Last Chance to Vote for Us :)

Laaaaaaaaadies and gentlemen, 'tis the last couple of days to VOTE for our store in this year's "Veghealth Awards", as the "Best National or Online Health Food Store" - voting closes on August the 31st...if you didn't already vote and would love to lend your support, here's a reminder of the deeeeeets:

Our store, TheRawFoodWorld.com is currently a contender for the "Best National or Online Health Food Store", up against mega-giant WHOLE FOODS ;O

Voting in the final round of this contest is open NOW until August the 31st, so if you're feeling moved to add your vote to our support, please do so swiftly, HERE :)
You can actually win prizes just for voting...and there are lots of fun categories to vote in, with lots of raw foodie options, such as choosing your favourite:

healthy snack, energy bar, sweetener, supplements, superfoods, online health store, recipe blog, recipe book, film, fermented foods, educator, nutrition trainer, blender, juicer, cleaning products, beauty products, radio show...and much more...

Jump on over HERE to cast your votes and THANK YOU so much for any support sent our way - we appreciate you :)))

(NOTE: If you already voted in round one for these awards, The Vegetarian Health Institute has apparently already sent you a special link for voting in round two. The subject line was "Now vote in 'Round 2' of the Veghealth Awards". If you didn't get that message, you can request that special link by emailing vegetarianhealth@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .)

on August the 23rd we were on the road quite a lot and I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1 cup watermelon/orange juice
7 granadillas
2 powersticks, water of a young coconut
2 tbsp spirulina crunchies
bowl of yummmmmmers cucumber/dulse/avocado/kim chi salad, stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear, followed by a chunk of Mr. M's Pili Nut "Chocolate"
mug of herbal tea
water of two young coconuts


on August the 24th we were again on the road quite a lot and I appreciated:

1 quart water
7 granadillas
3 tbsp spirulina crunchies
water of a young coconut
2 tbsp spirulina crunchies
water of a young coconut
2 powersticks, bowl of kelp noodles with carrot/red pepper/avocado sauce, plus sauerkraut, followed by a chunk of Mr. M's rawmarkable Pili Nut "Chocolate" :)
mug of herbal tea
1 cup coconut kefir


on August the 25th we were on the road again pretty much all day and it was a very "bitty" eating day for me - I was blissed with:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon/passionfruit juice
7 granadillas
3 powersticks, handful of spirulina "cookies" from GoRaw
water of a young coconut
3 tbsp spirulina crunchies
water of two young coconuts
2 tbsp spirulina crunchies, 3 little bananas
bowl of kelp noodles with carrot/red pepper/avocado sauce, plus sauerkraut, followed by a chunk of Mr. M's rawmarkable Pili Nut "Chocolate" :)
1 cup water

LOVED this one-man a cappela "choir" video in Arabic sent by a friend recently - check it out - so beautiful, creative, inspiring :)

http://www.wimp.com/cappellaarabic/

on August the 26th we were once again on the road again most of the day and I loved:

1 quart water
3 cups greeeeen smoothie: mango, papaya, greeeens from garden
8 granadillas
2 powersticks
water of a young coconut
3 tbsp spirulina crunchies
bowl of cucumber salad with Mr. M; salad stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear, followed by a chunk of Mr M's out-raw-geous Pili Nut "Chocolate"
water of two young coconuts


on August the 27th we were again on the road most of the day and I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1.5 cups watermelon/mandarin juice
9 granadillas
water of a young coconut
2 powersticks, 2 goji bars
water of two young coconuts
bowl of cucumber salad with Mr. M; salad stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear, followed by a chunk of Mr M's out-raw-geous Pili Nut "Chocolate"
water of a young coconut


on August the 28th we were again on the road all day and I loved:

1 quart water
1.5 cups watermelon/orange juice
juice of two mandarins
bag of fresh strawberries
40 chlorella/kelp tablets
2 powersticks
water of a young coconut
big bowl of chia pudding with papaya/granadilla, chunk of Pili Nut "Chocolate"
water of a young coconut


One yumster, Dorien, is looking for inspirational stories from y'all to share in a new book - read on below for the deeeeets:

Inspiring shortstory contest

Do you have an inspirational story to share?

We are looking for:

Real life motivational shortstories about how intention, positive thoughts, following your heart, doing something different or setting goals can change your life completely.

The best stories of the competition will be bundled and published in a book, and will receive a commission on the sales.

The goal of the book is to inspire people. To motivate them to set their intentions and have faith that they too can change their lives. Positive thought creates positive outcome.

Your shortstory submission should be:

max 6000 words

real life story

submitted in doc, google document or LaTeX format

preferable written in English, although other languages might also be accepted upon request and translated by the book editors

Please include a short biography of yourself (max 300 words) and a weblink or adress. This will be published alongside your article if you are selected.

