Q & A How do I prepare my raw meat

I come across these two main questions regarding consuming raw meats.

1. How do you prepare them so that they taste good?
2. What about the bacteria and parasites?

Thanks to Yvonne for presenting the questions and sparking my inspiration to answer these questions so more people can gain greater understanding and acceptance of consuming raw animal products for health and healing.

Q: Hi Dan,

I recently read your article of how you are well after having cancer 6 times and that you have found that a raw foods diet that includes raw meat is so good for you. I have studied health and wellness for many years and wondered if you could let me know a little bit more about how to prepare raw meat? I just have not any idea and am very interested in learning more. Any ideas about any other types of raw foods. I have been doing some fermented raw vegetables and really find they are great for me. Any information you would like to share I am so grateful for.

Yvonne

A: Yvonne, first we must consider the source of meats. The animals raised in concentration camps and treated inhumanly are in my opinion not fit for human consumption for health and healing. Therefore, when I talk about consuming raw animal flesh I refer to as a minimum naturally raised without medication and genetically modified organisms, preferably no soy products and free ranged, and ideally grass fed and wild caught fish (additionally all fresh and never frozen). I personally boycott all farmed fish and conventional meats, pasteurized dairy and eggs. With that said here are some of my strategies for preparing raw meat.

• After purchasing the meat from my bio dynamic farmer or local natural market I put all my meat in mason jars and cover with a lid. In this way the meat will stay fresh for up to a week. The fresher the meat the longer it remains fresh.
  
• I then prepare enough for the next days meals by slicing thin or dicing into chunks and place in a smaller mason jar and store it in a cabinet to come to room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours and as long as 3 days. This helps to loosen up the fat and release flavor much like letting a bottle of wine breathe or bringing cheese to room temperature for flavors to develop. Note: grass fed meats have way more flavor than the conventional meats. In the cooking or any processing of meat the flavor is lost and therefore numerous seasonings must be added in order to give the bland meat flavor. No one will eat a grilled steak without a minimum of adding salt and pepper for this reason. However, this is totally unnecessary because the raw meat has flavor. Also, consider that our urbanized and industrialized taste buds are addicted to sweat and salty flavor. If that is not pronounced in the foods then we consider the meat is tasteless. However, in the case of raw meat it has some natural sour, bitter and spices depending on the herbs, grass and insects the animals consume. The more you consume the raw meat all by itself the more you will restore your taste buds to the natural instinct of your animal body.
  
• In the winter time or colder months, I submerge the mason jar with raw meat into a bowl of mildly hot water for 15 minutes and this heats up the meat very gently and releases more flavor without any damage to enzymes, proteins, etc...
  
• In the summer months I place the mason jar with raw meat on the window sill in the sun for 10 minutes and this warms it up. But I find that the warmer months it isn't necessary. Just storing the raw meat in a cabinet for 24 hours to 3 days does a marvelous job at developing the natural flavors.
  
• One of my favorite ways is ceviche which is simply marinating all white meat in lime juice. The acids cook the meat without heat so it is a very natural process. I make fish and poultry ceviche and use about 1T of fresh lime juice per 8oz of meat. Traditionally, cilantro, tomato, red onion, and the brine of shell fish is added to the ceviche. Also, I make my own chicken salad or tuna salad by adding in 1T of diced celery, 1tsp of diced fresh parsley and 1T of lactofermented mayonnaise.
  
• With red meat, I add in 1T of stone pressed organic olive oil and let that sit for 1-3 days. The flavor is amazing. You can then add in 1tsp of apple cinder vinegar 10 minutes before eating along with small amounts of onion, garlic, or other fresh herbs. Depending on the cut of meat I will add in 1tsp of the brine from clams or oysters to obtain more of the salt flavor but mostly to obtain more minerals for my particular needs.
  
• I make homemade lactofermented brown mustard and this is a terrific way to transition into making raw meats more palatable. just a very small amount goes a long way. Always use the least amount of seasoning for the maximum affect. And continue to reduce the seasoning to its bare minimum and giving rise to greater sensitivity to your natural taste buds.
  
