Mouth Revolution: if it ain't real, spit out your meal
There website isn't working yet, but I'm really interested to see who's behind this video:
Thx Philip
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Model for Living: Anthony's Master Project
Our home boy Anthony (the Raw Model) just finished up his first first week in Minnesota working on his master project - a totally off the grid, eco effective, modern sanctuary.
Here's a little about this Model for Living:
- It yields fruits
- It yields vegetables
- It yields wild greens
- It yields edible flowers
- It collects rain water
- It has a green house for colder months
- It houses hens to eat insects and produce fertilizer
- It has a bee hive to pollinate
- It has multiple sleeping spaces
- It has a yoga platform
- It has an herb garden
And best of all, it's real because Anthony got started.
Here's a photo of Anthony making the invisible visible - planting his first tree during ground breaking.
Many people in the world of raw/eco have great intentions and powerful ideas to bring good things to this planet, but identification with old insecurities and fears prevents them from moving forward and taking the first step. These old fears and insecurities are nothing but a collection of tricks the ego uses to blame others and in turn, suppress the real you - the you that can't be defined with words. When we take an opportunity to bring stillness into our lives, we have a chance to let all those fears melt away and realize that in the present moment anything is possible.
Anthony knew that building his eco sanctuary was going to be a challenge, so he put the spotlight on himself by publicly blogging about the journey. There was no place to hide. Sharing his idea online also allowed Anthony to take baby steps, get feedback and get support along the way. Now his idea, which started off as a simple sketch, is literally coming to fruit.
Congratulations Anthony. I wish you all the best in this project that you've put so much love into. I know you'll stay present and enjoy the journey just as much as you do the final product.
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Raw Chocolate Rave Photos
Yes... it's official, we had a blast! Raw Chocolate Rave Photos
Big thanks to everyone who made it out and everyone who made it out in spirit. Your presence was certainly felt.
Special thanks to all the event organizers: Vanessa and her team from Gnosis Chocolate, Daniel Vitalis and his team from Ambrosia Mystique, and of course my crew - Nirav aka Dj MoSoul, Mihir, Kaya and Gigi.
Born Again
Hallelujah, there’s nothing like being born again!
Today is Day 1 of my new life.
- Nearly 200 lbs Released – Check!
- 2 Years @ 100% Raw – Check!
- 100-Day Juice Fast Finished – Check!
Today is the day I realize my life long goal of being a healthy weight.
This journey started for me 2 years ago when I reached my heaviest weight of 400 lbs. Sometimes just saying that number takes my breath away. I felt hopeless. I couldn’t fit in car seats, theatre seats, or even an airplane seat. My size 58 pants and 5X shirt were all starting to get too tight on me. I couldn’t go up 1 flight of stairs without having to lie down on the couch and catch my breath. As a matter of fact I couldn’t even tie my own shoes.
Then something shifted.
From that day 2 years ago until today I have released 195 lbs. But come to think of it, in actually started long before then. Ever since I was 8 years old I realized that my weight had become a problem. No third grader should ever have to worry about that. Well, I did, and I did every day since then. Being the biggest kid in every class, grade, and school you have ever been in is well, depressing to say the least. I longed for the day when I would be healthy, muscular, or just “normal.” I wasn’t sure if that day would ever come to pass, but either way I hoped, dreamed, and envisioned what I would look like when I lost the weight.
Now that the day is here, my dream has manifested, and I couldn’t be happier. Sure I can fine tune and probably loose another 25 lbs, and I will, but the point is…
I am literally half the man I used to be, and twice the man I ever was.
Today is my 2-year anniversary of being 100% raw.
For two years I have consumed nothing but raw food, primarily organic. No cheating, no sneaking, not even a baked potato. You could call me a purist, maybe, and extremist, definitely, a lover of fruits and veggies, that’s more like it. I developed such a passion for raw organic produce that I really don’t crave anything else. Sure occasionally I reminisce about a bag of warm salty French fries, but that is where it stops. I never take action, I never actually buy them.