Send your submission or any questions to dorien (at) sunflareltd (dot) com before November 23rd.

Good luck!

All blessings,
A.C. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Reflections From An Ancient Forest...

Mmmmmmm, I enjoyed sharing some fun reflections in my newsletter this week from an ancient Ecuadorian forest - here's a recap in case you missed the flow:


WOW...as I write this, we just got back from a powerful, inspiring walk in the nearby Podocarpus national forest here in Ecuador...I have been wanting to go hiking in the forest here ever since we came to Ecuador and today we finally made it out into the hills... What an incredible TREAT ;O
I feel very moved and transformed by this simple two-hour walk in the wilderness...my mind echoes with the quote from Henry David Thoreau: "In wildness is the preservation of the world." This feels distinctly true and significant to me right now... It was so interesting to be out there, in this ancient forest, surrounded by ferns, native trees, orchids, hummingbirds, butterflies and seemingly endless biodiversity... the air felt so *rich*, moist, nourishing and clean...
Up in the cloud forest, the range of flora, the greenery and moistness seemed to be in sharp contrast to the currently parched "dry season" landscape of most of this area...it is so odd to think that this whole area probably used to be just like this - primary forest, untouched by human madness, rich, dense, teeeeeming with life and energy, before clear-cutting for cattle raising became the norm...
It felt so REAL to be out there in that peaceful, serene wilderness, even if it has man-made nature trails with signposts for us to follow...I felt such an easy and direct sense of connection to nature/the divine... It then felt pretty surreal to come back out of there and drive along human-made tarmac roads, see road signs, houses, cars, people in clothing, churches and so on... everything right now outside of that pristine forest environment has a sense of "unreality" to me - what *are* we humans doing here...?
(Continued below...)


on August the 19th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1.5 cups watermelon/orange juice
1 cup intense greeeeeeen/carrot juice
5 granadillas
bowl of yummmmmmers cucumber/dulse/avocado/kim chi salad, stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear, followed by a small handful of dried jack fruit pieces
water of two young coconuts
chunk of fresh papaya
2 cups water


on August the 20th I loved:

1 quart water
8 granadillas
2 cups water
3 tbsp spirulina crunchies
water of a young coconut
bowl of yummmmmmers cucumber/dulse/avocado/kim chi salad, stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear, followed by a small handful of dried jack fruit pieces
water of two young coconuts
mug of herbal tea




The majority of us seem to be living so dramatically removed from an "original" state of being in nature as to make our lives seem almost farcical from my current point of view... Walking in the forest today, we were contemplating how different a human might be if they grew up in that kind of environment - what would they eat, what would their connection with nature look like, where would they live, what would they focus their attention on...? In contrast to the kinds of possibilities that seemed to arise in th at context, even current human choices that we might consider "eco" or "green" seem frankly bizarre in comparison - running an organic farm for example, or buying food from a health food store, running an "eco-friendly" business from a computer, making a superfood smoothie in a high-speed blender or going on an "eco"-holiday rather than a standard trip... Wow, humans strike me as so very odd sometimes...such a strange presence here on Earth...our actions and interactions seem so at odds with the quietness, presence and clarity of pure undisturbed nature...which is always there in the background, quietly carrying on with its own reality, while the maddening whirl of modern human reality spins and jumbles on over the top, like a bizarre superimposed cartoon of psychotic, parasitic behaviour...
Hmmmmm, well, perhaps that may sound harsh to some people and of course we are all part of this current co-creation... my intention here is certainly not to try to "blame" anyone for our current context, I was simply really struck today by the beauty, majesty and clarity of the pristine forest and wanted to share some of this perspective here, to pe rhaps serve as a little reminder to us all, myself very much included, that as Thoreau stated, "In wildness is the preservation of the world."

Long live Gaia :)))

(You can see some more of my pictures from this trip on Facebook HERE and a little video of our forest reflections HERE - enjoy ;)

on August the 21st I appreciated:

1 quart water
6 granadillas
water of a young coconut
2 cups greeeeen smoothie: papaya, mango, greeeeens from the garden
bowl of yummmmmmers cucumber/dulse/avocado/kim chi salad, stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear, followed by a small handful of dried jack fruit pieces
water of two young coconuts
chunk of Mr. M's rawmarkable Pili Nut "Chocolate"
mug of herbal tea


on August the 22nd I was blissed with:

1 quart water
6 granadillas
2 cups "Chocolate Milk" green juice: spinach, romaine, carrot, alfalfa
water of a young coconut
bowl of yummmmmmers cucumber/dulse/avocado/kim chi salad, stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear, followed by yummers raw desserts at a potluck party: blackberry "cheesecake" with Andean blueberry sauce, durian ice pie, fruit salad :)
water of two young coconuts
1 cup water


In other news, it was also fun to see this week that Bernando LaPallo, the healthy Arizona centenarian, just turned 110 :) A truly vibrant leo brother - check out an ABC report on his 110th birthday reflections HERE - long live this inspiring example :)


