Raederle's Story

There is a detailed account of the misery I went through as a child on my health, fitness and food blog. Here, I will aim to cover the highlights of my story, without going into every sob story of my life.

My mother birthed me at the age of 42. When she was a child they doused her with antibiotics continually for ten years in order to prevent a recurrence of Scarlet Fever. That was how they handled it back then, because if it came back, the person died. This was before there was any notion of Candida or any of the negative effects of taking antibiotics.

My mother never ate much fermented food, or took extensive probiotics.

She has suffered from Candida her entire life. A baby gets there healthy intestinal flora from their mother. Because my mother didn't have very balanced flora, I was born without one.

I ended up taking antibiotics as just a newborn to boot, because I had rheumatic fever.

At the age of three or four I bit a glass thermometer and got a nasty dose of mercury poisoning. I had to have the glass picked from my teeth and the mercury pumped from my stomach. That incident could have easily been fatal.

With that rough sketch of a background, the statistics of my life are as follows.

Note that these changes that occur are with a consistent sedentary lifestyle. I did not become more active until the age of 21 when being active stopped being painful.

Under the age of 21:

Habitual canker sores of the mouth, starting before I can remember (irritated by sugar and acid)

Bleeding gums, every time I brushed, and sometimes while eating

No endurance, couldn't walk a mile without severe stitches in the side, gas pains, feet aches, etc

Extremely flaky scalp

Burning lungs whenever I attempted to run, preventing me from running more than a few steps

At least one ear infection for every two years in my life

Extreme sensitivity to cigarette smoke, incense and other smokes, often causing migraines

Extreme sensitivity to heat. Anything over 80 degrees was unbearable and immobilizing.

Under the age of 17:

Strep throat 1 to 4 times a year

Absolutely no energy, no interest in gym, recess, sports, or being outside

Habitual painful constipation, especially under the age of 9 and from age 14 to 16.

Extremely itchy legs when standing in one place due to poor circulation.

Continual urge to "pop" my knuckles (also known as "cracking" one's knuckles)

Continual urge to rotate my ankles until they "popped"

Woke up with a sore throat 1 out of 4 days in the year

Woke up with random fevers that doctors were mystified about regularly

Ages 9 to 17:

Constant depression, habitual suicidal thoughts and activities

Habitual stye around the eye

Frequent breakouts, almost constant acne

Hormonal problems (beyond what is normal for this age)

Violent thoughts and actions

Mood swings, and patches of complete apathy

Extremely sore and knotted back, constantly stiff and aching (Age 9 to 21)

Severe Candida and all Candida symptoms, including raging yeast infections 1 to 5 times yearly

Frequently bloated, especially from age 15 to 17. My entire abdominal area would ache, burn and gurgle for days at a time.

Frequent muscle cramps. If I got them in my legs I couldn't walk.

Inability to fall asleep, often awake at 3am despite going to bed at 9pm.

Extreme food cravings, especially from age 10 to 16. I especially craved dairy, meats, sweets, salt and breads.

Frequent bouts of dizziness, inability to balance, concentrate or breath evenly

Anxiety attacks

Continual burping starting abruptly at age 16. Took me a full year to rid myself of them.

Severe immobilizing stomach aches, especially from age 15 to 17

Migraine headaches, 8 to 40 a year during this age bracket

Lock-jaw (inability to open my mouth fully), started at age 14 and got worse through age 16

Severe PMS, menstrual cramps and heavy-flow periods

Periodic chest pains that have never been explained

Abominable memory

Age 17 to 20:

Mild Candida symptoms

Frequent mild bloating, sometimes severe and painful bloating

Often I would take 2 hours to fall asleep.

Age 21 and 22:

Occasional mild anxiety (perhaps twice a month).

Occasional mild sleeping difficulty (takes me 5 to 45 minutes to fall asleep usually).

Rare mild headache (once a month perhaps, lasting for around 15 minutes).

Occasional skin irregularities, usually following excessive sweating, stress or eating of desserts.

