Certain mainstream restaurants are beginning to offer special "raw vegan" and "organic vegan" menus.  As more people become aware of how much food affects our health, energy levels, and mood, I expect even more restaurants to adapt to the growing trend for healthy menus.  Instead of McDonald's franchises dotting the landscape, maybe one day we will have healthy restaurants everywhere — restaurants that serve living food, fresh fruit, and local produce.

The newest version of the Raw Food Restaurant Guide includes a number of new international restaurants – in addition to U.S. locations.  There were a few closings, a few address updates, and a lot of new restaurants.  This is the biggest update I've ever completed, and it's incredible to see the growth of raw food.

Thanks to everyone who contributed including: Amanda, Jennifer, Michelle, Kristine, Lenette, Dean, Tammy, Emma, Allison, Julie, Roxane, Eli, Curt, Leigh, Kathleen, Jen, Francesca, Lawrence, John, Bonnie, Tommie, Gunther, Alice, Samara, Tina, Richard, Linda, Michael, Sylvia, Craig, Jason, Kimberly, Lisa, Kim, Tomi, Denise, Claudia, Mireille, Luke, Heidi, Leslie, Eireen, Lillian, Cedric, Ali, Mike, Elaine, Lauren, Bill, Jack, Fred, Meg, Laura Lee, Terrie, Seth, Heather, Diane, Juliene, Carolyn, Lee, Sherri, Todd, Sarah, Rosette, Shelly, Dana, Breelanda, Mariela, Jon, Carol, Eliana, Stefanie, Leah, Eva, Sharon, Hiromi, Zhanna, Rufus, Gaby, Ronnie, Lucy, Tiago, Eleanor, Chana, Hana, Patricia, Shana, Janine, Monika, Josh, Amy, Lori, Alex, Sumana, Alicia, Bianca, Kelly, Colette, Grant, Chad, Schall, Jeni, Andrew, Rob, Rachel, Ron, Adam, Ines, Teri, Wallace, Timothy, Danielle, Randy, Anna, Veronica, Eric, Kalan, Waverly, Jonathan, Theresa, Jai, Robin, Paige, Abel, Luis, Judy, Taryn, Cliselidis, David, Karen, Rob, Jane, Susan, Jean, Lynn, Judith, Wendy, Caroline, Gina, Alvaro, Marie, Sara, Christina, Eric, Tracy, and Lindsay.

Special thanks to: Jassandra for her help in compiling and verifying restaurants.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

"Grezzo was, as expected, amazing.  On the website, the only way of booking was by phone, but we wanted to secure a table since we were only going to be in Boston for 3 nights, and our UK cell phones don't work in America, and so we emailed them and got a reply back with a confirmation of our booking.  A great and very profesional and helpful start! 
 
We found the restaurant (at 69 Prince Street) easily enough, in the heart of Little Italy, which is a really fun and lively district of Boston and a great place in which to eat out during the evening.  Grezzo is small, with only around 10-12 tables, and not much space to move around in, but it was cosy and elegant and had a really good vibe. For starters, my husband, who isn't a raw foodist, but will always enjoy at least one raw meal on holiday in a restaurant, went for the Grezzo Sliders – house-made patties on vine-ripened tomato.  It was good, and there was plenty of it, but we both agreed my Gnocchi Carbonara was amazing—hand-rolled dumplings, creamy rawmesan and fresh English peas with pea shoots (the pea shoots were delicious) and crispy egg-plant.  This was a really stand-out dish. 
 
For the main course, I had the Lobster Thermidor—a terrine (so stacked like a lasagne really) of tarragon and mustard seed cashew cheese, black grapes and baby spring vegetables.  The black grapes really made this dish stand out, as did the addition of papaya – delicious!  My husband had the star-anise encrusted papaya steak, which is really Grezzo's signature dish and it was delicious—imaginative and filling, delicately flavoured and refreshing, it also looked really cool.  We both loved the use of papaya, so imaginative!  We've never had that in any other raw food restaurant before, but it really made the dishes fresh and flavoursome.   
 
