Last night, we watched a movie called Barney's Version which, among many other things, touched on the issue of Alzheimer's (or dementia). (It also touched on the issue of painfully awful movie titles, in my opinion.) But, I have to admit: Movies like that (or, even being around people affected by this) cause me to seriously look at my own life and reflect upon how I might be doing in terms of preventing not just Alzheimer's, but all major diseases.

My grandmother had severe dementia, and we witnessed the full progression of this awful condition for many years. I felt awful for her and readily admit that it scared the hell out of me to know that a formerly sharp, witty human being could end up this way. If you've never been around it, trust me: You do not want this for yourself or anyone.

Read more: Will Raw Roods Protect Against Alzheimer's?

Here's the next component in our raw taco recipe -- the guacamole. This is Wendi's favorite component! Enjoy!!!

Read more: Raw Tacos! Part 3: Raw Guacamole

Ever since developing a personal conviction a few years ago that following a raw vegan existence was the best lifestyle for me, I've lived somewhat in conflict with the day-to-day corporate business environment in which I make my living at the moment. As we've directly stated many, many times, we're in the process of changing all of that. But, making such a huge change takes a long time because careers are in many ways very anchoring. We may write more about that process because it's true that going raw (or, really, adopting any kind of diet outside of what most other people eat) can lead to significant changes in your life. Between Wendi and me, I think we've gone through pretty much all of them, and there's certainly value and relevance in sharing most of those things here. Today, though, I thought I'd share what I call my "$75 Salad Story."

In the business world, "networking" is among the more prevalent activities anyone does. It's pretty much always going to involve food , right? It's always a breakfast briefing, meeting a client over lunch, or attending a dinner party (complete with a cocktail hour). ?The deck is more or less stacked against you at these things because, let's face it, they're usually set up to provide what most people perceive as a pleasant experience. And, quite often, that means a certain degree of culinary decadence / indulgence -- invariably at venues that have never heard of raw chocolate or raw apple pie (which, to me, is 10x more appealing and exciting than the ubiquitous "chocolate fountain").

Read more: Jim's $75 Salad: Staying Raw @ Haute Cuisine Destinations

We just returned from the East End Food Co-op, where we answered raw food questions for two hours. We were still answering questions on our way out the door, and would have stayed longer but the place was closing. ;-) So, if anyone from this evening stops by our site and you still have questions, just comment here (or send me an email) and I'll be happy to answer them.

I'm more of a one-on-one kind of person, so I was a bit nervous about sitting in front of everyone to answer questions. Jim and KDcat were there to help me, of course, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been there at all. Once people started arriving, I was comfortable. The first people who entered the room were super sweet and I could tell they were genuinely nice people. Then little by little the room filled up, and I was surprisingly comfortable.Maybe in addition to all of the other positive changes in my life, my self confidence is getting better, too!

Read more: Fun-Filled Friday: Raw Food Q&A

On this Thankful Thursday I am feeling especially thankful for the Internet. Without the Internet I wouldn't be able to learn as much as I've learned about raw foods in such a short period of time. The Internet has connected me with people from all over the world who are also interested in natural health and raw food living. I am part of a larger community, one that would never exist without the Internet.

So, today I am especially thankful for the Internet. What are you thankful for today?

Read more: Thankful Thursday: Internet

We're extremely busy this week with some home projects, so we figured we'd simply share a few interesting photos each day. Here's today's -- a big plate of freshly picked cherries from our yard! ?These are smaller cherries than you'll find in stores. We believe they're sour cherries, which is a very healthy variety, even though they're not as tasty as Bing's or Ranier's. ?They're reportedly good for pies, though. I've eaten tons of them so far; ?they're at their peak at the moment here.

I tell you... the dangerous thing about cherries is something you'll only discover when you're out there on a ladder, standing on that tip-top rung (which clearly states: "Do NOT stand on this rung!"), and you're reaching higher and higher for that next bunch of nature's goodness. Even in this situation, you find yourself thinking: "If I could just reach a *little bit* higher!" ?Sooner or later, you have to realize that some cherries are there for the birds, squirrels, and raccoons.

