Win Win

hila

Microbe Party, a “playshop” (1) bringing together two diverse groups of people (2) at a location which invokes beauty and inspiration (3) to explore and discover portals leading to self-discovery and movement towards positive change. Seeking to ignite change by converting separation into connection, chronic sickness into vibrant health and despair into joy one block at a time.

Bikeabout

hila

Here and Now Everyone is looking for better health. We want it. We seek it; yet day by day and bit by bit, we distance ourselves just a little further. Suddenly it’s gone. What we wouldn’t give to have it back… In today’s modern world we eagerly embrace a quick

Sexy

hila

Sexy – Not What You Thought Conjure up sexy? Fast switchover to dreams of Keanu Reeves, solid hugs, mischievous smiles, nape nibbles, butterfly whispers, barefoot sands, sole strokes, succulent smoothies and nearby nourishment for the mind, body and soul. That’s exactly where my neighbor “V” spotted me, at the entrance

Chasing Miracles

hila

No Thank You Please! My family doesn’t like miracles. Far too often, miracles are the aftermath of catastrophic misfortune. Oddly, this bias hasn’t blinded me to calamity’s silver lining. I’ve noticed that out of the deepest depths, change sprouts its finest roots. Extraordinary paths emerge leading to otherwise unimaginable happy

Frazzled

hila

Frazzled, “starey eyed”, mindless fools are we. Life’s a gift; yet, seldom are we truly present to savor its flavors. Our senses are dulled and anesthetized, estranged ancestral memories of a distant past. Admittedly, my eyes are glued to the screen, thoughts bounce back and forth between tomorrow and yesterday,

Tiger Chuffas

hila

Lemon Cheesecake Flavored Tigernut Energy Bars Peculiar music is playing in my kitchen these days, while my fermentations chuff, bubble and fizz on my counter tops and kitchen table. At any given time, there could be any number of glass jars and ceramicwares filled with various concoctions of mine. “Let’s

Lofty Peaks

hila

When I Grow Up… I never wanted to be a firewoman, can’t remember growing up with a burning desire to put out fires… Elusive memories dance within the deepest crevices of my mind. Sure, there was always something which stirred my desire, a shiny object calling to me, but I

Obsessed With Cleanliness

hila

KeFIR, A Lion of a Drink ‎- Is Bacteria a Dirty Word? You there, yes, I know that you staunchly support the five second rule. ‎Surely you have no problem with your children reaching down to ‎reclaim their fallen treasures every now and again… Our children, ‎however, spent their days

The Price of Convenience

hila

No-Brainers Often we find ourselves living a no-brainer life. On a day to day basis we drown ourselves in a shower of countless mindless decisions. At a first glance these seemingly inconsequential choices are made “along the way” without any contemplation or hesitation: a storyline suitable to a T to

That Spark

hila

A Full Plate It was barely five in the afternoon when I collapsed into bed: perfectly understandable in light of the long and stressful week. I was, however, bemused to wake up at the late (for me that is) hour of seven in the morning the next day. This was

Brownies For Breakfast

hila

More Than Just a Life From a tender age we are guided. We are coached: be careful, stay inside the lines, don’t go there, don’t do that and don’t touch! Follow the yellow brick road. Whether subliminal or intentional, we are guided by society’s invisible hand: accepted behaviors and well-trodden

Ox Olé

hila

Befriending My Pain Each new pain was a challenge. I would take a deep breath as I promised myself: “I can learn to live with yet another trespasser.” Pain’s path was relentlessly intimate, bold and breathless. I was rendered helpless as it laced itself tautly to the width and breadth

Lucky Woman

hila

My own path to healing was a bumpy one, marked by despair, pain, and, yes, terror. I was clueless ‎as to the ‎identity of the surely ‎deadly disease nesting within. I did not know where to turn.‎‏ ‏Much ‎as my choices were ‎often impulsive and even misguided; ultimately these very

Wonder Bread?‎

hila

Wonder Bread or White Trash?‎ Have you ever noticed the aura of health that wheat (whole) holds in some circles? ‎ With great pride I presented my food journal to my healer. He could not help but notice the ‎multiple “whole wheat bread” entries. To my dismay, I quickly learned

Death to Diet

hila

When Obesity Met Diabetes in a Bottle… Happy New Year!‎ Happy New Year! May this be the year that you live your dream!‎ Yes, this is the year that I say goodbye to the bulge! I’ve got just ‎the right bottle, a “classic”, “the real thing”. Raise your glass and let’s ‎toast

