The Healing Patch Blogspot

Correction for new blog address!!!

2011-02-24T17:51:00.001-08:00

Sorry, folks! The address link did not work for our new blog location on the last blog we posted.

To follow our new blog, please go to:

http://www.rawhealingpatch.com/blog.php

There! That should work ;-)

Much love and magical days,
Julie and Sarah

If you want to follow Julie's women's empowerment blog, please visit :

http://www.authenticwomancoach.com/blog-and-tv-show.php

OUR BLOG HAS MOVED!

2011-02-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

OUR BLOG HAS MOVED. YOU CAN KEEP GETTING AWESOME POSTS FROM US AT:
http://www.rawhealingpatch.com/blog.php

ALSO, SIGN UP FOR 4 FREE RAW FOOD RECEIPES ON OUR WEBSITE: http://www.rawhealingpatch.com/

Society Sets you up to Fail! - Episode 234

2010-11-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

If society is setting you up to fail on your healthy lifestyle, do the best you can to succeed! Sometimes we will be able to be perfect. Other times we will not. It's okay...take a breath and do your best. :-) And try to support businesses that support your health to the best of your ability!

Julie sheds a TEAR on the mountain - Episode 221

2010-10-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a few tears shed on Mt. Humphreys. Sometimes the things we feel in nature are so profound, and so powerful. We often need to just let them flow. And that's what I did! Check out more in the video here...

Much love and free flowing tears,

Jules

Julie Hikes the Highest Peak in AZ! - episode 220

2010-10-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

After Raw Spirit Festival I took some time to travel around my old stomping grounds (I got my first degree from NAU in Flagstaff, AZ). It was so inspiring to be out in the fresh air, tromping through trails and seeking new sites! Follow me today as I share my journey to the tallest peak in AZ (Humphrey's Peak) at 12,633 feet. This reminds us that we can do ANTHING if we set out to do it, and do not waver from that intention! Get pumped!

Magical days,

Julie xo

Part 3 Raw Spirit - Episode 113

2010-10-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

Day 3. Raw Spirit. Chatting in the dark. Have fun!

Magical nights...

Julie

Part 2 Raw Spirit - Episode 112

2010-10-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am back from the Raw Spirit Festival in Precott, AZ. It was an incredible trip full of all sorts of kindred spirits I met and then I left to travel throughout AZ for the next few days afterward. Those vids will be coming soon. For now, check out how I live on the road, the avocado treasure I found, and also here is a brief clip of our wild edible plants dvd premier (available at www.rawhealingpatch.com). We got a really nice response from our premier (in fact, one girl came up to me and thanked me for making an entertaining film out of technical/science information), so that was really wonderful. That was the mission: create a film that is fun, informative, entertaining, funny, and full of love (and it all wraps up nicely with Katrina Blair, wild foods expert, who is featured with her beautiful wisdom throughout the film).

Love to all and magical rainy days (first rain in over 6 months here in Ojai!,

Julie xo

Part 2: Reaction to Daniel Vitalis Indigenous Nutrition - Episode 209

2010-09-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here is part two. More to come this week. Check it out and feel free to begin discussions at the youtube site below the vid :)

Much love and a magical night, everyone!

Julie

Part 1: Reaction to Daniel Vitalis Indigenous Nutrition - Episode 208

2010-09-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

Here is part one of the Daniel Vitalis reaction series. He posted a series of videos about indigenous nurtition and physical evolution and I am beginning a response to that series to further the thought processes, encourage discussion, etc.... Have fun watchin! More to come this week. As always, keep thinking and intuiting :)

Magical days,

Julie

Scientific eating or Intuitive Eating? - episode 205

2010-09-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to FEEL the foods we need, based on the signals the body gives us, or do we need science such as blood tests, vitamin requirements, etc...? Check out this video for more philosophy and feel free to leave me comments! Keep thinking and growing and healing...

Love to all.. magical days,

Julie

Crazy Fun Hiking Adventures with Jules - Episode 203

2010-09-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

Nature NEVER ceases to inspire me. It is as reliable as stink on poo... haha. So join me for a short adventure throught the hills that surround me and revel in it all!

Our wild edible foods DVD is available as well. The links are posted in the info section of the video! Harvest free food and get some exercise while you are at it! YES!!!!

Magical days,

Julie

Coaching with Ka Sundance Part 1- Episode 202

2010-09-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yay! My first coaching session with Ka Sundance! I am so grateful, inspired, and driven to manifest my gifts into all I can! Check out the vid for more info and we also show our new wild foods DVD on this vid... SA-WEET!!!!! Learn to harvest wild food...why not get free greens???

Love to all and magical days,

Julie and Sarah

Julie Reads Books ; - ) Episode 201

2010-09-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading "The Essene Gospel of Peace" and "The Great Starvation Experiment." These books bring up questions about life, food, calorie restriction, and more! In this video I discuss some of these issues and leave things open to you, the viewer, to decide what you resonate with. Let me know how you feel about the issues in the vid if you would like :)

Magical days,

Julie

Wrap- up: Cooking and Finding Purpose - Episode 197

2010-09-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Yay! Part two to the last video I did regarding cooking and finding our purpose. I received an INCREDIBLE amount of feedback and it was all so intriguing and thought-provoking. Thought it would be great to make a second video based on some of that feedback and what it sparked! Thanks to everyone for responding. Keep the thoughts flowing, the belly happy, and the heart full of magic!

Julie xo :-)

Reaction to Paul Nisson Not hugging - episode 195

2010-09-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Good mornin, my lovely blog followers! Someone asked me to react to Paul Nison's decision to not only give up his raw way of life, but also to not hug anyone or touch anyone besides his wife due to new religious practices he follows. So I decided to pose some thoughts about this, while still respecting his choice to practice whatever he wishes :)

We need to all continue to ask questions, learn, converse, and listen to what our "gutt" tells us about other people and situations. Enjoy the vid and have a beautiful weekend!

Magical days,

Julie

A Day at the Beach and Updates - Episode 190

2010-08-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

Here is our first video since getting off of the 80-10-10 program. Have you been to the beach this summer? Have you been taking advantage of summer weather, nature, and the creativity that it can inspire? If not, today would be the perfect day to start! No daylight left where you are? Try doing a moon project! Fun fun!

Magical days,

Julie

Want a FREE sample of Maggie's Soap Nuts?

2010-08-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! Sarah and I were blessed to have been contacted by the folks at Maggie's Soap Nuts. They wanted to know if we would be willing to blog about our experience using their product and we said to each other, "Eco-friendly laundry soap? Easy to use? Supporting small business? We are in!"

So...it has been a few weeks since we started using Maggie's Soap Nuts and we were totally blown away!

You may be asking yourself, "What the heck is a soap nut? Is that some sort of crazy hippie product that requires rubbing my clothes with a nut until they barely suds up, at which point I give up because my hands are raw?"

Absolutely not. I am here to tell you that this product is nothing like that at all! Soap nuts are as easy to use as any other laundry detergent. Phew! Thank God....

If you notice the photo above, you can see that the actual nuts resemble dried lychees or rambutans (they are in the same family). They are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry Tree (Sapindus mukorossi), and are harvested in India and Indonesia after the nuts fall to the ground.

Maggie's says the following about how the soap nuts work, "Maggie’s Soap Nuts work like a detergent. They contain saponin, an all-natural surfactant. Conventional detergents are manufactured, chemical surfactants. Surfactants work by breaking the surface tension of water so it can more easily penetrate into fabrics, effectively making water “wetter.” Once wet, the agitation of your washing machine (or your hands) shakes the dirt loose from your clothes. Then Soap Nuts’ saponin holds the dirt in suspension in the water (preventing it from re-depositing on your clothes) until you’ve rinsed it away."

Sound groovy?

It sure sounds groovy to us!

We have this preconceived notion that frothy and soapy and bubbly equal clean. But the soap nuts do not get very "bubbly." It takes a little while to get used to the fact that your clothes will still be "clean" even though you saw no bubbles in the washing machine. But if you can suspend your preconceived notions, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Actually, due to the low sudsing, Maggie's Soap Nuts are ideal for High Efficiency and front loading machines (but may be used in any machine).

So back to our own journey here...

Sarah put about 4 soapnuts into a cute little cotton bag that they come with, and then threw that bag into her first load of "experimental" laundry. The smell of the nuts was like mild vinegar, but not offensive by any means. I thought for sure her laundry would come out smelling anything but fresh. Well, we were in for a surprise!

