I want you to open your mouth and take a nice slow breath in. Do you feel how drying that is? Doesn’t it make you cough? Now, close your mouth and take a breath in through your nose. You see, no dryness!

People often think that if they get a ton of air into their body that will somehow make them great communicators. But it’s not the case! You can get all the air you want into your lungs, but that doesn’t make you a great communicator. What is more important to learn how to send air out of your mouth. So let me show you how to do that. It is called DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING or also named deep breathing or simply just belly breathing.

There are many advantages to learning diaphragmatic breathing.

The technique:

• Lowers heart rate and blood pressure.
• Decreases muscle tension.
• Increases blood oxygenation.
• Brings warmth to the hands and feet.
• Increases energy and motivation.
• Improves concentration.
• Strengthens the immune system.
• Reduces stress hormones.
• Activates the body’s relaxation response (and reverses the stress response)
• Can be easily implemented, requiring no medication or cost.

How brilliant is that! By the way, posture matters, because we live in a world where people are just slumping over all the time. And when you round over your shoulders you are blocking air into the lungs because your ribcage is in the way! So, please sit up straight in your chair, chest up and shoulders back and down.

Now, I want you to learn to breathe in through your nose and pretend that you have a balloon in your abdomen. In and out…Breathe in and say “Lenka only wants me to speak when my abdomen is coming back in!” Now do it again. Breathe in through your nose and pretend you have a balloon and say “Lenka only wants me to speak when my abdomen is coming back in!”

If you did that, you would be sending the perfect amount of air out of your lungs to the vocal cords and then out of your body, and it really would be a gift. But most people are holding their stomach tight and then they are basically holding their breath and tension and will not get the right projection!

The breath is the basis for everything that happens in your life. Without breath we are dead. Yet many people never know how to breathe while they are alive. Not you! You now know!

Just go back to the way you were born! Breathe in through your nose into your belly and you will never lose your voice again! :-}

The post NEVER LOSE YOUR VOICE AGAIN! appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Eye Problems

Two of the most complex organs of the body, the eyes, provide us with instantaneous visual feedback of the world around us.

Eye disturbances can be a symptom of disease elsewhere in the body. Watery eyes, for example, can be a symptom of the common cold. A thyroid problem may be indicated by protruding or bulging eyes and reading difficulties. Dark circles under the eyes and eyes that are red, swollen and/or watery may indicate allergies. Yellowing of the eyes from jaundice can be a sign of hepatitis, gallbladder disease or gallstone blockage. Droopy eyes are often an early sign of myasthenia gravis, a disorder in which the eye muscles weaken. A drastic difference in the sizes of the pupils can indicate a tumour somewhere in the body, whereas high blood pressure and diabetes may manifest themselves in periodic blurring of vision.

Recommendations

• Drink fresh carrot juice. This can help to prevent or alleviate some eye problems.
• Eliminate refined/white sugar and white flour from your diet.
• Herbs such as bilberry extract has been shown to improve both normal and night vision. Bayberry bark, cayenne (capsicum), and red raspberry leaves, taken by mouth, are beneficial.
• If you wear glasses, wear clear spectacles that have been treated to keep out ultraviolet rays. This will help protect against damage from ultraviolet exposure. Avoid wearing tinted eyeglasses for this purpose, especially on a regular basis as dark glasses prevent needed light from entering the eyes. The functioning of the pineal gland, which plays an important role in the regulation of metabolism, behaviour, and physiological functions, is largely governed by sunlight.
• Be careful when using drugs, whether prescription or over the counter. Some may cause eye problems. Drugs that can cause damage to the optic nerve, retina, or other vital parts of the eye include the following: Aspirin, Corticosteroids, Marihuana, Nicotinic acid (niacin) if used for long periods, Diuretics, Antihistamines, and digitals preparations can cause disturbances in colour distinction.

Considerations

• The combination of nicotine, sugar, and caffeine may temporarily affect vision.
• According to ophthalmologist (medical doctor, eye specialist) and author Dr Gary Price Todd use of margarine and vegetable shortening is dangerous for those with certain eye disorders.
• People who work at computers every day are at risk for eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry or irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, double vision and after images.
• Zinc may help reduce vision loss because it is a factor in the metabolic functioning of several enzymes in the chorioretinal complex. Never take more than 100 milligrams daily.
• People who wear contact lenses need to take precautions against eye damage because of the increased risk of injury and infection associated with them.

Many cases of eye damage and vision loss are linked to underlying diseases of one type or another. High blood pressure produces a gradual thickening of the blood vessels inside the eyes that can result in visual impairment and even blindness. Early cataracts may be related to diabetes. Other factors linked to declining eyesight include too much sun exposure, poor nutrition, exposure to tobacco smoke or other pollutants, and dehydration.

Eyestrain

Eyestrain causes a dull, aching sensation around and behind the eyes that can expand into a generalized headache. It may feel painful or fatiguing to focus your eyes. Eyestrain is commonly a result of overuse of the eyes for activities requiring close, precise focus, such as reading or computer work.

Recommendations

• Lie down, close your eyes, and place a cold compress over your eyes. Relax for 10 minutes or longer, replacing the compress with a fresh one as necessary. This often helps to alleviate discomfort. You can also try using a wet tea bag or cold cucumber slices. The cold shrinks the swollen blood vessels.
• Take measures to avoid eyestrain. Try to vary your tasks so that your eyes change focusing distance every so often. When doing close work for prolonged periods take periodic focus breaks. Every 20 minutes or so, look away from your work and focus your eyes on something in the distance for a minute or two.
• If you work with computers for long periods of time, take a 5- or 10-minute break every hour. Focus on distant objects as often as possible.
• Get sufficient sleep. Fatigue promotes eyestrain.
• Take quality supplements vitamin A and lutein (needed for all eye disorders) and vitamin B complex (helps to alleviate eye fatigue).

Like all other parts of the body, the eyes need to be nourished properly. Proper eye care includes a healthy diet containing the proper amounts of vitamins A, B, C, E and the minerals selenium and zinc. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of these vitamins and minerals, especially yellow and yellow-orange foods such as carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe and also cauliflower, broccoli, raw cabbage, sunflower seeds, and watercress. A well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help keep your eyes healthy.

Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

The post How to Improve Eyesight Naturally appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Eyesight Problems – Hazy vision, difficulty in reading, tired eyes, and headaches are all types of eyesight problems. They may be the result of vision problems, high blood pressure, and eyestrain, among other factors.

Treatment – Yoga Candle Gazing – is a beneficial yoga exercise for eyestrain.

Homeopathy – Consult a qualified practitioner/therapist – specific remedies to be taken for eyestrain include: Arnica when the muscles are tired.

The Bates Method – This is designed to strengthen the eye muscles and rectify vision problems as a natural alternative to wearing glasses. The Bates Method is a combination of relaxation and exercises to strengthen naturally the muscles that control each eye. It was devised by William Horatio Bates. Find out more in his book Better Eyesight Without Glasses.

Basic Bates Exercises –

• Splash the eyes alternatively with warm and cold water twice a day.
• Avoid staring and shift your sight constantly.
• Blink every ten seconds to lubricate the eye.
• Practice focusing on objects far and near.
• Stand and swing your body gently, letting the eyes move with the body.
• Remember particular objects. Bates believed that seeing objects in the mind’s eye helped the eyes to see the objects in reality.

Eye Muscle Exercises Help Save Sight

Most people do not realize the amount of influence they have over their eyesight. The ability to see is greatly dependent on how one uses and exercises their eyes. Like all the muscles in the body, the ones that control eyesight must be exercised in order to keep them supple and strong. Call it “vision maintenance.”

Modern life requires using the eyes in ways very different from those under which we evolved. Now we must make special choices in order to protect and maintain our natural vision.

The main reason we lose our vision, believe it or not, is literacy. Reading and writing are new skills in the scope of human evolution. During most of human evolution, our eyes were primarily used to gaze afar – to locate food, shelter, and threats to safety. When focusing off at a distance, the muscles that control the shape of the eye and the shape of the lens remain in a relatively natural and relaxed state.

