$0.25 - what an outrage! What is the GMO trilogy and where can I get it please?

Heidi, have you spoken to Kas about a bulk purchase.  She has been hosting screenings at her home and will probably be selling them at the Vegan Festival.  Get her contact info from the website: www.veganfestival.info

Spot on! Interesting that there was such a push to reintroduce free milk for school kids but free fruit and veg was not mentioned.  I guess some industries have to 'push' their product.

I love the way everyone on this forum attacks the 'problem' from a different angle.  So many ideas can come from just one post.

Having never tried a 100% raw diet, I can't know what you are going through but many of your comments reflect my own experiences in transitioning to a vegan diet or giving up alcohol.  I will be trying a raw challenge soon – haven't set a start date yet but probably in the next 2 weeks.

As far as fears go, I think it is very reasonable to see this is a 'life change' as you put it and with potential negative consequences.  Don't know your situation but I already feel ostracised in many situations because of my diet or lifestyle choices.  In most situations this is tolerable but when it comes to your own family, it can be hurtful.  However, my 'new life' has lead to many new friends, who more closely match my values, as I think you are finding on this website.  On the other hand, exposing yourself to people that conflict with your standards can also challenge your ideas and allow you to solidify your reasons for making these choices.

'Choices' leads me to another idea though.  I have tried to change my perception about 'food choices'.  I never liked people asking me, 'So, can you eat eggs, fish....?”.  Obviously I CAN but choose not to would be the common response.  Now however I am shifting towards an attitude that I can't eat these foods.  It is a moral choice and therefore I do not see it as being flexible.  If I see food that is not vegan, I am not tempted by it if I think that I can't have it.  This may be an entirely different ball game when it comes to cooked food though, so my idealistic attitude may be pushed shortly.

My other fear is adequate nutrition.  I acknowledge that raw is the best way to eat food but I feel that I have just got a grasp on nutritional requirements for a vegan diet.  I have all my little answers prepared when somebody questions me on protein, iron etc etc.  Unfortunately a lot of these include cooked foods though.  It is not just about mounting a good argument against a meat-eater though but assuring myself that I am meeting my bodies needs.  Education is the key.

My wife just chimed in with some insight of her own.  Viewing 'food choices' as a moral decision makes it much easier to abstain from non-vegan food.  “How is this any different to willpower?  But it is so much stronger.”  Eating cooked food my not be a moral dilemma but perhaps there is some other way you can shift your attitude to force your actions.  Essentially aligning your actions with your desires by eliminating choice in a way.

Thank you everyone, these have been great so far. Keep 'em coming.

My reasons...
I am finding it more and more difficult to cook a meal after doing a lot of reading about why I shouldn't be.  Plus the stories on the forum are so inspiring and I want to be like that when I grow up. After transitioning from vego to vegan, there was a shift in my attitude and perception of the world that I hadn't expected.  The same is happening with raw - it just feels like the next logical step.

I want to start with 2 weeks because it seems like a reasonable goal. Not so short that I don't experience some of the benefits and not too long that I will struggle with it when returning to work.  Who knows, it may become a part of my life. I started drinking green smoothie with a 2 wk goal in mind and now into my 4th week and loving it.

Bread may well be the hard thing to give up, although I suspect it is the cause of my flatulence - don't worry BB I can control it at the potluck.

I can't say I am passionate about preparing or 'playing with my food'.  It has seemed like an inconvenience in the past but that is certainly changing. Quite happy to have simple, easy prep meals.

I enjoyed the film and think it raises some very important issues.  I think it presents a very one-sided attack on big pharma and whilst I am no fan of these companies, it will be very confronting for many people and perhaps come off as a bit of conspiracy theory. I guess there is no nice way though to present 'the awful truth'.

I also felt that it is preaching to the converted in the sense that you can follow the subjects if you already have some background knowledge. If you are eating a SAD diet though and are completely clueless, the film doesn't provide any clear ideas of what you should do - just plants the seed and leaves it to the viewer to investigate the options.

There are viewings in South Australia coming up - check the website for details.

If I could make your day BB then it was all worth while.  Have to make a fool of myself more often if that is the way to help people laugh. After reading your recent post, it looks like a good laugh is exactly what you need. Hang in there.

Green smoothie benefit #26: Organic wall cleaner

I have leave from work around the middle of July.  I am thinking of going 100% raw for at least 2 weeks.  I would like your thoughts on what I need to do to prepare and how to best go about it.  Questions I have;

Is it recommended to just do an overnight switch to 100%?
Would it be advisable to have some 'transition' foods?
If so, will I need a dehydrator or any other equipment (already have a reasonable blender)?
Should I be doing some form of detox/fast before/during/after?
Any other suggestions you may have.

