We Like It Raw and personal development author Steve Pavlina are teaming up to host a very special dinner meetup at Cafe Gratitude on Saturday January 24th, 2009.
Steve and his wife Erin will be visiting the Bay Area next week and they are looking forward to connecting with the local raw food community. What better way to connect with the community than to share a meal with friends at the most community oriented restaurant around. Cafe Gratitude baby!
Do to space constraints we're going to be limiting this meetup to about 10 or 15 people. If you're interested in a great meal with awesome people I'd suggest you email us soon to claim your seat.
Date: Saturday January, 24th, 2009
Time: Evening, (exact time will be given upon RSVP)
Location: Cafe Gratitude, 2400 Harrison St (at 20th and Harrison)
RSVP: sorry friends! this meetup is not totally filled!
Steve has been on a raw food diet now for just over 1 year and he swears that one of key factors that's led to his health success is connecting with community on a regular basis. Man, we couldn't agree more!
If you're interested in connecting with community then shoot us an email today letting us know you'd like to attend.
Hey Steve, Dhrumil here. I'll be in NYC on the 24th but I know our readers will take great care of you. If you make it out East any time soon we'll do another community meetup at Pure Food and Wine. Enjoy dinner!
Friday January 23rd We Like It Raw is hosting a two-part-meetup in NYC and we want you to join us!
Part 1 of the meetup is an intimate dinner with friends. Part 2 of the meetup is an all-are-welcome spoken word poetry showcase.
The night starts at 7pm and ends when ever we say it does!
Here are the details...
Part 1: Dinner With Friends
Nothing beats a quality dinner with friends. Great food, deep conversations and lots of sharing.
This dinner meetup is especially important because our home slice Philip is getting ready to make his big move. Philip's headed to Asheville, North Carolina and we wanted to make sure we got at least one more group dinner in before he bounced. Here is our opportunity!
Both Philip and myself (Dhrumil) will be present for dinner.
Date: Friday January, 23rd, 2009
Time: 7:00pm to 9:30pm
Location: Somewhere fancy
RSVP: dinner seating is limited, please email dhrumil [at] welikeitraw [dot] com if you're interested
Part 2: Spoken Word Poetry Showcase
After dinner it's time for some spoken word! Our good friend George Watsky (a legend in the spoken word world) is the spotlight feature at the Friday night slam at the legendary Nuyorican
Poets Cafe. The We Like It Raw crew will be in full force support George and appreciate his deep way with words.
Food meetups are always awesome, AND it's nice to do something different too. We hope this spoken word meetup spices things up a bit.
Date: Friday January, 23rd, 2009
Time: 10:00pm to 12:30am
Location: Nuyorican Poets Café, 236 E. 3rd Street (bet. Avenues B & C)
Here's a video of George doing his thing on Def Poetry Jam with his famous "V is for Virgin" poem:
See you on Friday January 23rd!
p.s. There most likely will be a Part 3 to the night for those who are interested. We haven't planned it out yet, but I'm sure synchronicities will take place.
Dr. Tel-Oren, also known as Dr. T, has put together a series of fantastically honest and informative videos called The Truth About Your Food. The myth busting YouTube video series covers everything from enzymes to dairy, and even cacao.
Dr T and Tera Warner, of the Raw Divas, have released the video series to tackle some of the most common misunderstandings that people have regarding nutrition.
Here's one of the videos on the subject on Vitamin B12:
This week's My Way feature comes to us from the lovely Anita Avalos. Anita describes herself as a "yoga-loving, raw rood eating, Kindergarten teacher who is passionate about healthy living, healthy eating, and having a healthy mind." Anita is based in Los Angeles, but her My Way feature comes to us via a recent NYC trip.Anita blogs at anitaavalos.blogspot.com
My Way- Anita Avalos
When Dhrumil asked me to share My Way, I was thrilled! When he told me it would be during the week I was traveling in NYC, close to New Year’s Eve none the less, I got nervous. I knew it would not be the same diet as when I am at home or even with family. I knew that it would be hard to maintain the same discipline and I would have a lot less control over how I stocked my fridge, etc. But he explained to me that it did not have to be about being perfect, just about being real. So here it is - one Natalia Rose enthusiast’s travels in the Big Apple, eating a mixed diet of raw and some cooked foods, sometimes getting off the path with a few questionable choices, but like the great New Yorker Frank Sinatra said, I did it My Way!
