Lebenslustiger.com (Entries tagged as health)

Yoga (SO) Easy...

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:40:00 +0000

I have not done my yoga routine lately and that is really NOT GOOD.

I already feel my back and neck getting stiff and tense.

Health and well-being should be priority instead of working all the time.

So, for a while now i am thinking about how to get a fresh and new start to get me back onto the mat.

And just then I received an e-mail from YogaEasy.de - Germanys first Online yoga studio - with an offer for a free month long trial coupon for my readers and myself!

Isn't that funny how some things seem to happen in the exact right moment and when you need it the most?

There is no such thing than chance, right?

YogaEasy.de offers a wide variety of online classes filmed with great teachers like Anna Trökes, Patrizia Thielemann, Patrick Broome and many more for beginner to advanced students. There are even meditation classes.

All you need to start is your mat, your computer, internet access and maybe some cats :)

Please find the link below by clicking the picture or click here www.yogaeasy.de/lebenslustiger for a free month long access to all Yoga Easy classes. You are not signing up for a membership after that free month - no hidden trap or any other obligations. The trial ends after a month and that's it! EASY!

So please help yourself to some wonderful YOGA if you like - I definitely will, because I really miss it.

Namaste, YogaEasy.de

Happy Day,

Anette

Optimal Ripeness Of A Mangosteen

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Here comes a little update to a picture I posted recently.

Some of you wrote to me that they have never seen a Mangosteen before or don't know where to find and how to eat it.

I bought mine at my local organic shop. It is a seasonal fruit therefore not year-round available. Asia-markets also often carry them - not sure about super markets because I barely shop there. There a some online companies who ship ripe tropical fruits right to your door - I already wrote here about it.

Mangosteen fruits are optimal ripe when then skin gives in a bit when pressing it gently with your fingers.

If the skin is hard, the fruit inside will be overripe and often not edible anymore.

I also prefer the smaller fruits of these anyway small fruits because they are even more aromatic.

Cut carefully around thru the thick skin to open the fruits and by using a spoon eat the white juicy segments right out of the skin.

Enjoy!

Happy Day,

Anette

I Wish My Morning...

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:45:00 +0000

...would ALWAYS start with a breakfast like this one!!! ALOHA

Curious what others do in the morning? Nic is collecting more inspiration.

Happy (Valentine's) Day,

Anette

P.S. My crochet glitter heart from yesterday dried - if you like, see it here :)

Scallion Soup

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 07:46:00 +0000

Honestly - I'm a bit embarrassed by the profanity of this post...

Since spring I wanted to tell you, that scallion soup is my absolute favorite soup and when I saw fresh local scallions again the last two weeks at farmers market, i thought "O.k. - now or never!"

Must be the second harvest cycle - the scallions don't look that perky and bright green like the spring ones do, but they are still delicious.

Maria from Austria "taught" me, how to make the soup. I would have never gotten the idea to just use plain scallions as the single ingredient for a soup.

Of course I know french onion soup with bread and melted cheese - but that's different.

Scallions soup is so much simpler - it's almost genius!

It's literally done in a very few minutes.

Take 3 bunches of cleaned and cut up scallions, roast for just a little bit (don't burn) in some olive oil, cover with water (I don't like the soup too thin) and season with powdered broth. Cook on low temperature until scallions are soft but still in pieces. (about 15min) DONE!

Enjoy!

Bon Appetit, Anette

Favorite Places

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:15:00 +0000

I just arrived in California a few days ago. So lovely - I missed it a lot! If you would like to get up-dates it would be wonderful to connect via twitter and Instagram!

Meanwhile here is a re-post from last summer:

Back to my old home town Santa Barbara for a few weeks.

Well, what's new?

Not to much - i guess, and that's a good thing...the wonderful sun, the beautiful beaches, the ice-cold ocean, relaxed easy living...

Let's take a look then at some of my favorite places around town over the next weeks.

Are you ready for some more fruit and vegetable pics? Because I'll start with my deeply beloved farmers market!

