Raederle's Meal Plans & Recipe Books

Hi, my name is Raederle Phoenix. Yep, that's my real name, given at birth by my parents. Raederle is pronounced "Ray-der-lee" if you're curious.

I'd like to share with you part of my story – it'll take you about twenty seconds to read.

Eight years ago I was overweight, depressed, chronically fatigued, sick of life, pessimistic, and friendless. I had stomach ulcers, constant headaches, daily acid reflux and constant burps that caught in my chest and sent fire through my heart and lungs. I didn't know at the time that I had ulcers. I didn't know that I had all the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and candida. I didn't know that my fear of social situations and sudden states of agitation were called "anxiety attacks."

I felt hopeless. I had tried medications from several doctors. I felt like I was up against a wall. I was in an abusive relationship and some part of me felt I deserved the abuse. I didn't believe that I could or should get better. I didn't respect myself, I didn't love myself, and I couldn't forgive myself for being so flawed and useless. I was suicidal.

After years of trial and error, lectures, books, seminars, classes, articles, potlucks, interviews, and documentaries... I've found healing and truth. I am now in a healthy marriage based on respect, compassion and mutual interests. I've found the ability to forgive myself, to love myself, to feel compassion for others and to have an optimistic outlook on life.

Where I used to be fatigued, now I am vibrantly alive. Just a few years ago I could hardly walk a quarter-mile; now I can walk all day long.

As a huge bonus, I lost thirty pounds.

Every single aspect of my life is changed for the better, and some aspects of my life are entirely different. I've never been happier, and I no longer cling to any feeling that I deserve less.

Let me share a big secret with you: You don't deserve any less.

You deserve success, love, happiness and health.

And here is the biggest secret of all: The road to your dreams starts with what you eat.

If you're new to the concept, that may sound crazy to you, yet it's really true. You are what you eat. By eating foods that create hormonal balance, strength, flexibility and adaptability you become a success magnet. Simple.

Is the science simple? No.

However, the meal plans I want to share with you are simple, and if you follow them it will change your life.

Let me share with you how to discover the new vibrant you through exciting recipes! Please?

While the results of my transition have been beautiful, the transition wasn't smooth. I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Now I help others avoid those same mistakes.

Many people make serious errors when they start a raw vegan diet. Everything from becoming chronically dehydrated to becoming excessively thin.

That's why my meal plans not only give you recipes... The meal plans also give you the order to eat them in, how much to eat, and what combinations of food to consume.

You can meet all of your nutritional needs, eat delicious food, and feel great all at once. You can try the raw vegan diet without any risk of making a mistake. You can do it just by following my raw vegan meal plans.

Instead of fumbling during your transition, you'll have a plan to hold your hand.

Surprised at the amount of dessert? Don't be so shocked: we're talking whole, raw, nutritious ingredients.

You can lose weight, have excellent energy and have your cake, too!

All of my meal plans have a full nutrient analysis for each day, including: B1-B6, Vitamins A, C, E, K, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc, omega-3, omega-6, protein and more.

You'll be getting more than enough each and every day!

No risk of nutritional deficiencies, which are a serious pitfall that many vegans and raw vegans fall into.

Save yourself time and money with a proven plan to health.

My meal plans reveal the secrets to getting reliable results on a raw diet. The secrets that I have studied eight years to find! These secrets are condensed into an easy-to-follow straight-forward meal plan with a variety of exciting recipes.

With all the details you need laid out before you, your transformation will be easy.

"I feel so much better eating raw.

"Last night I made a nice raw hummus and John and I dipped kale romaine lettuce into it.

"It has been a month since I started eating all raw and I have lost eleven pounds. I am doing this because of how it makes me feel and for my long term health, so the weight loss is not my main motivation. Of course I want to lose the weight and am happy it is inching downward over time.

"Thank you Raederle! For all your help and encouragement."

~ Lisa O'Neil, St. Augustine, FL

Lisa has told me she'd be very happy to speak with anyone who wants to ask about her experience.
Lisa's e-mail: oneillisa@yahoo.com
Lisa's artwork: lisaoneil.com

Watch yourself become:

• Slim
• Happy
• Healthy
• Energetic
• Stronger

Discover the transformation:

• Easily
• In your own home
• Without visiting the gym
• Without expensive treatments
• Through proven natural methods

Using this plan you'll:

• Be safe from common pit-falls
• Avoid mineral deficiencies
• Notice differences within just two days
• Discover how energetic you can be
• Love yourself more than ever before

Reveal your best self with ease!

