Euphoria Loves RAWvolution : Raw Food Restaurant Review

(I apologise for the poor quality of all these photos. My camera doesn't do well in low light regardless of the settings.)

While traveling, I'm looking to do some work-trade at raw food restaurants along the way so I can be of service in the kitchen, connect with the people putting all their love into nourishing others, try a few delicious meals, and write about the places I work-trade at here on my blog to help spread the word about all the delicious raw food out there.

While in LA, I wasn't able to work out a work-trade but decided to use my savings to spring for a bite at Euphoria Loves RAWvolution, Matt Amsden's Santa Monica restaurant. I had hosted a couchsurfer from Ithaca, NY who works for the RAWvolution delivery service and she had been raving about the onion bread, so I figured this was my chance to test it out.

While the place wasn't full of people chatting and laughing any of the times I walked by, and didn't have the vibrant community vibe of Cafe Gratitude, the atmosphere itself was very warm and welcoming, especially the lighting and amazing paintings on the walls. And the staff was extremely friendly and helpful in answering everyone's questions. Another plus is it's located directly across from the Santa Monica Community Gardens, where local residents can apply for their own plot of land to grow their own organic fruits & veggies, and practice a more sustainable way of life. It's a great place to walk around and feel inspired by people reconnecting with the earth in major cities. And here, they've been doing it since 1976. It's amazing.

I ordered the Cocophoria Sandwich, which was actually one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten. I can't think of any other words to describe the curried coconut jerky besides heavenly...the taste and texture were perfect - just the right amount of moisture, chewiness, and spice, which was complimented by the onion bread which was, as I had been told, out of this world. I'll definitely be making a few batches of both the jerky and the bread at home when this trip is over. I had actually never tried any raw sandwiches before, probably because I didn't even like sandwiches for several years before I went raw (with the exception of apples & brie on baguette or mozzarella, tomato and basil) and because I try to limit my intake of heavy, dehydrated foods (they often make me feel heavy and dehydrated) but this was definitely worth it, and actually didn't sit too heavy.


For dessert, I had the Vanilla Maca Chocolate Chip Pie. Wow. It was so velvety and creamy that I slowly savored each bite just to make it last as long as I could. The flavor was rich, but not too rich - it flirted on the edge, with just enough depth to linger on my taste buds and make me want more. There was something deeply satisfying and almost refreshing about the flavors. Definitely another recipe I will have to experiment with at home.


I had ordered a Yerba Mate Latte that was a bit on the bland side before dinner, but the Chai Latte I got after more than made up for it - it was just the right combination of spice and sweetness to help me digest and put me in a good mood for the walk home in the rain.

Raw Vagabonding : Los Angeles in the Raw

Started the next morning off right, by going to the Santa Monica Farmers Market and getting a bite to eat from the Juliano's Planet Raw stand. I got a fresh coconut and the pizza, which was covered in artichokes, olives and a ton of other delicious things and sat in the grass with my host, Raquel to enjoy it. It was pretty good, but to me, not too many things top fresh coconut, so I had them go back and chop the top off so I could munch on the meat inside. When I told them about my trip, they asked which city had the best raw food...I'm not sure, but even though I'm having a great time, I miss SF something fierce already.




Then Raquel and I picked up 3 huge bunches of green for only $5 and walked back to her house to make this delicious salad to bring to the CS potluck. It wasn't raw, but I figured we could try to be a good influence.




Tri-green Salad

1 bunch Kale, finely chopped
1 bunch Dandelion Greens, finely chopped
1 bunch Spinach, finely chopped
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Cold pressed olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl, toss with hands and let marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

My old friends from Brooklyn, Sam and Daina, both came to the CS potluck to hang out for a bit before we went out to play. Sam is a painter and street artist who has been living in LA for a few years now. Daina still lives in NYC, but was in town because she had an exhibit at a gallery in LA. She paints in a photo-realist style, but often with spray paint, retaining some of her urban street style. Her work is pretty intricate, and if anyone is in New York, she's in the Queens International exhibit at the Queens Museum of Art. I knew she'd make it into a museum one day - she's been living, breathing and eating art as long as I've known her and has always hustled to make it. It was so great to see them both and run around town for the night. We had a lot of fun, and I think maybe Daina had a little too much fun in the sticker store:



Here's a few other random shots from my days in LA...

