DIET IS ONLY HALF THE STORY

Or perhaps it's even only a third.  More and more I'm starting to realize that health is less about what we eat, and more about how we live!

Nutrition is a crucial component to healthy living, of course, but it's even more relevant in the context of lifestyle.  It is equality important what we choose to think, how we feel, and who we surround ourselves with. If you’re eating all the right things (which can vary widely depending on who you ask), but you're holding on to negative or resentful emotion, you may not achieve your desired level of health no matter how "perfect" you believe your diet to be.  Stress, lack of physical movement, emotional pain, spiritual disconnection are just a few factors outside of diet that affect the quality of our health and well-being. 

For this reason, I would love to start shifting the conversation away from just raw foods and recipes, to a broader understanding of what healthy living is all about. You might see me talking more and more about things like joy, and creating a fulfilling spiritual practice.  In fact, if you haven’t visited the Raw Radiance website in a while, you may want to take a look (as it won’t be around for much longer).  I am currently in the midst of rebranding with a new direction and focus.  Stay tuned!  

If you have been following my blog, you may have noticed that I've taken some time off in recent months (more like an entire year).  There are several reasons behind my decision to step away.  Everything from feeling uninspired in my own diet and lifestyle, and wanting to be more fully engaged in my personal life.  But mostly, I think I just simply burned out.  

During my time away from blogging/social media, I have tried to regroup and redefine my vision and direction for my life.  I have spent a lot of time exploring so many other interests like interior design and reading up on parenting.  My hunch is that being a mama is the next big chapter in my life ;)

As far as my lifestyle goes, here's where I am today.  My diet is varied and I'm far more flexible with my eating habits.  I don't care to define myself by any particular lifestyle or diet.  And even though my path began with an interest in raw foods, I no longer feel the need to limit the conversation to just diet and nutrition. There's just so much more to health! 

I still prefer a plant-based approach as the core foundation of my diet, with a strong focus on dark leafy greens and algae (spirulina anyone?).  I have kept the basic principles of the raw food diet (green juices, green smoothies, green salads, etc).  In fact, juicing continues to be a daily foundational practice for me, as it always has been.  But I now enjoy animal products on occasion as well. I find that unpasteurized eggs, raw goat/sheep yogurt, wild-caught sardines, and yes, locally-sourced organic meat have beneficial nutrients harder to come by on a strictly plant-based diet.  

On the other hand, I'm also intrigued with the concept behind Dr Fuhrman's nutritarian diet. His focus is on maximizing the micronutrient concentration in foods per calorie count.  You can read more about that on www.drfuhrman.com.  However, I do feel this approach is a bit too strict for this stage in my life.  Restricted dieting is not exactly something I'm interested in.  My goal is primarily balance and flexibility in all areas of my life, especially diet.  

So here I am, on a quest to redefine my definition and approach to health.  My aim is to deepen my understanding of health and well-being from a broader perspective.  And so the journey continues!     

HOW I GOT HERE

My family emigrated from the former Soviet Union when I was just a young girl.  As my parents struggled to make a living in a new country, my father often brought leftover pizza home from his delivery job.   

On weekends I remember exploring endless varieties of packaged foods at the supermarket.  I was very intrigued, as grocery superstores did not exist in our small Russian town.  Like many, we were drawn in by the convenience of cheap T.V. dinners.  

It wasn’t long before I started to develop addictive tendencies toward processed foods.  And sure enough, by my teens I found myself frequently binge eating and yo yo dieting. 

In my mid-twenties I began transitioning to a vegetarian diet, and even though I knew better, I ended up turning into a junk-food vegetarian.  I justified my eating habits thinking, "surely I'm healthier than the average person if I cut out meat, right?"

But I started gaining weight and eventually found myself in and out of depression.  I was overweight, in a relationship I wasn't happy in, climbing the corporate ladder – I felt trapped.

I had reached a low in my life, where even my closest friends found my negativity draining.  So I continued to mask my pain with the comfort of food, while deeply resenting my destructive eating behavior.

