Ingredients:

2 cups of soaked almonds
1.5 liters of water
A pinch of salt
Optional: honey or vanilla
1 nutmilk‐bag

Method:
Blend the almonds, salt and water together. Strain it through the nut milk bag and now you have almond milk! The “pulp” from the almond can be dried in the oven and used later for baking (grind the almond‐pulp into flour). The milk will last approximately 2 days. For easier on digestions soak the almonds over night.

We’ve just finished a personalised 3 days fruit program for detoxers transitioning from a 7 days juice fast moving into solid foods. Kick starting the digestive system with hydrating electric fruit, the colours and the sweetness were intoxicating with so much delight and satiation at every meal.

This was by far the most creative (and delicious) part of the overall 10 day detox experience as we got to practice the art of eating fruit abundantly. Breaking all past ideas that fruit is bad for you, that its too much sugar, it corrodes your teeth, or any other nonsense that put people off eating fruit.

The energy noticeably increased with each day as well as hitting our other target : which was to get a few natural bowel movements a day!

We also did fun workshops and learnt more information about gut microbiome, disease prevention, and the powers of fruit. Some of the highlights were:

• How to make coconut yogurt workshop
• Nice-cream workshop
• Natural Beauty Workshop
• All the meals & drinks are hands on demo’s in the kitchen

Last words from us : FRUIT UP!! 🙂

For anyone starting, undergoing, finishing breast cancer treatment, this beautiful warrior goddess has written a site on what helped her during her treatment. As Green as it can be. Believe in it.

What was the single most helpful thing I did during breast cancer treatment?

Drink Green Juice.

Organic Green Juice as much as possible.

I don’t mean like that disgusting green Kool-Aid I drank during grade school. I mean a raw juice made from organic cucumbers, celery, green apples, lemons, kale and ginger and sometimes turmeric.

So many cancer survivors tout drinking the stuff. From Kris Karr, Crazy, Sexy Cancer, to Shauna Martin of Daily Greens, a breast cancer survivor.

Why Do People Drink Green Juice?

In my experience, because it works.

I like to think of it this way, if my body is in balance it means that it is alkaline or not acidic. Another way to say this is it’s not inflamed. (Read up on Dr. Mark Hyman)

In general, day-to-day, I eat and expose myself to things that make my body acidic like drinking alcohol, eating cheese or being stressed.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, if left unchecked at chronically high levels suppresses the immune system. This will reduce the body’s ability to defend or repair itself  against things like cancer. More info here.

When I thought about putting my body through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, I knew it would be out of balance big time. I think during my two rounds of chemo, I took 5-6 medications on top of the chemo doses for breast cancer treatment.

My body was in acidic breakdown.

Green Juice to The Rescue

By delivering raw juice goodness to my body, I gave it the nutrients it needed to not only stay in balance, but to heal. (Read to the end of post for resources.)

Now, I drink green juice on average five days a week.

Nutrients, sometimes a forgotten word in our day-to-day vocabulary, are vital for health and healing. At least that is my way of thinking.

I realize now, there was another benefit too. By creating a daily practice, I gave myself a little piece of control in an almost uncontrollable situation.

When people ask, “How was treatment?”  I want to scream, “F!*!*!* hard!”

Instead if I dig past the anger and pain, I see what lies beneath. Fear.

The diagnosis and subsequent treatment felt like it came out of nowhere. A slap in the face I didn’t see coming. A loss of control.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that I have control over my life, but I sure as hell believed that breast cancer wasn’t something that would grow inside me.

But it did.

Creating a daily practice that I know delivers pure plant goodness to my cells feels good. It’s like I’m lovin’ on my body in a way I never did before.

In some ways cancer grows because cells are weakened. I want to give my cells all the nutrients and love I can so they’re strong and can stand up for themselves.

The Proof

The proof that Green Juice works is in my recovery periods and energy levels.

For surgery, my drain came out in a week. Unheard of at the hospital. The nurse asked how I’d recovered so well. I told her Green Juice.

