The word for the day: ACCUPUNCTURE!

This morning I woke at about 5 am to the sounds of the birds in my flowering camelia bush outside my window. By 6:30, I'd gotten out of bed, thrown some clothes on and headed for a 45 minute walk to the beach. Lovely, refreshing, and ultimately energizing!

I had a 9:30 appointment for accupuncture at Hemma (www.hemma.ca), for another round of it in a communal setting. Time flew past, as I entered a deep state of meditative quiet. I left 3 hours later. My accupuncturist remarked that my tongue was looking good, with nothing glaring to note. Again, another positive reinforcement!

Today I seem to operating on vital energy, cause I've only had 3/4 of litre of juice, and I feel as if I've gotten what I need for the day. This is definitely the saga of my juice FAST rather than feast.

This evening I've been looking up Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce) and other raw products. Plus, I think I'll go ahead with the raw milk...

Another milestone: DAY 60!!! and a massage!

Today, after waking a realizing this was a major accomplishment to have reached Day 60...I also became saddened that I'm two-thirds of the way through. There really is only one month roughly...32 days...and since the juice diet has been nothing less than extraordinary for me, it will be a bittersweet goal once attained!

So today I went for my monthly massage that my aunt's treating me too, and it was just wonderful. My massage therapist said that my she could really feel my cells vibrating, and could sense a really clear, open energy from me. As she said, with this extensive of a cleanse, my cells have started transmuting! So that was wonderful to hear, when other's can perceive what you're feeling inside!

I also popped by a tattoo place (I selected this one because it's owned by Sarah Kramer, the woman who wrote the "How it All Vegan" cookbook and others. I wanted to get a buddha tatooed on my back from an image given to me at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, California many years back. Unfortunately I'm going to have to re-think my positioning and iz of a tattoo due to the fact that I'm pretty coated in moles.

And then the evening we had our neighbours over for dinner which went really well. I set the table with knives and forks for every one, and then a straw for me! Oddly enough, as I've mentioned before...I am taking the greatest pleasure in preparing food for others! -- even preparing food that isn't in line with the diet I'll be following. Well the food that I prepared that i wasn't able to tast, received rave reviews! All in all, a great day!

Day 59!

Today I had a juice/lunch date with my partner's niece at Re-Bar, drinking a litre and taking advantage of my 50% discount...grapefruit, strawberry, and pineapple!

I'm getting excited because tomorrow I invited our neighbours over for dinner (yes, actual food) -- as a very interesting by-product to this cleanse has been my developed love of cooking and preparing food for others! Experimenting in the kitchen is tonnes of fun to me! People are udderly stunned by this!

I am still feeling amazing on this feast! I'm enjoying developing definition to my face, having a more slender figure and fitting back into my clothes! I've shed about 26 pounds to date! Not bad for not starving!

I've located a local source of raw milk...a good way, I figure to get my protein when I'm raw, since I can't rely on nuts. I'm in the process of finding people to share the cow share with. I also located raw cheeses from a local source: Saltspring Island.

One thing I noticed during this feast is the change in my quality of hunger. When my body triggers me that it would like to have something to drink, my hunger rumbles are in the vain of craving nourishment, as opposed to deep hunger food longing. It's hard put it into words. It is not an urge that simply wants to be stuffed...it wants to be nourished!

Juice Feasting on Lasqueti Island!

I've just returned from the most incredible weekend!

Simi and i headed back to the wee off-the-grid island where she was born in the cabin we built for her, on Lasqueti Island! The island lives sustainably, ethically, environmentally, and full of conscience, with a population of 350! Our cabin there operates off of solar panels and a water wheel. I was really eager to return while on a cleanse. I was curious about how it would feel to be surrounded by natural elements both inside and out!

