Learn How BLT’s Can Help You Lose and Maintain Weight!

It’s so good to be sitting down, checking in with you all.   Last week I listed some ways to take off a few unwanted pounds.  Personally, I found making a meal plan for each day very helpful and will continue to use that tool this week.  It gave me a good idea of my calorie intake and I enjoyed varying my menu each day.

This week I want to continue with some tips on how to take and keep off extra weight:  Mindfully consume your BLT’s!  

Years ago I initially got my weight off by joining weight watchers.  I learned how to get my portions under control and participated in weekly meetings to achieve my weight loss goals.  I’ll never forget the lecture entitled:  BLT’s – Bites, Licks, and Tastes!

The aim was to bring awareness to the little bites, licks, and tastes we engage in while preparing food.  With increased awareness about our food prepping habits you just might find another culprit to excess weight.  How many times have you had bites, licks, and/or tastes of the food you were preparing?  How many times have you started out making food because you were hungry and felt satisfied or even full before you sat down to eat?  Was this because you were tasting along the way?  I started paying closer attention to how many bites, licks, and tastes this past week and realized I was eating almost a full meal while preparing the meal!  Getting this back under control takes a little effort but is an effective way to cut back on extra calories and will save your appetite for the “real meal.” 

If you want to take off some extra pounds or maintain your weight loss, monitor your Bites, Licks, and Tastes, while preparing your lucious meals.   I know how delicious all the raw food can be, but if you want to prevent overeating you will need to be aware of all the ways you are taking in food.

Please enjoy a recipe I came up with this week:   Artichoke heart and Spinach Pizzas…so good!!!!  Listed below.

In Peace and Love,

Katy Joy

Artichoke Heart and Mushroom Pizzas

4 portabellow mushrooms – scraped out

Filling:

• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 cup spinach – chopped
• 3/4 cup Brazil nuts
• 1 clove garlic

Live marinara sauce of your choice – see rawpeople.com recipe section for ideas if needed.

Red onions and olives for topping.

Directions:  Blend all filling ingredients in food processor with “S “blade.  Put marinara sauce on bottom of the mushrooms, scoop in filling, top with red onion slices and olives.  Transfer to mesh sheet on dehydrator tray.  Dehydrate on 115 degrees for 5 hours.  Enjoy immediately.

Do Raw Foodists Count Calories?

Happy Sunday! 

Wow…where did this week go?  I came back from my personal retreat and entered right back into the hustle and bustle of my daily routine at work.  I longed for time to be still and slow and inward.  I did what I could to hold onto the stillness inside by pausing, breathing, and reminding myself to slow down and stay present in the moment.  This was easier said than done at times. 

All that said, I wanted to talk about weight concerns and the raw food diet.  If you have read a bit about my background you may know that I struggled with being overweight for many years.  I have maintained a significant weight loss for over 21 years now and have picked up tools over the years to help me with this.  For instance, if I start to notice my clothes are getting a big snug, I will be more mindful to eat less and get in more exercise.  This last year I put on a few extra pounds that I have not seemed to be able to take off.  I have resisted putting too much attention on it, but have wondered I put on weight  and why it’s so hard to get off. 

As I reflected, there have been several things that contributed:  A decrease in activity, eating more meals too late at night, mindless snacking while watching movies, eating more than I need to, eating while in a hurry and while stressed out, not getting enough sleep, slacking on my water intake, and engaging in emotional eating.  My normal bag of tricks to take off the extra weight have not been successful.   With age, weight loss is a bit more challenging as well.

A few extra pounds is not something to get too upset about but for those of us who have suffered from being fat, it’s not comfortable to experience a weight gain.   And, it’s easier to keep things under control when it’s taken care of right away. 

I have been hesitant to engage in calorie counting due to many years of being obsessed with my caloric intake.  Lately, I have been reading about intentional calorie restriction for health purposes.  There is some convincing evidence out there that eating less increases your life span and decreases illness.  Was it time to revisit this topic?  Am I possibly just getting way too many calories for body?  But if I am eating mostly raw foods, shouldn’t I just stay naturally thin?

I have heard many raw foodist claim they never have to monitor what they eat and that they don’t have to restrict themselves in anyway.  This has not been the case for me.  Some raw foods are very high in calories and fat.  And as I have stated many times before, overeating is overeating!  While some may never have to deal with unwanted weight gain, many of us do.  It was time for a reality check. 

