Food Friday: Whole grain bread x dried tomatoes

So, apart from all the fashion week shows and events, I've just needed a little break to calm down. What to do? Grab your longboard, even if it's just to the supermarket, take a little ride and enjoy the wind and fresh air! What's next? Get some healthy ingredients and start cooking! :) And no worries, in the next few days I'll post something about what I was up to this week!

As you can see in the pictures above I'm having an affair with bread!!! With hearty-whole-grain-delicious bread! It is called: Breadlove. I think I should ask for a new word in the dictionary. Do you think I could do that? The love for making bread?! :) Whenever I make it, it's so easy and super fast! This time I'll present you my signature one, everyone loves it and I cannot stop eating it. I always use this Whole-grain bread recipe as my base and then I'd change the add-ons. 

Whole-grain-bread-Quiche

This weekend I really felt like making a quiche, so this sunday was the day. The first time I've ever made a quiche was this year's mother day, so today was the second time. When I got up this morning I realized that I forgot to buy whole-grain flour. Shoot! So, what do you do then? 
Like the quote 'Necessity is the mother of invention' I've used whole-grain bread and oats instead. As you can see in the first picture it worked out pretty well. I've used up four slices of bread (cut them up into breadcrumbs) and maybe one small bowl of oats, mixed that up with one egg and some butter and put it on the tin. 

The recipe is actually from the German cooking site: Chefkoch but I didn't follow it and totally transformed it. I mean, this is the way I cook. I cook by instict and always see how it works.
And you'll realize that this is definitely not a tomatoe-quiche =D

So, the recipe to THIS quiche:

Food Friday: Oatmeal

That's what I eat for breakfast! Every single morning :) Oatmeal is super yummy and I just love it! The consistency, the warmth in your tummy, the different mixtures and hey it makes you feel happy and full! In the U.S. I'd eat the packaged ones but since there is none in good old Germany, I make my own which is way healthier as well! You won't have added sugars then. How do I make it?

Food Friday: Green Juice

Yummy! =D No?! Oh right, it is green and does not look very delicious, but I can assure you that this small drink is loaded with vitamins and nutrients your body needs! What did I do in the U.S.? My boys and me, we would watch documentaries about food! Haha, yes food! There are many interesting ones, if you're in the states, check out Netflix! If not I'm your ambassador! 

One day we watched Fat, sick and nearly dead and I was inspired by Joe Cross who started the revolution of juicing in the U.S. He was indeed fat, sick and nearly dead and his conditions were pretty bad. Cross then promised to heal himself by eating fruits and vegetables for 60 days instead of taking in tons of pills. Traveling through the U.S. with a juicer and walking a lot he came across some people, talked with them about health, food and actually spread out the word. It is a nice documentary about people who try to save themselves from their diseases because the only one who can is YOU! Check out the trailer and get inspired as well!

Being inspired I've wanted to try out juicing but didn't start until this spring. I felt like I needed a cleanse after this very long winter...

I drank them for two days, three juices a day replacing whole meals. In the mornings mostly fruits, for lunch a mixed one and for dinner vegetables only. I quit. It was not enough for me, not chewing and being done with 'eating' so quickly. And yes I know it was my mind telling me that I cannot resist but chewing on things, but I don't take it too seriously. That was my first experience with a 'juice cleanse' ever. Instead I did a vegan week and ate a lot of raw foods, which worked well for me.

Nevertheless, I like the taste of green juices a lot, mixing and trying out different ingredients is fun! Yeah, I know they really do not look good, but honestly I'm talking about self-made green juices and not some packed up carrot or tomato juice from your super market ;-) Once in a while I make myself green juices in the morning or in the afternoon. It definitely revs up my metabolism and although it does not look as good, it nurtures my body to the fullest. Check out those great charts to mix up your own green juice at home. No expensive juicer needed, a food processor will do its job, too! 

I always include spinach or kale, frozen spinach works if you don't have fresh one. Additionally I try to mix up sweet fruits with vegetables so I won't need added sugar.

Here are more refreshing recipes: 

Green smoothies from Refinery29 and Green Juices from Mind Body Green.

And why should you add greens to your everyday life? Read on: 10 Reasons.

Have fun mixing! :) 

M 

edit: read more about the health benefits of juicing vegetables and fruits,

such as taking in a wider variety of vegetables and cleansing your body: easy green juice.

Oh finally! Germany has noticed the benefits of green juices! For German readers: even Miranda Kerr is juicing, click here! 

Weekend Food Shopping

It is my first weekend all by myself in Berlin, so what did I get? First of all I have to say that it can be pricey living by yourself and feeding yourself. Haha, no mommy and daddy, no full refridgerator! Anyways, as you can see I try to stay healthy and I cannot live without vegetables, fruits and a bit of protein. I also make sure to have oat flakes, almonds, eggs and whole grain bread in stock.