• I love Alaskan Salmon plain. I slice the fish thin about 1" in length and put in a mason jar for 2-3 days. A slice of avocado and lactofermented ginger and that is pure pleasure for me.
  
• I also consume some lactofermented (totally salt free even celtic sea salts or others) vegetables with my meat in order to assist my digestion which was severely damaged from 52 high dose radiation treatments and 4 years of chemotherapy. I use more cultured vegetables in the winter months than the summer.
  
• Occasionally, I will use ground meats to make raw tacos with all the fixings such as fresh raw sour cream, sun cured olives, diced avocado or guacamole, fresh habanero pepper sauce and role it up in a romaine lettuce wrap. I make my own dried organic chili powdered seasoning and add that to the meat for 2-3 days with a very small amount of olive oil. I occasionally substitute organic cold press sesame seed oil for the olive oil.
  
• As for pork, I prefer it plain like shashimi or for the last year I have consumed ground pork with internal organs of heart, kidney and liver with about 50% lard. To me this is the most delicious meal and look forward to my monthy fresh raw dairy and meat order from the farm. I usually consume 2lbs of raw pork per month and 1-2 pounds of raw liver. Saurkraut goes very well with the pork as does lactofermented pineapples or a tablespoon of fresh grated or diced green papaya.
  
• Please remember that growing up I worked in restaurants for many years and was an advocate cook. So I use those skills for preparing raw meat dishes. My coconut curry raw chicken salad is a big hit for those who are skeptical.
  
• I never refrigerate my eggs even in the heat of the summer. I place them in a cool cabinet. As far as raw milk is concerned, I make mine into homeopathic kefir with a little raw unheated honey and my own saliva. The bacteria and salivary enzymes in my saliva go into creating kefir with my life intelligence suitable for my body. And lastly, with my meat meals I consume 2-4T of raw butter, raw unsalted cheese or organic coconut oil for added fat.

For more information you can reference the book Recipes for Living Without Disease by Aajonus Vonderplanitz.

Q: Hi Dan,

I am a student of nutrition and have recently earned a Naturopathic Degree. I was just wondering how you prepare raw meat so that it is not a parasitic problem and so that one is able to chew it and have it taste good.

Yvonne

A: Yvonne, congradulations on earning your ND degree. I no longer fear parasites or buy into the germ theory at large. The micro-organisms are not the problem but the scape goat for people living a disrespectful lifestyle of ignorance of nature's law and her love for us as well as arrogance of knowingly doing the voluntary acts that create disease and illness. As an environmental engineer in the past, we spoke of bringing in micro-organisms to actually help digest and clean up Federal Superfund Hazardous waste sites. Micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and parasites are the janitors of the world. They take garbage and some toxins and turn it into food for smaller micro-organisms which then turn it into food for plants.

Parasites are contained within all animal tissue and are called to action when there is "garbage" in your body that needs to be taken care of. Just as we keep our outer 'self' clean the intellegence of life is at work to keep our inner 'cells' clean. Our body is totally programed for continued renewal, regeneration, and rejuvination for as long as we keep the inner and outer environment free of stuff that is not in alignment with nature's laws or our alignment with our Divinity as Energy Beings. Germs can help keep us clean! They actually love us in a bizarre way.