Well, it had a powerful effect! I was overwhelmed and reminded of the incredible virtues of community (one of the great assets of joining on with Global Juice Feast!) which is often so lacking in an urban environment, of living close to the Earth, of growing one's own source of locaal, organic food. I was so inspired, we've enacted our 5-year-plan-to-return-to Lasqueti, in the meantime building a larger house than our 400-square foot cabin. Why 5 years? This would enable Simi to complete elementary school, and myself to finish university. So, I spent my days there, infused with vitality and a suitcase full of juices! This all workes out well!

Today, y only juicing discovery is that I don't like juicing mung beans and i found organic pineapples on at my little corner store for $2.98! Wow!

I'm going to try to attach this week's Victoria JuiceLuck video, even though I missed it!

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

Accupuncture and juice!

Today's highlight was an accupuncture treatment at Hemma, here in Victoria...in a communual setting. There are 7 LazyBoy chairs around, and the practioner treats you all, this way making it far more financially accessible for people. $15 dollars a sessio for people in my income bracket! You can't beat that! Plus, I lied there with the needles in for 2 hours!

Then rest of the day involved hanging out for far too long at the tax office, but topping it off with a juicy dinner at Re-Bar!

Simi and I are off tomorrow for the weekend on Lasqueti Island...so tomorrow morning it will be my 3-day juice prep extravaganza!

Acting and Ani!

Today was a day where I craved fruit juices over green juices. The result was pineapple, goji berry and E3 Live juices! Delicious!

My morning started off by accompanying Simi to school, so I could help the kids with their Grade One French reading. This is always such a rewarding experience!

Back home, I phoned to see if there was any chance of snagging a ticket for the Ani DiFranco concert tonight -- and Yes! Folk-Punk here i come!

And then the afternoon I spent with my friend Sacha, helping her with techniques to develop a character she'll be portraying in a movie!

All in all, a terrific day!

(Simi really wanted me to include this photo of her holding wholesome hazelnuts!)

Ooops!...an add on to the previous post!

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

The colonic that didn't happen!

I was so excited this morning...today was my colonic appointment!  I headed down there about 20 minutes early, full of anticipation, filled out my forms...and then presto was delivered the news that I couldn't have one because of the cerohosis of my liver!  What an absolute bummer!  I did stay and chat to the hydrotherapist though, because she wanted to pick my brain about juice feasting, as she had been considering doing herself, too.  So, no long-winded ramblings about all my internal gunk...but I did manage to then go by some Stone-Breaker caps. So....

I've also been in contact with a woman regarding a source of raw milk.  I figure that I'll need a good source of protein after coming off the feast if I can't rely on nuts!

So, it's Day 52...40 more to go, and I'm down about 22 pounds! Feeling great!

Below is the video of our Victoria JuiceLuck, Day 50:

VIVA FEST, JuiceLuck, and...SNOW!

Good morning on this beautiful spring morning of Day 51!

It's such an inspiring morning out there, that I woke up and headed out for a 45 minute walk, down to the ocean, looped around to a rocky point, and then wandered back past a wild Garry Oak Park, where the last of the wildflowers were in bloom!  Plus, I saw three bunny rabbits, saw beautiful magnolia trees in bloom, saw sailboats with their great big spinackers up, and a whole sleugh of tide pools!  

This was quite in contrast to the freak snow fall we had yesterday -- SNOW IN APRIL!?! -- none of stuck, but it definitely put a damper on the day's planned outdoor activities in celebration of Earth Day.  The annual Earth Day march and rally/gathering is on the top of my 'must do's' list -- but I, too avoided it because of the miserable weather.  I did, however go to the VIVA FEST (Vancouver Island Vegetarian Association) gathering, where there were a bunch of vegetarian-associated tables, booths and displays.  My friends Hezzie Cunliffe and Ariel Rubin had a table set up for Café Bliss ... the organic live food juice bar that Hezzie is opening in a couple of months.  The girls were busy juicing up wheatgrass, apple juicy concoctions for free for everyone!  What a hit! 

From there, I headed to our weekly JuiceLuck gathering, which was lovely as all four of us were able to attend! (video will be posted at www.globaljuicefeast.com) -- Ayrie, Constanze, Robyn and myself.  I brought a juice I particularly liked: red swiss chard, parsley, half a pineapple, a couple blood oranges and watermelon and a lot of mint!  Really easy going and refreshing!