The funny thing is that I barely liked any vegetables before going raw. I restricted myself to iceberg lettuce and the steamed broccoli that came with my Chinese food takeout meal. Now you would be hard pressed to find a fruit or vegetable that I don’t really like. And the more exotic fruits I discover only deepens my love affair with this wonderful lifestyle.
Today is the first day I will consume solid food after my 100-day juice fast.
Rumor has it that for every day you juice fast you reclaim 120 days of your life. Guess that makes me -1. I can’t think of a better place to begin.
There’s nothing like living in pre-womb innocence again.
Being on any kind of extended fast really show you what you’re made of. It strips away the façade, breaks down all the walls, and leaves you standing in a mirror, naked, staring back at yourself. And when you’re in that position, let me tell you, it’s all visible.
But, it’s also one of the most wonderful places to be in because that is usually the first time you see yourself for who you really are. I am not just talking about revealing food addictions, but trapped emotions, unhappiness with life, lack of self love, and much more. Once you know where you are, you can figure out whether you want to stay there or not.
I chose not.
I wanted to soar in the sky like a superhero. I stood in front of that mirror, took a look, released some emotion, and then decided to grab my cape. Once I strapped on that cape there was no holding back. I thought, “why not discover what my potential really is.” So I tried it all, fasting every way I could, playing with my energy, meditating, and running through the woods like a child without a care in the world.
It was the one of the biggest and toughest challenges I have ever completed in my life, and at the same time, one of the easiest. I am eternally grateful.
Today is the day that I pass along the torch to you.
The time for mediocre living has come and gone. The idea of just getting by, feeling alright, doing ok, kind-of happy, we might make it, my job is the same, nothing new going on here… That is all the old paradigm of thinking, and living.
Enter: new shift in consciousness.
We are living in a time where our global consciousness is resonating higher than ever before. We have so much available to us now. Not only do we have the best food ever, but people are starting to operate more out of a space of love every day. We’re finally realizing that we have no limits, and that we create our own reality, and the world around us. We all have the ability to manifest. We can have the best day ever, everyday for the rest of out lives.
So I am calling all Superheros. The time to shine is Now.
Use your powers.
Transform your life.
Inspire others.
…and don’t forget your cape!
I love you all,
Philip @ Lovingraw
Raw Chocolate Rave, a VIP guest list
These are just a few of the amazing people that will be present this Friday at our NYC Chocolate Party.
- Kris Carr, author of Crazy Sexy Cancer
- Natalia Rose, author of The Raw Food Detox Diet
- Daniel Vitalis, the Super Food Elixir King
- Tera Warner, co-founder of The Raw Divas
- and (we're still working on her) Gala Darling, famous iCiNG blogger
See you Friday!
[Video] Your genes are not your fate
3 minutes and 35 seconds of powerful information.
Via TED Talks, recommended by that cool cat Philip
Reflections of a Juice Feaster
94 days. Just Juice.
I have not had solid food in over 3 months.
- No nuts.
- No salads.
- No bananas.
- No avocados.
- Not even a smoothie.
With 6 days left on this juice feast I really don’t know what to expect on my first day of solid foods. I mean sure, I have seen the YouTube videos of everyone eating prunes on their first day of food, and that looks all find and dandy, but for some reason I just can’t even picture it anymore. For example, I honestly don’t remember eating almonds. I remember using them in recipes, chopping them, and even dehydrating them, I just don’t remember eating them.
I have been to some of the top raw food restaurants in NYC, watched literally hundred of delicious meals and desserts being consumed, and even acted as the chef for our GITMR Poconos raw food retreat, and all I can think about is lettuce! Not Pure Food’s amazing ice cream, not Quintessence’s impossible to duplicate fofu, not even Gnosis’s gourmet yummy chocolate (you didn’t just read that Vanessa), just beautifully nutritious, highly delicious, high-water-content Boston lettuce. There is just something about the crunch that I have been missing.
