Fun news!

Next Monday will mark my 40th year around the sun. It is a bittersweet moment for me. My father, as well as many relatives have had heart attacks before they reached 40. I have inheredited the same cholesterol disorder, but I feel the Lord is watching over me, and has led me down the path searching for healing through a healthier lifestyle instead of pills & procedures through doctors and hospitals.

I appreciate doctors though. They do serve us when we need it, for emergencies and urgencies, but not diseases and disorders. Those cannot be covered with bandaids in bottles. This is where we need to search and find the answers to healing our own problems.

I am excited to offer all my e-books from my site www.rawstepbystep.com for only $4.95, and to those who order all 6 e-books, they will receive the Health Journey PDF chart absolutely FREE.

I am also happy to be able to offer a raw food service by donation to those living in the area. If you are interested, or would like to have an item shipped to where you live, please send an e-mail to info@rawstepbystep.com and I will send you the monthly menu.

Almonds are our friends!

Mandatory Almond Pasteurization

This has become a hot topic in the past few weeks within the raw and living foods community. The Almond Board has issued an "Action Plan" (see - http://www.almondboard.com/Programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=890&snItemNumber=450) that later this year all almonds (with a few exceptions) must be pasteurized, and there will be no indication on the label.

Why is this a big deal, you may ask? Because consumers will be lead to believe that they are purchasing viable almonds. Once the nut has been denatured, it cannot be sprouted. The almond is dead vs. living. This means that the nutrients and enzymes have been compromised and your body will not recognize it in the same way that it recognizes a truly raw, sproutable almond.

The reason for this plan is from 2 incidences of salmonella occuring from raw almonds. 2 incidences. If you can imagine for a moment the number of incidences of bacteria from undercooked meats, eggs, fish and the recent problems with spinach. All of these foods are still being sold in their raw, fresh forms.

Part of the problem is that almost all almonds will be pasteurized, and the other problem is that the almond packages will still indicate "raw" on them. Pasteurization is clearly a heat process, which dentures and compromises all living nutrients.

Here is a petition requesting that unpasteurized almonds should remain available, and that almonds that are pasteurized should be labled as such: http://www.gopetition.com/online/11754.html

Here is the e-mail address to the Almond Board: rule@almondboard.com

I was off my feet for a day after pulling my hip out in taekwondo the other day. I took my lap top in bed with me and got a lot of work accomplished that I had been putting off for a couple of months now. It took an amazing and relatively short amount of time to accomplish what I had been putting off for so long!

Procrastination takes a lot more time and energy than action.

Keep that in mind when you are thinking about taking action about your health. There is no better time than now to take control of things in your life and go for it. Then once you do, it is so easy, that it is hard to fathom how or why you procrastinated about it in the first place!

What are you eating?

"Sharon - I did so well today on my food intake, you are going to be so proud of me!"

"Whadya eat?" I ask with excitement.

"Well, first, on the way to work I went over to Jiffy Juice and got a smoothie - oh it was so yummy and sweet!"

"Oh really - that sounds great - what was in it?" I wonder.

"Well, there were strawberries in there, and some juice, and they put a scoop of this bright colored powder, and then I think - oh, ya, there was vanilla frozen yogurt in there. Doesn't that sound great?"

"Ummm...doesn't sound like you had much fruit in there!" I say.

**Juice from smoothie joints are often pasteurized. Frozen yogurt contains refined sugar and additives and there is a lot of sugar and artificial flavorings in the powders that are often used. Sometimes fruit in syrup is used as well. Be sure to ask what is fresh and for dairy and sugar-free smoothies**

"Anyway, whadya have for lunch?" I inquire.

"Oh, this is where I was REALLY good. I got this huge salad at the restaurant. Oh, it was so wonderful!"

"Wow, a salad!" I say "That's great! What kind of salad was it?"

"Oh it was a beautiful green salad with all kinds of veggies, but there was some chicken on it."

"Oh, chicken?" I say "What else was on there?" I start wondering suspiciously.

"That was the worst thing - just the chicken, oh there were some croutons and cheese - but that wasn't a big deal - right?"

