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health is our birthright. all beings may not always have perfect health, but we can take responsibility for our own lives and be proactive about our choices and consciously create the best health possible. to have the best health that we can achieve we must take charge, educate ourselves and make conscious decisions about our lifestyle. i am sharing my educated opinions, personal choices, and valued resources here. you have to make your own decisions. one thing is for sure, there is no one-size-fits-all way to be healthy. each being needs their own ideal balance. ask questions, question your habits, the sources of your views, the information that comes to you from sources with a vested interest in your dollar... i hope that you will make the choices that bring you the highest level of health and also maintain the health of the environment that we all share and upon which all of our lives depend. my health evolution... i felt a lot of negativity and heaviness about and within my body for many years. i finally decided to do something about it. i got a job at the front desk of a Gold's Gym and started excercising. i found that i had quite an interest in health, and picked all the trainer's brains as much as they would allow. i tried to watch my calories, reduce my fat intake... this was the beginning. i stil had a lot of poor body image but exericise made a difference. paying attention to what i ate made some difference. i started to reduce my meat intake. i was dating a man whose family had been vegetarian for 25 years. i studied and became a group fitness instructor, a personal trainer... it led me to a job where i met a kind, friendly and energetic trainer that opened my eyes to a some new thoughts and ideas... he was a vegan, he ate no animal products. he showed me videos about how animals suffered for our use, how the environment was decimated by industrial agriculture, and how people cured themselves of cancer with a raw foods diet. i was sold. i became a vegan on the spot. i still had a lot of negativity and hostility toward my body and it kept me restricting my calories and fighting with myself. through regular practice of yoga, i began to find some peace within, although it took years of slow, but noticable, effect to add up to enough peace to change my views of my body. in the meantime, i did oscillate between vegan and vegetarian diet, mainly in an effort to try a locally-based diet. i found though, that when i finally switched from vegetarian to whole-food, vegan for the last time very early in 2010, that my body, mind, and emotions felt lighter, freer and more clear. i liked the change. i lost the last of the weight i held onto from having my son, without any effort. he has been raised vegan 100% and is very healthy and strong. then early in 2012, i switched to a raw vegan lifestyle, which i had occaisionally dabbled in previously, and found that the subtle discomfort i had remaining from the suffering of years ago- like bellyaches, constipation, and slight to moderate bloating, seemed to vanish overnight. my body feels energetic, strong, slender and beautiful. it keeps my mind joyful, my confidence high, my mood light and compassionate. my joy in living was greatly diminuished by the fighting and suffering with my body over the years, although this only became clear as i finally cured myself of the last of the symptoms by going raw. i remembered hating myself, mainly my body and how it felt, from the ages of 7 to 27. it is like having a new lease on life to feel confidence, health, and comfort in and with my body. i realize that who I AM is not just a body, but the energy that works with and through this body, but the body can feel so burdensome, heavy, restrictive when it isn't at its best and it is very detrimental to the interface between the layers of my being... in other words, its so much easier to be happy and satisfied and passionate about being alive when the body feels its best! i recommend, for the sake of human health, for the sake of saving animals from suffering, and for the sake of reducing carbon footprint and helping the earth to heal, a 100% whole-food plant-based diet. if you are not interested in going totally vegan, try it for a month anyways, just to see how you feel- what do you have to lose besides any extra-weight, cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression?! (eating a whole-food, plant-based diet will positively impact all of these disorders and more). if you are already a whole-food vegan, try going raw for a whole month! raw foods give your body the ultimate fuel, they replenish, regenerate, allow detoxification, and many people have remarkable stories of healing due to raw living- including curing cancer, skin disorders, diabetes, even paralysis! WORKSHOPS: i offer several in-home or on-site cooking programs for all levels~ it is recommended to get a group of friends together and host a cooking class as a party.. you can split the costs and everyone will learn so very much. host is responsible for the food supplies, but the host gets to keep all of the food and the newly stocked pantry. shopping lists are provided. i arrive two hours in advance to set everything up, and stay one hour after to break things down. Whole-food Cooking Basics:done in one longer session or in three installments, this course illuminates food industry facts that are kept hidden and offers many ideas that are accessible to even the busiest people. having a slow cooker, and rice cooker is highly recommended. we address breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and ideas for dining out. most foods are gluten-free, and all are meat, dairy, and egg free. you don't need to be vegetarian to enjoy these healthier meals, and can integrate them into your lifestyle as you see fit. Raw Basics:introduction to the raw lifestyle, which is extremely healing, detoxifying, nourishing, energizing and empowering! lose all excess weight and reduce the risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer and reduce pain and inflammation symptoms within your body with this healing lifestyle. even working more raw produce into your life benefits you, so learning as many of these recipes as possible is so important. we make granola, nut cheeses and pates, vegan sushi wraps, pestos, salads, juices, smoothies, soups, and my favorite special meal: the raw vegan quiche. a juicer, food processor, and food dehydrator are highly recommended. workshops are offered on a sliding fee scale, but the base rate is $35 an hour, plus supplies. having a group come share the class helps you to break down the cost.