For chemo, when I saw my care team, they were always surprised by my complexion and energy. “It’s the Green Juice” I’d say.

And when my radiation burn healed after two days instead of two weeks, I was made a devout Green Juice worshiper.

Juice it up people!

Hope this blog helps you or someone you love through breast cancer treatment.

GREEN JUICE RESOURCES

Manuela Scalini is a dear friend and raw food chef. If you want to make Green Juice at home, follow her recipe here.

If making green juice at home seems daunting then try one of the resources below (full disclosure, my sweet husband makes my green juice):

Green Vibrance

I use this when traveling. Has a lot of good stuff in it. I only use half of the package in water or a smoothie. Mostly in smoothies.

Travis Elizabeth Brady documents her extraordinary healing journey and continues to inspire many on her blog page Grace & Ease  www.graceease.com

In the ancient Indic language of India, the healing science of sun bathing is called Atapa Snana.  While Sun gazing is a strict regimen of gradually allowing sunlight into your eyes at specific periods of the day.

Sun gazers report a variety of benefits. The most basic are improved health, increased energy levels, clearer thinking, an increase in awareness, and results from what is called wish fulfillment. If you are considering sun gazing, please research this as much as possible. For starters you can read more on this website Solar Healing Center.

The circumstances and ideas of the present age of how we should stay away from the sun is depriving us to fully benefit from the sun.

“Too much of everything is not good.”

Like how sodium in appropriate amount is essential to our health but it can also be detrimental to the body in high quantities raising your risk for several potentially serious medical problems. How sugar provides a quick source of energy but high intakes could contribute to diabetes and obesity. The list could go on but we get the point.

Yes, too much of the sun’s warm rays can be harmful to your skin. But don’t completely shun the sun, as moderate sun exposure has numerous health benefits that go beyond just vitamin D.

In the book The Healing Sun, author Dr. Richard Hobday documents a wide array of studies which show that the sun protects against cancer of the breast, colon, ovaries and prostate. It can also prevent diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and high blood pressure, osteoporosis, psoriasis and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

I know a friend that had a skin cancer, and the army doctor told him to be in the sun to cure it. It drew the cancer right out of the scap. This video presentation explains fully how we’ve been systematically lied to about the sun and skin cancer for years. How many know that there is no definitive proof that the sun alone causes skin cancer?

They sit on the grocery store aisles, appearing rather innocent. They are clear and odorless – mainly because they have been bleached and deodorized with chemicals after high-heat processing has turned them rancid. And yet they are actually touted as “health foods” that can save your heart.

They are polyunsaturated oils such as soy, canola and corn oil. They are industrialized oils, and they continue to damage the health of virtually all of us.
Why is polyunsaturated fat bad for your health?

The main difference between polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat (such as coconut oil) is the structure. Monounsaturated fatty acids are linked by one double bond, but polyunsaturated fats are linked by multiple double bonds. This structure is unstable and wreaks havoc on the cells in your body. It contributes to oxidation and free radical damage in the body, which is linked to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, autoimmune diseases and premature aging.

The instability of polyunsaturated fats is especially volatile during any kind of processing. Even small amounts of light, moisture, air or heat damage polyunsaturated fat. These oils cannot withstand exposure to heat when used for cooking, but they are still the main choice for restaurants and fast food joints because they are cheap and the claim “cooked in vegetable oil” sounds healthier to customers. The truth is that cooking with these oils makes them even more dangerous when consumed.

Another concern about consuming high levels of omega-6 fatty acids is they may interfere with the body’s production of prostaglandins. This can cause many adverse conditions in the body, including blood clots, sterility, poor immunity, indigestion, and cancer.

Too much omega-6 fatty acids can also interfere with the use of the very important omega-3 fatty acids in the body. And since polyunsaturated oils are used almost exclusively in conventional processed foods, it’s very easy for people to take in far more omega-6 fatty acids than their body can use. The omega-6 fatty acids in these oils essentially crowd out the omega-3’s, leaving health to suffer as a result.
What about the claims that polyunsaturated oils are good for your heart?

