Weight Loss: David Wolfe and Jorge Cruise Interview
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The truth about weight loss revealed.
An interview with David Wolfe & Jorge Cruise
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Who is Jorge Cruise?
Jorge Cruise is the best-selling author of The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin, and the 8 Minutes in the Morning weight loss series. He has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Lifetime TV, CBS, ABC, and Univision and in numerous magazines. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is a fitness journalist for television and magazines such as Prevention, ABC, and Univision.
Cruise is a nominee for Fitness Instructor of the Year by IDEA, the national association of fitness professionals, and was named by Arnold Schwarzenegger as a special advisor to the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
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Please stress that a shift to plant-based diets is essential for environmental sustainability, to avoid the unprecedented climate catastrophe the world is rapidly approaching, since, as indicated in a 2006 UN FAO report, animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases than all the cars, planes and other means of transportation combined. For more information about this and about Jewish vegetarian-related teachings, please see my over 140 articles and 25 podcasts at JewishVeg.com/schwartz, and please see our acclaimed documentary “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World” at ASacredDuty.com .
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Dude, get off the enviro-KoolAid. man-made Global Warming is a fraud. google the films “Global Warming or Global Governance?” and “Global Warming Swindle”. Peace!~
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Absolutely mate!Bit like the nation who lost their way when they nailed the main man to the cross!Mind you,the worlds main religious power,(the one with 1.2 billion sheep)apparently working for the one to whom we all have to answer to,has given the crucifying nation a special dispensation.This is for the time when we will all have to answer to this false representation on earth.You don`t question them in certain countries already.Meanwhile anyone who has a terrible guilt hanging over them,can join that organisation to appease their conscience for the most heinous crimes to mankind(and to children especially)
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NO fruit??
rather have some belly fat then NOT have any fruit!!
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I don’t think the idea of no fruit is deffinately not silly at all.
Some of us (including me) are VERY sugar/carb sensitive. I haven’t been to a holistic Dr. for it – maybe it’s slow metabolism/thyroid. I really don’t know, BUT – I did Frederic Pantenade’s raw diet plan which is MOSTLY fruit and in six months time my belly went from flat to so bloated and distended that I was literally in PAIN every time I bent over.
I still have not been able to get my stomach back to the way it was 4 years ago. I am all for this program. Unfortunately my wallet is not.
– But I totally get the no fruit plan.
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Boy how we jump to conclusions!
He’s not saying NO FRUIT he’s saying a balanced diet with some fruit. Fruit are great but they are sugar, sugar spikes insulin. That was the message.
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Cool. I’ve been using this VERY same education that Jorge is teaching since 1998! Everything he says. So how did he get to the stars on TV and I did not.
It’s even 12 weeks. Check out my site. I am sure I am much less expensive than Jorge, too. 
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Please send me info about your site and your program.
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Wow, please send me info on your program please.
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Hi Joyce,
See my note to Estia.
Thanks.
Marilyn
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Hi Estia, (This may be a duplicate. It crashed when sent.:)
While my program focuses on N0 insulin promoted foods as well, it is more about healthy fat loss, not a certain amount of pounds per week as there is a certain gene which will certainly get even with fast weight loss and will come back on with so much weight lost so quickly. Most likely with that result of 4 – 9 pounds per week, it is water loss (at first). After water leaves, then muscle is next and it is muscle that burns the fat. It HAS to be with it coming off that fast and this concerns me. (I noticed some of the foods he promotes ‘can’ raise insulin.)
So while Jorge has many similar things with his program as I do with mine (it’s exact approach for reducining insulin promoting foods and 12 weeks of coaching) I do have respect for anyone that helps others, yet…mine is alot more specific to people’s UNIQUE biochemistry and do not put everyone into one group, as doing a ‘one size fits all’ even WHEN it is a very healthy plan, just does not work for ALL people, ALL the time. We just keep it real….and REAL simple.
My cost for coaching is 349.00 for 3 months. I used to charge 499. but have come down during this time of financial
disaster and people really do need the correct information and to learn about their unique biochemistry, while getting the PERSONAL support to get to their desired goals for health and fat loss. By the end of 3 months, people are on thier way to a new lifestyle and body tranformation.
I find out a person’s unique genetic type by participating in a 40 question survey that is emailed. There are 5 genetic types. I keep this plan FUN!
If this interests you, then perhaps we can talk in the next couple of days. Feel free to call me with further questions or I may call you as well!
Thanks for writing,
Marilyn Sunia
Nutritionist/Diet-Wellness Coach
DNA consultant
vitalhealthnow@gmail.com
http://www.leanbodycodes.info
650-583-2898
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Yes – please send me your information I would love to compare programs:)
info@rawelements.ca
Thankyou !!
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Marilyn what is your website so I can check out your program?
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Hi!
See my note to Estia.
LeanBodyCodes.info
Thanks,
Marilyn
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Hey, I would like your website too! Please let us know where we can check it out…
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Hi Valerie,
See my note to Estia.
LeanBodyCodes.info
Thanks,
Marilyn
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Interested in Marilyn’s website
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Hi Jacqui,
See my note to Estia.
LeanBodyCodes.info
Thanks,
Marilyn
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Marilyn: Please send me your website -
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Hi Joanna,
See my note to Estia.
LeanBodyCodes.info
Thanks,
Marilyn
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Marilyn, I would like to know about your program also.
Thanks
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Marilin,
Which one is your site, you didn’t pose it, send it to me!
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Thanks David, I am trying to GAIN weight! But my special needs sons needs to lose much weight! But this guy says even 100 years ago there was no sugar or flour, ummm, yea there was!
But I love what he is saying.
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To gain weight try drinking Raw Milk.
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Well…
I can not believe that this type of info is featured here.
Jorge has his cooking ” show” , talks about humans being hunters…
What does it have to do with raw food..
I can see it is profitable.. Belly Fat – what a BS.
Sorry, David, but you are pushing this SELLING too far.
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Marta, So he’s not raw, so what! What’s right for you may not be right for me. Let’s practice openness and willingness to have an open mind to other ideas. Your holier than thou attitude doesn’t do anyone any good. There are some solid ideas here about insulin levels and losing belly fat. AND no one is making you purchase anything! I listened to the audio and got some good information! Get Real.
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Damian, showing respect for others no matter what your view is how we will help support each other to reach our goals, and uplift the planet. Love is the only way
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I did not mean to make anyone angry.
What does it mean PRACTICE OPENNESS ?
What’s your attitude now ? Is it an OPEN understanding mind ? Does not sound like one.
I don’t really read this blog, but I clicked on the link because of it’s title ” How to lose 4 to 9 pounds per week” .
I simply could not believe that people that I have met through these years( raw/ partially raw/willing to be raw etc) are looking for an answer to such a question.
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You would be surprised how much weight some people gain on a raw food diet. As I said before, see my post on Frederic Pantenaude’s absolutely HORRIBLE and dangerous dietary recommendations. In which I did, in fact, gain a crap load of weight — being a RAW foodist. And no, I didn’t fall of the wagon or cheat. I was strict about it, and it failed miserably.
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Hi…you are right. It’s called a glycemic overload. See my post above to Estia to find out more.
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Mara, I would love to find out who you are getting your info from now.
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Ahhh, thank you!. I thought I was alone out there. I’ve been feeling somewhat un-easy about all these options that I have to pay for. They are endless, almost weekly. I get the proverbial carrot that then leads me to yet more information that I have to buy.
The whole ‘have the best life ever by eating raw chocolate’, and the very serious contradictory arguments from excellent raw food scientists concerning Cacao has REALLY opened my eyes to being a bit more selective about the information I’m being encouraged to buy.
I’ve loved your conferences and enthusiasm David but I’m beggining to get a slightly sour taste in my mouth.
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this person is not alone. I have been hearing grumblings for some time now. People are no dummies ……..at least not for long . Remember the little boy in the Emperors new clothes
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I’m looking for healthy chocolate and don’t know who to believe –
so I haven’t bought any – is there really such a thing?
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There is no such thing as healthy chocolate,raw or otherwise.If you wish to protect your health do not touch it.If you are already addicted to chocolate per se,as most people on this planet are,then your judgment will be clouded on this one.Remember the smokers plea “I`m not addicted,I just enjoy smoking”or “I only smoke low-tar” or even “I don`t inhale”
Would you ask a tobacco company if their product was ok?
