Reporting in from InSpiral Lounge- London, England

I’m writing this review as I sit in this lively raw organic vegetarian restaurant (and Vegan) in Camden Town, London. I’m sitting at a small wooden table with uneven chairs, by the glowing Himalayan sea salt figure light source, while the energetic African music smiles in my ears.

I just finished eating a raw nut burger, what they call their “Sunfood Burger”. It was a little dry, but overall very tasty and I basically swallowed it whole.With every dish you purchase, you get 3 sides included, so I chose 3 raw salads with bright, vibrant colors and distinct familiar tastes. It’s been 3 days since I’ve had this food I love so dearly, so I practically licked the plate.

My husband and I drove back to London today from Belgium in order for me to work for this restaurant, InSprial. This is our “honeymoon”, or at least our version of it. It’s not that we aren’t enjoying each other, or totally infatuated with each other: it’s just that we love our jobs that much. We are in Europe and by day we walk around on the bustling streets and go have European cappuccinos (mine with soy obviously) and for a few hours each day we bring our computers and tap into our clients, blog readers and the jobs we love so dearly.

Which brings me to this moment:

At first I thought it was oxymoronic to say “healthy food in London” BOY WAS I WRONG!

I emailed InSprial before leaving for England, after finding them on the internet, explaining I was coming to London for two weeks and would love to do a workshop for them on raw food or help in the kitchen. A week later, I received an enthusiastic reply, indicating they would put me in touch with their head chef. A few days later Enzo, their vegetarian cook, wrote asking if I could help the restaurant recreate their raw menu for the New Year. I obviously said Yes… with zero attempt at hiding my zealous vigor.

I met with Enzo last week and we discussed his ideas and what he needs from me. In the quickest hour of my life, I told him what I thought of the dishes they already have, he told me what he thought, and within 60 minutes we had a plan. He needed 7 new raw salads with superfoods in the dressings or in the salad & 2 new entree’s-one raw sushi dish and one random dish using my incredible imagination

We decided on my hours for this week (so that Adi and I could go to Paris and Belgium for a few days) and voila! Here we are! I showed him all my work–the 7 new recipes and 2 entrees–and he loved all of them.

Here’s a sneak preview on my ideas:

• Sprouted Mung Bean Salad with Sesame Seeds and a Raw Tahini Lime Dressing

• Edible Flower Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Raspberries, Agave Soaked Goji Berries and a Creamy Lemon-Maca Dressing

• Raw Caesar Salad with Baby Jam Lettuce, Raw Parmesan and Capers with A Cacao-Balsamic Dressing

for my “creative” entree I decided on a Mock Loaf with a Raw Mushroom Gravy…

PICTURES TO COME!!!!! Things may change a bit once I get into the kitchen, but that’s when the fun & gratification really begins!

Stay tuned.

From January 1st to January 7th I challenge you to go Dairy-free.

That’s right folks: no milk in your cereal, cream cheese on your bagel or cheese with your wine! But you better believe it will be an incredible week and I will offer PLENTY of alternatives!!!!!

Reasons to avoid dairy:

• Dairy products may have a significant amount of dairy fat, which is animal fat. Any pesticides, hormones, or other unhealthy things that may be given to animals tend to be concentrated in their fat.
• Digestive issues. This is the number one reason I went Dairy-free.
• obesity and weight issues in children and adults.
• weak bones. no, you aren’t reading wrong! a study determined that women who drank 3 cups of milk per day lost bone mass.
• Diabetes. in fact, more than 90 studies have been devoted to the link between the protein in dairy products and the development of insulin-dependent diabetes.

Get the support you need at Philosophie… and we’ll do it as a team!

$29 includes:

• non-dairy recipes delivered to your inbox

• daily blog post with information, studies, research and personal support

• emails sent to your inbox with reminders, motivation and tips on eating out
  

• learn about yourself and your habits

• education and skills you get to keep for a lifetime

COMMIT TO YOUR HEALTH, MAKE ONE SMALL CHANGE, WITH SUPPORT!

Now that you’re ready to eat raw living foods,  you’re probably wondering what equipment and food staples you’ll need. You will need some basic kitchen equipment and food staples to get you started.

