Saturday 27 June 2009

Brian and Anna Maria Clement

I went to the lecture with Brian and Anna Maria Clement today in London. It was very good - they are both very charismatic and fantastic speakers, particularly Brian. I will try and summarize! -

Nutrition/food is not a faith but a fuel to a life that is worth living. We have to achieve this through positive thought and self-value. He advised writing down 7 things we like about outselves every night before we go to bed to help with this. We also make internal realisations - the answers can't be found outside ourselves (i.e. with food) but only within us. If we eat living foods this will allow us to move up out of our physical (I think that was the word he used, or something along those lines) energy centre in our lower abdomen to our emotional and intellectual energy centres in our heart and our head respectively, into a state of consciousness. We need light food in order to do this; eating bad, heavy food keeps us unconscious, if you like, at this base level. It is easier at first to find raw substitutes for the heavy foods we are addicted to from our cooked food days (eg. raw flax bread, raw chocolate) however, this is almost certainly better than old eating habits and is a positive way of transititioning to an optimum raw/living foods diet.

The distinction yet interrelation of food itself and emotional-cognitive function was really thought-provoking and illuminating to me. It is commonly thought amongst raw fooders that raw food will help you think and feel more clearly, and Brian stressed that 'the answer' is not in the food itself. This is worth exploring further. When I remember that I am a raw vegan, and while I am preparing the food, I know that this puts me in vibrational alignment with 'Source energy', a state which allows you to realise your true self. I think it is easy for the distinction to become blurred for me because the person I want to be, how I want to realise 'my truth' is by bringing the gift of raw food to other people. Where potential problems lie is I get pleasure from actually consuming the food for it's own sake. Emotional dependence on food consumption is a complicated topic in itself which many would say (including, funnily enough, an article in the latest edition of Get Fresh I was reading on the train home) needs to be addressed if I find myself searching for happiness through a bite of something tasty. Noting this distinction will hopefully help me move forward.

And kicking my addiction to fatty and sugary foods, (evident in my sweet avocado pudding every night) which Brian pointed out we all have, is one way of doing this. I said yesterday I think a green juice fast may be in order, and I now feel even more certain of this. I want to really simplify things to give myself the best possible nutrition and allow my body to realise what it really does and doesn’t need. I think it will also uncover more about my preferences, desires and needs in my emotional-cognitive life. I am a little apprehensive about what could be dug up, but I think it will be worth it.

So it's time to get sprouting, as I'm going to need a lot to make 50% of two 16oz servings of green juice per day!! Anna Maria’s recommendation is also 2oz of wheatgrass twice a day, and to include pea shoots, so I'll have to look at getting some of those. Mung beans, aduki beans and alfalfa I can do. Good thing I bought that chard plant last week too as that will save me a fortune! (It is doing well actually, and my tomato plant has started to flower!)

It has taken me ages to write this! But it’s been a very worthwhile exercise because it is now clearer than ever. I am aware that raw fooders can be very persuasive, but having gone away and examined what they’ve said, it is clear that I already knew all this on some level. My only confusion now is to where this leaves me with all the wonderful gourmet recipes I learned last weekend with Russell James – I guess I just have to go with it and not worry if things change. And of course I’ll be keeping the blog updated with these changes!

1 comment:

  1. Hi Amy
    What a girl you are...!!!
    It was my birthday on Sat and I am so excited as a close friend has bought me a Raw Food Cook Book, can't tell you which one as have not unpacked yet from weekend away...!
    Love all you info, slowly digesting. Regarding tom plant (prob know this already) need to pinch out middle shoot which will grow between stem and large shooting branch.
    Keep up your inspiration..
    Love Michele xxx

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for your comment! Raw love from Amy x x