Heard of “Conflict of interests”?
Where do your Gojis come from?Are they grown in the country known for using human excrement as fertilizer,and still branded as “organic”?Don`t believe the myths,they are everywhere.For eg look up Cider vinegar on your search engine and you`ll find all the parrots copying each other saying how wonderful it is, “made from fresh apples” etc,but it`s still acetic acid whichever way you try and twist the truth,and will burn a hole in your gut just as easily as any other vinegar.
And the rest of them …wine,olive oil etc,etc,are all twisted by the admen.
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Joan, The best thing to do is listen to your body. Chocolate is no more a drug than a Goji Berry. They are both chemical compounds. The key here is MODERATION. Too much of anything is toxic and your reaction to chocolate may differ from someone else. You are your best teacher, if it serves you embrace it. I personally have been drinking Cacao smoothies that are rich on minerals and vitamins for years. I give myself a couple days off a week from the smoothies. Moderation is the answer…
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Some people can NOT be 100% raw foodists. And some just don’t want to. I tried it, *see my post above* And in my experience, being a raw foodist sucks ~ and is deffinately not in my best interest. It doesn’t make me feel good, it doesn’t make me look good and I do better with more of a balanced approach to eating instead of one size fits all.
I think Jorge’s plan makes perfect sense, and someone like me could totally thrive on his diet as opposed to a raw one.
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Gotta agree with you Marta. I have really gotten into the raw lifestyle but lately, with all the various forms of selling that DW has been doing (and the high cost for information) it does just seem like a selling/profit machine now. I’m not sure I can’t trust the things he promotes/sells and because he has been my major source for health resources, I don’t know if any of it is even true now. Certainly eating things as close to it’s natural state as possible makes good health sense but the rest is questionable. All the sprouting, dehydrating, supplementation? We were told to just go get water from a spring and now we have to pay hundreds of dollars to find out how to tell if water from your spring is not good. What? Suddenly only certain springs have good water?
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Excellent information. All true. I have lived this truth for 30 years. How exciting, how wonderful, that you are bringing this research to the public. My sister lost 100 pounds while recuperating in a wheelchair from broken feet from her weight combined with poor diet and lack of Vit. D, etc. She is a swimmer…but she lost the weight while she was inactive in a wheelchair. She tells me the women at the pool her age (65) are all overweight…some quite obese, can barely walk and breath…though they swim every day….they eat the wrong foods. They ask Patty how she lost the weight. When she tells them diet, low sugar, etc. they change the subject. Thank you, thank you.
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GOD BLESS YOUR WORK.
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David,
It surprises me that you have your product, and then you are pushing someone else’s. I understand multiple streams of income, but this is to much! When are you guys going to stop selling anything to your mailing lists, just so you make money??
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I agree, Cathy. I wish that everyone wasn’t out to make a buck and would willingly SHARE more of this life changin info. I have no clue what to eat because every website, book or guru is telling me something different. It’s very confusing. I don’t have $100 to throw around on these products. I just don’t.
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How is giving people a choice,pushing a product ? If your not interested in it,its your right not to buy it.However why shouldn’t David promote ideas he might respect and offer people alternatives.
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Marta:
I see it differently! Health is wealth and I want to know the latest scientific information. The information on insulin, sugar and processed carbohydrates needs to be disseminated in the western world. It’s all new to me. If heart surgeons and President Clinton are speaking out about sugar and insulin, then I alos want to know that because I want to live a long, healthy life. Try it. You might even surprise yourself.
David Wolfe and Jorge Cruise are truly generous and altruistic in sharing such priceless information.
Kate – London, UK
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…hmmmm, well it’s not ‘all new to me’ and I don’t think that I will be ‘just trying it’, thanks for the advice though!
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Thank you so much for bringing up SELF IMAGE! Let’s keep getting this info out! Let’s get off the scales and get into our spiritual purpose!
Totally in line with BodyMind Nutrition! Insulin and Hormones,… is where it’s at !!! Love ya!
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Is it any wonder that everyone is not happy healthy and wealthy, even in this blog comments are signs of how much work is still to be done personally when I read things like
“When are you guys going to stop selling anything to your mailing lists, just so you make money??” AND “Sorry, David, but you are pushing this SELLING too far”
So, I invite you to look at your scarcity mindset and let go of it for all of us as a collective.
Things are here to learn and CHOOSE if it is for you.
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Nicely said Michelle!…seeing as how you are not feeling the pinch maybe you could send the info’ on once you have used it?, better still why not send me a cheque along with it?!
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Hey Steve, Why don’t you lose your scarcity mindset, do something with your life that will bring you money and buy it yourself! Or better yet, stop spreading negativity, and spend time researching this stuff yourself (it’s freely available online, just takes time to find).
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Thanks Mike for your positive contribution!. I have been a vegetarian for almost 30 years and raw vegan for about 6. I do actually have a life, and I am extremely grateful for being able to help others in my chosen profession.
It seems that one cannot debate anymore without being labelled ‘negative’, ‘racist’ or whatever term comes to hand to nullify a contrary argument. We are dealing with a sick planet populated by physically and mentally sick people. This plays directly into the hands of Pharmeceutical companies who run the planet and fund our politicians.
I find this non-stop,hard sell, U.S. style, quite typical and contrary to what many people, and hence our planet, needs. Have you read the rest of the blogs here?, you might find that I’m not alone.
We should be able to question.
Cancer research U.K. syphons hundreds of millions of dollars each year from people who work hard for their cash and give with out question, ‘because it’s a good cause’. $100 million will go toward a certain area of research which suddenly stops halfway through…where did the rest of the millions go?
It’s not that we should question, we have to.
What is it that David often quotes from Hitler? ‘the bigger the lie the more people will believe it’.
People are confused, quite right, the person they have looked to for advice has, without any questioning, brought someone into the fold who is very likely adding to the confusion.
I actually was going to pay $90 until I found out that it was only a taster which needed another £350 dollars. Well, call me cynical but!….
I don’t have a scarcity mindset, actually I consider myself very well off in comparison to others with whom I share this planet.
While my comment was made in jest I find yours to be quite negative!
Before trying to solve my problems why not take a look at yourself?
Be the change YOU want to see.
P.S. YOU can send a cheque to ME for $90 to……….
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Steve,
Instead of a check, allow me to give you a clue:
Revisit your mindset.
We can have a debate Steve, I love debates! But this isn’t what I’m talking about. Most of your comments seasoned with sarcasm and self righteousness aren’t debatable. They do nothing but feed your own ego that is clearly looking for validation. There are many truths and ultimately the one that works individually for each one of us is right.
Your mindset on value and money are clearly off. This information is available freely for all to spend the time to acquire. Some people choose to help us by breaking it down, creating products so we don’t have to. I happily give an energy exchange of cash for that. Go to youtube and see how much FREE info is there from David! You think David got money hungry all of the sudden? Doubtful! My thinking is that he wised up, deciding to take things to the next level and reach more people.
You are smitten by other guru’s and justifiably so. But you quickly dismiss and bash David’s work because he is marketing to you? Does that make any sense? All these people have valuable info to learn from. What works for you though may NOT work for me so there is not one and only way of doing things.
Let’s support and be open to all the teachers, yourself included, because they deserve our respect. Obviously if David takes my money and I see him spending it on lavish parties at TGIF then all bets are off. Dig?
Until then I would much rather spend money on this information than in a hospital or at a fancy dinner.
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yeah..but..oh my, what’s got your back up..and why me?!. I’m ’self-righteous’ but you are going to ‘allow me a clue’.Thanks for that!
Tell you what..I’ll admit to garnishing with slivers of sanctimoniousness if you admit to your arrogance.
You don’t feel that I’m worthy of debating with but you feel the right to debate or question my character without ever having met!
I actually mentioned more than one ‘guru’ and I could mention more but , of course, that would be another way for you to attack me.
You have been blinded by personality, my criticism of D is taken as a personal attack by you!, wow, maybe you should ‘get a life’.
