Life con't - Yoga, Running, Espanol, Passover and August Gold

I am feeling Spring in the air now.. and it sounds almost summerish coming for the end of the week. I'm excited for that.. I am such a sun lover!!! Love this warm weather!

I just got in from running again! : )  & I just went and picked up 3 Yoga DVD's from the library, 4 more in transit and more waiting on hold!!  I told a girl in Cuba that I would look into sending her some Yoga DVD's and finally getting at it, well, researching, but close. I was feeling a bit bad that it was taking me this long to get at it.. I figured there must be some reason.. and maybe, just maybe its because it feels like exactly the right time to really get inspired myself. I just checked one of them out, it was so peaceful, on a sandbank.. I felt like it was in Cuba. I am so up for being transported, me and my yogamat to a sandbank on a Veradero beach. : )

Food-wise, Yesterday (& the day before) I prepared a big Raw Passover Seder-Dinner. It was great. & I've been really into raw cheeses lately.. and tomorrow I have a testing for a few 'rice'-based dishes, and more.. so much to experiment with. How wonderful to be so into something I love!!
Did you know that many sushi chefs spend years on getting the sushi rice down down before they get to move on to rolling. wow. I love Japanese culture.

& as for my Spanish, I am excited that I have downloaded on my iPod - The 4 Agreements in Spanish - Los Cuatro Acuerdos - audiolibro!! It's awesome, so exciting to understand it so well. I know the book so well, have read it a few times and love it. I also recently just bought "En Mis Propios Paabras - por Su Santidad el Dalai Lama"  In my Own Words by the Dalai Lama, but in Spanish! ; ) an introduction to his teachings and philosophy. Ahh.. life is good.

A little piece of paper next to me reads (this is from a a podcast-interview with August Gold, who I really enjoyed. I just went through a small pile of papers, tossed some, kept some, this is selected at random) :

"You must welcome everything"

"I agree. I agree." 

"Life is in constant conversation with us. Our job is to keep the door open to every conversation life wants to have with us."

"Life leads those who will & those who won't, it drags."

She has an inspiring morning ritual which she shared, called the 5-5-5 plan (or maybe I made that up ; )
 To start your day is a very positive way, she recommends doing this:
Take 5 minutes and Read a book of higher truth, something inspiring, a spiritual or inspiring text which you enjoy. Then..
Take 5 minutes and Write - what you are feeling inside ..and then
Take 5 minutes and just Sit. Not even meditating, she said she didn't even want to call it meditating (but it could be) just sitting in silence ..she suggested you could take a statement of Truth and sit with it.
By doing this you are developing a conversation with life that is so important.

Little Slice of My Life

Hey quick update, touching base..  I have my funky De Phazz Death by Chocolate music going.. bought it tonight & a new Baka Beyond cd "Yelli is still sung to enchant animals by Pygmy women in the rainforests of Africa. This is singing for survival, developed through thousands of years of communicating in song with their forest world. .." Its awesome. I was soo into it when I was listening. I havnt bought myself cds in ages it seems. I downloaded lots of highly unusual and very listenable music from lounge, french cafe, african, gypsy violin, accordian music.. I love having good music collections. Music is so awesome!!

But Food. Thats what we're really here for isnt it. Well, I have been sustaining myself on mostly green smoothies, as usual - Like I say, I could live on these - almost! and sandwiches - all raw!! Raw bread & filled with tomato, sprouts and special sauces. I have one almost every day. I have a container of highly charged superfood cookies in the fridge - always almond milk for my tea.. and intersperse that with much ethnic and other food I get to experiment making at work. ; )  Oh the night before last I was craving this incredible spinach puree I had made before, just top tomato slices with a raw nut cheese & spinach & sprouts too : )

What else? Oh running.. still doing it.. I'm working on developing as good an attitude about this as I have for most things in my life ; ) James is being really good at getting my butt in gear. The other night, its 10:30 pm, I'm all settled in my pjs & I think hes long forgotten about it.. but nope. Off we go running into the night. crazy.  lol  & I'm making a big deal about it, & I'm such a beginner, not even running that much.

k, time for a quick Spanish lesson - still keeping that up. Fun watching shows and actually understanding most of what they say . Love seeing that kind of improvement ; )

"well you got to meet me online
download you for a lifetime..  "  De Phazz

photo from my recent trip to Mars 

Insight Course - Fluid vs Static Intelligence and Transparency

My Mom sent me the link for this Insight Course. I am only on the 1st of 21 lessons so far..but enjoying it so far. The foreword is interesting - about fluid vs static intelligence and about transparency or openness.