Being your best self means that you can work more efficiently and spend more time with family and friends. Your children will be delighted that you have energy to run and play with them. Your spouse will be astounded that you're more available to them than ever before.

Sarah lost 6 pounds in 30 days without adding any exercise to her routine
Ma'am, let me tell you, it's weird eating like this. The strangest thing is the lack of hunger as I knew it. I used to get so hungry I would pay anything for food. Now hunger is tolerable for long stretches of time. I feel like I am incredibly alert all of the time as well. The most amazing thing has been losing 6 pounds in a month with a pretty minimal amount of exercise.
~ Sarah Leven, Buffalo NY

Countless testimonials to the raw food diet reveal that it is an effective cure for the lethargy that most people feel, as well as many other much more serious conditions. These cures, while valid and numbering in the thousands (or millions), are not recognized by the World Health Organization, or by the FDA, or by conventional medicine in America. However, it is my personal experience, and the experience of hundreds of people that I have encountered personally, that this diet works.

Tina finally found a lifestyle change that works for her

Its only been a week after switching to only eating fresh, organic, and raw foods and I feel great. I finally found a lifestyle change that I completely love, and will be able to commit to long term. I love the foods, all the recipes are amazing. I'm sleeping better at night, and I feel better both physically and mentally. Thank you for everything, you've had such a wonderful impact on my life that I can hardly find the words to say to show you my appreciation. Thank you! ~ Tina Louise, Buffalo, NY

My meal plans will keep your teeth healthy, utilize good food combination principles, maximize absorption of vital minerals, and show you in easy-to-understand terms how much you're getting of all the essential nutrients known today.

After following one of my meal plans, you'll be transformed. You'll know different sets of recipes that allow you to meet your daily nutritional needs, which means that you'll be able to use the same "sets of food" again in different ways. A week's worth recipes, using the variation tips, can easily be extended to two or three weeks without being boring or repetitive. You can even take all the ingredients from one day and use them to make up your own recipes and still get all your nutritional needs met.

And right now, when you buy all my meal plans together, you get a full month's worth of delicious days and you get them at less than half price! (Details at the bottom of this page.)

"Raw vegan lunch by Chef Raederle today. Green Ginger Cookies, Raw Banana Cream Pie, and a salad with kale, spinach and romaine. BAM!! I'm in heaven!

"I am so grateful for this meal today...!

"The conference I attended today had nothing besides refined sugar and breads to offer... Fourteen hours spent in the car or at the conference.

"So grateful for making the best choice for me today. And having such tasty alternatives to the as sugar well! ♥ ♥ ♥"

~ Susan Eleanor Griskonis, New Jersey

Following my meal plans will be a hands-on course in living raw and vegan without risking deficiencies. And deficiencies are serious. Minerals such as calcium and iron are not plentiful in many of the foods people reach for within the raw vegan diet, and over time this can be hard on muscles, resulting in muscle loss.

Getting the right amount of sodium can be confusing, as raw foods are so low in sodium that one can actually become sodium deficient if they are not aware of their intake.

However, after following a detailed meal plan, you'll have experienced a balanced raw vegan diet. You'll have a grasp of what you need in order to be balanced, blissful and elegant.

Blissfully Balanced 7-Day Meal Plan Blissfully Balanced is very beginner friendly and contains raw comfort-food dishes. Blissfully Balanced includes exercise-timing recommendations. These timing recommendations are provided to allow you to get the most out of your activity. They're recommended at times of day when the food will be providing you with the most energy. After exercise, the key nutrients you need to replenish are in the foods indicated. Blissfully Balanced will maximize the results of your workouts, and also includes tips for using less fat if that is a goal for you.

Keidi's skin improved in the first week after buying my recipe books

Raederle's recipe books are amazing, packed to the brim with delicious, mouthwatering dishes which as an added bonus are all amazingly healthy in every way possible. I've only been following the book for the last week yet I already feel healthier and my skin looks more radiant and glowing than ever before. Thanks Raederle! Thank you for all your amazing health and nutrition tips. You're amazing! ~ Keidi Keating, The Word Queen, Málaga, Spain

Experience Elegance 8-Day Meal Plan This 8-Day Nutritionally Complete Raw Vegan Meal Plan is ideal for raw foodies who want to minimize nuts and seeds most of the time, yet splurge once in a while. That's why this plan has eight days. The eighth day is "splurge day" which I think we should all have once or twice a month. Your emotional health is just as vital as your physical health. The more physically healthy you are the easier it is to be emotionally healthy. I find that most of us feel more comforted and contented with our lives when we splurge on occasion, and contentment is emotional health.

