The High Seas

January 27th, 2010

First things first.  I’m really happy to report that, thanks to Oprah Winfrey, The Kind Diet has been helping lots of people.  Here’s a link to see some cooking videos starring Alicia and Laura Linney!

Second, here’s an interview I did at newnaturalista.com.  It’s a really cool site. 

THIRD… I want to give everyone time to make their plans for the cruise this year.  The WHAT, you say?  Yes, the cruise.

Seven years ago, Sandy Pukel decided to take veganism and macrobiotics on the high seas.  Since then, every spring, Costa cruises hauls just under a thousand of us pasty health food freaks out into the sunshine of the Caribbean.  If you’ve never been, I can’t recommend it enough.

Here are the five reasons you should go:

1.  The Food.  Commandeered by Mark Hanna  (total genius, cookbook author and my next door neighbor) and his crew, every meal is a multi-course, plant-based mouthgasm.  AND if you’re not feeling particularly virtuous, you can still order from the regular ship’s menu, even from our groovy dining room.  But that rarely happens.  The food is REALLY good.

Because the food is so good, and so healthy, instead of gaining weight and feeling like a weeble  by Thursday, you actually begin to feel fantastic come mid-week.  Smiles become spontaneous, steps lighten and skin glows throughout our half of the ship.

2.  The Classes.  This cruise is not just about the food, or the Caribbean.  All day, every day, there are classes given by some of the greatest holistic and plant-based thinkers in the world.  Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Colin Campbell, Marilu Henner, Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Yogi Amrit Desai will all be there.  Not to mention Ohashi, Christina Pirello, and um… yours truly.  All this amazing information, in the form of lectures, workshops and cooking classes, is a kind of mental and spiritual food that is deeply nourishing.  One walks around the ship thinking "I’m so glad I’m here!!"

3.  The People.  I try to sit with new people at every meal.  The stories that come out of them are mindblowing.  Recoveries from cancer.  Families just trying it out.  Longtime vegans with a passion for the planet.  Everyone has a story.  Everyone is interesting.  And everyone cares.

4.  The Ship.  Costa is an Italian cruise line.  In the spirit of La Dolce Vita, they go OVER THE TOP in many ways.  The design of the ship itself is romantic, colorful, and mischievious.  There are 11 bars.  5 dance floors.  Swimming pools.  A theater.  Water slides.  A gym, a spa and a casino.  Plus a whole club for kids!  And the cabins are great.  The staff, always pleasant and attentive, start really liven up by the end of the week and even put on singing/dancing spectacles at dinner.  I won’t wreck it with more details!

5.  The Caribbean.  Oh yeah.  I forgot.  Did I mention that you’re floating around on the bluest sea, stopping at ports of call throughout the region?   I know it seems crazy to mention it last, but the other stuff really–amazingly–trumps even mother Nature.  The Caribbean just becomes a breathtaking backdrop to a fantastic experience.  You can get off the ship and explore the islands as much as you want.  Or stay on the ship and take a class.  No pressure.  YOU’RE ON VACATION!

If you know me personally, you know that I am a horrible salesperson.  I’m usually like "uh… I mean if you want to try this thing… I mean, you don’t have to… it’s not a big deal…. really, don’t do it".  I’m usually sort of an anti-salesman, having been trained by Canadian culture to never step on any toe, real or imagined.  But the cruise is different.  It is 100% unadulterated, healthy, silly fun.  I recommend it to all my friends, veggie or otherwise.  You won’t regret it.

And the prices?  Very reasonable, considering everything you get.  Check it out.  And tell them I sent ya!  I’ll see you in March!

Jessica

 


Exciting News!

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I found something this week you might want to look [...]


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Talking Turkey

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