"Fluid intelligence has little to do with IQ or "book" intelligence. It is rather the ability to step outside of our beliefs and consider information which does not fit into our previously accepted view of reality.  ..  At the other end of the spectrum from fluid intelligence is static intelligence. If an individual is rarely willing to reconsider or challenge their established beliefs, they are said to have a high degree of static intelligence. They aren't much interested in thinking outside of the box."

"Scientists with a high degree of fluid intelligence who are attracted to study matters outside the current paradigm are often labeled kooks or wacky by those operating with static intelligence."  & yet, we all know whos coming up with the great ideas in life!! - Einstein, Pasteur, Tesla, Galileo..

I enjoyed this video - Its a Perception Test
This is a short, but fascinating two-part test of your perceptual abilities. For the first part, you will be shown a 30-second video of six college students divided into two teams. Three students are wearing white T-shirts, while the other three are wearing black. Each team has a basketball which they are passing to members of their team. Your task is to count the number of passes made by the team wearing white T-shirts

"..the more transparent we are to ourselves and to the world around us, the more consciously we can make choices. And the more fluid we are in expanding our intelligence and beliefs, the more powerfully we can adapt to and make good use of the changes that occur in our lives and world...

Let us then choose to be open, transparent, and fluid both with ourselves and with each other, and to offer support for the limitless possibilities of growth and expansion which lie within each one of us. "

Life - Live On Chocolates, the Symphony, Garlic and Running...

I just got in from a run.. I cant believe I did that ..my boyfriend urged me to go with him. & I was feeling so tired.. falling asleep in front of my Rosetta Stone (level 4!! : )  So happy that I got levels 4 & 5 now.. and thats as far as it goes. But wow, I feel amazing now. That was great.
I drank 3 green smoothies today - 16 oz glasses.. I love when I do that, cause often I only have 2. I just dont take the time to make them.. and really they are so easy..but its easy to get wrapped up in other things. ..& I really do understand the difficulty of keeping up the raw lifestyle with a busy lifestyle. I think I picked my profession to be making raw food mainly for a reason!! ; ) 

What else is going on.. well, I didnt make it to the Total Health Show this year.. I always go & I love going. But it turned out that I was working - Full-on recipe testing (& tasting) for 3 days -Last Thurs, Fri & Sat.. and then Sunday my son was coming over.. and to be honest -1. They didnt have a big name raw chef or speaker this year, like usual, and 2. I really was looking forward to a 'me' day and getting things done around here.. working 6 days a week is a lot! & I slept in till noon, with the time change.. it was wonderful, luxurious..  Oh & James & I went to the symphony on Sat eve & that was wonderful. There was this young 26 yr old conductor, who I was totally taken with, here visiting from London. I thought he and his story and the music was fascinating, Robin Ticciati. I met some friends from the raw-scene, who were obviously symphony frequenters who said they played some pieces better for him that they've ever seen them played.. really enjoyed the evening!! Fun & inspiring.

James went the health show & brought me home some Live On Chocolates made by Stacy, which are delicious. I am savoring one now!! I highly recommend trying them. Raw chocolate is definitely the way to go.  I can eat just raw nibs, love it. .. but homemade raw truffles are a true delicacy for me. I am treating myself.  I came in from running, ate a whole garlic clove.. just straight up popped the clove in my mouth and chewed and chased with water. I feel so hardcore - I've come a long way - I used to chop it up first and chase it with honey, etc..  gotta be able to appreciate some garlic once in awhile to get close to me. lol  
& now I am enjoying apple cider and truffles. Thank you Stacy!! : ) Have a beautiful night. I'm off on a testing marathon again tomorrow. Have a great day too!!! xo

Back from Mars

Mars Vacation Pictures  Here are some of my vacation pics from Mars.  We stayed at Frost Beach on Oceanis Borealis  after our arrival at the Dome.  (As you may know, Frost Beach  is about an hour from the Dome).  It was great.

