Scott's Raw Journey

Oftentimes people have an economic excuse for not improving their diet. They say that organic food is way more expensive for example. I have never had another mouth to feed, or mortgage or car payments to consider. I can't imagine the financial demands of having dependents, so I don't intend to suggest that anything that I've done will work as well for somebody with kids to raise. For those on a tight budget, I will share some thoughts that have worked for me. Basically, my strategy has been to work steadily and live frugally. I have always managed to find affordable living arrangements, in poorer neighborhoods, and bike instead of drive a car. Everybody’s situation is unique, so my strategy may not be of much help. But I think it’s important to consider some of the reasons behind pursuing a path to optimum health in a way that, despite one’s economic situation, the reasons will be so convincing as to not make money an issue.

Follow up:

For me, I was so moved by the book, The Food Revolution, that I didn’t care what the cost. One of the motivations for me was, upon discovering the truth about agribusiness and factory farming, I just ethically couldn’t to support them in any way. I felt that by supporting organic farming, which sustains our planet rather than ravishes it, I would be doing my small part. But what I soon found out was that I was spending less money on food than before making the decision to eat vegan. This decision forced me to learn to prepare my own food since there were no vegan restaurants in close proximity to my humble dwelling place. Before, since I didn’t really know my way around a kitchen, I usually ate out or ordered food which really adds up.

I started shopping at Whole Foods (also know as Whole Paycheck Foods) but rather than buy the expensive pre-packaged food, I focused on bulk items like quinoa, brown rice, spelt berries, trail mixes, nuts and seeds. These options are much less expensive than buying the packaged stuff. And the food lasts longer so it’s even a better economic value. Occasionally I would buy something packaged but the majority of my food was from the bulk and produce section. I bought pre-made sauces for my stirfries that became the mainstay of my diet. My stirfries combined brown rice and quinoa as a base (leaving extra in the fridge for later) and included various other ingredients, like onions, garlic, broccoli, tomatoes, peanuts, tofu, seitan, etc, I would then add a sauce, or even a savory salsa. Everything was organic, and the food was very filling. Sometimes the stirfry was too much, so I’d save the leftovers for later. Another trick was to eat sprouted manna bread because it is very filling. Even though it is smaller and pricier compared to a regular loaf of processed bread, it will satisfy you on less.

With these changes, what starts to happen is that the body is taking in more nutrients from the organic food. IT IS A PROVEN FACT, beyond any reasonable doubt, that organic food and produce contain way more nutrient density than non-organic food. So when the body receives the greater nutrient density, guess what? You are satiated on less food, you eat less, and you spend less money on food! WIN WIN!!!

I no longer make my stirfries. This turned out to be a transition for me. My body made adjustments and rejected certain foods, such as any soy product. Soy products are highly processed and not that nutritious. It is one of those food items that have more harmful effects than healthful. Vegans are bombarded with so many soy options that they are really overdosing on the stuff. It’s also a poor source of protein. But I digress. What do I mean by my body rejecting a food?

I started to notice every time I included tofu in my stirfries, my digestion was “off”. I know that’s not very scientific, but when you make improvements to your diet, you begin to become more sensitive to your bodily functions, and your overall body as well. You start to know what “off” feels like because you have been turned “on”! Then when you experiment by removing the suspected offender, you can compare the feeling of not eating it. Then one day you forget and eat it again and suffer and are reminded not to eat it. Until one day, you finally stop eating it forever because you don’t like the way it makes you feel.

Which reminds me of why I quit alcohol. I hated the feeling of waking up hungover so much, every time it happened I would say “I’m done drinking, never again!” Then a few days would pass, and I’d be out having fun and forget about how lousy I felt a few days back. Eventually, I finally got to the point where I drank less and less, then finally stopped. My motivation had something to do with my personality. I have always felt a need to be productive. I am probably a work-a-holic type. I am more inclined to work than relax. So being unable to work, to be handicapped by a throbbing headache and mentally slowed down from the alcohol abuse was not acceptable.

The same has happened with my food choices. When I wake up in the morning, I want to spring out of bed and face the day. I don’t like the feeling of being tired and sluggish. I rarely feel that way nowadays. I sleep less and I never miss a day of work from being sick. In fact, there was a stretch in 2006 where I worked 2 jobs without taking a day off for two months. I just didn’t need to. In 2007 I worked for 20 days straight at my job in L.A. At my current job, I haven’t missed a day of work or taken a vacation day in over the 6 months since I started. I am at my job at 6am every morning, no problem. I’m not trying to sound boastful. I am just making the point that none of this would be possible without my current diet of 100% raw vegan food and medicinal herbs. Getting to this point where I feel sustained energy and complete health, (in fact, healthier at 41 than I ever remember feeling), took some time, some transitioning, lots of learning and self-experimentation, and a personal investment. I have had to live frugally and work hard, but every expense I have made towards improving my health, through diet, fasting, colon cleansing, books, kitchen equipment, has been worth every cent.

There are more specifics about actual ways to make improvements, and tricks to make the transition go smoother. But I need to stay on the topic of the economics of changing your diet. Besides what I’ve already covered, there is the simple economic reality of the cost of becoming sick in our society. Jeez louize, how much money are you going to save if you never have to worry about going to the doctor because you have learned how to heal yourself, or better yet, you just never get sick? How many over-priced prescription drugs will you avoid because you know how to heal yourself with inexpensive herbs? (After all, most pharmaceuticals are derived from herbal medicines. They’ve just isolated one chemical, patented it, put a fancy name on it, then sell it for way more than it’s worth.)

The other secret to all of this is something I call Karmic Commerce. For you poor folks like me, when you put your limited funds towards improving your health, and towards companies that are providing quality products with high quality ingredients that support the planet, this is a powerful action that has serious karmic repercussions. What happens is, the money you need to make the changes you wish to make, will become available to you. When you commit to this lifestyle of learning to prepare your own food, the time opens up to do it. Everything is energy. All matter is energy. Every thought is energy. When you put your energy towards these things, you attract to yourself the means and wherewithal to fulfill your desires. This is known as the law of attraction. Like attracts like. And even better, repels unlike!

I have been poor my whole adult life. I don’t think I’ve ever earned more than $15,000 in a year, well maybe once. I have had every economic excuse in the world to not pursue this path. But since making my decision to become vegan, I have never felt once that my needs were not being met. You are in good hands when you pursue this path for the right reasons! Money is no longer a concern. Can you imagine that? It may take some faith, but being a slave to money, to your economic condition, to your poor health, isn’t what life is about. There’s so much more behind the doors of perception for those with the heart to go beyond. Bondage to money will keep those doors tightly sealed.