Kitchen Equipment

Appliances

1. Blender. If you have a good blender that is working fine, there is no need to rush out purchase a heavy duty blender. A heavy duty blender is great, but start where you are and work your way up. I am partial to the Vita Mix, but there are many heavy duty blenders on the market you can choose from.

2. Coffee grinder (optional). A coffee grinder is good for grinding flax seeds and other seeds and nuts. I have a Magic Bullet and it has an attachment for grinding seeds and nuts. You can also use a heavy duty blender for grinding, but most of the time you will need small amounts, so you may consider purchasing a coffee grinder.

3. Food processor. A food processor is good to have, but I don’t believe you need to have one, when you’re starting out. Why? Because a lot of things you can do with a food processor you can do with a good heavy duty blender.

4. Juicer. A juicer is good to have, but again, I don’t believe this is necessary when you are starting out. Don’t feel you need to purchase a top of the line juicer. Start small and work your way up.

5. Dehydrator. A dehydrator is good to have (not necessary), if you want to make dried fruit (my favorite!) crackers, breads and seasoned nuts and have other little treats on hand (especially during your transition). However, over time you will find that you will use your dehydrator less and less.

Other Tools

1. Mixing bowls

2. Rubber Spatulas

3. Knives

4. Cutting board (wood or bamboo)

5. Kitchen scissors

6. Colander

7. Garlic press

8. Mason jars

9. Measuring cups and spoons

10. Sprout bag or cheese cloth (for straining nut milks)

11. Fine mesh strainer

12. Vegetable peeler

Kitchen Staples

1. Fruit (dried and frozen)

2. Dried herbs and spices

3. Oils and Vinegars

4. Raw nuts and seeds

5. Sweeteners and Seasonings (sea salt, pepper, cayenne pepper)

6. Superfoods- carob or cocoa powder, maca,  sea vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, etc)

7. Raw grains-buckwheat groats, oat groats, etc

8. Raw nut/seed butters

**Purchase fresh, preferably organic produce on a weekly basis.

R

Check out local farmers markets in your area!

Philosophie Green Juice

Where the laws of nature have been overlooked we find disease (dis-ease: a disruption to ease). There is only one disease: toxicity and enervation, a lack of nerve force.

Alkaline foods are foods that raise the the amount of oxygen that your blood takes in. The most alkalizing foods are RAW green leafy vegetables, non-sweet fruits and (wheat) grasses. The opposite of alkaline foods are acid foods.

How much oxygen your blood can absorb is measured on a pH scale that ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 0 is most acidic while a pH of 14 is most alkaline.

Eating alkalined foods is good for you and the Earth because it is completely in harmony with natural law. Fresh, delicious, organically grown alkaline food that is good for the land, promoting shade-bearing vegetation that rejuvenates soil and contributes to purifying lakes, rivers and oceans.

This way of eating is the ultimate healing program. Start with a Philosophie cleanse to experience this way of eating yourself!

The Acid – Alkaline Balance

Our blood is in balance when we’re slightly alkaline: with a pH of 7.365. The blood is an organ-a liquid organ. It streams through the vascular system, throughout the arteries, away from the heart, and returns via the veins to the heart once again.

In the beginning of the 20th century, very smart scientists and nobel prize winners made a great discovery. If our blood cannot absorb enough oxygen we get sick: cancer, heart issues, arthritis and candida infections and diabetes are the result.

You know that our body tries to maintain a constant temperature 98.5F or 37C. But but do you know that your body tries even harder to maintain the right amount of oxygen in your blood (a pH of 7.365)? When our pH is too high or too low, we don’t feel well, we feel tired, gain weight, have poor digestion and get aches and pains.

Most people in the US and Europe are too acidic: they cannot absorb enough oxygen. That’s why cancer, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes are epidemic.

Why are we too acidic?

* Stress

* Toxins

* Parasites and

* The FOOD we eat.

