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Detoxing…..not just for weight loss!
Being a sugar addict, caffeine junkie and fast food queen, it was all catching up fast. I needed and wanted to rejuvenate my body. I came across Hacienda Del Sol Yoga and Detox Retreat in Costa Rica http://www.haciendadelsolcr.com/ on the internet. Next day after bragging to my friends and coworkers about the cleanse I booked to lose weight they were astonished. They couldn’t believe I would use my vacation time to detox in the middle of the jungle with a daily schedule of juices, 2 colonics, and hours of mediation, just didn’t seem fun to them. A month later I was off to Costa Rica. As I arrived we jumped right in to detox mode and I’m given coconut water, (of course my mouth was watering for a fountain Diet Coke)….so I drank the coconut water. It was truly thirst quenching!
The first night we were served raw lasagna. It was the best raw food I had ever had, well to be honest the only raw food I have ever had. Made with a spinach walnut pesto, fresh tomatoes, zucchini and other goodness, it was simply delectable! First day was tough and some of the juices you just had to shoot like tequila.
Mediation and being in silence daily was very peaceful and the colonics….well do I need to go there? After the third day I did hit a wall and wanted to leave I was crawling out of my skin without pinterest, Iphone, and my Starbucks. After crying, kicking and calling United to check on flights nothing panned out. I was stuck. The Universe knew I needed to stay and walk through the healing process. From that day forward I gave 110% of my energy (well the energy I had left after my daily colonics) to the trip that was going to change my number on the scale. As the days passed I found myself building relationships with people from all over the world, becoming content in my own skin, feeling vibrant, and looking at life in a different light. I went to lose a few extra pounds and lay out at the beach but instead received a life changing experience! I will be booking my next trip soon to Hacienda Del Sol…..and yes I did relapse on coffee.
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Valentine Treats from @HonestKitchen
Studies show that last year more money was spent at pet stores on Valentine’s day then was spent buying gifts for significant others! Lucy Postins, founder of The Honest Kitchen, would love to help your readers make this a special day for their pet with some homemade TLC. Lucy has created hundreds of nutritious recipes that began from experimenting with home cooked raw foods for her pets, which eventually evolved into her nationally-distributed line of raw pet foods. For Valentine’s Day, she has a special treat for pets called “Valentine’s Day Nibbles” from her pet cook book, Made Out of Love
valentines liver nibbles
This recipe uses heart-shaped or other cookie cutters to make pretty treats as a gift for your
pet – or his or her boyfriends and girlfriends – for Valentine’s Day or other special occasions.ingredients
2 cups fresh raw chicken liver, preferably organic
2 free range eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups instant quinoa flakes
3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup dried cranberries or blueberries
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
1 tsp of dried basil
Filtered water sufficient to make a batterwhat to do
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Process the liver in a blender or food processor until completely pureed.
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and pour in the oil.
4. Add the pureed liver.
5. Mix in the dry ingredients slowly, stirring continuously so they are thoroughly
combined. Add water gradually until you have a ‘batter’ consistency.
6. Pour this batter into a flat 1½ to 2” cake tin.
7. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
8. Cool in the tin until able to be handled, then gently turn the ‘cake’ out onto a rack
and refrigerate to cool completely.
9. Use heart-shaped or other cookie cutters to gently press out individual shapes