Thank you all in advance.

Disaster!  Well not quite.  Was making GS Sunday night and have learnt the hard way not to carry on a conversation when operating the blender.  I pressed the button with the lid off and instantly painted my kitchen green.  It also got on my clothes and this was just before I was about to go to a party.  Stripped my clothes off and threw them in the wash.  Shortly after heard a clunk, clunk, clunk.  That would be my mobile phone.  All the GS in the world couldn’t suppress my rage.  I did have the foresight to take a picture of the green mess though, in hope that I would be able to have a laugh later – will post it when I get a chance.

And now the good news.  Haven’t had any alcohol for more than 3 weeks now and have had almost no desire for it.  My brother does return from a trip Saturday and he will no doubt be pressuring me to indulge in his duty-free booze.

Today my workmate bought a bacon & egg burger from a fast food joint.  The stench of the bacon actually repulsed me.  I was quite ecstatic because I have been waiting for this reaction for many years.  A strange mix of emotions.  I worried that the longer I was vegan the greater my meat cravings may get but perhaps my senses are finally in tune with my values.

My mother reports that my eyes appear clearer – not really sure what that means but it sounds good.  She has also noted that my skin is better and I would have to agree with her on that.  Unfortunately the same is not true for my wife but she has noted stronger nails.  Her asthma and heyfever symptoms also seem to have reduced.

My mum has also started having daily GS.  She is also a shift worker and says she has experienced increased energy levels since drinking smoothie.  She is also a bit of a sceptic and queries if it is a placebo.  She is happy with the result though, however it is attained.  We at least know the greens can't be bad for us.

Am also targeting a guy at work who is trying to lose weight to get off of antihypertensives.  I am really keen to have someone with such a specific goal (& serious health ailment) take the green smoothie challenge.

Thanks Waterberry it is good to know these are common symptoms.  Although it may be an inconvenience I suppose we should be happy that our bodies are trying to cleanse.

Below is a reply I included on Beauhemian's post 'Learning...learning' but seen as it is mostly about ME, ME, ME, thought I would include it here as an update.

Your posts have given me a warning not to rush into a speedy transition.  Although I think some changes need to be an ‘all or nothing’ choice, switching to 100% raw overnight may be a greater challenge.  I have found that when I have tried to give up alcohol in the past I have not succeeded because in truth I probably didn’t want to.  The social dependence of alcohol conflicted with my desire to give it up for health reasons.  Now I am finding I no longer have a desire for it and so being without alcohol is a choice rather than a challenge.  The same may be true of cooked food.  Feeling like you have ‘failed’ for reverting to old habits can be very damaging and override all the good work you have done.

Currently I am feeling pressure from every direction.  My family (apart from my lovely wife) think I am becoming a fanatic, work colleagues don’t seem to understand me, the usual bombardment that everyone receives from the media and on top of all of this the pressure I put upon myself.  I can’t even enjoy a meal now without thinking about the nutritional benefit or the impact it has had on the planet.

I sometimes find it difficult to be around my brother, who is oblivious to the problems of the world.  I feel each day we grow further apart.  I try to inform him of the reasons for my lifestyle choices but I suspect it goes over his head, as he contemplates his next take-away meal.  In these times I find it best to surround myself with like-minded people.  The forum is great for this but sometimes I still feel isolated in front of a computer.  I find it is enough just to be around people that share some of your common interests.  I may attend a lecture on climate change and am uplifted by seeing other concerned people.  They may not share all of my values but it is enough just to know that you're not alone.  If you have a discussion with these people about food choices it doesn't feel like a complete uphill battle either.

Your posts in April sounded very gloomy.  It looks like things have picked up since then, so I am glad you made it through this period.  I am vegan and trying to introduce more raw foods into my diet.  My name is Beau too.  Only other Beau's I have come across are of the canine variety. 

Your posts have given me a warning not to rush into a speedy transition.  Although I think some changes need to be an ‘all or nothing’ choice, switching to 100% raw overnight may be a greater challenge.  I have found that when I have tried to give up alcohol in the past I have not succeeded because in truth I probably didn’t want to.  The social dependence of alcohol conflicted with my desire to give it up for health reasons.  Now I am finding I no longer have a desire for it and so being without alcohol is a choice rather than a challenge.  The same may be true of cooked food.  Feeling like you have ‘failed’ for reverting to old habits can be very damaging and override all the good work you have done.

