In Cabo San Lucas, the Esperanza Resort’s new Tequila Soother organic body treatment ($335 for 120 minutes with tequila tasting) begins with a salt and lime body exfoliation that makes me want to do body shots. Prepped by Exec Chef Gonzalo Cerda, he marinates citrus with pure local sea salts. Your journey continues with an aloe vera and honey mask (with mashed mint leaves) followed by a tequila agave body wrap, then onto a lusciously light yogurt-based facial and oat mask. Your therapist removes organic ingredients with 100% all-natural cantaloupe and cucumber juices to enhance skin tone.

After a full body rubdown with agave-enriched massage oil, head to the outdoor relaxation lounge for that signature cocktail made with white tequila, grapefruit and fresh lime juice. If you can lift your relaxed noggin afterwards, Chef Cerda leads complimentary vegetarian cooking classes at The Spa. www.Esperanza.com

“Like” Esperanza Resort on Facebook for a chance to win a three-night stay! Click here to enter.

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“The essence of Macrobiotic cuisine is eating whole, natural, unrefined, unprocessed foods with predominant emphasis on consuming grains and vegetables,” says Lee Gross, consulting chef for the Macrobiotic-based M Café in Beverly Hills and Gwyneth Paltrow’s former personal chef.

Macrobiotics is pretty simple—and logical. Gross advises choosing leafy greens, seasonal fruit, whole grains and beans over anything that comes in a bag, box or can. Eating a variety of “roots” (carrots and parsnips), “rounds” (onions and squash) and “greens” (kale and collards) is ideal, but Macrobiotic guidelines are not based strictly on ingredients or calories. They take into account what’s in season where you live and specific circumstances, such as pregnancy.

To start, fill 90 percent of your grocery cart with whole foods and eat a variety of vegetables every day. The diet you’re aiming for looks like this:
• 25 to 30 percent whole grains and brown rice
• 30 to 40 percent raw or lightly steamed vegetables
• 5 to 10 percent beans and other legumes
• 5 to 10 percent miso soup, a daily item typically eaten pre-meal
• 5 to 10 percent ocean fish and seafood, seeds and nuts, fruits and unsweetened beverages

Kale Lemonade
A great way to drink your veggies!
Makes about 1 gallon, 6-8 glasses
31/2 cups lemon juice
6 cups brown rice syrup or light
organic maple syrup
61/2 cups hot water
1 cup kale juice (freshly juiced)
Cold spring water to taste
Combine ingredients.
Serve chilled.

Tofu-Bean Burrito
Use leftover rice and beans to make this portable, healthy lunch or snack.
Makes 2-3 burritos
2 large tortillas (preferably gluten-free)
1 cup scrambled tofu
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons cooked beans (black, pinto or other)
1/2 cup kale, leaves only (stems removed),
sliced very thin
2 tablespoons shredded soy cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons prepared salsa

Warm tortilla in a hot, dry skillet. Spread scrambled tofu evenly onto center of tortilla. Top with brown rice, beans and kale. Sprinkle with soy cheese and cilantro. Top with salsa. Roll tortilla burrito-style in foil and warm through in a hot oven for a few minutes to melt cheese.

Scrambled Tofu
Makes 2 cups
1/4 cup soy margarine
1 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1 pound super-firm tofu, crumbled
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced thin

Heat soy margarine in skillet over medium heat until melted. Add onion and sauté 1 minute. Add carrot and sauté for another minute. Add crumbled tofu, turmeric, salt and pepper, and sauté for another minute. Raise heat to high, add water, bring to boil and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add green onion and stir to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste.

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Yoga
BEST FOR BEGINNERS
Rodney Yee’s Daily Yoga 103 minutes; $14.98
This tranquil yogi offers five 15- to 25-minute routines that incorporate wildly
different styles and postures. Yee is not afraid of longer silences, which makes
him brilliant on the mat. Gaiam.com

BEST FOR INTERMEDIATE
Seane Corne Detox Flow Yoga 110 minutes; $14.98
A visionary and philanthropist, Seane Corne offers three routines with purifying
poses and tension-relieving pranayama, or breath work. Twist and Flow
Practice (35 minutes) focuses on basic standing and seated postures. Purify
(65 minutes) is a strong, flowing practice to tone up and move. Core Energy
(10 minutes) is the final soothing segment. Gaiam.com

Pilates and Core
BEST FOR ALL LEVELS
Element: Total Body Pilates (with mini sculpting ball) 50 minutes; $21.98
Master Pilates instructor Lisa Hubbard offers an invigorating 30-minute
workout and a mellower 20-minute mat session for when you’re tight on time.
Blow up the mini ball in four breaths, and get ready to feel firmer and more
confident. Amazon.com

BEST FOR ALL LEVELS
Exhale Core Fusion Power Sculpt 50 minutes; $14.99
Fred DeVito and Elizabeth Halfpapp teach five 10-minute workouts that combine
Pilates and yoga-type sculpting exercises with light hand weights for maximum
definition. Opt for the full 50-minute class or choose one of five punchy
segments to complement any schedule and energy level. Acacialifestyle.com

