Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Hello December!!!

Time is passing so fast and I didn't even realize we just slipped into December. After a weird and slow November finally my favourite month is here! Things are starting to speed up a bit and definitely in a good manner. That was the lesson I learnt in November how to slow down my mind and stop the continuous anxiety madness in what I was living in for such a long time. I am not looking for and rushing for something more now as I always did before. I know what I need I already have and the only thing I have to do is just to listen to my intuitions in order to make my decisions, affirmations and let life fall into me! I am still learning how to fully go with the flow of life and to really enjoy the gaps in it and to trust that everything will happen on the way how and when it has to be and how and when it is the best for me. I feel at the moment I am complete.

December has a very special atmosphere for me, well from one hand I am having my birthday in this month and we are close to Christmas and the end of the year. From the other hand I always feel great in this period of the year and I have a feeling of giving, caring and loving about others and myself as well:) Following that feeling today morning I surprised my friends with warm cinnamon muffins and they said it has the taste of Christmas.

So hello December my loveliest month! I am looking forward to every moment that I can spend with you!:)


Monday, 4 November 2013

The results of the 21 day challenge

Time is passing so fast and I didn't even realized that I finished my 21 day challenge! Although I finished it and let's see how I completed it:

1. To wake up at the same time every day, to eat at the same time. - This point I feel I need a bit more time to complete it fully, because I am having my holidays now so I find it no sense to wake up every day at the same time:)
 
2. Start the day with lemon water and eat fruits till 12:00, after 18:00 time of the last meal of the day after just detox or herbal tea - the first part I still keep as an order and it really feels I am more energetic and my belly is started to get better as well. From the previous fact is directly coming that sometimes I was having my dinner around 9 or 10 in the night...oh well

3. Avoid consumption of sugar, flour, milk and alcohol - I successfully kept away myself from all this things. Instead of sugar I use agave syrup, instead of flour I use spelled flour, instead of milk I drink almond milk. Alcohol I don't drink at all!!! (during the 21 day it happened once)

4. Drink at least 2 l of water per day, no drinking 20 minutes before and after eating - I keep to not mix eating and drinking. The most challenging is to drink 2l of water a day.

5. Running at least 3-4 times per a week, I left myself to choose on which days - I already implemented this part to my life years ago, so moving, running, biking, working out is still a part of my every day life.

6. Morning Yoga - I preferred to do it in the afternoons, evenings combine with bodyart
Sundays dynamic meditation - I find it very challenging and not necessary to do it every week so I do it in every 2 weeks.

7. In addition I successfully eliminated coffee and cigarettes from my daily life! I cannot say that from time to time, occasionally I am not consuming them, but the most important for me now that I am not doing them every day!

I want to complete the list with some other things which made it easier for me: 
  • I eat more slowly without music, tv, computer and I am focusing completely on the food, as a result it feels more filling.
  • I started to eat more fruits and raw vegetables.
  • I made one exception per a week when I make a cake so that means I eat some kinds of sweet:) (thanks to Marie for the idea)
  • I bought at least 5 type of detox tea to not get bored of it:)
  • I was avoiding the company of people who smoke, drink or party a lot!
  • I sleep 8-9 hours per a day and I tried to go to bed before 12.
  • If I was not able to keep "the rules" I didn't give up and I didn't feel guilty the next day I was keep on doing it
All and all this 21 day was a good frame for experimenting what feels good to do and to shape it according to my personal needs. During the whole time I was observing myself and it was very interesting to watch which are my weakest moments and how am I reacting to get over it. In a meantime I gained more self awareness. So now the time is coming to act upon them, on the little devil.
As a result I definitely feel better, more than ever! I am filled with energy, I have better digestion, I have clearer skin and mind, I have a stronger core :) And the most important is that I got really inspired by the change what I feel so I want to extend the process for 3 months and let's see what will happen!
And don't forget that good things come slow!


Friday, 1 November 2013

The bloody beets and a bloody delicious brownies

One star of the season is beetroot. I am really going crazy about this bloody root:) I ate a lot from it during the last weeks and now I decided to make something really special with it. Beetroot Brownies!
But at first let's see why is it soo good to be eaten by human beings.

In Romany medicine, beet juice was used as a blood- builder for patients who were pale and run-down,  and in Russia and Eastern Europe it’s used both to build up resistance and to treat convalescents after  a serious illness. In the traditional medicine of central Europe, beets have  a long history of use in the treatment of cancer: they seem to contain anti- carcinogens bound to the red coloring matter, as well as possessing a striking ability to increase cellular uptake of oxygen. Many of these actions are enhanced when beets are eaten raw or drunk as juice. The popular French starter crudités— which combines grated  raw beet, raw carrot, and perhaps paper-thin slices of cucumber, all dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and garnished with chopped parsley—is a more powerful tonic for general health  than a whole bottle of vitamin pills.