Your thoughts are quite vitriolic…sounds like you need to get off the Cacao smoothies and give your nervous system a rest…..
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Thanks for validating my points.
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By the way, I know you are not interested, but I put my money where my mouth is. My work takes me to countries where people live on a $1 a day and don’t have the luxury of our eating habits and expenditure.
They don’t have the luxury of discussing expanding waistlines and the latest cure for them.
I actually feel quite sickened by this whole debate..so many are so ego centered it defies belief. Truly NAVEL GAZING!
Ever considered the ‘energy exchange’ of giving that cash away to someone that needs it. I’m sure the riposte would be that I’m beiing self-righteous just to asuage your guilt. Well if you can rip my character, take some back…
Of course you’ll tell me that you are a charitable person
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Ha, Ha…Sure Mike, I’ll point you in the direction of the papers concerning the toxicity of Cacao. All you have to do is sign up to my website…oh, God I’m JOKING..
O.k. the main researchers who you can reference are Gabriel Cousens, Brian Clement, Douglas Graham, Dao Earl,..that’s just to name a few.
Paul Nison wrote – ‘ Cacao is one of the biggest lies in the raw food world.
It’s toxic and anyone who says it is great is either deceiving people or being deceived.
Cacao nibs are up to 84% fat, including high levels of saturated fat. Cacao is acid forming and contains caffeine and theobromine. I hear frequently from people who are affected by the side effects from the toxicity of cacao’.
Dr Douglas Graham goes on to say ‘it is richly laden with toxins and has no place in the human diet.’
Now, I have to say Mike I’m really not interested..I mean really not interested in your very negative, offensive feedback. Part of the reason we go raw is to foster a positive attitude to each other..please pick on someone else to be offensive to.
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Paul Nison ? He is a joke.He even has bad things to say about green and white tea.Hardly a credible source of information.I seen him at the raw food expo in New York in June and he was destroyed on a panel with other raw food “experts”.There may be some people who should not eat cacao and others who thrive on it.People need to do their own research and find out for themselves if they should consume it.I happen to be allergic to many things that are good for “you”.
As far as credible sources of info goes.I would put Gary Null above all of the people you mentioned including David Wolfe.And he advocates raw chocolate and cacao.he also advocates the use of soy.Which I’m allergic to.So like I said people need to find out what works best for them and stop putting the responsibility of their eating habits in someone elses hands.
To thine own self be true,as the saying goes.
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Hey Steve, I so agree with what you have been “debating”..(people always accuse the one with the different opinion as the one who is intolerable or being cynical–funny how that happens) Everyone needs have someone to look at their blood by a microscopist. The blood doesn’t lie. There is healthy blood and disorganized blood. I have a friend who is a microscopist (I am too) who has written to David twice to ask him to volunteer to have his blood looked–no response. That will be the true measure– if all his super foods and super (expensive) advice are what he claims them to be. Have you ever heard him talk about microscopy and volunteer to show people what his live blood looks like under a microscope. Is he chicken or should I say, Is he taking a cocoa… I think it’s funny.
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Right on Michele. I will say this again:
Yeh, let’s bash David! He has all sorts of fancy cars, and planes, yachts. Parties nonstop with celebrities… he’s a real baller! Right!? Ahhh NO. The man’s mission (I’ve been following him for some time) is to spread the message of radiant health far and wide. He was one of the first to spread the message of Raw and if it wasn’t for him many of us wouldn’t even know what it is. He selflessly travels nonstop and spreads the message.
Now that he is properly marketing himself he is to most of you sheeple selling out. He’s not operating from the heart… What if this message through his marketing helps MORE people. What you feel is too expensive may in reality be too cheap. What’s your health worth?? Work has gone into these products, lots of years, lots of sweat. There is a lot of information right in front of you for free. FIND IT IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT. What you have here is a distillation of effort and knowledge.
Even though Jorge isn’t raw and may eat and endorse bacon he may reach someone that isn’t as evolved as you raw foodies but needs this information NOW! It’s all about baby steps and evolving… So if this person finds this information, acts on it then some positivity is achieved. Maybe next month, next year he will be ready for Raw. What if someone that is into Jorge finds out about David!? Best Ever!
I hear so much whining and see so little gratitude. Makes me ill.
Thank you David for your work, your message and your guidance!
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Thank You for your statement here, Heart-Wisdom. My thoughts exactly! Live and let Live and let people hear all Truths! Take what feels right and leave the rest.
We are “conscious receivers” so we will perceive on our own levels at the time. Great program and I enjoy the sharing of what is out their in this incredible world of health knowledge!
Namaste!
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Im disapointed. plants do not contain cholesterol and vegans have less heart disease that non vegans. This is just like the GI diet. Nothing new. I used to look at the raw diet as more of a primitve diet but i dont anymore. i look at it as a futuristic diet. hunders of years ago people were considered old if they reached their fourties. only now do we have the variety of foods to go raw and only now are we able to get so many super foods all around the world. i get the argument but like to look at the unkown power of this diet because i beilive that it is only now and in the future that we can have these foods so available and the info behind it.
Im not happy about this guy saying that you can eat all the fat and protein you want. I wonder if it has something to do with the meat and dairy industry. how would clinton know about a study coming out before it came out. i dont buy into this.
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It is a good thing for us all to consider how we can best pioneer healthy eating not just for ourselves but as a demonstration to those around us of natural health and wellbeing. Others watch when we make the right choices and start to ask the right questions. We need to think of future generations in the way that we farm and shop and eat, and act with insight and compassion. In this sense we are behaving in a futuristic way. We are all different with somewhat differing needs and so it is a weaving of collective experience that evolves our learning.
I try to look beyond the advertising hype in these emails and extract any useful scientific info that I can follow up. I don’t take it too seriously. There’s no need to buy, although there’s some good stuff out there. It depends if you want to do it yourself or within a support system. I haven’t bought form any of these emails(yet?), but I have many good recordings by top teachers in the field stored on my computer. Thank you, America.
I have to say that I was at a small gathering in Glastonbury, England, where David came to teach. We had free invites, he spoke and asked questions for HOURS in a friend’s living room. He referenced his work with his laptop, was charming and entertaining and heartwarming and a shining example to humanity. There was a pot for donations. No fee.
A lot of the research was done years ago. Read Ann Wigmore, David Howell, Udo Erasmus and the like. We are up against the multinational agribusiness and food marketing people and their suppression of any research that doesn’t suit them. But we can seek out what works in all our different ways, and do it. Let’s do it
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I don’t think I was understood. I am not saying – everyone has to be raw – believe me, I am far from it.
By my previous post I wanted to point that 3 years ago the message given by DW was different and it did not change because of some kind of enlightening evolution of the though, but simply because of the MARKET or MARKET getting hot.
That’s all.
I am far away from judging what people eat.
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One more thing – I see an opposite believe/message in what Mr. Jorge presents to what I have been learning thanks to DW and from him since years. That’s what the post was about.
I am at the point of my life that I don’t follow his teachings anymore, but I am glad I had this connection once.
There are many other teachers that – for me – present more truthful and healthy approach.
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who are these teachers? I am interested, because I love DW so much but all this selling is having me look for teachers of nutrition inspiration that are more ’simple’.
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Mukti – what’s the best way to send me your email address.
I don’t feel like talking about it here.
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marta,
I’d like to know too. I just don’t have a lot of money to throw around. I’m looking for information on how to be healthy, be my best and lose weight. I don’t want to spend $100 every time I need some learning info. There has GOT to be a better way. How can I get in touch with you to find out what you are doing? Thanks, Sheryl
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Hi Marta,
I’d also love to know which folks you’re talking about. I’ve read so much my head is spinning. Thank you for your help. Best wishes.
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What a shame!..I’d like to know. Or do I have to subscribe to your website and send you a cheque?!.
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Marta,
would love to learn what you are following. Please email any info to me at rachel3001@hotmail.com.
thanks.
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I don’t mind saying!…Gabriel Cousens for one. I was at a conference of his 6 years ago in Amsterdam and you should have seen the jaws drop amongst the blissed out sanctimonious Cacao party people when he mentioned that too much Cacao can blow the adrenal glands which NEVER FULLY RECOVER!. He is a measured, cautious scientist who does not get carried away with the exuberance of this very fashionable scene. A true Guru..(one who dispels darkness)
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Yeah, Gabriel Cousens from my point of view is the most down to earth person amongst them and he really knows of what he is talking about…
in my opinion of course.
