Since starting down the raw food path, I've met a lot people struggling with answers to health and diet questions. Some people transition to a raw food diet quite easily, while others have to invent clever strategies for staying on raw food. Food cravings can be intense as our bodies struggle to kill off unhealthy intestinal bacteria and build up healthy internal flora. If you're constantly struggling with binge eating, feelings of deprivation, or lack of health and vitality, staying 100% raw may not be your best path to good health.

A common strategy for transitioning to raw is to eat a certain percentage of raw food. This can be a great strategy, provided that when you are eating cooked food, you choose healthy cooked food. If you are eating 75% raw and 25% Twinkies and fried tofu, you're missing out on the beneficial effects. Those processed foods are making your body more acidic and feeding the anaerobic bacteria in your gut, worsening your cravings.

Another popular strategy is to eat a lot of gourmet raw foods that mimic cooked favorites. There are dozens and dozens of gourmet raw food recipe books and a wide array of pre-packaged raw food snacks and desserts. Restaurants and grocery delis are adding raw selections to their menus. These are great for a fun delicious treat, but they are not part of a healthy, long-term diet plan. They tend to be high in sugar and fat, low in natural water, and lacking in substantial nutrients as compared with a fruit- and vegetable-rich diet. Eating raw junk food makes us feel sluggish and bloated, much like with any other junk food. The idea of staying raw at all cost is not necessarily the best strategy. Maintaining a raw food diet is supposed to be the means to being healthy. It is not the end in itself. If we are raw but unhealthy, then we have completely missed the point.

There is another alternative, and I'd like to suggest that it is superior to an all-raw diet that relies on fancy gourmet dishes and desserts: eating a mixture of raw foods and healthy cooked foods. The bulk aisle of natural food stores offer a variety of high protein, high fiber, mineral-rich, gluten-free grains such as quinoa, amaranth, and wild rice. These are all easy to prepare and can be mixed with raw fruits and vegetables for a very satisfying and tasty meal. Squashes, which are difficult to prepare raw, can be cooked and eaten plain to add healthy variety. Lightly steamed vegetables, while losing their enzymes, do retain most of their nutrition and cancer-fighting qualities.

Raw food is supposed to be about energy, vitality, and good mental and physical health, and for a lot of people, it is. If you aren't one of those people, don't beat yourself up over falling off the raw food wagon. Concentrate on good health first. Once you clean out the toxins and unhealthy bacteria and build up a healthy internal ecology, your body will demand nutritious, natural foods. Junk food won't even look like food anymore. You'll know raw food is the best diet for you because your body won't want anything else.

Americans are on a constant search for the answers to our health and weight problems. Whenever we find a new answer that seems to make sense, we think our problems are over for good, and we argue vehemently over the rightness of our newly discovered health "truths". But even when we make a positive shift in our thinking about health and diet, we can't seem to change our bad habits long enough to see ongoing positive effects. For every change in direction toward a healthier society, there is a line of junk food products catering to those who follow that direction. All we ever seem to do is upgrade to a more expensive brand of fat and sugar addiction.

When I first went vegan in 1995, vegan convenience foods, if you could find them, were geared toward the health-conscious more than the ethical vegan, so going vegan was a near guarantee that you'd be significantly healthier than you would have been otherwise. A tofu pup or veggie burger was a big step up from a hot dog or meat burger. Getting off of dairy typically made for a huge health improvement. These days, just going vegan alone is no longer a path to good health. Go into a natural food store and you can find cookies, donuts, pizza, pot pies, and even corndogs, all with a "vegan" label on the package. Just about anything you ever ate on the Standard American Diet is available, either in stores or online, in vegan form. This is great for animals because it's easier than ever to go vegan. But it is very detrimental to junk food vegans who believe that the vegan diet is an automatic ticket to good health.

In 2004, when I was forced to give up gluten after discovering that I was allergic, my consumption of processed junk food was nearly eliminated out of necessity. Pasta, bread, and vegan pastries, which had dominated my diet, were no longer options. I was elated about my newfound health and energy. But then I discovered the gluten-free pastas, the huge variety of gluten-free desserts, and even the amazing gluten-free, vegan bakery in Seattle, where I lived at the time. With so many people giving up gluten, the gluten-free food market has exploded. Once again, anything you ever ate on the Standard American Diet, can now be found in gluten-free form.

