About Me

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Hello, dear viewer, and thank you for visiting my blog! I am a dedicated (and certified) Food Coach and Personal Trainer with a very individual attitude to coaching. I search to look beyond people's health issues and modify their lifestyles so that they can live a healthier life, increase vitality and longevity. Recently as a strong believer in natural healing I have published two books on Ayurveda and how to use Ayurveda lifestyle and food at home. Further, I am very much into TCM and the concept of original Chinese Food, especially after my recent stay in China. I am striving to become a Yoga expert through intense training and am practicing some kind of exercise every single day. My second blog http://thrumyeyes-kat.blogspot.com/ is dedicated to my passion to capture the world with my camera and create my own world like that. Everything you will find on these pages about nutrition and exercising is authentic and self-tested. Enjoy and don't forget to send me your comments, which are always welcome in my attempt to meet your expectations even better!

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Quick refreshing wake-up exercise

Dear readers,

today was one of these days....went to bed last night with workout on my mind, got up this morning with workout on my mind, had my first cup of green tea with workout on my mind...and then things started adding up and between emails and rushing to get ready the workout, hum, kind of disappeared. After having felt guilty all day long I started thinking what exercises could you do just quickly in the morning, before emails, during tea, before shower?!

I experimented, jumped around, thought about the important parts we have to train and then I started looking on the internet - and found this sequence, which more or less captures what I want to suggest. 

These exercises - which will maybe take 10 minutes of your precious time (or 15 if you want to catch your breath in-between the various exercises) - will wake you up, will get your heart racing, will work a sweat and will definitely send you into the day fully motivated! 

Just some quick explanations:

Jumping Jacks:
I think, everyone knows, how to do them! Important: keep your knees soft and your tummy and lower back firm! 

Plie Squats:
Keep stomach firm and tight, then go down into a squat. When you come up, really squeeze your buttocks...and go back down.

Burpees:
If you find them too hard (which would be very understandable!), modify the exercise into a mountain-climber. This means, don't do the jump with both legs at the same time, but alternate. Please keep your stomach and back firm. 

Push-ups:
Start with your knees on the floor if this version is too hard.

Bicycle crunches:
There is no easy version! You gotta get through this! If you still don't have enough, do some normal crunches as well.


And then...go & start your day - you have done something at least    

      


Torch Calories with the Turkey Burner Workout!

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Just a quick one - prevent colds





 

Hi to all of you out there!

While I am sitting in front of my computer wrecking my brains about new recipes and detox juices messages are coming in from friends all over the world. First one has a sore throat and an "enlarged" head (O-tone), next one is sneezing her brains out, third one has a head redder than my one when I turned back from sunbathing this morning. 

So, this is an easy one! How can I prevent colds, which do not just catch you guys over there in Europe, but just as well people in the UAE or even here in Asia?!

What we do here is that we increase our internal fire with spices. 

Click to show "Ginger root" result 25 A daily infusion with fresh Ginger (cut into slices and topped with hot water - if you like, add one sprig of fresh thyme for additional benefit) is a fantastic way to prevent those nasty viruses to from getting too close to you. 



Another, more spicy, recipe goes like this: 


Rasam (serves 4)

This spicy broth originates in India. You can serve it as a soup in the evening or you have it as a wonderful, warming drink. As it takes a little while to prepare the Rasam cook more of it at once and keep the balance in the fridge and you're good for a week.




Ingredients:
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind (you should be able to get tamarind pulp ready for use)
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed

1 generous pinch of asfoetida

2-4 dry red chillies 
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp black pepper 
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
A few curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds  
1 tomato, chopped

Salt to taste


2 tsp of ghee or extra virgin olive oil


Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water, extract juice and discard pulp.
Place the tamarind extract in a pan and add the peeled garlic, asfoetida, turmeric, chopped tomato, and some salt. Bring to a boil.

 

After boiling for about 3 minutes, add the spice powder. You can add half of it to begin with and taste as you go for spice and flavour. The quantity depends on your likings.

Boil this mixture for about 20 mins until the raw smell leaves the tamarind mixture. Add curry leaves. R
emove from stove and heat the ghee in a small pan. If you use Olive Oil add it raw. Add mustard seeds to the ghee - or in case of the olive oil fry them quickly in a small pan - and when they splutter, add everything to the Rasam. Season with a little bit of salt.



