I've lost count...

So, I finally had a thin green (well, actually purple) smoothie the evening of Day 11. It didn't sit overly terrifically - partly because it wasn't the best smoothie -- so the next day I went back to all juice.

And I think I'm on about Day of liquid -- this morning, I made a thin Cacao smoothie...and ate a couple thin slices of banana.

I am feeling really good on liquid -- and will keep up with a lot more juicing from now on.

I have been reacting somewhat to my high fruit sugar content juices...my cheeks getting flushed...but yesterday I juiced with a lot of celery and cucumber - and in the process reminded myself of how I don't really like celery juices!

Have dropped some of the nut-munching, autumn weight I'd gained, and am feeling lighter and better!

End of Day 7! and The Work that Reconnects!

I had a powerful, transformative weekend --
I did a weekend workshop in Joanna Macy's 'Work that Reconnects' -- despairwork for expressing and dealing with our feelings surrounding the state of the world right now -- ending so powerfully and empowered to see and feel further the dependent co-arrising and interdependence of all systems on the planets - all beings --
Exquisite. Truly.

And along with me, I totted my juice.

Last night I was feeling the urge and draw to food - which I am, but not quite ready to take the plunge...and so I made a smoothie - a watery one -- took one sip, and realized i wanted to still stick to just juice and tea.

Feeling good in my body - way clearer -- coupled with the workshop, things are great!

Top of the morning of Day 4 of Juice Feast - feeling sooooo good!

Wow! Am I ever noticing the difference in myself, how I feel, how I'm standing, my energy, my clarity, my composure...my EVERYTHING....after just 3 days of juicefeasting -- and now here I am morning of the fourth....a nice cup of herbal lavender tea in hand, and about to juice today's juices in my beloved Samson juicer! The juice of today will be pineapple, apple, carrot, beet, ginger, kale -- yesterday was the same, except I used beet greens instead of kale for the greens part!

I am doubly excited as for this clarity as I am about to embark on a two-day weekend workshop in 'The Work That Reconnects' - based on the work of Joanna Macy, based on the principle of dependent co-arising and our inter-dependence on and with this earth......

Plus I have been busy, busy, busy....but doing good things....

One of the projects is an series of interactive performances that address the ambient violence of hate writings in washroom stalls...I've included the following two links to read articles/press coverage about them:
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Play%20tackles%20Writing%20stall/2186482/story.html

http://www.martlet.ca/article/20372-phoenix-students-target-washroom-graffiti

Plus tonight I am beginning rehearsals for a piece with 10 others that involves the idea of looking at the shift from capitalist culture to one that's far more human -- essentially "The Great Turning" -- should be exciting will be working with some ex-convicts on this piece!

And I'm even fitting in today a meeting where a group of us, including felloe juice feaster Constanze, will meet to discuss the possibility of forming an organic food buying group! -

Good Stuff...
Feeling so clear...

Plus I've added some upcoming Action Theater™ classes to my website...if you're interested, please take a look: www.bronwynpreece.com

Now off to juice!

Day 1 of Mini-Juice Feast...!

Yes, so I was feeling it....
feeling like I needed a little digestive re-charge...
a little re-connection with what I'm putting in my body....

I had fallen into a bit of a rut...where I was getting little to no variety in my diet. Every morning was a warm (bordering on hot) smoothie of raw cacao, raw mesquite, 1 - 2 bananas, cayenne, sometimes cardammom, and then a spoon of tahini or honey or something to sweeten it.

I was doing a lot of smoothies -- or more like it, a lot of bananas -- I started worrying about getting too much sugar. I was having salads - but more occasionally - there was no juice to be seen in my diet -- and no green smoothies. I was snacking a lot -- namely ample amounts of heaping spoonfulls of nut and seed butters.....I was craving nuts...and couldn't really control my intake...I downed a small jar of raw cashew butter for dinner last week...and had even eaten a jar of peanut butter (organic, but not raw) over the course of a day-and-a-half. I wasn't feeling very on it. And I was putting on weight...albeit, everyone around me was saying things like 'you look really vibrant, Bronwyn' and 'you look so healthy'. I felt healthy...except I knew I could feel healthier...I had before. I recognized the pattern and rut. And so I am now addressing it!