Even the Atkins diet, which has thankfully lost its appeal after sending people to the hospital for high blood pressure and kidney failure, has it's own line of Atkins junk food. When Atkins first came out, I'm sure many people felt much healthier. Having to limit carb intake to less than 20 grams per day essentially forced followers to remove processed junk food from their diets. But Americans, rather than breaking themselves of poor dietary habits, flocked instead to low carb versions of breads, pastas, and cookies, approved for the Atkins dieters.

I really thought I had this whole health and diet thing figured out when I got into raw foods. All the packaged foods were out of my life again and replaced entirely with fresh produce. I felt so amazing, physically and mentally, like I never had before. I no longer suffered even so much as a bad day. A year and a half later, I don't feel that way anymore. In fact, sometimes, I feel quite lousy. And it wasn't until today, when I was walking through the raw food snack aisle of the natural food store, that I put it all together.

Americans have started to make a new shift toward eating more raw food. Naturally, a market has opened up for pre-packaged, raw convenience foods. There are crackers, cookies, chocolates, and dozens of raw energy bars. There are raw recipe books with recipes for "buffalo wings" and "strawberry shortcake". Once again, I've made the shift in thinking to a better way to eat and live, but I've been unwilling to make a genuine change in my poor lifestyle habits.

We are in a health crisis in this country, and simple answers with no substantive changes are not going to fix it. We need to go back to eating actual food that grows in nature, rather than in a laboratory. We need to make dinner from scratch. We need to learn to appreciate the taste of a tomato by itself. Or, at the very least, we need to stop tricking ourselves into believing that we can feed our junk food addictions and achieve optimal health at the same time.

You may remember Vijay, the guy on the Ron Paul Candidates@Google interview who flew in from Seattle to hand deliver a donation check to Ron Paul.

Well, Vijay is organizing a very exciting campaign to get over 1000 Ron Paul supporters to New Hampshire in the days before the primary. You can read more about it here: http://www.seattleliberty.com/FAQ.html

New Hampshire is the "Live Free Or Die" state, and holds the first presidential primary in the country (date TBD). It's the perfect place and time to make a strong stand for Ron Paul.

So get a few friends together and carpool up there. Vijay even has some ideas for cheap lodging.

I know I've got a million great excuses for blowing it off. But excuses won't save our country and our liberty. Ron Paul will!

See you in New Hampshire! Looks like there's some good vegan food to be had throughout NH too!

Here in Asheville, NC, there’s an eclectic mix of people and political views. Yes, it is a liberal, new-ager oasis, but it is also up in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. In other words, there are all kinds of people here. Equally varied is the type of folks who come to the Asheville Ron Paul meetups, and who give me a wave and big thumbs up when I wear my Ron Paul 2008 t-shirt around town. Peace activists and gun enthusiasts alike, seem to be excited about Ron Paul.

Where I consistently run into opposition is from the animal activist community. “You know, libertarians aren’t supportive of animal cruelty legislation.” Yes, yes, I do know that. But maybe there is a bigger picture here that we’re missing. Namely, that a minority demographic like ours, shouldn’t be so gung ho about the federal government legislating morality.

Consider the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), which states, among other things, that anyone crossing state lines or using the federal mail system for “the purpose of causing physical disruption to the functioning of an animal enterprise, or any real or personal property of a person or entity having a connection to, relationship with, or transactions with an animal enterprise” is now considered a terrorist. Several activists are sitting in prison and labeled as terrorists for doing nothing more than making a speech or operating a website that talked about illegal actions against animal enterprises.

If you think this doesn’t affect regular mainstream animal rights organizations, think again. Until recently, I was on the board of directors for a 501(c)3 animal rights group, and the AETA came up at many board meetings. We were constantly questioning whether we could openly make donations to certain organizations, what kinds of demonstrations we could organize, and how to phrase messages on our website. It was easy to say “we can’t let these laws scare us out of being effective activists.” But when faced with the very real possibility of going to prison, board members became much more reserved in their approach.

