Raw summer lovin'!

I am on a RAW HIGH!

Today I went to my friend Hezi's newly opened raw restaurant: Café Bliss (for all you locals it's next to Mo:Le on Pandora in Victoria -- go! go! go!) -- it was absolutely, phenomenally sensational. My daughter had sweet crackers, with almond butter and jam, plus a strawberry smoothie with almond mylk -- I had the Baja Plate: yam chips with macadamia/cashew nt sour cream, freash salsa, and guacamole! To die for! 100% raw and 100% organic! I'm so proud of Hezi (Hezi is Katrina's younger sister, and Ayrie's daughter, for those of you loyal followers).

So.......

Last night, we rolled in from a terrific week-and-half family holiday...summer fun!



First, we went to the three day-long Vancouver Folk Festival -- amazing music (and the festival had a raw food stand this year -- but as word spread, they quickly sold out!) -- Michael Franti and Spearhead played -- what an incredible, inspiring show! For the entire weekend, we were surrounded by family and friends and positivity. What joy.

Next we headed up to the Okanagan part of the province, stopping firstly at the Similikameen River, which I named my daughter after. The Okanagan is the fruit-growing area --and my Grampa has an organic orchard -- I gorged on pounds and pounds (most literally) of cherries and apricots! Having the runs doesn't even come close to describing cherry-butt!

Then off to Nelson, to visit with Paddy's son Cedar. Fun times, including outdoor markets, raw cafés (note the plural), river rafting, and more! Wonderful times.

Heading back west, we stopped at the Kettle River -- old gold mining territory from the gold rush era. More river rafting, and more sun.

By this time, I felt that my eating schedule was off -- Paddy and I were both suffering from the runs -- and I felt 5 - 10 pounds heavier from the fruit. Turns out, as I weighed myself this morning, that I've lost a couple pounds. This morning I did get up and juice: pineapple, strawberries, pear, and orange -- just craving a bit more liquid. I also replenished my olive supply, and set out some chickpeas and sprouts to soak.

It looks like Simi and I will head to Lasqueti on Wednesday -- in the meantime, this weekend, we'll be partaking in the free music festivities downtown in honour of BC DAY: the Symphony Splash and a concert with Sarah McLaughlan and Feist!

Now, I will settle down to read my Shambala Sun Magazine...

Stimulants -- not in any need of!

I've been clocking my relationship with food ever since the beginning of the feast...

I weaned myself off coffee about a good month before the feast, by drinking high quality organic Genmai Cha green tea. I love it and started to project (pre-feast) my potential inability to give it up. However, as of Day 1, I dropped it too -- and I've never turned back. Now, I can still enjoy the aroma of freshly ground coffee, but have absolutely no iota of an inkling to drink any. That would seem to disrupt this beautiful equilateral balance I've got going on within my body. The food I ingest these days...the fresh salads, the sprouted chickpea hummus, the olives, the hemp hearts...are all serving as my STIMULANTS!

Then there was the period of my feast for about the first month where I was craving steaks, meat, the smell of barbequing food would make me salivate. That passed. Then I began wondering how I would possibly avoid eating Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips, once back to food (this was quite a worry!) -- then I developed my love of cooking/preparing food for others, as the other cravings/fears subsided.



Now that I'm successfuly almost one month (just shy a few days) of having returned to solids, none of these fears have presented themselves as problems. I can easily walk through a food store or be around others eating with no desire of joining in with their style of food. i am so very conscious of what goes into my body, and aware of how it digests. BMs are good and frequent, too!

Ah! What joy! What freedom!

Chewing and speaking!

So I've noticed a big shift in the way i chew my food -- I SAVOR IT! -- each bite is a mini-meal in itself, not to shoved ind swallowed. It means I need less food and don't then feel over stuffed soon afterwards. I still feel very in tune with my body that way.

I also noticed differences in the way I speak with people -- there is way more of a compassionate one (which was always inside me, but didn't necessarily come out through my speech) -- there is greater patience and time, a backing down, or softening at times, as I know I can have a very dominant personality

My course ends tomorrow which I'm sad about...but at least there's the farmer's market to go to afterwards!