Raw Vagabonding: Coastal Drive to the City of Angels

After hitting the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market to get some food for the day, I continued my drive south to Los Angeles.

I stopped in Ventura, California to sit by the ocean and have lunch and catch up on phone calls, and decided to finally listen to the voice telling me it was time to replace my broken windshield wiper blade, which is how I ended up meeting the sweetest man in all of Ventura. This old man working at Kragen Auto Parts on Main St wanted to replace the blade for me, but I told him I'd rather he teach me how to do it so I can be self-reliant next time. (I had lived in NYC for almost a decade, so know little about cars.) It was easy, but he kindly walked me through it and asked me where I was headed, so I told him about my community building trip across the country. His eyes lit up and we started talking about trust and the universe. I gave him a bar of Fearless Chocolate as a thank you, and he told me that he would ask God to watch over me on my travels because I was doing a good thing. I'm not much for God-speak (I prefer the term universe), but he was so sincere and the kindness in his eyes shone so brightly that it forced me to remember that whatever we choose to call it, it's all the same positive energy in the end. This same topic was to resurface later in the evening...

When I finally got to LA, I headed to Pasadena for a raw food potluck at Revvell's house. It was a really great evening. For starters, Revvell's got sass! She's got a knack for finding the truth in the abundance of information that exists these days, and getting straight to the point. There were a lot of newcomers, and she was able to cut through the BS and explain raw foods to the newcomers in such a simple and concise way that anyone could relate to.


She's a powerhouse of energy, as you'll notice by listening to her her radio show, Rawkin' Radio or checking out her membership site, Let's Talk Raw, where she allows members to come up with the questions for the interviews. She's a super connector and loves to share information, and she also knows when someone needs a little push to get where they're going, as she showed by giving me my first large public speaking experience. I love talking to people, but 'public speaking' is something that I have been thinking I need to work on a lot, especially on this trip because I want to be able to speak about my past health issues and my experiences with raw foods openly, easily and confidently. I had been thinking about joining a toastmasters group, but just didn't find the time before I left, so it was nice to have someone just throw me in with no warning to get me started. Thanks, Revvell! In reality, it's pretty simple and the fear is all mental hype. After the first few seconds of nerves, I sat down and put myself at the same level so I wasn't the center of attention, and from there talking to the group felt really easy. I know it may sound silly, but sitting down instead of standing in the center made me feel more comfortable and connected with everyone, which made a difference. It felt really good to talk about this trip, my intentions, how we are all connected and how the universe conspires to give us exactly what we need when we learn to trust our instincts and listen to our inner-voice. Afterwards a lot of people came up to talk to me about what I was doing, which really re-affirmed my purpose and gave me the opportunity to connect with people one on one.

One sweet woman even came over and slipped me some money for gas to help me to my next destination. She said what I was doing was like missionary work, which made me giggle a little since I consider myself spiritual but not religious, but I guess in a sense she was right - I am definitely on a mission, and am looking to be of service and help others. It's just a different way of looking at it than I would use. We talked about religion for awhile, about how the common message is love and light, how different people see things in different ways, and how beautiful it is that we are all so unique. I asked her about her own religious choice, and she told me that she used to be Buddhist, but was doing a ceremony at the altar one day and received a sign and from then on converted to Christianity. It made me think of the guy in Ventura asking God to look after me, and their unwavering belief in what they see as a higher power. It may be different than what I believe, but it's really amazing to see people from all walks of life embracing trust and seeking to be of service. Everyone brings something to the table, and we are all able to come together. I love that.

Right before that woman came over, I had been talking to Susanna Baxter about the use of the word God, so the synchronicity was pretty astounding. Susanna is new to raw foods, but has been working with health and healing for quite some time. We talked a little bit about her practice, and how she seeks to create the bridge for people between their physical health and their mental/emotional health. She is currently offering a free e-course entitled "5 Steps to Optimal Physical Wellness." I'm looking forward to hearing what shifts occur for her on a raw diet, and how much it helps her go deeper into her healing work.