My weight:

120lbs at age 12,

130lbs at age 13,

140lbs at age 15,

153lbs at age 16,

123lbs at age 17 (with hardly any muscle and much fat),

128lbs at age 20 (with hardly any muscle and much fat),

123lbs at age 22 (with much more muscle and less fat than at age 17 or 20)

My diet as a toddler:

Mustard on white bread with a slice of American's singles cheese

Yogurt

Oatmeal

Lima beans (cooked for over an hour and slathered in butter)

White-skinned conventional potatoes, without skins (cooked for over an hour and slathered in butter)

Dumplings

Hard-boiled eggs

My diet from age 5 through age 9:

French Fries (especially from Burger King)

Lima beans (cooked for an hour and slathered in butter)

French Fries (especially from Wendy's)

Pizza

French Fries (baked at home in the oven with olive oil)

Steak Fries (deep fried on the stove in olive oil)

Steak (slathered in A1 sauce)

Baked Potatoes (Filled with butter)

Curly Fries

Various sweetened yogurts (including Cream Savors)

Sunny-side up eggs with bread to dip in the yoke

French Fries (from McDonalds)

Beef

Hamburgers on white buns with mustard, onion and a slice of conventional tomato

Cheerios (plain or honey-coated with whole milk)

Shredded Wheat (plain or frosted, often mixed with whole milk)

French Fries (with lots and lots of salt!)

My diet from age 9 through age 16:

Fast food, especially french fries and Chinese food

Ramon noodles with chicken flavoring

Pizza with cheese and pepperoni

Buttered noodles, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese

Granola, grain-based cereals, swimming in conventional whole cow's milk

White rice

Toast with peanut-butter

Boiled chicken, fried chicken, home-made, family-made and KFC

Potato chips of all kinds, generally one bag a day

Store-bought juice of many kinds

Popcorn soaked in seasoned butter, home-popped (rarely microwaved)

Frozen microwave dinners on occasion

Tater-tots, hashbrowns, fishsticks, 'sweet and sour chicken' and other tan-colored 'foods'

Occasional apple, orange or kiwi (like once a week)

My diet from age 17 to age 20 (that I went on after much research and reading):

Organic long-grain brown rice cooked in vegetable broth (daily)

Organic corn chips and organic potato chips (without trans fats or added sugars, daily)

Iceburg lettuce with cherry tomatoes, home-made croutons, and home-made vinaigrette (3 times a week)

Rice crisps and rice cakes (unsweetened snacks made from plain brown rice)

Grapefruits (plain, usually eaten one half at a time), watermelon, and berries (each weekly-ish)

Bell peppers (plain, eaten in small slices throughout the day)

Apples (one or two a day)

Kiwis (several a week)

Rice milk over unsweetened granola (4 to 7 times a week)

Boiled organic red-skin potatoes eaten with the skin, eaten with butter (3 to 6 times weekly)

Boiled carrots and onions cooked with the potatoes, eaten with butter (1 to 3 times weekly)

(Vegan diet with the exception of butter.)

My diet starting at age 21:

Banana smoothies (banana + water + other fruit + powders/superfoods/spices)

Dehydrated vegetable and seed crackers (dehydrated at 110 degrees or less)

Spinach, lettuce, avocado, tomato, bell pepper, etc, salads

Nori wraps containing the above salad ingredients and more

Sprouts, fresh home-made vegetable and fruit juices

Desserts that are not-cooked/baked, but made from dried/fresh fruits, nuts and seeds

Occasional nut-milks

Home-made guacamole, salsa, chard-wraps, raw vegan pizza (made in the dehydrator)

Raw kelp noodles, seaweeds, organic seasonings

Notice the correlation between the changes in my diet and changes in my life experience. The two major changes were at age 17 and age 21. To get started eating the type of food that freed me from a lifetime of misery, check out my recipes here.

And because photos speak thousands of words... The follow photo stream starts at age 14 and goes through age 22. Notice the changes in my weight, skin, demeanor, facial expressions, hair, scenery choices, and in my eyes.

