Q: Hi, Tom. Thanks so much for sitting down with us today and talking with us about raw foods and the difference that a raw food diet can make in the body. Also, we'll talk about the Celestial Law of Gratitude, which you've laid out very nicely in your new booklet called The Greatest Secret of All. The Law of Gratitude is one of those ground-breaking spiritual concepts that sets a lot of things straight, and I know my readers will enjoy learning about it. You write wonderful posts at alternative news site http://www.rumormillnews.com under the name "Nemesis." Recently, you've written some pieces about how you've been exploring a raw foods diet. Can you explain a little more how this came about and what inspired you to do it? You mentioned that you were once the "King of Ribeyes, Mountain Dew, and the Marlboro Man." Has this changed now?

A: I am no longer the King of Ribeyes, Dew or Marlboro –I fell off my throne –but have become a prince, soon to be a serf and then a free man. But to answer your first question, "What inspired me to do it?" On occasion I explore and study texts of world religions and compare them to insights I’ve received. Sometimes my study prompts questions. A few months ago I was reading from a book used by Mormons called The Doctrine & Covenants. It has a chapter on health called The Words of Wisdom. Towards the front of the chapter a verse reads, "Adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints." I read the rest of their health law and a question came to mind, "If their health law is for the weakest of all saints, then there must be a health law for the strongest of all saints, there must be a higher law of health," so I asked to know the highest law of health, which I received according to my understanding.

On to your second question, "Have I changed my diet?" Oh, yes and Oh, no. Right after receiving the inspiration on healthy living I decided to do it. I quit smoking (2 packs a day), coffee (8 cups a day), Mt. Dew (a six pack a day) and cooked foods (char-broiled ribeyes, etc.). It lasted three whole days and then a revolt ensued, ha! Ok, I admit It. I succumbed. I lost the rebellion. However, I’m going to mount a counterattack, for I know the benefits of healthy living from an earlier experience that lasted 25 years. (I’ve only been smoking and so forth for five years. It’s a rather interesting tale, too long for this interview, but here's a hint: That which you judge unrighteously you will experience). Now, day to day, I drink only water and eat only live fruit and vegetables until supper time, so for 23 hours of each day I eat and drink nothing or eat live food. I smoke less than a pack a day, drink three cups of coffee and one Mt. Dew 20oz bottle every other day, TADAA! I’m only part idiot now.

Q: I remember you posted something on RumorMillNews.com about "going off the wagon," eating an occasional pizza and whatnot. That seems entirely normal, since your body is trying to shift its core eating patterns after fifty-some years of eating ribeyes! I know that if I tried it, I'd be having Twinkie attacks. Your wife has been eating raw foods for a while. What effects has she experienced?

A: Ah yes, the wife. Women are wonders of strength. Michele, my loving companion for over 30 years, is awesome, probably only one of two women I’ve ever met who are non-judgmental. She eats only raw fruits and vegetables for approximately ninety days at a time. After, she will eat baked potato and some other lightly cooked vegetables. Michele had lymphatic cancer about twenty years ago and went on a live food grape fast for approximately ninety days –the cancer left –and then she was a vegetarian for a while, then a vegan and then went to raw foods, mostly. The results were amazing. Not only did she regain vigor and youth, she went from 160 lbs. (at a height of 5' 61/2") to 118 lbs and has maintained a healthy weight thereafter. Also, her gift of seeing into the "higher" realm increased to the point that she is in daily two-way communication with angels and beings of light. I know this sounds strange to those who have not experienced it, but it is true, and I bear witness of it, for I have been privy to her experiences for these many years.

Q: What have you and your wife noticed when you eat cooked food again after a period of eating only raw food?

A: When we eat dead food after eating only live food, the mental and spiritual downer that accompanies eating dead foods is immediate. We’ve experimented with eating only live raw fruits and vegetables for seven days and then eating something cooked, and you wouldn’t believe the darkness and heaviness that comes with eating other than live. It’s worth it for everyone to experience it. It only takes three to seven days of eating raw and then eating "dead" to experience the difference.

