Sought-after Recipe!

As promised; if you LIKE, I deliver!

Yesterday I posted the following picture on Facebook and asked you to LIKE it if you would like the recipe:

kokosbollar

 

So. Here it is, as promised, the recipe of my gluten- and sugar FREE chocolate yummyness for you to make in your own home! And: it’s for FREE! Amazing, huh?

You’ll need:

1 dl goji berries

1 dl almonds

8 large dates

2 tbsp cocoa (raw, if at all possible)

1 tbsp coconut oil

0,5 dl shredded coconut

Cover the berries in water for a few minutes. Drain.

Add all ingredients (apart from the coconut flakes!) into a mixer or blender and mix until you’re happy with the consistency.

Make into little balls, roll in the shredded coconut and put them in the fridge for a while. ENJOY your yummy chocolate treat without the bad conscience!

Let me know what you think of this recipe; did you notice a difference in taste? Will you make it again?

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QA – Exercise?!

It’s time for another Q which I’ll try to A.

This weeks question comes from Helen in Zürich, who is asking the following:

“Hey Hanna!

I have to admit that you have really awakened my curiosity about food with your posts. Thank you for that!

I’m an avid exerciser, I go to the gym, I run and swim. My question for you is: what about exercise? You write so much about food and health, but never about exercise. Is that not important to you too?”

First of all, thank you so much for your question, Helen!

As a short answer: OF COURSE exercise is important to me. Without a doubt, next to food it is one of those immediate mood lifters in life.

I exercise myself every day, or at least I try to. Mainly lower level stuff like long walks and mild weight training, using only my own weight. This is what feels best for me and my body. I have been a runner and for a period of time in my life, I frequented gyms like they were going out of fashion. But after a while it didn’t give me anything anymore. It became boring, predictable and instead of building my body up, I was breaking it down. So I stopped. Today, I’m much happier in my exercise routine. I love my walks, and frequently get lost in a new part of town or lose myself in a really great audiobook.

I am however no expert in the field. I know the basics, the heart rates and the impacts, but I can’t say I know everything exercise and working out. That’s why I don’t want to write and share too much about it – I simply know too little about it to do so.

What I can say is this; daily exercise is important. Very important. For our sedentary lifestyle, we need to move a lot more than we do. There is scientific proof that almost any (chronic) disease can be helped by the right amount and type of exercise. The body regenerates better, you sleep better, you get more energy.

What, of course, is even more important is the combination of the food you eat and your exercise. Remember that the body rebuilds its muscles with the help of the amino acids found in your protein, and that carbs only give you a momentary boost of energy. 🙂

I hope this answers your question, Helen. Do you have a question you’d like me to answer? Email me, or send it to me on Facebook.

Now I want to hear about your exercise routine. What do you do to get that heart rate up? What gives you the most joy? Have you changed exercise habits to make it fit your lifestyle better? Let us know in the comments below!

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Quick ‘n’ dirty

I think that you and I can agree on one thing by now; fast food isn’t your greatest option of available food.

Yet both of us (I do it too), grab it when we’re short on time (and cash) and need something to eat. What we don’t think of (or don’t know. Or care.) in that exact instance is just how bad fast food really is. What does Burger & co actually contain? And where does it come from?

First off, and I’m going to sound harsh here, fast food is not fit for human consumption. At all. Nor is it fit for animal consumption. Here, I’m not even thinking about the trans-fats and sodium levels, but the fact that the animals used for the meat are usually sick in countless ways and forms themselves.

The animal cruelty involved in the processing of fast food can be very dangerous to humans. Setting the diseases aside, it’s clear to most of us that they won’t use grass-fed cattle to produce your burgers. (Some places do, but I’m not talking about them here) Instead sick, underfed cows pumped up on drugs and steroids are used, which means the meat doesn’t have any health benefits at all and, if unlucky, can even make you sick.

Instead of using the wonderful taste that real meat has, to get taste, fast food companies almost exclusively use chemicals and science to flavor your food. That’s right, you know I looooove those chemical additions to food. Wait, what?

I’ve got three examples for you: sexy sounding ethyl-2-methyl (hey at least it rhymes!) gives something a taste of apple. For popcorn, please add some methyl-2-peridylketone. And last but not least, ethyl-3- hydroxybutanoate reminds you of marshmallows. Sounds super yummy and delicious, right?? Whats worse, they’re allowed to be called “natural flavors”, at least in the US. There must be something wrong with that, don’t you think?

