Bronwyn's Juice Pulp-Non- Fiction

It's been awhile -- 2011 now!

2011-01-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I have not blogged in ages -- for various reasons --

My last blog was my celebration of being two years RAW -- at the beginning of March 2010 -- I was feeling alive and vibrant --

well, and then things changed....

at the beginning of June, Paddy, my partner was badly injured in a rock-climbing fall -- he broke his back (3 Transverse Processes) and a couple crack ribs and major soft-tissue damage --

it was the scariest phone call I've ever gotten -- as when we got it, we still did not know if he was paralyzed or not -- (luckily he wasn't - and is absolutely fine now!) --

but, traveling over to pick him up (which meant ferry rides and all) and spending time in the hospital - meant that I fell victim to munching bad food -- it's not as if I fell off my great diet with cooked whole grains - no, I did it by way of French Fries and doughnuts --

over the next few months, through the summer, fall, and up til now, I've succumbed to nasty snacking habits --

and as a result, put on weight --

all around me agreed that I needed a little more meat on my bones -- and ironically, I was fielding comments left-right-and-centre "You're looking great!" -- "Really Healthy" --

but, I wasn't feeling healthy, and began to feel bad about myself, my moods and confidence were spiraling downwards and I KNEW that it was because of my eating habits - but for some reason I could not stop -- which made it worse -- I couldn't seem to find the will-power, even though at one time I'd pulled off 108 days of juice feasting (ahhhhh! nasty trend!) I was depressed, irratable, and was not fitting in my clothes --

Plus, lethargy was setting in big-time -- I wasn't getting any exercise -- and I was struggling to pull myself out of bed, and was exhausted in the evening!

I had but on about 25 pounds --

I started wondering what the difference was from years ago - when I used to be much, much heavier -- 160/170 pounds range -- and had no self-image problems -- one person I know summed it up well: "Because you're body knows the feeling of being supremely healthy....."

That was it.

the up side was that I got my moon time back -- a sign that I was too light before --
but I needed to cleanse and detox so much that the weight loss was a part of that --

So, January 1, 2011 -- I set to change this --

I bought running shoes and have started juicing again --

I am now 5 days in of juice and tea -

I would call this more accurately a Juice Fast rather than Feast -- drinking about a litre a day or less --

and I'm running each day (today it was windy and rainy, so it turned into a brisk walk!) --

Already feeling positive, uplifted and vibrant!

WOW!

Blessings...

Enjoy the year!

Bronwyn

It's been 2 years!

2010-03-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS SINCE THE GLOBAL JUICE FEAST...
and that means 2 YEARS of me being RAW!

A day of juice in honour of this momentous occasion....

Weighed in at 97 lbs. this morning --

feeling great!

Love Bronwyn

NEW YEAR...NEW DECADE...NEW JUICE FEAST!

2010-01-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 everybody!

Here we are 3 days in...and I am in three days of a New Year's Juice Feast --
feeling the energy from the mighty juice!
Ushered in the New Year with a coastline hike with the family in East Sooke Park...where a double rainbow hovered in the sky!

I wish everyone a happy, healthy new year!

Love Bronwyn

I've lost count...

2009-11-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

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...!

2009-11-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-10-31T18:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

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!!!)

2009-03-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

March 1 Reunion Planned!

2009-02-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-02T18:33:00.003-08:00

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!

2009-01-01T11:54:00.001-08:00

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!

NEW YEAR'S GLOBAL JUICE FEAST!!!

2008-12-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

So the ever-inspiring David Rainoshek and the his equally so glowingly-pregnant wife Katrina Rainoshek are spearheading a New Year's Global Juice Feast for the month of January!

I was already planning on doing a feast for a week - I don't think I could a) afford to go longer, or b) could tolerate the cold. There is still snow everywhere! Unheard of in these parts!

I had a lovely Solstice and Christmas and Hanukkah - doing them all in grand inclusive melting-pot style! Simi and Paddy delighted me with a whopping gift-certificate to Café Bliss - raw galore! raw delights! raw yum!

It was so sweet Christmas dinner - which was a a sit-down affair with family and friends for 10 - had turnkey, ham and salmon -- and then there was devine raw spinach salad, and one friend made me a lovely raw dip, and the other made raw cranberry sauce for the feast! I've got such wonderful friends!

So as the New Year hits...I will be posting my daily feast impressions and doings!

Warm Juice!

2008-12-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

It's cold! And the appeal of cold juice just diminished!

However, in keeping with the raw food ideal of less than a 115 F degrees heat, I've been heating water in the kettle and adding it to my juices! Delicious winter comfort drink!

David and Katrina are kicking off a one-month Global Juice Feast starting January 1st 2009 -

I can't afford to do the full thing, I don't think -

but I am keen to do at least a week!

We'll see -

but now off for some liquid warmth!

Bronwyn

Snow, Moon, Tree, Lights!

2008-12-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

It SNOWED! About 5 inches of white everywhere! I just loved the hush of the streets - punctuated by the sounds of kids laughter! Sheer delight!

I am excited and relieved...I started my moon cycle for the first time since going raw -- I would have occasional drops of blood but no flow - no my body seems to be telling me okay, I get it - you're raw, and has settles into the rhythm of my lifestyle and eating choices!

Last night after returning from Pender Island, we set up our Christmas Tree -- something I love to do - since our tree ornaments are filled with stories -- I have my first ornament ever bought for me by my grandmother, and my daughter has her first ornament bought by her as well, this time it being her great-grandmother - decorations I made when I was little - everyone has a story! We equally light the menorah during Hanukah - to remember my Jewish roots as well! Plus, Solstice is a great celebration too!

And our Christmas lights are up too!

And I was just awarded an A+ in my Design Aesthetics course...apparently the highest grade my teacher has ever awarded anyone in this class since she's been teaching it over the years!

Good times!

Juice Feasting Green Room!

2008-12-11T14:13:00.001-08:00

A photo of me...just a few weeks back...holding the newest member of our Lasqueti land co-op: Basha! I include this photo as I have started adding in on some of the Juice Feasting Green Room's discussion forums -- and have told JFers that they can follow my journey over 108 days through this blog. There are other fabulous documentating-style blogs of Juice Feasts out there - peruse and find your favourites. Raw "guru" Angela Stokes also wrote an e-book on her 92 day juice journey, whch can be purchased from www.rawreform.com - it's a good read too.
So this photo is included to illustrate how I am doing now! Questions have been asked of me regarding did I keep the weight off, etc. --

The answer to that is I dropped 48 pounds over the juice feast, once I transitioned to solids (predominantly salads, olives, fruits) I continued to lose -- in the height of the summer I was 96 pounds - and starting to ring some alarm bells for people - some saying I was getting a bit skeletal. I felt great, but do realize that I was perhaps about 4 pounds or 5 under what would have been best. I have traditionally been a heavy set person, and so I enjoyed the ease and fluidity of the lack of weight. I felt like a whole new person post JF - from a cellular level out and up.

Now it's December, and through the Fall I would vary between the 96 and 100 pounds -- I expected I would have put more on, but no. Now in December, I'm up to 110 roughly. People say I look great...but my optimum comfort and lightness of being resides a little less - about 5 pounds less. Did three days on smoothies - but ended up making up for loss of solids and the subsequent days ate much more!

