George Carlin R.I.P.

I'm assuming that most of you have heard about
the passing of George Carlin. I was in transit when this all happened
so I wasnt able to write about it until now.

I don't think anyone was more on-spot than George Carlin.



Judge for yourself, but watch enough to make a reasonable decision.



My internet connection keeps timing out as I try to upload videos
to youtube, so Im going to try it at the library and see if I can do it there.

All the blueberries are in, and Im putting up the trellis for the
tomatoes, melons, and cucumbers tomorrow.

The greenhouse is going up next week too!
Its really taking shape now...

Anthony

Leaving HK now...

Skydiving in front of the green screen for the commercial...
This was probably my favorite commercial to do ever.
We were so high up in the air too...check it out.

SO fun...I get paid for this?

I just gorged on two 10lb durians on the cab ride to the airport...
The taxi driver didnt roll down the window, so Im assuming he's a fan :) .

This was the first time out of the states since late January,
and it really reinstalled my desire for more travel.

I have to urge all of you to PLEASE get out of your home country
and see the world before it becomes far too expensive.
The window is getting smaller and smaller...please, do it soon.

Especially you youngsters out there...despite what your parents
might tell you, college right after high school just might not be the best
option for YOU. If they love college so much, they should go back.
I wish I would have traveled first, THEN..after discovering who
I really was, made the decision to further my education.

College isnt going anywhere, all the while plane tickets are becoming
more and more expensive. I suppose college is getting more expensive
as well, but hey...its your choice.

For me, I feel that I wasted four year and too much money on school.
From what I believe know, I feel that anything you desire to really LEARN,
(not earn a degree, mind you) you can easily teach yourself from books,
people that want to help you, and the internet. Its easier than ever now.
Just a humble opinion from a lousy male model ;)

Ok...enough ranting. At least google "Gap Year" and see what you find.
Take a gap year before going to college...just dont go to school right away,
then...lock yourself in until you retire in your 60's. Free yourself ASAP.


Durian season was in full effect, and I ate about 2 each day.
Lots of mangosteens and rambutans as well, and I discovered
a new variety of lychee that was just monstrous.


One more benefit of raw travel...discovering new foods. Sure, I cant sit
in a restaurant and eat, but that might be a bit over-rated anyhow.

Its nice to sit on a park bench and dig into a durian or pick
apart 10 mangosteens...something so natural about it.

They are calling my seat section...so ive got to be going.
Back in the states in 12 hours...lots of videos to come.

-anthony

Avoiding Typhoons in Hong Kong

Its crazy...Monday morning Im planting shrubs and pulling weeds

in rural Minnesota, and Monday night Im on a flight to Hong Kong

to shoot a toothpaste commercial. Savor the dichotomy.

I came into HK during a typhoon and have never experienced

such turbulence. I was just thinking..."Not yet! PLEASE!..

Still so much to do!" The Universe provided though,

and here I am typing at a coffee shop with wet shoes.

Ive been editing videos lately, so for all the youtube viewers,

there will be lots uploaded soon. I'll be back on Saturday night, so

it a pretty quick trip actually.

Oh right! Its Durian season over here too.

I actually fasted for 24 hours after drinking a load of

wheatgrass juice before the flight, and then saved myself

for durian and rambutans. It was SO worth it.

Those Cambodian durians are still the best Ive had yet, but I

have yet to try many others still...hopefully flights wont be

too horribly expensive in the next two years...although Im very

afraid that they will be. If you are paying attention to whats going

on with the economy...the news is NOT good. Travel while you can,

especially you youngsters just getting out of High School and Universtity.

I couldnt be more serious...TRAVEL NOW.

Ok...best always. Im off to find an umbrella.

Anthony

Raw Pride

When someone asks you about your diet, how do you respond?
With unabashed enthusiasm, or some strange form of shame?

When people used to ask me this, I would say it as if I wasn't proud.
"Yeah...its called Raw Vegan..you probably wouldnt like it too much."

What is that crap? I used to say that??
Even just the tone...as if shame is inherently laced in the reply.

Maybe it was a mix of not wanting to discuss it, or just plain
assuming that the inquirer wouldn't dig what I was talking about.

But now...total enthusiasm.

"Yeah! Im raw...its totally great. Ive never felt better in my life.
On all levels...seriously...so much better. It was a little tough at first
adjusting, but now I could never ever imagine going back.
There is no sacrifice now...it just takes some knowledge and the right attitude."