Our laundry smelled fresh and was very soft after taking it out of the washing machine (the soap nuts can also be used a few times until they are no longer shiny and smooth when wet). So, next was the fabric softener test. Would the laundry be full of static after drying? Would it still be fresh and soft?

All of the laundry was static-free! And it was still fresh and soft (with no added softeners).

This was SO exciting! So Sarah and I tried a few more loads and were very happy to see that the soap nuts kept on working like the first load.

Maggie's also makes a liquified soap nut product with essential oils for those who like a little fragrance in their laundry (also biodegradable and just as easy to use!).

Laundry is not the only thing you can do with Maggie's Soap Nuts. They are also wonderful for pest repellants in the garden, adding them to your compost, household cleansers, etc.... There are too many uses to list!

Now here's the cool part... Maggie's is offering other people a chance to try out their product, too! They are offering either an 8 load liquid sample or a 5 load raw soap nut sample.

Are you in?

Here's what you need to do:

1. There will be five winners and are first-come, first served. U.S. entries only, please :)

2. You need to have your own blog that you write or else blog about your experience with Maggie's as a "reply" to this blog.

3. Reply to this blog with your reason why you want to try Maggie's, and why you are either disatisfied with your current product or why you wish to move away from what you are currently using.

4. Be sure your e-mail address or a way to contact you is within your response, and someone will contact you for address info to send the soap nuts.

5. Get ready to be amazed! Maggie's Soap Nuts are raw, sustainably harvested, equally exchanged, very effective and compostable!

Happy washing, everyone! Looking forward to those replies to this blog so we can send you some Maggie's!

Much love and eco-friendly soap,

Julie and Sarah

Day 28 80-10-10 (Chillin at the Beach) - Episode 189

2010-08-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Day 28! I can't believe it's already here. Just two more days of 80-10-10 and then I will announce where I will be heading with my diet lifestyle :) In this video, I take you to the beach with me and also introduce you to ground cherries! They are incredible. Whoa.

Much love to you all. Eat your fruit :)

Love, Jules

Check out www.30bananasaday for support with 811 living :)

Day 10 of 80-10-10 (What the heck can julie eat?!) - Episode 180

2010-07-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Day 10, folks! We made it 1/3 of the way. In this video I talk about the limited choices of fruit I have right now due to the digestive system working itself out. These things take time. A lot of people freak out, quit, or assume fruit is making them have poor digestion. But it is the cleansing process that creates the symptoms and eventually the body will accommodate a wide array of fresh fruit and veggies. For now, I just keep dreamin' :-)

Magical days, my lovelies..

Julie

Day 9 of 80-10-10 (Full of Fruit!) - episode 179

2010-07-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

Day 9 of 80-10-10 under the coaching guidance of Harley and Freelee from www.30bananasaday.com. We are strong. We are stickin' with the plan, Stan, but we have some intense perceptions of fruit right now! Phew! WE ARE FULL! Cripes! Where can a girl get a nice quesadilla with extra guac and a side of salsa? Help!

Magical days... enjoy the vid and as always, feel free to comment and interact. We love it :)

Jules n Sarah-girl

Day 6 80-10-10 Update: Computers and Mangos - Episode 176

2010-07-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! Day 6 already of 80-10-10. If you are new to this blog, or have no idea what I am talkin about, check out Doug Graham's THE 80-10-10 DIET or www.30bananasaday.com.

Everything seems to be moving along nicely...we are in and out of detox symptoms but all in all it's been fabulous! Sarah just made a divine zucchini pasta dish that we will be sharing some film of tomorrow. Stay tuned! Much love, always....

Magical days,

Julie

Day 5 80-10-10 Cravings, The Lake, and Bees! - Episode 175

2010-07-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

Oh lordy... look at that still shot on the video for today! Hilarious... haha. Okay, so here is the video for day 5 on 80-10-10 under the coaching guidance of Harley and Freelee of www.30bananasaday.com. Here are some great shots of a nearby lake, some bike-riding, some inspiration, and some love! Hope you are lovin' life!

Magical days and miles of biking,

julie

Fruit Philosophy and Day 3 of 80-10-10 - episode 173

2010-07-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Whoa...serious poopin' action going on during day 3 of 80-10-10. Is it the plums? Is it the detox? Not sure. Waiting to hear back from Harley from www.30bananasadays.com, as he is guiding us on our journey. In the mean time, enjoy the video with day 3 updates and fruit philosophy. Are you afraid of fruit or the sugar that is in it? Then watch this vid!

Magical days...

Julie

Day 2 of 80/10/10 and A Call for Help (save A Place of Peace!)- episode 172

2010-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's day 2 of 80/10/10... How does it feel? Fantastic, of course :)

In this video we give a few updates, show off our adorable cat, and also ask for people to help save "A Place of Peace" in Ventura, California. It is a FREE resource for people to use if they are in need of peace, prayer, healing, etc... Please check them out and donate if you resonate with their mission.

Thanks, love, and magical days!

Julie

80/10/10 coaching with durianriders & freelea-Episode 171

2010-07-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here is our first vlog about our 80-10-10 journey with Harley and Freelee! Our first day was great. We cleaned out the fridge, relaxed, wrote in our journals, drank ungodly amounts of smoothies, and anxiously await day 2. We owe it to ourselves to create the most divinely healthy life possible. When one thing is not working, it's time to switch things up until something does! This is what we coach people to do...LISTEN to their bodies, minds, spirits, until they arrive at a new solution if the present one is not yielding the results they want.

Day 2, here we come!

Magical days,

Jules

p.s. check out 30bananasaday.com for more info or "the 80-10-10 diet" by doug graham

Back to the 80/10/10

2010-07-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

trying 80/10/10 again. i alwasy seem to go back to this diet/lifestyle because my intuition keeps guiding me to it. i know in my heart that 811 is best for my mind, body and spirit. i just have hack away at my wall of issues and move forward to the person i want to become. these next 30 days are going to be a rollercoaster ride of emotions. ready go. hang on tight and scream, weha!

Our 66 mile bike ride tour

2010-07-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

YES! We made it through our 66 miles and felt so strong, we could have gone further! :) Check out the vid if you have not already and may you stay full of a lust for life forever! Thanks so much to all of you who have been commenting on the vids, supporting us, and sending all of the love. We feel it, appreciate it, love it, and thank you immensely!

Get pumped. Ride your bike.

Magical days,

Julie and Sarah

Bike Riding with Julie and Wild Food DVD!

2010-07-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Biking is just one avenue we might choose to get inspired, stay in touch with nature, and get more physically fit. We are just two days away from our 66 mile bike tour we are doing along the coast! If you are not into biking, perhaps you can find another way to "tune in" to life, your heart, your dreams, and your body. Magical days! Get pumped!

LOve, Jules

Choose Choice

2010-06-25T08:40:00.001-07:00

Sarah and I signed up for 66 mile bike tour that spans the Ventura to Santa Barbara area and back. This made me consider the notion of CHOICE.

What is choice? What place does it have in our diets, our outlook, our experiences, etc...?

I realized that choice is at the core of everything. In ANY moment, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, we have the choice to create our experience. Sarah and I are choosing to believe in ourselves. We are stepping out over the cliff and taking a chance. We have not trained much, and just randomly came across the 3 Harbours bike tour flyer. We said to ourselves, " We can do the 25 mile race and not be challenged much, or we can CHOOSE to do the 66 mile race and know that we will be challenged, inspired, and of course sore! HA HA!" Does anyone out there have extra butt pillows? HA!

This is what life is about. CHOOSING what our moments will be. There are moments of not wanting to work certain jobs we must do to make ends meet. There are moments of being with people that are "downers" or "victims" or just plain exhausting! But we choose our own moment and experience. We choose to experience things as emanations of love. The people or experiences around us do not create our personal reality. We create it. We can choose to see the good in the most annoying and toxic of situations. We can choose to find strength in ourselves for something that we might assume is beyond our capacity.

Some great examples of this:

1. I watched an overweight man compete in the Ironman triathlon (an ungodly amount of distance!). He didn't care what his weight was, as he had already lost a bunch but was still probably considered a bit obese. He knew that he could complete this race and he did not care if he completed it in the "allotted time." It was his CHOICE to create his own reality without giving in to the constraints that society gave him. He could have said, "Oh darn. I have to hit the finish line by such and such a time. Maybe I will skip the race this year." But he CHOSE to move forward. The guidelines of the race were not part of his reality. He created his own race. He CHOSE. And he finished!

