Raw Living Foods Lifestyle Training - chiDiet.net

Eight common mistakes that occur on Raw Foods

Common Mistakes that Occur on Raw Foods
- by Victoria Boutenko (www.RawFamily.com)

1. Many raw fooders do not eat enough greens. Solution: Regularly consume energy soup or green smoothies to guarantee the proper amount of greens.

2. Many raw fooders do not consume enough fiber, soluble and insoluble. Solution: Drink more smoothies or energy soups instead of juices.

3. People on a raw food diet often consume too many fats. When they try to imitate cooked dishes they substitute starches with nuts. Solution: Use nut pulp left over from making nut mylks, use more seeds and less nuts, and use more fruit and vegetable pulp from juices in your mixtures, to minimize the consumption of nuts.

4. Raw fooders commonly try to become too perfect too fast. They don't give their bodies a chance to adjust to such a radical dietary change. Solution: Gradually adjust and purify your own individual diet to help you ease into the healthiest diet for you.

5. When people change their diets they usually decide the other components that make up health are no longer important, such as sunbathing, exercising, proper rest, fresh air, etc. Solution: Practice a well-rounded healthy lifestyle.

6. People on the raw foods diet often over-indulge in some particular foods and neglect the variety of other fruits and vegetables. Solution: Eat foods in reasonable quantities.

7. The biggest mistake raw fooders make is that they listen to the raw food authorities and don't trust the invaluable messages their own bodies communicate. Solution: Keep a diary of your daily food consumption and how it affects your well-being.

To add #8: Dietary Variety - perhaps just an emphasis of #6 - At Creative Health we often found that after a year on Raw Living Foods many people we experiencing imbalances because they had settled into a routine of only 6 or 7 foods they were eating. Dietary variety is very important! Try everything in the veggie aisle. Experiment with the unfamiliar in the fruit aisle. Try different grains and seeds. Even if you just toss a bit of this and that into the blender, you'll still gain the benefits that each food gives us.

Life is rawsome!

Smile! Life is Rawsome!

The world's greatest job

Backsliding but progressing is NOT about feeling guilty about slipping. Even if you weren't 100% raw this week, how much better are you feeling than when you were on the SAD?

The Home Study Program about the Raw Living Foods Lifestyle was developed from the teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore at Creative Health Institute. I started putting this program together when I was Director of CHI because many of the people I talked to either didn't have the time to attend the two-week hands-on program in Michigan, or, if they had the time, they couldn't afford the cost.

I dug through a filing cabinet full of videotapes, handouts and lesson plans. I had binders full of teaching materials going back for over 30 years, from most of the Institutes that Dr. Ann founded or cofounded. I read memos and letters written by Dr. Ann Wigmore, and her staff. It was all heart-warming, educational, and sometimes amazing, the things that I learned.

After the first snowfall in Michigan that year I took my 10,000+ pages of research, documents and videos down to my place in southern Georgia. I spent the next months refining the paperwork and the videos. By the end of November I had created the first version of the "Home Study Program." It was 150 pages of handouts, all photocopied, and 15 videotapes.

On November 27, 2003, Mary D. from Caspian, MI ordered lesson one of the program. A few days after she received it she called back and ordered the complete set of lesson plans. Within the next few days David F., LDH, Joann T. and Bruce S. joined Mary to become our first five customers. I was surprised by the immediate demand, and how grateful the customers were.

How the program has changed since then. Originally it was available only on VHS, and those were crude duplicates of the videos in the CHI archives, much of it raw, unedited footage. Now the videos have been edited for quality, sound and content, and are available on DVD-R as well as tape. The "Handbook to Going Raw" has grown from 150 pages to 350+, and each copy is directly printed - no photocopies. The program now includes 38 videos, over 50 hours of material.

What sets the Dr. Ann Wigmore program apart from other raw food and detox programs is its thoroughness. Often when reading articles about other programs I laugh and say, "We have that!"

