Kale

I don't think this leafy green needs an introduction as it has officially become one of the world's superfoods (you can read more here). Apparently even more beneficial when steamed for 5 minutes but advised also raw. This is a healthy stand-in for potato chips when cooked in the oven and some of my friends who have kids say it is a great success. Tried it out myself today and it was highly approved :)

So you just take kale leaves, wash them, then remove the thick rib in the center tearing leaves into small pieces. Stems are very hard therefore not to be used. Same thing applies when making a smoothie. Then just put kale leaves in a big bowl, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and mix them for a while so that all the leafy parts get oily. Spread them evenly on baking pans covered with baking paper.

Preheat the oven at 140 C and put those beauties in for around 12-15 min. Some say 7-10 min, but mine came out pretty raw still. Just watch out not to burn them. And that's it! Your healthy snack is ready! There are some variations, some put cheese on instead of salt, some add lemon or lime juice on the top. That's up to you and your taste buds.

You get much more out of that bowl than this though. Sneaky fingers :)

Then another yummy thing to make is a smoothie. I did one with:

•  two handfuls of kale leaves (removing the rib in the center)
• one avocado
• two nectarines
• glass of water
• a splash of almond milk
• little bit of lemon juice

It's good to taste it after adding each ingredient to see what other taste you want to add or strengthen. It made 4 delicious servings.

Enjoy! Stay healthy and be inspired!

mint & berry & Lisboa

mint&berry Spring/Summer 2014 from mint&berry on Vimeo.

Health On A Plate

More than two years ago I came across the concept of Alkaline nutrition. Things I read on it rang the bell and made so much sense for me. Since then I've been giving up on sugar, soda drinks, packed juices and most of the processed foods. Of course it is not a crime to break the rules once in a blue moon but even introducing some of these things in my everyday life has changed a lot (gradually losing 10 kg without much of an effort might tell something). It is true that at the beginning you might think that there is nothing much left to eat, but with time you come down to eating more of simple and whole foods. It is also true that nowadays we are surrounded by so much information often a contradictory one when talking about food (or anything else for that matter) and it becomes hard to understand where the truth is but your own body might tell you a lot as well. Problem is that nutrition science is still in its' diapers (as some clever people say) therefore none of the nutritionists can tell you the absolute truth about anything in a long run, food industry is using and inventing new chemicals to grow and to make their produce. If we look back like 50 years ago some things scientists said were good turned out to be bad and vice versa. And we don't have to look back even that far. As my Chinese acupuncturist said - Listen to your body more often!, (unless you're eating junk food which is full of substances to make you crave for more :)) after I've been drinking at least two liters of water a day which was supposedly a healthy thing to do but not for my body constitution. So it really boils down to fusion of gathering the information and knowledge, analyzing it, trying it out, observing and listening to your body and dropping it or carrying on with it respectively.

My very recent discovery and favourite thing is quinoa but I will have to experiment with it for a bit longer to come to a legitimate conclusion and to become its' advocate :) Grapefruit has been my great friend and immune system booster for at least a year already - having it as a fruit or squeezed in juice, though one has to take care if taking some pills at the same time because it is proven to interact with medication. And then of course avocado which I love and consume a lot. Nevertheless I have to mention that I also believe that eating traditional, organic and locally grown whole food is essential, best if grown by yourself. As I once mentioned in one of my posts - it can be done even on your balcony or windowsill.

This is as local and organic as one can get - bilberries from Latvia's forests :) I think Latvians are one of the few European nations who can still call themselves 'gatherers' as we use our natural food resources a lot be it a wild berry or a mushroom or herb in the meadow. So - go out in the nature more often and benefit from it!

When I am in the shop I always read labels on products and avoid the ones which contain more than five ingredients (and of course checking what those ingredients are) following the suggestion of great Michael Pollan. His book Food Rules is a book to have in your handbag.  In Defence of Food is a more extensive version of Food Rules but as interesting and down to business. He depicts quite clearly the problem of modern society - us that is in many aspects, not just the nutrition.

