Friday, March 21 to Sunday, March 23 in Los Angeles and Hollywood, California! Join Dorit of Serenity Spaces as she presents an amazing line-up of outstanding films. The film festival focuses on the connection between the way we eat, the way we treat animals, how we build homes, birth and raise our children, and the impacts of the choices we make on our food, air, and water supply as well as our mental, physical, and global health. A special segment this year, in partnership with Green—LA will include prizes for teens and pre-teens who write essays or make an 8-10 minute film on green solutions for an ailing species. Cherie and Dan will be a presenting on Sunday night during the Gala Awards Dinner and Ceremony. Dinner will be catered by Executive Chef Ursula of Good Mood Food Café. Films include: Going Raw, Country Barbecue, Toxic Inspector: Toxic Kitchen, All Jacked Up, Vegan Fitness Built Naturally, Traveling With Raw Foods, Reversing the Irreversible, Sweet Misery, The Adventures of Raw Man and Green Girl, Curing Cancer, Healing Cancer from Inside Out, Mad Cowboy, A Sacred Duty, and Baraka. And the exciting news is that many of the films will be shown at the 4th Annual Vibrant Living Expo here in Fort Bragg, August 22-24th! Stay tuned ...

On Saturday, April 19, 2008 Cherie will be a presenter at one of the most respected health conferences in North America. She'll focus on her latest book, The Raw Revolution Diet, Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger! Focal points of the health convention, besides the slow food movement, will include disease prevention, nutrition, energy medicine, natural homes, organic gardening, and renewable energy. Stay tuned to this spot for more information about Cherie's schedule in April!

Talk: The Raw Food Revolution
Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Would you like to lose weight, or just gain more energy and feel younger, but don't want to give up your favorite comfort foods? You are not alone! People everywhere are quietly rebelling against the SAD American diet, and are actively seeking alternatives. Join the Raw Food Revolution and see how easy it is to regain your health and recapture your youthful vitality! Cherie Soria will inspire and motivate you to add more whole raw foods to your diet, without spending all day in the kitchen, or giving up the flavor and satisfaction of the cooked foods you love!

Lecture and Demo 6-9 pm
Price The Raw Revolution Diet: Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger! Find out why the raw vegan diet is one of the top diets for weight loss and improved health in the world today—and the only one you will want to stay on for the rest of your life! Cherie will share with you 12 Raw Rules for a healthier new you, making it easy for you to add more raw food to your diet with simple-to-prepare recipes that are both delicious and healthful. You will learn how to prepare scrumptious soups, salads, appetizers, and sweet treats without the use of white sugar, gluten, or animal products.

All daytime lectures and demos (10:00 AM-6:00 PM) are included in the daily $25 admission price. Evening lectures and demos (6:00 PM-9:00 PM) are $60-$65

Stay at eco-friendly Living Light Inn during the Fort Bragg Whale Festival for two nights and get the third night free! Join us anytime between March 14 and March 20, and watch the migration of the Gray Whales. Have fun participating in festivities in and around Fort Bragg (including the Whale run/walk) during Whale Fest weekend March 15-16. Our April Spring Special runs from April 12 through April 17, with the same great deal—stay two nights, and the third night is free. Hike in one of our 6 state parks, bike the beautiful coastal roads and trails, kayak or canoe up Big River, enjoy a glass of local award-winning wine, visit boutiques, antique shops, and local art galleries, or just curl up with a good book in front of the fireplace. At night you'll sleep soundly and comfortably in all-organic bedding at the historic Living Light Inn—an elegant, yet cozy home away from home. Prices range from $220 to $350 for the 3 nights. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Living Light International and The Institute for Vibrant Living are producing the "best ever" Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase August 22-24 on the beautiful Mendocino coast of Northern California. Keynote speaker Dr. Gabriel Cousens will be joining Living Light directors Cherie Soria and Dan Ladermann this year, as well as Nomi Shannon, Victoria Boutenko, Dr. Fred Bisci, Happy Oasis, Rhio, Dr. Ruza Bogdanovich, Jameth Sheridan of HealthForce Nutritionals, John Kohler, Mathew and Chef Terci Englehart of Café Gratitude in San Francisco, Chef Elaina Love, Chef Vinnette Thompson, Chef Felix Schoener, Ronnie and Chef Minh, and others TBA.

