Detox Your Life in 7 Days Course GETS MORE BUZZ

When Nwenna Kai was suffering from chronic illness in her early twenties she knew something had to change. “I had complications with my thyroids, I had migraines, I was constantly tired and suffered from depression and anxiety,” she says. Kai decided to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and incorporating juicing. “Along with the other ailments, I had chronic constipation. I decided to start eating mainly fresh fruits and vegetables not realizing I was eating raw. I also juiced and incorporated herbs in my diet, I started to feel better. I realized that the body can heal itself.”

Read more for the full article, CLICK HERE

To register for next month's Detox Your Life in 7 Days Course, visit www.nwennakai.com/detox-program

Food Addictions & Cravings That Drive You Crazy

Most of us will have food addictions and cravings that are not so healthy for our bodies, however if we can minimize them, take the stick out of our asses and get over it, tell them the truth about it, and deal with them, we could actually heal them in a much lighter way. Some of us are afraid to even tell the truth about what we crave. One of my vegetarian clients just revealed to me that she still has cravings for bacon. I had to laugh and just tell him thank you for telling me the truth.

Here are some common food addictions and food cravings that we have, what they mean, and what you can do about them.

The Bread/Pasta Addiction/Craving
The Metaphysical Meaning
Having bread and pasta addictions from a metaphysical sense means that you are spiritually empty. We use food as a filler for being spiritually empty. Work on your spiritual practices. Fill yourself up with meditation, prayers, and writing gratitude lists. Get present to being empty. Enroll a prayer partner and become a prayer warrior.

Food substitutions - whole grain or wheat pasta and vegetable pastas like zucchini, jicama, beets, carrots, various forms of squash. (You need a spiralizer to make these vegetable pastas). For bread try Manna Bread which is readily available in Whole foods and health food stores.

The Sugar Addiction/Craving
The Metaphysical Meaning
You are missing the sweetness in life. You probably do not have much joy in your life and you probably do not deal with stress too well. Focus on what activity can you do right now that doesn't cost any money or require a lot of time that would feed your joy right NOW. It could be watching a funny movie, talking to a funny friend, watching a goofy YouTube video, or hula hooping with a child.

Food substitutions - agave nectar, maple syrup, honey, stevia, yacon syrup, lucuma powder, and sweet fruits

The Salt Addiction/Craving
The Metaphysical Meaning
You are undernourished and you probably have a feeling of being unappreciated. Craving salt can also mean that you have a thyroid disorder which stems from a mineral deficiency as most table salt lacks minerals. Minerals are in the soil, in the earth and the earth does what for us, She gives, she nurtures, she nourishes us with everything our bodies, minds, and spirits need. So craving salt could mean that you are craving nourishment for your body, mind, and spirit so ask yourself what would nourish you? Reading a book, writing a poem, praying, spending time with family members, etc.

Food substitutions - seaweed, iodine supplements, celtic sea salt, himalayan sea salt, herbamare, etc.

The best thing you can do for food addictions is to detox and cleanse the body regularly by doing herbal detoxes, raw food detoxes, vegetable juice cleanses, etc. The more you cleanse and empty the body, the mind, and the spirit the more you will see how you start to crave the spiritually fulfilling, sweet, yet good salty foods in life and you won't miss the breads, pastas, and artificial sugar and salt.

Check out my Detox Your Life in 7 Days Course to learn more about food addictions and cravings.

Raw & Living Foods for Beginners: Get Started! Part I

It's a New Year and spring is coming upon us. Its a perfect time to take on a new diet and lifestyle and learn how to do it easily, quickly, and inexpensively.

Join myself and some newbies for The Raw & Living Foods For Beginners Workshop. Get answers to all those questions that you have about eating raw.

Raw & Living Foods For Beginners: Get Started! Part I
Tuesday, February 22nd - 6 pm PST, 9 pm EST

Lecture is 45 minutes followed by a 30 minute Q&A

Learn what The Raw & Living Foods Philosophy is all about

Learn how to set up a Plant-based diet Kitchen on a budget

Learn all about recipe development & menu planning tips & tricks

Learn how & why to eat according to the seasons

Learn the do's and don't's and myths of a raw foods diet

Register for this class @ www.nwennakai.com/workshops/

Investment - $35

How important is it that my mate eats raw, or is vegan or vegetarian?

Recently I got an email from a woman concerned whether or not her relationship with her boyfriend can or will last as she adopts a more vegan and raw foods diet as she says that he (the boyfriend) eats a lot of meat especially red meat and fried foods and highly desires to continue to eat meat.

As I've journeyed through this experience of having a vibrant high energy diet full of live foods and juices, I've come to the realization that everything else in my life and reality must adhere to those same principles so I've noticed that personally everyone especially my mate must as well have a similar diet and thus a similar mindset. I say this for a number of reasons. One being as though most people who eat meat and who eat a lot of meat have what I call a meat mindset in which they cannot foresee eating a plate of food without some form of animal indigestible protein which is a problem because that means they are not open-minded and therefore blocked in some ways. They also probably struggle with other ares of their life such as self-worth as a diet full of a lot of flesh foods and especially fried foods is the #1 cause of most preventable diseases. So if you are eating to live and he is eating to die, these are two energies working against each other.

This could cause problems in your relationship as you continue to grow on this path as you will notice if you continue this journey that eating a mostly live foods diet naturally lends itself to opening up the mind, body, and spirit to higher levels of spiritual ascension. This opening up could lend itself to so many forms and possibilities that you may not be aware of or even prepared for. If you study any of the greatest teachers of humanity throughout history, you will understand that the way to ascension was through the physical vessel in which they knew the body had to operate at its most vibrant and radiant energetic level as possible meaning that a vibrant diet and fasting and cleansing was key to achieving this outcome.

As you grow and journey, you will notice that your entire life will change. Your friends will change, your priorities will change, your career may even change, your finances may change, the places you visit may change, the movies you choose to watch may change, your language may change, and especially your programming,and therefore your mate may even change.

On a personal note, I do know of many couples where one person is vegetarian or vegan and the other is not, but the one person who is not vegetarian or vegan is also very open-minded as to his or her food choices and they have a high level of respect and even admiration for the other person who chooses not to eat flesh foods. On another note, I know of some couples where one person eats meat and the other person doesn't and there is always conflict when going to social events or out to dinner as the other person who eats meat will either make comments about his or her diet or make fun of them. This is extremely disrespectful and a waste of one's time and energy as the person who is making fun of the other person is not taking into consideration that his or her mate really values his or her health.

If you want to keep your relationship and also keep true to yourself with learning how to eat better, the best thing to do is to focus on you and what your mind, body, and spirit needs. He is not the last man on earth and he may actually see how you may change and want to change his diet as well or he may not. Either way is not wrong or right. Change is inevitable and consistent and its always working on your side.

Is Eating a 100% Raw Foods Diet Healthy?

Eating a 100% raw and living foods diet is absolutely healthy only if it is done correctly and with the right intentions, however it is not necessary to eat a 100% raw and living foods vegan diet in order to enjoy all of the benefits that it can offer.

A raw and living foods vegan diet is a diet made up of mostly organic and fresh uncooked and unprocessed nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, fruits, vegetables and superfoods. It is a diet that does not advocate for any animal flesh or dairy products. Some would think that it is impossible to eat this way and it is as there are some nuts on the market that say they are 100% raw and living, but actually they are not. Also there are many organic fruits and vegetables on the market that are actually not 100% organic either.

Even though I eat a mostly organic raw foods diet, I do not strongly advocate for anyone eating this way. What I do suggest is that everyone eat as healthy, as organic, and as raw as possible as eating foods that are natural, unprocessed, and living are more gentler to the body and healing. That is basic common sense.

From years and years of experience, I have noticed that people who eat a 100% organic raw foods diet are not necessarily the healthiest looking people and this does not mean that it has anything to do with the diet. There are many other factors at play in determining the reasons behind this. Many people who eat a 100% raw foods diet could be struggling with emotional, metaphysical, mental, and spiritual challenges that directly affect the organs especially the digestive organs in which the digestive organs are extremely important in determining the health of the body. Therefore these other factors could take part in the physical components of breaking down foods and allowing the foods to properly nourish and sustain the body thus still creating disease in the body.