And in the video below Michael Pollan speaks on his new book, food history and anthropology:

And here is another one which touches upon many important issues:

The song of the day

Absolutely LOVE this song for two months already and don't seem to get tired of it. People say the whole new album is a marvel.

The song of the day

...or the soundtrack of our Argentina trip :)

MUJI

Being in Berlin last time (in March) my friend brought me to this lovely Japanese store called MUJI. Oh my, I lost myself there! All these little nice objects and things, simple and natural design. That must be how paradise looks like for order and neat freaks. And this store totally embodied what Japan could look like (for a person who has not been there yet).

23. aprīlis - atvadas

Pēdējais rīts Argentīnā un Buenos Aires. Tā kā jau atkal esam apmetušās boutique viesnīcā, tur valda intīma un personiska gaisotne. Pablo - viesnīcas administrators šorīt atstāts par atbildīgo arī brokastu zālē, tad nu viņš steidz mūs pabarot un vēl papļāpāt par dzīvi Argentīnā, ekonomiku un politiku. Cita starpā atklājas, ka puisis daudzpusīgs, spēlē trompeti pank-rok-regeja grupā un studē audiovizuālās zinātnes, mums ir par ko parunāt :) Brokastis ievelkas. Mums ir laiks līdz diviem pēcpusdienā. Gribam aizdoties līdz Botāniskajam dārzam, ko salielīja Nikola (Iguazu satiktā amerikāniete), un vēl jāatrod valsts pasta dienests, lai varam nosūtīt pastkartes, kas ar' šajā valstī izrādās diezgan problemātiski. Viņiem te kaut kāda jokaina sistēma, ir valsts pasts un tad vēl n-tās kurjerpastu firmas, kur cenas nedaudz augstākas, bet viņi sūta arī pastkartes. Taču tā kā uz mūsu pastkartēm salīmētas valsts pasta markas, jāmeklē vien viņu kastes vai kantoris.

Aizejam līdz Botāniskajam dārzam, ieeja par brīvu, pieejams Wi-Fi. Jauka vieta, kur patverties tveicīgā dienā. Tas izveidots 19. gs. pašā izskaņā. Dārza teritorijā izvietoti daudzi mākslas objekti, ierīkota botāniskā bibliotēka un vēl te atrodas dārzkopības skola.

Vēl šis dārzs ir kļuvis par mājvietu milzīgai pamesto kaķu kolonijai, kas te tiekot atnesti un atstāti. Vasaras sezonā gandrīz katru dienu piepulcējoties pa iemītniekam, tā kā viņu rindas nemitīgi aug. Šefību pār cilvēku bezatbildības upuriem ir uzņēmusies brīvprātīgo organizācija, kas viņus baro, sterilizē, vakcinē un meklē tiem jaunas mājas.

Atpakaļceļā uz viesnīcu vēl piesēžam kādā Palermo Soho kafejnīciņā iedzert ko atspirdzinošu - diena padevusies diezgan karsta. Ir mazliet skumji braukt prom, labprāt vēl te padzīvotos kādas pāris dienas.

Pie viesnīcas mūs jau gaida Pablo sarunātais transports. Šoferīts runātīgs un interesants puisis, zina, kur ir Latvija. Ceļā uz lidostu mums ir īsais kurss Argentīnas sociālekonomikā un politikā. Par to, ka valdība draņķīga, par to, kā tiek izniekoti valsts resursi, par futbolu kā valsts otro reliģiju, par cilvēku dzīves līmeni un kvalitāti. Pie lidostas sirsnīgi atvadāmies. Mums tiek iedotas vizītkartes, sak, ja nu atkal esat te un vajag transportu. Kas to zina, varbūt arī :) Ceļojums ir bijis grandiozs. Tik daudz iespaidu un atmiņu dzīves mugursomā! Vēl tikai nieka 25 stundas un būsim mājās.