{"id":2728,"date":"2016-03-02T17:29:12","date_gmt":"2016-03-02T17:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=2728"},"modified":"2025-12-16T12:10:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T12:10:24","slug":"cooking-lighter-spa-cuisine-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/winter-2016\/cooking-lighter-spa-cuisine-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooking Lighter…Spa Cuisine and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

That\u2019s it. The last Christmas cookie has been eaten, glass of champagne sipped, holiday decorations are back into their hiding places for another year and platters of Super Bowl nachos are in the books. And now, that sinking feeling: what have I done to my waistline?<\/p>\n

Take a deep breath, realize you may have several months until real beach time and get started on shaping up today.<\/p>\n

Of course, we all want a silver bullet to help us shed that weight and you may be weighing your options. Do I starve myself for two weeks? Do I try one of the latest crazy cleanses like the colon, liver, smoothie, juice or taco cleanse? What if I just eat soup?<\/p>\n

These crazy ideas may work temporarily but will be unhealthy in the long run and may make you gain back even more weight than when you started.<\/p>\n

The unfortunate reality is that losing weight is a scientific formula. Input must be less than output. In other words, you have to burn more calories than you consume.<\/p>\n

What fun is that?<\/p>\n

Although we cannot give you the silver bullet, we can help you think creatively about lighter fare to use in your arsenal of the battle of the bulge.<\/p>\n

To that end, we have reached out to several authorities from Hillary Davis, author of Cuisine Nicoise, to some amazing chefs at spas from around the world for their suggestions on what to eat.<\/p>\n

Some of the recipes they have shared are small plates for appetizers with a glass of wine (Yes, wine is good for you in moderation!), others are light main dishes and even some desserts.<\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Black Olives with Orange, Uncle Johns from Hillary Davis cookbook, Cuisine Nicoise.<\/p><\/div>\n

Cuisine Nicoise<\/span><\/h3>\n

The style of cooking found around Nice, France, is cuisine nicoise<\/em>, described by cookbook author Hillary Davis<\/a> as, \u201cvibrant and healthy, with an emphasis on vegetables and fish. . . It is designed with olive oil rather than butter and cream; it is light rather than bathed in rich sauces.\u201d<\/p>\n

This style is the basis for the Mediterranean diet, acclaimed for its health benefits from helping reduce heart disease to protecting against some cancers. Davis brings this cuisine to life in her book celebrating the cooking style, Cuisine Nicoise<\/a><\/em> (Gibbs Smith publishers).<\/p>\n

You will be inspired to try the recipes of this coffee table-style book with exquisite photographs by world class photographer, Steven Rothfeld. There are salads galore like the \u201cTraditional Salade Nicoise\u201d with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and tuna; \u201cGrilled Swordfish Salad\u201d of simply grilled swordfish over mesculun greens; pasta such as \u201cGoat Cheese Ravioli with Wild Mushrooms;\u201d veggies like \u201cVegetables with Anchovy Dip\u201d and main dishes, \u201cHoney and Vermouth-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fig Vinaigrette Salad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Davis, who is also the author of Le French Oven<\/em>, French Comfort Food<\/em> and A Million A Minute<\/em>, describes cuisine nicoise as, \u201csimple and homey, using local ingredients or what you have on hand\u2026it\u2019s a healthy way of cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are two of Duff\u2019s recipes from Cuisine Nicoise, \u201cBlack Olives with Orange<\/a>,\u201d a recipe destined to qualify for your own house olives and \u201cUncle Johns<\/a>,\u201d tiny pastries stuffed with a mild butternut squash filling. Both are light and delicious.<\/p>\n

\"Intercontinental<\/a>

Photo:Intercontinental Hua Hin Resort<\/p><\/div>\n

Spa cuisine from Luxurious Hotel in Thailand<\/h4>\n

Moving on from the sun-kissed French Riviera, we visit with Chef Sayan at the beachfront InterContinental Hua Hin Resort<\/a>, Thailand. This highly rated luxury hotel is located two and a half hours by car or 35 minutes by air from Bankok and is near the vendors of Sam Phan Nam Floating Market as well as the waterslides of Black Mountain Water Park.<\/p>\n

Here, guests are pampered with spa treatments from an Oriental Signature Massage combining Swedish, Shiatsu and Balinese techniques to a 90-minute Golden Revitalizer Signature Facial, a 24-carat gold mask facial touted as helping to maintain the natural elasticity and anti-wrinkle properties of the skin.<\/p>\n

\"Snapper\"

Hua Hin Pan Seared Red Snapper with Capers Created by Chef Sayan , InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, Thailand<\/p><\/div>\n

Chef Sayan recommends one of hotel\u2019s signature dishes, available at the Azure Restaurant on property, offering a unique blend of traditional Thai flavors and classic European influences. All of the dishes at Hua are always prepared with the freshest ingredients, Chef Sayan tells us.<\/p>\n

