Whole Life Greens is owned and operated by two awe-inspiring, remarkable and amazing women in Vermont. Donna (Bergonzi) Boyle (read more below) has been on a living food program for the last year and has been juicing wheatgrass for about 10 years. Many of you may know her brother Michael. Michael is the Master Grower and Greenhouse Manager at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, FL. Margaret DeFoor has been on wheatgrass and green smoothies for the last year, bringing living food to her family and restaurant in Waitsfield. Stay tuned for more information.
The Bergonzi Family Story
The
Journey Into Wheatgrass and Living Foods
My parent's journey with wheatgrass and raw foods started in 1985. My Dad had been a general contractor for 40 years. Dad (Moose), was 54 yrs old, 5'11" and weighed 222lbs (I grew up on a standard american diet(SAD), and at this point, both my parents were still eating that way). His father had been diagnosed with hardening of the arteries and diabetes, was a smoker, and died at the age of 63. Moose was at the doctor's every couple of weeks. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol and was taking anti-depressants. His general feeling, while working 8-10 hour days living in Florida in the construction business, was one of sluggishness and lack of life. His doctors were concerned, but Moose was unable to turn around his health.
Since Moose was not improving with traditional medicine, my sister, Joelene Bergonzi, asked both my parents to come to California to Hippocrates Health Institute in Lemon Grove, outside of San Diego (now called the Optimum Health Institute), to learn more about holistic healing and the use of raw foods and wheat grass. The institute was founded by Raychel Solomon, who, at the time, was related to Joelene by marriage.
Raychel started her journey at 67 yrs of age when she read Eydie Mae Hunsberger's book, "How I Conquered Cancer Naturally." At this time, Raychel wanted to help her friends who were challenged by cancer. She was led to Ann Wigmore, who was one of the first to promote the use of wheatgrass for bodily healing. (To read more about Ann Wigmore, visit http://www.annwigmore.org/index.html) After connecting with Ann Wigmore's program, she started Hippocrates West in 1976. Later she changed the name to Optimum Health Institute, a non- profit organization (Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida did not exist at this time).
After their own introduction to Hippocrates, Moose and Jeanette decide to take a major step in their own healing journey. They chose to try the program in Lemon Grove in November of 1986. Moose was going to stay for two weeks and my Mom for one. The program consisted of fasting, wheatgrass juice, raw food, enemas every day, and classes on holistic health. After the first three days (which required juice fasting), my Dad had had enough and wanted out. It was a very radical change to their lives. On the fourth day, he met a woman who told him her story. And just like so many of us who have been transformed by the power of another's story, Moose decided to stay.
At this time in the story, I have to tell you the journey of this woman that helped my Dad with his choice. She was so transformed herself by the program, that she came back with her husband. Her husband had weighed over 300 lbs, was diagnosed with depression and high blood pressure, and his doctor's had given him six months to live. His insurance carrier chose to send him to California to take the program at Hippocrates (I know, hard to believe in 1986). After the three week program, he lost over 40 lbs. They both had a new lease on life.
Moose was now convinced. Both my parents continued with the fasting and made it through the first week. After my Mom left, Dad volunteered to work with the maintenance department at the institute. He continued to eat raw food, drink wheatgrass juice and do implants and enemas. After the second week, he bought a juicer, a trampoline, and set up to bring the program home with him. He lost 12 pounds in two weeks, stopped taking anti-depressants, and in less than two months, his cholesterol was down along with his weight. Three months later, he weighed 175 pounds. After being back in Florida few weeks, Raychel offered Moose a job at the institute in California. The decision was made--they moved out to California. Dad worked in Maintenance and Mom worked in the office. They stayed for 16 years, during which he was made general manager. They stayed on a maintenance program and they were always looking for new ways to heal and spread the word.
My parents' experience influenced the rest of our family. I used tachyon beads, the TDP healing lamp and many other products my parents introduced me to--with, of course, wheatgrass juice and all its healing benefits, food combining and the power of living foods. It took me awhile to turn to living foods, but I eventually made it. (My story is another book.)
After 16 years, Jeanette and Moose retired and moved back to Florida. They were offered a job at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach where my brother, Michael Bergonzi, was already employed as the Greenhouse Manager, and is presently still working.