We spent the weekend on Lasqueti...where I was able to re-connect with the sensation of having dirt under my fingernails. First stop: we went to a friend's yard and gathered a big bag of King apples, and before leaving, I picked a big bag of kale and greens that were getting tough (yet perfect for juicing) and brought them home --

Yay! Juice --

So today was DAY 1 of an impromptu juice feast...plus got a B12 shot today!
Feeling good -

How long will I go? Not sure....at least today....likely a few!

Keep me posted on how you all are doing out there!

Cheers,
Bronwyn

(The photo was taken on Lasqueti at the end of August!)

Happy Hallowe'en -- and the joys of B12!

A Happy Hallowe'en to all you out there -- even though the acutely politically and socially aware side of me has some reservations about the appropriated holiday and the associated connotations that come with that (and the fact that Witches were most usually just powerful healers....I could go on...strong women!) AND how now the holiday has turned into a Nestle-sugar fest. I find I'm pining for the days when people, not Walmart made their costumes......
so I am happy to report that my wee girl is out trick-or-treating in my old grade 3, hand-made costume! And....I'm not handing out raw treats...but they are Organic!

So, my big news being that I discovered the miraculous and utterly fabulous effects of receiving a B12 injection!

My levels had fallen low - super low to the point where my mental and rational stability was being affected! I went to my doctor, got a jab and literally within 30 seconds (i kid you not!) - felt the effects! - anxiety lifted...!!!

I had a follow-up a month later...and will now return for one every 2 weeks to month!

As I've been asking around, I've come across many meat eaters I know who get routine shots too! SO IT COMES WELL RECOMMENDED BY ME --

I recommended to a friend to get one...he came up and kissed me with thanks -- it changed his life...and that is how I feel!

DO IT UP!

Island hopping - raw style!

It's been awhile! Yes, it has...so, I figured it best to touch base with an update....

I'm back from our summer on the wee dot of off-the-grid land of Lasqueti Island, where we are building a larger home to return to full time in a few years. But while we returned to the roughing-it lifestyle, we were able to live in our cabin, while Paddy (partner extraordinaire) worked at building our future new home, overlooking the ocean, and brought it to lock-up!
It was a summer of collecting our drinking water from a hole in the ground...a natural spring...as in the photo above, where I am pouring the water into a large jug!

(The house to lock-up! -- with the back tower of studios!)
I gardenned - making fresh salads of kale and lettuce, sorrel and chives, parsley and basil...generally topped with an oil and apple cider vinegar and raw tahini and Braggs dressing...and sunflower seeds. Mornings was a raw cacao smoothie - with bananas, agave, cayenne, cardammon and warm/hot water...delicious! Had only a couple green smoothies -- would have done me good to have a few more...but I got addicted to the cacao! I found out that my B12 levels are really low...and so I am planning on getting a B12 injection to bring it up, and then support it staying up with sublingual B12 supplements.

Summer was glorious...and I've landed back here in Victoria somewhat abruptly...landing hard and with resistance...i loved having dirt under my fingernails while on Lasqueti....but now am back to school in one week...but that should be good hopefully too.

Came back to Victoria and headed straight to Café Bliss...I went to a raw food café called Rawthentic in Qualicum Beach a couple times too...quite nice.....

My wee daughter broke her wrist this summer....but all in all the summer was tremendous and we have a house to lock-up to show for it...and holes for fruit trees to be planted in -- just need the fencing!

Keep in contact -- I so appreciate and love receiving updates from you all!

Rawkin' rawsome,
Bronwyn

(our cabin -- in which I birthed my daughter - and where we stay while on Lasqueti...right near where we're building the house!)

PROTEIN LEVELS -- can't believe I forgot to mention this!