Carrots: my go-to snack to munch on, full of Vitamin A and good for your eyes.

Zucchini: very good for stir-fries, have you tried it raw?? :)

Peppers: red vegetables and fruits like red grapes are full of iron, you don't need meat! ;-)

Turnip cabbage: vietnamese influence>> steam it and dip it in traditional fish sauce.

Radishes: like the spicy taste a lot, raw! I also use up the greens for soup or broth.

Pickles: who does not love pickles? Try some from McClure's in Brooklyn, super funny, it is a family recipe and these guys make some spicy and garlic ones! Everything hand picked and hand sliced. Want to make a pickle pizza? Check out their website, just love this creativity in cooking!

Bananas: full in potassium, my go-to pre-workout snack when you want to head for a jog in half an hour, very versatile for smoothies, banana bread???! Mix them in oatmeals and it is a great substitute for eggs in baking dishes!

Strawberries: antioxidants go! Dark berries are the best, full of Vitamin C, perfect summer fruit for smoothies, salads, desserts, yummy!

Nectarines: just available here in the summer, more exotic frui.

Whole grain bread: good carbs, whole grains?! says it all, cannot get it, don't like the ones in supermarkets? Bake your own: Whole grain bread variaton #1

Almonds: super healthy fats!!! Your body do need those! Snack on them, make your own almond milk, add to anything from breakfast to salads.

Eggs and cottage cheese: egg-omelet, boiled eggs=6g of protein, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese does not have as much fat but I don't consume as much lactose.

Here are some tips to up your fruit and vegetable intake: Just have it at home! Get out and enjoy the sun!

Happy weekend guys ♥

Food Friday: Quinoa

The first time I had quinoa was in the U.S. at a BBQ, someone brought a salad and I just loved it! The second time I had it was in California at an Israeli restaurant called Oren's Hummus Shop. So, again I was really excited about it when I've found it here. It's really versatile, especially when you like it lighter in the summer; you can substitute it for rice, millet or pasta. Just perfect for vegans or people who are allergic to gluten. I bought mine from the organic brand Rapunzel. They make great nut butters, too!

Some facts about quinoa from Mind Body Green:

+ one serving fills 48% of our daily magnesium needs

+ low in cholesterol and sodium

+ it can be white, red or black

+ is a relative to leafy green veggies like spinach

+ very high in protein

Take a look at the recipes:

Morning meditation - stretch

Summer finally arrived!!! 

These days I woke up early in the morning because it's just so hot outside: ~ 25°C/ 77°

It's not as hot as in the U.S. but summer came too sudden.

What to do best when you get up really early?

Ride your bike to the lake, do some meditation and yoga! I was there around 6.30a.m. and it was very nice and still chilly. I just love being up this early, why? There is nobody around who'd disturb you!!!

I've started meditation like four to five months ago and I still try to do it every single morning. I don't do it for 30min or so, but 5min every day keeps my mind calm and focused. Sometimes you're just stressed out or have too much in your mind going on, so that you cannot focus anymore. You're always running, ruhsing and try to be on time with anything. Additionally I did some yoga poses, it is so good for me and I think every athlete should incorporate yoga exercises to really stretch out and loosen tight muscles!

Then, I'd like to just slow down and breathe. Being still and mindful helps me to live in the present, not to think too much about the past and not to plan so much for the future.  

Anyone can meditate, you don't have to become a monch. Just breathe and try to calm your mind. When a thought comes up, just catch it and follow how it flows away. 

“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”- Thich Nhat Hanh

Additionally I did some yoga poses, it is so good for me and I think every athlete should incorporate yoga exercises to really stretch out and loosen tight muscles!

Let's embrace this very moment and say:

WELCOME BACK SUN :) we've missed you!

P.S.: Do you want to know what 20min. of yoga does to your brain? Read on here.

Superfood: Chia-Seeds

Living in the U.S., having a lot of time for myself, I've spent most of it doing sports and reading about nutrition. Surfing on the internet and reading many blogs, I came along chia- seeds. 
I've already added flax seeds to my meals, but chia seeds? I thought that they are pretty expensive. They actually are not. I was completely surprised when I've found them here in GER, yes, at my organic health store :)

Now I'm trying them out, but I'm not sure how much I should take in to fully get the benefits. 
It's supposed to help you with digestion, boost your energy and it has the Omega 3+6 fatty acids which would aid in cognitive and learning performance. 

I've made pudding out of it (just stir it up in water and let it sit for at least one hour) and try to add it into oatmeal, juices and salads. Just found out that it might be a food trend, but I like the neutral flavor and the consistency because hey: it expands and after an hour you have pudding?! 

