How to stay healthy in Bocas del Toro?

.I try to eat fresh & healthy food 

Since I had 13 years old I started to inform myself more and more about a healthy lifestyle, read a lot and tried to eat as much healthy that I could (in that time it was more difficult). That is why maybe my Ayurvedic doctor in India told me that I don't have toxins in my body :). Of course, it is also because I  am doing sport and yoga every day in my life. A lot of Nauli breathing and Kapalbhati also help..

Arriving in a new country is always a surprise, In every country, I need to adjust and change my diet depends on what I can find in the local stores. In Bocas del Toro there are local stores where I can find vegetables and fruits. There are also a lot of supermarkets ( all own by Chinese :)) where I can find surprisingly all that I need (that was hard to find in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica)

 I drink everyday fresh coconut water which fills me with

.potassium which I need after my running

every morning I start (more the 5 years already)hot water with lemon and ginger !!! so good for me for detox my body and get I function my lazy digestion system.

.Papaya full with vitamin A & C. Vitamin A important for the skin is needed for the building and maintenance of collagen, which provides structure to the skin. Papayas contain an enzyme called papain that aids digestion. Papaya is also high in fiber and water content, both of which help to prevent constipation and promote regularity and a healthy digestive tract. I also love the taste, cause here it is not so sweet. I eat also the seeds. I like to cut in half the papaya putting some yogurt on top and that's it... Also for a really healthy shake, U can make papaya, Noni, and lemon

what is Noni? So I am not that strong to eat this every day. Inside the shake, you don't really feel the taste, but to drink it as a shot every day like a lot of my friends that live in Cosa Rica do, I can't and don't feel like I need (I prefer to try to drink celery every day). Noni it is a tropical evergreen plant is rich in powerful antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B3 (niacin) and iron. and everyone says that it helps with anything you have. It kind of helps me with my digestion isues. worth to try.

 .fish, if I find fresh ones. I love ceviche 

Pineapple, mango, and passion fruit, although I am not a fan... too sweet

..Almonds and different kinds of nuts

yogurt cause I can't live without and I love the greek ones full with protein,

and I found here the only bread I can eat, pumpernickel it made me so happy to find it in one of the supermarkets here. that is the only bread I eat in my life. It makes me full and it is so healthy.

Almond milk with my coffee..

From the locals, I am buying homemade coconut oil to use on my body every night after a shower, and also I mix it with coffee and do peeling only for the body, which it is perfect for the skin, and also for the cellulite. I also use it once a week on my hair and it makes my hair soft.

Every night I put coco oil on my face and do massage for the face with Gua sha rock, it is a Chines method. Using the Gua Sha Gade Rock with 

gentle pressure, in the correct directions, we encourage the lymphatic fluid to move along its pathways and drain into the body. A Gua sha made of pure Jade, is a cooling and cleansing stone used in Chinese medicine for centuries to aid the body's filtration organs and lymph system to expel toxins. That 

helps me to reduce blowing in my face. My best friend from China introduced me to it one year ago and since then I am doing it everyday night or day and I found it really helpful, it is also really good  for the wrinkles.

 more about my exprience in Bocas https://mynameisaviv.blogspot.com/2019/02/bocas-del-toro.html

Hasta luego,

Aviv

Bocas Del Toro

playa estrella

Bocas del Toro archipelago dots the beautiful turquoise waters off the Caribbean coast of Panama. These waters and the coral reef surrounding it with an amazing array of sea life make the islands and its main hub of activity, Bocas Town, a favorite destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Currency: The American dollar (USD) is used as currency.

Credit Cards and Banks: Bring as much cash as you can and don’t forget your debit card. Don’t expect to use a credit card for everyday purchases. It’s a small, simple island life here!

There is only one bank/ATM located on Isla Colón.

Climate: Bocas del Toro features a tropical rainforest climate with consistently warm temperatures and rain all year long.

Rainy season: Bocas receives large amounts of rain all year long. Pack an Umbrella!!

Dry season: There is no predictable dry season, but the driest months are October, January and March. 

?how to get to Bocas

U can have a flight from Panama city or a bus (10 hours drive).

