Category: Health

  • The amazing green breakfast bowl – by Simone

    The amazing green breakfast bowl – by Simone

    I don’t mean to be all frantic about green smoothies, but this one actually changed my days. The simple concept of creating a breakfast (or in my case: lunch) bowl out of a smoothie is now a part of my daily routine. My friend Simone van Putten (a yoga teacher, mother of Jara, and generally shiny beautiful creative being) introduced it to me.

    I had just returned from Brazil, where people love eating ‘acai’: a not too sweet ice cream made from the famous superfood berries, topped with banana, granola and (for those who want) condensed milk.

    Simone pulled two big green bowls from her fridge, looked at them and laughed: “well, this is actually like green acai!”

    It was amazing: the looks of the dish really did remind me of acai (except, well, deep green in stead of purple red) and it just tasted so nice!

    It’s the perfect combo between a green smoothie and a acai: a breakfast bowl made of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, dates… topped with banana and granola, or cacao nibs, or anything else you might fancy to kickstart your morning.

    Simone, thank you for inspiring my morning routine in this way <3.

    The pictures in this article’s image are taken from a Simone’s beautifully crafted, handmade recipe book.

  • Chocolate hearts with propolis, cardamom and rose

    Chocolate hearts with propolis, cardamom and rose

    Want to help save the bees? Check out my post on the super simple and fun things you can do to support the little workers: Bee the change.

     

    Bees & propolis

    Some weeks ago, my colleague, friend and beekeeper Fleur gifted me a beautiful bag of bee’s favorite flower seeds and a cute little pot with propolis. The propolis inspired me to make all kinds of medicine out of it, including (of course!)… chocolate :D.

    Propolis is made by bees and contains all kinds of plant resins. The result is a (mostly) dark brown, thick sticky substance with healing and protective properties. Bees use propolis to protect and fortify their ‘city’, hence the name: pro polis in Greek means ‘for the city’.

     

    Benefits of propolis

    It supposedly has strong protective, antibiotic and antifungal properties and is subject of extensive scientific research. I love the sweet, earthy smell and every now and then take a deep sniff from the tiny jar sitting in my cupboard.

    Sucking on a little piece for some time helped relieve a nasty throat ache and a few months ago when I was still in Alto Paraíso, Brazil, I had an unidentified bump growing on my thumb that magically disappeared after I applied propolis cream twice.

     

    Back to chocolates, right?

    Ok here we go.

    It’s a beautiful way to surprise a loved one: create bonbons from their favorite chocolate. Add your own signature by carefully choosing a few extra special ingredients.

    I’ve done from-the-start chocolate recipes before. This one is different: we start with a ready-made bar of fairtrade (should I even mention that?) chocolate. Check the label to see what else is in there except cacao, cacao butter and sugar – less is more. Pick their favorite one, in my case: 1 extra dark and 1 caramel sea salt chocolate bar.

     

    Recipe for Chocolate hearts with propolis, cardamom and rose

    Melt the chocolate au bain marie (in a pan sitting in a pan with hot water).

    Then, what I did is break a piece of propolis and the seeds from one cardamom pod and grind them together finely.

    When the chocolate has melted, stir it well, let cool as far as you can without solidifying the chocolate too far. You want it cool to preserve the medicinal qualities of the propolis but warm enough to stir. Add the propolis and cardamom spice and mix well.

    (Ok I also added a tiny bit of celtic sea salt and rosemary, which was delicious, but in general and especially if you’re just starting out with making chocolate I’d say keep things simple – the stuff is already great by itself.)

    Now scoop full teaspoons of the new chocolate creation in a silicone ice cube tray, sprinkle with dried rose leafs and let solidify for some time.

    If you just use rose leafs, you won’t really taste them. Adding a drop of rose essential oil to the chocolate will change that and give a heavenly rose fragrance… I haven’t done that but will in the future. I’m already dreaming up recipes for chocolate hearts to make next time! Ginger and walnut maybe, or mandarin mint…

    Win a box of chocolates

    What’s your dream chocolate like? Let us know in the comments and win a box of your special recipe chocolates, personally made by me for you!