Today I'm really into spinach salads, with my freshly made organic purple cabbage w/garlic and cumin infused sauerkraut (natural source of B12 and awesome digestive enzymes), and some raisins...and a dressing of raw apple cider vinegar (omega is the best brand - with mother), olive oil, high quality course salt, pepper, unpasturized brown rice miso -- lovely, simple.

Juicing more again too.

Am adding a sprouted brown rice protein powder to some of my smoothies too.

Just made great Carob Almond Bars for a cookie exchange I went to - mine being the only raw ones:

1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. raisins
2 T. raw honey
2 T. carob powder
1 c. almond butter
1/2 c. sesame seeds (optional)

In food processor, chop all seeds/nuts. Add remainder of ingredients to make smooth thick paste. Roll into 1" balls, roll in finely shredded coconut.

Makes 2 dozen

*** note from Michelle: the sesame seeds are optional, but I suggest using them --- makes the texture like a Nestle Crunch Bar

- from Wholistic Life Center
Please note I tried making these at first in my Blendtec blender - food processor is the key!

The following are some shots of me over the course of my feast:

DAY 2:

2 or 3 weeks in:

DAY 24:

IN HOSPITAL ABOUT ONE MONTH IN:

All of a sudden there were uploading errors -- but I'll continue when able to do 1 week post feast, 2 weeks, etc.

Cheers, Bronwyn

Café Bliss Video! - with Simi and I in it, sipping a smoothie -- check it out!

2008-12-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Check out the video made for Café Bliss - our beloved Victoria raw food café -- Hezi, Katrina's sister and my fellow juicelucker Ayrie's daughter!

Enjoy!

Fabulous copper results in!

2008-12-03T17:51:00.003-08:00

So what is that a photo of?!?!

YES...copper pennies!

I have been quite concerned that I may have spiked my copper levels out of range with my nut and avacado consumption -- but no!
Sweet news -- my copper levels (as tested accurately by the lab of the University of Michigan -- came back within normal range...and not only that, on the lower end of the acceptable range!

So I have not been silently poisoning myself!

Yay rawness!

2 days all liquid!

2008-12-01T20:32:00.001-08:00

So - that day I just wrote about (yesterday) of craving juice - did so, but had a miso soup in the evening - wanting warm, but still to remain with the liquid -

and today, a day of smoothies and miso soup!

tomorrow?!

who knows...

start w/ smoothie - possibly transition to a salad!

and today was my last day of school! great day brought simi with me! --

but yesterday, I backed into a BMW sportscar - yikes! and just before Christmas!

Juice day!

2008-11-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

Liquid nourishment! Craving it! Wanting to feel that just wee bit lighter that I was in the summer - I'd like to drop 5 or 7 lbs. -- but more importantly was craving green juice! (hard for me to imagine considering my propencity towards fruit juices. So an early morning dash to the store -- all organic beets, carrots, spinach, ginger, grapefruit, lime, salad assorted mix, celery --
good, but very strong juice, as I initially put in one whole lime, rind et al. -- quite sharp - but incredibly rejuvinating feeling!

Went to a wee craft fair today, and went pricing wood stoves for our new house - pricey but beautiful!

My grand-father was down for a rare visit which was so dear to me -

And am off to a show of improvised dance along side poetry from around the world in various languages!

Cheerio,
Bronwyn

Frozen pee!

2008-11-25T20:42:00.000-08:00

Now either that title served to draw you in...or repulsed you completely...to the point where you might choose not to read on!

But there is truth in the matter --
over the weekend I did a 48 hour urine collection to determine my copper and zinc levels -- collecting pee, storing it in containers in the fridge, and then sending off a couple little viles, after being frozen, through international courier service to the University of Michigan Hospital lab -- I am hoping for positive results. I did the same test a couple weeks ago here, with the results being sent to Vancouver to the Children's Hospital (why Children's I do not know) -- but those results aren't in yet, and the ones from Michigan will be a lot more precise.

With the knowledge they will provide, I'll be able to gauge my nuts consumption with solid figures to base my judgments on! I'm looking forward to being able to do so...

On the weekend I went for my first ever trip to Costco. Well, as you imagine, I was not avidly turned on - I did find an awesome deal on enviro-friendly laundry soap and some new sheets - but when I got to the end of the store where they sell all the grotesque food en mass -- all you need: 55 packs of Kraft dinner, and 28 hotdogs...yikes! it was one of the only time I've been truly repulsed in a food store. I handle just fine the majority of the time. I got out of the glutonous food aisles as fast I got in. I was told they occasionally have good deals on organics -- I wasn't prepared to wade through to find them.

So...last time I figured I might introduce quinoa -- as of today, I have not.

One week left of school, projects getting final touches on them and put together. I've been working on conceiving and building a set model for Edward Albee's The American Dream-- great play -- a recommended read. I've really enjoyed this term. Very stimulating.

One thing that has been interesting is that I have been gaining weight. I expected to. Initially I thought I would immediately post-juice feast. But no. In fact I lost a bit more. Then it was as we entered fall. And initially for the first couple months - Sept and Oct. -- I stayed relatively the same. But it seems as if in the last month, I've gained about 7 or 8 pounds. I'm not sure of the accuracy of any of these numbers considering I've got a scale that is not exact...but I'm feeling a bit heavier. I have fewer protruding bones on my sternum and my cheeks are filling in a bit -- but I do notice is that when I felt best, was at a few pounds lighter. There is also the possibility that I'm gaining heavier muscle...I've started to work on my abs for about 5 minutes ever morning and evening - for two reasons: I do have more of a loose, distended belly area ever since pregnancy and I also need to gain strength for working on Lasqueti this summer. Helping build the house and clear land will take strength and stamina!

Oh! and I'd like a clarification, if anyone knows the answer -- this morning I had unpasteurized miso soup for breakfast -- (delicious variety from Denman Island, BC) -- so I was told that the soybeans in miso are simple fermented - not roasted first and then fermented. Is that right?! So unpasteurized miso raw? do tell....do tell.

Au revoir,
Ciao,
And good night!

Election and quinoa?

2008-11-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

Hey there...

in my last post I mentioned that I was heading up to Lasqueti for the election - well Nov.15th was the day -- and was the day I lost by 10 votes! It was disappointing -- but considering the fact that I don't currently live on Lasqueti -- it's a pretty darn amazing that I received so many votes! It was likely a blessing in disguise though, as now I can focus on teaching my Action Theater more prolifically and sending my writing off without a brutal up-and-down to the island sort of lifestyle! I had 6 great years - and who knows, I might try again one year!
My trip to Lasqueti was wonderful in the sense that I did get to meet my new little land partner Basha born on Nov.3rd and got to spend time on our new housesite!

So...still raw. Was very tempted to introduce some cooked rice to a salad when I was on Lasqueti - but I think my first inclusion will be cooked quinoa so that I get the protein. I also got some sprouted brown rice protein powder to add to smoothies. I do know that I need to add a little more oomph to my diet. My protein numbers were within range, but on the low end - they should be higher to further my healing! So what was breakfast? Sprouted chickpea hummus and carrots! Yum!

It's been awhile...update on me!

2008-11-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

HELLO, HELLO, HELLO!

It's been a while since I last posted on the 25th of September --
so here we are -- the leaves are turning colour fast and furiously - and so to is the overall sky and weather - have just come from a few days of hard rain and total grey!

So how and I doing? What am I doing? And how's it all working out?

