Fun at Au Lac and Yummy Culinary Class

Traffic is something we just don’t have in Fort Bragg, so I wasn’t prepared for the congestion on the LA freeways!  But it is all worth it when we have the opportunity to meet great people like the ones at Au Lac in Fountain Valley on Friday night.  Many of them told us they have wanted to attendLiving Light for years and some decided tonight that they aren’t going to wait any longer — after all, money sometimes manifests out of nowhere for other things, why not for something as important and life altering as this!  After all, nothing is as important as our health!  And, if food doesn’t taste great, forget it — we would rather die than eat food we don’t like!  It isn’t enough for it to be healthy — it has to taste good.  Nothing like great tasting food to get people inspired!

It was also wonderful seeing Chef Ito again!  Ito graduated from Living Light 12 years ago and has become one the the best chefs in the world.  His restaurant is one of my favorites — you can really taste the LOVE.  Thanks, Chef Ito, for spreading the love and light one bite at a time!

Next stop is Yummy: Vegan Culinary Classes in Pasadena.

Yummy’s vegan culinary class on Saturday was a yummy experience for all concerned.  Dan and I had a great time showing attendees (some not even vegan, but curious) how to make Raw Food for Cooked Food Lovers — they were blown away!  Even the raw food enthusiasts in attendance said they had no idea raw foods could be so exciting and delicious.  I love big bold flavors and it comes through in my style of cuisine and the recipes in our book, Raw Food for Dummies, as well as what we teach at Living Light.   Lot’s of people said they want to attend the school, even if only for our weekend entree level classes, FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods and Sharpen-Up Your Knife Skills.  Others said they were ready to do as our graduate Michael Miller told them he did — and start a new rewarding career as a teacher and chef.

The next stop in our solar-powered RV (better known as Gracie) is La Jolla; then on to San Diego and back to LA before returning to the Bay Area.  Looking forward to meeting more great people interested in making healthy living delicious!

Check out ourtour schedule to see where you can meet us.

Raw Chef on the Road

Our fifteen city tour of California has begun!  We spent Saturday night camping in our solar-powered RV, Gracie ( we travel in grace), at Refugio State Park, a beach park north of Santa Barbara.  I  used to visit this park with my family when I was a kid.  This has so many wonderful memories of childhood for me, since I was born and raised in Santa Barbara!  As we were driving in, the park attendant asked about our license plate, Raw Chef.  He wondered, as many people do, if it meant sushi.  We explained about raw foods and told him we are on a 15-city California tour, educating people about the health benefits of raw food and how to make it easy and delicious.  He became very excited about it and bought a copy of our new book, Raw Food For Dummies!  The next morning, he told us that the whole family is reading the book, and they love it!  He said he thinks this could change everything for them!  It just shows that all of us can make a difference in people’s lives when we are least expecting it!

Our experience at Ninaya and Daniel’s house in Goleta (a few minutes north of Santa Barbara) on Sunday afternoon was delightful!  We spent the day with the local meetup group, friends and family, enjoying food together before Dan and I talked about Raw Food for Smart Busy People (fashioned after our newest book, Raw Food For Dummies), then I gave a class in flavor dynamics and flavor balancing and showed how to create big bold favors without depending on oil or sugar.  We answered questions about food, kitchen equipment, and lots of questions about Living Light classes. They were surprised to learn that we re the ONLY state licensed raw vegan  culinary school (and voted Best Raw Chef Training Program!) there is.

One of our graduates, Amy Bacheller, was there (so great to see her and her husband, Glen!).  She got up and encouraged everyone to attend the school, even if they have no interest in becoming a chef.  She told everyone to stay at the Living Light Inn and experience the love and support of the Living Light staff — it is an experience you will never regret or forget!  Thanks Amy!

We’ll stay in Santa Barbara for a couple more days before going to LA to share our years of experience (over 35 between Dan and I) with folks there!  Looking forward to meeting more people eager to thrive on a high raw diet of fresh ripe raw organic foods that are delicious and easy to prepare!  My only concern is where to park our 26-foot RV, Gracie, in LA, even though she isn’t that big (1 1/2 parking spaces).  Big cities are not very RV friendly and sleeping in them is prohibited. Well, we are doing good work for the planet, so I trust we will be supported on our journey and everything will work out!

