It's Not All It's 'Cooked' Up To Be

As conscious beings born unto this wondrous world, we are all too often taught that which does not ultimately serve us, our Children, or communities. Childhood's filled with the 'good intentions' of 'well meaning' elders passing on unquestioned beliefs, passed onto them, through many a generation of misconceptions and misdiagnosed maladies. Poor lifestyle and food choices are common misdemeanors, risking precious lives and literally killing many a loved one.

For this rawsome reason, I strongly urge the inquiring minds of my readers, already on their own healing path to personal perfection, to read one more essential truth; sent by beautiful Jingee; brand new Mommy of one more raw baby and matriarch of another rawk'n family - www.thegardendiet.com

"According to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences National Research Council's book, "Diet, Nutrition and Cancer," all cooking quickly generates mutagens and carcinogens in foods. Proteins begin coagulating and deaminating at temperatures commonly applied in cooking, and become devoid of nutritive value. Minerals quickly lose their organic context and are returned to their native state in which they are unusable and the body often shunts them aside where they combine with saturated fats and cholesterol in the circulatory system, thus clogging it up with cement-like plaque. Heated fats are especially damaging because they are altered to form acroleins, free radicals and other mutagens and carcinogens." - Dr. Fry

As Jingee does so consciously note, common sense would divinely denote, our own personal truths, virtually unwrote. The only answers; never lie, deep within. As buried treasure, we must unearth our own unique beauty, enabling us to see ourselves in the glory we once shone, so brightly, upon those beloved; whom touched the most tender and truthful parts of our precious selves. Thereby, regaining our long lost health, in the purifying process of eliminating what no longer serves us; healing the hungry Child and unearthing the most genuine aspects of our higher selves.

With Lightness and Love of Being,

Katherine

Big Mac Attack

My agile son climbs up a tree, across the street, to pick one more hatful of rosy, red apples. Unsprayed and unnoticed, these juicy McIntosh's, are ignored by our affluent neighbours, whom, it seems, mostly believe, fruits and vegetables are to be purchased, weekly, in an overpriced store. Surely, child and adult, alone, would not miss an appetizing slice of sun-kissed energy. Seems to be. Better pluck one more, just for me!

There must be at least, thirty thirst quenching morsels of miraculous delight, lining the never lonely shelves of our overflowing fridge, as I faithfully type, into the moonlit night. No one has come to claim our bright and brilliant babies. Kaelin can't seem to go without them. Believe we'll keep 'em. Tomorrow's breakfast. Today's midnight snack. A young friend's visit. An old Aunt's vitamin C rich cure. Give them back? I am still not quite too sure.

Wrapped in their own shiniest skin, protecting the tender, juiciness within. Filled with antioxidants and low on the glycemic index. Enzymes as "sparks of life", to sustain a growing child or an aging elder. In a salad. Blended into a smoothie. The best piece of un-cooked pie. Juiced. Or, simply; spit on, and eaten, readily from the hand. Filling and energizing. Delicious and nutritious. A bite of beauty offered, for all to see and taste. An apple in it's purest form. Anything less would be an unnatural waste!

Katherine Marion

Sustainable and Attainable

A bowl of locally grown honey dew melon, before a workout at the gym. Fresh, wholesome food to build a naturally beautiful, toned body, that runs on it's own fuel. Biking after a bowl of organic fruit is simply creating your most delicious dream. Bringing to life your fantasies in the form of fast, quick, clean energy can be a whole lotta fun, when trusting your instincts to feed you the truth. 'The body never lies' is a statement too long gone unheard. Hearing our inner voice is the only chance we really have for survival. So listen up ...

An hour and a half, spent outdoors, biking downtown, to pick up more Superfoods. Mulberries from Turkey; "high in protein" and "an excellent source of Vitamin C and iron". Maca: a root vegetable cultivated in the mountains of Peru, "an adaptogen which helps restore stamina, promote hormonal balance and support emotional well-being". Dulce; an alkalinizing, calcium rich, sun dried sea vegetable, harvested off the East Coast of Canada. Healing foods that empower people, employ through fair trade, and prove "You are what you eat!"

Two hours spent stretching, performing two hundred core strengthening abdominals, and lifting weights; for a strong, meant to last vehicle. "You have one crazy, fit body!" the young girl, Danielle, at the front desk, affirms, with a nod of appreciation, before making more positive commentary concerning my "butt". I thank her for her rare honesty and worthwhile praise and tell her how much her compliments truly mean. Too many say all too much about what is seemingly 'not right', rather than be inspired by another or others whom are 'out there' building the dream they so often justly desire.I simply appreciate every ray of light that comes my wondrous way ...