So, Food wise...and more accurately raw food-wise --
I am still doing the raw foodie lifestyle, but a lot of questions are being raised for me and questioning if I'm doing some harm to myself with this diet --
It's an odd mix...I feel amazing still, but on the other hand I am having a resurgence of some of my old Wilson's symptoms...i.e. I am shaking way more, I'm experiencing numbness occasionally in my fingers, my moods are a bit edgier, and I'm getting a heavy eye-lid again -- these things scare me -- and raise so many questions for me.
I am being very clear not to jump to any rash decisions or actions -- there are two scenarios that I feel could be possible! - 1) too little protein! and 2) my copper levels have risen high again by my nut and seed consumption.
I have been pouring over charts of copper values in foods...and I marched myself in for blood work, which will check my protein levels, and I'll do a 24 h urine test next week to assess my copper levels!
Possible ideas I'm considering is to add cooked quinoa (high protein) to my salads and possible introducing raw feta cheese too!
My weight has come up about 5 pounds since summer, which makes sense!
School continues to go well!
I did a week-long workshop with my teacher Ruth Zaporah in Action Theater --
it was wonderful!
I am now teaching a couple of Action Theater classes - one for kids, one for adults --

they are going well!
And plus, I'm on the re-election campaign trail for my position as Islands Trustee for Lasqueti Island -- since i don't live on-island now, it's a way further shot of the possibility of getting re-elected. I have many hurdles to cross in peoples' minds -- I'm not there, and my health raises questions for folks too. So...election day is November 15th -- I will keep you posted!
Plus, I went to Lasqueti for Halloween - I'm in costume as Miss Lasqueti, along side fellow candidate Jen Goby -

Now...I'm off to eat!

Flashbacks of COLD!

2008-09-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

(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!

2008-09-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

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!

Land, Land-partners...and an upset, funky tummy!

2008-08-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

We just spent another weekend on Lasqueti Island, where we're building a house...so another few days of back-to-the-land livin' and lovin'! And...for the second time ever we had a gathering of all of our land partners (as we cooperatively own 100 acres - 5 couples!) -- so, I'll include a photo of us happy bunch!

Along with our splendid weekend came a funky tummy! And this has been carrying through for the past few days. In fact yesterday after having a 100% raw meal downtown yesterday, I got out of the restaurant, and felt like I had to throw up. I made it out, on the bus, and home...but then could only lay on the couch with no energy while the food passed through. Hmmm? Today was a lot better...but still, my body seems not to want to accept food.

I made a fresh batch of sprouted chickpea hummus and a raw dip with soaked sunflower and pumpkin seeds, two juice from limes, salt, water, tons of fresh basil, and blend it all together. Yum!

Been craving fruit! The corner store only had non-organic fruit, but I went for it! It did the trick!

Am considering doing a Fall tune-up juice feast starting at Equinox. Maybe for a week. We'll see. I'd love to do it with the whole Juice Luck crew.

Planted some kale transplants and purple sprouting brocolli starts. Hopefully they'll offer something this winter.

Spent the day sewing Simi a back to school polka-dot skirt! Fun! and Satisfying!

Metabolism Superb!

2008-08-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from 6 days on Lasqueti Island, which entailed a mixture of house-surfing, couch-surfing and tenting for my daughter and I. It also entailed gardens full of vegetable and fruit bounty! Greens galore, bleuberries, plums, all-around goodness -- peas, basil, tomatoes! Just fabulous!

So, I'm resting now (according to my scale) at about 99/100 pounds in the morning, before eating anything! I feel great! Now, it's time to start rebuilding muscle -- I've started with some abdominal strengthening exercises (I've got a lot of distended belly skin and muscles from pregnancy)!

So one thing I've noticed is just how finely tuned my metabolism is now! I'm getting the direct energy from my food -- and I'm eating a lot! I'm eating way more now evidently than during the juice feast, but Ive lost another 2-3 pounds! My eliminations are regular and usually a couple times a day -- and very green! My friend Anna, in the photo - my cooperative land-partner and salad-maker-extraordinaire would create masterpieces for me...and my friend Jenna made a special raw dip with soaked seeds for me for when I came over! Wonderful times!

BC Day and Cracker recipes!

2008-08-05T08:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was BC Day -- and it was a grand day with 60,000 people in the Inner Harbour! I saw Sarah MacLaughlan -- a tremendous set -- then left before Feist -- the sun was going down and it was getting chilly!

So, I had a request from Audry to post the cracker recipes:

Black Sesame Sunflower Seed Bread

1 cup ground flax seeds
1/3 cup whole flax seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp yellow onion chopped fine
1 1/3 cups water
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 black sesame seeds

Mix well. Spread evenly on a dehydrator tray. Dry for up to 24 hours (tops!), likely way less depending on thickness at between 105-115 degrees F. Score the crackers several hours in, so that they will break off in the sizes you want easily!

This recipe is fairly basic in terms of taste -- I tried options where I added a lot more onion and fresh ground pepper - YUM! Plus, ones where I sproated red quinoa (replaced the sunflower seeds with that) and soaked sundried tomatoes (making sure they're organic...no sulfates!), fresh basil and oregano!

HAVE FUN - EXPERIMENT!

Biking-Sauerkraut-Dehydrated Cracker-Mumma!

2008-08-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Big news for me! I CAN RIDE A BIKE AGAIN! Yeehaw! My balance is back -- and when I jumped on, I felt like I'd never stopped biking (except for untoned leg muscles!) My first ride? My daughter Simi and I biked across town to the Moss Street Market Farmers Market! It feels amazing - healthy, outdoorsy, freedom-regaining, and carbon footprint-lowering! So, I've always wanted a cruiser bicycle, one which I can sit up straight on not hunched over on a road or mountain bike. And then, as if there was some cosmic interferance...I found a beautiful cruiser bike: an Electra 'Daisy' being sold used. And it is now mine! A 3 speed with coaster brakes! I just love her!

So...I took my first batches of sauerkraut out of my crocks! Delicious! The batch made with red cabbage and cumin seeds is positively brilliant - in taste and colour! The other batch is good too - cabbage with carrots and carroway! Another success!
And I've started experimenting making dehydrated crackers - YUM! I followed the basic recipe that my friend gave me firstly...but me, being me, started experimenting madly -- and made two amazing variations so far: an onion-pepper cracker and a sundried tomato-sproated quinoa-basil one -- great stuff!
Last night we headed downtown to the Symphony Splash -- where the city's symphony is floated on a barge in the inner harbour, and about 30, 000 people gather on the grass to listen. I unfortunately did not enjoy it as much as in past years. Tonight, it is another big night of free music -- as it is British Columbia's 150th Birthday-- there will be a big free music concert all day on the grounds of the legislature, featuring Feist and Sarah MacLaughlan. Should be good. Off to prep some smoothies for the event!

Raw summer lovin'!

2008-07-31T16:01:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

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...

Eye update!

2008-06-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

So it turns out that I didn't have iritis, I had a corneal ulcer! It's been cleared up in two days by antibiotic eye drops! Thank goodness! Off the Lasqueti again...

One week now off the feast!

2008-06-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, it's feeling good eating again!

I had my first smoothie last Tuesday evening, and continued to only have smoothies until Friday evening. I was very aware that since I hadn't been drinking that much juice, I did not want to shock my system too badly!