For dessert, I had the rich brownie sundae, which is another one of their signature dishes and it was amazing—really indulgent, filled with house-made gelato (lavender from what I remember, although I may be mis-taken), chocolate truffle and brazil nut crumble.  Raw foodists don't usually get such indulgent desserts and this was fabulous! The alcoholic cocktails featured sake and my husband had one of those (can't remember which one) but we felt the drinks were expensive compared to the food.  The tap water was plentiful though and our glasses kept being refreshed.  Of course, we went back again the next night.  My husband had the Gnocchi Carbonara as his only course.  I had the Vietnamese Coconut Soup, which I was a little disappointed with, simply because I had been expecting more lemongrass and ginger to give it a kick.  I felt it was maybe a bit bland.   
 
My husband didn't have a main course that evening, but I had the Land & Sea—a mushroom dish made from locally-harvested maitake, yellow oyster, black trumpet, hedgehog and honshimeji mushrooms.  It came with lemon ricotta, dulse and kelp.  I have to say I was disappointed by this dish.  I felt that the mushrooms could have been marinated in something to bring out their individual flavours more and it was just a bit too heavy on the mushrooms (and I love mushrooms!).  I wish I had ordered something else and wouldn't had that dish again, but would jump at the chance for any of the other dishes.  The photo at the top shows the Land & Sea mushroom dish.
 
My husband didn't eat dessert either, but that night I had (from what I remember) the chocolate torte, with chocolate and golden raisin crust with salty almond gelato (pictured). 

It was delicious—as you can see from the photo on the left. It looks fabulous, and it tasted every bit as good as it looked. The staff was really friendly and professional, and I'd love to go back again any time I'm in Boston—it's a real gem.  Bostonians are very lucky to have Grezzo, and the small size of the restaurant seems to work in its favour.  It feels like a real "find," in the heart of Little Italy. 

The menu was small enough so that we didn't feel overwhelmed by choice and you can tell that everything has been thought through.  Alissa Cohen has really brought her own imagination to the menu, and doesn't rely on the usual raw lasagne/pizza/burgers options."

Thanks Andrea!  If you're in the Boston area, be sure to check out Grezzo. 

• Virologist Adrian Gibbs, renowned scientist and inventor of Tamiflu, has gone on record stating that various metrics (nucleic acid ratios), as well as genetic history indicates that this virus was passed through eggs. This indicates artificial laboratory cell culture origin (not natural). Adrian Gibbs was one of the first to analyze the genetic construction of the swine flu virus.

• Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said that the virus currently circulating in Mexico and the United States is not swine flu.  "The virus has not been isolated in animals to date. Therefore, it is not justified to name this disease swine flu," the OIE said in a press statement.  The virus "includes in its characteristics swine, avian and human virus components," and urged that it be called "North American influenza," after its geographic origin. The OIE said it was urgent that scientific research be carried out to determine the susceptibility of animals to what it said was a "new virus."
  

• Andrew Rambaut, a viral geneticist at the University of Edinburgh, said: “The new gene that came in from Eurasian swine is one we’ve never before seen circulating in humans. This is what we call a reassortment between two currently circulating pig flu viruses. Why it’s emerged in humans is anyone’s guess. It hasn’t been seen before in pigs.” 

• Miguel Ángel Lezana, Mexico's top government epidemiologist (a scientist who studies the transmission and control of diseases), said Wednesday that it is "highly improbable" that a farm in the Mexican state of Veracruz operated by Smithfield Foods is responsible for the nation's swine-flu outbreak.  Lezana said that pigs at the farm are from North America—while the genetic material in the virus is from Europe and Asia. 

Earlier this year, Baxter Pharmaceuticals was responsible for releasing a flu vaccine which *contained* the avian H5N1 virus.  Baxter is currently under investigation by the Austrian police for contamination of 158 pounds (72 kilos) of the vaccine.   