Q: Intuitively, I know that what you're saying is right on. I haven't had too much experience with making dietary changes myself, but I did have an experience earlier this year that resonates with what you're talking about. Last winter, I was going through some kind of body detox process, coming off of a cold, and my body suddenly decided it wanted to be vegetarian! I never would have guessed that it would send me such a strong message, but it did. In fact, I learned that each of us has a "body deva," different from a guardian angel, who watches over our physical body and can give us tons of information about what our body needs if we learn to tune into its messages.

For a month I ate only vegetarian. Suddenly, meat seemed like this incredibly foul, wrong thing to be eating. It was quite an adventure, making the switch to a vegetarian diet and trying to educate myself about how to do it in a healthy way. I honestly didn't know if I was going to permanently remain vegetarian, I was just listening to what my body was telling me. After about a month, I was "allowed" to go back to eating meat, and it seemed okay with my body. Since then, I haven't switched back to the vegetarian diet, but I do think about it. And the benefits of a raw food diet must be even stronger than just being vegetarian. I've long felt that the reason why so many of us struggle with fatigue and drink too much coffee is because we aren't absorbing enough life force or "prana" from our food. And if it's cooked, it's REALLY "dead," isn't it? Have you become aware of the life force in food? Can you detect a real difference in your energy levels when you're just eating raw? And do organic foods give you the most energy?

A: When we’ve done the seven day raw food diet, we ate only apples picked off of local trees, eating them as we pick. And yes, organic food (food without any human made fertilizers) does give an extra "spark" to your system because your system doesn't have to use its energy to first deal with contaminants. During those seven days we drink lots of water to counterbalance the extra sugar in apples. Talk about energy. WOW! It’s a high of phenomenal lightness-of-being, almost like you're floating or flying through life, it's an extraordinary experience, one which anyone can have if they just do it for a few days.

Q: Sounds marvelous. I'll have to try it! Do you have any thoughts on microwave cooking vs. normal cooking? Also, what about canned or frozen food?

A: A nurse microwaved human blood to warm it and injected it into a patient, and the patient died (according to a report). My intuitive nature has always said to me to avoid ANYTHING and everything microwaved. (It also has told me for years to stop doing unhealthy stuff and do live food, but doing it continually is my personal challenge). We don’t do frozen foods or canned foods so we have no personal knowledge there, however, I know all canned food is boiled, and therefore the living portion of the food that is left after processing is killed.

Q: An organic fruit fast must be a marvelous way to reconnect with your psychic abilities because your body is clear of any toxins that might get in the way. Have you noticed subtle changes in your spiritual clarity that correspond with eating raw foods? And what foods make you feel the most sluggish or out of sorts?

A: Spiritual clarity is magnified when eating raw. The human body is not only the vehicle for your higher being, but a veil, and when you cleanse the body the veil thins and communications received come with greater clarity. Even minute whisperings from the spirit realm are detected instantly, things you miss when your body is less pure. The food that makes us most sluggish and downright tired and draggy, in declining order, are: All meat (red, white, fish); all dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt); cooked grains, legumes and rice; cooked foods in packages and everything containing unnatural food items such as white sugar, white flour and concentrated additives such as natural flavorings. To sum it up, anything processed and cooked.

We don’t drink alcohol or take drugs (legal or illegal) but no one need be ignorant of their affects. As to my smoking, yes, it clouds perception, and caffeine from sodas and coffee whiz you right past subtle spiritual intuitiveness and blast you into high mental states that do not pick up higher inspirations of Spirit.

Q: What should people to do if they are interested in trying a raw foods diet? Do they need certain equipment to make this easier? I imagine a juicer would be important. How can someone get started?

A: Eat apples. And for medicinal value get a juicer and drink carrot/apple/celery juice morning, noon and night –a large glass three times a day –and if you're really ill, put fresh garlic into the drink. As to daily meals (Did I mention apples yet? Ha!) have a bowl on a table filled with fruits and eat ONLY those during the day. Then, if you must (and right now I do) eat a cooked meal at the end of the day. But if you’d like to lose weight, or lose it quicker, eat the cooked meal at lunch.