And now let's see the recipe for the bloody brownies:)

Ingredients

2-3 cooked, peeled beets, rasped fine
100 gr dark chocolate, preferably up to 70% of cacao
80 gr brown sugar
80 gr butter
80 gr flour, can be white or whole grain as well
2 eggs
1 coffee spoon of baking powder
1 spoon of cocoa powder
50 gr of finely chopped walnuts or mixed nuts

Heat up the oven for 180 degrees. Melt the dark chocolate above water together with the butter. Stir the eggs together with the sugar till it's getting whiteish. Mix the baking powder with the flour and cacao powder. Mix everything together in the fallowing order: add the finely rasped beets to the mix of eggs and sugar, after add the melted chocolate-butter mix and put the flour mix into it and at the end put the finely chopped walnuts. Don't stir it too long because the brownies will become hard. Put it into the oven for 20-25 minutes. The cake is ready when is still a bit raw in the middle. Serve it hot with the vanilla ice cream!

Here is the bloody delicious dessert


Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Big big transformation....

After 2 days of laying in bed without any motivation to get up and do something it really made me wonder... Where and why is this state of being coming for me like a dark, black cloud and taking everything, my thoughts, my soul, my motivation, my joy, my being? Where did my motivation and joy disappeared? Why I feel just simply miserable and hopeless??? Despite the fact that I am living my daily life very healthy, I eat healthy, I do sport every day, I am learning Dutch and read a lot, I am taking good care of myself than why the dark is coming again??? I know very well that is one pattern of mine I am just so fed up with it! At this time instead of being fed up with it I started to really observe it....and what I realized it just I am so OK, more than OK, I reached the top of my physical and mental conditions and now I want to really spread it around but where? I have a lot of energy and I feel that with all the things what I am doing I am just circulating back the energy to me that is why I feel I am not moving at all, instead of peace I am in a state of continuous anxiety:( Although I was looking for a place where I can volunteer, where I can work, help but I don't find it..it seems that this door is not opening for me.
Last weekend I met my very close Hungarian friends here in Amsterdam by accident, and it was so nice to spend some time with them after a long while and they said that they are missing me and they made me think that we can do some projects again together...and I remember 3 days ago I had a chitchat with my Mom and she said that in Hungary some people are really got interested in what I am doing and they want to do projects with me...I think that was the time when I got fucked. At that night I cannot sleep and I had a very very strong insight that I have to return HOME! My inner voice was really shouting with me. It really touched something in me.
I am really grateful for this time what I could spend here in the Netherlands with myself. I completely transformed. I feel I am ready to go back to my roots, to my real home where I truly belong.
I feel very grounded in what I want to create. I truly believe that returning back home I will find my possibilities and the supporting environment what I need to create my plans.
So just a few months to go, but at first I am so much looking forward to do cooking, my projects again. Until the start -20 November - I just want to enjoy my being without any worries and anxiety!!! Most probably I go home in February....when I finish everything.
This is the conclusion and the dark cloud started to vaporise BUT to arrive to this turning point I asked for help so I started to watch really amazing and inspiring talks on TEDx. It s worth spreading it!

                                         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpe-LKn-4gM
 














Sunday, 27 October 2013

Sweet Sunday Afternoon

This rainy,windy, cold weather didn't give me other option for the afternoon, so I decided to make my favourite cake today. This is the perfect time for carrot cake!:) I tried to make the healthiest version of it now, so here I present the recipe for you in order to bake your homey, warm and delightful sweet.

Suzy's carrot cake

dry ingredients
180 gr of whole grain spelled flour
2 teaspoon of bio baking powder
3 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
pinch of salt for balance

liquid ingredients
3 eggs
3/4 cup of brown sugar (cup=200ml)
100 ml of coconut oil

5 middle sized rasped carrots

topping:
200 gr mascarpone cheese with agave syrup 
almond flakes

Put the oven for 180 degrees. First mixed well the dry ingredients. Secondly mix the liquid ingredients as well. Mix together dry and liquid adding the liquid slowly to it. At the end you add the rasped carrots. Be careful with mixing, you have to be fast because the baking powder start to react very fast. If you are hesitating with mixing and you are not on time you risk the cake to stay down and to break on top while baking. The cake needs approximately 30-40 minutes to be ready it really depends on your oven. To check the cake if it s ready or not you can use a thin knife, just put it into the cake and if the dough doesn't stay on it it is perfectly ready!
The cake needs to cool down a bit to put the topping on it. Slush the cream on the cake gently and after scatter the almond flakes on top!
Serve it with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or vanilla chai as I do!

Enjooooy!!!







Friday, 25 October 2013

Chia seeds

While I was shopping in the bio market I just bumped into chia seeds. It can be a great replacement for multi vitamins and a great supplement for more healthy nutrition. Winter is coming and the body needs more care to prepare. I immediately bought them and I cannot wait to implement it to my daily routine and enjoy the benefit of them. Why? Here is the answer...

Here are ten benefits to using chia seeds

1. Nutritious. Chia seed provides calcium (5 x more than cows milk)and protein to your tissues. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium. The nutrients also support proper brain functioning.

