This crossed my mind the other day – in the Western World, we have become so obsessed with capitalizing on anything we can that we’ve even stripped food of it’s nutrition and put it into vitamins – just so there would then be two things to buy instead of one. How ingeniously stupid!
I didn’t fully feel the effects of this until I visited my parent’s in Ecuador a few weeks ago. The tomatoes there were a little redder, the papaya was a little sweeter, the water a little more mineral rich and overall, everything was a lot more delicious! I couldn’t stop eating! But the more I ate, the stronger I felt, the more vibrant I grew and the more radiant I looked. The first day I came back to work in New York, everyone commented on how healthy I looked, even the CEO said I was glowing!
When I returned home I was committed to keeping my radiance; but then I bit into a New York tomato and everything went down the toilet… The tomato was certified organic (from the store down the road), but I would give it a certificate only in ‘participation’ of being in the fruit family – it tasted nothing like the rich red fruit I had just a week ago!
My New York eating habits quickly returned: banana and nuts for breakfast, leafy salads for lunch and (in a 5 year old’s voice here) what-ever-the-hell-I-want for dinner, then a multi-vitamin to add nutrients to my may-as-well-have-been-eating-cardbord meal.
Admittedly, I don’t look as radiant. You see, Vilcabamba has purity in its soil, it feeds you vibrance. But for now, I live in New York city, a place that glistens even in the dark, it feeds me a different kind of light, a light I can synthesize for now.
Check out what I ate while I was in Ecuador…
My mum is a once-a-month-super-chef. She puts on a very special ‘all raw’ four course lunch for the people of Vilcabamaba. When I was there, I helped prepare this amazing meal. We started with a mandarin juice (mandarins picked from our very own oasis) with chia seeds.
The first course was an amazing Thai inspired, creamy kelp and vegetable cold soup (remember, all natural, all raw).

Second was a hearty nut and vegetable wrap with a refreshing side of slaw.
Finally was the most delicious thing I ever put in my mouth… a chirimoya cheesecake! A what? A chirimoya cheesecake!! A what?? Google it!
And to finish it all off properly, she even dried her own blend of tea leaves and made a most aromatic warm tea.
Jealous? Don’t be! My also-super-chef sister Tanya, owner of London based company – Better Raw, is coming here to Vilcabamba 19-25 November 2013 to host a retreat-extravaganza and you’re invited!! You can try living this vibrant life for yourself! Get details here.
I was so excited to share that! This will definitely be a unique experience! I hope to see you here (that’s right, I’ll be there too)!!!!!
Stay in tune, welcome to Vilcabamba,
Alissa





