Click To Open In New Window, Click Again To View Full-Size

Raederle Phoenix, born 1989

Written September 1st 2011

Write me with a question: raederle at gmx dot com

Check out my sites:

Statistics from Nature's First Law

Natures First Law by Arlin, Dini, Wolfe and Aterhov researched

Presented by Paul Klein, 716 884 0099

Each person is encouraged to bring the most influential book that got them started on a Healthier Living Path and reviewing with the Group the highlights you’ve underscored or highlighted.

Appendix D from Nature's First Law

If you still are not convinced of the absolute benefits of The Raw Food Diet and the utter suicide of being a cooked-foodist, we have included an extensive list of facts and statistics called “Realities,” most of which were originally compiled by John Robbins and Howard Lyman. These facts have been revised and updated by Nature’s First Law. Though most of these facts simply compare a vegetarian diet to an animal based diet, remember that the differences between the two, however great, are much greater still when one compares the differences between a raw food diet and a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Humans and Livestock

1. Human population of the United States: @ 300 million

2. Number of humans that can be fed by the grain and soy beans eaten by U.S. livestock: 1.4 billion

3. Percentage of corn grown in U.S. eaten by livestock: 85%

Percentage of corn eaten by humans: 15% (99.999% of which is cooked)

4. Percentage of oats grown in U.S. eaten by livestock: 95%

5. Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90%

6. Percentage of carbohydrate wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 99%

7. Percentage of dietary fiber wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 100%

8. How frequently a child dies of starvation: every 2 seconds

9. Amount of potatoes that can be grown on 1 acre (4,047 sq. meters) of land: 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg)

10. Amount of beef that can be grown on 1 acre (4,047 sq. meters) of land: 165 pounds (75 kg)

11. Percentage of U.S. agricultural land used for the production of animal foods: 85%

12. Percentage of U.S. agricultural land used to produce beef: 56%

13. Amount of grain and soybeans needed to produce 1 pound (or kilogram) of feedlot beef: 16 lbs. (7.3 kg)

14. Amount of protein fed to chickens to produce 1 pound (or kilogram) of protein as chicken flesh 5 pounds (2.3 kg)

15. Amount of protein fed to hogs to produce 1 pound (or kilogram) of protein as hog flesh: 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg)

Humans and Livestock (con’t)

16. Number of children who starve to death each day: 40,000

17. Number of pure vegetarian who can be fed on the amount of land needed to feed 1 person consuming meat-based diet: 20 (this number cold be closer to 150 if you’re talking about pure raw-vegetarians.

18. Number of people who will starve to death this year: 60,000,000

19. Number of people who could be adequately fed by the grain saved if Americans reduced their intake of meat by a mere 10%: 60,000,000

Soil

20. Historic cause of demise of many great civilizations: topsoil depletion

21. Primary cause of topsoil depletion: grain farming for bread, rice and livestock.

22. Percentage of original U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75%

23. Amount of U.S. cropland lost each year to soil erosion: 4 million acres (16,187 square kilometers, or the size of Connecticut)

24. Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly associated with livestock raising: 85%

Trees

25. Amount of U.S. forest which has been cleared to create cropland to produce a meat-centered diet: 260 million acres (1.05 million sq. kilometers)

26. How often an acre (4,047 square meters) of U.S. trees disappears: every eight seconds

27. Amount of trees spared per year by each individual who switches to a vegetarian diet: 1 acre (4,047 sq. meters)

Rainforests

28. Rate at which precious rainforest land is being lost: 2.4 acres per second

29. A driving force behind the destruction of the tropical rainforests: American meat habit

30. Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests and related habitats: 1,000 per year

Water

31. User of more than half of all water used for all puirposes in the United States: livestock production

32. The quantity of water used in the production of the average cow: sufficient to float a battleship

33. Water needed to produce 1 pound (0.45 kg) of wheat: 25 gal. (95 liters)

34. Water needed to produce 1 pound (0.45 kg) of meat: 2,500 gal. (9,465 liters)

35. Cost of common hamburger meat if water used by meat industry was not subsidized by U.S. taxpayer: $35 per lb ($77 per kg)

36. Current cost for 1 pound (0.45 kg) of protein from wheat: $1.50

37. Current cost for 1 pound (0.45kg) of protein from beef steak: $15.40

38. Cost for 1 pound (0.45 kg) of protein from beefsteak if U.S. taxpayers ceased subsidizing meat industry’s use of water: $89 per pound (0.45 kg)

Petroleum and Energy

39. Some energy costs incurred in livestock raising and meat sales: animal transportaton fees, feed supply costs, antibiotic expenses, slaughterhouse fees, packaging expenses, refrigeration costs, refrigerated shipping fees.

