With the cold weather just around the corner, soups are the best way to keep warm and well nourished. I never thought cauliflowers could turn into one of the tastiest and deliciously creamy dish.
The best part is it only takes a few minutes to prepare it, so it can perfectly fits the scheduled of the busiest ones. Let’s see how to make it.
INGREDIENTS
1 cauliflower head 2 garlic cloves 1 TBSP coconut oil 1 leek 1/2 lemon juice salt and pepper to taste 2 to 3 cups water
PREPARATION
Start by putting the coconut oil on a big pan on low heat. Chop the garlic and add it to the oil, then chop the cauliflower and the leek. Add them to the pan and let it cook until the cauliflower will be slightly brown. Keep the temperature low to avoid burning. In an other pot warm the water up and add salt. Once the veggies are ready throw them in the pot and cover. Let it cook until soft and then proceed to blend the soup until a nice creamy consistence is achieved. Serve it with a tsp of coconut oil and lemon juice. Enjoy!
The above quantities serve 3 to 4 people, so adjust accordingly.
Biscuits and tea or coffee, have a long love story together.
How good is to dip a crunchy, flavorful cookie in your hot drink and enjoy a moment of true happiness? Well for many, traditional biscuits are something to keep away from, as modern nutrition chain has converted this delicatessen into sweeteners, preservatives packed fake food.
So how about making your own delicious biscuits? Knowing they will be absolutely gluten free, vegan if you like and made out just of whole, pure ingredients. I say YES! You will be amazed on how easy it is and how creative you can be. Let’s get on it.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE 10 BISCUITS
6 tbsp Almond flour 2 tbsp desiccated coconut 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 tbsp flax seed bran 1 handful pecan nuts 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp powdered vanilla 1/4 cup coconut milk pinch of salt and baking soda 1/2 tsp stevia/ or 1 tsp honey
PREPARATION
Preheat oven at 180′ C and line a baking sheet on a baking tray, or you can simply oil the tray. Start by adding all the dry ingredients and mix well. Then add the coconut oil and milk, keep stirring until you get a solid, even mixture. With a spoon, shape each biscuits and give it your favorite form. Sprinkle some dessicated coconut on top and place in oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
You can follow this exact recipe or be creative and replace the pecan with other types of nuts, dried fruits or dark chocolate chips.
As always let me know down in the comments if you make them and how they come out!
Being on a gluten free diet? Then you need a good healthy, protein packed snack to go to when those cravings hit hard. Who said NO to gluten had to say bye to all sorts of cereals bars and similar. Let’s be honest they are a fast option when you want a quick snack.
Here is though something way better than processed “food” that hide tons of sugars, preservatives and who know what else. These protein balls are extremely easy to prepare. You can make a whole container in a few minutes and keep them refrigerated for the entire week.
INGREDIENTS
1 tbs Chia seeds 1/2 cup Almond flour (You can blend hazelnut too) 1/2 tsp powdered vanilla 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 pinch of salt 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp cacao powder 2 tbsp almond butter (optional)
If you would like it a bit sweeter, than add a few dates. I prefer to avoid them as they have very high sugars. I really don’t mind the bitter taste of unsweetened cacao.
PREPARATION
The prep is super easy, all you have to do is blend the ingredients until they all come together well mixed up. Shape the protein balls and place them in the fridge for a few hours before eating. It’s a flavor punch! Well balanced with a great amount of healthy fats and nutrients. Perfect for a energy kick right before or after the gym.
ENJOY and let me know down in the comment if you give it a thumbs up ☮
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU.
The word “detox” lately has become a buzz word. Anywhere you go you hear this trendy word. You can have a detox smoothie at the local coffee shop, a detox treatment at your spa, a detox Buddha bowl at your nearest restaurant and even a detox foot spa!
DO WE REALLY NEED TO DETOX?
Our bodies are designed to clean the excessive waste out of our bodies. Yes we are perfect machines, with self regenerating capabilities. The truth is though, that the load of toxins we are surrounded by and that we ingest every day, are higher than our body is able to expel.