2.  There is a lot of media attention on something that is relatively minor, when compared to other health-care problems.  Swine flu is not nearly as dangerous as other health-care problems such as heart disease, stroke, or diabetes.  Each year, 631,636 people die from heart disease, which is largely diet (and lifestyle) related.  Only 3,205 people worldwide have died from swine flu, and this statistic is controversial and disputed.  There is no forensic evidence submitted in any of the swine flu deaths that they were caused by the H1N1 Swine Flu virus.  The symptoms of swine flu are indistinguishable from the regular flu.  European epidemiologists believe many of the deaths reported are "coincidental" or what are called opportunistic infections (many people had prior respiratory and bacterial illnesses).  With only a small number of deaths, it’s odd that swine flu has been labeled a “pandemic.”    

3.  Any person with a healthy immune system can heal from a flu within 3-14 days without antibiotics or drugs.  A flu is the body's natural healing response, usually caused by an acidic, toxic internal environment.  What creates an acidic, toxic internal environment?  Here are a few contributing factors: alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, stress, consuming lots of red meat, pharmaceuticals, and foreign proteins & mucus from dairy products.  Flu symptoms are a natural purging of things that are causing problems for your body.  It's the body's method of cleansing itself.   

4.  Many vaccines (and especially the swine flu vaccine) contain ingredients that have dangerous and negative effects on human health.  Ingredients used in vaccines include: aborted fetal tissue, mercury, thimerosal, anti-freeze, formaldehyde, sheep blood, rabbit brain, MSG, aluminum, lead, cadmium, bovine (cow) fetal serum, monkey kidney cells, chicken embryo parts, sulfate, antibiotics (including Gentamycin), yeast proteins, acetone, neomycin, dog kidney, steptomycin, chicken egg, duck egg, calf serum, guinea pig, cow heart, detergent (including Triton X100), and animal viruses.  Thimerosal is a mercury toxin linked to Autism, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and many other health problems.  Aluminum is a known neurotoxin, and has very negative effects on the brain.

Bovine (cow) fetal serum is often mixed with bacteria or viral particles, and other vaccine ingredients including toxic metals, such as mercury, formaldehyde, and aluminum. Proteins and genetic materials from the cattle, viruses, and bacteria are mixed together, and these particles are injected into you or your children. Once the vaccine ingredients, including foreign RNA and DNA (and genetically engineered bacteria and/or viruses) enter your blood, they may cause mutations of your cells, further weakening the immune system.

Another troubling issue with vaccines is the use of adjuvants, such as squalene.  Adjuvants are vaccine fillers that increase the effect of the vaccine, and often cause an inflammatory response.  The U.S. government has contracts with certain drug companies to develop and produce swine flu vaccines. Two of these companies, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline, were using the adjuvant squalene in their swine flu vaccines (which is illegal for use in the U.S.).  The squalene adjuvant (MF59) was an unapproved ingredient in experimental anthrax vaccines given to military personnel who served in the Gulf War.  Since then, squalene has been linked to the devastating autoimmune diseases suffered by Gulf War veterans.

Even more troubling are the long-term effects of certain vaccines.  There are virtually no studies to support the safety of vaccine injections on your long-term health. Vaccine follow-up studies last about two weeks (on average), and look only for glaring injuries and illnesses.  Many of these studies are sponsored by (or linked to) the drug companies who created the vaccines.  The video below is very disturbing, both from a health standpoint and from a civil liberties standpoint.  

Here is the link where you can read about the unconstitutional Massachusetts bill that has passed the state Senate.  This Massachusetts Senate bill violates the 4th Amendment by allowing illegal search and seizure, and forced entry into any home or building.  It also violates the 14th Amendment of illegal arrest without a warrant, and proposes illegal imprisonment without charge.  If you live in Massachusetts, please contact your elected representatives in the state House of Representatives and ask them to vote against this unconstitutional bill. 

