raweugene

The following are the introductions used in our latest Raw Empowerment Group in Eugene. We were inspried by Victoria Boutenko's 12 step concept as it applies to raw foods, but as her book, 12 Steps to Raw Foods was not yet published, we kind of made it up as we went along. Here, then, is what we came up with. Keep in mind, we read them in a group setting, although they still have tremendous value to help you cover all the bases that NEED to be covered as you make a transition to a raw food diet. Good luck!!!

12 STEPS TO A RAW FOODS DIET

1. I believe that live vegan food is the most natural diet for a human being.

2. I acknowledge that the addictive power of cooked food controls my food choices and my life.

3. I shall make a searching and fearless inventory of the real reasons for seeking comfort and pleasure from

cooked foods.

4. Realizing that the thought and feeling tone I hold on any subject has creative power, I focus my energies

positively, imagining myself successful in all areas of my raw food lifestyle.

5. I shall gain necessary skills, learn basic raw recipes and obtain equipment to prepare live food.

6. I shall live in harmony with people who eat cooked food.

7. I shall avoid temptations.

8. I shall create support for myself and provide support to other raw fooders.

9. I shall find activities or hobbies that affirm my new lifestyle.

10. I shall engage in regular physical exercise.

11. I shall let my intuition guide me in all areas of my life.

12. I am restored to clarity as I experience spiritual awakening.

Step 1: I believe that raw vegan food is the most natural diet for a human being.

Here are Richard's introductory remarks :

"According to Webster's Dictionary, the word "natural' is defined by the following:

1. Of or dealing with nature. 2. Produced in nature; not artificial. 3. Innate; not acquired. 4. True to nature; lifelike. 5. free from affectation.

Take a moment to relax and think about these ideas:

What does it mean to be natural? To recognize and connect with our own natural selves?

What would a natural life look like? Have I ever experienced myself or someone else being completely natural? What seems most natural about a human life?

Brief sharing: in a word or two, tell us what you see in life that is natural: living, free, spontaneous, artful, playful, honest, open, friendly

When introducing this step, Victoria related her story about encountering a cow or chicken when one is hungry. Does our mouth water? Do we want to eat the cow as we look at it? No. We are more likely to feel drawn to pet the cow. Animals naturally elicit an affinity response from us rather than one of desire for food.

Also consider the natural tools other animals have to assist them in capturing and devouring their prey. The often run very fast and move quickly. They have sharp teeth for tearing skin and flesh; and their digestive tract is much shorter than a human's . These traits all enable the animals to ingest and digest other animals quickly and thoroughly.

A human being has no such tools for feeding the human body. When we see a ripe strawberry in the morning sunlight, red ripe with dew upon it, our moth does water. We have the gentle touch and dexterity of our fingers to reach out and tenderly pluck the fruit from the vine without causing even so much as a bruise upon it.

Our teeth are built for grinding and chopping our food; and our digestive system is long enough to allow our body to extract all the nutrition available from the plants we eat. Is it a coincidence that our stomach is the approximate size of a mango or avocado and so many other fruits? Look at how comfortable a mango or an avocado fits into our hand.

When we become "raw", we feel closer to nature. The trees and the water become sources of peace and serenity for us. We are drawn to the outdoors and to the countryside. It becomes easier to be still and to meditate. We become more aware of the stresses in our old way of living and we want to move away from them."

Richard ends by saying, "The live vegan food way of eating becomes a doorway to rediscovering our connection with our natural selves and the natural ways all around us."

I present the following handout in further support of this premise. (anatomy chart from pp. 435-437 of Sunfood Diet Success System by David Wolfe ) Note especially numbers 1, 4, 9,and 13-16. (discuss briefly: teeth, shape of face, intestines, acidity/alkalinity of body fluids, cooling methods). From this and other evidence, it seems clear that the natural design of our human bodies would indicate a raw vegan diet. I doubt that you disagree with this.

Another way to examine this issue is look at the resultant health status of people who follow different diets and which group enjoys the most naturally healthy life. Surely we can recognize by this that the standard American diet is not natural. Folks on this diet tend to be medicated, subject to chronic illness, debilitating disease, depressed and often overweight. These common conditions in his country come about because people eat devitalized, unnatural, dead foods filled with man-made additives that are never found in nature. We feel we need more and more food because what we eat is not satisfying our body's natural hunger for nutrition. We become lethargic and our pastimes are reduced to inactivity and entertainment rather than creativity and participation.

On a cooked food diet we feel normalwe fit in with those around us. But the fact that it is normal to cook food and eat animal products has no bearing on the issue of natural. Remember that it is also normal to have health problems, to deteriorate with age, to lack energy.

After a diet of this, we have lost our sensitivity to the natural way of nourishing ourselves and no longer know what a natural life might be like. Isn't it natural to feel alive and vibrant? Isn't it natural to experience perfect health and vitality as do creatures in the wild? Isn't it natural to experience your place in the oneness that exists in nature? It's also natural to be expressive, open, intuitive, and spiritually connected. And joyful and abundant in all that pleases you. It is natural to feel confident within yourself. To enjoy natural surroundings. In fact, with time, on a raw food diet you will find yourself drawn more and more to the beauty of nature and natural activities and less and less interested in unnatural forms of entertainment such as tv.

So, we each have a choice to make: normal or natural! How do you imagine yourself as a fully natural being? What does it mean to you to be natural? Share with us the choice you are making in your life, how that feels to you, describe your new emergence into a more natural life and self, the challenge of the processfocusing as always on your vision of what you want and what pleases you. Probe as deeply as you can and share as fully as you wishdoing this creates growth and new insights for you. Each time we share like this we are rediscovering the truth for ourselves.

Step 2: I acknowledge that the addictive power of cooked food controls my

food choices and my life.

Step 3: I shall make a searching and fearless inventory of the real reasons for

seeking comfort and pleasure from cooked foods.