Raederle's meals are honestly some of the most deliciously healthy meals I have ever enjoyed. She is passionate in her work and has extensive knowledge. Her creations are immensely tasty and healthy. I highly recommend experiencing Raederle's love-inspired talents. ~Aaron Irons, California www.HarmoniousEmbodiment.com

Nut-Free Delectable Delights 7-Day Meal Plan Have a nut allergy? Want to minimuze nuts? Trying to reduce calories from fat? This meal plan is for you! There are many issues with a diet high in nuts. And some raw vegan gurus have come to prefer a nut-free approach to raw veganism, or at least a very, very low-nut approach. Many raw vegans consume around six nuts in a month. Most raw vegan recipes call for a 1-2 cups of nuts! To me, that is not in the spirit of raw veganism. This lifestyle is about raising your body and mind to their optimal capacities. That is why I offer low-nut and no-nut recipe books and meal plans, like this one.

Nut-Free Raw Recipes Nut allergies? Want to enjoy gourmet raw vegan pies and treats without using two cups of nuts per recipe? This book brings together gourmet flavors, convenience and nut-free ingredients. If you want additional recipes, or are seeking an array of comfort foods that don't contain nuts, then Nut-Free Raw Recipes will supplement any of my meal plans excellently. Also, Nut-Free Raw Recipes is particularly full of creative nut-free desserts for the adventurous sort. And none of them require a dehydrator!

"Nut-Free Raw Recipes is great! I like how you explained the 'whys' and 'hows' of things, and the photos look yummy. One of my favorite parts are the quotes you include with each recipe."

~ Veronika S., San Francisco, CA

Hi Raederle,
Last night I made Magnificent Minty Mango with hemp seeds and my husband and I LOVED it.
Tonight I made Vanilla Cream Pie and we LOVED that too!
Looking forward to doing more.
Love, Toni V., Buffalo, NY

If you're thinking, "Yes! An exact step-by-step plan is just what I need to get on the right track!" then you've come to the right place. As of 2015, I'm now offering all of my books together as one package at an all-new lower price.

The thing is, I made these plans to help you heal! Not to get rich. So I want as many people as possible to benefit from what I've learned about food and nutrition. Don't miss this opportunity to get seven amazing books!

Raw Master Plan $212 Just $75.00! That is a $137 savings! Raw Master Plan Contains: Experience Elegance 8-Day Plan ($25) Blissfully Balanced 7-Day Plan ($25) Nut-Free Delectable Delights 7-Day Plan ($25) Collecting Calcium: Overcoming Osteoporosis & Arthritis Naturally ($40) Nut-Free Raw Recipes ($15) Vitamin Confusion Solution ($62) Select, Store, Eat & Digest Raw Food ($20) All of these items are digital. You will receive them via e-mail. And, this package will not break your budget in groceries. There is minimal use of "superfood" powders and no use of expensive pre-packaged dehydrated snack-bars. Also, equipped with Vitamin Confusion Solution, you'll be able to select the healthiest whole foods to meet your specific needs on your budget.

So what are you waiting for? What's more important than being healthy enough to do the things you love?!

Wishing you bountiful bursts of energy and inspiration,

Raederle

PS: As an added bonus, I am always available to answer my customer's questions! Do you need a recipe modified to fit your specific needs? Do you have a story or experience to share with me? Just write me an e-mail.

Consciousness Alchemy

Consciousness Alchemy encompasses all tools that can be used to transform thought patterns, behaviors, and emotions. The idea first came to me when meditating. The words, "I am a consciousness alchemist," rang through my head with powerful force. In the days that followed I found that I resonated more with being a consciousness alchemist more than any other title I'd assigned myself.

Author, speaker, logo designer, graphic artistic, board game creator, raw chef, and so on – all of these things I have called myself were all different ways of me working my true craft as the Consciousness Alchemist. Books that change lives, talks that inspire, artwork that gives joy, games that provoke meaningful conversations, cuisine that creates health – all of my crafts are different ways of playing the game of consciousness alchemy.

What does consciousness alchemy include?

• Speaking from the heart
• Pranayama (breathing techniques)
• Meditation of the senses
• Perspective Alchemy (or Alchemy for short)
• Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)
• Hypnotic regression
• Ecstatic Dance, Dancing Freedom, Chakra Dancing, etc
• Trance meditation
• Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong
• Vision board creation
• Writing letters to God(s)
• Practicing lucid dreaming
• Tension & Trauma Release Exercises (TRE)
• Voice Dialogue

In short, consciousness alchemy includes any practice which expands the way you perceive yourself, your relationships and your universe.

