The 4 doctors
Holistic Health incorporates 4 pillars of health. Paul Chek called them 4 Doctors and they
š Dr. Quiet: Balancing energy levels, taking care of your physical, mental, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Adequate rest and sleep. The ability to switch off, meditate, doing nothing, self-care. Listening to your body’s signals for recovery, sleep and time off social media, time off work.
š Dr. Happiness : Living by your core values. You create space to experience joy and happiness. You enjoy your job that can also be your passion. It is also the awareness of our thoughts: is our inner dialog negative or positive?
š Dr. Diet: Tuning into your body’s specific nutritional needs and implementing the basic tools to meet them.
š Dr. Movement: understanding the difference between working in and working out (see previous posts) and implementing those movement types to use in your life to create balance.
These 4 principles are fundamental for an optimum health. It can take some time to realise how your body communicates your needs. How to recognise that those 4 doctors aren’t in balance? You are tired, unhappy, irritated, stressed, depressed, experience poor sleep, craving sweets and stimulants, PMS, PMDD, etc.
š Please do not hesitate to contact me, if you need help balancing those 4 areas of your life and help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
COCONUT BLISS BITES
I havenāt been eating shop bought sweets for over 2 years now, but I obviously need some sweetness in my life. I love nourishing and functional foods, but when they are sweet and comforting, it is an additional bonus. This perfect snack can be ready in the shorter time than walking to your corner shop to get a chocolate bar.
Sweet nutritious goodness known for ages.
Date palms were cultivated as early as 4000 BC in lower Mesopotamia (today Iraq). Date palm trunks were used to build the temples and dates were believed to have healing powers. They were appreciated and cherished by the ancient civilisations of the Assyrians, Sumerians, Egyptians and Babylonians and later by Greeks and Romans. Phoenix dactyliferas are present in their drawings and sculptures.
Today, Egypt is the world leader in dates production and cultivation. Each year, this country produces slightly over 17% of global dates production. Following Egypt, dates are an important traditional crop in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pakistan and United Arab Emiratesand. Dates (especially Medjool and Deglet Nour) are also cultivated in southern California, Arizona and southern Florida in the United States and in Sonora and Baja California in Mexico.
"Let food be thy medicine..."
Despite the high sugar content dates also have a high nutritional content. They are abundant in essential minerals and vitamins. Depending on the variety, eating about 100g of dates supply about 7% of recommended daily allowance (RDA) for iron, calcium, phosphorus and manganese. 100 g provides about 15% RDA for potassium, copper, magnesium and selenium. Potassium supports your muscles and nervous system and protects the brain from strokes. Iron alleviates anaemia. Ā Intake of 100 g of dried dates delivers about 9% of RDA for water soluble vitamins such as B2, B3, B6 and B9. They protect the tissues from oxidative stress.
Dates are high in insoluble fibre that plays a significant role in the digestive processes. Insoluble fiber protects our body from bowel cancers and promotes regularity. It also helps prevent diabetes and helps feel full for longer.
Dates have antifungal, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Moreover, they play an important role in modulation of the immune system. Phenolics present in dates support cardiovascular health.
Considering the bioactive compounds found in dates such as carotenoids, phenolics, anthocyanins and antioxidants, it is fair to say that dates can be used as functional food or as an ingredient in functional food.
RECIPE
2 ingredients coconut bliss energy bites
100g dried dates
40 gĀ coconut blissĀ (coconut butter)
2 tsp shredded coconut (optional)
Soak dates for a few minutes, drain and place in a food processor along with the coconut. Blend until smooth. Shape mixture into balls and roll in desiccated coconut to coat. Enjoy!
Useful links
http://thesciencepublishers.com/science_letters/files/v3i1-4-2014044-SL.pdf
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/world-leading-countries-growing-fresh-dates.html
not about covid
Not even about masks, vaccinations or conspiracy theory.
Our health system is great in eliminating the symptoms. No symptoms mean happy patients and better statistics for the pharmaceutical companies. Typing in the symptoms in the computer software marvellously gives us diagnosis and fast solutions without even looking or listening to the patients. A few simple questions and the prescription is ready. Complex and chronic illnesses require greater depth and a better understanding of the patientās life. I am not a MD, but I have been a patient throughout the most of my life and I talk from my own experience and from my professional and personal observations.