It’s so simple (though I’m not saying it's easy) to eat raw. Just buy your fruit and vegetables, wash them and eat them. If you’re really ill, REALLY ILL, eat fresh grapes or go on a water with lemon fast.

Q: You've put together a list of websites and books that go into the raw foods diet more in depth. We'll post them here at the end of this article so that people can look into them. I think that anyone who is interested in feeling better and having more mental and spiritual clarity might benefit from a raw foods fast, at the very least, maybe trying it for a week or so. Have you and your wife done many fasts? What were they like?

A: My wife’s brother has fasted on water/lemon/maple syrup for 41, 30 and 15 days. My wife has done it several times for 30 days, and many times for 10 to 20 days, and I have fasted without food and water for 1-2 days hundreds of times. I once fasted without food or water for three days but will never do that again because the lack of water HURTS and probably isn’t good for you. Now I fast mostly 1 day at a time and it is WITH water. I did do the water/lemon/maple syrup fast for 11 days and a few times for 7 days and many times for 3 days.

FASTING IS CLEANSING AND REJUVENATING TO BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT. The insights you receive during a fast are nothing short of miraculous. The benefits to the body are almost secondary, though they are clearly, clearly beneficial. Anyone seeking guidance from a source beyond the mind would do well to consider 24 hour fasts. Doing one fast weekly brings astounding results in perception. Your ability to receive and unveil knowledge from your higher self and higher realms is enhanced by fasting –WHEN YOU DO IT WITH A PURPOSE IN MIND –yet be open to what comes. In other words, you’re usually blessed with more than you ask for. And what you asked for, though appearing important to you, is quickly answered and then the really good stuff comes. Gotta do it to know it.

Q: Do you know anything about the history of raw foods and fasting? Didn't advanced spiritual groups like the Essenes follow this type of diet?

A: After receiving my inspiration on the highest health law I began researching web sites about raw food and found much valuable information that encourages you to do it. Though the encouragement is there, each will respond according their willpower and needs and above all their intuitiveness. Though I KNOW eating raw is the quickest path to health, longevity and further light and knowledge, knowing isn’t enough for most people, certainly not for me. For me, I am not staying true to my highest knowledge on this subject –YET.

Q: Thanks for sharing your insights about raw foods, and I do hope that my readers will look into it. The links and books listed at the end of this interview are an excellent place to start. I want to discuss something else that you've been involved with, and that is teaching people about a very important spiritual principle. It's called The Celestial Law of Gratitude. Can you tell us what this is and how it works?

A: Hmm . . . this is going to be a tough order. Okay. Please bear with me here, since I’m going to try and explain a subject that I have spent the last two years condensing from over a thousand pages of insights I’ve received into a fifty page booklet. You’d think by now I could explain it briefly . . . however, I have given it a tag-name similar to The Royal Law: Love your neighbor as yourself or The Law of Mind: As a man thinketh so is he. The tag I’ve given it is, The Celestial Law of Gratitude: Receive all things with thankfulness.

Okay, here goes: The Celestial Law of Gratitude is a Celestial Gate to Celestial Happiness, the same happiness beings from higher realms of consciousness enjoy. It is available to man upon the same principle that it is available to all Intelligences. As all things manifest by obedience to law, Celestial Happiness manifests by obedience to The Celestial Law of Gratitude. One passes through the gate to perfect happiness (as I call it) during a miracle experience. The Celestial Law is: He who receives all things with thankfulness will be made glorious and the things of this earth will be added unto him, even a hundred fold and more.

The happiness I’m speaking of is The peace that passes all understanding. It is not the earthly happiness men speak of or experience, but rather, it is being at peace, being serene, tranquil and calm continually; it is the quiet and steady joy and the genial and amiable happiness one gains through understanding; it is being "happy" all the time no matter what experiences you go through.

There is a power that manifests within you when you are thankful. It radiates from you and changes you and then you change your world. Though the world is not a place of peace, you can be at peace in the world. It isn’t magic, but of Spirit, yet to some it is like magic, but it comes from higher realms and blesses man. The power is real, and to know it, all you have to do is try it. If you want to be happier, be more thankful; if you want to be happy all the time, receive all things with thankfulness; if you want to experience a real miracle, receive all things with thankfulness and the miracles come.

