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.

Sunday Selection: The Word of Wisdom

The word of wisdom is a wonderful thing! I have thought about it a lot since I converted to being a raw vegan in November 2007, especially as it pertains to my family and me. I wanted to get some of my thoughts down in my blog, even if it causes some “discussion” (hopefully healthy and not contentious). Curious yet?

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (a.k.b.s.a. [also known by some as] the Mormon Church), I have always been taught the Word of Wisdom, which is found as a revelation from the Lord in the Doctrine & Covenants, Section 89 (click here to read it in its entirety).

12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

Well, growing up, I was always taught to somehow justify eating meat sparingly by maybe trying to limit it to once a day or even just "one meat per meal." After all, does it not say that the Lord has ordained meat for the use of man? Somehow the “only in times of famine” part got swept under the rug as we all justified it as being the natural way to eat—everyone eats like that today, so why not us?

I also like this part, which comes before the meat part:

10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

Well, I originally became a raw vegan so that I could get healthy and eliminate the possibility of a cancer returning to my body. Some wonderful side effects have been that I lost 100 pounds, became even more health-conscious than I already was, and gained a greater appreciation for animals as well as ALL of God’s creatures. Life is wonderful!

I had originally intended to eat 100% raw for two years, after which I would switch to an 80/20 diet (80% raw, 20% cooked food [while still not eating meat, milk, or other animal products]). I think Hippocrates teaches that to its students in case they panic at the thought of never eating cooked food again! Whether that "worked" on me or not, I don't know, but I now think we should be taught to embrace that idea and realize that we are the ONLY mammals that cook their food. Isn't that interesting? Isn't it also interesting that affluent diseases like cancer and diabetes have become MUCH more prevalent in the last 100 years or so? But I now have zero intention of returning to cooked food on any kind of regular basis. I have learned too many good things and felt too many positive benefits from this lifestyle and doing the things that I know my Heavenly Father wants me to do. I am raw for life!

Please keep in mind that with this entry, I am not trying to chastise anyone for their interpretation of the Word of Wisdom OR for the way that they live. One of the things that I’ve learned is that we should all have mutual respect for the choices that we all make. I know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us individually. What he has revealed to me and my family doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone else or even anyone else!

I am grateful to be able to share this lifestyle with our little Angelina, and I am happy that she has not only accepted it, but EMBRACED it. She LOVES trying new things and also sharing some of her favorite foods with other friends. Honestly, if you ever think about going raw but are afraid your family won’t get on-board with you, try it with your children! What kid doesn’t like raspberries, blueberries, watermelon, cherries, grapes, carrots, almonds, sunflower seeds, or cashews? What kid wouldn’t REALLY rather have some strawberries, bananas, and nuts than a hamburger? The really cool thing about children eating raw vegan is that they are much less “toxic” than we are, so you don’t necessarily have to worry about if they are getting too much of one nutrient (like a lot of fat or protein from too many nuts). Yes, you should teach them good principles, but their bodies will “talk” to them just like ours will to us and tell them what it is that they need to eat.

I am grateful that I can now "run and not be weary, and walk and not faint" and that "the destroying angel" is "passing by" us (verses 20-21).

Finally, I am grateful to have such awesome friends that not only support us, but are curious enough to attempt some of the things that we have done to change our lives. After all, everyone eats some raw food, so we all have something in common! We are also each at a different point in our own personal journey, and I simply wish to share the things that I have learned with my family through our study of this fascinating topic and through meaningful prayer with our Heavenly Father. I must say though, that I have seen some amazing changes in my friends who have tried it. Will everyone on this planet eventually eat like this? I don’t know, but I sure am enjoying it right now, and I know that much good can be done by sharing these things with others.

Corn Commercials

I feel like I am getting behind in documenting some of the cool stuff that we have been doing. Last month, our new family (with the addition of 7-year-old Angelina, whom we are in the process of adopting) went to Tampa to visit mi suegro. Alicia has already written a little bit about the "Corn Maze" at Long and Scott farms. You can rad more about that here, but I wanted to post the commercials for raw corn that Angelina and I made. She loves her raw foods! Check it out!







Now stop wondering and go try it!

Famous Vegans

In his latest Dilbert Blog entry, Scott Adams posted some "Famous People Lists" of which he discovered he was a member. One of those lists was of famous vegetarians (including vegans). No word on how many of them are raw vegans, but I was happy to see some my childhood (and current) hero Kirk Hammett (guitarist/songwriter for Metallica) on there, as well as fellow musicians Jeff Beck, Tom Morello, Eddie Vedder, Weird Al Yankovic, and Serj Tankian (System of a Down).

Also included were sports stars Tony Gonzalez, Pat Neshek, Marv Levy (former Head Coach of my Bills!), Tony La Russa, and actress (and Dodgers fan) Alyssa Milano. Another actress thrown in there was a crush of mine while I was a teenager--Gillian Anderson (Scully from the X-files). I can't remember if I knew prior to reading this that Sarah Conner and Pam Anderson are vegetarians. Also: Pauly Shore (another favorite from my childhood!), Sinead O' Conner, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Some of los famosos I already knew about, like Woody Harrelson, Scott Adams himself, Prince Fielder (but isn't he a vegan?), and Apu and Lisa Simpson (from the Simpsons). But where is Carol Alt? And Jon Gries (Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite)? Guess not.

Did I miss anyone?