Monday, December 29, 2008 I wake up early and excited, knowing that today I will be going to NYC for the first time. I will be staying with my friend Gemma in Greenwich Village and will be joined by my two friends, Dave and Eric. I am bit worried about how my eating/drinking will play out while traveling and have already decided that I will be having one indulgence for sure- NY pizza. Never had it, always wanted to. For my last morning visiting my family outside of DC, I make a kale, almond milk, oj, and strawberry smoothie. I pack an apple and a Natalia Rose “Sandwich Salad” for the long bus ride. I arrive tired but instantly stimulated by the city. Soon after, my friend Randall, who’s from NY, takes me to the Coffee Shop Bar where I have a glass of wine and a mixed green salad alongside some steamed kale. We end the evening by getting an amazing tour by his friend Frank of the fire station right by Ground Zero. It is hard to sleep after such a stimulating day.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 I wake up in unfamiliar surroundings and quickly realize that I am about to have my first full day in NYC! I hear the sounds of Gemma cooking ,and it is so strange to be in an apartment full of people, since I live alone in LA. Gemma is so sweet and makes sure that I get my day going with some fruit and juice - oj, a banana, and an apple. Because she is a personal chef and works out of her own kitchen, I really don’t want to be in her way and accept that my usual morning green smoothies will more likely than not be my breakfast while I’m here. However, she has a ton of raw snacks at her house in relation to her job and this is a welcomed surprise! Eric and I decide to go to see the Empire State building. The line is so long I have to have a salad while in line. After a 3.5 hour wait, I get to see some of the most amazing views of the city. David, Gemma, Eric, and I meet up at the bar below and I have a refreshing glass of Pinot Grigio. We take a little tour of the Times Square area and then grab some dinner. I have mixed veggies with a bit of marinara sauce and half a baked potato.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 It’s New Year’s Eve!! I awake to my first falling snow ever! I start my day with a glass of green juice, a banana, and a handful of raspberries. I feel like a real New Yorker, walking in the East Village to take a class at Yoga To The People. The class has such a great community feel. After, I meet a fellow GI2MR member, Mike, for lunch. We go to One Lucky Duck, and it is by far the best raw food I’ve ever tasted. We split some Sushi Rolls, Zuchini and Tomato Lasagna, and the S&M Salad. For dessert, we have the most amazing Tiramisu and Moon Pie. I feel happy, warm, and my taste buds are buzzing! After, Mike gives me a bit of a tour of the Lower East Side. A bit later and freezing cold, we part ways and I begin my New Year’s Eve festivities. I am so glad that I had such a sweet and informed guide for the day. I meet up with new and old friends for drinks and NYE celebrations, starting from the East Village and ending in SoHo. By 4 am, everyone is hungry and we end up at 7A. Even though I pick at a few French fries, I get a nice big salad of mixed greens, veggies, and avocado. I don’t get to bed until 6 or so. I have been a naughty girl, drinking a bit too much vino, picking on fries, and staying out too late. I give myself a break since it is NYE. All in all, a great to end 2008 and start 2009! And I am officially in love with NYC.
Thursday, January 1, 2009 It is New Year’s Day! I wake up around 11 am, glad that I do not feel the negative effects of last night’s overindulgence, but ready to start the day off a bit more cleanly. I can see that the sun is shining and so I am eager to start the day. I put together a smoothie of acai, spinach, oj, almond milk, and a bit of blueberries and get rockin. I feel like I’m back on track.
I get a text from Mike and he invites me to go to Brooklyn to have that forbidden slice of NY pizza. So I start having the inevitable inner debate of whether or not I should have it today. On one hand, it is January 1st and I know I overindulged yesterday, so maybe I should start fresh today. On the other hand, I am planning on having this pizza anyway as my one food cultural indulgence so why not now. I do realize it is forbidden fruit but I decide to go anyway. I like that Mike gets why I want to try it and doesn’t judge me.
