Putting More Plants on Your Plate: What is “Plant-Based Eating”?
Of course, you are here at the Ranch, eating a lot of plants. How do you carry this over to eating at home? And why does it matter? What special nutrients do plants provide? We can learn a lot from science and examining the diets of herbivorous animals; how they get strong and stay healthy. Which plants matter and how do you eat more of them? You will leave with a plan for eating in a more “plant-based” manner.
How Gut Health Leads to Better Health and Improved Cognitive Function
What does one need to eat to have a healthy “microbiome” which encompasses more than just your gut or GI tract. You will learn more about the connection between your gut and your brain, and how this affects your sleep and wellbeing. With growing concerns about brain health, we must consider that you cannot separate the brain from the body. The goal then, is overall health, which often begins in the “gut”. Remember the rock song that stated: “Feed Your Head?” Learn about the foods that do this.
Mushrooms for Food, Mood, Nutrition and More
There are so many species of fungi (mushrooms); a number are edible, some are medicinal and others are poisonous. You will learn about the nutritional composition of a variety of mushrooms, how to cook them, how they are cultivated, how and where they grow, and more. Mushrooms feed the gut and are part of the gut-brain connection. Jill has been foraging for mushrooms for twenty years and speaking at SOMA Wild Mushroom camp for more than 10 years. This fascinating topic is fun and “magic”.
Food As Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Your Food Choices
If food is medicine, can it truly replace pharmaceutical medications? Jill will take you on a tour of current dietary trends, discussing what works and what doesn’t work, and why a plan needs to be individualized. She will review label reading, choosing the “best for you” foods, behavior change and more, in this lively lighthearted look at a serious subject. You will learn tips and tricks on how to fuel your body in the most positive way.
Jill Nussinow, MS, RDN
While Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian who has taught whole food plant-based, vegan cooking for forty years and has taught many nutrition and culinary classes to students at Santa Rosa Junior College where she taught for 30 years, her life has been so much more. She has written four award winning plant-based cookbooks and has followed and lived her passion for eating well and teaching.
She has created spare time to forage for plants and fungi all year where she lives in Southern Mendocino County and in Sonoma County. She is a sought-after speaker for Sonoma County Wild Mushroom camp, held each January in Occidental, California.
For the past five years she has been deeply involved in the world of breathwork, teaching many students, on Zoom and in-person at The Sea Ranch. She teaches people the benefit of being in a state of “rest and digest” when cooking, and more importantly while eating.
You can see what she does at her website https://www.theveggiequeen.com although it will be morphing into http://www.BreathWiseHealth.com where she hopes to help more people Breathe Better, Eat Better, Feel Better and Live Better.
Pei-Chun Tsai from Tainan, Taiwan, winner of the Taiwan National Violin Competition, made her debut at the Weill Recital Hall in Manhattan, and has enjoyed summers at the Alfred, Encore, Yellow Barn, and Taos festivals as well as the International Holland Music Sessions. Joseph Fuchs, Daniel Phillips, and Harvey Shapiro have been her teachers and mentors in the United States. She is the founding director of the Campanile Music Festival at San Diego State University and has been a member of the San Diego Symphony since 2005 in addition to being violin lecturer at SDSU. She released an album of solo violin works entitled “Chaconne” in 2021 highlighting Baroque and contemporary masterpieces of this form. Pei-Chun holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts degree from City University of New York, with Bachelor and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School. She performs on a violin by Boston luthier Charline Dequincy, and a bow made by Abe Liebhaber in San Diego.
Dr. Randy Kamen is a psychologist, life coach, educator and author of her bestselling books, Behind the Therapy Door: Simple Strategies to Transform Your Life and The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal: 90 Days to Rewire Your Brain. She pioneered new territory in mind-body medicine at Boston University’s School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kamen leads global online programs, workshops and retreats for families, corporations, hospitals and academic institutions. She weaves together researched based skills and strategies for mind management, self-regulation, healthy relationships, personal leadership, and living your vision in her unique systematic and transformational approach.
Known for her “emotional intensity” (Los Angeles Times), Icelandic cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir moves fluidly between centuries-old repertoire and spontaneous creation. As a soloist, she has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, and Iceland Symphony, and appeared at Carnegie Hall, Elbphilharmonie, and Disney Hall. Her recordings include Marrow, a critically acclaimed interpretation of Bach’s six cello suites (“a front runner among recent recordings” — The Arts Desk); Vernacular, a collection of Icelandic works for solo cello; and Quake, a Grammy-nominated concerto by Páll Ragnar Pálsson. A passionate advocate for new music, she has premiered and recorded works by composers including Daníel Bjarnason and Anna Thorvaldsdóttir. Sæunn is the founder of The Music Portal, a virtual concert space for her improvisations, and the creator of Soul Resonance, a 1:1 musical experience inspired by each client’s emotional landscape. She has held faculty positions at the University of Washington and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and Artistic Advisor of the Við Djúpið Music Festival as well as the newly appointed Artistic Director of Tertulia, NYC. When not performing, you can find her in her homeland or traveling the world searching for the perfect pain au chocolat. 