So, Friday morning the three of us headed up to Lasqueti Island, along with Constanze. I packed three smoothies on ice with me...figuring they were not likely to separate as quickly as juice. I was right! I also want to make my first bite of salad (I skipped the introduction of fruits aspect of feast breaking, I was craving greens!), to be from a fresh-picked Lasqueti Island garden. Oh! my did those greens ever hit the spot!! I had a small bowl of salad, dressed with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, and fell in love. I just wanted to keep on eating and eating! I restrained myself though!

The next morning, I had one of those devine Frog Hollow organic apricots -- and I was off! I'm loving salads! Yesterday, I did make a morning juice, and today a smoothie -- but it's the salads I want. I bought some raw tahini yesterday. Simi and I gave our Excalber dehydrator first-run with a case-lot sale on mangoes! So all is well. I love my new-still-mossy-salad-bowl, too! Oh! and I've been eatong with my fingers which feels great! Only thing I've got to watch is I'm eating a few too many olives -- I think I was up to 35 in one day -- gotta love those kalamatas!

I've developed iritis over the past week -- inflamed, painful iris of the eye -- I'm off to see the opthamologist today for some relief. The ironic part is I got after getting off the cleanse...it's so debililatating that if need be I'd take some steroid eye drops. I've researched and haven't found any alternative thearapies!

Lasqueti was wonderful -- went for a beautiful community Summr Solstice celebration, followed by a dance with the phenomenal Lasquei marimba band -- Constanze and I kicking up our heels and celebrating our feast accomplishments!
Paddy also managed to truck our framing wood lumber up our 4x4 road with help and started our cement house footings!

Summer is upon us!

THE JUICEBREAKING CEREMONY!

2008-06-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

Much love and thanks...
And I'll still keep posting through the transition period!

Love Bronwyn

DAY 108! The end!

2008-06-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today is my final day of just juice! Today's final juice f(e)ast juice will be: pineapple, apple, pear and cinnamon! I've got a few prunes soaking to add to my smoothie tomorrow, and if all goes well weather-wise, I'll break the feast surrounded by my fellow juiceluckers and family down at the beach tomorrow on day 109...I will post the video! THANK YOU EVERYONE!

ONLY 1 DAY LEFT! IT'S DAY 107!

2008-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

My latest update:

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DAY 105, after three days on Galiano Island!

2008-06-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

DAY 105! I've started counting not in terms of how far I've come, but how close I am to the end! I just can't wait for salad! Over the past few weeks I haven't been able to tolerate any greens in my juices -- at least not ones that I've made (Ayrie's grass juices I still love!) -- so, though I know my juices are evidently not fullfiling my daily nutritional needs lately, it doesn't help with the reintroduction of greens. So, I've definitely been short on protein. I did however enjoy the juice I added 3 shots of frozen wheatgrass too, along with three cubes of E3 Live.

Today I returned from three day of meetings (part of my elected official position as part of local government for the Gulf Islands of BC) -- it was arranged for me to stay in a little cabin that had its own kitchenette. So what did I do in preparation? Brought my juicer, fruit and veggies (the veggies returned home with me!) and had a fabulous few days. I joined the rest of the council members for two vert fancy evening meals...4 courses and the whole 9 yards, and me with my mason jar!

Today is DAY 100!

2008-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on Day 99, we gathered for our weekly Victoria JuiceLuck and had the supreme pleasure of having David and Katrina join with us!

I made the best juice I've made to date: pineapple, strawberry and pear. Beautiful and delicious!

I am now ready for my feast to come to an end -- which feels wonderful and complete! Monday, June 16th -- 8 more days will be the end of just juice. Originally I thought it a little odd to start the feast in March, when produce is still not readily available -- but now I'm fell it was in fact the perfect time because as we transition off the feast, there is plenty of produce to encourage healthy eating habits post-feast!

I am attaching yesterday's JuiceLuck video! Join in our celebration!

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Day 97! And a crock!

2008-06-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's DAY 97 this very rainy (where did summer go?) Thursday morning!

I weighed myself this morning, and I've lost 42 pounds to date! And I feel good!

Over the last few days, I went to the sauna and hot tub at the local pool for a little detoxing, but mainly to warm up. Though I'm not as cold as I was earlier on in the cleanse, I still feel challenged in that department. I went for accupuncture yesterday, with each point feel very electric -- I was told this was a good sign that my chi was up! I was also given a few moxa sticks a stick you burn lie incense above some of the crucial accupuncture points that relate to me! After that I went and "did juice" with my dear friend Adam from out-of-town, which was very uplifting!

Plus, over the last few days, I've been scouring the internet in search of the perfect crock so that I can make myself raw sauerkraut after the feast. I found plenty of new ones, but once they got shipped to Canada (with the possibility of fracture), the price was exorbitant. So I started perusing the local on-line classifieds and found several listed. I found one woman who was selling a whole raft of Medalta crocks, and so i assumed that she must really know crocks. I drove for 45 minutes out to her place, after having asked her beforehand whether they were cracked and she said no. I got there, and they were cracked all over (bacteria can settle in them, its very important that they be crack free inside). I was dissapointed. Yesterday, the same thing happened. I had checked beforehand, got there...cracked. However, it was a 4 gallon one for $20 dollars, I bought it, and will use it for kindling in my new place. In searching and studying the web I discovered all about the Red Wing Antique crocks and how highly valued they were. And I found one locally: 2 gallons for $45 -- with no cracks! I bought it this morning, knowing I was walking away with something valued possibly in the hundreds. I'm delighted and it will work!

DAY 92! Official end of The Global Juice Feast...but I'm still going on!

2008-06-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

I MADE IT!

I DID IT!

I'M INSPIRED!

I'M FEELING THE BEST I EVR HAVE!

I'M SO ENCOURAGED THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECUPERATE TO A POINT OF FEELING BUOYANT AND NOT CHRONICALLY ILL!

AND BEST OF ALL...I"M CONTINUING ON!

108...HERE I COME!

Yesterday Paddy and Simi went to the store and bought a flat of flowers - cosmos, marigolds, lupins and others -- and planted me a celebratory Day 92 garden -- a bounty of colour extending from the front door! What gems!

I'm going to post our yesterday's juiceluck video -- as well as our Week 1 video -- what shifts!

And the great news is that David and Katrina Rainoshek are coming up next week for our next juiceluck! We'll be feasting with gurus!

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

DAY 90!

2008-05-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Wow! Two days away from the official end of THE GLOBAL JUICE FEAST...and I believe that I will likely continue past that date, as my ideal would be 108 days...however there are some indicators that it would be more intelligent to quit now: my cough is hanging in, along with a newly developed voice, as i've mentioned already. This experience should more accurately be described as my JUICE FAST, rather than my juice feast...these days I average about 2 litres a day, even having dipped down a few days to one per day. Not good, not good!

Today's discovery: pineapple and pear! The pear softens the edges of the pineapple! Lovely.

I'm going to post the latest photo of me -- hello! cheekbones!

Day 88 and sipping on pineapple!

2008-05-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

Day 88! Only 20 days left to go!

I've just juiced up some pineapple, goji berry, celery juices for the evening!

Really the only things I'll include, are a bit I copied from wikipedia.com about the significance of the number 108, and following that a bit about the correlation between fruits, veggies and your body.

ENJOY!

