Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts

Friday

Healthy Kitchen


Whenever my friends come to my home, they get very comfortable. However, I have never realized how secretive I was about my spice cabinets until I kept being asked if I need help in the kitchen. 

It's not that I am greedy about sharing my secret ingredients, rather it is just something that I simply don't want to share. It is my secret. It is very special to me. I feel like it's a surprise that you will never truly find out. It doesn't make me a greedy or bad person, it just makes me private. I know that my blog can get very personal but there are many things that I choose not to share with others. That's okay. People don't need to know EVERY SINGLE THING about my life or in this case, in my kitchen.



What I will share with you however is very important, this is from educating myself on American food and labels. Naturally as a European I know what is healthy and what isn't or how much of what is healthy, etc...  Especially since my family originates from the country-side and people from the country-side, at least in Europe know a lot about agriculture from trial and error and their neighbor's neighbor's neighbor's trail and errors as well as great great great great great great great grand mother, great x100 aunts, etc....




So here are my suggestions for HEALTHIER alternatives to whatever you think is healthy right now:


COOKING OIL:

Vegetable Oil is NOT HEALTHY.
Olive Oil is HEALTHY.
(also it's cheaper to buy a giant container of Natural Olive Oil as you can use it not only when you're cooking but also in your salad)

Canola Oil is NOT HEALTHY.
Sunflower Oil is HEALTHY.


BAKING:

BUTTER IS HEALTHY.
Just make sure to buy truly organic butter.




TO BE CONTINUED. . . .

Vegan Smoothie:

Almond Banana Coconut Date Smoothie
My very Vegan A.B.C.D. Smoothie




Notes:
For a Single Serving 1 & a half Cups of Coconut Milk 
For a Double Serving 2.5 Cups of Coconut Milk (store in fridge while drinking first cup or share one)
Ingredients my pictures are for two servings so use about half of the quantity that I had used if you are only interested in making a single serving 


What You'll Need:
  • Coconut Milk
  • Almonds
  • Dried Dates
  • One Banana




Instructions:
  1. Begin pouring the desired amount of coconut milk into the blender
  2. Add the chopped banana into the blender 
  3. Gently add 5 pieces of Dried Dates (three pieces for single serve)
  4. For two servings add about 20 almonds (for one serving add 10 almonds) 
  5. Now press CHOP on the blender & let the ingredients blend for one minute
  6. Press STOP, with the lid still covering the glass and gently shake so that all of the heavier ingredients can go to the top and be chopped up into a creamy smoothie 
  7. Now press LIQUIFY on the blender to blend the ingredients into smoothness
  8. Finally Enjoy your smoothie


Beauty & Body Benefits:
  • Almonds contain: Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin E, Folate, Magnesium, Selenium & healthy fats
    • A single almond has about 9 Calories
    • How that benefits your health:
      • Helps prevent cellulite
      • Promotes a healthy heart 
      • Helps maintain bone health 
  • Natural Coconut Milk has vitamins: C, E, B1, B3, B12, proteins, potassium, magnesium, iron, & healthy fats
    • Here's what the above vitamins, minerals, & fats do: 
      • Hydrates your skin & body
      • Promotes healthy muscles, bones & teeth
      • Provides natural energy
  • Dry Dates contain vitamins: A, E, C, K, B2, B6, thiamin & niacin
    • They are also rich in iron, calcium, & about 20 to 25 healthy calories per date
    • The vitamins mentioned above are known to have the following benefits on your skin:
      • Rejuvenate your tight or tired muscles
      • Naturally makes your skin moist (in a good way, not the acne way)
      • Repair Damaged Skin Cells due to Stress
      • Prevent Wrinkles
      • Repairs sun damaged hair 
      • Nourishes your roots, scalp into smoothness



Thank You for Reading!
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x o x o
Amela Sandra

 

My Favorite Ingredients: Maca


A year ago I wrote a blog entry on Maca and it’s health benefits. Recently, I've noticed some health nut & fitness obsessed women have been taking it in bulk without knowing that it’s actually more for men than women.

 Maca Root can be found in your local holistic store or health food supermarket. According to the proud people of the Andes Mountains, over hundreds of years ago warriors ate Maca powder in everything because it is so rich in protein.

Another thing that it’s very good at according to the Andean holistic doctors, it is believed to improve sperm count. Yes. Male fertility.

Those Spartan-like Western South American men may have been strong due to the mass consumption of Maca. But these super macho masculine warriors also wanted a family of their own. Of course years ago there was no such thing as going to your local pharmacy or specialist. Your health relied on you, nature and a community doctor who had experience of many trials and errors of what the land can bring for its people.

Sadly however, people tend to not appreciate nature now days. Hopefully that will change just as now days people are more aware of organic and healthy food than they were three years ago.


Maca Root is also known as Lepidium Meyenii and is very rich in protein and healthy carbs, healthy fats - yes there are healthy carbs and healthy fats! If you didn’t know then you've been paying attention to too many unhealthy people.