Read on:
10 Health Benefits from Healthyeating.sfgate.com

Ancient Super Seed from Dr. Oz 

I'm curious if I'll notice something soon, will keep you updated ;-)

Dark, rich and healthy...

Guess what? My semester is almost over and I'm in the middle of my final exams. Whenever I study, I just have to snack and munch on things. Instead of eating your way to a bigger YOU, just reach for dark chocolate, fruits, raw vegetables, yogurt and almonds. I've figured that it's much easier to stick to healthier choices in the summer whereas in the winter you're more tempted to reach for comfort- foods.

Yes! Dark chocolate can be actually healthy for you because of their high dose of natural caffeine and antioxidants which make it so bitter. I certainly do believe in it, but portion control is key I'd say. Anyways, during stressful times like 'studying for final exams' I allow myself up to 50g =D! 

At the moment my favorites are the 85% dark chocolate ones from GEPA (Fairtrade- Company) and Vivani. Having some dark chocolate should be one's pleasure, so enjoy every bite of it ;-)

There are some interesting facts about eating dark chocolate from The Huffington Post and Science Daily.

'All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.'

Coco, coco, coconut oil!

Several months ago, working at an organic food/health store, my co- worker told me to try out coconut oil since the ends of my hair were really dry. I've tried it, did some research on it and now I'm using it for everything: as a body lotion, face moisturizer, make- up removal and I cook with it as well!

My skin just feels so much better without chemistry and I feel better as well =)

Coconut oil is my go- to- everything now and I just ♥ it! 

It's also a great gift for my girls and they are totally enthusiastic about it.

Of course I did recommend it to some customers and now I look at empty shelves, no coconut oils anymore? =D No worries, I've got some in stock =)

More information about coconut oil and how you can use it:

Baking my own bread

Sunday night my hostfamily had friends over for a BBQ. The friends brought some homemade bread, which was very good and quinoa salad! I asked them for the recipes because I was thinking about baking my own bread also.
Why? I like bread but it's hard to find really good and healthy bread here in the U.S., and I also don't want to eat too much processed food, so why not making your own? You know what's inside and it'll be less expensive long- term. You don't even need a bread machine! 
Actually we've found WASA- Knäckebrot here =D It says: 100% whole grain and a product of Germany. My hostfamily started buying them because of me! :)

So, today I tried out the recipe and this is the result:

  

The recipe is really easy! I thought it would be much harder to bake bread but I think you just have to start doing it and then try out things.. Next time I'd like to add different grains and use more whole- wheat flour and leave the all- purpose flour out.

We've had it for dinner with salad and I dipped it in guacamole, delicious! The crust is the best part, don't you think?

Usually I don't eat carbs (rice, pasta, bread) for dinner time anymore, but of course I've had to try my own bread! :) 

My health- tip: I cut down on carbs at night because after dinner you usually go to bed and then you don't really workout or burn these added calories anymore.

Sunrise Yoga

How do you guys like yoga? Have you ever tried it before?
Well, I've did it twice now and I'm looking forward to do more of it! It was a free yoga class in the city: compass yoga. -Of course I've found about it from a Street Fair! :) So if you're ever in New York and you're having some spare time especially for beginners, check it out! There are also free yoga sessions in the parks in NYC. That day I went on my own and actually I became friends with the yoga teacher! Her name is Frances from England, she did her Master's degree in the city and she's leaving the country in August, too! See, it's so easy to meet and get to know nice people! :)

I've found out about a free yoga course on Island Beach in my town here in NJ, too! Tuesdays from 7- 8am! Perfect for me, since I'd get up early anyway :)

So, today I went to the first session and it was great! The weather was good, not too hot in the morning and the teacher seems very nice (in the picture above). I like it because in addition to my strength and cardio workout it is good to stretch, twist and twirl your body and just to 'meditate' a little bit, to be aware of your mind, body and soul. I think, that's my thing! Meditation and Yoga :) I should try Pilates someday, too :)

Namaste,

and much love.

M

Swimming: all day, everyday!

97°F outside, it is humid and hot!

What did I do? I got up early in the morning and went for a workout- swim! :)

It feels so great, I love swimming and I always feel relieved!

In the afternoon I took the boys to the lake, so I went a second time.

This week I already went swimming when it was around 60°F and I have to say: The water was freaking cold.. but I've did it! I was in the water for about 40minutes and after that I really needed a hot shower and hot tea!!! I felt perfectly fine afterwards!

Right now, I'm enjoying life so much and I've never felt as energetic as I do now! I hope it stays :)) I hope you guys are enjoying your warm days, too! 

Much love and don't forget the sunscreen ;)

M

My green-tip: Never forget your reusable water bottle and your cloth bag!