For example: The "energy soup diet" - we have that. "Colonics and enemas for detoxification" - yep, we teach that. "Living" vs. "raw but dead" foods - yep, we teach about that. Wheatgrass juice? Yep, that's one of our cornerstones. Gardening, composting, sprouting, purifying water, lightly fermented foods, food combining, transitioning to living foods, yummy raw living food preparation, exercise, internal cleansing, colon health, lymphatic system health, nutritional & dietary balance, lots of greens, dehydrating, alternative medicine, cooked foods as an addiction and staying on the program - the Home Study Program covers all of those subjects and more. It's like buying a dozen of the programs advertised on TV.

In the 5+ years that I've been involved with CHI and Dr. Ann's Raw Living Foods lifestyle, I've yet to see as complete an approach to healthy living as that taught by Dr. Ann.

A rewarding part of administering the Home Study Program is that I can keep the program aligned with the teachings of Dr. Ann. When you put someone in charge of a teaching Institute there is a tendency for them to introduce modalities and concepts that they personally believe in, even if they contradict the teachings of the founder. This is one of the challenges at CHI, as well as at other Institutes founded by Dr. Ann. In the Home Study Program I'm afforded the opportunity of being able to control this outside information, and to keep the program pure.

For the next two years I spent at least 6 months of the year living at CHI and serving as Director and, later, as Executive Trustee of the foundation. Sales of the Home Study Program were light but constant, and there was always a volunteer willing to help me fill the orders.

"Light but constant sales" began changing last year. Demand for the Home Study Program skyrocketed. Over 15% of all orders are from outside of the US. I was blessed to have Jerry and, later, Jimmy around to help me. Just as the popularity of raw living foods has increased dramatically of late, so has the popularity of our program. So much so that I've hired a professional assistant to help me keep up with it. Soon, I'm sure, she'll need a helper of her own. So many are asking me to speak to their groups that I'm not going to be around to help out in the office.

Oh, I'm not complaining. Believe me, I see this as the blessing it is. The "profits" from sales of the Home Study Program have funded a number of ministries. The income has allowed us to donate dozens and dozens of copies of the program to churches and other groups that have expressed an interest in raw living foods.

Best of all, it's enabled us to help fund a Raw Living Foods Mission in Narayi, Kaduna, Nigeria, Africa. This started out with a pastor, Prince Fidelis (Bartholomew Udumaga), but he's spread the word so passionately that they're now teaching about Raw Living Foods at eight additional churches in the area.

Prince Fidelis is not only sharing the raw living foods lifestye, but is also showing people that they do not have to work at arduous jobs every day to make a few pennies to buy a can of processed food. Instead, he is encouraging them to start gardens and sprouting projects in order to become, once more, agriculturally self-sufficient Africans.

The unexpected bonus? Each of these churches has a day care center, and are feeding the children living food meals every day.

How does this make me feel? Like I have the best job in the world - because I get to help others.

It's not just the African missions that make me feel fulfilled in this job.

We've now shipped almost 25,000 videos. I hope that they're being well-shared and viewed often. Being a "raw fooder" requires more than just not eating meat. I hear from many people that have thrown their bodies out of balance by eating too much fruit, or nuts, or other raw foods. This program helps them to get back in balance.

Surrounded as we are with increasing toxicity in our food and environment, eating a pure and healthy diet is more important than ever. More and more people are starting to see that, and I believe that's why the Raw and Living Foods Movement is growing so fast. People see that the Standard American Diet and the current medical paradigm don't work.

Hardly a week goes by that I don't get a "thank you" letter from someone that's seen a wonderful improvement in their health when they adopted the raw living foods lifestyle. People are flying halfway around the world to volunteer a few months of their time at CHI, just to "pay back" their gift of new-found health.

When someone comes up to me and says, "Thank you for saving my life," it's the most wonderful feeling in the world. Oh, I know I didn't save their lives; they saved their own lives by adopting the teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore. I'm just the messenger.

Being Dr. Ann's messenger is the best job in the world!

- James Carey
Director, chiDiet.com
Trustee, Creative Health Institute Trust
Herndon, GA
July, 2007

Raw and living in the wild

It's "working outdoors" season here at the cabin. It's also poison ivy season.