Then you can come also from San Jose, Costa Rica with a shuttle or different buses. I took the caribe shuttle and it was really comfortable and easy, they come to pick me from my hotel and they have wifi. The brought me directly to Colon, the main Island where I stayed for the last 2 months. If you want to stay in one of the other islands like Isla Bastimentos, Isla Carneros, or Isla Solarte,

?What to do in Bocas

Scuba diving and Snorkeling

visit Starfish beach- it is a nice beach where you can swim and maybe watch some sweet starfish when all the people and music will go :) clean water.. something it is really hard to find around the main area of the island. some local restaurant with fish and lobster.

bicycle drive forms the main city of Colon to Bluff Beach. you can rent a bicycle anywhere.

A morning or sunset run with the sunrise from Colon to paki point

surf- the best spots are in Carenero, you can reach the waves with a boat wherever you are. a lot of people like to surf in Bluff but I think it is quite dangerous. check it anyway. from December to march there r the best waves in the area here.

sailing and fishing or just eat dinner on a sailing boat watching the stars. my favorite.

dancing with the locals in the street or their pubs. The people here are so nice and happy, They all say hello all the time, I miss it so much in other parts of the world. And they love to dance and usually just putting music very loud in there house and dancing and you can join them. Over Christmas, it is a huge party and you can pass through the houses and they invite you to dance Salsa.

?Where to stay in Bocas Town

difficult question. it really depends what you are looking for. but most of the people doing the same mistake and going to sleep in Selina. and I think it is a terrible place. too noisy too many kids that party and getting drunk. there are so many cute places. I am renting a house and I am really happy to give me money to the real locals of the .town

.

Diver Paradise Boutique Hotel seems a nice place to stay in or in Mamallena for the younger people. Thet both in a really good location where you can sleep cause the

.music will not be so loud but still, you will be a walk distance from the center

?Where to eat

Forget about fresh fish, It is really hard to get here. I still try to figure out the real reason I can't believe it is because the locals are too lazy to go fishing.

Italian food, wine, and coffee.. as someone that considers herself kind of Italian and usually I can eat Italian food outside of Italy cause it will not be good enough. Chez Ugo, you can find good Italian wine and really good coffee (Kimbo!!!

You can have here also amazing breakfast and tell Ugo I sent you and you are not .going to be disappointed

BocasART another good option in Isla Colon. The chef is a Spanish guy the food is interesting and so good. He has a mix between sushi and Spanish menu. I loved it.

Leaf Eaters Cafe in Carenero (take a boat from Colon and tell him to take you there) .nice place with nice music and a lot of things to buy :) but also good food and healthy with a lot of options for vegetarians

. I love their Hummus too.

Paki Point (close to Bluff Beach) the place is really nice and fun to hang out. amazing food and you can pick some coconut from the tree. Sometimes there are good waves in front of the place. Try the ceviche.

Beside Chez Ugo, there is a healthy supermarket where you can find healthy things which the supermarkets (they all own by Chinese and u have it every corner with the same things). for fruits and vegetables, you can buy in the local places, Banana, Papaya, Pineapple, Mango and all the rest. For my Basic Coconut water. I am picking from the tree or buying if someone sell in the street (sometimes you can coconut also in the supermarket). It is full with coconut tree all over here and it is so healthy full of magnesium and potassium which you need cause it is hot and humid over here.

Yoga

I am doing private classes of Vinyasa and Ashtanga for now.
There are really not good options on the island. One of the places I tried is the purple house, call YOGA BOCAS but I didn't like the vibe, she talking a lot about herself and it is not my kind of yoga, skip it. If you are not in one of the yoga retreats you should ask for a private class or you can ask in Genesis (space who have the Shala in the picture below) if they have classes at the moment.

I found Bocas a special place, that's why I am still here more than a month. A lot of people find themselves getting stuck or coming back a lot. Some really like the nightlife, I am not one of them. I am not going out. But there is clean air, good atmosphere, the locals are happy and smiley, all the time reggeaton music around you and salsa and not too many people even in the hight season. I am happy that something brought me here and got me to know a new country. Still, I have a lot to
.see in Panama, but it is a good start

, Hasta Luego

Primavera