Coconut Water

Nothing gets better than the luscious, green, young coconut right from the tree. The water inside is bursting with life itself and the meat, so moist and tender, is as close to a liquid an edible thing can be. At Agaja beach in Lagos, Nigeria, you can get them just picked and opened especially for you by a machete-wielding, tree-climbing, young man.

The beauty and simplicity of the whole experience is unmatched; from asking for one,

 to waiting while it is retrieved from on high,

to watching as it is expertly chiseled across the top to make for the perfect drinking vessel,

to the final splitting of the empty nut to reveal its delectable vegan flesh!

 Oh, the joys of fresh coconuts!

In Accra, the machete-wielding entrepreneurs bring to the city what you have to journey to the beach for in Lagos!

And, as you can see from the leftovers, I am not the only one who is in love with these incredible, all-natural, living-water filled gems!

Here, coconuts are at your beckon call.

You can have them any time you want them, day or night, whether or not you have beach access. Did I mention, I love Accra! They even come in two varieties here, hard and soft. The longer the young coconut has been on the tree, the harder the flesh becomes. So, there you have it, coconuts in a nutshell! ;-)  Ok, seriously, now. If, sadly, you find yourself in Lagos without a boat and are craving the living water, never fear; you can always get a mature coconut, the kind that has fallen off the tree of its own accord. These are far denser, with less water, but still quite amazingly good. Check out this valentine's day worthy one, which I wacked open myself by banging it skillfully on the deck floor.

If all else fails and you, coconut lover, find yourself in the U.S. or somewhere far, far from the tropics, you do still have options. Yes, there are coconuts here; but they are rarely fresh, frequently stale and often dry. The few organic, good ones are flown in for the raw foodies and always priced exorbitantly, if not sold out. So, this is what you can do.

Drink Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Coconut Water, which is as close as you're going to get to the real deal. It's delicious! And so is Nature Factor Organic Coconut Water, if you don't mind drinking living water from a soda can.

And last as well as least, with no health food store in sight, you may be able to snag this wanna-be from Zico.

Touted as pure premium coconut water, it pales in comparison to the other bottled versions and sinks low when placed in the same category as it's distant source, the fresh coconut. But, if you're obsessed with coconut water, like me, it will do. Coconut Water! For all its naturally occurring nutrients - more potassium than a whole banana, along with magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, thiamine and manganese, all the essential electrolytes - this stuff should be gilded. With no fat, zero cholesterol and sweetened by nature, as well as gluten free, you can't beat this treasure.

Taste Africa: The Food

One of the most delightful things about Africa is the food! All over the Continent you will find delicious and delectable culinary treats. For now, we will focus on West Africa; specifically the English speaking countries of Ghana and Nigeria

Narrowing it down this far, doesn't limit us however, as the cusine from one country to the next is as varied as taking a foodie journey from Italy to Spain. Let us start with starch, the ubiquitous edible serving spoon found across many of the African nations bordering the Atlantic, also known as fufu. "Fufu is a thick paste usually made by boiling starchy root vegetables in water and pounding with a mortar and pestle until the desired consistency is reached." (Wiki)  Everyone has a favorite starch and mine happens to be pounded yam.

The importance of yam in Nigerian culture can not be underestimated. Hence this photo, which reflects the role that yams play in the local cuisine.

In most local and regional dishes, a starch is used to sop up the tantalizing drippings of the main meal.

A meal is not complete without some type of starch to compliment the sauces and stews.

Ghanaians are partial to kenkey and banku. Kenkey is made with fermented corn flour mixed with water; often steamed in banana leaf or corn husks like Mexican tamales!

Banku, however is made with a mixture of fermented cassava and plantain dough mashed into a sticky ball.

Northern Nigerians go for ground rice and the Southerners tend to prefer Eba.

A tangy fermented treat, Eba is made from gari meal or ground Cassava. This starchy tuber is, as you can see, related to the aformentioned yam.

Semovita is another specialty that abounds on West African plates. This more recent addition to the starch repertoire is made from wheat, and so it's not technically warranted a mention here. An age-old Yoruba specialty, however, is the distinctive Amala.

Amala is made from the flour of peeled and sun-dried yams ground and mixed with water. But the one starchy accompaniment loved by everyone is not a starch at all, it's plantain, a fruit!

 fried, boiled  or grilled like this Boli.

Thank goodness for the plantain tree which grows wild and abundantly all over the region, ready to satisfy the palates of all who are willing to taste Africa.

Neal's Yard Remedies

Making my way around Covent Garden in London several years ago, I discovered a wonderful little shop which epitomizes all the things that I love about eco-business.

Neal's Yard Remedies grew out of a desire to offer all natural, organic, fair trade and green body care products. After perusing this idyllic shop, nestled in a leafy corner of the Garden, I took home a bevy of amazing products that I treasured until their last drop.

Over the years, I waxed poetic to my friends and family about the quaint little shop in London and its wonderful line of organic skin care, packaged in practical yet beautiful cobalt blue bottles. Whenever, I found myself in London, I would always make my way to Covent Garden to relish in remedies of Neal's Yard.