Overall eating a well-balanced diet that caters to your personal tastes and your body's health needs is of the most utmost importance. Embracing change in one's diet is also extremely important as it is not healthy to keep eating the same foods over and over again especially when the seasons change.

Our bodies are constantly changing as we age, as the seasons change, as we change environments, as we change our minds, etc and therefore our needs change as well.

Eat a well-balanced diet, one made up of different colors, textures, etc. Eat foods that are in season. Listen to your cravings as they are telling you what your body needs. And learn to eat different foods constantly. Do not become constipated or stuck on eating according to a rule. That is the worst thing you can do for your body and for your psychological health. And overall embrace change.

Fibromygalia & Raw Foods & a FREE colonic for the New Year

As part of an ongoing series about the nature of female reproductive illness disorders, I chose to interview Fatima, a colon hydrotherapist who suffered from fibroids for years until she radically changed her mind about her health and took it upon herself to heal. Enjoy the interview.


NK: When did you first get into raw foods and why?

FLW: I discovered raw foods 3 years ago. At the time, I was Health and Fitness Editor for Inspired Living Magazine. The Publisher pitched the idea of doing a story about the author of a newly released book called The Raw Food Detox Diet. The author was Manhattan based nutritionist Natalia Rose. I remember getting the book and looking at it like it was some foreign object. I had never heard of raw foods nor did I know anyone who lived this way. I decided to set an interview with Natalia for 2 weeks down the line in order to give myself time to review (and possibly find fault in the theory).

I don’t quite know why, but I was quite hostile at the idea of raw foods as a lifestyle. However, I decided to try a bit of the suggestions and protocol from the book and miraculously found myself 12 pounds thinner some 14 days later. This seemed like an amazing feat since I was struggling with uncontrollable weight issues (despite being a ‘health and fitness editor’) that were associated with a hypoactive thyroid. I was all in! The interview suddenly turned into this huge curiosity about so many things such as why I felt so good, why I was sleeping better than I had in years and why I had an elimination of body pain associated with a fibromyalgia diagnosis years before. How has your journey into raw foods benefited you? In 2003, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndromes. This journey has changed the very fabric of my life in that I have been symptom free for 3 years now. I have lost a total of 60 pounds and kept it off. My thyroid is normal. I used to have fibrocystic breastsand severe PMS which are no longer issues. I now have a new sense of purpose that is deeply rooted in a self love, spirituality, balance, acceptance, compassion and a deep sense of joyful contentment. There is no way that a person can indulge in this lifestyle (even a little bit) and not be changed on so many levels. I am grateful that raw found me. It was an answer to prayers for healing.

NK: You are colon hydrotherapist who advocates for raw foods?

FLW: Absolutely! I am indeed a raw foods enthusiast! When working with your clients, do you recommend a raw foods diet and if so, how do you get them started? I generally encourage cutting down on the meat (or soy-based products if they are vegan) and transitioning into raw foods. I try to meet the client on whatever page he or she is on. I am thoughtful of not trying to overwhelm or become overly dogmatic. I am not into indoctrinating people into the ‘Church of Rawligion”. Trust me, there are more than enough members of that sect. However what I do is share my story and allow the fact that they feel better after 2 or 3 colonics to be the launching pad to their curiosity. Once I get a client interested based on having had a favorable experience, I then know that I have their ear and they become more open to the ideas that I present. I am also a raw foods instructor, chef and Holistic Health Consultant so I realize the value of just really listening to the client in order to determine their needs. If I listen really closely and stop trying to push my agenda of raw, I find that the client will always eventually arrive at the place where they want to know more about raw foods.

NK: How does raw foods benefit the colon?

FLW: I find that when we keep it simple in the form our daily intake, the body will really step up to the plate and do the rest. I feel that high levels of raw foods can really allow a person to thrive in terms of colon health.

NK: I love getting colonics. But sometimes I think getting too many of them can be harmful to one's health mostly because after I get a colonic sometimes, I feel drained. Can you talk a bit about any harmful effects that colonics may have on the body or how one should approach getting into a routine with colon hydrotherapy?

FLW: For those who are not familiar with colon hydrotherapy it is also known as colonics, colon irrigation, or high enema. It is a non invasive process which removes waste, impacted fecal material and toxins thus allowing inner cleansing to the colon or large intestine. A soothing flow of purified, warm water is instilled in the colon through a pencil thin nozzle (rectal tube) which is inserted about one inch into the rectum to cleanse and evacuate the contents of the lower colon. The device is designed to allow easy, natural evacuation to take place without the use of pressurized water. We use a gravity fed system which allows the temperature and the flow of water to be safely regulated during the procedure.

I failed also to mention that I get so many “all raw” people who come to me and are terribly constipated. Improper food combining and high levels of dehydrated foods further exacerbate the problem. They assume that because they have been raw for a year or more that they are super clean. But what they fail to realize is that they have not cleansed at a cellular level. The cells generate according to whatever is being put into or has been put into the body. Also, it’s important to understand that the body accumulates toxins from the environment too. We accumulate toxins from the very air that we breathe, the stuff we put on our body in the form of soaps, cosmetics and toiletries. We gather internal toxins from the water that we drink and even the soil that our food is grown in.

It is becoming more obvious that even “organic” food can contain levels of toxicity because of what we have done to our environment. Toxic fumes from chemical plants, smoke etc get into the earht’s atmosphere. When it rains, that stuff goes right back into the soil that our farmers try so hard to maintain the integrity of.

Sure many will argue that it is such a small amount, but when you consider the average life span of humans, and do the math, it results in years of waste slowing going into the body.
Indeed it is about so much more than what we eat.
Often times, the fatigue that some people feel after a colonic can be a direct result of the toxic waste trying to get out of their body: the cells, the tissues, the blood. Once the body is given the green light via some type of attempt at a cleansing regime, it will begin to respond with signs to let you know that it (the body) has begun its cleansing process. These cleansing signs can be anything from headache to feeling as though one is catching the flu. People assume this to be a bad thing and back off of the cleansing process because they think that the thing (in this case) colonics is bad for them.

Because you are using purified filtrated water during the session (some therapists use other additives such as coffee, wheat grass or acidophilus), there is no great risk aside from doing them too often and without taking a probiotic to replenish and provide an atmosphere where the colon can create good micro flora or bacteria. I always encourage folks to consider a probiotic (there are vegan based ones available for those who do not consume flesh foods). A trained colon hydrotherapist can make recommendations on the amount of colonics suggested and how often they should be administered.

NK: Can someone with colon cancer get a colonic, yes or no, and why or why not?

FLW: Colon Hydrotherapy is a small part of a much larger picture. A colonic is not a one stop shop to ideal health. It is a part of a much bigger puzzle. This puzzle includes but is not limited to lifestyle, diet, mental, spiritual and emotional health. It is ideal for holistic measures.
According to the International Association of Colon Therapists, by the time, a person has developed acute and chronic symptoms such as colon cancer, it is a contraindication. In other words it is not advisable. Colon hydrotherapists are not medical professionals or practitioners of medicine, so, to act outside of the scope of practice is a big no, no.

What we do in the form of diet and cleansing as preventive measures is much more important than many think. Cleansing the body with food, herbs, colonics etc is one of the most loving and proactive thing that you can do to lessen the possibility of developing illnesses such as cancer.

NK: How have you seen colon hydrotheraphy benefit your clients?

FLW: Colonics improves the muscle tone of the intestinal walls, which in turn assists in the absorption of nutrients into your body. Many report benefits such as clearer skin, increased libido, more energy, better bowel elimination, improvement of symptoms such as gas and indigestion, fresher breath, improved sleep, decrease in body aches and joint pains, less cravings for sugar and carbs, to name a few.

NK: You do a lot of work fibromyalgia? How has work encompassed that? How do you think raw foods can help facilitate recovery. Where does fibromyalgia come from? How would a colonic help?