Contaminated air, water, foods and all the chemical products we use on a daily basis, from make up to hairstyle product, to household cleaning, home furniture and so on, create an immersive high toxic environment. So there are some practices we can introduce in our routines to facilitate our bodies to stay clean and toxins free. Among the most important things we certainly have:
1) Nutrition- We can limit the amount of toxins by eating whole, organic, fresh foods. 2) Sleep- Sleep deprivation prevents the body to detoxify overnight. 3) Get active and sweat- During exercise we sweat out the toxins though our skin. 4) Unwind time- Stress increases our personal load of toxic waste. It’s important we dedicate time to lower stress.
If we get all of these aspects right, then there are few more things we can do on a daily basis to support our body into its cleaning process. Let’see what they are.
COCONUT OIL PULLING
Oil pulling it’s by far one of the best method. It’s an Ayurvedic technique, that involves using a spoon of oil (coconut it’s perfect) to use as a mouthwash. It kills off the bacteria in our mouth, and by stimulating salivation, it clears the toxins out of our salivary glands. Leaving your mouth sparkling clean, whiter teeth and protects you from cavities. Do it daily or at least 3 times a week first thing in the morning for up until 15 minutes. When choosing your coconut oil, make sure you buy cold pressed organic. Here is one of the best quality coconut oil.
YOGA ASANAS
When it comes to finding inner peace and balance, yoga has since centuries been acclaimed for reducing stress and get you back in the flow of life, apart from getting very flexible and develop terrific strength. Some yoga poses, stimulates the digestive system and encourage detoxification. So no matter your age, and your flexibility level, grab that mat and dedicate some time with yourself.
DRINKING RED TEA
Roibos is a herbal tea, traditionally consumed in South Africa for centuries. It’s deliciously caffeine free and its potent antioxidants have the power to protect cellular health from oxidative stress, therefore acting as anti aging all along. Red tea also helps you flushing toxins away, which is why it’s so popular for anyone into weight loss programs. If you would like to know all the benefits of a good red tea, I recommend reading The Red Tea Detox, a great e-book that has made the difference for many. It offers a full program that will keep your motivation up and it comes with work-out routines and 14 days meal plan. Click here to get your discounted copy!
What are your favorite detox routine? Do you get some time everyday to dedicate to your own health? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
Before I transitioned into a gluten and milk free diet, I used to go crazy for cheesecakes. I could eat the whole cake, no jokes. So I had to find the way to recreate this yummy dessert with a new vision in mind. No gluten, no milk. Although there is a replacement for all traditional cheesecake ingredients, there is not a replacement for the calories! In fact cashew nuts, almonds, coconut, dates are all high calories ingredients, so if you are watching your calories intake, please refrain from doing like me and eat the entire cake, thinking it won’t make you fat! After all it’s a dessert, but at least it’s perfectly tolerated by all gluten and lactose intolerant folks out there, and enjoyable by all vegan friends as well. Let’s get on it.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup cashew nuts soaked for at least 4 hours 1 cup gluten free oats or almonds 5 Pitted dates 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 can coconut milk 1 lemon or lime 1 tsp or stevia or 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp powdered vanilla 1 pinch of salt Blueberries (optional)
For the crust: You have 2 options here, you can either blend gluten free oats till you get a fine flour, or blend a cup of almonds till you get a fine powder, better if with some bits! Mix the flour with about 5 pitted dates and add a tbsp of coconut oil, mix well till you get an even mixture. Place it into a cake tray and shape it till the crust become compact, then place it in the freezer.
For the cream: Soak the cashew nuts for at least 4 hours or boil them for 15 minutes if you are short of time. In a blender add the cashew, coconut milk, vanilla, stevia or maple syrup, juice and zest of 1 lemons add a pinch of salt and start blending the mixture. Depending on how powerful your blender is, it might take some time till you achieve a creamy consistence with no cashew bits. Once the cream is ready, carefully pour it over the crust. Freeze for at least 4 hours or for optimal results overnight.
BLUEBERRIES VERSION: for a colorful version of this desserts, add a cup of blueberries in the mixture before blending! It’s equally delicious and so summery!
