Taste: A Date With Wellness

These delectable raw macaroons pack a powerful nutritional punch.

California is graced with some of the world’s most beautiful spas, so it should come as no surprise that Catalina Island, lying 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, boasts a knockout exemplar.

As detailed in DAYSPA’s January issue, the 15,000-square-foot Island Spa Catalina provides a comprehensive service menu that encompasses facials, body treatments, manicures, pedicures and more. Guests who come to be pampered, lounge by the pool and soak up the mesmerizing ocean views could be forgiven for a momentary lapse in their healthful eating regimens. However, thanks to the culinary team at the spa’s Encanto Café, they needn’t worry.

The eatery serves a wide range of healthful options, including juices, smoothies and salads, as well as these delectable raw macaroons, whose foolproof preparation method ensures they can be replicated by even the most reticent chef. In addition, these bite-sized treats pack an impressive nutritional punch. Dates are rich in fiber and, as such, are thought to promote colon health. Brazil nuts are loaded with selenium, a trace mineral essential to immune and thyroid functions, and are a good source of magnesium, which regulates blood pressure and keeps bones strong.

Hazelnuts are high in vitamin E, which are important in maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails. They also contain B vitamins, which are vital to proper cell and energy metabolism, plus the key minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Offered to spa clients between treatments, the macaroons are particularly popular with raw food fans. “Raw food is believed to promote beautiful skin and hair,” says executive chef Matthew Alleshouse. “Plus, raw foods are easier to digest, so the body’s energy is freed up to heal and cleanse, leading to better wellness, which is our overall goal at the spa.”

Get the recipe in our March digital edition!