    With love in the heart <3

  • Bee the change: 1 thing you can do today to save the bees

    Bee the change: 1 thing you can do today to save the bees

    My friend Fleur Feij (on Instagram here with beautiful photos) is a beekeeper who helps raise awareness for the devastating mass bee killing that is happening around the globe and the ways to save them.

    I love her down to earth and heartful approach – in anything, not just bees. She has a huge heart and the power, love and determination to make real changes. If you can find a way to support her work, please do :).

    Actually after writing that, I decided to ask her what’s the one thing we could all do right after reading this post and here’s what she said:

    “Tell children how important bees are. Because kids have the future and we need them, most of all, to be aware of this matter.”

    Just to remind you, a simplified explanation: bees are important because they pollinate our crops. They fly from flower to flower, drinking nectar and in the process fertilizing the plants. Only a fertilized plant grows fruits, nuts and seeds, and those plant parts are often what we eat. If you talk to kids, you can point at the foods they love, like strawberries, and tell them it is thanks to the wonderful bees that they are here!

    One extra fun way would be bring the kid out for a walk and ‘guerilla garden’ bee flower seeds in your village or town.

    And while you’re at it, go to SumOfUs or Avaaz and sign and share their campaigns. Grow flowers, too. Be like a bee, spread some goodness ;).

    Let us know in the comments how your conversation went and any other suggestions you may have to help save the bees!

    PS: Bees make propolis, which is wildly healthy stuff! Check out my recipe for propolis chocolate hearts here: Chocolate hearts with propolis, cardamom and rose.

     

    Image credit: Fleur Feij.

  • Bye bye coffee, thanks for everything!

    Bye bye coffee, thanks for everything!

    I have always loved my coffee (the smell of the ground beans, the brewing sounds, the heat coming from the cup…), but about three months ago I quit drinking coffee from one day to the next.

    As my mind and body have become more sensitive, over the years, to what I feed them, I started to notice how coffee actually affected my body and mood – for real.

    It is generally assumed that coffee (or rather: caffeine) increases our energy and makes us more awake, alert, and that is also what I believed and experienced for a long time. But when I started paying attention, I found that for me that is actually not the case anymore. 

    What really happens for me when I drink coffee, is this: my heart rate increases, my breathing quickens and becomes more shallow, and I get annoyed and frustrated more easily. The ‘higher energy’ actually turns out to be more of a rushed feeling. These effects may be subtle, and that is why I could so easily mistake them for something else!

    Also, I took them for granted for a long time because I also loved coffee so much, with an added bit morning craving.

    But it so happened that after one strong coffee, last January on an otherwise perfect morning in Brazil, I grunted impatiently (and over nothing) at my love. It may have been a small thing, but somehow it clicked in my mind and I made the switch.  

    And then and there in that moment, I decided not to drink coffee anymore. It wasn’t a big thing, more of a joyful realization.

    I haven’t missed it for a moment, even though I used to drink coffee daily. I love my teas and smoothies and for truly improved energy, I now use spirulina. And yes I still like to work from coffee bars, and thoroughly enjoy their smell of freshly ground beans :).

    Are you mindful of your coffee intake and how it affects you? Let us know in the comments!

  • You need a system (and so do I)

    You need a system (and so do I)

    Fun disclosure: my loved ones will laugh when they read this. As with most of my blogs, I am growing up in public, sharing what works – and doesn’t work – for me, hoping it may work for you as well.

    If you tend to regularly forget your phone, loose your keys and waste your own time, then this will help: automation.

    If you are like me, it may sound unappealing at first. After all, we’re not robots, right? But I gave it a try and by now, I have incorporated wholesome behaviors into my life, mostly things that are otherwise easy to forget or that just don’t get the priority they deserve.