The first summer I lived here I had 28 cases of poison ivy, each lasting for two weeks or so. Yes, that means I had multiple cases of the skin rash in different stages of development, for about 9 months.

I became an expert on the subject, thanks to the Canadian CDC website, and knew more than I ever wanted to know about the causes of poison ivy infection, "effective" lotions and treatment. Lotions (or simply gray clay) would take the itching away, but each case still lasted for a bit over two weeks.

I was on the SAD back then. This summer Renata and I have been removing a lot of brush and vines, and generally beautifying the property. For that reason I've been exposed to poison ivy a LOT.

I've had six instances of poison ivy so far this summer. Each one began as an itchy spot. I rubbed some lotion on it, and within 48 hours - usually 24 - the itch went away. Only twice did the itching erupt into a skin rash. In both of those cases I rubbed more lotion or clay on it, simply to reduce the itch. Again, within 24 hours the the rash was gone, and I was over the infection.

So why is the poison ivy going away in one to two days instead of lasting for two weeks or more? It's not because I'm becoming immune. According to the Canadian CDC, the more you're exposed to poison ivy the more susceptible you are to it.

The only explanation I can find is that I'm eating almost 100% raw living foods and my body is now capable of healing itself much quicker. Indeed, if I had done this same clearing work eight years ago, my body would be covered in poison ivy and I'd be bathing in Caladryl® or clay lotion three times a day, and people would be calling me "mudman."

Inspiring developments like this really reduce my Backsliding.

- James Carey

Backsliding but progressing is NOT about feeling guilty about slipping. Even if you weren't 100% raw this week, how much better are you feeling than when you were on the SAD?

7 Ways to Think Positive and Raw...

Reflect on the raw foods you love.
Avoid thinking about cooked foods.
Cultivate thankfulness for your health.
Remember to enjoy this moment.
Enjoy every bite of goodness.
Look forward to moving your body every day!
Notice that you are abundantly blessed.

In Joy,
Jinjee
http://www.TheGardenDiet.com

Three suggestions for staying inspired

Backsliding but progressing is NOT about feeling guilty about slipping. Even if you weren't 100% raw this week, how much better are you feeling than when you were on the SAD?

Staying inspired is an important part of the transition to the raw and living foods lifestyle. Last night I watched Victoria Boutenko's video, "Greens can Save Your Life," for probably the 30th time. While I've viewed every video in the Home Study Program numerous times, and every video about the raw and living foods lifestyle and movement that I find, this is still the most inspiring, in my opinion.

Always remember that we don't justify our lifestyles to anyone. One of my favorite phrases is, "Gosh, that looks delicious! But I'm afraid it's not on my diet." Another good phrase is, "That sure looks yummy. Thank you. Unfortunately, my doctor wouldn't like it if I ate that." (Right, Dr. Flora?) <grin>

Now, after five years of being all raw lots of the time, somewhat raw some of the time, and mostly raw most of the time, friends and family are starting to express an interest in my lifestyle. (It's about time!)

When people express an interest, there are three videos that I like to share with them. (I like to give out videos because books tend to sit and gather dust; people won't read them until they're truly interested; but most people will watch a video.)

If they're willing to sit through a three-hour presentation, I watch Victoria's "Greens can Save Your Life" with them. But for most people I've found that I have to give them a shorter, simpler summary.

For that, I give them a copy of "Out of the Ordinary," an interview with Robert Taylor on WMTV. OK, the fact that I'm on the show with Steven Gibb might color my judgement, but it's still a good overview of the program.

The other video is actually an audio recording, on CD or cassette. It's a talk I gave at a Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) meeting in Battle Creek, Michigan, "The Benefits of Living Foods." For those who tell me they never have time to watch a movie, I suggest this CD for them to listen to while they're driving. Every single person I've given this audio to has asked for more information, so it works well.

Oh... one other reason I give out the "Out of the Ordinary" and "The Benefits of Living Foods" is that they're only five bucks each, instead of the $25 that most of the videos cost. (What? You thought I got them for free because I work here? Hahhahaha!)

Stay Rawsome!