Some experts have advised the public to toss out traditional cooking fats such as coconut oil, and replace them with polyunsaturated oils. They claim this will save your heart, but heart disease is more rampant than ever, while we virtually soak our foods in polyunsaturated oils.

Historically, the evidence is hard to miss. Heart disease was a rare occurrence when most cultures consumed mainly saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil, butter, tallow and ghee. The rate of heart disease began to skyrocket in the mid-20th century – about the time that cheaply manufactured polyunsaturated oils became popular.

Reference:

Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry by going to

Elaine Hollingsworth’s website ~ She is the

Director of the Hippocrates Health Centre of Australia. Actively promoting truthfulness, and is a modern day pioneer of health and vitality.

http://doctorsaredangerous.com/book_index.html

Ashley Dawn

Just as a waterfall trickles down a mountain side, caressing, and splattering down the solidified rock, incessantly, every day, and every night, thus evolving and shaping the mountain, ever so slightly, subtly, so do the foods we eat, they shape and sculpt our bodies, slowly, over the period of our lives.

Eating raw plant food is truly a beautifying experience!  I love walking through a blooming lush garden painted with vibrant colours, an array of textures, fresh fragrances, and rich aromas.  I am delighted to know that I lavish my body with noble gifts from nature. Allowing these gifts to nourish me from the inside out.

By understanding the idea that what we consume on a daily basis, will create our future.  It makes sense that eating beautiful foods will support us, so we flourish, and come alive.  Beautifying foods are living foods in its raw and natural form.  Living the way that nature has intended is the last frontier we must cross.  Nature alone cures, all anyone can do is assist, and not interfere with its efforts.  Our bodies are able to heal itself, when given the raw materials to do so.

Eating different foods will lead us to certain directions in our lives.  They fuel our emotions, they create our appearance, and affect the way we act.  By consuming vital, rich, living foods that are energizing, we are going to begin feeling more bountiful, and more vibrate then ever before.
To find out what works for you, you must try and create experiences for yourself.  Always trust your own common sense, regardless what others may tell you.  What makes the most sense to you?  If it resonates with your beliefs, and it is making you feel good, go for it, and try it out!

I choose to align my diet with what is provided by nature.  When we choose not to interfere with nature, it maintains a perfect rhythm, balanced harmoniously, and its symmetry is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  To me it just makes sense!

“Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development excites the sensitive soul to tears.”
-Edgar Allan Poe

About the blogger:

Ashley Dawn is a health and sensuality coach, and an artist. She is passionate in love, beauty, and power – the Goddess power. You may also read her blogs from her own website.

ThirstySoul
www.thirstysoul.ca

Dhyana Mudra

I can’t say I have a favourite mudra but this one comes close. I feel a great sense of calm and relaxation whilst using it when in meditation. No wonder it’s called the ‘gesture of mediation’.

It’s super simple to do. The right hand is placed on the left hand with each finger gently resting on the opposing finger with thumbs touching. The hands form a triangle-like shape which circulates energy.

It’s most commonly used in Buddhist and Zen style mediations and is known as the psychic gesture of meditation.The mudra either rests in the lap or can be positioned at the level of the navel center.

If the thumbs disconnect during meditation it’s a fantastic indicator that you’ve drifted off and gives you the opportunity to bring your focus back to the present moment.

When I was in India on my days off from the Yoga Synergy training I would often go to the bookstore where I would peruse their vast collection of yoga books. I bought a little book titled Yoga Mudras by Shivayogi G. Madanbhavi . The descriptions are quite basic and sometimes most amusing:

Dhyana Mudra ‘The performer achieves greater brilliance and becomes an attractive personality. He becomes capable of influencing people widely. His worries seem to disappear as he attains mental peace. This mudra greatly helps in improving concentration.’

They recommend performing this mudra for a minimum of 20 minutes daily to achieve the above results.

Happy and safe practicing!

THE TEAM : The process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal.