Only a voice vote was taken on the AETA, so there is no record of who voted against it. But Ron Paul is on record for having opposed the Patriot Act, an equally chilling destruction of our constitutional rights, and he continues to speak out against it throughout his campaign. By contrast, every democratic candidate except for Dennis Kucinich, voted in favor of the Patriot Act, despite the fact that it flies in the face of our Constitution, which every member of Congress is sworn to uphold.

Consider also the recent court cases involving children being taken from parents who raise them on a vegan diet, or parents who choose an alternative healing program rather than chemotherapy for their child with cancer. These cases demonstrate that our entire lifestyle is the subject of negative scrutiny. They are reminders that when morality is dictated by the majority or by a vocal minority, it doesn’t always work in our favor. While it may be appealing to ask the federal government to stop animal abuses nation wide, rather than targeting many states or communities on a more local level, it keeps the door open for federal-level abuses of power, such as the AETA and the Patriot Act. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t insist that the federal government uphold the constitution in some circumstances, and ignore it when it is convenient for our particular cause.

Ron Paul has introduced the Health Freedom Protection Act, HR 2117, which leaves the choice of what to eat and how to take care of our health in the hands of the individual, not the federal government. He also opposed Homeland Security Bill, H.R. 5005, which authorizes forced vaccinations of American citizens against small pox. Maybe you think small pox vaccinations are a good idea. Fair enough. But what happens when the government decides Americans need to be forced to get chemotherapy for cancer, or feed their children animal products, or otherwise dictate what is best for our health?

I should also point out, that unlike all of the other Republican presidential candidates and unlike most of the Democratic candidates, Ron Paul opposes the Iraq war, has opposed it from the beginning, and promises to end the war immediately. I had believed that the Democrats were going to save us from this unending death march in the Middle East, but now most of them talk about staying until 2013, and even discuss the possibility of going to war with Iran.

Ron Paul has been a staunch supporter of the Constitution for his entire 10 terms in Congress. Before every vote, he asks himself whether a piece of legislation is legal under the Constitution. If it violates our liberties, guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, or if it is not authorized by the Constitution, Ron Paul votes against it. He doesn’t just pay lip service to the idea of freedom. His record speaks as loud as his words. I’ve given just a couple of examples among so many, where Ron Paul stands out as a defender of basic rights that specifically affect vegans and animal activists, in hopes that it will inspire you to look further into his candidacy.

Now I know what some of you are thinking. What about Kucinich? He stands on principle. He has opposed the Iraq war from the beginning. He voted against the Patriot Act and spoke out against the AETA. I like Kucinich. I voted for him in the last primary. I like him, not just because he is vegan, but because he is honest and principled. But I’m supporting Ron Paul this time around. For one thing, it seems to me that Ron Paul has a lot more momentum on his side. But for another, Ron Paul believes in small government, while Dennis Kucinich is a big government guy. I firmly believe that Kucinich supports large federal programs only for the most noble of reasons. But at this point, I simply don’t trust our government to make noble decisions. I don’t trust them to use our tax dollars and the power we give them to improve the state of our country or the world, no matter who is in charge.

As president, Ron Paul is committed to decreasing his own power so that we, as individuals, have the power to live our lives as we see fit, and to speak out on behalf of our planet and all of its inhabitants.

If you truly believe that Kucinich can win the Democratic nomination, and you aren’t convinced that we need to restrict the power of the federal government, then stand up for your beliefs and vote for Kucinich. He’s a good guy and I’d be happy to have him as president. But if you’re still banking on the idea that any Democrat is better than anything the Republicans have to offer, take a second look at Ron Paul, and consider switching parties to support him in the Republican primary.

For an in-depth look at Ron Paul’s positions, check out the Candidates@Google Ron Paul interview.

Check out Analysis of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act on greenisthenewred.com for an in-depth look at this legislation.

Many states have closed primaries and some are rumored to be switching to closed primaries at the last minute. If you support Ron Paul for president, make sure to register Republican ASAP. If you're in New York or New Hampshire, it's already too late. Delaware residents have until October 31st.

I know it's gross, but I had to just hold my nose and sign up. If the Republican party is good enough for Ron Paul, then it's good enough for me. Still not convinced? Maybe Ron Paul Girl can say it better.