FLW: Fibromyalgia is something that has personally touched my life. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia Syndrome in 2003. Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune, neurotransmitter illness that is characterized by unexplained full body pain, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep issues such as insomnia (or the inability to stay sleep), short term memory loss, to name a few. Individuals who are diagnosed generally experience constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive issues. It is believed to have no known cause and no known cure.
I have found that for myself and others who are diagnosed that colonics can greatly improve the quality of life. What many do not know is that over half of the immune system is located in the colon and so, an autoimmune illness like FM, Arthritis, Lupus and others can be greatly helped when you get to the core which is the immune system. With colon hydrotherapy, you are helping to alleviate the burden to the colon that is a result of years of toxicity, candida, mucous build up, improper food combining, and over indulgence in processed and fried foods, a lack of living and raw foods, and way too much sugar, caffeine and junk food in general.

NK: You also make music. How did you discover your gift or talent for music and how do you use it in your work?

FLW: Yes. I do make music. I have been singing since I was a little girl. It is a core part of who I am as an expressive being walking the planet. My holistic healing CD, ”Purge & Re-Member” is my solo effort.

Prior to becoming a colon therapist, I spent years in the entertainment industry. I was a Stellar Award nominated gospel singer with a group called Spiritual Pieces and an NAACP nominated actress with credits such as Beverly Hills 90210, Divas, and Seinfeld to name a few.
While I had great success in both areas and a pretty lofty resume, it became painfully clear that I was out of balance. Years of jet setting and not taking good care finally caught up with me. I knew that I was no longer operating in purpose. I was depressed, spiritually conflicted, overly committed, and stressed all of the time. I eventually started getting sick and developed walking pneumonia, tonsillitis, recurring bouts of yeast and urinary tract infections. This led to a series of antibiotic treatments which further comprised by immunity and health.

Despite outward appearances, living this way was no longer an option for me. Because of the pain and all that I was dealing with in terms of my dwindling health, it got to the point where I could no longer hear the music in my head and so I put music and acting on the back burner for awhile and focused on getting better.

After a year on meds, I decided to go the alternative & natural route. I began purging, cleansing and detoxifying my body (including my thoughts), discovered herbs, made lifestyle changes, and in 2003, discovered the many healing benefits of eating raw foods, I ultimately began hearing the melody ringing in my head again and started writing my journey as a cathartic way of healing. It was during this healing process that “Purge & Re-Member”, my holistic healing CD was born!

I now sing a different type of “good news”. I sing what feels right and resonates with me. It is music that causes listeners to go to that place within them to ponder and discover what is noble and true for them personally. I call it holistic soul.

NK: What's on your plate today?

FLW: Today I am rockin’ some fresh, organic and locally grown okra marinated in lemon, garlic sauce. It’s one of my favorite and easiest things to consume when in season. I would be remiss if I did not also mention that fact that okra is amazing when it comes to raising the bar where the “poop factor” is concerned. LOL! As I am a huge fan of juicing, I also had some carrot, ginger, apple, beet, spinach juice this morning. I call it “Back to my Roots”. YUMMY!

NK: What are your favorite foods?

FLW: Okra, pink lady apples, collards, swiss and rainbow chard, fresh figs, cucumber and all squash especially zucchini.

NK: What is your vision for your business and for your personal life?

FLW: How do you want to continue to serve those in regards to their health? In terms of my personal life, I envision being a life-long learner and always staying humble and teach-able. I refuse to get caught up to the tune of self hype. As I am living and breathing , there is still so much that I can learn. I plan to continue on this path of wellness and spiritual unfolding. I would not change my journey for anything.

In terms of my business, I’d like to see Holistic Life, LLC evolve into a premier resource for holistic health edu-tainment. This will include books, lecturing, more music, the internet and online education forums, and making use of mainstream media in a way that will foster holistic living. I see myself partnering with other professionals as well.

I believe that we all teachers unto ourselves and to one another. When I see you succeed, I feel successful. Wellness is a core part of success and it is my objective that it be contagious. When we feel good in our bodies, we have the strength, fortitude, clarity and spiritual resolve to create and accomplish anything that we choose in life. This thought is the backdrop of why I do what I do and how I will continue to serve others.

NK: Any particular foods that you recommend for fibromyalgia recovery?

FLW: I think that anyone dealing with fibromyalgia can benefit from a diet of at least 50% raw with the goal of going further. It seems impossible to experience life force energy if one is putting dead, life- draining things into the body. Animal products are acidic and contributes to inflammation within the body of a person with fibromyalgia. Other foods that don’t serve one’s recovery process are white sugar products, white flour, dairy, caffeine, lack of water and processed foods.

I recommend choosing fruit and vegetables. I would encourage incorporating lots of ( green …the color of healing) leafy vegetables. I would be remiss if I did not also note that while fruit is super cleansing, I would recommend choosing low sugar content fruit such as berries, strawberries, and granny smith apples for at least 90 days when first starting a fibro recovery wellness protocol. This will help starve off yeast in the body which studies have shown is a huge factor for people with fibromyalgia. There are also herbs that one can take to help facilitate this process as well.

While I’d love to see an “ all raw world”. I realize that everyone has his or her own path. It is my objective to be as patient with others as I am with myself. Currently, I indulge in a high raw food indulgence with my general intake being about 80% with some months being all raw. This feels good for me right now, but I know that as my body continues to get cleaner so too will my tastes and food choices.

NK: Any last comments that you have for our readers, please write them here.

FLW: No comments just high thoughts, loving wishes and continued health!

For more information about Fatima and her practice, please visit her online http://www.holisticlifeonline.com/. Take a look at her amazing transformational photos!

Fatima is giving away lots of FREE gifts to our readers.

For those who live in the Los Angeles, CA area, she is giving away ONE FREE colonic session, as well as $20 off for an additional five (5) people and ONE FREE copy of her signature holistic CD, Purge and Remember. So that's a total of seven (7) possible winners.

In order to qualify, you must respond to the blog post with your thoughts about the interview, along with your name, and email address so that we may contact you, and then we will take everyone's name, put them in a hat and announce the winner on Monday, January 18. In order to qualify for the FREE and discounted colonics, you must live in the Los Angeles or surrounding area in order to receive either the FREE colonic, or the discounted ones. We are giving a TOTAL of ONE FREE COLONIC and FIVE discounted colonics. I will be collecting the names and pulling them randomly to select the winners. That's a great deal for the New Year!

Healthcare Reform: Take Your Own Health into Your Own Hands

The other night I watched the 60 minutes interview with our President Barack Obama and I watched the Primetime Oprah interview with the First Lady and our President. In both interviews they referenced the whole healthcare debacle.

Also recently a good friend of mine asked me why I didn't go to doctors and when I told her that I'm more scared to see a doctor than not, she was shocked and dismissed me as being crazy.

I also found out that my sister pays upwards of about $250 a month for healthcare for herself and my niece and so my mental juices started going about this whole healthcare thing and how we can turn it around for ourselves to benefit everyone.

I tell my personal story about health and wellness in my book, The Goddess of Raw Foods about how sickly I was in my early 20's. I had everything from constipation to migraines, to depression to a thyroid disorder and through the blessings of discovering raw foods, yoga, acupuncture, herbs, detoxing, fasting, cleansing, prayer, and meditation, I brought my mind, body, and spirit back into alignment. That's the short end of the story. It hasn't been an easy journey and it definitely had its bumps and bruises, but now that I look back, I recognize that what I did was I reformed my own healthcare plan instead of relying on a government and a doctor to decide what to do with my life.

I don't advocate anyone NOT seeing a physician. Even though I haven't been sick like that in years, from time to time when things in my life get out of balance and I might come down with something, my mind and spirit intuitively knows how to handle it because I've re-programmed myself to go in and heal myself with the tools and resources that I already know and have.

If I feel like I may be getting a little under the weather, I go and sweat it out usually at a spa or I take a Bikram yoga class. And you know yoga is cheap, sometimes you can go for free. Did you know that sweat releases up to 20% of the body's toxins. That's more than urine (7%) and defecation only releases up to 3% of the body's toxins. The breath releases up to 70% of the body's toxins. Go figure and you can breathe for FREE.

I can tell you that your body, mind, and spirit has all that it needs to heal. The journey, the path, the tools and the resources may seem a bit cloudy, a bit daunting and challenging but like I said nobody said it was going to be easy.

But with all this talk about health care reform I have to encourage you all to focus on reforming your own health and take your health into your own hands and come to your doctor as an informed client. After all, only you know more about yourself than a doctor who barely touches you or looks at you.