All love,
Angelalaalalaaaaaaaaa. xxx

The Raw Food World or Whole Foods...??? ;)

You may recall me mentioning last week or so that we were in the running for the "Best Online or National Health Food Store" award in the 2011 Veghealth Awards, WELL, we got through to the final round, thanks so much for all your votes :)))

Our store, TheRawFoodWorld.com is currently a contender for the "Best National or Online Health Food Store", up against mega-giant WHOLE FOODS ;O

Voting in the final round of this contest is open NOW until August the 31st, so if you're feeling moved to add your vote to our support, please do so swiftly, HERE :)
You can actually win prizes just for voting...and there are lots of fun categories to vote in, with lots of raw foodie options, such as choosing your favourite:

healthy snack, energy bar, sweetener, supplements, superfoods, online health store, recipe blog, recipe book, film, fermented foods, educator, nutrition trainer, blender, juicer, cleaning products, beauty products, radio show...and much more...

Jump on over HERE to cast your votes and THANK YOU so much for any support sent our way - we appreciate you :)))

(NOTE: If you already voted in round one for these awards, The Vegetarian Health Institute has apparently already sent you a special link for voting in round two. The subject line was "Now vote in 'Round 2' of the Veghealth Awards". If you didn't get that message, you can request that special link by emailing vegetarianhealth@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .)

on August the 11th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1 cup orange/maracua/maranjilla juice
a delicious dragon fruit
2 cups coconut water blended with Greener Grasses powder
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, with curry/kraut/chia crackers on the side, followed by a little handful of dried jackfruit
water of two young coconuts
chunk of yummmmers papaya
1 cup water


on August the 12th I was blessed with:

1 quart water
5 granadillas
2 cups coconut water blended with Ormus Greens powder
bowl of cucumber/dulse/avocado salad with curry/kraut/chia crackers on the side, followed by a little handful of dried jackfruit
water of two young coconuts
2 carob/orange yumballs while preparing for potluck :)
1 cup water


I am excited to say that this Thursday evening, August the 18th, we are lined up to be interviewing the lovely Troy Casey of Amazon Herbs, for The Raw Food World Radio Show :)
Troy calls himself the "Certified Health Nut" and has a great deal to share about the Amazon, herbs, cleansing, detox, nourising the body and much more - join us on Thursday at 6pm Eastern, 3pm Pacific for this FREE live call, over at http://www.TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com.

Here's the rest of the upcoming line-up, too:

***NEW*** Diane Baran - August 25th, 12noon Eastern - "Compassionate/Non-Violent Communication"

Markus Rothkranz – September 1st, 7pm Eastern – “Healing with Raw Foods”

Nick Ortner – September 15th, 7pm Eastern – “EFT and Tapping Your Way to a Better Life!”

Alexandra Jaye Johnson – September 29th, 6pm Eastern – “Rocking Your Goddess Life”

 
To get the call-in details for any of these LIVE free talks, just visit http://www.TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com - enjoy :)

on August the 13th I appreciated:

1 quart water
1 cup watermelon/orange juice
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir Of The Lake
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, with curry/kraut/chia crackers on the side, followed by a little handful of dried jackfruit
water of two young coconuts
a yummmeerrrrrs dragon fruit chuk of papaya
1 cup water


on August the 14th I loved:

1 quart water
5 granadillas
3 cups greeeeen smoothie: papaya, mango, masses of green
shared meal with friends: huge green salad from the garden, with red pepper/walnut sauce, sauerkraut, followed by some *AMAZING* Pili Nut "Chocolate" treats from Mr. M :)
water of two young coconuts
chunk of papaya
1 cup water





For this month's RawReform Giveaway, I am delighted to say that we have FOUR copies of the fabulous new book "Live Raw" from raw beauty Mimi Kirk to share...

If you're not yet familiar with the uberlicious Mimi, she was voted "Sexiest Veg*n Over 50" in the Peta Awards recently and at *72* she is a glooooowing example of how to be healthy and vibrant past 50, or at any age, for that matter... ;) Mimi's book shares 120 of her yummiest recipes plus lots of tips and insights for a more vibrant life...  
To be in with a ch@nce of winning one of these delightful books from Mimi, just send in your A to the following Q, to rawreformcontests@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it :

"Which fabulous person over 50 inspires you the most and why?"


