I did an interview today!

[Aleesha Sattva]

I picked up the phone this morning... and someone on the other end asked if I was Aleesha. I said yes and he said, "Aleesha Stephenson?". I said yes. He said "Are you a little confused?" I said yes. (so far my part of the conversation was deep and meaningful LOL)

He started to explain who he was. He's a writer for the Georgia Strait in Vancouver, BC Canada. He wanted to know if I'd do an interview with him on raw foods. He said it'll be more about raw foods than me, but he wanted to include me in the article because he was blown away by the weight I released.

I told him I'd be happy to help him out.

So we began to chat.

I mentioned this forum (so there will be a link to it in the article) and how wonderful Alissa's philosophy is (cause I soooo believe in her philosophy). We went on to discuss my fasting and this fast that I'm doing. He asked lots of questions, nothing that was difficult to answer so I was pleased.

We talked about protein and carbs. Nutrition. Stuff like that.

And then... he said he'd love to send out a photographer but I'm too far from Van so he wondered if I could do it myself. I said sure. I called my g/f who owns a salon and she had me come right down and get my make-up done (as I don't wear make-up anymore) and then I came home and my daughter (who's a wonderful photographer) did my photo shoot.

Thought I'd share the pics with your all.

So... here's what 47 years old and 132 pounds look like!

The first photo is the one for the magazine.
Second is one I love.
Third is the before pic they wanted.

[ReneeH]

wow!!!!!!

you SOOOO look amazing!!!!! I wanna be like you when i grow up!!!!!!! :)

[kjduf]

I have to say you look great... no that's not the right word..... you look vibrant and healthy and are those collar bones I see??? LOL You look amazing.

How exciting about the article, its so cool that raw is getting so much more press than it use to. If you can please post the article when it gets written on here, I am sure we would all love to see it.

Hey on a different note- We got another short haired dachshund, its a little girl we named Balee. She came from a puppy mill that was forced to close down. She is about 9 years old and about 9 pounds.

[Aleesha Sattva]

ahhhhhh fatten that baby up a couple of pounds (((hugs)))

Thanks to both of you. I just took off my 'big-girl' make-up and it's nice to be me again LOL Thankfully it's an Aveda salon so the make-up didn't even bother me (which is surprising).

I will definitely post the article when it's done. And... it's not a magazine, it's a newspaper (silly me)

[RawkinM]

Way to go! Congrats Aleesha!

[Aleesha Sattva]

It comes out in print next Thursday!!!

[RawHealthyBeauty]

You look soooooo goooood!!! OMG!!!! Cute outfit and the make-up looks awesome on you!! You're alll sparkly!!! :D And definitely raw has done it's wonders for you! Raw really works!! And thanks for sharing your story with the world!!! Your daughter did a great job on the photography!!!! :)

[Stella Green]

I can't wait to read the article! So excited! Wow! Love the pics! Aleesha you are so full of life in the most beautiful way possible!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Thank you both so much. I'm kinda flying high right now... it's been a very cool day indeed!

I had someone come up to me today. She looked about 40 years older than the last time I saw her. Covered in wrinkles... I wondered if she was ill. She looked at me and said, "You are too thin, stop whatever you are doing!!!" and walked away.

I just smiled and thought... "I'd rather look like me than you!"

[blizzardfrisbee]

Wow you look wonderful! It is great that you hadthis magazine article! Good for the raw food world.

[GlimR]

You are absolutely adorable! You look fantastic Lady and more than that you are lit up like the sun!

[Aleesha Sattva]

I love my life. I love juicing. I looooove raw live foods. I just love what it's gifted me. Health, weight release... my energy back. So when I think about raw foods... I shine! :)

And thank you both! (((hugs)))

[RawHorizons]

What an awesome plug for raw food and from what I have read on the pages of rawfoodTalk,they couldn't of chosen a better raw foodie to do the job.Congratz!!!! Your transformation is inspiring,and beautiful.......

