More Learnings from Dr. Graham

Well, I started reading "The 80/10/10 Diet" again (doesn't the cover make you just want to grab a couple of peaches?), and I think the edition that I bought at his lecture that we attended last month in Miami has some additional sections added compared with the edition that I read last year. This one has two extra appendices: one is a section full of testimonials, and the other is an FAQ. I started browsing through them, and learned all kinds of new things that I don't remember reading before. The questions in the FAQ were very simple, and very chronological in the sense that if someone wanted to start living this lifestyle, these are the questions they might have, and in this order. Like one of the first ones is "Can I really eat all this fruit?", followed by "What about dried fruit?", "What about vinegar?", etc.

So as I read, I realized that I agreed with some of these teachings, and I disagreed to a certain extent with others. I want to make changes in my lifestyle and adjust according to what I was learning and feeling, so I started making two lists to help me "move in that direction," as Dr. Graham is so fond of suggesting. He says that if you don't make this transition overnight, the best that you can do is "move in that direction."

Here are my lists:

Foods that I want to start eliminating from my diet:

• Dehydrated foods, including dried fruits (they are not a whole food if they don't have the water that originally came with them!)
• Vinegar (I think I'm actually already there, but I didn't really know why. This is actually a poison! In chemistry class, they mix vinegar and water together to make acetic acid. Yeah. That is one of the ones that has the skull and crossbones on the outside. Vinegar is just dilluted even more, but a poison is still a poison.)
• Sea Salt (Not that foods like celery that have sodium are bad, but EXTRACTED salt)
• Condiments. Think of it this way: anything that can’t be eaten by itself as a meal shouldn’t be eaten at all. Time will tell how I can handle this one. I have always liked salts, spices, and things to make the food taste “better,” but I think I just need to start thinking of WHOLE FOODS that can create the same effect. Example: jalapeño instead of chili powder.

Foods that I want to eat very sparingly, or at least acknowledge when I do eat them that they are not the best things for me to eat. If I eat foods from this list, I want to start thinking of it as a compromise for me:

• Seaweed and algae. Dr. Graham says that these should not be considered vegan since they contain creatures. He also says that we are only meant to eat things that appeal to us in their natural state, and you would gag if you were to eat seaweed or saltwater right out of the ocean.
• Frozen Foods. I learned from a lecturer named Tanya Zavasta at a recent raw meet-up that when a food is frozen, the cells expand (which we all already know). For foods, this expansion causes the cell walls inside the foods to burst, and we don’t have a lot of research to tell us what this does to the nutrition provided by the food. Dr. Graham says they should not be eliminated (since this is one of the best food-preservation methods available), but that we should be aware that it is a potential compromise with the value that the food is providing us.

One thing that I am still pondering, particularly when it comes to Dr. Graham’s reasoning on consuming things like vinegar and sea salt: yes, these things will kill you in their concentrated form, but it is actually true that ANY substance is toxic at a certain concentration, even water! So the idea that these things are diluted poisons has got me thinking, but not necessarily in total agreement. One point, however, that does resonate with me is how something shouldn’t be considered a food unless you can make a meal out of it by itself. If you can’t do that then it should not be considerred a food that can be eaten at all.

I am enjoying reading the book again, and I highly recommend that it be read by you. I am also enjoying listening to his DVD series “Making Friends With Your Food,” with Professor Rozalind Gruben also lecturing.

This ain't no commercial, but for more information on Dr. Graham's program, including how to get a copy of "The 80/10/10 Diet," please visit http://foodnsport.com/. You can also get it on amazon.com. I think it is fascinating what Dr. Graham is able to do with athletes on a raw food diet. As he said in the lecture that we attended last month, if someone needs more fuel (calories) for an athletic lifestyle, it doesn't mean they need different kinds of calories, it just means they need more of them.

Cancer is NOT a mystery

Ever since I was a kid, I was wondering how millions of dollars of research could supposedly be spent on cancer every year. "What are they spending the money on?", I would think to myself. And why isn't the answer being reached? If it is not being reached, why do they keep thinking more money will solve the problem?

Well, now that I have educated myself thouroughly (and as a cancer survivor myself, some of that education was painful, believe me!), I understand a little bit more about what the money is being spent on, but I know it is a waste. Cancer is NOT a mystery. The cure is already out there, as well as the prevention! PLEASE stop spending the money the way it is currently being spent! One day soon, I hope to launch the DT Foundation. Will it be a fundraiser for cancer research? YES! My family and I also hope to educate those that need it--those that want it. My family has always been big on education, and we want this information to get out there.

This post was inspired by an article that I just found recently:
http://www.detoxtheworld.com/blog-detail.php?ID=63

It is kind of a long read, but it is worth it. Over the last two years, I have been having some of the same thoughts that are presented there. I hope you will make the effort to decide for yourself if healthy living is worth it. I know that you will find out for yourself some surprising benefits. Do we live this way just to be healthy? Do we do this just to lose weight and look good? Is that the only reason for going raw, getting back to nature, and educating our family on the benefits of living this way? For me, the answers are no, no, and no!

I started living this way BECAUSE I was diagnosed with cancer. I'm not sure that I personally would have made this decision without that happening first. As unfortunate as that is, I suspect it is the same way with many of you. A life-or-death situation would have to happen before you decide to take the plunge. Well I am here to tell you that it does not have to be that way. You CAN do this! If you come up with excuses of why you cannot, then you really do not WANT to do it. I have been very blessed to receive this knowledge, and I know that my life is so much better than before I ever found out I had cancer. I know that my knowledge is not complete! I am always looking for new things to learn about my body and life in general. I know that my body and my spirit are much more in tune now, and that they will know if something new that I hear or implement is right or wrong. It is important that we keep searching for the truths that will make us happy and concious.

Nintendo DS

As I said in my last facebook update, I am really excited about the Nintendo DS that Angelina got this past weekend as a late Christmas present. I have always loved video games, and I am hoping that this gives me a new excuse to start playing them more. Whos has time for video games?

On the DS, there are old favorites renewed, like Mario, Mario Kart, Legend of Zelda, Guitar Hero, and Resident Evil, as well as new games. There are even some educational games! Jaray was telling me that there is a zookeeper game in which you can learn all about different types of animals, even ones under the sea. So that makes it even easier to justify!

Maybe I can even eventually get a second DS for myself, because you can link up wirelessly to play two-player games. In the meantime, think she'll let me play hers? :)