Letting Go: Change at Work. Change of Control

[This is partly a response to my earlier post about my frustration and failure in first attempting to shoot a commercial in Puerto Rico.]

The last month in Puerto Rico flew by with lots of changes!  First off, I successfully shot a commercial in Puerto Rico!  It's a fun surf spot produced for a contest held by a brand of whisky.  I applied the lessons learned from my first failed attempt at making a commercial here:  I sought out reliable non-actor locals and gave myself plenty of time to shoot it while anticipating delays, cancelations, and/or reshoots.

I cast two surfers who I met on the beach to play father and son.  The "father" is the owner of a surf shop and the "son" was an employee.  I cast the two because they looked the part and there was already a natural chemistry between them from working together.  This meant I would be able to use less energy on trying to direct a performance.  I approached the project very much like a documentary which was a change from my recent work.  There was very little staging and very few takes.  I basically gave them simple actions to do and I would watch them and capture different moments and angles I found interesting.  

I was a one man crew with all my cameras and lenses in a backpack with a tripod strapped on the side.  It was very empowering to know that I could carry everything I needed to make a commercial in one backpack with my own two feet.  Larger productions can get so complicated once you start adding tons of gear, people, etc.  This was liberating.  Everything was shot daylight exterior so there was no need for lights which I didn't have a budget for.  A few times I used the white bottom of a body board to bounce the sunlight.

One of the most rewarding parts was just hanging out with the surfers, getting to know them, and becoming friends.

Over the past month, I've humbled myself a bit while learning to "let go" and not attempt to control so many things that are beyond me.  During the commercial shoot, I had no control whether it would rain or not or whether the swell would come in and the waves would suffice.  I also had to adapt to "Caribbean Time" where nothing or no one exists on a set schedule.  There were three days where we were suppose to shoot that fell through... luckily I was the only crew member and I had to just accept it, not stress over it, and say to myself, "Okay, I guess we'll shoot tomorrow."

The great thing about it all was that everything seemed to work out perfectly as I let go of control.  We got the waves, we got the sun, we got the shots and everything we needed in time and it all happened right before the owner caught the flu.

When I arrived in PR, I started looking for ways to make some extra travel money.  After the commercial, the one employee left to take a commercial fishing job in New York.  Now with an employee gone, and being sick with the flu, the owner who I became friends with asked me to work at the surf shack.  And thus the universe provided!

Working @ the Surf Shack is a pretty good gig.  The only real work is running 6 miles on the beach there and back everyday.

I had a really busy week while the owner was sick.  I was working in the kitchen at the health center and at the surf shack nearly every day.  I worked a 60 hour week while commuting 6 miles a day via barefoot running on the beach.  I was exhausted.

I've had some time now to rest and recover a bit.

I've adapted better to the Caribbean and am much happier with this new perspective of giving up control.  That's not to say I don't make plans and have optimistic intentions for outcomes... But rather, I don't stress or get too hung up when nature, people, or other things happen that are beyond me.  I realized I was some gringo trying to bring a whole different attitude from the film industry with expectations and scheduling that simply don't fly too well in Puerto Rico.

Also, the Surf Shack is right next to the yoga studio where I tried to cast the two people that flaked on me in the earlier failed commercial attempt.  That failure and my earlier expectations aside, they are totally nice and cool people and I see them on a daily basis.  No more hard feelings.

Now that I've changed a bit, I recognize other people who attend the health institute who bring similar expectations from busy city life.  They too would be better off if they let go a bit.

For example, the power frequently goes out here for long durations while storms pass through.  The last power outage lasted about 36 hours.  During these times I have to run the generator for a bit to power the kitchen and prepare meals.  One woman complained to me that the generator was very loud and inappropriate for the nature of the institute... She said we need to have a "sound barrier."

Really?  Are you serious?  You want me to make a sound barrier?

I simply apologized politely for the inconvenience.  But in my head, I'm blown away by her non-constructive feedback.  What does she expect?  My only two options are to run the generator and prepare her meal, or allow her to enjoy silence and solitude which will require her to fast.  I cannot control nature and its storms.  I cannot control power outages.  I cannot build a silent generator nor quickly organize a crew of volunteers to help me build a "sound barrier."  Come on lady!  Let go!