Hugs from Portugal (and no it´s not a region from spain
)
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Hey!…glad we’re on a similar wave, hugs from Scotland..no, not a region of England! X
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Too much of anything is toxic Steve. This is not a revelation, it’s common sense. Drink enough water and see what happens
Bottom line is MODERATION AND LISTENING TO WHAT WORKS FOR Y O U ! ! !
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I don’t really buy the ‘listen to what works for you’ argument. Years ago if I had listened to my body I would have gone out and had a pizza followed by a pint of lager all polished off with a joint.
The general conclusion now amongst serious raw food scientists is that the toxicity far outweighs any benefits.Cacao needs heat to release the oils that give it its flavour.It’s consumtion is rarely solo but needs some form of sugar content.It stimulates excessively the central nervous system and over taxes the adrenals. Most people haven’t been green and raw enough to cope with it.
This is a far cry from the Cacao nightclubs where people are taking excess amounts of this stuff….or heaven forbid, fasting on E3 live and Cacao for days at a time.
My main argument is that we rarely question. Someone..ahem..comes out with a book and a website selling it and we all jump on it as being the magic solution.
Dao Earl said ‘The rawfood world is as prone to salesmanship and profiteering as any other niche market’
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Please point me to scientific papers outlining that Cacao is toxic for all people. I’m open to changing my ways. Been consuming cacao for years without issue. Moderation seems to be working, I’ve never felt better in my life.
I’m not talking about going with your cravings man! Of course unhealthy cravings should be resisted! But don’t you buy the idea of tuning into ones body and seeing how something consumed is making you feel? When I do that I get all sorts of answers. If I eat something not totally healthy I feel that in a change of my physiology.
Your point on salesmanship is of a mindset that requires attention. Maybe a pizza, a pint and a most definitely a joint will do you some good
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Yep! I’m totally with you on that one. I eat as much raw as I possibly can. But as far as taking any one guru’s dietary recommendations. I’ve thrown all that out the window.
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So basically the message seems to be to avoid carbs that spike sugar levels, e.g., sugar and fruit juices. It’s always good to be reminded of this, but probably not worth spending money on this program.
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I only heard him mention fruit juices, but if he also said no fruit, then I’m totally disappointed in him AND David for having him on the show. Fruit is the second healthies food on the planet after vegetables (including greens). I lost 108 lbs. in 13 months eating mostly fruit, including 22 inches off my waist. I eat most of my calories from fruit, and it feels completely natural, and my skin just glows now.
If this is the kind of nonsense David is going to be promoting now, I think I’ll just turn in my fan card and be done with it.
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Whoops, I just realized you said “sugar and fruit juices” not “fruit and fruit juices.” My bad.
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Actually, the interview was very short on specifics. The guy didn’t come out and say no fruit juices at all, I just inferred it when he said “it’s better to eat the whole fruit to fruit juices.” DW didn’t really say much and pretty much let the guy give his pitch. The guy also said his program shows what fruits can be eaten that won’t spike your blood sugar and what fruits are more problematic, but most people already know that information already. So in other words, I’m sure his information is pretty good for beginners but it’s not worth spending money for.
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Good information – had a hard time trying to follow the information through all the name dropping though. If you have good information just say it — I dont think Clinton or Gore have much to do with the raw food movement or really care if everyone eats themselves to death.
Would have liked a few more examples, so i could see the value of the program.
What about Agave and Raw Chocolate ????
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Jorge Cruise, Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Bill Phillips, Bob Greene, Barry Sears… etc, etc, etc… bla bla bla bla bla… I would rather just listen to what you have to say David. You are the leader in my eyes. Fresh, inovative, cutting edge, yet simple. I hope you stay that way. These guys have nothing on you…keep your own crusade going…leave them to all their “A list” celebs and “celebrity-ism”. Your faithful follower…from SpaFit
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‘Don’t follow leaders and watch your parkin’ meters!’
Sorry, I wasn’t being facetious, just an old Bobby Dylan quote.
The Cacao debate is a big eye opener. It’s extremely toxic, addictive stuff but one of our ‘leaders’ urges us to use it in abundance. Take a few good leaders and be selective and cross reference.
It’s so easy to be blinded by personality that we begin not to question. Question authority, it’s one of the few rights that haven’t been corroded!
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….damn!, for ‘corroded’ read eroded!
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My brother…I guess I should have said “mentor”. I follow my gut feelings and I skip to my own tune…but I do admire and I am inspired by David. I am thankful for all the time he puts into researching and teaching us things. My gut feelings tell me to pay close attention to what “he” does and what “he” has to say. I don’t buy into the hype, name dropping or fancy marketing techniques of celebrity trainers like Jorge Cruise.
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Interesting, I wonder where probiotics and flora like organic kombucha tea comes into play.
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So if I can’t drink juice( which is my main source of fluids) what should I drink?besides water. I do drink tea as well. no fizzy stuff. I just do 100% fruit juice. Milkshakes? what else?
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Drink water, water and more water, hot water with sage, or with fenel seeds, or with ginger, or with camomile, that kind of thing. But fruit juice? It makes big money for the manufacturers. Oh, and if you like coffee as I do, make do with one cup a day of the real thing, made of fresh grounds. Nutritionists may balk at this, but I do real life, not ideal.
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I highly recommend http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/ and fitonraw.com – both have tons of free, excellent info and advice.
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I am dissapointed too, seems Jorge seems more interested in mentioning the names of famous people than really giving people information about the real problem of loosing fat around the waist. I don’t trust him, I’m sorry, maybe I was expecting something more interesting like the info David has given us, so what’s it that we are supposed to eat to keep healthy and slim eh? this is confusing me
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I am a believer in ‘take what you like and leave the rest.’ In this case, I am not interested in eating meat or in promoting that industry, and I know you can be healthy without meat. What was helpful to me was learning that insulin and sugar are major culprits. I have gone to Curves for months and not seen my waistline change although I have built muscle. I became frustrated. Knowing it is more about soda and sugar gives me hope that I can see a change by focusing on cutting down on something so simple.
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Its a shame Jorge needed to drop names as it distracted me from what he was talking about. Started off well, but then rambled on. He was a perky chap to listen to, but a bit boring in the end. Not interested in his product as I don’t believe in him from this talk, but glad I listened. Thanks.
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I think Dr Robert O’Young has done some amazing work in the area of health. His work mainly focusses on hyper-alkalising the the body.
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Hi Avo, Isn’t this the same low glycemic approach you have been advocating ALL ALONG?
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marilou henner said this about sugar and processed carbs about 5 yrs ago?
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Dr. Mercola says all this and more on his website. Sugar and Insulin were known about in the 1950’s. It’s not news, it’s just that there have been too many vested interests in keeping it quiet. But I do think this guy exaggerates. I know a lot of fat elderly people. Stress has a lot to do with premature aging and dying.
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Thanks some good info…
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I am vegan, mostly raw and organic. I’ve never heard of Jorge before, but when i mentioned him to a close friend, he told me he lost 65lbs after going through the guy’s book and it stuck for this past 8 months. While my diet is much more strick than his, I’m thankful my friend (who is def not a raw foodist, unless you count the lettuce and pickle on his burgers) hooked up with Jorge and a program that got him the results he really needed and help fixed an issue he struggled with for half his life.
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Wondering if there are any true Taoist out there????
these bodies are all built different and require different fuel. Maps are offered and might be useful but are not the terrain……
Know your own terrain and determine for yourself what is right and reserve your judgements…
learn the language of you body by experimenting, listening and applying that which promotes the most energy making you a useful human being. even Dalai Lama, along with the other Tibetans eat meat!!
p.s. there aren’t too many humans who have mastered living for ever *smiles*
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thank you so much for saying that. i was starting to become disheartened and kind of disappointed by all of this talk…
I just wanted to show my appreciation for this comment..
have a beautiful day..
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The appreciation goes to Fireweed by the way!
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Enjoy your bacon sandwhich!……My smile is only 560 years old but helped along by the knowledge that I’ve only harmed a few vegetables along the way.