Things don’t workout as planned. The pizza place is closed for the New Year Holiday, so we take the train back to East Village and instead I get to experience my first time in a bath house (great!!) and we grab dinner at Quintessence for some yummy raw food: Guac and salsa with corn and flax chips, a Buddha salad w/ sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, an Indian Platter, and a dessert of raw ice cream and soaked chia seeds all in a yummy banana split. Heaven.
Friday, January 2, 2009 I wake up to another day with the roomies and help myself to some oj, a banana, and an apple. Then it’s off to the Natural History Museum with my friend Eric. Amazing. It reminds me of how small I really am in this big, beautiful universe. I get hungry so I grab a salad of mixed greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, and broccoli with just a bit of butternut squash.
But now the time has come for the big foodie experience of having that NY pizza. The roomies and I head down to Brooklyn. We order some chianti and two pies, one vegetarian (which I will eat) and one not. The pizza comes and wow! It tastes so good. I thoroughly enjoy it. I get over my sense of guilt and shame, knowing that I usually eat very healthy and am happy that at least it was a whole experience: the friends, the new city, the novelty. And I realize that I still ate in a conscious way, that even though it wasn’t vegan or raw, I thought through my choice, savored it, and that made it special. After, we meet up with some friends. I go to bed way too late but still set my alarm to make a 10 am yoga class, because I still have every desire to keep on my path towards the well being of the mind, body, and soul.
Anita Avolos loves healthy living, healthy eating, and maintaining a healthy mind. She is a Kindergarten teacher based in Los Angeles and is loving every minute of it.
In an unusually blunt letter, a group of federal scientists is
complaining to the Obama transition team of widespread managerial
misconduct in a division of the Food and Drug Administration.
"The
purpose of this letter is to inform you that the scientific review
process for medical devices at the FDA has been corrupted and distorted
by current FDA managers, thereby placing the American people at risk,"
said the letter, dated Wednesday and written on the agency's Center for
Devices and Radiological Health letterhead.
The letter goes on to read:
"Managers with incompatible, discordant and irrelevant scientific and
clinical expertise in devices...have ignored serious safety and
effectiveness concerns of FDA experts," the letter said. "Managers have
ordered, intimidated and coerced FDA experts to modify scientific
evaluations, conclusions and recommendations in violation of the laws,
rules and regulations, and to accept clinical and technical data that
is not scientifically valid."
Top FDA managers "committed the most outrageous misconduct by ordering, coercing and intimidating FDA physicians and scientists to recommend approval, and then retaliating when the physicians and scientists refused to go along,"
And my favorite quote from the letter is:
"Currently, there is an atmosphere at FDA in which the honest employee fears the dishonest employee, and not the other way around,"
Big ups to all the federal scientist who had the courage to stand up to the FDA and their backers, Big Pharma.
Russell on Rawkin Radio In addition to being an awesome raw chef, Russell also has a very powerful health testimony. Listen to Russell talking to radio host Revvell about how he got rid of his acne and begin his live food journey.
Who you listening to these days? Kanye? Mos Def? Common? Pharrell? Mike Adams?
Wait... wtf? Mike Adams?
Yes! Mike Adams the founder and lead writer for the very popular NaturalNews.com has just reminded everyone why he is indeed the original gangsta. Well, more like the original health gangsta.
Mike's just released single, "I Want My Bail Out Money" is a commentary on all the economic madness that's been taking place over the last year. Here's Mike in his own words on the motivation behind creating the song:
I wrote this song to help spread the message about the unprecedented
theft of money from the American people that has been masterminded by
the white-collar criminals running our country today. U.S. Treasury
officials and Federal Reserve officials have conspired to steal
trillions of dollars from everyday Americans by creating insane
quantities of new money and handing it over to their rich, incompetent
banker friends. It is one of the greatest financial cons ever
perpetrated in human history, and yet few people seem to understand
what's actually going on.
