There was quite a little flurry of activity indeed!  All in all, 8 people responded (you can see them here) — which was more than I was expecting.

To each of you who responded, I want to say thank you for taking a chance and sharing a bit of yourself.  Each of the stories was moving and compelling.  Truly each of you deserves to try it out.  Though I have to choose a single one…  And choose I did, as difficult as it was to select only one from all the fantastic comments.

May I have the envelope, please…

And the winner is…

Wendy Roan!

Here’s Wendy’s story:

I have had Fibromyalgia for about 7 years and have basically shut down and become bed-bound. I have gained 150 to 200 lbs. I have been researching the vegan, live-food, and raw food way of living for about two weeks now (about 12 hours or more a day). My research has been in response to my own body and mind telling me that I cannot go on living like this and I want my life back. It’s not so much for the weight loss as it is to overcome my Fibromyalgia — though the weight loss is an important part of that. The offer to buy someone the chance to try this is very kind of you. I wish they hadn’t named it with the word ‘diet’ though. To me this is a whole new way of healthful healing and getting away from all of the processed foods out there that are damaging me. My daughter and I live on a very limited income of $500 per month. My resources were to be limited to whatever I could find on line that made the most sense to me. You asked that those of us who comment leave you with a promise to check in and let you know how the ‘program’ is going. Yes, I will do that and it’s the least any of us could do for such a generous offer. My name is Wendy. I am 100% committed and my VitaMix is already on it’s way (I found it on QVC for 5 or 6 monthly payments!) – or else I would not be able to have one.

When I lost my job a few years ago, because of the Fibro, I lost my insurance. I have no medical options, whatsoever. That’s why I have gotten myself into this depth of trouble. I didn’t know there were things I could do to change day-to-day living or maybe I wasn’t ready to see it — until now. 150 to 200 lbs overweight probably sounds worse than it is. I am tall. I spend most of my time ‘lounging’ because I have no energy and the pain of my condition (mostly caused by inflamation and digestive issues) makes me not want inflict it upon myself purposefully. I am at a stage now where I can save myself. However, If I keep going like this, there may not be any turning back. I simply cannot accept that. Based on my research, my diet may have a great deal to do with the inflamation and digestive health issues. Eating a healthy diet of ‘raw’ food may very well correct those issues for me. My quality of life can improve greatly if that is true. I am a highly intelligent (ex programmer) individual and I know what makes sense and what doesn’t. I do my research thoroughly. If you choose not to select me for your offer, I understand. I don’t want anyone feeling medically liable for me. I will still persue and implement this treatment via information available on the internet, regardless. I just have this gut feeling, this natural instinct that raw foodists and vegans are on the right track and that I need to get on that track as well.

The primary reason I chose Wendy is because is that, because of the severity of her combined weight and health issues, she appears to have the most to gain from trying the program — and the most to lose by not following through.  I believe she will be very motivated to give it a thorough trial — and share with us what she finds in the process.

Perhaps most important of all, her time for pivotal change and massive action has come — and she can sense it.  She knows deep down that things cannot continue to go on as they have been.  She is ready to receive.

I am still concerned about the extent of her health issues, but she does understand the need to deal with her health carefully and responsibly.

So, let’s all give a warm congratulations to Wendy!  And kudos to everyone who joined in.  (It was actually very exciting and a lot of fun for me posting that offer and waiting to see what would happen!)

OH – For everyone else, those guys are currently giving away a free audio interview with David Wolfe as a way to spread the word about their new program.  I haven’t listened to it yet, but you might be interested in checking it out.  (Hey, it’s hard to beat free stuff!)  You can grab it here.

Wendy, I will be in touch with you soon.  And we will all be anxiously awaiting to hear how it goes…!

Warm wishes,

Chuck

Anyways, their web site begins like this:

If you’ve gained every pound back, here’s the best news of 2010…

“You Don’t Have to Diet Anymore”

Discover How to Lose Stubborn Body Fat At Any Age, Even If You’ve Tried Everything And Nothing Has Ever Worked For You Before.

Stop the guilt, confusion and up and down dieting systems and finally lose the unwanted fat for good.

From The Desks Of Kevin Gianni, Creator of Renegade Health, Author of High Raw and David Wolfe, Renown Nutritionist, Author of Superfoods & Eating for Beauty

If this sounds interesting to you, check out the whole page here.

Now, here’s my idea for how you can get it for free.

You see, before I recommend or endorse a product, I always buy it and try it myself first.

Only, there’s two obstacles preventing me from trying this new program.  First, I just don’t have the time to spend on it right now.  Second, I’m already fairly thin and I can’t really afford to lose any of my weight. 

But, this situation can be YOUR gain!

I’m hoping you or one of my other beloved readers will be interested in trying it out and willing to report back to me in detail your experience and results with the program, so I can share with the rest of my readers.

So to be crystal clear, I have not tried this program so I am NOT endorsing it.  That is why I’m looking for some help evaluating it. 

Here’s exactly how it will work:

1. Read their product page here.  Be sure to read it all the way through so you know what’s involved.
2. Does it sound interesting to you?  If so, continue on to 3.
3. Do you agree to send me regular updates by email (say, weekly) about your experience with the program and the results you get?  Do you also agree that I can share your updates on my blog or in emails to my readers?  If so, continue on to 4.
4. Great!  Leave a comment at the bottom of this post, saying you agree to share your experience and results, and why I should buy it for you.
5. On Wednesday, January 13, 2010 I’ll choose one person from among the commenters.  My selection will be completely subjective, though it’ll be based on enthusiasm as well as other factors.  My choice is final.
6. I will buy the program for the chosen individual.  Any other expenses will be your responsibility.  (In other words, I’m not offering to buy your food as well!)

