March 1, 2001    "Crutches"

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS from Arnold's Way!

This week has been an exciting week at Arnold's Way Raw Cafe . . . which is nothing new since its always exciting & always fun! The reason is very simple: Arnold, a raw foodist, is happily creating new challenges while at the same time, following through with old commitments.

Happiness.

To be happy -- joyful -- does not have to be an evolving hope, but rather is a God-given & Natural birthright. We as a people, a town, a country, are facing a danger from within -- a force that can no longer be fought with guns or tanks. It is a force which battles our own sense of happiness, by invading our health, well-being, and inner peace. It is a force to be reckoned with, as we face daily challenges in our lives and make choices accordingly. What is this force?

It is a disheartening of the spirit.

How does it make its mark in our daily lives?

It is common practice for people to rely on what we call "crutches." There are everyday crutches of cigarette-smoking, coffee-drinking, drugs, and stimulants that people feel the need to consume just in order to finish their days . . . just to maintain a level of energy sufficient enough to "hang in there."

As a health food store owner, I hear the echoes of brain drain everyday: complaints about a lack of energy, feeling down, or even a barely uplifting "hanging in there." Is there truly a difference between feeling great without drugs or stimulants, or simply "hanging in there" with low energy? What makes the difference? Do people recognize the need to nourish their own vitality through healthy means vs. the means so readily available over-the-counter or at the coffee shop?

Our brains have an understanding so clear and coherent that there are absolutely no mistakes in its daily operation. There is not one mistake from our moment of birth to our time of death. Imagine for just a minute if we -- the you's and the me's -- were transformed to being just brains. We as human beings are composed of about 75,000,000,000 cells, all directed by the one, the only -- brain. Just one cell in our bodies have enough intelligence to fill 40,000 books with factual information from which our brains operate. So imagine that we are transformed to being only the higher center of bodily control we call the brain. Imagine the concentrated ability the consciousness that our brains possess. Our brains are able to consciously remove bodily substance and change it into cranial matter. Our brains have the ability to direct and move toxic substances in an effort to preserve one's vitality -- one's life force. Our brains are our gift of Life. They are the decision-makers, the coordinators of important vital bodily function. Our brains lay the foundation for daily decisions and choices by which we function and manage to maintain, sustain, and attain HAPPINESS.

Thus, when we experience brain drain, or a loss of vital energy, we must force ourselves to take a deep look at what choices we make on a daily level which are contributing to this lack of energy.

The challenges of our busy lives, coupled with the use of "crutches" in order to live up to those challenges, create a situation in which are ironically diffusing our vital energy in an attempt to nourish it. What do I mean? We bombard our bodies and brains with hot coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, processed foods, and other strong stimulants and drugs. These methods are considered to be heavy weights upon our body's well-being. Imagine the brain-the ultimate general -- and its constant barrage of these toxic substances. It has no choice but to feel depressed & rejected, and to adjust its levels of energy accordingly. We as a people are faced with the choices of these substances everyday. And in choosing to consume these substances, we are consistently dragging our levels of energy lower and lower until we are just "hanging in there." Arnold of Arnold's Way understands these concepts. And you know what he says? Well, I don't want to "just hang in there." I want to feel great. I want to be happy. I want to feel energized by Life on a daily level.

A body needs the proper conditions for health in order to fulfill its birth right of joy and happiness. We at Arnold's Way do not want to PREACH the benefits of changing one's diet to mostly raw, but we feel the need to SHARE information in an effort to enable each of us to make the right decisions regarding our own sense of happiness and well-being.

So thanks for reading and listening and please stop in for some more sharing and caring ... Arnold's Way, of course!

Other Happenings:

Laura Lyons-President of Career Dynamics International - is a woman who rose from a child of poverty to a dynamic leader in her field of Natural Healthcare. She once suffered from being overweight, she also had diabetes and took insulin for 6 years. These were her challenges of life and not a death sentence . . . but a hope. She beat diabetes and no longer takes insulin. A true hero-so move over Michael Jordon and make way for Laura! She and the Hippocrates Institute in Puerto Rico is offering a subsidized 1 week stay at the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute in Aguada, Puerto Rico. This is being offered to 20 woman at the low cost of only $200 for the week, so stop in to Arnold's Way for more information as the spaces are sure to fill up fast!

Arnold's Way is sponsoring-as always- a free breakfast lecture on healing with raw foods . . . this Saturday, and every Saturday, from 8:15 - 9:45. Call for preregistration.

Don't forget about our Raw Food Potluck Dinners, the last Wednesday of every month. They are exquisite and gourmet, definitely worth coming to. Taste the difference!

Loretta Vanias- a Chef Extraordinaire will have a gourmet workshop on March 24th from 11am -- 3pm.

A Banana Buffet and Discussion in Health & Sexual Well-being with DR. Susan Kaye and Michele Angello, Ph.D., Sunday, April 1st from 9am - 11am. Cost is $5. Pre-register is required.

Paul Nisson- author of Raw Life will be speaking at Arnold's Way on Thurs. April 19th from 7pm -- 9pm. Cost is $5 and pre-register required.

In Media-Greenwood and Arnold's Way sponsors a Pot Luck Raw Food dinner the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month between 2pm and 5pm. Call us at (215)483-2266 for more details.

These are just some dates to keep in mind. Don't forget to pre-register if you are interested, pass along the information to a friend, and help us to spread awareness of health and happiness the Raw way . . .

Thanks and Take Care !!!