Cabo- Cocina Pacifica- Mexico Retreat

Hola mi amigos!
What an epic adventure by the sea! I joined forces with my good friend Ashley to make this Yoga Fitness retreat happen. We couldn't have asked for a better location- private, not busy resort style. Jim and Susan have a large property, 7 bedrooms and a guest house and their role in making this a family style vibe was beyond perfect! Meals were healthy and catered to everyones style. Trips to and from town, good convo, comfortable, and always at your service.

All activities are completely optional of course because the retreats are about YOU! We had an array of fun filled moments for everybody and by the end, we all felt refreshed, relaxed, and inspired :) Truly amazing to see such softness come across the stressed out faces and the light spark in those needing a little inspiration for their daily lives.

We started early, 630-730am for bootcamp style fitness; running stairs to the beach and back, squats, running/walking on the beach, TRX, pushups, you name it and Ash has got your body movin!

730-830am we were stretching out with some yoga and watching whales every morning. I swear they were intrigued by us just as much as we were them! Truly a magical way to start your morning.
Breakfast was fresh and filling without being heavy at 9.

Afternoon activities included swimming with whale sharks (omg freaking amazing!!), lunch in town, art flooding the streets with all the local galleries, massages, laying in the sun, reading, talking, getting to know the locals, boogie boarding, swimming, horseback riding, etc.

In the evening we did another beach walk and then yoga, with the last 15-20 mins of a yin style.
Dinner at 7- homemade deliciousness and something new and tantalizing each time. Oh and lets not forget that vegan cheesecake ;) WOW!

This trip had me walking the beach repeating the mantra of  "Im ready."I would look up into that endless sky at night or across the sea feeling ready to start a new dimension, to really be filled with the positive abundance that I know is in store for me. I could feel the shift and felt so ready to be the vessel that takes on the waves of possibility. I feel so blessed to be in the experience. Each day there and afterwards I feel full of gratitude. I know todays dreams will come true and be the beginning of so much more positive growth and success in life. I know this because this is my life and its the life I choose to create.

Students left inspired to pick up their practice, do a teacher training, get into better shape, treat themselves to fun in the sun more often, take a chance, run, face their fears!! One girl was afraid to swim and she jumped into the middle of the ocean!! Phenomenal!!

Ashley and I feel totally inspired to bring you these experiences and more throughout the months ahead. We are already planning our next retreat! Please let me know if you are ready- ready to dive in, ready to start fresh, ready to just get away, ready to be YOU!
Gecko kisses~

AVOCADO AWESOMENESS

Oh Avocados. I do SO adore thee!!! The little ones from Mexico that we get here on the mainland are pretty good. In fact they were my first introduction to this sweet little fruit that started my whole love affair. Their creamy texture and sweet subtle scents mystified my senses. When I ate my first Hawaii (softball size!!!) fresh picked from the tree avocado, I knew there was a potential for addiction. Good thing they are So good for you!! I for sure eat them religiously. If I dont have at least 5 a week it's only because I havent been yet to the store...or maybe its because I ate like 2 or 3 one day rather than spreading out the consumption... I cant help it. I LOVE avos! That is one of my fav things about the island, picking form the tree in the backyard, sun kissed and ready to bless my body in every capacity its bursting awesomeness can provide!

So I did some research and Im happy to say: AVOs are a healthy addiction. Guac on :)

Avocados: also known as alligator pears have amazing healthy benefits.

1.     We hear a lot these days, eat more protein! Did you know that avocados have 18 essential amino acids? These help your body form complete proteins plus they have the added benefit of fiber ;)

2.     Avos boost your HDL levels. That’s the good cholesterol which protects against free radicals. This in turn may help in the prevention of diabetes. Avos alone can affect your cholesterol levels in as little as one week. Pretty impressive!                          

3.     Speaking of nutrients, these little guys are loaded:  fiber, potassium, vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, folate, unsaturated fat, selenium, zinc, phytosterols, omega-3s and, size dependent, has only 160kCal in half of the whole.

4.     Carotenoids. Yes, you can get them without the traditional focus of eating only red and orange options! Avos deliver high quality vitamin A, which protects the eyes, improves the  function of your immune system, offers healthy reproductive functioning, and are fat soluble, so eating one helps the absorption of all these amazing nutrients.

5.     Heart health is pertinent no matter what age you may be currently. It’s an important muscle, one greatly influenced by avos omega-3 and oleic acid content

6.     Avocados amazing repertoire of nutrients also have the potential to ward off osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis. This superfood fruit is filled with anti-inflammatory properties.

7.     The monosaturated fat in avos is a great source of fat for burning fuel, aka energy. Avos are best eaten in the afternoon so your brain has the fuel it needs to keep your glucose levels up and running optimally throughout the rest of the day.