    Automating parts of my life helps me stick to my priorities, frees up brain space for stuff that matters most and saves time. Plus it helps me feel great and grateful several times a day. I like to see it as some kind of ninja training.

    Behavior

    One trick is to hook desired behaviors into your daily routine by connecting them with other stuff that happens anyway, things like getting up, brushing your teeth, going to the toilet, leaving the house. This is called the Tiny Habits method and I wrote this article about it: On Tiny Habits (or: why pee wins where willpower fails).

    When you automate your behaviors, they become habits. Example: I have a habit of drinking healthy, medicinal drinks (sole, smoothie, green tea, turmeric) every single day, just because I built that into my system. Years ago, I used to have a habit of drinking alcoholic beverages because I built that into my system – the choice is up to you ;).

    Organization

    Creating a system that works is also about shaping the environment to support your intentions. Example: I love smoothies and have a ‘smoothie basket’ ready in my fridge. Every morning after I get up, all I have to to is slide out this one basket and all ingredients are right there. No need to go find them in five different cupboards.

    Another example: my keys have one place in my bag for when I’m on the road and one in my room for when I’m home. They are always in the same place and I can blindly point them out to someone. The reason: I used to leave them everywhere and always be looking for them. I would curse myself but didn’t see the simple solution for a long time.

    TED talk

    I didn’t come up with this automation/system thing all by myself. Some years ago I watched a TED talk by a programmer who was all about systems. If you loose your keys all the time, she said, then what you need is a system. And that made so much sense to me. (Please, if anyone of you knows which talk I am referring to, let me know in the comments, I’d love to watch it again and give the lady credit.)

    Mindfulness

    Also, mindfulness plays a big role here. As long as I’m mindful, I’ll keep track of my stuff, whether consciously or even unconsciously: the info is stored somewhere and available when it is needed. But if I get carried away in the heat of the moment by something like the joy of a social interaction, the my attention for the practical stuff gets… well, lost.

    What helps then, is to just sit down and meditate (I practice Vipassana). It can be quite revealing!

    (Article coming soon: What if the system keeps failing?)

    Bottom line

    If something repeatedly doesn’t work in your life, in computer terms it means your system is flawed. Simply identify what’s wrong in your approach, and change it. It will require some conscious effort at first. Using the Tiny Habits method may make things easier, depending on the issue. And organizing your life in a way that supports your intentions, is key.

  • Oven roasted veggies

    Oven roasted veggies

    Simply delicious. The tomatoes are what makes this dish amazing. They will release some of their fluid, which then blends with the olive oil and gently caramelizes the veggies beneath them. Plus they look stunning. Easy-peasy. Give it a try!

    • Pick your favorite vegetables and cut them in robust chunks. I used zucchini/courgette, eggplant/aubergine, turnip, carrot, and bell pepper.
    • Always add shallots and roughly chopped garlic, then drizzle generously with olive oil.
    • Mix until all the veggies are shiny and put in the oven (270 C).
    • After 10 minutes, stir the veggies, then add the tomatoes on top (leave the stalk on).
    • Drizzle with a bit more oil and let sit for about 30 more minutes or until everything looks like in the picture :).
    • For the last 5 minutes, add some capers and sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or pine nuts and just before serving, add pepper, salt and fresh basil.
  • Growing pains and the art of helping people

    Growing pains and the art of helping people

    Did you know that if you would witness a butterfly’s (re)birth and tried to ‘help’ her by opening her pupa, she might die as a result?

    It takes hours of hard work for the butterfly to tear open her shell. And this time is an essential part of her transformation: her ‘struggle’ helps her pump fluid from her caterpillar-turned-butterfly body through he veins all the way to the tips of her wings, filling them up, making them strong and flexible and ready for a new life.

    This is how she can eventually fly. 