"Um, okay. Well what about the dressing?" I ask.

"Oh, I just got ranch dressing - I figured since I got a salad, I was so good that I deserved some ranch!"

**Restaurants often offer salads that are no more than a regular unhealthy meal dumped in a bowl full of greens. Restaurant salads usually contain plenty of meat, cheese and noodles or croutons, and the dressings are full of fat, refined sugar and salt, and additives. People are fooling themselves if they believe that a standard entree sized restaurant salad is a healthier option than a meal. The best thing to order in a restaurant is an entree sized GARDEN salad, with everything on the side. This way you can be sure of getting everything you want and nothing you don't!**

"Well - what about your dinner" I am hoping my friend has redeemed herself here.

"I had a veggie burrito! Well, I know that wasn't all raw, but it was healthy, right?"

"Let me guess - the burrito had cheese and sour cream, right?" I ask

"How'd you know? It was a veggie burrito though!"

"Somehow I had a feeling!" I laugh.

"Well," My friend says "you make it sound like I didn't eat very well now," sulking.

"It's a learning process" I patiently answered.

"Well, you'll be really happy how I ended my day. I had a whole bag of baby carrots..." my friend cautiously tells me.

"Well, that was probably the healthiest thing you ate all day! Congratulations!" I pat my friend on the back.

**Some people believe that if they make a juice or have some fruit or veggies in addition to their normal standard fare they really are eating "healthy". While doing this is a step in the right direction, they are still eating their cheeseburgers, pizza, and other damaging foods which are not health-promoting.

Even though it is a process, be sure to look are your WHOLE MENU. If you are eating animal products or cooked food on a daily basis, you may need to re-think or readjust your diet. Even if you are not ready to eat 100% raw or 100% vegan, at least eliminate some of the damaging food from your diet 80% of the time, that way you are working toward your goal.

We can't get the results we want if we don't change**

Exciting news here for 2007! Just finished our Four-week Health Journey chart! You can check out the video here:

http://www.rawstepbystep.com/healthjourney.php

Also we put out a groovy gallery of recipe photos from the E-book. Here's the link for that one:

http://www.rawstepbystep.com/recipeimages.php

Our first newsletter should be out in the next day or so. If you haven't signed up for it yet, just head over to www.rawstepbystep.com.

Some thought-provoking comics...










See more at: http://www.newstarget.com/index-cartoons.html

Raw any way you like it

Note - I had written this earlier this year. I had it on my RawkyMountainHealth site. This is a good reminder of not to be too strict or too liberal when you are eating. It is so easy to go either way, that you can get frustrated or carried away with what you are doing, just a reminder that balance is the key here!

---

One thing I have seen on many specific raw discussion groups is the mindset that there is one type of way to eat raw which works for every body.

You may notice that there are 2 different examples (for the most part) people going raw use who tend not to stick with it too long:

1) Eating simple and mono-mealing -

Strictly fruits and vegetables with small amounts of fats like avocados, and nuts and seeds; sometimes eating one type of food at a meal.

In this instance, it may be too extreme for some to go from a complicated cooked diet to such a simple one.

Eating too simply too fast in the beginning may leave a newbie bored or hungry for more complex foods that was eaten before starting raw.

A person can be used to eating small portions of dense foods like cooked animal products, grains and fats which are very filling, and not be used eating enough fresh plant food to fill themselves up.

However, for others, this works well IF their diet was already uncomplicated and hassle-free.

It requires almost no prep time, and can be easily adapted to most any situation away from home. This diet would enable a person to heal from disease and lose weight rapidly.

2) Wildcard diet -

Eat what you want as long as it's raw - eating heavier, richer seasoned foods, commonly using recipes as meals, not centering meals around fresh whole plant foods.

The second type of diet can really set up a person to start craving cooked food as many of these recipes mimic a favorite cooked dish, such as burgers, pizzas, cakes, etc.

The term "eat it as long as it's raw" can also be confusing to a newbie who doesn't quite grasp what raw food actually is. Some people tend to over eat "raw" things like nut butters, nuts, oils, "raw" energy bars, etc. instead of using fresh foods, thinking that they are health promoting. Many seasonings and condiments are used to appease a cooked palette.