Get your entries in by September the 16^th 2011 to be in with a ch@nce of receiving one of these very spec!al books - the winners shall be chosen at random and with great j0y shortly thereafter...
In the meantime, if you'd love to order a copy of this inspiring book for your own delight, you can do so HERE - enjoy :)
...and to find out if YOU were the winner of last month's RawReform Giveaway prize of some luscious aroma-goodies from Medicine Flower, you can see the winning entry and info for that giveaway in my last newsletter, HERE ;)


All love and radiating joy,
A. C. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

Honouring My Body-Mind-Spirit :)

THANK YOU all for all of your beautiful birthday messages and well-wishes this week - they have all been received with a full heart of joy :)

In case you missed my "birthday message" in my newsletter this week, here is a recap:

This Wednesday, August the 10^th, marked my 33^rd birthday :) I feel so very grateful to have made it this far into the game and today wanted to  honour and send gratitude to three of my most constant companions on this journey so far: my body, my mind and my spirit...

*Dear Body - I am humbled by your resilience, your forgiving nature, your desire to live and thrive despite whatever comes your way, your strength. When I consider the traumas and challenges you have experienced over these years together, I feel both a sense of sadness at all that you have endured and also such a huge sense of gratitude for your perseverance through this all. I love and honour you with deepest respect and appreciation - you are the vehicle through which I currently get to participate here on Earth and I desire to do my very best to help you stay strong, present and healthy for the rest of the game here.

*Dear Mind - now where would we be without your incessant commentary, chatter and observations? ;) Thank you for your insights, your humour, your creativity, your kindness  and all the funny little games and tricks that you share... While I am saddened that for so many years you were immersed in a mostly other-than-uplifting stream of input/feedback loops on which to reflect and co-create, I am sincerely delighted to now note how rich, gentle, generous and playful your presence tends to feel. Thank you for your flexibility, your willingness to let go, your attention-to-detail and your clarity. May I do my best to help you stay clear, positively-orientated and supple in the coming years...


on August the 7th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
an orange squeezed over a little bowl of granadilla pulp
bowl of grawnola with fresh apple chunks and coconut water
2 cups coconut water blended with Moringa Powder
water of two young coconuts
bowl of kelp noodles dressed with yummmmmers carrot/avo sauce, with Curry/Kraut/Chia crackers on the side, followed by a chunk of Mr. M's outrageous Pili Nut "white chocolate"
water of a young coconut
2 cups water


on August the 8th I appreciated:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/granadilla/maracua juice
chunk of papaya
2 cups coconut water blended with Ormus Greens powder
bowl of kelp noodles dressed with yummmmmers carrot/avo sauce, with Curry/Kraut/Chia crackers on the side, followed by a chunk of Mr. M's outrageous Pili Nut "white chocolate"
water of two young coconuts
2 cups water




*Dear Spirit - thank you for your profound gifts of intuition, honesty, care, resilience and upliftment. Thank you for reminding me so gently through all the challenges that you are here, that I have support and that all, ultimately, is well. I breathe deeply with gratitude into the space that you hold here and honour your desire to connect, share and help inspire others. Thank you for your sincerity, directness and gentle reminders that it's all just a game...may I do my best to bring us all along safely, happily and healthily as this game continues to unfold...

It is fascinating to me, to reflect on the various elements that apparently go to make up "me" - we seem to be so multi-layered, multi-faceted, complex in some way...each part with its own role(s) to play and contribute, intermingling to create the impression of one unit from the outside... Personally I am very grateful for all the parts that go to make up "me" and currently contribute to the flow I am experiencing here, which I enjoy very much and feel blessed to be co-creating...

So, as I set off around the sun again this Wednesday on the anniversary of my "Birth-On-Earth", I breathe a deep breath of appreciation for every part of my being and radiate brightest blessings throughout my whole energy field and beyond, to all of YOU - may you all feel and acknowledge the blessings of your life flow here and truly appreciate the wonder of these embodied experiences - enjoy... :)


on August the 9th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
1 cup orange/granadilla juice
a yummmmmers dragon fruit
2 cups coconut water blended with Greener Grasses
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, with curry/kraut/chia crackers on the side, followed by two little sliced apples with almond butter
water of two young coconuts
2 cups water


on August the 10th it was my 33rd birthday and I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1 cup orange/maracua juice
bowl of yummy thick greeeeen smoothie: papaya, mango, masses of garden greenery
amazing raw potluck joys of various salads/pates etc with *PHENOMENAL* blackberry/cherimoya cheesecake and a Mr. Monarch pie masterpiece :)
water of two young coconuts
2 cups water


One raw yumster, Eden, is currently working on a project about sustainability practices amongst African Americans and would LOVE to hear from y'all if you have some stories to share - here's her message:

Dear Friends,

I am working on a magazine article query regarding the presence of sustainable lifestyle practices amongst African American individuals and families. I am hoping to connect with and interview African Americans who for whom any of the practices listed below are a significant part of their day to day life. 

• Homesteading

• Homeschooling

• Gardening & Sprouting – (enough to provide all or at least 80% of the family’s produce needs.)

• Permaculture farming

• Hunting & Fishing

• Built their own home with their own hands

• Live off grid

• Raise own animals for food and wool

• Beekeeping

• Sell anything that they gain from the above to supplement or provide family income.

