I had the good fortune to see Victoria Boutenko and her daughter Vaila speak the other day.
The boutenkos books have been an inspiration to me and helpful in my quest to change my diet and life.
The meeting was held at a beautiful home outside of Seattle, (I had to drive about 60 miles to get there) The house was packed with over 65 people Some were raw and some raw curious. Victoria started her presentation and explained the need for greens in humans diet and her theories. The presentation was humorous at times when she shared some of her stories. At one time Her daughter Vaila spoke about her life experiances in growing up raw and her desire to teach young children about diet. Viala is a beautiful young girl and an inspiration. Victoria is a warm, intelligent careing woman and seems a bit shy and reserved and somewhat guarded.
Victoria shared a little about her jaw exersize apparatis and that it is soon to be available for her to sale. She also shared a bit concerning her weight issue and the difficulties she has had with overeating especially in the evening. I would say it is very difficult for a woman to have to explaine her weight to anyone especially over 65 people but she presented herself very well. We all have our own lessons to learn on this raw journey and hers is a tendancy to gain weight. She has a whole family history of overweight issues to resolve.
I am so grateful for her books and all that she has added to the raw movement.
Victoria has updated her book 12 steps to raw and made some changes, viala and her brother have put together a beautiful uncook book that includes wild foods yum. All the recepies seem to be fairly simple and yummey.

Thanks Pampam.I think that Victoria Boutemko is one of the most knowledged person in the raw world,after Anne Wigmore,or if not that same.She is a cientist,in my oppinion.
I'd like very much to meet her. By the way,she has a new smoothie book that will be available on June that I already ordered from Amazon.

I wonder if all the goitrogenic vegetables that she's eating are causing her to gain weight by messing with her thyroid.

You know I am not sure just what kind of foods she is eating she did express the problem she felt was the tendancy to over eat especially at night and the issue of her family history of obesity. I am thinking her children are prepareing some real tasty foods because the book they have out is real good. Also she shared that she had tooth implants and you know If it were me getting new teeth I would be useing them.
The weight issue is really moot in my opinion because we all have our own journeys in this raw adventure and she has brought so much to the raw food movement. The green smoothie is such a great thing that people can use to start their journey to better health.
She is a great example of motherhood, What a wonderful woman

It's nice to support the leaders in the Raw Food
Movement, but I think many of us here know where we're going.
Look to them for inspiration, if you must, but look to yourself
for the deeper Answers....WY

I like both your messages, pampam and WY!

... yours, pampam, because I agree that respect and gratitude for the contributions of the forerunners and pathfinders of the raw movement are extremely important;

... and yours, WY, because I find if I listen to all the food gurus, I can't get through a single week without confusion and vacillation. I finally made a pact with myself, just this week, that I won't follow anyone's food advice but my own inner guidance for awhile. Two days ago I tuned in to my own guidance system and a few minutes later had a vivid picture in my mind of pineapples. I kind of doubted it a bit, but when I went to the grocers an hour later, wouldn't you know it, there were big, beautiful ripe pineapples on sale for $1.99, so I bought five of them to use in green smoothies.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

It is interesting you say this yogi because that is one thing Victoria encourages, to find the answers ourselves. jWhen reading the wonderful recipe book written by valya and sergi that is the message they are giveing in the front pages, to seak and find our answers because they are inside us.
One woman asked victoria a question inwhich victoria challanged her to answer herself. We have been taught from childhood to adulthood to not question those who have higher learning or those who are older than us. We have been numbed by so many foods,drugs and chemicals that we really are not aware of how affected we are.
I just like her books and how she brought life to the green smoothie. And I love her comittment to her family

Pam we really should hook up someday and go to something together i cross the border every other day for work and i always think i should drive down to seattle and give you a call lol

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

kwan Wrote:
> Two days ago I tuned in to my
> own guidance system and a few minutes later had a
> vivid picture in my mind of pineapples. I kind of
> doubted it a bit, but when I went to the grocers
> an hour later, wouldn't you know it, there were
> big, beautiful ripe pineapples on sale for $1.99,
> so I bought five of them to use in green
> smoothies.

