Archive for July, 2011

Expand Your Circle

Monday, July 25th, 2011

I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend! It was a weekend of sunshine, smiles, local watermelons, and white nectarines! Even though the weather is definitely humid and warm, it can feel nice to get out of the house and enjoy spending time with like-minded individuals who appreciate livelihood, good food, and sincere fun! I have posted new pictures onto facebook from this past week’s co-op, and I have also updated the “What’s in the Boxes?!” page in addition to the Honeydew recipe of the week! Please check them out and share them with your circle of friends and family members!

In today’s society, you don’t find “community” as much as once before. Progressively over time, families have become more inwardly focused, technologies have placed more people behind computers, and violence/politics have caused individuals to shell themselves. Individuals have closed their inner circles rather than expand them, and it has affected not only our city, but also our nation and world. Are people afraid to go out of the house to meet new people or find new experiences within their hometown? Or, have we gotten so used to a routine daily schedule that we simply forget to branch out every now and then?

Everyone has a circle of influence. A circle of influence can be anything from friends to foods to efforts to volunteering. We all have circles in our lives where we let others into our personal world or where we are able to influence the world of someone else. Hopefully, you can say that you are active in participating in both frequently! Although these circles may have different layers of families, friends, or activities that are closer to your heart than others, they are still all an integral part of your life. For many, expanding their circle of influence is typically a scary thing and is not done often; it means that one must branch out, try new things, and possibly change. Oooo…..change can be scary…but it also has the incredible potential to be amazing and life-soaring! :)

Everyday I try to expand my circle of influence in life. I try not only to reach and to inspire more people on a daily basis, but also I try to reach outside of my comfort zone to either try something new that I wouldn’t normally do, or even try to shift my perception on something that brings me discomfort. Expanding your circle is synonymous with reaching out, meeting new people, and trying new things. Everyone has a different way of reaching out, but it is this act that can eventually bring more community to our world. Expanding your circle trumps your fears, and it creates trust not only in your heart, but also brings warmth and love to our world.

The past few weeks, I have seen new volunteers come to co-op, new friends be made, and even more people go 100% raw!  I have been inspired by so many truly expanding their circles in life! They aim to not only change their lives, but also to inspire the lives of those around them, especially their friends and family members. What I find to be truly cool is the combination of expanding one’s circle both physically and mentally. The body and mind are intertwined, so essentially we cannot work on one without affecting the other. When we expand our circle to eat better and to live better, we also feel better emotionally. When we feel better emotionally or surround ourselves with things that bring us joy, we tend to want to take better care of ourselves physically–this includes eating better! Last week I blogged about how merely looking at the rainbow-filled colors in our boxes can bring joy. This week, simply expanding your circle of comfort can bring more color and excitement to your life!

This week, try to eat more colorful foods, or even try to eat one meal a day that is raw! Meet new people or even come to volunteer with others at co-op! Expand your circle and enjoy the journey! One does not even need a particular goal in mind. All you need is a step in a happy direction, one that can lead you to appreciate all experiences in life. We grow from every choice and every path that we encounter, thus making us into beautifully unique individuals. “Lettuce” cherish these circles of expansion always, and “lettuce” share these memorable moments with the world!

I hope to see ALL of your happy faces at co-op this week! Please share with me how you chose to expand your circle! I can’t wait to hear!

Hugs and love,

Kristina

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Posted in 80/10/10 100% Low Fat Raw Vegan, Learn About Kristina, Raw Foods, Rawfully Organic |

Color Me Happy!

Monday, July 18th, 2011

My belly is filled with the colors of the rainbow, and my soul is more happily filled from each bite of life that I take! I hope that you have had an energizing and restful weekend! Not only did we get rain, but we had sunshine as well! When our environment is balanced, we feel more balanced as well.

I had someone ask me the other day, “How is it possible that you are so happy ALL of the time? Every time I see you, you are bursting with energy and a positive outlook!” My simple answer is that it begins with the food! This past week, I celebrated my 6th year eating a 100% low fat raw vegan lifestyle. My life has transformed forever. Each day that I am more raw, I grow more and more into the individual that I was meant to become. We never stop growing as individuals, and this applies to us physically, mentally, and spiritually. We evolve daily according to what we ingest, and this includes more than just food.

Not only do we consume food to be integrally linked with our internal beings, but we also visually ingest everything that surrounds us. What we see affects our perception in life. Take for instance a person who surrounds himself with complainers, low-energy (dead) foods, and dark colors. Their energy is brought down because it lacks enthusiasm, color, and life. One can survive in this type of environment extremely easily (we have all done it at some point); however, surviving is NOT thriving. If we deem it, our bodies can take LOTS and LOTS of abuse. This abuse manifests itself in different ways within our bodies, and we may never even realize it until it manifests itself in the form of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

In comparison, now look at a person who chooses to not only surround themselves with positive and supportive people, but also chooses to ingest pure water, food, light, and inspiration. This person will most likely vibrate at a higher energy level naturally and will feel more happiness in life. This is what we ALL want for ourselves; yet, so many succumb to the temptations of society and make the “lesser” value choice. Ironically, many say that eating raw or eating healthy it too hard in our world, but it is the easiest thing EVER. Fruit is already a portable fast food! What is easier than grabbing a banana and peeling it? There is no preparation involved, and no clean-up! When we make the choice to eat healthier and to surround ourselves with more raw foods, our lives will be filled with color and life!