I would like to read Richard's introduction:

"Addiction: To give oneself up to a strong habit. (Webster's Dictionary)

We all behave with habits. After all, a habit is merely a usual or customary way of doing something. However, not all our habits are strong habits. And most of our habits are probably controllable by us if we choose to control or modify them.

When we do behave strictly out of strong, uncontrollable habit what is given up? What qualities in ourselves do we set aside when we base our behavior on strong habits?

judgment; good sense; priorities; commitments; self esteem; rightness; health; vitality?

This step introduces us to the possibility that our eating habits are strong habits and at times we give up something of ourselves because of them. Are we aware of this tendency with regards to eating? Would we admit that we are reluctant or even sometimes unable to modify or control certain eating habits?

Do we recognize that cooked food is addictive? According to research into the statistics of some of the leading health centers that promote a living food diet as a part of their program, only 2% of the graduates of these intensive programs stay on a raw food diet. If only because of the health benefits experienced from this diet, why aren't folks staying with the raw diet??

Addiction to food is not a rational process. Food is used for comfort, to cope with social situations, to reduce stress or a distraction from something uncomfortable or painful. When these behaviors remain unexamined and unresolved, they stay in place driving the coping behavior; in this example, they compel us to eat uncontrollably.

Cigarettes and alcohol are known examples of addictive substances. The very first reaction to their use is commonly adverse. The effect on the body's system, dulling the discomfort temporarily, influences us to ignore our negative reactions to their effects. Little by little, we accommodate the ill effects in exchange for the apparent relief from pain. Eventually these substances can kill us.

Cooked food is comparatively quite subtle. Our first experience is right after birth with formula or cooked baby food. We don't even recall our reaction and we were not given a choice. Cooked food kills over a longer time via debilitating disease processes. Typically someone won't commit a crime or cheat on a spouse to support the cooked food habit. Yet their body will just become sick or overweight and develop ailments while they continue to eat and eat, all the while remaining hungry. The right nourishment is not provided. Vitamins, minerals and vital force of the live enzymes are denied the body. And the love and comfort that compelled the food addiction to begin with are nowhere to be found.

Other comments:

Addiction: Habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control (Stedman's Medical Dictionary)

Accepting this more strict definition leads us to apply two aspects of the function of the human body called accommodation and cellular memory.

Accommodation refers to a physiological or systemic adaptation made by the body which allows it to accept and utilize unnatural food substances like cooked food. This accommodation testifies to the body's adaptive ability but results in body responses that influence our future decisions in our choice of foods. We accept that unhealthy foods are in fact, what we are meant to eat, because of the body's craving for that which it mistakenly recognizes as food.

Cellular memory is the organic companion to emotions related to a specific event in our life. Certain events have a strong emotional component that we give enormous meaning to. When these events occur they are often accompanied by the ingestion of comfort food or chemicals. As a part of the accommodation process, the body holds these substances in the cellular tissue throughout the body. When similar emotions are experienced throughout our life, the cellular memory signals the brain of the association with the original food or chemical intake, and the urge to consume these substances over again as a part of the current emotional experience can be overwhelming."

Thank you, Richard!

I personally have experienced the addictive properties of cooked food, which is no doubt why it took me so many years to finally adopt a raw food diet. I know the feeling of despair of ever managing to get on top of my food choices. Of making a decision I was unable to follow through with ten minutes later. I felt like a failure and that made it even harder to move forward.

There seems to be a bit of a moral judgment regarding addiction, isn't there? This makes it hard for us to admit to ourselves that we are in an addictive process.

Before we go on I would like you to share just briefly but honestly, your response to this step. Can you relate to the out of control feeling Step 2 talks about, either now or in your past?

Often we think of an addiction as strictly a chemical issue, but clearly there are many other components, as you are probably discovering for yourself. I have heard that after 2 weeks the chemical addiction has abated, yet still people struggle with avoiding cooked foods. What keeps us coming back for more?? It will help us to find the answer to that!

Giving up any thing brings up issues of deprivation. As soon as we decide we can't have something any more, doesn't that make you want it? And we have strong attachment to our old cooked food habits. In giving up these habits, you are letting go of:

What is familiar

Old and good friends

Sources of pleasure and comfort

Status quo (we resist change)

Social interaction

Entertainment

Warmth (heat connotes emotional warmth)

Protection/defense against uncomfortable feelings

Nurturance

Reward

Peer acceptance (don't want to be different)

What other issues can you think of??

I know you will continue to think of other things that food represents to youwhat a lot of attachment issues we have to deal with. No wonder people are challenged to make changes in their food habits!!

We have decided, based on Step 1, to adopt a raw vegan diet. It is now our value to live a natural lifestyle. Health and well being, vitality and fulfillment are strong value we hold, but the values on the list I just mentioned are strong as well. How can we make this shift in our system of values and beliefs??

One idea is to create our own personal list of food attachment issues. Awareness is the precursor to change. When you feel the urge for a non-raw food, ask yourself what you are seeking, really? Be open to the answer. Then work with yourself to find a raw substitute. (example: reward could equal a smoothie or raw pizza) Sometimes the awareness alone is enough to dissolve the issue for you.

You are among a very small group to have even made such a commitment to yourself! Most people are too set in their habit patterns of addiction and attachment to even be having this discussion. It represents too big a threat to their comfort zone of the status quo. In time, perhaps, they too will be ready to make more rational choices for their own well being. But for us, the time is now!!

Think about the possibility of a new reality for you. A light at the end of the tunnel. Can you imagine and feel the freedom of leaving these food issues behind? Share with us your now vision for letting go of habits of addiction and attachment and creating new health-giving habits based on raw foods.

STEP 4: Realizing that the thought and feeling tone I hold on any subject has

creative power, I focus my energies positively, imagining myself successful

in all areas of my raw food lifestyle.

(Preliminary exercise: make a list of negative ideas, doubts and concerns that tend to defeat or impede us in our transition to a successful raw food lifestyle. Things that emerge may include:

I'm just no good at creating tasty raw food!

