Carol's Blog

This is my first official Raw Essentials blog!

The Big Debut on Home Shopping Network

Thanks to so many of you who joined me in a wonderful SOLD OUT debut on HSN. I was so excited to introduce the first four products in my new line of all natural, raw skin care called Raw Essentials! Thank you, thank you for your support!

My Raw Calling! Why I Do It

RAW Essentials is as close as I can possibly get to emulate how I eat! In fact, some of my ingredients consist of coconut oil, Tamanu oil and Aloe Vera in their "purest" most raw form possible. These oils are also cold manufactured to keep their true integrity - as much as humanly possible. In the last few years we have been hearing more and more about the ‘raw movement’. After spending years educating myself all about living raw in my own life, and as with anything that seems different, I appreciate that raw can be controversial subject. Many people don't think you can actually get any benefit from eating raw foods. Well, I can tell you that I am a walking billboard to the benefits of a raw lifestyle!

Going Raw…What’s The Big Deal?

Choosing to sustain a raw foods diet has tremendously changed my health for the better. Prior to going raw, it seemed like I was ALWAYS sick with some minor ailment and complaint. During the last 13 years, ever since eating purely raw, I have not had:

• a stomach/acid problem
• a headache
• a flu

The Good Old Days

Since I was a kid, I have had to live with dreadful allergies. We were not able to have a live Christmas tree in the Alt household because “Carol can't handle the dust and pollen etc. from a live tree.” I can still remember how mad my brother and sisters were. These days, it’s a different story. I have no more allergies. Zero!! Since going raw, I feel better, I think I look better (although there was some debate about that, I will answer that below....) and I am definitely healthier. I owe it all to the makeover of my diet.

How I Did It

I simply went "cold turkey" with my dietary changes. I know that not everyone is ready to do that. I completely understand how big the shift can be. I have friends and family following in my footsteps, and I went through the changes with them all. If you are interested in learning about the benefits of going raw, the best place to start is to educate yourself as to what it’s all about. As a response to people wanting know how to do it, I took a non-raw foodie friend through the entire process of making the changes in small and big ways and we basically wrote about it. As a consequence of this journey, I wrote ‘Eating in the Raw’, my first book to all the questions we came across are answered in one place. With a little education on label reading and getting a better understand what happens to "normal" food when it’s processed, you can find your most natural and healthiest personal weight. If weight is your problem as it was for me, eating this way can be the best way to keep the weight off.

Taking The Raw Leap

I always advocate that unless you have access to your own "raw food" escort, it might be a good idea to find a doctor who knows this way of life can assist you along the way. The benefits are huge, and the changes are easy. My goal in writing ‘Eating in the Raw’ was to create a guide to help you find the raw. When I wrote The Raw 50 - (actually meant to be the Raw 50 Menus) but hey even supermodels make mistakes...LOL) I focused on creating a plan to help you stay healthy and safe while changing to the raw food way of life. You will be happy to know that of all the people who told me about their transition to raw, there has not been a single one who has gone raw and regretted it. One essential thing to remember – during the first couple weeks of changing the way you eat, your body may detoxify and actually feel worse at first. Stick to it, follow your "escort's" guidelines....and you will get through this short phase. The "other side" of the detox experience is unlike anything you have experienced before. After I detoxified and was feeling absolutely great, I remembered back to my pre-raw days, and was astonished to realize that I had simply THOUGHT I felt good before. This was nothing in comparison to how I felt after I went raw.

The Big C and My Path To Recovery

In 1990 I had cervical cancer and in 1999 I had uterine cancer. Being open minded to anything that could help me I decided to hunt for answers on both sides of the medical issue: conventional doctors and homeopathic. At that point I had gotten rid of all my "little" troubles: allergies, sinus infections, colds, flu, headaches, stomach acid with my raw diet, I called my homeopathic doctor who taught me raw and asked, “How can this {cancer} be? I am raw 3 years.” He told me the following, "Carol, I am surprised that is all you have!! When you came to me with your little aches and complaints, I knew you were in for a long haul. You had so many illnesses about to happen that I could not tell you because I did not want to scare you. But, I knew if you did not go raw, you would have had a very different future than you have now. You would have had many more problems than this and far more serious problems (more serious than cancer?? wow!!). Stay the course, and keep diligent, follow my protocol for you and we can beat this!"