What I think my friend didn't realize is that we are capable of taking care of our own health. We know better than any doctor what is wrong and what is right with us, when something is out of balance and not feeling right.

I also think about my sister shelling out all that money for health care and she barely gets sick. She recently had to go to the emergency room because she cut herself cutting up some raw veggies for herself and my niece. Spending $250 a month equals to $3000 a year which could pay for a Vitamix blender ($325), a dehydrator ($125), monthly yoga classes, some acupuncture appointments, a few raw food prep classes, some great books on health and wellness, an air purifier, and much much more.

So my tip for you now is to not wait for our President on reforming your health, step up and transform it for yourself and your family.

My experience with doctors has never been a great experience. Every time I went to a doctor in the past (the last time I saw a doctor was in 2003) I always got sicker and felt worse after the appointment.

Health is more than just herbs, raw foods, yoga, and breathing. A lot of it is mind over matter and the belief in yourself that you can take charge of your own health.

Its the end of 2009 and 2010 approaches us soon, so I encourage you to start to reform your own health care now.

7 Ways to Listen to your body's intuition

Many of you asked me about my own personal story with health and healing. Some ten years ago when I was in my early 20's, I suffered from migraines, constipation, sciatica, depression, anxiety, low-self-esteem, acne, chronic fatigue syndrome, vertigo, and I had a thyroid disorder that kept me emotionally imbalanced.

With a raw foods diet, regular cleanses, herbs, juicing, yoga, meditation, prayer, and learning to really listen and trust my body's intelligence, I learned how to stay healthy and wise.

I don't like doctors myself and I choose to stay away from them as much as possible and although I don't advocate anyone not to see a doctor, I do strongly encourage you to visit your doctor as an informed and empowered client which requires you to learn how to listen and trust your intuition.

Here are some ways to start listening to your body's intuition.

-Whenever there is pain, there is opportunity to heal something or change something.

Whether it is your diet, maybe you need a colonic, a cleanse, some rest, some alkaline water, fresh air, a change in your physical routine, etc. Get honest on where the pain is. Don't worry about fixing something so quickly. Intuition is a step by step process. The reason why it might take a while to get the answer is because intuition is an inner technology and it only works when you get it exactly right, so it will lead you to the next step once you have fully realized the present condition and the solution and then it will lead you to the next step but know that there is no pain greater than what Spirit can fix.

- Look around you at all the possibilities.

When I'm telling you that you have everything around you that you need it is really true. Intellectually I used to get this idea. I used to tell it to all my clients. I used to preach it at my speaking engagements but then one day I got it on another level and it opened up new possibilities for me. Sometimes things don't always look the way we in our heads wanted them to look so that confuses the psyche a bit, but when you take away what you thought something would look like and really look around you at the people in your life, the things both in the physically and not in the physical of what you have now to help you get through whatever discomfort or pain you are in, you will find a treasure. You might not find all the treasures all at once. Remember intuition is not a microwave heat it up quick and instant fix it tool. Its a guide that endlessly guides you to the next and the next step as long as you stay open.

- Learn to work that intuitive muscle.

Intuition is a muscle and what happens when you work your muscles, they become stronger, but when you don't they become weaker, so you have to work that muscle. You can test yourself by doing things like guessing who might call you that day because the phone is nothing but a psychic sound/vibrational chamber anyway.

- Pay attention to patterns

Everything is a pattern of things that forms something. The computer is a pattern. A chair is a pattern. Even pain and diseases is a pattern. If you ever do some real research on this stuff, you will find out that most women who have issues with fibroids have had similar experiences in their lives, similar patterns. So when you learn to follow patterns, you will learn to attune yourself to your intuition. If you notice how sluggish you feel after eating a bunch of nuts, you might want to stay away from nuts or you might want to try a different type of nut. If you notice how dry your skin gets when you don't drink enough water, you might want to start getting more raw foods and more water into your diet.

- Learn to ask yourself questions.

Get comfortable with asking yourself questions. And know that there is a solution to every problem and every challenge and there is an answer and a plethora of answers to every question. Sometimes we are afraid of asking because we are afraid there isn't an answer on the opposite end. Spirit is designed perfectly. Everything out here has an equal and opposite match. Everything. So learning to ask the right question becomes vital and this comes with time. Am I getting enough rest? Am I getting enough water? Do I need more greens in my diet? Do I need to walk more? Do I need more sunshine in my life? Or why am I always tired? Why do I have digestive issues?


-Learn how to receive the answers.

Intuition is a really really simple inner technology. It is not complicated and it won't give you the run around. When you ask, it will answer. You know how when you google something and that something will immediately pop up on your computer screen, intuition usually works in that same way. It usually doesn't wait to answer you either, so be prepared, when you ask, you might just immediately get the answer, so open your ears, open your heart, trust the first thing that comes to your mind even if it is crazy and if you don't understand, ask for more understanding and allow yourself to be lead by the answers. Also never be afraid of the answer. Sometimes a lot of us don't ask, because we are afraid of the answer, but always know the answer is always in your favor and not anyone else's.

-Go in and trust even when your mind doubts it.

Because intuition is stronger than our minds, it is communicating to us all the time. We have just learned how to ignore it, but it never leaves us, so sometimes limiting our outside physical distractions can help us to trust it more.

You can never go wrong listening to your intuition. And trust me you will pay a high price not listening to it, so you might want to learn how to tune into this muscle a lot. It is your strongest band aid, your greatest doctor, and your most reliable insurance. I'm actually going to be practicing my own does of medicine today as well so join along with me.

We love to hear from our readers. Tell us how you strengthen your intuitive muscle or tell us any stories you have with using your intuition.

Dr. Ariel Policano discusses fibroids, infertility, raw foods, and the Women Go Raw Tour

The raw foods movement is on tour with the Women Go Raw headed up by Dr. Ariel Policano, a Naturopathic physician who studied live foods nutrition since meeting Dr. Ann Wigmore in Puerto Rico in 1993.

The Women Go Raw RV tour is a video project designed to document the impact that raw food is having on women's health and women's lives in the U.S. It will document these powerful changes by visiting one-on-one with women across the nation during the entire month of September and listening to their incredible stories. Daily interviews, health tips and food demonstrations will be dispatched through video blogs on the WomenGoRaw website. They will include true stories from inspiring business owners, healers, moms, authors and experts in the field such as Susan Schenck, Angela Elliott, and Angela Stokes.

Dr. Policano's mission is to show people how to keep themselves healthy and disease free and to bring humor and fun into the process. For more information about the Women Go Raw Tour, please visit, www.womengoraw.com

NK: Could you first please tell our readers a bit about your project that you are doing with WomenGoRaw.

Women Go Raw is documenting the impact that raw foods are having on women's lives and women's health issues. For the month of September, I have been traveling via Biodiesel-Solar Powered RV. I have completed 25 interviews as of today, September 19th. These include interviews with Cherie Soria, Ani Phyo, Victoria Boutenko, Terce Englehard of Cafe Gratitude and many more. With each interview, I would say to myself, "That is one of the most amazing women I have ever met in my life!"

What I have noticed is that each woman interviewed looked years younger than their age. They all seemed to be very healthy, at peace, and happy. That isn't to say that I don't expect that these women have bad days or that they are not human. However, it was obvious that they were living their lives in a way that was deeply fulfilling to them. They didn't seem to be struggling with life! Obviously, health is important to these women. They also worked hard to continue to evolve their concept of a healthy diet over time. They changed their diet from heavy, nut based raw foods to a lighter fare that included salads and lots of green foods in the form of green juices, green smoothies, spirulina and chlorella.

NK: I work with a lot of women clients who want to improve their health with diet and exercise and I work with a lot of women who are older in their 40's who want to have children and they feel helpless. I am not a doctor but I do believe in the healing work of Mother Nature so I suggest a raw foods diet, yoga, meditation, a regular herbal cleanse, prayer, I even suggest taking belly dancing classes and pole dancing classes because I know the benefits that it has afforded me and I know that metaphysically its not that women are infertile, its just that there is a blockage. What is your take on infertility and women and how can women increase their chances of having children in their late 30's, 40's and even 50's?