You many wonder how did I get that reality check?

1.  I took  honest evaluation of my activity level.  Because I exercise everyday I was thinking I was an “active person”.  The reality is that I exercise before I go to work, then I am mostly sitting for the remainder of the day.   When I get home it is late and I end up vegging with a movie.  I want to see myself as an active person because I love movement so much. The weekends are filled with more activity, but this last year I was so busy with starting up RawPeople with Rick and working on other projects, much of my free time was spent in front of the computer.  I have been eating the same and decreased my activity level – this will cause weight gain!

2.  I looked up how many calories I need to consume to lose weight.  Given my height (4′9″), this is not many!  I love to eat just like the big people but my small frame does not need the extra food…not fair! 

3.  I started writing down what I was eating again.  I used to do this when focusing on losing and maintaining weight loss.  I have gotten away from it but realize it’s a good way to get real with what I am eating.  I am eating more than I wanted to admit.  Time to lift the veil of denial.

4.  I evaluated areas of my life that need to change in order to take the weight off.  I am starting with increasing my water intake and getting to bed by 10pm.  I am also getting back to writing out a meal plan and sticking to it as best as I can until I get some results. 

5.  I stopped making excuses and did the math…if I want to lose weight, I need to eat less and be more mindful about what I am consuming…even it it’s raw!

I wanted to think that once I went to mostly raw foods I would no longer need to watch the calories.  At first, this seemed to be true.  As I go on in this amazing journey, I have come to the conclusion that it’s not a “bad” thing to count some calories.  Done with kindness and love, this is actually a wonderful way to tune into yourself and make sure you are not using food to fix the problems life often presents to us.

Are you having some issues with weight gain as well?  You are not alone!  Let’s stick together and help each other out. 

Until next time,

Katy Joy

Raw Vacationing

Hola!  I have the great pleasure of writing you all from the beautiful yoga center, Maya Tulum.  It’s located about 2 hours outside of Cancun Mexico.  I am here for a week of rest and relaxation.  I have not had time like this to myself in years and I must say it’s very healing.  There are lots of yoga groups here and then a few, like me, traveling alone to rejuvenate.  This is the place to do it and its very Raw Vegan Friendly!

Since I am away from home I thought I might share a few thoughts about eating for optimal health while away from home.  For more details on this you can always check out my little travel book called Raw and Abroad.  I wrote it last year while traveling in Europe on a business trip with Rick.

I am providing my own little mock question/answer section for you to give you an idea of how I am handling raw food and travel.

What did you eat while traveling to Mexico?

I made a nice kale salad for the plane ride.  It had a light dressing on it and kale keeps well for the day.  I also packed up apples, bananas, and  oranges.  For snacks I made some cranberry bars (done in the dehydrator).  I had a bag of chopped veggies, herbal tea, and some greens powder to put in water.  It’s actually a good idea to eat as little as possible as possible when traveling and stay well hydrated.

What are you eating on your trip?

Fortunately Maya Tulum is very Raw Vegan Friendly.  I made friends with the restaurant manager the first night I arrived.  He told me just to let him know what I want and they will make it.  They have made me some beautiful salads and delicious guacamole.  There is a great juice and smoothie bar here as well.  After my runs on the beach in the morning I have had fresh coconut water, watermelon juice, and green smoothies.  It was really cold here last night and the chef made me a light veggie soup that was cooked.  For the most part I have been enjoying live foods.  Food is just one part of this trip and I putting my focus on relaxing rather than on eating. This is a nice shift for me, as food used to a big deal for me traveling and it was all about trying new restaurants and gourmet meals.

Did you bring any food with you?

Yes, I brought some sprouted granola (nut free) from living intentions – it’s amazing!  I also brought some greens bars, raw chocolate, and some herbal teas, and my own himalayan salt.  Usually I bring quite a bit more but I knew I was going to have access to raw foods here.

Tips if you come to this amazing place: I suggest skipping the all inclusive plan and go a la carte!  The all inclusive does include yoga, all of your meals, and some spa treatments but I find it nice to just pay for the room (which are great bungalows on the beach) and then pay as you go for the other things you do.  The buffet here looks great and there are many raw options but I find that it is a set up for overeating.  I know that if I had the buffet I would be skipping the juices and going for what is being served.  It just takes the temptation right out of the equation.