2. Someone told me their story of being in the Holocaust. They had been beaten, bruised, held in holding chambers with little air, etc.... It was amazing that they did not die. When asked how they survived, they explained that regardless of what was going around them, they held themselves in the vision of what they knew they wanted their life to be. At no point was their focus on the horrors of what was happening, but on the availability of love all around them. The new connections with people they were with, the notion that the people inflicting pain were still human. They had families, children, ancestors. This person's focus was on the goodness of everyone, the potential in everyone. And for that reason, they came out alive. And their message since then has been that we ALWAYS choose. We choose our perception, we can always choose to be in a state of love and thanks, and we can always choose to do that which we see as an obstacle. We just need to change our thoughts. This person claimed that if they had focused on how horrible everyone and everything was, they would never have gotten out alive. It was breathtaking to listen to this person who never adopted the hate, the depression, the notion that they would die. They chose the opposite of the "lot they were dealt" and realized that they could create the reality they wanted at any moment. Sometimes it takes a while to show up (for example, they had to wait some time before they were free), but the focus on the love aspect of life made the entire experience something inspirational and also saved their life.

So, hopefully all of you reading will do something today that inspires you, that brings you to the deepest part of love in yourself. There is nothing that is too small. People like to bring us down, make fun of us, give us reasons why we are not good enough, why we don't do enough, why we need to prove ourselves to everyone. But you only need to have peace and love in your own heart to create the reality you want, to prove things to yourself, to choose what your life will be. Maybe you will go for a quick run after months of not doing anything physical. Maybe you will send healing love to someone who always seems to have an angry word. Whatever it may be, I wish you a life of choice, love and happiness.

Create your day. Anything you want is waiting for you.

Much love and magical days,

Julie

Pudding Anyone? Help Children Understand enzymes - Episode 163

2010-06-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

That's right... Ophena (Sarah's daughter) broke her arm. Poor thing! Well, there are many things that can help us heal, including raw foods! Why? Because they are loaded with ENZYMES! Enzymes do not only help us with digestion, they seek out inflammatory tissue (which is generally protein-based) and help break it up! Sweet, huh?

So...we did this experiment to help Ophena understand how the enzymes she was taking were helping both her belly and her arm. She had almost NO swelling, almost NO bruising, and was playing with her friends the day after she broke her arm. Seriously...I "kid" you not.

Have fun with your kids. Do experiments and stay inspired!

Magical days...

Jules

Violiv Vibrations

2010-06-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

"Good, good, good, good vibrations...I'm feelin' those good vibrations"...(enter Beach Boys music here).

Violiv vibrations, that is! We're feelin' it, we're diggin' it! This company was kind enough to give us some products to try out, experiment with, and review.

We did an experiment with everyday food items. Things such as carrots, celery, fresh herbs, and more. In one group we sealed the perishable items in clear glass and Tupperware. The other group was sealed in the Violiv glass (the theory being that the violet-colored glass will keep out the damaging light rays while retaining and amplifying the beneficial light energies).

So, after one week with these sealed items in our cars and on the counter at room temp, we found that 5 out of 6 items were noticeably fresher, more colorful, and seemed to have more vitality. We would like to do some future experiments with skincare, dried herbs, and more! You can watch our full videos here: www.youtube.com/rawhealingpatch and scroll down our list to the Violiv experiment (two vids).

The thing Sarah and I dig about this company is that there is the potential for less waste... if we can prolong the vitality of the food/herbs/cosmetics for a longer period of time, we will waste much less in the end! Sounds planet-friendly to us. Also, the fact that this is a GLASS product instead of a plastic one does some good for the planet as well (and did we mention that they are just darn pretty? Ha ha!)!

Another thing we noticed is that our water tastes better after sitting in Violiv glass for a week in a hot steamy car than the water that sits in our reusable metal containers. There is no aftertaste. I know, sounds crazy, but it's true! So... if you wanna check these lovely glass containers out, go to www.violiv.com. While the glass seems to be a new innovative idea, they pull from various ancient backgrounds, including some Egyptian ideas that applied this same technology and concept. I won't go on and on about every little detail...check out the site for more info! In the meantime, thank you to Violiv. We are definitely going to use our glass to protect and "pump up" our goodies (people into Superfoods and supplements might also want to check this stuff out for increased shelf life!).

p.s. I don't get paid to say any of this or sell the product; we just dig it and wanna give them some props!

Okay, stay violet and have a magical day...

Julie xo

Interview: Sara and Julie from RawHealingPatch (Part 1) #51

2010-04-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Check it out! Ka Sundance from rawfoodfamilylife on youtube interveiewed us :) We are so grateful and happy to be interviewed by him, as we believe he is such a wonderful and loving soul. His outlook on food, health, etc... if full of openness and he has no judgement towards those who do not eat a raw food diet. Because of the alignment of our visions and views in the raw food movement, we consider it a true blessing to have been interviewed by him. There are often a lot of harsh folks out there preaching the EXACT way to be on a raw food diet, that if we do not tackle one specific route there is no hope for us. But Ka and Sarah and I believe many routes bring health and vitality. Raw food obviously increases our chances of having a very healthy, dis-ease free life, but we certainly do not tell others that they must do as we do. We encourage others to do the best they can, for the place they are at. Thank you to Ka and his family... we hope to work with him in the near future!

Still Waggin'

2010-03-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I asked Sarah what we should write about in our blog. She said, "You should write about Willard's tail. It is always waggin'."

This is so true. No matter what we are saying to him, or what is going on, our little pug's curly tail always wags. Sometimes it is subtle, where all we see is the base of the tail twitching.

So what can be learned from a wagging tail?

We should try to be in the same state of grace and enthusiasm for our days to happen! Pugs are notorious for being a little bit wild and high-energy. They need a loud, strong voice during discipline. But no matter how loud we get, Willard's tail is still waggin'!

When someone confronts us about something that is difficult we should remember our ability to keep the tail waggin'!

A difficult moment does not mean that a free and loving moment is not around the corner. This is the magic that our animals know and live all the time. They understand that while you may be really pissed off that they won't stay out of the kitchen (as they have been trained to do), soon you will be giving them pets and treats.

Today I do not want to go to my 9-5 poopy job I have to work to help pay the bills. But my tail is waggin' because when I come home, I will be working on the things that fulfill me and spending a lovely evening with my family!

I hope your tails are still waggin'...and keep on waggin' always.

Magical days,

Julie

Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

2010-03-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today I attracted into my experience a wonderful blog talk radio show! This blog is merely to share what I attracted and open the possibilities up to others who feel challenged in the area of abundance, wealth, or anything else they wish to manifest.

What compels us to suddenly search for something we had not planned to search for? Why did I search for shows about attracting wealth today? When we listen to our gut, and do the things we get subtle "hunches" about, we will generally bring what we need to us. That is the magic of synchronicity!

I enjoy attracting abundance of all kinds to me...health, wealth, wisdom, and more. Sometimes I fall out of alignment with what is necessary to keep these things flowing in my direction. Luckily, I listened to myself this morning. My inner guide said, "Look for a blogtalkradio show that deals with manifesting wealth in a spiritual and authentic way."

So I did.

And this is what I found: (I listened to the first show the speaker did.)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/magnetic-wealth

I hope you find a small jewel of something wonderful here. I sure did!

Magical days,

Julie

It's About Time!

2010-03-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Cripes! It's about time I did a blog, huh?!

The Healing Patch got a little behind these last few weeks as we moved, and then I went to see some family in Florida last week. But we are back in business, baby! Time to bust out some blogs, some newsletters, and some radio shows!!!

Okay, so the topic at hand hit me when I was in Florida. I was staying in Miami Beach with my brother and his wife. It was like being in another land. I am used to hippie-old rural California, complete with hiking trails and quiet streets everywhere. Miami is a hustling, bustling, magical blend of cultures and events. There are no trails, no hippies (okay, maybe a few!), and certainly no quiet streets. But I love it all!

I realized that many raw foodists, or people in general, forget that they can have fun and be comfortable in places they are not generally used to. We often fall into patterns of comfort, where we only go places that have raw food, we only talk to people who eat raw food, and we only experience culture related to health and raw food.

There is so much magic out there! Miami Beach is a beautiful place. It has its own rhythm and melody. What could be bad about warm, clean, tropical green waters? What could be bad about the smells and sounds coming from quaint Brazilian cafes and Cuban diners?