I also got to chat with Karla Christine (also known as Kira) from The Healing Boutique about her work. Karla is deeply connected to the knowledge that our souls know exactly what we need to heal and feel whole, so she works with people to help them uncover the knowledge within and listen to their inner-healer. She is also a life coach and energy healer. She has a radiant energy and warmth about her that you can't help but be drawn to.


Another great person I got to connect with was Lucy. She was the first person I spoke to when I arrived because she was so friendly and inquisitive. She's another one who seems to absorb tons of information and remember little details. I was really impressed. She was very candid speaking to me about the health problems in her family and her own raw journey. She also wowed me with this amazing kale-blood orange salad, which she was kind enough to share the recipe for:

Lucy's Kale-Blood Orange Salad
1 bunch of Kale, deveined & finely chopped
1 large Tomato, cubed
3 Blood oranges, sliced
dressing:
3 gloves of Garlic, pressed or minced
2 tbsp of Almond Butter
2 tbsp of Lemon Juice
1 tbsp of Nama Shoyu (or Braggs if you use it. I personally don't.)
1 tbsp of minced Green Onion
1-2 tbsp of Raw honey (or 4 soft dates, mashed)

Mix dressing ingredients well with a fork or spoon and add kale, tomato, oranges and toss. Happy eating!

Another highlight was Tao Zheng's reality animation. Tao was observing everyone so intently, and transforming the events of the evening into these hilarious animations, like the one below:



I stayed a bit late to be of service & help clean up our potluck mess and then was off to a CS Anti-Valentine's party. I had posted a last minute couch request, and a guy named Alex called and told me to go, and that I'd be sure to find a host. I knew what he meant, because the spirit of couchsurfing is just as vibrant in SF - everyone wants to help each other and connect. So I completely trusted it, went to the party and as soon as I walked in felt at home. A circle of people drumming and playing guitar, people teaching others how to salsa, the familiar buzz of different languages co-mingling. I love that at CS events there are always a ton of different things happening in each room or each corner of a room, and everyone is from somewhere else but we all come together and it always feels like family.

I gave out tons of Love Street's Raw Chocolate Spread. While most people thought I was selling something at first, a few people actually heard the words "free" and "chocolate" and smiled and happily took it. The first person to actually ask questions was Ryan Ray. Once I found out what he did, I was not surprised that he was intrigued by what I was doing - it was in synch with his own purpose. Ryan has a show called "Wake UP! Explore your Passion" that is all about life transformation and inspiring others. Once my trip is over, I'm going to take some time to watch a few episodes and learn from all his inspiring guests.

I ended up find the most amazing host, Raquel, the amazing Brasilian. She is living in Venice Beach studying English in the middle of traveling the world. She generously opened her home up to me, and when my friend who I was going to stay with the next day got sick, she let me stay with her for a few more days. She's a lot of fun, and just a really kind hearted person looking to help people. She is what CS is all about. Since I might end up in Brasil studying permaculture after all this is done, it was great to have someone tell me about places to go and people to connect with.

Raw Vagabonding: Eat Life, San Luis Obispo

Mile 293. San Luis Obispo. I officially no longer live in San Francisco, which saddened me for an hour or two as I mentally said goodbye to all the things I love about it (there are way too many to ever list!), but as soon as I smelled the campfires mixed with the coastal breeze down on the Peninsula, I remembered that I am always home. Memories of camping trips to Big Sur and drives down the PCH made me smile. So I'm living like a turtle, with my house on my back, creating home wherever I go on an almost daily basis. I have 2 giant bins stuffed in my car: one full of mason jars containing nuts, seeds, and other goodies; another one full of kitchen appliances so I can blend & mix on the go in parking lots or wherever the opportunity presents itself.

I'm staying with Brandie, who is pure love. Everything in her house exudes love, growth, and nourishment.

This morning I woke up to the sounds of Anthony & Jonathan O'Donnell, 2 of the most amazing kitchen angels I've ever met. They have such a passion for experimentation and testing out new things, which for me is vital to the experience of raw food, and life in general. Recipes are great for getting you started, teaching you, and providing you with inspiration, but if you really want to get into the flow and be present, working with whatever ingredients you've got to playfully whip up something from your imagination is where the real pleasure and freedom come in.

