Train from Philadelphia

When Kristine first told me that she was going to spend three weeks at a holistic healing center in Florida to learn about moving to a raw food diet I frankly thought she had completely gone nuts. At first I thought that the hallucinations she had experienced back in her last round of chemo had officially altered her good judgment. But when my initial reaction of silence followed by laughter was met with sour disapproval, I realized that this was no passing fancy and that I was destined to be dragged into the deep end of the produce aisle.

My research on the Hippocrates Health Institute and on raw vegetarianism left me even more skeptical. There is little research that I could find to prove or disprove that a raw vegetarian diet has any health benefits at all, let alone the miraculous benefits that the Institute's testimonials claim. To me the Directors of the Institute looked like hippy freaks promoting the benefits of uncooked food -- just as nature had intended -- and colonics... surely NOT what nature had ever intended. I mean really, I can maybe get my head around the idea that a plant based diet is a more natural one for humans since the human is the only animal to cook its food while larger mammals (i.e., cows, horses, whales, etc.) live entirely off of raw plant life. However, I have a hard time believing that a plastic tube inserted into one's bum for the purpose of "cleansing" one's colon is the best way to regain one's natural health.

Despite my uncertainty this was about Kristine. It was not about me, the protection of my colonic virginity or my health. At least that's what I thought.

My experience at the Institute was actually rather enjoyable. The campus is a self contained little oasis in the middle of the warm West Palm, Florida sun. The pathways wind around the property shaded by large tropical palms. Benches and hammocks are set into niches carved into the lush green flora. Stucco and terracotta roofed common buildings and lodges are integrated into the tranquil landscape. One small path leads to a large pool area with three therapy pools, a Jacuzzi and a sauna. Waterfall pools and installations trickle and flow at every turn. The campus is peaceful and relaxing making it more like a spa than a food camp.

The wheatgrass shots were not bad at all and I warmed up to the green juice after about the third day. I'll even go as far as to say that I grew to like the cucumber, celery and sprout cocktail and will not mind continuing the practice of juicing veggies at home. The lunch and dinner salads made up of lettuce, a variety of sprouts and sprouted beans, and the occasional special surprise salad left me craving anything but greens. But even these luster lacking meals became tolerable by day four or five. And on my last day the “barbecue ribs” made of crushed nuts had me almost fooled.

On Thursday, I had the dreaded colonic. It was conducted by a small woman with a German accent who had to be in her 80s. She was full of energy and more passionate about colonics than I have ever been about anything in my entire life. She talked me through every step of the procedure to allay my anxiety as if I were a 15 year old virgin boy visiting a lady of the night. She presented the implement and I quivered in a flash of panic. In my mind I thought that my initiation into this kind of thing wouldn’t occur until I was 40+ visiting the proctologist for my first examination. But I put on my big boy pants and let this Dr. Ruth of colonics work her magic. She called my cleanse a “5-star” and at one point as we watch the impacted materials and fluid run through the tube she said, “Look at this train from Philadelphia!” I do feel a ton better after the procedure but if given the option again, I think I’ll choose an extra massage.

I definitely took a great deal away from the experience. The people there have some amazing and empowering stories. Some have come for the first time with hopes, like Kristine, of curing a disease or ailment outside of the limits of conventional medicine. Others are repeat visitors coming to share their success stories and embrace a lifestyle they are convinced contributed to more than just their wellbeing.

There are some truths that all of us should consider and embrace in our eating habits if we care at all about living our lives to the fullest. I don’t know that I am fully convinced that raw is the way to go. But I will say junk food is dragging us down and we all eat way too much animal product (meat and dairy) and not enough plant based food. I myself am going to make a concerted effort to embrace this raw vegan lifestyle with Kristine although I think that reality will cause me to be more of a flexitarian (one who is vegetarian but makes occasional exceptions for social and pragmatic reasons).

Ryan