Firstly, what’s a mentor? A mentor is a person who provides you with the tools, guidance, support, and feedback you need to thrive in your career.

Being surrounded by people who will help you to move forward when feeling stuck, who will encourage you and hold you accountable, is a key choice for your success. They can somewhat upgrade your thinking and take you to a higher level in a much faster way than you would do on your own. How do I know? Because I have been there, I have experienced that, I speak from my own experience both as a mentee and as a mentor.

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 want to solve.

If you asked me who my mentor is, I could name at least 10 people who transformed my thinking with their stories, ideas, careers, and actions. But if I had to choose only one mentor in life, I would choose a book. I am still fascinated by how much you can change by reading a book. People who might have been the best mentors in the world are not among us anymore, books carry decades and centuries of knowledge and wisdom. For example, Socrates said, “Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have laboured hard for.”

Here are some best books, in my opinion, for those who want to grow personally as well as professionally. The most influential mentors in my life include Tony Robbins – Awaken the Giant Within, Marisa Peer – I Am Enough, Dale Carnegie – How to Win Friends and Influence People, Louise Hay – You Can Heal Your Life, and Chris and Karene Lambert-Gorwyn – Grow Your Heart Centered Business. These mentors have taught me how to get crystal clear on what I want in my life.

Invest in yourself! How?

Dedicate at least 30 minutes a day for reading. I prefer to read right after waking up for 30 minutes just because it allows me to get creative into the thinking, after reading I get a sense of achievement and inspiration.

You can tell me smart is not sexy but talking to an attractive person who is also smart and knowledgeable, curious and willing to learn, is very sexy, isn’t it? Knowledge breeds confidence, and it is probably the most important difference between successful and unsuccessful people.

If you read about successful people, you become smarter and ready to grow more.

In conclusion, books allow us to receive information through the lenses of the author and compare that mindset to our personal experiences. Reading expands our viewpoints, our beliefs, and our knowledge. It allows us to sample a variety of topics and tailor learning to our unique circumstances and style.

A book is the wisest investment in yourself, it opens your mind, widens your perspective, and inspires you to take action. Just a single idea in that book can change your life.

The post Can a Book Be a Mentor? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Let’s look at two of these patterns that control and can immediately shift our level of joy, happiness, frustration, anger, stress, or fulfillment.

The first question is: Which do you tend to focus on more – what you have or what’s missing from your life? Rather than focusing on what we don’t have we should acknowledge that there is so much to be grateful for in our lives that has nothing to do with money.

We can be grateful for our health, our friends, our opportunities, our minds, and the fact that we are alive. Where do you tend to put your focus? On what you have or on what is missing? A pattern of appreciating what you have will create a new level of emotional well-being and wealth. Do you take time to deeply feel grateful in your mind, body, heart, and soul? That’s where the joy and the gifts will be found.

Here is the second pattern of focus that impacts the quality of your life. Do you tend to focus more on what you can control or what you can’t control? What do you tend to do more of? Be honest. If you focus on what you can’t control, there is no question you are going to have more stress in your life. Yes, we can influence many things, but we can’t control them. The more we feel out of control, the more frustrated we become. In fact, self-esteem can be measured by how much we feel we control the events in our life versus feeling that life’s events are controlling us.

Did you know that questions control your focus? The questions you ask yourself control what you focus on. But often people ask wrong questions like “What’s wrong with me? Or why is this happening to me? Why me? “If you ask a lousy question, you get a lousy answer. Rather ask: “How can I get it right? How can I resolve it? How can I make the world a better place?”

Questions are the controlling force of your thinking, and your thinking directs what you focus on. And what you focus on, you feel. So, whatever you focus on, you will receive.

Take control of your life. Choose consciously and wisely. Find the empowering meaning, and wealth in its deepest sense will be yours today!

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The Brynmawr farm is located in beautiful and very peaceful countryside near the Welch border up in Shropshire. The nearest town was Newtown in Wales, and it takes about half an hour to get there by car. There was no bus connection and no shops around the farm. And when walking away from the farm, there was no vehicle passing by for 30 minutes or more, so imagine how quiet it was there.

