A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. March's Theme: "Impermanence"
Volume 6 Issue 3 ISSN# 1708-3265

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Illuminations Aleesha Stephenson About the Cover Laura Brennan Rice The End is Near - Maybe Tira Brandon Evans Friendly Impermanence Phil Kotofskie The Stone House Alegria Imperial Flying Free In the Music Dj Brown What Could Your Future Look Like? Jackie Lapin Tips to Handle Stress Mona Khalaf Change Happens Rev. Cheryl Jewett Pet-sense Jean Hofve DVM Breathe Wisdom Jacqueline Kramer Lifetalks Dawn Baumann Brunke Walk Your Talk Aleesha Stephenson Wiccan Voices Crystal Blanton, HPs Life in the Raw Melissa Gilbert Being Mindful Janet Alston Jackson Meditate a Moment Featuring: Aleesha Stephenson Bellicon Rebounders QiBounding Try It On Everything The Revolution Starts Within DVD Glass Drinking Straws WGlassWorks Lexen Healthy Juicer Wheatgrass Juicer Lexen Products Ocean Mirabai Ceiba

There is nothing that remains the same for two consecutive moments. Like a flowing stream, our lives are continually changing. Often we are tempted to think that because of impermanence there is constant suffering amongst humanity. In fact when we suffer it is not caused by impermanence, its only because you believe that things should be permanent. Impermanence is a wonderful aspect of our lives. Without it, nothing would be possible. With impermanence all doorways are wide open for change. New experiences, new beginnings.

When I used to feed myself and my family a Standard American Diet, there was not very much impermanence in our daily mealtimes. I hear these words time and time again from people. They find they are habitually eating the same foods again and again. The same meals repeating over days and weeks because as busy wives and mothers, they prepare what is fast, simple and routine. Not giving much thought to what they are feeding their loved ones, their focus is instead on getting food to the table as quickly and easily as possible. Cooking the same things is a permanent state of existence. We are longing for change but we are in too much of a rush to find any, the only variety from this becomes a trip to a favourite restaurant where we find ourselves ordering the same dishes every time. This is truly a cycle of stagnation!

Eating a Raw Vegan Diet, we have the change I was searching for. I never dreamt that just by eating in such a simplified fashion - it would lead to so much impermanence.

We tend to eat what is in season. Where I live, the trees are full of grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, lemons and pecans. We go out together on foraging trips and pick our dinner right off the tree. The cactus are happy to share some of their bounty with us as well. Aloe Vera, Prickly Pears, Fruit of the Barrell and the Cholla Cactus are a nice treat to eat or make into a healthy juice. If you don't know what is in season, look at the prices in your local market… the prices come way down. By eating this way, we follow the impermanent cycle of nature and we don't get stuck in a stagnant rut!

Here are a days worth of recipes to give you an idea of what you can add to your daily diet, to perhaps change things up for yourself and your family.

Breakfast - Hippie Porridge

• 1 young coconut, both water and meat
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups raw pecans, soaked

Place all ingredients into your Vita-Mix or other blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. You can either chill or serve at room temperature.

Lunch - Melissa's Olive Salad

• 1 cup fresh peas (or frozen organic peas)
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup sundried olives, pitted and diced
• 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Place all ingredients into a serving bowl. Stir. Chill for approx. 2 hours - allowing for the flavours to combine. Serve all by itself or over a bed of your favourite variety of greens.

Dinner - Zucchini Primavera

Pasta:

• 8 small zucchini

Shred using your saladacco or food processor.

Sauce:

• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 large handful of sun-dried tomatoes (soak to soften unless they have been soften in oil already)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful of fresh basil
• 1/2 handful fresh oregano
• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 lemon juiced

Blend all of the ingredients in your Vita-Mix or food processor. Place the pasta on a plate and spoon the sauce over the pasta. You may either place fresh veggies such as broccoli, celery, carrots, squash and/or mushrooms on the top or enjoy it simply by adding a sprinkle of nutritional yeast to the top as a an alternative to cheese. Serve with a fresh, tasty side salad at room temperature.

Raw Love
Melissa Gilbert

You can read Melissa's interview in March 2008's issue of Timeless Spirit Magazine.

Melissa Gilbert is a Raw food Chef, a Certified Raw Food Nutritional Consultant, and a Raw Food Coach. She is also a Certified Personal Trainer and works with her client's nutritional goals as well as getting them established in an exercise regime.

Currently getting her Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition and taking classes to become a Hygienic Doctor, she is mother to toddler Alex, and wife to David as well as mother to 2 grown children and 3 grandchildren.

In her spare time Melissa enjoys the great outdoors, mountain hiking, biking, snow shoeing, camping in the backwoods and sailing. A Shaman in training and Tarot card enthusiast, Melissa (and her family) practices Buddhism with Pagan influences. If you would like to learn more about Raw Foods you can reach Melissa via email or visit one of her websites: Love Raw Life, www.rawtoddleralex.blogspot.com, and www.rawmom.blogspot.com.

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