Love,
Cherie and Dan

Release by Cherie Soria

My husband Dan and I are so excited our new book Raw Food For Dummies, which was  released on December 12^th . When Wiley Publishing first approached us about doing a book, I admit I was hesitant.  I wasn’t familiar with the “Dummies” books and didn’t like the connotation of the word, “dummies.” But once we started reading Dummies books, we realized why they are so popular! These books are not for Dummies! They are for smart, busy people who want to learn as much as they can in the shortest possible time. They are filled with facts that are readable and empowering. Once we decided to do the book, we had to dig deep to remember what it was like for us when we started on our individual raw food paths, so we could capture not only where we are now, but where we started from.

No matter where you are on your raw journey, there will be something in this book you can use.  It was good for Dan and I to get back to the basics and it’ll be good for you, too. As raw food enthusiasts, we need to support one another and sometimes, the most supportive things are the things we tend to take for granted once we’ve been raw for a while. That’s why, in addition to great recipes and food preparation tips, we included important information about what raw food is and what the benefits are; how cooking harms food; which foods are harmed most and which are harmed least. We shared things like how to set-up your raw food kitchen, how to shop, and how to plan menus. We even included how to connect with other raw food enthusiasts and of course, I shared my techniques for making raw food for cooked food lovers!

With a book of this magnitude and its potential to reach so many peopled new to raw foods, we had to make each word count. The tips, the recipes, the practical strategies are all based on our years of experience. None of these recipes are experiments concocted just for this book. Dan and I have been eating this way for decades and  have helped thousands of others “go raw” successfully and deliciously. We were new to raw once, too, and we know the pitfalls and challenges that can come up for the newly raw. We’re confident that this book will equip anyone to begin their raw journey well prepared. Our combined years of experience “walking the walk” make us excellent guides.

.As we look back on all the work we put into this book, we realize what an honor it was to work together to create this culmination of our knowledge and experience. And we couldn’t have done it without the dedicated support of our staff at Living Light. What a team! I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together and can’t wait for all of you to see it. We think you’ll be as pleased with it as we are!

Appreciating Each New Day

Some people start their day with meditation; others with prayer; some mumble and get out of bed grudgingly. I begin everyday with appreciation. There are so many things to be grateful for! Even if I am experiencing challenges in areas of my personal or business life, there are still things I can appreciate if I focus on the good things in my life. Since I started this daily practice, I find it much easier to tackle problems when they arise, as they are bound to do. The problems don’t seem as difficult if I have started my day focusing on things I am grateful for. It just kind of keeps things in perspective.Today I am expecially grateful for all the wonderful people I met at our FUNdamentals class yesterday, and for the appreciation they expressed to us for the work we are doing. I’m also grateful to Martine Lussier, Living Light Culinary Programs Manager, who is on tour with Dan and I.  She manages my demos and co-teaches FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods with me when we are on the road. It’s a tremendous job and she is AMAZING, as the attendees of our class yesterday will attest!

I’m also grateful to our generous host, Agathe Mathieu, a Living Light graduate, and the owner of Tao Organics,Vancouver’s newest raw food restaurant. She closed her restaurant for a day to host the class and worked so hard to help make the event a raging success. Three other Living Light grads joined us, too: Jim Maurice, who is producing a first-ever raw food event in Salt Spring, called Raw on the Rawk;  Chantale Roy who teaches popular classes at a University in Vancouver, and Stephanie, who was so gracious and willing to help in any way she could.

I’m also extremely grateful to our Living Light team at home in Fort Bragg, for supporting us and taking care of business while we are away — making it possible for us to bring FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods to the people of Vancouver, Toronto, Seattle, and Portland. Teamwork makes the dream work!

And, finally, I am grateful to the people who attended the class and made us feel SO appreciated. We came a long way to share this class and having people so grateful really validates our efforts. Most of them said they can’t wait to come to California to attend more classes at Living Light and to us, that says it all.

I wrote a book, which I have not yet published, that contains 365 little rhyming couplets that are affirmations of what I want to create in my life. One of those is something that is well embedded in the core of my being and is supported by my daily practice of appreciation:

I wake up early everyday, feeling GREAT in every way.

Next stop, Toronto!

A Journey of Recovery: It’s all in the mind

I didn’t expect that a week after my ill fated 10K race (see my post, “A Case of Pride)” I would still be limping around, unable to practice karate or even walk on the beach!  I was starting to feel sorry for myself and even caught myself making light of it by calling myself a “cripple” – YIKES! I don’t want to own that thought form! Now I have reformed that negative statement that was so telling about how I was feeling about myself into a more positive self identity as an “athlete recovering from an injury” (it’s all in how you hold it.)

