Raw Emotions Reviewed... :)

Awwwwwww, HERE is a lovely little online review of 'Raw Emotions' posted a couple of days ago by Maria Rippo over at BrightHub.com :) Maria is Managing Editor of the Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Channel at BrightHub and after coming along to one of our talks in Seattle, she decided to read and review Raw Emotions...
Here's an excerpt:

" I rarely read a book that I feel I would want to read over and over and over, but this book is surely one that will not be collecting dust anytime soon. It is not a book about diet at all, but one about recognizing, facing and working through the very real occurrence of food addiction. In this current culture, where the standard American diet (SAD) reigns, many people do not suffer from lack of self control as much as they do from a literal addiction to food. Without addressing this, a diet may very well only give temporary weight loss success.

If the food addiction aspect is not addressed, a person will likely gain their weight back. Angela Stokes addresses this issue in a non confrontational, gentle and empathic way that is truly transforming. The one common theme that came to my mind as I read this book was, "Why is this issue left in the dark by the mainstream?". Angela addresses this important question in her book."

Thanks, Maria :) You can read the whole review HERE.


on July the 29th I enjoyed:

1 quart water
1.5 cups greeeeeen juice
pot of pineapple chunks
1.5 cups goji water with Marine Phytoplankton
big bowl of blueberries and blackberries with almond butter
3 cups water
cup of frozen 'banana whip' at Arnold's Way with pineapple, coconut flakes and bee pollen – yummmmm :)
1 quart water

…and while we're on the subject of Raw Emotions, here too is a sweet little message sent in by another reader recently:

"I attended your seminar in Dallas. I've been reading Raw Emotions and must confess that page 47 brought me to tears. You've shed light on areas of my life and described what I've been doing but didn't even realize it. I so appreciate that you've taken the time to write this book." RD, Texas

:) Thanks, RD :)
It's so rewarding for me to hear feedback like this from people about this book and the way that it is helping to facilitate shifts in others' lives – this book felt like such an enormous project to bring to completion and so very cathartic for me to explore...and I love seeing and hearing about the ripples that are now flowing around as the book spreads its way through our individual and collective healing journeys...if you'd love a copy and haven't picked it up yet, you can get Raw Emotions HERE.

ENJOY :)

on July the 30th I had:

1 quart water
3 cups greeeeeeen juice: cucumber, celery, crab apples, ginger
handful of wild raspberries – WOW ;O
2.5 cups energy soup made with fresh picked greens (purslane, plantain, dandelion, clover, dill...)
3 cups water
1.5 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton
30 chlorella nuts
double shot of wheatgrass/sunflower greens
1.5 cups of coconut water with Greener Grasses powder
1/5 quarts water


on July the 31st I loved:

1 quart water
2 cups goji juice with Marine Phytoplankton
3 cups greeeeeen juice from Liquiteria in NYC
yummy dessert treats from Bonobos – coconut chai drink, pineapple/coconut frozen pie and a mesquite ball – yummmmm :)
1 quart water
3 cups greeeeeen juice from Liquiteria
2 cups water

The primary theme of Raw Emotions is restructuring patterns, habits and behaviours that do not serve us positively...and on that note, I'd love to leave you today with a lovely little quote that recently landed in my inbox via the free daily emails from PhilosophersNotes.com – loved this one:

“It is a mistake for anyone to think he has lived too long in his old, unsatisfactory ways to make the great change. If you switch on the light in a dark room, it makes no difference how long it was dark because the light will still shine. Be teachable. That is the whole secret.”
~ Vernon Howard

Shine on, my beautiful friends :)
All love,
Angela Claire Stokes–Monarch. xxx

'Better Than Roasted' Butter Bliss...

HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE :)))))
I hope those of you in the Northern hemisphere are loving the light, wherever you are :) ...and presumably happy WINTER solstice wishes are in order for our brothers and sisters down south...? Seems odd to contemplate now... ;)
I’m amazed daily at the LIGHT here in Iceland...I seriously don’t think it has been dark since I got here – nothing...just constant daylight ;) I love it...plus solstice and full moon all in one week, eh? How blessed we are... :)
…and for those of you who have been asking, yes, I will give a talk here in Iceland at some point in the coming weeks – details to be confirmed – I’ll post smthg here when more becomes clear...hopefully Mr. Monarch will be here too at some point and we can all play together...some of you have indeed been writing in, wondering if the Monarch and myself are still together ;) lol...mmmmm, still very much together, thank you...just apart in the physical at the moment, while we continue to wait out the visa process... :( He’s in the US at the moment, working on many exciting new projects, like stuffing all your orders with masses of free samples ;) ...hence the fact that he hasn’t blogged much recently either...he’s been working magic in other areas instead... ;)
All being well, we will BOTH be back enjoying life together Stateside before autumn equinox is upon us... ;) Until then, I’ll keep on soaking up the light here...

on June the 20th I had:

1 quart water
2.5 cups green juice: cucumber, cilantro, watercress, fennel, lettuce, ginger
2 cups smoothie: lucuma powder, almonds, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, green powder, water
1 quart water
shot of wheatgrass
bowl of sea spaghetti with sauce made from blended sunflower seed butter, fresh dill, cumin powder, green powder, garlic, Himalayan salt and water, with baby spinach leaves and spicy flax crackers
mug of ‘choco’ tea
3 cups water

OOoOOOOooooo, exciting buttery announcement:
So, that lovely Mr Monarch sent me a whole CASE of the divine ‘Better Than Roasted’ nut/seed butters a few weeks ago. As you may have noticed, they’ve been popping up in my food logs pretty much daily since then. WOW...this company seriously knows how to pack love into a product :))) Amazing...they soak all their seeds and nuts before they grind them down at low temperatures into these delicious spread-able pastes. These butters are proving so popular that the company actually bought extra, dedicated machines to keep up with the demand we’re sending their way ;O …aaaaaaaand, at the moment, they’re on sale on Mr Monarch’s site, at cost price – wow :) You can currently try any of the range from as little as $6.55 a jar – this is definitely a good time to try them out if you never have before...or stock up if you already love them :)
My favourite is the pine nut butter – WOW – liquidy, smooth, creamy, delectable ambrosia ;) Pistachio is probably my next favourite... they also have macadamia, brazil nut, apricot kernal, hazelnut, black sesame seed, sunflower and pumpkin seed butters. You can see the whole cut-price range at THIS LINK. Note that ground white chia seeds are also on sale there - $7.45 for a 1lb bag... :) These offers are valid only until the end of this month, so...enjoy now while the going’s groovy ;) YumMmMMmmmmmMMmMmmMmmmmmmm :)

on June the 21st I had:

1 quart water
2.5 cups green juice: cucumber, lettuce, spinach, parsley, fennel, ginger
2 cups smoothie: lucuma, almonds, pumpkin seeds, green powder, water with goji berries and pine nuts thrown in for chewability ;)
2 cups water
mug of peppermint tea
2 cups water
shot of wheatgrass
bowl of chia soaked in water, mixed with lucuma powder, goji berries, pine nuts, green powder, maca, cinnamon powder
mug of ‘choco’ tea
3 cups water

WOW, thanks so much everyone for the beautiful feedback that continues to flow in for ‘Raw Emotions’. I’m working on getting it ready for printing RIGHT NOW and hope that we’ll see it in a printed format within 2-3 months ;) I’ll keep y’all updated on progress with that...in the meantime, here’s a lovely review sent in by Jane:

“Firstly, I appreciated the fact that you don't assume everyone with an eating disorder is obese, or even overweight. Many Western women have horrible self-destructive relationships with food, which manifest in many ways and can be as devastating as obesity in Western cultures.