Food for thought: I made it my intention to get back practicing mindful eating while here so I can continue this back home.  Lately, I have slipped into eating while doing other things.  Sometimes I eat at my desk at work and get caught up checking e-mails or doing other paperwork.  I have also been snacking at night while watching TV and nibbling while preparing meals.  For me, this leads to overeating and I am not enjoying my food.

So what is this mindful eating?  It’s about slowing down and just focusing on enjoying your food.  You see, taste, smell, and chew more.  You are more relaxed and aware of how your body feels when eating.  You are grateful to the earth for providing you with nourishment.  You know when you are satisfied and you don’t use food to comfort or distract yourself. I realized that I really don’t need much food to be satisfied.  I am in the habit of eating when stressed and rushed at work.  Then I want to comfort myself with food when I get home. I tend to justify this by telling myself “it’s okay because it is raw.”  Overeating is overeating!

This trip has reminded me the healing power of mindful eating.  Less is more.  I am finding extreme pleasure in light simple meals.  If you are feeling out of touch with how much you are eating (even if it is raw), I encourage  you to take some time to slow down and mindfully eat – even if it just for one of your meals for the day.   Refrain from doing anything else when you eat.  Slow down and engage all of your senses.  Your mind, body, and spirit will love you for it!  It’s also a way to keep your weight down if you tend to put on weight easily like I do.

I am sending love to you all and hoping you are being good to yourselves.  You don’t have to come to Maya Tulum to have a personal retreat.  Take a day some weekend and just have time to come up with your own mini personal journey within.

In Peace,

Katy Joy

Raw Love: How the Rawfood lifestyle opens your Heart

One thing I have noticed about eating Raw Vegan Foods is that I am more peaceful and tuned into my heart on a consistent basis.  I believe this to be true for a variety of reasons.    Being a raw Vegan, I am consuming foods that have vital life force and serve to heal and restore my body, mind, and spirit.  I am not taking in the energy of meat that holds the vibration of fear and anger from the animals being killed.  Another reason is that the raw food lifestyle consists of good self care.  For me, I engage in Yoga, regular exercise, meditation, positive mental conditioning, and deep relaxation to stay balanced and centered.  As a result, I am able to freely give and receive love.

After going though a painful divorce in 1999, I decided to take time to re-evaluate my life and set specific intentions for what I wanted.  Things got a lot worse before they got better.  I spent some time rejecting my spiritual life and dabbling in a lifestyle that created even more pain and suffering.  Fortunately this did not go on forever and I found my way back to optimal health practices. Giving up alcohol and dysfunctional relationships  was vital to improving my overall happiness in life.  When I calmed down and centered myself, things began to change.  I was ready to manifest a healthy loving relationship and that is exactly what I did!  His name is Rick H. Cabados.

Rick has been a spiritual vegetarian for almost 40 years and the last several years he has eaten mostly raw Vegan foods.  He meditates daily and practices yoga.  He is honest, loving, kind, caring, generous, adventurous, fun, motivated, spiritually in tune, and creative.  I have never met anyone quite like him.

I believe his raw Vegan diet and positive lifestyle practices keep his heart wide open, even in the midst of running businesses and dealing with a very unkind world at times.

As a result of his open heart, he is able to connect with Spirit for his daily guidance.  And on special occasions he taps into his relationship with Spirit and blesses me with beautiful poetry.

I was away from my beloved on Valentine’s Day and when I opened my e-mail, this is what awaited me:

Sunshine and the Energy of Love

I woke up before sunrise and felt a warmth in my heart

As I focused on  it, I felt the expansion of my Love for You

I felt this feeling travel through my body until a smile

and sweet thoughts of you arose

I basked in the  Sunshine of your Love

And felt my heart expand

And a deep breath brought in the fragrance of your Soul

Ahhh….what sweetness it brings

Memories of past kisses and looks of adoration

Another breath and I come to the awareness of the present

I look at You and feel the connection

My heart sings and my smile is one of bliss

Love is the connection…it brings our hearts and souls together

We feel the merging and let go

What a sweet feeling….a sense of true Love with no boundaries

A connection at the Soul level where the Hearts are one

Forged by endless feelings of Oneness

And sealed with kisses and tenderness

Again I feel the Sunshine sweeping over my body and lighting up my Soul

And I realize that You are that Sunshine

You are that beacon that guides me through the night of Life

My Love Angel….You Light up my Life and I merge with You

I feel the Energy of Love and know you are the Source

Looking at you….. I know we are the Energy of Love

And we reflect that Love to the Universe!