- Jim Carey

 

[Thanks for all the feedback about my comments on Henry David Thoreau's book Walden, or Life in the Woods. You can download a free copy here: http://chidiet.com/books/Walden.htm and here: http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/ThoWald.html.]

Getting to 100% raw

I didn’t realize how my little tiny bites of cooked food every few months was hurting me. And now that I’m not cheating it is just so much easier to stay raw. There is no more battle for the most part. I think that when I don’t do 100% raw I am cheating myself...

From Jinjee's Journal (just updated!)

In Health,
Jinjee
http://www.TheGardenDiet.com

Borderline foods challenge staying raw

I’ve discovered why it was so hard for me to stay 100% raw the last few years. I was eating what I call “borderline” foods – foods that are considered raw but often aren’t such as store-bought nut butters, prepared raw foods that you can now get at Whole Foods that contain coconut butter and coconut oils which I don’t believe are good for you as they harden at room temperature and have an eternal shelf-life, dehydrated foods, dehydrated and prepared and raw restaurant foods containing Braggs liquid Amino acids (not good) and Nama Shoyu (not good), lecithin (bad), cacao powder (a heavy drug), and even un-soaked nuts (not ideal).

When I ate like this too often my cooked food cravings would return in a serious way. Now that I am no longer messing with the borderline and I’m eating more simply it is so easy to stay 100% raw it is almost effortless!

In Joy,
Jinjee
www.TheGardenDiet.com

Eating cooked foods again?

(August, 2005) You're not "cheating," you've not "fallen off the wagon," you haven't "failed," you're just making poorer choices about how you eat, you're dealing with your addictions to your old "comfort foods," and you've simply been "eating outside of the program."

I like to stop each week for a few minutes, usually on Sunday morning, and consider what I've eaten over the past seven days. I come up with an honest number, a percentage, by volume, of the non-raw foods I've eaten over the last week. Sometimes I'm shocked at how much I ate outside of the program. When I'm in the high 90's (99% raw last week) I congratulate myself for doing so well. When I'm in the 80's (or wherever), I resolve to do better next week.

Over time I'm finding new "comfort foods" that are also Raw and Vegan.

I don't beat myself up over it, and I don't share the number with anybody else (well, except with you). It's my personal business. I just remind myself that this is MY chosen lifestyle, and then get on with my life. This is a lifestyle choice, not a religion, and it's MY choice.

As I've been promising in my Backslider's Corner column, here are two photos of me. One when I weighed 260 lbs, and the other is of me today, at 175. The Raw Living Foods Lifestyle sure agrees with me!

Jim at 260 lbs. December, 2000

Jim at 180 lbs. August, 2005

Taste buds are changing

It's a lifestyle choice, not a religion. So what if you're still eating 50% cooked food? How much better are you feeling now, over how you felt when you were eating the Standard American Diet? Be proud and happy about how far you've come so far. For most of us, going raw is a transition, not an overnight change.

After three years of aspiring to 100% rawness, I'm running in the high nineties. What's amazing me is how my taste buds are changing, and how I've lost the taste for most of my old favorites. Unhealthy stuff that I used to love now revolts me. Interesting. So it gets easier and easier as time goes on.

I love where I am, and how I feel. I'm down 65 lbs., and still going.

It's a lifestyle choice, not a religion.

Jim Carey
July 30, 2005

Waking up to awareness

We must always be alert to the reality that we tend to become accustomed to the way things are, to assume that's the way they've always been and the way they will stay. The first step is to become conscious -- to become aware.

That is the challenge that we face -- doing what is necessary to raise the consciousness of enough people so they can see what the marriage of the corporations, agribusiness, governmental agencies and political influence is doing to our children and families.

Waking up is a phrase that should be a regular part of our political lexicon. We have to start looking EVERYWHERE to wake up to some of the ways our world has been modified to make it better for corporations, at the expense of what's good for humans and families.

- with apologies to Rob Kall of OpEdNews.com for paraphrasing his article about "Waking Up."

Illness and self-exploitation

Illness is usually the result of many, many years of constant and continuous self-exploitation.

Self-exploitation is something we can remedy instantly - here and now - it depends entirely on us.