Most auspiciously, these fine products are now being made available stateside and I cannot rave enough about them. Check us out at us.nyrorganic.com/shop/Siaalexander

There is something for everyone, children, women and men. I love all the Rehydrating Rose Collection, and especially the Rose Facial Elixir. If you try only one of these luscious creams, try this one.

Or this one.

Equally outstanding is the Rejunvenating Frankincense Collection.

The Frankincense Hydrating Cream for mature skin has the most incredible aroma and such a silky feel.




The Baby Massage Oil is so wonderful for the little ones

And even the men can enjoy a facial grooming set formulated with green coffee beans and Dead Sea salts.

I tend to be sensitive to anything artificial and Neal's Yard Remedies have nothing questionable in their ingredient list and actually live up to being called remedies. The varying products do work and with enticing scents, all organic and pure, they are unmatched. Here is one of their older adverts and it says it all!

Leave a comment or email me about your experience with natural skincare and receive a free Neal's Yard sample gift pack!

The Salt Room

Imagine being surrounded by pure salt in a pristine cave lit by candlelight. In this healing sanctuary, your whole being is infused with the medicinal properties of salt. I visited The Salt Room in Winter Park, Fl a few weeks ago and it was amazing.

This was a feeling like no other and can only be compared to breathing in the pure air of the ocean on a very secluded beach. The salt is inhaled deeply into the lungs and absorbed through the skin.  The negative ions in the salt magnetize and purify toxins in the air and body. Many ailments are alleviated by the effects of the salt. For instance, asthma can be brought under control, chemical sensitivities lessened and even food allergies curbed. Basking in pure salt or Halotherapy is very healing and therapeutic. That's why a trip to the ocean to breathe in the salty air can not only boost your mood, but your complexion and immune system, as well. There are salt rooms all over the world and many have been around for ages. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, aka, the palace of salt, is once such place.

Salt rooms are popular in Eastern Europe and there are also a chain of therapy centers in the UK called, The Salt Cave. The options range from rustic cave-like dwellings,

Quaint little rooms,

 Homey retreats,

To almost luxurious chill pads.

There are even rooms outfitted especially for children who suffer from eczema, bronchitis or allergies.

What they all have in common, however, is that they replicate the healing micro-climate of a natural salt cave, which gently soothes your respiratory system in a powerful and non-invasive way.

When I walked out of The Salt Room, my lungs felt light and clear and my skin glowed. I even had to shake some of the salt crystals off my clothes and a bit off my face. The salt was literally filling the room, purifying every inch of space and of me. I loved it!

Raw and Vegan

There are a plethora of raw and vegan friendly restaurants out there and I have been on a mission to discover them all. In Clearwater, Fl, there is a wonderful place called Green Organix. The food is outstanding and super fresh and healthy. Just a few steps from the beach, you can dine al fresco on delicious gourmet vegetarian and vegan food.

 

I ordered this unique organic salad made with sunflower seed tuna! The dressing was a lemon tahini and so so good.

The vegetables are extra fresh and I suspect it's because right next door you find the Bob and Daughter Market selling farm fresh produce.

The Oceanview community of the Tidewater area is home to the excellent Quenna's Raw and Vegan Cafe. The food here is like none other you've tasted. The chef Quenna hails from Kenya and infuses her raw cuisine with distinctly African flavors.

My favorite is her avocado supreme with sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, peppers and a spicy red chili sauce.

At home, I get inspired to create special dishes based on my raw and vegan restaurant experiences. Here is one with heirloom tomatoes, radishes and other goodies!

I mixed it up with some avocado and an olive oil, lime dressing.

Or this raw zucchini pad thai based on the one I like to order from Cafe 118. The peanut dressing is incredible and eating this dish is such a treat.

For dessert, I made a spirulina smoothie with grapes, bananas and pears.

The recipe for this smoothie is based on my most favorite bottled drink, Odwalla Superfood.

Speaking of drinks, I visited Homegrown Co-op in Orlando where you can get all manner of dried herbs and spices. I left with a bunch of herbs to make my own iced tea at home. Peppermint, Dandelion Leaf, White Willow Bark and Comfrey Root all went into my brew. This is a very good combination to cleanse the blood and soothe the digestive system. It is also delicious!

So refreshing and medicinal, too!

 

Several cups a day is a balm to my body and soul.

For an evening snack, I looovve this Raw One Grawnola. It's not cooked and all the nuts and grains are sprouted.

Two Moms in the Raw make an equally outstanding raw granola. Try this with raw almond milk and you will never eat cooked gluten cereal and cow's milk again!

Moving forward in the raw and vegan dessert category, I love to use the Glaser Farms Almond Butter to make milk shakes. Just add water, agave, vanilla and a few teaspoons of this butter and voila!

I must confess that I did not make this amazing chocolate cake and chocolate sauce, myself. I bought it from Cafe 118 in Winter Park, Fl. Yes, it is as tasty as it looks and once again, all raw and vegan!

Oh and here is the raw vanilla ice cream that came with it. Made from cashews, coconuts and other raw goodies.