Holding on to anger, resentments, hurt and pain rather than forgiving is something that is very detrimental to our health.

When we can resolve major issues like power, control,
abandonment, jealousy, and anger issues the sooner we can move out of the drama and into a really creative, productive and exciting life in which we are truly growing!

When we overeat eat cooked foods, processed foods, junk foods, packaged foods loaded with chemicals, over-salty & over-flavoured foods, or we overeat then our colon is stressed. And when our colon is stressed, we are stressed. And then it’s much harder to be kind, positive, loving or forgiving.

We are so addicted to foods that harm us. And so it is easy to get addicted to addictive negative
emotions that harm us too.

And just as much it’s easy to get addicted to anger, hate, confusion, sadness, despair. Powerful emotions generating powerful addictive chemicals in our body.

But when we eat a raw diet, it’s possible to break the cycle. Diet and emotions work together in so many ways. And interesting that eating a diet which is not addictive in any way, we become free of addictions. We think more clearly. We aren’t so easily stressed.

This is what we focus on our retreats. We do a week of raw food, eating our way into health one bite at a time. We workout and bring play back into our life. And we do our inner work. And together these planes support each-other to generate a huge forward momentum that we are truly shift into a whole new way of life and a whole new level of vibrancy!

We offer personalised retreats to support you in any transition; a holiday just for you. Please see our personalised page for all the details.

Sonja Eberhard

Chemical and heavy metal dangers seem to be lurking everywhere you turn in the 21st century!

Pesticides coat much of our fresh food supply, chemical by-products from manufacturing are routinely dumped into our air and water, aluminum, and mercury, broken energy light bulbs and amalgam fillings in your teeth may be releasing mercury into your body with every bite of food you take!

In fact, acceptable levels of many poisons are allowed to come into your home through your drinking and bathing water, including fluoride, chlorine and low levels of many heavy metals.

It doesn’t take much imagination to see that your body too is under attack from environmental pollution every single day.

You can try to protect yourself and combat this hazard by eating foods that are free of pesticides and chemicals, but you simply cannot entirely remove all sources of toxins from your environment.  The damage to our world is just too widespread and pervasive.  You have to take it upon yourself to take measures to protect yourself and your family from this toxic world, and one of the best natural sources for moving these toxic materials out of your body is a whole-food based, green algae called Chlorella.

To address the harmful and unwanted chemicals your body picks up through the food you eat, the air you breathe, and the water you drink, it is wise to develop a proactive plan.  One of the most powerful parts of this plan is detoxification of the toxins you may have already built up inside your body.

Your body is naturally able to remove many of the harmful pathogens, chemicals and poisons you may come into contact with in the environment.  That’s how we are all designed.

But in the 21st century, we’re seeing an explosion of accumulated toxin-related diseases like cancer, auto-immune dysfunction, brain disorders like autism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, nerve disorders and more common ailments like depression, learning disabilities and fatigue.  It can become relatively easy to overwhelm your body’s ability to remove many of these toxins. Symptoms of toxic build-up due to chronic metal exposure include:

Fatigue
Digestive distress, and reduced ability to properly assimilate and utilize fats
Aching joints
Depression
Impaired blood sugar regulation
Female reproductive problems
Just to name a few.

Solution

Infrared Sauna

There are ten to 100 times more toxins in your fat than in your blood, so one of the best ways to remove toxins is to decrease your body fat.  That really is your first defense.  Choosing the right foods and exercise are key here.  After that, one of the most effective detoxification strategies I know of is the use of an infrared sauna.  This can be done for about one hour daily for a month.  Remember, it’s important to hydrate well before and during the sauna treatment to avoid dehydration.

Additionally, you can exercise for 30-60 minutes immediately prior to help liberate some of the toxins from your fat.

Chlorella as a Powerful Detoxification Tool

One of the most exciting nutritional resources available today to help your body naturally fight environmental pollution is a whole-food based supplement called Chlorella.  Chlorella is actually one of the most widely used supplements in the world, where over 10 million people use it regularly.