Muscle Sculpting
BEST FOR BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE
Ageless with Kathy Smith, Total Body Turnaround 60 minutes; $16.99
Smith uses light dumbbells and calisthenics to sculpt legs, buttocks, arms and
core in three separate, 20-minute workouts. AcaciaLifestyle.com

BEST FOR INTERMEDIATE
Bob Harper’s Beginner’s Weight Loss Transformation 45 minutes; $9.99
Grab a pair of 5- to 12-pound dumbbells for this challenging circuit-training
routine with The Biggest Loser’s top coach. Move from a weight lifting to
slow-motion jumping jacks and standing balance exercises. Amazon.com

Dr. Frank’s Yoga Mix
As my friends and patients know, I’m a world music freak. I continually play mixed world music CDs at home and in my office. After several people asked me to put together a mix of world beats with relaxing rhythms, I created this list. I call it my yoga mix because I often do yoga at home to these tracks.

Om Numah Shivaya
Apache Indian

Elhem-1
Original by Diaspora featuring
Amina Annabi

Maya
Susheela Raman

Kala Infinite
Bill Laswell

Guramayle
Gigi

The Long Road
Eddie Vedder with Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan

The Way You Dream
Michael Stipe

Falling
Nitin Sawhney

Weyu Lárigi Weyu (Day by Day)
Andy Palacio

Sabu Yerkoy
Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté

Bamako
Toumani Diabaté

Boubacar
Bill Frisell

Savane
Ali Farka Touré

Haayo
Bill Laswell

Tara Mantra
Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors

DR. FRANK LIPMAN is the founder and director of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City.
drfranklipman.com

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for winter sports fanatics
SKY LODGE
Park City, Utah
Sky Lodge’s “Train Like an Olympian” package offers a wide range of adventurous winter sports: cross-country skiing, luge, downhill skiing, bobsledding and more. The ultra-fit package includes carbo-rich breakfasts, a 60-minute sports massage and a soak in the Japanese baths. At Amatsu Spa, splurge on a purifying Oolong Tea Body Buffer and Wash, which replenishes skin with ylang ylang and lavender oils.
theskylodge.com

for golfers and tennis players
LA QUINTA RESORT & SPA
Palm Springs, California
Tucked against sunburned views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, this 85-year-old 900-room hotel offers access to five of Palm Springs’ best golf courses and a premier on-site tennis club. Greta Garbo and Kate Hepburn, regulars back in the day, would have approved of the updated 23,000-square-foot spa and new adobe casitas. The spa offers eucalyptus-infused pedicures, ginger masques to jumpstart circulation, massages for young athletes and even a dual rubdown alongside your dog.
LaQuintaResort.com

for bikers
BLACKBERRY FARM
Knoxville, Tennessee
During a three-day bike trip in the Smoky Mountains, you’ll improve your climbing, sprinting, passing tactics and road etiquette while riding nearly 150 miles. A portable bike shop handles repairs, and energetic guides follow in support vehicles. Thirty-minute express massages and farm-to-table meals follow each intermediate-to-advanced ride. Afternoon activities include treatments in the newly renovated spa, shopping, wildflower hikes, and wine and cheese tastings.
blackberryfarm.com

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Looking for a Valentine’s Day getaway? In central Mexico’s rugged Bajio region in the state of Guanajuato, the 17th-century city of San Miguel de Allende houses historical landmarks, impressive architecture, a substantial American expatriate population and a romantic boutique resort, Hotel Matilda, with an outdoor spa, Spa En Vivo (a “living spa”). Located in the town center, sandwiched between Spanish Colonial churches, Hotel Matilda features the work of local artists, roaring fireplaces and a full library–everything you need for a romantic afternoon.

You can hike in the Sierra Guanajuato Mountain foothills, then Hotel Matilda will transport you 10 minutes away to lush land rented from local farmers. There, you’ll find well-manicured thermal pools, fire pits, a Native American Temezcal sauna and a full-service spa. Treatments incorporate local delicacies and indigenous ingredients such as Mexican cinnamon and honey in the Tres Leche (“three milk”) Body Wrap and cocoa in the Coffee and Mint Body Scrub. hotelmatilda.com

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THE HILLS HEALTH RANCH
Williams Lake Vancouver, British Columbia
Who goes? Families, couples, active girlfriends, teens, novice exercisers Two-day wellness-hiking retreats are offered once a month at this rustic lodge, but many guests stay for 30 to 60 days. Guests learn healthy, mindful eating habits while enjoying seasonal foods raised by local organic farmers, and an in-house kinesiologist provides one-on-one training and fitness testing. Guests exercise, stretch, chant and meditate in the morning and have time to explore 100 miles of trails with lakes, meadows and waterfowl in the afternoon. The refurbished spa formulates its own Canadian wild rosehip oils for hydrating massages and facials. Upcoming retreat dates are January 13-15, February 17-19 and April 20-22. spabc.com

LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA
Carlsbad, California
Who goes? Frustrated dieters, novice exercisers, teens, anyone who requires supervised weight loss. Couples often come together and may stay up to four weeks to drop dress sizes, de-stress and adopt healthier habits. “We provide guests with a sunny, luxurious atmosphere in which they can excel at total wellness,” says vice president and general manager Paul McCormick. “La Costa does this via a team approach, and every detail is taken care of.” A team of personal trainers, physicians, nutritionists, behavioral therapists, chefs and massage therapists provides customized programs based on comprehensive medical evaluations. For an extra fee, enjoy surf camp on 400 acres of coastline or try two PGA golf courses, 17 tennis courts and water aerobics.
premierfitnesscamp.com

TABACÓN GRAND SPA THERMAL RESORT
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Who goes? All fitness levels, families, girlfriends. In a setting that redefines “green” even by Costa Rica’s greener-than-most standards, Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort introduces several comprehensive lifestyle and wellness programs designed to engage visitors in meaningful and transformative change. Harnessing the active Arenal Volcano’s energy, its natural thermal springs’ healing powers and its own all-natural Ayurvedic approach, the five-star, carbon-neutral resort’s highly personalized program provides the tools to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Under a licensed nutritionist’s supervision, guests experience a fully integrated plan designed to anchor them on a path to wellness.
Tabacon.com

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Ka’anapali Beach Hotel in Maui offers unique guest experiences throughout the holidays in addition to stellar hiking, sailing and snorkeling. Family-friendly activities include the annual Christmas ornament contest and the hotel decoration party. (Decorate your own deck!) Hotel staff are considered cultural “experts” and share Hawaii’s language, geography, mythology and history. Filled with native artifacts, the resort welcomes your relatives as ohana (or “family”), so you can experience Hawaii the way locals do, with:

• Ukulele and hula lessons
• Hawaiian storytelling hour
• Artisan craft fairs
• Weaving and pineapple cutting

Last minute deals in December start as low as $143 for an ocean view room; kbhmaui.com

Nicole Dorsey-Straff, M.S., a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist and wellness expert, is Organic Spa Magazine’s contributing editor of Play & Adventure.

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Now through spring, hardcore skiers can enjoy Park City Mountain Resort or Deer Valley’s “Double Black Diamond” ski packages. The $699 nightly deal includes a two-bedroom suite and lift tickets for four at either of the Park City, Utah, resorts. Your private outdoor hot tub and a visit to the Japanese-inspired baths await at Amatsu Spa. The Bamboo-Koi Massage ($160 for 80 minutes), uses warmed basalt stones and bamboo sticks to glide “fishlike” over weary ski muscles. Now, where’s my hot toddy? theskylodge.com

Nicole Dorsey-Straff, M.S., a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist and wellness expert, is Organic Spa Magazine’s contributing editor of Play & Adventure.

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After a morning of mountain biking or hiking red rocks along the Utah-Arizona border, instantly de-stress with a 30-minute dip ($75) in Amangiri’s huge custom flotationtank. The painted 10-foot cave in the foothills of the canyon is filled with two feet of warm water (95 degrees) and buoyant Dead Sea salts to eradicate jet lag. After a good sensory float, don’t miss a monthly Full Moon Yoga class performed on an adjacent plateau. “People plan it months in advance to see, practice and salute our waning, orange sun. Magical,” says Amangiri assistant spa manager Anthony Andra. amangiri.com

Nicole Dorsey-Straff, M.S., a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist and wellness expert, is Organic Spa Magazine’s contributing editor of Play & Adventure.

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If you’re lucky enough to be in New Mexico this season, you may bump into Rudolph at any charming intersection. Imagine New Mexico’s snowy natural beauty complemented by thousands of white tea lights strung from every lamppost! The adobe-style architecture and vibrant artwork hung at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa make it the best home base. Then try:

The famed Santa Fe Trail is lined with Baroque musicians and Olde English carolers belting it out at historic Loretto Chapel. Stroll the base of Canyon Road, sip cider and “oooh” at the farolitos, thousands of luminous candle bags lit by hand. santafe.org

Downtown Nidah Spa offers a Native Herb Bundle Massage ($120 for 50 minutes) where organic poultices of calendula and desert chaparral are warmed with holiday frankincense and massaged along pressure points. After a eucalyptus steam, relax in the Warming Room with a cup of Marrakesh Mint Tea. eldoradohotel.com

Every Friday, experience “Bread and Chocolate,” an artisanal tasting of freshly baked breads and crèpes, traditional cacao drinks and dessert. Reservations required ($65) at the State Capitol Building. swguides.com

Shop for last-minute goodies with La Posada’s art curator or hit the spa for a Desert Enchantment Facial ($195 for 80 minutes) or the zingy Chocolate Chile Wrap ($135 for 50 minutes). laposada.rockresorts.com 

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