Gloria Simoneaux is the founding director of Harambee Arts, an expressive arts organization and training program based in sub-Saharan Africa and Nepal. More than 45 years as a dedicated expressive arts therapist has led her to focus on supporting women and children who have been traumatized by crises including illness, autistic spectrum disorder, poverty, violence, natural disaster, incarceration and trafficking. She has a degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from The California Institute of Integral Studies, in addition to a BFA from The Cooper Union.
Ilene Brenner Schaffer fell in love with The Ranch in the 70s as a young girl when her dad was a regular speaker on holistic health. She is thrilled to return to share her expertise in life transitions and positive psychology (the science of wellbeing). Ilene’s greatest joy is helping clients flourish through life’s constant changes. She loves witnessing someone’s confidence grow as they embrace their strengths, deepen relationships, and step into their power zone. In addition to her life coaching practice, she leads a global executive coaching firm dedicated to leadership and well-being. She is also the host of the weekly podcast “What’s Possible.” Ilene is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation, has a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters in Counseling Psychology with a focus in Life Transitions from the University of San Francisco. She is a mom to two young adult daughters and lives in San Diego with her husband where she regularly enjoys a great beach walk with friends, family, and clients.
Lorraine Desser Schulze is a seasoned yoga and mindfulness teacher with 25 years of practice. She completed her 200-hour training at Pure Yoga (2011) and a 500-hour Mindfulness Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training at Spirit Rock (2013), with advanced trainings in the U.S. and India. Blending somatic movement, breathwork, and meditation, her teaching supports emotional release, strength, and self-discovery. Lorraine also leads international retreats that offer space for deep connection, healing, and joy. A nature-loving, plant-based cook and devoted dog mom, she brings warmth, humor, and heart — inviting students to grow with curiosity, compassion, and renewed inspiration.
Michelle Dozois, a certified fitness, nutrition and life coach, believes in the transformative power of living life fit. Her DVDs have sold over 4 million copies and she has trained instructors in more than 14 countries. She has been a trusted voice for major health brands like Nautilus, Prevention, Shape, Jenny Craig & Weight Watchers.In 2010, Michelle co-founded the groundbreaking Break thru Fitness, a haven for fitness and innovative programming. Transitioning her magic online, Michelle’s BeFIT Studio and The Peak Fit Challenge make fitness globally accessible.With a range of certifications from numerous organizations such as ACE, NASM, Stott Pilates and more, Michelle infuses her coaching with boundless energy, fun and passion. Her decades of experience in health and fitness have transformed millions of lives, empowering each individual to live a fit, healthy and happy life.
Shayne Morgan was born and raised in San Diego and graduated from UCSD. Though raised traditionally, her Mother introduced her to Meditation at a young age, Shayne has lived in Aspen, CO and taught Yoga and Meditation for over 30 years. Currently she teaches at the Aspen Institute, on The World, a private super yacht, and has taught at Rancho La Puerta over 20 times. She had a studio in Snowmass and took groups on Yoga Retreats in CO, Mexico, the Caribbean and Yoga for Competitive Cyclists in CA. Yoga for EveryBODY and Meditation: It’s Not What You Think, makes these practices accessible for beginners as well as regular practitioners.
Shanti Tilling is a leading personal trainer and fitness instructor, shaping the lives of clients around the globe. She has spent the last 25 years training indoors and outside, flying internationally with corporate clients, and 7 years as the onsite fitness instructor for 2 major film studios. Shanti travels domestically and internationally leading workshops and corporate wellness programs. Shanti has also been the face of numerous fitness products and has been featured in SHAPE Magazine, ATHLETA and CHEVEROLET ad campaigns.
Connie Lagerhausen has been an aquatic fitness professional, swim coach and swim instructor for over three decades and has been certified in all areas of aquatics which gives her a well-rounded background in swimming and aqua fitness. Connie specializes in aqua aerobics, aqua running, aqua yoga, endurance swimming, aquatic personal training, private adult swim lessons, and more recently aqua cycling and paddleboard fitness and yoga. She has recently relocated after 29 years in Arizona to Wisconsin where she spent the last several years developing unique adult aquatic swim and fitness programs and is now helping to develop similar programs for the YMCA at Pabst Farms in Oconomowoc, WI. Certifications include: AEA, 200 RYT, Aqua Yoga and EBFA Barefoot Level One specialist. She has presented numerous continuing education workshops for FitnessFest, AquaCon, SCW Mania and IAFC.
Steve Ross is a nationally recognized Grandmaster and expert in self-defense, martial arts education, and creative leadership, with over five decades of experience empowering individuals and building transformative programs. As Founder and President of the United State Tang Soo Do Association and Owner of the Orange County Academy of Martial Arts, Steve has led award-winning initiatives that promote safety, discipline, and personal development.