Simple Raw and Natural

Practicing well requires a commitment.  My friend Mari wrote today that our health depends on our lifestyle, and diet is part of the lifestyle.  A healthy lifestyle will not just happen by accident so it requires a practice to help hold us steady as we go against the grain of society. There is still somewhat of a gap between what I say I want to do and what I actually do.  Keep in mind that what we do is a better indicator of our true desires than what we say. The right practice helps achieve balance, simplicity and joy because it focuses on the true desires and not just the ideals.  The practice is useful not because it makes us perfect, but because it helps protect us from being influenced by outside pressures. It helps to have the best mentors possible.  My mentor is Dr. John Fielder and he lives the simple, raw and natural lifestyle as perfectly as anyone in the world.  So much of what I have learned from him has become part of who I am.  His ...

I am coming off caffeine...again.  I started drinking coffee and tea a few months ago for a couple of reasons.  Reason #1:  I used it as a stimulant when traveling.  Reason #2:  I wanted to experiment with being less rigid in my diet.  Recently our friend, Karl, gave us a Keurig coffee maker, and that put me over the top.  Sunday, I decided to go cold turkey.  Monday I was in bed with a splitting headache.  Tuesday, I used one Keurig cup to make two cups of coffee.  I drank part of one cup...enough to ease the headache...so I could function well enough to go to my flute lesson and flute ensemble rehearsal.  Since then I have been drinking just enough to keep the headache at bay.  I think I am still detoxing since I am still getting the headache.  Now I am trying to ease off the caffeine and still function.  Tomorrow I won't drink any coffee unless I get a headache.  I have been 100% raw since Saturday with the ex...

The 5K training is still going well.  Yesterday, again, I ran and walked in intervals which included a total of 8 minutes running.  Lucy sees to it that I get in a few extra running minutes because after I walk her up the road she takes off lickity-split back towards the house once we make the turn to come home.  I run as fast as I can to keep from holding her back too much on the leash, but I can't keep up with her. We had a good time yesterday going to garage sales and estate sales.  We found a set of china, some Japanese tea sets, and a couple of books we can put in our E bay store.  We found some items we can use, too....a blue fruit bowl for $6.00, three candles for the coffee table for $8.00, a decorative box for $5.00, a lawn chair for me to sit in the garage with Travis for $3.00, a pitchfork for $4.00, a large ball of twine for $2.00, a some free pencils. Lunch yesterday was fruit smoothies made with peaches, apple, orange juice, kiwi, papaya, dates...

Travis, Arthur and I went to Park Island for lunch yesterday.  Park Island is an awesome little restaurant in Hot Springs, Arkansas, that serves organic, locally grown foods.  Here is a link to a wonderful article about Joseph Sheridan and Armando Ortiz, the owners. Park Island Organic Produce and Cafe As we left Park Island we noticed four large 300 gallon tanks which will be perfect for collecting rain water. They were asking $80.00 each for them.  Later in the afternoon Travis returned to get one of them, but he ended up buying two and Joseph and Armando delivered them to the house for us. We talked about raw foods and about getting Dr. Fielder to possibly do a seminar at the cafe when he comes to Hot Springs next May.  Joseph and Armando are nice folks. You know, it really doesn't matter what your diagnosis is or even whether you have been given a diagnosis at all.  In the practice of Nature Cure that is not important.  Our focus is not on seeking ...

Diet and exercise are equally important in a healthy lifestyle.  I have two new aps for the i-phone that I hope will help me include more exercise in my life, 5K Runner and Tai Chi.  For some reason, I committed to run a 5K in November with my daughter, Molly,  and grand-daughter, Ashlyn.  Since I have never run a 5K in my life, this may be pushing my limits.  We'll see how it goes.  My training yesterday was 30 minutes walking and running combined in intervals.  I ran a total of 8 minutes. I took a Tai Chi class one time and enjoyed it, but the time constraints of going to a class don't work for me at this time.  And besides,  I never could remember the movements well enough to practice at home.  The ap makes that part easy as it shows the postions and describes the movement while tranquil music plays in the background.  Dr. Fielder also supports the use of Tai Chi as an exercise. I have had some trouble dealing with anxiety an...

We leave for the beach early in the morning!  Today I must pack!  I hope to connect with my cousin, Gaylon, while we are in Panama City and get in some good cousin/girlfriend time.  Surely there will also be time for the farmer's market as well as getting in some sun, earth, and water time. Travis and I want to get rid of some of our "stuff" when we get back from the beach.  Is it feasible to get rid of half?  We plan to have a garage sale and then donate what does not sell.  Our garage sale is planned for August 23-24.  Clearing out makes room for more abundance to come in!  By abundance, I do not mean necessarily more "stuff". Travis had a day with our friend, Karl Hochradel, yesterday.  He sent a paper home with Travis that he compiled regarding competencies in building community.  I have a lot to learn in that area, so I read it carefully.  It started off with..."One of the most important elements of developing community in...