The big businesses of Agro, Chemical, and Pharmacuetical companies view nature as their competitor for business and profit. Therefore, they have been remarkable at propagating fear into the minds of the masses that micro-organisms are to blame and that they have the products to save you from disease causing bacteria, parasites, etc...They even created 'anti-biotics" as a statement of how they think- "anti-life". They treat people the way they treat the Earth. They cut, burn and poison the Earth buy disrupting ecosystems for monoagriculture, they spray all their chemicals on the farms, and then the same chemical companies manufacture and promote products, including food, that cut, burn and poison the human being. They view nature, animals and humans as comodities. The Holocaust is not over. We are simply in a Psychological Holocaust were people are so afraid of nature and their own naturalness that they willing pay to go into the 'gas chamber' for a dose of medication, pesticide poisoning, personal care chemical crap, cigarettes, booze, and anti-bacterial everything. Or people run to a "the-rapist" because they are not mentally stable due to all the poisoning, nutritional and emotioinal deficiencies, ignorance and arrogance affecting their brains and nervous system function. Now the masses are conditioned to be 'anti-life' and remain loyal customers and clients of the Big Businesses for 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, or 70 years. In fact the Medical Industry keeps you alive at all costs! If you and I live healthfully and make healing primary, then we are no longer a customer and that is bad business.

Laws are now being proposed and passed that prevent you and I from obtaining health promoting fresh organic biodiverse raw foods. Just keep in mind that parasites have no interest in a vibrant healthy cell. So we each have a choice, buy into the germ theory and inprison ourself by living according to Big Business and get our meds or de-worm our self 2-3 times per year according to natural health practitioners. Or we can trust nature and our naturalness by living in balance and harmony with the germs. The best way I have found to accomplish this is to actually eat them raw. Yogurt is nothing but bacteria and the excrements of such bacteria! And most of us love the taste and texture. We enjoy our fermented vegetables which are loaded with bacteria and their excrements! And as I mentioned above, I consume raw pork and don't have any parasitic problem. Something to think about.

Keep your body tuned up and your soul tuned in and you will no longer fear life or love,

Dan

Absolute Giving

This is the time of year where we are conditioned into the Giving Spirit. What is the Giving Spirit? Does it end on Dec. 25 or Dec 26th where we box it all up? In this plane of living Giving and Receiving are one if you know how to Absolutely Give. The phrase "Thy Cup Runneth Over" as written about in the Bible and I know it from Psalm 23 makes a wonderful mantra during this Holiday Season. Absolute Giving is to give when your cup runneth over because you will not expect or require anything in return for what you Give. In fact you are so grateful to give because you receive so much joy in the act of giving-because you are free from require anything in return. Including a thank you! In fact you thank others for receiving. I put this analogy together to illustrate Absolute Giving from a materialistic view. We acquire a day job to meet our basic needs for survival where we 'have to' go to work. If we live below our means then we can use discretionary income to invest in our self to develop a career in what we really want to do. The increase in income can support a few comforts of modern life or we still live below our means and invest our savings into discovering what we really love to do. At this point our financial objective is to become financially independent while doing what we love to do. Thus we invest our savings into businesses or learn how to use money to generate more money. Then we purchase a few luxuries with the income earned from the generated income from our investments or we continue to re-invest our money into more money generating assets until we have declared we are financially independent. If we live well below our means then we can give without our needs, comforts or few luxuries from being unmet. At this stage one is ripe to become philanthropic and set course to do great projects to support those whose basic needs are not met and lift them up. Help them evolve. This would be giving from a place where one's cup runneth over. I believe that every person is naturally generous and desires to give yet it has been my observation that people give to the extent that their basic needs are sacrificed. We sacrifice our health and well being for the luxuries and temptations of the world! During this Holiday Season Give money or objects of materialism if you really and honestly can not out of obligation to culture norms but from intrinsic inspiration to make a difference in some one's life. Otherwise humbly give of your self as you are and be open to receive from those who can absolutely give. During Christmas how many of you put limits on how much to give? Like $50 or some other arbitrary number. Why is that done? Is that freedom or empowering people to learn how to Absolutely Give? Why not just leave it as if you can give then give what you are inspired to give. There is no competition or feelings of being gypped because you gave a more expensive gift and receive one of less monetary value. Think about giving gifts that have great usage value to a person. This would require you to actually be creative and meditative for a particular person and what they can really use to fulfill their basic needs. I believe the Spirit of giving during Christmas is to give to those whose' basic needs are not met. Remember these words "physical survival will always trumph spiritual evolution." As a species and family we cannot evolve to a higher plane of love until every one's basic needs are satisfied. Thus it is a supreme act of spirit to ensure that you and your families' physical needs for survival are met. Then expand your generosity to neighbors, community, county, state, region, country, continent, and world. It starts with giving to yourself first. Give to yourself the feeling of your basic needs being fulfilled and celebrate life with truth, simplicity and love. Helping Other People Evolve offers H.O.P.E. for a better world for everyone to embrace and in-joy the human experience.