Oh! my -- can't believe I forgot to mention this amazing happening ---

when in Michigan, they took my blood, and I got the results. I asked for my blood results from when I was first admitted ---

and one must remember that when I was first admitted, I was eating a lot of meant (because people were preparing it for me...and I could eat it!) --

but interestingly enough....my protein levels now, after one year of being raw, are higher than they've ever been!

Proof is the diet! Proof is in the Greens!

Oh! and last night I had the pleasure to go hear Victoria and Valya Boutenko speak -- and yes, right now I am sipping on a green smoothie...complete with freshly wildcrafted nettles!

Homeward bound flight saga...and finding raw in the airport!

Yesterday I left Ann Arbor, Michigan and took a shuttle to Detroit. I had my liquids packed in a bag that would get checked: my apple cider vinegar, oil, etc. --

no problem.

got on my plane in detroit. it left late. and there were storms in denver, where i was to go, and then vancouver, then finally victoria.

but i missed my connection to vancouver from denver, due to our lateness and a snow storm. so they put me up in the marriott hotel with a meal voucher. I was able to get a salad which was a welcome change from the bananas i'd been eating all day and other fruit...

so this morning, up at the crack of dawn, with the intention to board a redirected flight to san franciso then direct back to victoria. sounded good. and the king size bed was fabulous. i thought that i'd have a soaker bath, but i was given a disabled room (coincidentally), so no bath, a big wheelchair accessible hospital-like shower...so no luck...

but up at 5:00 am and shuttle back to the denver airport...and then onto the plane bound for san fran...here's how it went:

this morning was hilarious -- all we could all do on board was laugh -

they rushed us all on board so we could get off in time...we're about to be pushed off, and the push-tug broke -- so they needed to bring in another one -- so off we go -- then we need de-icing -- oh! and then they realize that none of the essential air conditioning systems within the cabin are working -- so finally back to the gate -- huge plane -- the flight attendants weren't sure of anything - they gave out the number if you wanted to de-plane and re-book...so I deplaned, just to see if they could re-route me -- so a big run down to customer service, because by this time i'd be too late for the sf connection to vic -- they said to get back on and wait and see....so back i go..to the back of the plane, get settled back in, and then they announce for everyone to get off cause they couldn't use this plane...but they didn't know what to do with...and then because of the baggage they weren't actually letting some people re-route even if they had re-routed them with a new official ticket...so we hang...then they found another plane..so we all rushed down to another gate...got on...by this time three of us in the back were the best of buds...and hanging with the flight attendants...one of them even got me an organic herbal tea from his own private stash...we were having a ball, because what else could we do...so sf finally...and a flight direct to vic tonight, arriving 9:17...hopefully my bag does too...because apparently denver only routed it to vancouver...but apparently it did make it to sf.

So my joke right now is that I could poop pout potassium pills from the amount of bananas i've consumed -- found a couple green salads and chose the balsamic vinagrettes ---

so a couple more hours to go before this next planned flight --

all i want is a smoothie!

Ciao!
Bronwyn

Greetings from U of M hospital (not a bad thing!!!)

Hello, hello!

Well, yes...here I am, writing from my hospital room at the University of Michigan...where I am year for my two-year follow-up visit for my Wilson's Disease protocol I was/am a part of.

When I was here last, I was on my 2008 Global Juice Feast -- as many of you read, if you've been following, this was met with surprise, disbelief, questions and support from my medical team at that point.

When I came in yesterday (I leave tomorrow), some people were absolutely shocked by my weight loss -- I was 30 pounds less than my last visit, but about 50 pounds lighter than when I started the juice feast. People said I looked great...but some, especially the dietitians were highly concerned, and I spent my morning essentially defending my weight (I weighed in at 102.5 pounds -- less than normal as I hadn't eaten much while in transit) --

Technically I am considered underweight -- I find this designation hard to believe since I feel very healthy, and I carry my weight around my mid section. The main dietitian was so concerned that she managed to get me a $500 DEXA bone density scan for free -- this machine measures your soft tissue masses, your bone density, your % of body fat, etc. and prints out a full body skeletal image of your body -- so, so, so very trippy.