We need to learn to relax sometimes, and appreciate other places and energies. Too often we say, "I don't like this place or that place...and I can't eat there...and it's too busy or crowded there."

I think the true essence of our happiness and contentment is the ability to appreciate and function in any environment. Can we sit somewhere and see the beauty, regardless of how we like to live our own lives at home? Well, it's about time we appreciate the things outside of our own scope and spectrum.

Stay open, peeps. Always.

Magical days,

Julie

Drum Roll Please...

2010-01-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

That's right, folks! Do you hear the drum roll? We are having Ethel Jackson (author of "Male and Female Sexuality: Bridging the Pleasure Gap") on our blogtalkradio show on Thursday at 11am PST. She will join Sarah and I with her co-host, Ruby Swift.

I am SO excited to have her on the show. Not only is she shifting the sexual assumptions we have grown up with, she is also one of the most divine and lovely people we have ever met! Sarah and I did an interview on her show about our cookbook and the rest was history. Ethel was kind enough to gift me with her book (available on amazon) and I feel it is THE absolute most important book all men and women should read with regards to their sex lives.

While many books mince words, skirt issues, and fail to give men and women a true picture of how their bodies were designed to yield pleasure, Ms. Jackson's book is the complete opposite. We encourage people to listen in, ask questions, or join the chat room this Thursday as Ethel and Ruby give us insight as to how we have been taught to assume many incorrect things about our bodies. First, and foremost, Ethel explains that while we always assumed that the vagina is the female's main body part for pleasure, it is actually our clitoris. She claims that while we grew up assuming (or being taught) that the vagina is to the female as the penis is to the male, it is actually: The CLITORIS is to the female as the penis is to the male. The conversation will embark from this point as Ethel and Ruby help us de-construct our assumptions and bring us to an authentic place and understanding of our bodies and sexual selves.

Why are we doing this interview on a raw food/health radio show? Well, our sexuality IS part of our health. People in the health and raw food communities rarely talk about sex. Often times raw foodists and vegetarians are seen as sort of "together" and as if they have no issues. They are supposed to be these divine, open, hippie-types who must never have issues, even sexually. So we think it is important to bring these topics up not only in the raw food/health arenas but also to all of our listeners (who are of all walks of life).

Here is the link to Thursday's show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rawhealingpatch

We have other shows archived for listening when you get to the site or you can also download all past shows. If you know anyone who may be having some sexual issues, or just feels lost and confused, please send them the link and do them a favor. They won't regret it! The show will also be available later on Thursday if you miss it to download or listen.

Have a sexy night...see you Thursday!

Magical days,

Julie and Sarah

JUST A DASH

2010-01-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Sarah, her daughter (Ophena), and I went to an art show. There were fresh grilled veggies and taco fillings wafting from the outdoor arena, so we took Ophena to the taco bar to indulge in some yummies. Since Sarah and I were in the middle of our 80-10-10 journey, we were not able to gobble up any prepared foods, so this put us in the place of "observer." It's really fun to observe when I am in the midst of cleansing or eating in such a way that cooked/seasoned/salted foods are not an option. I can't help but just watch everyone else as I enjoy my plate of bananas and oranges.

So, as I watched Ophena build some divine veggie tacos I began to think about how our children mimic us. Everything we do is an example to them. Sarah is QUEEN of hot sauce. Any kind, anywhere, she will eat something with jalapenos or Tapatillo or Tabasco. Ophena is growing up fast and also wants to assert herself in the world of hot spicy food! This is hilarious because two years ago mild salsa was barely "doable" for her. If she saw pepper on her veggies, they were completely inedible because they were "too spicy" and made her cry. The spice issue was quite dramatic and yet just one year later she is embarking on a new found appreciation of her spicy palate.

Sometimes Ophena makes omelets or potato dishes. She enjoys cracking her own fresh pepper over them. When we get her salsa, she does not complain about it being spicy. The winds are shifting!

Anyway, back to the taco bar as Sarah and I sit there drooling and watching the taco-building fun. Ophena grabbed the Tapatillo sauce and put exactly, precisely ONE teeny tiny DROP on each of her two tacos. I almost peed my pants! Not only would she not be able to taste the sauce AT ALL, there was not enough to actually saturate a variety of bites. And yet when I asked her how her sauce was and if it was spicy, she assured me, "It tastes really good in there! I can taste it!"

I don't even think she had reached the middle of the taco yet where that ONE DROP was, but the whole experience was more about how grown-up she felt for braving the hot sauce! This was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Ophena is growing up. She wants to try new things. She wants to be brave. And most of all, she wants to be like her mom (who wouldn't?) ONE DROP at a time!

Keep it spicy, peeps...

Magical days,

Julie

80/10/10: THE JOURNEY BEGINS!

2010-01-05T14:03:00.001-08:00

OH MY GAWD!

Sarah and I have embarked upon our 30 day 80/10/10 journey. Without intending it to be a New Year's Resolution, we started this journey on January 1st and are goin' strong! For those of you unfamiliar with Douglas Graham's 80/10/10 program, it is comprised of 80% carbs from sweet juicy fruit and some greens, 10% protein, and 10% fat from raw nuts and seeds, etc.... It is a 100% raw food program and is apparently what man was designed to eat! If we were in nature, we would reach for what tastes good (fresh fruit) and to a lesser degree nuts, seeds, greens, etc....

While we have been doing great, I must say there are moments where we feel like strung-out coke addicts wondering why they ever gave up the sweet golden powder that gave us life. I dream of salty snacky goodness ALL the time! My body is still getting accustomed to the no salt rule (Oh yeah...did I forget to mention that? Well, that's part of it!). Tonight I could go for a nice veggie pizza, and maybe a side of nachos with extra guacamole and some french fries for dessert. Of course, I will certainly not succumb to my cravings, but I am definitely real about them!

I don't mind raw food. I love it. I crave it. It is a necessary part of my life, but I am definitely not used to the lack of salt. My brain knows it is not necessary; all good salt comes from our fruit and veggies. But damn it; it's a real bitch not to be able to just make myself some raw pasta marinara with salty sun-dried tomatoes. So this is where we are on the journey. The cravings...

The dreams of old food...

The wonderment of whether this is the diet and lifestyle that will be the ONE we love (after the initial shock wears off!)...

The buckets of fruit we haul from the market every day...

Did I mention the lack of salt?

Anyone else out there trying 80/10/10? Please do tell. A lovely day to you all. More updates soon! Check out our blogtalk radio show here for other updates on our journey: www.blogtalkradio.com/rawhealingpatch and check out our website for our new amazon store and also our cookbook! http://www.rawhealingpatch.com/

Love and magical days to all this new year of 2010!

Julie (and Sarah too!)

Special Days

2009-12-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had the privilege of taking Sarah's daughter, Ophena, for a "special day" away from home. She is nine years old and I have been conscious of how important it is to create a solid foundation for her as she moves into her teen years. While I am not an actual parent, I am Sarah's partner, and it is very important to me to give Ophena as many solid people and experiences as possible throughout her life.

I left our place of destination a surprise. Ophena hopped in the passenger seat, wide-eyed, curious, ready to take on the world. She completely trusted that I would be taking her somewhere wonderful for her special day. The only thing she knew, was that she would need her sketchbook, camera, pencil and pens, backpack, and water.

As we arrived at the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, Ophena's smile broadened and she said, "Oh cool!"

This was so refreshing to hear after hearing so many kids these days pout and frown when I mention doing anything remotely close to nature. Over Thanksgiving, one of Ophena's relatives rolled her eyes and whined about not wanting to go hiking. So it is so beautiful to be with an open spirit ready to take on whatever I suggest!

We spent three hours at the garden and were unable to see the whole park! It was marvelous. I watched Ophena create the moments as she expressed when she was ready to sketch, write poetry (no, I did not have to do any convincing here, she wanted to do this of her own accord!), hop over boulders, cross streams, and eat wild wood sorrel. The entire time was absolute magic.

Our time in nature was balanced by some time in downtown Santa Barbara. I think we washed our hands 15 times with smelly soaps at Bath and Body works. We got free hand massage demos at Lush. I took her to lunch at a cute little cafe. We looked over the edge of the gorgeous Santa Barbara cliffs with the ocean below.

