I have to admit I’ve been a bit vacation deprived lately. So when my birthday rolled around recently, I grabbed the chance to get away.

My husband and I could only take three days off so we headed 2 hours north of San Francisco to the California Coast. How lucky that this is one of my favorite area in California.

Our destination was a tiny house on the water near Tomales Bay, owned by our good friends (thanks Maxime and Alec!!!).  I left my two laptops, (my computer and my dog), at home and prepared for three days of pure decompression.

Rest, time in nature and getting away from our environment is one of the best thing we can do for our nervous system and health.

Many people like celebrating birthday milestones with a few drinks. But alcohol is one of the only things my body still reacts badly to. For that reason, I’ve stopped drinking.

But this is the story of how “open heart” sandwiches, tasty oxtails and the power of the sea healed me so deeply that I was able to have a birthday drink with no side effects.

 

“Open heart” sandwiches

What’s an open heart sandwich? Just substitute heart of romaine lettuce for bread. This was our lunch before our road trip, loaded with cilantro pumpkin seed pesto (recipe here), avocado, feta cheese, parmesan, bacon, homemade mayo and prosciutto. A good way to start out.

 

 

When we arrived at the beach house we were met by fog. Summer fog on the California coast is typical. But the weather did little to disrupt the beauty of this untouched, undeveloped coast. I sat mesmerized on the deck, looking at the view.

 

 

My friends prepared super fresh appetizers of oysters, fished from the bay (15 feet away) just an hour before serving. I don’t think I’ve ever had such fresh oysters in my life.

Tomales Bay is famous for oysters, which are rich in thyroid-supporting iodine and immune boosting zinc. An amazing health food. You can eat them raw or bake them.

 

 

Oxtail tales

Right before our vacation I discovered oxtail.

I used to buy these small, meaty bones for my tiny terriers because they were the right size for them. Then I realized I could make gut-healing bone broth out of them. The recipe for bone broth is here. The only modification with oxtail is to roast it at 360 degrees for half an hour before throwing it in a pot.

I’m still not a huge fan of the taste of bone broth, but roasted oxtail has an amazing flavor that stands apart.

The bonus with oxtail broth is that you make tasty meat along with the broth. When the broth is done cooking, the meat is so buttery soft it falls off the bone.

Oxtail meat is also rich in gut-healing collagen, and tastes amazing. This oxtail dish below took 10 minutes to prepare, including chopping the lettuce. Stir fried lettuce is amazing and easier to digest. I could not eat enough of it, which tells me that my body craved something in it.

This dish is so easy to make it hardly requires a recipe. The 5 ingredients are grass fed butter, red onion, chopped up romaine hearts, salt and oxtail meat. Just throw the ingredients in a pan and saute them until the lettuce softens. It’s like a warm salad.

 

 

What made this dish even tastier was eating it outside, as the seagulls looked on jealously. We watched sea lions pop their head out of the water and laughed about how much they looked like dogs.  Life is good after IBS.

The day of my birthday was perfect. We ate, kayaked, lounged and took a sunset walk on the beach.

This was my birthday sunset. Enjoy the 29- second holiday.

 

 

What you sea is what you get

Forty two years ago I was born in Ukraine.

In that part of the world, the ocean is prized for its healing powers. Spending time around all forms of water is very healing, but the ocean has special benefits. The strong powers of the tides have an extra detoxifying effect on the body while the beauty cleanses the soul.

In Ukraine, sick people convalesced at sanitariums by the sea. And it worked wonders for me too, in just three days. The salt air, the sound of crashing waves and the expansive sky lifted my spirits and soothed my nerves.

That night we went out for dinner at Nick’s Cove.

The drive there was beautiful and serene. Rolling pastoral hills dotted with happy, California dairy cows and a few farm houses. The cows swung their tails happily as they chomped on grass. We even passed by Strauss organic creamery, my favorite yogurt brand.

At Nicks we ate crab. And since it was my birthday I ordered a drink. Vodka tonic with bitters. It came in a copper cup and had Russian writing on it. I felt at home.

The drink relaxed and warmed me. I didn’t feel bad after drinking it, just slightly blissed out.

It reminded me that the state we’re in while eating and drinking can change everything. Because I was so happy, relaxed and full of gratitude my body accepted the vodka like a treat instead of an assault.

Bitters also aid in digestion by stimulating appetite, increasing bile flow, helping detox the liver and stimulating digestive juices and enzymes.

But in Russian culture it’s rude to drink without toasting so….

To you Superhealer! I hope your healing path leads to the life you deserve.

May your vodka be bitter, but your heart full of (sugar-free) sweetness.

Never give up hope that there’s a beautiful life waiting for you after IBS.

Cheers.

Oh, and to good memories

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