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.

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.

Here are the ingredients:

1 package of firm tofu

50 -100 g natural sweetener of your choice

2 cm vanilla pod, scraped seeds or 2 tsp vanilla extract, optional

3 tbsp flour. Use buckwheat for the gluten-free version but otherwise, I like to use spelt, oat or wholewheat flour.

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1tsp grated lemon zest

Organic ingredients are always recommended.

Method:

Blend all cake ingredients until smooth in Vita-Mix, blender or food processor. Then pour into greased (I use coconut oil) cake form and bake in a preheated oven 180C for about 20-30 mins or until set. When baked, cool and refrigerate. You can serve it plain or with the following topping.

Topping:

200 g fresh fruit (I used raspberries), washed and green parts removed

1 tbsp agar flakes (sea vegetable gelling agent)

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp maple syrup or any natural sweetener.

Blend all topping ingredients until smooth in Vita-Mix, blender or food processor. Pour into a saucepan and cook until the mixture has thickened (about 5-10 mins). Taste for sweetness and add more maple syrup if needed. Pour the mixture over the cake and return it to the fridge to cool and let the topping set firmly before serving.

Enjoy and let me know how did it go! 

The post Berry Tofu Cheese Cake (vegan and gluten-free) appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

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.

Just check out these 3 easy healthy plant-based Christmas cookies! They are gluten-free (the first two recipes) and delicious.

Which ones are you going to make?

1. CHRISTMAS COOKIES (gluten-free)

These cookies are very nutritious and filling due to the rich consistency of the dates and tahini.

What is tahini? Tahini is a Middle Eastern paste or spread made from ground sesame seeds (either raw or toasted) and is high in calcium. If you go for raw tahini and raw cocoa or carob powder, you will get a very nutritious, super healthy, raw cookie.

Ingredients:

1/2 jar of tahini (about 130g)

2 cups dates, pitted

2-3 tbsp cacao or carob powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp cardamom powder

Pinch of sea salt

Optional: raisins

Organic ingredients are preferable

Preparation:

1. Process all the ingredients in a food processor.
2. Spoon the batter into 1-inch balls and either leave as is or roll balls in extra shredded coconut or chopped nuts, if desired.

Store in a container in the freezer or fridge. They can be eaten frozen. Enjoy!:)

2. ALMOND COOKIES (gluten-free)

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds

½ cup maple syrup or raw unfiltered honey

Dried coconut

Organic ingredients are preferable

Preparation:

1. Grind almonds in a food processor.

2. In a bowl mix the ground almonds and maple syrup or honey into a sticky dough. Make balls or log shapes and roll them in coconut.

Store in the fridge to chill before serving. Enjoy!

3. OAT COCOA COOKIES

These cookies are yummy.  Lots of people who tried them ask for a recipe.:-)

Ingredients:

230g wholegrain flour (I use organic spelt flour from Doves Farm)

1/2 tsp baking powder (I use one from Doves Farm)

30g cocoa powder

150g natural sweetener (I use coconut sugar or Xylitol)

100g vegan margarine or coconut oil, melted (I use coconut oil from Vita Coco)

100g porridge oats (I use organic rolled wholegrain jumbo oats from Waitrose)

Optional: 2 tbsp coffee alternative (I use organic from Whole Earth)

Organic ingredients are preferable

Preparation: 

1. Preheat the oven to 160 C – 180 C, depending on your oven. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (I use the brown one).
2. Put together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the sweetener of your choice and combine thoroughly.
3. If using coffee alternative, dissolve it in melted margarine or coconut oil and then stir into the bowl.
4.  Add the oats and mix well to form a soft dough. If needed, add a bit of water in order to get the desired consistency.
5. Form the mixture into small balls, place on the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly. Leave spaces between the cookies as they will expand during baking.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and leave to cool completely. Store them in an airtight jar for up to 5 days. Enjoy!:-)

Have a wonderful Christmas!

The post 3 Plant-Based Christmas Cookie Recipes 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

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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

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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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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

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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!

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I have personally tried and enjoyed various kinds of pasta made of spelt, buckwheat, brown rice, corn, and of course whole-wheat flour. There are also less common kinds made of millet, quinoa and lentils.

