Be a good primate and eat your raw food

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Next time you are at the food market and are reaching for that box, bag, can, bottle, or container, stop for a moment and take a look at what you are about to put into your cart and spend your hard earned money on.

Is that food?

Somehow in the hustle and bustle of our lives we have lost mindfulness of what our bodies need and how best to sustain ourselves. Mindfulness requires a level of awareness of who we are and how we have evolved.

We are primates.  And as primates, we do not need processed food and preservatives. Primates do not need food that had been altered, destroyed, modified, desiccated, slaughtered, preserved, sweetened, salted, or configured. Primates do need sustenance in its natural state. It is what our bodies know.

Food used to be living. Food used to be filled with vitamins, nutrients, enzymes, and nourishment in its natural and original forms. It is these forms that our bodies know. When we eat food in its natural state, our bodies recognize it and know exactly what to do with it to be sure it is used efficiently. The food is maximally utilized.

Following the consumption of raw food, our gastrointestinal tract responds with production of the proper ratio of acid, hormones, and enzymes to effectively metabolize the meal into portions that can then be broken down further into its natural components. These nutritious components are then transported across the delicate lining of our digestive tract to be taken up by the blood and then transferred to our many vital organs – organs that are yearning for proper nutrition so that they may function interconnected with other organs to create a healthy, working, energetic living organism.

With raw food, these processes occur seamlessly for it is the precise fuel the body needs. When natural food is adulterated, the intestinal tract, and all other organs, doesn’t really know innately how to respond. Often times, the response is an excess of acid, bile, or metabolic waste production. Our livers have to work over time to break down these foods, rid the body of any unnatural compounds, and find a way to salvage what nutrition may be left. The excess production places an undue burden on the functioning of these organs. When the organs become overwhelmed or tired, disease and poor health can result. And what of those bacterium – our natural flora – that work so hard to live in symbiotic harmony with us. They are left to live on the wastes of these unnatural food products and give us excess gas in return.

But with raw food, a metaphorical party exists within our bodies. These foodstuffs are assimilated so easily and thoroughly that our organs have no choice but to rejoice. So the next time you are choosing what to eat, remember what your body is asking for. Your body, and your whole being, will thank you.

Posted in home, thrivelines | No Comments »

Challenge: What is your story?

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

When I look back and ponder the events and turning points of my life, I realize they are all connected. Each experience, whether triumphant, dismal, regretful, or just downright embarrassing, have been part of my journey. They are all sections of my life’s narrative. And we all have one, whether we choose to read it or not.

When I saw patients, I would always start by finding out about their story – who they are, where they are from, what is important to them, what are the external influences in their lives, and what have they been through to ultimately be sitting in front of me. A person’s story is very powerful and can be extremely informative. It speaks of one’s regrets, prides, and hopes. It discloses their joys and their angst. But most importantly, it is their story and, much like a fingerprint, it is unique and special to that person.

I believe it is that story, their narrative, that drives them subconsciously. It is often part of the reason they choose certain lifestyle behaviors, such as overeating, smoking, or drugs. It is often part of the reason the are engaged in dysfunctional relationships with partners, family, and friends. It is sometimes the reason why there are issues at work. And it is certainly part of the reason they are not in the optimal health they could be.

We are a sum of our experiences. All experiences are to be embraced and understood. We learn from what we did and we learn from what we did not do. We learn from others who have always been beside us and we learn from those who held a short stint during a section of our narrative. It makes us who we are.

What seems to be the tricky part is acknowledging our true self. Too often we try to forget and ignore parts of our life.  Too often we sit and wish things had been different. Too often we try to be something we are not. This leads to internal conflict and emotional distress that in turn leads to poor health choices and reduced well-being.

The challenge I pose to you is to develop sincere introspection. Read your story. Value where you have come from and where you are today. Honor the person you are, no matter what flaws and faults you see, or what mistakes have been made in the past. Know that your story continues to develop and changes are on the horizon. Each chapter has an ending, but also a sequel. The sequel is largely dependent on the previous chapter.

If you know and live your story, you will be better motivated to make the choices and decisions that best suit the person you are at that moment. Your negative back talk will become incessant chatter and your outlook will be grand. You will  at the same time be excited about the future and alive in the present moment.  This will bring contentment. Contentment breeds health and happiness.

Tell me your story.