Soul Connection – a Synchronicity of Love

My Soul bares itself…it opens wide to connect to Goddess

It yearns for that connection to the Spirit of Love

It wants to feel….It wants to know what real Love is

On one level the mind knows that Love is a reflection of itself

And at the Heart level it feels the resonance of true Love

It sees its’ reflection in the eyes of the Goddess

The mind is guided by the soul’s desires

My Soul sings for You……ahhh what a beautiful melody

The tune is catchy….”I wanna hold your hand!”

The rhythm is in synchronicity to the Heavens

This song of Love is what lights up the stars

It’s what powers the Universe

This reflection of My True Love is what I see in Your eyes

Your smile is what I see in my Dreams

Your presence makes my Heart sing

How lucky is the Universe to have you here

In the form of an Angel……an Angel of Love

What a combination…an Angel Goddess

My Angel Goddess……be My Valentine this day!

Again, my Heart bubbles with Joy

And I feel true Love

And I radiate this Love back to the Universe

And the Universe sings back to me

“What a lucky Man you are” and I smile and expand

Dedicated to Katy Joy Freeman

by Rick H. Cabados, her Loving Husband

I was so moved by his poetry to me and wanted to share it with you all.

So my point is this:   Stick with raw foods. This way of life leads to healing on many levels and your heart can’t help but open up to yourself and others.

Ladies, if you have not yet found a loving partner, I highly recommend you put it out to the Universe that you want a Raw Vegan companion as it is a wonderful gift to share this way of life with someone.

Men, If you are finding that your heart is closed for any reason.  Ask for it to be opened. Take a risk and get out of your head and into your heart!  And if you heart is open, don’t hold back.  Express yourself and break out all the social norms for men to be stoic and emotionally withdrawn.

Hoping you are all well,

In Love and appreciation,

Katy Joy

Raw Moods – How to Deal with the Occasional Blues!

Every now and again I notice that tend to get experience some temporary blues.  In the past they lasted for quite some time and were much more frequent.  Over the years I have improved my mood as I have changed my eating habits, thoughts, and lifestyle.   A young friend of mine is in his first year of college and has been going through some depression.  His expectations of being away from home for the first have not been met in the way he hoped.  He is in the thick of adjusting to the transition of being on his own and all that goes with that (social, emotional, and academic).  Listening to his experience reminded me of some very painful years I had in college.  At that time I was in the midst much internal chaos and unhappiness.  Due to lack of positive coping skills and support I was eating to comfort myself then purging on a regular basis.  Of course, this only added to my depression and feelings of hopelessness.  Today I have the tools to manage my occasional blues.  Yes, even though I have amazing health habits, I still have some down times.  Below are some tools I use to help myself feel better…hope they help you too!

1. Pause. I use the HALT technique and ask myself a few questions to see if my basic needs are being met and then take action to get those needs met:

H – Am I hungry? If so, I will choose a live food to perk me up.  For some reason a spout salad seems to lift my mood very quickly.

A – Am I angry? I check in with myself to see if I am angry or if I have been holding in some other emotions that want my attention.  I validate my feelings and allow them to be there with love and acceptance.

L – Am I lonely? If so, I figure out the best way to feel connected.  For me, it’s usually that I am missing quiet time to connect with my spiritual self.  When I am centered on my Loving Creator, my loneliness seems to dissipate.  Sometimes I need to reach out to a friend as well and share what is going on or just get a big comforting hug.

T – Am I tired? Being tired creates all sorts of problems.  I find that I generally don’t function well if I am not rested.  Are you pushing yourself too hard?  Are you getting enough time to play, laugh, smile?  Is the stress of your life dragging you down?  Get more sleep!

2. Tap.  I strongly encourage everyone to get familiar with Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or tapping.  This technique can be used to help with depression, anxiety, panic, physical pain, etc.  If you go to emofree.com you can get the manual with instructions for free.

3. Exercise. Sometimes the thought of getting up and moving is overwhelming when we feel down.  It’s very important to push through those feelings and just do it anyway.  The endorphins released with lift the mood.  It also helps to raise your self-esteem.

4. Deep Breathing. Deep belly breathing will calm your nervous system down and help you feel energized.  Many get fatigued, depressed, and /or anxious from shallow breathing.