Primal Dieters' Winter Secrets

For those of us who are following the Primal Diet by Aajonus Vonderplanitz, PhD, the cold winter months may deter you from following through with consuming only raw food. But that was until you learned of my secrets to fuel you metabolism and keep you warm. Yesterday someone asked me "don't you crave warm comfort foods when it is cold out?" I told them I don't crave them at all, however, on occasion (once every 2 or 3 months) I do have a warm meal. I explain that after I eat a warm meal, which tastes good and feels good while eating, cravings for more cooked food arise. Also, I find myself looking for dessert, something sweet, pastries come to mind and I really crave water. My body is looking for more food because it did not receive enough nutrition from the cooked foods. Anyway, here are some secrets to making the Primal Diet and eating raw through the cold months actually a pleasure.

• Eat meat with 1T of raw unheated honey, 1/4tsp of Royal Jelly and 1T of organic virgin coconut oil. All of these have a stimulating affect on metabolism. The faster your metabolism the more heat you will produce through the burning of fuel.
  
• Warm your meat up by placing the meat in a glass jar and with lid in place submerge in medium hot water for 10-15minutes. Then feel free to add in some warm spices and herbs such as cumin, ginger, home made fermented mustard, cinnamon, clove, etc...and herbs such as watercress, chives, cilantro, etc...along with 1-2T of grated radish or turnips. Always have a fresh supply of salt free curry.
  
• Warm up your dairy the same way as you would the meat. Then add in cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin and ginger into your milk shake.
  
• Use the brine of oysters, muscles and/or clams in your meat meals. The salt flavor and rich minerals are warming and favorable to the kidneys.
  
• Add some warming herbs or spice to your veggie juices. Radish and turnip do this nicely as does a small amount of habernaro. Sip your veggie juice slow to warm it up in your mouth before swallowing. The Chinese saying "Your stomach is the 100 degree soup", therefore nothing hotter or colder than that is optimal.
  
• First thing in the morning have a shot of apple cider vinegar in 8oz of warm water (105 degrees) with 1T of raw unheated honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  
• Add more organic virgin coconut oil to the diet. Make your lubrication/moisturizing formula with 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil. Make your mayonnaise with 1/3 coconut oil, 1/3 olive oil and 1/3 sesame seed oil (warming) or raw butter.
  
• Consume 2-4T of lactofermented veggies such as sauerkraut, kimchee or pickles with meat. This also increase the fire in your belly.
  
• Daily brush your skin, hot/cold water contrast shower in the morning followed by a Primal Body cream all over your body or coconut oil, and then a hot bath or sauna at night. The hot/cold water shower is stimulating which is wonderful to increase circulation for the day and the hot bath at night is calming and also increases circulation.
  
• Eat slower than usual and some may have to eat more frequent smaller meals. This keeps the metabolic fire burning steady throughout the day.

What you bring to life will show up in your life. Enjoy your winter!

Dan

Top 10 ways to befriend the winter

As the days and nights become colder as we enter into winter, there are many ways to enjoy the winter months. Here are some of the ideas for you to consider.

1. Either migrate or hibernate-If you don't like the cold, snow, and darkness then migrate. Many species of bird get the heck of winter and head for the warmer climates. So, many people have set up their lives to migrate and are referred to as 'snow birds'. Other animals nestle in and hibernate. This means to slow down and rest more. The winter is especially suited for some self reflection and realignment with your self, life purpose, or creative endeavors.

2. Take daily hot baths frequently or use a sauna of some type. This helps our body raise its body temperature without excessive activities. Plus, it allows us to sweat which we do much less of during the colder months. We are less active which is part of natures hibernation plan, yet we can use the tub or sauna to sweat and stay warm.