While I was making Coconut-Lime Cheesecake to add to today's dessert menu at Smiling Dog Café, Jonathan was busy stirring up today's lentil soup (one of the few cooked items offered, with the veggies thrown in at the end to maintain most of their nutrients) and Anthony was concocting the most delicious Lucuma-Hemp Bars, which he was kind enough to share his recipe for below. I'm so grateful to be around people creating such beautiful, nourishing recipes. Anthony & Jonathan are two super talented brothers and watching them play off each other and combine their unique perspectives to work together has been a blessing. I've urged them to set up a blog to share their culinary delights with the world, so if you like the following recipe, please sent them a message through Jonathan's flickr page (he's an aspiring photographer) and let them know you'd love them to share more of their magic with the world.

Lucuma-Hemp Bars
(courtesy of Anthony O'Donnell)

This makes a BIG batch spread out on a half-sheet pan, so you can always half everything to make less.

9 cups Coconut flakes
4 cups Hemp seeds
4 cups Cashew pieces
2 cups Lucuma powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup Coconut oil
zest of 4-5 Lemons
2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 Tbsp Vanilla bean powder
1 cup Raw local honey
Cashew Cream (2 cups of soaked cashews blended with 1/4 cup of water, juice or rejuvelac until super creamy)

Mix all ingredients together with your hands. Get nice and dirty. Form unto half-sheet bar pan, chill and serve.

In the afternoon, Luke, whom I also met last month at the Abounding River workshop, came back with the boys and we all made a very special order of Chocolate & Vanilla Strawberry-filled Valentine's Day Cupcakes for a client:

Raw Vagabonding & Community Building

I am conducting an experiment in community building and trust. I believe that when we consciously choose to provide value to the world and be of service, the universe provides us with everything that we need. I also believe that we are the creators of our lives, and though we can't change what happens, we can change how we react to what happens and make what may seem like a disaster into a wonderful opportunity.

The next few sections are a bit about the events and choices that led to the Raw Vagabonding Tour coming to be, but if you're short on time or just want to skip straight to the point, you can scroll down to The Bigger Picture Comes Together and read from there.

The Back Story

In October of 2008, I got fired my job and considered it to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me, one in a series of blessings. Had it happened a year or maybe 2 earlier, I probably would have gotten upset, frustrated, and angry and sunk into an ugly depression plagued with anxiety attacks about my lack of money and stress about how to pay the bills. I would have wasted countless hours and tons of energy choosing to feel crappy about my situation and would have gone on dozens of demeaning, energy draining interviews searching for another meaningless job that did nothing to benefit humanity and served no higher purpose, but paid my rent. But something happened to me last year, and since then I have been choosing to create a life of my own decision by stepping into my power.