This is the first time I experienced working on a large commercial animal farm with over 200 sheep and over 200 lambs and lots of cows. I was responsible for bringing the ewes with their newborns into the pens, bottle-feeding lambs, and feeding ewes in the “maternity ward”. It was a great experience to watch lambing and assist if needed, but sometimes I found it very emotional when some lambs got ill, or even died.

I was also responsible for feeding, letting out, and closing hens, and feeding cattle, cows, a dog, and a cat. I also enjoyed some gardening outside and in the polytunnel. I loved the fresh organic produce we could help ourselves to pick for our nutritious organic meals every day.

My 13-year-old son Lucas joined me to stay on the farm for the second week and did some gardening with me and helped the farmers Trevor and Paul with fence laying as well as other farm duties. We were accommodated in a lovely eco-house made of straws and clay and I must say this was the nicest and cleanest farm accommodation we ever stayed in! I also enjoyed chatting with new guests who stayed in eco holiday lets on the farm.

Trevor, the farmer, and the host, is a kind, friendly, and very active man for his age, over seventy. His son Paul, his daughters, and Trevor’s grandchildren are all very knowledgeable and skillful when it comes to farm life. Lucas and I learned a lot from them all.

In conclusion, this was our fourth working experience on an organic farm. We went with the intention of learning about animal care, gardening, spending time outside and also taking a break from the online world.

Working and living on an organic farm is a great opportunity for yourself, and your family to have an adventurous holiday where you make great memories. We certainly enjoyed it and already have booked another adventure in Devon.

I can highly recommend it to you too! If you want to get a digital detox, meet like-minded people, and gain knowledge of organic gardening and animal care then why not try this adventure as your next holiday? Ask me, if you need more info, I am happy to advise and recommend some farms for you.

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Why did I join TMs? Probably, just like most of the members, to gain confidence and effective communication skills in public, learn how to craft a speech, and also increase my listening skills. I had fun taking part in nearly all club roles. I enjoy evaluating speakers, impromptu speaking in Table Topics and even taking a Toastmaster for the day role. However, I did not enjoy much timekeeper and grammarian roles.

My first year in the club was passive, super slow progress as our meetings were only delivered online on Zoom due to the Pandemic, and to be honest I did not enjoy Zoom meetings as much as I do now in person. Why? My listening skills were bad at that time, and I did not pay attention to speeches online and there were some occasions I had my camera off in meetings as I was cooking, writing emails, or doing other things instead.

Then, after the lockdown was over, I attended meetings at Burlington hotel in Worthing and things started to go so much faster for me …I have taken various club roles and delivered speeches every month as I simply wanted to wake up from the passive mode and make the best out of my membership. My listening skills developed to the point that I now listen to all speeches and pay attention to others in meetings.

I also took a part in club competitions 3x times. Last year in Table Topics, and the year before in International Speech, and just recently in Evaluation. I did not win yet but it was a good experience. I have also tried various international online clubs in Las Vegas, USA – Sydney, Australia – Dublin, Ireland – Prague, Czech Republic, and Budapest, Hungary. The Las Vegas club I attended for a couple of months as I found it very helpful.

In our club, listening to the evaluation of other speakers was incredibly informative. I personally, enjoy receiving feedback/evaluation from club members after I deliver a speech and I keep all the received feedback slips. All the feedback I have received was suggestions of things to improve. So, I listened and hopefully improved them such as gestures, eye contact, pausing, speech structure, stronger opening, and conclusion…Impromptu speaking was something I was so fearful of, but no more now I actually like it now.

I have learned a lot from the online Pathways programme, there is some useful information that can help you not only with the speech for that stage, but the information is also transferable to your life outside of Toastmasters.

My Mentor is lovely Cecily B., and she has been a real help on my journey, she supported me not only in the club but also outside of the club either as my evaluator or simply as a supporter or observer in my speech delivery. Cecily, thank you, for all your wonderful advice and guidance.

What would I suggest to new Toastmasters? Do speeches, try various club roles, enter competitions, visit other clubs and, of course, the more you do the better you become at it. The more you expose yourself, the more your confidence increases. Everyone gets stage fright. Embrace it and make it work for you or it will work against you.

In conclusion, I changed so much since I joined Toastmasters, and in so many ways that I could never imagine. I certainly gained more confidence, and now I am able to speak in front of people without being too nervous or sweating too much like I used to do before.

