OCTOBER 20- RawFu on Oprah.com! WELCOME OPRAH VISITORS!

[Bunny Berry]

Today I would like to welcome some very special guests that we may have visiting the site today from Oprah.com. One of Harpo's wonderful producers, Erin J. Shea, wrote an article about the raw food diet, and featured our RawFu community. You can read the article here: http://www.oprah.com/article/health/nutrition/20091020-orig-raw-foo...

If you are already a member of RawFu, please take this chance to welcome Oprah's website visitors, and also to tell them how a raw and living diet has changed your waistline and your lifestyle!

GO RAWFU! It is because of your love and commitment to this community and this lifestyle that we are able to bring the message about raw and living foods to a popular mainstream audience. Thank you, my lovelies! This is for YOU!

RawFu Video Blogging All Stars: Lowanna, RawDawg Rory

Other Great Raw Food Websites Created by RawFu Members:
Chef Matthew Kenney: www.matthewkenneycuisine.com
Dhrumil: www.WeLikeItRaw.com
Philip McCluskey: www.LovingRaw.com
Angela Stokes-Monarch: www.RawReform.com
Kriss Carr: www.CrazySexyCancer.com
Chef Frank Giglio: www.FrankGiglio.com
Kevin Gianni: www.RenegadeHealth.com
Chef Be Live: www.allstable.net/clients/belive/
Helen & Jeff Rose: www.naturalzing.com
Matt Monarch: www.rawsuccess.org
Chef Elaina Love: www.purejoylivingfoods.com/

[Debra]

Cool - I think this is a great subject for Oprah...

This is about more than raw food for me. It's about taking a step back and understanding how food is produced in this country. Understanding how modern food production deviates from God's original plan for food - which is whole, unprocessed, natural and sustainable. It's about understanding Genetically Modified Foods and the agricultural and medial cartels that profit from a dysfunctional system that messes with Mother Nature and creates disease.

It's about understanding the difference between whole, unprocessed food and processed food that promotes itself as healthy because individual nutrients have been added or subtracted.

It's about understanding how food marketing and design is more about addiction than nutrition.

Since eating more raw I have recovered from muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, experienced less emotional turmoil and increased energy. I sometimes treat my self to 'standard' food but on a day to day basis, this way of eating is definitely the way to go.

[Rayvin Nyte]

Welcome anyone visiting from Oprah.com or anywhere else. Raw Food has given me a lot more energy. Helped me lose weight and got rid of the daily headaches I used to get. I also had a few skin tags on my neck that are gone! Health is vital to life, why do many of us put it last on our lists?

Work On Wellness
Rayvin Nyte

[Jenni]

This is wonderful! Welcome Oprah visitors!

I am definitely a "one toe in the water" kind of girl with raw food. But before I would sometimes go days without eating any fruits or veggies, and now I always eat some fruit AND veggies every day. Even a 10% increase in raw foods can make you feel much better!

Have a great day!!
Jenni

Some of my raw journey can be viewed at rawkyoulikeahurricane.blogspot.com

[Sharon Hoehner]

Here's a few benefits of eating raw:

-it's really fast to prepare a meal (more time to do fun stuff)
-far less dishes--no more scrubbing pots!
-cuts down on the electricity bill
-reduces landfill and creates healthy compost instead of garbage
-reduces or eliminates medical bills
-reduce salt consumption since food tastes good in it's natural state
-save rainforest by eating nuts instead of it being destroyed to make way for cattle
-you don't consume mercury because you don't consume fish and bottom-dwellers like shellfish
-more energy since our bodies aren't burdened with the chore of digestion
-no farting once you get through the initial switchover
-no more stinky bowel movements
-more time to play and live since your sleep requirements will be lessened
-a better sense of taste and smell
-better mood since there are no toxins that irritate us (even less if you eat organic) as with packaged foods
-ever heard of a raw foodist who got cancer?
-animals will like you more--this sounds weird but it seems to be a very common side-effect of eating vegan--I guess they can sense it

Those are a few benefits. Most people will also experience a healthier weight although we do need to watch out for eating too much fat in the way of nuts and seeds. Best to consume fruits and veggies and greens with small quantities of nuts or seeds versus heavy raw recipes.

