Author Archives: rawgirl

Be a Caller on Raw Girl’s Radio Show!

Living la Vida Raw

Dear Veggie Lovers:

I am in need of questions for the recording of several radio shows ASAP!  If you are also interested in being a live caller please also include your phone number in the email. Excited about the range of shows coming up and some pretty fantastic guest interviews. Stay tuned for more information about where to listen.  If you would like to have your question answered On-Air, please send any health related/vegan/lifestyle questions to rawgirltoxicworld@gmail.com. Appreciate your participation! –XoXo Raw Girl

It’s Cool to Be Healthy

Bernando LaPallo

“In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else.” – Alison Rose Levy, in “An Ancient Cure for Modern Life”

Today I’m in research mode for one of my upcoming radio shows, which will focus on how to quit smoking, naturally. As I am researching I’m just appalled in general.   Check out the photo above for a breakdown of some of the chemicals in cigarettes. Do people who smoke know or care, that every time they bring that cancer stick to their lips they are exposed their bodies to over 4,000 chemicals, 69 of which are known and proven to cause cancer? It’s the same thing with drinking hard liquor for me, or really just putting anything into my body temple that is damaging. Why do it? If you don’t have a real answer or if your answer involves the fact that everyone else is doing it, you seriously need to develop a backbone. This world is truly toxic, but we still have an individual CHOICE. Individual, because at the end of the day if you are on your death-bed with lung cancer it won’t matter if you started smoking because your friend Suzy was.

 In my opinion, choosing to indulge in something now that is going to make me sick and miserable later, is not worth it, period. The fact that tobacco companies are allowed to sell this legal poison is just as appalling to me as the fact that fast food companies are allowed to call what they serve FOOD. At the end of the day, it’s all different versions on disease on a platter. It’s also REALLY uncool. Although people may taunt me now for my vegan lifestyle, when I skip past them years later full of youthful energy and they’re in a wheelchair, who will be “cool” then? I recently chatted with Bernando LaPallo, a raw foodist who is 109 years old and has the vigor of someone in his sixties or seventies, and he made the joke that his colleagues used to make fun of him because of his daily walks and his diet, and now all those same people are guess what, DEAD. Guess he got the last laugh. Please love yourself and do some healthy for yourself today! -XoXo Raw Girl

If you know someone who smokes or you yourself are trying to quit check out this past post on How to Quit Smoking Naturally: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2011/01/24/kick-your-smok…abit-naturally



Natural Cures: The Wonders of Bentonite Clay

acne

Years ago, my skin was horrible. Just before I started to really change my diet, a colleague of mine who was deep in the holistic lifestyle introduced me to bentonite clay to use on my skin. I was amazed at how it seemed to literally suck impurities out of my pores and left my skin feeling tight and firm.  Since then, I have kept a large container of bentonite in my bathroom amongst my beauty products, and every now and then I can be seen roaming around the house with my bentonite mask on.

Besides it’s ability to be used topically on the skin to heal acne, eczema, wounds, insect bites (worked for me with mosquito bites–shrunk them down in a day), bentonite can also be taken internally and can heal anything from heavy metal posioning, food allergies, food poisoning, mucus colitis, spastic colitis, digestive disorders, viral infections, stomach flu, ***parasites (apparently parasites cannot reproduce in the presence of clay), stomach ulcers, diarrhea, arthritis, anemia, and the list goes on.

This miraculous clay has been used by indigenous people since the dawn of time, and even animals in the wild have been observed eating the clay or rolling in it to heal wounds. It gets its name from Benton, Wyoming; although bentonite clay can be found throughout the world, the largest concentrations of it actually are in the Great Plains in the U.S.

So how exactly does it work?  Well, the clay itself has a negative electrical charge. When it absorbs water it expands and becomes like a porous sponge. Toxins and impurities have a positive charge, so they are drawn to the clay and bound. Not only is this clay amazing for intestinal health because of its ability to eliminate toxins, according to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology it also can absorb pathogenic viruses, herbicides, and pesticides. Want to make the clay more effective? Use apple cider vinegar to mix your mask instead of water.

You can find bentonite clay in powder, capsule, or gel form. Make sure if you are taking it internally, the kind you purchase specifies that the clay is safe for internal use.  To start you can take up to a tablespoon a day mixed with juice on an empty stomach or at least an hour before eating. Its very important if you take bentonite internally, that you drink sufficient amounts of water, to assist the body in flushing it out. Whether your looking for a beauty boost, or some internal healing, bentonite clay is a powerful natural remedy not to be overlooked! -XoXo Raw Girl

Dear Raw Girl: How to be a Parasite Killa?