All That Glitters

hila

A glimmer of glitter is enough to turn our heads. I too, am a sucker for shiny objects, inspirational ‎headlines and big promises…‎ As a blogger, I am well aware of the power of a sensational headline. Sparkly, shocking or intriguing ‎titles are a fast ticket “in”. Chances are high

Dmai Hanuka

hila

‎“Dmai Hanuka” in Hebrew is traditionally known as Hanuka gelt ‎‎(money) or chocolate coins. In Hebrew “dmai” also may refer to dues. ‎ Sweet Stuff A few years back we vacationed with my brother and his family. While ‎exploring the funky town of Hood River, Oregon, my brother came ‎back

We Loved Not Enough

hila

A Daughter’s Longing Dear Dad,‎ You left abruptly. Although you made every effort to let us know that your ‎time was limited, I chose to let your words pass over me. Your doctors ‎warned of severe arteriosclerotic heart disease with an exceptionally ‎enlarged heart. A prompt heart transplant was your

I Am Not A Label

hila

Oops I Did It Again! Once again disaster strikes and I find myself tossing my culinary creation. ‎Are you too familiar with the misfortunate moments when you realize that you ‎accidently overdosed your soup with salt? Added too much sugar to your ‎cake batter? Your casserole overpoweringly fatty? Soup too

For Beauty Queens ♥

hila

Love Was Meant For Beauty Queens For a while there, my family and I were living in Southern California. ‎Often, during school breaks, we would drive down to Baja California. ‎At the time it was a great place to vacation, an amazing seaside desert ‎oasis. The views were striking, fresh

Big Eyes

hila

We were joined at the hip Habonim and I. My formative years were ‎garbed up in my red laced blue shirt and faded Levi jeans. It was my ‎fashion statement. I belonged. I was part of the of Habonim, the labor ‎Zionist youth movement. But nine years old was I,

A Discerning Woman

hila

What a discerning woman I would be the second time around. In retrospect ‎everything becomes ever so simple. Frequently it is the spills, the mess-ups and ‎the blows that build us up to our extraordinary selves. I’ve got bushels of advice ‎for sale, but I am afraid it’s worthless on

The Power is Ours!‎

hila

Meet Helene, ‎ AKA Heleneie BeaNiE Cherubinie Wiskerinie ‎Rooterinie,‎ Despite her extraordinary name she is just like you. ‎ ‎ She ‎has a house. ‎ She works hard so she can pay ‎the bills. ‎ Her passions and her peeps make her world complete.‎ At least she thought so‎…‎ Imagine you

The Green Goddess

hila

There are days that pass you by without leaving a single ‎mark, like magic they whizz by and poof, not a single ‎memory remains.‎ How many times have you gotten into your car and "woken ‎up" in a daze not understanding how you ended up where ‎you are: your thoughts

Cheezing

hila

Why Milk?‎ Honestly, I never understood the connection between dairy products ‎and the Shavuot (Pentecost‎) holiday. Exactly how did the celebration ‎of the Torah (The Five Books of Moses) become a festival of milk and ‎honey? Out of curiosity I began to surf the web in an effort to get

Sleep Is For Wimps

hila

How typical, Ms "Taken For Granted" is out, totally oblivious to the ‎wake of her aftermath… Mayday! Mayday!‎ We are often blissfully unaware of the abundant wealth which the ‎simple things in our lives embody. Pause to practice gratitude daily. ‎One never knows what tomorrow will take…‎ Today at the

?Coffee Anyone

hila

Coffee: the number one source of antioxidants?! ‎ Say what???!!!‎ I looked again to verify what I had read. Yes, I got that right: ‎moreover, I was able to confirm the information from multiple ‎sources…‎ So yes, coffee is the number one source of antioxidants for the ‎American people. Not

Couch Potato

hila

I married a mechanic. He fixed things before most people noticed that ‎they needed fixing: loved machinery especially old, forgotten and ‎broken-down challenges. Taking machines apart to discover how they ‎worked was a warm passion of his. He was always up for a challenge. ‎To be honest, it was probably

Let's Talk About It

hila

Regular for me was a once a week effort. My normal was abnormal: ‎pebbles, small and hard stones. This was my reality for some forty ‎something years. When our daughter was suffering from abdominal ‎pain, we took her to every specialist and did every test available. As a ‎matter of