The living foods journey

Living Foods are a lifestyle choice, not a religion. How much better are you feeling and doing now, than you were before you started transitioning to Raw Living Foods?

Living Foods is a journey, not a destination.

Feedback - Ann Fuller

Hi Jim,

Thank you so much for the "Backsliding" inspiration.  I am finding that the same thing is happening in my life.

It's been a year since I spent 5 weeks at the Institute in Puerto Rico, and I am not 100% raw yet, but I don't have cravings for meat or dairy any more, and I am a lot healthier than I was.

It is a slow process, we just need to be patient with ourselves.

Thanks,

Ann Fuller

Helping others

It's all well and good to send humorous emails to brighten the day, but good, factual health information is very important, too. We should all keep abreast of this important information. When was the last time you forwarded a health article or newsletter to your friends?

- Thanks to Larry Meggs for this reminder.

Backslider's Corner Basics

It's a Lifestyle Choice, not a Religion! Don't be frustrated if you're not 100% raw. How much better are you doing now, than you were before you started this lifestyle?

Another motivation to stay raw

- by Jim Carey

I've found, when tempted to slide down off the Raw Wagon, that it can help keep me Raw if I think about eating animal products as animal cruelty and abuse. We have to remember that lots of our products come from foreign countries that don't have the anti-cruelty laws we do.

Consider this: http://www.jlodown.com/.

Backslider's Corner, 9/16/2003

Not much to share this week. Its hard to be a backslider when you’re living at Creative Health Institute and surrounded by a wonderful support group and fresh, healthy, raw Vegan foods. Victoria Boutenko’s book, “12 Steps to Raw Foods” talks about doing this at home.

Transitioning to raw living foods

-- by Jim Carey

The biggest challenge we face in transitioning to raw living foods is enjoying the food. I remember my first few weeks - indeed, my first year - on a raw foods diet. After a meal I wasn't hungry, but I often didn't feel "full" or "satisfied." Two or three times a week, especially when I was already in town, I'd pick up a cheese pizza, or - once or twice - a rotisserie chicken. I'd been a vegetarian for several years, but suddenly found myself going back to meat upon occasion.

What I had to learn was how to satisfy that feeling of fullness that cooked fooders are used to having. That's where the "transition diet" comes in. In the transition diet we learn to make richer, tastier foods that mimic the tastes our bodies are used to. Mock turkey, mock mashed potatoes, mock pumpkin pie, mock chowder, and so on. There's a lot of use of oil (extra virgin olive oil, of course), honey and other natural sweeteners, and Celtic sea salt. There's also a lot more fruit in the transition diet than in a well-balanced raw food diet.

While transition foods are satisfying our appetites, our taste buds are slowly and subtly changing. Now, after three years of being more and more raw, I've reached the point that even the smell of most cooked foods disinterest me. I find them totally unappetizing. My diet has also become much simpler as time goes by, and I find myself eating more and more greens and grains, and much less fruit. I also don't need or miss that full and heavy feeling.

The best way I've found to learn a transitional diet is a visit to a hands-on school like Creative Health Institute. Not only do they serve tasty raw gourmet transition foods, they teach how to prepare it with hands-on work in the kitchen, they teach about how and why the body works, the technical reasons that a raw foods diet is better for your body - and the camaraderie and atmosphere of CHI makes it easy to be raw, because the guests and staff are all supporting each other.

Another feature of schools like Creative Health is the interesting people you meet there. In my numerous visits over the last three years I've met people from all over the US, and from Canada, Russia, Malaysia, Holland, France, Australia, Korea, Trinidad, Zimbabwe, Japan, China, England, Luxembourg -- it's like going to an International Summer Camp.

Guilt and denial

Don't try to avoid certain foods because of guilt. Too often, denial itself becomes the goal. That game is no fun at all. And, if you're like most people, it's a game you won't win.

Case in point: Think about the words "gourmet meal". Did you think about what you shouldn't eat? Does your mind turn to a juicy steak, eggs, or bacon, with feelings of guilt? The best use of food involves neither denial nor guilt.