Ilene S. Ruhoy, MD, PhD was born and raised in New York City. She received her MD from the University of Pittsburgh and her PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Nevada. Ilene serves on faculty at Touro University Nevada School of Medicine and lectures at venues across the country on the interconnections between the environment and human health. She is passionate about nutrition as medicine and human well-being. Her next clinical endeavor will be a pediatric neurology residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Having recently relocated with her husband and six year old daughter to Seattle, she is excited to be plugged into the Thrive community. Ilene thrives on helping other people find their way to optimal health and happiness. Ilene can be reached at ilenesue@gmail.com.

Posted in home, thrivelines | No Comments »

Excitement surrounding the Raw Food Teacher Certification

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

A message from Monika Kinsman, Creator of Thrive :::

The Staff at Thrive is out of our minds excited to announce our newest program, the Raw Food Teacher Certifications.  When Schall approached us about launching this program nearly two years ago, we were fully enrolled — just not quite administratively equipped to handle the fullness of Schall’s awesomeness.  Since her first approach, Schall has developed the curriculum beyond all expectations… the sort of blow-your-mind like a NASA space-shuttle launch you’d expect from all of us.  We are crazy about our customers and are absolutely LIT UP by the possibility of transferring the type of professionalism and grace that Schall brings to the table.  So buckle up, prepare for launch, and mostly… Prepare to Shine.

For more about this program, please visit www.ThriveTeachers.com

Posted in home, thrivelines | No Comments »

Defending my food

Friday, April 30th, 2010

My husband (a vegan) and I (a vegan and sometimes raw foodist) often marvel at how our food becomes a topic of conversation in social eating situations. I have been at work, out with friends, or on an airplane, innocently chomping away on my unintimidating meatless, dairy-free meal and someone will invariably make a comment on my food. It is usually in the form of, “Is that all you are going to eat?” or “Don’t you crave meat?” or “Can’t plants feel pain too?” or, my personal favorite, “Aren’t you hungry all day?”

Now, for those who know me, I hardly appear malnourished or underfed. That is not a concern. Plus, my job and goal in life is to care for and cure the masses. So to even imply that I would intentionally risk nutrient depletion and undernourishment would also imply I was misguiding and ill-advising multiples of people. I take food seriously, of course, but only because it is such an important part of our health and our culture.

I think food is our medicine and it should be treated as such. It is not something to taken likely, as we have the options of soothing our body and tending to its needs approximately three times each and every day. And while thinness is associated with fewer health concerns and common disease patterns, then obsession to simply be skinny for the aesthetic sake of being skinny can lead to a range of negative psychological patterns such as stress, anxiety, obsessions and compulsions .

But to eat for one’s health is not only imperative in today’s antagonistic health care climate, but EMPOWERING. To feed one’s body, on a cellular level, so that it has a multi-organ effect, is to give one the physical and mental clarity necessary to be truly present in life and enable one to confront all of life’s obstacles and focal points.

So, then, why do I not take a peek at my neighbor’s plate and make comments? Something like, “Don’t you know what you are doing to your (fill in organ)?” or “How can you eat that?” or, perhaps, “Doesn’t that food make you feel full and stuffed all day?”

Because putting someone on the spot to defend what they have chosen to eat for that particular meal is really not the kind of conversation I hope to have. There should be a certain expectation of respect for personal dietary choices. I sometimes get frustrated at the prospect of having to explain my food choices in a social, non-clinical, setting. I am bewildered by the amount of people who do not seem to appreciate the myriad of food choices there are for those who choose a natural path of eating. I do not want to be made to feel as an outcast at a dinner party or a restaurant gathering (“what are you going to be able to eat, Ilene?” “Should I prepare a different plate for you, Ilene?)

Life is what we make of it and I am trying to make mine consist of a raw, vegan diet. And while I am not always successful, I try to take it one meal at a time and make a good choice for my state of health. If one is interested in alternative food choices and the reasons behind it (of which there are many), I am more than happy, in fact, welcome the opportunity, to engage in a friendly discussion. But, please, not at the dinner table.

Ilene S. Ruhoy, MD, PhD was born and raised in New York City. She received her MD from the University of Pittsburgh and her PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Nevada. Ilene serves on faculty at Touro University Nevada School of Medicine and lectures at venues across the country on the interconnections between the environment and human health. She is passionate about nutrition as medicine and human well-being. Her next clinical endeavor will be a pediatric neurology residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Having recently relocated with her husband and six year old daughter to Seattle, she is excited to be plugged into the Thrive community. Ilene thrives on helping other people find their way to optimal health and happiness. Ilene can be reached at ilenesue@gmail.com.

Posted in home, thrivelines | 4 Comments »