Read more: Some Photos This Week, Part 1 of 4

Three months ago today, we put up a post called "Is Alcohol Raw " I wanted to post a little follow-up to that today, while I'm thinking of the story. (And, by the way, a great conversation ensued in the comments section of that article. However, if you visit it now, you'll see that the comments have disappeared. We're hoping to have these and many other comments restored once a new version of Disqus is released.)

In that article, I touched on how the body can seemingly store states of consciousness (noting how I dreamed of being drunk and felt authentically drunk in the dream). This sort of phenomenon is well documented anecdotally (e.g., often associated with LSD use), although still not fully understood by medical doctors or psychologists. In any case, the term "flashback" comes to mind:

Read more: Strange Wine Experience & Jim's *Emergency Smoothie*

So, did you like Part One yesterday ? Pretty great, right ? Well, today we present Part Two, in which Wendi takes the interview into a more up-close and personal place. In this audio, Kevin shares details about:

• the first interview he ever conducted
• what he wanted to be when he grew up
• what his family thinks of his raw lifestyle
• his tattoo, Joseph Campbell, and thoughts on life and death
• spirituality, religion, and guilt
• the book that opened his mind to a deeper connection
• running and spirituality
• his typical day / routine
• his business expanding
• what "systems" are and how he uses them
• the shocking truth about his teen years
• recent personal development programs he's listening to
• "taking 1%, applying it, and moving on"
• mentors and influences
• the books that shaped his life
• making shifts in friendships
• his thoughts on "The Secret"
• whether he thinks he can do more push-ups than Gabriel Cousens
• why there was a donkey at his wedding
• his biggest wish (it's a beautiful one!)

So, what are you waiting for ? Listen NOW!!

Read more: Part *2* of a 3-Part Series Profiling the Multi-Talented Kevin Gianni!

What's Valentine's Day without a little "Smooth Love," right ??Here's how we created this simple, creamy delicious, smoothie:

• Start with the water and flesh of one young coconut. We had one left over, still nice and fresh, from our recent trip to the Florida Keys (more raw food videos and posts coming soon from that trip!).
• Add three to four oranges, peeled (and de-seeded if necessary)
• Add two to three large bananas
• Add 12 ounces of frozen strawberries (or to taste)
• Add a small handful of raw almonds
• Add a bit of raw agave nectar or a few dates, if you have them.

Blend in your high-speed blender until smooth ... and share with a loved one! Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

Read more: "Smooth LOVE" for Valentine's Day!

The raw food movement isn't creeping along anymore! Just recently I wrote that Angela Stokes was interviewed by CNN about her miraculous weight loss on the raw food diet. Well, today the shining star for the raw food community is none other than Philip McCluskey! He was a guest on CBS's nationally syndicated show called "The Doctors." Philip, if you don't already know, is down 200 pounds and his entire life has changed on raw foods. Like so many others, he is actively spreading the word about raw foods and health.

I don't watch TV, but we do have a television set for watching occasional DVDs. So, I planned on turning the set on and actually watching TV for the first time in I don't remember how long! However, I turned it on and realized I don't even know on what channel CBS is located. I tried to flip through the channels, but our TV doesn't automatically let you scan through channels for some reason. So, I was manually pressing and entering numbers into the remote control, but never found the correct channel. I'm sure I didn't miss it, however. In this community, we're all about supporting each other and spreading the word about raw foods and health. I am certain that within a few hours there will be a video up on YouTube of Philip's shining moment on CBS. Once it's available, I'll edit this post and include the video!

Read more: Philip McCluskey and Raw Food Diet on CBS's "The Doctors"

For the past twelve years I've been doing some monthly freelance work for a nonprofit company. I've done other work in addition to the work for this company, but for the past few years I've solely been working with them. The work is sweet---straight-forward desktop publishing for a legal advertising publication. I don't have to read, write, edit, research, or anything else---simply format the pages. The pay is great, too!

Well, I just received a call a few minutes ago notifying me that the publication will no longer be printed. I'm overjoyed for the trees---I wish all publications would go digital. However, since it's going digital, they won't be needing my services much longer.

Read more: Thankful Thursday: Options