5. Positive Affirmations.  Recite statements that make you feel good.  Today, I used the following affirmations:  Every minute I am feeling better and better; I accept all of my emotions; I allow myself to feel good.

6. Do something for someone else.  Today I sent a card off to my mom as she had surgery last week.  I also sent an encouraging message via text to a friend and and e-mail to my husband that reminded him how much I appreciate him.

7. Gratitude. Come up with at least three things you are grateful for each day.

8. Remember you have options. Sometimes we forget that we have choices when we are feeling down and stuck.  You always have options.

9. Meditate.  The research shows that engaging in 4 minutes of meditation can increase your brain to function in positive ways and help you feel better, especially meditations that focus on kindness and compassion.  You can simply get comfortable and breathe in and out, following your breath.  Open your heart the Love and Light as you follow your breath or you can say the word “Love” and you breathe in and out.

10. Trust.  Know that your current mood will not always remain so bleak.  It will pass and you will feel better.

I do believe that eating live Vegan foods and getting plenty of rest and good water will aid any condition you have.  If you feel your depression is interfering with your life, you may want to consider counseling.  It takes time to re train the brain to think in different ways.  Creating healthy habits is achievable and sometime having professional support gets us there quicker.

Raw foodists’ experience intense emotions just like everyone else.  Improving your diet will most likely improve your mood but it won’t fix your life problems.  Use some of the coping skills I have suggested above and see they help.  I know they get me through those not-so-good days.

In Peace,

Katy Joy

Healing with a Half Smile

Hope you are all well this week.  I have been on a pretty tight schedule and have not taken time to write much.  I have a burning desire to share some thoughts I have been having about laughter, fun, playfulness,etc.   Life has been way too serious lately and I have noticed I have been absent of my normal feelings of JOY.  I had some great reminders this week about laughing and finding more pleasure in my day.  I will be sharing more about this in another post when I can really sit down and articulate this more clearly.

For now, I just wanted to encourage you to smile.   Take a moment, pause, feel the sweetness of a deep breath or two.  And as you engage in a little half smile remember something that makes you happy.  What does that feel like in your body? What emotions does that bring up?  See if you can gently smile for at least 5 minutes after reading this.  I know it will lift your spirit and remind you to lighten up!

I got the newest edition of Purely Delicious sent to me yesterday.  All of the recipes looked yummy.  They also looked like they take a long time to make and had so many nuts in the recipes (I am really staying away from them these days as best I can as they don’t settle too well).  I was tempted to feel sorry for myself in that I don’t seems to have to time to do more complicated raw dishes these days.  Then I put on my little half smile and reminded myself that simple is just fine!  For dinner, I chopped up some celery, zuccini, and cucumber and enjoyed the most delicious crunchy feast in my mouth.  It was refreshing and helped me “lighten up”  I did have some dipping sauce to go along with it and a couple of avacado slices.  I feel satisfied and glad I am at a place in my life where I don’t have to make such elaborate meals.

Take good care and remember to breathe deeply…often…it’s so healing…ahhh…that’s it…take another nice deep breath…let the belly rise on the inhale and fall on your exhale.  It’s the quickest way to soothe yourself and to create a calming effect in your body.

Namaste,

Katy JOy

Eating With Love!

I have been reading numerous articles lately about raw foodists who are getting away from proclaiming to be 100% raw.  There has also been talk of those getting away from a 100% Vegan diet.  Is this rocking your world?  Are you feeling disillusioned when you hear things like this?

To be successful at eating optimally for your body it is helpful to know why you are doing what you are doing and to get comfortable with the decisions you are making regardless of what others are doing.  For me, I made a choice to eat a Vegan diet for spiritual reasons.  I am at peace with this and know that my body will be OK without the animal protein I was told I must consume to be “healthy” by most everyone around me.  I am also OK with the fact that I do not eat 100% raw every day.  Some days I do but many times I do not.  I am very pleased with the amazing changes I have made in my nutritional habits and take one day at a time.  This keeps me enjoying the moment and takes the pressure and stress out of my raw food journey.  After all, I am eating better so feel better not only physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.

There are ways to find out what your particular body needs and ways to feel more at ease about your choices.  The following are things you may want to consider doing in order to help you make wise decisions about your diet:

1.  Save up your money and invest in live blood cell analysis test.  This will provide you with some wonderful information about what is going on with you.  You can’t always trust that feeling good means there is nothing going on in the body that may be harmful.