Santa Barbara and it's neighbor cities Goleta and Montecito put on a farmers market in different locations on each day of the week!

Fantastic - I have been so grateful for it all those years we lived in Santa Barbara and basically never missed my 'market days'.

I have always been treated to the most wonderful, sun-kissed produce.

It's all fresh, local and mostly organic. If you are a regular at the market you get to personally know many of the farmers, which makes your shopping an even more fun event.

Some of my favorites at this favorite place are:

Hmmm - I"m off to lunch now...

XOXO, Anette

Simply Summer - Summer Simply

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:34:00 +0000

We live close to a beautiful organic farm.

Sometimes they offer workshops on different topics and I love to go, also because they serve wonderful, simple but delicious food.

This time we had gratinated ciabatta bread.

If you like to try it sprinkle some olive oil on a baking sheet and lay out the bread slices onto the oil. Top each bread with a nice sage leaf, some zucchini slices and a not too thin piece of pecorino cheese. Bake for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy. Enjoy right from the oven. So delicious! Serve with a salad and you have a simple but perfect summer dish.

Do you have any simple ideas or tricks to help enjoying summer even more?

I would love to hear them!

XOXO, Anette

Best Of

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:18:00 +0000

My last day at the Austrian herb farm - in case you missed day 2 , day 3, day 4 and the story how it all happened, please read here and here if you like.

I am completely filled with all those wonderful impressions of my Sonnentor-Maria-Andi-Austria-adventure.

I saw sooo much - and had soo many great experiences.

What was the best? Hard to say....

There is of course Maria - the spiritual organic herb-farm specialist, joy-yoga teacher and fasting expert, who made a deep impact with all her wise and kind words.

Or friendly and fun Andi and his oh-so-old tractor.

Maybe it's the fact, that i now know how a lentil plant looks like.

Could be the wonderful birds nesting and feeding their young right outside my bedroom window - and cats, too...and of course Jette, the cute baby cow!

Or the funny dirt lumps jumping joyfully to the sky from the wheels of the tractor on our tour thru the fields.

Not to forget my (almost) successful fights at night with Sonnentors' blog software. Currently Peter, one of this years candidate, visits another herb farmer of Sonnentors'.

I guess it's all together. All the big and small moments and wonders who made my time in Austria so very special.

A THOUSAND THANKS goes to Sonnentor, Andi and Maria for taking such good care of me. I will miss our talks and laughs and this beautiful country, but of course:

I ALWAYS look forward to the next great fun adventure!

XOXO, Anette

Rain-break???

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:43:00 +0000

Day 4 at the Austrian herb farm - in case you missed day 2 , day 3 and the story how it all happened, please read here and here.

Gentle rain is good for the fields - I take a deep breath and lean back. Does that mean we will all have a break from work today because the greens and the soil on the fields will be too wet to work on them???

Of course NOT! There are thousends of other things Maria and Andi have to work on or organize. For example sharpening the tools.

That way they will work even better and faster tomorrow with the weeds. Andi figured out, that the old way of sharpening the metal with a hammer yields much better results than just grinding the edges with a power tool.

He and Maria run a little organic market in the old farmhouse.

They sell all their harvested goods like spelt, kamut, lentils, buckwheat and of course their dried herbs and spices.

Maria shows me her expensive flour mill.

I am impressed by the quality of the fine, silky flour it is able to produce.

The smell of the freshly ground flour is just amazing! Speaking of smell - I wish, you would all be able to smell through the screen and we could really share the unbelievable good aromas from a big field of fenugreek, fennel - or caraway - greens.

Old Maria, Andis' mum, has work for me. With her almost eighty years she weights the orders and puts them into bags.

My job is to close those bags and label them.

Old Maria is not too happy with my work..... It has to be made HER way

I wait for a good moment and then slip quietly out of the door to see how the little baby cow is doing today. Maria is just feeding it with an milk filled old beer-bottle.

We start joking that a real beer might also be a good idea for someone who has had so much struggle on it's very first days on earth..... To my big surprise and joy i got the honor to name the baby! I think of my daughter Jette, who, thanks God, is so healthy and strong. It will be a good omen for the cute brown-white baby.