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Did Jorge actually say that when people were done with the LongevityNow program, he would take them to the next level????????? I thought LN was supposed to be IT!!!!! All you need to know/do….???
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K: that’s what I thought too – the best thing about all the money I’ve spent on this program is the chat room which we could probably find a lot less expensive doing a search-
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Well, it’s great Mr. Cruise has finally got onto this. Although he is very late to get the picture. Still, he is an influential man and we should be grateful for that.
The way he lays the blame on insulin is only part of the picture though. Shall we blame cortisol, leptin, what’s it going to be this time?
David, by the way you were leading him, you are already obviously well aware of this. I trust your motivations here are altruistic…
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New and revolutionary info? Only if you choose to believe more hype and buy in to another ’success’ personality knowing the ’secret’ to something new; which in reality most of his truths are biochemically and physiologically false and what truths remain have been already known for up to decades.
Who doesn’t know about processed carbs? The book Good Calories, Bad Calories is so seriously flawed on the paleoanthropological, biochemical, and physiological science basis that it cannot be taken as a serious intellectual scientific endeavor. We were not ‘hunters and gatherers’ but predominantly gatherers. We were the HUNTED if anything. The spear and bow and arrow are relatively recent on the time scale of man. Earliest man ate relatively very little animal protein, when at all, and it was eaten raw for thousands of years, when obtained. The real scientific history on this would be a three hour lecture in itself, so being brief here does not do justice to the subject.
So according to Jorge, edible plant life was relatively scarce and animal life was so abundant that we did not have to expend many calories to obtain it – I guess one only had to put out his/her hand and something would swim, run, or fly into it and, voila, instant meal and dense, HEALTHFUL, calories! Stating that we can eat as much protein and fat as we like, while plants and berries were rare in our diet, is totally ludicrous scientifically, physiologically, and anthropologically. Already, Jorge should lose all credibility for anyone who wants to learn some truth and improve their health, let alone lose their belly fat. But, of course, weight loss is a huge marketing trigger — probably number one. And this is obviously not lost on Jorge.
Little of what Jorge says, and probably knows, is the truth of what actually causes elevated and sustained levels of insulin. It is PROTEIN, particularly animal protein, and its effects on elevating cortisol and cortisol’s effect on elevating insulin. This is a sustained elevation of insulin over time that is independent of the hypo and hyperglycemic effects of carbohydrates and insulin response. Our modern diet consumes an excess of protein (yes, probably even if your ‘raw’) and this is another MYTH that needs to be popped.
Physiologically, protein is the ‘dirtiest’ source of energy production and produces the least amount of ATP along with high levels of toxic acid residues that must be efficiently and quickly transmuted and excreted by the body. And animal protein requires a huge amount of energy expenditure by the body to process.
So if you want, as he quotes, “a dummies way to think”, I guess this is the program for you ‘dummies’ out there. If you believe his claims that he has come up with the right CODE over the past three years; as he says, “the right grams per code and the right servings per code for sugars and carbs”, then you have just bought into another man-made pseudo-science “cutting-edge” and “revolutionary” fad that will soon hit the trashcan of history like hundreds of others – i.e, the zero carbs hype and eating for your blood type BS. Undoubtedly, however, which will produce millions for its author before it’s abandoned. In fact, this program sounds as just another variation of the demonization of the carbohydrate diet, which may do serious harm to one’s health if followed. After this program, it would really be interesting to find out what his anti-aging program is like.
Some simple advice is to just keep your fruit intact with its fiber; be careful of juicing hybridized, high sugar-bred fruits; moderate use of honey; get rid of the agave and yacon syrup; use whole fruits to sweeten (particularly dates, figs, prunes); get rid of cacao and namu shoyu; be CREATIVE and always be watchful of being DUPED in falling to the next ‘latest and greatest’ craze. You can be assured that many more will follow.
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Oh, yes, I almost forgot. I can’t help but to imagine how hard David must have been biting his tongue during this interview.
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Thanks all for expressing what you had in your hearts. I enjoyed SasQuackwatch’s comments among others.
Anybody can chose to eat meat and justify it to feel better. You don’t have to do it from a physiological point of view. You can just say “I like it and respect myself”. But saying that for our human physiological evolution meat was so important is another thing that I don’t buy.
Of course eating raw meat is much healthier than eating tofu but I thought must of us new it already that the normal vegetarian diet is unhealthy. And also many raw vegan eaters don’t do it well.
I’ve been vegetarian for 25 years and raw vegan for 8 years. I’m stronger and healthier and extremely flexible at 50 y/o than at 30 even though I was a pro contemporary dancer at that time. But I am blood type O, so I don’t buy into that stuff either as “I should be eating high protein diet” which I’m not.
My main source of calories are fruits but eat tones of vegetables.
So, there is nothing new but that I see that DW is dealing with someone that is targeting to a wider market.
I’ve been more a walker than a talker and there are big talkers but I notice from some videos that even though DW is 11 years younger his waist line is proportionally much wider than mine.
So he’s a good talker without a doubt but I don’t believe everything he says and promotes. I read, listen and make choices.
I’m thriving as a raw vegan because I use also my intuition and enjoy my life and food so much but I believe sometimes there can be a blinding ambition on those from who raw-food = business.
I’m somehow disappointed by the fact that this is promoted as new and that we have to buy that information even if we are supposed to be already updated through this website of the best tools to remain youthful. And we already payed for it.
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This sounds like it’s going to be a rehash of the “Sugar-Busters” approach.
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Hi everyone, I listened to this interview – out of curiosity only to see what would be advocated. My story? 5 years ago, I was the 3′F’s’ fat, female and in my forties. Prime candidate for gall bladder problems and stones. I was 73 kilos heavy on a 5′ 4 frame. Today as for the past 5 years I am 23 kilos lighter, my triglycerides, cholesterol, blood sugar levels are beyond excellent. What changed was being given access to Dr. Arthur Agatson’s material. This is what I heard being expunded on today and what spurred me to write this comment. Despite the hype, this message is NOT NEW. It was researched a long time ago and I’m living proof that it works. It’s more likea re-packaging of Dr. Agatson’s diet (South Beach) – only with a touch of glamour added to attract people. If anyone seriously wishes to reach a healthy physical condition – inside and outside and lose stomach fat – - do yourselves a favour, google the south beach diet – it’s free, has all the info required to get you there and as for motivational support? – this diet reduces your waistline FAST – after 1 week – you only need to look in the mirror or feel how loose your pants are – that will keep you going for sure. Good health and happiness to all!
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One word.
Atkins.
Remember how he was ridiculed? It’s all coming back around, isn’t it?
The truth of the matter is that our ancestors evolved eating meat. It is a healthy human diet.
There is no good proof that a vegetarian or vegan diet is better for people than a meat based diet. None.
For more info on stuff like this, read Protein Power and the blogs of the authors, the Eades.
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..Well, it’s only coming ‘all back around’ if you are buying into another myth.
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Food is such an emotive issue that confusion about what is right and wrong, the myriad thories and conflicting advice can lead to unhappiness which would seem to be the number one trigger for disease.
David himself once said ‘look to the people who are getting results’.
Who are these people?..again I must reiterate here..Dr Brian Clement of The Hippocrates institute and Dr Gabriel Cousens of the Tree Of Life are reversing diabetes and curing people of cancer, brain tumours, obesity, drug dependancy and even serious mental health problems. So come on!, check these people out and get a reasoned, down to earth approach. Let them help you cut through the swathes of misinformation, fads, diets, fashion, hype and over excited melodrama aimed at creating self wealth. They have a genuine protocol to help humans regain their health and ultimately the health of the planet.
David also said, at a lecture I was at and helped prepare the food for, ‘Every time I think I’ve hit upon something new I’ll go and tell Gabriel about it and every time he’ll have known about ten years before’
Much Love and I hope you find the health and ultimately the happiness that you deserve.
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Steve , there are many good looking people, with some sparkle and they eat horrible foods. They will stay slim and they might exercise a lot. Look does not say anything.
David’s lectures were different 3 years ago. He would never invite someone talking like Mr. Jorge that sounds like Angrew Weil. And we know that Mr. Weil is an ” expert” in the health..
