Simple Raw and Natural

Dr. Goldner's smoothie - every day during my raw reset. April 23, 2025 — Wednesday Day 3: Totally Raw Reset I’m on Day 3 of a 7-day totally raw food reset, and already, I can feel a difference. Although I’ve been feeling uncomfortable in my body due to recent weight gain—and not quite like myself—I started to wonder: Can gaining weight actually cause physical pain? It turns out, yes. It can. While slow, gradual weight gain often isn’t painful, gaining even a modest amount—especially if it happens quickly or settles in sensitive areas—can lead to physical discomfort. How Weight Gain Can Physically Hurt Joint pressure: Weight gain can increase strain on your knees, hips, and lower back. It may even aggravate arthritis or trigger inflammatory flare-ups. Posture changes: Extra weight can shift your gait or posture, leading to muscle tension, back pain, or foot issues like plantar fasciitis. Digestive discomfort: Overeating—especially processed or heavy foods—can stret...

  April 12, 2025  Last night, I was in a dream state that seemed to stretch on and on.  The details are hazy, but a single thread ran through the entire experience:  I was searching for the long version of something.  I wasn't quite sure what it was at first but eventually, I realized it was Cory Booker's speech.  I wanted to hear it in its entirety - not just soundbites or quotes - but the full, uncut version.  Despite my efforts, all I could find were brief excerpts. There was a sense of urgency in the search, a need to connect with something whole and complete.  And while the speech remained elusive, another image stayed with me:  my own fingers, intertwined.  A quiet and subtle gesture, but full of meaning. Dreams speak in symbols.  They often quietly express truths we overlook while we are awake.   The search for the full story suggests a longing for depth, honesty and continuity - maybe in the world around me, maybe ...

April 15, 2025 Châteauroux Still Lives in Me - A Memory Châteauroux, France, still lives in me. When we first arrived in Châteauroux, I was just a young teenager, already accustomed to moving regularly with my Air Force dad. But Châteauroux was different—the language was different. In my mind, it was an exotic place. I lived there for only two years, but the impact has lasted a lifetime. Sixty-five years later, it remains vivid in my heart. The charm of everyday life enchanted me: the shops and boulangeries, young boys walking with unwrapped baguettes in their arms, the bicycles as transportation, the gendarmes directing traffic in their crisp uniforms, the French schoolchildren with rosy cheeks warmed by wine, the berets, the accents, the quiet resilience of a people still recovering from war. Even the base snack bar felt magical, with its hamburgers and French fries—familiar comforts in an unfamiliar world. I remember my mother getting her new French driver’s license and bravely taki...

Friday, April 11, 2025 Simple Raw and Natural I began Simple Raw and Natural in May 2011, just before embarking on a five-month adventure to the Clohesy River Health Farm near Kuranda, Queensland, Australia. I was in the midst of a four-year study with Dr. John Fielder called A Lifestyle Consultant’s Course in Natural Living , and this trip served as the internship portion of that journey. The conditions at the health farm were anything but luxurious—simple, rustic, and deeply outside my comfort zone. But that experience shifted my perspective in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. It’s been over three years since I last posted here. Part of that silence came from the struggle to stay within the parameters of the identity I created for this blog. Back then, I believed raw food and natural living might be the solution to everything. And in many ways, that lifestyle helped me—physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. But over time, I realized that it didn’t address the full complexit...