It felt as though food was at the center of everything that was wrong in my life.  If only I could release this addiction, I’d no longer feel tempted and manipulated by food.  I would slim down and feel comfortable in my own skin.  I would have the confidence to pursue the life I had always envisioned.  I blamed my compulsive behavior with food for not having achieved any of these things.

The final straw was when I looked up my Body Mass Index (BMI) and realized that at 5’2” and 170 pound, I was in the first stages of obesity.  I immediately signed up with the L.A. Weight Loss program but I strongly resisted their eating plan, which heavily focused on processed energy bars.  I was faced with the realization that I desperately needed a new start with a focus on health, not just another weight-loss gimmick.  

Food represented something destructive in my life, and I needed to change that relationship.  I had to associate food with something positive and healing.  More importantly, I knew that if I didn’t change the direction of my life, I would end up settling for a life I didn’t want.  I desperately needed to feel purpose and meaning again.

I sat down and reevaluated every aspect of my life.  Who was I living for, anyway?  Was I trying to please my family, live up to the expectations of my peers, or fit some ideal that our culture values?  As far as I could tell, the ideals I was trying to live up to were only suffocating me.  My life was headed down the wrong path fast.   

I had to create my own set of values to live by.  I needed a strong, positive belief system that would carry me through on a path to fulfillment.  So I defined how I wanted my ideal diet and lifestyle to look like, and what real health meant to me.  It was then that I realized I wanted to pursue healthy living.   

I felt liberated knowing I could finally start living my life on my own terms, for my happiness.  As soon as I made that decision, Life immediately embraced me with guidance. 

I was already familiar with raw foods when I attended a lecture that mentioned a book by Victoria Boutenko, author of Green for Life.  I picked up the book as it was being passed around.  To my surprise, I instantly recognized Victoria’s picture on the back cover.  

Victoria Boutenko, who founded the green smoothie revolution, is also a first generation Russian immigrant.  Years ago when Victoria’s family lived in Colorado she was acquainted with my mother.  She gave a lecture on raw foods for a few of my mom’s friends at our home.  I was only in my early teens but I remember her lecture   quite well.  This was long before “raw foods” was a commonly used term.  

What’s interesting is that 14 years later Life would bring me back to Victoria’s message – coincidence?  I think not!  Shortly after reading her book, I found out about the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute specializing in raw vegan cuisine.  By that point, I could no longer ignore the obvious.  I had to follow the guidance. 

So I did the unthinkable – I walked away from my life.  I called off the relationship, quit my 9-year career, cashed out my 401k, packed up everything into storage, and took off to pursue my passion for healthy living. 

I completed the Gourmet Raw Food Chef & Instructor certification at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, and since my return from completing the program I have maintained a primarily high-raw diet. 

Eating a clean, natural diet has connected me back to my body.  Food has taken on a whole new meaning for me.  But I recognize that it’s an ongoing journey.  I try to stay flexible as I continue to evolve and fine tune my diet and lifestyle.  I have learned to let go, and not get down at times when I’m not at my best behavior.  I give myself love and understanding every step of the way. 

Issues around eating, whether expressed through binging or starving, are a form of punishment and self-sabotage.  As I continue to love and accept myself, I find I have far less self-destructive tendencies.  Because after all, I have a choice, the choice to live vibrantly healthy!

A DOSE OF LOVE FOR MAGIC & FLOW

As some of you know, I've declared 2010 my year of infinite LOVE. And I'm not just talking about romantic love, although there's plenty of that in my life, but love as a state of mind!

Choosing to live in the mindset of love is like flowing downstream along the current of Life, rather than struggling up against it, as Abraham-Hicks would say. This is the best way I can think to describe what this feels like.

I find that the more I step into love, and act out of love, the more synchronicity shows up in my life! It's as though I no longer have to force things in my life to fall into place, they seem to just conveniently happen. I can't explain it, things just flow! Now who wouldn't want that?