 In February of 1983 (I’ll never forget that date) I was in a very serious airplane crash and the doctors told me I would never again be able to do the things I loved like karate, tennis, skiing, running, and maybe even walking! I had so many injuries; the only thing that didn’t seem to hurt was my left shoulder! I was hospitalized for a week and bedridden for a couple of months; my pelvic region was all fractured and I had super flexion of the spine, multiple broken bones, back and neck injuries that took years to heal, and my sits bones (the bones you sit on) were broken, so I couldn’t stand, sit, or even lie comfortably. It’s a long story I’ll go into another time, but the point is, I am totally convinced that my complete healing is a result of the fact that I never allowed myself to feel that I was a victim and never thought I would be crippled forever.  I always visualized myself doing all the things I loved and would not allow my friends to feel sorry for me.  I needed their strength, not their sympathy! I used only natural healing methods and refused surgery and drugs (even for pain). I found self hypnosis to be really helpful for pain and visualization techniques helped me direct my healing. I actually imagined my bones and soft tissue (ligaments and cartilage) healing. And I did, miraculously heal of my injuries 100% in spite of what the doctors told me.

 I was not the model patient; I refused all traditional treatment (other than a cast to immobilize a broken leg). I questioned everything and listened to what they had to say, but never really felt they were talking about me – I knew I was different and refused to buy their prognosis. Instead, I became my own doctor guiding other health care practitioners: I had a variety of body work modalities: massage, physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, and guided imagery.  I recall the day I had my cast removed, the doctor was amazed to see that my leg, after being in a cast for 6 weeks, had not experienced any atrophy. He didn’t understand how that could be, since some amount of atrophy with a complete plaster cast was inevitable. I told him I was having massage everyday and when the therapist massaged the leg that was not in a cast, I concentrated on exactly how it felt, so when he went to other leg the and massaged it, I visualized how that felt to be massaged, even though it was in a cast (that’s right, I asked him to treat the injured leg, even though it was in a cast, the same way he treated the other leg). Sounds crazy, but our minds are much more powerful than we give credit and I wanted my mind to direct healing into that injured leg and not just ignore it.

 Having a case of “runners knee” is helping to remind me about the incredible power of conscious creative thought and how amazing our bodies and minds are.  We can not separate our bodies and our minds. We will manifest what we think we are, so why not consciously create what we want — rather than what we fear or what others tell us we are or will become.  Of course, taking other steps to manifest healing is important too. Eating the right foods, using essential oils and supplements, having body work and physical therapy all have been important in my personal healing journey. And, perhaps some of their power comes for our willingness to accept that it will help. How much of it is the power of the mind and how much is the body being activated to heal as a result of the other influences? Who knows, I just do it all and it is all an affirmation of the power of the body to heal itself given the right tools.

 My good friend and essential oils guru diva, Amy Bacheller, gave me some great advice about which Young Living essential oils to use to speed recovery from my knee injury.  She recommends:

• Valor on the soles of the feet for grounding and alignment, 2x/day
• PanAway layered with Peppermint diluted with a massage oil (could be olive oil) rubbed ALL over both knees. Do this at least 2x/day but more would be better. Helps with pain, inflammation and healing.
• Try alternating PanAway and Peppermint oil with Idaho Balsam Fir oil layered with Copaiba oil. They are both wonderful anti-inflammatories. 

I will definitely take her advice, since she has been very helpful to me in the past. And, yes I am using Arnica gel and RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), and I plan to get acupuncture – I’ll do all that AND perhaps even more important, I will believe that they all are working to heal my knee completely!

Go to RawFoodChef.com to purchase Young Living Essential Oils. Register for the next Essential Oils class at Living Light International with Amy Bacheller. See RawFoodChef.com for schedule or call 707-964-2420 and speak with one of our helpful enrollment advisors.

 

 

Life is Precious!

As my 65^th birthday is approaching, I realize that every day is one less day I have to live. To some that may seem a statement of hopelessness, but to me it is a blessing to really understand this in a positive sense. It means I now recognize the importance of each day that I live. I feel fortunate in that I know my life has had value and that I have made a difference on this planet. This is important to me, so even if this is my last day, I have no regrets. But I want to make the most of the days I have left. And, if I live as long as my Dad (he was strong until 90 and died at 91),  I have 25 good years.  How many of those years will be great years filled with love and light and how many will just be years of life? No one can know.

