In the seven years that I’ve been involved in the raw food movement I’ve been gratified by the rate and amount of it’s growth. Sales of fresh fruits and veggies are the highest they’ve been in decades, and the awareness and acceptance of what we’re doing is higher than I’ve ever seen.

I retired from the computer industry in ‘99, then discovered the Dr. Wigmore program of raw living foods at Creative Health Institute and changed my life in ‘01. A year later I found myself the Director there. I saw it as a good use of my time in retirement, a way in which to give back to the world all that’s been done for me.

Initially I thought I’d help out for a year or two, get the center back on it’s feet, build a website for them, start a newsletter and install a computer network.

I had no intention of embarking upon a second career, but that’s what happened.

In 2001 there were only a handful of websites and resources. Friends would email me links with the message, “Look, a new raw website!”

If you did a Google search on “raw foods” you’d get several dozen page matches. I just did a Google search on the same term and got back 260 million page matches. Now THAT is a growing movement!

Finding raw recipes used to be a challenge; I just looked and found five dozen raw recipe books on Amazon.com alone, as well as numerous websites like chiDiet.net that publish new raw recipes every day. I love it!

I love it that Susan Schenck has published her encyclopedia of the raw foods movement, The Live Food Factor – I used to know everybody in the raw food movement, but now I rely on Susan’s book to sort out who’s-who.

I love it that movies like Supersize Me and Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days are reaching the mainstream market and showing in theaters, raising awareness of the dangers of the Standard American Diet (SAD).

What’s Next?

Recently I was asked why I didn’t retire again (can one re-retire?).

“The raw foods movement is taking care of itself now,” I was told. “You’ve done what you set out to do. Why not go back to traveling, see the world, and enjoy your retirement?”

Tempting. I’ve thought about it for weeks.

What I’ve seen, however, is that Dr. Ann Wigmore’s work isn’t done yet. While it’s gratifying that the raw foods movement has grown so much, Dr. Ann’s program was about much more than just eating more fruits and veggies.

That’s why I call it the Wigmore Lifestyle. Dr. Ann’s program embodies an entire way of life, a healthier way of living.

Dr. Ann took sick, diseased people and showed them the way back to a healthy, happy life. She led them through detoxification and into healthy eating, true, but she also addressed the issues of stress, exercise, nutrition, food combining and more. Dr. Ann revived juicing, especially of Wheatgrass, growing sprouts at home in limited space, and created foods like Rejuvelac and Veggie Kraut – all radical ideas.

Each of the elements of her Lifestyle is important to maintaining a wholistic, healthy body and a positive outlook on life.

Her lifestyle is often simpler than the typical raw diet. It’s really about re-learning how people were designed to eat before industrialization shifted population into the cities.

Dr. Ann saw that all healing – and good health – is Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual. She had a theology degree (along with several other degrees), but never preached – she taught that it’s important everyone recognize, acknowledge and follow their personal spiritual path as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Like I said, wholistic.

In Conclusion:

I guess I can’t retire. Not yet, at least. Wherever I speak I meet audiences that are predominantly raw fooders, ones that are doing better than they were on the SAD, but still find themselves with health challenges, deficiencies and toxicities.

I say “Thank You!” to all of the raw food advocates out there – around the world – for all you do. But when it comes right down to seeing people heal their health challenges and recover their lives, it’s Dr. Ann’s program that works. So I’m not retiring.

Not yet. There’s still work to be done, and a message to share.

What I’ve Done Lately:

I’ve updated and modularized the Dr. Ann Wigmore Raw Living Foods Lifestyle, and by printing in higher volumes, lowered prices. Learn more at chiDiet.com and chiDietVideos.com.

This is a biggie – I’ve created an online version of Dr. Ann’s Raw Living Foods Home Training Program, and of my Grassy Roots “Introduction to Dr. Ann Wigmore” TV show. You’ll find them both on RawLife.org

Yours in Great, Vibrant Health!

