Know Any Literary Animal Lovers?
Hi there PureJeevan readers! We wanted to let you know that Jim's new novel CHROO is available on Amazon. It's a crazy adventure involving a billionaire heiress, her Chihuahua BFF ("Chroo") and a host of human and animal characters. Find out more on Amazon! Here are some links:
In this video, Wendi talks with Leela Mata, spiritual leader of the Peaceful Valley Ashram, about her experiences with the raw food diet and a bit about a cob oven structure that was built on the ashram property. This is part 2 of a 5-part series featuring Peaceful Valley Ashram.
Read more: Leela Mata Discusses Her Experiences with Raw Foods
Jim here... It's not often that we're able to recommend a movie that's perfectly relevant to the raw food lifestyle. But, if you're a raw vegan and haven't seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, we highly recommend this film. Not only is it wonderful, but it's also, for much of the film, a nice metaphor for living the raw foods lifestyle.
In this special five-part series, Joanna Steven uncovers where some top vegetarian athletes get their protein. Here's part one, focusing on Tim VanOrden's take on this issue.
When alternatives to the Standard American Diet are discussed, protein is on everyone's mind. There are many reasons why someone might want to eat a plant based diet, whether for allergy concerns, health reasons, or more variety. But nagging doubts often come up;? Are plant proteins adequate for athletes and body builders ? Are they really the preferred protein source of the human body ? Are they better than animal based protein or are they just consumed for environmental reasons ? To answer these questions, why not ask the experts:? triathletes, professional dancers, bodybuilders and extreme sport racers ? Here are the answers from some of the most competitive athletes in their respective fields.
Read more: Vegetarian Athletes Share: Top 5 Sources for Animal-free Protein (Part 1 of 5)
Any botanists or kale experts in our readership ? Take a look:
Jim here... Certainly, we're all familiar with the old saw, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink," right ? So often, the life of a raw foodie is perfectly captured by that saying. We are, of course, the ones leading our equine brothers and sisters to the sweet trough of raw foods, just as others coaxed us into the barn for our first drink.
Have You Been Led To This Post ??
So, what is this post It's a big old horse trough to which, if you're a raw foodie, you can lead others. Or, if you're someone unfamiliar with raw foods, and have been sent here by another, what you'll find below is the water. No one can make you drink it. And, please don't be offended at my comparing you to a horse because (1) we're all horses, (2) this is all just my strange opinion, and (3) horses are beautiful, magical beings! Being compared to a horse is a compliment!
So, did you like Part One yesterday ? Pretty great, right ? Well, today we present Part Two, in which Wendi takes the interview into a more up-close and personal place. In this audio, Kevin shares details about:
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the first interview he ever conducted
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what he wanted to be when he grew up
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what his family thinks of his raw lifestyle
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his tattoo, Joseph Campbell, and thoughts on life and death
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spirituality, religion, and guilt
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the book that opened his mind to a deeper connection
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running and spirituality
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his typical day / routine
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his business expanding
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what "systems" are and how he uses them
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the shocking truth about his teen years
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recent personal development programs he's listening to
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"taking 1%, applying it, and moving on"
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mentors and influences
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the books that shaped his life
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making shifts in friendships
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his thoughts on "The Secret"
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whether he thinks he can do more push-ups than Gabriel Cousens
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why there was a donkey at his wedding
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his biggest wish (it's a beautiful one!)
So, what are you waiting for ? Listen NOW!!
Read more: Part *2* of a 3-Part Series Profiling the Multi-Talented Kevin Gianni!
To help keep all of you inspired, we ve asked some
remarkable individuals to share their raw food stories with you. Enjoy!
The raw food movement isn't creeping along anymore! Just recently I wrote that Angela Stokes was interviewed by CNN about her miraculous weight loss on the raw food diet. Well, today the shining star for the raw food community is none other than Philip McCluskey! He was a guest on CBS's nationally syndicated show called "The Doctors." Philip, if you don't already know, is down 200 pounds and his entire life has changed on raw foods. Like so many others, he is actively spreading the word about raw foods and health.
I don't watch TV, but we do have a television set for watching occasional DVDs. So, I planned on turning the set on and actually watching TV for the first time in I don't remember how long! However, I turned it on and realized I don't even know on what channel CBS is located. I tried to flip through the channels, but our TV doesn't automatically let you scan through channels for some reason. So, I was manually pressing and entering numbers into the remote control, but never found the correct channel. I'm sure I didn't miss it, however. In this community, we're all about supporting each other and spreading the word about raw foods and health. I am certain that within a few hours there will be a video up on YouTube of Philip's shining moment on CBS. Once it's available, I'll edit this post and include the video!
Read more: Philip McCluskey and Raw Food Diet on CBS's "The Doctors"
In one daily newsletter that Wendi and I subscribe to, there was a discourse recently about being right -- but being right for the wrong reason. I've long been interested in that concept; it's fascinating, when you really think about it -- like getting credit on a test for an answer you guessed at, or knowing how to say something in another language but not knowing what it means. Along those lines, I'd like to share some personal opinion with you.
One of the common pro-raw arguments is that it's a calorie-restrictive diet and thus healthy because it limits our caloric intake (a regimen widely associated with extended lifespans in scientific literature).If you consider that a pound of greens or veggies has about 100 calories (generally speaking) and a pound of fruit has 300-400, imagine the incredible amounts of food you could ingest daily and still be considered calorie-restricted (as compared with the recommended number of calories for your build and lifestyle)!
Over the weekend, we visited the spectacular Oregon Country Fair in Eugene and, once again, experienced a joyful and overwhelming sense of recognition that we're living in a place where people are much more accustomed to just being themselves.
Personal expression and nonconformity are so valued here that one becomes quickly enamored of the whole ambiance, which could well explain why more people come to Oregon than leave. The region seems to represent, to many, a chance to finally discover and explore an identity perhaps not completely free from outside influence, but at least free from the undesirable influences that society elsewhere seems to insist upon. Or maybe I'm misreading it all and providing just one of many interpretations.
Jim here... Wow, it's May 1st already! May is an exciting month for me because that's usually when my running kicks in more regularly. There's nothing like hitting the pavement and being in motion, MP3 player in hand. Whether it's an intense half hour of intervals powered by the Foo Fighters, or a longer moving-meditative outing accompanied by Michael Hedges, I do enjoy being out there (even if I'm distracted now and again when my canine running companion? -- aka "the Jooge" -- chases after something she shouldn't)!
But, as I was getting at:? Ever since I lost the weight, I simply can't abide cold. I've heard many raw foodies talk about this phenomenon, and have heard numerous explanations for it. My suspicion is that all of the "why raw foodies are always cold" theories are partly correct -- or, better put, that the theories cumulatively contribute to our slightly lowered body temperature.