Acid Foods List

It seems that what we eat is more of a health factor than people have thought. Common reasoning is that there is a multitude of disease. However, keeping blood and body tissue at a proper pH seems to keep premature death at bay and makes the difference between vitality and death. This is the secret of an alkaline body. It’s too bad that the foods most people like make us most acidic and thus sick. What are these food? You guessed right:

• Junk & Processed foods
• Sugar (raises insulin levels)
• Coffee & Tea
• All animal food/flesh (meat, eggs, chicken, fish, lobster, oysters)
• Grains: (white) wheat, rice, pasta, flour, bread etc
• Some Fruits
• Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter)
• Bad fats
• Peanuts, cashews.

Alkaline Foods List

During most of our lives, the majority of the foods we eat are (highly) acidic. These make us sick and tired. By eating raw alkaline foods and drinks, we can help our body to heal it self from most dis-eases:

• Vegetables – especially raw green leafy vegetables
• Fresh Herbs & Spices – parsley, basil, cilantro, cayenne, ginger
• Fruits – watermelon, avocado, cucumber, young coconuts
• Wheat grass
• Sprouts: i.e. alfalfa, mung bean, broccoli etc.

The best alkaline drinks are alkaline water, vegetable juices and wheatgrass juice.

How Acidic Are You?

How do you know your body pH? I love this one, because it’s incredibly easy to find out what your alkalinity is. You simply buy some pH test strips (also called litmus paper) at a health store and pee on it. The paper will tell you instantly what your pH is and thus, how alkaline or acid you are.

The Best & Easiest Alkaline Foods

Would you like to know the best and cheapest alkalizing foods? Edible wild plants. They’re highly alkaline, abundant, fresh and free!

Just throwing a few of them in your salad will help balancing you. Try sea veggies for a great alkaline food!

Go to a local farmers market and check out the local organic produce.

Ready to make changes now?? Try a Philosophie cleanse. It is an incredible way to jumpstart any healing program for quick recovery from modern dietary excess. It will leave you feeling rejuvenated and looking radiant!

We are a work in progress, constantly constructing and deconstructing ourselves. Philosophie offers the high quality building materials needed for this constant cycle. It is rich with enzymes, so it costs you nothing to digest, and all of its properties are highly charged and easily used in the body.

CHERRY JUBILATION

A raw vegan dessert truffle with cherries, chocolate and Brazil nuts.

• 1/3 cup  coconut cream butter (Artisana is a great brand)
  
• 1/2 cup powdered carob
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp agave
• 2 tsp Stevia Plus powder
• 2 droppers dark chocolate Stevia liquid
• 1 cup fresh, pitted organic cherries
• 1 1/2 cup organic Brazil nuts
• ½ cup unsweetened carob chips
• 15 cherries, pitted and halved

Purée all ingredients in food processor except carob chips. When dough is formed, pull out blade and stir in chips. Form into balls and scoop into paper mini cupcake liners. Top each one with a cherry half.

Freeze for 15 minutes and they’re ready to serve. Store in refrigerator. Tops of cherries will get frostbite if kept in the freezer over 15 minutes.

Yield: 30

Now that I’ve begun getting sea veggies, I crave them. Every other day I have to have a seaweed salad or put them inside of something or else. I don’t know if it’s the iron I’m deficient in or just the abundance of nutrients, but they seem to sooth my soul.

sea vegetables

Common Sea Vegetables

• Agar:  This is a tasteless natural gelatin used to make gelatin-type desserts.  Available in bars or flakes, very high in iodine.
• Alaria:  Resembles wakame in appearance, taste, and nutrition, alaria is high in calcium, Vitamin A, and B vitamins.  Blackish green in color.
• Arame:  Similar to hijiki in appearance, arame is rich in calcium and iodine.  It has a delicate flavor.
• Carrageen:  Also called Irish moss, it is rich in vitamin A, iodine, and other minerals.
• Dulse:  Reddish in color with a soft, chewy texture and a salty, spicy flavor this is an appealing choice for those new to sea vegetables.  Dulse is high in protein, iron, potassium, and vitamins B-6 and B-12.
• Hijiki:  The strongest-tasting sea vegetable, is often paired with onions and rood vegetables or added to soups.  Dehydrated, hijiki looks like black strings.  Hijiki is high in calcium and iron.
• Kelp:  Light brown to dark green in color, kelp is similar to Japanese kombu and is used in much the same ways.  It contains a natural tenderizer.  Kelp is high in calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, chromium, and iodine.
• Kombu:  Sometimes called “natural MSG,” kombu is used to brighten the flavors of soups and stews and to tenderize beans.  It is usually sold as dried strips that is blackish green in color.
• Nori:  Though deep purple in color, nori turns dark green when toasted which is how it is commonly sold.  Known for its role in sushi making, nori is available in pre-toasted, ready-to-use sheets and can be chopped or crumbled to use in soups and salads.
• Wakame:  The traditional leafy addition to miso soup, wakame has a mild flavor that works well in salads or stir-fries with other vegetables.  It is high in calcium, B vitamins, and vitamin C.