Funny...just the tone conveys so much emotion.
If our friends and family do ask, its so much better to say it with pride.
Who would be interested if we reply with subtle shame?

Eating Raw is simply different. Its not "weird".
Thats a judgment label like "bad" and "good".
In the heart of the universe, there is only that which is.
Good and bad, like ugly and pretty, are just mental abstractions that humans
feel compelled to use to identify and sort out things so they can make
sense of the world in which they live.

If you are raw, you have to know how "good" it feels.
Why not tell people with a smile and a sparkle in our eyes?
We have so much to be proud of and thankful for.
We've broken through barriers that many people could never
fathom in their wildest dreams. It's simply amazing.

So say it and live it with pride. We are likely the smallest
minority group of human beings on the planet, but we are growing
fast. Soon, a critical mass will be reached...a tipping point...
And at that point, its all raw gravy. Raw Gravy? Hmmmm...

The tipping point will eventually come...

Oh yes...and the recipe for the Key Lime Pie pictured above...
1 hass avocado (i know they vary in size...just aim for a happy average.)
1 tbls of coconut oil
1 tbls of honey or agave (if you like it sweeter, you know that to do)
1 tbls of FRESH lime juice (if you like more lime flavor, you know what to do)
A pinch of sea salt...to balance out the sweetness.

Whip all these together in your vita-mix or food processor.

For the crust, I did soaked almonds and dates. 1 part of each.
Make it as thick or thin as you please...no rules.

Anthony

Mulberry Time!

One of the great joys of June is the ripening of the mulberries.
I didnt even know about this berry until I did a long bike ride up
the west side highway and came across all these smooshed black mulberries
on the sidewalk. I picked a few berries, and identified them soon afterwards.

I was in heaven. This might have actually been my first wild food experience.
Later on, I discovered the white and pink varieties in Central Park,
and have been hooked ever since. The beauty of the mulberry tree
is that the berries will ripen at different times throughout the month.


Some will be ready the first week of june, others will be ready at the end.
So we get to keep going and harvesting throughout the month without
worrying about having to store them. You've got to love that.


The berry itself is great. The white ones are mild, the blacks are more sweet.
Nevertheless, both are pretty low in sugar. Try adding them to any
smoothie, whether its a green or a superfood variety.
They work great in both.

Are the leaves edible? I know that silk worms love them,
but as for humans...Im not sure. I doubt they are poisonous,
but as for taste, the question is up in the air. I've yet to try them.

I bought three mulberry trees for Minnesota, and although
they are around 8 feet tall, they are taking a while to grow buds.
They are still alive, but the shock of transportation and storage
had a pretty harsh effect on them. Live and learn...go local.

Keep an eye open for stained sidewalks and streets.
Its your best bet for finding ripe berries.
More info can be found HERE.

Again, the best food available is free and shunned by the masses.
If this isnt the twilight zone, I don't know what is.

-Anthony

Wheatgrass 411

My airplane companions...a massive bag of
wheatgrass to chew on, and my little sapote seeds.
(I got them through security w/o the x-ray too...)

If you dont have a wheatgrass juicer, consider just chewing
on little bits at a time until your teeth have juiced out every last bit
of chlorophyll and then just spit out the super-dry pulp. This will give
your jaw the workout it is missing out on when we are drinking
smoothies all the time. We NEED to work our jaw muscles.
Word to the wise though...BRING FLOSS. Grass will very likely get
stuck in your molars. It is like natural floss, but you will need some man-made
stuff to get out all the leftovers.

I felt sorry for the two people next to me on the plane...
#1...the smell might have turned their stomachs, for some reason grass
doesnt jive with many people. Too fresh and veggie smelling I guess.
And #2...they probably thought that they were placed next to some
crazy person who thought he was a cow chewing on grass the whole time.

If they only knew how good it was for them. Same with wild foraging.
People stare and stare, but we know the truth, and its like a
magical deflector of all self-doubt. Those cooked opinions just whiz
right on past you...no second glances.

After I got to Minnesota, I did start juicing.

This cup was 16 sweet ounces of the smoothest wheatgrass juice Ive ever had.
I cant believe I drank it all in one swoop, but my mom had a ton ready for
me and I had to make due. 16 ounces! No real digestive issues with it either...
maybe a little rumble about an hour later, but thats it.

Here's the skinny on the seawater solution.
They harvest the water 20 miles off of the eastern coast of Florida.
That is way past any toxins, although the ocean is pretty clean.
They have it all tested, and everything checks out toxin free.