 I’ve done a lot in 65 years and still have things I want to do. Some of that is on behalf of others and some on my own behalf. I’m not finished producing yet and won’t be happy just traveling to all the places on my bucket list. But I am thinking more about that list. I’ve already done and seen a lot of things I wanted to do and see and most of what is left is traveling/exploring and connection with myself and others.  Nothing I would regret if I found out I was going to die tomorrow, but each day is more precious than the last.

 It is my new phase and I am grateful that I am having this realization at this time. I don’t know what other people think about when they turn 65, but this is what’s on my mind these days.

 

Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?

One of my goals is to help students become the best that they can be. I know that each of us can be extraordinary if we just realize our potential and not be afraid to express it.
Many things make you extraordinary already: you are interested in a healthy lifestyle, you have a desire to learn and to live an inspired life, and you want to share your experience of life with others – these core values are things many of us share! When we choose a plant-based diet, we are more connected to the earth and all of its inhabitants, and we become more connected to our spiritual center.

Because of my life experiences, and success in my field, many of you may think I’m special, but I’m no more special than each of you! How many of you are not doing something you once did or want to do, because you don’t think you can do it as well as you want to? My advice to you is just do it!

You’ll be surprised at how your body, mind, and spirit will rise to the challenge. The important thing to remember is not to compare yourself to others or to how you were in the past.

We are all perfect just the way we are right now – which doesn’t mean that we want to stop learning – just that given everything that has led us to this point, where we are now is AMAZING and wonderful AND each of us still has more to learn, create, and do.

Always be sure to remember that you are unique and special – only you have your precious gifts to offer the world!
16 keys to living an extraordinary life!

1. Start your day with appreciation
2. Choose healthful habits (food, water, air, relaxation, and positive thoughts)
3. Enjoy fun activities and exercise
4. Align and identify yourself with people you admire
5. Know who YOU are and what you want
6. Do good deeds
7. Celebrate your accomplishments
8. Live with integrity
9. Express love and appreciation daily (to yourself and others)
10. Challenge yourself!
11. Forgive and let go: Forgive everyone for everything that they have ever done to you! After all, we are all co-creators in our own experience and without challenges, we would not be who we are – we would not have learned the valuable lessons we’ve learned! Each experience is essential to the fabric of our existence.
12. Accept yourself where you are now. Stop blaming yourself. What is past is past
13. Start fresh each day and know that you can be all you want to be!
14. Be mindful, conscious, and present in all of your daily choices
15. Listen to you body – it speaks to you.
16. And always: choose fresh, ripe, raw, organic foods with high nutrient density, breathe fresh air, and drink clean water (alkaline)

At Living Light, we teach a standard of excellence that sometimes challenges people, but when they leave, they know that they have the ability to live up to the challenge of being extraordinary! 

A Case of Pride

 I’m home with “runners knee” and it has me taking a long hard look at my behavior. I stopped running 12 years ago in favor of sports that don’t include running on pavement, but when I heard that some of our staff were planning to run in the annual Whale Run and Walk along the beach near Living Light,  Dan and I decided to join them. Of course, we could have walked, since neither of us has been running for years. Or we could have chosen to run the 5K instead of the 10 K, but we decided to take the challenge and run the 10K (just over 6 miles) even though we only had a week to train. Crazy? Yeah, now that I look back on it – definitely foolish given the fact that I stopped running because my joints were starting to feel the jarring pavement. But, Dan and I both work out daily; we practice karate (I am a black belt three times over) and we often speed walk 8 miles on weekends in addition to our daily aerobic workouts. Still after our first 6K practice run, neither of us could walk downstairs without wincing! Then we went for a 7.5K run and my ankles started to hurt. That should have been a warning, but NO…I was determined to run that 10K and by god/goddess, I was going to do it (even though my knee was hurting when I got out of bed the morning of the race! )

 So. because I always look for the lessons life offers (especially the painful ones) I’m looking into it. Sure, I can push my body and run 10K (did I say I did it?) but in order to run it, I had to ignore my body. There goes the pact I made with my mind and body years ago when I promised to listen to warnings that I was going down the wrong (unhealthy) path. So, basically, I let my pride rule me instead of listening to my body. I didn’t want to pull out when I had told everyone my goal was to run the whole thing and not walk any of it, even though I have not done that for 12 years. I am going to be 65 this year and maybe that is part of it. I want to make sure I don’t act my age and admit there are things I can’t do anymore.