Unfortunately, similar vaccination laws have been passed (or are pending) in Quebec, France, and Ireland.  In Dublin, the Health Department is planning to activate a 1947 Health Act provision which will make the swine flu vaccination compulsory in Ireland. According to an article by Keith Falkiner in the Irish Sunday Star, anyone refusing the vaccination will face jail.  “They are seriously considering making the vaccination compulsory as it could be the only way to make it work,” a Health Department spokeswoman was quoted as saying. Other measures being considered are enforced quarantine and travels bans.  In preparation for enacting the new laws, pharmacists across Ireland are being trained to administer the vaccination, which is produced by Baxter International.

Quebec law (passed July 23, 2009), provides for the power to FORCE citizens to receive a “vaccination.”  Those who refuse will be brought before a court, and a judge will order them to be physically taken to a place where they will be forcibly vaccinated. See articles 100, 123, 126. The new law also gives Quebec government and public health departments the right to seize your belongings, including all documents, including personal documents and records, and to evict you from your home. They also have the power to quarantine you for 30 days. The document is here, and it’s in French.

So, what can you do about this?  Educate yourself about the consequences of vaccines and their ingredients.  Educate yourself about the laws where you live.  Decide where you stand on this issue, and stand up for your rights.  Personally, I trust my immune system to fight-off disease, more than I trust Big Pharma with their questionable vaccines that contain harmful substances—and produce unknown side effects.  Take steps today to strengthen your immune system.  Eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, reduce stress, and spend time in the sunshine (Vitamin D).  One of the biggest dangers of vaccines is that you never know what's in them—and what the side effects will be (both short-term and long-term).  Concerned about giving your children vaccines?  Doctor Mercola has created a fantastic vaccine form for your child's pediatrician.  The link also contains vaccine exemption waivers for each state. 

 "The only safe vaccine is the one that is never used." — James Shannon, Former National Institute of Health (NIH) Director

Need more information?  I've compiled a special report called: 17 Reasons Not to Take the Swine Flu Vaccine.  Finally, thanks to Trillion for a great video that encourages people to "Say No to the Vaccine."

Weight loss on a raw food diet is quick and practical. Best of all, it’s totally natural. With raw food, you don’t need to drink processed shakes, count calories, or swallow terrible-tasting (and ineffective) pills.  Our bodies were naturally designed for fresh, raw foods. 

Here’s How the Raw Food Weight Loss Diet Works…

When you’re focused on losing weight with raw foods, you never feel deprived because everything you eat satisfies your body’s nutritional needs. If you’re still hungry, have some more raw food. You can eat as much raw food as you like (when following a few simple rules)—because the food you’re eating is healthy and nutritionally satisfying. With raw food weight loss, there are no empty calories. Raw food provides maximum nutrition with minimum calories!

Do you know why people overeat?  Often, it's because your body is not getting the nutrition it needs.  This problem disappears on a raw food diet.  A raw food weight loss diet gives your body the nutrition it craves. It gives your taste buds the delicious taste they need, and it satisfies your stomach. With raw foods, you get a mega-dose of nutritionally dense foods – plus the satisfying feeling of being full.

Here’s What You’ll Discover When Following a Raw Food Weight Loss Diet…

• How to super-charge your body’s natural ability to burn fat—fast.
• How to end late night hunger cravings, and cravings for unhealthy foods.
• Eat as much food as you want, as long as it meets a few simple criteria.
• How to enjoy food, and never worry about counting calories.
• Release weight naturally using a system that has been proven.
• How to get a slimmer, trimmer, and more beautiful body.

A raw food diet is the healthiest diet you can follow.  My friend Angela Stokes has been featured on CNN and BBC for her incredible raw food success story. Angela lost 160 pounds on a raw food weight loss diet! Here’s a video from Angela’s appearance on CNN.

Losing weight on a raw food diet is simple and easy – once you have a proven plan to follow. Find out how Angela can help you lose weight, and get the body of your dreams.

About Angela Stokes: Angela lost 160 pounds, and recovered from morbid obesity by following a raw food weight loss diet. Angela has been featured on CNN and BBC for her incredible weight loss story. You can start losing weight today with a 30-day raw food weight loss plan, plus easy raw food meals.

