Flashbacks of COLD!

Here I am on Day 3, and not only do I want to eat (I cannot fathom at this point how I managed 108 days...probably because I had far need for motivation...it was never a struggle mind you...never!), BUT...I am also COLD. Yes, it is raining...and yes, this feast is ironically in honour of the Fall Equinox (in other words, cooler, rainier days) -- but I'm feeling it! I can't wait for tomorrow morning!

But I have made some damn fine juice over the couple of days! -- and i do feel that clean lightness!

I received a question as to whether I make my own hummus...the answer is YES! and as follows:

I soak the chickpeas for a minimum of 24 hours...preferably 36 -- makes them the sweetest my dear natural nutritionist friend Anna told me -- then into the Blendtec they go with some olive oil and a whack of raw tahini and salt and usually a little cayenne and some lemon. Presto! Delicious!

Day 2!

I wanna eat! Though I've made some tasty juices, I must say I really want some salad and some raw sprouted chickpea hummus! Yum! The end is near though...tomorrow! yeehaw! I can't wait!

DAY 1 of 3 day mini-juice-feast and Angela Stokes on CNN!

Today is my first day of a Fall Equinox juice feast tune-up! It's feeling awesome! I must admit I was feeling reluctant beforehand...but now it's reminding my body of how wonderful juice is!

I just saw the CNN coverage that CNN did on Angela Stokes -- it was wonderful. Short (1 and half minutes) but concise and direct -- really beautiful. Definitely no wackoness. What a relief. I tried to attach the link...but couldn't -- look it up on www.cnn.com -- search angela stokes.

Love Bronwyn

MAJOR CLARIFICATION NEEDED ABOUT MY LAST POST IN REGARDS TO ANGELA STOKES...Please read!

(Angela Stokes and Matt Monarch in photo)

Dear All,

I must make an immediate clarification and subsequent apology for any misunderstanding my last blog post caused in relation to Angela Stokes...allow me to explain:

I received an e-mail last night from Matt Monarch (Angela Stokes' partner, and equally in his own right major raw food spokesperson and author). He said that that blog post brought him to tears (as he has Google Alerts which flag to them any use of their names on the web). It was his reading of my post that I was calling Angela "a wacko" -- misinterpreting what I was intending to be a comment about CNN. I was surprised to learn that it was CNN doing the filming, and then subsequently fearful as I have no regard for the CNN, sensationalist broadcasting, skewed style of reporting they do. I should have phrased my last post comment's far more clearly...it was a fear i was voicing, fearing that CNN may portray Angela as "the wacko of the week!" It was my hope that they don't add to some of the negative stigma around raw food. But, Angela, standing and speaking in her glory is the most beautiful testament to the power and absolute vitality of raw foods. For this undue distress I caused, I sincerely apologize to both Matt and Angela. I was so disturbed that this inadvertently happened, that I had the worst time going to sleep. It's tough when you insult or hurt someone that you so much respect for. I did very much enjoy the speech. By first intermission at 9:30 at night, I had to leave....otherwise I would have been a non-present audience member. But my first introduction to the concepts of raw food was at David Rainoshek's talk about JuiceFeasting, and hearing about Angela Stokes really, really inspired me. The lovely thing about receiving Matt's email was to see how quick he was to respond in defense of Angela. Truly beautiful. Really, really beautiful. I would be interested in anybody else's responses to my last post -- did anyone else read it in the same way as Matt Monarch did? My apologies all around!

Love Bronwyn

Angela Stokes, David and Katrina Rainoshek -- all in the same room!

Hello my fellow raw-foodists, juice-feasters, friends, family...or those just plainly interested in finding out more about me!

Well, Wednesday evening, I went to hear Angela Stokes speak down at Café Bliss...David Rainoshek introduced her, fresh back from Raw Spirit fest...so I felt honoured to be sitting in a raw food café with some of the 'big-wigs'!