 Did I have fun? Yeah it was fun and I was proud I did it (there is that word again: PROUD) but was it worth it to ignore my body and push it beyond its limits? Was it worth it to give up my normal training routine, miss karate and miss my daily aerobic exercise due to a knee injury? Ask me once the pain is gone and I am working out again. It’s easy to say, “no it wasn’t worth it”, but once the pain is gone, the only memory will be that I trained for a 10K in a week and accomplished it. Foolish as it might have been, I guess my ego still rules because here I am writing about it! And fact is, there aren’t too many things I can’t do that I did when I was 30. Well, I won’t be competing in any karate tournaments, and I won’t be doing any ski racing, and 10K runs might be a thing of the past…but I feel great and maybe that’s why I didn’t doubt that I could run that 10K. And the truth is, other than the knee pain, I felt great after the race. So, yeah, I’m pretty PROUD that at 65 I can still run 10K. Who knows maybe I’ll do it again next year.

Making Life Delicious

 My name is Cherie and I love to share what I have learned on my journey through life.  I enjoy writing about the fullness of life; its lessons and its pleasures. Life has not always been easy for me;  like many of you, I have learned that it is through pain and suffering that we learn life’s lessons best. Life is fraught with challenges; some of them physically and emotionally painful, but that is what makes us strong and powerful. Life isn’t for wimps. I have packed a lot of living in my 65 years: I’ve traveled the world, had a variety of careers, been blessed to have worked with some amazing teachers, enjoyed the company of a few wonderful men and made lots of great friends. I have written several books, earned three black belts in karate (currently working on a forth), was in a serious airplane crash that took years to heal from, made a million bucks then invested it a vision that people thought was nuts: the worlds first raw vegan culinary school, Living Light Culinary Institute.

Most people know me as the “Mother of Gourmet Raw Vegan Cuisine” because I started creating delicious raw vegan foods, that look and taste likes your favorite comfort foods, when no one though it was possible and have gone on to trained the majority of raw food chefs, teachers and authors in 50 different countries around the planet. My husband and I own four eco-friendly businesses on the north coast of California, in addition to the school: Living Light Cafe, Living Light Marketplace, and the Living  Light Inn. We have 40 employees and have been honored with several business awards. I’m a popular speaker at events around the world on a variety of subjects from making your passion your career and preparing foods that nourish the body and nurture the soul, to learning to love yourself and create an extraordinary life. I have been a hypnotherapist and spiritual counselor, a hair designer and platform artist, a karate teacher and a photographer’s model. I’ve had breast implants (got those puppies out a long time ago), a tattoo (alas I still have that), and was brought up catholic (love the ceremony; hate the dogma). I have a passion for creating  gourmet raw vegan recipes and love teaching and sharing my years of culinary experience about raw culinary arts and nutrition. I eat a high raw diet, which keeps me young, energetic and healthy, but I am not 100% raw vegan 100% of the time (hate dogma, remember?)  I eat what I want and it’s usually raw vegan food (but not always).

I have a wonderful husband,Dan Ladermann, who is also my business partner. We enjoy playing on the beach with our two 2 doggies, dancing with hoola hoops, working together, traveling together, and just being together. We have a little place in Costa Rica, next door to my best friend of 35 years. It has a year round well and over a hundred fruit trees. One of our goals is to build a learning center there.

So, I have a lot to share about how to make the most of life even with its trial and tribulations; how to be grateful, even when life gives you lemons. And, if you are interested in food, you won’t be disappointed – it’s one of my favorite subjects and I don’t keep any secrets to myself.

In my blog I will offer my thoughts, my fears, my secrets to staying young longer and becoming more beautiful as you age. I will provide recipes and culinary tips, meditations and guidelines for creating mental magic, and share tips I’ve learned over the years that have helped me create a beautiful and meaningful life. For me, life is all about the mind/ body/ spirit connection.

They are all interconnected just like the systems of our physical body; each one does not function independent of the others and the health of one influences the health of the whole. Think of a chess game where all the pieces are moving at the same time and each move effects the others (try wrapping your mind around that!)  Sometime you will find me to be all nuts and bolts and other times I am way out there! Take what you are ready for and leave the rest.