This experience was a wake-up call and a roller coaster ride. But I followed my path of raw and supplements, enzymes and herbs. Today, thankfully I have had clean tests for the last 5.5 years, with no surgery, chemo or radiation.

Home Sweet (Raw) Home

After my battle with cancer, I was very motivated to keep my environment clean and chemical free to facilitate my healing process. When it came to looking at all the things around me that had chemicals and the research that I did in order to help save my own life, I was able to finally understand that the air we breathe and water we drink is ultimately polluted. As a result the body ends up trying to clean up these toxins. This clean up is taxing on the body. Next, I looked at skin care and learned that everything we put on our skin goes into the bloodstream and eventually becomes part of the body! That is quite scary when you begin reading those labels and realize what you are actually lathering on to yourself.

What’s even scarier is that THE FDA DOES NOT REGULATE SKIN CARE OR BEAUTY PRODUCTS!!!! So, I decided that if I was putting it on my skin, I want the cleanest, the rawest, and the most pure products possible. In my search, not anything that existed passed my test. So I made my own, in my home, in my blender. The result…everyone loved them. Then I got the opportunity to share my creations and make it for you (or as close to what I was making in my blender as possible). The biggest obstacles were the preservatives and the cold processing, and we pioneered both. I believe this is the future of skincare. Oddly enough, so does some of the other cosmetic companies. As they actually told me that in 5 years, they will be copying me, so draw your own conclusions.

The Raw Essentials

This coming January the 27th, I will have another 7 products in the normal to sensitive line. Please note, I will be flying in from Europe and go directly on air. So please be kind if I look a bit stressed. I am so excited to present our melting scrub which I am working on diligently. Some of the other amazing products we will have are

• Body moisturizer
• Masks
• Toners
• Scrubs
• Bath Products

These are all the things you will need to begin your Raw Skin Care Regimen. I happily did the work for you in creating the line, so join us and learn more about going raw.

The Raw Science

OK, OK....I am not a scientist, but I knew enough to hire the best, most unbelievable scientist in the industry. I chose one who shares my passion for natural ingredients and was up to the challenge of formulating a natural preservative as well as pioneering the cold raw process of mixing the line. In March, I will introduce the Anti-aging – FAV line (as I do have mature and ageing skin).

Do They Really Work?

Each step of the way, my aim is to create the absolute best results for your skin. My first step is to work backwards to find the perfect ingredients in nature that can do this. Ultimately, I work forward again to create a LUX, elegant, sexy line that is easy to use (no refrigeration!!). Try it for yourself, you will not go back. AND JUST WAIT until you see my product testimonials and reviews on January 27-28th (most of these were given to me after two weeks of use. Some were reported after only 10 days). Even I was most pleasantly surprised with these results. I knew this line was good.....but THAT GOOD? Most products take months to work, and my products did the job in a fraction of that. Wow!

Feed Your Skin

My ultimate goal is first and foremost to educate you to make the right choices in your skin care and food regimen. Education is truly the beginning of change. It was for me. Like any other changes in life, I cannot force this philosophy on anyone. After experiencing such amazing, life-changing results from going raw and my raw products, I simply cannot imagine that other women (once they learned about it) would not want those same changes for themselves.

Any Side Effects?

One little side effect; I do seem to get too thin on raw, yup! (I consider this a minor side effect).

Overall, I am happier, healthier and more aware. I am in less pain, more clear in my thinking and my spirituality than ever before; even more-so then when I was 20!! I thank God for that and all that I am doing is "Paying it Forward..."

Carol

Personal Note:

I am writing this final note in response to some questions that have been brought up.

They Want To Know…

Q: Did I have a face lift?

Carol: NO! I have a problem with keyloids (small scars) on my skin. Any makeup artist would love to be the whistle blower who becomes famous from unveiling any improprieties. I do have dermabrasion (used to remove sun-damaged skin and lessen scars) every now and again (maybe twice this year, once last year for a deep clean). Oh, and my lids are not cut or tucked.