Enjoy!
Do you know other similar recipes? Share them! Leave a comment below!
An Italian saying goes: “Ridi che la vita ti sorride”. It means: Smile and life will smile back at you.
That means, your attitude towards life can shape what direction you are going to. If you’ve been stuck in all or some aspects of your life, it’s worth to have a look at what your recurring thoughts are. Thoughts shape your reality. Every single thought you make, influence your life; in a good or a bad way. From the moment you open your eyes, to the time you close them for bed time, your mind is constantly crossed by an endless stream of thoughts.
An average person makes 60.000 thoughts per day. Unfortunately the majority of people make self destructive thoughts, scary thoughts, negative thoughts. What instead, if we could get in control of our thoughts, or at least part of them, to focus on thinking thoughts that are positive, funny, healing, constructive, loving, caring?
I invite you to take an experiment and for one day just go through your day as you normally would, without influencing your thinking. On day 2 instead, practice positive affirmations, write them down, think positively. Entertain yourself with all sort of affirmations that are good for you. You will see magic happen. Everything will seem to be in your favor, things you wanted will manifest, maybe that coffee will taste better, that person you were hoping to see will show up, that traffic light will turn straight to green when you approach…. all this why? Because you set your self on the vibration of positivity, so you will attract experiences that resonate with your vibration. This is what i call FLOW.
On the other hand, when you wake up in a bad mood and start creating negative thoughts, it seems like one bad thing happens after the other. You get clumsy, spill coffee, can’t find things, get stuck in traffic jams, arrive late and so on.
Isn’t that amazing? It proves we human work as a radio and we can choose what frequency and channel to connect to. If we have this great power in our beings, why then so few people use it or are aware of it?
The answer is that nobody has taught us this. Hopefully in the future this is something that will become a school subject. People need to know and so much pain could be avoided. Some people eventually will get across this way of thinking and resonate with it, recognize it make sense and make it their own way of living. But a big number of other people, stay unaware of this mechanism their entire life, and think life it’s just about being lucky or not.
What if they told you that you are choosing your future every instant of your day, by doing certain types of thoughts? It can feel scary and it can make you feel incredibly powerful, as somehow we get in charge of our own life rather then live in autopilot mode.
Achieving your goals, means you visualize what you want and you act as if you already have it. Then what you desire will manifest. Yet many people, do know what they want but then get stuck along the process. Because their mind make all sort of destructive talks, saying they will never achieve what they want. But something in our nature tell us it doesn’t have to be like that. Your life is a miracle. Your heart is beating right now, and it does it by itself, automatically with no effort to you. Or as mentioned by Louise hay “there is something far important and precious to us. It’ sour breath, the most precious substance in our life and yet we give it for granted that our next breath will be there. if we didn’t take another breath we wouldn’t last 3 minutes, the power that has created us has given us enough breath to last as long as we shall live. Can we not trust life that anything else we need will also be supplied?”
When you expect good things in your life, and you trust it, just the way you trust your next breath, those things will manifest into your life. There is no chance this does not happen. I can guarantee this to you. But you don’t need to believe anyone words, the answers are around you. Just observe them. Why some people are extremely lucky while others are the total opposite? When you start noticing the world around you with this new conception in your mind, you will see things differently and much of your world will start to make perfect sense.
Many like to call this the law of attraction, the law of vibration, laws of the universe etc. You can choose to accept or reject this beliefs, but the fact is you believe it or not, the universe still work it’s way around you and it’s up to you to turn these universe laws into your favor or not.
People around the world, including many celebrities, have shared their stories on how they managed to get sudden wealth, health, success or whatever they were aiming to, by applying these very simple principles. The internet is full of very interesting stories, but the best ones that speak the truth are your own personal experiences. Stop and observe the events of your life. You will be amazed.