Dear Raw Girl

Hi this is Kristina from Arizona and I am seeking help.  It seems like you have some knowledge on parasites and I was hoping you could point me in the right direction.  I have been suffering with parasites for some time now.  I have been taking a homeopathic treatment for the last 6 months now.  It has seemed to help some, but I’m still dealing with these critters.  I am afraid to even eat anymore because I don’t know if what I’m eating is feeding them.  Please help!  I was thinking about doing the master cleanse, but not sure if this is best for me. What can I do to finally get rid of these buggers?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you Raw Girl.

Dear Kristina: Thanks so much for your question! In addition to answering you here on the blog, I answered you live on the first episode of my radio show. Will let you know when it is airing. As far as parasites—they SUCK! The first thing I would want to know is what kind of homeopathic treatment are you taking? Make sure that if you are taking something over the counter that it includes ingredients such as black walnut hull, wormwood, cloves,  and garlic. There usually are a host of other ingredients as well. Six months is a long time to not see results—so you may be eating things that continue to feed the parasites, or perhaps your treatment does not have the right ingredients. Also if you are married or have a boyfriend/partner, if you begin to cleanse and they do not, guess what—you’ll still be picking up their buggers!  

If your homeopathic treatment is not doing the job, I recommend uping the ante by taking an extra dose of cloves and garlic. Now, for regular maintenance and prevention I take aged garlic (odorless) pills and cloves everyday. Its made it easier and prevented the little buggers from coming back into a full out episode. In addition to this your diet is key, if you really want to give your parasites a run for their money. I would NOT recommend the master cleanse, especially since you would be drinking a concoction with maple syrup, which may only make your problem worse. If you choose to fast, I would recommend that you fast on green juices with little or no sugar added (not too much apple, carrot, beet). This in tandem with the homeopathic treatment and colon cleansing, will help you kill the parasites, their eggs, and flush out any dead ones. If you persist, I am sure you will see the light at the end of the tunnel! After you fast, stick to straight up greens in your diet and no carbs, or sugars. If after a month or two nothing changes, you might want to find somewhere to get tested to see what type of parasites you have. Different parasites respond to different things, and you may need to adjust your parasite killa strategy accordingly. Hope this helps! You can do it! -XoXo Raw Girl

For more information about parasites and parasite cleansing, check out these previous posts:

http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/12/04/dear-raw-girl-how-to-take-on-parasites/

 http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/03/15/the-anti-parasite-diet-foods-that-make-parasites-run-for-cover/

Raw Food 4 Thought: Embracing the NOW

inspiration

“Have you ever thought about what you are doing, in each moment, and asked yourself  what is the value of it? If you think a bit further perhaps there truly isn’t a value to anything, just the vibrations that extend from it.  So, in essence there is no waste of time, no waste, no time, just vibrations flowing at the speed of thought and intentions. Which means where you are right now is — right!  Now!” ~ Wanakhavi Wakhisi

It’s incredibly easy when going through experiences that are difficult and challenging to rail against the Divine. Why me? We lament. Why is this happening to me, and why am I meant to go through this experience? It is only after the storm when the rain and thunder cease, and the sun begins to peak brilliantly through the clouds, that we realize that the storm was a necessary part of our experience. It was a moment in time that had to happen, and was right on time to take us to the next, or even perhaps to allow us the priviledge of truly treasuring the sunny days once they’ve arrived. 

I just recently went through an experience that to me in that moment seemed like a “storm.” Now in hindsight, I can see that all the emotions I was caught up in and the negative feelings were a part of my preparation. The experience of being in a situation where my talents and energy were devalued came to help me to shed old habits that were hindering my progress,  to give me confidence in my own abilties, and to spur me to action on my own projects. 

 Are you in a place you don’t want to be? Are you moving through something difficult and can’t seem to understand why this is happening to you? Take a deep breath, and just embrace that moment, the feelings and sensations. Sit with it and look for the good. Find something to be grateful for right then and NOW. Our job is solely to be there in the NOW, and embrace it. Our job is not to question it, to lament it, or to worry about it. Look for the blessing in that moment, and as they say, “This too shall pass.” Perhaps sooner than you think you’ll see sunshine through the rain. -XoXo Raw Girl

Raw Food 4 Thought Quote by: Wanakhavi Wakhisi, a lightworker doing his part to simply help spread more light. You can reach him professionally at wanaimage.com or at thelighthousedc.com or 202.270.9058.