I'd like to do this but my partner/family likes cooked food.

I'd like to but I can't imagine giving up buttered toast (or whatever)

I'd like to but it's impossible for me to swear I'll do it forever.

I'd like to but I get cravings that won't quit!

I don't want to be out of synch with my friends

It's just too hard with my work schedule.

I travel a lot so it just wouldn't work.

I have no will power and will just fail.

I'm a hopeless addict to cooked food.)

This step is crucial to creating a successful raw food lifestyle. It is based on universal law, one we shall call the Law of Attraction. Our every thought and feeling is subject to this law, which can be expressed as "Whatever you give your attention to becomes your point of attraction." You are a powerful creator and the universe is continuously bringing you that which you have attracted through your focused attention. You have also heard it stated, "As you sow, so shall you reap." Or "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." There are other ways of stating this universal law and we have all heard it. It has formed the basis of the teachings of all the great avatars. Yet few people realize its import for our daily life and happiness. Few of us know how to use this law to consciously create what we want in our lives. Please don't dismiss this step as some sort of New Age woo woo stuff. It is science--an important component of the new physics, actuallyand more important to your well being than the well accepted Law of Gravity. In order to clarify this important step, I would like to read an excerpt from this handout I am giving you titled "Moving Up the Vibrational Stick" (from www.abraham-hicks.com).

Are you understanding that you are vibrational beings? Are you understanding that everything is vibrational and that your experience, no matter who you are, is only about your translation of vibration?

When we say to you, what you see with your eyes is an interpretation of vibration, what you feel with your fingertips, what you hear with your ears, what you smell with your nose, all that you are experiencing is vibrational interpretation, you say, "Well, this interpretation of vibration is reality." And we say, the reason you are calling it reality is because so many others are agreeing with you, in general terms, about the reality you are perceiving. But in truth, you are all interpreting uniquely from your perspective. Once you understand that you are vibrational interpreters, then you can take it further, going beyond your physical senses, and utilizing your emotions as a very effective guidance system.

Everything is about vibration. And everything that your are perceiving is already vibrating. When you give anything your attentionwhatever its vibration isnow becomes included in your vibration. So it is true that everything that you are allowing yourself to ponder or remember or imagine or observe effects your vibration. And many would say, "Well, so what?" And we say, it is very important "so what". Since the Law of Attraction is what is sorting all of this out, then whatever it is you are offering in your vibration is what Law of Attraction is giving back to you. Whatever you are observing, or whatever you are pondering, or whatever you are imagining, or whatever you are giving your attention towhether you are remembering it from the past, or observing it in the now or imagining it in the futurewhatever you are giving your attention to is causing your vibration to be what it is. And whatever it is, is your point of attraction.

Your power is here and now, because here and now is where you are vibrating. You cannot attract your past. You are not vibrationally there. Perceptually, you are standing here, you are attracting here. So how you feel right now, right now, how you feel right nowWhether you are thinking about then or now, or tomorrow, it doesn't matter whether you are perusing past, present or futurehow you are feeling NOW as you are perusing, past, present or future IS your indicator of your point of attraction. Creating from the inside out says, "I will generate the feeling, which will cause the vibration, which will affect the attraction." (When we create by default, we observe a thing that has happened and have a feeling response to it, which affects the attraction, although we aren't aware of the processdo you see the difference??)

Every subject is really two subjects" There is that which is wanted and the lack of it. There is the subject of wellness or not. There is the subject of abundance or not. There is the subject of raw food lifestyle success and the lack of success. Every subject is of that which is wanted or of the lack of it.

When you pick up the very long stick (or subject) that has two ends to it, the only question that is really important to you is "Which end of this stick am I vibrating on." If you really want to know: what you are living is your evidence of thatbecause whatever you are thinking and feeling, and whatever you are getting, is always a vibrational match. The manifestation that you are living is a true indicator of what the vibrational content of your offering is. When you pick up the stick that says "money", you can tell, you can feel it in your solar plexus, which end of it you're vibrating on. You can feel eagerness and enthusiasm, or you can feel worry and concern. You can feel whether you're thriving or whether you're worried. When you pick up the stick that says "raw food lifestyle success" you can feel which end you are vibrating on. Are you excited about learning about these concepts and the prospect of enhanced health, vitality and spiritual connection? Or are you doubtful you will be able to stay away from cooked food? Are you afraid it is too different, too complicated? Are you worried about how such a change will affect your family and friends?

When we begin a new adventure, it is normal for doubts to creep in. These doubts are letting us know our knee-jerk response to these topicsour habitual response to this type of issue. We are showing ourselves old habits. This is not, however, REALITY. These moments of doubt and fear show us what WE DON"T WANT. "Ah, I'm experiencing a negative moment. I'm showing myself what I don't want. What is it I DO want?? Well, I want to feel joyful in my new raw food lifestyle. I want to enjoy my ever expanding sense of well being and vitality. I want to bask in the oneness I am coming to feelwith all of nature, with other people, with my Spirit I want to feel successful and empowered in making food choices that support my joyfulness and vibrant health. I want to enjoy an ease at incorporating new healthy habits into my life."

I know you can create a more expanded scenario of what you want in terms of your liberating raw food lifestyle and I invite you to do this every time you catch yourself telling yourself what you don't want! It's great to write it out on a regular basis, too, and it's most effective when you allow yourself to really get into the feeling state you are wanting. Imagine you are there now. "Fake it till you make it" is a great concept because the universe doesn't know you are faking it! If you are sending the vibrational tone of what you are wanting, you ARE there as far as the universe is concerned and the universe gives it to you.

These may be new concepts for you to grasp. I know it has taken me five years to BEGIN to "get" it!! You can speed up your understanding by rereading the handout and also by listening to tapes about the Law of Attraction. These are available for check out at the library at the Unity Church in south Eugene. They are called Abraham tapes. They will help you to fully understand and use Step #3,

Realizing that the thought and feeling tone I hold on any subject has creative power, I focus my energies positively, imagining myself successful in all areas of my raw food lifestyle.

