Michelle's Testimony: (Artist story below)
Hello! I’m Michelle & I’ve been living a vegan lifestyle for 8 years now. I was inspired & choose this path to try & heal from symptoms that were starting to affect my life. This is a lifestyle for health & healing, not a fad diet. Although I’m still healing, it has helped me feel so much better! I want to educate & inspire others to eat more raw living foods and vegan so they can be healthy both physically & spiritually! (I'm currently working with and supporting the Vibrant Health Institute www.VibrantHealthInstitute.com , link on left. My artwork site: http://michellemarilyn.wixsite.com/michelle-m-trares )
I’ve suffered from what Allopathic medicine calls colitis, gerd, IBS & stomach pain since Jr. High. and by college it only got worse. I tried every diet out there & none of them worked. Eventually I started having swollen lymph nodes & bad joint pain in my knee & hip 5 years ago. I thought it was overuse from running, but I gave up running & the pain spread to other joints & tendons over time. I couldn’t work, couldn’t be on my feet or do a lot of the things I used to do. My life was flipped upside down. My plans to run the Boston Marathon came to a halt. Pain was all I thought about and it took a toll mentally and emotionally as well. I can remember trying to get from my car, to my class at the local community college. I parked pretty much by the door and barely made it through the doors to the bench in the hallway. Piercing and burning pain through all my joints and tendons, I rested and mentally prepared to hop on the elevator to get to the top floor to my class. This is just one example of what my life was like at the time.
Every doctor I went to said something different. I had symptoms of fibromyalgia, adrenal fatigue, menopause, arthritis and more. I went to a rheumatologist & they suspected a type of RA and I was put on a steroid & a sulfa drug that was supposed to help the inflammation. After a month the pain got worse, I lost my appetite, lost a ton of weight, ended up with a high fever, toxic liver, extreme rash and swelling, bone edema & low kidney function. For a short moment, I wondered if I was going to make it through all this. I spent 5 days in the hospital & they decided it was a reaction to the drugs, but nobody really knew what was wrong with me.
I had many ups & downs after this, but my pain eventually got worse. I was still having trouble with digestion and now I couldn’t stand for more than 10 minutes. Even everyday things like using scissors or doing my hair hurt. One night I was in so much pain & remembered how some of my family members had been into juicing and herbs for healing. I was led to YouTube & found a video of this enthusiastic vibrant looking man making a green juice out of his RV. Dan McDonald “The Life Regenerator” was his name and he was raving about the power of raw living fruits and vegetables. I emailed him right away for answers and a few hours later I was surprised to see he already responded! I followed his advice & did a short juice fast of watermelon, celery, & cucumber only & immediately started feeling better for the first time. It was like a light bulb went on. A shift happened. I knew right then thatraw living foods was the way to go & so my healing journey began! For the first 6 years I ate strictly raw living plant foods only (no animal products). I immediately decided to start Dan’s Detox Mastery DVD series which introduced me to new recipes and a new way of eating. Through detoxification, raw living fruits, vegetables, herbs, green juices and lifestyle changes I felt so much better! I can do every day things again with very little to no pain! My digestion is better, my kidneys and adrenals function better, sleep is better, mind is clearer, hair is thicker, the bone edema healed and more. This lifestyle isn’t restrictive, but liberating! Although I’m not at the point of running really long distances yet, I am happier and I am thriving now instead of just surviving.The past 2 years I have been able to incorporate about 20% cooked planted foods back into my diet without any health issues!
What doctors didn’t tell me was all that I had suffered with was the cumulative effects of toxins in our environment, toxic foods, toxic thoughts, and poor lifestyle choices, which lead to a toxic body and the symptoms I experienced. The body can cleanse and heal itself if we provide it with the right conditions, the right fuel and a positive and loving mindset. I found that God and nature provide all we need for healing and by choosing to change our lifestyle we can thrive and live up to our true potential.
Healing takes time and is a journey. Even on a mostly raw vegan diet one can over eat, suffer from stress, eat out of balance and start to slide backwards with healing. This is why I decided to stay a week at VHI ( www.VibrantHealthInstitute.com ) and attend their program, because I felt I needed to get back on track and feel refreshed again. I decided to juice fast on wheat grass and green juice while there for the first two days and then I water fasted a short time. Towards the end I began eating solid food again. All of the food and juice was very satisfying and nourishing. The kitchen staff is great. Everyone at VHI was very supportive with my decision to detox on just liquids part of the time, which was very helpful. The wheatgrass there tasted better than any I have had before. My body loved their structured water! I normally drink close to a gallon of water a day at home and have to run to the bathroom every hour. The first day at VHI I was drinking the same amount of water but wasn’t running to the loo hardly at all. At first I was surprised but as the day went on I felt more hydrated than usual and realized that the structured water was absorbing into my body much better than the water from home. I felt my body start to detox just from the water alone. I now realize how important the quality of water is.
After just one week attending the program I felt muscle knots and some inflammation that had flared a little go down, my teeth looked whiter, I felt I needed less food to be satisfied, my face had more color and I felt more hydrated than before. I seem to carry a lot of stress and heaviness in my chest area which causes me to hunch normally. When I got home I realized that weight and tightness had lifted and I was sitting up straighter. I think Donna’s yoga every morning, meditation and conscious breathing really helped. The therapy room was great and the chi machine was my favorite. I felt more energized after only ten minutes of using it. The rooms and the whole building was very cozy. I loved all the lectures and discussions that took place and really felt comfortable opening up. I left feeling more confident and inspired to work on my art and my own goals. I met some amazing people and made some wonderful new friends!