You know what really happened is that the people at the grocers were thinking/visualizing you buying the pineapples and those thoughts floated over to you. I bet they had just put out the pineapples and were like, "I bet that fruity lady is going to buy one of these." :-) :-)
BTW how do you decide which pineapple to buy? I know that pineapples don't ripen after they are picked. Do you buy the most golden pineapples or something?

What I like about the Boutenkos is that they are genuine and original. They seem to have made up all their own recipes, or at least altered and perfected them to their own tastes. None of the recipes seem to have been borrowed from other people or lifted from message boards (Like I sometimes get the feeling that some recipe books are just a compilation of borrowed recipes). Their recipes are also not overly complicated. They've got a ton of enthusiasm and a cute story of how they went raw, plus they are a family, so out of the four people, there is always someone everyone could relate too.

What I see as their weak point is that they might grow too big and become too commercial (a la Shazzie) and loose their originality. I know that they have expanded to the point where they have people work for them. And I don't know why their book covers have gotten so boring, I liked the old ones that pictured them on the front cover, now they have book covers that have pictures of food that you wouldn't want hanging on your kitchen wall because they are so boring. The old ones always had a table spread out with a feast. That shows - to me - that other people are now influencing them and getting involved in things like book cover design.

I think I'm trying to say that they need to remember that THEY are their top selling product, their vision, and things that don't have their stamp of enthusiasm on it are boring.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2009 02:43PM by tropical.

>BTW how do you decide which pineapple to buy? I know that pineapples don't ripen after they are picked. Do you buy the most golden pineapples or something?<

I look at a) how yellow/gold the pineapple is and b) how big it is. Finally, if it meets both those criteria, c) I smell the bottom of it-- if it smells sweet, it's a ripe pineapple.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Thanks Kwan! I probably got a bit off track with imagining that the grocers were thinking about you when they put out the pineapples. I think you are right on track with listening to yourself. I find buying pineapples frustrating, if they aren't green one side they are rotten on the other side, but somewhere in there is some good stuff.

>You know what really happened is that the people at the grocers were thinking/visualizing you buying the pineapples and those thoughts floated over to you. I bet they had just put out the pineapples and were like, "I bet that fruity lady is going to buy one of these." :-) :-)<

tropical--
that was delightful!!

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

I love the Boutenkos. I feel peaceful and relaxed around them. We bought a couple of their books and had them signed at the Raw Spirit Fest. I listened to Victoria speak there too. I loved her talk.

I have wondered about her ability to maintain her weight. I recently lost even more weight because I started jogging and eating a higher fruit diet. I am 5'2" and weigh about 105. I am very muscular but I feel bony. I feel much more comfortable at 110 or 115 pounds. We all have our different family history and issues. We all come in different shapes and sizes. Neither she nor I have been raw vegan or even on a healthy cooked diet until we were well into adulthood and then we were both ill when we found the raw diet. Who knows how our weight would be had we been healthy from earlier in life. We are both doing much better than we were, and are now on the right track.

I think tropical's assessment of the Boutenkos is right on.

My inner guidance says, "eat juicy fruit!"

pakd4fun Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have wondered about her ability to maintain her
> weight. I recently lost even more weight because
> I started jogging and eating a higher fruit diet.
> I am 5'2" and weigh about 105.
Russian women tend to be Matronly. Be thankful
for the Body you have...small and muscular is Beautiful...WY

Thank you WY.

I will remember to be thankful for the body I have.

WY

Russian women do not tend to be matronly! That's American cold war disinformation! I remember my grandmother traveling to the U.S.S.R. to visit our relatives returned saying, "hmmmm, I didn't see one out-of-shape woman the whole time. Those Soviet Life photos of vigorous kolhosp-women weren't propaganda after all." Well, she recognized they were political propaganda, just that they weren't deceitfully depicting only the best "specimens" of their society to fool naïve Westerners. She was really puzzled because, you know, the expectation was that the wretchedly hard lives young Soviets led should have shown up as obvious physical decrepitude. The human body is more resilient than we know . . .