If you know of anyone, I would love to receive a reference or introduction from you. They can either contact me on facebook (Eden Fadzo Chuislekuda), email me or call me: edenganya@msn.com or 520-216-4144.

ENJOY :)

All love,

Angelalalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. xxx

Which is The Best National or Online Health Food Store...? ;)

I'm delighted to share that our store, TheRawFoodWorld.com is currently in 2nd place for the "Best National or Online Health Food Store" award in the VegHealth Awards 2011 :) Voting is open NOW until August the 6th, so if you're feeling moved to add your vote to our support, please do so swiftly, HERE :) You can actually win prizes just for voting...and there are lots of fun categories to vote in, with lots of raw foodie options, such as choosing your favourite:

healthy snack, energy bar, sweetener, supplements, superfoods, online health store, recipe blog, recipe book, film, fermented foods, educator, nutrition trainer, blender, juicer, cleaning products, beauty products, radio show...and much more...

Jump on over HERE to cast your votes and THANK YOU so much for any support sent our way - we appreciate you :)))


on July the 31st I appreciated:

1 quart water
3 cups coconut water mixed with mandarin/orange/passionfruit juice
3 cups coconut water blended with Moringa Powder
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden with a little cucumber salad stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear on the side, followed by two yummy little carob-orange yumballs :)
2 cups water
water of a young coconut
a dragon fruit, chunk of yummmers papaya
1 cup water

I am very excited to announce that we are blessed to have the perennially inspiring Mr. Brian Johnson of PhilosophersNotes.com joining us for a radio interview on TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com tomorrow evening - fun :) This free call starts at 6pm Eastern, Thursday August 4th - join us for vibrant explorations of how to live *your* optimal life... :)


on August the 1st I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1.5 cups mandarin/orange/passionfruit juice
2 cups coconut water blended with Moringa Powder
water of a young coconut
bowl of kelp noodles dressed with a carrot/tomato/hemp seed sauce, followed by two little sliced apples with fresh almond butter :)
water of two young coconuts
chunk of papaya, a yummmmers dragon fruit
1 cup water


on August the 2nd I loved:

1 quart water
3 cups coconut water blended with Vitamin C powder
3 cups coconut water blended with Moringa Powder
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, with nori sheets on the side stuffed with Sea Clear and avocado, followed by a little hand-stirred yumpot of almond butter, stevia, orange flavour extract
water of two young coconuts
chunk of papaya, a yummmmers dragon fruit
2 cups water

Reminder:

 

Special Offer: from now until August the 10th (my 33rd birthday ;), you can currently get my book Raw Emotions at 33% Off :)

This applies for either the ebook or printed version of the book. This means that from now until August the 10th you can get the ebook for $16.72 (rather than the standard price of $24.95) or the printed book for $20.07 (rather than the standard price of $29.95).

Click HERE to access these offers and...ENJOY :)
 

All love and deepest breaths of serenity,
A. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

New "Raw Emotions" Course at The Academy for Optimal Living :)

I am *SUPER*-excited to announce that I have been invited to teach a course based on my book Raw Emotions this coming autumn for The Entheos Academy for Optimal Living :)  
This Academy is the brain-child of the delightful Brian Johnson of PhilosophersNotes.com and his radiant goddess Alexandra Jaye Johnson of MyGoddessLife.com. I think this Academy is SOOOOOOO COOL :))) ...and I am so thrilled to see how effortlessly this project seems to be unfolding for this dynamic duo - it feels like there is very strong energy from the Universe behind this one... The basic idea of "The Academy" is to serve as a place for people to learn about truly useful information for creating their Optimal Lives for themselves...forget a crusty old university schedule sagging under the weight of physics classes, history lectures and tedious maths tuition and other left-brain blah-blah...this Academy is all about useful, practical, insightful sharing of the yummiest kinds - think classes on nutrition, positive psychology, health and well-being, creativity, meditation, parenting, relationships, spirituality, money, conscious business, sustainability and much more - YEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAH :) ...and all under the loving guidance of various "experts" in each respective field...
The "Raw Emotions" course is set to start on September the 27^th at 7pm Eastern and to run for 8 consecutive Tuesdays at the same time... If you can't make the sessions live, everything will be archived for later access. This course will dive into all of the key concepts of "Raw Emotions", including:

• The Raw Lifestyle and Emotional Healing
• Seven Ways of Eating - The Role of Consciousness in Food Choices
•  Examining Physiological and Psychological Addiction
• Tell-Tale Signs of An Overeater and Creating Our Optimal Vision
• Three Steps to Restructure Emotional Connections to Food
• Exploring the Emotional Detox Process
• Top Tips for Healing
• Maintaining Maintenance

You can check out aaaaaaaaaaaaall the juicy details and get signed up for this autumnal joy class HERE: http://www.entheosacademy.com/course/Raw-Emotions and you can see a short intro video from Brian on the Academy here: http://www.entheosacademy.com - see you "on campus" ;)


on July the 28th I appreciated:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/naranjilla juice
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
bowl of grawnola with fresh apple and coconut water
cup of rooibos tea
bowl of kelp noodles with a yummy carrot-hemp sauce, chunk of Mr. M's *amazing* Pili Nut "Chocolate":)
water of two young coconuts

I am delighted to let y'all know abt some of the upcoming summer programmes at the beautiful Ronora Lodge "Rawnora" raw retreat centre in Michigan, run by our dear friend Deej and co... 