In Michelle's own words: "I was gifted at birth with the ability to paint and draw. I see and feel the essence of God, peace, and love in nature and when I look into space above. I have a desire to recreate the mystery, comfort, peace and spiritual energy I find there. These experiences, as well as spending most of my life in the country and nature, inspire my art. All of this plays a vital role in the creation of my work.
In 2009 I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Bowling Green State University with a major in Painting and Art Education. After graduating I found myself faced with a lot of health challenges for the next couple years that also took a toll mentally and emotionally, effecting my art work. For some time, I felt I wasn’t expressing myself to my full potential like I desired.
In the winter of 2016, while spending some time at Vibrant Health Institute fasting and healing, I overcame many fears and mental blocks. This allowed a rebirth of my art. I started drawing mandalas instead of my usual hyper realistic paintings, which can be challenging. I decided that I was going to draw whatever I wanted in the moment with no goal in mind, just like I used to daily as a child, without self-judgment or criticism. I began drawing and felt lost in the moment and in a peaceful meditative state just like I was as a child. When I have no goal in mind or fear of my work being imperfect, it flows effortlessly.
What came out surprised me. Each pattern when repeated doesn’t always look exactly symmetrical to its copy next to it, but that doesn’t matter. In the end those details that seem imperfect are in fact not flaws, but perfect. They come together to create a flawless and authentic expression of myself in the moment.
From there my work has continued to grow and I've begun to sell prints and originals. Recently I decided to share my work through a coloring book, available by February 2017. I hope to spread the joy with you that I experienced creating these!! For more of my artwork: CLICK HERE
- Raw Vegan Chef
- Certified Detox Specialist / Coach
- Menu Planning, Juice and Colon Cleansing
- Fine Artist, Painter *SEE BELOW*
- Wellness Retreat Chef & Teacher
- Mandala Drawing Classes
Purchase your favoriteHERE! Some originals still available!
RAW Menu Planning, by Michelle!
Let's start with Juicing for your health:
Strawberry, grape, apple
Orange, lemon, ginger, garlic (optional), water
Apple, orange, lemon, carrot, cranberry
Cucumber, parsley, celery, ginger, mint
Apple, parsley, mint
Lemon grass, lemon, apple
Coconut water, parsley, lime
Cucumber, pea greens, sunflower sprouts, celery
Grape, lemon, kale
Watermelon with rind (if organic)
Apples, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, sea salt, orange oil
Smoothies:
Pineapple, banana
Peachy Cinnamon Banana
Raspberry Berry Good Smoothie
Banana, Strawberry Superfood
Pineapple Green Spirulina
Banana, Raspberry, Papaya
Dips, Pates & Cheese:
Spicy BBQ Dip
Guacamole
Mango Salsa
Coconut Sour Cream
Dill Pine nut Dip
Cashew Cheese
Nacho Cheese
Hummus
Parmesan Cheese
Salads & Dressings:
Cole Slaw
Basil Balsamic Watermelon Salad
Greek Salad
Poppy Seed Dressing
Asian Cucumber Salad
French Dressing
Kale Salad
Caesar Salad
Pear Fennel Salad
Cajun Cabbage
Main Dishes:
Pizza (your favorite toppings!)
Sushi
Lasagna
Chili
Energy Enriched Soup (blended)
Brazil Nut, Red Pepper Soup
Curry Cauliflower Rice
Buffalo Cauliflower
Walnut Pesto Stuffed Mushroom
Tacos
Falafel
Garden Veggie Burgers
Dehydrated Foods:
Kale Chips
Zucchini Chips
Beet Chips
Sweet Potato Chips
Coconut & Zucchini 'Bacon'
Spicy Cheesy BBQue Cauliflower wings
Pizza Crust
Chia Crackers
Carrot, Almond, Dill Crackers
Mexican Flax Crackers
Date Nut Balls
Desserts:
Almond Pulp Brownies
Chocolate Mouse
Short Bread Cookies
Coconut Yogurt
Pumpkin Pie
Almond milk
Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Blueberry, Lemon Cheesecake
Frozen Treats
Chocolates
Egg Nog
Some of Michelle's Favorite Raw Dishes!
michelle.marilyn@yahoo.com
Facebook: Raw Garden Girl
Instagram: Artfullyraww & Michellemarilynart
Text: 860.294.4620
Need some healthy advice right now?
Skype with Michelle! $35 for 30 minutes!
Email to set up a time: michelle.marilyn@yahoo.com
Meet Michelle Marilyn
WHEATGRASSGREENHOUSE
Michelle's Private Chef Details:
Cost: *Not living in:
- per hour: $45
- per day (8 hours): $250
- per week: $989 (5 days)
- Reimbursed for gas, travel, lodging & groceries
*Clean up of dishes and appliances (dirty during the time, preparing food)
*No cooked food (meats, fried foods), with exception of some cooked soups, raw vegan only.
If living in, responsibilities such as pet sitting, maid service or other areas not included, other then preparing food.
Weekly Menu Includes:
- dehydrated snacks
- smoothies
- juices
- salads
- dressings and dips
- desserts
Kitchen Appliances and utensils needed :
- Slow masticating juicer such as an Omega or Samson
- Vita Mix
- Food Processor
- Spiralizer
- Julienne peeler
- Large cutting boards
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Sharp knife set
- Dehydrator with teflex sheets
- 16 oz., 32 oz, and 64 oz glass mason jars with lids
- rubber spatulas
*RECIPES are included*
Teaching / workshop classes available at extra cost
Food for additional guests would be an extra fee of $25.00 per person
Home delivery of lunch or dinner meal available!
- $25 per meal, includes main course
- $35 per meal, includes soup or salad, main course, dessert!
If living in:
Separate room and bathroom
If clients of the household leave for extended time on vacation for example for 4-5 days or more, half salary required.