A great book can perform consciousness alchemy on the reader by taking the things you knew and causing you to shift your paradigm, to look through new eyes at old concepts.

Consciousness Alchemy is most powerful through exploring the subconscious. One set of tools for subconscious exploration is called shadow work. My favorite explanation of shadow work is this video by Teal Swan.

Not all avenues of exploring consciousness are equal. Different tools create vastly different results. Co-counseling, or reevaluation counseling, for example, is great at accomplishing the human need to feel heard. This, alone, can be incredibly transformative. However, much more dramatic behavioral changes come out of techniques like hypnosis, neuro linguistic programming and Perspective Alchemy.

Ecstatic dance and similar practices are powerful tools to allow emotions and body to unify into one flowing, melding experience. This is a good prelude to accessing emotions that have been stored within the body as diseases.

Trance meditation is one way to receive intuitive guidance and access messages your subconscious has been trying to give you.

The more techniques you practice, the more your mind evolves.

I employ a process of coaching which is client-led, which I believe is crucial to healthy exploration of your mind. This shift from "therapist knows best" to "your subconscious knows best" makes worlds of difference in creating lasting, positive change.

If you're interested in a consultation, write to me at raederle.phoenix at gmail dot com.

For small doses of consciousness alchemy in the form of lessons intended to expand your awareness, sign up for my e-course below.

— Raederle

The Consciousness Alchemist

Money: A Subject More Taboo Than Sex

In America today you're more likely to know how often your friends have lovers, flings, affairs or sex with their partner than you are to know their salary or hourly wage. Money seems to be the most taboo subject around, despite the frequent discourse about gas prices, sales and cost of living.

Do your parents know how much you make? What about your friends or children?

I get uncomfortable telling anyone I've had a financial break of any kind. It makes me worry that people will be less likely to give me things or do things for me. I worry that they might not want to be kind and charitable toward me, or even friendly, if they think I'm privileged, lucky or rich.

This worry has been subconscious and buried. I didn't realize how strong a hold it had over me until these past few months. The full significance of it hit me when I realized I was not telling my husband about various blessings, such as book sales or a friend giving us $100 to rent our place for a week while we're away. Why would I keep my husband from feeling relief and happiness?

When I notice things like this in myself, I use consciousness techniques to explore my subconscious for answers. When searching through my memories I landed on several poignant incidents, all of which I'm going to share with you today in this blog post.

I recall my mother saying, "Don't tell your father. He'll think we have a lot of money and we really don't." And at a different time, years later, she said, "Every time we have a little extra money your father finds a way to spend it all."

These statements, whether true or not, had a profound impact on my concepts about money. In introspection, I've repeatedly found a fear of showing others any abundance that I am experiencing. In a way, I wrote Living Big & Traveling Far on $8,000 a Year (or Less!) as part of an emotional growth process.

It took a lot of courage to fully disclose how much money I make, how I spend all of it, and how I spend my time besides. I was confronting my fear about flaunting my abundance as well as confronting my fear about disclosing my finances at the same time. I felt the internal tug-of-war every time I sat down to write or edit another chapter.

To be honest, I'm more comfortable talking about my sex life than my finances! Until this year, my friends really did know more about my romantic life than my fiscal one. Now, with the publishing of my book, I've flipped that around and disclosed my assets, my schedule, my lifestyle, and my budget to anyone who reads my book. And guess what? Most of my friends have now read it! What a turn around!

It is liberating and scary. To be judged for how much money you make (or don't make) feels terrible. (Which is why my real friends don't judge me for that of course!)

I cringe inside when acquaintances call me "privileged" for buying organic food. I use my low income almost as a defense. "Oh really!" I exclaim. "Well, I bet I make less than half what you do! So what is your excuse?" This snappy sort of answer is really a backlash from my own internal hurt. Of course, I've never responded quite like that, but I've been tempted to.

I'm like a child begging for approval by choosing organic, saying, "Look! I buy quality food and fabrics!"

And they're like a defensive child saying, "I'm not a bad person by buying what I buy! Stop accusing me! You're just privileged!"

And then I'm like a hurt and defensive child saying back, "I am not! Look I make less than you do! You're just stupid for not managing your budget better!"

And then they cry and run away. And then I look down and feel sheepish and then start crying too.