Raw Food Benefit #1:  More Energy

One of the biggest raw food benefits is having more energy and feeling younger.  Raw food contains simple sugars, enzymes, nutrients, and minerals that our bodies need in an easily digestible form.  Since less energy is needed for digestion, you have more energy available for other tasks—such as working, playing, exercise, or anything else you want to do.  Which brings us to raw food benefit number two…

Raw Food Benefit #2:  Easier & Faster Digestion

Raw foods contain living enzymes that help your body digest food quickly and easily.  These enzymes are destroyed when food is cooked above 118 degrees Fahrenheit.  When you eat a big cooked meal, a large amount of energy is required to digest the meal.  This explains why you feel tired and sleepy after a big Thanksgiving dinner (or any large cooked-food meal).  With raw food, digestion & elimination are quick and easy.

Raw Food Benefit #3: Lots of Fiber and Naturally Detoxes Your Body

Raw food assists in naturally detoxing your body.  When you eat plenty of raw foods, you’re getting lots of fiber, allowing your body to release mucus, toxins, and accumulated waste.  When you eat clean food (fresh fruits and veggies), your body can focus on detoxing—instead of having to focus on digesting unhealthy, artificially processed, dead, and packaged foods.  Good health requires good elimination—and fiber assists in that process.

Raw Food Benefit #4: Rapid Weight Loss

Another fantastic benefit is raw food weight loss.  When you eat a raw food diet, you’ll probably lose weight.  Why?  Because raw food is pure – it doesn’t contain junk food, harmful additives, hydrogenated oils, or lots of empty calories.  Raw food provides maximum nutrition for minimum calories.  Plus, fruits and veggies are naturally low in fat.

Raw Food Benefit #5:  More Nutritional Value than Cooked Foods

Foods cooked above 118F° will lose enzymes, nutrients, minerals and vitamins.  You can compare the energy that surrounds living food to the energy that surrounds cooked/dead food using Kirlian photography.  Living foods have more energy, which can be seen with Kirlian photography. 

Raw Food Benefit #6: Feeling More Rested & Possibly Needing Less Sleep

Among other raw food benefits, you might experience the need for less sleep.  When we eat large amounts of cooked food, the energy required for digestion taxes our bodies.  As a result, we need to sleep more to recover.  Many people report feeling more rested, and needing less sleep on a raw food diet.   

Raw Food Benefit #7:  Anti-Aging Benefits

Raw food contains anti-oxidants, which play a big role in reducing the signs of aging.  Researchers have concluded that free radical damage causes oxidation — and this is the central process of aging. 

Free radicals are created as a side-effect of natural metabolism. They are also caused by drugs, environmental poisons and pollutants. The antioxidants and micronutrients in raw foods (fresh fruits & vegetables) reduce free radical damage, and help prevent the signs of aging.

I never measure anything when creating green smoothies.  I just add greens, fruit, and water to the Vitamix blender, and blend until smooth.  If the smoothie tastes too bitter, you can always add more fruit.  If you're new to creating green smoothies, I'd start-off with a 50/50 mixture, and then increase the greens or fruit to your liking.  

Basic Green Smoothie Recipe

60% Fruit
40% Greens
A small amount of water

Add all ingredients, and blend until smooth.  Using frozen fruit is great because the smoothie is already cold.  You can also add one or two ice cubes.  However, people who follow Ayurveda and natural hygiene don't believe in adding ice cubes.  The theory is that cold foods—such as ice cubes—slow (inhibit) digestion.  I do add ice cubes occasionally.   

 In the video below, Robyn shows you how to make a green smoothie.

Laura Bruno has written a very practical book called The Lazy Raw Foodist's Guide.  The Lazy Raw Foodist is perfect for people who want a practical, simple, and EASY raw food plan.  There's a great chapter called "Sneaky Ways to Get More Greens" with 7 ways to add more greens into your diet.

The "Deficiency or Excess" chapter covers 9 potential deficiencies to watch out for—and I especially liked the chapter on raw food and dental issues (lots of people have questions about raw food and their teeth).  Another helpful chapter was "The Great Raw Pretenders" which discusses 24 foods that are NOT raw, even though many people think they are.