They have a Raw Food Detox Camp opening soon on August the 12^th for 5 or 7 days, a Green Juice Feast starting September the 9^th for 5 or 7 days, plus Yoga Camps in August, September and October, all with raw catering :)
Check out all the yummy deeeeets over at http://www.rawnora.com - and if you're not yet familiar with the beautiful Rawnora site, it is a joy to explore: over 350 acres of gorgeous private land including a private lake, forests, wetlands, trails, gardens, a horse sanctuary and greenhouses...enjoy :)

on July the 29th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon/mandarin juice
2 cups coconut water blended with Moringa Powder
bowl of kelp noodles with a yummy carrot-hemp sauce, chunk of Mr. M's *amazing* Pili Nut "Chocolate":)
2 cups water
water of two young coconuts
chunk of fresh papaya
2 cups water


on July the 30th I loved:

1 quart water
3 cups orange/naranjilla juice combined with coconut water :)
bowl of energy soup straight from the garden, with a few little nori pockets stuffed with Sea Clear, cucumber salad and Brazil Nut Butter on the side, followed by a chunk of Mr. M's *AMAZING* Pili Nut "Chocolate" :)
water of two young coconuts, juice of a couple of yummy fresh oranges
chunk of fresh papaya, a dragon fruit
2 cups water


NOTE: You have abt *12 HOURS* left to grab at-cost goodies from *BOTH* the July specials and August Specials lists over at http://www.TheRawFoodWorld.com - get in there quick if you'd love to double your bargain shopping before we switch months again later tonight - check out aaaaaalllll the deals HERE and...enjoy :)))

All love,
A. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

10-Day Juice Cleanse Starts SOON + Check Out Shazzie's Raw Food TV Show :)))

How would you LOVE to enjoy a 10-Day Juice Cleanse starting next Monday...? Well, if that rings some jingles for you, there's a juicy cleanse kicking off that very day, August the 1st, with the Raw Divas steering the ship...I'll be one of the "guest panelists" offering a juicy teleseminar, plus the Juice Daddy himself, Jay Kordich will be in the game, plus his lovely wife Linda, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo and the "Juice Goddess" Dr. Etti...join us HERE for a juicy 10-day journey - you'll receive recipes, menu planners, a cleanse guide, access to teleseminars on a juicy life, daily email support and coaching, a post-juice menu planner and much more - check out all the info HERE and join us :)))


on July the 24th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/granadilla juice
chunk of fresh papaya
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
amazing bowl of kelp noodles with a delicious sauce on them made of carrots, hemp seeds, sundried tomatoes, dulse, lime juice, basil, cilantro - yummmmmm :) Followed by a chunk of *outrageous* handmade Pili Nut "chocolate" from Mr. M - WOW ;O
big mug of herbal tea
water of two young coconuts


on July the 25th I appreciated:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/granadilla juice
chunk of fresh papaya
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, followed by a chunk of *outrageous* handmade Pili Nut "chocolate" from Mr. M - WOW ;O
big mug of herbal tea
water of two young coconuts


I am SUPER-excited to share that dear raw si*star* Shazzie has begun sharing her raw inspiration on TV ;O That's right, she has a raw foodie show on the *actual* TV - imagine :)

*VERY* exciting news - raw food is really seemingly going "mainstream" ;) You can check out the first couple of episodes at these links:

Part One: http://www.theactivechannel.com/player/rawkitchenpart1

Part Two: http://www.theactivechannel.com/player/rawkitchenpart2

...aaaaaaaand she's looking for a few people in the UK to join her on the show to share their recipes, stories and so on - check out all the deeeeets on Shazzie's blog HERE - enjoy :)))


on July the 26th I was blissed with:

1 quart water
3 cups watermelon/mandarin juice
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
chunk of fresh papaya
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, followed by a chunk of *outrageous* handmade Pili Nut "chocolate" from Mr. M - WOW ;O
water of two young coconuts


on July the 27th I loved:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/passionfruit juice
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
chunk of fresh papaya
amazing potluck FEAST with lovely friends - various savoury dishes, with a lot of cucumbers involved for some reason ;) Followed by servings of two almost identical frozen strawberry pies :)
water of three young coconuts