Here is his \u201cSnapper with Capers,<\/a>\u201d pan-fried fillets of fresh Hua Hin snapper, white wine butter sauce, lemon capers, artichokes, roasted potatoes, arugula, finished with lemon confit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ranch Malibu organic garden<\/p><\/div>\n

The Ranch at Live Oak Malibu, Malibu, California<\/span><\/h3>\n

Back on the mainland, we turn to The Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu<\/a>\u00a0for inspiration. Set three miles above the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Monica Mountains, the 16-cottage retreat is located on a large working ranch. The facility offers an intensive endurance, wellness and nutrition program for guests to achieve their health goals.<\/p>\n

The daily routine at The Ranch combines four to five hours of group mountain hiking, core and ab work, weights, daily group yoga sessions and a private afternoon massage.<\/p>\n

This intense daily physical regimen is complemented by a 1,600 calorie-a-day, organic vegetarian diet. Drawing upon the latest technology and techniques to satiate guests with thoughtful dishes that are nutritious and still invigorate the senses, each dish is also calorically calibrated to shed unwanted pounds and sustain guests throughout their stay.<\/p>\n

The Ranch has recently announced the addition of \u201cThe Ranch Integrative Lifestyle Physical,\u201d a full day medical experience for guests desiring in-depth insight into their total health from a team involved in the latest breakthrough discoveries in preventative healthcare.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Ranch Chi Poached Pears<\/p><\/div>\n

Here are two menu selections from The Ranch, \u201cChi Poached Pears<\/a>,\u201d around 100 calories for a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert and \u201cEggplant Cannelloni with Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce and Caramelized Onions and Kale.<\/a>\u201d Yum!<\/p>\n

\"Rancho-La-Puerta-roasted-veggies-500\"

Rancho La Puerta Root Vegetables Roasted with Honey, Balsamic and Spices<\/p><\/div>\n

Rancho La Puerta,Tecate, MX<\/span><\/h3>\n

Heading south of the border, Rancho La Puerta<\/a> is a fitness resort and spa located on 3,000 private acres of gardens, mountains and meadows in Baja California, Mexico. The destination was founded by Edmond and Deborah Szekely in 1940 and is still family owned and operated today. Their motto has always been \u201cSiempre Mejor\u201d or \u201calways better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Try Rancho La Puerta\u2019s \u201cRoot Vegetables with Honey<\/a>\u201d recipe, a heavenly kaleidoscope of root vegetables, parsnips, carrot, chayote squash, turnip, rutabaga, purple potatoes as a healthy, flavorful side dish or snack.<\/p>\n

\"Cal-A-Vie<\/a>

Cal-A-Vie Health Spa Chi Seed Porridge<\/p><\/div>\n

Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, Vista, California<\/span><\/h3>\n

Another California jewel with spa-cuisine recipes to help you reach your health goal is Cal-a-Vie Health Spa<\/a> nestled away on 440 private acres in Vista, just north of San Diego. Cal-a-Vie is a destination-health-spa resort offering a five to one staff to guest ratio with 32 private villas, an adjoining Country Club and 18-hole golf course.<\/p>\n

Cal-a-Vie combines luxurious, European spa philosophies with California\u2019s concepts of fitness, health and nutrition. The French Provencal-style retreat is embellished with historical pieces and antiques from Europe including a 400-year-old Chapel and L\u2019Orangerie from Dijon, France. Cal-a-Vie offers spa vacation packages that include gourmet cuisine, over 125 fitness classes, hiking, beauty and spa treatments, mind-body awareness programs and more.<\/p>\n

Curtis Cooke, executive chef for Cal-a-Vie, has worked for some of the most renowned destination spas in the United States. Chef Cooke\u2019s culinary philosophy centers on the concept that a healthy, happy life begins with food.<\/p>\n

Cooke collaborates with the resident dietitian at Cal-a-Vie to transform nutrient-rich, whole ingredients into fine epicurean cuisine. These dishes are thoughtfully crafted to show guests how simple, healthy ingredients can be easily elevated to gourmet status.<\/p>\n

\u201cCal-a-Vie\u2019s menu not only features nutrient-packed dishes with ingredients grown in our garden; it is skillfully presented with genuine care and hospitality to help guests feel satisfied and fulfilled, both body and mind,\u201d said Chef Cooke. \u201cThrough our potager-to-plate culinary program, we aim to empower guests to be more authentic in the way they interact with their food, their health, and the communities in which they live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two recipes offered by Chef Cooke are Chi Seed Porridge<\/a> and Broccoli Soup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[vc_text_separator title=”View Recipes In This Issue” title_align=”separator_align_center” border=”no” el_class=”in-this-issue-headline”]\n
\n