David Wolfe Event - April 10th - Get Earlybird Tickets Now!

David Wolfe is coming again in April, for those who missed him in December (he sold out early!!), get your tickets early!! ; )

 

click here to purchase online!

I love David Wolfe events. He is so motivational, & so full of empowering and the highest vibe - highest health ever information. Always filled with ideas and insights.. He makes Raw food fun & for me re-instills a deep sense of why we do this, live this lifestyle.. to be the highest, most clearest, most true, most Fun and to love closer to our highest potential.

I always learn something new at every event.. often many things!!! This event will be especially interesting as David is focusing on cleansing, detox, sustainable weight loss and age reversing.

ghlights:

• Learn how to: detoxify, conquer candida, lower inflammation, restore bone health, and create healthy joints.
  
  
  
  
• Lose weight and reverse aging with raw-living foods, superfoods, superherbs, and new healing technology!
  
  
  
  
• Superherbs simplified.
  
• Immune System rejuvenation.
  
  
• Rebuilding core Adrenal, Kidney, and Reproductive energy (Jing energy).
  
  
• The Healing Power of Raw and Living Foods and Fresh Juices.
  
  
• The LongevityNOW Program.
  
  
• Questions and Answers with David Wolfe.

Plus:

Network with David and Toronto’s Raw Foods Community

Shop the Spring Market (featuring raw, organic, & green products)

Enjoy raw food & beverages available for purchase onsite

Win Great Door Prizes & Raffle

Order Earlybird Tickets Now!

Learn more about David here.

Mars ..Tonight!

Random outing to Mars tonight.. just got an invitation..

Consider what a new life on Mars would have to offer:

Tanning possibilities, licorice, sundried tomatoes, guava, yams, arp rides ( big transparent beasts), sangria canals, roses,

Cherokees (people and trucks), salsa (food & music), floating bumpercars, rhubarb, cranapple trees, goji fields forever, cherry tree oasis retreat,mudbaths, cinnamon sticks, RCMP jackets and scarlet kilts, pomegranate forests, cardinals, etc.?

See you at the launch pad?

How can I resist. I can't. I'm off. ...but will see you soon. ; ) 

Raw Beets - Lebanese Dream Salad

Pillow Talk, Ep 18 - Lebanese Dream Salad


I am always amazed whenever I get a chance to go Raw Surfing at how many new Raw Websites and blogs there are. So many creative people who are getting into sharing the high-vibes online. I love it!!
This was one I really enjoyed from Lisa Paris of Raw Beets  - Funky. Raw. Gangsta. Vegan ..she's great!

The Blog is great filled with video-blogs ..buit also dont miss Raw Vegan Shenanigans - the printed Blog:

"I'm raw. I like to party. Confused? Don't be. There are many of us out there. You too may have considered a torrid love affair with the raw foods but have hang-ups over sacrificing your weekends. Have no fear, a clean diet and killer social calendar can become one."

... "The energy you get from juicing is palpable. I realized this first hand after watching guests bounce off the walls, scrub my juicer, ask me where they could buy one, how much they cost and brainstormed what they could sell to fund the purchase. Call me a pusher. Label me an enabler. The juice will take you to a whole new level of raw."

& her Disclaimer -Disclaimer:

"Though I may look ultra professional in a pair of prescription-less designer specs, I am not a doctor. The information on this site comes from personal research and inductive reasoning based on experimentation within my own life. Apply the ideas at your own risk. Possible side effects include higher energy levels, a general enhancement in disposition and an increase in utter sexiness."

You'll just have to go read it! : )

The Nasty Stuff

Just started a spur of the moment blog, after reading an article 'The Truth Behind Your Food' - read most of it anyway, ; )  I have a hard time reading  The Nasty Stuff. : ) But it's there.  Peace, Love and Awareness


.

Inspiration, Motivation and Empowerment - What you put In

Hi. I have a big meeting tomorrow and I have been so into preparing for that.. I almost forgot to come write. Yikes, I shouldn't do that.. cause I love doing this!! : ) I have been so into my books, lots of research: spiritual, metaphysical, universal.. and lots of recipe and chemistry stuff.
I love books!!