I add 3/4 of a tablespoon to one gallon of water, and then spray that
onto my grass, twice a day, for about 5 or 6 days. Dont put them in DIRECT
sunlight...INDIRECT sunlight is the key. They love it.

Check www.growgreens.com for more info. One gallon will last a long time.
I'll be making a video of this very soon to show everyone the nitty-gritty.
With this, I feel that we might not ever have to worry about buying
greens again. I love a good massaged kale salad more than anyone,
but now it could just be optional. Its all about the minerals!

And plus...the FRESHEST food possible. I actually felt bad harvesting the grass,
because I felt a pretty strong connection to that first crop.
I suppose when you start worrying about the feelings of plants,
you've likely come a pretty long way.

No more soil for wheatgrass...seriously, you dont need it.
Lay down a paper towel, then spread the seeds that you soaked
for 12 hours onto the towel. One nice layer will do. Mist it down,
and cover it up with another tray on top, or moist newspaper.
After two days, you should be able to take the covers off and let them breathe.
Then just keep misting it down.

Hope this helps...glad everyone is digging the site too.
Dawn, Dhru and Rajiv are the ones to credit.
I added the photos and the text, but the design and details were all them.

Be sure to check out the permaculture info too! Im going to be speaking about
my project at Raw Spirit Fest this September as well.

Peace everyone...keep it juicy.

Anthony

Patience is a Virtue...

Well..I hope it was worth the wait.

My internet connection in Minnesota leaves something to be desired.
I would sit down in the morning sometimes and start to upload
pics, but I would get timed out and then would just go outside and
start gardening. I cant even begin to describe how good it feels to be
away from a computer screen for a whole week. I know that we are all connected
here online, and that the computer has really taken a centerpiece role in most
of our lives (business, socializing, shopping, learning), but we might all
get a little more juice out of life if we can get outside a bit more.

I was approaching the idea of posting last week almost like doing homework.
I really just wanted to be outside, but felt obligated to post something. Instead
of being sane and just doing small quick posts, I felt that I would have to do
a monster post with lots of pics and text...taking an hour usually. Seriously,
sometimes a post will easily take an hour with uploading and arranging photos.

Just keep it short and simple, right?



These were the two hives that I picked up on Thursday right after getting back
from Los Angeles. I got there at 4:45, and had to wait around until about 9:15
until all the bees were back inside the hive. It was fine though, because I just picked wild foods the whole time, and even found some catnip that I hope to reestablish in my garden later on.

I then loaded them into the back of this little Toyota Yaris (actually a really cool car, way cheaper than a Prius and has just about the same mileage) and then had to drive a grueling 5 hours north.

I was half asleep, my butt was KILLING me from sitting on airplane and car seats all
day and night, and bees were climbing up my pants and shirt. I didn't get stung though, but it was one of the most trying experiences Ive had in a LONG time.

After having to pull over twice and take a nap, I made it home around 4am, unloaded the bees and cleaned the car so my mom would have it ready for her in the morning for work, and then went finally to bed. Id been up since 5am the previous morning, and with all that driving...it just really wears on a person. PLEASE...if you are driving and are getting the "sleepies", just pull into a rest stop, lock your car, and take a nap. You dont want to swerve into oncoming traffic or the ditch on the side of the road. Its just not worth it. I was eating bee pollen like mad too, and that didnt keep me going. However, I did have a few apples, and the sugar did pep me up a bit.

We tried to pick up the bees a week before that, but we got there really late and there was a tree blocking the road because of a lightning storm. After breaking off the large branches that were blocking the edge of the road, we were on our way again. We were literally one mile away from the hives...I was wondering if this was a sign. We were scared about getting struck by lighting, so we ended up taking empty hives (total newcomer mistake) and then proceeded to drive 5 hours with no bees.



This pic is from the second time I was there. You can see how the shed is metal and the old bee hives were at the base of the metal basketball hoop. I seriously thought I was going to be struck by lightning that night. Aaron had deja vu right then too, and I was wondering if he foresaw his own death and whether or not we were both goners. But...here I am. Alive and well (minus a little poison ivy on my arm).

Patience...


AND...the new site is UP!!!! I hope everyone loves it! MASSIVE thanks to Dawn, Dhru, and Rajiv for really making this happen. There is simply no way that this could have ever turned out so well without you three. Endless thanks.