Currently I am feeling pressure from every direction.  My family (apart from my lovely wife) think I am becoming a fanatic, work colleagues don’t seem to understand me, the usual bombardment that everyone receives from the media and on top of all of this the pressure I put upon myself.  I can’t even enjoy a meal now without thinking about the nutritional benefit or the impact it has had on the planet.

I sometimes find it difficult to be around my brother, who is oblivious to the problems of the world.  I feel each day we grow further apart.  I try to inform him of the reasons for my lifestyle choices but I suspect it goes over his head, as he contemplates his next take-away meal.  In these times I find it best to surround myself with like-minded people.  The forum is great for this but sometimes I still feel isolated in front of a computer.  I find it is enough just to be around people that share some of your common interests.  I may attend a lecture on climate change and am uplifted by seeing other concerned people.  They may not share all of my values but it is enough just to know that you're not alone.  If you have a discussion with these people about food choices it doesn't feel like a complete uphill battle either.

Have been on green smoothies for almost 2 weeks now.

I am inspired when reading other peoples' success stories and am very happy for them.  I can't say that I have experienced dramatic health improvements that I am aware of – my insides my say otherwise.  The biggest change has been reduced cravings and a general desire to seek out live foods and exercise.  This shift may be due to all the reading and docos I have been watching lately but knowing something is only part of the challenge, taking action is the important thing.  Green smoothies allow me to take action and rather than feeling like a chore, are actually something to look forward to.

My runny nose has cleared up after 4 days and I had no other symptoms of illness.  Perhaps it was detox.  I am curious to look into this more and actually do a 'real' detox.  Suggestions?  Think I will need to search the forum pages.

We will continue the GS beyond the 2 weeks.  I hope to be able to report even more good news in the future.  Hoping you are all happy & healthy.  Drink up!

P.S. Watched an interesting doco online yesterday ($5US). Will try to write a review in Off Topic chat if I get a chance. Check out: www.foodmatters.tv

Started sneezing and experiencing a clear, runny nose Wednesday.  It is not letting up and starting to annoy me.  Perhaps not only because of the inconvenience but also that I love being able to say that as a vegan, “I never get sick”.  A few people at work have been sick in the past week, so I hope I haven't caught anything.  I'm not displaying any other symptoms of infection.  I have read a few green smoothie journals where others have had this too and put it down to detox.  Anyone else?

A cynical person may say that it is easy to boast the health benefits of green smoothie and then attribute any less-desirable symptoms to detox.

Jodie has not noticed any significant changes in the past 7 days of the GSC.  Fewer cravings and weight loss seem to have been happening since our transition from vegetarian to vegan anyway.  Hopefully we will see some greater benefits in the coming weeks and months.  Like I said in my first post, I feel we are pretty healthy already.  Expecting dramatic changes from the GS may be unreasonable and should not be the sole motivation anyway.

Just received 'Green For Life' from Raw Pleasure (outstanding service by the way – ordered Wed afternoon, arrived Fri morning), so this will answer some more questions.

Have been reading articles from John Robbins' website (www.healthyat100.com).  He seems like a really interesting guy and great writer, so I think I will buy/borrow some of his books.  Any recommendations?

You mentioned the lifestyles of people in Vietnam.  I remember seeing families and neighbours out on the streets at night time just eating a meal and chatting.  It was a total contrast to the image of the Australian family sitting down to a meal in front of the television (perhaps even secluded in their own rooms), with no knowledge of who their neighbours are.

Reading the post (and lovely poem) that started all this conjured images of 'Into the Wild'.  I loved the film.  With a few references to the 'creator' it even made me think of Adam & Eve... in the Aussie scrub!

Sounds like you're really loving life - something for us all to aspire to.

I am finding my desire for alcohol has diminished.  Yesterday though I slept at a friend's house and wasn't prepared with any mobile GS.  After a hectic day at work I went out for dinner at a pub.  As soon as I walked up to the bar I felt an urge to order a beer.  I was frustrated because I thought I was on the way to giving up alcohol all together.  Fortunately I overcame and had a ginger beer instead.  When I got home I blended up some GS and felt great again.  The only problem with GS is that it may very well be addictive.

On a side note:
Oprah was on in the lunchroom at work yesterday.  A woman with cancer was having GS (juiced not blended) as part of her healing routine.  I was very excited to see this on a show such as this.  Unfortunately sometimes we need these big celebrities to get behind causes to spread the word.  PETA reports Oprah is also trying a vegan diet.