As any other thing, if you want to manifest something in your life, you need to be consistent. You can’t practice positive affirmations for a day, nicely writing your desires, practice gratefulness, and then expect the miracle the next day. Sure something very positive might manifest faster than you thought, but to really achieve whatever is your objective, you need to totally change the way your mind thinks; what they call paradigms. You might consciously do the work right, but it’s what is stored in your subconscious you need to pay attention to. If your subconscious is full of garbage then you need to clean that first. Anything that you have absorbed from your first year of life till now. Stop and ask: does this belief or thought serve me well? Write down the answers, spend time with yourself. Make a list of all that no longer serve you. Make your own system of beliefs. By cleaning up all paradigms that work against you, you can then work on creating new thinking pathways.
How do you do that? The same way you did to learn in school. By repetition. Repeat your affirmations daily until your subconscious register them and make it true for you. You don’t have to worry on how things happen, just focus on the result you want. Your subconscious mind will do the rest.
The same goes for anything you are trying to achieve. You just have to have clear what you want, the how is not your work, leave that to the superior intelligence that has created you. When a problem occur repeat yourself: “out of this situation only good will come, I’m calm and peaceful, and everything will be solved for the highest good of all people involved.” Repeat this affirmation non stop. You will be surprised how quickly the solution can present itself.
It doesn’t matter if its spiritual things you are searching for or material. This principle work for every aspect of your life: health, wealth, relationships, jobs and so on.
HOW DO I START?
The very first step is to make time for your self. We are constantly surrounded by distractions. When we finish work, we get our laptops, when we finish with laptop we get our phone, when we finish with phone we turn the TV on, all the way till bed time. This way you are choosing to keep your mind 24h busy and distracted and not giving the possibility to reorder your thoughts. Solo time is necessary to calm your mind. Meditate, be mindful and make room for meditation. Especially at the beginning when you are working on the destructing/reconstructing process of your beliefs system.
LET GO ANY NEGATIVE IMAGE YOU HAVE OF YOURSELF
Do mirror work, every time you see a mirror look into your eyes and express love for yourself. Don’t be shy. That’s all you need to hear; that the person that matters more, loves you, and it’s you. Accept yourself unconditionally, you don’t have to change to please anyone. Once you are in tune with yourself and you love yourself non stop, you will see miracles happening in your life. Loving yourself creates a positive colorful aura and people around you will be magnetically attracted to you.
CLEAR THE CLUTTER
The environment we live in reflect our inner world. Your mind can’t be organized and clear if your space isn’t. So work on getting rid of all that you no longer need. Make a list of all things you want to get rid of in your life, and a list of all things you want in your life, physical or not.
SHAKE THINGS UP
When you start doing something different out of your routine, you entire energy system get shaken up and you open the door to the new.
MAKE A GRATEFULNESS JOURNAL
Everyday write a list of things you are grateful for, at first it can be hard, but the more you do it the more you will see the infinite list of things that make your life beautiful, better, comfortable. There are so many things that enrich our existence, yet we can’t see them, as we are not used to pay attention to things, that we give for granted. Be grateful for the very bed that let you slept comfortably, your home that protect you as a loving shelter, the fresh clean water you get daily effortlessly (some people in the world need to walk hours for a few litres of dirty water). The good food you enjoy daily, the warm sun, the life around you…the list can go on for ever. By being grateful for the things you already have, you will attract more good things to be grateful for.
PRACTICE YOUR AFFIRMATIONS
Affirmations are exactly what we need to recondition our way of thinking, by repetition we input them in our brain to the point they will be ours. Normally this happen after 30 days. You can create your own, or listen to them, you find many resources on Spotify or Youtube. Listen overnight, as you commute, while you do other things. This will stop your mind to wander wherever it wants to and help you to stay present.
STOP AND NOTICE YOUR THOUGHTS
On a random time during the day observe your thoughts. What did you catch yourself thinking of? If it’s something negative then immediately replace that thought with something that makes you happy: think of your pet, or a happy baby that you love, or one of the things that make you smile. You can recall a memory that made you particularly happy, focus on the emotions you felt, to live them in the present moment. This will instantly tune with the good vibrations radio and quit the crap channel.