No more huge delays, Ive learned my lesson. I did make lots of videos and Ill be
sure to help everyone with the wheatgrass questions and will be writing lots soon.

-Anthony

SUPER BUSY

Im typing this from a studio in Los Angeles. Shooting a job for pioneer, and have been here since tuesday.
Ive been doing major MAJOR garden prep lately
and I go to bed completely exhausted every night. Im in the groove though...wake up at 8, have a
really thin superfood smoothie, work in the garden till about 3pm, then have some superfood paste
wrapped up in collard leaves. This is a super basic post and I promise you all that LOTS of good stuff
is coming...just hold tight with me. Im flying back tonight and picking up the bees tomorrow.

Thanks for hanging in there with me...more to come!

Anthony

HB and J and a Guest Blogger...Aaron!

Now THAT is a hemp butter and cherry jam sandwich.
They can have their Wonder-Bread, Skippy, and Smuckers.
Recipe:
*Bread is 2 apples, 1 cup of ground flax, 1/8 cup of coco oil and 1/4 cup of water.
Blend all in food processor, spread 1/2 inch thick on dehydrator sheet and dry for 10 hours.
Flip and dry for another 2. REALLY Easy.
*Hemp Butter is from Manitoba Harvest. The best I've ever tried.
I get the 10lb tub to avoid having to re-order or stand in line at the grocery store.
*Cherry Jam is 1 part dried cherries, 1 part re-hydrated cherries.
Pulse in food processor until you like the consistency.

ENJOY!!!!


Onto the post.

Those of us who read the comments section might know of Aaron.

Aaron is one of my best friends from Minnesota.
We lived together in Minneapolis for a while, and we've
stayed close despite me living over in NYC for way too long.

He's actually picking me up at the airport on Saturday and
we are going to pick up the 2 beehives in the evening to bring
back to our area of Minnesota. I'll be sure to tape all of that.

He has recently been getting into the world of raw food,
and he sent me this short story about an issue he deals with.

Here is goes...

When I eat, I finish my food.
I am the part of America who has been programmed to clean my plate.
Psychologically, I don't feel done until my food is gone.
That is mostly associated with when I go out to eat because at home
I can decide how much food I put on my plate but at a restaurant, I have no choice.
I also don't like to take leftovers home either. I don't know why but for some reason
I have been programmed to eat it and finish it all at my initial sitting.
I think feeling like I have to finish my plate has also taught me to think that
I need to eat until I am too full. One of my problems with remaining close to
completely raw is that I don't get that 'full' feeling as much after my 'raw' meal is finished.
That is one of the contributors to me snacking or cheating and eating some cooked
or processed junk food. We all have been programmed to think we need to be 'full'.
The minute we get a rumble or two in our stomach, we feel the need to stop the noise.
Don't get me wrong, if you are hungry...by all means eat.
I think that it can sometimes be a good thing though to let your
stomach do some talking for a bit here and there.
Play around with your 'programming' and allow your body and mind to
feel OK with not eating at first noise; or when you eat, just eat 3/4ths of your normal intake.
After a while, you will feel better after a meal even though you aren't 'full'.
If you are feeling hungry but it isnt time for supper or lunch, make sure you are hydrated.
Alot of people mistake being hydrated for being hungry because your body gives
you some of the same clues. I think that these types of problems that I have had are
more the norm for a person who is new to the Raw Lifestyle or a person that is not
over feeling the cravings of cooked food. The real problem though is when I would CRASH
and eat 2 times more junk food then I did when I wasn't Raw. Don't let it get to that point.
When you are in the transitioning period, try to come up with some fall back items that
maybe aren't Raw but are healthier then a big bowl of ice-cream or a half of a pizza.
Don't feel like you are cheating yourself out of being healthy.
We are all in a constant transition, reaching different levels of enlightenment whether
it is regarding our eating habits or relationships with people.
Think of training for a marathon, or even a 10k race; you don't start out running 5 miles a day.
You begin with a mile the first day and build on that.
After a few months, you may even be up to a comfortable 10 mile run.
It is a progression that you can be proud of. With being raw, just try to make improvements.
Extend your progression but have realistic expectations.
For some, moving from even Vegetarian to Raw Vegan can be easy, but that is not the norm.
Give your self the right to get smarter and try to re-program your mind and body.
Progression doesn't = ALL or nothing.