In mathematics

One hundred [and] eight (or nine dozen) is an abundant number and a semiperfect number. It is a tetranacci number.
It is the hyperfactorial of 3 since it is of the form .
108 is a number that is divisible by the value of its φ function, which is 36. 108 is also divisible by the total number of its divisors (12), hence it is a refactorable number.
In normal space, the interior angles of an equilateral pentagon measure 108 degrees each.
There are 108 free polyominoes of order 7.
In base 10, it is a Harshad number and a self number.
[edit]Religion and the arts

[edit]In Eastern religions & traditions

Japa Mala, or Japa beads, made from Tulasi wood. Comprising of 108 beads in total + the head bead.
Sacred within Hinduism, Buddhism and connected yoga and dharma based practices.
A mala usually has beads for 108 repetitions of a mantra.
Hindu deities have 108 names. Recital of these names, often accompanied by counting of 108-beaded Mala, is considered sacred and often done during religious ceremonies. The recital is called namajapa.
It is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna dances with 108 'Gopis' (cow-herd girls) in His Vrindavan pastimes, and later marries 16,108 wives in His city of Dwarka. Hare Krishna devotees thus hold 108 as a number of great significance.
Siva Nataraja dances his cosmic dance in 108 poses.
The total of all digits of 108 (1+0+8) is 9, which in Hinduism is said to represent the 9 tattvas[citation needed]. If you divide 108 by 2 or multiply by 2 the total of all digits again equals 9.
2^2 * 3^3 = 108 ( (2 * 2) * (3 * 3 * 3) )
The number of sins in Tibetan Buddhism.
In the temple Angkor Wat area there are numerous references to the number 108, which plays a significant role in the symbolism of the structure.
Ananda Coomaraswamy holds that the numerology of the decimal numeric system was key to its inception. 108 is therefore founded in Dharmic metaphysical numerology. One for bindu; zero for shunyata and eight for ananta.
In Japan, at the end of the year, a bell is chimed 108 times to finish the old year and welcome the new one. Each ring represents one of 108 earthly temptations a person must overcome to achieve nirvana.
Zen priests wear juzu (a ring of prayer beads) around their wrists, which consists of 108 beads.[1]
Many Buddhist temples have 108 steps.[1]
Hindu Kshatriya Dhangars have 108 clans. The lineage of these clans is from solar and lunar dynasties. It should be noted that the diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun. The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.
The Eklingji temple complex includes 108 temples within its walls.
There are 108 holy temples of Vishnu.
The Lankavatara Sutra repeatedly refers to the 108 steps.[2]
[edit]Martial arts

Marma Adi has 108 pressure points.[3]
The Chinese school of martial arts agrees with the South Indian school of martial arts on the principle of 108 pressure points.[4][5]
108 number also figures prominently in the symbolism associated with Karate, particularly the Goju Ryu discipline. The ultimate Goju-ryu kata, Suparinpei, literally translates to 108. Suparinpei is the Chinese pronunciation of the number 108, while gojushi of gojushiho is the Japanese pronunciation of the number 54. The other Goju-ryu kata, Sanseru (meaning "36") and Seipai ("18") are factors of the number 108.[1]
The 108 of the Yang long form and Wing Chun, taught by Yip Man having 108 movements are noted in this regard.[2]
Several different Taijiquan long forms consist of 108 moves.
Paek Pal Ki Hyung, the 7th form taught in the art of Kuk Sool Won, translates literally to "108 technique" form. It is also frequently referred to as the "eliminate 108 torments" form. Each motion corresponds with one of the 108 Buddhist torments or defilements.
[edit]In literature

In Homer's Odyssey, the number of suitors coveting Penelope, wife of Odysseus.
There are 108 outlaws in the Chinese classic Water Margin/Outlaws of the Marsh.
The number of surat al-Kawthar in the Qur'an, the smallest one of the Book.
There are 108 love sonnets in Astrophil and Stella, the first English sonnet sequence by Sir Philip Sidney.
Sonnet 108 by William Shakespeare
[edit]In astronomy

108 Aquarii is a star in the constellation Aquarius
108 Hecuba is a large and bright main belt asteroid. Hecuba orbits within the Hygiea family of asteroids
Messier 108 is an edge-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 or 1782
[edit]In other fields

The year AD 108 or 108 BC
108 AH is a year in the Islamic calendar that corresponds to 726 – 727 CE
108 is the emergency number in India; and the Coast Guard emergency intervention number in Greece
Traditionally the Angelus Bell is rung 108 times.
The atomic number of hassium.
Ben Turpin's schtick for taking a fall (similar to Chevy Chase's) was known as a “one-oh-eight" or a "hundred and eight".
Chinese astrology and Tao philosophy holds that there are 108 sacred stars.
There are 540 (108 * 5) doors to the Great Hall of Valhalla in Nordic mythology.
108 Stars is also the name of a group of space pirates who use Tao magic in the anime Outlaw Star.
The number of stitches on a baseball and also the name of a popular baseball magazine.
The number of minutes that cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the earth during the first manned space flight.
Squaresoft's Final Fantasy Tactics has an accessory called 108 Gems, which cancels various status effects and enhances elemental magic spells.
The number of Mbit/s of a non-standard extension of IEEE 802.11g wireless network using channel bonding.
108 is the name of a community of and for open source developers, created by Red Hat.[6]
The Pokémon Spiritomb seems to be intricately linked to the number 108.
The sum of "The Numbers" in the American TV show Lost (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42). It is also the number of minutes within which these numbers must be entered into the computer and the button must be pushed.
The TV series Cheyenne aired for 108 episodes on ABC from 1955 to 1962
It is part of the Mythology in the videogame The Legend of Dragoon
Konami's Suikoden series always has 108 characters to recruit, called "Stars of Destiny".
108 is the ten code for officer down or officer in danger.
108 (b. 1978) is an Italian artist who uses numbers instead of letters for his name
In Tokko (manga) 108 demons had to be killed in order obtain 108 fragments which could be used to close the demon's portal.
The Stinson 108 was a popular general aviation aircraft
The 108 Mile Ranch Airport or South Cariboo Regional Airport located in British Columbia, Canada
STS-108 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour on December 5, 2001
108 is a band formed in 1991, notable for playing hardcore music infused with the beliefs of the Hare Krishna religion
Radio stations such as Kiss 108 WXKS-FM, Boston, and Rock 108 KEYJ-FM, Abilene, Texas
The 108 Hospital is a hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam
The 108th Division was a formation of the United States Army Reserve following the conclusion of World War II
The meridian 108° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole
The 108th United States Congress met from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2005, during the last two years of the first administration of U.S. President George W. Bush
The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles
The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 (FMVSS 108) regulates all automotive lighting, signalling and reflective devices in the United States
The London Buses Route 108 is a Transport for London contracted London bus route
The Lotus 108 was specially engineered superbike by Lotus engineering for the British cyclist Chris Boardman for the 1992 Summer Olympics
There are 108 cards in an Uno deck.
The numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 appear in the "Impossible Quiz." The sum of these numbers is 108. In the test, they serve as a distraction. Test-takers do not need these numbers in order to pass the "Impossible Quiz."
[edit]

AND THEN: FRUITS/VEGGIES AND YOUR BODY

This is interesting info...