40. Amount of gasoline required to produce a pound of grain-fed beef in the United States: 1 gallon

Petroleum & Energy (con’t)

41. Average quantity of fossil fuel per year required to sustain the typical beef intake of a family of four: 260 gallons

42. Amount of carbon dioxide emitted by 260 gallons of gasoline: 2.5 tons (as much as a car emits in six months)

43. Length of time world’s petroleum reserves would last (with current technologies) if all human beings ate meat centered diet: 13 years

44. Length of time world’s petroleum reserves would last (with current technologies) if all human beings ate a vegetarian diet: 260 years

45. Principal reason for U.S. intervention in Persian Gulf: dependence on foreign oil.

46. Barrels of oil imported daily by U.S.: 6.8 million

47. Percentage of energy return (as food energy per fossil energy expended) of most energy efficient farming of meat: 34.5%

48. Percentage of energy return (as food energy per fossil energy expended) of least energy efficient plant food: 328%

49. Amount of soy beans produced by the amount of fossil fuel needed to produce 1 pound (0.45kg) of feedlot beef: 40 pounds (18.1 kg)

50. Percentage of raw materials consumed in U.S. for all purposes presently consumed to produce current meat-centered diet: 33%

51. Percentage of raw materials consumed in U.S. for all purposes needed to produce pure vegetarian diet: 2%

52. Number of cattle worldwide: 1.3 billion

53. Amount of the greenhouse gas, methane, emitted by 1.3 billion cattle:

150 trillion quarts

Sewage Systems

54. Production of excrement by total U.S. population: 12,000 lbs. (5443 kg) per second.

55. Production of excrement by U.S. livestock: 250,000 lbs. (113,400 kg) per second!

56. Sewage systems in U.S. cities: common

57. Sewage system in U.S. feedlots: nil

58. Amount of waste produced annually by U.S. livestock in confinement operations which is not recycled: 1 billion tons (907 billion kg)

59. Relative concentration of feedlot wastes compared to raw domestic sewage: 10 to several hundred times more highly concentrated

60. Where feedlot waste typically ends up: human water supply

Medical School & Nutritional Studies

61. Number of U.S. medical schools: 125

62. Number of U.S. medical schools with a required course in nutrition: 30

63. Training in nutrition received during four years of medical school by the average U.S. physician: 2.5 hours

64. Percentage of the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s budget devoted to nutritional studies: less than 1 %

Heart Attacks

65. How frequently a heart attack strikes in the U.S.: every 25 seconds

66. How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds

67. Most common cause of death in the U.S. : heart attack

68. Risk of death from heart attack by average U.S. woman: 46%, man: 52%

69. Risk of death from heart attack by average American purely vegetarian woman: 3% man: 4%

Meeting #8

August 31st 2011

Attendees for Meeting #8

Toni Y, Toni V, Paul, Raederle and Jay

Share an excerpt from a book that has started you on your journey...

Toni Yank: Talked about Empty Harvest, a book that shows natives unaffected by western diet versus natives affected by western diet. The photographs are tremendously different. The book makes the link between agriculture, human immune systems, diet, nutrition and ecology. It's a strong connection.

Toni V: Shared a bit of "The Continuum Concept" with us. She described it as the book that turned her "into a thinking person."

Raederle: Read several pages from "The Art of Happiness." This book was instrument for Raederle's understanding of the power of perspective. It helped widen her view and allow her to look at the bigger picture. It pulled her out of her self-centered mind-set and released many emotional chains that had been holding her down.