But Mr. Jorge has to hide behind these big names of celebrities, because he knows he is not ready to talk about serious things yet.
The money factor has to be present. All these people treat what they do online as a job. Nobody wants to just do everything for free,
What scares me is that everyone who goes on the raw diet ( or a diet, after being obese ) etc, feels like an expert and makes up another program for $197, $397 whatever.
I still have my blog about raw, it exists because of attachment ( I started 4 years ago) , but I lost an interest in promoting, promoting and promoting. Maybe these few years back there was not so many quaks. It felt like truth.
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Marta–
would you please send me a link, for more info — there’s so much verbiage flying around! I do have that belly fat issue–ever since my second pregnancy… other issues, too. THANK YOU!
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Marta- I agree. Of course people have to make a living, there is a fine line though. We want everyone to be able to make adjustments to their diet for the good of all mankind. Ultimately there is the danger that information becomes affordable for those within a certain strata, class or earning level which ultimately causes seperation.
A them and us situation.
There is a reason why a Mcdonalds burger is $1.35 and a piece of ‘organic’ broccoli $2.40. It’s so easy to forget that over 1 Billion people are starving on this planet.
Jorge has sold over 5.million books?,..as a fellow Scot once said, Andrew Carnegie( the guy who came up with the idea of free lending of books, libraries!) ‘to die rich is a sin’. I firmly believe that the rich have a duty to help the poor.
If I thought that half of my $100 was being used to feed people who aren’t in the position to pontificate about ratios of fats to carbs I would be more inclined to part with my cash.
Where is the much needed unity in community?
Sorry, I’m waffling and not being very co-herent.
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Steve, what a wonderful idea! If I thought half of my $100 would be going to help the poor, I’d do it as well. I’d shell it out even though I don’t have an extra $100 and I’d feel good about it. I agree, the rich do have a duty to help the poor, but the vast majority don’t seem to live up to that. There has got to be a better way for us to feed this world (and ourselves) beside cheap plastic McDonald’s types of foods.
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You could start the program yourself so that you would know exactly where the money goes. Supporting this group is certainly not going to feed the Hungary mouths but the hungary pockets that are bottomless pits.
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Since reading the comments I no longer desire to even listen to the man.Maybe somebody will find it useful and incorporate it as a part of their personal growth.
I prefer to exercise more caution when Dishing out my hard earned money to some “expert”. We are all experts today compared to our ancestors. We all know what to do and what is right for us.
We have one of the best resources available for information.it is under your nose right now .
Since I discovered how to eat 99% raw I have found that one only needs to listen to a few experts( Victoria Boutenko ,Gabriel Cousins MD are the first to come to mind but there are many others ) to realize that it is just %80 common sense and a high speed blender ! This alone will give you the power you need to loose or gain weight at will .
I have learned much from David Wolfe but I must admit I can no longer afford him . I am sure he will not miss me
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Tell it like it is girlfriend. I can’t even afford to listen to Mr. Wolfe-avocado anymore..gotta leave space in head for something more real…something like love.
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Yeh, let’s bash David! He has all sorts of fancy cars, and planes, yachts. Parties nonstop with celebrities… he’s a real baller! Right!? Ahhh NO. The man’s mission (I’ve been following him for some time) is to spread the message of radiant health far and wide. He was one of the first to spread the message of Raw and if it wasn’t for him many of us wouldn’t even know what it is. He selflessly travels nonstop and spreads the message.
Now that he is properly marketing himself he is to most of you sheeple selling out. He’s not operating from the heart… What if this message through his marketing helps MORE people. What you feel is too expensive may in reality be too cheap. Work has gone into these products, lots of years, lots of sweat. There is a lot of information right in front of you for free. FIND IT IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT. What you have here is a distilation of effort and knowledge.
Even though Jorge isn’t raw and may eat and endorse bacon he may reach someone that isn’t as evolved as you raw foodies but needs this information NOW! It’s all about baby steps and evolving… So if this person finds this information, acts on it then some positivity is achieved. Maybe next month, next year he will be ready for Raw. What if someone that is into Jorge finds out about David!? Best Ever!
I hear so much whining and see so little gratitude. Makes me ill.
Thank you David for your work, your message and your guidance!
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Ive been interested to learn more. But will not be sucked into all those trying to make money out of it.
Check out this website. He is well known and never been proven wrong on any of his research.
http://www.drmcdougall.com
He has a detailed free weight loss section on his site also. Or should I call it a ‘healthy lifestyle’. Its worked for me and I am always interested in trying to keep up to date. But refuse to pay 400 for 200 for that for some MIRACLE cure that has been found.
I am with you Shirley and all the others that think the same.
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DiManno: Life returns to an eerie Chernobyl
October 17, 2009
ROSIE DIMANNO

Valentina Kovtunko shows the flowers in her cottage garden in a ghost village called Opachichi. (October 16, 2009)
ROSIE DIMANNO/TORONTO STAR
CHERNOBYL, Ukraine–The three babushkas clink shot glasses and toss back overproof vodka.
They are 75, 80 and 81 years old, a trio of cackling crones who assure me – rheumy eyes crinkling with amusement – that vodka is the best antidote for radiation sickness.
They ought to know: Survivors of the worst nuclear accident in history – 400 times more radioactive fallout than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima – and living all these years since in the shadow of the sinister Chernobyl reactors, illegals in their own condemned homes.
The resettlers, they’re called, reverse migrants who defied the state to take up residence again in the crumbling cottages of “black villages” located within the 30-km exclusion zone around Chernobyl, ground zero.
On their own, without a guest to impress, the ladies would be drinking samogon, a belly-burning moonshine made from fermented sugar, yeast and potatoes. But for company, they break out the good stuff, served with platters of cheese, cold cuts and dark brown bread.
The meat is from slaughtered pigs that snuffle in earth still so infused with toxins that nothing grown in this soil is permitted to be sold outside the exclusion zone, even 23 years after an accident that remains the single Level 7 incident on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
Yet the cottage gardens are lush with fruits and vegetables and flowers ablaze with colour, almost monstrous in size and vividness. For the locals, only mushrooms are considered too poisonous to be edible. Well, maybe one or two in the soup pot is okay.
“In Ukraine, it is customary to have at least three glasses of vodka,” explains Valentina Kovtunko, setting her crutch aside to top everybody up for another round.
Olga Zahovna, who is stone-deaf, gasps when the visitor takes a stool at the corner of the kitchen table. “No, no, single girls are not allowed to sit in the corner chair. That means you will never marry.”
Perish the thought.
Maria Shovkuta takes the guest’s face in her clawlike hands and mumbles: “You remind me of someone, from long ago.”
They have little beyond their memories and yet they endure, surrounded by framed photographs of children and grandchildren on the wall – relatives who are allowed to visit only one day a year because of the continuing radioactivity – their connection to the outside world a bulky radio-phone provided by the state, a bus that comes once a week for shopping trips to the bazaar in the closest “clean” town, and, jarringly in this rustic home, the flat-screen TV purchased by Kovtunko’s daughter. The ladies sit around it on most evenings to watch their favourite shows while they knit.
“My children lived in Pripyat but of course they left and didn’t come back,” says Kovtunko, referring to the model town that the Soviets built to house workers at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, now an eerie modern-day Pompeii overrun with foliage, a tangle of trees and underbrush choking the concrete and brick, as nature reclaims its territory.
“I’m not lonely,” insists Kovtunko, a former Chernobyl cleaning lady who was born nearby and moved into this house upon marriage. “I have my friends and my garden. There’s so much work to do. I don’t have time to get bored.”
She looks fondly at her friends. “We were young together.”
They are all widows. Kovtunko’s husband actually died before the nuclear accident and she was loathe to leave his grave untended, just one more reason for returning; that, and her discomfort with the three-room high-rise flat outside Kyiv where authorities had placed her afterwards, a space shared with other evacuees. “Oh, the noise! I couldn’t sleep. And we didn’t even have a proper stove to cook on.”
Upwards of 400,000 Ukrainians from around Chernobyl were evacuated and relocated in the year after the accident.