Also, I love that I dont have a tv. !!  ..altho I did kind of miss too much of the Olympics, that was too bad.. I kept getting it 2nd hand from my mom and friends..but I did get to drive downtown and across Yonge St shortly after Canada won the Gold for Mens Hockey and record for golds.. and that was very exciting. Went to meet Erika (Power of Raw) & Marie (TorontoSprouts) for a salad.. nothing like name dropping ; ) lol

So, one thing I do often.. and what I love to do, in the evenings is find empowering videos or teleconferences and watch or listen to them. Theres always lots going on on the internet. & I love that I am being selective in what I choose to watch. I have a few different teleconferences to choose from each night right now.. Often they will have them online to listen to free for 48 hours and after you can buy the package. Right now theres one just on EFT!! Theres all kinds of these things. .. I listened to John Assaraf the other night - empowerment-success speaker, and another night listened to Nadine of Living Libations on essential oils which was fascinating. That was from Patrick Timpone's One Radio Network - Live radio focusing on health, wealth and well-being - your link of the evening! ; ) Also, I am really into Cafe Gratitude right now, watched lots of their videos - they have a monday night live series out. I love health & raw speakers ..and then after that my next fav thing to do is watch Spanish shows, try to listen to a bit every day, at least an hour..  I figure that was inevitably one day I will get it!! perseverance.. and just keep putting as much positive in as you can, all the things that make you feel awesome!

Be Happy!!  Love Life!

10 Steps to going Raw

Eating more Raw Foods will Change your life - You will change and your experience will change. It is inevitable. Well being and happiness is our true nature - Eating raw will help this wellbeing, clear energy to flow through you, unobstructed. It is the obstructions in our body and energy which causes dis-ease.

I came across this article on Going Raw a long time ago and it has just resurfaced. It has some really good ideas to help Go Raw.  Everyones path and process is different, so take from this what works for you. Add raw slowly or dive in completely.. & enjoy!

"the secret to success is having a plan."

I t's not enough just to say to yourself, "I'm going raw." That will work for a while - a few days, perhaps a few weeks - but unless you have tons of willpower, very shortly you'll find yourself going back to your old habit patterns and comfort foods.

That's why a plan is important. Let's consider a plan for going raw:
 

10 Steps to Going and Staying Raw  

 
1. Assemble the tools you need. A blender - any blender - an expensive dehydrator, some jars for sprouting, and a variety of raw recipes are the minimum requirements.

2. Assemble your list of suppliers. Where are you going to buy your food? Are you going be mostly organic? You'll also need to find a supply of sprouting seeds - at least some alfalfa, clover, sunflower and wheatgrass (hard red winter wheat). The wider the variety the better.


3. Read your instructions. Do you know how to sprout, and how to run a dehydrator?


4. Plan what you're going to do. If you decide you'd like to make angel-hair pasta from zucchini, for example, you might find having a spiral slicing machine handy. This might put you back to step 1.


5. Set a starting date and create your support mechanism. Having a support group is the greatest. Check meetup.com for raw groups in your area. If you don't know any rawbies in your area, find a raw chat group or two for support. A professional Raw Coach is idea, if available.

Share with them what you plan to do, and the date you're going to start. You'll find yourself more successful this way, than if you "go raw secretly."  Secret quitting doesn't work.

While I'm constantly reminding people that we don't have to justify our lifestyle choices to anyone, sometimes we can't avoid it. This video I made about  Dispelling the Raw Food Myths will help you deal with the standard objections you're going to hear:http://www.chidiet.com/blog/free-stuff/dispelling-raw-food-myths.htm


6. Don't forget that you're going to need to stay inspired as you go raw. Build a collection of books, videos, and CDs before you start so that you'll have lots of material when you go raw. This will help maintain your momentum. Otherwise you might find yourself running out of steam before you get to the top of the hill.
 I find that videos motivate me the most. Instead of watching the news or a movie at night, I'll pop in a video on raw foods and watch it, instead. chiVideos.com is a good source for these, and if you have high-speed internet you can watch raw videos online at websites like YouTube.com/chidiet.