Paul: Shared with us some facts from the back of Natures First Law. These facts can be read by clicking here.

Jay: Expresses the view that the fantasy books he's read have taught him values such as honor, but there is no one book that gave him a paradigm shift. Jay has never finished reading a "self help" book in full.

Paul's Story

The following is Paul's story of how he reversed his cancer, arthritis and other conditions on his own through an organic, raw and vegan diet.

In Paul's Own Words:

My motivation for changing to a raw organic diet was to avoid surgery, poisonous drugs, radiation, chemotherapy, extreme sickness and the possibility of a painful death.

Years earlier, I went through an experience with a business partner who died within four months after being dignosed with melanoma cancer. His attempt to regain his health via the conventional medical way was futile. He and his family suffered greatly.

My business partner's life ended in four months of horrific pain and suffering. He left behind a young wife, son and daughter. My own cancer symptoms were identical to his and I did not want to go that route. Because of many other prior health issues, I had been learning and studying alternative healing modalities.

I had heard of macrobiotics. I knew of Dr. Satarino who chose to go the route of building up his immune system with healthy whole foods. Dr. Satarino was in his thirties at the time and knew that the standard medical treatment for his type of cancer, which had spread throughout all his lymph nodes, would not be successful. He chose to change his diet, based on all the research he had done, and he literally "ate his cancer away."

When my cancer was discovered, I immediately changed my diet to 100% organic raw vegatables, fruits, seeds and nuts. The bulk of my diet became green leafy veggies. This diet was outlined in a book called "Living Foods for Optimum Health" written by Dr. Brian Clements, Phd., the director of the world renown Hippocrates Health Institute in Boca Rottan, FL.

I had also researched "Nature's First Law" by Arlin, Dini & David Wolfe, along with the books written by the originators of Hippocrates Health Institute, Dr. Ann Wigmore and Viktoras Kulvinskas. Overnight, my black, itchy, fast growing cancerous mole gave me the push to start detoxifying. I made the commitment to filling up all of my trillions of cells with powerful Life Force. With that life force my immune system would become strong and enable my body to heal itself.

I changed my diet radically and switched my blood from acidic to alkaline. My cancerous mole shrunk quickly and totally disappeared within four months. At the same time my arthritic pain went away; pain I had been suffering for thirty-three years. My diverticulitis of eighteen years went away and my lifetime allergies vanished as well.

Forty years previously I had been in a serious car accident that had plagued with me severe back pain and a bad knee. That pain also vanished in the same four months.

My energy levels shot sky high. My clarity and happiness skyrocketed.

The eye doctor who examined my eyes said that I was born with astigmatism and that can never be corrected. After two years on this organic raw food diet I got rid of my bifocals for reading and my glasses for driving.

I was glasses free for over ten years. Only recently have I begun wearing them again due to strain from reading and computers. I keep doing research and experimenting so that I can once again eliminate my glasses.

In over eleven years I've been eating organically grown raw foods, I haven't had one cold or any flu's. I also cut out all the expensive supplements. I do not need vitamin tablets because I get all the minerals and enzymes I need from live organic foods that I am eating. I never get indigestion or acid reflux. My energy levels are as high as they were when I was a nine years old.

Besides all of the physical changes that happened to me, I had been on a spiritual path for many years prior to discovery of my cancer and when I went totally organically raw and vegan, my spirituality took a huge upward spike. It was the most amazing experience of my entire life. Every single person I've come to know in the organic raw food communities have expressed a similar spiritual experience.

I have come to the conclusion that it is because we are consuming the foods exactly as they were intended to be eaten... The perfect chemistry for our physical make up which is connected to our spiritual make up and our emotional make up... All of life is interconnected; the parts always affects the whole.

Proper foods eaten the proper way, heals physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually... Drugs and surgery attempt to treat the symptoms and will never come close to Nature's Healing.

This, in my opinion, is the most sensible and economical way to eliminate and prevent diseases and pain.