A part of me feels that I could keep on living on juice forever. Actually, I know I could. The fear of not eating solid food has left me. I have discovered that for me, it’s a choice. Once you believe that anything is possible, and that we live a limitless life, a whole new world opens up to you.
We truly are bound by nothing!
I have tried every type of technique during this 100-day adventure:
Days with just water.
Days with just fruit juice.
Days with just veggie juice.
Days with mainly coconut water.
Periods with no food or water at all.
Nights when I slept 11 hours.
Nights when I danced until 4am.
Nights when I didn’t sleep at all.
And what are my closing thoughts of this wonderful journey:
…it’s all just so beautiful.
The beauty of watching yourself continue to grow.
The humility of discovering what you are really made of.
The gratitude for being alive during the most amazing time in the history of the human race.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Weight Update
- Day 1 - 260.0 lbs
- Day 10 - 249.4 lbs (10.6 lbs lost)
- Day 17 - 244.4 lbs (5.0 lbs lost)
- Day 24 – 238.6 lbs (5.8 lbs lost)
- Day 31 – 234.6 lbs (4.0 lbs lost)
- Day 38 – 231.5 lbs (3.1 lbs lost)
- Day 45 – 227.6 lbs (3.9 lbs lost)
- Day 52 – 224.2 lbs (3.4 lbs lost)
- Day 60 – 223.2 lbs (1.0 lb lost)
- Day 74 – 217.6 lbs (5.6 lbs lost)
- Day 82 – 213.6 lbs (4.0 lbs lost)
- Day 88 - 209.0 lbs (4.6 lbs lost)
- Day 94 – 207.0 lbs (2.0 lbs lost)
Total Weight Loss while JF: 53.0 lbs
Total Weight Loss since raw: 193.0 lbs
(2 years)
Grateful,
Philip @ Lovingraw
Ps. I hope to see you for my Raw Chocolate Rave Party next week, to celebrate the finish of my 100 days on juice! This party is hosted by Gnosis Chocolate and Welikeitraw, and it going to be an amazing event!
Raw Chocolate Rave, Friday May 2nd, New York City
We Like It Raw and Gnosis Chocolate are throwing a raw chocolate rave in NYC on Friday May 2nd to honor two special people and two special dates:
- Entourage member Philip McCluskey and the completion of his 100 Day Juice Feast and his 2 year 100% raw anniversary
- Our home boy Tim the Raw Runner and his 40th birthday
Will you be joining us for one of the hottest parties of the year? Tickets available here.
To keep things warm, cosy and exclusive raw, we'll only be selling 100 tickets. 10% of all the profits will go to The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation.
Everyday is Earth Day
When you eat a raw food diet, everyday is Earth Day.
Raw Food is the the most...
- Waste free
- Compassionate
- Healthy
- Carbon friendly
- Better than driving a Prius
- Sustainable
- Eco Friendly
...way of eating and living.
Changing light bulbs and recycling will only get us so far as a world community. It's time to step things up. It's time to choose a diet that is best for both your internal environment and the external environment.
What's best for you is best for our mother earth.
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Women's Week Continued
Last week I was celebrating a strong woman in my life, my older sister Harshal Purohit. This past week was her wedding week (Indian weddings are basically week long event) so I didn't have an opportunity to post many of the Women's Week podcasts that I wanted to feature.
We're going to continue Women's Week this week and feature some of the essays and podcast that were on last weeks schedule.
Enjoy!
Fasting: for health and for consciousness
A wonderful breakdown on fasting from one of the smartest guys on YouTube, Loren Howe (aka lorax2013). We have a podcast with Lorax coming soon.