I learned something important yesterday.  Anxiety is caused by the gap between your Ideal Self and your Perceived Self.  The larger that gap, the more anxiety you feel.  Since I have been having so much trouble with panic and a sensation of not being able to breathe, there is something here I need to learn. I have had it backwards.  I knew that the goal was to listen to my authentic self and to not let the ego be in charge.  But yesterday, I finally had the revelation that what I have been thinking of as ego is in fact my real, perceived self.  And what I have been calling my authentic self is actually the ego.  I imagine I am not the only one that has been making this mistake.  As my teacher was talking to me about this it dawned on me that this real, perceived self is in fact the soul.  This ideal self that is so demanding, intent on problem solving, and full of goals is not even real.  The ego and the soul are not equal partners. ...

Sometimes it is hard to figure out whether we are suffering because of what we are doing right or because of what we are doing wrong.  Both actions lead to suffering.  The difference is in the outcome. When we suffer for doing right, we are better and stronger when we come through the other side.  If we suffer for our wrong actions we will continue to lose vitality and become worse unless we correct what we are doing. It is always a good idea to reflect on what we are going through and judge ourselves on whether we are obeying the Laws of Life and Nature or whether we are breaking these laws.  We know we will never be able to get away with being disobedient. Since none of us are perfect, there is always room for repentance...a changing of the way we think and act...a call to elevated thinking. I had been feeling bad for several months but had allowed myself to stay so caught up in my schedule that I did not heed the warnings to stop and evaluate what ...

Yesterday was my birthday.  We didn't do anything special, but I enjoyed my time at home.  Travis was gone to South Arkansas with his retired agriculture teacher buddies.  I got awesome presents this year!  My son and his family paid over half on the Lifetime Dual Bin Compost Tumbler I wanted.  It has already arrived and is sitting in the garage waiting on someone to put it together.  The date stamp on my pictures are obviously wrong, because according to the date this is a Christmas present.  Here is the link:   Lifetime Dual Bin Compost Tumbler Awesome birthday present! My daughter and her family contributed towards the Aris Latham Culinary Certification Workshop on 13 DVD's.  I can hardly wait for them to arrive.  I posted one of Aris Latham's recipes on a previous post. Here is the link to his Salad and Tahini Dressing Recipe: http://www.simplerawandnatural.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html Here is a link to the vide...

It is cold and icy here today.  The trees are laden down with ice.  Spring will be here soon, though.    My seeds arrived yesterday. One of the frozen pear trees. I ordered all organic heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, MO.  They have a Facebook page for anyone that wants to follow them on Facebook.  I ordered so many seeds that they sent me three packages of free seeds...Aunt Ruby's German Cherry Tomato, Parisienne Carrot, and Korean Hyssop.  I have no idea what to do with Korean Hyssop.  The package says it makes a great base for herbal tea, and it is one of the 50 Fundamental Herbs in Chinese traditional medicine. The seeds are here!  All organic heirlooms. The free seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I usually don't watch the videos that You Tube recommends for me, but for some reason yesterday I watched one called The Art of Raw Foods w/Aris Latham.  I am now a fan of Dr. Aris Latham, t...

I have started using an app on my i-phone called My Fitness Pal to keep up with my food, water and exercise.  The most helpful part of the app to me is keeping up with the amount of fat grams I am getting.  It is so easy to over-do on fat grams even on all raw foods. Oranges are good this time of year.  This is my favorite way to eat them....freshly squeezed orange juice.  There is nothing better.  I have a little citrus juicer that makes the job easy. Freshly juiced orange juice. Cheers!  A young friend of mine turned me on to the idea of making my own laundry detergent and fabric softener.  I finally got around to making a batch.  It's easy, and it works better than any commercial detergent.  I don't think I will need to use bleach to keep the whites looking good enough.  The dutch oven I used to boil the soap was not quite deep enough.  I had to work at keeping the temperature low enough to not boil over, yet still k...

I'm feeling really good right now.  Eating an almost totally raw diet makes such a difference.  I feel JOY for no reason.  I still have some pain in my kidney, a sore nose, and arthritic hands, but other than that I feel GREAT!  Healing takes time.  Patience is important.  There is no need to be in a rush.  This is a work that will last as long as I do, I'm sure.  But that's okay.  Living the natural, healthy lifestyle is my pleasure, my hobby, my avocation! I love all of it. Tuesday was all-flute day with two lessons and a rehearsal.  Lunch was lovely with a green smoothie (pineapple, greens from the garden, apple, kiwi, bananas, orange, coconut water, and water); 1/2 avocado; freshly grated coconut; and papaya.  Dinner was the usual green salad, veggie cocktail, 1/2 avocado, and trail mix.  I also drank herbal tea throughout the day. Vegetarianism is not the same thing as Natural Hygiene.  Natural Hygiene is all abou...

I have been eating almost all raw.  I have had a couple of the Mariani Bars which are all whole foods, but I doubt very much that they are raw.  I think I need to give them up. I completely got off focus when I started searching for properties within five miles of my house where I could possibly plant some fruit trees.  Travis and I ended up spending an entire morning driving around and looking.  The main place I was interested in would be okay for someone a lot younger, but it is very hilly and there is enough work to be done there to last a lifetime.  By the time we got home I was settled back down, content with what I already have, and trusting God to take care of us where we are.  This tiny piece of property we live on will keep us busy enough. I still want to plant some more fruit trees, get dechlorinators for the hose and showers, get a rain tank, fence the garden beds, put in a wood burning stove, find a source for trace mineral fertilizer, fi...