Sea vegetables are very versatile and are high in many trace minerals.  Dr. Tel-Oren (The Truth About Your Food) recommends that we have organically grown sea vegetables (algae) at least 3/4 times a week.

Small amounts can be added to smoothies, salads, uncooked soups, crackers and whatever else your heart desires. If you haven’t tried sea vegetables, consider giving them a try!

Have a grateful day!

-S

Here are my Specials for the month of December. (Dec 3-25)

1. Yoga Challenge: How much yoga can you do in 22 days??

• feel more flexible within 3 sessions, more balanced & less stress within 1 session
• everyone can benefit from yoga-whether you are healing from an injury, trying to lose weight, gain strength, if you are new to the practice or feel intimidated by yoga: these private , one on one sessions will give you confidence and eliminate these blocks to a successful practice
• I come to your house with everything we need for the class.
  

*The first session is regular price of $60. Each session within the same week gets cut by $5. (HUGE SAVINGS!!!!!!!)

2. Philosophie Customized Cleanse: find a friend, roommate or co-worker to experience it together… Save $30!

• feel more energetic, more mental clarity, focus
• lose 3-5 lbs-while eating instead of fasting or drinking lemonade all day
• improve digestive health, clearer skin and eyes, balance hormones
• includes personal consultation and delivery
• see what other cleansers have said about their experience: http://www.thephilosophie.com/philosophie/philosophie-testimonials/
  

*$30 off 2 purchased 3-day cleanses (3-day cleanse: $300; must have same start and ending date)

3. Health Consulting: don’t live in Los Angeles? (or even if you do!)

• Trying to take gluten or dairy out of your life and need some help?
• transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle and looking for alternatives?
• curious about macrobiotic, body ecology or the raw diet?
• want a cleanse or workout plan designed especially for you??
• trying to lose weight and want support to ultimately feel your best? I’M YOUR GIRL!
  

*$29 off a package of 4 phone/skype/email sessions (regularly $249) or $49 off a package of 6 (regularly $349)

email: Sophie@thephilosophie.com to BOOK YOUR CLEANSE OR YOGA SESSIONS TODAY!!!

Check out this recent article on fasting from NPR!

For thousands of years, beginning with philosophers like Hippocrates, Socrates and Plato, fasting was recommended for health reasons. The Bible writes that Moses and Jesus fasted for 40 days for spiritual renewal.

“Glycogen is necessary for thinking; it’s necessary for muscle action; it’s necessary just for the cells to live in general,” says Dr. Naomi Neufeld, an endocrinologist at UCLA. Neufeld says most adults need about 2,000 calories a day. Those calories make energy, or glycogen. Neufeld says it doesn’t hurt — it might even help the body — to fast or stop eating for short periods of time, say 24 hours once a week, as long as you drink water.

“You re-tune the body, suppress insulin secretion, reduce the taste for sugar, so sugar becomes something you’re less fond of taking,” Neufeld says.

Eventually the body burns up stored sugars, or glycogen, so less insulin is needed to help the body digest food. That gives the pancreas a rest. On juice diets recommended by some spas, you may lose weight, but your digestive system doesn’t get that rest. Mark Mattson, a scientist with the National Institute on Aging, says that when we convert food into energy, our bodies create a lot of byproducts we could do without, including free radicals. “These free radicals will attack proteins, DNA, the nucleus of cells, the membranes of cells,” Mattson says. “They can damage all those different molecules in cells.”