Please share with us now a bit of your own highest vision of living the raw food lifestyle just the way you want it! Imagine you are living it NOW!

Step 5: I will gain necessary skills, learn basic raw recipes, and obtain equipment to

prepare raw food.

This step just makes sense! It's hard to imagine making such a drastic lifestyle change without tools and knowledge. The transition from a cooked food diet to a happy, easy to maintain, fulfilling raw food lifestyle becomes A LOT easier when you have the skills, recipes and equipment to make your new way of life a tasty and satisfying reality! It is one of the goals of this class to provide at least a starting point on this journey, by demonstrating and discussing, as we have been doing, some of the basic processes that can be used on a raw food diet. Sprouting, non-dairy milks, smoothies, rejuvelac, raw soups, fermented cheeses and yogurt, dehydrated crackers and breads are some of the topics we have already covered. These skills take a bit of practice, so don't get discouraged if your first raw soup or batch of crackers is less than palatable. Just as in the preparation of cooked foods, there is a bit of a learning curve. Hang in there!!

BOOKS: Once you have the basic idea of these processes, you can go on to experiment with different recipes. There are lots of raw food recipe books available and most of them also offer a section that describes the basics as well. I have a lot of them and you are welcome to peruse them to determine which ones you might like to buy for your own raw library. And as part of our raw support system, we encourage recipe sharing. When you discover something yummy, we all want to hear about it!!

EQUIPMENT: Of course, you can be a raw fooder with no equipment, just by picking fresh fruit and veggies and eating them whole. But few of us do that, especially at first!!

The most basic piece of equipment is a really good knifeactually a paring knife, a chef knife, and a middle range knife would be a good set to have. You will be using them a lot, so it pays to invest in quality.

If you're starting out on a shoestring, as I did, a thrift store blender and food processor shouldn't set you back more than $10 for both. I've also purchased a number of citrus juicers and a type of food processor called a Salad Shooter, also for about $5 each at Goodwill or yard sales. These served me well for quite a while.

The blender is ideal for smoothies, raw soups, and things that are predominantly liquid.

The food processor has an S-blade and performs a blender-like operation, but usually on food of a drier consistency, such as finely mincing ingredients for a vegetable/seed loaf or making a pie crust of dates and almonds. A food processor should also have a shredding attachment or two which enables it to grate/shred vegetables in a slaw-style shape.

The salad shooter also shreds and it comes with different graters to make fine or coarse shreds, as well as chips. It's very easy to use. Be sure to look for a Professional model and make sure all the parts are there if you shop in thrift stores!

A citrus reamer is handy to use in extracting the juice from a single lemon, but if you juice citrus fruits regularly or are juicing several fruits at a time, an electric juicer is great. I prefer my old one, which I still find at thrift stores, over anything that is available now commercially. If you have an Acme juicer, there is a citrus attachment for it that works well.

As you move into more "gourmet" raw foods, you will be wanting a high speed blender, such as a Vita Mix or a Champ. These cost about $350-$400, but are so valuable for creating really smooth textures and for making quick and lovely soups, smoothies, and other items. I have some info on these items that you can peruse.

The next higher budget equipment you may want is a juicer. There is lots to consider in deciding which one to get.

A Champion works well for a wide variety of applications. It has a blank screen for "ice cream", cracker dough and nut loaves, and a juice screen for juicing carrots and other vegetables and fruits. This juicer will not make wheatgrass juice and doesn't work as well on fruits and greens. But it produces a high quality of juice. It costs about $200

A Juiceman II is easy to use and clean and works well on carrots. It is a centrifugal juicer that shoots the pulp out the back. It costs about $150

The Green Life/Green Power costs about $450 and it does it all including wheat grass. Its twin gears grind, rather than cut the material, leaving more of the enzymes intact and reducing oxidation loss.

There is a complete and detailed juice comparison guide at www.discountjuicers.com and they tend to have the lowest prices as well.

Check them out for the Excalibur food dehydrator, which will probably be the next high budget item you will be wanting. With the dehydrator, you can make crackers, cookies, and all sorts of "comfort" foods, plus you can dehydrate fruits and vegetables (sun-dried tomatoes!) for later use. It costs about $200 for the 9-tray model.

You will also want teflex sheets for the dehydrator so that you can dehydrate wetter things, such as cracker dough.

Miscellaneous equipment:

1. "coffee" grinder or mortar and pestle for grinding seeds, Celtic salt, herbs

2. wheat grass juicer if your juicer won't do this

3. cafeteria trays for growing wheat grass and buckwheat and sunflower greens

4. straining bags for separating pulp from nut and seed milks

5. sprouting equipment, such as wide-mouth Mason jars, lids, sprouting bags

6. rubber spatulas are great to have, as are wooden spoons

Did I forget anything?? What else do you find indispensable?

SETTING UP A RAW KITCHEN: Raw food skills we have been covering in our class and you have received some basic recipes to get you started. Now we have covered the equipment factor. Setting up a raw kitchen can be done in a small space (I did it in a 24-foot travel trailerKody's space is even less!). Even if you keep a few pots and pans and the stove around for other members of the family, it's easy to put together an efficient raw food preparation center.

When we put this kitchen together, we thought about what groupings to create. What would we be doing together? That's why we put the electric equipment together. Often a recipe will require more than one piece of equipment and it's been easier to group them. A multi-outlet strip works well for this. One cupboard contains dry beans and grains in Mason jars with extra quantities stored in the garage in 5-galon buckets. Nuts and seeds are stored in the freezer with smaller quantities in the refrigerator. We have a drawer for spices and a tub in a cupboard for liquids such as nama shoyu and apple cider vinegar. We try to keep our refrigerator organized so we can easily see what's available. We have a drawer for crackers and softer ones are kept in the freezer. We chose to use the dining room for more food prep work area and produce storage. There is a sprouting center with jars and seeds. We have recently moved here, so we are still a bit in transition and will probably get even more efficient with this!