However, in order to focus on something close, such as a book or a computer screen, the muscles that control the shape of the lens and the eye must contract. For brief periods of time, this reshaping of the eye tissues does not pose a problem. However, we now spend most of our time focusing on nearby objects such as books, papers, televisions, and computer screens. We place our eye muscles under constant tension for hours every day, causing a permanent distortion of the lens and the eyeball itself. Thus, vision deteriorates. To maintain or improve your natural vision, corrective lenses are not the answer as they cause damage to eye tissues.

By contrast, vision improvement techniques address the causes of vision problems. Losing your vision and wearing corrective lenses can often be avoided. You can learn eye exercises that prevent vision loss and improve vision after it is impaired also is possible. Vision maintenance techniques enhance the strength and flexibility of the muscles and tissues of the eye, improving focus and clarity of vision at any distance:

• When reading or working at a computer, occasionally take a minute to look out the window at a distant object, studying the details of that object. This activity allows the eye muscles to relax. (Blankly gazing out the window does not make eye tissues return to their natural shape, whereas focusing on distant details does.) Do this once every thirty minutes or so for about a minute at a time. The exercise takes very little effort and helps to preserve your vision.

• If you wear corrective lenses, be sure to take them off whenever they are not needed, thus giving your eyes an opportunity to work naturally, especially when you are outdoors where the eyes can also receive full-spectrum light.

Eyesight can be improved using natural vision improvement exercises. By regularly performing a series of simple exercises, most people can throw their glasses away. Meir Schneider’s Yoga for Your Eyes offers a complete program including a booklet, eye exercise chart, and a video teaching you how to improve your vision naturally. Meir Schneider was born without sight. He developed his own total approach to self-healing and used it to reverse his own blindness.

Source:

The Complete Family Guide to Alternative Medicine by C. Norman Shealy M.D. PhD

Never Be Sick Again by Raymond Francis, M.Sc.

The post How to improve our eyes naturally appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

In addition, to health problems, there are also ethical issues in the dairy industry. Not many people are aware that cows are continuously inseminated in order to produce milk and their babies are traumatically removed the next day after they are born.

What happens next to those scared baby calves?

If they are ‘lucky’, they are either castrated without anaesthetic and get to ‘live’ or in most cases, they are slaughtered.

What happens to the mother cow? 

She is slaughtered after just four pregnancies at the age of five when she would naturally live to around 25 years old! It’s sad, isn’t it? Can you imagine such horror? I cannot picture having four continuous pregnancies, each time having my baby taken away the day after it was born. How do you think it would feel to experience this four times in a row? We would be unlikely to perform well, both mentally and physically. Just writing this paragraph gives me goosebumps. I am so glad I do not eat dairy anymore due to those ethical and health reasons.

So, what do you drink instead of dairy?

There are plant-based kinds of milk made of rice, soya, almonds, hazelnuts, and hemp… In the past, I used it either for myself or as a follow-up milk for my son, packaged organic rice milk. I used it quite a lot as it is a healthier alternative to dairy milk, however, do not forget the fact that all boxed/packaged beverages are pasteurized/heated. The pasteurization process is based on the use of one of the following time and temperature relationships – High-Temperature Short-Time Treatment (HTST). This process uses higher heat for less time to kill pathogenic bacteria. For example, milk and juices are pasteurized at 161°F (72°C) for 15 seconds.

So, what is healthy milk?

The best choice is freshly made milk using raw (not salted, not roasted!) pre-soaked nuts or seeds as it contains high levels of vitamin E, calcium, protein, magnesium, potassium, iron, amino acids, zinc, essential fatty acids, and more. So it’s highly nutritious and tastes delicious!

What is the reason for pre-soaking nuts and seeds?

The reason for pre-soaking is to remove the enzyme inhibitors. What are they? The enzyme inhibitors prevent the nut/seed from breaking down before germinating in the soil.

They are difficult to digest by our bodies and cause us to feel bloated). Pre-soaking time of most nuts and seeds is about 6-8 hours to increase their nutritional value, you can also sprout them for an additional 12 or even 24 hours. Just make sure that you soak the nuts/seeds in water, rinse 2 times daily and discard the soaked water.

How do you get the milk out of the nuts?

All you need is a good blender and a strainer in a form of a nut milk bag or even a cheesecloth will work too. I now use Vitamix and I love it and cannot believe I lived so long without it! My big regret is that I did not get it much sooner. Especially at a time when my son was a baby/toddler as I could have made fresh nut milk and smoothies then, instead of buying packaged/boxed rice/soya milk.

If you can, please try to aim for quality, organically grown nuts and seeds as they are grown without pesticides and therefore have a higher nutritional content.

What is actually plant-based milk?

• Plant-based milk is so-called for its white dairy-like appearance and its similarity in taste and uses to cow’s milk.

• Plant-based milk freshly made is not the same (nutrition- and taste-wise) as pasteurized packaged milk.

• Plant-based milk is a great alternative to cow’s milk.

• Nut milk is made mainly from almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and/or coconuts.

• Seed milk is a great replacement for people with nut allergies.

• Seed milk is made from hemp, sesame, or sunflower seeds.

• Nut milk makes a great base for ice cream.

• Freshly made nut milk, without anything added to them, is purely made from nuts and water. Likewise, seed milk only contains seeds and water. Nothing else. They are delicious drunk in this way, or you could add natural sweeteners or flavorings.

• Plant-based milk is very nutritious, filling, and delicious.

• Pure nut milk will keep for a few days in the fridge. Those with added fruit will go off quite quickly.

• Plant-based milk can be drunk on its own or by adding fruits. When doing so, as far as food combining goes – if you eat nuts and fruits together, they ferment in the stomach which can lead to you feeling bloated and gassy. Because the fiber is removed through a nut milk bag and the nuts are not whole but in a milk form, this is less likely to happen, or at least not as intensely. As well as nut and seed milk, you can also make milk from oats, rice, soya, and/or quinoa.

So, now you know why I don’t drink cow’s milk. After removing dairy completely from my diet, my health improved (better digestion, skin, and higher energy…). I hope you found this article helpful and perhaps inspiring. And if you are considering replacing dairy from your diet and do not know how to go about it, reach out, I am happy to advise.

Lenka

The post Why do I drink plant-based milk and not cow’s milk? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

The speech is called Social Speech – Praise an Individual.

“Tonight, I am going to talk about somebody who I feel should be praised. That somebody is a special person to me. Her name is Anita. Why am I praising her? Because she made the biggest impact in my life – she transformed my life and thanks to her, I am here.

When I met her, I was very ill and diagnosed with an incurable illness. Anita showed me another perspective on life, she offered a different solution to my health problems.

Through her knowledge, I gained clarity! She was confident that I will get well again after changing my diet and stopping using painkillers and toxic products for my body and my household.

I applied all her advice to my life and you know what – it worked! I recovered from my illness in just a few months and have not been ill since!

What my doctors and I thought was impossible to achieve before I met Anita – became possible and that was a huge realisation for me! I can’t be grateful enough to Anita for her invaluable advice, and for guiding me on my journey to great health. I am so grateful to her for transforming my health, my mindset, and my life.

This wonderful lady inspired me so much that I changed my entire career! I went to study management in Florida and wanted to work for a corporate company but instead, my passion became my profession where I inspire and motivate people, just like Anita. And I also believe that our health is the biggest wealth and to gain it, we need to protect it and look after it well.

So, I truly believe that people with – such a gift to humanity – deserve to be awarded, don’t you think?”

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Here are 4 steps (out of many more) on how to go about it:

1. Fizzy drink is a liquid Satan, it is the devil! There is nothing in the fizzy drink that should be put into your body. For starters, fizzy drinks’ high levels of phosphorous can increase calcium loss from the body, as can its sodium and caffeine. You know what this means – bone loss, which may lead to osteoporosis. And the fizzy drink is loaded with sugar! No, don’t go patting yourself on the back if you drink only diet fizzy drinks. That stuff is even worse. Aspartame (an ingredient commonly found in diet fizzy drinks and other sugar-free foods) has been blamed for arthritis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis – that was my diagnosis thanks to drinking fizzy drinks in the past.