You should always start any detox with Chlorella gradually, taking just a small amount at first to see how your body tolerates this powerful detoxification tool. Some people also report benefits from beginning a detoxification by first eating small amounts of cilantro for a few days.  Cilantro also promotes a detoxification response in your body, but at a less intense level — which may help your body ease into a smoother detoxification response from chlorella.

One of the reasons Chlorella is so high on the list of eliminating heavy metals, is its natural detoxification abilities.  Chlorella is a “green food,” a single-celled, micro-algae that is about two to ten microns in size. It’s very small.  It is this small size combined with its unique properties that make it such a useful detoxification tool.  Its molecular structure, allows it to bond to metals, chemicals and some pesticides.

When Chlorella is taken into your body, its natural action will bind it to lingering heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides found in your digestive tract, which is your body’s pathway to your bloodstream where these harmful toxins are delivered and deposited into your body’s cells.

So Chlorella first and foremost will help your body eliminate unwanted metals and toxins.  But it does more than that.

Chlorella is uniquely designed to not bind to the minerals your body naturally needs to function optimally. It does not bind to beneficial minerals like calcium, magnesium, or zinc. It’s almost as if Chlorella knows which metals belong in your body and which chemicals need to be removed. Supplementing with Chlorella is like unleashing a tiny army inside your body to fight the battle of removing toxins from your tissues and ushering them back outside your body where they belong.

Chlorella is such a powerful detoxifier because it is rich in chlorophyll, which is known to:

Aid you in processing more oxygen
Cleanse key elimination systems like your bowel, liver, and blood
Help purify your blood and clean away toxins
Aid you in promoting optimal blood pressure
Support elimination of molds in your body
Help neutralize bad air you might breathe in
Promote growth and repair of your tissues

Chlorella is actually very useful even beyond detoxification, and its range of health benefits includes:

Boosting your immune system
Improving your digestion, especially if constipation is a problem
Providing B vitamins from an animal source
Enhancing your ability to focus and concentrate
Increasing your energy levels
Balancing your body’s pH
Normalizing your blood sugar and blood pressure
Reducing your cancer risk
Freshening your breath

You should always start any detox with Chlorella gradually, taking just a small amount at first to see how your body tolerates this powerful detoxification tool. Some people also report benefits from beginning a detoxification by first eating small amounts of cilantro for a few days.  Cilantro also promotes a detoxification response in your body, but at a less intense level — which may help your body ease into a smoother detoxification response from Chlorella.

At the Recipe page you’ll find a magical recipe I have been working on to combat the heavy metal blues. Enjoy your miracle smoothie!

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.

This has got to be my favorite savoury living dish.

It’s so simple and quick to make.

For this recipe you will need a spiralizer or a peeler, and a food processor.

Yield: 2 people

2 medium zucchinis peeled

BRAZIL NUT RAWMESAN

I like to start using the food processor for the rawmesan before I do the sugo (‘sauce’ in Italian) so you won’t need to wash the machine afterwards

1cup brazil nuts

2 tbs nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4tsp paprika

1/2tsp garlic powder

1/4-1/2tsp salt

Food process all ingredients until it resembles fine grated parmesan do not over do it or else the oils will release from the nuts and make the whole mixture wet.

Pour into a small dish and set aside for later.

SUGO

4x tomatoes seeded

1cup sundried tomatoes

1tsp dried oregano

1tsp dried basil

2 medjool dates pitted

½ cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

small handful fresh basil

2 tbs capers whole optional

2 tbs olives pitted roughly chopped optional

Food process the first 7 ingredients until well incorporated and not too smooth, adjust salt and pepper to taste

Add fresh basil and pulse a few time

Pour into a bowl and add capers and chopped olives -fold through

TO MAKE THE ZUCCHINI PASTA:

Peel (optional) the Zucchini and cut in 1/2- see the image below and spiral away.

Place a generous handful of Zucchini pasta on a plate, pour the Sugo over it, and sprinkle the rawmesan. Bon appetite!

Fancy some chocolate anyone?
Chocolate does not need to be a guilty pleasure.  Why feel guilty when you can be doing something good for yourself, like sharing in the delights of some home made chocolate.

Here we share with you our thoughts on chocolate.  We are looking even more forward to sharing the real thing in Bali soon!