So instead, I said,"Thank you!" and walked out of that office with the biggest smile on my face. I had been wanting to quit for several months already...I had been slowly chiseling away at the pieces of my life that no longer fit who I wanted to be - places, people, things, habits - to clear the path for what I really wanted, and when I finally decided to switch to a raw foods lifestyle, everything just made so much sense on so many levels and it all clicked into place with a deeply inspiring passion. I felt called in a way I had never felt before. I devoured book after book, website after website, blog after blog pending endless hours educating myself, trying new recipes, watching videos, listening to podcasts. I was kind of obsessed with this fire burning inside, but was enjoying every single minute of it and found it all so fascinating and exciting. I was floating on a cloud of bliss. For years I had known I needed to find a way out of the trap, that there were more important things in life, that we are here to love and enjoy life, not to toil away behind desks in a constant state of stress never really achieving our true potential, and that we are all destined for greater things. When I was 19, I read Buckminster Fuller's Critical Path and his words about how he had chosen to devote the rest of his life to only doing things that were beneficial to all of humanity struck a chord, and he became a role model and radically shaped how I viewed the world and how I chose to live. At 19, I wasn't at a place where I was ready to make such a radical shift and I loved being in art school and creating, but I did hope I would someday have the dedication, drive and honor to live in such a harmonious way and find the courage to stop compromising for the sake of a pay check or a false sense of security. When I found raw foods, the path of illness that had led me to it all made sense, and I was able to see it too as a blessing. I knew I needed to work with people who had been put through the wringer with the health care system like I had and show them that if they simply chose to take their health into their own hands and take care of themselves they would find the answers. I knew I needed to work with people who really wanted to make changes, and serve to inspire and encourage them on their paths and provide them with the information they need to make their own educated choices, as I had already experienced what it was like to try and convince people who didn't want to change to take matters into their own hands, and knew that it was like leading a horse to water and watching it get more and more dehydrated. Slow, painful, draining and not good for either party in the long run. I placed my intentions very specifically on that "people who want to make changes" part of the plan, and 2 days later an email appeared to a raw food group I was on asking for someone to help them, and I got my first client, Emily. She was great to work with, had such a warm, positive energy to her and I got such a deeply satisfying feeling from helping her. She began to ask me to make some food for her to buy, and with that I began to shift into chef work as well. I was so excited about the direction my life was taking and saw this as an opportunity to spend some of my time being of service doing something I truly loved and earning enough to finally have the time I needed to work on my artwork. I signed up for a course at Living Light with the intention of learning more so I would be better able to help more people and expand my client base so that I could quit my job and escape the verbal abuse that was making each day more and more draining and full of anxiety. I guess the universe heard me, and knew I didn't have the strength to quit on the spot, so instead I got fired just a few days before the course started and knew it was a sign to devote my time and energy to this path of healing and nourishment, and oh, how amazing my life has been as a result.

A Few Short, Action-Packed Months Pass

My thoughts shifted more towards community and sustainable life as a whole, and I knew I needed to go even bigger than consulting - I decided I wanted to someday create an intentional permaculture community. I got a sponsorship to study permaculture and biodynamic farming in Europe for 6 months. I decided I would sublet my apartment and drive cross country once again (it's one of my favorite pastimes) to spend a few months with my parents doing some emotional healing before moving to Europe for the program. My dad has his first heart attack and got diagnosed with diabetes one day when I was only 12, and I remember fearing his death, a feeling that also shaped my life over the years as I watched him continue to smoke, have another heart attack, several surgeries, a stroke of the eye, foot ulcers and bypass surgery on his leg. I saw at an early age that there was a link to ill health and not taking care of ones self, even though it took me a long time to put that into action in my own life. Nothing could thrill me more than my dad deciding to go to the Tree of Life and work with Gabriel Cousens to reverse his diabetes and actually finding a way to afford the program, but I have no intention of trying to change my dad (who is a bit healthier now - he quit smoking shortly after I did), as it's his life and he would have to come to that sort of decision on his own, without my persuasion. But he did always want me to be a doctor instead of an artist, so I am hoping that I can at least be a positive influence through my own actions and he might pick up a few things on his own just by me being around and letting him be him, and loving and accepting him for that. My mom has been intrigued by the whole thing since day one and is always asking me to send her books and information, and she loves food and has noticed the changes in me from conversations on the phone, so I know she'll join me in the kitchen and that we'll have lots of fun together. There is a correlation in my family between stress and eating, so I am hoping to slowly unravel some of those issues and make better sense of them myself. So my brain is buzzing on the high of long-term community building, doing beneficial things for humanity, and putting some energy into healing some family issues just by being present.