8.     One more awesome benefit of avocados: they contain compounds that help inhibit and sometimes even destroy cancer cells!

Avoid overly ripe- it should still have a nipple, be firm but soft when squeezed. Anything too soft will have dents, bruises, and no nipple. The inside should be a bright soft green and make sure you really scrape it because the part closest to the skin has the most nutrients.

FOOD Part 2

Aloha,
I last wrote about pain, our lack luster food of GMO's, and the deletion diet I was implementing for a month a few months ago. Ive had some concerns from family and friends about my choice to do such drastic deletions and so I felt it necessary to post that I am no longer on this, it was extremely beneficial, and I am thriving! I am more in tune with what my body is telling me, my sleep patterns are comfortable, Im no longer bloated, and my joints/muscles dont hurt any more.

You may recall the extensive "avoid" list from the Food blog. Was it ever! Im happy to report that I can eat almost everything on that list if I wanted to minus a few select items which are easy to avoid because I dont eat them anyway. I had someone ask me a few weeks ago, if there were magic to make it so I could eat those things and not feel ill, would I eat them. A simple reply of "No" sufficied. I have no interest in those items nor the destruction that some of them are causing our planet and her inhabitants.

I am still a raw vegan. I had blood work done and my levels are healthy- even my protein. I feel so great and Im happy. Its always been an amazing revelation to know and experience how food directly affects us. I highly encourage you to be aware f your choices nut most importantly, what your body is telling you. One small change could put you into a tunnel or out in the awesome vitality rays. Here's to your health, happiness, and the courage to make a difference.



For those of you itching to know what I avoid-
Corn and derivatives thereof
Gluten
Most grains; quinoa, rice are ok
Eggplant
Potatoes unless sweet

Coffee

Liquor

Soda

Dairy

Eggs

Meat

Fowl

Fish

Grapeseed oil- To use or not to use??

As a raw foodist Ive heard the question come up alot about which oils to use for consumption. Yes, the type you buy will have differing tastes so make sure you buy a high quality to get the flavours you're intended to be tasting...and the nutrition you're meant to be consuming! When it comes to Grapeseed oil there tends to be little info out there for the everyday consumer. Dont get caught up in the media hype, Grapeseed oil really is not all its cracked up to be.

Grapeseed oil can be found in two sections of the store; the beauty aisle and the aisle where you buy oils to cook. They are the same thing. This is a money maker...and a smart one at that. What isnt so smart is using grapeseed oil in your cooking. In fact, Id advise you not to eat it at all. Here's why:

Grapeseed oil is a Poly. This means it has double bonds of carbon with an unstable electron. This instability causes rancidity whenever the oil sits for a while, is exposed to heat, and when it's exposed to light. Interestingly enough, grapeseed oil is typically sold in clear glass containers. RANCID. When an oil goes rancid quickly (grapeseed, corn, and soy for example) companies are required to do high heat commercial processing. This exposes the oil to air but more importantly, it means the oil has been refined, bleached, and deodorized. It is then processed again at an even higher temperature to get rid of the smell of the rancidity. This process causes the oil to be completely deficient in any nutritional property and creates free radicals. These free-radicals attack cell membranes, red blood cells, and cause DNA/RNA damage just to name a few things.

However, there are those that love their grapeseed oil and if you still choose to use this oil it is highly recommended that you purchase it in a dark bottle, unrefined, and kept refrigerated.

For those of you looking to get higher quality oils into your diet, choose olive or coconut oil. Coconut oil is your best choice as it has a high resistance to heat, is loaded with healthy fats, and has powerful antioxidants. This is true for any raw foodies out there too :)

immunity booster

2 bananas
1 scoop acai
1 TBS maca
2 cups water
1 chlorella tab
camu camu squirt
3 droppers coloidal silver
2 droppers vanilla extract
1 dropper taheebo

Peachy Chia tortillas

1 cup chia, soak for 24 hours
6 dates, stoned
2 cups almond meal
3 droppers vanilla extract

add 3x as much water to chia seeds.
Stone dates and blend till a paste is formed with 1 cup water.
Place all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Then add to blending date paste.
Blend peaches (or fruit of your choice, Blueberries are EXCELLENT!) separately till a jam is created and then add to mix in a bowl. Let sit overnight to let bread "rise"
Put on teflex in any shape that suits your fancy.
Once half dry cut into your slices and flip onto mesh sheet. Continue drying till desired tortilla consistency is reached.

Dehydrate for 1 hour at 145 then the remainder of the time at 115.

Super Sunflower Seed Treat

Adopted from The Raw Food Gourmet:

2 cups raw sunflower seeds, soak overnight and drain
1/4 cup tamarai
1/4 tsp spirulina
2 TBS coconut sugar
3 TBS nut yeast
1/4 tsp pepper

stir everything together. dehydrate till dry and crunchy :)