2.  Consider taking digestive enzymes, vitamin b-12, vitamin D, an omega 3 supplement (they have Vegan options) or other vitamins and supplements you may need.  Going more raw or totally raw is great but most of did some damage prior to this way of eating that took a toll on our bodies and we may need the extra support.

3.  Be curious about how your body responds to certain foods and pay attention to what makes you feel your best.  Avoid things that you have an unpleasant reaction to.

4.  Consult with a nutritionist or Naturopath about parasites and how to rid yourself of them if you have them.  If appropriate, talk to them about taking care of any issues with  candida and other common conditionsthose of us coming off the Standard American Diet suffer from.  Dr. Adiel Tel-Orien suggests doing a stool sample test. You can contact him at ecopolitan.com for information.  He is an expert in treating those with serious medical conditions, but anyone would benefit from this extensive test.  I am hoping to do one this year.

5.  Look into getting colonics and participating in a detox program that is right for what is happening in your body.

6.  Avoid judging yourself or others about your food choices.  Remain curious with love and get in the habit of making wiser choices for yourself as you learn what is best for you…Put your Knowledge into Action!

7.  Continue to educate yourself about optimal nutrition.  Be open to new ideas for yourself and avoid “all or nothing” thinking.  For some great nutritional information see:  thetruthaboutyourfood.com; they are several lectures Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren put together and they are very informative and worth your while.

Parting words: Regardless of what you are consuming I believe it is so important to eat in a relaxed manner…slowly, mindfully, and with a great deal of gratitude and love.

I am now off to decorate the key lime pie I made for Rick’s birthday.  I will have the recipe on the site soon.  I can’t wait to try it as it looks and smells so good!  And I will be sure to savor each bite as I eat with love and celebrate my darling Rick!

Blessings to you all until next time,

Katy JOy

Do I Only Eat Raw Food? What Do I Eat?

A couple of great questions recently came to me on RawPeople.com asking if  I only eat raw food and what do I eat?

These are questions I get often so I thought I might as well devote this week’s blog post to answering them.

Do I only eat Raw?

No.  I eat mostly raw and living Vegan foods.  I really avoid getting into what percentage of raw I eat.  I feel that it can come across as being an elitist and possibly make others feel alienated.   I also feel it puts pressure on myself that I don’t find helpful.  I eat mostly raw and living Vegan foods.  The other foods that are not raw include:  quinoa, brown rice,slightly steamed veggies, mana bread, sprouted grain tortillas, maple syrup, pre-made almond milk,vegannaise, lentil soup (or other Vegan soups), nutritional yeast, and hummus.   Sometimes I go out for a Vegan meal and I will have fresh guacamole with corn tortillas and hot carrots.  Yesterday I went to a Vegan Mexican restaurant and I had a spinach and mushroom enchilada made with a corn tortilla and topped with a fresh tomato sauce;  it was cooked.   I don’t do this often but at times I enjoy a hot vegan meal.  I made a conscious choice not to drink alcohol several years ago as it did not make me feel good on many levels.  I drink herbal teas but stay away from coffee and other drinks that contain caffeine.  I prepare most of my food at home and seldom eat out like I used to because I like to be in control of what I consume. 

What do I eat? 

Lots of salads, green juices, green smoothies, all kinds of veggies, fruit, seeds, all kind of sprouts, some nuts.  For an idea of what you can do with raw food to make meals see our recipe section on RawPeople.com as most of them were created by me.  I always have things soaking and spouting in the kitchen.  I do not use a microwave and my oven is filled with dehydrator trays.  I like to make raw soups that I slightly heat and other meals that I warm up in the winter time.    I usually have some fun snacks on hand that I have prepared on the weekend for the week.  I do my best to eat what is in season and support my local farmers by shopping at the farmer’s market.  I buy organic and put a raised bed garden on my side yard this past year so I can grow my own food.

There is a frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) section on RawPeople.com on the front page that address what most raw foodist eats.  I think, by definition, a raw foodist  is someone who eats 75% or more raw foods in their diet.  By this definition, I guess you would say I am a raw foodist.  I just like to say that I eat as many raw Vegan foods as I can.  It makes me feel good physically, emotionally, and  spiritually.

I hope this clarifies things a bit.

Have a great week everyone!  I am off to make some taco “meat” for my tasty tacos.  Look for the recipe in the March Newsletter.  Also…if you are looking for a great Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu, I have prepared a very special dinner that will be featured in our February newsletter coming out in early February.  To sign up for the newsletter just go to the main page of RawPeople.com.  We plant three trees in your name and you will receive a little recipe book.