To receive further light and knowledge requires one to consider truth in this light: Truth is things as they were, are, and will be. Truth is ever expanding, useful today but a mere stepping stone towards tomorrow. If you would know all truth, do not limit yourself to what you think you know, but be ever open to what you don’t know. (Truth is not relative, yet at our level of understanding, truth is taught to us according to our understanding, which is not full.) I mention truth because to many people the concept of receiving all things with thankfulness sounds strange and new, yet it is not a new truth, but rather a truth that has been hidden and often obscured.

Q: So when people are able to experience gratitude or a sense of thankfulness for all that life is giving them, it's like they are entering into a state of grace, a state in which real miracles can start to manifest. What are some of the things you've observed in your own life as you've learned to be more and more in a place of gratitude?

A: Peace, peace, peace. Peace, joy and happiness, not only in spite of life’s trials and tribulations but even because of them. When one gains further light and knowledge about life’s reality, or the purpose of life, then one is able to walk through life in continual peace. Without intending to offend anyone, I offer this: They who receive all things with thankfulness experience a miracle and become perfectly happy, and then they can literally walk through the valley of the shadow of death, pack a lunch, and enjoy the adventure.

Q: I like that! And life is a grand adventure, isn't it? I was thinking how we live in such a polarized world, and we're taught that willpower is the tool we're supposed to use to push through everything. If we want something, we should will ourselves into going after it, or we should push our will onto others until they give in. Most industries are based on this. Advertising is all about pushing a product on people until they buy it. And many "success coaches" follow this same principle, advising people to push and push until they get what they want. It almost seems like society is "inverse," going about things the exact opposite way from what we're supposed to be doing. We're not grateful about what life brings us. We're ungrateful. And yet, following the path of willpower means that most people are going around feeling miserable all the time. So that way sure isn't working! Why do you think we do this, what are your thoughts on these patterns?

A: The laws have been perverted because of selfishness, that is the reason most of us do what we do. Life is bountiful, yet this bounty is denied man because of man’s selfishness. When men circumscribe access to this bounty, life becomes a battle. Yet even with the world of man being as it is, life need not be a battle, for one truth above all truths that enters one’s heart during the miracle is this: All things together work for the good of man. This concept is alien to human thinking because it is not of mind, but of spirit. It must be within one’s heart to affect a change of heart.

If you go to what some consider inspired writings you find this: Don’t kick against the pricks. Be thankful in all things. Thank God in all things. Trust He who created all things. These phrases indicate a way of life, a way to happiness.

You know, contrary to popular belief, the hippies had it partly right when they said, "Go with the flow." I prefer this insight: "Put your heart into it, but don’t set your heart upon it." This means do all you can do, but then be unconcerned about the outcome, for after you have done all you can do, there’s nothing left to do. Another word for concern is fear, also the word "worry."

Q: I've always been fascinated by Jesus' commandment in the New Testament to love thine enemy. That's one of those metaphysical mysteries wrapped in an enigma, but it's so powerful as you learn to unravel it. If somebody nasty is coming at you, by blasting them with love, you reverse the polarized charge of all of their "evil" being directed at you. It's the ultimate form of energetic protection. I suspect that the Law of Gratitude might operate in a similar way. If you give thanks for all that life is giving you, you remove polarity from the situation and end up surrounding yourself with this force field of peaceful energy. And then the full abundance of the Universe becomes available to you, because you're not FIGHTING the Universe. Does that make sense?

A: One of the great universal laws is the law of justice. The consequences of justice can be mitigated but not eliminated. Our thoughts, words and deeds have consequences. That which we do returns as our reward. What happens when one is thankful in all things, one stops doing the things that brings difficult consequences. Notice I did not call them "bad" consequences, for nothing is bad, except as we judge them.

The power in receiving all things with thankfulness does indeed open one to receiving, as if by magic, all the good things of life and beyond this life. Gratitude is the KEY to the treasury of universal abundance and wisdom, not the abundance or wisdom of man, but of God. I personally prefer to run my life according to God’s wisdom, not my own, though God requires man to use his own wisdom. So this is not about being a pawn or being brain dead. In other words, work things out in your own mind. Think, contemplate, ponder, meditate and make a decision, but THEN, in prayer, offer it up as YOUR best wisdom, and then be READY to receive higher wisdom. And in that receiving you will recognize a power beyond you that works to bless you above your own wisdom. It’s pretty awesome.

