd ever be eating and living this way. I didn't feel worthy of such pure, clean food. Buddhism has also had an immense impact on me. Ever watched a bitter Atheist blossom into a neutral, contented Buddhist? Me either, but my heart of hearts is writing (and typing) this chapter as we speak. I'm loosening my grip and just watching it all unfold in front of me.
    My connection to the Earth is resonating in deep and profound ways. Mount Shasta, California is the 3rd Earth Chakra and one of our planet's highest energy centers. We'll be living there soon and I can't even begin to tell you how joyful I am about it. My karma is burning bright and I feel as if nothing could extinguish the fire I've started.
    The only wish yet to be fulfilled is to help others. That's what this blog is to me. I've never approached it with a self-serving interest. I have no ambitions other than to help others guide themselves towards they're highest potential. I felt healthy eating cooked Vegan food but I never imagined how far the spectrum could reach. If you think you feel good now, just imagine eating foods that literally digest themselves, leaving more energy than you can even handle at times. Balancing my 3 treasures (shen, chi and jing) is one of the most rewarding challenges I could have undertaken. Bringing my body into alignment, with regards to alkalinity and acidity, is also a great learning experience.
    The process continues. Does it ever end? It's as if I've reintroduced myself to myself. Where I was last week is not where I am at this moment. It ebbs and flows in a beautiful rhythm. It's the soundtrack of our lives. What's on your playlist?

...And the Beat Goes On

It's truly remarkable how much my perspective has changed since I switched to a 90% Raw Vegan diet. I thought I'd reached a destination, but it was only the beginning. I've slowly been accumulating information and raw data, no pun intended, that's constantly reshaping my outlook. I've simultaneously been delving deeper into my own mind to unlock the potential that lies beneath. Just when I think I've got it all figured out, I hear an online discussion between Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Gabriel Cousens. These guys are at the leading edge of Raw Food nutrition. Hearing their wise words, my process continues to unfold. Dr. Cousens in particular is my guiding light in regards to Raw Veganism. He's been helping people cure their illnesses with a Raw Vegan diet for 38 years! What an inspiration! He should be writing the curriculum for our academic medical institutes of higher learning. Also, Brother Echo of Raw Sangha is doing a 40 day Juice Feast that's inspired me to start seriously juicing again. My own recipes are getting better too, I think. I made stuffed bell peppers for a Superbowl party last Sunday. Apparently, they were a big hit. I've decided not to do a new post for every new dish but I have a few to share. Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Bell Pepper Wedges

Multi-colored Salad, drenched in my Creamy, Basil Herb Dressing.

Fresh Juice with Strawberries, Aloe Leaf, Romaine, Apple and Lemon

Internal Synergy

    The last two weeks have had a lot of twists and turns. When the decision was made to leave North Carolina for the West Coast, something happened: I pulled my head out of the sand. Suddenly the Universe laid itself at my feet. The dismal surroundings I'd long dismissed began to open. At first I thought "Wow, looks like Winston-Salem might actually have some great projects in the works." As if instantaneously my hometown became cool again. It's always had it's bright spots and I'm starting to see how I fit in here. The deeper my connection becomes with Raw and Living foods, and its relation to my body, mind, and spirit, the deeper the connection becomes to my social and geographical roots. I never thought it would be an easy choice to leave this place. I have so many amazing friends and a very loving family. I realize all of this and yet it's time for a change. There's something calling me and I have to answer.

    Changing what I ate was only the beginning. The internal synergy that's been taking place is propelling me forward. Settling into my ninety percent Raw Vegan lifestyle has, so far, been only a positive transformation. I've lost nearly thirty pounds in three months, my mind is crystal clear, and my gratitude and love is growing exponentially. We leave for our Spring Break trip on March 10th to go find out if home will be Ashland OR, Redding CA, or Mount Shasta CA. There are just some things that cannot be accomplished here. The cultural climate is not the same. The West Coast is the birthplace of the Raw Food movement, among many other things.

    All is uncertain and impermanent. Nothing is set in stone. We are only a spiritual biomass consisting of the four elements. We arise, we pass away. Pondering this, the present is always a place I'll enjoy residing, wherever that may be on a map.

Raw Vegan Karma

    In the past couple of years I've slowly been gravitating towards a path of Buddhist spiritual practice. After unlearning the Christian conditioning of my youth, I naturally found myself of the Atheist persuasion. I still consider myself an Atheist because Buddha is but the messenger, the teacher, and the illumination of my personal path to liberation.