Although it's frustrating working without power in the kitchen, I don't mind doing without power, internet, and sufficient water pressure for a while on my own.  But this is really hard for city people...

Another lady was very sassy when we ran out of papaya.  I told her I'm sorry but the only papaya I have left isn't ripe yet.  In my head: There's some parts of nature I simply cannot control.  And I'm sure the papaya would ignore any verbal requests to ripen faster on my behalf.

Last week I started working in the greenhouse too!  I haven't practiced growing much of my own food which is one of my intentions this year.  I love it in the greenhouse and I'm learning a lot:  For example, don't wear flip flops while shoveling compost because ants will bust out with no mercy and leave you with the itchiest of bites on your foot.  Growing the wheatgrass and sunflower sprouts takes about 6-8 days so we always have to prepare for groups far in advance.  We have to be very careful because we run low at times and can't make nature grow any faster: Another lesson of control.

What I like most about the greenhouse is the occasional fresh coconut break.  The other day one of the workers chopped a bunch of cocos with a machete for each of us.  A fresh coconut water break is much healthier and cooler than the typical cigarette break most people have at work.  The world would be much better off if we replaced all cigarettes with coconuts.  I can picture myself now walking outside of a bar and a hipster asking me for a cigarette at which point I reply smugly, "No dude.  Just a coco..." And I pull out a machete and chop the coconut right in front of their face!  They then walk away with their tail between their legs realizing how uncool cigarettes are and how cool machetes and cocos are! Boom!

So, if you find yourself getting too stressed out... Maybe you should let go of some control... Or have a coconut... It helps!

Change of Place: Moved to Puerto Rico

I made it Puerto Rico! I’ll be here for the next 3-4 months doing a work exchange at the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute in Aguada where they teach the Living Foods Lifestyle created by Dr. Ann. I live in the men’s dormitory where there are 6 beds and, currently, 2 other participants staying. I work in the kitchen and will be producing videos and marketing materials in the near future. I eat a very simple diet here in the program which is living, raw, vegan. 

I wake up early every morning- something I’ve not been good at in the past- and walk 50 yards to the beach. I run barefoot and usually head south to the town of Rincon. I listen to Spanish audio lessons on my iPod. When I turn around and run back to Aguada, the sun starts to rise. It has an amazing warm glow as it parts the palm trees and reflects in the ocean mist. When I get back to Aguada, I go for a swim and then head up for breakfast. 

There’s typically lots of papaya and bananas for breakfast along with almond milk and sprouted buckwheat cereal. For lunch, there’s sprout salads, avocado, and energy soup along with ferments like sauerkraut or seed yogurt. For dinner, always energy soup, which is blended sunflower sprouts and lentil sprouts with vegetables, rejuvelac, and dulse. For people new to the diet, or rather lifestyle, energy soup may be difficult to palate at first. I really like my energy soup though! If you mix in the blended papaya, blended ginger, and limes that are served with it, I think it tastes pretty good. I was warned by people who have come to AWNHI that although the food is very healthy and healing, it can be rather bland. Few seasonings are used and there’s no salt. Dulse, a sea vegetable, and celery are used for sodium. There’s basil, parsley, and other herbs in the garden. Throughout the day, I drink lots of coconut water, water with limes, wheatgrass shots, and rejuvelac- a fermented drink we make from quinoa or cabbage. 

I’m not sure why I didn’t move to the tropics earlier… but I’m happy to be here now. The majority of foods I love, that is the tropical fruits, are here: Bananas, lemons, limes, mangos, coconut, avocados, and more. I didn’t know there were other varieties of avocados! The ones we had at lunch today were huge! Papaya wasn’t my favorite fruit for a while, but I like it now. There’s also a lot of almond trees, but they’re different here. The nuts have a richer flavor and are much softer and skinnier. I learned to crack the fallen shells with a rock yesterday. 