Delivering speech after speech, I realized I needed less training and preparation. And when you have confidence in yourself, then everything in life looks easier. My overall perception of my growth as a Public Speaker and a Leader in my own business has definitely changed in 2 years. I may not be there yet, but I am certainly closer than I was yesterday.

I couldn’t have done it without my club’s wonderful support, understanding, and friendship! I highly recommend Toastmasters club to anyone seeking to improve their speaking/listening skills as you can gain those and so much more!

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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

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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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OK, firstly, let me introduce myself to you. My name is Lenka Pagan and I typically work with women in their 40s who have a bad relationship with food and can’t bear to look in the mirror. I transform their relationship with food and help them feel great, look amazing and sexy in a cocktail dress.

So, this was my elevator speech or also called Audio Logo which I use in networking. This is how networking works – you briefly introduce yourself by saying something about what you do and how you help people. And then you ask what the other person does, taking turns in communication and hopefully building a rapport and connections.

What are the personal benefits of networking?

Does anyone go to networking events or has been in the past? So, you probably experienced that networking improves interpersonal communication skills, increases confidence, and strengthens relationships, right?

Now, I would like to share with you a recent 2-day networking event called Speak and Shine I attended in the Millennium hotel in London. This was a special face-to-face event where I met over 40 health practitioners.

Can you imagine being in one room with like-minded people from all over the UK? I absolutely loved it; – I WAS IN HEAVEN! There were all self-employed health practitioners just like me such as nutritional therapists, yoga teachers, health coaches, osteopaths, physio, and massage therapists, to name just a few.

We did some skill swapping where I received a lovely back and foot treatment, and I gave some yoga and relaxation advice …again I really loved this part, loved this networking! I had some great conversations with people I have seen online but never met in person before and met new people.

We also learned how to present ourselves when networking. The posture and tone of your voice are super important. Do you agree?

Being successful at networking is a skill and also a powerful tool not just for business but it can be used in your social life too.

What is the takeaway? Breathe, chin up, stand straight, smile, don’t look at the phone, and network with a passion for what you do and who you are like a pro. And don’t forget to follow up because the fortune is in the follow-up!

Like everything else, it is all about the practice, the more you do it, the better you become.

I wish you to make amazing connections through networking!

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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.

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What is WWOOF? Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It is a worldwide movement with organic farmers who promote a cultural and educational exchange and build a global community conscious of ecological farming and sustainability practices.

WWOOF started 50 years ago and has grown from a small group in the 1970s to a worldwide community of hundreds of thousands of people today.

As a WWOOFer, you will participate in the daily life of your host, help on the farm, learn about sustainability, experience a new culture, meet new people, and receive free room and board during your stay.

WWOOFers spend their days living with the host family and learning about agro-ecological and sustainable farming methods through first-hand experience, with no money exchanged between hosts and WWOOFers.

As a member of WWOOF UK, you will be able to contact host farms in the UK and arrange WWOOF stays anywhere from a day, a weekend to a year if you like. Membership is valid for one year from the day you join. You can find more info here: https://wwoof.net/

So, now you have an idea what WWOOFing means, don’t you?

I travelled to the farm called Berrington Hall near Shrewsbury with my son Lucas and our bunny Louige this past Easter holiday and stayed two weeks. Although the journey was about 5 hours long and with some delays, combination of bus/train/underground – we managed it well!

This was our third WWOOFing experience. We went with the intention of learning gardening and foraging skills, spending time outside and also taking a break from the online world.

There was a variety of jobs to do depending on our skills and what we enjoyed doing. We did some seed planting, weeding, watering plants, preparing compost, digging, harvesting, cooking, washing dishes and even willow coppicing.  Usually, two people got together and cooked dinner on a wood-burning stove.

Everything from the beautiful setting, the house members, and their pantry was great! I have never seen a pantry like that before! It was like a health food shop. I loved it!

The tasks set were not overwhelming, and we had time to exe

rcise every morning and go for walks in the abundant gardens. Also, we took a bus trip to a nearby town of Shrewsbury and borrowed bikes to cycle in the countryside.

Spending a day, a week or more on a farm will change the way you see food. Food becomes a reward, not just something that comes from a supermarket. You can see here how daily care for plants is essential for producing a quality, healthy and delicious product. You might more likely waste less and eat a greater variety of foods.