From 1990-1998, Michael also worked at Optimum in California. He was the Office Manager and then moved on to Wheatgrass Department Manager and Public Relations Coordinator. Michael Bergonzi is a master wheatgrass grower and has been quoted in Steve Meyerowitz's book “Wheatgrass, Nature's Finest Medicine”. Michael has been very active in helping us start this business. His experience and knowledge in sprouting and wheatgrass have been, and will continue to be, instrumental to us.
About Donna
Don't Just Do It...
Feel It!
That's my motto these days. What I've been coming to realize is this, I was doing many things in my life, but I wasn't “feeling them”. I can't tell you the exact moment I actually started feeling, but it was around 4 years ago. Once you unlock your feelings, there's really no stopping them. When that proverbial Pandora's box opens, you can't close it. Some try, but I'm not here to talk about those people. I was one of those people. I'm here to talk about me. Feelings aren't good all the time. Sometimes feeling the feeling hurts like heck.
You see, there's good news and bad news about to unlock the door of happiness. Bad news is…there isn't a key. Good news? The door isn't locked! Just open it, folks. Once you've opened it, you really need to start walking through it. Keep on walking to wherever the path leads you. Continually going toward what feels better, whether geographically, with our work or passions, or with individuals, is a good and true guide. We need to be still, sit still, be in the now, and allow that where we are is truly heaven on earth. Heaven is in the stillness. Moving from an ego or intellect and analytical mind, takes us away from heaven. Living in pure simplicity and acceptance moves us forward.
I am not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to share with you just a little of what happened to me and where I am now. Take whatever resonates with you. Absorb it. Digest it. Eliminate what doesn't work for you and assimilate what does (notice how I can turn any conversation into one about food?).
Long story short……here goes…
Around 13 years ago, I started my journey with yoga. I can still hear my therapist's voice, “You should try yoga”. If I believed in regrets, I would have only one… I wish I had kept a journal my whole life. If I could give you one piece of advice that you would actually follow(because, really, each person has their own path to follow), that advice would be to journal every day.
In 1986, my parents moved to California to work at Optimum Health Institute(see their journey). That was when my journey with wheatgrass started. I was 25. I took in whatever my father talked about. From tachyon beads to Chinese healing lamps. He was on the cutting edge of new age healing back then (He still is. Now it's the hyperbaric chamber). I didn't follow any program. I had days when I could drink wheatgrass juice and other days when I just couldn't even look at it. I was still eating the standard American diet. When I decided to get pregnant(1990), I switched to a vegetarian diet. I started yoga after my marriage ended in 1993. I began to teach yoga in 2001. When I started to face some physical challenges about 3 years ago, I started to rethink my type A personality. I tried everything from acupuncture to x-rays. It got better for a bit, but I eventually would end up back at square one.
Brian Clement, the director at Hippocrates Health Institute(my parents and brother were now working there), stopped off in Vermont on one of his speaking tours. I thought about everything he said, but I never experienced it, never felt it. Two years later, September 2006, he makes another trip to Vermont. Ok, now I got it. The next day I started a raw, living food lifestyle. I immediately felt better. Ok, I thought, there's got to be something to this. In the winter of 2007, I watched The Secret, as so many of us have. I realized I'd been living with the power of intention my whole life. I owned two very successful businesses, had a great daughter and wonderful friends. But that's not everything if you are not happy inside. I'm learning more every day how to do that.
In February of 2007, I visited my brother(Michael is the master wheatgrass grower at Hippocrates) in Florida. I'd been thinking about starting a business with wheatgrass for over 10 years. After talking with him and my parents a little more, the idea was hatched. So here we are in the present. I sold my yoga studio to pay full attention to my new baby, Whole Life Greens. My friend of 20 years became my business partner(we both have known we would be working together one day). I've been eating a high raw diet for over a year and feel the best I've ever felt emotionally and physically. This is the best time of my life.
Certainly, there is a lot more to this story. Feel free to email me with any questions you have. I wish you the best in your journey. Remember, don't just do what I do, feel it for yourself. The internet has put in front of us a wealth of knowledge. What resonates with you?
A continuing story… by Donna Boyle