My neighbour came and so did my Mum, as an act of interest and support. I must say though I enjoyed it...I was hoping for a bit more factual information about raw food -- a more David-based approach somewhat -- I even left at the intermission...not really interested in hearing more...and feeling like I carried anything away except "she's a nice lady!" -- there was a CNN crew filming her too -- so be on the lookout -- for who knows what though...'The wacko of the week'?! I know that if I was all ready raw, her talk most definitely would not have persuaded to be. Dissapointing.

Earlier that morning, I went to meet my new GP (as my old one had to leave the practice). I have never before in my life gotten so pt off and started crying after a doctor's appt. (i've been really fortunate!) He refused to give the juice feast any credit, and was harping on me severely about being raw and my weight. Problem is...there's a long waitlist for virtually every doctor in this town.

On a great note...I'm loving school. 3 classes is just right. And I can't sleep at night for all my creative envisionning keep me up!

xox Bronwyn

My BIG NEWS, Touching base with fellow Victoria JuiceLuckers...and Café Bliss!

THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR HAS BEGUN! ~ FOR BOTH ME AND SIMI!

I've had one day of school so far...and I'm already succumbing to the stress of it! The problem with us perfectionists! I so badly want to a degree...but the hoops one must jump through and hurdle often seem to defeat the intent. I cycled up on Thurday to school...in 15 minutes, uphill...which was quite the accomplishment for me! My first class: Design Aesthetics (read: drawing, more drawing, and even a little more fine motor control on top of that!) -- in short the class that will be exceedingly challenging for me with my hand. And of course, the minute I landed on campus, my shaking increased dramatically. The teacher of that class really wants me in the class (i showed up in my tutu and she is a costume designer...!) -- but still I feel the pressure. For some reason my mantra that I keep telling myself , to go for the enjoyment of it, hasn't quite sunk in yet. What happens remains to be seen.

So...my big news: I finally have a book contract sitting in front of me to sign! So I will become a published author of a children's book! yeehaw!

So, us Victoria JuiceLuck crew are working hard on coordinating our schedules to make a date to film another check-in video (we have had many requests!) -- Today Constanze and I met up at the Moss Street Market and we took a photo of the two of us together! I talked to Robyn, and I commented on how I'm loosing weight, and she says she just keeps gaining and gaining weight back. Ayrie and Constanze are still pretty stable, having gained a few pounds after being off sailing and traveling and the disruption of them. Myself, I seem to be fluctuating between 94 (which was my lowest) to 100...usually about 96 pounds. I increased my nut consumption, but that is not intelligent or safe for me, so I'm going to pull back...and I had an interesting reaction today, when I went to Café Bliss (Victoria's raw café, run by Hezi, Ayrie's daughter and Katrina's sister). I had a plate of food, which had a sour cream mixture made of cashews and macadamia nuts -- it immediately made me feel ill, as if my body was rejecting the nuts -- enough! no more! I heard! and I'm listening! Hopefully tonight I'll make a batch of sauerkraut, and possibly get some crackers under way!

Raw Mania and Simi's First Day of Grade Two!

So, here I am...STILL RAW! Still raw, still feeling great, and also still losing weight. At this point, I must stop losing weight. Weighed in at 94 ponds this morning. Part of the reason being that I have built up very little muscle mass...which now is presenting itself with apparent need. I've also just consulted David and Katrina Rainoshek, of juice feasting fame, with pointers as to curb the weight loss. A raw protein powder? Raw dairy? I'm looking into my options!

Just spent Labour Day weekend on Lasqueti - chainsaw et al. Falling some trees that we'll use for firewood, window trim, and which clears out a future organic gardening area! Plus, the highlight was to be able to attend my dear friend Barb's 85th birthday party -- a true inspiration -- 85 and still motorcycle down trecharous dirt roads!

Back last night, and up this morning for Simi's first day of grade two. I sewed her a polka-dot explosion skirt, which she looked beautiful in!

And so, when I pick her up...we'll go do it up raw at either Café Bliss or Mo:Le.





Feeling great. School starts for me on Thurday!