I believe a lot of infertility stems from toxins in the environment which creates a hormonal state called estrogen dominance. This not only puts women at risk for female reproductive cancers, but causes an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. This imbalance is a major cause of infertility. If women follow your instructions, they will have good success in resolving their infertility issues. Here are a few specific suggestions:

- Drink liquids out of glass, not plastic. This will reduce your exposure to plastics that increase estrogen levels
- Eat organic fruits and vegetables. Pesticides also increase harmful estrogen levels.
- Use flax oil daily. I recommend Barlean's Flax Oil.
- Consume hemp seeds and chia seeds as often as possible in salads and smoothies.
- Help your liver, which breaks down the harmful estrogens for us, through a clean diet and regular liver cleanses.

NK: You do a lot of work with women and fibroids? What recommendations do you have for women who have fibroids? Where does fibroids come from and why do you so many women have it?

Lou Corona is a mentor to me. He has eaten a raw, vegan diet for 36 years. He believes that the growth of fibroids is due to an enzyme deficiency. I recommend that women, even on a raw food diet, consume 5 medical-grade enzymes with each meal every day. That may sound like a alot of work, but the benefits are well worth it. What exactly is happening in this instance?

By consuming cooked food over many years, you place a burden on your pancreas to produce all the enzymes necessary for digestion. This challenges the body and leads to the incomplete breakdown and assimilation of food. It also reduces the effective elimination of waste. In naturopathic medical philosophy, we see the fibroids as a build-up of waste. So many women have fibroids because they consume a diet of mostly cooked foods. But there is more to the story as well.

A diet that causes an imbalance of hormones also can cause fibroids to grow. This goes back to estrogen dominance. If a woman consumes very little essential fatty acids, which are the building blocks for health hormones, and lots of processed foods then it is very likely she will end up being "estrogen dominant." Many fibroids are "estrogen sensitive", which means that they grow more easily in the presence of high estrogen levels.

NK: I always feel like if we as a planet do most of the healing work with women, then the whole planet will heal eventually? Why do you focus on working with women? What is your passion behind it?

75% of health care consumers are women. I have found that women, more than men, are interested in taking a proactive approach to their health. However, we are very interested in men and children! Through my own workshops I have discovered that women also bring the information to their partners and their children. So, ultimately everyone benefits and gets the message about raw foods, which is what Women Go Raw would like to see happen.

NK: What's on your plate today?

Is this a food question? If it is, I started my day with watermelon, juiced and then blended with Pure Synergy. Pure Synergy is a powerful greens supplement designed by the herbalist Mitchell May. There is a great blend of healthy greens and antioxidant and adaptogenic herbs in there. In general, these help a person to have sustained energy, cleanse daily, and protect themselves from the harmful effects of toxins.

I then had a nori roll filled with sprouts, raw sauerkraut, avocaodo, and other veggies and a raw dressing. Later some fresh organic raspberries from the local farmer's market here in Ashland. I am staying in Ashland, Oregon for a few days after interviewing Victoria Boutenko.

NK: What are your favorite foods?
My favorite foods are very simple. I love figs, which are really a superfood. They are high in potassium and iron among other things. I enjoy avocados, berries such as raspberries and blackberries, salads that are high in mixed greens, deep greens like lacinato kale (avocado-kale salad is a staple for me).

I do have lots of various types of smoothies, including green smoothies. I consume lots of healthy seeds and oils. These include coconut oil, flax oil, hemp seeds and chia seeds.

NK: How and why did you first start getting into raw and living fodos? What motivated you and what keeps motivating you?

I started consuming raw and living foods after I met Ann Wigmore in 1993. I went down to her institute in Puerto Rico. 2 weeks of all raw foods, including wheatgrass and sprouts, completely changed my life. I was inspired to continue to reseach natural health. I attended a 4-year medical institution for holistic health. What motivates me is that I have seen "miracle cures" with raw foods. I also have never felt better myself than when I consume raw foods. I want to see everyone feeling very healthy and never suffering with diseases like cancer and diabetes. Even putting a small amount of raw foods in your diet can and will make a difference.

What advice do you have for our readers in eating more raw foods? What benefits has it afforded you and what transformational stories have you witness with people?

Be gentle with yourself and go slow. The most important thing is the momentum. Just keep moving towards health. Read books about raw food and raw food recipes and make it fun! Eat lots of variety; try new dishes or a new fruit or vegetable that you have never tried before.

NK: Anything else that you would like to tell our readers, please do so.

Dr.AP: Thanks so much!

Thank you, Nwenna.

The Story Behind E3Live, The Creators, the Healing Powers, & the Product - PLUS a special one-time E3Live Product Offer

I don't normally endorse products and I especially do not endorse products that I don't think would benefit my readers, but I absolutely love E3live and I believe in the healing benefits of this product. That's why I chose to interview the owners and creators of the company E3Live. I carried this product in my restaurant and I always refer it to my clients especially if they are having serious health issues.

I spoke with both Tamera and Michael who are the E3Live founders and owners.

Tamera's areas of expertise are as varied as her numerous interests. Her dedication to the betterment of life for all inspired her 15 years as a dance instructor working with students ranging from the highly gifted to those with mental challenges, often volunteering her time and talents for the benefit of the community.

Tamera is a 46-year-old mother of bright and beautiful E3Live® babies as well as a frequent lecturer on detoxification and the body's elimination systems. In addition, she is the formulator of some of the top-selling green formulas on the market today, and her formulations are used by many world-famous doctors and healing clinics.

She brings over 20 years of experience in business management and operations to her current role of CEO and owner of E3Live®. These companies harvest and produce the revolutionary E3Live®, the world's first and only fresh-frozen Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA). E3Live® is the world-wide leader of nutritional algae and an icon for 'greens' in the living foods community. Tamera has had the great fortune of working closely with Dr. Gabriel Cousens, Dr. Brian Clement of Hippocrates Health Institute, Dr. Fred Bisci, and many other highly respected and well-known healers who are living examples of the long term benefits of the living foods lifestyle.

The discoverer and founder of E3Live®, Michael was introduced to the raw living foods lifestyle more than 30 years ago after staying with Dr. Ann Wigmore.

He is a true Renaissance man, having been a competitive swimmer, gymnast and body builder, an art and athletics teacher, and a highly successful businessman. His amazing background also includes helping and employing those he calls "special people" — people who live with challenges from congenital birth defects and disfigurements. His most important work has been as a lecturer on health and the impact of living foods in our diets — being credited with saving many lives due to his caring nature and expertise on the benefits of eating raw foods.

Michael is the proud father of 4 children and a true example of a leader "walking his talk". At 67 years of age, he attributes his youthful appearance and boundless energy to this commitment to eating healthy foods.

And the company is so committed to helping others with their health issues, that I just had to interview them on my blog and educate you about the wonders of E3Live and how much it can benefit your health. I urge all of you to really educate yourself about the wonders of E3Live. Its a highly nutritious product and food that can do wonders for your health. Please take a look at the website, www.e3live.com. I also talk about the product in my book, The Goddess of Raw Foods available for purchase at www.amazon.com.

Enjoy the interview!

NK: I think E3Live is one of the best foods on the planet. I used it when I first started eating raw and was having issues with constipation, vertigo, migraines, stress, and acne. I also sold it in my cafe Taste of the Goddess Cafe and I promote it to all my clients and in my book, The Goddess of Raw Foods. Can you tell our readers the benefits of E3Live? And what makes E3Live a superfood?
,
E3Live is a whole, organic freshwater plant found in the wild that has both discovered and undiscovered nutrients. These nutrients are 97% usable by the body. Only a fraction of the vitamin content of more expensive vitamins are actually absorbed by the body. Man-made supplements only contain what the formulators choose to include. E3Live has been described by Dr. Brian Clement of Hippocrates Health Institute as being able to "fill in the cracks" in your nutritional foundation. So it can work different ways for different people, since we all have a different makeup or foundation. The benefits our clients experience are more energy, increased focus and clarity, elevated mood, cravings for vegetables and other healthy foods (as opposed to salt or sugar cravings), faster recovery time after exercise or injury and much more. Dr. Fred Bisci, who is a clinical nutritionist for over 40 years, calls it a "true adaptogen" nourishing the body and mind on multiple levels. These are all reasons why it is a true superfood.