Inside the Lazy Raw Foodist, Laura covers…

• How to quickly create delicious raw food meals (no complicated ingredients needed).
• Raw food recipes, including soups, salads, appetizers and desserts.
• Understanding your motivation: Why do you want to eat raw foods?
• What you need to know about detoxing.
• Choosing which raw food path you want to follow — Should you follow the 100% Raw path, the cleansing crowd, the High Raw path, the 80-10-10 diet,  the Superfood/Cacao Crowd, or the Essene approach?

• What about colonics, cleanses, and juice feasts?
• Superfoods and the cacao controversy.
• How to find raw-friendly health-care providers.
• Understanding fruitarianism, natural hygiene, and under-eating.
• The truth about the Vitamix Blender.
• Is the Excalibur dehydrator more than hot air?
• 8 beauty tips (for guys and gals) to get you glowing
• Food combining made easy.

About the Author: One of the more amazing facts about Laura is that she successfully recovered from a traumatic brain injury (brought on by a car accident).  Since her recovery, Laura has helped many other people regain their health through her work as an energy healer, Life Coach, Medical Intuitive, and Reiki Master. You can find out more about Laura and The Lazy Raw Foodist here.

My friend, Dr. Jim Carey, has created a massive raw food home study course, based on the teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore. 

Jim's raw food home study course (now in version 4.0) is jam-packed with raw food recipes, step-by-step guidance, resources, instruction, and everything you need to succeed with raw foods.  Over the years, I've purchased a lot of raw food products—but nothing I've seen is quite as comprehensive as Dr. Carey's raw food home study course.  It's massive!  In the video below, you can see just how large and comprehensive the course is.  

Inside the Raw Food Home Study Program, you'll discover…

• How to create nutritious, tasty raw food meals in less than 5 minutes!
• How to make Green Smoothies and Energy Soup.
• 4 simple ways to easily create nutrient-packed lunches and foods for an "on-the-go" busy schedule.
• How to grow sprouts cheaply and easily—even if you're a complete beginner (Video with Dr. Jim Carey)
• How to overcome the social pressures of eating unhealthy foods while dining with friends and family.
• Raw Parenting Secrets, with Karen Ranzi.
• How to create your raw food kitchen—exactly what equipment and supplies you need.
• Planning a Living Foods Menu, with Hiawatha Cromer.
• How to maintain your raw food diet & lifestyle. (It's easier than you think, once you know a few simple secrets.)
• Living Foods Preparation DVD, with Raziya Scott & Joyce Olivetto.
• Transitioning to Living Foods DVD, with Joyce Olivetto.
• Raw food recipes book, How-to Manual, Over 37 DVD's, plus CD's, audio programs, special bonuses, and so much more.  

Jim has received amazing feedback from folks who've claimed earlier versions of the course (versions 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0).  With the newly expanded course (version 4.0), the Raw Food Home Study Program is bigger and better than ever! 

Special Discount Coupon:  For a limited time, Jim is offering a special "Early Bird" coupon to my readers.  When you use the Early Bird coupon, you'll receive a generous $98 discount.  The special coupon code is: EFG98AVB.  Warning: This coupon expires on March 13th, so be sure to take advantage of it, before it's gone. 

You can get all the details & claim your discount here.  Don't forget to enter the coupon code!

Steve recently published his first book, called Personal Development for Smart People, which is well thought-out, organized, and practical.

Over the years, I’ve read a number of personal development books.  Steve’s book has a very spiritual/metaphysical feel to it—more so than other personal development books that I’ve read.  Personal Development for Smart People begins by describing the core principles of personal growth—these are Truth, Love, and Power. Secondary principles are: Authority, Oneness, and Courage.