The knowledge that allowed me to heal myself was attained over years of research. I have attended seminars and lectures of medical scientists and doctors who have discovered this truth. I go to workshops, organic raw potlucks, and I interview as many successful raw fooders as I can. I read informational books and watch documentaries to keep abreast of the exciting revival of the original diet movement.

It's a shame that the main stream educational institutions haven't embraced this knowledge and they may never, because of the negative economical impact it would have on the established huge pharmaceutical and medical corporations.

Only two industries have made a little money from me... Organic farmers, organic grocery stores, and those teaching Natual Healing through Food, exercise, clean air and water. The money I've invested in my raw food education has been far less than what most people throw away in prescription drugs, surgeries, doctor visits, and expensive hospital stays.

In essence, I followed the teachings of Hippocrates, the father of medicine who said over two thousands yeas ago, "Make food your medicine, and medicine your food". He was right, and anyone can prove this just by doing it for one month and keeping a journal of how you feel and your health improvements.

If you can afford it, take every test available in the medical community. Get your levels of each vitamin measured, as well as cholesterol levels, etc. Then, after a year of on a Natural Living Lifestyle, go back and have all the exact medical tests taken again.

It will blow those medical examiners away and open their eyes. More and more responsible doctors are admitting that prevention is far superior to treating the symptoms.

Bottom line of my story: I have never been happier and more in love with Life, my Self, my Wife, our Family, Friends and all our acquaintances as I am now that I am in sync with Nature.

This seems to be true for all the people I know who have done the same. If you need any help or encouragement, just give me a call, I am happy to share this "Life/Love Altering Experience" with anyone wanting to take responsibility for their own health and happiness.

Namaste, and Happy Trails to you.

With much Love,

Paul Klein

716 884 0099

Meeting #7

August 17th 2011

Attendees for Meeting #7

Becky, Toni Y, Toni V, Ashley, Matt, Raederle, Jay and Susan


What (basic) food is a staple in your diet?

Toni Yank: Berries and Cabbage (marinated and as sauerkraut).

Becky: Bananas (Needs the magnesium and potassium for her heart). Becky puts three cups of greens in smoothies with three bananas.

Toni V: Greens, Watermelon and Tomatoes

Ashley: Garlic

Matt: Carrots, Almonds and Cucumber

Raederle: Bananas, Raw Cocoa and Spinach

Jay: Bananas and Oranges

Susan: Spinach, Celery and Blueberries


What food makes you feel best when you consume it?

Toni Yank: Cilantro and Berries

Becky: Kale

Toni V: Greens

Ashley: Oranges

Matt: Avocado

Raederle: Watermelon and Spinach

Jay: Sprouts

Susan: E3Live

Movie Night: "Discovering Good Health"

Raederle's Notes:

White Tongue --> Fungus

Peanuts --> Aspergillus (mould) --> Alfatoxin (mould waste)

Fungus/Yeast Loves:

Bread, Peanuts, Alcohol, Mushrooms, Heavy Metals

Cheese, Sugar, Cell Waste, Chemicals

Treat infections with garlic.

For babies: Wrap raw garlic clove in cloth and put on baby's foot.

Will know that the baby has received the treatment when their breath smells of garlic.

Should take a few minutes.

Throw away food with mould.

Only people with incredibly balanced flora in their intestines can handle food that has been contaminated.

The Carbon Cycle / Pleomorphism

Mico organisms

turn into:

Bacteria

turn into:

Yeast / Fungus

turn into:

Mould

turn into:

Dust

Good Bacteria (Probiotics): Bifidus and Acidopholus

Good bacteria breaks down vitamins, especially b-vitamins. Need probiotics to get b-vitamins!