It is so important to spend time with children, whether our own or others. Their appreciation of nature and willingness to connect to us will come from our own will for the same. Take time this week to spend "special time" with a kid or two. It will be a foundation for love, for good times, for trust, and more!

I am so grateful in this moment for the time I spent with Ophena. I cannot wait for next month's special time with her!

Magical days, everyone!

Julie

Lesson in Detachment

2009-12-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Good evening! Anyone else out there all hyped up from the snow that just fell on the surrounding mountains here in Ojai? I sure am! Of course it could also be the cold spring water we harvested yesterday, the hot spring we then sat in, and the fruit we harvested after soaking in the spring! Then again, maybe it is all of the wild food we harvested and learned about with Katrina Blair this afternoon!

To say the least, these last couple of days have been ridiculously marvelous. And last night began my lesson on detachment...

...Katrina Blair, wild food expert, called us up to say her car broke down. She was due into down at 3pm for a wild food talk we were hosting and some harvesting as well. We had about 15 people scheduled to be here and no way of reaching most of them. So as people arrived, we explained that Katrina would be two and a half hours late if they would like to wait. We offered fresh juices, food, inspirational movies, and more. Not a single person stayed. Most of them returned when Katrina arrived, but it was interesting to watch people remain attached to "the plan." By the time she got to town, it was also too dark to walk, so it was post-poned until today. So Katrina gave an INCREDIBLE lecture about wild food last night, complete with tastes, recipes, songs and smiles.

I thought about how people had reserved the night for this event, but as soon as the plan shifted slightly (and oddly enough Katrina was here an hour earlier than I told everyone she would arrive), they were suddenly "busy." Not that anyone was terribly rude to us or anything, but you could easily tell how uncomfortable and somewhat angry people got that Katrina could not magically appear on time. Sometimes we need to be detached from our expectations and freed from them. Often times they mess with our heads and set us up for disappointment when things go spontaneously instead of "exactly."

Very few people came back for the wild food walk this afternoon. It poured buckets all day long. I had a few calls from people saying they did not want to walk in the rain. By 2:00, at her scheduled time, Katrina came over to show people wild edibles along our streets. We were all waiting for Sarah to complete a few things she was working on and left a half hour late. As we walked outside, the sun popped out, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the mountains showed their snow-capped peaks. What else could we have wanted?

This was the perfect detachment lesson. By being patient and open and loving and TRUSTING of the universe, we were gifted with both an in-depth lecture and a two hour walk through our neighborhood with Katrina.

Our town has not had rain for a VERY long time. We chose to see it as a gift. I kept thanking the rain for being there, despite the fact that it could "ruin" our event. I trusted that everything was in divine order and moving forward as it should. Why cause myself the stress of trying to control the fact that someone's car broke down?

I heard people use the words "miserable, nasty, never-ending, damp, cold, predicted, etc..." to describe the rain that they did not want to forage in. It is kind of ironic now that the people who were so negative (or just closed-off to the notion of new plans) did not get to participate or learn any of the WEALTH of information Katrina shared. But those who stayed calm, open, eager, and POSITIVE about the rain enjoyed two days full of learning!

Okay, off to bed I go. None of us are right or wrong, good or bad. I suppose we are all open and closed in our own moments. I just thought it was so interesting how completely CLEAR it was that the more detached and open we remain, the more we receive.

Go with the flow...

Magical days,

Julie (and Sarah too!)

Feelin' Poopy?

2009-12-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

Happy December, everyone! How are you feeling?

I hope you are feeling poopy! What?!!!! Heavens, no! Did I just tell you I hope you feel like poop?

Well, the holiday season brings a plethora of unwanted bloating, constipation, etc... and that is why I am wishing everyone a poopy day. We need to get over our fear of the word "poop." We need to be free to think about whether or not our bowels are moving properly. If not, it's time to change our habits!

Perhaps you need some time to cleanse the intestines or revise your current menu. Our bodies should be well-running machines that move out the old to provide room for the new. If your system is sluggish, now is the time to figure out what might help kick-start the poopy-poops.

Some of you will (hopefully) be giggling hysterically right now. Others will say, "Lord have mercy. Why did I subscribe to this blog?"

If you are in the latter group, maybe you can take a few moments to analyze if you are in touch with and comfortable with your digestive system. If not, do a little journaling and try to discover where that comes from. I am certainly not in any judgement of your boudaries, but do think that we should all be comfortable talking about the issues surrounding all aspects of health. They should not be embarrassing. They should open us up and bring us to a greater sense of truth, vitality, and vibrance.

Eat your veggies, kids, and may you feel a little "poopy" every day!

Magical days,

Julie (and Sarah, too!)

p.s. Have you been listening to our blogtalkradio show? Feel free to call in each thursday with your comments or questions! Yes, it is free! You can listen to all of our previous archived episodes as well. Go to www.blogtalkradio.com/rawhealingpatch

Natural

2009-11-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been a while since my last blog. Things have been a little bit busy, but I am glad to be back typing some fun stuff for everyone.

I have been thinking about how most of the activities people do are so far from anything "natural, " and by this I mean anything that is not of the earth. Generally activities we do with people require the use of a car, a television, the movie theatre, stoves and microwaves for cooking, etc.... The list goes on! We have become a society that no longer knows how to naturally have fun.

Yesterday I took my dog, Phoebe, to the park for some exercise. She sniffed, sniffed some more, then had a few sniffs and ended the excursion with some sniffing! Watching her enjoy life so simply, with no required technology or accoutrements was so uplifting. I put myself in that same state of bliss as I felt the sun on my face, watched the grass sparkle, and felt goosebumps on my forearms as the wind kicked up. The quiet, the simplicity, the everything about it was exactly what I needed! Just a half hour at the park can bring up these interesting observations. Why do kids not like hanging out at parks without a game to play, their gameboys, their equipment, etc.... Why do kids complain if they go for a hike or do something simple like pick flowers?

I know not all kids complain. Sarah's daughter, Ophena is the best when it comes to making fun stuff out of nature items she finds. We are blessed that she appreciates most things "natural." But if I think about the kids in my family or most other families, they do not handle a car ride without video games. They do not find interest in word games I played as a child. They cringe when I suggest a hike or anything remotely physical. They roll their eyes if I give them fruit instead of boxed and packages treats.

We must take hold of our children and ourselves and start a new day. Give them a few minutes observing something natural, with no technology involved and no toxic food in their system. Allow them to detox the noise and come back to the quiet. Show them how to sniff grass like my pup. They just may love it! (I do not, however, recommend sniffing the pee-pee...leave that to the dogs! HA!)

Magical days, everyone!

Julie (and Sarah)

p.s. Join us on www.blogtalkradio.com/rawhealingpatch today for a discussion on the approaches to raw food. This is part three in a series that are all available for free play and download. We love questions, so call in or join the chat! All the info is on our channel at blogtalkradio.

Health Food vs. Junk Food - Dr. Doug Graham

2009-10-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

eBOOKs Rock!

2009-10-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

Oh wow! I feel so rebellious...a whole new font today! I feel all jazzed up and inspired to migrate away from my usual Trebuchet font. Pure craziness!

We just uploaded our new eBook version of The Healing Patch Cookbook, available at http://www.rawhealingpatch.com/. This may seem like no big deal, but really it is quite magical. Many people cannot afford a book with the shipping costs, or just don't want to pay for shipping, period. Fair enough.

Also, downloading eBooks saves shipping pollutants from being released into our environment and also saves paper and ink (unless people decide to print at home). Perhaps, too, it will encourage people to gather up as a family and consider some other ebooks they want and create an online library instead of a hard copy one. I understand the want for hard copies. I LOVE the feel, smell, sound of a book in my hands. But not everyone must have this. Some people are fine as they sit in front of a screen and soak in new information. Everyone deserves to do what they like best.

We also loaded a new promotional video today and updated our website. You can view the new video at www.youtube.com/rawhealingpatch. Please share this video with others (thank you to those who already have) and help us spread the word about our book, so we can continuously have the freedom to bring everyone free information, newsletters, videos, etc...!

Thanks and love to all...

Magical days,

Julie

p.s. Photo is of a Tasmanian starfish I found that was at least a foot or more in diameter. Unreal!

NO SO "Earthy" ATTITUDE

2009-10-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous day in Ojai. This photo was not taken today, but this is exactly what it looked like most of the day here. Gorgeous black and white clouds clinging to the Topa Topa Mountains...incredible!