Better to come back here, Kovtunko decided, after a year living away, reunited with about 80 other elderly citizens who likewise returned to this village, Opachichi, authorities relenting because the optics of forcibly removing stubborn old folks was even worse.
“I believe that it’s clean here,” continues Kovtunko. “I don’t think we should have ever been made to leave. Look at me – I’ve never been sick a day.”
Officially, these villagers don’t even exist. And only 14 of them are left – 13 women and one man – in Opachichi. Another nearby black village has one sole occupant, a cranky sort who achieved fame when he met with Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko and elicited a promise that he’d never be harassed by officials again.
What none of the Opachichi residents own is a dosimeter, the hand-held ticking Geiger counters that measure radioactivity.
“Bah, who needs it?” scoffs Kovtunko. “I’m an old lady. The radiation hasn’t killed me yet. And when I die, that won’t be the reason.”
Her fear, an illogical paranoia, is that authorities are eyeing the region with the idea of establishing a hunting and fishing preserve, since the ecology of this contaminated environment has sprung back of its own accord, a weird post-apocalyptic biosphere rife with undisturbed wildlife: boar and lynx, the white-tailed eagle (a total newcomer), Przewalski horses, an estimated 300 wolves, birds and voles, mutantly large catfish in the Pripyat River. Some of these species had not been seen for decades. (The only “mutants” identified in Chernobyl lands have been barn swallows with partly albino faces instead of the species’ typical red chins.)
While hunting and fishing are forbidden, poachers are known to bag game and sell it to restaurants in Minsk and Kyiv.
The Ukrainian government designated the exclusion zone a wildlife sanctuary in 2000, despite radiation levels up to 100 times higher than acceptable “background levels” in some hot spot locations, not all of them marked by diamond-shaped warning signs that loom like scarecrows.
A lethal exposure of radiation ranges from 300 to 500 roentgens an hour and levels around the exclusion zone vary from 15 to several hundred microroentgens. (A microroentgen is one-millionth of a roentgen.)
The risk is in long-term exposure, which is why those who continue to work at Chernobyl – including the maintenance crew at the reactor plant, officially shut down in 2000 due to international pressure – are on two-week shifts, after which they must stay outside the zone for the following two weeks. Most plant personnel live in Slavutych, built after the disaster some 50 kilometres away, arriving on a train that weaves back and forth across the Ukrainian/Belarusian border.
This district is alive with cesium, strontium, plutonium, ruthenium, hundreds of different isotopes no larger than a microdot, spewed into the atmosphere on April 26, 1986, the eruption of Reactor No. 4 caused by poor design combined with errors made by control room personnel during a testing procedure. Further explosions sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout drifting over an extensive geographical area, 130,000 square kilometres contaminated to some extent. The 12 square kilometres of evergreen woodlands that stood directly in the path of the deadliest debris immediately turned red and died. That’s the “Red Forest,” of which only a small portion remains, the rest buried.
Two people were killed in the initial steam explosion. According to a 2005 report by the Chernobyl Forum, 56 deaths were directly attributable to the event (47 accident workers and nine children with thyroid cancer). The World Health Organization estimates some 4,000 subsequent deaths have occurred or will arise from it, from among 600,000 people most highly exposed to the radiation. Greenpeace predicts an eventual death total of 93,000.
Cancer rates around Chernobyl are unusually high, 65 times normal according to some reports. Upwards of 4,400 Ukrainian children and adolescents have already undergone operations for thyroid cancer, the most common consequence of radiation. In neighbouring Belarus, health officials say 20 per cent of the country’s 10 million people are suffering from radiation-linked ailments.
Nearly a quarter century later in this poisoned realm, the microscopic particles still adhere underfoot, which is why visitors are directed to avoid stepping on mossy patches of ground or brushing up against branches. Because dust explodes with every step, Ukraine doesn’t allow any plowing or building in the zone either. No burials have been permitted in the zone since the accident and the cemeteries that were already there are sinking into wildness – sad remnants of a lost civilization. A heart-wrenching sight is a child’s grave decorated with Dinky cars, now overrun with weeds.
Before they knew what they were actually doing – the wrongness of it – officials ordered much of the zone plowed under, including entire villages within the 10 kilometre radius. Equipment used in the massive cleanup operation was also interred – but not deeply – because it was too radioactive dirty to be brought out, though scavengers chopped up helicopters, trucks and construction vehicles for parts that were sold as far away as Moscow.
Decontamination, rain and the passage of time have washed off much of the radioactive grime that coated Chernobyl, though plutonium has a half-life of 25,000 years. What didn’t blow away has sunk into the soil, been absorbed by plants, in turn eaten by animals, and moved on up the food chain to be part of the biological continuum.
Yet this most blighted part of the planet is so very far from a dead zone these days. With humans withdrawing, animals roam at will and the plant life is more dramatic, even if some trees have sprung strangely. As one researcher put it: “Those trees have a terrible time knowing which way is up.”
Few predicted this kind of resurgence in so short a span of time. It’s all still contaminated but it’s abundant in the absence of human habitation, reinforcing the belief that the greatest threat to nature is man. Left to its own devices, nature finds a way to survive and thrive.
The debate about Chernobyl as Paradise Rediscovered is raging on the pages of scientific journals because the experts can’t agree on what’s happening and why.
Biologist Robert Baker, of Texas Tech University, was among the first to report that Chernobyl had become a wildlife haven. He has taken research teams to the region more than 30 times since the early 1990s.
“It’s a fascinating and gorgeous place,” Baker says in an interview. “I refer to it as a kind of aquarium for animals and plant life.
“We’re of the opinion that there are, within both the 10-km and 30-km zones, more rats and mice and pigs and moose and horses and endangered species than there are outside of the zone. It’s evident that human behaviour is more dangerous for that environment than radiation.”
An acute radiation dose, obviously, is lethal; it kills off mammals with red blood cells. “But a chronic low dose doesn’t have the same effect,” Baker notes, basing his view largely on mice and rodents that, he says, have shown a remarkable tolerance for elevated radiation levels.
This not only contradicts scientists, but is heresy to the wider constituency of doomsayers who oppose nuclear energy on the grounds it is a profound safety risk and intrinsically unsound ecologically.
Baker thinks organisms can cope with the destructive effects of radiation, at least to a point, after which the damage becomes irreparable and the species might die out, with domino impacts.
A strong argument was also made for nature in balance with radiation by journalist Mary Mycio in her authoritative book, Wormwood Forest: A Natural History of Chernobyl. During her research, she made a complete U-turn on both the value of nuclear power and the assessment of Chernobyl.
“Contrary to the myths and imagery, Chernobyl’s lands had become a unique, new ecosystem,” she wrote. “Defying the gloomiest predictions, it had come back to life as Europe’s largest nature sanctuary, teeming with wildlife. Like the forests, fields and swamps of their unexpectedly inviting habitat, the animals are all radioactive. To the astonishment of just about everyone, they are also thriving.”
A starkly different view is put forth by the likes of Timothy Mousseau, a Canadian-trained biologist at the University of South Carolina. He has called Chernobyl a “sink,” where animals migrate because there are so few humans around but then struggle to build new populations, rapidly dying off.
A high proportion of the birds he and his colleagues examined suffer from radiation-induced sickness and genetic damage. Mousseau’s study, published in March, said populations of bumblebees, butterflies, spiders, grasshoppers and other invertebrates were low in the most contaminated areas and barn swallows – only a third of which are reproducing – have a high rate of genetic abnormalities. Scientists worry mutated birds will pass on their abnormal genes to the global population.
Mousseau has now started work on a long-term study of humans who live in the area, a study involving more than 11,000 adults and 2,000 children.
Back at Chernobyl, Reactor No. 4 is now buttressed and entombed in 10 storeys of lead-and-steel shielding, known as the sarcophagus, soon to be replaced with an even sturdier protective shell. From the Bridge of Death – its clear sightlines drew residents to watch the fireworks the night of the accident, exposing them to an uninterrupted stream of radiation – plant workers now toss bread crumbs to giant catfish in the Pripyat River.
Near to the quartet of reactors is a spent fuel processing plant built by a French company and never used because control rods from the Chernobyl reactors don’t fit into the machinery. Spent fuel is hot and there’s no safe way to get rid of it.