    Organized religion always has a way of twisting spirituality into some set of rigid rules, supposedly handed down from a "Creator." This has become my polar opposite. I truly feel as if Veganism led me to Buddhism and Buddhism led me to Raw and Living Foods. What an exciting and enlightening time it's been, and I'm just getting started! 

    Insight Meditation is not what most people think it is. Meditation in general has the stigma of "sitting down to relax and escaping into yourself for relief." I think Insight Meditation is just the opposite. While you may be still and focused, it's anything but a leisurely escape. You guide yourself into confronting all the illusion and deception of the heart and mind. You ponder The Four Noble Truths and gain a deeper understanding of Dukhha, Impermanence, and Not-Self. Learning to strive for the least amount of harm I can cause without struggling to achieve it has become my most humbling attribute. The Earth and the Universe have opened up to me because I've opened up to them. We're all atoms belonging to the same body of energy. 

    The karmic stains of my past are being cleansed by the merit I'm trying to cultivate. There's a great saying in Buddhism about the fact that we've all been each other's mother in one of our infinite past lives, so respect and love everyone as you would your own mother. I've taken this concept and applied it to the food I eat and the Earth in which it grew. That's the essence of where I am today, right now, in this moment. 

    My wish is for us all, non-vegans, non-raw foodists alike, to take this step towards liberation. In doing so, we no longer need to quarrel about all the injustices of the world. The first step towards this liberation is also the first step away from our destructive culture that forces us to live outside of the community of life. It's within our grasp and we've already taken that first step.

Raw Food and Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist is defined as "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age." It is also a growing movement leading us to an awareness that is unparalleled in recent times. Along with The Venus Project, it is exposing the true horrors of our history while laying a path before us to a better existence. Living in a resource based economy will mean ending our dependence on finite materials while also eradicating a need for competitive global commerce. When managed properly, natural resources remain abundant while our current model of scarcity fuels unspeakable crimes against humanity. The Raw and Living Foods movement is an obvious fit for such a world. Natural, unadulterated food is at the heart of this lifestyle, but there are so many more aspects that converge with The Zeitgeist Movement. Self-sustainability, local and organic farming, and global Fair Trade, just to name a couple. I truly believe this will all coalesce into a better tomorrow. The Cooked Food Conspiracy is one of many. Look underneath the stains of recent "human achievement" and what lies beneath will begin to unravel. The third installment, Moving Forward has just been released online. This three part documentary is the most viewed in the history of the internet. Technology can be used for enlightenment as well as evil. I aspire to nothing less than a complete shift in our collective consciousness. I invite you to watch for yourself and make up your own mind. 

Intuition and Improvisation

As I approach the three month mark of adopting a ninety to ninety five percent Raw Vegan lifestyle, I'm growing more at ease in my new skin. Whereas in the beginning I made what I thought I should be eating, I'm now letting my intuition guide the way. What a beautiful feeling. My recipe improvisation is also becoming more refined. I used to stress about meals, which ingredients may be missing in our kitchen, and how I would prepare food without all the "necessary" items on hand. Fast forward to two days ago where I found myself whipping up what would become my newest creation. Calm, cool, and collected, I foraged our refrigerator and pantry until there was a delicious feast before me. Intuition and improvisation are also beginning to reach into other areas of my life. I'm able to read people better and feel them out as to how best approach any given situation. I was once an angry, pissed off guy a large part of the day. I was reactive not proactive. My Buddhism practice is also in overdrive. What used to be a unfulfilled aspiration is now becoming an almost daily practice stretching into every corner of my mind, body and spirit. There's a lot of work yet to done but I see the path before me. What was before an uphill, dim, careening, narrow trail is now a radiant, level, wide open array of limitless possibilities. I thought I'd share the recipe pictures that symbolize this to me. Warmest wishes for your A-Ha! moment.  Mine included an Olive Oil massaged Collard with Red Bell Peppers, Kalamata Olives, Sundried Tomatoes, White Onions, drizzled with a Basil & Pine Nut Alfredo topped with Fresh Dill and Pine Nuts. I give you The Tuscan Wrap.
Until......