Sarah and I hopped our way through town with books in hand. We felt so old- school, so self-published, so small-time! Sometimes one sees people selling their sweet little homemade books on street corners, hoping to sell a few. Their dreams are hanging on the next dime that may come their way. That was the vibe today! It was so great to see who our neighbors are. Our town is so small, that we can walk through it in just a few minutes, covering all of the possible venues that may be interested.

This brings us to the topic at hand; the fancy shmansy earth-friendly stores that are popping up all over the country. Because our book features a return to connecting with the earth and it's relationship to what you eat, we thought one of the local earthy shops might like to carry it! On behalf of not ostracizing anyone, we will keep the shop's name anonymous. This is just for the purpose of interesting observation.

We often (or at least I do) make the assumption that earth-friendly means "friendly. conscious, aware, non-greedy, supportive of locals...". Apparently, this was a good lesson in assumptions! I should have referred back to my Don Miguel Ruiz readings of The Four Agreements, in which one of the agreements is to assume nothing!

I walked up to the owner, presented the book, and after just a sentence or two, she said, "Oh yes, we would love to carry this book! How much does it cost retail and wholesale?"

I gave her the prices (she would be making about $6.00 per book) and suddenly her face changed.

"What?! I usually make AT LEAST three times what I pay for something. There is no way I can bring this book in. Besides, books sell slow here anyway."

I told her we were self-published. We could lower the wholesale price one more dollar and we would then be making $2.00 per book and she would make $7.00. I explained how we are self-published, we order in small lots, just venturing out there, etc....

She didn't care. So my thoughts were:

1. If you are making a profit, who cares if it is $6.00 or twice that amount? Is business not the general mission of making money?

2. What about supporting locals? Isn't the earth-friendly movement all about shopping locally? If people come in and buy the book, they save shipping money and shipping gas/pollution, etc....

3. What about the support for women's business (this person was a woman)?

4. What about her excitement when she wanted the book? A few dollars made her no longer excited. Is the earth-friendly movement relying on huge profits in some instances?

5. We have had a lot of local press. When people come in to request the book, she will now have to say that she does not carry it. She will now have to subtract $7.00 from her could-have-had money pot. Bummer for her, huh?

So where is the authenticity? Where is the truth when someone gets all jazzed up about your "vision" and "commitment to earth-friendly recipes" and one minute later couldn't care less that you ever walked into the store?

We wish this store owner an expansion (interesting...just as I typed the word "expansion" I heard the guy on Sarah's workout video say this very word. Divine timing, baby!) of spirit. May she find the ability to sell what brings her excitement, regardless of the physical dollar amount. May her shop always be full of abundance. And most of all, may her attitude flow with the streams and winds of the earth instead of the depth of her pockets.

Magical days to our sweet subscribers of the blog...we appreciate you!

Julie

Raw Food on the Road

2009-10-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today is day 62 of our 100 day raw food challenge. So far, so good! Hard to believe two months have gone by already. The worst thing we resort to when cravings come on is raw goat cheese. Not everyday; just a once in a while thing to get by on some of those insane days when we crave something creamy and yummy.

We have been on the road a bit. First the Vibrant Living Expo and then the Raw Spirit Fest. Being on the road makes the natural food store radar really perk up! Anytime we pass by anything that remotely resembles a natural food store or produce market, we pull over. Sometimes we come across little farm booths full of produce. Other times we find regular grocery stores out in the boonies that have a head or two of organic lettuce and a few greenhouse tomatoes.

Basically, we do our best! If something we eat is not certified organic, we don't internalize all sorts of horrible feelings about the food or ourselves. We say, "Thanks for the food, dude," and keep on truckin'!

Sarah is the queen of "car wraps." She can wrap ANYTHING in lettuce leaves or nori sheets and somehow it tastes divine. Some of our more interesting combos:

1. Sauerkraut and sprouts wrapped in nori.

2. Lettuce leaves packed with olives, avocado, dulse, sprouts, and various other veggies.

3. Sprouted bread chunks, tomato, and avocado wrapped in nori.

The list goes on. Whatever is in the cooler becomes a "car wrap."

If it wasn't for Sarah's lovely wrapping skills, raw food on the road would be much tougher. So grab some nori, lettuce, and veggies. Head out on the open road. Feel the wind whip through the car as you attempt to eat a wrap with one hand, as half the ingredients pour out the bottom end and into your lap. Enjoy the leftovers that may be scraped from your pants. Those are your dessert.

Happy travels, y'all...

Magical days,

Julie (and Sarah too!)

PARTY TIME

2009-09-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I will soon be on our way to our little pool party gathering at a friend's house today. There are generally a minimum of twenty people there who are very loving and supportive of our lifestyle (not the gay thing, I mean the raw thing...ha ha).

We tend to show up with bowls of fruit, dessert samples from The Healing Patch Cookbook, or salads we make up spontaneously. The overwhelming majority goes nuts for our food, while a few just plain-old-don't-get-it at all. Here are some of the oddities we hear on a consistent basis, after answering these questions over and over. Rather hilarious. Okay, here we go:

1. "How do you guys get protein if you only eat veggies and fruit?!"

2. After we answer the protein question, it generally follows with the question, "But how do you get protein from fruit and veggies?"

3. Then we explain again and it is followed with, "Wow, who knew you could get protein from fruit and veggies? Well, I like to to eat meat to be safe. I don't understand how fruit and veggies are enough."

4. We smile and move on. Most of these folks are old school. Much older than us. They came from the era of food pyramids and dairy industry and meat industry brainwashing. Which brings the next question: "Where do you get calcium if you don't eat dairy?"

5. We explain the toxic shit-rocks called calcium that are put into dairy and after a confusing look they generally respond with, "Well, my doctor has me on 1500mg calcium per day for strong bones."

6. We nod, smile and move on. Next question, "We know you guys are vegan and don't eat meat, but Sally brought fish. Should we put some on the grill for you?"

7. We smile and say no thank you. We dive in to our salad we brought. Next question: "You should try the edamame salad I brought, since I know you guys like the raw stuff."

8. Note to self: Do we explain that edamame are COOKED soy beans or just go with the flow and not respond. Let's go with option B, this person seems really proud of their "RAW" dish.

So this is the general conversation spread we endure and then after all the talk is done, we all hit the pool and Sarah and I watch people get silly and drunk while we get silly and sober. It's rather fun, after all, and we certainly do not discriminate or think that people have to be raw vegans or sober 24 hours a day to be worthy of friendship, love, time, and pool volleyball. So here we go...wish us luck. May we not be offered any "eggs" since we are "vegan" and don't eat "meat". ha ha oh my I am chuckling so hard...

Magical days, everyone!

Julie

Violent Sensitivities

2009-09-16T16:26:00.001-07:00

The other night we went to see "Transformers 2" and my experience was not at all what I expected. I had not seen the first "Transformers" movie, but assumed it would be a basic good vs. evil film with a bit of violence.

Most of the films I have seen lately (over the past couple of years) are predominantly funny, silly, slapstick, documentary, spiritual, fantasy, general television dramas and comedies, and cartoons. While I knew this movie would be violent, I did not expect it to be one entire, violent, bombing, blowing-up, in-your-face, bloody, bruising, noisy, noisy, noisy, overly-noisy, stream of non-stop craziness. There was a decent comedic line or two in the movie, along with some cute character development with the family that the story revolves around.

I cannot begin to tell you what any of the character's names were, as the violent noise and madness of the film eliminated any ability to focus in on the characters. The entire movie was one big special effect: How real can the visuals of death and violence seem?

While I am not a prude, and certainly feel that any and all movies have a right to be made in the honor of free speech and expression (except perhaps those that are truly perverted and against the will of others such as child porn and bestiality), it definitely surprises me just how much I was affected by this movie. It doesn't even bother me that the other people we were with enjoyed the movie and said it was "amazing." I just found myself unable to sit still.

Of course, the fact that I had to pee the entire movie did not help (ha ha), but the incessant violence made my stomach tighten, the noise made me want to plug my ears like kids who won't listen to their parents, and it was a chore to sit there through the whole movie.

As I eat more clean food, cleanse my body a couple of times per year, and create the experience of predominantly non-violent and uplifting media in my life (I do not read the paper, watch the news, or partake of any negative paranoia and scare tactics put out by the media), everything starts to shift. My sensitivity to violence is increasing. I can no longer watch horror movies or murder movies with a sense of excitement and urgency. Old horror movies are silly and fun to poke fun at, but I don't line up anymore the day they come to the theatre. My tastes in music change. I have become sensitive to the noise of various rock bands, goth bands, and techno music I used to listen to. This is not by any will, or concerted effort; I just simply gravitate toward a more light-filled type of media and less of the darker negative themes.