I’m trying to keep my computer use to a more controlled minimum: Once in the morning and once in the evening. Technology can do some great things… but in the past, I would often find myself distracted by the internets and unable to concentrate. Perhaps I’ll get my computer use to only once a day or less. Regardless, it’s much nicer to use my computer at the picnic tables outside where the wind flies while carrying the sounds of the ocean. 

I’m very happy thus far to be at the AWNHI in Aguada. It took a few months of persistence to secure a position. At one point, back in Michigan, I felt like I could have let this opportunity slip by. I thought of moving somewhere else or pushing harder on my career in film. At that time, I began to feel a certain sensation in my gut or body, a physical response to these mental ideas. It felt similar to the physical feeling that can come after an emotional loss or pain. I’ve been getting better at listening to my “gut” feeling. In this case, I began to interpret it as telling me the right thing to do while allowing me to feel the pain and regret that I might experience if I were to let this opportunity pass. I needed to follow this new interest in food and find some personal growth. I’m not sure exactly where I’m heading but I feel as though I’m on the right path. Either way, I’m on the beach in Puerto Rico and I’m happy! 

Boom!

Change in Taste + Health: I'm a Certified Raw Living Foods Chef!

Citrus Mint Gazpacho.  My own recipe.  Delicious for that hot summer day!

Last weekend I completed my internship at the Creative Health Institute in Union City, MI where I have been transitioning to a raw living foods diet.  I spent 3 months of the summer here and several hours in the kitchen preparing delicious healthy gourmet raw meals, snacks, and desserts.  I've felt a great transformation in my health and energy as a result of this diet, including: increased physical performance with my running, a boosted sex drive, mental clarity, general happiness and more!  I'm now a firm believer that a balanced high raw diet is a critical component for a healthy life.

Receiving my certifications from Master Chef Na Young Anderson.  Na began her journey to raw living foods when she first came to CHI with ovarian cancer in 2009.  Since then, she has healed herself and continues to teach at CHI.

One of my most rewarding experiences in the kitchen was the development of my palette:  My first day, I tried a salad dressing that was prepared and the chef asked me, "What does it need?"  At that time I was pretty clueless. The majority of my food preparation in the past was simple and singular: SPICY.  I still love spicy food, but now I understand the complexity of all the flavors much more: spicy, sweet, bitter, sour, etc. and how different ingredients, herbs, and spices will affect that.  I can now taste a recipe and figure out what it may need to improve itself.  It's so rewarding to add that pinch of this or that from your intuition, taste it, and say, "Much better!"  Since then, I've created several meals just from intuition and taste and people will say, "That was fantastic!  I must have the recipe," and I smile, point to my head and say, "It's up there!"

Raw Vegan Blueberry Banana Crepes with Cashew Frosting.

Aside from flavor and taste, I'm becoming more and more intuitive with the nutrients I eat.  I'll typically eat to nourish my body and not just be full.  I feel more and more connected to what my body needs.  My body has craved both nutrients and junk food during this transition.  I've found my appetite to shrink at times when I was eating nutrient dense raw living foods.  Then my appetite grew tremendously at times since I've been training for a marathon.  I would crave more carbs and fruits.  Then, there were other times when I was able to eat a GREAT amount of junk food, more than I had prior to my transitioning, and STILL not feel full.  That's usually what happens when your body is hungry for nutrients and you give it junk.  It's been a crazy fun experience as I continue to experiment both with my diet and exercise.

Staff, Volunteers, and Guests at Creative Health Institute

As I move towards the future, I'll continue to incorporate the raw living foods lifestyle and share it with those who want to learn.  I may also try working as a personal chef for a few of my family members to get greater experience. I'd also like to travel and perhaps work as a personal chef on a ship!  We'll see!

Wheatgrass Face.  Good for skin.  Taken during my 10 Day Detox.

A quiet night at CHI.

CHI grounds.  Firefly show.  The photo doesn't do justice.

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Now I'm not a nutritionist, but a few tips if you are interested in transitioning to a raw living foods diet:

-RESEARCH.  Read books, websites, watch videos, listen to podcasts on nutrition and the raw living foods lifestyle.  Everyone has a different body type, will experience the diet in their own way, and will need to develop their own personal approach to better health.

