Island travels + product review

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My recent Island family wedding not only filled me with joy, connected me with new friends, I was practically basking in warmth and love all weekend long. As an only child, I never got to watch the magic of siblings team work. Both the bride and the groom are from a large clan, the bride is one of 5 and the groom is one of 7. Impressive right? On the wellness angle, I'm going to relive how a trip away from the city refreshes us and how we can bring some of that getaway magic into our everyday lives? I also have a product review to share, discovering MCT oil powder from Perfect Keto was great for travels. So keep reading!

In this post, I'm going to dissect the magical weekend and break it down to how it gave me a better perspective on my healing progress through reconnecting with nature, foraging, and experiencing intuitive eating at it's best. My goal is to see if I can inject some of these elements into my day to day to keep me this machine of mine running smoothly after returning home. 

crushed shells beach and sea star

Put down the devices and turn on Nature

I know, we don't really need to turn "on" Nature, it's always there and around us, it's when we decide to turn it off because we're so consumed by technology that throws things out of balance. Remote areas can mean unreliable internet connections, which can be a good thing when you're trying to unplug. Recently I went to a wedding on one of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Galiano Island, since I had committed to enjoying my time without trying to work, I didn't stress about the shotty "connections". Funny thing is I found a different kind of connection that was running full force everywhere I looked. While on the island, I learned that simply by reconnecting with nature, I found fulfillment easily without social medias. Even being partially unplugged, I felt the freedom of not being tied to an invisible weight. During the day, we were out exploring the island, we walked along beaches, it was fascinating to see some were filled with crushed shells instead of the sand. I felt like a kid again jumping from rock to rock while trying not to step on the slippery seaweeds. It sure beats any "games" on the devices. Real life games are the best! One night, an 80 feet tree fell on my family's 20-acre property, so the next day, a few of us gathered and watched my cousin go to work.  He cut down the limbs to prep it for his freshly build band saw. Cracked me up when one of his sisters said, "... he's doing that just for a core workout." I can't decide which activity was my favourite, either watching the children play in a natural setting or my blackberries picking. I fully enjoyed soaking up nature's magic while basking under the sun, wading in the ocean, and roaming in the woods. How can I inject more nature into my city living? Being on the Westcoast, it's actually not that hard, the tricky part is the distraction from the device. A little trick I use now is set most of the apps on my phone to use Wifi only, adding that extra step to connect to the internet when I'm out will encourage me to explore my surroundings and enjoy the present betters.

Directions

Gathering my foods

Instead of filling idol moments with technology, I went hog wild with a little "foraging", I know I started berries picking in the city once summer kicked in, but on land where I couldn't see the end of the property line, I was in heaven picking thumb sized wild blackberries. When I got tired of tackling the thorns, I moved over to the fenced garden my relatives nurtured. They had fruit trees, more berries and vegetables of many kinds. I caught up with one of the cousins who is a gardener, he always has new tidbits about what plants can be eaten. He promised to take me Nettle picking in the Spring. I can't wait! To get more food gatherings in the city, I'm going continue building my backyard garden. 

Ketosis on the road + Product review

As with all my travels, I always need to pack accordingly. This time, staying on ketosis got way easier after I found an awesome product that I want to tell you about. 

At home, I drink my fatty tea daily. I add MCT oil, collagen to my dandelion chicory root tea and blend it all creamy in my Vitamix. But for those of you who make it, you know that blending is key so the oils don't separate in your cup. A friend of mine told me about a powder form of MCT oil that's easier to carry around and mix into drinks, but when I read the label, I was a little concerned about the ingredients in it. So the search began to find a product I feel comfortable using. In pops Perfect Keto MCT oil powder. I reached out to Perfect Keto directly with my questions and here is what they said.

A: Can you confirm the types of fatty acid oils in MCT oils powder as 70% C8 ( Caprylic Acid) 30% C10 Capric Acid)?

PK: Yes to the 70/30 split of C8/C10

A: Without giving up your company secrets, can you explain how your MCT oil powder can do without a binder to change the oil from a liquid to solid form? My audience is concerned about fillers and binders in supplements, any details I can share on it is great appreciated

PK: ...the only ingredient is "MCT Oil Powder", which is comprised of MCT oil and acacia fiber. It makes sense that this is confusing, so we reached out to our manufacturer to change the ingredient label on their next production run (even though this is not required). We are all about transparency." We use acacia powder because it's been shown to not cause GI distress or an insulin response"

Personally, I love the convenience of throwing a small container of it in my purse. No mess from leaking liquids. When I opened the container, it even smelled creamy but after mixing in my drink it only gave a very slight milky flavour, it does mix better in colder liquids. Sometimes, I skip the blender and instead add the MCT oil powder in my drink when I'm just running out the door. Way faster!


Better intuitive eating

Once I started reconnecting with nature, I found an even better flow with my intuitive eating. It amazes me how smart our bodies are with regulating what we need when given the proper environment.
It also helps that this special family <3  is well aware of different eating styles, some of my cousins are vegetarians, others are pretty much Paleo and most of them are gluten free. So the spread at the wedding was filled with platters after platters of freshest vegetables and salad greens and simply but thoughtfully prepared meats. I did get a few eyes on my mountain high piles of salads and I was happy to sneak into the kitchen to grab the avocado oil and vinegar and went to town. I had probably 3 plates full of greens and loved the baked salmon. I wasn't as worried about what was hidden in the food but became more relaxed in enjoying the experience. No, I didn't go off rail, the only things I indulged in were berries I picked, I mean how can you not? Happy to report that I didn't feel any ill effects afterward. To continue with the flow of intuitive eating, I think finding balance with everyday life will guide me there. 

Directions 

So there you have it, I'm glad I sat down and thought through why a little getaway is good for the body and mind. I'm going to make more efforts in unplugging periodically, letting nature in, picking my own foods when possible, and eat only when I'm hungry to achieve better balance in my city life. Do you think you can add some vacay magic in your busy life until your next getaway? Let me know how you plan to do it.