NK:Where did the name E3Live come from?

Originally it came from the phrase "Earth's Essential Elements" since we feel it is such a foundational food.

NK: I know that your company has done a lot in terms of donating products to those who are sick and in great need for your products? Can you tell our readers how we can continue to support your efforts in doing this.

We do donate products each year - the more we sell on the retail side of the business, the more we are able to donate to those in need. We appreciate the patronage of your readers, it allows us to help others who are in desperate need.


NK:I work with a number of clients who are new to raw foods and who are really struggling with their health and I suggest E3Live to them all the time. They immediately frown up when I tell them its a blue-green algae because they don't immediately make the connection to how good it is for the body. Can you speak to the number of testimonials from your customers who have used the product to help with any illness that they may have?

The term "blue-green algae" is misleading because there are 1000's species of blue-green algae in the world. It's like saying snakes or mushrooms - o.k. which specie are we referring to? In algae, some are toxic, some are non-toxic, some are edible, some are not edible, and some are highly nutritional and edible. We only harvest a nutritional and edible specie - a very particular aquabotanical plant called Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, or AFA for short, we brand it as E3Live. Our E3Live is 100% pure AFA, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae translates to "invisible living flower of the water".

We have so many awesome testimonials on our website - from professional athletes telling how E3Live has helped them excel in their sport, to health care professionals who see the differences E3Live makes in their patients' lives, along with many from everyday people who have felt an incredible difference in their lives. There are just so many - your readers can view these unsolicited testimonials on our website www.e3live.com<http://www.e3live.com> anytime.

NK:Can you explain how E3Live physically helps the body?

E3Live is pure and simple, very good nutrition. So whether you are eating an extremely clean diet or even a typical American diet, it will still provide you with excellent nutritional benefits. The better nutrition you have for your body, the better you feel, the more you can fight off disease, the faster you can recover from illness, injury or strenuous exercise, and so much more.


NK:Can you speak to how the product was discovered, developed, and put out on the market?

This food (which is what we consider AFA/E3Live to be) was discovered thousands of years ago and consumed by indigenous people, in modern times it was discovered by a scientist working for the NASA space program to find a nutritionally dense food for the astronauts to take into space. After finding out how amazing this AFA was, he quit the government and began harvesting it himself - this was some 25 years ago. About 10 years ago, I met my partner Michael who was extrememly excited and anxious to try the AFA in its fresh liquid form, and that's how E3Live was born. The fresh frozen liquid E3 is more powerful than any previously used capsules, powder or tablets on the market.


NK: I'm not a fan of wheat grass and even though I know that wheat grass and E3Live are totally two different types of food, I find E3Live to be a bit better tasting. How pure is the product? Do you do anything with the product to enhance the taste at all? What recommendations do you have for people who are aversive to the taste or even the color?

E3Live is 100% pure AFA, we not only meet, but we exceed the purity standards set forth for us by the USDA. From the moment we harvest the AFA, to its final packaging, we work with only the most highly trained and qualified staff. We handle our AFA with such care from start to finish. Factors contributing to this quality include: where and how we harvest, keeping the AFA cold at all times, superior filtration and storage, and ongoing quality-control testing of all of our products. All E3 products are tested thoroughly by independent USDA certified labs for food safety, shelf-life and various other purity tests.

Along with original E3Live (which has no flavoring added) we now offer E3Live Nectar (lightly sweetened with organic agave) and also E3Live Mint (which has organic agave and organic mint). We do offer a Variety Pack so people can try the different flavors. If you are new to the taste of E3Live - you can always incorporate it in with your favorite non-acidic juice or smoothie, this is a great way to add E3Live to your daily routine.


NK: Is it possible after a number of years to become immune to the product?

No

What's on your plate today?

I had fruit for breakfast and 2 shots of E3Live this morning. For lunch/dinner combination I had a micro-green salad with hemp seeds, sun dried tomatoe and some nutritional yeast on top. I also had some avacado and some dried walla walla sweet onions on the side. For snack I am having a glass of apple, beet and kale juice.

Any last comments for our readers?

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to bring E3Live, this nature-given food, to the world which helps so many people's health, their lives and their families. Never for a day do I take life for granted. It is precious, and it is short in the big scheme of things. Health is not only affected by what we put into our bodies, it's more important how we feel and the thoughts we think. Love yourself, love others, and appreciate that we have choices. I wish everyone love and light on their journey through life and please let people know about E3Live. Pass the word and help us to change people's lives and their health. If everyone cares, we can do it, one person at a time. It's my goal to see that everyone in the world has access to this amazing life-changing food and that people suffering from declining health to know there is hope outside of the allopathic world. I lost my mother at a very early age due to overuse of doctor drugs and it has impacted my life greatly. I encourage every person to think about proteting your precious health so you never get to the dis-eased state to begin with. But if you are already there, first, change your diet and your lifestyle before you do anything else. The body has infinate wisdom to heal itself when given the right tools. Abundant blessings and love to each of you reading this. And my personal thank you to Nwenna for this opportunity to share our story with you. May it enrich your lives!

Tamera

Interview with Michael:

NK: You knew Ann Wigmore and studied with her in the 60's. Can you tell our readers a little bit about that experience?

I had heard about this woman, Dr. Ann, who had an institute in Boston where she was taking people who were extremely sick - even out of hospitals - putting them on a simple vegan raw food diet and they were getting better from serious diseases. Being skeptical of this - I wanted to go and see for myself if it was true, so I went to Boston and that was my foundation for really finding the link between what you put into your body and the effects it could have on preventing or curing disease.

NK: How did you first get into raw foods?

I first got into raw foods because they had a raw food restaurant in Miami where I was living at the time.

NK: My vision for the raw foods lifestyle and in general for a more organic and holistic lifestyle is to see the medical profession really take a look at the fact that using organic natural products to heal the body is the way to go. What is your vision for your company? Where do you see it going in the 21st century in relation to everything that is going on with healthcare and the health crisis in our country and around the globe? Do you have medical doctors or people in allopathic medicine promoting your products to their patients?

Our vision is that would inspire and guide people to take responsibility for their own health, and in doing so it could dramatically reduce the cost of sickness and disease and save incredible amounts of money that we are now spending in the sickness industry. We do have a few medical and allopathic doctors suggesting E3Live to their patients, Dr. Baxter Montgomery who is a cardiac doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, and others.

NK: Can you tell our readers a bit about your background in the product's industry. Discovering the wonderful benefits of blue-green algae and then putting it in product form must be long process. Were you already familiar with the process or were you learning as you went?

As Tamera mentions above, the term "blue-green algae" is a bit misleading...

I was eating a very sad diet growing up - lots of junk food and not many vegetables. In my 20's and 30's I was lifting weights, swimming competitively and a strong athlete despite this poor diet, I just did not know any better at the time. As I began to learn more about how to eat healthier, I had someone suggest that I try some of the dried AFA that was produced at the time. Even though this was a somewhat inferior grade of AFA compared to today's AFA (the methods of production today minimize processing and preserve the benefits much better than back then) I still felt a benefit from it and this made me want to travel to the lake in Oregon where it was harvested, Klamath Lake. When I was in Oregon, I met Tamera Campbell, who is now my partner, and I tried the AFA fresh (right out of the filter) in liquid form and felt a significant incedible benefit compared the dried form. Most people who have consumed the capsules or tablets and since have tried the liquid, now only prefer the liquid (unless they travel). Many, like myself, use the frozen AFA bottles in our coolers when we travel - like ice packs to keep our organic fruits and veggies fresh. No one was offering a fresh, liquid form of the AFA anywhere when I first tried it fresh. This is when I knew I had to get this out and share this amazing food with the world.

Many of my clients ask whether or not E3Live can help with yeast and candida issues? What do you have to say about that?

The answer is YES. But the best way to eliminate yeast and candidia issues is to eliminate sugar from your diet for a year. That means no fruit, very little to no grains, and plenty of green juices and E3Live.

NK: You've seen the raw foods community grow over the years since your involvement in it from the 60's? What has the evolution been like for you in your personal and in your business life? Where do you see it going in the future?