You are what you eat, so eat well. A stupendous insight of civilizations past has now been confirmed by today's investigative, nutritional sciences. They have shown that what was once called 'The Doctrine of Signatures' was astoundingly correct. It now contends that every whole food has a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function and that this pattern acts as a signal or sign as to the benefit the food provides the eater. Here is just a short list of examples of Whole Food Signatures.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it ! From the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Grapefruits, Oranges, and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

'The news isn't that fruits and vegetables are good for you, it's that they are so good for you, they can save your life.'

Victoria JuiceLuck on DAY 86!!!

2008-05-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

So, just a small correction, I got a bit ahead of myself, the day I listed as being day 85 was in fact 84, the JuiceLuck yesterday was on Day 85 and so today, Sunday is Day 86!

Yesterday the sun was shining amazingly bright. Simi and I headed to the Moss Street Market -- where everything was booming! The vegetables were plentiful, the arts & craft stalls were busy, the children's art table and playground were overflowing! It was just truly wonderful, with Simi and I spending 2 hours there.

The afternoon Simi spent playing with friends in our backyard, while I juiced for the JuiceLuck. My offering this week: watermelon, beet, carrots, spinach, mint and ginger. I've also rediscovered my love of grapefruits. I was really turned off them at the beginning of the feast, but have seen their refreshing light.

I was really amazed by one of my fellow juicefeasters last night, Constanze. As you will notice in the video, she looks so unbelievably clear! Inspiring...

After the JuiceLuck last night, Constanze and I went to a spoken word poetry performance by Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long -- absolutely mindblowingly fabulous!

njoy the video:

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

Day 85!

2008-05-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

I'm rethinking my notion to do 108 days of feasting...I likely will stop on day 92, since my cough is still hanging in, my chi is apparently low and logistically, it's a matter of going to June 16th or May 31st...when I have three days of meetings I must attend on Galiano Island from June 11th...and I don't want another juicing disaster. I'm going to feel it out. I really am not prepared to stop in 6 days! What a terrifying idea.

The day contained its fair share of ups and downs -- on the up side I finally got my moon flow! This was of great relief, since during the feast my moon flow dissapeared. I'm feeling really awesome in my skin. I've downed about 36 pounds, my skin is clear, clear, clear and I'm fitting in some of my old clothes! I bought myself one of those tiny ipod shuffles today so that I can listen to it, while going for walks. Plus, Paddy managed to score $2500 worth of the most gorgeous wooden windows that were incorrectly ordered for a job he's working on for $700 dollars. We will gather bits and pieces for our place as we find gems! And on top of it, we were quoted a wonderful price for our lumber list. So good moods were abound.

Then the day took a major pitfall with a letter from Student Loans that was saying they were going to begin to debit my bank account for an amount they're charging me interest on...an amount that I am not to pay due to my permanent disability status. I never loose my cool on the phone...but I ended up being sent through the roof, ending with me saying "See you in court." My blood pressure went soaring, and I couldn't stop shaking for quite a while. Stress is the major thing that will prevent my healing from Wilson's Disease...this is not good!

Chi low!

2008-05-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well my cough is back! I think it sunk in when I was so low -- but it is having a depleting effect on me. My accupuncturist today told me to be careful with it, since my chi was low (checked through pulses) -- he noted that it was evident how good the cleanse had been for me, but to make sure that I don't let it begin having a depleting effect on me. I sais that these kind of comments will aid me with determining the length I juice feast for. My partner is feeling the same way, hoping I'll stop at 92 days. Truthfully, 92 days would be much more practical for me, as I have to be at a series of 3-day long meetings on Galiano in mid-June, and it would be wonderful if I could eat salad. So we'll see. However, I'm now off to juice...!

Lasqueti weekend and juicing gone-wrong!

2008-05-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

I left off with my mass juicing production I was undertaking in order to spend the weekend on Lasqueti Island. I spent hours juicing...juicing until my back ached. My original plan had been to juice mainly pineapple, and add E3 Live to each juice right before intake. However, I veered away from that idea when I developed a wee minor yeast-like infection and was wondering if it had to do with my intake of sugary pineapple; and secondly, I had such a plethora of greens I needed to juice them. So, the result was a cooler full of ice and juice (it's impossible to bring the juicer with, since solar panels can't sustain powering it, without draining the battery bank!)

UNFORTUNATELY, my juices broke down really quickly and began tasting FOWL! I therefore began drinking less than a litre a day, until yesterday where I just couldn't stomach them and drank herbal detox tea instead. I wasn't doing so well...feeling kind of sluggish and weak. However, today I went downtown and had 4 litres juiced for me at Green Cuisine. I just needed something that tasted vastly different from my vile concoctions!

My weekend was phenomenal down on my land. I saw my coop landpartners, my cabin, and our future housesite. It was such a rejuvinating, inspiring weekend! I'm attaching some photos of the cabin and views.

Accupuncture and mass-juice production! Day 75!

2008-05-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

I went for a lovely 2 hour accupuncture session today, were I fell into a deep sleep while lying there in the Lazy-Boy! Total bliss! I mentioned to my accupuncturist that we're going to build a new house on Lasqueti over the next couple of years, and he immediately offered to come up and help us build for a week! Generosity abounds....

Tomorrow evening we're heading to Lasqueti for the long-weekend, equipped with building laser and rock drill, along with photocopies of our house plans. To prepare, Paddy and Simi juiced me some pineapple, but tomorrow will be my maddening juice day of making multiple, mulitiple juices. My plan is to have a litre or two of just straight green juice that I can divie up between the fruit ones. I'm also bringing a whole jar of E-3 Live to add to my juices!

GREAT BOOK NEWS on this Day 73!

2008-05-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Today has been a terrific day: from heading downtown to buy some pants with a gift certificate I'd been given at Christmas (now only finally did I feel good/comfortable enough to try some on!), to helping Simi with her grade one research project on Orca whales, to receiving an out-of-the-blue e-mail from the publisher of Simply Read Books. About three years ago I had a book accepted by them for publication: A Gulf Islands Alphabet. It was a non-traditional alphabet book those wove stories about the islands around here (the northern half of the San Juan Islands for my American readers!). Then for the past year-and-a-half, communication ceased. I was not receiving responses to my e-mails or anything...until tonight. I received a two-line note that said that they had found a suitable illustrator, and that they were extremely excited. Part of my wanting to get the book out there in a timely fashion was that in 2010, the Winter Olympics are coming here, which will mean a big tourist influx, plus there has also been the recent creation of the Gulf Islands National Park (more people!). So I'm thrilled!

Other news: I'M DOWN 30 POUNDS!

And...I've decided I'll do my feast for 108 days. At this point, I want to stop on a number that has some significance to me...so, 108 beads on a Bhuddhist mala.

I'm trying to encourage Ayrie of our Victoria Juice Luck group to design a small tattoo for the four of us...to commenmorate this extraordinary life-altering journey!

Victoria JuiceLuck! and Day 72: Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers today!

Last night, we had our weekly Victoria JuiceLuck...check out the video below:

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

Yesterday also involved a brief, chilly trip down to the Moss Street Market, where i bought greens from the same people's stall (photo included)...a lovely braising mix assortment.

This morning I started bright and early, since I had a friend coming to visit at 7:00 am -- fitting a visit in between her train trips up and down island.

So, the sun is shining this morning and the wind is also blowing, and I'm off to tackle some pineapples!

DAY 70!

2008-05-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've reached the 70 day mark!