Everything will be alright.

Only one day left - stay tuned for day 5!

XOXO, Anette

Farmers Yoga

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:42:00 +0000

Pretty much exactly a year ago I was invited by Sonnentor to spent a week on a farm of one of their herb suppliers in a beautiful, remote part of Austria. You can read here, how I ended up being chosen to work on the farm and to blog about my experience. Before I actually headed to Maria's and Andy's farm I spent a wonderful day at Sonnentor's headquarter. You can read about that day here. Since I had just started blogging back then, I hadn't had many readers. But - thanks to YOU - that has changed! I'm so happy, you are here! So, I thought you would enjoy reading about this little adventure as much as I enjoy thinking back to it.

But now off to the farm...

Eighty-three years old Andreas is worried. "It does not want to drink". He is talking about the little newborn baby cow, which is standing in a corner of the stable.

Usually he would be on his tractor working the fields by now. Something he has done almost daily as long as he can think back.

"Maybe there is too much pressure on the utter", i suggest - thinking back to my own breastfeeding adventures. Andi, Andreas' son, gets a bucket and starts milking.

He will call the vet because he fears the baby is having a navel infection. I cross my fingers - feeling sorry for the little one.

Maria and i get back on our bikes and I follow her to the fields.

Back home i do a lot of yoga but looking at Marias upper arm muscles i have to admit, she owns the much nicer pair. So, i start to wonder what kind of exercise she does...Well, i don't need to wonder very long though, because we just arrived at her yoga center. Nice, hidden place behind a little forest - quiet and warm... but... no mats. She hands me a metal tool on a wooden stick and leads me to my place. Hm, something else is missing - instead hardwood floor there are thousands of green little bushels.

And then the lesson begins... Forward fold - reach for the ground - check if there is something else growing than the green sugar roots, take a step - repeat at your own pace. Forward fold- reach for the ground, check.....If you need a break: come up, take a deep breath - rinse and repeat.

WOW - after a matter of very few minutes i had my mantra: "Please let there be no other little plants growing between the roots so i can make a longer step; Please let there be no other little plants....."

See, it CAN be very easy with the whole meditation and muscle definition thing ( AND with getting your feet REALLY dirty ) : hard, hard work will do the trick.

It's so amazing how much devoted hand work Maria and Andi happily put into their herbs and spices. They have been working with SONNENTOR for over twenty years now. The only fact I regret for today is that I haven't had a second helping of those delicious, sweet, handmade pasta we had for lunch.

Well, it's fine - i already smell Marias rye bread baking in the oven. She made it from scratch....

Have you been to Austria yet?

Stay tuned for day 3 !

XOXO, Anette

Rituals - Roots And Wings Included

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:22:00 +0000

Before the day starts I do yoga every morning!

O.k.

I TRY to do Yoga every morning...

It's actually so much easier to do it every morning as a ritual, because then these stupid conversations inside your head, whether this or that would be more urgent to do than doing yoga, are simply swept under the mat.

Yoga IS goodforyouandyourbodyandyourhealthandtheuniverse - so let's do it!

With Yogis Anonymous or Yoga Easy or a great DVD or in your favorite yoga studio or just you and yourself - everything works - and with regularity comes ritual.

According to Constanze Kleis, rituals can give us something truly amazing: roots and wings simultaneously. Psychologist figured out the true potential of rituals. They are a sort of base camp for feelings and are identified as the most important stabilizing factor in families as well as bringing forth and fostering creativity, imagination and awakening.

WOW!!!

Well - that's totally worth it, right?

Do you have any rituals?

Chocolate Bread With Chili Cheese - Post Aus Meiner Küche

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:22:00 +0000

"Post aus meiner Küche" is a great event where - this time - chocolate creations are being shipped throughout the country this week. I chose to do a Raspberry - Hibiscus - Chocolate spread and a Cocoa - Baguette for Martina from Mathilda-Kuchen im Glas, my partner in crime.