With taste comes color. It’s long been studied how people react to colors when it comes to marketing, for example. The same goes for food. The bun, the meat, milkshake, cheese and even the fires in a normal fast food meal all have added color to them. Not even the grill marks you find on certain burgers are real, they were put there by the factory. Add to that, a lot of restaurants (if you can call them that anymore) re-heat left over food the following day, or throw huge amounts away each night. Eww.

There have been huge disputes between authors trying to bring this to light and the fast food companies before. And while fast food companies weren’t able to deny anything that books such as Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser, 2002) brought up, the companies are still allowed to roam freely among us.

What do you think of fast food? How often do you eat fast food? Would you pay a little extra for better quality food? (If you like, I’ll happily recommend two burger places here in Zürich that are definitely in the green zone!)

(Source: naturalnews.com, rd.com)

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Sugar, ah honey honey, you are my candy…

I found this wonderfully informative video on one of my favorite health blogs, and can’t help but share with you, my dear reader.

Here is the truth about sugar and how your body handles it (or doesn’t).

What are your reactions to this video? What do you think of this information?

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The World’s Fattest Country is…

…not the United States of America. Nor is it India. Or China.

It is MEXICO.

According to a recent report by the UN, Mexico has now overtaken the US in terms of having the most overweight population.

The US has for very long held this position, but with 70 percent of adult mexicans now being overweight and 32,8 percent obese, the US has now had to step down from this Number One placement. (31,8% of the US adult population is obese, according to the same report).

Childhood obesity has increased trifold in the past 10 years and about one third of teenagers are overweight. One in six adult mexicans are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Increased availability and consumption of fast food is supposed to have caused this epidemic, and with an incredible consumption of Coca Cola at 225 litres per person and year, this is not difficult to believe. (As a comparison the (marginally) leaner USA drinks 200 litres per person and year. Mexico’s consumption makes up for 11% of the global sales of the Coca Cola Company.)

This is an incredibly scary development, and shows,yet again, what happens when we eat foods that we shouldn’t (or aren’t made to eat). That more than every third person is obese is difficult to understand, and that seven out of ten are overweight is even more so. That’s almost the whole of the mexican population!

What do you think of this? Do you have any reactions? If you’ve been to Mexico, is this true?

 

(sources: fao.org, smigroup.it, kostdoktorn.se , di.se)

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My Ultimate Guide to Staying Healthy While Traveling

It’s summer, it’s vacation time (hopefully) which means (again, hopefully) traveling. But staying healthy while in transit is not always easy.

You know exactly what it’s like – you get to the airport, need to eat and there is nothing that suits you and your healthy lifestyle.

*sigh* Que: deep breaths mixed with hunger frustration. Godfrickingdamnit.

Do you have to throw all your efforts away and give in to the powerful fast food calling?

In a word: o’course not.

Granted, it is a lot more difficult than just grabbing the first thing you see. And it may require planning ahead a bit more than before. But it’s definitely not impossible!

Here is my Ultimate Guide to Staying Healthy While Traveling:

 

Challenge #1 – At the airport

Every fast food joint seems to be screaming your name when you walk past. First off, well done for not giving in and walking away!

If this is not an option (we both know there are less equipped airports out there), go in and try your best to stay away from the super duper size extra meal with extra this and that.

Instead, choose the one thing on the menu that has the most vegetables. Nope, the vegetarian burger does not count. Is it a salad? Great! Ask if they can add on some grilled chicken or a burger (just the meat though!). Also ask if you can have the dressing on the side, or if they have olive oil instead. Ask for water to drink, air travel dehydrates you anyway, so it’s best to stock up already before.

While this isn’t your ideal meal, it’s so much better than scoffing down a burger with fries and a coke.

Your other option is to take a food with you. Choose snacks that are easy to transport and nutrient-dense so you don’t need much of it to fill you up.

Suggestions include nuts, vegetable sticks, cheese cubes, avocado slices, fresh coconut slices, fruit bars, and hard-boiled eggs. Apples and bananas are usually easy to find (and make a great snack when paired with a packet of nut butter, available in most health stores) All things that are easy to eat without utensils.

You can also make homemade granola bars made with a little honey and filled with dried fruits and nuts, if you’re feeling creative.

 

Challenge #2: On the road

Wow, this one is certainly not easy.