It can be expensive between the equipment, ingredients and waste of a recipe that doesn't turn out well. Or it can keep a person's cravings alive, eventually leading them back to cooked foods.

However this can work well with those who need to be filled up if they are used to over-eating and/or eating dense or fast foods, and are actually able go through the process of moving on to simpler foods without turning back to cooked food. Detox and healing is slower and more comfortable.


In my years of raw food experience, I started off with the 2nd instance with much recipe-making and it has backfired. Moving on to simpler foods didn't happen with me, and I went through a lot of money on those recipes. The same thing has happened to most people I know trying the same route.

Now I have seen it work with a few people, so I know it is possible. But they are few and far between. There have been those who have tried the simpler way and have had problems as well. Many have stayed on the diet and had great results, but then crashed and burned in a matter of months.

Yet there have been many people who have come from a higher fat, recipe heavy "as long as it's raw" type of raw diet, gone off the diet, and then started back on raw using the simpler lower fat style with great success.

Many people I've found do not want to even try the raw food diet for two reasons:

1. They don't want to try it because they are turned off by the thought of only eating fruit and salads.

2. They are turned off or intimidated by the high cost and time of doing all those recipes.

If you are not sure which way to go, I suggest trying a balance -

eat what you want as long as it's FRESH (meaning something you find in the produce section, or has recently been picked off a plant),

and if you run into problems like cravings or wanting more or different, then try a simple recipe or two, and halve the recipe so that you don't spend too much money or time on something that you might not end up liking.

Give yourself a limit on the amounts of dense dehydrated foods like nuts and recipes. You might want to portion them out into bags so you don't get into a cycle of daily overeating non-fresh foods.

In conclusion, I don't believe that eating whatever you want as long as it's raw with wild abandon works for most people in the long term.

I believe that people who work toward a goal and incorporate some kind of control and/or discipline end up getting what they want out of any kind of dietary and lifestyle change.

"It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop" - Confucius

Last words of advice - even though you may change the road that leads to your destination, try your best not to stop or go back the other way. Just keep charging ahead and keep your eye on the prize. You may chose to take a few extra steps along the way, or take a couple of short-cuts, or even sit down and rest, but don't let that stop you from getting there.


Sharon Oliver ©2006

Advice to the hosts and guests on Thanksgiving!




It has come to my attention, as it does every year, that many people on a raw or vegan diet are now cringing about going to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. And many people hosting traditional Thanksgiving dinners are now cringing about having to prepare something for the vegan or raw foodist coming to your dinner.

Firstly, let us all remember what this holiday represents.

We give thanks for the freedoms that our forefathers worked so hard at attaining.

We also give thanks for everything we've been blessed with and those we love and cherish.

We also give thanks for having food on the table.

Are we specific about the kind of food? No, we are just thankful that we have food to eat!

So here are a few words of advice to the host/ess:

1) Please don't feel offended if one of your guests won't eat the food you've worked so hard at preparing.

2) There is no need to ask why they are eating this way, where do they get their protein or calcium, or pressure the person not wanting the food. Maybe they don't care for the food, maybe they have an allergy, or maybe there's a health reason behind it, but don't allow it to bother you!

3) Be sure to offer fresh food, at least a nice green salad with fresh vegetables (things like croutons, meats and cheese would be better on the side), and at least some fresh fruit. This way everyone at the table can enjoy the food.

4) There's no need to obsess over a guest who might look like they are not eating enough. Trust me, it is much more uncomfortable for the guest who is made the center of attention because their eating choices are different from everyone else's.

And here are a few words of advice to guests:

1) Ahead of time, casually let the host/ess know you eat mostly fresh fruits and vegetables. The word "raw" confuses most people and the host/ess may try to make some kind of elaborate raw dish which may not go over well.

2) Offer to bring a big salad or a fruit plate to share.

3) Do not make comments about how unhealthy everyone else's food is.