As you can see by checking the price on the product page, what I’m proposing here is worth $97.

What do you say?

The Box is basically a package of gourmet raw foods delivered to your door.  It was $120 plus $30 for 2-day shipping to Arizona where my Mom lives.  (RAWvolution is located in the Los Angeles area.)  The package was large and hefty.  At first I thought $30 for shipping was a bit steep, but after hearing the description of the box it may actually be a bargain.  Definite “thud factor” there.

The box was insulated and included an ice pack to keep things cool.  The food arrived on schedule and survived the trip well — nothing was spoiled, spilled, or squashed during the 2-day journey.  I had ordered the May 11 menu, which included these items:

1. Tomato Basil Soup.
2. Cream of Celery Soup.
3. No-Bean Hummus.
4. Mediterranean Tabouli.
5. Broccolini Salad.
6. Stir-Not-Fry.
7. Big Matt with Cheese.
8. Nut Loaf with BBQ Sauce.
9. Pizza Italiano.
10. Nut & Veggie Pate wrap.
11. Pecan Crumble.
12. Apple Raisin Cookies.

Portion sizes were reasonable; not skimpy like you might expect from something “gourmet.”  Enough so that she was able to share with Dad, too. 

Now my Mom is relatively new to raw foods to begin with, and this was her first experience with gourmet raw foods, or pretty much any raw foods prepared outside of her own home for that matter.  So she is admittedly a beginner, not used to some of the more unusual raw food specialty ingredients, and even non-hot preparations of some styles of foods.

Here’s what she says:

• Tomato Basil Soup and Cream of Celery Soup. The soups were not bad. I think my main objection is that they’re supposed to be served cold or cool, or even room temp. I like soup hot.
• No-Bean Hummus. At first taste, we thought it was good. It became quickly apparent that there was a very bitter aftertaste (not sure what would cause that).
• Mediterranean Tabouli. I think I would have liked it better if it had been made with spinach, rather than parsley; good flavor, though.
• Broccolini Salad. It was pretty good; nothing strange-tasting or too hard to chew.
• Stir-Not-Fry. Again, one or more ingredients that perhaps I’m not used to that in my opinion, do not enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
• Big Matt with Cheese. Of course, I compare this with a veggie burger, which is akin to a hamburger (substitute). It just seemed strange to me to eat a burger (veggie or not) that wasn’t warm. Flavors were okay, though.  (A cleverly-named play on a well-known sandwich, modified to be named after the chef.)
• Nut Loaf with BBQ Sauce. Dad didn’t like it. I did not find it objectionable. Actually, I like it better without the BBQ sauce.
• Pizza Italiano. Bears no resemblance to pizza, in my opinion, in appearance or taste. Very close to the Big Matt in flavor — with slight differences. Not sure about collard greens, never ate them before, but overall, not too bad.
• Nut & Veggie Pate wrap. Nuts and veggies, together at last! It was okay, but I’m not sure how I feel about “collard greens.”
• Pecan Crumble. The ingredients are pecans, almonds, raisins, coconut water — must be the coconut water I’m not used to, because I’ve certainly eaten enough of the other ingredients. Overall, not too bad, but I wouldn’t really endorse it either.
• Apple Raisin Cookies. Yummy! Very apple-y, raisin-y, and cinnamon-y. DEEEE-LISH!

Alas, this has not dissuaded me — some day I shall try The Box experience for myself.  I’m curious what a more “professional” raw foodie would make of it.  Some day, I also hope to take Mom to my favorite raw food restaurant of all time, Café Gratitude — which I will promptly do the next time she visits me here in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Have you tried RAWvolution’s The Box?  Yes or no, share your thoughts below!

In The China Study, father-and-son authors T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II overwhelm you with evidence upon evidence of the relationship between diet and health. A large portion of the book centers around a massive study the authors conducted in China that involved thousands of subjects and set out to find how diet and lifestyle influence cancer. The authors also discuss studies performed by many other researchers on the topics of various other serious diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

The information is presented in an accessible and understandable way. There is some technical jargon at times, but it doesn’t get in the way.

This review can be summed up in a single sentence:

In my opinion, this is a must-read book for anyone concerned about long-term health.

There are a couple main points I want to cover.

Point #1

The Campbells’ research leads them to recommend a plant-based whole foods diet. You will understand why when you read about their research and that of others.

Unfortunately, this recommendation comes very early in the book. In fact, they use the “V” word… vegetarian.

I have mixed feelings about that.

On one hand, I personally believe that a plant-based diet is the way to go. So when someone advocates this, I generally feel that it helps build awareness and progress.

On the other hand, in this case I fear that the Campbells’ research – and its significant potential health benefits – may be dismissed because of a perception that they are biased or have an agenda to push.

(According to the book, the elder author was raised a dairy farmer, implying no predisposition to a vegetarian diet.)

Point #2

One of the more interesting themes in the book, from my perspective, was the critical look at how most research looks at substances (nutrients, drugs, carcinogens, etc.) in isolation.

Isolating variables to determine cause and effect relationships is a cornerstone of the scientific method.

Yet the authors offer a compelling argument that biology is massively intricate and complex, with its hundreds of thousands of chemicals, and isolating ignores the possible synergistic effect of the way substances occur in nature.

For example, is vitamin C really effective as an isolated supplement, or does eating a fresh orange – where the vitamin C is in its natural context – give the best benefit?

Conclusion

The book holds extremely valuable information about health and nutrition with serious implications for the wellness of Americans as well as other developed and developing nations.

If you’re at all concerned about your own health, or the health of a loved one, or you know someone who is suffering or is at risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and more, I urge you to read this book.

Just don’t let the “V” word stand in your way.

Because being well-informed about your health is never a bad thing.

Click on the image/link below to go to Amazon.com.

The China Study