Jim Carey

Here’s a directory of Wigmore Educational Resources (all links open in a new window or tab):
AnnWigmore.com – The story of Dr. Ann Wigmore, and a listing of Wigmore Institutes
Dr. Ann Wigmore’s Degrees and Awards - probably not a complete list
GrassyRoots.com - The 14-episode TV series I did about raw foods and the Dr. Ann Wigmore Lifestyle
chiDiet.com – The Home Study version of the Dr. Ann Wigmore Raw Living Foods Lifestyle
RawLife.org – I put all of the videos from Grassy Roots TV and the Wigmore Lifestyle Home Study Program online
chiDiet.com/hs3.htm – The Dr. Ann Wigmore DVD video collection
GoRaw.net - Other raw websites I’m involved with or respect

Raw Testimonials and Stories:
http://rawlife.org/category/facts
http://annwigmore.com/index.php/testimonials-1.html
http://annwigmore.com/index.php/raw-testimonials-2.html
http://annwigmore.com/index.php/raw-testimonials-3.html
http://annwigmore.com/index.php/more-testimonials.html
http://chidiet.com/blog/category/success-stories
http://rawlivingfoods.typepad.com/1/feedback_home_study_program/ – See the various “Feedback” categories on this site

Dr. Jim Carey, PhD, DD, has been a raw living foods advocate for six years, ever since the Dr. Ann Wigmore program changed his life. Dr. Carey resides in rural Georgia, USA, where he loves to eat wild edibles, and travels extensively sharing the message of the raw living foods lifestyle.

Dr. Jim also served as Director of Creative Health Institute for several years, and is a Trustee of the Creative Health Institute 501(c)-3 Non-Profit Trust.

A few thoughts about the stuff I’m seeing on the media lately. Normally I don’t watch the news or read newspapers because they cause undue stress and unnecessary paranoia.

But I’ve been unable to avoid the Pig Pflu Paranoia Phenomenon of late, if only because of all the email I’m receiving about it.

Four thoughts:

1) I know from experience that if you’re eating a healthy diet of Raw Living Foods that your body’s immune system will fight off illness, including influenza.

As Dr. Ann Wigmore said, the cause of dis-ease is toxemia and deficiency.

2) The Pig Pflu Paranoia is blowing out of proportion.

100 people died in car accidents yesterday in the US alone.

Someone dies every day in the US in a bathtub accident; two-thirds of the time it’s a woman.

But we still take baths and we still drive our cars. It’s a psychological phenomenon called “acceptable risk.”  We know, at least unconsciously, the risks involved in driving a car, but because it’s familiar and convenient we repress the knowledge and drive anyway.

Something new and unfamiliar comes along, and with a little sensational, melodramatic reporting we fear it irrationally.

Your odds of winning the lottery this week are about the same as catching Pig Pflu. Maybe greater…

3) The paper masks I see people wearing as Pig Pflu Protectors are useless against influenza. They may be downright dangerous because they give a false sense of security.

4) This hysteria is a great way to divert attention away from the real issues – the economy, and the bailout scandal.

This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper.” –Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785. (*) ME 5:181, Papers 8:632

Of course, when the same people own the newspapers as own Big Pharma and Big Agriculture, what do we get?

Learn more at chiDiet.com
Working with you to grow your health,

Jim Carey
P.S. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi

As always, when the kids go back to school it’s a great time to change behavior patterns and to begin new lives.

Whether you’re looking at the raw diet because of your health challenges, or because you’re looking to take your healthy diet to a new level, this is the time of the year to start!

Studies have shown that it’s best to change multiple behavior patterns at the same time. In other words, if you decide to quit smoking, get more exercise, and begin a raw foods lifestyle – all at the same time – you’ll be more successful than if you try to accomplish them individually or sequentially.

However – “the secret to success is having a plan.”

It’s not enough just to say to yourself, “I’m going raw.” That will work for a while – a few days, perhaps a few weeks – but unless you have tons of willpower, very shortly you’ll find yourself going back to your old habit patterns and comfort foods.

That’s why a plan is important. Let’s consider a plan for going raw:

10 Steps to Going and Staying Raw

1. Assemble the tools you need. A blender – any blender – an expensive dehydrator, some jars for sprouting, and a variety of raw recipes are the minimum requirements.

2. Assemble your list of suppliers. Where are you going to buy your food? Are you going be mostly organic? You’ll also need to find a supply of sprouting seeds – at least some alfalfa, clover, sunflower and wheatgrass (hard red winter wheat). The wider the variety the better.

3. Read your instructions. Do you know how to sprout, and how to run a dehydrator?

4. Plan what you’re going to do. If you decide you’d like to make angel-hair pasta from zucchini, for example, you might find having a spiral slicing machine handy. This might put you back to step 1.

5. Set a starting date and create your support mechanism. Having a support group is the greatest. Check meetup.com for raw groups in your area. If you don’t know any rawbies in your area, find a raw chat group or two for support. A professional Raw Coach is idea, if available.

Share with them what you plan to do, and the date you’re going to start. You’ll find yourself more successful this way, than if you “go raw secretly.” Secret quitting doesn’t work.