Take a moment today to focus your intent on what you should eat - and the feeling of good health you will get from it.

Use this strategy and you will learn to think less about what you shouldn't eat.

Backsliding? So?

Even if you're only eating on the program 50% of the time, how much better are you doing than when you were on the SAD?

Backsliding, 11/28/2003

by Dr. James Carey, PhD, DD, and Wigmore Certified Practitioner

Feeleth thou not guilt when thou eateth not raw living foods. It’s a lifestyle choice, not a religion! <g>

I was doing great all week, staying 100% raw. Until lunch yesterday, that is, when I had to eat at a “the best salad bar in town” in Harrison, MI. The fruits and veggies were nice and fresh, but sure didn’t have the great flavor that the organic produce served at CHI has. And…… a very small piece of pizza somehow ended up on my plate. Twice! And… well…. you can guess the rest.

My final score for this week: 99.6527% raw!  I’m really proud of that! <g>

Why resolutions fail, and what to do about it

You resolve to make a change for the better in your life - limit smoking, drinking, cooked food, etc.. You tell your friends, you write down your resolution, you actually make the change. It works, and it feels good. You're happy and proud. Your friends are happy and proud. Your life is better -- and then you backslide.

Why? Are you a slob without willpower? No....

Backsliding is a universal experience. Every one of us resists significant change, whether for the better or the worse. Our body, brain and behavior have a built-in tendency to stay the same, within rather narrow limits, and to snap back when changed.

Normally it's a very good thing they do. If your body temperature or blood sugar changed by 10 percent you'd be in big trouble. This condition of equilibrium and resistance to change is called homeostasis. It characterizes all self-regulating systems and applies to psychological states and behavior as well as to physical functioning.

Homeostasis doesn't distinguish between change for the better or change for the worse. It resists all change. Still, change does occur. So... how do you deal with homeostasis? How do you make change for the better easier? How do you make it last?

1) Be aware of the way homeostasis works.
2) Be willing to negotiate with your resistance to change.
3) Develop a support system.
4) Follow a regular practice.
5) Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning.

Whatever your age, your upbringing, or your education, what you are made of is mostly unused potential. It is your destiny to use what is unused, to learn and keep on learning for as long as you live. To choose this destiny isn't always easy, but it's the ultimate human adventure. Destinations appear in the distance, will be achieved and left behind. Still the path will continue; it will never end.

How to begin the journey? You need but only take the first step. When? There's always.... now.

-- these concepts came from "Mastery: The Keys to Long-Term Success and Fulfillment," by George Leonard (Dutton Press, 1991).

Raw Foods are a lifestyle choice, not a religion.

Sliding back into being raw after going off the program

Sliding Back In - The easiest and best way I’ve found to re-inspire myself, get back on the Raw Path, learn new food prep tips, and lower my stress level, all at once, is to go back to Creative Health Institute for a visit. I spent 2 weeks at CHI in May, and another 2 weeks in August already this year. [2002] 

- from my archives
- Jim Carey

Today's the day

Today's the Day
- by Jim Carey, May 7, 2005

Great phrase, isn't it? I learned it from Mel Fisher when I was living in Key West. He's the treasure hunter that found the Spanish galleon the Atocha, and brought up several hundred million dollars worth of gold, silver and gems from the floor of the ocean. Mel started each day with "Today's the Day," and it made him a multi-multi millionaire.

After sending off last Tuesday's newsletter I sat down and tallied up all the user requests for this and that and this and that. Interesting way to fill a spreadsheet. The largest single request was to send the newsletter on weekends, when you have more time to relax and enjoy it. That was a simple request to fill - here it is. Starting today you can expect to see the Living Foods News in your mailbox early Saturday afternoon. Yep. Today's the Day.