2. Unless you are from Mars, you have heard about the “eight glasses of water a day”, haven’t you? Water is vital for keeping your body clean and detoxified. It literally flushes out all the crap and toxins your body stores from your horrendous diet. Drinking lots of water can help with the elimination process. If the taste of water bores you, try squeezing some lemon, lime, or some fruits such as strawberries or raspberries. Say goodbye to fizzy drinks and hello to a healthy body.

3. “Don’t talk to me until I have had my morning coffee.” Uhm, think how widely accepted it has become that people need coffee to wake up. If you can’t wake up without it, it’s because you are either addicted to caffeine, sleep-deprived, or a generally unhealthy slob. Caffeine is not heroin, and you will learn to live without it. Caffeine raises stress hormone levels, also it can cause headaches, digestive problems, constipation, fatigue, and more. But don’t go grabbing for the decaf. Coffee, whether regular or decaf, is highly acidic. Acidic foods cause your body to produce fat cells, in order to keep the acid away from your organs. If you enjoy an occasional cup of coffee, fine, but if you need it, give it up! A much better way to start the day is with a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea – organic, of course, just like I do. Or get a freshly squeezed organic juice for an instant jumpstart. Once you are off your caffeine addiction, you will get totally high from freshly squeezed juice.

4. Give up the idea that you can be sedentary and still lose weight. You need to exercise! Eating properly will dramatically improve your health, body and all aspects of your life. But you still have to move your ass! Exercise burns fat and calories, improves circulation, regulates pooping, builds strength, and detoxifies the body through sweating. Plus, working out tends to keep our junk food cravings and elephant appetites at bay.

This is not a diet. This is a way of life. Use your head, read labels and take excellent care of yourself. It is time to get healthy and skinny bitch! I love this book! It is such an eye-opener, I can highly recommend it to you.

The post Skinny Bitch :) appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

I define mentoring as a professional relationship in which an experienced person (the mentor) assists a less-experienced person (the mentee) in transforming on a personal and professional level. A mentor is someone who has been there and done it. They have experience in the area you are looking to grow in and have previously solved the challenge you are wanting to solve.

Not everything in my life has gone always smoothly but I have been fortunate enough to have great mentors who were willing to take me on and provide meaningful opportunities for growth. These mentors have taught me about what is important in my life.

Now, let me introduce to you one of them – my wonderful mentor Anita Koch who made the biggest impact in my life. She is a holistic health coach, successfully runs a Lifestyle Centre in North Carolina and has transformed the lives of thousands of people from all over the world. I can still recall the first meeting with Anita very clearly. It was at a chiropractic clinic in Florida, where we both lived many years ago, and where she was running health programmes.

At that time, I was very ill, desperate to get well and so confused about my illness and what I should or shouldn’t do. I believe that as a mentee you need to listen and trust your mentor and put things into action. I decided to join Anita’s programme and things started to change rapidly on weekly bases.

I also had the honour of meeting some of her other mentees who succeeded in a battle with illness, and I was totally blown away to hear such inspirational stories and that assured me that I was in good hands. I wanted to get well too and therefore I took all her advice seriously. I trusted her because I could see my progress from the early days.

Anita showed me another perspective on life, she offered a different solution to my health problems. Through her knowledge, I gained clarity. She also showed me how to live and keep a healthy lifestyle. She lent me some wonderful books about alternative health.

At that time many years ago, it was a new thing. She was confident that I will get well again after changing my diet and quitting some bad habits, such as taking painkillers and using harmful products.

She advised me on how to read food labels, how to identify good ingredients from the bad ones and how to prepare nourishing meals from scratch. I followed her advice, reorganized my kitchen, bought ethical products and applied all her teachings to my life. And I never looked back. I recovered from my illness in 3 months and have not been ill since.

Anita’s message “You don’t have to be sick!” had inspired me so much that I wanted to pass it on and transform people’s lives too. I arrived at Florida to study management and left a few years later as a completely new person and excited to further study health, nutrition and yoga.

You can imagine how much I am grateful to have met this wonderful person, my mentor Anita, who completely changed my life.

I suggest that all of you, lovely people, explore what area of your life could do with a mentor and work with him or her.

Enjoy the journey!

The post The importance of having mentors in your life appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Well, the truth is if we hold our breath for another 2 and a half mins. to 3 mins. Most of us, unfortunately, would be dead! Did you know that the human body can go up to 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, and only 3 mins without air!

When we try to improve our health, as most people do, we go first with that thing we can go the longest without! The food! Please, don’t get me wrong, changing your diet is a good thing, hydrating enough is good too, in fact, I have been advising people for years on how to improve them. But what I have learned, a few years ago, is that breathing the correct way along with the breathing exercises I teach in my yoga sessions give my clients and myself excellent results! Therefore, the correct way of breathing is something I recommend starting first with when improving people’s lives.

The benefits of correct breathing are huge: detoxify your body, deliver more nutrition to your cells, boost your digestion, improve your sleep and immunity, improve your heart health, mental clarity, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and much more.

Do you know what Pranayama means? Prana means ‘life force’ or ‘energy source’ and Yama means ‘control’. Pranayama means breath control and that word comes from Sanskrit. It is well-known as one of the most effective stressbusters in the Universe. By taking a few long deep breaths, focussing attention on the inhalation and the exhalation, the breath settles down naturally and becomes regular, and we begin to feel calmer and more centered. Did you know that around 70% of your body’s elimination occurs through the lungs?

Now, let’s do a bit of deep breathing. Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your nose or mouth. When you inhale, your belly expands. When you exhale, your belly flattens. Please focus your mind on the belly movement, breathing in the energy, breathing out the toxins. Focus on the breathing rhythm for about 2-3 minutes.

Then open your eyes and notice how you feel. Is your mind quieter, is your breath more smooth? Do you feel peace and calm within yourself? Do you feel refreshed, rejuvenated?

Can you imagine if you did this every day? Smokers take a cigarette break; you can take a breathing break. Make this your new daily habit and it will enhance your well-being both mentally & physically!

If you would like to practice more breathwork come and join my online Yoga class, it will be the best gift you could give to your body. Look forward to hearing from you soon!

Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lb5L-VEm34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bczm0RsIZUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QTJOAI0UoU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFcQpNr_KA4

https://www.anahana.com/en/breathing-exercise/box-breathing

https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/defining-pranayama-breath-and-prana

A book: The Spirit of Meditation by Erica Brealey

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While the world is spinning on its head and our day-to-day activities are limited, now it is a perfect time to try something new. What is it? Something new to work on you!

Now is the right time to juice:
There is no better way to keep your immune system strong than by consuming fruits and vegetables or freshly extracted juice. I love juicing and have been doing it regularly for over 10 years! If you like to learn more about it, here is a step by step guide with loads of lovely recipes you may find really helpful https://lenkapagan.com/product/healing-beverages-book/

Now is the right time to cook healthy meals from scratch:
I personally prepare simple meals most of the time under 30 minutes because long cooking decreases its nutritional value. I am aware that lots of people do more home cooking from scratch
these days than before corona times, as they have more time and want to get healthier. When I visited a few online or offline shops in past weeks, I could not find any flour at all! So, it
shows that lots of people got crazy about baking! I remember one time at the beginning of the lockdown, flour, chickpeas, beans, lentils, and even rice or pasta were hardly found on the shelves.
And if you were lucky enough to find something somewhere, you had to wait in a long line for it, for example, my longest wait was 2 hours!

I bought once a 5 kg Indian chapati wholemeal flour, as it was the only flour available at that time. Believe it or not, I used it to bake pretty much everything (rolls, flatbread, cakes…)  As weird as
it sounds, it was not too bad at all; we managed the situation well and found that tasty enough!

Now is the right time for exercise:
Did you know that exercise can help your brain grow, and delay brain aging? Your biceps aren’t the only muscles to grow when you work out – your brain does too. It seems that working out triggers the release of growth factors; chemicals in the brain that encourage new blood vessels and brain cells to grow. Tone up your body and your brain health will benefit, too. Everybody knows about the benefits of exercise.