When you see the adult interaction, it looks calm and may even be masked with smiles. But now I'm beginning to see better. The idea of "growing up" is naive. We're all still little children inside, begging for approval and easily hurt by what others say and do. The dream of becoming mature is a lie.

Ever seen that meme that says, "Don't grow up. It's a trap."? There is wisdom in that.

Being "grown up" is about taking responsibility for your actions and doing your best to meet your own needs. You can do that by the time you're four or five years old.

After that, the rest is just domestication.

What do I mean by that? I mean that it is training to live in an artificial society that is not your natural environment. Just like the dog has to be trained not to bark too loud, not to pee indoors, and not to damage furniture, we too have to be trained against our natural instincts.

We're taught not to express when we're sad or angry. We're shown that tears are wrong, and that they make you weak and contemptible. We're taught to use "indoor voices" and not to run when we're feeling energetic. We're taught to "calm down" and "sit still."

Then we wonder why adults need counseling for their repressed anger. Then we wonder why men (and women) seem so insensitive and not compassionate. We wonder why so many people are shy and afraid to speak. We wonder why so many people are lethargic, apathetic and overweight. Is it really any wonder?

I'd like to share with you some more excerpts from my past that shaped my own personal understanding of how taboo the subject of money is.

When I was nine or ten I had the idea that I wanted to please my mother because she was such a good mother. Starting in May or June I began buying things in unusual places for her. One of those items was a hand-crafted dragon ring made of metal. I picked it out at a summer artist festival. I had carefully tried on my mom's rings so I knew exactly how the size of her fingers compared to mine, so I was able to have the artist adjust the ring exactly to her size.

I bought many other trinkets, but I don't recall what they all were. Likely there were note pads, small pens, a traveling sewing kit, small scissors, socks, a small doll, and another dragon statue or necklace. Those were all things I gave her at one point or another, if not that year.

I had filled her stocking to the brim with things for her. Each item was selected with care, joy and love. I felt so delighted and pleased with myself. I was beaming with pride as she went through the items. She kept looking up and me and saying things like, "Where did you find something like that?" She was astonished.

I had come up with the money slowly and carefully. I had asked for ten dollars here, five dollars there. At one point a cousin had paid me $40 to babysit for her. Over the course of the year my mom had said a couple times, "What are you spending your money on?" "Where is all this money going?" She didn't understand it because no new Barbie dolls were appearing, which was my usual choice of purchase.

When she got to the ring at the toe of her stocking I was very eager for her to try it on. She did and it fit perfectly. It was perhaps a little tight for going over the knuckle, but that also meant it wouldn't fall off. I felt incredibly smart. Look at how happy I could make my mom!

In my prideful glee I boasted, "Remember how you asked where all the money was going?"

My mom didn't respond to this remark, and neither did anyone else. My Aunt, two cousins and my father were also present.

I repeated my question with slightly different phrasing. My mom gave me a look and said, "Yes, yes," in a sort of way that implied what I was saying or asking was inappropriate.

Suddenly I was highly embarrassed. I was reminded of an earlier lesson.

When learning to wrap Christmas presents when I was seven or eight I had asked my mom, "Why do you remove the price tag?"

"Well, I don't want them to see that it was on sale for so cheap. They might feel somewhat cheated, or like I don't value them," she said.

"Oh."

I thought about it for a while as the wrapping continued. She showed me how to cut the wrapping paper completely straight by carefully creasing the paper and then cutting it along the fold with a knife. She showed me how to make it so that no tape showed by using double-stick tape. She showed me how to get the wrapping paper perfectly snug on the box so that it didn't wrinkle or bubble up anywhere.

"What if the present was really expensive? Then would it be okay to leave the price tag on?"

My mom stopped and thought about this. "Maybe, but usually not. You don't want them to feel guilty that you spent so much, or feel obligated to return a gift of equal value. It might make them feel embarrassed. Or they might even feel that the gift wasn't worth what you spent on it, which would prevent them from appreciating it for what it was. It is just always best to remove the price tag, no matter what it says."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that." As I continued to think about it, none of that seemed to matter to me. I just liked being given something nice. I didn't care if it had been on sale, if it was really cheap, or if it was really expensive. The only part that I could relate to was that I might feel more hesitant and more careful if I knew something was really expensive. (And at the time, something costing more than $40 was really expensive to me.)

My mom had explained to me why showing specific prices were taboo. But it wasn't until that particular Christmas a couple years later that I realized the subject of money being spent on gifts at all was taboo.