Raw Girl on the Radio!!!

healthy living

Happy March veggie lovers! I’ve been M.I.A. shooting a film, and today is my first day back in blogging mode. Even more exciting…I’m going to be on the radio! That’s right, yours truly, will be launching very soon, a health radio show called “Healthy Living in a Toxic World.” We are recording the pilot episode this weekend focusing on the topic of longevity, and are in need of questions from you.

Please email any general health questions or questions about longevity to rawgirltoxicworld@gmail.com and your question may be answered on the radio show. If I don’t get to it in the first episode, I will include it in later episodes or in the “Dear Raw Girl” segment on the blog. The show will be airing on multiple radio stations  in the DMV area and also will be available to listen to live online. Check the blog for updates! -XoXo Raw Girl

Umcka: Natural Remedy for Colds

cold

So I never get sick. Or if I do, it usually last for about a day, because I can figure out exactly what caused it and POOF! like magic I’m well again. Last week I had a fever and some itching in my throat. I managed to get rid of the fever and discomfort over night with a combination of things I had at home, including literally chewing on raw ginger. This past weekend though the itchy throat came back to haunt me as a cough, and before I knew it I was completely voiceless.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor, which I hate doing, because in my opinion most physicians are mindless drones who I consider no better than glorified urban drug pushers. Please, ask me questions and diagnose the whole problem, not the symptoms! I think the universe responded to my prior frustration with doctors, because now at Kaiser my primary care doctor is this wonderful woman who actually listens when I tell her I do not take drugs. I went to her with the cough and after determining that I had no serious infection, she recommended a natural decongestant which I was able to pick up at Whole Foods called Umcka by Natures Way, after explaining the history of the medicine. I’m on day two of taking this stuff, and I have to say, in the midst of my annoyance with the fact that I can’t speak, I am really excited to find another natural way to address one of the vicissitudes of winter, the common cold or flu.

So what is Umcka? Umcka, short for Umkaloabo has been used as a remedy for centuries by the Zulu peoples. It is native to South Africa and comes from the root of the South African geranium. Although the Zulu already knew and harnessed the power of Umcka, an Englishman named Charles Stevens claims to have “discovered it”  when he was given the root by a South African healer and returned to his native country England cured of tuberculosis. (***As a random side note: I get irritated by historical facts that credit the discovery of something to the European who happened to wander to a specific area, remedy, or learn knowledge that was already in existence and utilized by native peoples. Whose the genius..the guy who gets cured or the people smart enough to use it?) Anyway, it wasn’t until many years later in 2008, that Umcka was allowed to be sold to the masses in England, when it was approved to be sold as a cold and flu remedy.

It has been clinically tested and proved to be effective in curing respiratory infections, relieving symptoms of bronchitis and sinusitis, and eliminating any excess mucus. This is achieved apparently because of its ability to modulate the immune system and kill viruses, fungi, and bacteria. It literally stops their growth, and assists in boosting the immune system. The best part: no negative side effects unless you’re allergic to plants!  -XoXo Raw Girl

Green Juice: Celery, Arugula, Kale & Apple

arugula

Hey Gang:

Below’s a video from my fast, last month. Arugula is one of my new favorite veggies! I love it as a salad or mixed in with other greens, and it is also awesome in juice. It also happens to be a raw aphrodisiac! More on arugula later, for now check out this video and hopefully you’ll be inspired to get down with your own green juice concoction. – XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiPAaxAbBQI]

The Break-Up Fast: Loss as a Tool for Transformation

depression

“Fast and your light will break forth like morning…[and your] healing shall spring forth speedily.” – Isaiah 58: 6-11 (paraphrased)

Have you noticed that when unexpected  loss shows at up at  your door, you tend to overeat? This is true for a lot of us. The concept of vegging out on comfort food is worn like a badge of honor nowadays, when processed food is plentiful and sugar addiction is the norm. In the past I was among the loyal cadre of folks that used food as the drug of choice to remedy my woes. Ever since I embraced balance and changed my diet and eating habits, the opposite seems to be the case. Loss, which used to throw me into stuff my gut til’ it aches mode, now causes me to lose my appetite and retreat into fasting mode.

I recently got dumped. Like drop my heart in the bottom of your shoe dumped. In the midst of my processing the situation and mending my broken heart, my appetite seemed to naturally vanish. In order to prevent from starving myself,  I decided to go ahead and officially fast, so that at least my body would be nourished. While wallowing in my own experience I thought it would be interesting to research the effects of fasting on loss or any sort of depression. I found that fasting has been for ages used since Biblical times to bring the body, mind, and spirit back into balance while processing loss.