Please share with us what you have found to work well in your raw kitchen!

Has this given you any ideas for fine tuning your raw food preparation center??

What questions do you have regarding skills, recipes, equipment, kitchen set-up?

Please share with us your NOW response to Step #5: I will gain necessary skills, learn basic raw recipes and obtain equipment to prepare raw food.

I encourage you to stay if you can and take a look at these materials on equipment and look at the books in these book cases to see if there are any you wish to buy. You can order from Amazon.com or buy those that are available at Sundance or other health food stores.

12 Steps to a Raw Foods Lifestyle

Step 6: I shall live in harmony with people who eat cooked foods.

Imagine for a moment how you feel when you are given unsolicited advice. When someone says, "You should get more exercise." Or "Fasting is good for you. You should try it." What incident can you recall where this happened to you. How did you feel?

rebellious guilty angry/hostile depressed low self-esteem

What did you do?

opposite nothing/ignored passive-aggressive response confrontation/aggression

Even if we know they are right and that we would be better off doing what they say, we rarely do so. We rarely say, "You are so right. Thank you for your concern. I'll do it immediately!" Why is that?

We're not ready; we haven't really arrived at that conclusion in an impactful way; we just don't like to be told; we don't want to change.

Yabut we're talking logic here!! And you just KNOW your family and friends would be happier and healthier if they adopted this raw diet. Perhaps if you mention it often enough and disparage THEIR food clearly enough, they'll get it? Nope. Never happen. Have you seen any evidence of it working??? Did your partner become raw when you said, "I'm raw now, so don't eat that crap in front of me!"?

And you don't even have to say anything to pressure someone. Here's a quote from Victoria's new 12-step book (page 81)

We don't even have to speak to make those we love uncomfortable. Some of us throw certain glances that convey the same meaning as the words just mentioned. For example, a woman in one of my classes said to me, "My family is angry with my raw foodism even though I never pushed anybody to eat raw food. My son makes all kinds of jokes about my green juices." I said to her, "You might be doing something that irritates them that you're not aware of. Just watch yourself, and catch those moments. Don't watch others. Watch and see what you are doing to antagonize your family.' The next week she came to class and said, "Yeah. I caught myself several times poking little pins in certain painful places. I'd say something hurtful or look disgusted or put out. I changed my attitude toward my family, and they, in turn, shifted toward me and it only took one week. When I started accepting them, then they accepted me back. Now my husband is making juice every morning and bringing it to me in bed. He says, 'Honey, I want you to stay on raw food.' Suddenly my house has become a peaceful place and my son is willing to try everything I make."

Doesn't it make sense that your friends and family are likely to respond in the same way that you do when unsolicited advice is given? Isn't it clear that they will not make this transition by our pressuring them, any more than WE came to this conclusion through someone else's prodding? Are we clear on this??!! IT DOESN'T WORK TO PREACH, CAJOLE, NAG, ADVISE OTHERS INTO A RAW FOOD LIFESTYLE. The opposite effect results! Do we agree??? Any one still think it might work?? Go for it, but you will come to the same conclusion sooner or later!

For harmony to abound, we don't all need to believe the same things or to think or eat the same. Harmony is the result of mutual acceptance, love and support. Can you imagine fully accepting and supporting your cooked-food eating family and friends, no matter what lifestyle choices they make? What would that look like?

What interferes with your full allowing of their choices? It is helpful to uncover your motives. They might not be as pristine as you had imagined!

Are you fearful that if they are "cooked", you won't be able to sustain your own raw lifestyle? Do you pressure them to be raw to bolster your own raw courage?? If this is the case, it might be helpful to remember the law of attraction which states that what I focus upon I attract into my life. Another way of saying this is that through my focusing of energy, I am the director of my own life. And I am responsible for creating my life the way I want it. No one else has the power to sabotage my life. Unless of course, I believe that they can do so. In that case, the sabotage is a result of my belief, not their action. Do you see that we can always create the life we want, regardless of what others do or don't do. So I see that I don't need others to be raw so I can be.

Are you concerned about the health of your family and friends, feeling responsible to pass along the information you have because you know the health problems cooked food can contribute to?? Are you resentful that your partner or children cling to what you see as a dead food lifestyle, when you would like to be sharing life with them at a more mutually expansive and natural level of functioning?? It can be frustrating to have information I think is critical to the well being of another that they refuse to hear or accept. Nevertheless, the beauty of it is that we each get to make our own choices! What can we do? We can set an example that is appealing and enticing. We can prepare luscious raw food for ourselves! We can create such a powerful example of health and well being that people are beating down our door to get our secret!! That's effective!! Our example is a much more powerful teacher than our words!!

As Victoria says, "When I went on raw food I did just the opposite of my advice to you. I went around telling everyone to go on raw food. I was chasing overweight ladies in Safeway, trying to explain to them how easy it is to lose weight. I was so excited about the healthy changes my family was experiencing, I got carried away. I made a lot of enemies before I understood that people need to find their own way and decide their own path." (p. 84-85)

What comes to mind for you in terms of attempting to convince others to be raw?

Let me state again that for harmony to abound, we don't all need to believe the same things or to think or eat the same. Harmony is the result of mutual acceptance, love and support. Keeping in mind the law of attraction and that I create in my life that which I focus upon, let's again try to imagine fully accepting and supporting our cooked-food eating family and friends, no matter what lifestyle choices they make? What would that look like? What would it feel like? Can you create such a scenario??

The more we understand our own power as focuser and creator of our own life, and appreciate the autonomy of others as they focus and create, we become more allowing of the choices of others. Allowingnot merely toleratingallowing with lovethis is unconditional love and it is our highest state of consciousness on this plane of existence. Releasing our expectations of others enhances our own consciousness!

This is one of the wonderful rewards of step 6: I shall live in harmony with people who eat cooked foods.

