Empowerment Lunching At Estancia La Jolla

Forbes Magazine recently ran an article entitled "16 things you should do on your lunch break every day." The writer interviewed career and workplace experts before composing a rather cumbersome list of must-do's that apparently up your productivity and make you happier and healthier.

The lunch break plan I'm about to unveil is a whole lot simpler. It has a mere ONE requirement, yet it includes most of the 16 (decompress, avoid screens, get up from your desk, enjoy your food, connect with someone new, to name a few)  from the unwieldy Forbes plan.

Are you ready for my easy, one-point plan for supersizing your lunch break?

Enjoy an Empowerment Lunch at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. This noon-time spa package (available 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday) includes a gourmet boxed-lunch specially-prepared by the four-diamond hotel's culinary team, a massage for your neck, back and shoulders and full access to the fitness center, the Eucalyptus steam room and the heated swimming pool.

Can someone say bliss?

Estancia La Jolla is a 9.5-acre retreat overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Torrey Pines State Park. It's the former estate of the Scripps family and it later served as an equestrian ranch for Bill and Ruth Black. Bill, an oilman, banker and all-around arts patron, trained thoroughbreds here. Mustangs & Burros, the signature restaurant, is modeled after the ranch's old tack room, has a gorgeous patio, inviting fireplaces and makes it own Sangria.

Today, it's a beautiful example of the California Spanish architecture with lots of gardens, beautiful courtyards and open spaces. Its full-service spa offers organic facials, all sorts of massage and this empowerment lunch that beats the Forbes' plan by about 15 easy steps.

Oh, and back to that lunch break. All three restaurants at Estancia use locally-grown and sustainable ingredients, so not only will your gourmet lunch box be tasty (remember Point 3, "enjoy your food."), but it satisfies another one of those 16 Forbes requirements: it will leave you thoroughly re-energized.