Q: True! There IS a higher wisdom that is active in our lives only too often, we don't see it. I went through a major health crisis some years ago, and I'll tell you, at this point in time, I am so thankful that I had that experience. My own crisis taught me so many important things. I mean, until you're at the very brink of death, you don't truly appreciate your life. When I had my crisis, I suddenly saw how much I had been RESISTING what was happening in my life, fighting against it, judging it as somehow wrong. If I had been able to practice more gratitude, I don't think I would have manifested that health crisis. I wouldn't have needed it! So since that time, I've tried to focus on gratitude, but not to the extent you are teaching. I know that there's room to improve. I think many of us get into the idea of counting our blessings, giving thanks for the many parts of our life that we feel are "good" or pleasant, but you're actually teaching us that the Celestial Law of Gratitude means being thankful for EVERYTHING life is giving you…especially the things we don't really want, like money problems, relationship difficulties. That's what you're sharing with us, right?

A: True it is –receive ALL THINGS with thankfulness. Actually, how wise is it not to do that considering our limited understanding. We live in a universe we didn’t create, live on a world we didn’t create, and have life and freedom to act, and didn’t create those either. It is the very fact that we understand so little, while enjoying so much, that should give us cause to be thankful in all things, for to do less is the height of vanity and pride (those are awesome teachers) and at the least a wallowing in ignorance (which is easier to remedy than vanity and pride).

If right now you absolutely knew that every experience YOU have and every experience EVERYONE has serves a purpose that blesses you and everyone now and into the eternities and that it is the doorway and pathway to the endless reaches of creation, you would, in all probability, be thankful for your every experience, whether loneliness, poverty, sickness, disease, war, crime or death. THAT’S THE KNOWLEDGE YOU GET when you receive all things with thankfulness and experience the miracle.

Receiving all things with thankfulness is the Celestial Gate to Celestial Happiness, the very happiness all men have been seeking since the dawn of man, but few have found. They didn’t find it because they were looking for it where it wasn’t. To find a treasure one must look for the treasure where it is to be found, and the treasure of perfect happiness is to be found by receiving all things with thankfulness.

Q: Can you share any tips, affirmations, or prayers that people can use to start expressing more gratitude in their lives now? You include many of these ideas in your booklet, which people can order from you, but give us a tidbit or two that people can put to use today.

A: No matter what happens to you today or from now on, when a situation, event or experience stirs your emotions, regardless of whether you think the experience is good or bad, say in your mind, "Thank you Father for what this experience is teaching me" (obviously you don’t have say this exactly). Key your words according to HOW you personally intended to "receive" all things with thankfulness. If the sky hits you on the head you probably won’t be thankful for it, but you can be thankful for what that experience teaches you. After a time, as the power in "Thank you" manifests more and more in your life, and especially once you experience your own miracle, you won’t have to justify your thankfulness with mind-games, you will BE thankful because you understand the purpose of life and know that all things are a blessing for man and that all things together work for the good of man. You’ll be thankful because with your knowledge there will be no other way you can be. I mean once you know the value of your inheritance, that it is beyond your wildest dreams, how can you not be thankful?

Q: At the end of your booklet, you mention that it can be helpful to post the Celestial Law of Gratitude on cards around your home and workplace, to help remind you to practice this principle. I understand that you're creating some cards that have this printed out on them? Are they available to order, too?

A: How soon we tend to let even life-changing concepts slip from our minds because of life’s demands. I guess that’s why people have day planners! So yes, at the end of the booklet I wrote that people will never be perfectly happy if they don’t follow the path that leads to it. Knowing our foibles I decided to create little picture frames, refrigerator reminders and bookmarks that have the following on them: "I RECEIVE ALL THINGS WITH THANKFULNESS." "THANK YOU FATHER FOR THIS EXPERIENCE." And, "THE CELESTIAL LAW OF GRATITUDE: He who receives all things with thankfulness will be made glorious and the things of this earth will be added unto them, even a hundred fold and more." Anyone can make one on their computer and print it out. If you would like to see an example please go to http://www.wisdomdigest.net. They are in JPEG format and you can right-click your mouse and download them, or you can order them framed.