Step 7: I shall avoid temptation.

Temptation. First we need to decide what it is! What turns a desire for something into a temptation?? If you desire an apple, is that a temptation? A temptation is a short term pleasure with a long term negative consequence

To turn down immediate gratification in exchange for a long range benefit is a challenge. The mind has become adept at getting its way, perhaps by distracting us just long enough to slip that slice of pizza by. And so, once temptation erupts, will power is not an effective tool in withstanding it. In fact, the best way to deal with temptation is to avoid it whenever possible, rather than to resist it.

Do this exercise. Honestly try to remember all your temptations in the field of cooked food. Write them down. On one side of the paper list the temptations that seem to be avoidable. On the other side, list those that seem unavoidable, such as when a friend offers you a cooked food treat. This exercise makes you aware of all the places where you could be tempted, so you will be able to get prepared to meet the challenge.

First let's discuss avoidable temptations. These are temptations you can take action to avoid. Does the chocolate bar in your desk drawer entice you? You could get rid of it, right?! You could clean your kitchen of any foods that represent a temptation. Do you panic if you get hungry when you're out and feel tempted to eat whatever is at hand? You could make it a habit to always have a stash of raw food at hand in such casessome raisins or nuts, at least. You've heard it's not a good idea to shop for food on an empty stomach, right? So it might be a good idea to eat before you shop or shop with a pocket of raw nibbles to munch on.. In her book, Victoria recommends the avoidance of advertising, cooked food oriented parties, and restaurants during the first couple of months on the raw diet. Too much of a temptation. But once you have etched a raw groove in your consciousness, once you feel secure in your new lifestyle, you may enjoy social events like this, as long as you take precautions, such as bringing some tasty raw food.

What avoidable temptations invite and entrance you? What ones have you listed and what strategy can you think of for avoiding them?

How about restaurants? You can avoid them all together. But if you choose to go to a restaurant with friends, how can you avoid the temptation of eating cooked food? One person created a card that he gives to the waiter. It says, "I eat only raw, uncooked foods. I would like a salad or vegetable plate with only fresh, uncooked items." It then lists items from which to choose, such as lettuce, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, etc. The card ends with the message, "Thank you for your creative efforts!" Of course, another strategy for dealing with restaurants, is to bring some items to add to a salad and a raw dressing.

Unavoidable temptations present a special challenge, but by thinking it through, we can pre-pave a successful response to them. Here is an excerpt from Victoria's book regarding unavoidable temptations:

"Scientists who do research about drugs and addictive substances talk about a chain reaction. The reaction is harder to stop if we haven't decided beforehand how we will choose to act. For example, when an alcoholic has money in his pocket to pay the rent, but he meets his friend on the corner, he is much more likely to follow that friend into a bar and spend the rent money on drinks. That's called the chain reaction. When you see a food vending machine, you're going to go into a chain reaction of wanting what you see unless you have already figured out your response. The safest time to figure out how you will react is when you are at home or at a place where there are no possible temptations. This is the time to figure out what you are going to do."

Understand that you are not powerless. In fact, when you know your tempters and plan ahead a strategy for coping, you will emerge unscathed!

Look at your list of unavoidable temptations. What foods and situations are present? What triggers temptations for you? Is it when you feel tired, bored, lacking in self-esteem, or other emotional state? What pushes your cooked food buttons?

What strategies can you devise for maintaining your course in the face of these? Please share your ideas with us. (Play the temptation game, if desired. See page 96)

What happens if you give in to temptation? Victoria's book has this to say:

"After a couple of months of staying away from temptationsyou might get an illusion that your addiction to cooked food is over and that you can eat or try small pieces of cooked food once in a while. When you will try a bite of cooked food once, you might not feel much. But on the next morning you might notice that you will begin to think about cooked food and to pay attention to whatever cooked food you'll see. If you will give into temptation once more, you might lose peace of mind and have to start all over again."

So giving in to temptation, even once, can lead to the down fall of your raw food lifestyle. It certainly sets a dangerous precedent!

Temptation prevention is also a powerful strategy! You will strengthen your resolve on a daily basis by reading uplifting, raw-related material and raw food books and by reminding yourself of your convictions through affirmations. Focus is the key!

In all of these ways you can successfully practice Step 7, I shall avoid temptation!

Step 8: I will create support for myself and I will give support to other raw fooders.

One definition of support is "that which enables one to maintain a position." Just as training wheels enable a child to easily learn to maintain an upright position with forward momentum on a bicycleand water wings enables one to stay afloat while learning to swimso too is support available for us as we become raw fooders in a cooked food world.

Receiving and giving supportboth are important as we commit to a raw food lifestyle. Like the inspiration and expiration of our breath, the flow or cycle of giving and receiving empowers us much more than either one alone could do. It is normal to think that first we must get support to become raw and then, once we are established in this lifestyle we will have something to give. This is far from the truth. We can always extend support to others in simple ways, such as respectful listening to another, believing in her/him, and in simple acts such as giving someone a ride to a potluck or speaker event, sharing a recipe, suggesting or loaning a book, and sharing your own heartfelt and sincere thoughts and feelings at these raw empowerment groups. Hosting a raw food dinner or potluck or going "out" with someone for a raw meal or just "hanging out" with another raw fooder is mutually supportive.

Giving support is even more empowering than receiving supportdo you see how? When we see ourselves as needing support, we are perhaps coming from a place of feeling under-empowered. When we give support, we are coming from a place of greater empowerment, of having much to give others. And so, the very act of giving support empowers and supports the giver. It is very powerful indeed! I find it a bit analogous to extending money or gifts that cost money to others. When we feel or believe we don't have enough financial resources to give in this way, that belief disempowers our financial well beingit chokes off the supply of $ from coming our way. But when we come from a belief in abundance and in the limitlessness of the resources of the universe, we are greatly empowered materially. I believe this is the meaning of: "It is better to give than to receive." Nevertheless, let's do both!!!