Secondly, I love the way you never preach, but offer stories, suggestions and tips based on your own experience of recovering from a difficult relationship with food! It's very easy to be intimidated and put off by dogmatic, extreme approaches to eating, which I've certainly encountered in the world of raw food diets. I appreciate your "middle path" approach. "One God, many paths," Gandhi.

Thirdly, I really, really love your holistic approach - it's all too easy to assume that recovering from eating issues/disorders is exclusively about food. It certainly isn't! You've included so many simple, practical, creative, interesting - and sometimes - fun suggestions for approaching a healthier relationship with food! I personally like the idea of a morning prayer and affirmations.

Finally, I'm very grateful for your list of recommended reading and have been working my way through one of the books: "Home Coming" by John Bradshaw, which is possibly one of the toughest but simultaneously healing books I've ever encountered.

My only criticism is that "Raw Emotions" isn't currently available in book format, as this is the sort of information, I'd like to carry around with me, or keep by my bed, so that I can dip in-and-out for inspiration.

Thanks again for your work Angela; I feel you devote a lot of time and energy to reaching out and supporting other people...and it's much appreciated.

Best Wishes,
Jane”

Awwwwww, thanks love :))))) Yep...hopefully that printed book version will be in your hands in just a couple of months' time... ;)
All blessings for now,
Miss Stokes. xxx

Fruity Feedback...

I’m re-reading Raw Emotions at the moment. I’m happy to see that it makes sense ;) LOL...after a couple of months’ break from it, I’m reading it over and getting it ready to go to print. I’m adding in a few little extras here and there for the printed version, like a ‘testimony’ page of peoples’ comments so far who have read the book. We’ve had some absolutely lovely feedback already and we’re certainly open to more if YOU’ve read 'Raw Emotions' and would like to share anything in regards to your experience with it. Here’s something sent in by ‘A’ this week:

“Hi Angela, I just wanted to tell you that I finished reading "Raw Emotions" last night.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for writing this book.

You have hit so many nails on the head for me in this book, I am very grateful to you. I am now in the process over going back through my notes to decide which concepts I am going to implement first.

I want so badly to heal my relationship with food and eating and you are such an inspiration to me. Now I see clearly why my earlier attempts at being raw or succeeding with any other way of eating have not been sustainable.
And, thanks to your book, I understand why eating raw foods can be an important part of the healing process. Maybe the time was right for me to get the message...and maybe it's about the teacher showing up with the student is ready.

Thanks again.
Best, A.”

THANKS, A :) If YOU have a testimony you’d love to share, or any comments, feedback, typo alerts or anything else about ‘Raw Emotions’ you’d care to send in, please email angela@rawreform.com and let me know :) You can also order the e-book HERE if you haven’t seen it yet...
THANKS :)

on June the 4th I had:

1 quart water
cup of pau d’arco tea
10oz celery/cucumber/cabbage/fennel/spinach/carrot juice
1lb cherries
2 cups celery/cucumber/spinach/fennel/cabbage/endive/lemon juice
spicy flax crackers topped with dill hummus, sprouts and dulse seaweed = yummmmm
little bowl of sweet stuff afterwards = GOJI BERRY POWDER (WOW), yacon powder and lucuma powder, mixed with water
3 cups water
10oz celery/cucumber/spinach/fennel/cabbage/endive/lemon juice
orange fruits meal: papaya/loquats/persimmon
3 cups water

Time for another story of Brighton magic :) A couple of days ago, a dear friend was leaving on a trip to London for the day. Just before she left, I said ‘Mmmmm, if I was going to London today, I’d go and eat durian there...’ ;)
A few hours later, I was walking down a street in Brighton and suddenly felt the energy of durian, as my attention was drawn to the left. I looked up and there was a Chinese supermarket there that I’d never seen before. Hmmm...I followed the clues and walked towards the store. I then SMELT the durian before I even saw it...and entered the shop to find 2 boxes of fresh, unfrozen durian sitting next to the door. :))) I’ve never seen durian for sale in Brighton before and was extremely excited. The owner told me she gets shipments of them every week in the summer time and this was the first shipment of the summer...and it had just arrived a few minutes before I got there. WOW. The synchronicities in this place are just beautiful :) I really feel like Brighton is an amazing vortex at times – things can certainly manifest quickly here... The cost seemed reasonable too, at £5.95/kilo – which doesn’t seem wildly different to London prices, if I recall correctly. I bought a gorgeous little fruit and ate it in the sun yesterday. If anyone else would love to go and partake of these magnificent munchables, the address is:

Ryelight Supermarket, 48 Preston Street, Brighton, BN1 2HP Tel: 01273 734954

ENJOY :)


on June the 5th I had:

1 quart water
1 mug pau d’arco tea
orange fruits meal: papaya/loquats/persimmon
3 cups celery/cucumber/endive/spinach/fennel/ginger/apple juice
a GORGEOUS little durian
1.5 quarts water
3 cups celery/cucumber/endive/spinach/fennel/ginger/apple juice
1 mug rooibus tea
1 cup water

I’ve been eating quite a lot of fruit (mono-)meals of late and REALLY enjoying them. Here are some of the things I’ve been appreciating:

1. I love that when I eat a fruit meal, I feel light afterwards, rather than ‘weighed down’ in some sense by fats/heavier combinations, etc. When we first go raw, for most of us, there’s a sense that we can almost ‘eat anything’ and we’ll still lose weight, feel healthier and lighter after meals and so on, even if we’re eating raw pizza and cheesecakes all day long – this is of course because we’ve STOPPED eating the really crazy toxic processed/cooked ‘foods’ and almost anything that’s raw is some kind of improvement. That all shifts, the longer one is raw. If I was to eat raw pizza, cookies, cakes etc all day long now, I’d be a mess...LOL...my body consistently moves towards a ‘cleaner’/simpler intake all the time. Whereas raw pizza might have felt ‘light on my stomach’ to me at the start of this journey compared to the junk foods I used to eat, that is no longer the case. Now FRUIT meals feel light to me and I like the ‘clean’ feeling of fuelling up on them...
2. Yesterday I was eating some gorgeous papaya in the sun (one of my absolute favourite foods). After eating, I looked at my skin and noticed my arms and legs looked a little dry. Hmmm, what to do...? Then I realised the answer was right there in front of me – the discarded papaya skin :) I picked it back up and rubbed it all over my limbs – I got my food, then they got theirs’ – wonderful :)
3. I’m feeling more and more that I definitely prefer eating fruits whole, as they are, rather than blending them, making them into cakes/puddings etc. It just feels SO good to me to eat something like that in its whole and natural form, giving blessings before I open it or bite into it, visualising where it came from, giving gratitude. It seems a very different energy to throwing something in a blender and shattering all the cells into a mixture of something else. I’m reading the classic book ‘The Secret Life of Plants’ at the moment, which is also impacting my thoughts around this a lot ;) Plants truly sense and respond to all our thoughts and feelings, as repeatedly outlined in this book with countless examples...
4. I love when supermarkets/stores sell off the BEST fruit really cheaply, because as far as their standards go, it is ‘overripe’, when in fact, it is absolutely IDEALLY ready for munching...this week for example, I got a clutch of divine persimmons that were perfectly soft and ripe for less than £1 ($2)...I see this happen a lot with bananas too...
5. Finally...GOJI BERRY POWDER...while this may be a dried fruit product, rather than something of the more succulent nature, I felt compelled nonetheless to mention it here. This week, three sachets of dried goji berry powder arrived here from Mr. Monarch in the US. (: W.O.W. :) This is one of the most sublime raw foods I’ve tasted yet. Absolutely delicious – it melts in your mouth and tastes sweet and fresh and bizarrely reminiscent of some kind of childhood sweets (not sure which...) You can literally just eat it straight from the packet on its own, it’s SO tasty...or add to any kind of sweet raw meal/smoothie/cake etc...you can get hold of some HERE if you’d like to treat your taste buds ;)

All love,
Angela. xxx