Discovering the Real Me: From Fibromyalgia to My True Self and Beyond
This week is Women's Week on WLIR. Today's essay comes to us from health educator Emily Shaules. From the moment we first met Emily, at the Garam Masala retreat in the Poconos, we knew she was a special type of person. Her ability to share so openly and authentically about her personal journey created the space for others to share comfortably. On top of that, Emily's story is so touching and inspirational that we knew we had to share it with as many people as we could. We've asked Emily join us here today on WLIR to talk a little bit about her struggle with Fibromyalgia, how she overcame it and what she learned about the mind's relationship to dis-ease.
Discovering the Real Me: From Fibromyalgia to My True Self and Beyond
Last summer was the absolute low point in my life. I had just separated from my husband, the only man I have ever loved, after telling him that I could not be a mother because of my fibromyalgia. For those of you who haven’t heard of fibromyalgia, it is a chronic pain disease which causes constant pain pretty much over one’s entire body. Experts estimate that it affects 3-6% of the US population, as many as 90% of who are women. My experience with fibromyalgia, or fibro, started on May 13, 2001. It was exactly one week after I graduated from Northwestern Law School when I flipped my head back to get some hair out of my face, like I had done a thousand times before. Suddenly I felt a shooting pain go down my neck. Over the next few months the pain dispersed throughout my body and viola, I had fibro.
The next six years were a whirlwind of doctors appointments (I saw at least 30 different ones, including a few at the Mayo Clinic), prescription drugs (I took anywhere from 20-25 pills a day for fibro, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, depression, TMJ, etc.), and alternative treatments- none of which helped. In fact, over the years I consistently got worse. I lost jobs because I couldn’t work the long hours or deal with the stress, I lost friends because I often canceled plans due to my pain, and slowly I lost pretty much every ounce of my self-esteem and confidence. I finally had to tell my now ex-husband that if I couldn’t lift our 12-pound dog for more than a few minutes without having my entire body burning in pain, I couldn’t be the kind of mother I would want to be or the kind a child would deserve to have.
So here I was, living alone, only able to work part-time at a legal aid office, and having no idea how I was going to support myself. In a fleeting moment of initiative and in an effort to meet new people, I started a support group for people with fibro. At the second meeting, a woman told us how she had basically cured herself with raw and living foods within a week. Now I was very much a slave to the Standard American Diet (SAD- and we know it’s called that for a reason!) and always HATED fruits and vegetables, so the idea was not the most appealing to me, to say the least. However, I was desperate and decided to make one last effort to eradicate this ugliness that had taken over my body. I thought, “Hell, I can try anything for a week!” And the rest, as they say, is history. On Day 5 of eating 100% raw and two hours after my first-ever colonic, I felt better than I had since before I got sick and was hooked.
I hear raw foodists say it all the time, but it was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes and I was finally able to see the world, and myself in it, clearly. For example, I finally allowed myself to admit that I had never really wanted to have children (and yes ladies, it’s OK to say that!) or be a “successful” corporate lawyer. I followed that path thinking it was the only one because it was what I had seen growing up. Also, I realized that I developed various illnesses at transitional times in my life, like getting ulcerative colitis before my last semester at college or contracting fibro right after law school when there was nothing left to stop my ex and I from getting married and starting a family. It dawned on me that all of this was my body was trying to tell me that I was going down the wrong path, not following my instincts, not doing what I really wanted to do in life.
That’s not to say that it has been easy. I had decades of destructive eating habits to overcome and even today still have occasional cravings for foods that I know hurt me. But I am so much more aware of what I do when I do it and am therefore in a position to make better choices and accept the consequences of my not-so-great choices. I am by no means perfect but now I no longer want to be. A lifelong Type-A personality, as many fibro people are, I recognize that the pressure I put on myself is as damaging as the cooked food I put in my mouth.
In fact, a study published in the March issue of the medical journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity shows that college women who felt they were not living up to their expectations (described in the study as "high self-discrepant") reported more cold and flu symptoms than women who felt they were meeting their goals. When these high self-discrepant women were given journals in which to vent their frustrations, they reported fewer symptoms and responded better to the flu vaccine. According to one of the researchers, "When people thought they were failing, the natural killer cells ("NKC") became less effective. But when they thought they were making progress- it's not that they attained the goal, it's just making progress- the NKC's showed an [improvement]."