WWOOFing is a great opportunity for yourself, your partner or your children to have an adventurous and free holiday where you make great memories. We certainly did and already have booked another adventure at the end of this month.

I can highly recommend it to you too! If you want to get a digital detox, meet like-minded people and gain knowledge of organic gardening then why not try WWOOFing as your next holiday!

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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!

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What are affirmations?

Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging patterns and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes. Whatever you feed your mind with every day is what determines your reality. The life you want to live in 5 years’ time is created by what you feed your mind with today! By creating a different reality inside your head, in time, your external reality changes to match it.

Every single thought we have and every sentence we speak is an affirmation. It is either positive or negative. Positive affirmations create positive experiences and negative affirmations create negative ones. If we continually repeat negative statements about ourselves or about our life, we only keep creating more negative experiences.

I used to be negative about myself, my life, and the people around me. Things didn’t go well for me at that time. Luckily, I learned about positive thinking and affirmations and since then I have been seeing life in a much positive way. Negative thinking can cause severe health problems and, in extreme cases, death. So, stay away from negative people as they have a problem for every solution!

Here are some examples of negative affirmations:

“I suck at public speaking!”

“I am not good enough!”

“I can’t do it!”

Many of us have negative thoughts like these, sometimes frequently. When we think like this, our confidence, mood, and outlook can become negative, too. There’s this great quote from Henry Ford that captures this idea well: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” Here’s where positive affirmations come in, as they’re the ideal tool to train your mind and reverse the negative beliefs and self-talk. And what happens if we do the opposite and use positive thoughts about ourselves? The effect can be just as powerful but far more helpful!

Practicing positive affirmation every day has the following benefits:

• Decrease stress levels and depression.
• Increase confidence and self-esteem.
• Motivate to achieve fitness goals and eat healthier.

Positive affirmations are more than just wishful thinking–there is a fair bit of science behind them. Repeating an affirmation can help boost your motivation, confidence, resilience to stress, and general outlook on life, to name just a few of the benefits. They can lift you up when you are feeling down.

When you say your affirmations out aloud it will increase their effectiveness. Using “Power Poses” (for example superman’s pose, arms outstretched pose) will increase your testosterone and power by as much as 20%. So, combining this with your affirmations massively increases their effectiveness! Along with Power Poses, MOVEMENT during your affirmation is critical!

Try saying your affirmations while bouncing, skipping the rope, or even practising yoga as I do! The more times you repeat the affirmation, the more it becomes part of you! And the more intensively you say it, the more you start to reflect it!

Here are some useful guidelines on creating effective positive affirmations:

• Begin with the words “I am” as they are extremely powerful.
• Do not talk or think about what you don’t want.
• Keep it positive and simple.
• The best times for affirmations are in the morning, before going to bed, and during stressful or negative situations. It may take some time before you notice any changes, so stick with your practice!

Please note, that affirmations can only be positively worded! Negatives are not recognized by the Universe or our subconscious minds. For example, “I don’t want to be…!” The Universe and subconscious mind will only hear that you want to be overweight! Instead, say it positively like “I want to be…!” Staying focused on what you need to do to achieve your goal, is the key to creating the future you want. This process will transform how quickly you achieve whatever you want in life!

So, remember, create positive thoughts, repeat your positive affirmations daily and believe in them!

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Whenever we are doing something new and need a new skill, or want to take something to the next level, we find someone who has done it before. Someone who has failed got up and kept going by creating success so we can learn a shortcut based on their experience.

The book authors Chris and Karene Lambert-Gorwyn have become my mentors #1. Who are mentors? Mentors are a key aspect of any success! If you want to succeed more quickly in anything, find an expert in that area who has a system to teach you so you can learn from their mistakes. Mentors also need to have failed in the past, otherwise, they have no appreciation for how hard it can be. 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. They also have a system with which to apply it to others.

Chris and Karene Lambert-Gorwyn will change your financial setpoints much faster and easier than you will be able to do it alone! You still have to put the work in but you can learn from their experience and put your effort in the right place to get the best results.

“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalise on what comes.” – Zig Ziglar

This book is divided into 8 chapters:

1. There’s a business & there’s Heart-Centred Business
2. The 5 Biggest Challenges
3. Attraction Marketing
4. Heart-Centred Sales
5. Money Mindset
6. Confidence
7. Sexy Systems
8. What’s the Plan?