Here's some information on registering to vote in your state.

Yes, that's right, I'm now a registered Republican. Possibly the only vegan, raw fooder, Republican in the country. I registered as a Republican in order to support Ron Paul in the North Carolina Republican primary.

For a great video summary of Ron Paul's platform and philosophy, watch the Candidates@Google video on YouTube. And for those of you who have forgotten what the U.S. Constitution actually says, have a read and remember what you're missing.

I went vegan in the winter of 1995, almost entirely for ethical reasons, but I was happy about the incidental health benefits that went along with it. Over the years, vegan food has become so popular that vegan junk food companies have popped up left and right, making it easier than ever to be sick on a vegan diet.

In 2003, I suddenly developed allergies to wheat and gluten, and discovered that I was afflicted with candida (yeast in the blood) that drained me of my health and energy. Long story short, I found raw food, and I'm healthier than I've ever been.

Here are some resources that have helped me learn about maintaining a healthy raw food diet:

• Raw Food MeetUp Group - Nothing is better for learning about raw food than meeting people who will support you, educate you, and inspire you. Try to find a Raw Food MeetUp Group in your area. If there isn't one already, start one. I guarantee you, people will join.
• Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen - This book and dvd set inspired me to really give raw food a try. Alissa Cohen demonstrates how simple, quick, and delicious raw food can be. But be warned: the video, while informative, can be long and tedious at times.
• Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko - I truly believe that eating green smoothies is the best way to improve your health. If you change nothing else about your diet, add green smoothies to your daily routine and you'll feel better.
• Raw Guru - I find myself on this site fairly often. It's full of great information and simple delicious recipes.
• Raw for 30 Days Movie Trailer - Think diabetes is an unavoidable fact of life? You can cure it.

Been thinking about going raw? Stop thinking and just do it. You don't have to go 100% raw all at once. Add whatever raw food you can to your diet. Or commit to going raw for just 30 days and see how you feel. Go at your own pace. But keep moving forward. There is no time like now to improve your health and add to your life the joy that comes with a clean, efficient, healthy body. Your excuses aren't making you any thinner, healthier, younger, or happier.

If you live in a metropolitan area, chances are, there's a restaurant or health food store selling some raw vegan meals and snacks. No matter where you live, you can order anything you want online, from truly raw nuts to "Raweo" cookies. There are hundreds of great sites out there, but the ones I use are:

• Raw Vegan Source - Hands down, my favorite place to by raw food. You pay a very small membership fee and you get the best prices on the net on most items.
• Sunfood Nutrition - If it's out there, Sunfood Nutrition probably has it. This is David Wolfe's company - a popular raw food expert speaker. This site has tons of whole raw foods, specialty raw treats, and lots of books, events, and other resources.
• Ebay - search for raw food - You'll be surprised at what you'll find. I bought organic raw vanilla beans there once for a fraction of the normal cost. Don't assume it's cheaper just because it's on ebay. Do your homework first.

When I went vegan in 1995, it was pretty easy to find tasty and healthy vegan food, but there wasn't a lot of variety. Now, the market is full of vegan versions of everything you can possibly imagine. It's easier than ever to satisfy all your food cravings, while maintaining a cruelty-free diet.

Even if you live in the middle of nowhere, chances are there is a little health food store tucked away somewhere that has some vegan options. If not, the internet is your friend. I now eat almost entirely raw vegan food, but before then, here are the online stores where I found all the vegan food I needed:

• Vegan Essentials - They are constantly getting in all the latest tasty snacks and treats and their prices are usually pretty good.
• May Wah Healthy Vegetarian Food - They have the most incredible selection of fake meat. Check the ingredients because not everything here is vegan. Shipping is very expensive so buy in bulk or order with friends to share the shipping cost.

There are many restaurants in Asheville that have vegan or raw food options. Some are fantastic while others are quite disappointing. I'm listing all the restaurants I've tried, whether they are worth eating at or not, so don't assume a place has good vegan or raw food just because it's on this list. Read the review.