In case you didn't yet hear, we currently have both July AND August's "at-cost" specials available over at TheRawFoodWorld.com - double fun ;) Check out all the deals HERE until Monday appears, August meets us and the July deals instantly vaporise... ;)

Also, we currently have a very special 33% OFF deal on my book "Raw Emotions" - both the printed and ebook versions - this offer is valid until my 33rd b-day on August 10th - check out the deals HERE and...enjoy :)

All love,
A. C. Stokes-Monarch. xxx

What Do Raw Foodists Really Eat...? + Will YOU Be Joining David Wolfe For His Birthday This Year...? :)

What do raw foodists *really* eat...?
Well, if you read this blog regularly, you'll know *exactly* what I eat, day-in-day-out... ;) However, not everyone usually details their food logs in this way, so if you're curious how other raw foodies eat, you might wanna check out an intriguing new ebook from Nomi Shannon called "What Do Raw Fooders Eat?" which contains food logs, recipes, insights and tips from 48 raw foodies from around the world, including Mr. Monarch, Victoria Boutenko, Cherie Soria, Jameth Sheridan and many others - check it all out HERE and...enjoy ;)


on July the 21st I loved:

1 quart water
2.5 cups watermelon/mandarin juice
chunk of fresh papaya
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, with nori/avo/Sea Clear/sauerkraut on the side, followed by a sliced apple spread with almond butter
big mug of herbal tea
water of a young coconut
a sliced apple with almond butter
1 cup water


Yeeeeeeee-HAH, we're back on Leo time again - raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh ;)

...and Mr. David Wolfe, raw lion extraordinaire, is hosting a very special birthday celebration this year in...Detroit, of all places, on his only Mid-West tour stop this year ;)
Wolfie will be delighting in a three-day celebration of all things raw and delicious from August 5th to the 7th, spanning his birthday on the 6th... This event, going by the name of "David Wolfe RAW" will be a three-day immersion experience into all things raw, cutting-edge, healthful, longevity-provoking and joyful :) Yoga, talks, Q&A, food demos, prizes, tonics, a gourmet birthday dinner and much more are all on offer - check it all out at: http://www.how2eatraw.com
...aaaaaaaaaaaand, as a very special gift to y'all, the organisers of this unique event are offering an exclusive discount to those of you who would love to go and play in the birthday games with Mr. Wolfe - you can get a *10% discount on tickets* and a *15% discount on 3-day passes* by using the exclusive coupon code RawWorld as you purchase your tickets (note: this code is case sensitive)...ENJOY :)
...and here's David's video invite to this event for you to enjoy too:

http://vimeo.com/25156444

on July the 22nd I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/granadilla juice
chunk of fresh cherimoya - yummmmmmm :)
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, with nori/avo/Sea Clear/sauerkraut on the side, followed by a sliced apple spread with almond butter
big mug of herbal tea
water of a young coconut
little bowl of grawnola with sliced apple and coconut water
1 cup water


on July the 23rd I was blessed with:

1 quart water
2.5 cups watermelon/mandarin juice
chunk of fresh papaya
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
bowl of energy soup fresh from the garden, with nori/avo/Sea Clear/sauerkraut on the side, followed by a sliced apple spread with almond butter
big mug of herbal tea
little hand-stirred yumpot of hazelnut butter, carob powder, stevia, orange oil
water of a young coconut
2 cups water

We enjoyed a *lovely* live radio interview with the delightful Elaina Love last week, covering candida, detox, liver cleansing, juice feasting, low glycemic food choices and much more...you can check out the free playback for that interview over at http://www.TheRawFoodWorldRadioShow.com for the next week or so - enjoy :)

All love,
A. C. Stokes-Monaaaaaaarrrrrch. xxx

Reflections On a 1-Week Internet/"Left-Brain" Fast :)

I am BACK :) 

As you may recall, I was on a week-long "internet/left-brain fast" this last week and it was an absolutely FABULOUS experience for me... Yesterday I shared in my newsletter three of the main insights/observations this "fast" brought up for me and I wanted to post these here too, for those who may have missed the newsletter... I sense that some of these thoughts shared below may be a little challenging to follow or relate to for some people - as ever, please simply take whatever might speak to you from this sharing and leave the rest... ;)