    Knowing this about the journey of the graceful butterfly, inspires me when I think about the transformation of people:

    Can I sit with someone and let them fully live their experience in the moment, without the need to change it?
    Can I trust the person’s inner wisdom to unfold perfectly in its own time, place and way?
    Can I be present to whatever is there, without judgment and without pushing towards what I may think should be there?

    When another person is suffering, it is up to me (whether as a facilitator or as a friend) to support their journey by receiving them as they are, appealing to their own inner strength and resourcefulness and trusting the process.

    Sure, there certainly are times to speak up, reach out and even take over. Wisdom, however, is to recognize what is asked for in the moment and only comes when we can be open, present and fully receive the other (or ourselves!) as they (we) are in this moment.

    To truly help others is an art, a gift, and a lifelong practice.

  • Simple medicine: chamomile

    Simple medicine: chamomile

    After journeying through tropical Costa Rica and Brazil for months, I thoroughly enjoyed the late Winter snow and early Spring sun rays in Holland during the last couple of weeks. The cold Dutch ground and early flowering trees helped me integrate the intense travel experiences and reaffirm my career and life choices.

    Medicine for Mind, Body & Spirit

    You may have noticed the new tagline for this website: Medicine for Mind, Body and Spirit, because that is what all my work (be it writing, recipes, courses and workshops) aims to be.

    I have started to work more intensively with herbs, creating homemade remedies for ailments and cosmetic diy alternatives like rosemary clay shampoo, lavender massage oil, marigold lip balm, and much more.

    I also played around with super wholesome breakfast bowl recipes (one deep red, cleansing and warming, with beet, ginger and kurkuma, another bright green, energizing, with banana, spirulina and kale – just to name a few).

    Especially impactful has been my recent work with several spiritual plant medicines. The insights and teachings (there really is no better word) that they bring continue to amaze and humble me and strengthen my understanding of how we can responsibly prepare for and integrate any spiritual journey, such as an Ayahuasca ceremony.

    Algarve

    And today, I am writing to you from Portugal, the Algarve, which is the most southern part of the country with stunning rocky golden beaches and turquoise ocean views. We are celebrating a holiday with three generations of women in my family.

    Nature is abundant here and already in this early Spring time every field is filled with orange and tangerine trees, rosemary, lavender and lots & lots of chamomile plants. Over the last few days, I’ve foraged quite some flowers to use in a wholesome tea for my sore throat and some restless nights.

    Chamomile

    Chamomile has a special place in my heart, because of its many health benefits (WebMD Chamomile). As you may have heard, it has been known for ages for its anti-inflammatory and nerve calming properties, to name only a few. Yes, medicine can be as simple as drinking a cup of wonderful herbal tea.

    Mindfuck

    In my quest for a natural way to cure my sinusitis, I read about chamomile about a year ago. I remember going into town to find dried chamomile flowers.

    Unfortunately, our Western health system doesn’t seem too aware of or keen on natural remedies and they often are pushed over by heavily marketed synthetic products. I remember how I walked into the pharmacy and was faced with a huge image of a Vichy skin ‘care’ ad, the woman’s skin complexion unnaturally airbrushed into something incredibly fake and yet the slogan went like: “Finally I can show my true self again”. What??

    At the counter, I asked for chamomile and… they didn’t have it. It really struck me as a deep symptom of an ill healthcare system that yes, they offered over-the-top-marketing skin care rubbish, but not the herb that has been used for ages to soothe both inflammations of skin, mouth, sinuses, throat and intestines and an overactive nervous system. At the pharmacy!

    The good news

    Luckily, I did find my chamomile at the organic food store, and I also should note that the appreciation of natural remedies is rapidly returning back into our public awareness anyway, even if the pharmacies will be the last to catch up.

    That’s really great, and let’s all also keep a healthy, critical mind, a sharp eye and an open heart to all forms of medicine. Don’t get carried away by unrealistic health promises from superfoods marketers either and don’t think all natural remedies are safe. Check your sources. I get my info from trusted sources that live up to scientific and honest information standards such as those set by the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) and I promise not to make false claims or promises.

