“Today’s… choices affect your future health. Our bodies may be hardy, but recurring abuse leads to disease and illness. The good news is that it’s never too late to rejuvenate.”
So who has ever spent time at a health farm? If it is something you enjoy, let me recommend The Farm at San Benito. This heavenly spot, tucked away amongst lush, green, jungle-wrapped hills, is only a ninety minute drive from Makati. The grounds are picture perfect – as manicured as a tropical Disneyland – with peacocks, ducks and geese lazing around deep ponds and swimming pools, or meandering across thick green lawns. Walking paths wind past twenty four 
cottages and suites camouflaged behind trees and thick shrubbery, and venture into hidden nooks and crannies where you can relax and meditate beside quiet pools and man-made waterfalls. Over one thousand feet above sea level, The Farm is bordered by 50 acres of organic coconut plantation, and the climate is delicious after the oppressive humidity of the city.
Perversely, the idea of a health harm is one that has never inspired me. As girlfriends gather eagerly for a weekend retreat of detoxing and seaweed wraps, I am inclined to run for cover, and to my relief, they gave up inviting me long ago. I can’t explain why I am so averse to being pampered, but health farms seem to involve a lot of lying about, and I have never been very good at sitting still. I get twitchy and impatient, and my body and brain seem to combine forces to defy the notion of Rest and Relaxation. I instantly feel the urge to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
So I surprised myself when I recently accepted a very sweet invitation to join a friend and her daughter at The Farm. As a regular guest there, she told me firmly that she hates ‘day-trippers’ so I felt very honoured that she would allow me to visit 
just for an afternoon. Luckily she was not expecting to have me wrapped in seaweed or scrubbed with sea salt or rubbed with cocoa butter. Instead I would join them for lunch at the in-house restaurant, “Alive!”
Alive! feels like a tree house, light and spacious, overlooking the tree tops. The menu is vegan and mostly raw, and the philosophy is holistic – a new slant on the gourmand’s well known adage, “you are what you eat.” In the kitchens at The Farm, they create meals in the belief that body and mind will suffer from a diet based on processed food and genetically modified ingredients, but that raw food can provide a positive outlook on life as well as the health benefits of increased energy, clearer skin, improved appearance, and a stronger immune system.
The culinary creativity is mind-boggling to someone whose limited imagination had created a lunch consisting of birdseed and a bowl of nuts, lettuce and raw carrot. The set menu left me gob-smacked. Freshly made every day, the chefs use real magic to transform raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits and flowers into indescribably tasty and beautifully presented meals. With a large portfolio of recipes and a vegetable garden only a stone’s throw from the kitchen door, the results include a five course set menu that changes daily. What is more, these experienced vegan chefs are quite happy to share a selection of their recipes in a beautiful cookbook: Raw.
‘Specially designed dehydrators… give raw foods a variety of textures resembling cooked foods, without destroying the nutritional properties and enzymes of the foods.’
Their attitude has won them numerous awards and many fans. And much to my delight, The Farm is realistic about such a diet, explaining that they do not recommend total abstinence from cooked food, but suggest 30% cooked, 70% raw, and their recipes follow suit.
So what did we eat?I guess you are dying to know.
We began with a Vegetable Napoleon that defies description, but introduced me to an entirely new concept in food preparation, and in which I was absolutely delighted. This was followed by a bright and refreshing tomato soup – cold and tangy – flavoured with my favourite galangal.
Next, a delectable Som Tam Salad that was low in calories and high in fibre, with the common Asian preference for combining sweet, sour, hot and salty in a zesty dish of green papaya and lime, chili, fish sauce and honey. I would have gone back for seconds if I had been invited.
A creamy coconut milk and vegetable curry served with potato crusted tofu and brown rice is a dish that will vary with the seasons. Wrapped in potato noodles and deep fried in olive oil, the tofu is a fascinating combination of firm tofu and crunchy potato.
The Bounty bar ice-cream, takes you into a different universe for desserts. Fresh coconut ice-cream topped with a thick layer of dark chocolate almost had me levitating with delight. My description cannot possibly do this menu justice. You will just have to try it yourself.
Various packages are offered to those not intimidated – like me – by the idea of a few days detoxing from the effects of the modern world amongst spas and beauty treatments, golf and yoga, wraps and rejuvenation. Explore their website, and I will meet you in the restaurant for dinner.
http://www.thefarmatsanbenito.com/
Then again, having looked at their website, maybe even I can be persuaded to drop in for a day or two…
*Adapted from an article I wrote for the ADBSA Newsflash, November 2013 issue, and with thanks to The Farm’s website for the photos… it was raining the day I went, so it wasn’t easy to take good snaps!