I made a new toothpaste that is very simple, and I like it.  The recipe is 2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil stirred into 3 Tbsp. baking soda.  I keep it in a little glass jar, and it works great. I bought some spiralina and some frozen blackberries to use for my makeup per the video I posted last week.  My method is a little different from the one on the video.   I used a little water with a little spiralina to make eyeliner, but I used Cover Girl mascara on my eyelashes.  Hopefully, this will be okay since it doesn't touch my skin.  I applied the eyeliner with an angle brush.  The juice from the thawing blackberry was applied with a brush for lip color and with a make-up sponge to add cheek color.  I thought it looked fine. I am using a mild bar soap to wash my hair and then blow drying it on the cool setting.  I'm trying not to use any products on it. It felt good to get out and walk around the neighborhood for an hour on Saturday.  We...

Did the groundhog see his shadow or not?  I'm confused.  I read that Punxsutawney Phil failed to see his shadow as it was overcast and 8 degrees in Punxsutawney, PA.  A friend in Tennessee, however, posted on Facebook that he did see his shadow.  Does each location have it's own groundhog?  I'm expecting six more weeks of winter, but it is supposed to be in the 60's here today. Travis bought me a new book, Natural Grace, by Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake.  It arrived in the mail a few days ago.  Karl suggested to Travis that this was a book I would like.  I can't wait to get into it.  Chapter One is entitled Living Nature and Creation Spirituality.  Maybe I will do some reports on this book as we go along. I hope I am getting more fit by working out at the Fitness Center.  I still look dumpy in the mirror, but I have faith it will make a difference.  There are some very fit old people that come to work out.  We saw m...

When I retired, I took out a high deductible insurance policy with Golden Rule Insurance company.  I almost had the nerve to go uninsured, but decided to play it safe in case I had an accident.  I called them  a month or so ago to cancel since I am now eligible for Medicare.  I was upset when I saw they drafted my account for another $165.53 after I told them to cancel.  This morning, though, Travis reminded me that they told me on the phone that I would have to pay the pro-rated amount for the last month.  I had forgotten that.  Nevertheless, they made 100% profit off of me.  I carried the policy for about three years at $273.88 per month and never made one claim on the policy. Favorite quotes of the day: Invoke the power vested in you for your own best and highest good. - Ilume Ao The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our own senses to grow sharper. - W.B. Yeats My favorite Facebook post yesterday was from Michael Ellsb...

I try to keep my grocery shopping convenient and, therefore, sustainable.  Just like our diet requires us to have our food readily available, we also must keep our shopping habits such that we can maintain them.  The whole world is conspiring to keep us from living the simple, natural life, so we must have our intentions set and have a system in place so we don't get drawn off track. I do most of my shopping within three miles of my house.  Village Nutrition is a health food store near here.  They are expensive, and I don't buy much there.  They have flax seed oil, nut butters and some specialty items I buy from time to time. Cranfords is a grocery store where we can get Gundelsheim sauerkraut, bananas, and occasionally some other fruit.  The Gundelsheim sauerkraut is the only one that is stocked in this area that is an acceptable product.  It is packaged in a glass jar and has two ingredients, cabbage and salt. I buy almost all my food at Walmar...

Natural Hygiene teaches us to live a simple, natural lifestyle.  The practice is a journey in which we learn wisdom.  The principles can't just be learned intellectually, but they have to be practiced.  The last thing Carol, from the market in Cairns, told me before I left Australia was, "Practice well". Just because medical professionals have spent a lot of time studying disease and have built large elite universities does not mean they know about man and his health.  We really can't be satisfied with second-hand knowledge given to us by other people.  It's easy to get that kind of knowledge, and it doesn't require much from us personally. The world can give us the statistics about sickness and health, but Natural Hygiene requires us to search out the causes for our illnesses for ourselves.  The "practice" involves us experiencing things for ourselves and experimenting on ourselves. It is possible to intellectually learn from others that fasti...

I finished my lesson about Professor Dr. Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, one of my mentor's mentors.  He was a philologist and could translate texts from Sanskrit, Pehlvi, Aramaic, Greek and Latin.  He translated texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essene Gospel of Peace. I own several books by Dr. Szekely including the Essene Gospel of Peace series and a large text called Medicine Tomorrow an Introduction to Cosmotherapy. The story is that while Dr. Szekely was studying in a Catholic monastery school he spent several months in the Vatican library in Rome.  While there he discovered the ancient manuscripts about the Essenes of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  He translated part of them and published them as the Essene Gospel of Peace. He wrote Cosmos, Man and Society while living in the South Seas and treating natives in a leper colony.  It's now out of print, but I found a copy on half.com for $15.00.  It's on its way! Dr. Szekely spent the last thirty years of...