Close by, but a world away from all the controversy and conflicting research, the women of Opachichi get on with their small, tranquil lives, a very particular species that’s also dying off.
But then Kovtunko tells the story of Maria, the only child born in Chernobyl since the disaster, her parents the youngest of the returnees.
When the couple later divorced, Maria and her mother stayed put. Now 12 years old, Maria lives at a boarding school outside Kyiv but comes back on weekends, happily visiting with elders, bringing a child’s laughter to these eerily quiet villages.
Says Kovtunko: “She belongs to all of us.”

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For those of you who can’t afford to run out every time and buy into a program.You might want to look into Gary Null phd.He has been teaching about nutrition for over 35 years.His website is free,he offers free information and he’ll be the first one to tell you that if you can’t afford to buy one of his books.To just go to a library or Barnes and Noble and read it there.He offers free health support groups and if you live in the NYC area he offers free running and walking classes.
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btw you can also listen to his radio show through the internet for free as well.Although his shows cover many different subjects.so if you only care about yourself,then you might be disappointed.
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The Vegetarian Myth – Food, Justice, and Sustainability
We’ve been told that vegetarian diet can feed the hungry, honor the animals, and save the planet. Lierre Keith believed in that plant-based diet and spent twenty years as a vegan. The author argues that we’ve been led astray—not by our longings for a just and sustainable world, but by our ignorance. The truth is that agriculture is a relentless assault against the planet, and the more of the same won’t save us. In service to annual grains, humans have devastated prairies and forests, driven countless species extinct, altered the climate, and destroyed the topsoil, the basis of life itself (Keith, 2009). Keith further argues that if we are to save this planet, out food must be an act of profound and abiding repair: it must come from inside living communities, not be imposed across them.
The myth is that civilization is progress, for human rights, human health, and human culture. The myth continues: agriculture’s foods are the foods for peace and justice (Keith, 2009). The industrialization of agriculture has made factory farming possible. This is a point that political vegetarians need to understand. Animals were taken off their native food, out of their natural life patters, because they weren’t needed on farms anymore. The urbanization of American’s animal population would never have taken place if not for the advent of cheap, federally subsidized corn (Keith, 2009). We have already seen how these crops demand more water from dying rivers, sinking water tables, emptied aquifers, how irrigation creates a wasteland of salt-caked desert. The author writes, “My point here is that this abundance of grain is no true abundance. When the vegetarians claim, for instance, that ‘Britain could support a population of 250 million on an all-vegetable diet’, they are basing those numbers on the overinflated production any made possible by fertilizer from fossil fuel.” Set aside the soil loss, the salinization, the emptied rivers. Whether fed to people or animals, the grain in those numbers is essentially fossil fuel on a stalk (Keith, 2009).
In the broadest strokes, we need a multilayered approach to setting the world right. The first set of tasks, the author writes, revolves around inoculating people against future fascism. Why? Because civic society is going to be under some tremendous strains very soon. As the basic arrangements of industrial society fail, fascism is one likely outcome. Desperate people are vulnerable to easy authoritarian solutions, especially ones with scapegoats (Keith, 2009). The first things we’re likely to lose are human rights and democracy. Teach people about the direct democracy, get the local participatory governments in place, and defend the concept of universal human rights at all costs, especially if you work with children.
Second is building local economies, especially local food networks, and all the survival skills for a post-petroleum world. This is the place where we need a new culture and new encultration practices to replace the life patterns to which we’ve been socialized (Keith, 2009). Our entire social, spiritual, sexual well-being is scripted around a happy heterosexual nuclear family with two cars, two kids, and enough consumer junk to outfit a third world village.
And we need new food that protects prairies and forests and wetlands, food that’s a partnership between animals and plants, soil and us (Keith, 2009). But that new culture can’t just be an alternative. It has to be self-consciously oppositional to the dominant culture. That means it has to encourage and support organized political resistance. The author states, we need a spiritual practice that keeps us connected to the sentience of the world, and a sexual practice that begins in justice. US Americans use much more fossil fuel than Europeans, not because we’re fixated on our individual entitlements, but because we were foolish enough to let suburbs, with their segregated distances between home, work, and material goods like food, become our dominant living pattern.
Keith, L. (2009). The Vegetarian Myth. California: Flashpoint Press
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Thanks to all who gave their opinion. There is a point I would like to make regarding knowing your body SasQuackwatch, FYI, we agree on much…
For 5 decades I ate a wide varity of foods, raw fruits and vegetables, dairy, animal protein, grains, all purported to be healthful and balanced. My husband who also ate ‘well’ was correctly diagnosed after 53 years of suffering daily with Celiac or gluten intolerence.
Our doctor put him on a diet very similar to the blood type diet but did not acknowledge it as such. To simplify meal preparation (as there is nothing fast about the meals I prepare or the ones mother prepared for the family growing up) I excluded certain foods I was comfortable eating for what he needed AND dramatically crashed my health in doing so, but it was just the last straw after decades in hospitality working late into the night had already distroyed my adreanals. Eating for my type A IS different from eating for his type O although there are many foods we can share, meat is not one.
This learning about my protein needs brought me back into health. We have been ‘eating right for our type’ 5 years now both feeling better everyday we eat right. Still getting all the nutriants needed was not happening fast enough…a piece was missing.
Now less than 3 months and $200 in superfoods later, we are feeling, acting and looking much younger with the energy of youth returning. I am learning constantly and using what makes sense to me.
If you read Live Right for Your Type, you discover, at least until new science proves otherwise, the original blood type was O. Although earliest man may not have got much animal protein, what they had was pure AND they are blessed with tons of stomach acid to break down meats with. When the great herds were eventually thinned out and we began to rely more on plants including grain that we later cultivated, blood type A appeared, later yet, type AB. It was an evolutionary process.
Today at least 50% of the population is obviously poisened by the ‘foods’, prescription drugs and crazy lifestyle they are consuming. This does explain why what works for some does not work for all AND just because it tastes good and you don’t “feel” any bad reaction does not mean it is good for you, the tipping point will arrive, generally between 40 and 50 we get to pay for abusing our temple.
This is not be the whole story but it might be an important piece of the puzzle.
So, just passing that along, you are obviously educated, keep learning…I haven’t spent a dime educating myself, the information highway offers up what we seek when we are ready for it.
Take responsibility! Keep breathing deeply…life just keeps getting better.
Peace love and joy!
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Hi Carol,
God bless you for being resourceful. People usually need to ‘follow’ the herd and you are not one of them. There are a few in this post who are independant thinkers, but so many DO need to learn to fish first. And then some still want to be ‘tethered’.
I read that book when it first came out and it worked for me as well. But not to all of my clients. I had to find something else that was missing and I did. Metabolic types, then Genenetic types.
that the offspring, even though a certain type, the plan did not work all the time. I learned from another Naturopath from my school about this and it all made sense. Now I use something for ‘those others’ that discovers one of their 5 genetic types and it works at a much higher %, but blood typing DOES work for some! What a motley mix up we are in, hah? 
I discovered because there were so many MIXED blood types marrying, especially in the ’soup bowl’ of the U.S.,
So thought I’d let you know what else is out there.
Thanks much for you post. You have a good head!!
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Thanks for telling the truth. It’s about time someone did. A real hero wouldn’t be pushing more celebrity craze. They would be leading the empowerment movement.
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Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv3ic6OOXns&feature=youtube_gdata
That’s all I have to say about this.
Sent from my iPhone
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There seems to be, more or less, a general consesus here..so, DAVID where are you?, we’d love to hear from YOU!
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but…my dad was a diabetic, so he never ate sugar and controlled his insulin, and he had a big belly!
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Hi, If you have the big belly you look no smart thus try to stay shrink by balance diet and exercises.Don`t sleep after eating heavy meals.What to do is better?Don`t watch the TV and sitting so long `cause if you do like that the fat started to store the fat on the belly.If you don`t want to walk please standing for 15 minutes.While you are eating the meal drink some water or liquid is not to be overeat.You eat the lunch and breakfast is nothing as you are busy the hole day and it could not store the fat but less eat of dinner is so healthy and not to be large belly.
If you are obesity try to walk exercise is better,don`t do the heavy exercises first.
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