So, I'm stoked for the coming week - a colonic tomorrow, accupuncture on Wednesday and then some acting training someone asked me to help them with on Tuesday!  Hoorah for juice!

Ooooh...and I was also loaned David Wolfe's book The Sunfood Diet Success System!  Fabulous stuff!

(I'm including some photos of both gatherings!)

A douzy of a day!

There were no major juice breakthroughs today, instead it was a day of spending 4 hours in the dental surgery office, while my daughter Simi underwent major dental surgery.  

I whipped together a couple pineapple, bok choy, kale and cucumber juices this morning, feeling guilty that I could "eat" and poor Simi couldn't.

Needless to say, we packed up and headed to the centre, complete with our brave superstar daughter!  She is asleep, as I write, woozy from the procedure.  But, as I've requested my whole life, and subsequently for hers, backed-up now by David and Katrina's video, I did not allow the dentist to administer any flouride to her.

I've got a colonis scheduled for Monday, but I'm also considering doing a Detox Ion Foot Bath (offered at Triangle healing Products for $50) and some community accupencture down at Hemma, with my former accupuncturist Michael Lium-Hall.  To make accupunture more accessible to everyone, he has established a community, communal based method where patients are in one room together in big lazy boy chairs, and sessions operate on a sliding-scale of $15 - $40.  Really...how could I miss such an opportunity?!

But now, I sit and sip and wait for a waking, uncomfortable girl.

Great day!

I have been resonating with David Rainoshek's outline of the stages one goes through while on the juice feast...for the past week or so, I've definitely been somewhat in the BOREDOM stage.  The last thing that interested me was juicing!  Today, however, I was excited to get to it, while felt great.  I'm rejuvenated!  Perhaps this arose from my feeling clearer about my chosen nutritional route!

So, at the moment I'm sipping on a pineapple, bok choy, burdock, cucumber and celery juice!  In it I've added bee pollen, E3 Live and coconut oil.  YUMMY!

HALF-WAY THERE! DAY 46!

Now today truly is a milestone!  I've reached the peak!  Day 46!

Today I was really proud of myself, as I was able to have 3 litres of juice!  My juice consumption had dwindled down to about one litre a day over the last week - so I was thrilled with my intake today!  As well, after doing much research, consulting with people I know and gauging my body's reactions, I've decided that I want to go mainly raw eating predominantly live foods as part of my diet!  The idea of green smoothies every morning sounds wonderful!  So off I went today to Triangle - a store which sells juicers, infra-red saunas, supplements, detox foot baths, etc.  I bought myself a 9-tray Excaliber food dehydrator and a BlendTec blender!  I'm super excited.  I was planning on getting a Vita Mix, but the BlendTec is suppossedly a far superior machine: more horsepower, programmable settings, lighter, smaller...I'm stocked!

RAW FOOD HERE I COME!

Day 45!

I took a few days off from the realm of blogging, as it was Simi's 7th birthday over the weekend!  It was a tremendous success with tonnes of family over, a magician, fun party games, streamers and balloons galore!  I went and got juices in anticipation of not being able to juice amidst the mayhem, from or local vegetarian restaurant Green Cuisine, where virtually all the ingredients were organic!

I've just come from juicing grape, peach, cucumber, celery, cilantro, bok choy, burdock, ginger and apple juice!

I'm really excited, I booked a colonic for next week, based on people's reports on Global Juice Feast.  I haven't been doing enemas recently, though I want to try coffee enemas -- but I've been quite surprised that I've been having regular, solid BMs.  So, the elimination process is working!

I wanted to share with you, this list of vegetable correlations with the human body, that was sent to me by my aunt Nicola.  Enjoy!

Day 40! E3 Live intro!

When I'm awoken to congratulatory comments of "Wow, Day 40! That's pretty amazing!" -- it makes you feel good!