-TIME.  The transition takes time.  And unless you're extreme, it will most likely continue to be a transition for a long time.  Judgement and guilt can present itself on the day to day basis:  Say you "slip" and have X food one day and you feel like you blew it... That happens and you shouldn't have any negative feelings about it.  Just remember that you're intention is to improve your health, your working at it, and getting better each day.

-ADD FIRST.  THEN SUBTRACT.  The important thing is to add healthy raw food to your diet.  If you love a particular food, don't subtract it right away.  That approach most likely won't work for you.  As you make progress adding more and more raw, the later steps are to slowly subtract the unhealthy components, perhaps doing less and less quantities until you can do without.  Again, it's a transition.

- DETOXING.  Toxins enter the body through a variety of means: the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe.  The body naturally tries to release toxins through a variety of means: lymph fluid, excrement, urine, sweat.  However, toxins are stored in the body's cells when you consume higher levels of toxins: chemicals in processed foods, pesticides on non-organic foods, unnatural cleaning supplies, etc.  

When you start eating a high raw diet, you're body will detox.  And it will continue to detox throughout eating raw foods.  Detox symptoms can include: irritability, fatigue, headaches, and more.  If you slowly incorporate more raw, you may slowly feel detox symptoms.  

Some suggest doing a rapid detox cleanse such as the detox programs offered at the Creative Health Institute and other centers.  When I did my 10 Day Detox at CHI, I had days of irritability and fatigue.  And I came in as a young rather fit individual with no health conditions.  I did eat meat and dairy, but, I ate a good amount of raw fruits and veggies and tried to avoid processed foods.  I also exercised somewhat regularly.  It wasn't until my 3rd or 4th week on the diet when I experienced my "awakening" of energy.  And it felt great!  I started running everyday and now I'm training for a marathon.

So if you're beginning the transition at an older age, or with a poorer diet, just know that these symptoms are natural and you'll probably experience them more than I did.

Again, I just want to reiterate that I'm not a nutritionist, doctor, or expert.  I'm still transitioning, will continue to do so, while researching and learning more of what I think is a wonderful lifestyle.  I strongly advocate a well balanced raw living foods diet from both my personal experience and some of the miracles I've seen while at the Creative Health Institute, but you must be responsible for your own decisions and perhaps consult experts while doing so.

The Creative Health Institute (CHI): What is it?

Creative Health Institute, 112 W. Union City Rd, Union City, MI 49094

What is this Creative Health Institute (CHI) place that I've been interning at for a month now?

Well first, our mission statement:

Our commitment is to inspire every participant in our program to live a transformed life of superb health and well-being and to enroll others in sharing our vision.

CHI teaches health and wellness through the raw living foods philosophy as originated by the late Dr. Ann Wigmore.  The core ingredients to the lifestyle are super nutritious young organic greens, fruits, sprouted nuts and seeds, fermented foods, and dehydrated foods.  The importance of living foods lies in the enzymes that assist in digestion so that the body can properly absorb the nutritious foods it takes in.  When food is cooked above 110 degrees, those enzymes start to break down and we lose a majority of the food's nutritional value.  The three most important foods of the Wigmore program are rejuvelac (a fermented sprouted seed drink), energy soup, and wheat grass juice.

Along with nutrition, the Wigmore program believes in proper digestion, assimilation, elimination.  At CHI, we eat a lot of pre-digestive foods such as blended foods and we take the time to chew our food well to aid digestion and assimilation.  We practice proper food combining and we eat foods like sprouts that are rich in enzymes to support digestion.  We do lymphatic exercises, skin brushing, and enemas for elimination of toxins that are absorbed by the body via food, air, skin (soaps, detergents, etc.)

[Yes, you heard me right: I do enemas now.  Yikes!  I was nervous at first, but they're easy and you feel great after them.  Enemas we're historically the natural way to aid digestive problems and support a healthy colon... then I don't know what happened... people became uncomfortable talking about poop and thought it's better to take digestive drugs.  More on this some other time.]

