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:

What Monsanto Doesn't Want You to Know

So far in my blog posts, I've tried my best to craft my words in a way that will benefit the reader and myself. Words aren't enough for the sheer frustration and morbid fascination I feel towards "Genetically Modified Food" and revelations in this documentary. It's recently come to light that David Wolfe was infiltrated and pushed out of Sunfood.com by Monsanto. Here we have undeniable proof of this cooked food conspiracy. Keep up the good fight and enjoy the video:

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

My Typical Daily Diet

Hello everyone. I hope these words find you well. I've been asked twice now to list my daily food intake. It's kind of a difficult thing to do because what I eat changes so much. So I'm going to share my average breakfast, lunch and dinner, supplements and all. I get up around 6 a.m., juice half a lemon, and mix with about 12oz water and a little Celtic Sea Salt. Coffee is the monkey on my back right now and the only reason I'm not completely Raw. I try to find shade-grown, fair trade coffee as this seems to be more mellow. I'm tapering it down and I'm at about 5 oz a day which I have after my sea salt lemon water. Then it's time for 1,000 milligrams of  raw MSM in tablet form and 800 to 1000 milligrams of vegan vitamin D. Up next is the first of two breakfasts. I've always eaten two separate times in the morning. As I've been told by my friends, "I like to get my hungries." Grapefruit or orange is usually round one. Then it's green smoothie time! Kale, banana,  flax oil, aloe vera juice, spirulina, 1 milliliter of magnesium droplet/tincture, filtered water and ice. This is so good and I feel a little bit off on days when I miss my morning green smoothie. Lunch could be any simple salad with olive oil and vinegar or guacamole with celery sticks and/or red bell pepper strips. Snacking is not unusual in the afternoon but lately I've been drinking a lot of water as is recommended with any MSM supplement. Making dinner is like a spiritual event for me. I get in the zone. Just ask my girlfriend. She pretty much stays out of the kitchen when I make us dinner. Insert any entrée here: Collard wrap/burrito, zucchini pesto pasta,  nut/seed burger stuffed portobella and/or nori rolls are usually on the menu. About an hour before I go to sleep I make an herbal tea. Lately I've discovered my favorite combination: nettle leaves tea with burdock root and goji berries. No sweetener necessary with the gojis in there. By the time I'm finished with an 8oz cup I have the warm fuzzies. All joking aside, this tea is off the charts in antioxidants and blood purifying properties. I sleep soundly and deeply. I hope this answers any questions you may have had. Warm wishes and best regards!

Shedding Skin

Happy New Year everyone. I know we over-symbolize a new year sometimes, as if by the simple changing of a calendar year we have a clean slate. Whether it's 11:59 pm on December 31st or 12:01 am on January 1st, a potentially life-changing, pivotal event is always possible. It seems however, that most of the time we're not really driving the vehicle but merely holding the reins. The fact is we're constantly renewing and shedding everything. Skin, cells, ideas, and so much more are forever falling by the wayside. What you allow to settle in their place is a matter of great significance. We're slowly, but purposely, being led away from the innate knowledge we all have inside to heal ourselves and our world. Ever so gently, a corrupt, greedy, and self-serving system is holding our hands and leading us astray. No one disputes that the BP gulf oil disaster and subsequent cover-up is anything less than the perpetuation of the aforementioned system. But how many of us look at a conventionally grown, bionic apple with that same disgust? I, for one, am taking charge, taking responsibility for my own healing. I can beat up on myself for how we let it get so bad all I want, but where's the solution? It's deep inside and I've never been more convinced than I am now. It's in my heart, my mind, and my soul. My knowledge on this topic is new and incomplete. So I ask you to join me in resurrecting the communal brilliance we once had. Let's do SOMETHING! Anything really, that returns us to our proper place amongst the living. It's within our grasp. Will you drive or just hold the reins?