We know, for example, that exercising several times a week helps combat obesity and reduces the risk of developing serious conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
But it is less well known that exercise also has important benefits for cognitive function and our mental health.

I can’t stress this one enough. Working up a sweat is a great way to reduce anxiety, so try to keep your body moving for at least half an hour. We were lucky here in the UK during the lockdown that we could go out daily for some walk or exercise. So, we did. I continued with my morning routine on the seafront, and in the afternoon or evening, I took my son for a nature walk or rode our scooters along the beach or to the local parks.

I noticed more and more people got into an exercise in the fresh air and in the sun during the lockdown, as it is so essential for wellbeing With most of us staying at home, a daily walk for those not isolating has become highly valued time for being in nature, getting some fresh air, stretching our legs and just enjoying a different view to the four walls of the home.

Stress is a natural response to life’s challenges and can be a force for good, but when it starts to overwhelm us in difficult times, then it can become a real problem. And when you consider the negative effect that anxiety has on our immune system, it’s more important to try to relax in order to help boost it. This way, we become in control of our health and avoid all infections.

Now is the right time to stay positive:
Nothing depresses your immune response like stress does; watching TV excessively, reading mainstream news, and posts on Social media platforms can be so frightening! I did it for about a week or so and felt quite sad, negative, overwhelmed, and afraid of the future. So, I made a stop at that all and just allowed myself to check it just a couple of times a week for no more than an hour or so, and what a difference it made!

It is important to find ways to encourage ourselves. In this context, all activities that involve reading, exercising, meditating, juicing, preparing healthy foods, spending quality time with our family, using social media apps to keep in touch with our loved ones, watching comedies, can be very helpful in maintaining a more positive frame of mind. During this difficult time, keeping our immune system in good shape is of extreme importance. Why? Simply because strong immunity works not only as a shield against viruses but also as a tool to help us recover faster with less severity and reduced symptoms. Two of the many important factors contributing to your health are the sunshine vitamin (vitamin D) and vitamin C. That said, daily doses of them is always a good idea.

See, if we look at it from a different perspective, this lockdown made some positive changes in people’s lives, for example: cooking more nutritious foods, exercising, and having plenty of rest.

This is a limited Lockdown Offer, Online Nutritional Therapy Consultation,  and I honestly do not know how this low price is going to work out, so jump on it while you can!

What will you gain in this 90-minute Online Nutritional Therapy Consultation? 

• Specifically, which foods to add to your diet and which foods to avoid
• A discussion of foods that may be contributing to your ailments
• Suggestions of foods that may help alleviate your symptoms and the link explained
• The explanation of any vitamin and mineral deficiencies and advice on ways to correct these

Book Online Nutritional Therapy Consultation with Lenka Now!

The post Now is the right time… appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Personally, I have tried a variety of different natural deodorants, from a crystal stone to roll-on and cream deodorants, it’s worth mentioning the latter became my favorite after all those years of research. My best choice is Fit Pit Woman with rosemary and bergamot essential oils, available in two sizes 25ml and 100ml in glass jars and smells wonderful! Also, it is 100% organic with no aluminium salts, parabens or BPAs, petrochemicals and plastic packaging. The 100ml size lasts me about 3 months.

When it comes to soaps in our home, we do not use any antibacterial soaps. We only have natural and organic soap bars over the liquid soap in order to minimize plastic use. Why? Because many antibacterial soaps that you buy from the supermarket can cause rashes, irritation, itchiness, and soreness and even dry cracked hands.

In fact, in recent years the FDA recognized and announced that antibacterial soaps contain certain harmful ingredients such as triclosan and triclocarban (triclosan is used more often in liquid soaps, while triclocarban is used mainly in soap bars and banned in the US). “Some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term,” says Janet Woodcock, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation & Research. FDA proposed the rule in late 2013, citing concerns about potential hormonal effects and antibiotic resistance associated with the chemicals.

I remember, when growing up, my family and I used to have dry cracked hands quite often especially in the winter months, simply from using cheap and harsh chemical-based soaps.

Did you know that natural organic soaps have healing properties? They only contain natural ingredients and that can greatly contribute to the treatment of eczema, acne and other skin conditions.

Natural organic soaps are ecosystem friendly and do not contain any chemicals or pesticides. Many of the natural oils that are found in natural and organic-based soaps contain antibacterial and anti-fungal properties of their own. They are far more biodegradable than their antibacterial counterparts, and they do not contain synthetic chemicals whatsoever!

Some of my favorite organic soap bars are made by Faith in Nature (lavender, rosemary, aloe vera), Akamuti (lavender/geranium and rose beauty soap), Friendly Soap (Lemongrass/Hemp Soap, Lavender), Dr. Bronner’s pure castile bar soap (lavender, peppermint). You can check them out in the provided links below.

So, I hope my post has inspired you a bit and that you will try to use more natural and organic products which are not only good for your health, but also for our animals and environment.

Resources:

http://thegreenwoman.co.uk/shop/FitPit-Natural-deodorant

https://cen.acs.org/articles/94/web/2016/09/FDA-bans-triclosan-triclocarban-consumer.html

https://www.faithinnature.co.uk/

https://www.akamuti.co.uk/

https://www.friendlysoap.co.uk/product/lemongrass-hemp-soap/

https://www.drbronner.com/

“Never Be Sick Again: Health Is a Choice, Learn How to Choose It” by Raymond Francis, M.Sc.

The post Why I only use natural deodorants and soaps? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

But in recent years I have prepared it in various ways and with my son we really enjoy it. I hope this article will inspire you enough to give this sturdy brassica a try.

Check out how nutritious cauliflower really is:

Cauliflower is considered a superfood because of its nutrient-rich content. Cauliflower is naturally high in fibre and vitamins C, B and K and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus and other important nutrients.

Cauliflower has a group of substances known as glucosinolates. As you chew and digest it, these substances are broken down into compounds that may help prevent cancer, they help protect cells from damage and have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial effects.

• Helps Reduce Cancer Risk
• Fights Inflammation
• Provides High Levels of Vitamins and Minerals (Especially Vitamin C and Vitamin K)
• Aids in Weight Loss
• Preserves Eye Health
• Helps Balance Hormones
• Improves Digestion and Detoxification
• Decreases Risk for Heart Disease and Brain Disorders

Caution: High-fibre foods like cauliflower may cause bloating and gas, especially for people with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis.

How to store cauliflower:

Store your cauliflower in the fridge with the leaves on until cooking. As for all foods, it is best to eat it within a couple of days after purchase, although it will be fine for up to a week.

How to prepare it:

If the leaves are fresh, especially those near the core are sweet, cook them as well. The outer leaves may need to be discarded. The stalk can be used in most dishes – cut into slices and cook with the rest of the florets.

Cauliflower is versatile and can be prepared in several ways:

Raw – It is delicious on its own, in salads or as a cauliflower couscous.

Cauliflower Couscous (raw or roasted)

Pulsing the curds in a processor until you have what resembles couscous (don’t over-process it or you will end up with a paste). You can also grate it instead for a chunkier texture. You can leave it raw or roast it lightly by thinly spreading it out on a baking tray in a hot oven for about 10 mins, until lightly toasted. You can add some spices like cumin, coriander, garam masala, chilli, ginger and garlic.

This goes well with curries but avoid lots of liquid so it will not become a soggy cauliflower. This dish makes a trendy alternative to pasta, rice or couscous. It is especially good for low-carb diets.

Steam it – The simplest way is to steam it, about 3-6 mins depending on the size of florets. You can steam the whole head or cut it into florets. Steam the whole cauliflower, about 10 mins, and then grate it into a rice-like texture.

Boil it – You can also boil it, but do not overcook it, it should have a nice bite. I personally don’t boil my vegetables; except in soups of course, as I prefer steaming instead.

Roast it – Cut the head of cauliflower into steaks or florets, spread them on a cooking sheet, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 10 mins in the oven or until just starting to brown at the edges.

Puree it – Once cauliflower has been steamed, it can be pureed until it’s smooth. Some people use it as a substitute for cream sauces.