CHI offers several programs:

-10 Day Detox/Rebuild Program

-10 Day Detox/Rebuild Program - Weight Loss

-5 Day Detox/Rebuild Program

-5 Day Detox/Rebuild Program - Weight Loss

-Juice Fast

-Raw Chef 1, 2, 3

At CHI, we believe the body is wonderful and self-healing.  By eating nutritious raw living foods, you support and build your immune system to fight disease.  Participants young and old come to CHI to heal health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, and more... While some attend to continue to maintain their health with the self-healing tools we teach.  Many of the guest teachers here are passionate volunteers who attended CHI in the past and healed themselves of major health issues like cancer.  A lot of miracles happen in the world of living foods!

As an intern, I've taken the 10 Day Detox program.  Afterwards, I've been working in the kitchen and juicing wheatgrass.  I'll be working in the grow room soon enough too.  It's a lot of work, so it's sometimes tough to keep up with posts.  I'm still really new to the raw living foods lifestyle so I'll be posting information as I learn it.  Feel free to comment if I say something inaccurate.

Here are some photos of the lovely environment surrounded by farm country:

Russian Banya (Sauna) on left.  You can jump in the river after, only 10 ft away.

Future garden.

The grow room.  Lots of wheatgrass!

The intern house.

Change in Lifestyle: 100% Raw @ Creative Health Institute

I'm undertaking a significant lifestyle change.  I'm living in farm country at the Creative Health Institute in Michigan where I have transitioned to a 100% raw living foods diet.  Previously, I enjoyed meat, dairy, and other foods that I've given up indefinitely- and not feeling that bad about it.

I arrived May 3rd and shortly thereafter began their 10 Day Detox program.  It was a crazy experience which I'll be sharing in future posts. After successfully completely the detox, I started my internship 2 days ago.  I'll be here at CHI until August where I'll be learning much about nutrition, preparing gourmet raw living foods, and alternative ways of self healing, all while eating a nutritious and delicious raw diet.

A little perspective:  I believed I kept a healthy diet prior to arriving at CHI but I'm already rethinking that after being here 2 weeks and taking a few nutrition classes.  I'll probably be a different person when I leave here.  I'll certainly be embracing a majority of the diet at least.

From the moment I walked in the door and the director smiled and hugged me, I knew Creative Health Institute was a special place.  This was reinforced later in the week when an intern graduated: There was a small certificate ceremony in which kind words were said about the individual and both the intern and staff cried tears of joy.  I cannot say that anyone cried when I left my film internships in LA.  I was lucky if they remembered my name. 

For the rest of the summer, this blog will mainly focus on my experience here, providing insights and ideas on health and nutrition, food recipes, and more.

Keep up with my blog and you'll learn how to enjoy and embrace a raw living foods diet too!

I made an awesome raw pizza!  Delicious!

Change in Health: I'm No Charlie Sheen, But I Can Still Detox

A few weeks ago, I applied for an internship at the Creative Health Institute.  They are a raw living foods program in Michigan that offers several workshops and classes such as Detox/Rebuild programs and Raw Chef certifications.

Just today, I received a phone call that I was accepted and will start on May 3rd and intern throughout August.

My mom, who has taken a few classes, informed me of the internship opportunity.  I applied for several reasons:  I've been wanting to try a raw diet for a while now and figured this would be one of the best ways to implement it.  This interest comes from a general desire to control my health and feel good.  After feeling a bit scattered and un-centered this past dreadful winter, I figure some time to meditate and be with myself will be good for my well-being.  I plan to finally write a feature screenplay I've been putting off.  I'd like to learn and practice a bit of music as well. I've also been thinking of training for a marathon and hope this new raw diet will boost my energy in that pursuit.

So in just 3 weeks, I'll be moving to the west side of Michigan.  Shortly after arriving, I'll start the detox program and give up much of the foods I currently eat in hope of better health.  Although I do enjoy eating animals, I feel that I could do without them, at least for a while.  No big deal. Instead of doing shots of liquor at the bar, I'll be doing shots of wheatgrass on the farm.  Cheers!

I'll keep you updated on this health experiment.