The second most common request/query was about raw parenting. I'm sure the Andressohn family articles had a lot to do with that. So today we've got Karen Ranzi's General Tips to Remember as our main article (yep, Today's the Day). If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Karen talk, she's raised her kids raw from birth. You can get a video of her speaking at Creative Health last Spring by visiting http://chiDiet.com/tapes.htm#v36. If you're in the NYC area, Karen will be holding a "Creating Healthy Children Workshop" on Sunday, May 15th, 2005 from 3:00 to 5:30 PM at Organic Avenue, 23 Ludlow St. - 2nd Floor, Manhattan, NY. For more information contact http://www.organicavenue.com or call (212) 334-4593. Or e-mail: Denise@organicavenue.com. If you have kids you need to hear Karen speak.

I began working for the Raw Living Foods cause three years ago after a visit to Creative Health Institute that's changed my life. You can read my testimony at http://creativehealthinstitute.us/testimonials.htm, along with a lot of others. The update is that now, after 3 years, I've lost almost 80 lbs., have more energy than I did when I was 30 (I'm 54), and have a much better outlook on life, a better mental attitude, and ... well, the Wigmore Diet has changed my life and I'm loving it! That's why I run www.chiDiet.com as a volunteer - to give something back for what CHI has given me.

The best Mother's Day gift I can think of giving is a two-week visit to Creative Health Institute. Better yet, go to CHI with your mother, and become your own support group. The Living Foods Lifestyle was developed by Dr. Ann Wigmore fifty years ago, and has been continuously refined over the last 28 years at CHI. Today's the Day? You can make it happen.

If you can't get away for two weeks, the Wigmore program is also available in a home study version. Check it out at http://ChiDiet.com/lessons.htm. There's so much information in the home study program - 15 lessons, 30 videos - that you'd have to spend a month at Creative Health Institute to cover it all. Pay-as-you-go options, too. We also have books about the lifestyle available at http://chidiet.com/books.htm.

Today's the Day to begin changing YOUR life!

"Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food." - Hippocrates.

Getting back on track after falling off

In the 30 years that we’ve been teaching the Raw Living Foods/Dr. Ann Wigmore lifestyle at Creative Health Institute we’ve occasionally met someone that goes home from the program and stays 100% raw for the rest of their lives.

I’m so happy for them. For the rest of us, we set out very inspired, but the temptations of our comfort foods and society cause us to backslide.

Don’t give up when that happens – it’s perfectly normal. Instead, resolve to climb right back up that nutritional ladder. Bear these seven tips in mind when you do:

1. Don't be hard on yourself – concentrate on your successes, not failures.
2. Reset your system – do a water fast for a day or two (if medically safe for you).
3. List your benefits – what are exercise and a healthy diet going to do for you? Write it down. Refer to it when temptations strike.
4. Give yourself goals – "one green smoothie a day" is a good start. Lose 10 pounds or stabilize your blood sugar at 150 or less are other examples.
5. Recommit yourself to your goals. Sharing your goals with another helps a lot.
6. Be prepared to backslide again – every interesting journey has sidetrips. Enjoy the journey.
7. Get coaching and support – go to raw food groups, find a raw coach or raw buddy or watch inspiring raw videos.

For me, “coaching and support” is the biggest challenge. Oh, I have lots of friends I can call on the phone, but to date I’ve done well in this part of Georgia interesting a handful of people in “one green smoothie a day.” I’ve had no success in putting together a Raw Potluck or other form of support group. Not yet, at least - it wasn't long ago I couldn't even share the smoothie idea around here.

So I watch videos – Victoria Boutenko is my favorite, but I’ve gone through the entire library of videos that chiDiet.com sells, several times each. Every time I watch them I learn new things, or recall information that I’d forgotten about. Every time, I come away re-inspired. The video collection that we created at Creative Health is the best way I’ve found to stay raw, motivated and inspired.

Remember that Raw Foods are a lifestyle choice, not a religion!

Changing our opinions - Ben Franklin

"For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions, even on important subjects, which I once thought right but found to be otherwise."
- Benjamin Franklin

"Lionizing a Founding Father on the Fourth of July is a simple task, to be sure, but Benjamin Franklin turns this process on its ear. He represents all we can be and all we should be, and likewise represents all we no longer seem to be or care to be today.

"He is worthy of admiration, which is easy, and worthy of emulation, which is not," writes William Rivers Pitt: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/070406Z.shtml.

How slowly you go - Confucius

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