7. Research shows that it takes 21 days for a new behavior to become a habit; if we move to a new house and now have to turn right instead of left when we leave work, it'll be 21 days before it seems natural to turn right when head for home.

In dealing with addictions the transitional period is longer. Yes,  cooked foods are an addiction. Thus, we need to deal with them as such.

Victoria Boutenko has a good book on this subject - 12 Steps to Raw Foods. Her website is RawFamily.com and the book is on  Amazon.com, too. Her book covers the subject in detail, but here are her 12 Steps to Raw Food:


Step 1  - I admit that I have lost control of my addiction to cooked
              food and my eating is becoming unmanageable.

Step 2  - I believe that live vegan food is the most natural diet for a
               human being.

Step 3  - I shall gain necessary skills, learn basic raw recipes and
               obtain equipment to prepare live food.

Step 4  - I shall live in harmony with people who eat cooked food.

Step 5  - I shall stay away from temptations.

Step 6  - I shall create a support group.

Step 7  - I shall find alternative activities or hobbies.

Step 8  - I shall let my higher self lead my life.

Step 9  - I shall make a searching and fearless inventory of the real
               reasons for seeking comfort and pleasure from cooked
               foods.

Step 10 - I shall let my intuition help me.

Step 11 - Through clarity I will gain happiness.

Step 12 - I shall provide support to other raw fooders.
 

8. Part of changing your diet and lifestyle is detoxifying the body. Not as a one-time detox, but instead, we should be constantly detoxing. That's where Dr. Ann Wigmore's program comes in. She taught much more than a diet. In her books and videos she lays out the procedures for a continuous healthy detox, including the foods we eat, how we combine them, the usage of colonics or enemas, the uses of wheatgrass juice, and more.

The basics are laid out in her book,  Why Suffer? How I Overcame Illness and Pain Naturally, which you can download for free at http://chidiet.com/books/whysuffer.pdf. If the book won't open for you, you might need a free copy of Acrobat Reader from adobe.com.

Other great books of Dr. Ann's are  Be Your Own Doctor and Rebuild Your Health, both available at Amazon.com. They're also available as audio books on CD athttp://chidietvideos.com/index.php/cds.html


9. Be aware, not discouraged. You're going to backslide at times, and it's normal. Don't feel like you've "failed" if you happen to go out for pizza or a hamburger. Instead, think about how well you've been doing, how much better you're eating than you used to, and how much better you're feeling since you started going raw.

10. Experiment, experiment, experiment.  Knowing that I have addictions to comfort foods, I found new comfort foods. For me that's fresh blueberries, raspberries, and raw vegan pizza, made with flax crust in the dehydrator. It's a recipe I've included in my book. Victoria's Step 9, above, has helped me a lot, too.


Overwhelmed? I would be, too, if it weren't for the teachings of Dr. Ann.

Sometimes I get off the raw path when traveling the country, visiting family and friends. But when I get home I head to the market, stock up on good raw, organic fruits and veggies, then pull out my Dr. Ann Wigmore Raw Living Foods Home Study Program and get back to it.

I'm feeling better, more energetic, happier and de-stressed than I did in my old cooked-food life. MUCH better.  My warning is when I felt the arthritis coming back in my knees - that's my personal sign that I'm not eating right.

Article by Jim Carey, excerpted from annwigmore.com

http://jcarey.net (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)

Special Delivery! ~ Entrega Especial!!!

Happy Dreams, Quiet Minds and Careful Attention

I have been having the most wonderful dreams lately - I love that!!! I am very sensitive to my dreams and have to be careful of the input I put into my brain to keep my dreams really high-vibbing and as creatively wonderful as they are!  ..So in last nights episode, Owen Wilson was in it, we were hanging out. My mom had this tottally cool convertible sports car which she thought she could drive anywhere she wanted even vertically on hills in up-scale properties (& she could!).. and we went to this really cool retreat by the ocean, with of course Owen Wilson.(I got to watch videos with him on his amp, which he had set up with a monitor on front and to his laptop, he was a musicial, and kind of Kurt Cobain looking, but very, very cool, and hot ; ) But the coolest part was where this gypsy woman was checking my energy and gave me a black shiny paper to hold - to put my thumbs in a certain place on each side and from them the energy came out and drew a picture of my body.. and showed pure clear energy flowing through it. I had the clearest energy ever - & it was very cool!!