Mash it – Boost the nutrition value of mashed potatoes by steaming some cauliflower and mashing it into them. Or skip the potatoes and opt for low-carb mashed cauliflower instead. Just add some plant-based milk, season well and serve. You also can mash cauliflower into pizza dough for a lighter crust.

Cauliflower works well with spices such as cumin, turmeric and coriander. Also, with mustard, vinegar, citrus, chillies, olives, nuts especially hazelnuts and pine nuts.

Below are 3 recipes from my book called Plant-Based Recipes for Healthy Living available here https://lenkapagan.com/plant-based-recipes-healthy-living/:

Potato Cauliflower Dish 

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)

1 onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric

1⁄2 tsp ground cumin

1⁄2 tsp ground coriander

1⁄2 tsp curry powder

1⁄2 cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 tomato, diced

1⁄2 lemon, juice

4-6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 handful of fresh coriander leaves

1 handful of frozen peas

Sea salt

Naan bread or brown rice to serve

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add onion and fry for a few minutes.
2. Add all spices and keep stirring for a few minutes.
3. Then add cauliflower, tomato, a splash of water and lemon juice. Cover and cook on a low heat until the cauliflower is tender (about 10 minutes). Keep checking and stirring occasionally so it will not burn. Add a bit of water if needed.
4.  In a separate pot boil or steam potatoes until just tender. Drain and set aside.
5. When the cauliflower is almost tender, add peas, the potatoes, sea salt and cook for a couple of minutes.
6. Serve with brown rice or naan bread and sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves.

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon & Cumin

INGREDIENTS:

1 cauliflower, small pieces

1 lemon, juice

2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 handful of roughly chopped coriander or parsley leaves

Sea salt and cayenne pepper for seasoning

Optional: 1-2 parsnips

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the oven to 180 ̊C. Season the cauliflower with sea salt and spread it out with coconut oil (melted or solid) in an oven dish/roasting pan. Let it roast for about 12 minutes until lightly golden.
2. Now turn the oven off, stir in the cumin seeds and lemon juice, close the oven and leave it in for further 3-5 minutes until tender.
3. Remove the oven dish from the oven and serve with cooked buckwheat (pictured), rice or potatoes and sprinkle with chopped coriander, parsley or spinach leaves.

Brown Rice with Cauliflower & Carrots

INGREDIENTS

1 cauliflower

1 carrot

1-2 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp wholegrain oats

Brown rice

A few tablespoons of water or rice/oat milk

Sea salt

Turmeric

Nutmeg

Fresh parsley

PREPARATION

1. Cook brown rice according to the instructions on the package.
2. Wash cauliflower and cut into florets. Put them on melted coconut oil into a frying pan and stir fry for a few minutes.
3. Add a few tablespoons of water or milk of your choice, grated carrot, oats, sea salt, turmeric and ground nutmeg.
4. Stir frequently so it will not burn and until the cauliflower is tender (about 5-10 minutes).

Serve with brown rice and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Resources:

Plant-Based Recipes for Healthy Living by Lenka Pagan available here https://lenkapagan.com/plant-based-recipes-healthy-living

Autumn and Winter Veg by Guy Watson

www.draxe.com

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Wholefood supplements include a wide variety of products. Almost all health food shops and many supermarkets stock them on their shelves. In general, wholefood supplements are derived from byproducts of foods that provide health benefits.

Wholefood supplements can be high in certain nutrients, contain active ingredients that aid digestive or metabolic processes or provide a combination of nutrients and active ingredients.

It is important to point out that some unscrupulous manufacturers make false promises. It is therefore vital to be an informed consumer. Wholefood supplements come in many shapes and forms – tablets, capsules, powders, liquids, granules and more.

How do we get all the nutrients our bodies need?

By eating a well-balanced, varied diet that contains lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts and pulses…ideally all organically grown without use of pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones.

In general, science demonstrated that natural, whole foods are the most nutritious and therefore the safest to eat.

Synthetics

It has become common knowledge that the best foods for a person to consume are the ones in their most natural state. Processed foods, that have been refined are nowhere near what they started out as.

The same goes for synthetic vitamins. Synthetic vitamins are man-made and bonded together with things that are not good for you.

You may think that you are taking a simple vitamin C supplement. However, most vitamin companies, as part of a cost cutting measure, mix this synthetic vitamin C with vitamins that are foreign to the human body and your body will expel as much of it as possible.

Processed food companies do the same which is why most of the nutritional value from food is stripped once it has been processed.

With that being the circumstance, it is questionable how much of the vitamin C is even entering your system and how much money you are wasting using synthetics.

Synthetic nutrients do not include “whole food supplements,” which are made from concentrated, dehydrated whole foods. Unfortunately, THE MAJORITY of supplements available on the market today are MADE ARTIFICIALLY. These include vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and amino acids, among others.

Wholefood supplements

Another key factor to consider when weighing the option between whole-food versus synthetic vitamins is how well they work when only taken in parts. Most synthetic supplements cut out all of the non-leading roles.

When you eat a naturally grown tomato, straight from the vine, you are getting EVERY NUTRIENT that tomato has to offer. Because that tomato is in its natural state it has everything in it your body needs to properly break down and absorb every vitamin and mineral that tomato has in it.

What are we missing?

The things we are missing out on by relying on supplements are the 15+ other vitamins and minerals that are in the tomato that we won’t find in synthetic vitamins.

Whole-food vitamins take and include those extra vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. This ensures that we are getting the proper amount of each vitamin, as well as making sure everything is there so our bodies can absorb as much as possible.

There are about 75% of adults who take some form of supplements to manage or prevent health issues.

You’ve heard that saying “You are what you eat,” but the truth is you are what you absorb!

Here are my top 3 recommendations of animal-free/plant-based and natural wholefood supplements to keep you in peak condition:

1. ASEA VIA Source is a whole food micronutrient supplement containing vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, organic super-foods, trace minerals and enzymes working together to support cellular health and general wellness.

2. ASEA VIA Biome is a full spectrum probiotic and helps repopulate the body with healthy intestinal flora to aid in digestion. A healthy biome can help improve mood, support healthy immune function, and promote digestive health.

Features an unprecedented 16 probiotic strains, as well as prebiotics that help support a healthy gut flora.  

3. ASEA VIA LifeMax, a cellular longevity complex, attacks the effects of aging at the cellular level, promotes vitality and boosts the immune system.

Shown to help counter the effects of cellular aging and support the body’s natural response to injury and cell maintenance. Shown to make skin appear younger and stimulate optimal cellular health regardless of age.

These high-quality products are science-based and have already helped people improve their health including me. If you like to give them a try, you can either contact me or order them directly on my other business page: www.pagan.teamasea.com

With smart daily supplementation, you will be taking the easiest step to ensure you look and feel your best. And when you combine wholefood supplements with a healthy diet, regular exercise, restful sleep, and stress management, you will be unstoppable!

Source:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

https://aseaglobal.com/products/asea-via

https://pagan.teamasea.com

The post Wholefood Supplements appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

What are the health benefits?

Purple sprouting broccoli is packed with vitamin C and is a good source of carotenoids, iron, folic acid, calcium, fibre, vitamin A and B. It also contains the phytochemical sulforaphane, thought to help prevent cancer and which may provide resistance against heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.

Sulforaphane has been shown to have antimicrobial properties, and it also kills cancer stem cells, which slows tumor growth. This sulfur compound also normalizes DNA methylation, which plays a role in a number of diseases, including hypertension, kidney function, gut health, and cancer.

Sulforaphane also increases enzymes in your liver that help destroy cancer-causing chemicals you may consume or be exposed to in your environment. This compound has even been called “one of the most powerful anticarcinogens found in food.”

How to store purple sprouting broccoli?

It keeps for 4-6 days in a bag in the fridge, but like most greens it is best eaten as fresh as possible.

How to prepare purple sprouting broccoli?

It does not need much trimming, the florets, leaves and stem are all edible and delicious. Just pick off any discoloured leaves and towards the end of the season, trim the bottoms of the stalks if they seem woody.

What are the cooking methods of purple sprouting broccoli?

It is like with asparagus, the less you do it the better. You can boil, steam, stir-fry, roast or griddle to intensify its taste.

