Visiting the beautiful Islands of Loreto is a peaceful and relaxing vacation experience that is sure to help you unwind and rejuvenate your entity. Recently, I visited Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto for Wellness Resolution Week from December 1-8, 2018. The serene ambience of the resort and the location, paired with the wellness activities for the week, allowed me to relax and let go of everything that was stressing me out prior to this trip, letting me be mindful to, and fully engaged in, my own wellness journey.
Every morning began with fitness classes led by Rebecca Broxterman, professional fitness trainer from Los Angeles. Her workouts were challenging and fun. She offered three different modifications for each activity to ensure that all age and fitness levels could participate, and be challenged by her workouts. My favorite fitness class that she led was an entire hour with resistance bands. We utilized four different resistance levels with the bands to get a full body workout and I could definitely feel my muscles working in new ways.
Beth Manos, founder of Tasty Yummies, led daily yoga classes on the beach. The classes offered modifications for all fitness levels and she walked around during the classes to ensure that all of us were using proper form. There were parts in the class when Beth helped us with guided stretching by gently giving us a push into a deeper stretch, which felt fantastic. Overall, I loved Beth’s calm demeanor and her guidance during the yoga. She encouraged us to focus on the breath (an important element of yoga that emphasizes the power of breathing to physiologically effect the brain and to listen to our bodies, making each individual person feel cared for and respected. The relaxing sound of the waves lapping in the background was an added bonus to these daily yoga classes and further helped to promote relaxation and allowed for all of us to enter a meditative state.
Celebrity Chef David Fuente prepared daily dinners for all involved in the Wellness Resolution Week as well as provided cooking demos by the pool in the afternoon. I follow a gluten free diet due to food allergies and appreciated that most of the meals Chef David made were naturally gluten free or were able to be easily modified to address my dietary needs. My favorite meal prepared by Chef David this week was dinner that he prepared at The Market. This meal consisted of the below three courses. I enjoyed that Chef David came out at the beginning of each meal to explain what he had prepared and answer any questions.
- Roasted Beets and Sweet Potato Salad with Grapefruit Ginger Vinaigrette
2. Pistachio Crusted Flank Steak with Squash Blossom Quinoa and Argentinian Creole
3. Coconut Caramel Cake
Here is a photo of Chef David and I after a cooking demo by the pool:
Beth Manos and Rebeca Broxterman also led talks and wellness classes throughout the week. Beth answered many of our dietary questions and focused on the importance of eating whole, real foods over supplements, health bars and protein powders. As someone always on the go, Beth really helped me understand the importance of meal prep and preparing real, nutrient dense foods to eat. Rebecca led a “Healthy Cocktails” class where I learned how to make a healthy cocktail called the “Tequila Berry Smash.” In case you are looking for a delicious, healthier cocktail to make this holiday season the recipe for this drink is below.
Tequila Berry Smash Recipe:
Ingredients: Handful of mixed berries, 2 ounces 100% agave tequila, 2 ounces fresh lime juice, 1 ounce honey simple syrup (which can be made from scratch by combining equal parts of honey and hot water so ½ ounce of honey and ½ ounce of hot water per drink), ice, and mint for garnish.
Directions:
- Place the berries in a glass and muddle. Fill with ice.
- Add a bit of ice and the tequila, lime, and honey simple syrup to the cocktail shaker and shake to combine. Strain over ice and berries.
- Garnish with mint and serve.
In addition to the above activities, relaxation at the Sabila Spa with massages, hiking with stunning golf course views, and time to relax at the resort were also an integral part of this week. All aspects of this week were calming and allowed us all time to truly listen to our bodies and recharge. I left the event with many healthy tips that I can now incorporate into my daily life. Simply put, this was a relaxing experience all around. I cannot wait to return to the Islands of Loreto for the next Wellness Week in March 2019 to continue my wellness journey.
Here are a few of my favorite things about exploring the resort:
If you have a vacation experience that you would like to share with us (or a delicious cocktail recipe), please respond in the comments section below this blog or
email it to me at bblanscet@blog.myuvci.com.
Best Regards,
Brittany Blanscet
Member Marketing Manager