I love the Bible quote from Isaiah, the idea that fasting will “break your light forth like new morning.” The operative words for me are “light” and “new.” Yes indeed fasting not only purges the body, it renews the spirit and in fact can bring the mind into an altered state of consciousness. Opening up the inner light that gets dimmed from wrong thinking, wrong eating, or just the chaos that is this modern world. Those who fast know that in the midst of a fast there can be moments of intense bliss and interconnectedness with life around us in ways that heal our unseen wounds physical and emotional. Combined with solitude, fasting brings us face to face with the chaos that we have surrounded ourselves with and can break the addictions we have whether it be drugs, alcohol, dysfunctional relationships, or even food. All of these addictions are born from that feeling of lack; a sort of unconscious spiritual deprivation that we all look to fill with people and things. There have been documented case after case of people using fasting to quit smoking, drinking, or to heal terminal diseases naturally.

Uncannily enough, just as I began the fast, my phone would not charge. I discovered that I needed to replace the battery. The loss of communication, really put me into a different place than before. In the past, I fasted in tandem with the daily texting, facebooking, and emailing via phone. With that gone, I felt a certain sense of quiet and freedom simultaneously. It forced me to look at how much of my life is spent in my present moment, rather than consumed in cyberspace.  All of this prompted me to venture on a retreat into the wilderness. My father’s church happens to own a spiritual solitude retreat called Spiritual Wilderness Solitude in Harmony Haven, Virginia, and funnily enough although I have visited, I never myself undertook the process of staying there alone for an extended period of time. It was day one of the fast, that I received the inner guidance, that I had to go, sometime soon.

Now I am a fan of solitude, I do actually spend a lot of time by myself, and am not one of those people who feels uncomfortable going to the movies alone or spending time in meditation. But this idea of being in the middle of nature no phone reception, no lighted highways, and far enough from civilization that silence was really SILENCE, on purpose, is a new concept. I’m almost afraid to venture into that space, and what I may discover about myself. But I will do it…very soon, and I will let you all know how it goes.

Visionaries such as Christ and Buddha used fasting and solitude to obtain mystical revelations. The act of fasting to me feels like the deepest form of prayer…its a sensation that seems to align the spirit immediately to receiving healing, opens the universal gateway for  help in the time of need and solutions to any kind of problem. So the next time you loose a loved one, are mending a broken heart, fall sick with any kind of disease or drug addiction, or maybe just need answers, consider fasting perhaps accompanied with some meditation and  solitude as a remedy. What began as a break up may be the catalyst for a deeper connection with life and spirit than you can fathom. – XoXo Raw Girl

For more on fasting, check out my article Juice Fasting: The Ultimate Tool for Anti-Aging and Spiritual Awakening:

http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2009/11/18/my-article-on-…-juice-fasting/

And also…this previous post which offers Tips for a Stress-Free Fast:

http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2009/11/18/tips-for-a-stress-free-fast/

Taco Bell Fiasco: Fast Food = Fast Death

beef

Hope everyone is staying warm in this crazy DMV weather! It took me three hours to get home yesterday, after leaving my car in a parking lot and hitching a ride with a family member. Then to top it off, got home and internet and power shut down before I could finish this post! Needless to say, I am ecstatic that all’s well now and I will never take lights and heat for granted again.

You may have already heard yesterday about the law suit being filed against Taco Bell. When I heard about it, I really was not surprised. It must have been over ten years ago, that I ventured into Taco Bell to purchase a meal. I remember my mother used to take us there from time to time and we would buy tacos and take them with us to the movies. Back then I always wondered (in my meat-eating, fast food ignorant days), what the heck I was exactly eating, although I didn’t know to ask. Now that I have undergone my complete vegan transformation the thought of consuming one really makes we want to hurl.

According to the lawsuit in addition to the mere 35% beef that is in their tacos, Taco Bell has also included: “water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch.” Anti-dusting agent? Really? See guys, this is what started to drive me bonkers when I began this journey that lead me to raw foods. When I discovered that products like cottage cheese have bleach in them, and that there are countless chemical laden processed foods with industrial or lab-made materials, I refused to eat any of it. NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE FOOD. Taco Bell, McDonald’s un-chicken nuggets, and all the other fast food chains and processed food manufacturers really should be forced to own up to the fact they are not selling food. If you are going to be allowed to sell me blended animal parts mixed with chemicals, then I should know and it should be labeled as such. So I really hope this lawsuit serves as forewarning to other fast death chains or at best gives Taco Bell a run for their money. –XoXo Raw Girl

To read more about the post check out the link below:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/25/taco-bell-beef-lawsuit_n_813185.html