The Bigger Picture Comes Together

I attended an amazing weekend workshop about abundance and community given by the owners of Cafe Gratitude, and met Brandie. I had been thinking about an image of a girl on a bike on Philip's blog, and how badly I want to cart around my raw food treats on my bicycle on this land I have yet to purchase in the intentional community I know will one day come together, which I had sent to my friend Adelaide, whose intentions for a permaculture community are so very in synch with mine. Adelaide is an amazing person with a great memory. She recognized Brandie's name and Smiling Dog Cafe from the blog post I had sent her, and we begin talking about my upcoming cross-country trip and I tell her about how that little photo of her on her bike made me so happy and excited, and within a few minutes, a plan to stop in San Luis Obispo and stay with her and help out in the Smiling Dog Cafe for a few days on my way across the country is made. But we're at a workshop on abundance with a wonderful, loving community, and that combined with all the synchronicities is so terribly inspiring so about 3 minutes later the seed that we planted sprouts and begins growing wildly...I decide to turn my entire trip into one huge community building experience. Everything fit in with my desire to be of service and build community, so I decide to give away my consulting services to people by donation (not just monetary - I believe in the gift economy a la Burning Man), help people with any garden projects they need help with, attend potlucks and connect with amazing people and make them all part of my journey (and yours) by blogging my experiences here. I had been doing a lot of work-trade since I lost my job in exchange for yoga classes, meals, and numerous things and it has been an amazing experience to step away from the trap of needing a job to have a quality-filled life, so I decided to see if I can work-trade at a few raw food restaurants, helping them in the kitchen and doing a write-up of their restaurants here on my blog in exchange for some lovingly prepared meals. Blogging about the entire experience here will bring exposure to the lovely people I meet on my journey, and connect them to other like-minded souls. I hope it will help foster deeper connections, and inspire people to be active in their communities and pool together to get things done. The power of community is a strong and beautiful force. Maybe someone will even one day use this treasure map I am creating when they travel to similar areas, similar to me seeing Brandie on Philip's blog.

I am confident that while being of service, whatever you need, the universe delivers. I believe we are all connected, we just sometimes forget, and I know we have an abundance of everything we need. Anything you could possibly need, someone else has too much of it. By working together, we can balance things out so every one's needs are met. We are all in this together - there is no them, only us. I believe we can foster community online, and I am glad that will be part of my journey, but I also believe in the power of direct action and going out there and doing things to be the change we want to see, which is why I am packing my blender, juicer, dehydrator and loads of goodies into my trunk and getting on the road to do this. I also believe in asking community for help. We each bring something to the table, and often doing small things together can bring the biggest changes. I know I can't do this trip alone, and I need to enlist the help of all of you.

There are things I will need from the community at large to make this work. I will be couchsurfing my way across the States (it's the best way a human can ever travel and I love my CS community) but will still occasionally need places to sleep, internet access to blog about this magical journey, people to come out to play and join the fun and share slivers of their lives on this planet, people to make music and dance and celebrate life. I will need information on: local raw events, lovely people I should connect with, people who would like to learn more about raw or who have something great to teach, local food co-ops, farmers markets, herb shops, people who make local products to be featured on this blog. Anything you have to offer to be of service in this journey is appreciated, and you can email rawvagabonding(at)gmail(dot)com if you'd like to help. My friend who is joining me for a portion of the trip put word out that she needed a laptop, so someone donated one to us, and another friend donated his time to fix it. It's really amazing how everything just falls into place. :)

Here are the dates and locations for the first leg of the tour (the rest will be announced shortly):

February 12-13th - San Luis Obispo
February 14-15th - Los Angeles
event: February 14th - LA potluck - click here for details and to RSVP
February 16-17th - Death Valley
February 18-22nd - Las Vegas
event: February 21st - Raw Potluck Brunch in Vegas - details to be posted shortly
event: February 22nd - Raw Potluck Dinner in Vegas - click here for details and to RSVP
February 23-25th - Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park
February 26-28 - Moab/Arches

Then it's down to Arizona to do a week-long work trade at Grace Grove, a raw retreat center just outside Sedona and visit the Grand Canyon.

After that, we'll head to Santa Fe, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, and then who knows...maybe Tulsa? Memphis? Nashville? We will see where the universe takes me, what direction synchronicities point in...There is no specific end date, though I will eventually end up back east to spend time with my family.

Things you can do:

Spread the word! Add links to this post on your blog, twitter and facebook to help build and prove that if we all work together, we can accomplish truly amazing things.

You can follow the journey here, on twitter, on facebook, and on We Like It Raw. I strongly suggest using things like the facebook group to contribute as well - post photos and information and connect with others. I really want you all to be part of this journey.

Email us if you'd like to contribute or join in the fun along the way or have suggestions or information, comments or just want to say hi. Help us organize events in your local community.

And lastly, if you still want to do something to help, but aren't sure what to do, or don't have time, I will be accepting donations to help defray the costs of gas and food via paypal. These donations will help fuel the car, put food in people's bellies and allow us all to spread the message of community, trust and abundance out to more people. Even if you have no money, know that if each person who visited this site only contributed $1, they would be making a huge difference. It's not about the individual amount - it's about the collective power of community and every contribution counts.