-Aaron

Is this a midwest thing? I feel the same way about cleaning my plate.
Jeez...I'll even clean off OTHER people's plates. Without hesitation.
I think all my mom's lectures about "The starving children in Africa" really hit home with me.
Case in Point...


A group of us went to dinner at Quintessence the other night,
and 2 of the lovely young women had the common sense to
stop eating their pecan sundaes because they were full.
In comes the human garbage disposal (Me).
(Not that Im saying that Quintessence is garbage..FAR from it).
They offered...because Ill never ask. But true, I wanted to
finish their ice cream sundaes. Just seeing those unfinished
works of art just sitting there..melting away...something had to be done.

Is this deep Midwestern conditioning?
I had a friend once (yes, its true...) and if you didnt
finish your dinner at his house and you were staying the night,
his mom would make you eat it in the morning.
You HAD to finish your supper...come hell or high water.

I think this is why changing our eating habits is harder than kicking
many other vices...they are LIFE-LONG.
We saw a mom feeding a hot dog to her one-year old daughter on the subway today.
She was obviously unconscious about what she was doing to her precious child,
but she was cultivating an addiction, as crazy as that sounds.

I, like Aaron, never leave food on my plate. I would consider it a waste
of food and an insult to those who cant afford to eat like this.
Sure, I could put it away for later, but it just doesnt happen with me.

Whats your take on this? Is your family upbringing similar?
What is this really doing to us?

Thanks Aaron for the great post...much appreciation.

-Anthony

Home Growing with Ocean Water

I recently listened to an interview of Don Jansen
on The Best Day Ever.com. Patrick Timpone was interviewing
him, and said it was the one of the most exciting topics he has
covered...not only in the realms of agriculture, but of reaching
full human potential. Patrick Timpone has done a lot of interviews,
so that is a really heavy statement coming from him.

The idea is this. Our soils are HORRIBLY depleted of minerals.
The natural cycle is broken. The minerals pulled out of the soil
do not go back into it because we dispose of our wastes in the toilet
and the garbage, and much of the produce is shipped thousands of miles
away. It must be a closed circle. The soil in much of the US today is basically
a dusty-sponge that temporarily holds the petro-fertilizers used to grow
the pathetic and disease-laden produce that feeds most of the country.

The produce is weak and therefore susceptible to disease.
Sound familiar? Think of disease like a wolf pack. They will always
attack the weakest member of the herd. You cant eliminate bacteria and
parasites, but you can make your body resistant to them.

How? MINERALIZATION.
We must re-mineralize the soil. But how?
Compost? NO NO NO. Where are the minerals?
We are usually composting stuff grown in poor soil.
The other 60+ minerals arent going to appear magically.
So where do we get them? Our true home...the ocean.
The ocean is where we came from, and the craziest fact about all
of this is that the ratio of minerals in the ocean is exactly the same
as the optimal ratio of minerals in the human body.

If we can fully re-mineralize...what is possible?
How would our mind change?


Here are some pics of the wheatgrass that I am now growing
with this method. I use no soil. I water twice a day. Check out
the results. No mold. None! Why? Strong plants, and the
higher amount of sodium seems to keep the mold away as well.


Here is a HUGE idea that Don Jansen presented in the interview.
No animal (yes, that includes us) can absorb a mineral
unless it has been absorbed by a plant first.
He did say that cows and other ruminants have the power
to convert it to organic minerals, but we aren't cows.

So where does that leave Sea Salt??
So many raw leaders have said that we can re-mineralize
by taking sea salt in our water, but this statement
totally blows that idea away...

Sea Salt is inorganic. Humans cannot absorb inorganic minerals?
I do believe this now, but Patrick Timpone couldnt agree with him
on that...most likely because he has accepted the words of others as fact.
Its RAW dogma...just because we heard one idea first, doesnt mean
that we must discredit all new ideas that are presented to us.


Im still going to use sea salt because I like the taste,
but Im open to the idea that Im not absorbing the minerals
contained within it. We have to be open to new ideas always.

Check out the bottom root structure...the roots take the shape of the tray.

Im growing sunflower sprouts too.
Here is a pic from the fire escape.
When someone says "I don't have enough space to grow anything"...
just remember these pictures.


A simple watering twice a day. So easy.
And Im bringing plant life into the world, so that really feels great.

Get more info at www.growgreens.com

They sell a concentrated seawater mixture, that you will
dilute with fresh water. I think the ration is 3/4 tbls to 1 gallon of fresh.
Ill keep everyone posted throughout the summer on how this goes.