Gas stations are among the most challenging places to stay healthy. You’re tired from sitting in the car for so long and really happy to get a leg stretcher.

At the same time, there is a cascade of unhealthy snacks and meals, all wanting to jump straight in your mouth.

Stop, take a second here. Are you sure you’re not just tired and bored to tears of watching kilometer after kilometer of concrete swish by you? If so, grab a bottle of water and go outside for a 5 minute walk.

If you really are hungry (as in, it’s your mealtime and you have to eat), consider your options first. What dish could you eat the most of? Leave the rest. Can they make you a special dish combined with things from a bunch of dishes? Very kind and open minded of them, and you’ll benefit greatly as well. If you’re at a gas station, choose protein-filled snacks, such as sunflower seeds, nuts, as well as fruit and nut bars, dark (85%) chocolate, or a banana.

Also: Investing in a small cooler will significantly reduce your chances of giving in to the drive-through cravings. You can fill it with your own favorites (perhaps some if them mentioned above?), including water bottles to keep hydrated.

 

In any on the go setting, a sandwich might be a suitable option. Don’t stop reading just yet. If you feel like making a  sandwich to take along, choose whole-grain bread (or do like i do: wrap it all up in a lettuce leaf or between larger bits of bell pepper to avoid grains.) Look for sandwich meats that are free of nitrates and preservatives, add some lettuce and sliced avocado (yummy, and a super healthy fat source, in comparison to mayonnaise, for example). Make sure you layer any condiments you might enjoy (pickles, mustard, tomatoes…) between the meat slices so the bread, or lettuce wrap, doesn’t get soggy.

 

Challenge #3: Restaurants

Eating well at restaurants can be tricky. But again, not impossible. (How do you think people with food allergies or other medical reasons do it?!)

Anyway, of course you want to indulge on vacation. And believe me, you should indulge.

But, remember that indulging at every meal will make it harder to get back into your healthy routine when you get back home. An idea is to choose one meal a day, or every two days, as a guilt free indulgence. Please, do skip the breadbasket so you’re not filling up on empty calories before the meal though!

Anything that is grilled, broiled, steamed, roasted, baked or poached is a great choice. Dare to ask for vegetables instead of whatever starchy side they have originally paired your food with. Or, order a salad with olive oil and fresh lemon juice and eat that before your starchy part of the meal.

 

Challenge #4: Hotel breakfasts

Holy guacamole, I do love me some hotel breakfast! It might just be the best thing in the world.

That doesn’t mean you need to be rolling out of there, fueled up on sugar, bad fats and feeling crappy (if only to get your money’s worth!)

Although hotel breakfasts tend to offer a lot of high sugar, high carb foods that aren’t necessarily associated with healthy eating (pancakes, French toast, waffles, processed cereals etc), there is one ingenious point.

Because it’s a buffet, you have the choice of what to eat. I know, it’s a fantastic opportunity to test your willpower, but try to choose more protein, such as eggs and add veggies to your omelet if you can, vegetables, nuts, fruit, yoghurt… To go for the cheese section is still better than to go for the sugar and starch.

And, most importantly, ENJOY having someone else make you breakfast for once.

For the serious health nuts (although self-proclaimed such, I don’t do this): you can pack your own individual oatmeal breakfasts in small plastic bags. Add rolled oats, cacao nibs, shredded coconut, dried cherries, and almonds. Pour the mixture into a bowl covered with water or coconut milk the night before, store it in the fridge and your breakfast will be waiting for you in the morning.

 

To summarize this long post, here are 3 main points:

1. Fill up on protein to cut down on the temptation of fast food.

2. Do your best, but don’t feel guilty if you don’t succeed all the time. It’s near to impossible.

3, Sometimes you need to prepare in advance to keep at your healthy lifestyle. But remember its totally worth it. Do you remember how you felt when you were still eating all that crap?

 

It’s also important to allow yourself a splurge every now and then. And: don’t isolate yourself from being with friends and family because you fear there won’t be healthy options. There is usually something on every menu that you can make into a healthy meal. Just see above! 🙂

I hope you have a glorious day. Thank you so much for reading.

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You say Q? I say A!

I get a lot of questions from my clients (and perspective ones). And to make things a little easier for you, as of today I’m starting a new blog category: Q&A

This is where you have the opportunity to have your questions about nutrition, health and wellness answered by me. Completely for free. Now, how awesome is that?!