It alieved some of the dietitians fears...but needless to say she thinks I'm a wing-nut.

On the other hand, the nurses are a different story. My night nurse just told me that after I left last year, she did smoothies for two weeks -- a heavy-set woman with IBS (Irritable Bowel syndrome) -- she was not doing enemas, got seriously constipated and was in so much pain. But she was so supportive of me eating raw, and said she would like to too. She had injured her knee and was eager to try my suggestions of MSM. Lovely, open woman. The head admitting secretary is also going to borrow a book from me tonight, eager to get tips...anticipating this, and requiring back up supporting material, I brought Victoria Boutenko's "Green for Life" and Gabriel Cousen's "Conscious Eating".

But the ultimate word came from my overseeing doctor who said "I'm not concerned about your weight." He went on to say that as long as I wasn't fluctuating all over the place, possibly releasing copper while doing so, I was fine.

Thank you.

Have received great feedback neurologically, from speech pathology...my lab numbers look great...just waiting for my copper specific results to come back

One Year Reunion Video!

March 1 Reunion Planned!

Be on the look-out -- March 1st Global Juice Feasters Victoria reunion video upcoming -- with hopeful appearances by David and Katrina Rainoshek too!

Stay tuned!

It's almost been one year since the Juice Feast, and one year of 100% raw!

YES....it has been just shy of one year since the March 1st kick-off of the Global Juice Feast -- and I have maintained a 100% raw vegan diet since then.

Feeling amazing. Vibrant. Full of life. Centred. Connected. Grounded. Blissful. Exuberant. Inspired.....

Could it get any better?

(Well, truthfully having a wee bit more money would help...but managing and soaring none-the-less...however, tax times looms...yikes!)

So. I had a birthday. Feb 4th. Same day as Rosa Parks and Alice Cooper. I'm now 31. Celebrated with a gathering of about close to 30 people at my place: Folks and Finger Foods -- predominantly raw...and very healthy. Made a raw carrot cake that was easy and went over really well. I brought my new age in, clad in a frilly tutu. Perfection.

I've also started attending the once-monthly raw vegan potlucks in town -- finding true community, and such feasts! My 7 year old daughter went with me, and she had a hay-day at the dessert table!

I had a wonderful stroke of inspiration about combining my loves - and am going to see about mounting a community-based drama around food - availability, eating local, choice, security, etc. - possibly next year - maybe as part of a weekend gathering or something. I'm excited. Perhaps something that could be devised within schools too.

My dear friend Laurel is going to be designing a web-page for me for my theatre offerings, which is exciting. My classes I'm offering are going well.

Things are flowing...

And am hoping to have a Victoria Juice-Luckers Year Reunion gathering and videoing on March 1st!

Stay tuned....

Two smoothies, 10 olives, 5 apple rings!

It's funny....I was saying how desperately I wanted to eat -- well I woke yesterday morn, the day I would start bringing fiber and solids back in -- and now that I'd allowed myself to eat, I didn't want to --

instead, I prepped a green smoothie for myself -- about a litre's worth -- and had that through the day - strawberry, apple, ginger, spinach!

Only at about 5:30 did I crave something savoury: had about 10 kalamata olives, and then wanting the upswing of sweet again, had a few apple rings.

Today I'm having a similar smoothy this morning...and will treat myself to a Café Bliss meal for lunch! Likely a salad. One thing I know that I intend to do is cut down on my nut intake...I think that wa the factor in making me feel a bit heavier!

Cheers

DAY 7! Evening of final day of feast!

I feel great! This is the evening of my last day of my New Year's Juice Feast!

I averaged about 2 litres of juice a day -- and me being me favoured the fruit all the way through. I would look at the spinach in my fridge, and my mouth would salivate with delight at the prospect of soon biting into it in the form of a salad. I love my salads!

I actually would love to have a salad first thing tomorrow morning - but alas! I am not that foolish!
A smoothie likely, and then salad -- this feast hasn't felt like a major paradigm shift for me -- I don't think going back to eating some simple solid fruits and salads will be so tough - meaning I don't think it will be such a shock to the system!