When I read about this study in a newspaper clipping my mom sent me (yes, Mom, I do read them no matter how many you bombard me with!), it tied so much together for me. We women, those with fibro and without, tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect- whether it's being the perfect mother, wife, daughter, employee, dieter...that we often make ourselves depressed or sick. After switching to raw and living foods, my mind cleared enough that I was able to recognize those self-defeating voices in my head and finally choose not to listen to them!
Now I make decisions in my life depending on what I want, not what someone tells me to want. I have let go of attachments and desires for the latest car or coolest handbag and am so much happier because of it. And I finally found the courage to follow my professional dream of educating as many people as possible about the amazing power of raw food through private coaching and public speaking. This is my passion because people ask me what my first reaction was when I started feeling better, expecting me to say "thrilled" or "ecstatic," but truly my reaction was shear anger. Angry that no one had told me that I could heal myself simply by eating fruits and vegetables. Angry that millions of people struggle daily with diseases like fibromyalgia, obesity, depression, cancer, etc. and are told that it's all a part of life and aging when it not!
So now I move on with my body growing stronger every day, my mind clearer than it’s ever been, and my heart ready for whatever life may bring my way. If you or someone you know is struggling with a chronic illness or is just thinking they want to feel better than they do, please contact me at eshaules at yahoo.com, (I'm currently not taking on coaching clients, but I will be in the near future). I would love to help you in your journey!
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Entertaining a Wolfe
This past weekend I drove into P-Town (Rhode Island) for the “Cracking the Chocolate Code” event with David Wolfe. Spending time in Providence was such a breath of fresh air as I walked down brick laid sidewalks in this old college town. You could literally feel the electricity in the air as the event approached – the Cacao Gods were brewing up something delicious.
This event was held at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), the top design school in the U.S. Nora Hamerman, a student at RISD, spearheaded this amazing event. With the help of Vanessa Barg of Gnosis Chocolate, they were able to attract more than 200 people. Celebs such as David Wolfe, Daniel Vitalis, Gabrielle Brick, Kevin Gianni, Chocolate Girl, Super Goji Girl, Chocolate Face, and myself of course, were all present.
Even though I have heard David speak many times, I always find myself learning new and amazing lessons. This time he went into depth about the power of cacao and it's incredible health benefits. He also spoke about Ormus, a subject I am constantly trying to understand. While David was entertaining and educating the crowd, Daniel Vitalis from Elixircraft and his blade wielding ninjas were serving up some serious tonic shots while Chocolate Girl was pleasing palettes with her delectable chocolate treats.
Nora held a private VIP party after the event for David, and about 25 of us were delighted with a special batch of Gnosis’s high-octane aphrodisiac chocolates (maca seemed tame compared to these horny goat weed, damiana, african mahogany-filled truffles), durian, and coconut water.
Check out my Flickr Album for all the event pics.
In light of woman’s week on Welikeitraw, I decided to spotlight the two key people that made this event happen, Nora Hamerman and Vanessa Barg.
Nora Hamerman: a living foodist and graphic designer with a passion for the environment. She is about to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design in May with a BFA in graphic design. After school she plans to utilize her culinary skills, artistic eye, and vision of sustainability to bring about global change.
She has taken many courses about the environment at RISD and Brown University and has gotten involved with different clubs at both schools that focus on ecological issues. As she sees it, food has the greatest capacity to change the world -- from its production to the way in which it is consumed.
She feels that the biggest problem the world faces today is a lack of consciousness -- that is why we are experiencing climate change and massive environmental degradation. Her motivation behind bringing David Wolfe to RISD was to speak about sustainability and ecological solutions. David, she feels, is the perfect candidate to speak to these issues because he knows so much about nutrition and the nitty gritty details -- in neuroscience & biology. It's a fact that brain chemistry is affected by food.