4) If someone asks you the protein question, Dr. Doug Graham suggests just telling them you feel great and you really never thought about it. The last thing you want to do is get into a big debate. If you get questioned a lot let them know you'd love to talk about it later.

Above all, just enjoy one another. When everyone is happy and relaxed the tension will be eased all around.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do you feel like you are deficient in something?

A look into deficiency vs. dependency.

I feel led to address this very issue because it's a concern I see so often when people are ready to embark or are starting out on raw, fresh foods.

Usually it goes like this:

"When I stop eating meat, I feel like I need to eat protein, so then I eat some meat and immediately I feel better."

"If I stop using this special oil or supplement I feel terrible, I have pains, and I'm weak, so I need to keep taking the supplement so I don't feel this way, which I know is a deficiency".

"I have to eat an egg every day otherwise I don't feel right".

When something cooked or not particularly natural or fresh for human consumption is removed from our diets that we have probably been eating for most of our lives, and especially have been eating on an everyday basis, we will experience heavy withdrawal symptoms.

Take coffee.

If you are a heavy or daily coffee drinker and remove it from your diet, what is usually going to happen?

You are going to have a withdrawal symptom from lack of coffee consumption, usually a very bad headache.

Why is this?

Because your body has become dependent on the substance and it actually requires you to coninutally eat or drink it in order for you to feel like "yourself" which is actually a lie. The body becomes accustomed to what its been given. You have conditioned your body to feel normal or even peppy by drinking your daily cup of joe.

Now, you know how to get rid of that headache immediately? Of course! Have a cup of coffee and your headache will be gone. Does that mean that your body was deficient of a nutrient?

Of course not!

Maybe it was deficient of COFFEE...but that isn't an essential nutrient you need in order to live, correct?

In the same way, taking away cooked food, animal products, grains, refined sugar, chocolate, alcohol or even certain supplements that you were once using daily is going to cause a withdrawal symptom. Maybe a headache, maybe nausea, maybe dizziness.

"But I just know I'm deficient because I just feel like I neeeeed this substance in my body because it is giving me SOMETHING my body needs", you may say.

Here are a couple of sure-fire ways to find out the truth if you absolutely think that your body needs something:

1) Take a blood test to see if you are really deficient in the said nutrient.

2) Take the substance out of your diet for 3 weeks. See how you feel. Actually record it so you remember how you felt the first 3 days that you stopped ingesting it vs. the end of the 3 weeks.

You'll know based on the blood test, or how you feel at the end of 3 weeks if you are really lacking something essential.

Natural, whole, fresh plant food in its raw state are going to give you the PERFECT amounts of optimal nutrients in their optimal state for your body. Nothing else can or will. Supplements that have been extracted, concentrated and processed may not even be recognizable or useable in your body.

Just knowing that your body can function optimally without the need for supplementation or other products can really save you a lot of money and peace of mind.

When life gives you snow....

We had a huge snow storm just a couple of days ago. I woke up to a snow covered view outside my window. It continued to snow all day long. And we couldn't leave the house as the snow was just too deep for our little car.

I think in my SAD (Standard American Diet) days had we run out of bread or an animal product like milk there might have been panic.

Oh no, there's no milk, there's no bread, whatever will do? I can just imagine being the thought of concern.

Even though the family is not totally vegetarian like myself, they are accustomed to having fruit meals and many vegetarian meals, that running out of something like that is no big deal. In fact, creativity occurs at a higher rate when there is a limited selection of food in the house.

My son put a large bowl outside and collected some fresh snow. We had some great snow cones with strawberry sauce. Made me think of the saying - "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"... so when life gave us snow, we made snow cones!

The next day it was 68 degrees F again and most of it melted off. The kids had a blast sledding and making snow people on the rooftop.

The moral of all this is, don't only make the best of what you have, but have fun with it. I think people often feel like they are "settling"with what they have been "given". We create our own environment, really, so have a blast and enjoy life, whether you've been given lemons or snow.

A life of abundance is possible in any circumstance. Who is to say a family living on the street feels any less abundant than a family living in a Bel Air mansion?

It is all in the perception of how fulfilled and thankful you are, not what you've been given.