Photo by Lou Liebau on Unsplash

I’m a virgo and that means I like healthy stuff. I love food that is green and full of natural ingredients. My old roommate and one of my best friends dubbed me granola head while we lived together. She always had a cupboard full of captain crunch and fruity pebbles and I would always bring home granola, fresh veggies and trail mix for our kids. Not to say she didn’t know how to cook healthy too. She taught me how to make a killer tomatoe and cheddar tortilla in the microwave and I’m still making it for snacking, 20 year later.

So when I walked into Lean and Green Organic Health Bar in La Jolla. It was amazing and I was in heaven. It was located off the beaten track in a corporate building’s inner courtyard. The setting was modern, with upholstered benches and iron patio tables overlooking the business scene. It was an amazing find by my niece who was in training with a goal no less than to make it to the olympics.

We ordered smoothies loaded with protein, avocado, fruit, coconut oil and I had a bowl with quinoa, veggies, beans and savory spices. It didn’t take long to feel full and I looked forward to the energy I’d have once all of these great nutrients were metabolized. After eating, we decided to head down to Seal Beach. The beach was full of tourists that had set out blankets and umbrellas and were relishing the last rays of sun as it set over the sea. Wistful seals swam into the beach, wanting their beach back. A seal would cautiously swim in to the cove halfway and assess the human swimmers and then swim back out. A few brave seals that had made it all the way to the beach, lounged among the humans.They were beautiful laying in the last rays of light, their coats thick and glossy, their eyes closed in rapture, enjoying the soft beach, the playful noise of happy people and the cool mists sweeping off the waves.

Photo by Joss Woodhead on Unsplash

After taking in the brilliant sunset and sea winds we headed back up to our car. The climb was fairly steep and a great workout after our awesome meal. It was the perfect way for the quinoa and other yummy ingredients to be absorbed and metabolized. Blended with the fresh sea air, heavy with nutrients, I felt completely at one with all things healthy and natural.