Once you choose carefully what are the things you really want, feel and behave as you already have it. If you practice all this for at least 30 days there is no way your life will stay the same, but don’t expect that opportunity, that new relationship, that new job or whatever it is will come and knock at your door. You need to be out, make contact with people, be open and you will be creating the channel between you and the universe.
Don’t get obsessed with your desires, once you write them down and feel with confidence they are yours, let them go and carry on with your life. When you less expect it you will find what you wanted is already yours.
What is keeping you stuck? How do you feel about your life? Do you believe in your own power to change things? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 40 mins Calories 167 kcal
This heartwarming soup is so tasty and creamy, that will leave your belly satisfied and your tongue happy. Furthermore, it’s very nutritious but light at the same time, perfect for dinner. Carrots are a great source of beta carotene, fibre, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants, for that they offer a number of health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol levels, improving eye health and promote weight-loss. Coconut is the holy grail of super foods, its rich texture is home to different vitamins and minerals.
INGREDIENTS
4 to 6 carrots depending the quantity you are making 1 small piece of ginger 1/2 half yellow onion 1 can coconut milk 1 big tbsp coconut oil Water Salt Pepper Coriander/Parsley
PREPARATION
In a medium sauce pan, warm up the oil and add the onion. It doesn’t matter if you chop it in big chunks as we are going to blend it later. Wait few minutes until the onion get golden, keep stirring and add a pinch of salt. Grate ginger directly into the pan, then add the carrots, peeled and chopped. Wait couple of minutes till, they as well get slightly roasted, then add the can of coconut cream and a cup of hot water. Place the lid and let it cook until carrots get very soft. Add pepper and adjust salt if necessary, then proceed to blend. You should obtain a very creamy texture. Garnish the soup with chopped fresh coriander or parsley. Serve and enjoy!
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU.
Candida. Does this word recall anything to your mind? For me it represents a whole bunch of annoying discomforts. It is estimated 3 women in 4 suffer the consequences of a Candida overgrowth at some point in their lives. This can be often triggered by poor nutrition, stress and use of antibiotics.
Candida albicans is a species of yeast, a single-celled fungus, that lives naturally in the body. This yeast is a normal part of the microbes that live on your skin and in your gastrointestinal tract, but under some circumstances it can multiply out of control. The symptoms of Candida can include brain fog, fatigue, bloating, digestive issues, repeated yeast infections, and much more. If these sounds familiar, read on to learn how you can effectively restore your deserved balance.
In this article, I won’t focus too much on symptoms and causes as the internet is packed with useful resources and information. What I would like to prioritize on, is how to beat it.
A great program that has absolutely helped me through the healing is The Candida Diet*, it offers all the know-how and necessary lifestyle changes to be successful in your healing. Furthermore it has loads of delicious recipes that makes the process way easier, not having to sacrifice taste in order to get well. It’s definitely an investment worth doing. You will find not only you can get rid of Candida for good, but achieve great health in general along the way.
I can’t stress enough that in general, fighting an health issue can be more effective when treated naturally rather than chemically. Of course there are situations in which pharmaceuticals are unavoidable but still nature stands by our side to offer its support.
Overall I noticed the use of the most common anti bacterial pill prescribed, will clear all symptoms immediately, just to allow them back few weeks after. What happens with this medicines is that they kill the bad bacteria but eliminate the good ones along the way. It’s the same principle of antibiotics, and hand sanitizers. Unfortunately, western medicine focus on the cure of the symptoms rather than the cause so this will only act as a temporary cover up in the majority of the cases. For many, popping a pill it’s a easier quick fix; but our bodies don’t work that way. Our health is a delicate balance: when mother nature has made us, it didn’t intend us to rely on chemicals to fix our health. Instead we have to look inside us and understand what our symptoms are trying to tell us.
Our overall health depends on the health our intestines, therefore healthy intestines=good health. The gut has en extremely important role in avoiding toxins to enter our blood stream, but when the gut lining is damaged by a poor nutrition, toxins released by candida will have free entry to the blood stream, this triggers the response of our immune system and inflammation start manifesting.