Newest confirmed presenters include: Dr. Leslie Van Romer, motivational speaker extraordinaire, and author of Getting into Your Pants, David Rainoshek from Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center who will speak on Juice Feasting and other topics, Matt Monarch, author of Raw Spirit, and Angela Stokes, whose amazing weight loss journey (from 294 pounds to 133 pounds) has been an inspiration to many all over the planet! We are expecting several other very special guests, and will keep you updated with all the latest Expo news in future bulletins! Pre- and Post-Expo classes and workshops are slated with top experts in raw food nutrition, including Dr. Douglas Graham's Natural Hygiene Raw Nutritional Science Certification Course Monday and Tuesday, August 18th and 19th, and Maximum Athletic Performance seminar Wednesday and Thursday, August 20th and 21st.

Due to popular demand Dr. Graham has added a second day to his Maximum Athletic Performance class, therefore The Natural Hygiene Raw Nutritional Science Certification Course has been moved to the 18th and 19th of August.

The spectacular new 4-day workshop, Pastry Arts-Unbaked! with Cherie Soria and Vinnette Thompson on August 18-21 is already filling up! The 4th Annual Vibrant Living Expo will be THE place to network, to learn from nutrition and raw food experts, holistic visionaries, and to experience the culinary magic of the best raw food chefs in the world. A new wellness pavilion this year will include dance, music, yoga, bodywork, and other therapeutic modalities, as well as Exhibitor booths offering a variety of dazzling delicacies and products for conscious living. Last year's exhibitors were awed by the knowledgeable attendees at the Vibrant Living Expo. It's a target audience of informed planetary citizens, making a difference in their own lives and in the world! Health Panels, Living Light's famous Raw Pie Contest, a Rising Star Chef Showcase, and a Mini Film Festival coordinated by Dorit of Serenity Spaces will round out the program. Sign up now for the most professional, well-organized, detail oriented, awesome raw food event ever!

ATTENTION EXHIBITORS: Book your booths early, as spaces will fill up! Volunteer Opportunities are available. See you on the Mendocino coast this summer!

We have an incredible selection of seeds for sprouting, including our favorite tiny black sunflower seeds for growing sunflower greens, red clover, Indian fenugreek, golden alfalfa, broccoli, buckwheat, winter wheat, and radish. Products we especially love are two from New Natives: Micro Mix, which includes cabbage, mizuna, kohlrabi, tatsoi, and arugula. (If you've never had the thrill of growing micro greens in soil, treat yourself to an experience that is both gourmet and packed with nutritional value), and Samurai Spice, a special kind of daikon radish, packs a punch both in flavor and nutrition-with 35% protein! Be sure to visit Living Light Marketplace online for books on sprouting and juicing! Start growing healthy sprouts today with the Lexen Healthy Sprouter $49.95. Grow wheatgrass, alfalfa, mung beans, basil, thyme, and many more sprouts, herbs, and micro greens. The Lexen Healthy Sprouter contains everything you need to start growing your own wheatgrass and sprouts. The stackable tray system is easy to assemble and makes it easy to grow with or without soil. Kit includes two trays and two sprout inserts. Grow wheatgrass in one tray and up to four different kinds of sprouts in the other tray all at the same time. Additional trays and inserts are available for purchase so you can stack up to four trays to provide multiple harvests.

For wheatgrass, the economical 2-Star Manual Wheatgrass juicer does the trick, $99. A classic workhorse, the Champion Juicer makes incredible patés and raw ice cream, as well as juicing fruits and vegetables. The Solo Star Dual Stage juicer with a low speed auger is a wonderful buy at $265, and the twin gear Green Star 2000 is top-of-the-line, priced at $429. Both of these excellent juicers also juice wheatgrass, and make patés and ice creams.