To make up for my less then stellar cooking skills I figured to stick with simple recipes, but exquisite ingredients:

Maracaibo Classico 65% - WOW - doesn't that sound magical??? Found it Here ...

250 gr Raspberry (fresh or frozen)

200 gr Maracaibo Classico

3 EL Hibiscus leaves

50 gr Cane sugar

1/2 TL old Aceto Balsamico (next time, I would increase that amount)

Crush the leaves. Gently cook Raspberrys, sugar and the crushed Hibiscus for 2 min. Strain through a sieve and add chocolate and balsamico. Stir until chocolate is melted. The warmth of the berry sirup should be sufficient to melt the chocolate - if not, fill another bowl with warm water (not too hot!) for a water bath.

Fill! Cool! Enjoy! (I licked out the bowl - D I V I N E...)

The receipt worked very well - I only worry that the spread might be not soft enough since the berry's didn't produce a lot juice... M A R T I N A...bear with me, please...

To accompany the spread I wanted to bake a cocoa-bread baguette style. I searched the net and surprisingly it wasn't easy to find a recipe which didn't turn out a cake-like (instead of my desired baguette-like) chocolate bread.

This one is close to what I dreamt of:

150 gr flour

150 ml warm water

10 gr yeast (I used a third of a fresh block)

mix and let sit for 30 min

Then add:

350 gr flour

1 tsp salt

70 gr sugar (I used less...)

50 gr cocoa (I used more...)

70 gr soft butter (I used olive oil instead - remember: baguette-style...)

ca. 175 ml warm water

mix into pre-dough, knead well, let it rest for another half hour. Form two breads and put them on a greased sheet. Let it raise for 1 hour, wet the surface slightly and bake ca. 35 min at 175 degrees.

We instantly savored the still warm cocoa bread with butter - and - really nifty - topped it with Chili cheese! Y U M M Y !!!

Mantra Meaning And Musing Part 1

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:32:15 +0000

When I moved from southern California to a rural village in northern Germany, my yoga classmates transformed from Hollywood celebrities and world-class teachers to cats and computers.

Also, lately there is definitely a lack of Mantras going on during my every day morning practice...One scraggy breathed "Om" along the hardwood floors...Spirituality? - are you there???

Well - uhm - I just keep warming up then for now...

....and show you three of my favorite Mantras:

'So Hum':Symbolizes life's steady rhythm and energy. Breathing in, the sound 'soooo' emanates - breathing out the sound 'hummm' leaves the body. Easy to hear without even saying the words. Just consciously breathe through the nose and there it is...

'Om Namaste': 'Om' THE cosmic ur-sound, applied since thousands of years to harmonize body, soul and spirit and to manifest oneness and connectedness within each and everything. 'Namaste' - I'm sure you know - is a greeting- and worship gesture and symbolizes as well all-embracing oneness.

'Om Mani Padme Hum': 'Om' and 'Hum' stand for beginning and end; 'Mani Padme' invokes the Absolute. Freely interpreted it's a Mantra for Wisdom and Compassion.

Next time I'll show you three more mantras.

Usually mantras are sung or recited at the beginning and end of a yoga session. That could be a "simple" 'Om' or more elaborate and longer Sanskrit texts or chants. Unfortunately that's already too much for some. Too much Spirituality - too much Meditation - too much weirdness - to much yoga fuss...

Everyone needs to make up it's own mind - for me it's actually not too important to know the exact meaning or translation of a mantra - I just welcome and embrace these magical, strange sounds and words with an open mind. It's about taking in it's awesome sound energy: Invigorating, harmonizing and relaxing!

Actually all forms of singing are pleasant, comforting and really healthy. Even the planets are humming in certain frequencies! Do you hear the beat under your feet???

XOXO

P.S. The new jewelry pieces can be found here, here or e-mail me: lebenslustiger(at)gmail.com

New Food Blogs Finds And Long Time Favorites

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I'm REALLY impressed by Foodblogs!

What a dedicated and admirable effort...

Well thought out planning - perfect timing - excellent mouthwatering pictures...