While I’m constantly reminding people that we don’t have to justify our lifestyle choices to anyone, sometimes we can’t avoid it. This video I made about Dispelling the Raw Food Myths will help you deal with the standard objections you’re going to hear: http://www.chidiet.com/blog/free-stuff/dispelling-raw-food-myths.htm

6. Don’t forget that you’re going to need to stay inspired as you go raw. Build a collection of books, videos, and CDs before you start so that you’ll have lots of material when you go raw. This will help maintain your momentum. Otherwise you might find yourself running out of steam before you get to the top of the hill.

I find that videos motivate me the most. Instead of watching the news or a movie at night, I’ll pop in a video on raw foods and watch it, instead. chiDietVideos.com is a good source for these, and if you have high-speed internet you can watch raw videos online at websites like RawDoctors.com and YouTube.com/chidiet.

7. Research shows that it takes 21 days for a new behavior to become a habit; if we move to a new house and now have to turn right instead of left when we leave work, it’ll be 21 days before it seems natural to turn right when head for home.

In dealing with addictions the transitional period is longer. Yes, cooked foods are an addiction. Thus, we need to deal with them as such.

Victoria Boutenko has a good book on this subject – 12 Steps to Raw Foods. Her website is RawFamily.com and the book is on Amazon.com, too. Her book covers the subject in detail, but here are her 12 Steps to Raw Food:

Step 1  – I admit that I have lost control of my addiction to cooked
food and my eating is becoming unmanageable.

Step 2  – I believe that live vegan food is the most natural diet for a
human being.

Step 3  – I shall gain necessary skills, learn basic raw recipes and
obtain equipment to prepare live food.

Step 4  – I shall live in harmony with people who eat cooked food.

Step 5  – I shall stay away from temptations.

Step 6  – I shall create a support group.

Step 7  – I shall find alternative activities or hobbies.

Step 8  – I shall let my higher self lead my life.

Step 9  – I shall make a searching and fearless inventory of the real
reasons for seeking comfort and pleasure from cooked
foods.

Step 10 – I shall let my intuition help me.

Step 11 – Through clarity I will gain happiness.

Step 12 – I shall provide support to other raw fooders.

8. Part of changing your diet and lifestyle is detoxifying the body. Not as a one-time detox, but instead, we should be constantly detoxing. That’s where Dr. Ann Wigmore’s program comes in. She taught much more than a diet. In her books and videos she lays out the procedures for a continuous healthy detox, including the foods we eat, how we combine them, the usage of colonics or enemas, the uses of wheatgrass juice, and more.

The basics are laid out in her book, Why Suffer? How I Overcame Illness and Pain Naturally, which you can download for free at http://chidiet.com/books/whysuffer.pdf. If the book won’t open for you, you might need a free copy of Acrobat Reader from adobe.com.

Other great books of Dr. Ann’s are Be Your Own Doctor and Rebuild Your Health, both available at Amazon.com. They’re also available as audio books on CD at http://chidietvideos.com/index.php/cds.html

9. Be aware, not discouraged. You’re going to backslide at times, and it’s normal. Don’t feel like you’ve “failed” if you happen to go out for pizza or a hamburger. Instead, think about how well you’ve been doing, how much better you’re eating than you used to, and how much better you’re feeling since you started going raw.

10. Experiment, experiment, experiment. Knowing that I have addictions to comfort foods, I found new comfort foods. For me that’s fresh blueberries, raspberries, and raw vegan pizza, made with flax crust in the dehydrator. It’s a recipe I’ve included in my book. Victoria’s Step 9, above, has helped me a lot, too.

Overwhelmed? I would be, too, if it weren’t for the teachings of Dr. Ann.

Sometimes I get off the raw path when traveling the country, visiting family and friends. But when I get home I head to the market, stock up on good raw, organic fruits and veggies, then pull out my Dr. Ann Wigmore Raw Living Foods Home Study Program and get back to it.

I’m feeling better, more energetic, happier and de-stressed than I did in my old cooked-food life. MUCH better. My warning is when I felt the arthritis coming back in my knees – that’s my personal sign that I’m not eating right.

Here’s good news: There’s a new Home Study Program, version 4.2. Bigger and better than ever, it’s designed to lead you by the hand from raw-curious to fully raw and healthy.

The best part is that it’s modular now. You don’t need to invest a huge amount of money to get started. Start slowly, and as you grow into this you can expand your collection of books, videos and CDs.

The program even includes one-on-one consulting by phone and email with long-time Dr. Ann Wigmore Instructors, people that have been doing this MUCH longer than me, and know a lot about it.