Donations of any amount are gladly accepted.

I will be giving away my services on a donation basis - if you grow something, trade me produce, if you are a massage therapist, give me a massage, a hairstylist - i could use a cut!, if you know about car stereos, help me get the cd unstuck from my player. If you feel you have nothing to contribute, know that that is not true and that everyone has something to contribute. Tell me a story, share you life. If you provide the food, I will even prepare a delicious raw feast for you and your family. Or maybe enough people will donate funds to allow me to give away the meals for free to those who really need it most. I'd love to give talks at events about my journey through my medical hell and how raw food helped me heal and transform my life. If you know people who want to get healthy, but put off taking care of their health because of financial issues, or if you know of any events where I can speak about healing, send an email to rawvagabonding(at)gmail(dot)com.

This is also a way for those of you in the community to have an opportunity to share your goods...Thanks to the lovely folks at Fearless Chocolate and Love Street Living Foods, we will be giving away lots of raw chocolate and other goodies along the way. If anyone has any other products they'd like us to share, or extra copies of books or anything else they have an abundance of, here is your chance to get the word out for free. We will give away anything you want to get in the hands of community. Drop an email to rawvagabonding(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know how you'd like to contribute.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I look forward to connected with as many of you as possible in various different ways and working together to create the change we want to see in our world.

Electro Interstitial Scan

So I went to my amazing, genius Naturopath in Marin today to work-trade to eliminate the remainder of my debt to him that has been lingering since I lost my job in October. I was really amazed and touched that he was open to the idea of a computer work exchange, and then to top it off, he goes and throws in an EIS body scan. When I first went to see him in January of 2008, I was impressed and grateful because he was the first health practitioner who actually treated me as a human being instead of a diagnosis, and listened to what I had to say and trusted my observations of my own body. He was a far cry from my old NYC practitioners who each in their own way told me it was all in my head, that I was bipolar and needed to be medicated, and that my issues were psychological even though I told them I could feel chemicals coursing through my entire body that would cause me to feel certain ways and just knew something was wrong internally. They shrugged off my sudden weight gain as being caused by "depression" and never listened to me when I said such a significant increase did not seem right based on what I ate. They told me my incredible fatigue was also a depression issue. Little did I know that all my symptoms combined were extremely common in people with hypothyroidism, which was what I discovered to be a large part of the puzzle. But I am grateful, because their inability to listen to me and treat me as a human is a large part of what prompted me to move to San Francisco so I could be immersed in a very in-your-face alternative health community and learn as much as possible in my search for truth and healing. And what a beautiful journey it has been. Everything happens for a reason, and I wouldn't change a thing about my life, as it has shaped me to be who I am today.

I haven't done tons of research on EIS scans, but what I have uncovered, like most medical research has been half positive and half skeptical, so I strongly recommend anyone looking in that direction do their own research and make an informed decision on their own. What I liked about my Naturopath was that he is aware of the flaws in things and not only did he do a second scan to see what was different between the 2, but he also takes everything with a grain of salt and uses it in conjunction with that he has already determined from a thorough intake, instead of as a replacement. So thorough! But on to my results..

They were overall much healthier than most people my age - yippee! There were a few things that showed up as not optimum, but they were all very minor and there was no major cause for concern.

My liver - half of it was over-active, and half was under-active. This could be attributed to detoxing, as well as my previous issues. When I first started going to my ND, his Chinese medicine diagnosis (which was echoed by the lovely folks at ACTCM, a great clinic in SF for affordable acupuncture and Chinese herbs) was that I had too much phlegm and stagnation in the liver, and the buildup was causing acne, which I had not experienced since I was about 12. I am sure all those years of drinking and experimenting, as well as some of the things in my diet were responsible for overtaxing my liver and the rest of my body.h

One scan highlighted the pancreas, but the other did not, and highlighted one section of my intestines instead. Not sure what that was about, but since it was different on both, I'm not going to invest any energy into it at this time.