Chronic issues can have many explanations and going to the roots help find the real cause, thus an appropriate protocol can be implemented to restore the patientsā health, not just removing the symptoms. Our health system helps the patient to feel better, but doesnāt investigate the issue further and usually other problems arise. It offers quick fixes to bring an instant relief without using a wider holistic perspective and the patient is soon back at the docs with the new range of problems.
Modern medicine often works wonders, especially when the Nature would lose a battle with time. Sophisticated research techniques help develop cures and save lives when itās too late or not enough time to implement the natural methods of healing. I am under an impression that modern health system overuses its tools when it is not absolutely necessary though.Ā Ā
Not about the immune system.
We live fast, we eat highly processed, nutritionally depleted foods and we rely on the medical technology to fix our health when we get ill instead of respecting our health by living as close with the Natureās laws as possible.
So, if you feel low in energy, instead of another bottle of red bull, have a nap or a beetroot smoothie. And while you ask for another laxative, holding a fourth can of coke in your hand, eat that bloody salad instead. You might not love it straight away, but you might love the vision of a happier, healthier, slimmer and less tired yourself, if you just re-condition yourself to what you have been designed to love. Definitely not the coke, not the red bull, not the big mac, but that bloody kale.
Not about a diet.
How to choose the probiotic that actually works
The fact that we need probiotics is undisputable. They support our gut microbiome and our overall health, but how to choose the best probiotic in the sea of so many products on the market and get all the benefits, is not always so obvious.Ā
Use the one that comes with a prebiotic.
Prebiotic is the food for the microbiome. Prebiotics nourish and stimulate growth of the good bacteria, while reducing disease-causing microorganisms such as Clostridium difficile, Salmonella, Loisteria and Enterobacter.
Most of the bacteria sold in probiotics are packed without the prebiotics. So what are the bacteria living on? How can they survive? Companies wonāt actually tell you, that what actually counts with the probiotics is whether the bacteria are active? Are they alive? Do they have the ability to reach the gut alive and start new colonies?
If your probiotic pack does not contain any prebiotic, eat loads of fruits and veg every day or take some oligosaccharides with it. Although my probiotic is a very high quality, I sometimes take it with inulin and plantago ovata for additional benefits.
Make sure your probiotic contains active bacteria.
Bacteria donāt grow as individual cells. They grow in colonies. Each colony can be made up of thousands of individual bacteria. How to count the viable bacteria? Count the colony forming units (CFUās). Bacteria live in colonies, which are formed from dead and living bacteria. It is actually impossible to count every single living organism. It is extremely difficult to count the bacteria above 100 million. Some brands claim to have 30 billion CFUās āwhen packedā, not at the end of the productās shelf life. We donāt actually know how viable they are, whether they are dead or alive. It is commonly known that bacteria are living organisms; they can multiply every 20 minutes. It is really difficult, if not impossible to get an accurate number of bacteria that duplicates every 20 minutes. Although, some research suggest that we can get some benefits even from dead bacteria, the living organisms are unquestionably more powerful.Ā
Check, if it's not genetically modified.
A lot of commercial probiotics are genetically modified and formed in pharmaceutical laboratories and then added to the formula. Many other companies grow their bacteria on cowās milk or genetically modified soy. Not to mention using pesticides and herbicides.
Don't follow the sales hype.
Numerous brands often claim that their probiotics contain 30 billion individual bacteria. Those claims usually are based on sales hypes and have very little to do with the quality of the product. Definitely, avoid probiotics with unnecessary additives such as bulking agents, preservatives, sweeteners or other āfancyā stuff. Look for products that contain Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria strains. Bifidobacteria infantis is best for newborn babies and people suffering from IBS. Saccharomyces boulardii is helpful for chronic diarhea.
Choose the highest quality.
There are only a few companies on the Planet that actually offer the food state probiotics.Ā
The best way to formulate natural, viable and living probiotics is to ferment the ingredients on organic food. We grow our bacteria in our own food grade laboratory and culture our bacteria organically.