[GoodCat]

What more can I say then what has already been said.

What you have accomplished is amazing. You are beautiful myyyyy precious!!

~The Lady Aredhel~

[Aleesha Sattva]

Thank you both. *blush*

I can tell you... I had a huge boost to my self-worth and self-esteem today. It was lovely to get all done up and see myself looking cute in pics. *smiling*

I hope the article is great... but I have no idea. The interview wasn't that long, and once it's in the hands of editors... who knows, it may be two lines LOL

BUT two lines of raw goodness is better than none!

[RawKnitster]

I love the first pic!!! I can barely see the makeup behind tha 1,000 WATT smile. :D

You are definitely newsworthy. You will be getting a lot of phone calls and emails when the print hits the street. Have a good time with it!

[zinny]

You look like one of those "naturally thin" people! :)

[Zaphirah]

AHH-ROOO-GAH! Hubba-Hubba! (Zaphi's eyes popping!) You look SENSATIONAL!

Renee said it best. ;) Oh, Aleesha-thank you for all you do for us! You are an amazing and inspirational woman. Please post the article ASAP. I'm so happy for you and the journey you have shared with us.

[islesgirl]

This must be so exciting for you. You do indeed look so alive, healthy, and vibrant. And slim! Wow! Lovely lady!

Thanks for being the determined woman you are because you inspire all of us to carry on this pursuit of excellent health. (and good looks!):D

[lovenlife]

Awwwwwesomeness! Raw rawks lives and if peeps dont beeeleeevit, looky looky! Testomonial right there! Yipppeeee good for you!

[Basenjimamma]

Aleesha, congrats on the interview and article..how cool. The pictures, both of them, are amazing..you are a true testament to how well this works and how wonderful you can feel if you just try..
Can't wait to read the article..

[Aleesha Sattva]

What a beautiful list of "love" to wake up to. Thank you all so much. (((hugs)))

What each of you said sits in my heart and feels sooooo good.

Isn't it amazing how each thing we choose in this life sends ripples that we don't even know about? I love what raw foods has brought into my life. I have my health - which is huge, I've released weight - which was huge, and I've met all of YOU!!! (((hugs)))

[Shine]

How wonderful and exciting!!! :D Thank you for spreading your joy!!!

Your daughter is a talented photographer - she caught so much personality in your pictures!! You radiate :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks Shine!!! I'll pass on the compliment to her. She looooves photography!

[GreenT]

WOW!! You look FANTASTIC!

Great job!! Congrats on the news article, i am looking forward to reading it.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Thanks again!!!

[monkapotapus]

How did I miss this??? :confused:

WOW!!
You look AMAZING, simply AMAZING!!
That is the cutest outfit on you ever~ :cool:
Tell Az great job on the photos!!!!!

I can't wait to read the article :D
Thank you soooo much for sharing with us~You are a brilliant example of what Raw can do~CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! :cool:

[Aleesha Sattva]

Thanks Monk (((hugs))) I'll pass along the compliment to her. She looooves compliments.

I sure love that top. I could wear it as a dress as it's longer on me now that I'm thinner. But I think I'll keep something on my legs for warmth LOL

[Moretta]

Aleesha, how exciting is that and you look amazingly beautiful.

Can't wait to see the article.

[LNdolls]

Congratulations, Aleesha for feeling and looking so radiant that you get to speak about how raw has affected your life! You do look fantastic - your energy leaps off those latest pics and looks banked down in the before pic. Looking especially terrific!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

thank you both!!! (((hugs)))

[Raw,Raw,RawGal]

No wonder he called you!!!! He wants to know all your secrets!! You look FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

[Aleesha Sattva]

JUST got off the phone with the Editor of the paper. He was fact checking and since Matt (the writer) is on a plane to England... he figured he'd call me to check things first hand.

So... I'm pretty excited. It seems that it's going to be a nice sized piece... esp with all the things he was checking with me. I'm excited.