• Laughing Seed Cafe
  40 Wall St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)252-3445
  Laughing Seed is a vegetarian restaurant with many vegan options. The food is healthy and very delicious. I've enjoyed the sea vegetable salad, shitake corn cakes, a few smoothies, the Harmony Bowl, and all the raw dishes on the menu, and all have been very good. They have a great raw tapas special that changes every day, and comes with dessert. Call to make sure they are serving it. Occasionally they don't have it on the menu. There are some raw sprouted salads that are a part of their regular menu. Laughing Seed is definitely my favorite restaurant in town, but it's one of the more expensive options.
• BoBo Gallery
  22 Lexington Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-3426
  What a little gem this cafe is! BoBo Gallery is also a vegetarian restaurant that is mostly vegan and has an extensive raw menu with many appetizers, entrees, and desserts. A substantial portion of their menu is also gluten-free. The best part is that all of the menu items are very clearly labeled as vegan, gluten-free, and/or raw. I enjoyed their Thanksgiving raw dinner which featured mock turkey, dressing, mashed "potatoes", corn pudding, pumpkin pie, and a heavenly glass of almond nogg. This is a new favorite of mine. I hope the community supports BoBo Gallery so that I can continue to enjoy this amazing menu.
• Rosetta's Kitchen
  111 Broadway
  Asheville, NC
  (828)232-0738
  Rosetta's Kitchen is easily the most vegan-friendly restaurant in town. The vast majority of their menu is vegan, although they do have a few vegetarian items. Rosetta's Kitchen speciliazes in comfort foods. Since I prefer healthier meals, I haven't loved everything I've ever ordered. I find some meals, such as the hot wings, to be lacking in vegetables. But they do a fantastic job with tofu, tempe, mashed potatoes, southern greens, biscuits, and plenty of other dishes. And their desserts are out of this world.
• Ophelia's Restaurant & Bar
  15 Eagle St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)255-8154
  Ophelia's isn't a vegetarian restaurant but they do specialize in vegan and vegetarian options. They have a multi-course organic raw dinner special every weekend - starting Friday at 5 PM and continuing through the weekend for as long as the food lasts. I enjoy their raw soups very much and the salad and entrees have been good, but not spectacular. Their pumpkin pie is phenomenal. Call for price and menu. I've heard that they have an inexpensive lunch buffet with many vegan options, but I haven't tried it for myself.
• Heiwa Shokudo
  87 N. Lexington Ave
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-7761
  This little Japanese restaurant is a big favorite among a few vegans in town, which means that the staff is very knowledgeable about what is vegan on the menu. There are plenty of dishes to choose from if you're vegan. The gluten-free options are not so plentiful, but there are a couple of good choices. Don't be fooled by the buckwheat noodles - they have some regular wheat flour in them. The only item that approaches raw food is the seaweed salad, which is quite good. The entrees are rather pricey but you get a lot of food in each dish. Heiwa would be a great restaurant to visit for a mixed crowd with varying diets.
• Early Girl Eatery
  8 Wall St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)259-9292
  I doubt if I'll ever eat here again. Early Girl Eatery is a well-known restaurant in Asheville, and they have several vegan items on their menu. I ordered a tofu scramble with some mixed vegetables and it was not good. It wasn't inedible or anything, but I could have done better at home. The vegetables tasted like they came out of a can.
• Mellow Mushroom Pizzeria
  50 Broadway St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)236-9800
  If you really need a pizza, this is as good of a place as any to go. You can order the veggie and tofu pizza with no cheese. But that's pretty much all they have. Their fake cheese isn't vegan and they don't have any interesting fake meats. The staff is very helpful and they have some nice outdoor seating right downtown. I've heard that service can be painfully slow there, but I didn't experience that.
• Mela Indian Restaurant
  70 Lexington Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)225-8880
  I tried Mela's lunch buffet at the insistence of some omnivore coworkers. The upside is that Mela's labels all of their vegan options, which I love. The downside is that they really don't have very many vegan options. Even their rice isn't vegan. It filled me up and I enjoyed the company, but I wouldn't every bother going their on my own.
• Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.
  675 Merrimon Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-1281
  I got talked into going here with coworkers and was already committed to my gluten-free diet at the time, so I didn't pay too close attention to the pizza selection. I do remember there were a couple of vegetarian pizzas that I'm sure could be ordered without cheese. I ordered a big salad that was pretty good…. for a salad.