Good quality brands I can recommend to you are King Soba, Biona, Doves Farm, Seeds of Change, Garofalo, Mr Organic, etc. Just as for any other products, you get what you pay for and you will see that the cheaper pasta does not taste as good as it becomes flabby in texture when you cook it.

Here are a few tips for cooking your pasta:

• Cook pasta in plenty of water, add sea salt and make sure you never add your pasta until the water is boiling fast.
• Right after you add pasta into the boiling water, mix it with a spoon and cover the pot until the water comes back to the boil.
• You do not need to add any oil to the boiling water unless you cook a large quantity of filled pasta.
• Cook your pasta according to the instructions and try a piece when nearly done. When it is soft enough to eat but still has a little bite, drain and rinse in a colander.
• Add it to the pot with sauce, mix it and voila, your pasta is ready to be served.

You may find just pasta with sauce a boring dish and I would agree with you as I like to eat pasta with either steamed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, carrots, corn, peas. And or stir-fry veg such as the vegetables above or bell peppers, kale, asparagus, courgettes, tomatoes, mushrooms, Savoy cabbage, tofu and more.

You can also flavour it with herbs, spices, and seaweed (Arame is my favorite) like I do. It is so much more colourful, tastier and definitely more nutritious with all these delicious toppings.

For an inspiration, below are some simple variations of pasta dishes I like to prepare with:

• Tofu with asparagus,  porcini mushrooms, and peas

• Stir-fry vegetables (courgette, carrot, and peas)

• Steamed carrots and peas with butternut squash gravy

• Peas and corn with tomato sauce

• Soya pieces with green peppers and tomatoes

And many more depending on season and accessibility of ingredients at the time of food preparation

What are your favorite pasta dishes?

The post A few words about pasta appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Green asparagus is the most common one you will see in the shops. It sprouts from the ground and when fully exposed to the sun it turns fully green thanks to the process called photosynthesis.

Purple asparagus is more tender compared to the green and white kind because it has less fiber. It is also sweeter because of its high sugar content.

White asparagus is more expensive than the green one and the price is almost double because of the high cost it takes to produce it. It is grown without light so the plant is unable to photosynthesize. In Europe, white asparagus is considered a delicacy.

These images show how white asparagus is grown without light (asparagus fields in Germany).

Here are 12 health benefits of asparagus:

1. Asparagus is packed full of goodness including vitamin A, an essential nutrient that helps to protect eyes, skin and immune system.
2. Asparagus contains essential B vitamins that are helpful in retaining healthy eyesight.
3. It is a rich source of vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and helps to strengthen the capillaries and is involved in collagen formation.
4. Asparagus is also a good source of vitamin K, used in bone formation and blood clotting.
5. The magnesium content in asparagus can help in keeping you energetic and alert for longer periods of time without resulting in fatigue.
6. Asparagus also contains folic acid, important for making blood cells. Folic acid is also an essential nutrient during pregnancy as it is needed for fetal development.
7. Symptoms of a hangover include nausea, fatigue, exhaustion and dehydration which can be cured by a serving of asparagus.
8. Eating asparagus promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine and can help reduce bloating.
9. Asparagus is a mild diuretic and is believed to help detoxify the body.
10. The niacin in asparagus is a compound which can get rid of the most severe cases of acne.
11. Alleviate menstrual symptoms.
12. The dietary fiber and niacin in asparagus can help in reducing levels of harmful cholesterol.

Tip: When you buy asparagus, use it as soon as possible, preferably within a day or two. Ideally, to keep it fresh, stand loose asparagus in a glass of water and store in the fridge.

Cooking methods and times: Before you cook your asparagus, trim a centimetre off the woody bottom of the stems and either discard them or use them for flavouring stock.

Steam for 2-5 minutes, roast for 5-10 minutes, boil for 3 minutes, grill for 6-8 minutes and BBQ for 5-10 minutes.

Asparagus combines well with peas, potatoes, mushrooms, lemon, mint, pine nuts and etc. You can add asparagus to pasta, risottos, stews, stir-fries just before they are done as they are cooked in a few minutes.

I have recently prepared three meals with asparagus, see photos below.