Yesterday I eeked my way through the day on only 1 litre of juice (bad girl!) -- it was such a thick juice it felt as if I took in a few. Still, no excuse.

So, this morning, determined to overcome my short-fallings from yesterday, I prepared juices with my pre-soaked goji berries, celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, sweet lime, yam, pineapple and...E3 Live! I bought a frozen bottle a few days ago, and set to partly defrost it in my fridge. From there I drained off a bit of the green liquid (from Klamath Lake, Oregon) into an ice cube tray, and put it back in the freezer. This morning, I added one E3 Live ice cube to each juice! It was very pleasant...so I'm sold!

Day 38! Low-key!

Today is day 38..almost half way (day 46 will be that major milestone!).

Simi (and therefore me too) was up much of the night with a fever. Today I kept her from school to try to recuperate. So, while she watched TV, I juiced and later we both had naps together.

I made 3 litres of the same kind of juice today: goji berries, cucumber, carrots, beet, mint, cilantro, apple, lemon, ginger, spinach, burdock and bee pollen. They were beautiful and tasty!

A day of staying indoors with Simi, despite the glorious Spring Day this is coursing by outside!

The juicing family! Day 37!

Last night I hosted our weekly JuiceLuck with Ayrie and Constanze coming, plus Hezzie who was juice feasting for the day. We sorrowly missed Robyn, who is still juice feasting, but had a djembé performance to participate in. It was a fun gathering which included a juice that tasted just like angelfood cake, I swear -- it was goji berries, orange and lemon. It was fabulous! Constanze made a green juice that had cinnamon in it which was spectacular. I've yet to experiment with adding spices to my juices. And then Ayrie brought a juice over that included his new favourite ingredient: grass! The juice was delicious though. After the gathering, I popped next door to my neighbours' who invited us over -- I sat with them at the dinner table, as they consumed massive steaks.

This morning we woke, and Passy and Simi helped me juice. I did hardly anything except choose my day's ingredients: pineapple, celery, cucumber, soaked goji berries (apparently great for my selenium levels), spinach, kiwi, parsley, ginger, burdock, bee pollen and Vitamineral Green. Paddy even did the clean-up! What a guy!

We went for a walk today to out on the breakwater. It was a beautiful day. We saw an otter catch a fish, a seal, and a very uniquely marked black and white duck.

A big thing I'm both curious about and unsure of the path I'll venture down, is how I will choose to eat once this cleanse is over. Though this stems from the Raw Food Movement, I'm not drawn to go all raw. Though I do forsee the inclusion of far more greens -- salads, possibly the green smoothies. I'm also interested in getting a dehydrator to make raw, sprouted crackers. What I do know is that grains and heay starchy foods weigh me down considerably...though I like the inclusion of brown rice to salads, eating a baked potato doesn't appeal. Friends of mine are following a lot of the principles set out by the Weston A. Price Group, and there is a lot a lot of compelling information in there. Bone broths and meat are a staple element of this food philosophy. What I think I'll head most likely towards is a predominetly vegeatrian, vegetable-laden diet, eating meat that is organic and locally raised. Time and more research will tell.

(Arie filed or weekly gathering once again last night and it is posted on www.globaljuicefeast.com)

Fervor!

It's been an interesting couple of days on the Global Juice Feast scene. I began a discussion in the forum section titled 'Protein Low'. I wanted feedback and people's thoughts on the fact that my medical professionals were raising concerns about my protein intake being inadequate. The result has been a back-and-forth springboard of over 25 entries...some heated, others reassuring about my protein levels. (Check out discussion at www.globaljuicefeast.com). I truly valued the opinions of the nurse, who was able tp back the numbers up and say that I was in fact getting enough. That being said, that means I'm getting enough when I drink enough juice (a major problem of mine!). As Constanze said to me, my proteins very well could have dropped as I was coming off a week of sometimes drinking less than two litres. The discussion has been incredibly interesting. And thanks to my friend Chris in Berkeley, he emphasized the need for me to be ingesting fats (i.e. coconut oil) for the proper assimilation of nutrients.