3. Sip warm spring water throughout the day. While studying Qigong in China, Master Luke Chan taught that by keeping the kidneys warm it will extend life. So the warm water is said to help keep the kidneys warm. You can also apply a hot water bottle to the kidneys to aid in this wisdom.

4. Get outside! Some may have to make this an effort at first and is one of the best ways to befriend nature. Embrace the beauty, stillness and the storms as part of life. Go for a 20minute walk everyday-you can even do this several times per day. If you are stuck in an office then go outside for 5-10 minutes 3 or 4 times throughout the day and breath deeply. Give your lungs some air. The air in buildings is very stale.

5. Remove your sun glasses and allow indirect sunlight in! You can even close your eyes while looking at the sun. This gives wonderful energy to our eyes and even our brains.

6. Follow a nourishing food program that includes raw unsalted cheeses and raw butter and lactofermented foods. These are foods of winter time. The cheese supplies great minerals, some protein and fat while the raw butter helps keep our cells well lubricated as the air becomes cold and dry. Coconut cream, dairy cream and coconut oil are other wonder foods to consume during the winter. The bacteria in the lactofermented foods will keep our gut in working order so we can digest and assimilate our foods. Also, remember to staying well hydrated. Sip fluids throughout the day. I don't drink much water because I consume 99% of my food raw. However, I do include a mineral beverage which consists of an edible clay, raw eggs, 6oz of natural mineral water such as Evian, lemon juice, raw unheated honey and small amount of raw cream. Lastly, include warming spices in your foods such as hot peppers, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, watercress, cumin, and fresh grated black pepper. Medicinal mushroom soups are wonderful for the immune system.

7. Get together with family and/or friends once per week for a potluck dinner to celebrate winter. Heck in the summer time there is always a weekend barbecue!

8. Get involved with something creative. Do or learn something totally different in order to keep your soul stretching and expanding. I myself play percussion in the Berkshire Bateria and we practice every Wednesday night. During the winter we have performances and it really warms my soul. This winter I have joined a Make It Happen group. A small group of individuals who meet once per week to make our dreams more tangible.

9. Play in the snow. This is in addition to getting outside. I know that snow sucks when we have to drive in traffic for 4 hours to get home from a 30 minute commute, but this is winter and scouring at it will not make it go away. Make a snow man, go sledding, or something that will connect you to the beauty and playfulness of snow. Try snow shoeing this winter anything that will lift you out of brooding about it.

10. Get to bed early. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola for every 1 hour of sleep you get before midnight is equal to 4 hours after midnight. Turn off all electronic devises at least an hour before bed. Take a hot bath or sit quietly with 100% bees wax candles. Journal, draw, doodle, or use your imagination to create something.

Just think of it this way, around Dec 21st it will be the longest night time or the shortest day light. From then on we are actually heading into spring/summer. The day light will actually be getting longer approximately 1 minute per day! In other words, spring is just around the corner.

Until we met, keep your body tuned up and your soul tuned in.

Dan

The Elements of Healing

Holistic healing requires a holistic view which includes body, mind and spirit. Here are the basic 7 Elements that can heal anything.

1. Love Purification/loving relationships with self and others
2. Rest-pure rest or laziness with permission, leisure activities, fun, spontaneity, playfulness
3. Mind Purification-Intellectual Mind and the Emotional Mind
4. Fire Purification
5. Air Purification
6. Water Purification
7. Earth Purification

We are comprised of these basic Elements therefore each requires our conscious respect by doing the voluntary actions that bring us results. From 1994-2000 I was unconsciously performing these seven elements. I use to sit in the sun for several hours and rest (actually chemo brings on quite a bit of fatigue so that wasn't difficult but giving myself permission to rest was a learning experience), showering 2 times per day, fresh air, exercise, nutrition, and journaling etc...It wasn't until 2000 when I was divorced that I found the power of Love Purification through Self Love. Self Love is what is required to apply the other elements. If you do not love yourself or willing to learn how to love yourself then healing will be difficult or futile.