[valkyriesmyst]

I just read this thread. Wow you look awesome! What an amazing transformation. I like the tattoos too.

The lady that walked up to you and said you were too thin is just jealous. :D

I can't wait to read the article.

[Aleesha Sattva]

ya I figure it was her issue... not mine. ;)

Only two more days and the article comes out!!!

[Basenjimamma]

Awesome Aleesha, can't wait to see/read it. So proud of you ...

Yes, jealousy almost always result in "you're too thin" comments..brush them off and grab yourself another RAW delicacy..:D:)

[Aleesha Sattva]

the funny thing is... i'm not too thin. i'm 132 pounds and 5'4" and a little bit depending on the day and my posture LOL

so 132 isn't at all too thin for 5'4".

[Aleesha Sattva]

and... here's the article (http://www.straight.com/article-353686/vancouver/foodies-uncooked-right-raw-deal)!


For foodies, uncooked is the right raw deal

Advocates say ditching animal fats and processed foods makes them feel better and lose weight.

By Matthew Burrows, October 21, 2010

Diet coach Aleesha Stephenson lost 168 pounds switching to raw foods.
Healthy Living

Aleesha Stephenson jokes that she used to be the only “raw foodie” in Agassiz, a place that’s known better for lying somewhere between Hope and Mission than for its food activism.

Her raw vegan diet is a bit of a local anomaly, but the 47-year-old raw-food and fasting coach tells the Georgia Straight in a phone interview that she is always willing to help, at a minimal cost, those who are curious about the health benefits of such a regime.

Stephenson says her story began in 2007, when she weighed 300 pounds and decided she had to do something.

“I was so sick,” she says. “Getting off the couch to go to the bathroom was too much of an effort for me. A friend suggested that I [juice] fast for 10 days and that maybe that would help. And I felt fabulous. Then I went back to eating and felt like crap.”

It was at this point, she says, that the epiphany came: stick with raw food and ditch the Standard American Diet (SAD) for good.

“It is interesting how many people eat raw foods and then they eat a Standard American Diet meal [high in processed foods and animal fats; low in plant-based foods and fibre] and they get really depressed afterwards,” Stephenson said. “SAD food makes you sad.”

Raw food is beneficial, she explains, because its living enzymes are intact, not having been exposed to high cooking temperatures. Hence, the raw food retains its full nutritional potency, and “your food digests itself”. She says your body can then use the energy saved from digestion to heal itself. Stephenson’s current weight of 132 pounds is a physical manifestation of her success.

“Juice fasting, such as I do, is very empowering,” Stephenson adds. “Making it through Thanksgiving dinner this year—cooking for my family all day long, and serving the food and sitting at the table with them—I was water fasting. So I sat with my glass of water and watched them all eat.”

Mere mortals who are not there yet may go through “mourning” when they leave SAD comforts, but Stephenson insists that raw-food based repasts can replicate and even better SAD meals.

“We make cookies, we make cakes, we make everything,” she says. “We have yummy food. We do. Where else can you eat [avocado-cacao] cheesecake for breakfast and still lose weight?”

Folks in Agassiz who thought her a bit odd now take notice, she says.

“First they said I was crazy, then they started asking questions like, ‘Aleesha, what can I do?’ ”

Effervescent 62-year-old yoga instructor Clive Langton told the Straight that he credits both his yoga practice and raw-food diet for his good health. Langton is a director with the Raw Food Society of B.C. The group’s website, contains a raft of information and advice on what to do to get involved with the raw-food movement.

Langton estimates that the amount of people in Metro Vancouver—and Agassiz—currently eating raw food numbers “in the thousands” and is increasing.

“I want to qualify that statement,” Langton says. “If you look at our [Raw B.C.] mission statement, it’s not about people swearing an oath, doomed to die if they ever have a morsel of cooked food in their mouth. It’s moving in the direction of eating more fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. There are a lot of people realizing that they want to eat more simple on the food chain, more healthily.”