1. Marinated tofu with millet and asparagus

2. Quinoa with tofu, asparagus, and porcini mushrooms

3. Pasta with asparagus, porcini mushrooms, peas, and tofu

Hope this article helps you to pursue you in using asparagus more often in your kitchen. I have certainly increased the use of asparagus after reading the health benefits of this amazing vegetable.

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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.

The post What makes up a good salad? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Honey has a lower glycemic index than table sugar, making it a sweet substitute.

What is the difference between the regular honey and raw organic honey?

Regular honey is a processed honey, quite cheap and available in most supermarkets and is far from the health-promoting raw unpasteurized honey. Honey is filtered, heated and sometimes watered down and then forced at high pressure through extremely small filters to remove pollen.

This kind of honey contains little to no pollen and all live enzymes are destroyed by heat. Also, it may contain antibiotics and to provide higher yields the flower nectar is substituted by HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) commonly derived from GMO corn which is linked to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, liver damage…

Raw organic honey is a bit more expensive, has not been heated past pasteurization, which is usually around 95 degrees; therefore, all nutrients are intact. It has a cloudy yellow colour. It contains propolis and pollen and anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties as well as many enzymes, vitamins C, B6, and minerals like iron, calcium, and copper. It strengthens the immune system and it’s an excellent remedy for skin wounds and infections. Raw organic honey is a great source of carbohydrates, high in calories, increases blood sugar levels, improves digestive functioning, and is a powerful antioxidant.

What a huge difference, isn’t it?

I personally prefer to buy a locally produced raw organic honey in a glass jar, not in plastic, from the health food shop, every winter mainly as a sweetener for some herbal teas or unbaked nut cookies, especially for Christmas.

Here is a simple recipe for you which takes about 5-10 minutes to make:

RAW ALMOND COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds

½ cup organic raw honey

Dried coconut

Optional: If you don’t have raw honey, you can use organic maple syrup, agave nectar or coconut nectar instead.

Organic ingredients are always recommended!

Preparation:

1. Grind almonds in the food processor.
2. In a bowl mix the ground almonds and honey into a sticky dough. Wet your hands and make balls or log shapes and roll them in coconut. Store in the fridge to chill before serving. Enjoy

You can find a good quality (raw) honey in many health food stores or online.

The post Is regular honey the same as raw honey? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

What are the health benefits of beetroot?
While beetroot contain more sugar than any other vegetable on the table, they are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol.

They are also an excellent source of fibre, vitamin C, magnesium, and folate, which helps make and maintain RNA and DNA cells and prevent anaemia.

Beetroot also contain potassium, which is necessary for building muscle and regulating the heart’s electrical activity, and manganese, which helps maintain muscle and nerve function, build bone strength, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote a healthy immune system.

Betaine, an amino acid in beetroot, inhibits the formation of cancer-causing compounds and is protective against colon and stomach cancer.
 
How to prepare beetroot? 
Clean your beetroot with a scrubbing brush and water. Do not top and tail them with a knife as they will bleed from cuts, losing flavour and colour. If using raw in salads, just peel them with a vegetable peeler.
 
A little tip: Wash your cutting board, especially wooden one, immediately after cutting beetroot to save it from being dyed purple.
 
For the best shelf life, leave the roots muddy and store in a paper bag in the fridge or somewhere cool and dark, this way they will keep for several weeks.
 
Cooking beetroot?
You can roast, boil, bake or pickle it, but I prefer to stir-fry it along with onion, carrots or parsnip and serve it with brown rice or potatoes.

Beetroot just as spinach, rocket and lettuce is also high in nitrates. Research suggests that cooking significantly reduces the available nitrates. Therefore, eating raw beetroot is the best.
 
Eating beetroot raw?
You can peel, grate or cut into matchsticks or small cubes and use in salads (dress with lemon juice, cider vinegar or olive oil). You can also combine beetroot with other vegetables such as carrots, apples, parsnip, swede, celeriac and cabbage. I love juicing beetroot along with carrots, spinach, kale, ginger, parsley and/or lemon.
 
Why not to try this recipe below which is from my new book Plant-Based Recipes for Healthy Living and you can download it here: https://lenkapagan.com/plant-based-recipes-healthy-living/

Download this book for only £2.99!
Get £5 off with this promo code DECEMBER. Hurry, this offer expires this Wednesday 13th Dec.