So, if people are eating things like cacao that enhance brain function, they are prone to experience feelings of love, compassion, bliss...and have an elevated worldview. In particular, they are likely to appreciate Nature and respect the environment ...(if they are feeling good themselves.)
Nora can't wait to continue pursuing her dharma and see what lies ahead.
Vanessa Barg aka Chocolate Girl: a living foodist, certified holistic health counselor and raw chocolatier. Certified by Columbia Teacher’s College and the American Association for Drugless Practitioners, Vanessa received her training in Health Counseling at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Her passion for helping others realize their potential is producing real, tangible results with her health counseling clients. Men and women from 18 to 76 in New York and Europe are working with her in person, by phone, and via email focusing on their physical and mental health - and accomplishing their goals. You can learn more about her counseling practice at Gnosis Health.
Vanessa began experimenting with raw chocolate because of her passion for health, nutrition, and the amazing qualities of this nutrient-dense superfood. The mission of Gnosis Chocolate is to raise awareness of raw foods and superfoods, and to infuse people's hearts with nourishing Love. She mixes every recipe, pours every mold, and decorates every bar by hand. Vanessa personally makes every bar with loving intentions for our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
In efforts to affect many more people than those around
her, Vanessa donates 10% of all profits of her Health Counseling
Practice to the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, and 10%
of all profits from Gnosis Chocolate to The Fruit Tree Planting
Foundation. In doing business with her, you are not only helping
yourself to better health and prosperity, but also are helping millions
of others to do so. You can find her gourmet raw chocolate in 20+
stores nationally and online at Gnosis Chocolate or through David Wolfe’s Sunfood Nutrition.
Vanessa is raising chocolate chakras around the world, one bite at a time.
Juice Feasting Weight Update
Day 1 - 260.0 lbs
Day 10 - 249.4 lbs (10.6 lbs lost)
Day 17 - 244.4 lbs (5.0 lbs lost)
Day 24 – 238.6 lbs (5.8 lbs lost)
Day 31 – 234.6 lbs (4.0 lbs lost)
Day 38 – 231.5 lbs (3.1 lbs lost)
Day 45 – 227.6 lbs (3.9 lbs lost)
Day 52 – 224.2 lbs (3.4 lbs lost)
Day 60 – 223.2 lbs (1.0 lb lost)
Day 74 – 217.6 lbs (5.6 lbs lost)
Day 82 – 213.6 lbs (4.0 lbs lost)
Day 88 - 209.0 lbs (4.6 lbs lost)
Total Weight Loss while JF: 51.0 lbs
Total Weight Loss since raw: 191.0 lb
Enjoying the Florida sun,
Philip @ Lovingraw
Ps. Click here to catch me speaking LIVE this weekend in Sarasota at Jenna Norwood’s (director of Supercharge Me) new restaurant Veggie Magic!
The Power of Sea Vegetables
In the post Julie covers everything from Arame to Wakame. She also gives a beautiful intro on exactly why these vegetables are so great for you. I've posted an excerpt here:
I am very enthusiastic about spreading the word on the benefits of sea vegetables and cannot emphasize the value of these superfoods enough. As a Florida native who was raised loving and living near the ocean, I have long known of its powers of vitality and renewal long before I even thought of eating seaweed. As I’ve spent countless time snorkeling, diving, surfing, swimming, and boating, it is enthralling to experience how the salt water has an almost mystical effect on hair, nails, and skin. Hair becomes shiny, glowing, and full of body; nails become strong and even undergo a rapid growth process; the skin is softer, smoother, firmer and more toned. And this is only aesthetically speaking, of course. The reasons for this are not just as simple as salt water. The amounts of minerals in their high concentrations found in the sea far surpass that which is found on land in any one plant, and these minerals also represent as a whole, the most vital and complete combination for human beings. Now imagine concentrating all of this life-giving magic and compact it into an edible form!
Keep reading at juliesrawambition.com
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