On March 31st, 2012, I attended Stockton’s Annual Environmental Form. I went to the 11:25 to 12:20 key note speaker, Jenna Norwood. In the beginning, she showed us a short YouTube video on her life before and after she began her raw diet. She said her inspiration came from wanting to fit into a Halloween costume and ended up changing her life for the better. The thirty day detox diet Jenna embarked on motivated her to make her film, “Supercharge Me. 30 days Raw.” Ms. Norwood’s talk mainly consisted of talking about raw food and how the food we currently eat today affects in more ways than we realize. There were many issues that were affecting Jenna before she began to improve her eating habits, including a hand she initially was going to have surgery on. She also said we can recognize that raw food is the food we are supposed to be eating because this is the same food the animal population eats and helps them maintain a healthy life.

The other part of her talk consisted of taking questions from the audience, which I actually really enjoyed. Many people had asked questions that I was wondering about myself, such as what are some healthier ways to eat as a college student and healthy options to fill a “sweet tooth.” She responded with some great tips, comprising of ‘sprouting,’ making a healthy pasta puttanesca, getting a good blender or magic bullet, creating a green smoothie (combing leafy greens, fruit, and water for a sweet healthy treat – which I really want to try), and making dates filled with almond butter. It was explained to the audience that eating fresh food, including these options, provide the body with a longer sustainability. It was also explained that it is healthier to eat light because the body’s digestive system can break down the food better and provide more, consistent energy. We were all encouraged to check out VeganBodyBuilding.com for more information on enhancing or health, FindaSpring.com, for healthy free water in our area, and watch “The Corporation,” by Dr. Lorraine Day, which reveals the truth about the medical industry, particularly cancer. The audience was told to look more into eating / drinking dairy products and eating meat because it causes inflammation. Overall, especially as a Holistic Health minor, I found this talk both very interesting and very informative.