We have stated several avenues for giving support. Keep in mind we don't want to foster dependency. That's why in this group, we share experiences, rather than give advice. It's why we focus on the Law of Attraction as a tool for self-empowermentto remind ourselves that can recreate our lives by imagining and focusing on what we WANT. We can also use the Law of Attraction to assist others to become more empowered. I like to use the following "generic prayer" to visualize myself and others in this state of empowerment:

__(fill in name)______ is fully empowered as creator of her perfect life, enjoying the abundant flow of all things desired, ever deepening in her knowing of the power of who she is! She feels a wonderful ease and lightness as she relaxes into utter well-being, knowing that all is truly well!! Appreciation and joy are the cornerstones of her life, as she continually discovers fresh, new avenues for flowing her energy and opportunities to co-create with people who love and inspire her!!!

I cannot think of a more powerful and supportive action you can take on your own or someone else's behalf than to spend some time in this visualization activity!!

Expectations, bias, judgments, or pressure to change has no place in the concept of support. It can be challenging to weed these out, especially when we have some personal investment in the outcome. By setting aside our personal issues or values, we are able to offer a deeper, broader and more inclusive support to others. This is apparent when we practice simple listening and really try to hear and understand another. Simple listening can be extremely empowering.

It sometimes helps to make a distinction between supporting the person, rather than the idea or action they are engaged in or are considering. Focusing on the individual makes it easier for us to stay neutral relative to the content of his life. This also makes it possible to stay in communication with the other. Of course, we need not limit our willingness to support only those who have embraced the raw food diet. Sharing food or ideas with anyone in a loving manner and speaking from our heart can be very influential and supportive.

We may never know the effects of our support. Even encouraging one individual in some small way can have wide ranging effects. Each person who is supported will pass on the effects of that support in a ripple effect that can have a wide range of impact. One example is the woman Victoria encountered in a check out line years ago. She looked healthy, so Victoria asked her what her secret was and the woman said, "raw food". Based on her input, the lives of Victoria and her entire family changed, and this enabled Victoria to pass the raw food message along to thousands of others through her classes, books, and tapes.

We need not limit our support to recipes, listening, and other of our preconceived notions about support. As natural beings, we can listen to our intuition and receive guidance in this area. Just as we are led by our intuition about what to eat, we can trust ourselves and let intuition guide us in this important work of supporting other raw fooders!

Our intuition can help us to receive support, as well. There are so many opportunities to receive support out there! Every day new raw-related books are published that can inspire and inform us. We have several bibliographies of such books , but of course, we would do well to come to our own conclusions, rely on our own intuition and inner guidance, rather than to assume that the ideas of someone else necessarily apply to us.

We are fortunate in Eugene to have so many sources of raw organic foods! This is so very supportive to us as raw fooders! And what about the relative availability of appliances that make raw food preparation easier and more enjoyablethat supports us, as well! If we look, we will find many opportunities to fulfill step #8, I will create support for myself and I will give support to other raw fooders.

Let's take some time to embark upon a rampage of appreciation for the support we are receiving as raw foodersremembering that such appreciation sends a clear request to the universe for continued support!

Now I would like us to share sincerely and from the heart about your experiences of extending support to others. Did you learn something new about yourself? Is it an empowering experience? What avenues have you discovered for giving support?

Step 9: I shall find activities or hobbies that affirm my new lifestyle.

In the cooked food world, FOOD is central to every event: birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, weddings, football games. When we go out with others, food figures prominently into the outing. Eating is synonymous with socializing and celebration. And with cooked food, much time is spent every day in food-related activities: preparing, serving eating, and cleaning up. These activities shaped our identities as normal, cooked food-eating people. Now we are creating a new identity! We are shaping a new, raw foodist persona!

Often, cooked food existence centers around working and eating. The day revolves around breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snackwith work times interspersed between breakfast and dinner. Throw in a little tv and you have the essence of a "normal" life!

On raw foods, in time your food needs will diminish and why not!? You are giving your body more nutrition and less junk to deal with! Your sleep needs will also diminish. And you will have more energy. What will you do with more time and energy? Watch more tv? I think not!

Perhaps you have already noticed that there needs to be a shift in the activities in which you invest your time and energy??? I remember when I moved to Eugene, I was impressed by the variety and number of wonderful restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries here and I went out to eat at least once a week to sample the food and ambience with Art or friends. This was part of who I was, but as a raw fooder, the charm was lost, now that I had to pretty much bring my own food to these places!

Time and energy are precious commodities and you will want to direct them in ways that truly make you happy and that reinforce your new persona as a natural being.

Perhaps there is a hobby you have not gotten around to pursuingor a new dream that is popping into consciousness. You may want to begin gathering data, noticing what other people are doing that gives your life new direction. Some people pursue artistic endeavors or learn to play a musical instrument or a new language. Others make travel plans or even discover a new career.

Please share with us what occurs to you in this regard. What new dreams, activities or hobbies might you pursue in your new raw empowered lifestyle?? What truly suits this new you??

Step 10: I shall engage in regular physical exercise.

Exercise is as essential to physical vigor, strength and development as breathing is to human life. Exercise causes muscles that are tight and tense to be stretched, nerve energy to become balanced and improved. It also hastens the absorption and elimination of various growths and deposits. Due to the intimate relationship between mind and body, the benefits derived from exercise also improves the quality of the mind and the overall feeling of joy and happiness.

When we do not get exercise, muscles begin to lose their tone and become weak and flaccid. Exercise is cumulative in its benefits. Strength and endurance, along with coordination, flexibility and agility are part of our physical identities. Posture is also improved, insuring correct relationship between bones, muscles and organs, and aiding all the tissues of the body.

In order to derive the positive benefits of exercise in terms of strength, coordination, flexibility, agility, and vitality, we need to engage in a fairly diverse program. It is likely that no single exercise can provide all these benefits, although I have heard this claim for swimming, walking and rebounding. At any rate, look for exercise opportunities that provide the opportunity to stretch and contract the muscles and to give you some aerobic activity.