I fully internalized that it was taboo to the point where I stopped thinking about the cost of gifts as much. I stopped noticing how much money went into Christmas year after year. I learned to put up the same blinders as everyone else. Yes, I still had this sort of, "Oh, I don't know if I can afford to buy so-and-so this thing," that everyone has, but I had lost the overall money-awareness. The big picture had blurred.

Last year things came more into focus for me. It started when my mom said, "I don't feel like doing stockings. I just fill everyone's and you fill mine and that is that." It was obvious that behind these brave, solid words was a lot of hurt.

Gifts is a perfectly viable love language, and there if nothing shameful in desiring money spent on you. My mother was expressing her hurt that my father didn't speak this aspect of love very well. He spoke 'financial support' but not 'careful, well-thought gifts'. I saw that in her words, and I felt compelled to do something about it.

So I worked with my dad and husband to get them to make my mom a stocking full of presents. After one of the shopping errands where I had done the driving my dad remarked, "Well, there goes $80 on a lot of nothing."

I hadn't thought about it that way. After all, what is "a lot of nothing"? What emotional wounds was my dad hiding behind these words? Was that the inverse of my mother's pain somehow?

I thought of a parallel in grocery shopping. Sometimes I buy pre-bagged tea blends at $5 for essentially fifty cents worth of tea. Sometimes I buy packaged blends of green powders and pay $2 an ounce (or more) for ingredients that I could get for $1 an ounce (or less) online. Sometimes I buy a 16 ounce bottle of kombucha for $3.50 when I could fill up a growler (64 ounces) for $10, or make 64 ounces at home for about $7. (At $3.50 for 16 ounces it would cost $28 a gallon.)

Why do I do this? After all, I'm working with even less money than most people, and this is exactly the sort of thing I warn against doing in my book. So what is happening here?

I believe that the money is being spent on the pleasure one will experience, not on the actual item. The item very well is "a lot of nothing." Or even "a little" nothing in the case of the tag bags.

When I buy pre-bagged tea I get the ease of sliding a perfect little bag into my cup, letting it steep, and sipping a flavor I enjoy and expect. When I buy a bottle of kombucha in that way, I'm paying for the convenience of getting it right now, in just the flavor I want. It is the pleasure and ease that I am buying. It is essentially a service – an experience – not a physical item, that is the heart of the purchase.

It is very similar to buy nonsense gifts for someone (like cute socks, stuffed animals, greeting cards, colored pens, etc). You're paying for the experience of giving it, for watching them smile, for the novelty of the exchange between you and them.

Granted, it is much better if you can give a gift that offers real value to their life (something they will use in their day to day lives that is durable, beautiful, ecological, and practical), but let's face it: most gifts are not under that category. And we know it. So that means there are other motives are involved. If you really want to sink your teeth into the psychology of this, this video explains the motives we have for helping others, and these same motives apply to giving gifts.

But as a child, one doesn't understand all of the subtle aspects yet. One just learns that money is a taboo and conflicted subject. Yet instead of being able to sit with the contradictions and hold those conflicting beliefs in some modicum of peace, we're instead told that we have to have our own solid opinions about things. We're told, "you can't have it both ways," and "make up your mind," and "it's one way or the other way."

Yet that's a huge fallacy. Contradictory opinions are everywhere – especially within ourselves – and they all have a valid reason for their existence.

It would be easier to make sense of these contradictions if we were allowed to actually hold on to contradictory beliefs openly and honestly. If we could be transparent about our own internal conflicts, it would be easier to be transparent with ourselves! (And vise versa.) In other words, the social barriers to be authentic with one another also create barriers internally. We lie to ourselves to help protect our ability to lie to others. Because if we knew we were lying, then we'd have to feel guilty.

I learned, yet again, the taboo-ness of money when I was at my first job. I was working as a web design intern at a small, yet successful, company. The owner was supporting himself, his wife and two children with his business. He had five employees if you count himself, his wife and me. Both of his children went to a private school that costs roughly $5,000 a year in tuition. My own parents filed bankruptcy after having sent me to that same school for two years out of my childhood.

This small, successful company was able to support paying me minimum wage to poke around the office and not be particularly useful to them. The work was very useful to me, however. I was sixteen, and I learned key aspects of design, office conduct, type/text alignment/arrangement, digital file organization, and much more besides.

I had never earned money before, so the fact that I was only getting about $100 a week for 15 hours of work didn't bother me too much. I was mostly stressed at that time in my life because I was gaining weight, developing serious digestive issues, and repressing my authentic self to perpetuate a dysfunctional romance. There is more of my health story and how I recovered here.