Why I'm leaving North Carolina

Returning from our poorly stocked local Whole Foods, the only organic grocer in Winston-Salem, I started thinking about all the reasons I'm moving to the West Coast. To be fair, they are having distribution issues. Though, this is my food supply we're talking about. Yes, I go to a Co-Op that's thirty minutes away, every chance I get; but that's just not doing it for me anymore. We've been talking about moving for a couple years now, but it's finally coming to pass. It's been quite the intellectual and emotional struggle with my parents. They're slowly realizing that a Raw Vegan Atheist with Buddhist aspirations doesn't really fit in here in the South. The geography isn't so bad, it's the Southern mentality that's slowly draining away my optimism and spirit. You can take that however you like, but it's the truth in regards to me personally. As much as I've relished being that weirdo in the minority with crazy ideas, it's time to get real. This is more a lifestyle change than anything else. Why not surround yourself with a like-minded community? Why not better your existence and reach for your highest potential? We're getting by just fine here but we're no longer living. Are you? I remember a moment when everything was clean and bright. Before the stains of time had dulled the unfulfilled ambitions burning with radiance in my mind. So I press on, determined to live the life I deserve. Why settle? It's so easy to feel stuck, to feel useless, to feel that your routine is all you really have. We have so much more to give, so much more to share, to create. How well would a raw and living foods restaurant or vegan organic community garden/resource center do in Winston-Salem? How big of a market is here for something like that? This is exactly what I want to accomplish in Northern California or Southern Oregon. The industrial agriculture complex is tightening down the screws everywhere you shop. We're being given less and less of a choice about the cleanliness of our food. This is my attempt to do my part to help sway things back in our favor. I would like to extend an invitation, here and now, to join me in whatever way you can. I believe, in my heart of hearts, that we're moving in the right direction. As I take a look around, I see hope.

Luna's Living Kitchen

Yesterday we decided to make the drive to Charlotte, NC to check out Luna's Living Kitchen. It's about an hour and a half from us, here in Winston-Salem. We'd read and seen so many good things about the place that our expectations were very high. Let me just say right now, all expectations were exceeded, and then some. We were BLOWN AWAY by Luna's. The food, owners and staff, and general vibe were probably the best I've ever encountered in any restaurant. Randy, Juli, Koichi, Andy and the rest of the folks running that place have a great thing going. Liz had the made-to-order Almond Milk, the Sweet Potato Bisque with homemade bread, and the Lunasagna, served with a local green salad. These were all delicious! I couldn't help myself from helping her finish the Lunasagna. I had the Nasturtium Heaven which was complex and palette pleasing. I don't recall ever eating Nasturtium in a dish before, but I now plan to seek it out. The cilantro pesto is to live for! I also had a refreshing, freshly made "Shapeshifter" juice, which means you get to pick whatever you want to go in your juice. I had Apple, Carrot, and local greens. Before we left, Juli and Randy gave us two Mint Chocolate Coconut Macaroons that were still warm from the dehydrator! We were pretty full, but as soon as we got to our next stop in town, we were all over them. Liz is saving half of hers in the fridge so she can savor it a little longer. North Carolina should have more of this. We are in dire need of gourmet quality, healthy Raw and Living Foods. I don't usually gush in my writing but these guys and their food warrant it. Below is the proof of this culinary excellence:

Moving Forward

I've heard as long as you're walking in the right direction, you'll get to where you want to go. The path before us is wide and well lit. I welcome the challenge of working towards it. Staying grounded in this moment is the signpost along the way. One of my favorite songs, For me This is Heaven embedded this line in my mind long ago,  "And the mindless comfort grows, when I'm alone with my great plans." Raw and Living Foods and the movement that's grown around it have been quite the eye-opener. It's as if for the first time I have the clear comprehension to unapologetically walk in that right direction. No longer do I worry about the consequences and pressure to conform. If I've stepped out of "the norm" I know it's because "the norm" is what's leading humanity to it's downfall. We have to do our best to be a living example and I have great hope for all of us in regards to the future. We're planning a move to the west coast later this year. I have a rough draft in my mind of where I want to take this, but I'd love any feedback or suggestions. How are you living your passion and bettering your community through optimal diet and lifestyle?

The Long and Tasty Road

I just realized that there's no pictures here of what I've been creating. I've only shared these on the Facebook page. These are all original creations from my own blood sweat and tears. The cooked food stranglehold CAN be loosened and we CAN reclaim the bounty nature provides in abundance.                   Until next time....

Cinnamon Agave Pink  Lady

                               

        Spicy Collard Burrito w/ spicy nut "taco meat', topped to perfection

                                   

                                                                          

Finished Kale Chips

                                                                           

Lasagna's first layer

    

                                                  

 Basil & Cashew Ricotta Lasagna  

Creamy Tomato Dill Bisque

"Smiling Buddha" spicy Thai stuffed pepper

Kale & Romaine Salad, tossed in my home made vinegarette