I had a dream the night before with Kevin Gianni that I really enjoyed. A few nights ago I came up with this documentary video idea to make a doc called 'Booger' about the fast food industry and talked to an Indian woman about it and helped get her set up to make it.
Its nice to enjoy sleeping as much as you enjoy living!!
: ) xo, Love Life and Happy Dreams!

A quiet mind is all you need. All else will happen rightly, once your mind is quiet. As the sun on rising makes the world active, so does self awareness affect changes in the mind. In the light of calm and stady self awareness, inner energies wake up and work miracles without any effort on your part. ~Anonymous

Stay awake.
Watch and reflect.
Work with careful attention.
In this way you will find the light inside of yourself.
~ Gautama the Buddah

A Talk on Energy - Essential oils, Thoughts, Magnets, Yoga and Everything

Here are some thoughts from an energy therapist relating to the energetic effects on the body.. it comes from a essential oil e-group and is regarding the potential negative effects of using magnets on the body.

"My personal opinion from an energy therapist perspective.

Everything electrical effects us - our hairdryers, our cell phones,  the outlets in our kitchens, or our computer TV rooms... and none of  it is good. Just before the rolling brown outs in California a few  years ago a major paper was going to be presented that said that  electrical pollution from innocuous appliances we use like shavers,  curling irons, irons, etc were detrimental to our health. Humm... it never came out... there may be some deeper politics here...

Compare what the FDA approves and what is good for your health to  what passes 'electrical standards' inspectors, and what is known to  be good for the health. Consider what we were told about microwaves,  or what we used to believe about X-rays, and how all that has been  downgraded. Quebec Hydro had employees develop strange and rare  cancers when they were responsible for substations out in the middle  of now-where in the far reaches of the wild natural and untouched  Canadian tundra. The common factor - electrical exposure.

Think of magnets. Gary says they curtail the effect of essential  oils which are naturally electrical. I have seen magnets literally 'blow the circuits' of spiritually sensitive individuals and it has taken them days to recover their own inner balance within their  meridians and chakras. Magnets are stagnant frequencies. Beware of  what you play with. They will lift you up if you are sick and your internal frequency is below that of a magnet, and pull you down if  your innate frequencies are higher than the magnets.

On 'ultra sensitive days' I have felt the different frequencies of  different diseases at a distance from a stranger only to have their medical challenge reveal itself years later. Everything is frequency. Disease has a frequency that exactly corresponds to some of our thinking/emotional patterns. I suspect you know and have experienced that - someone walks in a room, and the energy drops, or it rises. If one wants to create a change, start with thoughts...  Feng Shui indicates stay away from electrical sockets, especially in your bedroom when you want to rest. Do you see the inconsistency of  artificial electrical stimulation?

A chain around the neck can upset a human body. A piercing can effect the subtle electrical flows. I have had bodies call for rebalancing people because of their tattoos. Even a wedding ring (hold thoughts - electrical impressions) regarding and releasing the itch (irritation & limitations) of shingles. Anything that can conduct electricity usually does regardless of our intellectual awareness of it of not.

I would start with yoga, or another mindful martial art and listen to the messages within.

Or learn Kinesology, and start to muscle test to see what is optimal for you.."


Energy is so important. It's all about energy!! Raw foodists have awesome energy. Our energy flows smoothly and clearly!  ..& we make great energy healers too!! ; ) 
Peace and Love, xo

Chakra painting by Dina Herrmann

Hearts Everywhere!

Amazing Valentine's day with One Eskimo and Little Feather

 

U are Amazing!!! Me too. 

Happy Valentines Day!

One Eskimo - Amazing

One Eskimo - Kandi

Eating Raw in Cuba

 

 Food in Cuba.