• Boiling – should take no more than 5 minutes to boil in an unlidded pan. Lift them out with tongs or a slotted spoon to protect the delicate florets.
• Steaming – will hold in more nutrients and takes about one minute longer than boiling.
• Roasting – will intensify its distinctive flavour, also allows you to add aromatics. Heat the oven to 200C and toss it in a roasting pan with a little oil. Season well with sea salt and pepper and roast for 8-10 minutes.
• Frying – young, tender spears on a medium heat in oil for about 5 minutes. Or cut into small pieces and add to stir-fry.
• Raw – rich in iron, vitamins A, B and C and eating it raw preserves these nutrients well. It is best to eat the smallest, most tender shoots and dress with sea salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar a few minutes before serving.

Purple sprouting broccoli works well with sesame (seeds, oil, and tahini), nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and peanuts), mustard, ginger, citrus (lemon and orange), chillies, black pepper…

Here are five meals with purple sprouting broccoli I have made recently:

1. Oven roasted potatoes with falafel and steamed purple sprouting broccoli

2. Oven roasted potatoes with falafel, steamed purple sprouting broccoli and pumpkin sauce

3. Tofu with stir-fried vegetables (purple sprouted broccoli, tomato, onion, sweet corn, and green beans)

4. Tofu, stir-fried vegetables (purple sprouted broccoli, tomato, onion, sweet corn, and green beans) with millet and pumpkin sauce

5. Steamed potatoes with stir-fried vegetables (purple sprouted broccoli, onion, red pepper, green beans, and beetroot) and tofu

Resources: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/05/18/broccoli-sulforaphane-pill.aspx

https://foodandtravel.com/food/in-season/purple-sprouting-broccoli

Autumn and Winter Veg by Guy Watson

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You know that you can’t live without water, do you? Water is needed to build cells, cleanse the body of waste and prevent diseases and we need a good quality water in order to function properly. Unfortunately, our lakes, rivers and even most groundwater sources have been contaminated and are no longer safest to drink.

But you may not know, that if insufficient water is consumed, the body will utilize what liquid has available. It will recirculate water from the colon and when this happens, the body will become constipated.

Pure water is very important for optimal health. A naturally distilled water found in raw fruits and vegetables, steam distillation provides the purest water possible. Steam distilled water is merely the condensed steam from boiling water. The process of distillation leaves the impurities in water behind.

Our skin is the largest organ that eliminates many impurities. If the skin is not properly cleansed, these impurities can be reabsorbed. Fluoride and chlorine in our water systems are toxic to the body, both inside and out.

Dr Norman W. Walker, who lived to be 119 years old, wrote: “To help retard the process of premature and decrepit old age, it is essential that you drink plenty of distilled water daily.”

Dr F. Batmanghelidj in his best-known book Your Body’s Many Cries for Water outlines the breakthrough medical discovery, that if we drank more water daily degenerative diseases such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, bulimia, Alzheimers disease and many other afflictions could be prevented and sometimes cured.

Dr F. Batmanghelidj says:” You are not sick; You are thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.”

As easy it sounds, how many people really do pay attention to their bodies?

Here is the shocking truth about tap water

A glass of tap water isn’t quite what it seems. Chances are it’s been recycled more than once. That means that it may have already passed through someone else’s body, then through a sewer! It might have gone through a factory, or been previously sold in plastic bottle, then peed out and returned to your water supply! An average glass of UK tap water can contain around 300 chemicals!

Here are some of the “ingredients” found in your average glass of tap water:

• Pesticides such as nitrates
• Drug residues such as painkillers and hormones
• Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, copper and aluminium
• Fluoride
• Disinfectants such as chlorine and trihalomethanes
• Bacteria from your water pipes

It should come with its label, don’t you think? Although some of these contaminants are present in only small quantities, we drink water every day and it all adds up. All sorts of health issues such as IBS or underactive thyroid can be partially caused by the toxins in our tap water.

Here are my 10 tips

1. I no longer drink tap water. If I am out and about, I either bring my distilled water in a plastic-free bottle or I drink bottled water only. But be careful about bottled water as lots of companies use just filtered tap water or worse just de-chlorinated tap water!
2. Choose glass bottle or plant-based bottled over the plastic ones as the chemicals from the plastic can leach into the drink. Especially if stored for a while and or in hot temperatures.  If the water does taste plastically, do not drink it.
3. When drinking water, it is best to drink it at room temperature and at least 30 minutes prior to eating, this also helps reduce your appetite and at least one hour after a meal.
4. Did you know that water should not be consumed with a meal? Do you know why? Because when water is consumed with a meal, it dilutes the digestive juices. This means it takes much longer for our bodies to break the food down and we may not absorb all the valuable nutrients within the foods properly.
5. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger. Drink a glass of water, give it about 30 minutes, then see if you are still hungry.
6. Always check the colour or your urine the lighter the better.
7. Invest into a good quality filter or even better a water distiller. Don’t drink tap water anymore!
8. Carry plastic-free water bottle (plant-based, glass or stainless steel) with you when you leave the house.
9. Rehydrate before and immediately after exercising. You can lose more than a litre in fluids during a vigorous exercise!
10. When I learned about the importance of pure water, I started using Brita filters for filtering my drinking water for a while. After that followed Japanese bamboo charcoal from Charcoal People and then after long research, I invested into a Megahome water distiller, photo bellow, and have been using it (since Summer 2018) for drinking and as well for all my cooking. This is my favourite and best choice of drinking high-quality water which I highly recommend to you too.

I have been following these tips quite successfully for about 15 years after I had to learn my lesson the hard way by ignoring the signs my body was showing me and ended up in the hospital seriously dehydrated. But you do not have to wait until something happens, prevent it while it’s still time and start now! Invest into a good quality drinking water and listen to your body!



Resources:
Fuel for Life by Bear Grylls
Recipes for Life by Rhonda J. Malkmus
Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr F. Batmanghelidj

The post The truth about tap water and my 10 tips appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

You can manage without food for about three weeks but without water you would not survive in 3 to 4 days. So, regular intake of fluids must be on top of your list! If you don’t drink enough fluids, you could experience some warning signs such as a headache, tiredness, dry skin, joint pain, constipation, feel constantly hungry and weight gain!

According to the National Health Service (NHS) if your body loses more fluids than you take in you can be dehydrated. If it isn’t treated it can get worse and become a serious problem.  

Symptoms of dehydration in adults and children include:

• feeling thirsty
• dark yellow and strong-smelling urine
• feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• feeling tired
• dry mouth, lips and eyes
• urinating little, and fewer than 4 times a day

I know these symptoms very well because I had them all!  I ended up in hospital twice within 6 months as I nearly lost my kidneys and even my life how seriously dehydrated I was when living in Florida over ten years ago. I have personally met people who were dehydrated and ended in hospital and unfortunately, I keep seeing people who don’t drink enough fluids every day and everywhere around me! This is quite a common issue!

So, why do we need water? Here are some benefits of water intake:

• water carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells
• flushes out waste products
• regulates our body temperature
• lubricates various parts of our body – our bowels, for example, to prevent constipation and keeps us going
• helps with our metabolism
• protects our organs and joints
• keeps our skin healthy and rehydrated
• helps our brain to function

Drink enough fluids during the day so that your urine is a pale clear colour. Also try adding some foods with high water content – such as fruits especially melons, vegetables especially cucumbers, soups, ice creams etc.

How much water do we need?

On average, we need around 1,5-2 litres (6-8 glasses) a day.  It really depends on many factors. For example, how active are you? Have you exercised and sweated a lot? Are you in a tropical country or in the Northern countries with cold temperatures?  Is your diet higher in processed foods or raw vegetables and fruits? Are you ill or do you take medication daily? Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?…

The best way to judge if you have drunk enough is to check the colour of your urine as it should be light straw coloured. If it is darker, you need to drink more. Note that some coloured foods such as beetroot and some medications can make the colour of your urine darker, even if you are well hydrated.

I hope you found this article helpful. In the next blog post, I will share with you the truth of tap water, bottled water and some handy tips.

