Feel Good Guru

Wildlife, natural hot springs and a signpost forest await the Alaska Highway adventurer

The retired gentleman filling up his monster RV with expensive low-grade gas at the tiny station in Toad River tipped his hat against the rain and looked me over from underneath the brim. “You having fun?” he asked skeptically.

When I replied that yes, in fact I was having a blast, he scoffed in disbelief, shook his head and walked away. I snickered into my hot chocolate and took another sip. (more…)

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Spring has turned up at the markets in the form of fresh, fleshy asparagus, crisp kale, dainty greens and baby broccoli. The spirit in nature right now calls for simplicity in cooking.

Savor spring market foods at their naked best, unadorned with heavy winter sauces. Spring veggies are particularly rich in nutrients and cleansing properties to help us shed our winter layer, tone our internal organs and ready our bodies for the active summer ahead.

This Spring Macro Special is more an assembly than a “recipe” and it couldn’t be simpler. (more…)

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Yes, it’s the event we most look forward to in Venice every year - the post-Genesis Awards Animal Lovers Brunch. It’s grown in size and legend in four years and every year beautiful new people attend, along with many (now old friends) who haven’t missed a year. The menu, too, has evolved, this year featuring a cosmically insane 20 items for 50 people over the course of the afternoon.

It’s a decidedly “Venice” affair - a laid back garden chillout with a super casual vibe where superstars in the animal rights, vegan and humanitarian worlds mingle in the sunshine over awesome eats - no speeches, no swag bags, no anti-fur placards necessary. Below are some of the highlights: (more…)

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MENU

~ all vegan ~

to warm you up…

Spring Asparagus, Avocado, Carrot & Burdock Root Sushi with Fresh Ginger

Pumpkin Seed Pâté

Endive Leaflets with Orange Segments, Almond Slices, Garlic Chives & Macadamia “Feta”

Moira’s Famous Spanakopita with Garlicy Tzatziki

Chiyoko’s Beautiful Asian Buckwheat Noodle Salad

Raw Kale Ribbons in an Oil-Free Blood Orange & Mint Dressing

Udon Noodles with Eggplant & Enoki Mushrooms in Spicy Peanut Sauce

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Sampling of Scrumptiousness on Sticks

(Dave’s Homemade Tempeh with Spicy Daikon & Ginger)

(Organic Cherry Tomatoes with Jicama, Basil Leaves & Yacon)

(Steamed Oregon Fiddleheads with Celtic Sea Salt)

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to fill you up…

Creamy Dreamy Macaroni & Peace with Paprika Breadcrumbs

Slow-Baked Beans in Blackstrap Molasses & Canadian Maple Syrup with Tofurky Italian Sausage

Candle-Warmed Pesto-Layered Rawzagne

Fennel Corn Bread

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to love you up…

Venice Market Strawberries & Costa Rican Pineapple

Cashew Nougat-Stuffed California Dates

Handmade Lavender Peruvian Dark Chocolate Truffles

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As the weather warms, the days lengthen and our winter’s excess starts to melt away from our bellies, our bodies naturally start to crave lighter, fruitier, more tropical foods. When we’re in tune with our bodies and the seasons, we’ll eat what nature intended and feel incredible.

One of the amazing foods that shows up in March - perfect timing to help us get a jump start on spring cleansing from the inside, is the pineapple. Loaded in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and digestive enzymes, pineapples are imbued with almost magical healing powers. Slice one open and eat it raw, chop it into a fruit salad, or whip up this beautiful easy-shmeasy Pina Mimosa Smoothie… (more…)

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The other day after a vigorous yoga practice, I took half an hour to luxuriate in the warmth and silence of the steam room. After about 10 minutes in the heat, I entered that delicious realm of relaxation - that blurry place where the conscious and thinking mind and the beautiful mystery of what lies beyond intersect.

I love experiencing in meditation or in waking dreams those few delicate seconds stretched beyond time where puzzle pieces slip magically into place and solutions to problems are revealed with incredible ease and simplicity.

Don’t you wish you could access that tap of wisdom at will? Imagine employing the power of your subconscious to create the life of your dreams… (more…)

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I like to shop for food without a plan and let the produce tell me what wants to be eaten. The other day while strolling through Kensington Market in Toronto, I ended up in 4 Life, my favorite privately owned health food store in town. There’s not a huge selection, but that’s the beauty. What does end up on the shelves is only the freshest seasonal produce available.

The collard greens were literally jumping out of their box at me. Large, leafy, deep green, full and fresh, so alive. I grabbed a couple of bunches, along with a yam, an onion, a bulb of garlic and a small bag of cashews. This simple dreamy creamy cleansing vegan soup is how it got deliciously devoured… (more…)

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Your green commute just got charged with a bat cave load of cool - a whole new class of personal transport invented in New Zealand as the simplest way to get from A to B with the aid of a machine small enough to go anywhere with you in the city.

YikeBike ($4450) goes 10kms on a 30-minute electric charge, will carry you upright at 25kms/hr, and folds up into a little 10kg package you can sling over your shoulder so you can keep it close when you go indoors. Take the stairs, though, cause you’ve just missed out on the exercise you used to get on your 10km pedal to work…

YikeBike = Totally groovin’ with the woowoo! Check out the vid~

(more…)

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