Neurological status - all my brain chemistry was totally normal and in perfect balance. I'd love to show that to my old doctors in NY (and one in SF) who had diagnosed me as Bipolar. My amygdala showed up in the minor to mild range, which makes complete sense to me. For years, a big problem spot for me has been how I process and store trauma. My emotional memories have always appeared to be stronger than almost everyone else I have ever known and were a huge challenge for me. I did a bit of deep emotional release bodywork a few years ago, and my first session was intense and amazing, but the second one did nothing for me. I wonder what would happen if I were to explore that again with a focus on that area of my body. I am also curious to research what other things I can do to heal this part of my brain. Time do some more research on Bioenergetic Analysis.

My lungs - they were slightly under-active, which is very common in most people these days. We simply do not breathe deeply enough. I suspect part of that is related to how we live and the stress and disconnection that have resulted from our modern times. I thought my breathing had deepened through doing yoga more often, but I guess there is always room for improvement, and I definitely notice the stretching of my lungs when I am hiking steep inclines in the mountains.

My breasts - also slightly under-active, which is common in women these days also. It was great seeing this, as the day before I had just been reading a great post about breasts, bras and cancer on Courtney Pool's blog and talking to her about how I loathe wearing bras because they feel so restrictive and how I noticed the elasticity of my skin in that area improve since I went raw, and am hoping a day will come when I don't need to wear one at all. It's something I've pondered a lot when studying indigenous tribes, and thinking about our evolution and how things came to be how they are. My Naturopath told me about his wife's experiences with her breast problems and how they healed, which was pretty fascinating.

I wish I would have gotten one of these scans before I went raw, because initially I started seeing my ND in January of 2008 because I was a mess with hypothyroidism and a severely congested liver, and since then, I've done a lot of cleanses and went raw, so I can feel a huge difference from how I once was. My thyroid appeared fine in both scans, and my liver only mild. When I return to Northern California after my adventures, I will definitely be going back for another to see if my liver has completely healed.

Raw in Arcata

I corralled 2 of my closest friends (Tanya and Caitanya - I love you guys!) into the car and headed up to Arcata for the holiday weekend to visit the glorious Artemisia Butterfly and her dazzling son, Bodhi Shine. I could not have asked the universe for kinder, more generous hosts. They opened up their home full of swinging chairs, hammocks and plants to us and treated us like family. Artemisia is partly-raw, so she let me use her Vitamix to whip up treats all weekend (I brought a bag stocked with nuts, maca and tons of produce so I could survive on deliciousness), and she even let me use some of her cacao nibs, vanilla and berries to add to everything. What a heavenly time we had in the kitchen all weekend!

Artemisia is a truly giving person who a mutual friend insisted I meet, and I am ever so glad I listened. We had so many great conversations about life, love, friends, health, music, art, nature and well, everything. She is a single mom raising her son to be completely open to life and all that it brings. It was amazing seeing how she teaches him to communicate, and act with love, and to be conscious of his actions at such a young age. I know who to turn to when I eventually am ready for kids, though that will be quite some time from now. :) She's a true inspiration, as is Bodhi, a beautiful result of love, patience, knowledge and fun.

While we were in town, we got to check out the local food co-op and soaked in the hot tubs one night at Cafe Mokka, which was beautiful to behold at night with everything enshrouded in the Pacific Mist. I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in Arcata.

Besides visiting the people up here, the other main reason for my visit was the ginourmous redwood trees that always make me so happy and full of love. We spent hours hiking amongst them, climbing inside them, crawling up the sides of them, walking through them, and delighting at the large varieties of fungi everywhere. Me in the redwoods is like a little kid in the candy store. I want to hug them all, touch every piece of moss, lick dewdrops, and never leave. I am going to miss this Northern California coast that has been my home for these last 3 years. I know I am not leaving for that long, and am going to enjoy my journey for the rest of 2009, but I am already starting to feel a bit homesick for this place that has been part of such amazing life transformations and growth, and provided me with so much love, happiness and connection to the source. My life here has been so beautiful, and there is nothing I would change about it, yet I know I need to explore another continent for a little while. Travel is in my blood, and the call never goes silent, so it's best to carry my life on my back like a turtle and follow it for awhile until it leads me back "home" again.