In the 60s, there was no awareness whatsoever, but I have seen over the years since then people are becoming wiser and making the connection between eating toxic foods and disease. Since I was eating a raw food, organic diet, the only thing I could buy in the grocery store back then was paper products, now grocery stores offers many raw organic choices - there is more demand for these things in the stores. People are becoming much more knowledgeable and empowered and are asking for higher quality foods.

NK: What's on your plate today?

So far I have had some E3 BrainOn and some delicious fruit.

NK: Any last comments for our readers?

I wish for all of your readers to make healthy choices by consuming a whole food plant-based diet, so that they may remain healthy and disease-free. I know that if you feel good, then it affects all the people in your family and your friends in a positive way. Remember that your greatest wealth is always your health.


Thanks Michael and Tamera.

Also until the end of the month of October, as a courtesy to all of you for reading and educating yourself, E3Live is extending a ONE-TIME OFFER! For anyone that orders an E3Live product, they will give You a FREE $25.00 bottle of their Light Polish with a coupon that would be good until October 31st 2009 for any online order placed at www.e3live.com or you can call into the office at 888-800-7070 and give the coupon code GODDESS.

The E3 Light Polish is a natural skin care product formulated for both men and women creating radiant, soft, and supple skin.

A Raw conversation with British Actor Marcus Patrick

I love interviewing friends on my blog because they are the most fun. Enjoy this interview with actor Marcus Patrick. He needs no introduction as he's been on All My Children, Days of Our Lives, a host of movies including Love and other Four-letter words. He's now playing in a Jesus film as he terms it, but I first met Marcus Patrick when he came to my raw restaurant back in 2004.

He was fired up about raw foods as he still is. Its always nice to highlight people who are making this movement happen in their part of the world.

And for the guys who always tell me that they are afraid of eating raw foods because they don't want to lose weight, look at Marcus Patrick and he's 100% raw. Go figure.

Enjoy this raw conversation with Marcus Patrick


NK: First of all, how are you? The last time we spoke you were so passionate and energetic. I thought maybe you had just taken a superfood cocktail or something because I could feel your intensity over the phone. You got me fired up! I love how much you have evolved. What's new with you?

MP: I am very fired up with love. I am raw now 100% over one year and a half and on day 15 of a liquid diet cleanse. My body and spirit, feel amazing!!!

I also just got offered a role to Play "JESUS" of all people who taught raw food and cleansing and this film I about JESUS and those hidden teachings. This Is a God Send. I was On the Border of quitting Acting due to all the negative roles that are increasing and wanted to play in a positive film but there seemed to be little, UNTIL THIS!!!

NK: I remember how you used to always comment on how muscular I was and how you thought I worked out and I used to tell you that I eat lots of greens and drink a lot of coconuts. I have to admit sometimes you made me feel uncomfortable because I kept catching you looking at me. For the brothers out there, how do you eat a raw foods diet and keep the muscle on? What's the science behind it? Do you workout everyday?

MP: I'm sorry if I was making you feel uncomfortable, It was not an eye of Sexual curiosity, more an eye of study and Marveling over how a Woman could be so strong looking on no gym routine. I was new to Raw food at the time and was trying to analyze you, for my own science research. I believe I complimented you on How healthy and strong you looked. But I am aware I was looking at you almost like a scientist Ha!! Sorry...

I Keep my muscles easily, since raw food I work out once a week, My goal was to shed a Little bulk off, so some might think I lost some muscle going raw but it was my intention to get a little of that cooked bulk off my body, one can move better with out it. But if i want to Mass up for a Role, out come the Banana almond coconut shakes and the mass would be back in a week.

NK:What are your favorite foods?

MP: Currently I love Superfood soup, Greens and Seaweed on the top, but I always switch my favorites each week, I'm a big kid.

NK: What's on your plate today?

MP: I'm going to cleanse the liver beginning today with apple juice for 3 days.

NK: If you could be a fruit, what fruit would you be and why?

MP: A fruit with a Hard stone so I could always be replanted and Live On

NK: If you could be a vegetable what vegetable would you be and why?

MP: Maybe a Tomato vine so I can feed the people each year and still live to tell the story

NK: What artistically are you working on now?

MP: Getting ready for that JESUS film.

NK: You are a highly spiritual brother? Did this personal evolution come from eating a raw foods diet or were you always on this path? What have you learned? What has the path taught you?

MP: It was a Prayer that turned me Vegan and eventually raw, I know people think it's allot of discipline, but if you believe in God/The Universe and you pray, it just happens.

NK: Who do you admire?

MP: I admire many people, I try to take the Positive leafs from every person I meet. I admire you for your hard work in the world on Raw food.

NK: I have an excerpt in my book on raw foods and sex. Basically I just know that being healthy equals healthier relationships, a healthier mindset and therefore healthier and greater sex. What do you think?

MP: Yes I noticed that, I became more youthful and full of energy in all senses. I will add that my spirit will not allow me to connect sexually to a being that has toxicity in them any more. It's almost like the Body senses pick up that the person has unhealthy elements to connect with and so even if the lady is beautiful on the outer shell, One can perceive the sickness, of the bowel, liver and heart blockage.

NK: You travel a lot I'm sure. How is it traveling and maintaining your diet?

MP: It has been a challenge, but one can do it by using The Opportunity to Master cleanse with Lemonade that you can always find lemons if you pack the Maple syrup and Cayenne.
We always ate salads and fruits, took nuts everywhere. it was tougher than being in LA but if you plan ahead your fine.

NK: What do you seek the most, crave for, desire, hope for? Feel free to answer how you want.

MP: The true way we as humans can live in Harmony and follow the principals that create that reality, The Scriptures that JESUS left have this message so I am excited to do the film.

NK: What's your vision for the raw foods movement?

MP: I feel that the Beings that want health will find it. Those that don't unfortunately will end up perishing from disease. The stats are coming in. RAW FOOD MEANS LIFE!!!

NK: For my female readers, they want to know do you prefer your women "raw", "steamed", "roasted", or "fried" or maybe all the above, huh?

MP: I actually cannot fathom the thought of Kissing a Meat mouth. For pleasure anyways. As an actor I have had to kiss a few Meat mouths and one always can smell the last dinner festering down in the stomach. The two feet of Pipe that comes up from the stomach, basically air out the rotting flesh through the nostrils and one gets the picture. Not Pleasant. So Vegan girls get kisses

NK: What is the one dream that you would like to accomplish before you leave this body if you even believe that there is a physical death?

MP: I want to Levitate, then Fly. I'm reading all about How the Yogis accomplish this in India now.

NK: For someone just starting out with raw foods, what would you suggest to them?

MP: Ask questions Read books surf the web. Info is Key. Raw foodist are more pleasant by nature due to the self love they have and the lack of Toxic anger molecules from the flesh eaters, so ask them plenty of questions, they will help. I help anybody who makes a serious inquiry about it. I'm a Trainer and Get all my clients as Raw as I possibly can, some go 100% like me and they are the ones that get all the best results too.


NK: Do you find a lot of celebrities are now embracing raw foods and/or the green movement, if so who are they?

MP: I know Woody Harelson does and Demi More made a claim to it when She Lost all her weight for Charlie's Angels but I don't tend to keep up with the Celeb news, I'm sure they use the system for losing weight, there is no faster way to get rid of unwanted pounds and keep a healthy glow.


Love N Light

Marcus Patrick

For more information about Marcus Patrick, go to www.marcus-patrick.com.

Sign up for my e-newsletter

Some of you have been asking about signing up for my e-newsletter. Just go to www.nwennakai.com and at the top of the website where it says join our email list, you can enter in your name and email address. My e-newsletter announces any classes, workshops, lectures, traveling, products, blog interviews, that I am doing. It is also an educational tool that I use to educate those who want to learn more about raw and living foods lifestyle as well as other health and wellness information. I would love for you to be a part of this movement with me!

Love Nwenna Kai

Dr. Tarryn Tranquility Foster on raw foods, our DNA, healing holistically, and Mothering

I first met Dr .Tarryn Tranquility Foster, ND in 2006 at the Friar's Club on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. I was so intrigued by Dr. Foster as she was a young naturopathic doctor, a mother, a wife, and a woman of immeasurable strength. I've been a client of Tarryn's as she initiated me into the Munya Ki. The Munay-Ki are the nine rites of initiation in the Quechua tradition. You can read more information about this ancient initiation on her website at www.tranquilitysvoice.com.