And then go out and face the cold! 



 
 
 

Thursday 8 November 2012

Healthy juices for detoxification


 

Dear readers,

autumn has arrived and we are all preparing for winter. It's the time of the year, even here in Sri Lanka, where everyone is coming down with flues. There is a lot you can do to prevent this, in particular eating healthy throughout the year will keep you safe from catching each and every virus around you. Always remember to supplement with a high quality multi-vitamin supplement and your fish oil capsule every day. 

At the moment I am shoulders deep into the subject of detoxification as we are implementing a 9-days detox cure in our hotel. I am experimenting on food and juices, a 5-day detox plan will even be available in my 2nd book, which I will hopefully finish coming spring. 

So, this was some self-promotion, where-else would I do that if not on my blog?? 
 
Now, I would like to give you some basic information
about detoxification and at the end of this article
you will find 3 wonderful recipes for detox juices.
This is only the beginning! 


Why is detoxifying good for me?

In our daily life we accumulate an infinity of toxins
in our bodies, more than most of you would even imagine. We often breath toxic air, we get in touch with unhealthy substances, we apply creams with dubious contents to our skin, we don't always drink and eat the healthiest stuff...the negative influence on our bodies (and minds) is enormous. Add-on is the worries we have in our heads, which amazingly also transform into toxins in our bodies. 
And there we have our poor body, in particular our liver, trying to fight all that! 
Don't you agree that it deserves a little wellness treatment off and on? 

There are fantastic, thought-through detox treatments, you have to buy a special package of powders and tablets and follow a particular diet. That is the profound detoxification, which is definitely fantastic and recommendable. 

What can I do in my everyday life to protect my body?

At the moment you do might not have the time or nerves to follow a strict regime for some days, but you still would like to do something useful to help your body to get rid of toxins?
Try to get your organic fruits and vegetables and try some of these juices in the morning before your breakfast. Another very healthy thing to do in the morning - and this is derived from Ayurveda - have a glas of lukewarm water first thing in the morning (yes, even before that horrible looking juice!). The warm water works like a flush for your body. It makes your metabolism notice that it is time to digest and really gets it going. 

So, as for the juices: the following recipes are really easy to prepare (so no excuses!), all you need is a blender, and they are packed with nutrients. In some of the recipes you will for example find Coriander, which is well-known for its detoxifying abilities. As is avocado, as are apples (organic ones!) and King Coconut water. If you live in a country where the latter is not available, substitute it by rice milk, soy milk, almond milk etc. Almond milk is extremely helpful as almonds are the only alcaline nuts there are and as such bind and eliminate acids in your body!

Now I stop talking, let's juice!! 
 
 


Cashew Cream Smoothie

Tastes amazing, but be aware that this is a complete meal in itself!
 
Ingredients:
1 handful cashews
1 cup coconut water OR nut/rice/hemp seed milk of your choice
2 handfuls mixed berries (fresh or frozen: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries)
1 tablespoon flax meal
1 ripe mango, pitted and diced

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together until creamy with a pinch of sea salt and enjoy!




 Avocado Lime and Ginger Smoothie

Creamy, nutrient packed, satiating and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 large apple (any variety), cored and quartered
Juice of 1 lime
1 inch cube of ginger, peeled and minced OR 1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 cup coconut water OR nut/rice/hemp seed milk of your choice

I personally always add 2 tbsp of flaxmeal or wheatgerm as you should have it everyday and it completes the juice and really makes it a meal. Obviously I skip any other things for breakfast in that case and rather have a wholesome snack around 3 hours later. 

Directions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
 

Crazy Sexy Cilantro Shake

First time I held this one in my hand I thought "ush, this doesn't really look appealing!" - but the taste and the effect make you forget the looks :)!

Ingredients:
1 cup rice/nut/seed milk
1 cup coconut water
1 cup papaya (fresh), peeled and diced
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango or peaches
3 dates OR stevia or coconut nectar to taste

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together until smooth. It’s been shown that cilantro is incredibly detoxifying and can help pull metals from the body, so drink up, especially if you live in a city, have mercury fillings, or drink tap water



 
 
That's it for today, more information and recipes that will be a daily help for you to eliminate toxins coming up shortly (stole this from TV - yes!!)