Getaway to We Care

If it’s November, it’s time for my annual getaway health retreat to We Care Spa in Palm Springs. If you’re imagining it’s one of those nice spas where you are pampered in luxury and treatments for a week, think again. While they do have treatments, We Care is primarily a juice fasting and detoxification program that will not only reset your health, but reset your life.

We Care teaches all of the lessons I believe so strongly in – organic and local foods – mostly vegetarian cuisine with little to no dairy, healthy food practices and preparation. It’s the reason I believe so strongly in having our own vegetable garden…it’s local, organic and as fresh as vegetables can possibly be. I know the quality of the soil and nutrients in my food. I have variety so I can mix up our intake of our vegetables. I personally believe that We Care is doing a great service to help people help themselves to make better food choices and improve their health.

Every time I come here I learn a little something new as Susana Belen, founder, personally shares her principles and recent learnings with her guests. Below are some of the principles I have taken home over the years that are good reminders for all of us. Even if you don’t subscribe to all of her guidelines, adopting a few of them will make a difference in your health.

1. Buy only organic food and source the freshest food possible. If possible grow your own organic food.
2. Manage portions. The composition of your food should be 50% vegetables, 25% grains and 25% protein. That protein can be vegetable or animal, depending upon your preference, but vegetable protein is encouraged. Also make sure you are putting the right amount of food on your plate (not too much).
3. Food combine properly for better digestion. Don’t eat starches with proteins or mix fruit with other foods, or you will have gas from poor digestion. (Apples are the exception). Vegetables go easily with starches or protein.
4. Take digestive enzymes about 30-60 minutes before a meal to aid your digestion. As we get older our bodies don’t digest our food as well. Also, don’t drink water with a meal, as it slows your digestion.
5. No processed sugar! It’s in everything. If you want to be scared straight, read the seminal book, Sugar Blues by William Duffy. It took me off sugar for 7 years! Instead use stevia, dates or other healthy substitute, depending on your recipe.
6. Have green drinks daily. Preferably replace your breakfast with a smoothie so your digestion doesn’t have to work so hard throughout the day. We Care makes a great tasting one, called Green Food. Susanna mixes all kinds of other things in her green drink including sprouted nuts and seeds (which produce a nice milk as the foundation of the drink), kefir, berries and protein powder. She is a proponent of ‘mixing it up’ so she’s not having the same thing every day.
7. Eliminate processed foods.
8. Amp up your daily intake of vegetables. Eat vegetables that are consistent with the seasons. Steam, bake or sauté your vegetables in a healthy oil with a high smoke point, such as ghee or coconut oil. Never heat up olive oil as it will produce free radicals in your system.
9. Reduce or eliminate dairy. If you have to have occasional cheese (which I do), choose feta or goat cheese. Yogurt is okay. Make your own nut and seed milks – it’s really simple, nutritious and delicious.
10. Reduce or eliminate animal protein. Organic (preferably very local) eggs are the exception as they are a terrific source of protein.
11. Increase raw nuts and seeds in your diet. If you soak and dehydrate your nuts you will make the nuts alkaline and easier to digest.
12. Combine legumes and grains for a complete protein. My favorite place to buy nuts, seeds and grains is Sun Organics – they have everything!
13. Don’t use a microwave.
14. Add lemon to your daily water intake.
15. Include lots of onions and garlic in your diet as they are immune boosting, parasite reducing and potentially anti-cancer foods.
16. Add cayenne pepper to your food for its anti-inflammatory qualities and several other health benefits. Susana adds it to her lemon water, soups, salad dressings – pretty much everything.
17. Take tumeric regularly for its many health benefits, too numerous to mention here.
18. Add fresh herbs to your food such as parsley, cilantro, rosemary and mix them up from day to day. They have many and varied health benefits.

What’s the new thing I learned this time? Artichokes and asparagus are powerful liver cleansing vegetables, so I’ll be having more them from now on. Thank you We Care for another fabulous adventure into my diet and health.