And even if you don’t fast, Mattson says that simply limiting the calories you consume may be beneficial. He points to studies where rats and mice were fed every other day. Compared with those fed normal daily diets, there was a reduction in disease among the rats that were severely restricted in their food intake. Mattson says those findings hold promise that humans could also benefit from partial fasting.

Mattson thinks partial fasting has numerous benefits, from improving glucose regulation, which can protect against diabetes, to also lowering blood pressure. Some animal studies have also shown that partial fasting has very beneficial effects on the brain, protecting against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and stroke.

Partial fasting may even extend lifespan because eating less sends a message to the cells of the body that they should conserve and use energy more efficiently.

“When they’re exposed to a mild stress, [the body's cells] sort of expect that maybe this is going to happen again,” Mattson says. “So maybe next time I may have to go longer without food, so I’d better be able to deal with that when it comes on.”

Proponents say small, short-term studies find that complete fasting lowers blood pressure and reduces cancer risk. But Dr. Naomi Neufeld worries that complete fasting could be harmful. After the first few days of liquid only, the body uses up all its stored glucose to make energy. And then it turns to other sources, including fat and muscle. (juice/smoothie fast ensures you get all the nutrients you need while still obtaining the benefits mentioned above)

check out the full article here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16513299&sc=nl&cc=es-20071223&sc=emaf

Natural Organic Food

Consuming natural organic food is incredibly important, but the reason why isn’t always understood or clear. I’m writing this post to take a more in-depth look at some of the issues surrounding organic food and to help dispel common assumptions and bring a dose of reality to the table. One reality for me is that organic food really does TASTE BETTER. I am shocked just about every time I bite into an organic kiwi when compared to a regular one. Why? What makes it taste so much better? and what does it take for something to earn an “organic” sticker? Read on to answer these questions!

1. Why does Organic Food taste so much better??

Flavor in organic foods is so much better because of the healthy, well-balanced soil it grows in. This is why so many top chefs insist on using organic food in their recipes. Obviously, tastes and flavors are a personal matter, so see for yourself!

2. What does it take for the USDA to approve a food as “organic”?

• “Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

• “‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.

• “Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.

• “Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.

Okay… so what is organic food? summary please!

Though organic food can be produced with certain synthetic ingredients, it must adhere to specific standards regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Crops are generally grown without synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation (a form of radiation used to kill bacteria), or biotechnology. Animals on organic farms eat organically grown feed, aren’t confined 100 percent of the time (as they sometimes are on conventional farms), and are raised without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

A few more terms for piece of mind:

• Organic: A USDA-regulated label that says no pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, or growth hormones were used. Produce, meats, and dairy with a USDA Organic seal are 100% organic, while other foods may use the designation if 95% of their ingredients are organic.

• Natural: This label, regulated only for meat and poultry, signals that no artificial ingredients have been added. Don’t confuse the term with nutritious when, say, reaching for the Cheetos Natural Cheese Puffs.

• No hormones administered: An unverified certification that a cow was never given hormones in its lifetime. A “no hormones” stamp on pork and poultry is entirely irrelevant since, by federal law, chickens and pigs may not be given hormone injections.

• Cage-free: This egg carton label means nothing nutritionally and not much ethically. Cage-free hens can still be packed wing-to-wing in a windowless indoor space.

• Free-range: This USDA- defined, but unregulated, term means that a bird has outdoor access for more than half its life. Still, many free-range chickens live in crowded barns, with access only to a cramped yard.

• Grass-fed: Indicates only that a cow ate grass at some point in its life—always true, even of animals raised on big commercial farms. Look for “grass-finished” beef (the animal ate only grass in its final weeks) or “100% grass-fed.”

• Pastured or pasture-raised: Though unregulated, this term usually means that an animal has roamed grassy fields throughout its life.

Healthy food – Healthy Body

Bottom line: eat as many healthy, organic foods as you can for a healthy body and mind.

Organic foods may have higher nutritional value than conventional food, according to some research. The reason: In the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance to bugs and weeds. Some studies have linked pesticides in our food to everything from headaches to cancer to birth defects — but many experts maintain that the levels in conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. Even low-level pesticide exposure, however, can be significantly more toxic for fetuses and children (due to their less-developed immune systems) and for pregnant women (it puts added strain on their already taxed organs), according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences.