MiessenceĀ probiotics are bio- fermented active bacteria that are grown for 3 weeks on organic whole foods such as grains, vegetables and fruit. They are grown in very harsh conditions, so they have to be really tough to survive. Our probiotics contain a minimum of 1 million CFU per gram and lab tests show thatĀ InLivenĀ has between 100 and 200 million CFUās per serve.Ā Fast TractĀ has 4-6 billion CFU per serve. Weāve got the worldās only certified organic bacteria.Ā InLivenĀ contains 13 strains of bacteria along with their food sources. Our experience of 20+ years of sellingĀ InLivenĀ shows that if you provide your body with these 13 strains they have the ability to create an environment where other substrains that are vital to the body can exist and multiply. It is vital that the food that bacteria like to eat accompanies them, that’s why it is so important to have prebiotics along with your probiotics. Otherwise the battle erupts between the “good” and the “bad” bacteria as they compete for food. This can be detrimental to the bacterial population and can cause a gut dysbiosis. This lack of understanding by the most of companies producing and promoting probiotics is the most principal reason why their products just donāt work. The 13 strains of bacteria in our products are the results of about 30 years of fermenting and culturing. During this time we have evolved the bacteria through means of stress (lots of different stressors for the bacteria to resist many of the things that can destroy them). This has been a long and cost effective process of stressing the bacteria and trying to kill them off and culturing the ones that survive. It has resulted in an extremely strong breed of probiotic bacteria.
Bacteria inĀ InLivenĀ are packed with 26 whole foods. Since itĀ is very difficult to get a 100% digestion rate for your body, these living whole foods have been pre-digested by the bacteria to make them 100% assimilable and bio-available for the body. This process of pre-digestion goes on through 2-3 weeks of the culturing and the fermentation process inĀ InLiven. Probiotics from the food state are the highest quality and do not come from the pharmaceutical labs. WithĀ MiessenceĀ probiotics you can also make your own yoghurts and other fermented foods.Ā
We don’t want to improve the Nature, we utilise the Nature to improve our health and health of our Mother Earth.
Ā
Zero waste fruit cake
Yummy vegan sweet loaf
This super easy fruit cake is perfect for having with a cup of tea or coffee. It is very moist, sweet and most importantly it is vegan, because no eggs have been added! Instead, I used aquafaba, which makes this cake so mysteriously incredible! Aquafaba is water from the tin of beans (ZERO WASTE!) Because I do my best to use as little tinned products as possible and I cook dry red beans and chickpeas for our meals instead of buying ready cooked ones, I did not waste the water from it, I let it cool it down and simply used it instead of eggs. I tried to beat it like you normally do with egg whites, but it did not even get fluffy this time.
I did not give up and I mixed it with the rest of my ingredients. Surprisingly, my little fruit cake has come out of the oven looking pleasantly and smelling deliciously.
Ingredients
600 ml Aquafaba
2 cups of flour of your choice
200 g dried apricots (finely chopped)
1 cup of sugar (I used date sugar)
zest from 4 oranges (ZERO WASTE! ā„ļø)
pinch of cardamom
pinch od salt
Method
Beat the aquafaba with a pinch of salt. At the end of beating, slowly keep adding sugar. Don’t worry, if your mixture is not getting firm! Your cake still will be great!
Gently mix in the flour, dried apricots, cardamom and orange zest.
Pour your batter into a baking tin.
Bake for about 40- 45 minutes in 170Ā°C.
Enjoy! ā„ļø
heavenly trifle
Healthy Pudding to delight your mind,
body and soul.
If you need to boost your energy at midday or fancy a vegan breakfast, try this super healthy, packed with essential fatty acids trifle. It is gluten free, diary free, sugar free and vegan made from nutritious avocado, coconut and nuts. I have used agave nectar for the bottom layer this time, as I run out of the honey. Use whatever you like to sweeten it up: honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, mashed banana, dates, sweeteners or nothing at all for an even healthier version. Because I have a really sweet tooth, but prefer a healthy version, I compromise a sweetener in the coconut layer for inulin. Inulin is a natural prebiotic, usually made from chicory. This dessert is full of vitamins and minerals. It is fantastic to regulate blood sugar. Avocados are full of dietary fibre and omega 3 fatty acids necessary for a strong heart, immune system and a healthy brain. Along with a banana and coconut, avocado replenishes your body with potassium and magnesium. This pudding is an anti-inflammatory treat to combat tiredness, hunger and cravings for sweets.
Coconut cream for this recipe has been refrigerated for a few hours to receive a desirable consistency that isnāt too runny.
It is raw, tasty and abundant in powerful goodness.
No cooking or baking needed.
Ingredients:
Banana
Avocado
Handful of nuts of your choice
1 teaspoon of almond butter (or any butter of your choice)
1 teaspoon of agave syrup
100 ml Coconut cream
1-2 tbsp of lemon or lime juice
Fruit of your choice
1-2 tsp of inulin (or sweetener of your choice)
Method:
BROWN LAYER
Crush the nuts and mix them with nut butter and agave syrup. Layer on the bottom of your jar.