1. Love Purification is about improving the quality and quantity of your love. Quality of love is non-judgment/unconditional and non attachment to people, places or things of the material world. These things do not bring you love. You bring your love to these things. The material world is for comfort not love or happiness. Quantity of love is through self knowledge and self acceptance. The more you can accept your whole self the more you can accept others as they are. To self accept yourself it will require self knowledge through self analysis or other healing techniques to assist you in getting to know your self or allowing you to create a new self. When you are full of Love for yourself you then have a high quality of love to give to others because you will not require anything from them. You are just grateful for the opportunity to share your joy of life. Additionally to loving yourself is also participating in community with like minded people. A loving support team that honors you enough to hold the space for you to practice being authentic, real, creative and human without the shame or guilt often associated with opening up your heart and mind/body

2. Rest Purification-rest with full permission allows us to recharge, refuel, and realign with our love for our self, our God, our body, and our mind. How many people do you know who are deficient in pure rest? Napping is healing if your body requires rest. While in Baja Mexico living in a tent, we would practice Hammock Therapy for healing. We would rest in the shade in a wonderful hammock for as long as it took to feel refreshed, inspired and full of love for life.

3. Mind Purification involves purifying our negative thoughts into positive thoughts. It is unfortunate that negativity seems to be the standard factory installed software and that positive thinking through auto-suggestion or the positive affirmation principle must be consciously up- graded with each thought. Emotional mind involves clearing our subconscious mind of our suppressed feelings which can not be done with the intellectual mind. Many people are sick because they do not feel intrinsically safe to feel their own feelings and many people are stuck with emotionality and have trouble letting go of past traumatic events. Extricating these emotions or emotional release can free up the energy to go towards healing the body or even being creative.

4. Fire Purification is ideally sitting with an open well ventilated fire alone. This is a fire meditation but induces incredible relaxation. If you spend enough time it can open one up to creativity, a 'burning' desire, and transform pain into pleasure very quickly. In my spiritual training of the Elements of Healing with Leonard Orr, I would sit for 36 hours each week alone and in silence drinking only pure vegetable juice or water. And this was the most relaxing and superb healing to date. It was gentle, loving, simple, warm, with the fire giving me support and friendship. Candle meditation and sun bathing are also forms of fire purification.
5. Air Purification is learning to breath the energy in air as well as the air. All spiritual teachers have pointed to the conscious use of our breath as a direct portal from deep relaxation to altered states of consciousness and bliss. Also, fresh air in nature, deep breathing exercises, and being in open spaces are all other aspects of this element.

6. Water Purification. It is easily done by bathing 2X per day for 30-60 minutes in hot water. It is best to get up 1 hour before dawn and bath and 1 hour before sun set. Then exercise while the sun is rising or meditate to the sun setting. Showering is OK but soaking in a big soaker tub is for healing. If showering a cold/hot contrast shower is also very healing. Do this by warming up in the shower then turn the temp to as cold as you can take for 30seconds then switch to hot and repeat for up to 7 times. Soaking in natural hot springs, swimming in oceans, lakes and streams are also healing. Moon gazing is another way to heal the water element. Sweating and crying are other aspects of water purification.

7. Earth Purification is love your body! It mainly involves proper diet of which there are numerous philosophies to follow. You will need to use your mind to resolve to yourself what will best assist your body towards greater balance. I personally eat 99% raw primal diet with a good mix of vegetable juices, raw unheated honey, raw dairy, raw eggs, raw fish and meats. Next is movement. Move your body to circulate not only the fluids of the body but move in such a way as to move your energy through your body. The secret is the slower you move the more energy will flow. Learning to fast or juice cleanse is also a spiritual purification practice but it is not recommended unless you discuss this with a qualified practitioner or your medical doctor. Lastly is career and money management. Doing what you love to do and getting paid for it enough to support your chosen lifestyle is a big part of Earth Purification. Volunteering, dancing, music, and sex are all aspects of Earth Purification.

