Go Angela!

An interesting thing happened this morning. One of my Facebook friends sent me a link from CNN-- "Woman Goes Raw, Loses More than Half Herself." It was an article that hit the newswires this past weekend about Angela Stokes and her weight-loss journey in the world of raw foods. 

I guess it struck me as surreal that it was one of my friends, someone whom I know is not into the raw scene, that sent me the article. I'm starting to get a better idea of how big this is becoming. 

Raw food is the only subject I've observed to have helped so many people in so many ways. Anything from weight loss, disease, tumors, arthritis, cholesterol, acne... the list could go on forever. And maybe it's too early in the morning right now, but I can't think of anything else at this moment that can boast such a broad range of healing stories. 

So many times, people have approached me asking, why did you get into raw foods? My story is unique, yet not really so different than anyone else's. The reason I got into raw foods was because I felt better.  I can tell you about the respiratory health problems I was having in my early 20's, all the prescription drugs doctors kept putting me on, antibiotics every other month it seemed like. But what I realize so clearly is that we all have our version of that story. And raw food ultimately has offered each of us the opportunity to improve our health and feel better-- physically, mentally, spiritually. 

CNN's coverage of Angela's story is a HUGE boost to the attention raw food world, and rightfully so. I would hope everyone explores the concept a little more deeply and discover that they probably also have their own story waiting, about how raw foods has helped them. 

Here's the article: 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/26/weightloss.angela.stokes/index.html

Thanks Angela, for putting your story out there! 

Yerba Maté and Caffeine... any thoughts?

Every morning I enjoy rolling out of bed, stretching and preparing some type of hot beverage. To me this cup of warm goodness represents starting my day with a gentle, mellow pace, and hopefully helps to keep me grounded as the day rolls into busier mode. 

My beverage of choice varies. It's typically a cup of tea (I love jasmine), sometimes a cacao concoction filled with different superfoods (cacao, maca, Vitamineral Green, cinnamon-- I really go for it,) and then there's yerba maté. I love unsmoked maté.  And I always feel like it's really good for me. It helps wake up my body, tastes delicious and has some noteworthy nutrient value-- magnesium, manganese and potassium to name a few. 

So this morning and lovingly participated in my ritual and made myself a cup of maté. As I was sipping away, I was reminded of a conversation I had long ago with one of my Euro friends about the caffeine in maté.  She was telling me about the distinction that is made in Europe about the various types of caffeine in different beverages-- in coffee there is caffeine, in tea there is "teine" and in maté there is "mateine." This seemed like a totally plausible theory to me at the time, but somehow I was compelled to investigate further this morning. 

My research has led me to some interesting findings. Apparently, while in some parts of the world people do distinguish caffeine from mateine, there is no actual difference in the chemical composition between the two. The molecular structure of each of these stimulants is actually the same, and according to Wikipedia, chemical databases lists mateine as a synonym to caffeine. Fascinating! 

I must say, this totally surprised me. I'm not anti-stimulant or anything. If that were the case, I would cut out such beverages and all things cacao as well. But I thought maté to be a much healthier alternative to other stimulating beverages, be it black or green tea, coffee or chocolate. Was I wrong?

Any thoughts out there on these findings? I'm very curious.... 

Reconnecting at Raw Spirit

I must say I really dig going to this event. It's so cool to connect with people that are not only new to raw food but so fully get it. These are the people that are the foundation of the raw food movement. The ones who have been eating, creating, producing raw foods for a long time devoutly-- those people for whom, raw foods have impacted them so deeply that it's a core part of their identities. 

Today was a day of meeting cool new people and reconnecting with all of my superfood superhero friends. There's nothing more gratifying than for someone to ask me on a Friday night, "Hey you wanna go do some ormus rock tonight?" It's like gazing deep into my soul. Surrounded by activated people high on cacao, kombucha, liquid gold, chlorella and reishi-- really, just high on life and living at that highest frequency where you feel so clear-- your body is free of clutter from digestion and toxicity. To be suspended in this state for a whole weekend is one high I'll roll with. 

If you've been reading this and have checked out any of my earlier posts, you'll know that my journey in raw foods has not been a clear cut map from Point A to Point B. There are and have been many pit-stops along the way, where a non-raw tasty treat may cross my path, or I deviate to enjoy a dinner with a good friend. While I understand that those choices may not allow me to totally get to that optimal level of healing that raw foods has to offer, I typically do feel amazing and I take all of those experiences in stride, for the wonderful feelings and memories they offer me that can't be qualified with food. 

At the same time, I'm given a reason to appreciate an event like this that much more. To connect with people who fundamentally have the same mission and share the same interests-- to go deeper into themselves through physical and spiritual connection, and how raw foods are so very much a part of the process. LOVE IT. 

Wow-- did I say it was only Friday night? I can only imagine what my blog entries will look like by the end of the weekend.... 

*PLAY HARD*EAT RAW*