Here are some new pics of the Sapote seeds...big changes.
I have read that they get to 70ft...but maybe with some pruning I can
keep them to 14ft? Who knows? I dont really care actually...I just
want to help them grow and see what happens. Its a huge bonus
if I get fruit, but thats not the point at all anymore.


Ive never raised a tree from seed, so this is pretty huge for me.
I need to get it from NY to Minnesota somehow, and Im
petrified at the idea that they will make me run them through
the x-ray machine. My little babies...


Ill do anything I can to avoid them having to be x-rayed.
I would think if the clowns that work in front of the x-ray machines
all day can just look at them and reason that Im not
hiding a bomb in the soil, everything should be fine.
Wishful thinking I suppose...


Anthony

Another great question I must share...

This was my juice this morning. Pink Radish on the bottom, which
kind of fades up into the green which is cucumber and dandelion,
then I sweetened it up with some yellow pepper and yellow squash that
I had on hand to level out the harshness of the bottom layer.

I juice for the benefits, not the taste. I eat my fruit and enjoy it.
Better to juice veggies, especially radishes...WHEW!!!

So..speaking of fruit. Here is a question I received lately.

Anthony,
I saw a little segment on Raw on E! a while ago. It got me curious. Last semester I wrote my comp II essay on Raw. I used your site, (I cited you!) for some of the information. I still read your site frequently because I am so interested. I have to ask. I am 24 and very pretty but I have one burden to bear. My skin. I am always battling my complexion. I saw lots of research and opinions saying there is an improvement in the skin. I do imagine my diet does adversely affect my skin with the sugar and fried foods and such. My concern, however, is the acidity. Did/does the acidity of the fruits and veggies affect you? Dryness, etc? Your skin is flawless. I envy that.

...

When I read the part about fruits and veggies being acidic, I had to laugh.
Sorry...but its exactly the opposite. Fruits and veggies are very alkaline.

Most people have a hyper-acidic diet, and that just cultivates their diseases.
Acidic blood, acidic thoughts, acidic lifestyles. It breeds disease.
Fruits and veggies are alkaline, especially the leafy greens, melons,
LEMONS (who would have thought) and olives.

Fried oils will destroy your skin. I notice lots of vegan girls who
still eat fried foods and their skin is NOT good. Its just so obvious.
Cutting out that alone should do wonders, but there could be other issues too.

Hormones can play a huge role, especially if youve been on birth control for a while.
Your body is likely pushing toxins out of your skin instead of your colon.
Doing enemas and eating high-fiber foods like fruits and greens will start
to pull stuff out down there instead of pushing it through your skin.

And...cucumbers. Its summer, so you can get them at a fair price.
Seriously, spend $6-8 a day on cucumbers for 2 weeks and see if you notice
a difference. Ill eat one cucumber a day at least.
And really...you need super-hydration to flush out the oils.

A great book to read would be David Wolfe's "Eating for Beauty".
This explains the acid-alkaline balance and suggests lots of good foods for you.
Look into papaya too! Youll really love it.

My skin used to be BAD. My back and shoulders too.
But I was eating cooked oils and consuming tons of NASTY dairy.
Please people...No more dairy. 12 lbs of milk is needed to make one pound of cheese.
10 lbs of milk in needed to make one pound of ice cream.
We are talking about super-concentrated hormones in that garbage.

No dairy, no cooked oils, and that included roasted nuts.
Lots of water and lots of fruit for hydration, and tons
of fiber to get the toxins out through the colon and not the skin.

It has worked for me, hopefully Im not the only one.
Based on other people Ive met, I know Im not.

Best of luck getting to the next level.

"Beauty must be how we define ourselves,
otherwise the concept itself becomes our enemy."
-Crimethinc.com

Lots of green coconut water doesnt hurt either.

-Anthony

A good question from Greg

Greg brought this up just now, and I thought
it would be a good idea to share it with you all,
especially if you don't read the comments...

greg said...

Anthony, I am a professional jockey, and after witnessing the particular diet of an up and coming horse I am training with, I became inspired to be a raw foodist also. Basically, what the owners are doing, and this is so wonderful, they are not using any drugs or steroids, no horse feed, but this horse is being fed a %100 organic raw food diet, but he eats grass grown in mineralized soil also. The bill is through the roof, but the owners/trainer insist. So I noticed the keeper giving this horse MACA and then I put some in my juice. That same day, I saw the horse eating the blossoms off a black locust tree, they like the sweetness, hey just like you.