GREEN LAYER
Use a blender or a fork to mash the avocado, banana and lemon juice. Layer o
WHITE LAYER
Mix inulin coconut cream and put over the previous layer.
Top with favourite fruit.
Enjoy!
8 EASY STEPS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WHILE STAYING AT HOME
1. Stress management.
Manage your stress.
Utilise relaxation techniques, meditation, chanting, affirmations and breathing work to focus your mind on your strengths and to let life energy flow. Stress is the major cause of low immune system, heart problems and digestion issues. Accept the challenge and choose calmness and faith. Let go of what you cannot control or what does not serve you.
If you find yourself stressed, restless, anxious or depressed, listen to a calming music. Take a bath or a shower.
Give yourself a self-massage. Use essential oils around your home.
Watch funny movies. Speak to friends. Drink herbal tea. Read a book.
2. Exercise .
Exercise wisely.
Excessive workouts can put an additional stress on your adrenal glands, so exercise in moderation. Get rid of the negative thoughts and emotions through your workouts. Sweat out toxins, rewind and empty your mind.
3. Sleep well.
Good quality sleep.
Healthy sleep routine helps the body to detoxify, calm all the senses, repair and restore.
Sleep hygiene is crucial for our mental health and for the immune system.
Air your bedroom before bedtime. Scent pillows with laveneder essential oils. Switch off the screens, take a break from social media in the evenings. Read a book. Practice gentle yoga.
4. Take supplements.
Go an extra mile.
Vitamins, minerals and probiotics. Natural probiotics are kimchi, sauerkraut, gherkins, kefir and yoghurts. Probiotics support gut microbiome that is necessary for a strong immune system and for the entire wellbeing. Consider taking Vitamin D3 & K2. Donāt forget vitamin C.
5. Eat your greens.
Eat well, especially fruit and vegetables.
Vegetables are food for the beneficial bacteria in our digestive tract. They are called prebiotics. We need about 30 grams of fibre a day. It is definitely more than we can get from the 5 a day recommendations. An medium apple has about 4 grams of fibre, a small banana about 2.5 grams we get from of fibre, 100 grams of broccoli contains about 2.5 grams of dietary fibre.
6. Limit junk food.
Take a full responsibility for the quality of your meals.
Pretty obvious, but take-aways and microwave meals are usually low in nutrients. Cook, enjoy, share and embrace your cooking and your meals.
Inhale.... and exhale...
Breathe fresh air.
Open your windows, go to the garden, open the front door to get a fresh air. You are not going to harm anyone by standing at your doorstep breathing deeply.
Wellness elixir.Ā
This delicious Ayuverdic beverage is easy to make and promotes healthy sleep and strong immune system.Ā
Thank you for visiting.
GOLDEN MILK FOR MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT
Haldi Doodh- Balancing Ayuverdic Tonic
Golden milk (Haldi Doodh) is a traditional Ayuverdic warming beverage, most beneficial before bedtime. This golden elixir also alleviates mild anxiety and relieves stress. It nourishes, soothes and calms the body, mind and soul on many levels. Turmeric helps lowering inflammation and improves memory, ginger supports digestion and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Nutmeg promotes a good sleep and cinnamon regulates blood sugar. Golden milk also strengthens the immune system, protects from arthritis and cancer.
Ingredients (for 1 serving):
1 glass of milk of your choice
2-3 cm of fresh ginger root (or Ā½ tsp of ground ginger)
2-3 cm of fresh turmeric root (or Ā½ tsp of ground turmeric)
Ā¼ tsp of ground cinnamon
Ā¼ tsp of ground nutmeg
sweetener of your choice (optional)
pinch of black pepper (for better absorption of turmeric)
Method:
If you are using fresh ginger and turmeric, add all the ingredients to a blender cup and blend until smooth. Then put in the small pot.
(If you are using ground ginger and turmeric, add all ingredients to a small pot straight away.)
Slowly bring the mixture to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for two minutes.
Pour into a mug and enjoy this restorative and delicious drink before bedtime!
If you fancy golden milk during the day, use cardamom instead of nutmeg.
Ā
Note: Traditionally, 1 tsp of ghee butter can be added, but I prefer to skip this step.
Tip: If you donāt have a blender and want to use fresh ginger and turmeric roots, you can grate them and then add to the pot.
Happi
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