If food is medicine, then we really need to watch what we introduce into our bodies. The top 2 offenders are gluten and sugar. Gluten is definitely one of those substances that continuously irritate our guts lining, therefore eliminating it is the first step.
Sugar is by far the worst enemy for those fighting against candida. In fact Candida gets its nourishment right from sugars. Therefore to cut all types of sugars is vital to the achievement of good results. When we talk about sugar we don’t just refer to the white sugar we add on teas, coffees etc, but we need to keep in mind all those foods that contains sugar, either natural or added. If you thought eating fruits is a good practice, you are right but not in this case as most fruits have high glycemic index. So limit your fruits consumption to low sugar fruits such red berries, cherries and strawberries.
Now going to the point. How can you get rid of Candida in only 2 weeks? Here’s is exactly what I did.
A note on that first. It’s important to underline I’m not a doctor nor a nathuropath. I’m just sharing my experience and what has worked well for me, that might not work for you. So before taking any supplements or start a diet, consult your healthcare professional and make your own research.
NUMBER 1 I followed a gluten free diet, avoiding sugars at all costs, eating loads of fresh non starchy vegetables. For details check the program I followed here.
NUMBER 2 I exercised regularly and practiced yoga on a daily basis. Exercise promote detoxification and specifically some yoga asana help you to get stagnant energy moving.
Number 3 Supplements. I think food alone can give you a lot, but sometimes the concentration of a particular nutrient on the food we eat is quite low, so thanks to supplements we can increase that element amount and improve absorption. Very important to say I didn’t choose my supplements randomly, but they have been advised to me by a dear friend of mine who is professional naturopath, all except one: The Candida Complex*. I’ve got this, by my own decision as it contains oregano extract and Caprylic acid, 2 potent ingredients to fight candida off. So let’s see in details the supplement I’ve been taking from morning to night:
Morning: On a empty stomach 1 pill of NAC( N-Acetyl-Cysteine)*. It’s an amino acid that promotes detoxification and intracellular defense against oxidative stress. As my naturopath friend Roberta, has explained me, NAC has the power to remove the biofilm Cadida creates to protect itself, that’s why in general it’s quite hard to balance out the level of Candida within our bodies. A bit after NAC, 1 pill of Cats’ Claw. It’s a potent pant that acts as antioxidant. You can also break the pill in a cup of hot water and make a tea. After breakfast, one pill of Multivitamins, that I take regardless the Cadida issue, and a pill of the Candida Complex. In the afternoon between meals I repeat the same of the morning by taking 1 pill of NAC and 1 of Cat’s claw short after. After dinner 1 pill of Candida Complex. Before bed 1 pill of Gut Mate Probiotics*.
To Sum up: 2 capsules of NAC per day, 2 capsules of Cat’s Claw per day, 1 multivitamin capsule per day, 2 Cadida Complex capsules per day, 1 probiotic capsule per day.
Number 4 Natural home remedies. I’ve been drinking plenty of teas with anti inflammatory ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and lemon. I regularly drink lemon water or mint infusions to support digestion.
Number 5 I do practice meditation daily. This helps you control your stress level, improve mood and sets you in a positive mind, essential to achieve anything you want in life.
WHEN TO EXPECT RESULTS
The first week I couldn’t see no substantial results. This is a crucial point, as many people expect results immediately and when they don’t see improvements they give up. So just be strong and carry on. After the first 10 days I started to feel better and digestive issues resolved. After the third week yeast infection was all cleared and no more white layer on the tongue. If you are not sure weather your issue is Candida or not, there are few things you can do to. Who has a Candida overgrowth normally develops a white layer on the tongue. It’s very important you clean your tongue daily with a tongue scraper, especially in the morning. Overnight our body detoxifies and much of its waist ends up on the tongue. So make sure you brush that layer away. You don’t want to ingest all those toxins along your breakfast. Also you can do coconut pulling. Just swirl a coconut oil tsp in your mouth from side to side from 5 to 10 minutes. Spit it away (not in the sink). There’s one more thing you can do to understand if you have a candida overgrowth or not. First thing in the morning, spit some saliva in a transparent glass. Wait a few minutes and notice: if your saliva sinks to the bottoms or forms strings, you might have candida. An healthy saliva should just float on the surface.