Besides this, I'm feeling amazing. Prepped a theatrical résumé today and a proposal for the Victoria Children's Festival for Improvisation Facilitator, was able to register for a summer theatre institute, and made arrangements to have the Victoria JuiceLuck here at my home tomorrow!

Protein low!!!

So, my medical caregivers are concerned with the return of m blood draw results. Their main concern: PROTEIN levels!

On my blood work, it indicated that my protein levels were on the low end of the spectrum. I had my dietitian and physician's assistant both encouraging me to add an egg or two to my daily diet. Though I understand their concerns, I'm not interested in introducing solids at this point [and the idea of a blended egg added with beets and spinach, etc. doesn't sound that appealing (mind you, add a little Hollandaise and we might have something!)] -- so, I threw out the idea of a protein powder additive to the juices. They were good with that! So, at this point I'm throwing this question out on GlobalJuiceFeast.com and I've asked David ad Katrina Rainoshek directly. I can see the merits of adding say an organic hemp protein or something...mind you, I wonder if Hemp Oil would do the same?! I've been avoiding it since my first wretched day (no pun intended!). I know now that with the concrete results in front of me, I will be consciously making sure I have bee pollen every day, and Vitamineral Green, and coconut oil.

On a different note, my night nurse Therese was extremely interested in the juice feasting. While I slept, she printed off tonnes of information from the juice feasting site, and was really encouraged. She was amazed by the before and after pictures and peoples' personal tales. Therese is a heavier set woman, a vegetarian, but complains of eating to many carbs in the form of pasta and rice. Though this diet is carb heavy evidently, it is assimilated far differently.

Well I'll continue my wait here in the Metro Detroit Airport -- first to Toronto and the directly home!

April 1st -- start of Month #2!

Today is definitely a true milestone! It's the first day of Month #2!

Last night I was able to sleep! -- some nice recuperative sleep! Who knew a hospital bed could feel so comfy?!

I was rushed off early this morning for a supposed opthamologist appointment (to look at the copper accumulations in my eyes), while all the while I was saying: "I could have sworn they told me it's tomorrow morning!" Well, I was right! So, there was a rush for nothing. Oh well.

Back to my room...a day of on-line Scrabulous, reading Ginsberg's HOWL, Buddhadharma, and receiving more queeries about my juice feast. My Physician's Assistant, Julia, was really very skeptical of the whole thing...but believe it or not this morning she got the juicefeasting website off me, and wanted to know a good resource for juice recipes! It surprised me, yet I welcomed it all the same! My nurse, Dan, who'd just done the Master Cleanser, said he juiced this morning, thinking of me. The whole Hero's Journey aspect of this cleanse is playing out in marvelous, surprising ways!

The most interesting element of my day, was when the dietitian returned with the numbers she calclated for me yesterday regarding nutrient intake and calories of my daily juice. I gave her a list that comprised what I thought I normally uiced in one day. It included:
- 2 1/2 pounds of spinach
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 2-3 cucumbers
- 1 head of celery
- 1 lemon
- 4 inches of burdock root
- 2 apples
- 6 oranges
- 2 beets
- 4 carrots

I believe that was everything on my list. Well, the results are in!

- Calories: 1365

The only nutrients I was lacking in was B-12 (so a good reminder for me to do bee pollen!) and Selenium was the other! I just need to up my intake. Apparently 3 Brazil Nuts a day give you enough selenium (though avoidable on the feast and with Wilson's Disease!). So, if I up the veggies, think I should be okay. My protein was also lower than they would like to see...being at 15.88% of a daily necessary value.

The ones that were off the charts in terms of daily values were
- Vitamin C -- 1385%
- Vitamin A -- 1110%
- Folate -- 720%

I just saw my main doctor who is a liver specialist and told him of my juice feast -- and he had nothing bad to say and was encouraging! Good news! Plus, he said I could try out driving again, on short, simple trips!