Whether Victoria Boutenko has a metabolism problem is speculative, but I am guessing it may have to do with long past trials and tribulations. Her children and spouse were ill, she was beside herself with anxiety for a long time. We also don't know much about her early life in the Old Country, except that her family were generally unhealthy people. Any of these things can have long-lasting affects on one's health. That today VB is such a paragon of vitality and enthusiasm for life, regardless of her form, is a wonderful thing. The Boutenko family seem like really good people with the best of intentions toward us, as pampam seems to understand with her post, so I think we'd be lucky to know any of them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2009 03:02PM by Tamukha.

Tamukha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WY
>
> Russian women do not tend to be matronly! That's
> American cold war disinformation!
I stand corrected. I should have said Victoria
Boutenko and her daughter Valya look matronly to me.
I have a problem with large women (men too) being good
examples for the Raw Food Movement. I like small and muscular, and am
working on my own Body to achieve that Goal....WY

WY,

Valya Boutenko is about 5 feet tall and could fit in the palm of my hand(and I'm not a giantess). Goodness, man, what ARE you talking about? I do not want a tribe of pixies or stick insects representing Raw--that's neither realistic nor epitomizing "health." Although that's a relative definition, I think it can best be described by your own words: small and muscular, by which I assume you mean lean and strong-looking : ) Non-waif-like me is off to pitch hay onto ricks for the Motherland. Do svidania, comrade!

> have a problem with large women (men too) being good
examples for the Raw Food Movement. I like small and muscular, and am
working on my own Body to achieve that Goal....<

Oh boy... this is a perfect example of why I have decided to avoid going to raw food events and get-togethers. Those of us who don't fit these impossibly high standards don't want to subject ourselves to the comments, stares and prejudice. It's easier to be raw on my own and have friends who accept me for what I am: a slightly chubby 59 year old woman who goes to the gym almost every day of the week but has almost no muscle tone.

Geez, some people on this board need to get a grip!

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

kwan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's easier to be raw on my own and have friends
> who accept me for what I am: a slightly chubby 59
> year old woman who goes to the gym almost every
> day of the week but has almost no muscle tone.
Sorry Kwan, you're the last person in the World I
would want to offend. You're such a good spokesperson for Raw,
plus, your posts on Life itself are excellent.
I have a bad habit of judging people by the way they look. I'm
especially hard on myself.

> Geez, some people on this board need to get a
> grip!
Consider it Done!!....WY

:-) Awww, thanks WY. I apologize too-- I was in a bad mood this afternoon-- not even related to the discussion at hand-- and then I saw this thread and went against my better instincts (knowing you to be a great individual for whom I have great respect). I've been struggling with weight gain lately, so I took it entirely too personally.

Friends?! Absolustely!

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

group hug !

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

aww (((((((((((((((group huggles)))))))))))))))
Sorry to say I am a bit giggly and have a load to lose. I have been trying for a while now. I just have been a bit abusive towards my body in the years.
I would love to have a hourglass figure. oh ya watch out I just may get that in my old age

One thing victoria talked about and I think she was serious was that she was inventing a lock for her refridgerator. For a while she had her daughter drive her to a hotel to spend the night because she over eats in the evening. she mentioned a history in her family of obesity issues and the fact that they really have broken that cycle but she still had some things to work on. Now remember that Tanya Zavasta is a good friend of the Boutenkos. Tanya is russian as well and she does not look matronly at all. We all have something to grow and learn about and as for these leaders in the raw food business I think it is good we have such a great variety of people to teach us different things about raw foods.

Tonya doesn't eat after mid-afternoon. She's amazing! I love her discipline and determination. Not only does she not eat after 2 pm or thereabouts, but she does 90 minutes of Bikram yoga (the hard one in a super-hot room-- ugh!) every day. She used to be chubby, too.

So why don't I stop eating at 3pm every afternoon? I did try it some time ago, and I loved how I looked and felt. It was very hard to stick to after awhile, but I'm going to try again this spring when it warms up a bit. I think I'll skip the hot yoga though, and just do my yoga after I steam and sauna at the gym.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

I over eat from about 2:00 pm till I go to bed....but...I want to gain weight. My body doesn't like the over eating though.

