I signed up for this class at the last minute and even hesitated since I only recently moved back to the area, wasn’t settled yet, and other nutrition studies and work on my plate. Betsy encouraged me to dive in and I’m only so glad she did. I have been interested in raw foods for several years, been reading about it, doing some internal cleansing, and trying my hand at a few new raw dishes.
Even though I am an experienced cook, I felt intimidated by the new methods and chemistry of raw food preparation. Even with all my books and online resources, I’m a kinesthetic learner and really did need hands-on experience to learn. Betsy provided this through live demos, her teachings in the class, and in her internship (which I did). She is very generous and shares so many resources and much information. She also made it all seem easy and approachable.[vc_column_text el_class=”text-just”]She is a library of nutritional knowledge and knows the best of the best. If there is anything she doesn’t know Betsy is always willing to learn or find out. Her energy and enthusiasm are boundless.As a class, we got to share each other’s new experiments and recipes which allowed me to learn raw food preparation exponentially through the variety of dishes shared. It was delightful to taste so many new, delicious raw food samples, to hear what worked methods best for people (and ones that didn’t), and to get new, creative ideas. This was a very inspiring part of the course. As a class, we also had discussions that were interesting and provocative. Food and eating can be a loaded topic and we shared our experiences with passion and vulnerability.
Even though some of our speakers had to cancel, it was wonderful to meet the speakers who were able to attend. They all had a wealth of information and shared their own, unique experience and opinions. Food for thought! The course is very rich, dense, and thorough. I understand why many people attend two and three times over because one time through is not nearly enough to absorb all of the information on the dvd’s, in the book, in the class, and from the speakers. This course holds a wealth of resources for all those in the Boston area (and beyond).
I had first heard about the Hippocrates Institute while living in Hawaii. Many friends would often refer to the Hippocrates perspective and teachings, and to Ann Wigmore. Even with all of the wonderful “offspring,” the new raw teachers and chefs with their own take on this lifestyle, it seems like the Hippocrates approach is foundational and extremely important to learn more about this lifestyle. It’s important to learn from the source even if one decides to vary some elements to suit individual preferences. All artists learn fundamentals before they develop their own style. The raw food lifestyle in an art de vie, the art of life. This course should be a required fundamental for conscious, healthy living.
What I have gained from taking the Life Force Energy course this session is support, motivation, and passion for living the raw and living foods lifestyle. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful people and heard such amazing stories about how living foods have helped heal and change peoples’ lives. As a result, I am more inspired than ever to continue on the path. Also, I have incorporated what I have learned into my work as a health coach in the corporate wellness world and health educator teaching nutrition to seniors – I am now constantly promoting the healthfulness of a plant-based diet over an animal-based one with a focus on raw salads and the importance of greens.
In this intensive 10 week class, which I had the opportunity to assist Betsy, our facilitator, and inspiration in the preparation for each class, I learned about the concepts of living a raw foods lifestyle and the value of consistently eating a diet of raw foods. By helping prepare for the class, I gained a deep appreciation of Betsy’s devotion and all the hard work and preparation that it takes to sustain and teach the class. This was far more work than I had imagined. My goals for the class were to gain a foundation of the reasons for a raw food diet and the theories of the Hippocrates healthy lifestyle. During the class, I learned new ideas and skills for making raw food each session. I also started growing wheatgrass and sprouts, which I plan to continue.
I invested in a wheatgrass juicer so that I can experience the benefits of drinking wheatgrass juice and share it with family and friends. When I did the fast and the enema with wheatgrass juice, I felt somewhat weakened, but at the same time, I felt so much more clarity and sensitivity.
By wheatgrass and vegetable juicing, I got so much more energy and happiness! I felt more free and in the flow of life and not so entrapped by my usual emotional blocks. After the fast, I clearly felt an increase in my health and well being. By assisting in the preparation of the class I learned it was important to integrate the class with lecture, class discussions and preparing and sampling the various types of raw food for each class. I understood that it was necessary to keep the class schedule, so that we could get through all of the material for each session. I hope to teach a 10 week class at some point and also integrate the information into any curriculum that I am using when I teach the disabled and/or blind. I will share it with all and any family of friends that are at all interested. For myself, I have increased my raw food up to about 75% and feel more energy and my digestion is improved… In addition, I have less anxiety and I feel more calmness, serenity, and order in my life. Eating raw food and living the raw food lifestyle is the best prevention against degenerative disease and aging. I still have some health issues to work on. In the near future, I intend to invest in a series of colonics to cleanse and rejuvenate my colon. Colonics are highly recommended by Hippocrates Institute to heal the colon. One of the most valuable benefits that I gained from the class was forming lasting friendships with my people that I shared the journey to a raw food lifestyle. These are very special friendships because we have the common experience of transforming our lives with the raw foods. We developed an intimacy and closeness by sharing our successes and struggles. In addition, I found that it was very supportive having my own personal coach that I could share with and receive encouragement from. Although preparing raw foods often takes more time and energy, but it is an investment in our health and well being.
Coming from a macrobiotic background in which foods are prepared according to season, the idea of raw foods in the winter seemed counter-intuitive. We all crave warmth and comfort in the cold winter months in New England. Yet after hemming and hawing about signing up for the class long enough, I knew it was time to delve in. I had had so many people for so long talk about the benefits of raw foods and I could see and feel the aliveness in them. I kept meeting more and more vibrant positive people who said they followed a raw foods lifestyle. It was time I learned more.
Betsy was the perfect teacher; Kind, sincere, enthusiastic, and welcoming. I was glad I was encouraged by a fellow classmate at the intro to sign up. My goal simply was to learn more about raw foods. And that I did. The class was a whirlwind of new experiences and information. It covered everything from growing our own wheatgrass to juicing, to preparing new and delicious foods, to the environmental and spiritual relationships to food choices, and more. It was more than worth the investment of time and money.
As far as eating raw in the winter? I never felt better, was never cold, had tons of energy and a more positive outlook than ever before. From the moment I walked into Betsy’s kitchen and she offered me a glass of fresh-pressed wheatgrass juice and her daily morning juice of sprouts, greens, and lemon, I was hooked. I immediately felt the “life force”. A feeling of wellbeing, aliveness, and connectedness that we all crave, but usually look for in all the wrong places.
I only hope that more and more people will become open to this new experience.
This has been the most unexpected best 10 weeks of my life. I came to this class to support my daughter, Pam, and in turn I got the support I needed to lead me to a more nutritious and vivacious life. I have never felt more proud of myself than I do at this time of my almost 65 years! Wow!!! What an accomplishment! Thanks.