Although this is definitely not a cooking blog, doing what I do makes it difficult to entirely stay away from recipes and how to make food. Today’s question comes from Trudi from Munich, Germany. She writes:

 

“Hello Hanna, 
I am loooving this summer heat and I am wondering if you can give me any tips as to what to eat that will be light, cold but give me enough energy to get through my desk-work! I feel as though the green salads I am eating are simply not enough.”

 

Trudi – let me tell you one thing, you’re not alone! Many people lack the imagination of what to put in their salads to make them longer-lasting, more filling, well, generally a bit chunkier.

And: a green salad is definitely not enough to last you for a whole afternoon! Although there are very many great vitamins, minerals and antioxidants etc in your green salad (depending on what leafs you choose, of course), it’s composed mainly by water. Yes, even if there’s cucumber and tomatoes in your salad, it doesn’t add much satiety to your meal.

What you should go for instead is a great protein source. Be it chicken, salmon, tuna, left over meat from yesterdays dinner, beans, eggs, hummus (you’ll find my truly yummy recipe if you just enter your name and email in the bar above) – it’s completely up to you and your tastes and preferences. Also add some nuts to your salad to get more protein as well as some very valuable fatty acids.

Speaking of which, you also need to add fat. And no, the ready made yoghurt:y chemical crap storm you get ready made from the grocery store doesn’t count. Sadly. We’re talking great fat here, avocado, feta cheese, flax seeds, make a dressing with olive oil, olives, or those nuts you just added.

If you’re a carb-lover (who isn’t, really?), I would suggest to add some boiled quinoa to give your salad that extra bit of stamina. Although there may already be enough carbs in the salad itself, depending on which vegetables you’ve chosen for it. Or, even better, skip the quinoa and have a piece of fruit for dessert. Yummy and full of goodness for you!

That was the theoretical part. Now for some awesome, nutritious and filling summer salads.

But: first off, in terms of salad dressings, I tend to go for very simple ones. I prefer vinaigrettes on olive oil, some vinegar or lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper and other spices. Simple, and you know what you get (in comparison to store bought versions with not-even-god-knows-what added to them).

Asparagus and Strawberry Salad

1 pack asparagus

200 g strawberries

parsley (can be excluded, or substituted by another herb)

Olive (or avocado) oil

Lemon

Boil or fry the asparagus and cut them into smaller pieces. Cut the strawberries into quarters.

Mix with parsley, oil and some lemon juice. And all you need to do is to add some protein of choice (see above).

 

Fennel Salad

100 g fennel

juice from ¼ lemon

oil from nuts

100 g fresh peas

10 g walnuts

50 g strawberries

50 g mixed salad

Peel the fennel with a potato peeler or a cheese grater, mix it with the lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil.

Mix  the peas with the walnuts, strawberries and the salad. Put the two mixes together. Add some protein. ENJOY! 

 

“I took the leaves off the beetroots and threw them away, as I didn’t need them for this salad (although it’s worth remembering that they’re edible and that they taste nicer than Swiss chard or spinach!). I washed the beetroots and then, using a speed peeler, I peeled them all down into really thin slices and flavoured them with salt, pepper, chopped flat-leaf parsley and a little grated fresh horseradish to give a nice bit of heat. Then I left them for 5 to 10 minutes so that the acid from the horseradish would soften the beetroot. The horseradish is optional, but it gives a good twang.”

 

So, I hope I could help you a little along the way, Trudi. I think it’s awesome that you’re making an effort to eat healthier and I know it can be a real pain in the you-know-what. But when you start feeling the benefits, I promise you, it’s completely worth it.

 

If anyone else has a question (or two), please feel free to leave them in the comments below, email me , or write me on Facebook!

 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead of you. Thank you so much fo reading.

 

Hanna

 

Ps. These are also awesome to take along to work. It just requires a little more planning on your part.

Ps2. If you follow me on Instagram, I often post food and salad inspiration there!

Ps3. Here’s the link to Jamie’s Beetroot Salad!

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Allergy Symptoms v.2.0

Aaaaaahhhh, summer is finally here and living is easy.

Right? well, the sun certainly helps with easy living. Read more →

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3 Sunny Summer Health Tips

Some of you are probably going to be disappointed.

But this post is not about sunscreen and preventing sunburns. (Well not in the traditional sense, at least.)