Resources:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dehydration/

Fuel for Life by Bear Grylls

Recipes for Life by Rhonda J. Malkmus

The post The importance of water! appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

I hope you enjoyed the holidays…
… Now let’s get ready to win in 2019!

What do you want to accomplish this year?

New Year Resolutions are always made with great intentions but unfortunately, it can be much easier to break them than to make them! Set an intention and infuse this year with positive change.

Here are 10 tips you may find helpful to succeed:

• Don’t over indulge all the time – Most of us had lots of social events to go to during the holidays and felt compelled to meet over a meal or alcoholic drinks. And this is an ongoing thing not just over holidays.  Why not suggest meeting for a cup of herbal tea or a non-alcoholic drink instead?   If you go out to eat, ensure you have something small to eat earlier, so then by the time you go out for dinner you are not so ravenous and end up ordering everything on the menu. Stay in control and order sensibly so you don’t end up feeling guilty of a wrong food choice and bloated!

• Set achievable goals – Don’t make it too hard for yourself, break your goal into smaller steps as it makes it easier to achieve.

• Think positive – Try to think positively and put in place strategies to stay healthy, then there is a good chance that’s how it will turn out. What you focus on it expands, so focus on positive things instead of negative ones. Try it and you will see it works!

• Adopt healthy eating habits – Set some healthy eating goals such as reducing caffeine intake (including coffee, black tea, cola drinks and even chocolate).

• Drink plenty of water every day to remain hydrated and flush the toxins out. When you feel hungry, drink a glass of pure water first and wait about ten minutes, many times we think we are hungry and instead we are just thirsty.

• Minimize consuming refined carbs such as white baking goods, white pasta, white rice and refined sugar. Instead try eating complex carbs such as whole meal rye, whole wheat and spelt baking goods, whole wheat or spelt pasta, brown rice and natural sweeteners such as coconut sugar, xylitol, stevia, raw honey etc.

• Take some time to relax by simply taking a power nap, listening to nature sounds music, meditating or yoga.

• Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Feeling tired can easily increase your stress levels, lower your concentration and lead to unhealthy food/drink choices.

• Stay active – Try and exercise every day even if it is just for 10 minutes to start with. The main thing is establishing a routine. Once established, gradually increase the time.

• Don’t give up! Be firm in your resolve but if you slip, don’t criticize yourself, instead gently remind yourself of your intention and keep at it. Change doesn’t happen overnight, be patient. Don’t quit just because you slip today or find sticking to your resolutions tricky sometimes. Get back on the wagon again tomorrow and keep at it, believe yourself that you can do it! Don’t just focus on how difficult the journey will be but instead on the results how great you will look and feel when you achieve it!

” If you talk about it, it’s a dream, if you envision it, it’s possible, but if you schedule it, it’s real.” – Tony Robbins

If you are at a stage where you think your wellbeing could be improved or you do not know how and where to start, it may be time to consider getting professional help. Why don’t you try some health coaching sessions with me? I run a special winter offer this month, you can check it out here: https://lenkapagan.com/product/health-coaching/

Let’s make this a super healthy new year!

Sending you loads of love and warm wishes for 2019!

Lenka x

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When I was a child, our Christmas at home was pretty hectic, as my stepmom was busy in the kitchen, dad was preparing the tree, clearing the snow, if any, or doing other things around the house. My brother and I were busy trying to make our house nice and clean, decorating the tree…which most of us can relate to…but there are various ways to turn the frenzied holiday season into a time of resonance and even joy.  

Here are 7 tips for the less stressed holiday season:

• Buy less or create instead: There is no need to break the bank for Xmas presents. I have even met some people who take a loan for presents every year! It is not what Xmas is about. Try to use your creativity and make gifts (cards) with your children which are unique, and handmade with love or buy simple and practical gifts for less.

• Declutter: I always do a big clean in the Autumn and give away unwanted stuff (clothes, toys, kitchen items…) to my friends, nice neighbours or charity shops.  It feels so good doing that!

• Act kindly: When you take the time to really recognize and appreciate others, you come away feeling good that you have passed on some measure of compassion and kindness, which is really the core of the birth of a prophet’s life, someone who taught love. 

• Take it easy! Some time ago, I used to try to prove that I could do it all – like a supermom. I tried to overdo and overextend myself. You know just like in yoga or any other sport if you overextend long enough, eventually the strain turns into real injury, and it is not worth it. Your health is your biggest wealth! So, please listen to your body, do not overdo it anymore and if you feel that you are pushing too hard by how you feel – pause for a little bit, have a rest and take it easy!

• Buy presents in Summer or Autumn sale: Let’s be honest, buying gifts at the last minute can be very stressful. Just how annoyed you may feel hearing when people keep asking you: “Have you bought Xmas gifts yet?” You may get more stressed just hearing that and thinking how will you manage it all on time this Xmas? Here is a simple answer: buy presents in advance, perhaps in the Summer sales just like I do, it is cheaper, and you feel more prepared for Xmas, so less stressed.

• Gratitude: Being thankful that we live in peace, love and have a roof over our heads and we do have food, consider many more things you are grateful for and perhaps write a list and keep reading it every day…During the holidays you can direct your gratitude toward your family, friends, and all the people you care about.

• You don’t have to! An immediate remedy for stress would be to stop being busy with activities that you don’t like and are not making you fulfilled. I know there are people who still mail lots of cards to their family and friends and perhaps feel a bit disappointed when they receive just a few back (that was my case a few years back), women who bake many kinds of different cookies prior to holidays and then feel guilty eating them as they gain weight in most cases. Yes, that was me a few years back, but I learnt and got out of it.

Now, I manage the holiday period by staying healthy and balanced through eating well and practising yoga. I love Xmas but make no fuss about it anymore by preparing ahead of time and taking it easy without any obligation.  

I hope you found these tips helpful and that you truly enjoy this holiday season! Just remember, take it easy!

The post Are you ready for Xmas? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

The best carrots are those grown in a dry year with the sunshine and slow growth, leading to a great intense flavour. Due to not having enough moisture in the soil, carrots can occasionally get to their customers a little floppy but don’t reject these as they are often the sweetest.

Carrots have a reputation for improving your eyes due to a large amount of beta-carotene they contain. They also contain vitamin C – excellent for the skin and immune system. Also, alpha-carotene, protecting us against heart disease and cancer.

Yes, they also contain sugar, fructose, which makes them sweet and ideal for cakes, carrot cake, and often used in soups, stocks, stews…

How to store carrots?

Don’t worry too much about a little softening, this means in most cases that they have been grown slowly and without irrigation.  Washing carrots can damage their protective skin so therefore they are best stored muddy, in a paper bag in a cool place for several weeks. If they are washed, they are more likely to deteriorate faster and are best kept in the fridge up to a week.

Storing bunched carrots with their tops on, twisting them off to avoid water being sucked from the roots, keeping the tops fresh in a glass of water, just like cut flowers, and using them sparingly in a garnish or in your salads, are some of the best methods to retain the nutrients

Before preparing my carrots I always scrub them with a small brush, I never peel them as the skins contain lots of nutrients.

The best cooking methods

The best way to maintain carrots’ natural sweetness is to keep them away from water.

• Steaming carrots is one of the healthiest options and takes just about 10 minutes to steam, depending on how soft/hard you like them. We enjoy eating them crunchy.
• Stir-frying is my other preferred cooking method. I like to mix them along with other vegetables such as green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, peas, corn, broccoli, courgette, mushrooms and of course onion and garlic. Don’t forget dried herbs and spices – they are never missed in my food preps. Before serving add some fresh herbs and voila, a nutritious and delicious dish is created.

Other cooking methods are roasting, braising and boiling (for example soups).

Raw preparation is the best option to preserve its nutritional value and original texture. I often cut them into matchsticks and give them to my son to put in his lunch box or add to my raw salad along with other veg such as cabbage, beetroots or even an apple with raisins…

Raw carrots are ideal for juicing. I usually buy a 5 kg bag/box from organic farmers (Riverford or Abel & Cole) and use it up in a week. I love fresh vegetable juice!