So while I was doing my course, Paddy was up on Lasqueti, framing our floor for our new house. Take a look!

In Love with Possibility!

I am in the midst of one of the most transformational, inspiration-laden moments of my life!

I am taking the most phenomenal (warning:there will be lots of superlatives!) courses I've ever taken. It is all about theatre and young people -- but using theatre/drama in some of the most innovative ways I've ever come across. If only every classroom - both for children and adults could be like this one! After my first class, I stayed up, re-opening old poems, plays, stories and creative projects I'd done or started. I went and saw the Andy Warhol exibit in town. I started going on long walks. And I started to pen the latest children's book book circulating in my head (I have another kids book that was accepted for publication!). The sun is shining and I am in love with possibility!

21 Day post-feast update:
-seemed to have gained about 5 pounds back. It's making me feel heavier. I don't want to gain any more back. I think I might integrate more juice back into my diet, instead of salads three times a day. I figure I must have the most alkaline body though with all the apple cider vinegar I'm consuming with salad dressings, on top of just coming off the feast.
-yesterday i made my first sprouted chick pea hummus -- no garlic though, since I'm dealing intimately with people-- but chick peas, raw tahini, three squeezed lemons, a bit of olive oil, salt pepper, cayenne and water! Delicious! Today I thinned it out with apple cider vinegar (what else?) to make a creamy salad dressing.

I ran out of kalamata olives a week back...it was a much-needed break...but i am wanting to go buy another bulk tub!

DAY 125 since Day 1 of Feast!

Our status check-in reports from the Victoria JuiceLuck crew...Enjoy the video! Plus one point of exceptional note, I went to see my neurologist yesterday and she was so blown away by my progress that she asked for the juicefeasting.com website so that she may recommend it to her Parkinson's and MS patients! Hoorah!


Find more videos like this on The Juice Feasting Green Room


Plus I also started course at the university today all about the positive influence that drama has on young people -- couldn't be more up my alley!

Canada Day - 17 days post-feast update!

Yesterday was July 1st: CANADA DAY! It's a day I find an interesting one to "celebrate" -- though I am so thankful to live in this exquisitely beautiful part of the world, I am also very cognosant how we have a big business-aligned, right-wing, conservative government who is trying to degrade the social system network (health care, welfare, you name it)...the very thing Canada has been so praised for. Plus, it also brings to the forefront for me all the attrocities that have been committed against our First Nations people. How many people know that the Apartheid system of South Africa was based on Canada's Native Reserve system (reservations, for my American readers)?!? Horrific.

However, I thought I would keep these memories alive, whilst still partaking in the public gathering planned down on our Legislative Front Lawn. Five hours of music was played for free to a crowd of people clad in red-and-white! It was wonderful to be surrounded by a crowd of happy people!


So...my post-feast update:

Yesterday I took some photos of what I look like now, 2 1/2 weeks after my first smoothie! I weighed myself this morning and it seems like I've only gained back a pound. I feel really alive. This feel of being on another plane -- with the love oozing out -- has tapered somewhat, but the clarity has not! I'm eating tons of salads: lettuce greens (sometimes a mix with arugula, sorrel, kale, spinach, too - but just loving green and red leaf lettuce), some hemp hearts, a pinch of unrefined Celtic Sea salt, and olive oil and apple cider vinegar to dress. Delicious! Sensational!

I had started eating kalamata olives like they were going out of style...when it dawned on me that maybe it wasn't the fat I was craving, but rather the salt! I just started adding salt to my salads and WOW! brings out all the tastes even more!

I haven't been doing that many juices or smoothies...however I do believe us Victoria JuiceLuckers are meeting tonight...so prepare for another video update soon!

Oh! and my eye...it's back and healed -- I go have a check-in with my opthamologist tomorrow morning. And on Friday I start an 8 day intensive course at the university all relating to theatre and children -- I just had fabulous time writing a paper about how drama influences the lives of children! Wonderful stuff!

We just spent the weekend on Lasqueti, and my most amazing Paddy managed to get get all of our house footing in place, even in the blistering heat! Truly impressed! Always...