Staying raw at an all-inclusive resort in Cuba is more challenging than I thought it was going to be.  I had hints to pack lots of superfoods, which I did and was sooo thankful for. They made it for me.. I can handle 'cheating' a little bit with eating raw.. but only a bit. I love it most and feel best when I eat 90-100% raw. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.. I really dont think you need anything else. But I do believe that to do this you have to eat really smart.. for optimum fuel you need the superfoods - This works for me. So I packed a big bag of Goji berries with a few handfuls of Cacao Nibs, a few bars of ChocoSol raw chocolate bars ~and Thank God for that, if you love chocolate as much as me.. : )  there was No chocolate there, and certainly no raw chocolate. I brought Lots of chlorella tabs, Turmeric, Mushroom caps, Digestive enzymes.. lots in case I ate cooked food, which I did a few times.  ..but food:

Every morning there was lots of fruit - However, I guess most people who travel the Caribbean know that the quality just isnt as high in Cuba. I hear to subtract a star off the normal rating. If its a 4 star resort, its going to be like most 3 stars, its worth going for as high a star rating as you can afford if food is a concern. So, yeah, there was lots of fruit..but the pineapple was kind of hard, not quite ripe enough.. the rest was good though, and plentiful. I was happy that the watermelon had seeds ; ) always lots of melons, and fresh orange juice.. and I became good friends with the fruit lady (even gave her my favorite silver crocks! ..could sympathize with sore feet, standing all day ; ) and she would make me a fresh smoothie in the mornings. Mo milk or yogurt!!! just banana and select whatever fruits.. I was telling her about putting spinach and lettuce in there, she couldnt believe it! lol I had fun explaining it to her in Spanish!!  ..so fruit was ok, always lots for breakfast and dinner and sometimes at night.  

Lettuce was always available..but a few times as a garnish, which I went for, of course. sometimes we actually had dark greens, parsley or some other dark green veg cut up. but not always.. it was challenging a few times. There was always cucumbers and shredded carrots and tomatoes, although they were quite green the last 2 days?? I would often eat beets, which were always there, but cooked.. but I figure when in this situation, just pick the best you can - pick the best, leave the rest. 

But overall, if you couldnt eat as a fruitarian for a week, eating raw is going to be very challenging.

Oh and I packed a big bag of granola and some dehydrated spiced nuts - so thankful to have those!!

..and another thing tipping goes a long way here. a Long way!! Things mean a lot when you dont have a lot. & they do have a lot, I just meant financially and with things. I left almost everything there.. we have a ridiculous amount of abundance, every one of us here in North America.. and a trip here really helps you see that. I also learned that they have a lot there too, which is really wonderful, its just not so much about money.. 

I loved it. I think next time I go tho I would like to stay for a week in a hotel in Havana or right in Veradero. I'll definitely be packing a blender! ..and yeah, maybe one that I can just leave there.

&it helps to like the song Guantanamera! (which of course I do, esp with the Fugees!)

Love Cuba!!

These are some of my favorite images and memories of Cuba. I Loved Cuba!! Loved the people, the energy, the music, the beaches, the Spanish architecture..but mostly the people. Generally poor, low access to internet, but they seem to have an inner happiness, a connectedness to each other and the earth, a vibrancy, peace, and fun love of life - the laughter, the connectedness, the sun - it's a beautiful place. I had a huge education - learned a lot about the system from outside and from inside - Life is fascinating & all I know is that I dont know.. and that I love the people here!
Music everywhere..

Coco's Taxis - all over the place - very fun!

The best part - the Beach

Cactus trees!

Arbol de Queso - is not a Cheese tree!! but a Noni tree. ..and a bit of advice: if you make friends with a Spanish gardener and he lets you take a Noni from the tree, dont decide to wrap it in a cloth bag and put it in your suitcase and bring it home to see if it will ripen, because - there is a very good chance it will get hot  in your suitcase, and mushy....  and we all know what noni is like!!! yuck! the noni will go straight into the garbage and the clothes and anything around it will go straight into the laundry.. and everythign will eventually get resolved - but just dont do that! ; ) !!

We discovered we could walk into the town of Veradero - it took a long time & I had a blister on the bottom of my foot the 1st time - but it was so interesting & we had the most beautiful walk back on the beach, ..and so it didnt stop us from doing it again the next day! : )

From the main road it was only a block down to the beach.

One of my favorite views ; )

..and a few pics of the many I took randomly from the window of the bus leaving..

Adios, Hasta luego! Espero ver a mis buenos amigos que conoci un dia de nuevo pronto!! xo