Carrots are the main vegetables in the juice I have, almost every day. It is the base of all vegetable juices. Carrots contain vitamins A (beta-carotene), D, E, K, C and minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and other minerals and trace elements.

Carrot juice acts as a liver cleanser and therefore you may experience your skin turning a slight tint of orange in the palms of your hands when you first start drinking fresh carrot juice daily. It’s nothing to worry about, it doesn’t last long and there is no permanent skin discolouration! I too experienced this discolouration on my skin as I drank a lot of pure fresh carrot juice every day. If you turn too orange, just lower the volume of carrots and juice them along with other vegetables such as kale, spinach, celery or apples.

Why does such discolouration happen? Well, it is a good sign. It means your body is getting rid of accumulated toxins from your liver – it’s simply detoxing.

Lenka’s Favourite Juice 1 (from my book Healing Beverages page 21)

It makes about three glasses of juice. This is a very nutritious, alkaline and energetic juice! 

1kg of carrots

1 cucumber

1 pack of celery

1 apple peeled if not organic

1 handful of kale and/or spinach

  ½ lemon, peeled                                                                                                                                                                

2 cm of ginger root

A few leaves of mint

A few leaves of parsley

Put all ingredients through a juicer and strain. Drink immediately.

I hope I inspired you about carrots a little bit. If you like to find more nutritious recipes with or without carrots, check my ebooks: Healing Beverages https://lenkapagan.com/product/healing-beverages-book/ and Plant-Based Recipes for Healthy Living https://lenkapagan.com/product/plant-based-recipes-for-healthy-living/

Happy Autumn!

Lenka x

The post The benefits of carrots and why I love them! appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

I did some research and found this:

What is distilled water? It is water that has been boiled into vapor and condensed back into liquid in a separate container. Impurities in the original water that do not boil below or at the boiling point of water remain in the original container. Thus, distilled water is one type of purified water. Drinking water has been distilled from sea water since at least about AD 200 – Wikipedia.

Distillation does not cause the “minerals to be evaporated out.” Quite the opposite; these inorganic minerals are left behind in the boiling pot. Only the water is evaporated out. This is a GOOD thing, since inorganic minerals are the ones that cause kidney and gallstones and join with cholesterol to form plaque and hardening of the arteries.

As some of you know I have done a training at Hallelujah Diet (formerly called Hallelujah Acres) in North Carolina, USA in 2004, (I am so grateful to them as they transformed my life), I have been on their diet since and encourage people to change their habits too in order to get well… Here is what Michael Donaldson, PhD., Research Director at Hallelujah Diet TM said about distilled water:

“Some health advocates still claim that distilled water is dangerous to our health and discourage people from using their distillers. One advocate even said that distilled water is worse for you than the tap water it started with. While there is a sliver of truth there, the whole article puts distilled water in a false light. Such health advocacy is irresponsible.

Two main issues need to be addressed here:

(1) the co-purification of organic contaminants with water distillation, and

(2) the long-term health effects of drinking low-mineral water. You will see that using a distiller is still the best, most consistent way of getting clean, pure water.

It is true that some organic chemicals can evaporate with steam during the distillation process. All distiller manufacturers are aware of this issue; it is not a new development.

Now, the second issue of drinking low-mineral water (which includes distilled and reverse osmosis water). There are some potential adverse effects of drinking distilled water. It may pull a SMALL amount of minerals from the body. For most people this will not be a problem.  For a person with marginal mineral intake, this could lead to long-term negative health effects. For people interested in long-term optimal health, losing a small amount of minerals from the body might be a concern.

The best solution to the low-mineral (distilled) water issue is to add a concentrated solution that remineralizes, alkalizes, and lowers the surface tension of the water. This solution is called WaterMax and is available from Hallelujah Diet https://shop.myhdiet.com/trace-minerals-concentrate-4oz.html  (Just 1 tsp of WaterMax remineralizes and alkalizes a whole gallon of distilled drinking water.)

Another good solution [if not using WaterMax] is to squeeze some fresh lemon juice into a glass of distilled water. This will remineralize the water and add some alkaline minerals to it as well, along with a great taste. (Note from Lenka – I also use powder blends, alkaline superfoods, such as wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina, chlorella…).

When all of the options for purifying water are considered, the best solution is to use a distiller in combination with an activated carbon filter. To get truly pure water, we want to remove chlorine or chloramine, fluoride, arsenic, lead, industrial organic pollutants, pharmaceutical residues, viruses and bacteria, and rock minerals from our drinking water.

There isn’t a single process that does all of this, but in tandem you can produce pure water. Activated carbon does an excellent job with organic contaminants but doesn’t do much with mineral or metal contaminants. Distillers do an excellent job with minerals, viruses, and bacteria.

Certain filter resins remove some minerals (arsenic, fluoride, lead) under acidic conditions.  Reverse osmosis units rely on activated carbon to remove the organic contaminants. These units do purify the water, but bacterial fouling can be a problem, resulting in reduced performance over time.

The best method is to combine an activated carbon filter and distiller to fully remove all these contaminants. This method yields pure water consistently.”

The Real Reason Bones Become Brittle

“It’s not distilled water that demineralizes the bones and makes them subject to easy fracture, but rather an acidic diet. Animal flesh, dairy, sugar, and refined wheat flours are all acidic. In an effort to neutralize this acidity, the body draws alkaline minerals from the bones to neutralize the acidity.

The Hallelujah Diet removes all highly acidic substances. In other words, we stop consuming all these acid forming foods. As a result, the body has no need to remove the alkalizing minerals from the bones to neutralize the acid. Thus, bone density is not only maintained – it is increased!

The Hallelujah Diet provides the body with a consistent supply of bone-building, alkalizing minerals in our green smoothies, multiple vegetable juices, and large salads – all high sources of organic, alkalizing minerals.

Distilled Water Does Not Spell Disaster

The highly acidic diet along with a sedentary lifestyle is a prescription for disaster — in terms of overall health as well as bone structure. Conversely, a mostly raw, 100% plant-based diet including plenty of vegetable juices, daily exercise, and purified distilled water builds a strong immune system, strong bones, and a long, healthy life”. – By George Malkmus from Hallelujah Diet

Check these two interesting videos about water distillation experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6M0KhVFC1E

And  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvJ-VJWgFZI

I personally use Megahome Water Distiller as well, after doing some research, I found it as one of the best on the UK market, purchased on Amazon for about 170 GBP.  I am happy with the product and love the pure water from it! I hope you find this blog post helpful. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you like to discuss your diet with me and receive some consultation as I will be happy to advise you.

In health,

Lenka x

Resources:

• Hallelujah Diet – https://www.myhdiet.com/healthnews/rev-malkmus/is-distilled-water-more-dangerous-than-tap-water/ – a shortened version
• Wikipedia
• Video by Everyday Adventures
• Video by Poolarity- Life Hacks

Photo of my Megahome Water Distiller

The post Distilled Water versus Tap Water appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Here is why I have chosen to try this company:

Abel & Cole have been exploring the food world for 30 years now and they have become quite the experts at uncovering organic, seasonal, wild food that’s extra special. But they don’t just strive to find the best food out there; they find exciting ways to put it all together into healthy, vibrant and delicious meals too. So, hop on board, come on a foodie journey with them as well. 

Abel & Cole deliver to each area once a week keeping carbon emissions and food miles to a minimum, and it’s why they had never air-freight. It’s also why most of their packaging can be recycled or reused. Since 1988 they have pioneered a low-plastic approach to life and they are constantly looking at reimagining the way they do things to minimise their environmental footprint.

Why organic? In a nutshell, organic farming means it is food as it should be, food you can trust, food that doesn’t cost the earth, and food where the animals come first. Organic farming is better for you and the environment, has higher nutritional value and tastes much better too!

Source: https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/about-us

Here is recorded my first food delivery; unboxing my first plant-based food box (four boxes).

Hope I tempted you a bit to try it too If so, here is £20 to spend on your first order using this link: https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/promo/Share?sraf=5V43BE213S3C0A57B4

So, hop on board, come on a foodie journey with them as well.  Let me know if you do!

The post My First Food Delivery from Abel & Cole appeared first on Lenka Pagan.