Book Suggestion: Cancer is a fungus - by Dr. Tullio Simoncini

Cancer Treatment:

1. Starve

2. Kill

3. Balance

Step One: Starve Fungus [Two Weeks]

- Remove glucose / sugar / sweet fruits

Step Two: Kill Fungus [Two Weeks]

- Grapefruit seed extract

- Olive leaf extract

- Raw Garlic

- Pau D'Arco extract

Step Three: Balance [Two Weeks]

- Flood body with probiotics

Notes taken by Raederle Phoenix

Meeting #6

August 3rd 2011

Attendees for Meeting #6

Paul, Jay, Raederle Phoenix, Toni Yank, Toni V, Donna, William, Rosalie, Becky

Book Suggestions

The Science of Good Luck

Thousandth Monkey

Raw Emotions

Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer

Real Moments

Movie Suggestions

Beyond Autism

Buck -- Horse Whisperer

Discussion Topics

Chinese Herbs -- How can they heal if they are cooked and have no energy?

The conclusion of the discussion, in a nut shell, is that they only heal on a chemical basis, and do not influence the energy of the body.

William told us the story of the creator of Incredible Cousins, a restaurant in Chicago. It's an amazing testimonial for raw food.

If you don't feel the prayer, then it is meaningless.

What What Your Biggest Challenge In Your Journey, and How Did You Overcome It (if you've overcome it)?

Paul: Relatives. It was difficult for Paul to visit his relatives and tell them that he didn't want to eat their food anymore. He brought his own food instead of making them go out of their way to change anything for him. Over time, his relatives have adapted and there are no hard feelings from his relatives.

William: What to eat? He knew he couldn't just live on salads. He started to experiment, try new exotic vegetables, new recipes, exploring everything he could. He took classes, and studied with chefs who knew herbs thoroughly. Through knowledge he was able to overcome his struggles in his transition to raw food.

Donna: Family. Her husband (now her ex) and her children ate the Standard American Diet. While Donna started to create healthy meals for herself, her husband still wanted pop tarts and beer for dinner. She grew apart from her children and husband as she progressed along her journey. It was stressful for her to have to make something separate for herself and for her family. While she ate salad, they ate hamburger helper. To keep her motivation up she listened to motivational speakers, and sought out many outlets of inspiration. She feels that it's good that she went her own way, and now she surrounds herself with people who have the same values.

Toni Yank: Tasty easy food. Toni finds it hard not to turn to popcorn when she gets tired of eating the same old thing. She wants the recipe to be easy, and delicious, and she wants a different one all the time. This is still something Toni is working on. Raw Food Made Easy is a book suggestion that was brought up for her at the meeting.

Toni shared this quote with us: "We understand while children are afraid of the dark, but why are adults afraid of the light?"

Raederle: Previously had difficulty with variety in raw food, but she learned many recipes and gained a huge amount of knowledge about raw food and no longer has this problem. Raederle is currently struggling with emotional eating. When she becomes stressed she craves childhood comfort foods, such as french fries. In order to resist temptation for cooked, fried, unhealthy options, she turns to "raw junk food" such as throwing bananas, cocoa, almond butter, and water in the blender and drinking that. She knows that combing the high amount of sweet and fat together upsets her digestion and makes her feel sluggish, but when she feels stressed the temptation is overwhelming.

Becky suggested to Raederle: Think about the cause of the stress, and identify that it as the cause for the food craving. Let out the emotions that are pent up; cry. Write it out, talk it out, cry it out, and when it's out, the food craving will be past. Becky has also had this issue in the past, but has worked through it.

Jay: Needs to find a way to fill up on greens. Jay doesn't feel good when he eats a diet with too much fruit or too much fat. He feels best when he eats greens, greens, greens, greens and only a small amount of fat and a small amount of fruit, but when he does this, he doesn't feel full. He is still currently struggling with this issue.

Rosalie: Doesn't feel she has a raw food journey struggle. She grew up during war time and food was scarce. Any food at all was a blessing. When she came to America and learned to cook, she was proud. When she got cancer, she thought about food choices for the first time. She learned about macrobiotics and healed. She is curious about everything that has to do with food, anything new. Wants to try lots of new foods, and loves raw food potlucks for that reason.

Becky: Emotional eater. Becky went to a detox retreat for one week and had a heavy detox as her introduction to healthier eating. Wheatgrass, colonics, energy soup, the works. The experience changed her perspective. She found that she was an emotional eater, and through learning to grasp the real issues has learned to meditate through cravings and get to the root problems.