This is partly why Stephenson is now a coach, as she wants others to benefit from her own discipline and willpower. The message must be resonating, as she says she has clients all across North America, and even as far away as Morocco. Langton, for his part, says that Raw B.C. is upgrading its website and is hearing from other raw-food groups worldwide that are inspired by what it is doing to get society on a raw footing.

“When you go to a restaurant, you get a pile of rice or you get noodles or you get potatoes or french fries, and it’s all just filler,” Langton says, by way of a parting shot at SAD. “You don’t want to be eating that if you had a choice, really, because it’s not nutrition. It’s sludge that’s just going to fill up those cells and make your body feel more tired and exhausted and craving more food because you’re not getting fed, really.”

Langton then adds, diplomatically: “I don’t want to put you off your lunch.”

[kjduf]

I think that was well written. It was positive and informative. No bashing, no negativity. It was great!

[Aleesha Sattva]

and... it was pretty close to what i actually said. LOL some things are a bit off... but all in all i thought it read well.

[Basenjimamma]

Sounds good. Thanks for posting it.

[RawHealthyBeauty]

Proud of you!! :D So cool to be in a article, right on!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks you two!!! (((hugs)))

it was a lot of fun... being called and asked to be interviewed. *blush* i had so much fun with it.

[monkapotapus]

Nice!!
Thanks for spreading the word :D :D :D

[Aleesha Sattva]

oh you know me... just TRY to shut me up LOL

[Conscious Midwife]

You get the sexiest collar bones of the year award!!!

Excellent article and great pic. KUDOS TO YOU...How RAWmazing is that!?!?

[CathyA.]

Good for you!!! Love the new pics.

[Aleesha Sattva]

You get the sexiest collar bones of the year award!!!

Excellent article and great pic. KUDOS TO YOU...How RAWmazing is that!?!?

giggling... i LOVE my collar bones!!! when they first appreared... i fell in love and have been ever since.

thank you both. :) i appreciate you taking the time to read it.

[nadien alexandra]

wow.

what else to say. You know it, you've got mirrors to look in. You look so bright. What an amazing CONTRAST between before and now.

It makes me SO happy to look at these pictures. I want to show all my friends. can I? can I?

You are a light being now!

[Aleesha Sattva]

of course you can!!!

[freelive]

Amazing photos!

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks freelive. they are my fav pics of me to date.

[beckyh]

I just saw this thread, that was a great article, and your pics are amazing! You look wonderful! Keep up the gr8 work! I can only hope to look like you, when I can get my butt in gear to do a fast! i think I just love chewing and eating all this new wonderful raw food! i am enjoying the food to much to stop and drink some of the food! loL!

[Aleesha Sattva]

You don't have to fast to release weight... just enjoy your raw foods and you'll get there!

[okorolina40]

You look amazing my friend! I am seriously thinking of moving towards a fast as well after Christmas!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Well if you do, come join the fasting monthly thread... we give great support!

[Raw Angel Mom]

Wow, you look younger and younger each time. You are so radiant of life.

Congratulations.

[yoga cat]

absolutely fantastic! the photos are amazing. i have to say though what is most impressive is your incredible zest for life. you shine. bless you. and thank you for being such an inspiration. continued peace to you. you remind me what it is like to feel alive.

[Aleesha Sattva]

so now that you are reminded...

SHINE YOUR LIGHT!

[JonnyBoy]

Definitely a big inspiration to anyone! I admire your dedication..

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks!!

[green goddess]

Wow, Aleesha, what a thrill to be interviewed! So exciting! I absolutely love the pictures... what a difference. I remember reading on the forum some time ago, a little blurb about you being 24, and I thought it was true. I thought you looked pretty good and happy for a 24-year-old! ....Later I realized the age you actually are and was like, "Seriously? I thought she was 24!"

So there... you apparently pass for a 24-year-old in my book! :throwhearts:

[Aleesha Sattva]

giggling... I'm 47! And lovin' every day of this journey!