*I was very surprised to find that the main activity my energy was drawn towards during this "fast" was clearing/cleaning in our house ;O Over the course of the last week, I literally went through every single item in every single room of our home, organising, clearing, sorting and getting everything clear for *myself* about where things are, how things work and so on...I had no idea this would come up for me as an activity of interest and in fact it turned out to feel like a hugely cleansing, clearing and settling experience for me... It felt so empowering for me to get such clarity abt what is and isn't here, how it all fits together and so on...I understand that this might sound a bit strange to some people - lol - and it is certainly not smthg I anticipated being engaged in, or enjoying so thoroughly... I had no idea I would even have an interest in doing such a thing until I *actually* disconnected from the internet/left brain/schedule world and asked my being what it wanted to do...well, here I am on the other side of a wonderful week of clearing, with such an extraordinary feeling of *lightness*, clarity and joy in my being...
This is pretty much the first "home" that I've had as an adult - I was on the road for abt 14 years prior to us moving here to Vilcabamba...and our short time here so far has felt pretty PACKED with activity, people, stuff, expansion, projects...any clear sense of what was where in this house had long since escaped me, even though we don't own THAT many things and I didn't even *know* I felt this way until I disconnected and got quiet enough to tune into what I really wanted to focus on... Well, now my strong inner Virgo is definitely very happy, everything is in an order and place that makes sense to me and I have a huge sense of joy, lightness and "settling" that I didn't even know wasn't there before...a wonderful exploratory experience :)


On July 12th-19th I was on a week-long "left-brain/internet fast" and I appreciated the same kind of stuff each day - smthg like this:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/granadilla juice
handful of fresh strawberries/other fresh fruit
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
little bowl of energy soup, nori sheets with Sea Clear, pistachio butter and sauerkraut on the side, followed by a sliced apple spread with almond butter
big mug of herbal tea
water of a young coconut
3 granadilla, chunk of papaya
1 cup water



*Going back online on Tuesday night for the first time in a week felt very odd... ;) I did not miss being on the internet *at all*, in fact it felt HUGELY liberating for me to be outside that reality for a while. Just like when someone does a fast from solid food and can finally get some perspective on their relationship with food, disconnecting from the internet/left-brain/schedule world for a week was amazing for me in terms of getting to clearly observe my relationship with the internet from a distance and to consider how I might love to restructure this relationship on the other side of this "fast". There were very interesting energetic sensations in my body and being from being back online...I noted how when I first reconnected, my whole being was still very calm, very relaxed, in no "rush" to get anything in particular done, taking things slowly, breathing easily...later as I got further into the connection, especially starting to work through the mound of emails accumulated over a week, I could feel my energy body getting tighter and it also felt more concentrated in my MIND, rather than lower in my heart and whole body - the experience was shifting... I worked through about half of the accumulated emails and then chose to leave it all and go to bed, yet discovered that my energy field was now altered...as I got into bed, there was a clear sense of agitation, restlessness, unsettled energy in my field...everything felt "higher up", in my mind, rather than a smooth sense of my energy field feeling evened out, serene and peaceful, as it had done the whole previous week...very interesting for me to observe... So, one conclusion I am drawing from this is the desire to outline for myself from now on specific times in any given day when I intend to be online/dealing with emails etc, then free myself from that connection completely the rest of the time...it feels especially in alignment for me right now to not be online towards the end of the day, as this seemed to have a distinct and unsettling effect on my energy field last night...


On July the 20th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1 cup mandarin/granadilla juice
chunk of fresh papaya
2 cups coconut water blended with Elixir of The Lake
little bowl of energy soup, a little cucumber salad stuffed into nori sheets with Sea Clear and sauerkraut, followed by a sliced apple spread with almond butter
big mug of herbal tea
tastings of *amazing* raw creations at a delicious raw potluck spread: the "alfredo fettucine", pesto and pizza were all outstanding to my tastebuds, followed by some yummy frozen strawberry/mango cake :)
2 cups water


*I have been left with a new, even clearer sense of awareness of my energetic field from this "fasting" experience...this may be a little challenging to convey in words, let's see...there is a rich, full sense of stillness, presence and flow inside my being that was very nourished by this fasting experience - it feels very "filled-out" and more solid than ever before - call it the "still, small voice within", "intuition", "core being" or whatever word/phrase might make sense to you - there is a very full and expanded sense of that energy connection inside me after this fasting experience...and it feels clearly like smthg I want to maintain - it feels like a very strong "feminine" energy to me, which wants to be witnessed and involved...and interestingly I am ever-more able to notice small "disturbances" in this energy f!eld now, as and when smthg more "left-brain" is called to my attention, for example, or when the energy of a situation feels like it is getting "off-centre" in some way... This "feminine" flow energy feels very rooted in my whole torso, rather than up in my head/higher chakras... I feel very grateful for its presence and hold the intention to maintain this rich connection, choosing more time/space/flow in my life for "right-brain"/nourishing activities for me, rather than feeling more "fenced in" by left-brain things... ;) 

Ahhhhhhhh (deep breath)...I hope you enjoyed reading these musings and that perhaps smthg in here resonated for you too - I know for myself that this "fasting" has been a wonderful, very rich and nourishing experience, one filled with joy, gratitude, insights and upliftment and I feel that potentially my life will be permanently shifted into a different way of being after this week-long break - we'll see how things unfold from here... thank you :)

All love,
A. C. Stokes-Monaaaaaaaaaaaaarch :) xxx