This makes me wonder if others are having the same experience. The saying goes that we "attract that which we are." So if we are full of minerals, light, energy, hydration, etc... from good food, our vibration is now moving in that same direction. As we become of greater vibration, we attract and connect with those things of higher vibration. Very interesting. Sometimes the process is so automatic, and it surprises you when you least expect it.

Suddenly an adventure movie with the family and friends turns into a gut-binding, heart-thumping experience you wish you ditched in honor of a nice movie to chuckle to.

These are my thoughts for today, perhaps I will have more for tomorrow. Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

Magical days,

Julie

p.s. You can now find our book at "The Scented Path", a beautiful little Mom and Pop store in Fillmore, California. :)

Caffeination

2009-09-13T19:35:00.001-07:00

This week's newsletter (free sign-up at http://www.rawhealingpatch.com/) deals with how we have become a "Caffeination" (Caffeine Nation). I give information on the effects of caffeine addiction, as well as what to do to break free from this addiction.

What made me think of this was the experience of trying to fall asleep last night. I do not drink caffeine anymore (except a coffee here and there a couple of times a year on vacation), so I am now very sensitive to it. Last night I drank a glass of green sun tea I made to get rid of some old teabags. I did not feel jittery or anything; it was just difficult to fall asleep.

I require very little sleep while eating raw, compared to cooked food. My body likes to go to bed at midnight and wake up at 6 am. Sarah is the complete opposite, as she can sleep anytime, anywhere! This may be due to some adrenal burnout from previous years, which I discuss in our newsletter. In any case, Sarah said to me last night, "Why don't you go do my abdominal exercise DVD?"

This is part of the P90X series from Tony Horton. He works people out like no one's business! So I figured, "What the heck? I'll give it a try and then I will be able to sleep."

So, for 15 excruciating minutes, I worked my abs in positions I have never imagined. I can do 500 crunches in a variety of poses without blinking or breaking a sweat. But this was altogether different. My inner thighs are more sore than my abs today and I look like I just got off an 8 hour session of horseback riding. I have to pick up my leg to cross is over the other one. The good part is that I fell asleep in 15 minutes after this brutal workout!

As my body becomes cleaner, I become more and more sensitive to caffeine, even the mellow kind that is in green tea. People in Asia drink green tea at many meals, all their lives, and typically do not have adrenal burnout. That is how gentle the caffeine in green tea is. But for me, it is now something I am very sensitive to and I wonder if it is because I am not eating huge amounts of fat and grease to absorb some of it. The cleaner, lighter foods I eat probably allow it to get right into the cell very quickly!

So that is my weekend adventure with sleep, caffeine, and a hellacious abdominal routine that I can't wait to do more of! YES!

Best of sleep to all of you and a most magical day tomorrow. :-)

Julie

DOWN-TO-EARTH

2009-09-06T11:42:00.001-07:00

Top of the morning to you, everyone!

It is an incredible morning here in the Ojai Valley. The sun is bright, the air is clear, Famer's Market is full of gorgeous heirloom veggies, watermelons, and lettuces such as wild arugula. Fun times!

This morning was also special because someone read our article that was in the Ojai Valley News and tried our recipe for beanless Mediterranean Hummus that the paper shared from our book. She called us up to come purchase a book, which was so exciting! Here we are, this little "Mom-n-Pop" company (or should I say Mom-n-Mom company....ha ha), and people are beginning to respond! Our book has no other intentions than to spread love and health, and enable us to work for ourselves completely without worry. This process is most interesting. We trust that The Healing Patch Cookbook will end up in the right hands and eventually will be a whirlwind through the nation. The world is ready for a non-dogmatic approach to food; one that allows the person to judge what feels best on his/her system. Intuitive eating must be brought to the forefront instead of some sort of prescribed regimen of exactly what is "allowed" or "not allowed."

Anyway, this call from the lady who bought our book today got me thinking not only about the above concepts and our purpose for writing our book, but also about how business owners are often unavailble. They are "too busy" or "too good" to answer a call on a Sunday morning. Perhaps if we were LOADED with orders 24 hours a day, we would need to refrain from answering the business line on a Sunday morning. But we are just starting out. We need to allow for all opportunity. We need to do our best to stay DOWN-TO-EARTH and appreciate that our viewers are interested, and open enough to give us a buzz.

So this morning is all about warm fuzzies (or maybe cool ones since it is so hot here). I hope that our business is never so fully of "busy-ness" that we are unavailable. I hope that our business is the type where people are always comfortable with stopping by to pick up a book and save some postage and unnecessary gas the post office must use to deliver that book.

This blog today is a thank you to those of you who bought our book in the early stages, before the media got a hold of it, before the "big guys" of raw food know about it, and before we are considered "important" in the raw food movement. We hope to grow, write more books, help people, do lectures, and spread more love. Above all else, we hope to always be DOWN-TO-EARTH.

Magical days (and ridiculously fabulous health),
Julie (and Sarah too!) xo

The News

2009-09-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Top of the afternoon to you, everyone!

Our biggest news of the week is that we were on the cover of The Ojai Valley News! There was a very nice article about The Healing Patch Cookbook, complete with one of our recipes. It was nice to see the article ran after a number of weeks of being post-poned. So exciting! I feel like one of those giddy little kids who can't wait to bring their test home to show Mom and Dad! Except this time, it's an article in the newspaper.... We bought a bunch of copies to mail to friends and family, as the article is not posted online thus far.

I am not sure what day Sarah and I are on of our raw food challenge, but somewhere near a month. We went to Mary's Secret Garden, a great raw food and vegan restaurant, last night with some friends. We had a raw burger and Caesar salad (also raw) and it was most delicious! Some of the more complete meals and savory recipes get us through the days when a plate of salad or a bowl of watermelon is just not doing the trick. Since it is summer, it feels difficult to get full sometimes. We are doing some work at a friend's house, eating fruit and veggies here and there, and then all of a sudden we are starving by the time we get home! So it is a lesson on preparing or bringing enough food with us to avoid being that hungry by the time we are done working.

Even our dog, Willard, is loving the raw food. He will grovel for grapes and stare longingly into our eyes until he gets one! Phoebe, our other dog, wants nothing to do with grapes. She is a carnivore through and through. Just the scent of the cat's tuna fish is enough to get her out from under the bed. The salivation begins, she sits pretty, waits for the cat to finish, and then dives in to scrape up the leftovers. We watch in awe as the dogs lick the bowl until there is absolutely NO remnants of tuna left. In fact, it is clean enough to use again without washing. Maybe we should consider doing all of our dishes this way..................NOT!

Magical days, my friends...

Julie

Cravin' the Bakin'

2009-09-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I are on day 26 of our 100 day raw food challenge. The cravings had completely subsided until yesterday when it was so hot, the thought of preparing food was horrifying. We just wanted someone to make us a nice delicious meal and serve it up pronto!

Sarah was cravin' the meat products, such as burgers and tacos. I wanted a nice slab of cheese and maybe some egg salad sandwiches. We LOVE sandwiches...a lot! Lordy lordy lordy...

So, this issue was attempted to be resolved by dialing up our favorite raw food restaurant to order some nice wraps. They were closed. GRRRRRRR....

Sarah found a bag of Kaia Foods sunflower seeds (curry flavor) leftover from the Vibrant Living Expo and she devoured the half-a-bag that was left. She claims this took care of the craving. I can't imagine sunflower seeds getting rid of my cheese cravings, but whatever. I am just glad this worked for Sarah. Yay! A raw alternative to the crap-tastic drive-thru. What would we have done without the drive-thru in college? After dancing on the bar in Flagstaff till all hours of the night, we would hit up the little Mexican food hut for a FAT and deliciously greasy quesadilla. Then we would go home and get Ben and Jerry's for dessert. Wow...to think this was the norm back then! And after a nice morning hangover, we would head out for the biggest omelet breakfast meal you could imagine.

Hence, my beautiful acne, rosacea, thigh fat, etc... developed. But at least I found raw foods eventually, eh?

The final consensus on a meal last night was a nice big salad from our fridge drenched in my wonderful miso/lemon dressing. And it all went away... no more cravin' the bakin'!

I am very thirsty now. I bid you good night.

