Here is an interview Brandi did with HerManna TV (GaBrilla's New Vlog) Enjoy!

A moment worth its weight in gold...

Today, I was in one of my courses. It was the first class and everyone spent a minute introducing themselves and their research interests. I knew several of the students well since they are in my graduate cohort. And as these specific students introduced themselves, I found myself feeling exquisitely happy because I was so proud of their accomplishments, vocal ability, and just their undeniable passion for their work. As they talked, I did not compare myself with them. Actually, I felt abundant. I felt that there is so much opportunity to do well and be recognized. So, I quieted my mind and gave them that moment. I listened, and this allowed me to be truly proud and happy for them.

I have decided to work on my habit of comparing myself to others so that I may have more moments like this. They are indeed glorious.

(Picture: A floating tomato in my garden. It doesn't really float, but this is how my camera took the picture. And I can't really argue with that.)

-Brandi

Today, I was reading Alissa Cohen’s book “Living on Live Foods.” I was inspired by the stories of people successfully changing their lives and living the life they could have only dreamed about before becoming raw. Something she said in the book truly inspired me, “you must have a clearly defined image of what you want to look like, feel like, and be. If you don’t know what you are trying to create, how can you create it?” This is a very simple statement, but for me in this period of my life, it means so much. There are things that I would like to do and qualities that I would like to become, however, I am not there yet and I am not quite sure how to get there. So, it seems that the first step is to write down what I would like to be, feel like, and look like.

1. I want to be in a state of unruly, contagious, and supreme happiness.
2. I want to be in love with my being. I want to be in love with the presence of God that is in all of us and the nature that surrounds us.
3. I want to feel that who I am is enough; that I am worthy of amazing friendships, love, and living the light.
4. I want a beautiful body that is feminine, strong, and prolific (i.e., babies of course).
5. I want to sing, dance, paint, write, and be bold in my creativity. Be bold in my experience of the world.
6. I want to be fun, spontaneous, and not afraid of trying the ideas that pop-up in my mind. I want confidence.
7. I want to be a health educator who helps individuals and families lead happy healthy lives. I want to excel in helping the community.
8. I want to be a wonderful mother, wife, and friend to my future husband and children. I want a raw family.
9. I want to be an example of possibilities, happiness, and personal growth.

So this is what I want. The next step is to begin making these apart of my reality through daily action, meditation, and visualization. I will let you know what happens.

Picture: I am on the left, and Phyllis is on the right (she is one of my favorite people in the whole-wide world).

-Brandi

This was my journal entry to mark my 1-year anniversary of being raw.

7/20/07

Today is the 366^th day that I have been raw. It has been a year since I made a commitment to fulfill my potential. A few days ago a friend said that this was a testament to who I am. And she is right. It is a testament of my commitment to bettering myself so that I can create a healthy environment for my future children, so that they too can fulfill their potential.

So much has happened in the last year. Graduate school is going well. I don’t think it would have gone this well without me being raw. I have so much to look back on and appreciate and so much to look forward to. There is so much to achieve and work for. This is the beginning of a new year where I will move further to achieving my full potential.

These are the changes that I noticed in the last year because of the raw diet:

1. I have lost weight. Probably 30 pounds or so, I am not sure. It happened slower than when I was raw the 1^st time. I think because of the stress from graduate school. I still have some weight too loose. But one thing that I love about being raw is that my body gets this amazing shape. It’s very feminine. I can move mountains with these hips.
2. My eyes are clearer. They kinda sparkle. My vision is still the same. Hopefully that will improve a little over time.
3. My menstruation cycle is 1 day shorter and I feel less discomfort. Now I can feel it coming about 2 days prior, and a few minutes before it actually starts.
4. My skin glows. It is pretty amazing. I just have this glow. My face is also becoming clearer and smoother.
5. My BO is horrific. Its means that I am detoxing, but my sweat is like cologne.
6. My temperament is pretty stable. However, the stress from graduate school keeps my mood slightly fluctuating. Especially on the first day of my cycle. My body goes into hibernation, and if I don’t have time to sleep, it can be a dangerous situation (just kidding!). But overall, I am happy pretty much all of the time.
7. In terms of sleeping, nothing has changed. I still like 8.5 hours. However, there was a period of time when 9-9.5 hours was good. So maybe I need less sleep.
8. My stool is very regular. At least once a day, if you wanted to know. And all floaters!

I would like to commit the next year to bringing my mind to the present state. I want to present so that I can truly experience life, be there for others, and experience how I truly am. I want that. I want that patience and happiness in my life.

Here are some before and after pictures.

My first day raw

























1st month raw





























2.5 months raw

























3.5 months raw





















4.5 months raw






















7 months raw























10 months raw

11 months raw























11.5 months raw





























1 YEAR RAW!





























-Brandi