I especially enjoyed the chapters on Courage, Power, Habits, and Career. Steve’s thoughts on self-discipline (as it relates to personal power) were also very useful. The most practical section of the book was the chapter on habits. I will be applying a number of habits that Steve suggested. I am especially looking forward to running a 30-day experiment on early rising.  To give you a taste of the book, I’ll include a handful of my favorite quotes…

Quotes on Being Honest with Yourself & Your Desires

"Never deny that you want what you want. It’s okay to want something and have no idea how to get it. [But] it’s not okay to pretend that your desires don’t matter."

"Most people are out of touch with their true desires. They allow others to decide what they should want, or they settle for what they think they can get. They buy into socially conditioned nonsense that the purpose of life is to work at a meaningless job for decades, spend themselves into debt, distract themselves with mindless entertainment, get married, have children, retire broke, and then quietly die. Consequently, they live desperate shadow lives, forever powerless and unhappy. Don’t succumb to the illusion of false desire. Only true desire summons power."

Having the Courage to Ask For What You Want

“As adults we often forget that the best way to fulfill our desires is to walk right up to whatever interests us and engage with it directly.”

“When you risk rejection, either you get what you want, or you build some courage. Either way, the outcome is positive.”

Facing Things & Accepting Responsibility

Most personal development authors talk about accepting 100% responsibility for your life—and not blaming problems on God, your parents, your environment, or other outside factors.  Steve does a better job than most authors because he fully explains how to take responsibility for your life.  He covers: decision-making in risky situations, handling situations where you lack the ability to change what isn't working, facing your fears, and consciously choosing what to connect with.  Excerpts on this topic include:

"You must accept full responsibility for your life and be willing to make decisions under all circumstances. This includes ambiguous, challenging, and risky situations."

"Whatever you fear, you must eventually face. When you shrink from failure, you only weaken yourself. When you make mistakes and learn from them, you grow stronger."

"Whenever you’re faced with a part of reality you don’t like, and you feel powerless to change it, the first step is to accept the truth of your situation. Say to yourself: This situation is wrong for me, yet I lack the strength to change it right now. Openly admit to yourself that even though you’re stuck with complete responsibility for every area of your life, you may not have the ability to fix what isn’t working at this point. Never pretend to enjoy a job you hate. Never pretend to be happy in an unfulfilling relationship. Never pretend that your finances are strong when they’re really weak. If you want your situation to improve, you must first come clean with yourself and admit the whole truth."

"In the long run, your life becomes a reflection of what you choose to connect with most often."

If you want a practical plan for improving your life (including your health, your finances, your relationships, and your happiness), then I recommend picking-up a copy of Personal Development for Smart People. You’ll be glad you did.

Raw Vegan Restaurants are Growing

It's amazing to see how fast vegan and raw vegan restaurants are spreading.  We now have 188 raw food restaurants (including some partially-raw restaurants) around the world!

New international raw food restaurants can be found in Scotland, Barbados, Germany, Australia, Canada, and London.  Plus, Alabama, Oklahoma, and North Carolina all have their first raw (or partially raw) vegan restaurants. 

There were, of course, several closings–most notably Cilantro Live (which re-opened under a new name in Carlsbad), Happy Jumping Cafe, and Terra Bella.

Contributors

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the latest edition of the Raw Food Restaurant Guide.  Special thanks to: Jonathan, Lila, Paz, Eli, Penni, Gloria, Amy, Tina, Jessica, Karyn, Brian, Laurelee, Jim, Wiebe, Julie, Audry, Tina, Deb, Katrin, Nikki, Katie, Cathy, Paul, Miin, Alma-Jade, Anna, Giedre, Lucy, Sue, Gloria, Chantel, Judy, Connie, Lydia, Ellen, Lisa, Abby, Marianne, Jillian Ann, Aileen, Lila, Kevin, Joseph, Benita, Jermaine, Don, Davi, Jen, Bea, Diedre, Tone, Sarah, Nancy, Brenda, Lauren, Bob, Iryna, Melissa, Kostas, Erica, Sharon, Vanessa, Kimberly, Maya, and Erin.  

The latest edition of the Raw Food Restaurant Guide has been sent out to subscribers.  Enjoy!