I took my friend to Café Bliss yesterday and man oh man! I wanted to eat - but if I know anything about myself -- if I set my mind to something, I'm doing it.

A week was intended. A week was therefore completed.

Many sweet blessings to my other friends who are currently feasting and to those of you who I've never met -- I'd love to hear from you all - be it by e-mail or in the comment section here!

Happy juicers!

Today's juice was celery, pineapple, beet, carrot, apple, ginger! Delicious!

Day 6! MRI!

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Today!
Yes, the big white tube they put you in to get images of your brain - my brain!
I'm so curious to find out what the images look like 2 1/2 years after my first scans. The same? Permanent scarring? Different?
I will post when I know!

Day 6...and I want to eat. I feel great on the juice, I've lost a few pounds down to weight I like --
but I also want to have a big salad, or the raw pizza slice my friend had at Café Bliss today....
Tomorrow last day of juice...then likely smoothies in the morning, turn quickly to salads! Yum!

I'm getting good response to my workshop in Action Theater™ I'm offering in March -- and over the next couple weeks I'll offer my first ever in-school workshops - to middle school age kids. Should be great!

End of Day 3!

So...today is the official start date for the New Year's Global Juice Feast -- I asked Katrina and David "why the third?!" - and they said because it's a Saturday - easier for people to start on the weekend. Made sense.

Today: Grapefruit, Orange, Pineapple, Pear, Spinach. Can anyone say Citrus?!

Good day --

things are flowing nicely and rapidly with my lanning of my Squamish Action Theater™ workshop and my one here in Victoria - a 7 week class series starting Jan. 20 -- several more people signed up today! yeehaw! OPEN! FLOW! POSSIBILITY!

I was getting and feeling a bit down - though I was suppressing it -- feeling that my ability to perform in the art form that I love: Action Theater™ would never truly be realized, because of my shakey hand that distracts and interferes with me...I was having a hard time admitting it to myself, when I just started doing some improv very much about that - all about my hand -- it was so much of a release! I found such humour in it - it was wonderful!

Another exciting element is Paddy and I started rejigging within our confines some of our house decisions that we're building on Lasqueti -- we're both supremely excited by the way it's going! -- we've added a tower that will include each of our own separate studio spaces! Private space. Our own space. This triggered a series of small changes, such as moving the woodstove placement -- and everything fell into place better than we had it before (which was dmn good!)--

But also supremely fantabulous was I got to meet my "new niece" - my best friend Brooke's 10 day old daughter Natasha!
Beautiful! Stunning! In awe!

I'm soaring at the end of Day 3!

Day 2 and excitement!

DAY 2!

Now somehow when I read the announcement of the Global New Year's Juice Feast - I read New Year's and stopped - I equated that with January 1, 2009 - well apparently the official start day is the 3rd - hmmm?! I wonder why? but the FIRST sounds and feels the most appropriate for me!

Day 2 -
yesterday's juices sat a bit heavy - were dense -
today went easier - juicing two litres of pineapple, orange, apple, carrot juice.

Went to Café Bliss for a lunch-time Green Buzz drink with wheatgrass. By the way, Café Bliss has a Facebook group now - so join on!

Talking of Facebook groups -
I breated my own today:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43572323236&ref=ts
for my Action Theater™ doings and followings - if you're interested do join the group! I'm supremely excited because I booked a 4 hour workshop to offer in Action Theater™ in SQUAMISH, BC this March 7, 2009. So...if any of you live in the area, consider joining up!

So....I'm pumped -- feel good -- better than yesterday!
Inspired, and feeling blessed!

DAY 1 on this the First Day of 2009!

DAY 1 - and I'm on the Juice Feasting bandwagon again!
The photos I'm including are of me today - this morning - pre-my first juice...
And the juice of choice today?!
Pineapple, Carrot, Apple, Ginger, Beet, Spinach and one orange!
Beautiful deep purple colour!
Feels good!
Juiced about 3 litres for the day!