This is the most complete collection and comprehensive overview of Dr. Ann’s Raw Living Foods Lifestyle available, designed to get you started, keep you on track, and support you when you backslide. It includes:

The 300+ page 13 Step Raw Living Foods Success Guide
The 180 page Raw Living Foods Recipe Book
40 videos on DVD by Dr. Ann and her Institute Instructors
2 audio books on CD
1 hour of free Raw Coaching  – 2 sessions of 30 minutes
Free email consulting with Dr. Flora van Orden III, Dr. Ann’s long-time assistant
Membership to RawDoctors.com
What’s in Your Lunch Bucket? Eat Light – Be Bright, by Jan Jensen, a handbook for active working women
Delicious Raw Food Recipes, by Emily Rutherford of RawFoodRestaurantGuide.com
Menu planners, discount coupons for hands-on programs and much more

I do this to help others attain a healthier lifestyle, and can find no better way to start people on the path to healthy living than this program.

While I totally support and encourage people to take a hands-on program at a Dr. Ann Institute, the Home Study Program is much more detailed.

You’d have to spend months at a hands-on program to absorb this much information. Plus, you have it at home for continual reference and inspiration.
Dr. Steve Monkiewicz, ND, and I talk about the new program on Real Health radio show, which you can listen to at http://rawdoctors.com/index.php/real-health.html (show #66).

I’m really excited about this because, over the years, I’ve received hundreds of thank you letters and success stories from people who have benefited from the Raw Living Foods Home Study Program, and this is the best one I’ve assembled yet!

Here’s the link: http://chiDiet.com

Sincerely Yours,

Jim Carey

PS: Even if you’re not 100% raw, how much better are you doing today than when you were on the SAD?

PPS: “[Because of their diets] nine men in ten are suicides.” – Ben Franklin

My Networking Accounts:
http://jcarey.net (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)

Great Raw Websites:
http://goraw.net

- A Philosophical Outlook On Being a Raw Fooder
The older I get the simpler and more unified life looks to me.

We’re all creatures of energy. Everything in our lives, everything around us, everything we experience consists of energy.

To start with, we’re made up of energy. Every proton, electron and neutron in our universe – including those that make up our bodies – is made up of three quarks. Quarks are, simply put, just energy. In the microcosmic analysis of it, all we are is a bundle of energy forms.

It’s obvious to us that people and animals also have a life energy – something different than molecular energy. The cells of a dead animal don’t stop existing, they change (decay, rot), but the life force energy of the animal is gone.

What about plants? In the past two decades scientists have measured the life energy of plants, and define it as biophotonic energy. It’s a separate thing from molecular energy and explains how plants can respond to music, voices and love. So plants have a life force energy, just as animals do.

When we interact with others we gain emotional energy. When we interact with love and affection our positive energy is returned to us, increased. But even when we interact with hate, disgust or animosity, our ego gains energy. Negative energy, true, but the ego doesn’t care – energy is energy and the ego wants to be fed.

The same is true of our physical bodies. Our bodies gain energy from almost anything that we put in them. Obviously there are side effects to the Standard American Diet (SAD) – obesity, cancer, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and all the others. But despite the damage such a diet is doing, people continue to eat it because it tastes good, just as they’ll argue or fight instead of walking away.
So consider this: If our egos will fight instead of walk away,  and if our bodies will consume known toxins, what are we doing to our biophotonic (life force) energy in the process? Another thought: can these effects on our biophotonic energy be considered karma?

Here’s the way I think of it: When I kill or cook my food I destroy the biophotonic energy, the life-force energy of the food. When I eat raw living foods the life force energy of the food becomes a part of me.

When Dr. Ann Wigmore taught that we should “listen to our bodies, because they will tell us what we need,” she was referring to what our bodies truly need, not what we’ve trained them to want.

That’s where Dr. Ann’s detoxification, cleansing and lifestyle come it. By following her regime we clean ourselves up enough to be able to listen to what our bodies need, not want.
Yours in Radiant Good Health,

Jim Carey

“You are what you eat” IS “the law of attraction.” – Mike Grefner

“I’m raw when possible, organic when practical, and pray over the rest.” – Unknown.

I get many, many emails from people who went raw for a while, and then got into other health challenges. One woman, for example, ended up as an insulin-dependent diabetic. Why? Upon questioning, I found that she was actually eating a fruitarian diet, and all of that excess sugar caused her new health challenges.

That’s why it’s so important to educate yourself about what truly is a raw living foods lifestyle. The Ann Wigmore Institutes around the world do a good job of that, as does the Dr. Ann Wigmore Raw Living Foods Home Study Program.

The Home Study Program is available again, and it’s got more material in it than ever before: chiDiet.com.

Jim