Dr. Foster is a naturopathic doctor, wellness lifestyle coach, and inspirational speaker.

What I love about her work is her intutive way of facilitating her clients to wellness and greatness.

Enjoy the interview as Dr. Foster discusses the importance of raw foods in our diet, the relationship of food and our DNA, being a mommy, an entrepreneur, and a doctor.

NK: Could you please share with our readers a little bit about your background, your area of holistic healing and why it is so unique. Please include your educational background, any career highlights, teachers you have studied with etc?

Dr.TTF: I studied Naturopathic Medicine at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, one of the four accredited Naturopathic Colleges in the United States. My connection to naturopathic medicine is the healing power of nature. Utilizing nature and non-toxic substances as a preventative measure to dis-ease, food as a healer, recognizing and embracing the mind-body-emotion connection and honoring our spiritual journey with regards to our healing is what makes my field of healthcare so unique. My clients have an opportunity to see how utilizing our intuition and understanding the effects of vibration/energy can keep us in a consistent state of healing vs. illness that can be avoided or reversed. Upon graduation I began my private practice, specializing in family medicine and specifically children. I have worked with people all over the country in-person or via long distance consultations.

My exciting career highlights include speaking to various groups about healthy lifestyles and helping them see that the key to a peaceful and healthy planet is how we teach, feed and provide natural healing, a green environment and holistic education for our children. My journey has helped me fully accept and embrace my role as an ambassador for the welfare of children in regards to holistic living.

Many of my teachers have been spiritual teachers who have helped me to perceive the key to complete healing is our balance between spirit and physical. I have studied with shamans, Native American medicine women and men, high priestesses, Yoruba chiefs and Christian healers. I integrate these teachings into my healing with my clients so that we always are seeking healing beneath the symptoms. We seek for the root cause and its vibrational and spiritual connection.

NK:How as an entrepreneur do you balance your life? You are a mother and an entrepreneur. What does balance look like for you on a regular basis and how would you encourage other women to balance their lives as well.

Dr.TTF: Balance for me is eating right first (a vegan diet) to keep up with the energy I need for my daily demands. Many mothers and women who are busy forget this key piece. And I meditate daily to keep my center and do yoga/strength training. Everything else is an easy extension of my ability to keep my priorities straight. Mothering isn’t the easiest every day so women have to take care of themselves so they can make their children or partners or work life a peaceful priority instead of a painful hassle.

NK: You are a naturopathic doctor? How did you decide on a career change like that as I know you used to work at a corporate job for years? What was the attraction to the holistic medical profession?

Dr.TTF: I used to work in a corporate environment as a Public Relations Executive with McDonald’s as one of my primary accounts. I also had other accounts focused on entertainment and health. I felt it was a natural transition for me as I was healing myself with holistic healthcare like acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic and eating right. I realized I needed to transition to the holistic healing field. I was giving people information through public relations and health education campaigns, but my calling was to be in a direct healing capacity with the people so I decided to leave my work life and return to Naturopathic medical school. It was the best and most awakening decision of my life… to pursue my true calling.

NK:Can you tell our readers what prompted you to write a book of poetry? And please tell us about the themes of the poems.

Dr.TTF: I have been writing poetry since I was nine years old and even completed a book in my early twenties. But I didn’t publish it. Finally I felt driven to give the poems that I felt called to share a place where others could read them. The book is called Spaces of Reality: Poetry in Motion for Those in Search of Truth. They focus on being true to Spirit and true to the self in every facet of the realty we create or perceive. It’s available through lulu.com

NK: I have always felt like you were such a creative person. You paint, you make perfumes, you are also creative in the kitchen. How do you use your creativity in your profession?

Dr.TTF: I combine all these things into my healing work by making my own remedies for my clients, painting as a form of spiritual healing for some clients and teaching others how to be creative in their lives in order to heal dis-ease or imbalance. I believe cooking should also be creative, loving and fun because of the healing our food provides and the cook needs to increase its vibration with creativity. I especially enjoy teaching mothers the necessity of being creative with their children as a means of bonding and to help them with developing a more inward connection to the higher self as a way to express whatever is often unspoken, painful or joyful in our world.

NK:What upcoming projects are you working on now? What is your vision for your life?

Dr.TTF: I am working on creating an intentional community/healing center for our children and our parents. My vision for my life is certainly one of peace and unity. I desire to see a world where our children can be well cared for and live in peace and I desire to continue being a part of the awareness raising for our next generations.

NK: You delve into the mystic sciences, the intuitive a lot. Do you do this when working with your clients? How does that play out in your work? How does it play out in your personal life?

Dr.TTF: I don’t see a disconnection between healing and our intuitive being. I studied energetic medicine such as reiki, acupuncture, colorpuncture, pranic healing and bioenergetics while in and after medical school. I utilize the art and science of vibrational healing when diagnosing and providing care for clients along with conventional and holistic testing. I’m fully present to my intuitive self in my personal life and I tap into this side of my being as if there is no separation between me and the universe. We are one with the Divine and the less separation we keep the easier it is to navigate through this life game.


NK: What is on your plate today?

Dr.TTF: Couscous with roasted vegetables, green leaf salad with cilantro dressing I made and a green protein smoothie with chard and fruit.

NK:What are your favorite foods?

Dr.TTF: Mango, young Thai coconuts, Indian food, raw pies if it has coconut or lemon I’m in it and Thai food (vegan of course)

NK: Do you talk to your clients about eating a mostly raw foods diet? If so, why do you advocate for a raw foods diet? What benefits have you seen in your own life and in the lives of others?

Dr. TTF: I have been incorporating raw food into my diet for 15 years. I defiantly encourage my clients to adapt a raw food diet or at least take it into consideration because if its life giving benefits. Whether they are cleansing, trying to heal from dis-ease or attempting to increase their energy it is key in providing them with the necessary nutritional components not gotten from cooked foods.

NK:I'm very passionate about my life as a food activist so to speak and preserving the natural state of our food. I remember a while back, we were talking about DNA and food. You probably do not remember this conversation but what struck me was that you said something in reference to the fact that the food we are eating if we do not get our DNA to adapt to the food, we might not be able to survive. (I am probably not quoting you correctly so please excuse me, if you need more clarification on this question, just let me know) What are your views on the issues around food in terms of genetically modified foods, organic vs. conventional, etc? How does this relate to DNA?

DR. TTF: It is fundamental and of the highest priority that our foods remain in their natural state. This is why it is so key that we are provided with and continue to seek or grow our own organic foods. Genetically modified foods are not healthy for our bodies and they cause imbalances in the body that we are not even fully aware of yet. The body has to adapt to such nutrient-deficient substances and the impact as a result, as far as illness, is far reaching and unknown. I believe that our DNA is an energetic device that informs our bodies and minds about what is needed to enhance our well being and existence. It’s a barometer so to speak, so anytime we take in things that are further away from nature it is impacted negatively. Our cells mutate and so does our DNA based on what we do daily and eating has a key role in giving DNA its energy.

NK:People always ask me how can I change my eating habits. I always tell them it’s more than just learning how to eat properly because food carries memory. Some of our food is addictive. How can we change our eating habits? And can we shift our energy to shift our perspective on food? If so, how does this work?

Dr. TTF: Our eating habits begin with the will to be truthful within oneself about our attachment to food. Food isn’t usually looked at as a life-giving substance; instead it is seen as a giver to simply fill us up or save us from an emotional discomfort. Our eating habits are just like any other habit. It has to be dealt with at the root, the core or why we eat what we eat and what are we getting out of it. Energetically people are more easily able to overcome these attachments when they elevate their thinking. When anyone raises their energetic vibration through healing, meditation or cleansing etc., there is less desire to eat foods that provide very little energy, and there is a natural inclination to eat well and holistically.

Thanks Dr. Foster for sharing. For more information about Dr. Foster and to contact her, you can visit her website www.tranquilitysvoice.com or contact her via email at tranquilitysvoice@yahoo.com.