Exercise is more than building strong muscles. It is body building in the complete sense of the term. Every cell and fiber of the body is involved. The heart, kidneys, liver, skin, hair, eyes, brain, nervous system, digestive system, and colon all benefit from regular exercise. The proper circulation of the lymphatic system depends upon regular exercise to remove toxins and wastes from the cells. The skeletal system depends upon exercise to maintain its size, strength and physiological functions. Respiration, digestion and assimilation, as well as the strength and efficiency of the heart depend largely upon physical exercise.

Fortunately very little is needed in the way of equipment or financial resources to get exercise. A brisk walk every day is free and you gain a lot more than exercise as you appreciate and commune with nature! I have heard that 5 minutes on an inexpensive rebounder twice a day can condition and build health in every cell of the body! Yoga provides a powerful spiritual connection, in addition to a great physical workout.

Perhaps it's time you began gathering data to discover the exercise activities that best suit you! There are books, classes, and information available on all of them! By keeping our intuition tuned in to such opportunities and taking advantage of them, we realize Step #10: I shall start doing regular physical exercise.

Please share with us now your response to this important step:

Step 11: I shall let my intuition guide me in all areas of my life.

Intuition is our natural link with our nonphysical Selves. It is our key to survival and growth. Yet, in the normal, cooked food world, intuition has been replaced by information, facts, knowledge, experts, books. It is the norm to rely on these, rather than on our intuition. Yet knowledge can NEVER replace intuition!

If we trusted our intuition, we would rely on our body and we would understand why our body never makes a mistake. Our body is constantly trying to communicate with us by creating certain sensations. Our body creates a feeling of "too cold" to let us know to put on a sweater or go inside. When the body needs water, it creates a sensation of thirst. When the body needs rest, it creates the sensation of fatigue. It's normal to ignore most of our bodily requests. We don't rest when we feel tired; we don't take off those stylish but uncomfortable shoes when they pinch and we don't stop eating when we feel full. That is why we get sick! By learning to listen to and trust our intuition, we can reverse this process and create health, vitality and happiness in our lives. This is our birthright!

Our intuition is also always available to guide us to the most appropriate food choice for us at any given time. The body knows its needs and can direct us to the fulfillment of them, even to be able to pick out exactly the right apple from a basket of apples, if it is apples the body is wanting. Listening and trusting our intuition means honoring our Selves in our fullnessour physical self, our spiritual self and all that we are.

In 12 Steps, Victoria tells of her family's experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and how keen her intuition became along the way. She could tell when it was going to rain, when the sun would be out, what foods were edible and which ones were not, which way to go to find the trail.

As we maintain a raw food diet, we become more natural in all ways and more tuned in to our intuition. As we listen and act upon this powerful ally, we will gain strength from step 11, I shall let my intuition guide me in all areas of my life .

Please share with us how your intuition has impacted your life.

Step 12: I am restored to clarity as I experience spiritual awakening.

As we follow our intuition more and more, we discover a shift in our perception of life. Many of our old beliefs now appear to be false, our former opinions no longer hold water, and we seem to be shedding our old life much as a snake sheds its skin. In their place, we sense the emergence of a new and shining claritya deep sense of knowing that transcends factual knowledge.

In the cooked world, we need experts to give us facts and knowledge so that we may have a set of beliefs (facts we believe in) to explain and interpret the events of life and our relation to them. Our parents were our first set of experts and we incorporated a vast network of conditioned beliefs that formed and shaped our belief system about who we are and what kind of world we live in.

Many years of schooling added to this externally based storehouse of facts and knowledge. Such informational material is perhaps how we first became aware and learned about the raw food lifestyle.

But such knowledge and conditioned belief systems can never substitute for true clarity, and very often, knowledge prevents us from attaining the clarity that is the state of mind in which we experience our connection to our spiritual self and all of nature.

Let's not confuse clarity of mind with clean explanation. Victoria presents the following example, "If I memorized the book Human Anatomy and I could explain clearly anything from that book, it doesn't mean at all that I have clarity about how the human body works. We have lots of knowledge and very little clarity. When we don't understand the difference between the two, we prefer to have knowledge rather than clarity. Clarity starts when we begin to follow our intuition. When we follow intuition, we are working not against, but with nature. We become co-partners and co-creators with life. This enables us to clearly view the perfect harmony of the universe. With clarity we can see the spiritual nature of human beings and feel the oneness with all living things."

True happiness is experienced in this state of clarity, not from the pursuit of physical pleasures and entertainment. Does this make sense to you?? True happiness is experienced in this state of clarity, not from the pursuit of physical pleasures and entertainment. Have you been experiencing this in your lifestyle?

To enhance this state of clarity, practice de-conditioning and learn to recognize and let go of old beliefs and thought patterns that no longer serve you.

We can facilitate this process here in our sharing. I'd like to invite you to share an instance in which you recognized an old pattern of conditioning in yourself and overcame it. For example, I have a conditioned belief that money comes through hard work and a "normal" job, yet I have moments of clarity in which I know that abundance is readily available at all times; it is our natural birthright and we are fully worthy of whatever degree of prosperity we wish; there is no need to "earn" it. We can just allow it to flow to us, following our intuition and interests. What example of personal de-conditioning would you like to share with us?

There are other ways you can assist in your own spiritual transformation, including spending time in nature; fasting; spending time in communion with animals and children, journaling of your own inner thoughts, self-expression through an artistic medium, dance, or play; yoga; meditation.

As we access our spiritual self and experience that exquisite clarity, we experience step 12, I am restored to clarity as I experience spiritual awakening? Please share with us your own experiences of spiritual awakening. What activities have the most meaning for you in restoring you to greater clarity?

DID YOU FIND THESE STEPS HELPFUL?? WHAT FEEDBACK DO YOU HAVE FOR US?