I was curious about money. I was curious about the business I was working for. One day I asked the programmer who worked for the company, "How much are you getting paid?"

He looked at me oddly, and told me he couldn't answer that question. Later, the owner of the company asked to speak with me privately in his office. He reprimanded me for asking the programmer that question. He made some statements about how what I earned was unrelated. He made it clear that asking that question was inappropriate.

I asked my mom about it and she said something along the lines of, "Aho! Of course that was inappropriate to ask!"

I felt a little dense. I was slow to realize how taboo the subject of money is in our culture!

Do you experience the same thing in your life? Do you know how much your friends make? What about your parents, children, cousins, aunts and uncles? Even if you know their hourly wage, do you know how that relates to their monthly earnings? And what about their spending habits or grocery budget (or lack thereof)?

So what are the repercussions of the tabooness of money? What does it mean to us that income and expenses are taboo subjects?

It means employers can get away with paying men higher than women if they have a gender bias. It means they can get away with paying a pretty secretary highly and paying a highly skilled programmer hardly anything. Because we don't see these things happening around us (because nobody is being transparent about their income, business or expenses), we can't speak out or act out against it.

It means we're forced to make assumptions about other people's incomes.

Imagine walking by a store you're considering applying for work at and seeing the wages of those working at the store floating above their head. Imagine you see a manger with "$20 per hour" floating of their head, two guys who make $15 an hour going about their work and two women who make $8 an hour. Now you might think twice about applying there!

The lack of transparency about fiscal matters also impacts what we feel is and isn't possible. We're forced to make guesses about how much it costs to do and have certain things. People repeatedly assumed that I must be rich to live the life that I live. Such beliefs limit one's ability to make beneficial decisions.

When I realized how important this was, I decided to write my book, Living Big & Traveling Far on $8,000 a Year (or Less!). In it, I fully disclose what I've been able to do with my income, and how I've done it, including: How I afford lodging, transportation, organic groceries (as a raw vegetarian who eats primarily fresh fruit and vegetables), organic cotton clothing, and technical equipment. How I have time for art, writing, reading, board game design, and social activities as well as working and traveling. How I combine a laptop lifestyle with gardening and adventure. Click here to learn more about my book.

Or, read 15 Ways To Get Out & Have Fun For Free (Or Just A Few Dollars), because I go out and have fun too, even when living on less than $700 a month. You can too!

Raederle's Board Game Reviews

Ratings are out of 10. I'm calculating my ratings based on the following:

4.5 points: Enjoyment of game

1.5 points: Strategic (not just luck)