I was more successful going raw once I used NCD to detoxify heavy metals. A person who is really burdened with mercury as I was may find that the detox symptoms of going 100% raw are too much to deal with. NCD is alkalizing, removes heavy metals and is used by the top teachers in the raw food world especially when losing weight since it captures and removes dangerous toxins from the body. My website for that is www.detoxqueen.com.

[Jenny]

Welcome, welcome, welcome Oprah visitors!! So happy to have you visit this site. Eighteen years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though I was a vegetarian, it still did not keep me from contracting this potentially deadly disease, probably due to the fact that most of the veggies I ate were cooked and denatured. At that point, I started reading about the benefits of raw foods and just about overnight became a raw foodist with most of my meals consisting of around 75 percent and upward raw. And what a blessing it is to be here 18 years later!! If you are struggling with any chronic illnesses or diseases, I hope you will educate yourself about the raw lifestyle and give it a try. And being a member of this community, is a wonderful place to start. A big WELCOME to you!!!!

Jenny

[Debi]

Great article! Welcome Oprah Readers!! Glad to have you on board for the day.!

Since returning to the United States and becoming a health practitioner I've been on a path to help peopld find a more natural way of healing and eating. I've found in my practice that food and nutrition are the key to great health. Most diseases are caused by inflammation in the body and the best way to get rid of inflammation is to get rid of the foods that can cause them and replace them with foods that are full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and life. Not something that has been grown in infertile soil, fed a chemical diet and them moved to a plant to be turned into something it is not, adding more chemicals to make it stable, and then putting it on a shelf or in a refrigerated section with an expiration date.

So my journey to raw evolved over a period of time and it wasn't about a specific health problem for me. I was introduced to raw food approximately 5 years ago when I was picking up a CSA share. I thought it was kind of interesting but then didn't pay much attention to it. As time went on I had clients ask about a raw food diet so I started looking into it and around the same time some raw food classes were starting in my community. So I gave it a try. I played around with raw for about a year or so and the more I ate raw the less desire I had for animal products and I didn't even want to taste it. I then moved into still doing mainly raw but occassionally having cooked grains, steamed veggies, and cooked beans. A little over 3 years ago I went pretty much 90 percent raw and have stayed that way. Since eating more raw I've noticed more energy, better skin, my sleep is incredible, and clearer thinking.

I've taken it another step further and am currently on a 92 day juicefeast. Since starting the juicing I've had improvements in all areas of my life sleep, energy, clarity, and since I've been raw I've lost a total of 30 pounds. I've also noticed that I don't have any of the little aches and pains that a lot of people get when they start to be my age. I'm also almost 50 years old and no drugs for me. Most people my age are on at least 3 by now.

Deborah Farley, L. Ac., CHHC

www.acupunctureclinicofrichmond.com
www.debifarley.com

[Nathan Maingard]

WELL DONE! it's beautiful to see that the fun which is raw can be shared with more and more!
How has raw changed my life? Well, i've got more energy, am happier, think clearer, have faster reflexes, am more in tune with the universe and the life force which we all share.
i have a LOT more FUN!
Love and light to you all:)

[Lori]

Hey Oprah fans! Welcome! Here is my video I created to share my transformation on the 100 day Raw Fu Challenge.
Once you go raw you may stray here and there, but you will always come back to it!
Best of wishes,
Lori
www.Inspire2Act.blogspot.com

[amysue]

So fantastic to see Bunny on oprah.com! This week I helped a friend go off gluten and onto more raw foods after she suspected her diet might be contributing to her health issues, and her debilitating arthritis pain went away in three days. She went from hobbling around to running with her dog - in a week! It's such a thrill to see this kind of change that you just want to share the info and help others escape from their pain and suffering. I've been raw for over two years and it just keeps getting better.