I have immense pressure on me to maintain a low weight, about 112lbs ideally, so my question is, how do you either get to or maintain such a low weight on a raw food diet? It is possible, I'm trying to live my life without counting calories, yet having enough energy to do my job which is exhausting and so far all the books I've read mention just how to stay on this diet, not maintain a certain physique. I'd like to be in harmony with nature and with my horse whom I spend so much time with.

-Greg

This is such a cool story! I mean really...really cool!
What a source of inspiration. Maybe Im just loopy because
I just woke up, but this is great.

Ive recently heard about trainers feeding the horses the wheatgrass
grown with diluted seawater (90 or 92 mineral wheatgrass)
and have been experiencing major results. Just a side note, and I will
write more about this later, no matter what you are eating, if the soil
in which the plants grow does not contain the minerals,
you cant get the minerals in your body. You can drink wheatgrass
juice all day, but if that grass isnt grown in good soil, youre missing out.

Ok...onto the question. Maintaining weight. Of course we are all
bio-chemically individual. Some burn food fast, others slow. I used to burn
fast, but when I turned 23 or so, I realized that it was pretty easy for me
to put on weight. That gave me the extra push to experiment with my diet.

Maintaining weight simply boils down to calorie imput vs. calories burned.
You can be 100% raw but be eating nuts and dried fruits and you WILL WILL
WILL
gain weight. Its just simple math.
But whats nice about raw is that by eating high-water content fruits
and leafy greens, is that you'll get the bulk without all the calories. Still feeling full.

If you want to stay light, here are 3-4 guidelines. Not rules, but observations
Ive picked up along the way on my own. Maintaining my weight of 165-170
is pretty crucial as well. Here it goes.

1. Drinking lots of water will keep your water retention LOW.
Think about this. When you are super hydrated, the body all of a sudden thinks:
"Hey! All is well...water is plentiful! I dont need to hold onto all this extra cellular water
weight anymore...there is plenty around, so lets shed some baggage..."

2. Working out before breakfast (consuming food energy) is usually the most challenging,
yet ironically, the most rewarding thing you can do in terms of your physique.

Your body will be forced to use stored energy (fat or sugar in your blood from
yesterday) to get you through the workout. This is incredible.
Whenever I had a few days to get ready for a big shoot, and I was feeling a little
puffy, I would make it a point to get to the gym, drink lots of water while there,
then have a nice breakfast afterwards. This is really rewarding.

3. Keep the nuts and dried fruits LOW. I wouldnt even really have this
stuff in the house if youre not ready for it. I have a 10lb tub of hemp
butter from Manitoba Harvest sitting in the freezer, and that is enough
temptation for me. I dont want to be popping brazil nuts in my mouth
like popcorn when 7 of them is 170 calories. OUCH! Thats dense!

High greens, high fruit, especially low sugar fruits like cucumber, okra,
tomatoes, sour apples, and berries. This is HUGE.

4. Eat light in the evenings. The earlier, the better. If you do eat heavy,
try to get some activity in before you retire for the night. If you can
get to the gym and do some treadmill while listening to an audio book,
thats GREAT. But even doing some light jogging-in-place in your room
while watching a documentary will burn the food you just ate.

I try to keep a ledger going in my mind about what Ive eaten, and
then what I need to do to burn it. I dont obsess about it, but intuitively
you'll know what you have to do. I break it down to a daily input-output idea.

If I ate a super heavy meal, I know that I have to be a little more active than
usual. If Ive been doing nothing but fruits and green smoothies, I know
that I can take it easy if I want to. It might sound complicated, but its just
instinct as you get used to it.

If anyone gets into these habits they will soon hopefully reach their
target weight, and at that point they can tweak it.
Less morning exercise...more nuts...whatever. But you
must pay attention. I dont really weigh myself, its more about
the look and the feel. You can just tell when you are happy where you're at.

Ok, thats about it. I LOVE the idea of the maca-drinking horse.
"UM...pardon me sir, I'll have what the horse is having. Thank you..."

-Anthony

Black Locust Blossoms

Although they have come and gone,
I must do a post about these little jewels.
Behold a treasure of the natural world:
The black locust blossom.

I didnt even have a clue about these until I came across
them in the book "Forager's Harvest" by Samuel Thayer.

He was writing about his experiences in Michigan,
so I wasnt sure if they were around here. He said that the
prime time for harvesting them is around late may.