Luckily, none of it is a mystery. It's actually rather simple! Here's what I've come to understand about love. There is only one energy field, with love on one end of the continuum and fear on the other... but it's all the same energy field, just expressed in different frequencies. Love, of course, being expressed at a higher vibration.

Love is an infinite expansion of light energy, while fear is light energy contracted. And we know this to be true... notice how love makes us feel light and free, while fear leaves us feeling tense, as though everything inside of us is contracting.

So when you open your heart to love, you shift and transform fear into the frequency of love and expansion... which just so happens to be of a similar frequency of magic and flow! So the more we align with the vibration of love, the more we align with synchronicity.

But the secret to flow is not just in a loving state of mind. A clean, natural diet must accompany your new found love. Why? Because you need a clean body, free of toxicity and stagnation, for love to flow through freely. Together in sink these unlock a world of magic!

So as you love your body with beautiful nourishing foods, give your heart and mind an extra dose of love, and watch the magic unfold! Play and have fun with it, and treat yourself to a beautiful, loving Valentine's Day! ♥

---------------------------- From the streets of Santa Monica, CA
raw food, natural health, healthy living, culinary arts, raw foods, beauty, living foods

LOVE IS THE WAY WE ROLL IN 2010

I love this time of year... what a perfect opportunity to dream and create a new vision for the year we welcome ahead.

It's become a tradition at the end of each year to dejunk and declutter my life, letting go of all negative energy, opening myself up to beautiful new experiences. I usually take this time to give thanks for all the wonderful opportunities of the previous year, and create a new theme for the year to come. What's my theme for 2010? Love.

The theme of love represents a mindset in which we can choose to approach life. It is the highest vibration at which we connect to all the beauty and magnificence of life. Love after all, is the heartbeat behind the natural flow of life!

To kick off the New Year, I'm also taking part in Shazzie's 10 Day World Juice Fast that starts tomorrow Jan 3rd. A juice cleanse is a lovely way to hit the reset button on our health, for a clean new start.

You can check out Shazzie's 10 Day World Juice Fast and join in on the fun at Shazzie.com/blog

With a cleanse and lots of love fueling my New Year, some of my goals for 2010 include getting creative in my raw food kitchen, advancing my yoga practice, signing up for a local organic CSA buy in, and now that I'm getting ready to move into a new home with lots of windows and natural light, I plan on doing some indoor gardening with fresh organic herbs and sprouts. ♥

EATING FOR PLEASURE

I am happy to announce that Raw Radiance is an official contributor to the Raw Epicurean blog. The lovely Ingrid of Raw Epicurean has kindly featured my article Eating for Pleasure. It's such a treat to be among her other contributors including Ani Phyo and Matthew Kenney.

Raw Epicurean recently made Sarma's list of the Top 10 Raw Food and Raw-Related Blogs, so you know it's a worthwhile read. Be sure to check out the blog at RawEpicurean.net

Eating for Pleasure

We know that eating a raw diet is healthy with all its nutritional and healing benefits, but how often do we actually take the time to enjoy eating our veggies? Ever think to yourself, “If only I could just get used to the taste of greens”? Luckily, there are many wonderful ways to delight our senses and satisfy the palate eating a healthy raw diet!

Adding a dose of love and pleasure to the foods we eat can really complete the experience! Here are a few ways to start enjoying healthy eating. Read more...

JUICE FAST HAWAII STYLE

A year ago in late September, a friend and I took off to Oahu Island in Hawaii for a 7 day juice fast. I can't begin to express just how magical the experience was.

The ocean has the most beautiful energy, washing away false negativity from all levels of our being. It was there that I fully connected to the deeper essence of who I am, and all that is real.

When you allow yourself the space and time to walk away from the illusions of day to day life, you see the clarity of what is truly authentic.

Breathing in vital life-force energy from the mineral-rich water while fasting gives the mind and body an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate on a deeper level, opening you up to a greater vision of what is real and what is possible.