Just looking at beautiful objects makes you feel happy. Interestingly, I find that I am at my happiest when I am either at co-op or around food before my meals. Perhaps this is because when we surround ourselves with color, we absorb that color and then exude it. Just seeing it affects our moods, and we almost reflect it outwardly to others. Fruits and vegetables are beautiful and appealing to the eye. Every color known to mankind can be found in our box bounties, and each color is associated with a different emotion or a different feeling. For instance, when most people see blue, they feel very calm or at peace. When people see yellow, they feel invigorated, happy, and light. When we see green, we feel balanced and natural as if in our own element. Therefore, I find that simply being around a bounty of fruits and vegetables all of the time makes me feel happier because just looking at them acts as a type of vision therapy!

All that being said, I cannot wait for co-op this week so that I can be surrounded with beautiful colors and life! The energy that everyone brings to co-op is delightful, and we create an awesome community! We will see purples, oranges, reds, greens, and blues in our boxes this week! See if you can guess what all of those things may be! ;)

Sending all of my hugs and lovely thoughts!

Kristina

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My 6 Year Raw Birthday Party!

Monday, July 11th, 2011

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! It was a busy one for many of us! Not only did we have co-op on Saturday with an abundance of fruity deliciousness, but also, I had the great experience of being able to teach my second EAT IT RAW class at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center! The class was completely capped with 60 people and families, and it was truly a great time! Not only did I get to make some RAWSOME recipes for everyone to try, but also I got to share my story via raw foods! I got to relay my learning experiences in being raw to the crowd, and the event had a truly incredible energy to it! I have posted pictures from the event onto facebook for everyone, and I have even included one of the recipes that I made in this week’s newsletter as shown below. It was a fantastic raw birthday gift for me to be able to teach this class!

Speaking of rawsomely awesome energy, on July 15th I will be 100% raw for six years! Yes, that means that I have not eaten cooked foods in 6 full years! Crazy might you think? I have yet to be ill in those years, I run over 6 miles a day, I coach raw, and I love life to its fullest! My energy has shifted and elevated to a place that I never thought possible, and I attribute it to the life in the foods that I eat. Everything that I eat is alive, and this life feeds me to feed others!

Eating raw is all about changing one’s energy. Energy exists on many different levels. For instance, we have energy to do exercise, to function, to think, to breathe, to feel, etc. However, that physical use of energy is different than one’s aura of energy that he or she carries. Have you ever heard someone ask you, “You seem off today, what’s wrong?” Have you ever felt like you weren’t vibrating at as high a frequency as the day before? Were you sluggish and didn’t know why? According to the laws of Quantum Physics, we all have energy, and this energy is affected by our environments, our physical activities, our sleep, our mental states, and our food! While some work so hard to make sure that they are in good states of being, they often forget that FOOD is one of the biggest contributors to how you think, to how you feel, and to how you see the world!

Six years ago I did not see the world as I see it today. My mind has been filled with much more nutrition since then, and my outlook on life is not only more positive, but also more open and understanding to all factors and all living things. When we eat raw and colorful foods, our minds are also filled with those colors! We add color to our lives in more than just our bellies! Even your looking at the colors in your boxes shifts triggers in your brain that create a sense of peace and joy in your mind! Food has the ability to change our energies on many different levels. The higher energy foods that we eat, the more full of life that we feel!

There is not one fruit or vegetable that has higher “energy” than another. Granted, they will all have different calories and nutrient contents, but if you eat seasonally, you will get everything that you need year round simply by eating the variety out of your box. If you are unaccustomed to eating raw fruits and vegetables, all it takes is a few small bites to increase your sense of joy and value in life. So, if you want to feel more energy and a greater sense of happiness, EAT IT RAW! You can do it! :)

All that being said, I will keep this week’s newsletter shorter than usual so that you can enjoy all of the cool pictures and footage from this past week’s EAT IR RAW class! I cannot believe that 6 years has passed since I have been raw! I have nothing in my heart but gratitude and thanks to be on this amazing journey in life with all of you. Next week, I plan to talk about how eating raw actually provides VISION THERAPY to all who even look at the foods. I can’t wait! In the meantime, I have to figure out how to celebrate my raw birthday! If anyone has any wacky or fun ideas, please do share! This could be hilarious!