These are the basics and lip service will not give you the benefits of each element. They are all very easy to do, gentle and very loving. Suggestively do one element for a week and see if some of your aches and pains resolve.

Until we meet, keep your body tuned up and your soul tuned in.

Dan

6 Factors for Healing

I have summarized that there are 6 factors in healing. It requires 3 internal resources or inner-resourcefulness and 3 outer resources.

Inner-resourcefulness; Desire, Willingness, and Belief
Desire: What do you have a burning desire for? This is never taught nor can it be taught to us. It must come from within. It seems to be one of the toughest questions to answer. To make it easier first think about what your interests are. Then from that list begin to see which one would be the most challenging to obtain.

Willingness is also a major player. What are you willing to let go of in order to make room for your desire to grow?

Do you believe you can do it? Or are there any self limiting beliefs, fears, and negative emotions that are preventing you from taking the next step. If you are human then there will be internal obstacles that will require dismantling or replacement with new 'up-graded' beliefs.

Outer-resources; A mentor/teacher, Guru, Priest, Rabi, etc..., Community of like minded people, and money.

Having someone who is able to keep your fire burning while teaching you how to contain, focus and channel your energy towards the GOAL. He/she can also act as a mirror to reflect back to you some perspective or to simply offer encouragement and in many cases hold you accountable while your character and will grows stronger. Transformation comes with inertia and a teacher that represents where you want to go can help with overcoming such inertia. I have had many teachers to open my mind and heart when blinded by my own ignorance, arrogance or and/or addiction to the familiar allowing me to feel safe to go through some very uncomfortable feelings and thoughts. Acquire a mentor!

No one has ever done it alone! Get is out of your head that you can! Find or create a support system that empathizes and puts you in your personal power. Drop those who's attitude is one to sabotage your dreams and desires. A Community of support, no matter how many, is vital on the road to transformation. Choose a community of people that represent where you want to go rather than where you are. I went to one cancer support group only to realize that there were many cancer patients, a few survivors but no one thriving in life. Not able to see myself as thriving in this group, I left and decided that healthy people are in health clubs and that was were I wanted to be. I volunteered at a local gym and started studying health and fitness. And soon I was surrounding myself with health conscious people. Today that has expanded to others in the healing arts with spirituality as their focus.

Lastly-money. That pesky word money with so many emotional wounds and huge beliefs about it but the bottom line is natural healing requires money! Often this is a major stumbling block in many people. When people are going through major illness challenges they often are not able to work. No work no pay and the sad story continues. It is a real human obstacle one that require many of us to dig very deep in to our soul to access that burning desire, willingness and belief.

All 6 are required for health and healing. Until we meet, I wish you the very best in creating your healing miracle!

With Great Love and Gratitude,

Dan

Philosophy of Food

Food is a topic that can really stir up emotions. That is because we have so many emotions and personality identities that are invested in what we eat, how we eat, who we eat it with, why we are actually eating. We are the only species on earth that rationalizes, scrutinizes, philosophises, personalizes and emotionalizes everything there is about food. And yet food is something we take into our body 3,4,5 or even 6 times per day! What would our life be like if we did Yoga, meditation, prayer, or any other healing modality 6X per day? If we do anything up to 6x per day think of the potential it might have to harm or to heal!

How many of us actually stop and self reflect on our current philosophy of food or better yet self analyze what our belief structures that we have either adapted from an outside source (usually mom or grandma and then our peers or culture) or created. Raw food, cooked food, food as pleasure, food to connect with others, food is social, food is fuel, food is medicine, food is wasted etc...There is junk food-those who eat junk food what do you think their philosophy of life, love and health might be. There is 'health food' their is cooked food, canned food, boxed food, packaged food, even plastic food (margarine and other trans fatty acids are actually one molecule away from being plastic!). There is fake food, fast food, slow food, conventional food, organic food, etc...How did we come to this much confusion, controversy, chaos, and down right disconnection with food?