    Back to chamomile

    Honestly, I am still double-checking if the chamomile that I found here in the Algarve actually is real (Roman) chamomile. The tea tastes strongly like chamomile but also rather bitter. However I can already confirm its soothing effect on sore throat and nerves, so after this post I’ll take a nice cup of tea with extra honey and go to bed for a well-deserved night’s sleep. It’s already past 2 am…

    Some more tips:

    • To use chamomile for sinusitis and bronchitis, brew a strong tea and inhale the vapor through your nose.
    • To soothe mouth or throat sores, brew tea and flush through the mouth and throat.
    • To soothe stomach sores and problems with the intestines, simply drink the tea, a couple of cups per day.
    • After brewing the tea, fold the flowers in a paper towel to create an eye mask.
    • The tea calms you down when you feel nervous or anxious.
    • Rinse your hair with it to highlight blonde hair.
    • Also nice just to look at the sunny flower heads dancing in the fields – makes you happy.

    See, this little one brightens your day in so many ways.

    Recipe

    To brew chamomile tea, simply throw a small handful of fresh flowers or only one or two tablespoons of dried flowers into 1 liter of hot water. I love to drink this with honey.

    Enjoy and… be well!

  • Caramelized Pineapple with Rosemary

    Caramelized Pineapple with Rosemary

    This mouthwatering, super-simple, delicious dish is also secretly known as: piña puta madre. Now I am not going to translate that, but it’s a compliment.

    I made it yesterday as a side dish for two Spanish cousins living here in Costa Rica and they obviously loved it.

    I, in turn, have to thank my dear friend Sander van Haasteren (formerly Gaia Catering, now chef de cuisine at YogaFest Studio Amsterdam) for teaching me how to do this.

    It’s amazingly simple and yet I had not seen anyone do it before.

    When I first had it, served to me on a spoon by a glowing and shining Sander, it just blew me away. The deep sweet taste and fragrance, if prepared well, are really amazing.

    This is my own, improvised, deeply satisfying version.

    There is only one ‘downside’ and that it you have to heat the pineapple through and through. This is not a raw dish. We take away some of the qualities of fresh, raw pineapple.. but then again we are bringing out other qualities all the more!

    Now this starts with choosing the right pineapple.

    Use your eyes: bright yellow, all the way from the bottom to the top, is best for this dish because it is the sweetest.

    And nose: smell the butt of the pineapple. The more fragrant, the better. Unless you smell rott or ferment, of course.

    Pick the right one from your garden, market or store, because I’ve read that pineapples hardly ripen after they have been harvested. So the state it’s in when you obtain it, that’s more or less as ripe as it’s gonna be.

    Recipe for Caramelized Pineapple with Rosemary (Piña Puta Madre)

    1. Cut the fresh pineapple in small bite-sized chunks. If you’re wondering how, I may add a post on that some time but for now I suggest you google it.

    This also works with canned pineapple but I suggest you use fresh, if possible :).

    2. Gently heat about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee in a heavy pan.

    3. Add the pineapple pieces and turn the heat low.

    4. Add two sprigs of rosemary, just the leaves.

    5. SLOWLY cook everything. SLOWLY is key here, because that will allow for the sweet juices to emerge from the pineapple and gradually caramelize.

    If you go too fast, the pineapple will brown or burn before the juices emerge or the juices, once come out, will caramelize too fast and burn into very unhealthy carbons.

    So, as with so many good things: take your time, go slow, and carefully watch as the pineapple color turns a deep gold and the juices caramelize into beautiful light brown. About half an hour would probably be perfect.

  • Tahini Olive Dip for Raw Veggies

    Tahini Olive Dip for Raw Veggies

    This is a perfect dip to go with raw vegetables such as peppers, celery or carrots. Just delicious. Friend Alani shared the recipe with me back in 2013 already… wow. Thanks man!

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