I have to admit that when I started writing this blog I wasn’t sure how to approach it.
Here’s a clear description on this subject which I randomly googled:

Teamwork is often a crucial part of a business, as it is often necessary for colleagues to work well together, always trying to do their best in any circumstance.
Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal conflict between individuals.

And I totally agree with it.

Below I rewrote how I see a team. I guess anyone can have their views but the results remain the same.

I see the team as a machine and the participants as the fuel of the machine. Without fuel the machine just cannot run. Every member of the team and what they contribute is crucial.

Isn’t it incredible how one person can have an idea and turn it into something that not only benefits themselves but everyone around, and then to be able to share the idea with others? A seed is planted now let’s nurture it so it can grow into something amazing.

A well run team is always creating, inspiring and motivating each other to be part of the big picture .

The preparing, advertising, sourcing, ordering & communicating are just the beginning .

The list goes on and on.

As a team we divide and share the work load.

Also very crucial is communication with each other and carrying each other during a retreat.

I like to always do something new for each retreat. For the last retreat I chose a theme fruit according to availability and what was current in season. It was dragon fruit with its amazing fuchsia-magenta colour.

I used it in everything from fruit salads, wraps, cakes and desserts, drinks you name it – I just love creating menu’s around a fruit and its colour. It also brings so much more creativity into each recipe and dish.

So after many weeks of pondering, drum roll please; for our September retreat I have decided that Mangoes and their beautiful golden yellow colour will be the feature fruit!

Who doesn’t love its taste and texture? It’s one of the most cherished and loved fruits in the tropics. And I already can think of so many new ways on how to use it in the dishes I’ll be serving. Just wait and see. We are all in for a real treat.

There are so many benefits fermented water from the kefir grain can give you. It’s a no brainer to include them in your life if you’re looking for ways to keep healthy and vibrant.

Drinking Water Kefir can help you to achieve your optimal health, strengthen your immune system, and help to prevent diseases of all kinds. Most importantly, it restores good digestion – the key to health and longevity. When your body is out of balance, unfriendly opportunistic bacteria and yeasts can take over – producing irritable and bad digestion, food allergies, headaches, flu, skin rashes, and other more serious disorders. Water kefir is something you and your family can drink and use on your skin every day.

It inhibits the growth of unfriendly bacteria and yeasts, and helps beneficial probiotic microorganisms to colonise and thrive in your digestive tract, and throughout the rest of the body (skin, eyes, bladder, vagina, nose, throat, etc).

It contributes to a healthy immune system.

It reduces inflammation.

It helps with the digestion of food and micronutrients. The key for health and longevity is good digestion, and a balance of good bacteria is the essential starting point.

It can heal and reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome IBS including bloating, indigestion, flatulence, diarrhoea/constipation, nausea, low energy, muscle aches and pains. It heals intestinal dysbiosis and SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth).
Your increased energy and overall feeling of good health rises.

As a consequence it can stop unhealthy food cravings, especially for sugars and sweet foods.

Skin complexion and overall condition improve. Brown liver spots / age spots can fade, as can skin tags, moles, warts etc. It can ease or cure many skin conditions, such as psoriasis, eczema and acne.

Hair and nails look healthier, and are strengthened and improved.

Liver cleansing, as in traditional Chinese medicine, eases aches and joint pains, and benefits the eyes.

Glandular ( endocrine) system (adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, ovaries) benefits. Women have healthier periods, some women have periods start again after early menopause.

It has a tranquillising effect on the nervous system so helps many who suffer from sleep disorders and insomnia, depression, ADHD and autism.

What more could you ask for in these little bundles of bacteria. They are so easy to cultivate and keep at home. They thrive on a sugar solution in water. Making a fresh batch of KefirWater every few days and keeping a supply in the fridge to drink doesn’t get any easier than that!

At our retreats we always place emphasis on adding fermented foods and drinks into our diet. We’ll get to explore different types of fermentation processes as well as taste them as they come around the table.

Come join us on our retreat check our website for all the details www.artofliferetreats.com