For the past week I've been thinking about extending the juice feast to 100 days or possibly even 120, but now I'm shying away from that thought. Yesterday it felt like a re-visiting of Day 1 -- the day I made myself ill on juice! I crafted some very potent green juices yesterday -- ann added E3 Live to all of them too (quite a bit of it!) -- well, last night I felt off! I didn't want to lay down for fear of throwing up (jeez! this sounds like there cold be nothing worse in the world...not so!) -- I believe my juices were just far too dense. Today, I'll juice a pineapple or two and thin and sweeten them up...as the rest of them remain untouched. Today I'm just drinking wild rose tea, wildcrafted in Alberta -- I'll veer back towards juices later on in the day. Oh! I've also developed this wickedly deep cough -- where it sounds like I'm about to hurl out a lung and bust ribs. This is also one of the reasons I'm tending to think against extending the feast -- perhaps my body is requiring a bit more nourishing energy! We'll see. If this cough doesn't dissipate, I'll concoct a thyme, ginger, lemon tea!

Accupuncture and drafting!

2008-05-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Another morning session of accupunture - 9:30 to 12:00 - really lovely, relaxing...and it's making me feel terrific! I'm scheduling myself in for once a week, as opposed to my initial 2 times, as that is what feels best at the moment -- otherwise it might feel like overkill! I just can't emphasize enough how much I like the philosophy behind the communual accupunture approach of Hemma (www.hemma.ca) and plus it's just fabulous sessions with Michael Lium-Hall accupuncturist.

Last night, Paddy and I stayed up late, trying to make a floor plan for our projected Lasqueti house, so that we know how much wood and materials we'll need. Yesterday, I called Windsor Plywood in Parksville, who deliver for free to the Lasqueti barges (Lasqueti Island is accessed by passenger-only ferry, by personal boat or by barge). Lumber is cheap right now, due to the weak American economy. This benefits us tremendously! So, today, I went and bought a portable drafting table, and squares and grid paper, so we can sketch it out all to scale! I wonder if the last time I went to Lasqueti, I hadn't been on the juicefeast, if I would still have gotten so inspired to return?! Being so open surely had something to do with it!

(I've attached some photos of Lasqueti)

Inspiration

2008-05-05T13:28:00.001-07:00

I have very little to report on the juice front today, except that I've opted not to go for buying a share in a cow to obtain raw milk. This decision I came to after reading Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine by Gabriel Cousens. With his research as a medical doctor, he was studying the make-up of people's blood -- and he noticed the mass difference that occurred when someone who'd been a very clean raw food eater, added raw goat's milk into his diet. This same man was able to reverse these same negative effects by eliminating the diary once again. I was sold!

I've really noticed how inspiring and catchy this cleanse has been with its effect on others. Even my Mum is inquiring about having one juice a day...!

Victoria JuiceLuck!

2008-05-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

Yesterday was Day 64 and was a wonderful day with the opening of Victoria's weekly farm market: Moss Street Market! It was wonderful to go there with a big, empty basket and return with one heaped with fresh, LOCAL, organic greens! My discoveries were LIME MINT -- which I made into a juice combination of pineapple, celery, and the mint! Absolutely splendid! Celery somehow softens the pineapple.

Yesterday was also marked by our weekly JuiceLuck gathering, with the four of us still going strong: Robyn, Constanze, Ayrie and myself. The above video is the recording of yesterday's check-in.

I've still got my runny nose, but it's not diminishing my outlook!

Soaring and Flying High!!! (the understatement)

2008-05-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have had a week where I've reached a new level of feeling positively:
amazing,
light,
loving,
open,
free,
unencumbered....as if I'm operating several levels higher than I ever had before! This week has included one hour-long massage, two three hour-long accupuncture sessions, two meals I cooked for guests of ours (in both cases, to rave reviews! - equate it to how much love I'm putting in these dishes!), a great big ramble through the Garry Oak meadows in full bloom with wildflowers with my daughter, and a wonderful walk by the ocean! My partner and I have been getting along better than we ever have before, relating in a wonderfully beautiful fashion. I'm feeling much more comfortable in my body, with my partner saying the other day that "You've really come into your body, babe!" I've shed 27 pounds...feels awesome! I can fit into m old clothes again! Another 7 pounds and I'll be thrilled! Plus, knowing that we've made plans to move back to Lasqueti Island in several years, plus I'm planning an imminent visit back, has given me great focus!
Unfortunately last night I had a a bad night's sleep, due to several distractions, that I have a wee bit of a runny nose! I'm hoping that it's due strictly to the lack of sleep!

The word for the day: ACCUPUNCTURE!

2008-04-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

Find more videos like this on Global Juice Feast

The colonic that didn't happen!

2008-04-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-04-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-04-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

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!

Hospital Room Juice Feast!

2008-03-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm doing it! -- sitting in my hospital bed, sipping my juice!

I've loaded and labelled all of my jars into the fridge, and are sipping on my first: celery, cucumber, apple and parsley juice!

I was somewhat concerned of people's reactions here in the hospital being that this is the hub of the medical establishment...yet, as I set out my juices on my window sill (one purple, one green, one purple, etc.), in order to label them with my name on them -- my nurse Dan walked in, asked "Wow, what do we have here?" -- I said I'm on a juice cleanse, and his immediate reaction was "Oh, cool! I just did the Master Cleanser!"

Since then I've received nothing but curiosity...no judgments. The dietician on the floor came in, too curious about it all! So far it's been a positive experience. In fact the Physician's Assistant I have said she'd be willing to bet money on the fact that she believes my doctor here will be supportive of it. And the dietician just came in and asked me to write down a few of my juice recipes so she can analyse them with a software program to see the nutrients I'm getting in a day. Her question was where am I getting my calcium from. I said, from the greens. I'm interested to see what the program says!

Besides that, it's been wonderful seeing everyone here again! It feels like seeing old friends! I was said to learn that two of my past caregivers here are gone...this was really disappointing. But I've had them paged, so with luck I'll be able to see them during this visit!

All is well in Ann Arbor...it's very hazy/verging on raining today! Now I just have to wait for my speech pathology appointment at 3 pm!

Ann Arbor juice fest!

2008-03-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted right now...just flew Victoria to Toronto then Toronto to Detroit, then shuttled to Ann Arbor (about 30 minutes away), dropped my stuff off in the room, grabbed mason jars and called a cab to Seva Restaurant's juice bar. About an hour and fifteen minutes later I emerged with 10 litres/quarts of juice...mainly organic, taxied back to the hotel and am ready to crash for the night! It all worked out!

It was so lovely, this morning at 3:30, Paddy was busy juicing me up some juice knowing it would be the only juice I'd have until way, way later! What a gem!

I must wake at 5:45 tomorrow morning...which my time will be 2:45 am -- yikes!

Nighty-night!

Juice Sponsorship and Luggage Full of Jars!

2008-03-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

This morning, my hubbie Paddy, decided to call the owner of the most prolific and abundant juice bars here in Victoria: Re-Bar and asked if there would be the chance for the remaining four juice feasters here in town to get sponsored/supported by them in the rest of our cleanse. They were totally supportive and gung-ho...and for the next month, all four of us will receive 50% off our juices there! Yeah! Thanks, Paddy!

That was first-off, then I started juicing my spinach, lemon, burdock, cilantro, cucumber, orange juice! Making one for tonight's weekly JuiceLuck, as well.