I hope to see you ALL at co-op this week! The abundance that we have is truly INSANE. This is my favorite season of the year solely because we have the BEST fruits, and we are rawkin’ it up!

Hugs and love!

Kristina

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Food Freedom

Monday, July 4th, 2011

I hope that everyone is having a super relaxing and fun July 4th holiday! I hope that you all have been frolicking about in the sunshine, eating tons of juicy melon, and having a good ol’ time! I have been gobbling up the figs, blueberries, melons, and nectarines from this past week’s box, and I am almost out of food and ready for my next box! As I reflect on what it means to celebrate July 4th, I think about the freedom that we as Americans have to live our lives according to choice. We have the freedom to make our own choices and live our lives in accordance with our desires and dreams. We have food freedom, but do we choose it?

On every corner that you look, you will most likely see a fast food restaurant or an advertisement for such foods. If you look across the street, you will most likely NOT see an organic, raw vegan restaurant. Even if you find a food store, will they have produce available, or organic produce at that? Most likely not. While eating “green” has become mainstream in the U.S., it still has not become prominent, and many still do not know what it means to eat “green.” Does eating green mean to eat “healthier” or to eat more greens? Does it mean that one must try to eat more sustainably?? Or does it mean that one must recycle the plastic that carried their food? For many, there is still must confusion about what it means to eat green–much less vegetarian, vegan, and definitely raw vegan.

Everyone has always said that America is the “Land of the Free,” and this is true. Ironically though, Americans can only be free to choose the options that are available to them. Organic produce is still not available everywhere in our country, much less the world. Even in Houston, many still do not know that a Rawfully Organic exists. If organic produce is not available, can they choose it?  How much food freedom do we have if good food is not an available resource?  How can we create more raw and organic options in our country?

The answer is simple. Supply = demand, and demand = supply. In corporate America, when a product is purchased, an inventory is taken that goes back to the supplier that lets them know that they need to produce more of that particular item. If there is more demand for a product, then more be must supplied. As that item becomes heavily financially supported, more of that item is produced, and it will most likely be seen at every corner. This is what happens with not only fast food chains, but also with any company that is able to sell nationally and even globally.  A convenient option was made to access cheap and tasty food, and the option was simply too good to pass up…until now!

Before fast food chains, America was known for farming; we were in touch with our roots. Families depended on the land to harvest their own food for survival, and they ate foods that were not as heavily processed as they are today. Today, we live in a modern society and find ourselves in a catch 22. While we may have WAY more processed foods surrounding us, we currently have a better variety of fruits and vegetables available for purchase than we would have had before grocery chains were around. So why don’t we choose them?! We are able to eat a humongous variety of fruits and vegetables that we would perhaps not be eating if they were not driven from hundreds of miles away. Although we may not see as many healthy foods available to us as we many like, our options are improving daily as individuals fight to make better options available to all.

If complete food freedom is available for individuals or families, why do you think it is that many of them still do not choose the healthier options? Has our society becomes addicted to the unhealthy foods, or are we perhaps afraid of change? The answer is a combination of both. Many “foods” have been crafted, genetically modified, packaged, and marketed in order to appease and tempt our every taste buds. When these “foods” are placed along side a plate of organic veggies, many Americans may go for the double cheeseburger with fries; but, we are seeing this change. Change IS scary, but only because it is new to us. After we get in the groove, then the change becomes natural.  Change is happening in America, and we are slowly starting to find food freedom.

I give thanks and gratitude EVERY day for the blessing to be able to eat organic and raw produce from our beloved co-op. We have created the option, and it is available to us, I choose it because that is WHERE I want to see my dollar create supply and demand in our world. I want to see Rawfully Organic EVERYWHERE. I know that my dollar goes straight back to the organic farmers who produced the food, and that is my voice to them to tell them to grow more! If raw, organic, and local produce existed at EVERY corner just as fast food chains do, more people would choose the option to eat healthier. Imagine that!

We create our food freedoms. Our dollar creates more of what we want to see. If you want to see more rawFULLY happy foods at every corner, buy more raw! Putting your dollar in our boxes creates more of THIS abundance not only in our city, but in our world! We are SO incredibly blessed to be able to eat the organic abundance that we have in our boxes, and we must not take it for granted. The more that we support buying organic produce, the more we will see it produce for us! This is the change that we want to see happen in our nation! We as individuals–as this co-op–can make it happen! We are creating community around food, and we are supporting each other in finding health. We are paving our paths, and we are growing our future. Lettuce do it!

I hope that you all have an AMAZING holiday, and I hope to see EACH of you this week since I know that so many will be coming back from being out of town. Please don’t forget to place your orders. I know that many will be coming in from out of town last minute!

BIG HUGS!

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Posted in 80/10/10 100% Low Fat Raw Vegan, Learn About Kristina, Raw Foods, Rawfully Organic |