And always in the danger of over done baking, frying, steaming....

And then the cleaning...

Uahhhh...

You hear me...

Cooking and baking are not really my thing.

But I LOVE eating!!!

Here is where I'm heating up my appetite lately:

Zucker Zimt & Liebe

Call me Cupcake

Tartelette

Seelische Kost

Kuriositätenladen

La Tartine Gourmande

Journey Kitchen

Happyolks

And my All Time Favourites:

Roost

Green Kitchen Storys

What Katie ate

Enjoy!

All these wonderful springy and fresh pictures by La Tartine Gourmande

XOXO

Hildegard of Bingen raffle

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:27:00 +0000

She was very wise and versatile.

We don't actually know exactly when Hildegard of Bingen lived - about 850 years ago - but we know from her notes what her interests were.

The abbess engaged in music, religion, ethics, cosmology and the power of nature. Self-responsibility for one's own body is a central point in her comprehensive work.

It's said, that she was a very confident and charismatic woman.

Especially her knowledge in the area of nutriton is astoundingly up-to-date these days.

Today hardly any guide book on the subject of diet, wellness, health and well being doesn't cover the importance of natural supplementation, homeopathy, herbs and spices in connection with a holistic approach.

"Your soul loves moderation in all aspects of life. Thou shalt nourish thyself moderately to be happy and sociable." says Hildegard of Bingen.

Yes, moderation is definitely worth applying to our life styles today. Less is more. And many already do so with retreating from too much media consumption for example.

People are fasting and detoxing.

We want to eat less. A dish doesn't need to have 20 different ingredients any more. Simple and good is the new opulent. But with culinary pleasure.

That's totally along Hildegard's ideas.

All her dishes contained herbs and spices.

One of her favorite was Galgant.

It's a root similar to ginger with a warm, sweet and spicy aroma. Delicious in Thai-currys and soups and sweets.

Or Ysop, the "sacred" herb. Slightly bitter, minty and should be cooked or baked.

Are you curious by now?

Thanks to Sonnentor I have two great Hildegard products containing those two herbs and spices for you to win today!

I picked the Energy Tee and the Energy cookies for you to spice up your start into spring!

Of course - like always with our Sonnentor raffles - there will be a few tasty extra goodies in your winner package...

If you would like to participate please leave a comment until March 18th.

I am curious as well - have you ever tried a Hildegard product before?

XOXO

Healthy resolution: CHEWING

nospam@example.com (Lebenslustiger) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:16:00 +0000

Healthier eating - a popular New Year resolution!

I have been checking out various forms of healthy eating basically since teenage times: wholefood, vegetarian, vegan, raw...organic anyway.

Here is my personal take: "You are what you eat"

YES - that's right - ALMOST!

Actually it should read: "You are what you eat, digest, absorb, breathe, think and move."

You can fill yourself up with the most super fresh, healthy ingredients available - only they ALONE most likely won't make you an instantly healthy, vibrant happy camper.

One of the key points are good digestion and proper absorption of nutrients beginning in your mouth.

Chew, chew, CHEW - 30-40x every bite...UFF...

Sure you heard about it before, but it's so easy to forget - especially by impatient personalities like myself.

Though I LOVE food and eating I want it to go quickly; chop CHOP; sometimes eating standing up at the counter or munching in the car; already thinking about something else I need or want to do next...

Does that sound familiar to you?

So I came up with a trick to lure me into chewing: crunchiness ( I HAVE to post the Wikipedia explanation here, because it's so hilarious: Crunchiness is the gustatory sensation of muffled grinding of a foodstuff. Crunchiness differs from crispness in that a crisp item is quickly atomized, while a crunchy one offers sustained, granular resistance to jawaction. While crispness is difficult to maintain, crunchiness is difficult to overcome.)

My favorite crunch to overcome:

slightly roasted

wonderfully fragrant

sunflower seeds!

Nothing added - nothing fancy, super healthy and really inexpensive but OH so delicious!

On top of salad, vegetables, soups, mashed potatoes, casseroles...

What are your (eating) tricks?