[Bunny Berry]

Oh my gosh, amysue, THANK YOU for helping her get off of the gluten. That was my exact experience. 3 days without the gluten, and ALL of my pain was gone. It still is! I got my life back because of it. Good for you. You are a true friend.

amysue said:

So fantastic to see Bunny on oprah.com! This week I helped a friend go off gluten and onto more raw foods after she suspected her diet might be contributing to her health issues, and her debilitating arthritis pain went away in three days. She went from hobbling around to running with her dog - in a week! It's such a thrill to see this kind of change that you just want to share the info and help others escape from their pain and suffering. I've been raw for over two years and it just keeps getting better.

[Angelique]

Welcome Oprah.com readers!
You might want to see pg 81 of the November O magazine, where raw food coach Beatrice Johnston is featured. As you can see, raw food looks great on her!

I personally feel SOOO grateful for the changes in my life since eating more raw foods and learning so much about the raw food lifestyle. I have a long list of medical issues that went away, things I didn't even consider a remedy for, just thought they were part of getting older or genetics. Really amazing stuff. (see an interview of me on Beatrice's blog, http://www.rawpathways.com at the end of this month for more details)

The energy and overall happiness are beyond believable for me and have truly changed my life.

The best part is that I feel like raw adds more fun and excitement to my life -- is not about "giving up" things.
It doesn't feel like a diet. It's a positive choice I easily make each day.

One thing I noticed is that there are lots of fun raw items to buy online (from raw nuts to sweeteners and everything in between) but that it was not easy to figure out who's got the best prices or where to get some things. So I started a new site, www.rawshopper.com as a service to the community, a price-comparison site that helps show where to get things and who's got the best prices.

My attempt to give back for all that raw has done for me!

Note: pls check it over the next few weeks/months as it will be receiving a facelift with LOTS more info and enhancements, and a really great freebie!

Best wishes to all who are currently on a raw journey, and to all who are considering taking some steps toward an amazing future!

Angelique
[e-mail]
www.rawshopper.com

[Lisa Viger]

becoming vegan and becoming raw has changed my life in every way there is to be changed ... i can't really separate out what changed what, but ...

i've lost weight, have no acid reflux or heartburn, no aches, no pains, i'm much more calm and just feel pretty tranquil and basically blissed out most of the time ... everything is better and more vibrant (it's not just me, i feel like the sun is brighter, smells are more intense, colors are more alive) ... my stamina is something i'm still testing the limits on ... it's unbelievable to me, i just don't get tired ... i can walk, run, exercise, dance, etc., for hours without fatigue ... i don't get tired or groggy in the afternoon any more ... my hormones have been more balanced, my skin has become SO soft ... i've had plantar warts disappear, i'm never constipated (is that tmi? lol) ... my eyes are clear ... my sinuses are totally open and clear ... i get no tartar buildup on my teeth ... i could probably list a thousand things that have improved ... i haven't converted my adult children to vegan or raw yet (working on it!), but my grandchildren will choose raw vegan food over anything else, every single time ... they beg for avocados and will ignore happy meals

& the raw food community is awesome, too ... like this place that bunny has made such a supportive place to be ... and there's now MANY places online and in real life to find raw and vegan products and connection

it doesn't have to cost a fortune either, to eat this way ... i keep track of the cost and nutrition of a typical raw day, with recipes and menus, at
Raw on $10 a Day (or Less!)

this book, more than any other, changed the way i look at food, animals, spirituality and life in general
The World Peace Diet (there's a free download for the book in pdf format there)

and finally, being vegan and adopting a life of vegan values has changed the way i interact with the world around me and how i view ALL my fellow earthling .. this movie may just change your life as well ...
Earthlings

xoxo :)