Q: I know that I can't wait to start bringing my attention to this each day. Your booklet really helped motivate and inspire me. I also liked the stories you included in it, like the one about the two men who traveled together, one complaining about everything and the other being grateful all the time. Your booklet reminded me of that classic book, The Richest Man in Babylon, only, instead of being about accumulating money, it was about accumulating peace and happiness in all things. Can you tell readers how to order your booklet?

A: Thank you. To date I have given away over 500 booklets and I continue to give them to those that cannot afford it, but it’s nice when people buy them so I can keep the "ball rolling." You can email me at nemesis@accesswest.com or go to http://www.wisdomdigest.net or write to Wisdom Digest Publishing, P.O. Box 2601, Cedar City, Utah, 84721. On the website are the prices of the booklet, including quantity discounts. Prices range from $7.00 to $3.00 (shipping and handling IS INCLUDED in the price).

Q: I understand that you are collecting first-hand accounts from people who have a story to share about eating raw and recovering from illness or regaining energy for future articles at Rumor Mill News. Where can readers reach you?

A: To date I have not received but two such testimonials, but people can send them to my email address: nemesis@accesswest.com

Q: Thanks so much for sharing your raw foods experiences and your insights on The Celestial Law of Gratitude, Tom! You've given me and my readers marvelous material to ponder.

A: And I thank you for this opportunity. I’ve read your website and love its layout and content. You are doing a wonderful service –and quality to boot. Thank you so much

Q: You're welcome! My wonderful website designer, Denise Biondo, is the one responsible for its look and layout. But we both accept your compliments! And just a note for my readers, do look for Tom's fine posts about different enlightening subjects at alternative news site http://www.rumormillnews.com. He posts under the name "Nemesis." How did you arrive at your "pen name," anyway?

A: Nemesis was supposed to be the Greek Goddess of divine retribution. But I am Nemesis, a woodcutter sitting on a lone log deep in the forest wondering if I should ask my wife for directions on how to find our house. Ha!

Resources for Further Reading About Raw Foods

The Sunfood Diet Success System by David Wolfe. Go to http://www.davidwolfe.com

Eating Without Heating by Sergei and Valya Boutenko. Go to http://www.rawfamily.com

Raw Family –A true story of awakening by Victoria, Igor, Sergei and Valya Boutenko. Same web site as above.

Nature’s First Law: The Raw-Food Diet by Arlin–Dini-Wolfe. At http://www.rawfood.com (*****Tom recommends this book above all).

Living in the Raw by Rose Lee Calabro. Order her book at: http://www.rawfood.com Read about Calabro's self-healing from chronic fatigue through a raw foods diet: http://www.rawfood.com/calabro.html

The Uncook Book by Elizabeth & Dr. Elton Baker (no website is listed in the book).

The Juiceman’s Power of Juicing by Jay Kordich (no website is listed in the book).

Check http://www.halfprice.com for used copies of the above, or other used book websites.

Excellent site about raw foods: http://www.living-foods.com ****Tom’s note: IT IS AWESOME, not only for eliminating disease and restoring health and vitality through proper eating, but it dispels all the myths (with scientific facts) AND talks about some of the MOST important issues of our day in the LIGHT OF A NEW UNDERSTANDING, that is like waking up from the mentally dead. I know you won't regret it. After you get to the front page that opens, click on the link that says, ARTICLES. When it opens, start clicking on the articles and read them. You will be so rewarded, not ONLY from a health standpoint, but from a philosophical and political CONSUMER perspective. Those who are not familiar with what will be presented will be ASTONISHED.

Another excellent piece about the Essenes and their approach to eating: http://essene.com/Essene%20Teachings/Vegetarian.html

Also, if you just enter the following in a search engine, raw food diet; eating raw, etc., you will find many websites that teach about raw food eating. The testimonials are everywhere.

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