Then, as my synchronized experience would have it,
I came across some as I was walking into the Sheep Meadow
in the southern part of Central Park.

There they were...days after I had just learned of their existence.
I picked a few off, and upon nibbling, tasted the sweet little pools
of nectar which was awaiting any hungry bee flying along.

They are just so good. And they are best alone.
But of course, I had to see if I could add them to some dishes.
Easily enough, I did a smoothie and then threw some upon a salad.

One thing I noticed was how much they reminded me of popcorn.
Not the taste, but the feeling. Just popping them in my mouth.
Sure, you could do that with nuts or seeds, but after a while you
are going to have a 2000 calorie brick sitting in your stomach.
You'll start to feel warm, and realize that you made a huge mistake.

But with these? Smooth sailing all the way.
I took them to the theater when we saw
"Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
and it was perfect. Nice to be able to eating something
super healthy in the theater that still tasted great but was light.

People living in the northern areas of the US still have a shot at these.
Here is the video I made. Enjoy...



Who here hasnt subscribed to my youtube channel?
Seriously...its a really good idea because you'll get a notification
each time I put something up. Maybe you dont want that at all...
but if it sounds like something that you might want, subscription
is easy and you can see who Ive subscribed to.
Youtube is one of the best parts of the internet. I have learned
so much in the past year from it. Not just raw foods, but EVERYTHING.

Its a resource that few really take advantage of. I dont
want us to be glued to the computer screen all day, but when you
have to research something, search for it on youtube,
and I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.

June is here...get out and enjoy.

Anthony

What is possible

I dont want to seem like Im trying to show off.
Its not about impressing, its about inspiration.

Ladies...if your guy thinks that going raw will turn him
into a skinny-waify vegan, tell them that they need to rethink a bit.

This body is fueled on massive doses of green leafy vegetables,
superfoods (mostly hemp, vitamineral green, bee pollen, maca, mesquite, and goji),
and loads of wild foods, especially wild greens.
100% raw vegan. No flesh, no animal body fluids (dairy).
Im trying to keep my sugar down, so Im having green apples with hemp butter.

This one isnt green, but the pic was taken months ago.

(A little cross-section pictured below
for a better idea of whats going on here...
cinnamon on top...YUM!)

And then mostly berries in my smoothies.
One full pound of blueberries has around 36 grams of sugar.
That is ridiculously low if you think about how many berries that is.

So...no worries guys. The hardest part is just being active.
Its one thing to be conscious about what you eat,
its quite another to get your vegan butt to the gym.

One hour a day though. I swear...thats it.
Is there something you can cut out of your day
so you can replace it with just one hour of working out?

And dont expect huge results right away.
It took me quite a while to get where Im at.

Working out before breakfast will get you there faster,
as will eating very light in the evenings.

However, persistence will conquer all. Remember that.
With ANYTHING...persistence conquers all.

And I put on weight easily. Two days of heavy raw foods
and low activity will really show in my face, then later in my body.
I have to stay active if I want to continue looking like this.
Nothing that is really worth doing was ever easy.

Rethink your mindset of the vegan male.
Its time for a new image. This works for me,
its quite possible that it can work for you too.

-Anthony

A little clip for everyone...

This video pretty much explains exactly how I feel
about the current situation of this society,
and just why we are facing the troubles that we are today.

Please view with an open mind...its entertaining as well.

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see."

-John Lennon.

So what can we do?
Seeing through the illusion of the work/consume cycle is a huge step.
Setting up our lives so we don't depend on their energy or food is another.
Once we stop giving them our labor, tax dollars, and consumer dollars,
they have less power. Once we stop fighting their wars and waking up
our friends and family to stop fighting their wars...they are much less powerful.

They need us to WANT STUFF. We need to believe that we are incomplete.
We need to believe that we need their products. We need to believe that we are
separate from Nature and the rest of humanity.

I know there are some out there that will always say:
"Jeez Rawmodel...dont focus on the negative. Youre such a bummer.
I was trying to enjoy my cacao smoothie...and now this?"
Shall we be misinformed? Pretending that everything is peachy while
they take away our freedoms and destroy our planet is a complete
cop-out. We are so much better than that.
We have to be aware, and we have to take action.
Remember...evil can only survive when good people do NOTHING.
Darkness cannot exist where there is light.

Ok...done ranting. Enjoy the clip. Remember...open mind.