I know I need to eat better and excersize more.

I was so skinny growing up. I ate and ate but was super active. I rode horses six days a week for a long time when I was competing, I was 90 pounds when I graduated high school. When I started having babies and stayed "plumped up" I liked my curves and for the first time felt like I looked more like I felt inside, more formidable. (I have always been a scrappy little thing.) Now I am back to the skinny, minny I used to be. although not quite as small. I love being in such great shape now for an active lifestyle, but I miss my curves. I am upping my weight training to see if it helps. One of the most irritating things about being skinny for me is sleeping. I have been sleeping on a board for seven years and now my bony body doesn't feel good on it,LOL, especially my hips and tailbone. On the up side, I had a real easy time finding a bathing suit this year, which seemed nearly impossible when I had more weight on me. Clothes in general are way easier to find. I get all the teen hand me downs at the resale shops. Tee Hee!

Personally, I don't know why we'd idolize one body type, as long as the person is healthy and happy....some people want to be "skinny." "Skinny" to me implies sickly and bony, wearing away. I am thin and muscular. Someone calls me skinny, I don't take it well. The word is overused and misunderstood, in my opinion.

I'd rather see raw foodists in general eat more whole foods, like fresh fruit and greens, less prepared desserts and "raw" food bars, than to see one body type.

Utopian Life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Personally, I don't know why we'd idolize one body
> type, as long as the person is healthy and
> happy.
I guess I'm Guilty of this. I admire people who
have done something Beautiful with their own Body, no matter
what height or bone structure....WY

>I guess I'm Guilty of this.<

Hey, WY, I'm guilty of it too! I frequently give myself a real tough time because I would really like to look more like an ectomorph or mesomorph. And I, too, have looked at pictures of people in the raw food movement who didn't look so fit, and had some consternation about why they were that way. It's human nature.

I think we're all programmed by our culture not to accept ourselves and others as we really are, but to look for archetypes that don't often exist in reality (like all women looking like 16 year old waifs and all men looking like wrestlers!) :-) Add to the mix the fact that raw foodists DO, in fact, on the whole, tend to be smaller, more compact, and more defined looking than most, and it's understandable that we develop these rigid standards. As long as we can allow for the fact that there will always be some raw foodists who are at extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of weight, size and muscle tone, it's okay.

Everybody can't look like Richard Blackman or Tonya Zavasta either, but we can each strive for our own personal best. When I get down about not being a size 4, I think about where I was before I went raw, and I am incredibly grateful for my health and well-being. I can well imagine (though I certainly never dwell on it) how much heavier I'd be if I was eating the standard American diet.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Thanks, kwan.

Good insights.
Guilt is not productive.
Negative self images are prevalent and self-sabotaging.

Feeling good and happy and having a positive self image are things that are really not difficult.
When you think about it, these can all be easy, not to mention that they all lead as well to greater happiness, health and vitality.

If you post a reply to this message and would like my feedback, it would be best to send me a private message to that effect. Otherwise, I may not check this thread for a while.

***Info from the advisors at HealthNVitality***

kwan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Everybody can't look like Richard Blackman or
> Tonya Zavasta either, but we can each strive for
> our own personal best.
Right!! I wouldn't want to look like anyone
other than myself. BTW, I just today received Tonya Zavasta's
new book "Raw Food and Hot Yoga"....Hot off the Press. It promises
to be a Winner. I may start a new Topic on it. If anyone is interested,
it's $22, plus $5 S&H, at BeautifulonRaw.com.

> When I get down about not
> being a size 4, I think about where I was before I
> went raw, and I am incredibly grateful for my
> health and well-being. I can well imagine (though
> I certainly never dwell on it) how much heavier
> I'd be if I was eating the standard American diet.
Forget about size 4 and think about how Good
you'll look just one size smaller. I've given up on having
a 28 inch waist, and have accepted myself at 30 inches. It's
mainly Bone Structure. Now what am I going to do with all
those 28" Jeans I have?....WY