I know it’s a lot of information, but I think when it comes to solve a problem, you need to look at it under all possible aspects. Don’t forget your mindset play its part. Don’t feel obsessed with the health issue, like checking your symptoms or think on it too much will just make it worse. Try to relax as much as possible, give your body the tools to heal and let it do its magic. Trust your innate power.
For more information get in touch, don’t be shy!
DISCLAIMER: Please note I’m not a doctor or health specialist. This post only intends to share a personal experience that has been successful. What might work for someone might not work for everyone. So please do make your own research and speak to an healthcare professional if necessary.
RELATED LINKS
Roberta Colletti Specialist Naturopath. She’s a great resource when it comes to looking into the disease though a natural lens. Her website is available in Italian and Spanish.
The Candida Diet*. Precious E-Book packed with all you need to know to fight Candida and recipes to make your healing smoother.
How many of you wandered if there is something that we can do to prevent catching a virus? Ranging from the so popular Corona Virus to other types of viruses that go around all year long, we might not be able to control 100% what we get in touch with, but what we can certainly do, is making our immune system bullet proof, so that no matter what comes our way, our personal army is fit and ready to fight any intruders in our bodies.
Our lifestyle is certainly one of the main factor that influence our overall health. Too much stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, smoke and alcohol can easily lead to a weakened immune system. That means it’s easier to get ill in general. Have you ever wondered why some people constantly catch a cold, flu, infections etc? While others you never seen them with a runny nose, or with a flu. Well the answer is these group of people have a strong immune system.
So what can we do to super boost our defense? Apart from looking after all aspects of our lifestyle, as said above, there are small tricks and practices we can introduce in our daily routines, to make sure our good bacteria stay strong. Today I would like to talk about my special remedy that’s being my best ally through the Corona Virus crisis. The Four Thieves Vinegar. Funny name right? In fact there is an intriguing legend behind this name. Actually there are few versions but I’ll stick with one.
It is said that around 1630 during one of the worst epidemic of plague in France, four thieves took advantage of the situation by introducing themselves into the homes of dying people to rob them. It was certainly very risky to get around those times, but the four thieves had their secret weapon. They had experimented an herbs infused vinegar which protected them from contracting the disease. The thieves used to rub the vinegar on their wrists and temples each day before going out.
When a day they got arrested and condemned to death, a judge got particularly curious on how the thieves survived the plague and he promised them to release them in case they shared their secret. So did the thieves and since then, all over France they started producing a balsamic vinegar who was said to protect from infective diseases.
There are different variations to produce this vinegar. Let’s see how I made mine.
In a liter of apple cider vinegar I finely chopped a garlic clove, added mashed sage leaves, a tbsp of rosemary, a tbsp of thyme and a tbsp of oregano leaves. Place the ingredients into a glass bottle and store it in the dark. I let it fermented 2 weeks and after that, not only I used to rub it in my wrists just like the thieves did, but I also got the habit to drink a tsp mixed in a glass of water everyday 15 minutes before eating. Apple cider vinegar promotes detoxification when you have it before food, and the herbs in it work as a super booster for your immune system, while fighting bacteria. In fact garlic and oregano have strong anti bacterial anti fungal properties as well as the apple cider vinegar itself.
Bonus Hack: Spray some vinegar into your scalp and let it sit over night to get rid of dandruff and promote a very fast hair growth. I’m doing it for the last few weeks and noticed and increased hair growth.
To make your own is really easy, but just in case you want to skip the prep part and have it ready, you can find yours on Amazon. To get yours just click here.
Apple cider vinegar in general has loads of uses included for skin care and beauty in general. You can do your own research or get it all in one place with this e-book. It contains tricks and tips about all the possible uses of apple cider vinegar. Why not give it a try!
Thanks for reading and let me know your comments below!