Magical days,

Julie (and Sarah too!)

So Hot!

2009-08-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today it is so hot in Ojai, that Ophena (Sarah's daughter) cooked her egg on the sidewalk for breakfast. Well, maybe not for real...but this is the kind of heat we experienced today. It feels so hot and swampy that the humid jungles of the Amazon actually sound refreshing! Even the dogs are panting and doing laps around the kiddie pool!

On another note, everything is going well on the 100 day raw food challenge. I have lost track of days, for the most part. I believe we are on day 20 or 21. Major cravings for coconut water with chlorophyll. I bought 5 young coconuts last night so I can make coconut/chlorophyll drinks for the next few days (if the coconuts last that long...ha!).

Did I mention it is hot out today? Um, yes, it is very hot. We have no A/C, so on the few days Ojai gets to be scalding, we just throw on some fans, hug a tupperware full of ice, and place some cool-paks on our crotches to get through it.

Have I told you it is hot here today? Well it is. Maybe I shall have ice-water with a side of ice and a nice icicle for dinner. That sounds fabulous!

Sarah and I had some great exercise this morning in the pool. Our friend lets us go swim laps whenever we want (we are so blessed!). Sarah likes to make my pool pull-ups much harder by hanging on to me like a chimpanzee while I pull myself up as I hang onto the diving board. Talk about a work-out. Our bodies want to work out very badly. Time to run, bike, hike, and more!

So, in case you have not heard that it is SO HOT here, I am letting you know. I think I will go join Sarah and Ophena in the kiddie pool that is on our porch. They are actually doing their reading there right now, I kid you not!

Magical days full of cool air to you,

Julie

Poop

2009-08-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today is day 19 (I think) of our 100 day raw food challenge.

Sarah is just getting back into the daily routine after the expo and claims it is hard to resist the bread that she and her daughter, Ophena, baked last night. It is a wheatless bread, but still cooked. The smells, the textures, oh my! Bread is rather glorious. So that is the biggest hurdle this week for Sarah, although she is teaching Ophena how to make some raw meals. This helps, as Ophena will begin to make her own raw foods and not so much cooked food.

My cravings have subsided for the most part. Lord knows I miss the raw sheeps milk blue cheese we found at our local market, but I have made some peace with that and am doing better this week. I have been eating ungodly amounts of passionfruit while they are in season. I think our market only had 4 pounds of them on the shelf, 2 and a half of which I bought! I shall return this evening to scam on the rest and wipe them clean! The only potential "side effect" I seem to be having from my passionfruit exposion is, ahem, well, um, poop!

Yeah, I think I pooped like 5 times last night and 6 or 7 times today. Lord have mercy on my soul! Does anyone know where a girl can buy organic toilet paper by the forklift?! Jeesh!

Anyone else ever have this experience? Maybe it is just me.

p.s. Thank you to our wonderful fans who bought our book! We look forward to your reviews! :)

That is all for now. More stories later (hopefully poopless ones)...

Magical days,

Julie (and Sarah too!)

www.rawhealingpatch.com

www.twitter.com/rawhealingpatch

www.youtube.com/rawhealingpatch

Expo Observations

2009-08-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Top of the evening to you!

This is the first, official posting from The Healing Patch! We just returned from the Vibrant Living expo in Fort Bragg, California. It was incredible...full of wonderful, loving people. We were blessed to be near booths represented by Artisana, Kaia Foods, Zukay Live Foods, etc....

While we experienced our first expo gathering, Sarah and I noted that there was always a constant "buzz" around the tables of leading raw foodists in the industry. Those who were of "guru" standing tended to have long lines all day day long, while some of us smaller companies were on a much slower wing of the building. This was perfectly fine, as it allowed us to meet and mingle with other companies and customers. We did sell a number of our cookbooks, and two women read it overnight and came back to tell us how much they enjoyed it! This made the whole event worth it. To know that two people were deeply enjoying and effected by the words in The Healing Patch Cookbook made all of the invested time worth every moment!

While most of what we experienced was very positive, we also had plenty of time to watch the less-than-positive side of things. Watching everything unfold was a big eye-opener, as Sarah and I often forget that people in the world of raw food are no different than others. Sometimes raw food gurus and raw food followers are held on a pedestal. .They are assumed to be ever-graceful, ever-loving, and ever-flawless beings because their diet brings such a spiritual awareness. There may be some truths to this, but in general, raw foodists are just people. They are not better than cooked food eaters. They are not better than carnivores. They are not more entitled to love, or more able to give love. We experienced this first-hand, as we watched a very famous guru show a very human side, despite the god-like pedestal people seem to place him upon.

Out of respect, we will keep this person anonymous, as we wish no harm or bad feelings toward him. This is rather a philosophical look at how we view people and how they actually come to be in person. Our booth was not far off from a leading, revered person in the raw food movement. There were a number of things that happened over the 3-day expo that concerned us about this guru.

First, he was the only person who did not introduce himself to the other booths in the hall. Everyone else paid each other the respect to say hello, offer encouragement, and carry on. All of the people working at his booth were unresponsive to our booth; not just the guru.

Second, the guru's helper at the booth blatantly stole our customers on 3 occasions. This was not done subtly, or with respect by saying, "Excuse me...may I borrow her for a moment and we will be right back?"

This was done with no eye contact with me or Sarah. This person literally grabbed the arms of two of the customers and ushered them away, mid-sentence while I was conversing with them. The lack of respect for us "newbies" in the industry showed us that this guru and his followers do not think they have anything else left to learn. We were amazed at the ego we experienced. No matter how much we learn, there is always more to learn, more people to love, and more friendships to make. Why this so-called guru was so threatened by two little gals who wrote a cookbook, we will never know. The helper to the guru visited all of the other booths around us and ignored us completely, while shooting strange glances our way and listening in to conversations with our customers. It was one of those situations where you know someone is looking at you, and watching your every move. But they do not want you to know that they are doing this, so they try to hide it. Their fear just makes it stronger and it is like a force sweeping over you every time they try to "NOT" look at you.

Both Sarah and I, in the presence of this guru and his helpers, felt an immediate repulsion. The kind where you know you are in the presence of something "cultish". We knew that we NEVER wanted to endure a session with this guru or any of his followers. The energy felt corrupt. It felt fearful. It felt negative. It was like a blanket over us all weekend.

Another thing we noticed was the gawking the helper did with all of the women at the expo. He was particularly attracted to women much younger than himself and made it a point to stare women up and down. At one point he did not know I was watching him stare at a woman's ass who was at the table across from him. She was bending over and he was very obviously salivating over her rump. Which is fine, but be a little bit respectful about it, for cripes sake! HA! He later commented on another girl's style and was clearly hitting on her. A few other women came by and he was falling all over their beauty and it was as if he was whispering sweet nothings to them.

When the guru's helper would sit at his booth with no customers, he looked anxious and nervous. He would bite at his nails here and there. His legs would twitch. He would anxiously look around as if stressed out that he did not have a customer.

At one point the guru came out of another room and a young girl came up to him sobbing. She leaned on him and hugged him, ecstatic with happiness. We were SO creeped out. Sarah and I have seen this before, and sometimes it does not bother us. Sometimes it seems real, like when a doctor has helped a person to heal, and years later they see that doctor, hug him/her, and it brings them to tears. And yet with this situation, we felt that sick feeling in our bellies. Like this girl had been preyed upon and now she is part of the cult. Scary Scary!

Why am I sharing all of this wild information on our first blog? Because we wish to open and honest with all of you. We wish to help you steer clear of gurus who may be cultish, negative, or "just not right". We wish for you to have the same ability, intuitively, to choose to follow someone who is healthy for you. Or even better...to be your own guru!

The raw food movement is a beautiful, positive world. We fully support it and will continue to research, review, test, theorize, philosophize, and most of all have fun along our raw food/organic path! We love to chat with people, so please feel free to send a response or questions. But please do not ask who this guru is I spoke of. He deserves anonymity and we wish no harm to him. Our wish is for the continued openness of our readers. May you be filled with self-trust and possibility always!

Join us on twitter if you would like: www.twitter.com/rawhealingpatch
Join us on YouTube is you would like: www.youtube.com/rawhealingpatch

Best of health and magical days,
Julie (and Sarah too!)
www.rawhealingpatch.com (free newsletter sign-up here)

First Blog

2009-08-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hello All-
This is the first blog, a simple test to try out the system. :)
More very soon...

Julie