Pesticide contamination isn’t as much of a concern in meats and dairy products (animals may consume some pesticides, depending on their diet), but many scientists are concerned about the antibiotics being given to most farm animals: Many are the same antibiotics humans rely on, and overuse of these drugs has already enabled bacteria to develop resistance to them, rendering them less effective in fighting infection, says Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at the Organic Center, a nonprofit research organization.

Is buying organic better for the environment?
Organic farming reduces pollutants in groundwater and creates richer soil that aids plant growth while reducing erosion, according to the Organic Trade Association. It also decreases pesticides that can end up in your drinking glass; in some cities, pesticides in tap water have been measured at unsafe levels for weeks at a time, according to an analysis performed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). (To find out about the safety of your tap water, visit the EWG website at ewg.org/tapwater/yourwater.) Plus, organic farming used 50 percent less energy than conventional farming methods in one 15-year study.

When is it worth the extra $ dough $?
If you can afford it, buy local and organic. Farmers’ markets carry reasonably priced locally grown organic and conventional food; to find one in your area, go to localharvest.org. If you can’t always afford organic, do spend the extra money when it comes to what the EWG calls the “dirty dozen”: peaches, strawberries, nectarines, apples, spinach, celery, pears, sweet bell peppers, cherries, potatoes, lettuce, and imported grapes. These fragile fruits and vegetables often require more pesticides to fight off bugs compared to hardier produce, such as asparagus and broccoli. Download a list of produce ranked by pesticide contamination at foodnews.org, an EWG website.

When shopping for organic foods, always look for the USDA seal on any kind of packaged food. For meat and dairy, this seal ensures you’re getting antibiotic- and hormone-free products. When buying meat or produce that isn’t packaged, look for a sign stating that it’s organic, or ask someone that works there!

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml

http://localharvest.org

http://foodnews.org

In-Fighting in the Organic Movement: www.thedailygreen.com/2007/07/18/in-fighting-in-the-organic-movement/4075/

When It Pays to Buy Organic: www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/diet-nutrition/organic-products/organic-products-206/overview/index.htm<

Good source of organic information and news: www.organicconsumers.org

Visit eatwild.com for farms that sell pastured products

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/Organics#ixzz0UeFN4nKa

After visiting San Francisco about 5 times in the past 2 years knowing fully well about Cafe Gratitude, I finally made it. And it was more than worth the wait.

cut to today: walking about 20 blocks, taking the Bart and 2 buses, I arrived. I am here.

it’s no wonder it’s such a challenge for people to stay healthy, and especially raw, while traveling. Most people won’t endure the above trek in order to achieve a healthy meal.

After arriving… again after ordering, and while eating…and once again after I am finished: I feel such gratitude.

I feel thankful for this beautiful food, for the love and intention that goes into every bite and sip, for the gracious and kind staff, for small details such as the Question of the Day (today’s: What are you devoted to?) for The Present Moment, and for my deep awareness of my body and my health to bring me to such a conscious place for lunch.

Here’s what I ordered: ‘I Am Healthy” Green Veggie Juice, followed by “I Am Giving” Asian Kale Salad with Teriyaki Almonds, sea vegetables and sesame seeds. For dessert (you can’t skip dessert when doing a review for a restaurant-it wouldn’t be fair) I had the raw Pecan Pie called “I Am Perfect” with Pecans and Dates and a Macadamia nut crust. mmmm. Afterward, while walking around the beautiful store, letting my food digest and my heart absorb my surroundings, I sipped on a cup of mint green tea with ginger and spices. (“I Am Charmed”)

I consider it a treat to be in such an amazing environment. I definitely don’t take it for granted. Every time I walk in such a place, i feel humble and gracious.

I feel at home here. I can sit Indian style like I would at home. I can ask questions that matter to me and know that they will be acknowledged and respected. There is a lot of love being felt here… the staff just had a group hug, for example. This is exactly how life is in my bubble, in my head, in my heart.

For now, all i can say is that until I can create my own sanctuary, my own yoga studio-juice bar-restaurant-safe place…

I’ll be venturing to Cafe Gratitude to fulfill these desires.