The sun is out today in our wonderful city and I can’t wait to get out and enjoy it!

sunshine

But first, speaking of sunshine and happy weather, here are three fantastic tip on how you can encourage your health this summer:

1. Vitamin D

I’m in the process of writing a longer thing about this incredibly important vitamin. But for now, here’s the short version:

Vitamin D is built in your skin when it’s hit by the UVB rays in the sun. Fact. Using a higher SPF than 8 blocks the UVB rays, and therefore no vitamin D can be made. VitD is made out of cholesterol, which is why it’s important that you have enough left of it and not trying to kill it with statins.(!). Make sure you get some sun exposure today, at least 20 minutes. Did I hear lunch in the sun?!

Of course you should make sure not to get sunburned – that is actually not good for you. But a little sun on your skin definitely carries a lot more with it than just a healthy glow.

So, what is vitamin D good for anyway? A myriad of things. Everything from calcium absorption, lower your blood pressure, lowering the risk of MS, diabetes (yes, even Type 1!), certain cancers, to being a natural mood lifter, giving you tons of awesome energy you didn’t know you had in you.

Why can’t you just get it through your food, then? Because there are very few sources of it, which can’t give you enough to be healthy. During the winter months I take drops of vitamin D to make sure I have enough.

2. Omega 3

Supplementing fish oil, omega 3 fatty acids, is generally not a bad idea at all. (I do this too. The two supplements I do take are vitD and O3.) You’ve surely  heard all the amazing things omega 3 does for you, including cardiovascular and brain maintenance, as well as keeping the levels of inflammation in your body at bay.

But did you know that it can also help you  prevent sunburn? Research has shown that if you take omega 3, you are less likely to get sunburned than if you didn’t take it. This also means that you are less likely to get skin cancer. Pretty spectacular, right?!

3. Coconut Oil

When you get past your time limit of VitD absorption and want to spend more time in the sun, you’ll be needing sun protection of some sort. If you are a bit like me, and don’t like putting things on you or in you that you don’t really know what they are made of (here, I’m talking about regular sun screen, filled with god-knows-what-chemicals-and-possible-toxins), why not use coconut oil?

I know, I know. Again?! Come on!  But it’s true, it’s the base of many homemade sun screens, starting with the tropics. It doesn’t rely on blocking the sun rays, but instead it prevents the free radical action that is normally caused by too much time in the sun. And it also moisturises your skin so beautifully for that after beach party.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about today. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter, the first issue is out very soon – you should make sure you get your copy!

Wishing you a funfilled weekend! Thank you so much for reading.

Hanna

(Idea: naturalnews.com)

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News time!

Hi, and welcome to today’s blogpost!

When the weather is what it is right now (here you can see a picture I put on Instagram earlier this morning), it’s difficult to keep positive and in a good mood. By this point I know I crave myself some sunshine, and I think you do too!

The only thing you can do in this case is 1. keep hoping that the sun will peek out again and 2. enjoy the small things that make your every day a little brighter.

For you, this might mean that afternoon cup of coffee, a lunchdate with a friend or your plans for this weekend. For me, today’s biggest ray of sunshine is brought to me, and powered, by Google.

Yes. You read that right. Google. They are launching a new service that provides the nutritional information of 1000 foods (“fruits, vegetables, meats and meals”). Ask all your nutritional questions you may have, like “How many cabs does a banana have”, or “how much protein is there in broccoli” and get your answer right away. This is glorious, and so much better than searching around for great apps or webpages that can only give you half the information you need.

I borrowed the picture from insidesearch.blogspot.co.uk

I borrowed the picture from insidesearch.blogspot.co.uk

If you are serious about getting healthier and even losing some weight, information is truly the key. How can you know what to eat (and how much) if you have no idea what is in it? As this information is incorporated into the search function, you technically just have to type the food you want to know about into Google and they’l tell you everything you need to know (and more!)

This service was launched today and will, within the next 10 days, be fully available in USA. How long do we have to wait still remains uncertain.

What are your rays of sunshine for today and this weekend? Please comment below and let me and us know, your sunlight might just cheer someone else up too!

I hope you enjoyed this short post, and would like to sign up for my newsletter! Yes, that’s the bar on the top of the page. 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you so much for reading. Love, Hanna

(Sources: http://insidesearch.blogspot.co.uk/, http://www.theverge.com/)

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