BONUS CHAPTER: 100 ways to get more clients.

I loved all the chapters in this book but particularly chapter 5, Money Mindset, which opened my eyes so much! Here are a few things to share with you what I learnt. What we think creates our reality. As Henry Ford said, whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right! When it comes to money in particular, we have an internal mindset or belief pattern, reflected in our physical or external reality. Whatever you think and feel about money is reflected in the amount of money you have as your income and what you have in your bank account. We have money in our life when we stop resisting it. We are the block that creates a lack of money through our mindset.

I realized that I had a money block and after doing those exercises in the book, I resolved my self-sabotaging money mindset. What a wonderful step forward I made!

Furthermore, in this book, you will find many action steps and questions, chapter highlights, inspiring case studies of their clients and many more. This book is a masterpiece that both authors wrote in just 3 weeks! Incredible! I so much enjoyed reading this wonderful book and can highly recommend it to all of you who are ready to move forward and want your dreams to come true.

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Do you believe in Magic? “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Ronald Dahl, writer

What are your dreams?

Many of the magical practices in this book are designed to help you achieve your dreams. Therefore, you need to get clear about what you really want. When you get clear about the things you want, you are giving a definite direction to the way you want gratitude’s magical power to change your life, and you are ready to begin the most exciting and thrilling adventure you have ever been on!

When you are grateful for the things you have, no matter how small they may be, you will see those things instantly increase. If you are grateful for the money you have, however little, you will see your money magically grow. If you are grateful for a relationship, even if it’s not perfect, you will see it miraculously get even better.

The scientists, philosophers, inventors, discoverers, and prophets who practiced gratitude reaped its results, and most were aware of its inherent power. Yet still gratitude’s power is unknown to most people today because to experience the magic of gratitude in your life you must practice it! Albert Einstein practiced gratitude every single day of his life, and in return he received many forms of abundance.

Gratitude is the answer.

Gratitude is the cure for broken of difficult relationships, for lack of health or money, and for unhappiness. Gratitude eliminates fear, worry, grief, and depression, and brings happiness, clarity, patience, kindness, compassion, understanding, and peace of mind. Gratitude brings solutions to problems, and the opportunities and wherewithal to realize your dreams. Gratitude is behind every success. Say the magic words, thank you. Say them out loud…say them in your mind, or feel them in your heart, but wherever you go from this day forward, take gratitude and its magical power with you.

To receive you have to give. It’s the law. Gratitude is giving thanks, and without it you cut yourself off from the magic and from receiving everything you want in life. Gratitude is a feeling. If you practice gratitude a little, your life will change a little. If you practice gratitude a lot every day, your life will change dramatically and in ways that you can hardly imagine.

One word changes everything.

I didn’t know what being grateful really meant, and just saying the words thank you on the odd occasion certainly didn’t make me a grateful person. Since I read this brilliant book, I practice gratitude every day because I can see it really works. I totally love this book and I can highly recommend it to you too!

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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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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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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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Yes, there are pros and cons about both choices, but which will you go for?

•  ARTIFICIAL TREE: A popular choice especially for commercial reasons.

The benefits of this tree are that they can be reused every year, are cheaper, easy to
assemble and store away. Another good thing about artificial trees is that they do not need to be watered and the needles will not drop off and make a mess in your house.

The downside of this is that the manufacturing process is usually harmful to the
environment, the artificial trees are not biodegradable and can’t be recycled so they
end up in a landfill.

• REAL (CUT) TREE: The freshness and natural aroma give a unique and distinguished atmosphere in the room.

The benefits of cut trees are that another tree is planted for each one harvested to
ensure a steady supply year after year and after Christmas, you could take your tree to a
recycling center, where the wood can be used.

The downside can be the transportation of the tree,  it sheds needles, it requires
watering and it tends to be more expensive.

• REAL (POTTED) TREE: A live tree comes potted with its roots intact.

It is the best choice, the greenest tree for Xmas, if you want to keep it alive and can plant it again. It takes in carbon dioxide and releases fresh oxygen into the air and helps reduce the greenhouse effect.