You start to see yourself in a completely different light, and you see those around you for who they really are. Despite your natural desire to love and embrace the world, those who are not of a genuine heart inevitably begin to leave your life.

Connecting to the beauty of all that is, is such a profound experience it can forever shift us into a different frame of mind. We begin to live with genuine kindness, rather than from an ego driven mindset. That is our lesson! And that's how I have come to know spirituality.

If you ever get the chance to experience a juice fast in the midst of natural waters, you are in for a real treat!

Daily Juice Fast Menu:

Upon Waking - 20 oz pure, clean water
Mid Morning - 16 oz low-glycemic green juice
Early Afternoon - 8 oz coconut water
Mid Afternoon - 20 oz pure, clean water
Late Afternoon - 16 oz low-glycemic green juice
Evening - 8 oz coconut water

AFFIRMATIONS FOR EMOTIONAL EATING

The following affirmative prayer is something I try to do on a daily basis. I have found it to be very helpful in staying connected, in the flow, and in the right mindset on my raw food journey! I truly credit this practice for helping me cope with emotional eating!

Set aside a few moments each day, create a calm space and really feel the words you speak. Feel free to change the text around so that the words resonate with you. And remember, the journey to radiant health must integrate mind, body and spirit!

I take this moment to quiet the mind. With each breath I allow my body to soften and relax. I release all emotional stress from my mind and body. I open my heart to love, embracing the living essence of Life within. 

I thank the Divine for all the good in my life. I trust my inner strength, for I own my power. I am inspired by love and guided by truth. Life is always here to lovingly support me. I am always safe and taken care of. Only love is in my path. 

I create a healthy, delightful world for myself. I give myself the gift of genuine love, welcoming laughter and good health into my life. 

I nourish my body with a vibrant, living cuisine that sustains my beauty... giving me a healthy, natural, radiant glow. I crave only the foods that bring nature’s love and nourishment to my heavenly body. 

My body is sacred, I treat it with love and respect. I am nature’s perfection, I am healthy and whole. It is my destiny to live vibrantly healthy.

I enjoy a healthy lifestyle, keeping my body nourished and fit. I trust my body’s wisdom and intelligence to lovingly slim my figure naturally, with ease and grace. I trust my body’s wisdom to heal from within. 

Eating clean, healthy foods brings vitality and healing. I love and deeply appreciate my beautiful, magnificent body. I honor and thank my body for maintaining balance, harmony and good health. I am my most radiant, healthy and beautiful self. 

I open my heart and mind in receiving all the good of the world. I choose to experience and embody perfect health. I lovingly accept a happy, abundant, healthy reality.

I am a beloved child of this beautiful world and I deserve all the beauty of the world. Thank you for my vibrant health. Today is a new day… and each day to come brings forth more beauty, joy, and vibrant health! 

These are my beliefs! I allow all levels of my being to fully accept and integrate these beliefs.

With love and gratitude I release this truth onto Life!

And so it is.

LIVING BEYOND RAW!

A healthy, radiant lifestyle goes beyond nutrition. Balance and harmony in the body is achieved not only with what you put in your body, but also with what you put on your body.

Skin is your body’s largest organ, absorbing just about everything. Consider using natural and organic cosmetics, body and skin-care products... NOT tested on animals! Remember to always read labels. Here's a great organic, raw vegan body and skin-care product line Raw Gaia.

And don’t forget the importance of fitness for optimal and vibrant health. Staying fit and flexible circulates oxygen throughout the body, releasing stagnant energy and tension while expelling toxins out of the system.

And yet equally important to radiant health is the overall environment in which you live. Creating a clean, warm environment in your home will inspire and invite you to relax and unwind. A good place to start is by uncluttering your home, and replacing all your household cleaning products for eco-friendly ones.

Taking care of mind, body, soul and environment ensures that you are living in harmony with the laws of nature. When you are mindful of your health and your environment, radiant living becomes a natural way of life!