Download your book here:
https://lenkapagan.com/plant-based-recipes-healthy-living/

Resources:
Autumn and Winter Veg book by Guy Watson and http://foodfacts.mercola.com

Do you like raw beetroot as well? If so, how do you prepare it? Please leave your comments below.

The post Beetroot: benefits, preparation & juice recipe appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

I am excited to introduce you my new book!

In this book Plant-based recipes for healthy living you will find some of my favourite recipes that I have learnt to make over the years – either on my own or by adjusting other people’s recipes. You will notice that some common ingredients are missing from the recipes – sugar, table salt, tinned foods, simple carbohydrates such as baking products made of white/refined/flour, white rice, etc. Instead I use good quality natural sweeteners and seasonings such as sea salt and complex carbohydrates…

Find here over 90 mouthwatering plant-based recipes from smoothies to cashew cheese spread, to seasonal treats and even raw cookies. Plant-based recipes for healthy living has the recipes that will keep you and your family happy, healthy and well-nourished.

I have witnessed many people who have cured themselves of a variety of health issues – some minor and some serious –  thanks to the food they eat and lives they live.

I am living proof of this. Thanks to a plant-based diet and yoga, I healed myself of multiple sclerosis (MS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), high levels of cholesterol, Candida, female disorders, serious dehydration – kidney failure and other annoying health issues.

2004 was my transformational year when I became vegetarian. I removed meat from my menu and three months later I stopped eating dairy and eggs so that I was mainly eating plant-based foods – mostly organic wholefoods. I watched the magic happen as my health dramatically improved…

“The greatest mistake a person can make is to remain ignorant when he is surrounded, every day of his life, by the knowledge he needs to grow and be healthy and successful. It’s all there. We need only to observe, read, learn and apply.” – Paul C. Bragg

DO YOU AGREE THAT YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH?
Here is the fact – we accept illness as a normal part of our life instead of dealing with the cause of the problem. We ‘treat’ symptoms with artificial pills as a quick fix. Too often we feel the need to seek out the physician, whom we have been taught has the cure for all of our health problems.

Prevention and maintenance are much easier and so much more cost effective and will certainly produce satisfying results such as looking and feeling great.

The post PLANT-BASED RECIPES FOR HEALTHY LIVING appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

As you may already know, I grew up in the Czech Republic and every year my son Lucas (7) and I visit for our summer holiday. Usually we travel by plane, but this year we decided to travel by Czech coach – Regiojet by Student Agency.

We were a couple of hours late leaving London – after 1pm instead of 11am – due to a cycling event, arriving in Prague just after 10am, instead of 6.30am, the next morning, Monday 31 July.

The journey wasn’t too bad despite the long delay as we met some friendly people to chat with and each seat had a tablet fixed to the headrest in front with a good selection of movies, music and games. You could also get a free tea or coffee or buy some refreshments from the steward/ess on the couch. Lucas wasn’t the only child on the bus, there was another boy, also called Lukas, who was also 7! The two boys got along well.

Once we had arrived in Prague our first stop was an Italian Pizzeria, in Cerny Most, where we had a lovely vegan pizza. We took another bus journey, only 75 minutes this time, to my hometown, Novy Bydzov.

In the afternoon, we visited friends and relatives and in the evening, we visited an organic farm,  http://www.kralickovabiozelenina.cz/ where I bought some fresh  produce and booked horse riding for next day with a lovely lady Zuza, my friend and one of the hardest working woman on this organic farm.

The next morning, Tuesday 1 August 2017, was a beautiful sunny day so we went horse riding in the countryside. It was amazing and we’ll certainly do whenever we are back in my hometown from now on. I can highly recommend Zuza’s high-quality service – she is such a professional and a very friendly person.  

We also tested that Yoga can be done anywhere and tried some poses on the horses!

After horse riding we went on another journey – over 3 hours this time by train, to the recreational area Dolce, http://www.kemp-dolce.cz/ where we’d hired a tent. It’s located in the quiet countryside, in the foothills of the Giant Mountains (Krkonose), 4km from the town of Trutnov.

There was no air conditioning on the train – it was about 37C – not the best weather for travelling and too hot for us!  To pass the time Lucas did some more yoga poses.