If you buy your Christmas tree potted, after the holidays you can plant it in your garden. In this way, you will have a traditional real tree while being considerate to our environment as well. And this has been my preferred choice (over ten years) and all my potted trees ending up in my friends’ gardens.

What is your preferred choice of  Xmas tree and why?

The post Which tree is the greenest for Xmas? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

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

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There are so many excited things that can go into salad, not just some boring iceberg (which lack nutritional value anyway) or some wedge of tomato or maybe just a bit of garnish on the side of the plate. We have this idea that a salad is “just” some boring combination of everyday salad items. I hope after reading this below you will get some inspiration and understanding how salads are important part of the menu which are served as a part of meal or even as a main dish, especially in plant-based cuisine.

How to prepare a salad: First, I would recommend washing salad leaves either just in a bowl of water or with so-called veggie wash (which removes wax, dirt, and residues) as you can never be sure who has touched them or what chemicals have been sprayed on them. This is not just for the loose salads, but any shop bought packaged salad as well. Did you know that so, called “prewashed” salads have been washed with chlorine-like chemicals which remove bacteria and unfortunately vital nutrients too?

So, the best thing would be to buy organic salads whenever you can, (I buy mine mostly from Waitrose, Riverford or M&S),  where they are grown without using harsh chemicals and pesticides.

A little tip: Salad leaves are often very delicate and can bruise easily if handled without care. I see it all the time when in the grocery shop, where lots of people place other foods on top of the salad and other delicate ingredients and wonder why they spoil so quickly. So, now you know why, when it comes to shopping and storing your salad leaves, try to put them on the top of your other foods to minimize/avoid bruising.

Types of salads: Most popular salads are basic round lettuce, oakleaf and colour fading iceberg at least here in the UK. My favorite salads are romaine lettuce, baby spinach, Swiss chard, beetroot leaves and watercress. You can also try some rocket with pepper flavour and mix it with other salad leaves, it will give a nice kick to your dish. Other salads worth to try are mustard leaves, sorrel, endive, chicory, radicchio and dandelion.

Cooked salads: Not only raw vegetables can be used in salads even though that is what I use most. You can also use some crunchy cooked veggies such as green beans, peas, carrots, corn, Savoy cabbage, roast pumpkin, red bell pepper, zucchini or beetroot.

Have you tried some cooked salad variations such as couscous, bulgur wheat, quinoa, rice or pasta. Not yet? Now is the time to do some experiments.

Herbs: I love using fresh herbs especially parsley, basil, coriander and mint as they add such great flavour to the meal.

Edible flowers: Yes, you have read it right, there are some lovely flowers that are edible as well. With their powerful and unique flavors, textures and colors, edible flowers have gained popularity as a creative and innovative ingredient for the culinary world. They are added to foods to provide flavour, aroma, and decoration. For best flavor, flowers should be fresh and harvested early in the day.

Here are some safe edible flowers: lavender, roses, nasturtiums, passion flower, rosemary, chamomile, English daisy, English marigold, geranium, dandelion, chicory, chives, Chinese hibiscus, bergamot, anise etc.

Dressings: There are numerous ready-made bottled dressings on the market today which in most cases lack the nutritional value by containing cheap and low-quality ingredients (stale herbs, cheap vinegar and are full of weird starches and gums to keep them emulsified).

You can easily buy the basic fresh ingredients to make your own dressing for half the price and it will be so much healthier than anything from a bottle regardless whose famous name is on the label.

Oil: I only use some good quality organic cold pressed olive oil, extra virgin one has the best flavour. There are so many types of oils out there from nut oils to avocado oils, but the trouble is that there are in most cases refined oils, lacking their nutritional value and do not digest as well as unrefined/cold pressed oils.

Vinegar: There are red, white, cider and balsamic vinegars to choose from. I personally like to use balsamic vinegar.

Please do watch out for added sulphites! These food preservatives can cause bronchoconstriction- wheezing and difficulty breathing as well as shortness of breath, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, hives, swelling, tingling sensations etc.

Go for an organic version like we do to be on a safe side. 

A few last words: Just like any other dish, a delicious salad can be only great and nutritious as the quality of the ingredients in it. Go for fresh, colourful and in-season produce. Organic is always recommended.

I wish you all the best in experimenting with lovely and healthy ingredients for your amazing salad.

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