Aside from the politics of the medical world and misinformed media, Maca Root is assumed to be healthy for women because of it's richness in minerals and protein but it is more so for men than women. Ladies, take Maca once a week! Men if you work out routinely and want to be toned naturally and are ready to make some babies, get a hold of the Ancient Andean Muscle repairing + baby-making remedy. 


What Does it Taste Like?:
Maca is very bitter. If you're going to add it to your smoothie I suggest you add some natural syrup to sweeten it up. My favorites are Agave syrup and Maple Syrup.


Where Can You Buy Maca Root?

Maca Root can be bought as a Powder or Flour or even as a pill. I suggest buying it as a powder. I don't trust most of those so called natural pill companies, most of them are phonies but that's another blog post. 
Once you buy the powder, you can easily put about half a tea spoon in your and a full tea spoon in your man's smoothie. I also suggest putting all of your natural and delicious flours in glass jars like the one I've mentioned before from IKEA: BURKEN Jar with Lid it comes in about three different sizes. It's my personal favorite. I'm the Guru of Organization and these glass jars are much better than those BPA rich plastic cheap ones. It also keeps your flour fresh. Please remember as always to write the expiration date on a post-it and stick it on the jar.


How Can I tell if it's Expired?
The powder is naturally stiff but when expired it is more stiff, and I mean frozen. Also it will grow mold, but you most likely won't be able to tell because the powder will also go from it's natural beige-sand color to a pale beige almost white color.


The first time I've purchased Maca Powder was about four years ago. I've decided to write a blog entry on it two years ago and this is the revised version of it. I still stand by the brand Navita's Naturals. Here's more info on Maca from their website 





Questions? Please Comment Below.
If you've enjoyed reading this blog entry please subscribe and enjoy more!



Original blog-post on Maca RootPowder/Flour was written and published in the Summer of 2011
Disclaimer: Please consult your health care professional or holistic doctor or a holistic nutritionist before eating certain foods or 
changing your diet completely.

Thursday

My Favorite Ingredients: Teff Powder


Being healthy is not some type of fad, it’s a way of LIFE.

 Teff also known as Eragrostis-Tef is a type of gluten-free wheat rich in germ and bran that grows in Africa. Teff flour is a great healthy alternative to wheat when baking if you have celiac disease, though it is a pricey flour, so you might only want to use a little bit of it when baking.
From my personal use, it’s also a great ingredient to add to your smoothies. I prefer it in my smoothies at a tea-spoon per drink because my primary doctor has informed me and continues to confirm to date that I have a deficiency in iron and other minerals. When I first discovered Teff Powder, I was in awe at the number of minerals it contains: iron, zinc, barium, thiamin, boron, copper, phosphorus, and magnesium.
I also make an extra smoothie with Teff flour for my husband since it’s also very rich in protein and amino acids. Protein and amino acids were historically used for improving tensions in muscles and helping them grow better.
So after a three hour work-out at the local gym, Eduardo drinks his favorite smoothie, that I, his wife makes. I’m such a nice wife huh?
#WifeyStatus #DomesticGoddess Indeed!






Where can you buy Teff Powder?
You can buy Teff Powder or Teff Flour at your local health food store or supermarket.


Storage:
After buying a package of Teff Powder, you should pour the powder into a jar with a lid of appropriate size. My personal favorite that I have tons of at home is the jar from IKEA BURKEN Jar with Lid.
Please take a sticky note and some tape to write the expiration date. 
Unfortunately, I gave my mother some of my Teff Powder and she stalled on using it, a year later we found some terribly scary termite looking insects inside. So please write the expiration date and try to finish it at least five months before it's expiration date. Remember as I've stressed in my previous blog entry: in European culture, we only buy a small quantity of certain things and this falls into the category. Again, the only time it doesn't fall into that category is when you buy the first three times and by the fourth and fifth time it's finished by the fourth or sixth month. 


Does it REALLY work?
Unfortunately natural remedies and natural food doesn’t have the scientific evidence to back it up. Also everyone’s body is completely different.

I do however always suggest that everyone eat healthy.
Being originally from South Eastern Europe I was shocked when I emigrated to the states at all of the junk that my peers, other children were eating. When I had offered my friends apples in the cafeteria they were confused. The lunch ladies would let me have four apples since literally, no one else in the school wanted to eat them and they were tired of throwing food out. Over the years I am very proud that people in the USA are learning about the benefits of  naturally grown foods.

If you want to get healthy you really need to change your diet completely and make it as healthy as possible.
Remember that Being healthy is not some type of fad, it’s a way of LIFE.
If you want to learn more on how to eat healthy without giving up the junk food you can subscribe to my blog for vegan, gluten-free, vegeterian and non-vegan recipes.
You can also follow me on Instagram @Amela_Sandra




Please Subscribe to My Blog for more great blog entries like this & others:
recipes, natural beauty, healthy + fit + pregnancy, fun fitness, gorgeous outfits, how to be a domestic goddess, how to be a frugal fashionista & frugal diva and more . . . .


 x o x
Amela Sandra



Original blog-post on Teff Powder/Flour was written and published in the Summer of 2011
Disclaimer: Please consult your health care professional or holistic doctor or a holistic nutritionist before eating certain foods or 
changing your diet completely.