Blessings,

Katy Joy

Raw Spirit Retreat, Maui

Rick and I were fortunate enough to participate in the last Raw Spirit Festival event for 2009 in Maui.  While she may have had some set backs during the Summer events, Happy Oasis ended strong with this beautiful gathering.  

 I found Maui to generate a great deal of Mother energy.  I also found myself sitting on the ground most of the time because I could feel this loving vibration below me, comforting me, healing me, soothing me, and reminding me “All is Well in my World!” 

The event took place on a campground at the beach.  It was a simple setting filled with lots of love and a sense of community.  My fellow attendees ranged in age from 83 all the way down to 6 months.   It really warmed my heart to see kids attending the food demonstrations and asking questions.  I was graced by an adorable 3 year old, Anja, joining me for the afternoon yoga.  She announced “I really need this because my back is hurting!”  There is nothing like the spirit of a child to bring you into the pleasure of the moment.  She brought many smiles to my face during the trip.  (I’ll hopefully have a picture of us doing yoga up soon…my camera went on the brink when I returned)

The peopole of Maui demonstrated a very kind and generous spirit.  The local farmers brought food for us to enjoy while others blessed us with yoga classes, music, foraging lessons.  We even got invited to caravan up to a local farm that Jeromy Saffron (of Dragon Yoga) owns.  He showed us clay on the land that heals the body (we were rubbing it all over ourselves). We pulled up ripe yucans to cut open and eat on the spot.  I tasted some exotic fruits and local green leaves I had never heard of before.  I can see why people love to go foraging for meals. 

My intention for the trip was to leave behind some stress I allowed to build up during 2009.  The last day of the retreat I got an acro massage, aka “flying.”  You’ll know why once you experience it…what a wonderful high!    The minute I was launched up into the air by a beautiful goddness named Mist, I felt a rush of joy come over me.  It was as if I was suspended in space, light and free and totally in the moment.  I started laughing uncontrollably and then Star started laughing with me.  Mother Maui honored my desire to release unwanted tension and I was so grateful to start 2010 with deep belly laughing. 

Locals were bringing coconuts by the truck load to wack open and pass out.  People were gathering together in groups to sing and play their instruments while others were out playing in the water.  It was low key and so nice to be apart of such a wonderful community setting.  There was a loose schedule that included yoga, lectures, food demos, dancing, and music. 

I am very grateful to Happy for creating a loving Healing Oasis for us all to gather in for a week of raw bliss.

Once I get my camera working, I’ll be sure to post some pictures.  My phone broke while I was there as well.  I believe it was Mother Maui’s way of getting my full attention to be in the present moment with Her and all the other beautiful people there.

Aloha,

Katy Joy

Raw For Life

I felt inspired to jot a few thoughts down before I go to bed and call it a day.  I was glancing over the newsletter that Matt and Angela Monarch sent out today.  Angela said she was on her 27th day of a juice feast and loving it.  I started to wonder if I “should” be challenging myself to do that.  I then thought about where I am at on my raw journey and reminded myself of a couple of things:

1.  I am adding in more green juices and smoothies all the time and it feels good just to do that.  I can be satisfied with that if I allow myself to be.  I choose to be satisfied with what I am currently doing.

2.  When I only juice or fast I get a bit pre occupied with wanting to be thinner and it takes the focus off of the true health benefits.  I used to starve myself many years ago then binge and for some reason fasting can trigger unpleasant memories and feelings.

3.  My schedule is very demanding right now and creating live meals in the kitchen is a great stress reliever for me.  I don’t want to take this stress relieving option away from myself right now. 

 I reminded myself that I am Raw For Life and I have plenty of time to do a juice feast or more fasting in the future.  I realized I have been putting undue pressure on myself to do cleansing and fasting.  Tonight I release myself from this tension within.  I choose to allow myself to listen to what I need and honor my body wisdom.  My body knows exactly what it needs.  All I have to do is listen and do what it asks.  I hope you do the same.

Save yourself the wasted energy on comparing yourself to others.  It only causes suffering.  I am just going to end my day being grateful for eating better than I ever have in my life!

I hope you make time to remember the wonderful benefits of eating live foods and how your life continues to be transformed.

Night night,

Katy Joy