Then off we went downtown to a Save Our Old Growth Forests rally at the legislature. There was a good turnout and we were able to form two circles of people around the legislature! It's always, always inspiring to gather with a group of focussed, like-minded individuals!

Oh, and yes, I did an enema this morning, and dry-skin brushed! Finally!

I also tackled the effort of packing my bags for Ann Arbor, Michigan tomorrow -- complete with 10 empty mason jars!

Off now for juice!

Sauna-time!

2008-03-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

I just came back from the swimming pool, where I visited the sauna! Aiding with detox, it felt great to see the little sweat beads appearing! Interestingly enough, I've noticed little red bumps appearing on my legs -- somewhat like heat-rash sores. My theory is it's directly related to my detoxing and lack of doing an enema recently (I fully planned on doing one over the last few days, yet mornings got really busy and then being really cold during the rest of the day...it seemed really unappealing to be stark naked!) --

Juice consumption today: dangerously low! I'll be just under 2 litres! Part of this had to do that I had to run off to the University today to re-register...something that became a tedious, frustrating bureaucratic nightmare! Oh well.

Tomorrow I must pack, for I leave at the crack-of-dawn Sunday morning. My young-budding-six-year-capitalist RENTED me her suitcase as I need an extra one to take my 12 masons jars as a carry-on! I can just picture airport security now!

Day 27! -sun, snow, hail, rain and magic!

2008-03-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

In the back of my house it bright, blue skies, with some fluffy white clouds...the front half is grey and ominous (and this isn't a large house by any means!) -- Through the course of my juicing this morning, I looked up through the kitchen window and big, substantial flakes of snow were falling (but not sticking!) -- then a few minutes later it would be sunny, then hail...it was a rollercoaster, but nonetheless provided great visuals with the sound of my purring Samson!

Today was spinach, cucumber, celery, parsley, burdock (good for the liver!), apple and orange juices!

Tonight Paddy and Simi are taking me out for dinner once again. Off to Re-Bar we go...a perfect place! Lavish juice bar full of everything you could imagine, plus a place of great food for the two of them! What a special treat!

Today was a day of re-registering Simi for gymnastics (after an unfortunate quitting of them yesterday followed by torrential regret!), trying to inquire about possible magicians for Simi's birthday party (having to scrape my jaw from the floor at the price tag!), and trying to argue with inanimate computers while I try to re-register for school. Forms, forms, forms, links, links, links. There is a summer applied theatre intensive I want to sign up for!

I'm just about to run off to get Simi from school -- having made her a delicious (looking!) fruit-filled rice-pudding!

Juice, tea and a massage! Sumptuous!

2008-03-26T11:58:00.003-07:00

It's Spring...it's bright, flowers are out...but so is the chilly, brisk air!

Today was the end of Spring Break for Simi, so reluctantly she returned to school this morning, in a not-so-thrilled-grade-one-fashion! After dropping her off I headed for the bus stop, with a juice in my backpack, as I had a 10 am massage appointment with Gail Dunn of Little Fern Massage Works. Arriving early, I settled into a couch at the Cornerstone Café, ordered a tea and unscrewed my mason jar!

I had a lovely massage...felt as if I was floating on air when leaving, and then took the bus home! I have no desire to juice today -- largely due to the fact that I didn't juice in the morning-time. Right now it's feeling like an ordeal, followed by a heck of a lot of clean-up! So, I'm figuring that since I need to go downtown this afternoon for Simi's gymnastics, I'll pop on over to Re-Bar or Green Cuisine and have 'em fill me up!

One thing I haven't done in over a week is to do an enema. This is largely due to the fact that I was travelling and I felt it wasn't fitting for the airport security check-people, or my friend's wee humble abode. I think I just fell out of practice. My moods haven't been fragile, but my face seems to be breaking out a bit more (there has been a noticeable improvement over the course of the feast!), this is also due I'm sure to the fact that my moon is imminent.

My juice consumption has taken a nose-dive. I got so used to consuming less in Berkeley, that my amount I take in has decreased. I used to be happy if I had three litres. I'm lucky if I attain that these days.

Another noticeable factor has been feeling cold. With the Wilson's Disease feeling cold already comes with it now with the juice feast on top of it, I'm just like a portable iceberg. I've got the furnace on right now (which I hate using due to its use of oil), plus my winter coat on. I'm thinking of heading to the sauna later!

I found good news on the other end of the phone line yesterday. As I'll be heading back to the University of Michigan Hospital on Sunday, I've been curious as to where I'd get my juice from. I already tried to see if there were any Global Juice Feasters in the area who I could hire to make me juice, with no luck. I called Whole Foods, no luck. I was told to check out Seva, a vegetarian restaurant there, yes not only do they have a juice bar, they are also open until 9 pm on Sunday night, which means I'll be able to get there after I fly into Detroit, and get shuttled to my hotel! Hooray for things working out!

Day 25!

2008-03-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Today somehow sounds like a milestone...a grand accomplishment: 25!!! But really, it does not feel much different than the other days! I really am in a rhythm of juicing, am not getting hungry, and have no problems beings around food (the occasional outside bar-b-que wrestles up some old cravings for grilled burgers or steaks -- but all in all, I'm loving juicing!

Today's juicing was postponed somewhat by the fact that I had to have blood work done this morning (had to be fasting), and then after could take my pill...and then after more waiting: juice!

I created juice today with the following ingredients: young coconut water, blueberries, golden beets, spinach, cucumber, celery and oranges! I'm now finding the young coconut far too sweet, and therefore was trying to mask it's taste!

Sun-shiny trip to the Sea!

2008-03-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning greeted me this morning which arrived on the heels of a powerful wind and rainstorm last night, shaking it all up!

We all felt inspired to hit the ocean! After first juicing (spinach, yellow baby carrots, cucumber, celery, and apples), we headed out. Our destination: East Sooke Park. With my packed juice, and Simi and Paddy's packed sandwiches and Easter chocolates, off we went. About an hour drive's away and we arrived at the Aylard Farm end of the park. We rolled up a picnic blanket, and headed down to the ocean. The sun was glistening, dogs and kids were frolicking about, and there were tidepools to explore. It was a fun day!

A chocolate-free, juice-filled Easter!

2008-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter on this Day 23 of the Global Juice Feast!

Yesterday evening the Victoria group had their weekly JuiceLuck! Though our numbers are dwindling, many people cutting off at the 10-day mark, there were four of us: Ayrie, Constanze, Robin, plus myself. Ayrie documented the evening again, and the video is posted on the www.globaljuicefeast.com website. It's worth taking a gander at!

I brought a juice of pineapple, carrot, swiss chard, celery and cucumber. It was quite smooth and refreshing! (Pineapples are in-season tropically -- and on sale!) There were a couple other juices that were tasty, too: tangerine and carrot was one and the other was a raspberry, tomato concoction with greens! Surprising and intriguing!

I am still really driven to complete the entire 92-day feast! Though I'm finding the juices full of nutritional reward...making me not feeling that I'm missing any key nutrients. A lot of people immediately question what they regard as my lack of protein intake...without knowing that leafy greens are rich in protein!

People have been commenting on noticing a real shift in me -- clarity seeping through the cracks!

Well, Spring is the air! A welcome! Blossoms, and veggie starts abound!