Tea Talk: African Rooibus


African Rooibus (Roy-Bush) is a Red Tea.

The type of African Rooibus tea that I'm using is called Rooibush Panna Cotta Rhubarb
For 100 grams of this tea it will cost you $9.95 on their website


This tea is very simple to make however you'll need some patience to make it:
Please view my video for a delicious version of this teaInstagram Video African Rooibush Tea



This tea is very special because it tastes like a dessert.
However it does not have the concerns of weight gain and negative effects on your health when drinking it.

My recipe brings out a much more delicious flavor of the tea.
I really hope you enjoy it.


For A Single Cup:
Boil Good Quality Filtered Water in a Tea Kettle/Regular Kettle.
Add One teaspoon of African Rooibus Loose Leaf Tea. 
Allow the leaves to steep in five minutes.
As the leaves steep in a lovely cup pour 3 splashes of Coconut Milk.
Add a spoon or packet of All Natural Pure Brown Sugar or Diabetic Sugar
Stir it altogether.
Place a strainer over your tea cup & gently pour the tea from the tea pot onto the strainer
& let the tea gently seep through the strainer by pouring slowly.
Stir once more.
& Enjoy 








What's your favorite tea with milk?

x o x o
Amela Sandra

Tea Talk: Japanese Sencha

Tea Name: Japanese Sencha 
Tea Type: Green Tea
Origin: Japan
Quality: Extra Premium
Flavor: Refreshing. Bitter Tannins.
Price Range: $10 to $15 lb (USD$)  |  $20 to $30 kg (USD$)




As you can see in the photograph the tea is loose, meaning the tea is not in a bag.
This is a wonderful way to extract every bit of flavor of the leaves.
Since the quality is extra premium that means that these leaves are special.
Japan takes their tea seriously, after the country is an island and things can get a bit competitive.

I have purposely bought this high quality tea because "extra premium" means that tea masters have hand picked the very best tea leaves.

Japanese Sencha green tea is a very light and refreshing tea.
Like wine, tea also has tannins.
Sencha has tannins at the very bottom, it has a bitter flavor however if you want to avoid the tannins then get a very good strainer that will absorbs the tannins, you might get some of them out. 



The Proper Brewing Process of Japanese Sencha Green Tea:
In the photograph above I have about fourteen cups of green tea. 
If you are going to make one cup then you should only use one to two tea spoons.

The quality of the water is absolutely important.
If you can please use a water filter or bottled water to enjoy premium quality of any tea.
Boil the water in a tea kettle until it goes off. 
If you want to make the perfect cup of Japanese Sencha you'll need to make sure that the water is 160 to 170 degree Fahrenheit | 71 to 72 Celsius.

Pour the hot water into a pot where your green tea leaves are.
Now wait for about 2 minutes while your tea leaves steep their flavor into the water.
Using a strainer, strain the tea leaves from your pot into your cup. 

& TA DA!


PERFECT CUP OF JAPANESE SENCHA






Enjoy your tea!
Please Don't Forget Share your Experience.


x o x o
Amela Sandra

Tea Talk: Love Nature. Be Healthy.

Tea is very important in my diet.
My family has been drinking tea for decades.

Now I'm no scientist but I have a passion for it & hereditary proves that I know a thing or few about it. 
Before there science had intelligent technology that could produce drugs to prevent illness there were herbs. However like every organism bacteria and viruses become stronger hence why there are so many newer versions of influenza shots. 
Sadly these viruses and bacterias are so advanced that drinking tea alone does not help as it used to, at least not to those of us who have become overly dependent on drugs.

On the upside, when my cousin was dying from lymphoma cancer my mother would bring him a platter of homemade organic fruit salad. The salad included plenty of antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients that we believe have helped my cousin's longevity. Amongst these fruits and he had also drank traditional Yugoslavian homemade juices made from berries and herbs. Is it possible that our bodies have become completely dependent on modern lab produced medications? Could the body still rely on nature? 

I'm not sure but I do know that anything that comes from the grass, vein, tree, bush, that has been consumed for decades before our great grandmothers, must really work. After all if it didn't work would we literally be here today?


As a child I would drink tea with tea biscuits.
When my mother was too poor to afford medicine the clinique would prescribe a special tea along with a shot on my tush.
Years went by and the more knowledge I gained about the benefits of tea,
I have grown passionate about tea.
In this blog you will find entries titled "Tea Talk" with a topic on every single tea that I have had or will have as well as the instructions on how to brew the perfect cup of that specific tea and it's historical health benefits.

Remember I am not a doctor, everyone has a different body and each individual's body functions differently. Although I will include the historical health benefits which means I will write about the beliefs of those before us.


I hope you enjoy it.

What's your favorite cup of tea?

x o x o

Amela Sandra



Wednesday

Healthy Snacks

After a long busy day all I want to do is lay on my couch and watch a comedy.
My delicious snacks are 

  • homemade berry pound cake
  • a side of mixed nuts
  • yogurt soy or regular, sometimes a glass of kefir
  • a bowl of seasonal mixed fruit







What's your favorite late night movie snack ?

x o x o
Amela Sandra