The first thing we did after arriving at the camp, was to change into our swimsuits and jump into the lake. Afterwards we had dinner in the camp restaurant.

The next day, Wednesday,  we had a simple breakfast of organic apple and mango puree (a kind of baby food) with bananas. All the foods mentioned here and more you can see pictured on my FB page, the link is provided at the end of this article.

We then went to catch a bus to go on our first trip to Adrspach-Teplice Rocks, which was about an hour away. Unfortunately, there were not many buses running during the summer holidays, so we ended up walking 2km to the nearest village, Volanov, and waited for a bus there. During the walk we stopped and took a few pictures of the lovely countryside.

Due to the bad bus connections, we decided to postpone our trip to the rocks for another day and explore the nearest town Trutnov instead.  And did a bit of shopping too.

After we bought our favourite unhealthy vegan treat, strawberry ice cream. We always have this every summer when visiting back home and it is probably the nation’s the most favourite ice cream as well.

We also stocked up on healthy and organic foods at Mates in Trutnov and my other favourite store DM, where you can find organic, vegan, natural non-perishable foods and toiletries. I so love this store as it reminds me kind of a mini Waitrose, my other favourite store in the UK.

Here you can see our organic (bio) breakfast to which we added some fruits such as banana and blueberries.

We were given some freshly picked blueberries by our new camp neighbours, Lenka (yes, the same name as mine ) and her family picked from the nearby forest.

Our first organic dinner at the camp was pasta with tomato ketchup and soya sausage. We ate outside of the tent. It was so lovely that we ate every meal like this. 

If we’d had a car then we would have been able to do a bigger shop and get more fresh produce, but unfortunately there were no local shops. The camp was about 4km away from the nearest town, so we had to go with the flow, buy what I could carry and make the best of the weather and accommodation. I think for our first time glamping, we didn’t do too bad! 

In the evening we met some more friendly neighbours in the camp and stayed up late chatting.

On Thursday we wanted to try again to go on a trip to the Rocks, but we ended up staying in the camp as we were quite tired from all the walking and travelling of the previous few days. 

Since it was very hot, even in the morning, we went swimming in the lake with our new neighbours.  Here you can see our simple lunch of wholemeal bread with mushroom pate with cucumbers.

We had rain on Thursday afternoon for a couple of hours so we all had a nap or at least tried to.  In the evening, we went for a walk to explore the other side of our camp.

Below is a photo of Lenka, my neighbour and new friend, with her two daughters, doing some chair yoga at the camp’s playground. 

We also found a mushroom which ended up in our dinner later that day – vegetable spelt risotto with soya sausage. 

On Friday we had an early start as we really wanted to go the Rocks this time, but you would not believe it –  we never got there! We even took a taxi to the town this time, as there were no buses. And guess what! The taxi was about 15 minutes late so we missed the train!

So, what to do now? We quickly came up with another plan, thanks to the lady working in the train station, and took the next train to a completely different direction, Ceska Skalice which was about 45 minutes train journey away and about 2km of forest walk to Ratiborice, the place where our national writer of the most beautiful and popular childrens books spent her childhood.

What we found along the way! A little deer, a little snake, a black beetle and even a green dragonfly, the colour of which I have never seen before. I also did a little yoga in the forest.

Finally, we arrived in Ratiborice where we stopped for a refreshing home-made lemonade before continuing on our journey. We visited the famous statue in Babiccino udoli in Ratiborice of the writer Bozena Nemcova. 

Further on we visited a water mill which had the original furniture and household items that would have been used in her lifetime. Our next and last stop was Ratiborice castle before getting a lift back to our camp. 

When we got back we had our last simple dinner at the camp – organic wholemeal pasta with ketchup and carrots (pictured), which we got from our neighbour Lenka’s garden. By the way, Lucas did the little flower arrangement on the table. 

Saturday morning we are saying goodbye to our friend Lenka and her family as they were going home, as was our other neighbour Misa and her family.  We all had a wonderful time and promised to stay in touch and hopefully meet again next year. 

Then we went for another adventure, which was amazing! I will share it with you next week

Please click here  to view the rest of the pictures from our holiday.

Next week: Our Summer Holiday in the Czech Republic – Part 2.

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