2. Great for Hydration. This seed can soak up twelve times its weight in water. When inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.

3. Easily digestible. The shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole. This is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly. If you eat flax seed whole, it will just pass straight through you.

4. Concentrated goodness. If you could only take one cup of food for a few days, I'd choose chia ! The food value per volume is simply unbelievable. You don't need much. The Aztecs said they could survive on two table spoonfuls per day!

5. Mild tasting. Unlike some seeds, the flavour is very mild some say no taste at all. The mild neutral taste makes it so easy to put in sauces, smoothies, breads, puddings, and whatever you want. They won't really change the taste, but will add to your nutrition intake in a big way!

6. Energy enhancing. The health pioneer Paul Bragg did an experiment an endurance hike with friends. They divided up into a chia-eating group and another group, who ate whatever they wanted. The group eating only chia seeds finished the hike four hours, twenty seven minutes before the others, most of whom didn't even finish at all.

7. Versatile. These super seeds can be used to replace less-healthy fat in just about any kind of recipe. You can use them uncooked in salad dressings, spreads, fruit shakes, ice cream, and just about anything you want. You can also add them to cookies, cakes, muffins, Bread and other baked goods.

8. Weight loss with chia seeds . Yes, the seeds will help you lose weight, for two reasons. The first reason is that they are so filling that you will eat less of other foods ( they stop you snacking between meals too). The second reason is that they actually bulk up and cleanse your body of old "junk" in your intestines.

9. Endurance enhancing. Chia seeds are known as the "Indian Running Food". Also, the ancient Aztec warriors used chia seed during their conquests. If you are a runner chia seed helps with the stamina and endurance on the runs, some of which are several hours long!

10. Regenerating. After eating, the nutrients travel to the cells very quickly due to the ease in digestion and assimilation. Use them when you want to build or regenerate healthy body tissue and repair injured muscles.


Thursday, 24 October 2013

Go more, go raw!

I feel like diving more into healthy nutrition since I really feel the benefits of my 21 day challenge:) I am going to give some practical tips how to make your food more healthy, green, raw, tasty and good looking and why your body will enjoy it!

  • steam your vegetables - not in a lot of water, instead use steaming filter, put it above a water in a stainless steel pot and cover it for a few minutes. As a result you will get carefully prepared vegetables with a very delicious, pure taste
  • braising - instead of oil use water or the combination of water-oil (cold pressed olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil)
  • avoid the use of stomach irritant spices - pepper, chilli, ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, curry in big quantities, of course a little pinch is definitely allowed to spice up the taste
  • avoid the vinegar based sauces and vegetables - balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, mustard, ketchup, pre-prepared salad sauces (it is better to use vinegar for cleaning, against a water fog is the most efficient you can imagine what does it in your stomach grrrrrr....), instead use lemon
  • fully exclude food with high fat and protein content from animal origin, heated oils and smoked products
  • use cold pressed oils as flexseed oil, hempseed oil, borage oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, grape seed oil etc. Flaxseed oil or borage oil or safflower oil are for continuous use!
  • any kinds of vegetables are more than welcome to consume! - mostly fresh or steamed, can be frozen, but they contains less vitamins and they don't have the chi:) - avoid everything from the can
  • for every meal the composition of the food has to look like 50% raw components and 50% cooked components
  • NEVER mix vegetables with fruits! (they are going to ferment in the stomach because of the fructose in the fruits)
  • avoid eating desserts (including fruits) after the main meal because they are going to ferment in the stomach and it can very often cause a puffy belly...
  • get rid of sugar (honey as well)- for sweetening use steevia, marple syrup, rice or agave syrup, xilit (birch sugar) - I tried all of them I recommend agave for me this is the winner
  •  in the morning consume carbohydrate-rich food - fruit salad with nuts, all kinds of porridges, oat flake tarts etc.
  • side dish can be wild rice, brown rice, black rice, couscous, bulgur, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, whole grain pasta, brown/black rice noodles (no white rice, white pasta and potatoes)
  • wholemeal bread, pastries can be eaten - best is from wheat flour
  • for dinner more salads, beans, lentils, chickpeas recommended
  • diary consumption is not recommended -  instead cereal milk (rice, coconut, almond and hazelnut my favourite ones), vegetable based cheese and cream 
  • consumption of processed, preserved food is prohibited!!!
  • don't snack between meals!!! - instead drink more water or herbal/detox tea or eat an apple or nuts
  •  eat germs every day!!!

Hmm hmmm it seems quite shocking for the first time BUT I am sure that I can make delicious, various and fulfilling food! It will require a pinch of creativity and I am up for it! Let's give it a try!

This was my lunch today and I can tell you it was really delicious, light and filling!
Home made hummus with a pinch of chilli, steamed broccolis, bulgur with sun dried tomatoes, carotts, raddish and germs
Eet Smakkelijk!