Hippocrates had a simple philosophy that we let food be our medicine and our medicine be our food. Thomas Edison also had a philosophy "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in proper diet, and in the cause of and prevention of disease." Of course in those days the definition of doctor was "teacher of life". Who's doctor is teaching the patient about life or how to avoid being a patient! What about the Ayurveda proverb "If you eat the wrong food no supplements, medicine or herbs will work and if you eat the right food no supplements, medicine or herbs will be necessary." If you really take a look at your own habits surrounding food you will begin to uncover your beliefs and the emotions that you hide, sugar coat and self medicate. This is doing the disease!

In November of 1995 my cancer returned for the second time. My bone marrow transplant failed and I had to turn to diet (nutrition) and exercise (movement) in order to heal my-SELF and not my cancer. This required that I take an honest look at what food meant to me and create a philosophy of how I could use the energy of food to my advantage. I was well aware that cancer was an expression of the disease and that the disease was a disconnection from being whole. In the past, I used food as pleasure, to comfort me and as a drug to self medicate any feelings of emotionality that may arise. Finally I reasoned that if I learned how to eat food in its a whole state according to Natures Laws then I would move towards greater wholeness, nature and my own naturalness/authentic Self. If I consume food in its adulterated processed state then I would be eating separateness according to man's laws. And man's laws are predominantly built on the four human greed's of lust/love, fame, money and power/control. So processed food could only increase my four human greed's. In 1995 I began my detoxification and withdrawal from my preconditioned philosophy of food and followed my own inner created philosophy. Food became a tool for the purpose of building my health and for healing. It was similar to Hippocrates, Edison and the Ayurveda proverb. Each year since 1995, I have continued to learn more and more about food according to Nature and my instinctive animal body. In 2002, I was under the guidance of Doddie Anderson, director of the Metabolic Typing Education Program, who first advised me to consume plenty of raw beef and butter! I didn't feel ready for that but she definitely planted a seed. Then in 2005, a biological dentist in San Diego recommended I acquire a raw food nutritionist that specialized in consuming raw animal products. I didn't heed his suggestion, but in 2007 I was standing in front of the meat counter and said to the butcher "Dave, I want to jump over and grab that meat and shake it in my teeth! It looks perfectly good as it is RAW!" He thought I was nuts and suggested the more socially accepted raw meat as in sushi or shashimi. And I said "I enjoyed shashimi in Australia that I know is good but right now I am feeling a deep urge to eat that pork rib and especially the porterhouse steak!" I left, but finally put all the pieces together from Doddie Anderson, the dentist, my philosophy of food being eaten according to nature and my other insights of getting more bacteria and fat into my body. It all connected! So, I found myself in the office of a local Chiropractor/Acupuncturist, Jeanette Kramer in Prescott AZ. I told her of my experience with the butcher. She left the treatment room and grabbed a book off her library shelf and handed it to me. The book was titled We Want to Live: The Primal Diet by Aajonus Vonderplanitz, PhD. She said that this would explain everything. I asked her if she ate raw meats and to my surprise she said she loved raw meats especially raw beef! In hearing that from a beautiful, intelligent and compassionate woman, it revved up my instinctive hormones! There was something very primal and attractive to me about a beautiful woman who enjoyed eating raw meat. After reading the book, I aligned with Aajonus' philosophy to use food as medicine for healing, rejuvination, fuel, longevity and disease free living. To use food according to Nature's Laws and how the human animal body digests and functions optimally-espeically in our toxic world. It was primal. Bingo!

It took over 7 years to recover my connection to my animal body and I was so thrilled. My animal body, instincts, and hormones are alive and recovering! I borrowed her book and read it in two days. Then made an appointment to get an assessment from the author and meet him in person. Today my food type, quality, etc...has evolved since 1995 much like Tiger Wood's golf clubs have evolved from the plastic type he started out with at three years old.

Has your philosophy of food evolved? Has your health improved by following your philosophy of food or are you falling apart?