On 23rd January 2009 I'll be 40 years young! To celebrate the power of raw food and natural living, I've got together with some of the most ecstatic beings on the planet to give the raw food community the biggest birthday present it's ever experienced!
Here you'll see thousands of pounds worth of gifts to pick and choose from and you can apply for as many as you like.
Happy birthday to me, and congratulations to you, you always knew you were a winner!
Over 20 of Shazzie's friends are participating in the largest giveaway in raw food history. Just check out this who's who of raw foodies that have donated something or another in honor of Shazzie and in support of the live food movement:
Dhrumil Purohit, Philip McCluskey, Sarma Melngailis, David Wolfe, Lynne Franks, Angela Stokes, Victoria Leith, Matt Monarch, Alice Mason, Veronika Sophia Robinson, Kyle Vialli, Kirsty Hawkshaw, Kate Magic, Ruth Allen, Holly Paige, Laura Bruno, Renata Ash, Shannon Leone, Alan Martin, Alissa Cohen, Mike Nash, Karen Arnott, Rochelle Vincente Von K
This bonanza is not a gimmick, it's the real deal! You can choose from shopping discounts, free ebooks, raffle opportunities and even free MP3 audios.
We at WLIR would like to wish Shazzie a happy 40th and really take a moment to acknowledge her for all the fantastic work she's done to raise the health awareness of so many. Thank you Shazzie for being you and allowing us to participate in this fun giveaway.
The stars have aligned... after waiting days and days to find out if this could happen, everything just fell into place.
Anthony Anderson will be hosting a get-together at Au Lac in Fountain Valley this Saturday at 1pm. Chef Ito will continue to amaze with his innovative raw dishes and unparalleled kindness and generosity.
If you are in the LA and would love to join, please email anthony [at] rawmodel [dot] com. Please RSVP only if you are certain you can attend. The sooner the better so we can accommodate you!
American consumers want natural drugs, believing natural drugs are safer than
synthetics. The pharmaceutical firms seem to prefer synthetics or
semisynthetics, in part due to proprietary economic reasons. The health of the
drug company by necessity must concern the drug company before the health of
the consumer. As noted in a recent International Trade Commission Study,
"Between 1976 and 1990, the cost of developing a pharmaceutical product in the
US increased from $54 million to $231 million. Only one out of every
4,000-10,000 compounds discovered can be marketed commercially--after which a
company has less than ten years to partially recoup its R&D investment
before its patent expires and generic manufacturers enter the market or a
me-too drug is created by a competitor" (Chemical Marketing Reporter 1991).
Such investments may lead pharmaceutical firms to prefer a proprietary
synthetic or semisynthetic to a relatively less proprietary herbal or natural
product.
American pharmaceutical firms often seek the semisynthetic and avoid
the natural compound, when, at least in some cases, the natural compound might
be best. The pharmaceutical firm must consider several attributes including,
safety, efficacy, reproducibility of results, patentability, and profitability.
With at least $7,000 in public relations directed to each physician in this
country by the pharmaceutical firms, the physicians may reflect the same
priorities as the pharmaceutical firms. Consumers, National Institute of
Health, Food and Drug Administration, and the government as a whole should seek
the safest, cheapest, most efficacious drugs. Often, these could prove to be
standardized herbs or relatively unpatentable natural products, placing the
drug companies and the consumers and government's interests in conflict. More
than 10% of Americans can't even afford modern medicine and/or insurance.
Farnsworth (1990) estimates that about 64% of the world's population or 3.2
billion people use plants as drugs (largely unable to afford modern medicine).
If their drugs are worth as much to them economically as modern medicine is to
Americans, these plants are worth trillions of dollars.
Takeaways:
It's against the law to patent a natural plant
To make money pharmaceutical firms seek to create synthetic drugs based on the properties of natural plants
Most natural plants work far better than their synthetic counterparts
Pharmaceutical are in the business of making money, so it's up to the public to get educated about what really works
Well meaning MDs and Docs don't stand a chance against the marketing budgets of big pharma