Time to lighten up this Spring? Think Living Light Café & Cuisine To-Go! Our vibrantly healthy juice selection includes the alkalizing Green Giant (a favorite of staff and students alike), Crimson Sunset, a smooth blend of carrot, apple, beet, and ginger, Carrot Top, and Apple Ginger Lime Blast, and of course Wheatgrass Juice. Energetic spring activities call for energizing drinks! Our sumptuous smoothies include Rise 'n' Shine, with organic strawberries, oranges, apple, and mint, Berries Sensation, a sensational blend of bananas, raspberries, strawberries, apple juice, and dates, and Blueberry Hill, a rawkin' combination of blueberries, oranges, and bananas. If you are in the mood for a creamy delight, don't forget our famous Choco-Nana, a thick, creamy blend of fresh almond milk, cocoa, bananas, and dates, or Cherries Jubilee with yummy cherries, dates, agave, cacao, and fresh almond milk. As a light meal, we normally have 3-5 gourmet raw soups available daily to delight your palate, including such favorites as Classic Gazpacho, Curried Carrot, Tortilla Soup, Minestrone, and Garden Blend. Our abundant garden salads and classic Caesar Salad are always a hit! Peruse our daily selection of deli salads in the case, including some favorites like Kale Coleslaw, Greek Salad, and Mexican Seasoned Cabbage. We have many additional items available for healthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Café menu now online if you want to order ahead!

Science of Raw Food Nutrition I
Join Rick and Karin Dina, the Raw Food Doctors™ from Vitality Wellness Center for a comprehensive, enlightening course on the science of raw food nutrition. This 2-day, 12-hour course covers hot topics including raw vegan sources of protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, as well as blood sugar regulation, pH balance, how cooking affects foods, anti-inflammatory nutrition, and weight management. The Raw Food Doctors™ are known for their ability to make complex scientific concepts entertaining and easily understandable for the non-scientific person. This is a great course for chefs, health educators, or anyone else who wants to achieve optimum health.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the experts!
This class is offered 10 times a year. See the 2008 class schedule or phone 707-964-2420 for dates.Hours: Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with a 1-hour no-host lunch break on both days.
Tuition: $375

NEW! Two Opportunities to take Science of Raw Food Nutrition II
This comprehensive 5-day Science of Raw Food Nutrition II course covers essential information on raw food, living food, vegan and plant-based diets, and is a prerequisite for the 2-day Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification Course immediately following. It builds on the knowledge base learned in Science of Raw Food Nutrition I and introduces many new topics that are essential to understanding the big picture of raw and living food nutrition.

Prerequisites: Science of Raw Food Nutrition I
When: Friday, August 29 through Tuesday, September 2 (Following the Fourth Annual Vibrant Living Expo and Culinary Showcase, August 22-24, 2008 - see article in this newsletter)

Sunday December 7 through Thursday, December 11
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Tuition: $1075

NEW! Two opportunities to take Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification Course in 2008
This 2-day class follows Science of Raw Food Nutrition Level II and prepares students to present fundamental raw food nutrition information with authority, accuracy and confidence. It is highly recommended for health educators and raw food chefs who plan to teach the benefits of raw and living foods in an articulate and easy to understand manner. In this class, students will learn how to utilize information learned in both Science of Raw Food Nutrition I and II to deliver an interesting and comprehensible presentation that is appropriate for a variety of audiences.

All participants will receive a CD containing two turn-key power point presentations on the benefits of raw and living food nutrition. The first is a 20-minute introductory presentation designed to be a free talk to invite participants to attend the second, more comprehensive two-hour raw food nutrition class. This class is designed to be presented on its own, or in conjunction with culinary demonstrations.

The Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification Course will also cover techniques on searching for and objectively evaluating raw food and vegan nutrition information. This will give students the tools to continue learning in a clear and accurate manner long after this course is over. Class is limited to 12 students, so register early!

Prerequisites: Science of Raw Food Nutrition levels I and II.

When: Following the Vibrant Living Expo: Wednesday, September 3 and Thursday, September 4, 2008, or Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13, 2008
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Tuition: $575

Call Living Light at 707-964-2420 for further information about these informative and empowering classes with the Raw Food Doctors™ Rick and Karin Dina.