THE PROMISE I MADE

You know, sometimes doing what is right is the most difficult thing in the world. When I went raw (about 13 years ago now), I made a promise to God that if he saved me and saved my life, that I would take whatever little celebrity I had and I would try to do good in this world. I just asked Him to show me the way to do that good, to show me where I could be helpful.

Since, as we all know, God works in mysterious ways, it was a full 9 years or so before he took me up on my offer. The way it began was so innocent and so natural that at first I did not realize what was happening.

I moved my office to New York City from Los Angeles, but I was quite upset, because I wondered where I would get my RAW milk, cream and cheeses, as L.A. is far ahead of NYC in the ability to obtain raw dairy.

Then I received a phone call from the NY Post Newspaper, asking if I would let them shoot a photo of me at a RAW food restaurant. I was shocked: First, that they knew I was a RAW FOODIST, as I had not yet gone public with this info and second, that there are RAW food restaurants in NYC.

When the paper called, I thought, “Not for nothing, but this I have to see.” So I agreed to do a photo I would not normally have done, just to get to see and eat at a RAW food restaurant.

I am very glad I did that photo shoot, because besides finding a whole network of RAW friends in NYC, that photo started me on the path to becoming a very outspoken advocate of raw food.
Prior to that event, I had not intended to write books on RAW food; I was writing another book inspired by my friend Bill O’Reilly- and only one chapter in it was about RAW food. Instead of selling that book, however, everyone I pitched my idea to wanted me to write about the chapter I was most passionate about: RAW FOOD! I immediately sold a book (or two) on RAW.

The letters from the Ottawa Citizen were depressing in more than one way. As each letter seemed to say that I was crazy and that I was the only one in the world who was doing RAW and that I was out of touch with the real human condition. These particular letters pointed out how in shape I was, how lucky I was, how rich, able to have chefs, that I had no kids and my lifestyle was such that no one else could do what I was saying they should do! They picked on everything, including the fact that I had a great boyfriend, that I was genetically blessed and that I did not know how to live life like a “normal” person, etc., etc., etc.

They were going after ME. They were not listening to the message. Therefore, I started to think that perhaps I was the WRONG role model for this lifestyle.

People are used to seeing “fat” people say they lost weight and apparently “ill” people say they found a cure for something. But I was silent about my cancer and I fought it not on the front page of People Magazine, but in my home, working diligently with the most brilliant minds in medicine. Yet, when I changed ALL that afflicted me and I came out to tell the world, I was told that my message was not worth listening to because I was SUPER MODEL Carol Alt, who was soooooo genetically blessed that I could not possibly have problems and I was soooooo blessed with my job and my boyfriend and my family, etc., that it could not BE that I did not really have a fairytale life!

In other words: “How could a famous supermodel possibly have human afflictions?” EVEN PEOPLE MAG WOULD NOT PUT MY STORY ON THE COVER AND I DID SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT THIS MIRACLE!

Of course, worse than being a super model, I was not a doctor, so how could I possibly find a cure for cancer? Therefore, anything I did was looked at with a wary eye, which I do, on a certain level, understand. Perhaps if I had started out fat, for example, and not just sick, tired, bloated, and aging rapidly with digestive problems, headaches, weight gain and skin rashes, and ultimately cancer — perhaps if I had gone to the press with my diseases and put my sick face on the cover of People Magazine, instead of coming forward with a possible cure – people could more easily believe my message. Perhaps if I were a secretary, or a teacher, or a factory worker, they would hold me up as “The Everywoman” who could make a difference.

It has been so depressing for me to hear comments like the ones from the Ottawa Citizen, because people attack the messenger and do not listen to the message. (And trust me, I do not mind that people attack me as crazy, as I have been called everything from a “Tsunami of stupid” to doing a “disservice to women”! The only thing I really mind is that they do not hear the message!) It has been SO demoralizing that I wanted to stop doing this work. And believe me – it is WORK.

Fortunately, I understand that it is in God’s hands and that it is progressing as God intended it to. I understand I was afflicted with cancer and was able to change my prognosis because that would make me a stronger, more credible advocate for this way of eating. (I mean, I understand free will – I got cancer because I CHOSE to eat badly and to stress my body, and starved myself on every diet there was!) I believe God has been able to use my mistakes to put me on a path to help other people.

I also understand that God’s intent with this way of life is because it changes a person SPIRITUALLY and that is probably one of His goals. I mean just LOOK at this world! So I cannot and do not question God. I cannot question the things I think He is asking me to do in order to get the word out. I can only thank Him for bringing me this knowledge and saving my life with it (and giving my life back to me, which is a whole other thing!), and then trudge on ahead, with all the slings and arrows that come with this journey.

I must say at this point, that the following incredible e-mail (which is one of many positive ones) was a real boost to me personally. It made me cry with sadness for all of the Lisa’s (see “Ottawa Citizen”) in the world; at the same time it made me cry with happiness for all of the Susan’s (below) in the world. Sometimes it is hard not to lose hope that people will see how polluted this world is, and how sick people really are, and how our food has changed so much in the last years – and how EDUCATION is REALLY, REALLY needed.

Letters like the following help me to not lose hope that people will want to look for something to give them an edge in this world.
I found it in RAW…as did many OTHER people. Read the following email to see this truth.

- Carol