1 point: Plays quickly, smoothly

1 point: Replayability

1 point: Aesthetics, artwork

Game Title	Description	Rating	Own It?	Aprx. Times Played
	Heir to the Phoenix Crown brings together deck-building like Dominion or Thunderstone with symbols somewhat like Race for the Galaxy. Also includes interesting "narrative" similar to Smallworld. On a turn you might narrate, "I employ my acrobat in my cob home, she uses a potion. The potion causes the usurpers (the other players) to discard a card. Then with my lantern, vegetables, and golds I have enough love, strength and currency to send my acrobat to purchase a wisdom scroll. I also have extra accommodations in my Gnome Bluff, so I'll recruit a luminary — Princess Eshana."	9.3	Yes	26
	Gheos: Build and rearrange land-masses with tiles that fit together correctly no matter which way you turn them. You play one of the Gods instead of a civilization, making "battles" more fun and less of a personal blow. Scoring happens throughout, not just at the end.	9.2	Yes	13
	Race for the Galaxy: Like my other favorites, this game is played without having to read text on cards or components. Symbols explain in detail how a card functions. Simultaneous play for most of the game. Very strategic with a nice mix of luck based on what cards you draw.	9.1	Yes	32
	Smallworld: Civilizations are created by matching a description such as "flying" to a race such as "vampires." The adjective and the race each provide an ability to the civilization. This game creates a fun narrative as new civilizations emerge and old ones go into decline.	9	Yes	9
	Tikal has an awesome theme: Excavating ancient Mayan or Aztec temples as archaeologists with ten action points per turn. One action point to move, one action point to put a new "digger" on the map, several points to excavate temples (which makes them worth more points), five points to make a "camp" (where new diggers can be "spawned"), and so on. Scoring happens throughout the game (when volcano ties are drawn), and is based on the location of diggers in respect to temples and the temples' value.	8.4	Yes	8
	Elysium is a beautifully illustrated game has symbols and text on every card for clear, quick understanding of the game. While offering a complex range of possibilities it manages to also be easy to learn, dynamic and quick-playing. Strong theme and mechanics.	8.2	Yes	1
	Lewis and Clark The Expedition is a fun adventure game brings together resource collection (similar to Stone Age) and strong theme (like Smallworld) and epic levels of strategic contemplation. Only draw back is that one can really fall into "analysis paralysis" when playing this game.	8	No	1
	In VivaJava: The Coffee Game you will temporarily team up with other players to pool interests for a limited time. Very dynamic strategy and fun theme.	7.9	No	1
	Voice of Conscience is perfect for parties, ice-breakers, and even class-rooms. This game gets people thinking and talking about interesting subjects.	7.8	Yes	17
	Thunderstone is a deck-building game where each turn you decide to either go to market to buy things or go to the dungeon to fight monsters. Brings in battling without having to battle other players.	7.5	No	6
	Power Grid is about building a network of powergrids. Has paper money which acts as your score. Involves a lot of math and contemplation of location. Very well balanced game which successfully strives to make the game strategic and fair.	7.4	Yes	11
	Therapy The Game: Luck, strategy, party-style, psychology and uncomfortable questions thrown in a blender... This game is based on studies on how the human psyche works, and playing the roles of psychologist and patient. Earn "mastery" is the six different phases of life to win. Avoid psychosis so as not to lose any of your mastery. Great game for getting to know people better. A little out-dated, as new research and new environment makes some of the questions no longer relevant/factual.	7.3	Yes	23
	In Goa you're a spice trader. Fun game of economics. Very much about mechanics and not so much about theme.		Want!	7.3
	Splendor is about collecting gems. It is mostly mechanics, but the gem theme is gorgeous. Some of the most fantastic artwork I've ever seen in a board game. Great balance of luck and strategy, although I'm fairly certain it is more luck-based than I'd prefer.	7	Want!	4
	Love Letter is a surprisingly strategic game with very few cards and just a few pink cubes. This very affordable, travel-friendly game packs a lot of fun, strategy, theme and beauty into a very tiny embroidered bag.	7.4	Yes	7
	Stone Age is a resource-collecting, hut-building and baby-making game. Fun, simple, nice parts and art. Easy to play and teach. Good theme as well as good mechanics. Replayability is somewhat lacking as the game isn't very different from one play to another.	6.8	Yes	9
	Cave Troll has similar mechanics to Tikal; theme of monsters and heroes. Plays fast.	6.6	No	1
	Migration is essentially checkers, except with each piece having special abilities, awesome art, awesome maps and pieces. Cute theme.	6.5	Yes	8
	Apples to Apples is a game about comparing "like" things (and not apples to oranges). Party game for lots of laughs.	6.4	Yes	3
Carcassonne	Build the map as you go. Score as you play. With expansions it has a lot of dynamic strategy. "Carcassonne: The City" is a great two-player version which can be modded for three-players quite easily.	6.1	Yes	8
Ingenious	Place double-hex pieces on a hexagonal board to create rows of colors and shapes to score points in individual colors. Your lowest colors' score is your final score, so you must score well in all of the colors to score highly. Highly strategic. No theme or substantial aesthetics; purely abstract mechanics.	6.1	No	1
Forbidden Desert	Cooperative game about excavating the desert and building an ancient flying machine to escape. Fun mechanics, but virtually no replayability. Beautiful artwork. Plays smoothy and quickly. Easy to learn, but complex enough to be interesting.	5.8	No	1
Castles of Burgundy	Create your own castle/territory with teeny-tiny hexes. Each hex you add affects scoring and/or actions you can make. Interesting integration of dice to determine where you can place hexes and what actions you can take.	5.4	No	1
Le Havre	Collect and distribute goods. Take actions based on available buildings. Harvests similar to Agricola. Fun economics game; mostly mechanics with weak theme.	5.3	Yes	3
Sentinels of the Multiverse	This cooperative game uses superheros similar to famous super heroes we're familiar with (such as superman and batman) as well as creative superheros like Ra (the Egyptian god). These heroes fight together against a "boss" deck. Plays quickly and is easy to learn.	5.2	No	1
Batman Love Letter	This game is the same as love letter with different artwork. The only difference is in the way tokens are allocated. I only recommend this to Batman fans, as the original artwork of Love Letter is of a higher quality. The rating I've assigned here may be unfairly low due to the fact that I'd just rather play the original Love Letter.	5.1	No	1