Today I would like to share with you all what my typical day looks like nutrition wise. If you red my previous post where I share my gluten free journey, you know I’ve been into a gluten free diet for the past few weeks. I never thought skipping all sort of flour goods could be so easy and equally make tasty and good meals. Considering a typical lunch, back in my Italian days was a big plate of pasta followed by a crunchy sandwich with cold cuts and cheeses of all sort, I consider to have made massive changes in my diet. So here I share with you my achievements ranging from breakfast to dinner.
I will share with you all recipes so just click on the link to access it. Let’s start with my favorite: COLAZIONE (It’s the first thought I wake up with) breakfast. I normally wake up very hungry so I like to have nutritious food that will keep my stomach at bay for a while. I like to alternate sweet and savory breakfasts, however sometimes I end up having both. Here’s an example.
Veggies Omelette with avocado + Strawberries Muffins + my favorite coconut hot drink
Veggies Omelette is simply made by warming up some Ghee butter and throw int he pan your favorite veggies, mines are: spinach, kale, onions, scallions, peppers, courgettes, tomatoes, leeks, broccoli. I always add to the eggs mixture salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika. I replaced the slice of bread with a nice piece of avocado. Voila! Quick yummilicious breakfast done.
Regarding my favorite drink, I call it Coconut heaven. It’s so delicious, delicate and tasty I can’t help having a cup each morning. This is how you get it done. In a pan warm up coconut milk on low heat, add a teaspoon of coconut oil, cinnamon stick or powder, vanilla to taste, sometimes I add chopped strawberries to add flavor and there you go, your morning coco paradise, will take your senses to tropical destinations. (only in your imagination though).
Some other breakfasts may include gluten free porridge, chia pudding or lemon coconut biscuits.
Usually this breakfast keep me full enough so I don’t feel like snacking for the whole morning. At lunch time most of my meals are based of Basmati rice or brown rice, many vegetables often times with coconut cream and lots of spices. I use quinoa quite a lot and even make crackers with it. Sometimes I do add chicken or minced beef to these meals, but just very sparingly. If I don’t have eggs for breakfast then I would have a spinach or mixed veggies omelette for lunch and a salad. I experimented a dressing in particular i love made of Tahini. Just add 2 tbs of Tahini, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 4 tbsp water, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, top with parsley.
Thai inspired coconut curry
This is by far one of my favorite meal ever. It’s so rich in flavors that truly I keep cooking it at least 3 times in the last weeks. For full recipe see here.
In the afternoon I like to have a snack mid afternoon with red berries, soy yogurt, nuts or a smoothie.
This mid afternoon snack in particular was quite delicious. It’s mango milk free yogurt with flax seed bran, hemp seeds, strawberries, blueberries and the cinnamon cereals I’ve made in the morning. For full recipe click here. Refreshing and perfect for summer!
In the evening I try not to have big meals. I don’t like to go to bed on a full stomach. I always try to eat at least 3/4 hours before I go to bed. As you may know, sleep is one of the most important part for our general wellness During sleep your body repairs and regenerate, if the body is busy digesting your food then it can’t focus on the regenerating process. No wonder lack of sleep causes a whole big list of unpleasant health issues.
Baba Ganoush with Quinoa flatbread
A typical dinner might be a salad, soup or more vegetables. Last night I tried this great home made Baba Ganoush and I loved it. It’s very simple to make it and I can guarantee your your taste buds will be grateful. I also made a quinoa flatbread nice and crunchy to go with the dip, or celery sticks go just as good with it.
To summarize I always have a good breakfast preferably savory, as sweet breakfast can spike sugar level and make you hungrier sooner after. Drink loads of water and herbal tea throughout the day. Eat generous lunch with plenty of veggies, small snacks rich in fats and protein and very light dinner. My staple for a perfect night routine is a bedtime tea that I usually make with ginger, turmeric, lemon, cinnamon. Alternatively a Moringa and mint tea, Roibos or bay leaf tea with lemon.
And you? Have you made changes in your nutrition too? How was it? Share your story!
Thanks for reading and don’t forget to leave your comment below!
Becoming Super Human 