We are able to build muscle by eating fruit and greens. Look at the mighty four-hundred pound Gorilla. The Zebra. The Horse. The Giraffe. Herbivores eat from Nature and are given all the grounding and natural nutrition, they need, in rawsome return. No protein shake, no whey products weighing you down, no raw eggs to swallow with your nose plugged, no muscle building chemical molotov cocktail to turn you into "Arnie", no aberration to keep your from your highest and most potently perfect self. None of the real, good stuff can you buy on the shelf. Gotta look after your own health. Know what goes into your precious body. Thereby, knowing all lessons the almighty Universe teaches are the ones you must open your ears and your heart, to ...

An ever growing appetite for Life and Self Love,

Katherine Marion

Nat Bailey Farmer's Market - 33rd and Ontario

Two voluptuous ripe melon's, three basket's of blueberries, ten pounds of deep purple plums, and over a dozen juicy peaches - all farm fresh, organic, unsprayed, locally grown and freshly plucked! Under a loving West Coast Sun, my eleven year old homelearner and I, gladly make a 20 mile return bike-ride to purchase nutrent rich produce grown in Costen, B.C. Ffilling our backpack's, pannier's and hungery mouth's with enough green and yellow speckled string beans, beets, sweet onions, heirloom tomatoes, garlic and basil to fill our fridge and whet our appetitie's for a well fed week. Gaia's gorgeous goodies, grown nearby, shipped practically to our doorstep; with a paltry price tag for loving labour and shipping - of $80.00. For any other community consumer, even the regular cost of $120.00 would be a more than a sweet sampling of a steal. Only at Klipper's!

Check out www.EatLocal.ca for more delicious dirt ...

Rawsomely,
Katherine

P.S. Tell Anna Marie I sent you. You may very well receive a succulent surprise!

A Raw and Real Family Adventure Part I

"Mummy, do monkeys eat human food?" asks my little boy, as he bites hungrily into his morning feast of organic fruit salad.

"What an interesting question! What is human food?" I asked my son. "Bad!" he quickly replies. "Such as?" I ask. "Cow!" he replies assuredly. What a smart Vegan I am raising, I proudly tell myself, before fighting for the next moistened morsel of vine-ripened delights.

As we devour heaping helpings of local pears, apples and nectarines, fresh from the Farmer's Market, we discuss the raw fare monkeys, elephants and so many other strong, happy and healthy mammals of the animal kingdom eat on a daily basis.

Kaelin has never consumed a flesh steak or a cooked cow burger. At 42, it's been 22 years since I've 'sinned'. At Christmas, 2 years ago, my 'inner child on the outside' and I had the opportunity to try a piece of oven roasted turkey. "Mummy, what's this?" my shining sun innocently inquired. Ever sharp and tuned in (it must be the Raw food!) I quickly offered "Oh that's someone's pet turkey! He probably had a name, too. Enjoy." He didn't! That eve, we instead tucked into an extra dollop of live delights (raw veggies, etc) and Love.

As we walk the Raw struck road, we are creators of our own chosen reality. It's been close (closer to the Truth!) to one and a half years. What an Adventure we both excitedly and willingly share.

Lunchtime is filled with brilliant green string bean sword fights. Dinner time - tastiest as we keep our hearts as open as our eager hands that clutch kale leaves (green sandwiches) wrapped around crunchy soaked walnuts / ginger / pepper / cheese and homegrown countertop lentil sprouts.

Food is a divine art form in our luscious lives. We are the true artists, stroking the conscious canvas of our Raw and refined palates. Perfection.

"I have all my enzymes! You don't!" my bright child reminds me, as he firmly holds onto a roasted peanut (the Swan Lady has so generously bestowed upon him). Hoping to soon bite into this chewy morsel that he so avidly remembers from his previous 'cooked life'. "Do you remember the sign we recently read on the window of the bird sanctuary next door?" I ask my son. "Please don't feed bread to the ducks" my little lover of wildlife recounts. "Do you know why bread is unhealthy?" I ask. "Because it is cooked and hard to digest. Especially for a duck!" one wee expert replies. Keep on Rawk'n!

We proceed to discuss how the supposedly well intentioned (unfortunately, not well informed) masses continue to feed nature's creatures cheesies and imported pickled herring! These being the vast many who no longer hear their inner voice.

Animals and insects are a Super-Natural species, still vitally aware of their instincts. After all, have you ever met a fish that eats stir-fried worms out of a can? When was the last time you spotted a bear adding processed white sugar to a bowl of freshly picked wild berries? The ways and the wonders of the natural world have much to teach us.

All species on this planet are naturally in harmony with one another, primarily when they are in balance, as they co-exist as one with Mother Nature. It is only Mankind (not always so kind!) that remains lost.

It is only through going back inside to my primal and sacred self that I have found what I had once forgotten. The more Raw I get the more Real I become!

It takes so little to have so much, so simple to again get in touch. To let go of all that does no longer count. Other than earthly given blessings, which do exceedingly mount.

If a six and a half year young wise man can do it - anyone can!

Rawsomely yours,
Katherine A. Marion

Published in ONE! Magazine, Nov 2002