Sunshine preparations

I told you before that I would talk more about sun exposure, so here it goes! On Monday I am off to Thailand and for about 3 weeks I've been preparing myself for a month in the sun without sun screen. The thing is, we don't really need sun screen, and we're actually much better off without it. Here's why. Firstly, sun screens block the sun's UVB rays, which are essential for our bodies' production of vitamin D. So even if we spend 12 hours a day in the sun, we still don't get any vitamin D if we use sun screen as a block. Secondly, sun lotions are packed with nasty ingredients, and it has even been shown that they increase the risk of skin cancer, which is the complete opposite to what they're claiming to do. Many of these lotions contain substances which, when exposed to the sun, become highly carcinogenic and thus cancer-producing. Plus of course all the other toxic ingredients found in any non-organic skincare.

Read this article for more information:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032996_sunscreen_cancer_risk.html


To prevent our skin from burning in the sun, there are various natural methods we can use. Many natural fats make excellent sun lotions. Today I made my own sun lotion, which is nothing less than superfood for the skin. Here's what I put in it:

Organic Jojoba oil

Organic virgin coconut oil

Organic cacao butter

Organic shea butter (with honey & black seed oil for a lovely smell)

I'm not sure about the amounts, but this is the order (highest amount first):

1. Coconut oil
2. Cacao butter
3. Shea butter
4. Jojoba oil

In addition to a good sun lotion, which is applied externally, there are a few ways to internally prepare our bodies for the sun. The best way is by eating antioxidants because they counteract the activities of free radicals, which are the cause of sun damage. I told you about my juicing in the previous post. Carrots are especially good because they contain the antioxidant betacarotene, which prevents the skin from being burnt by the sun. Celery is also great because it promotes the production of collagen in our bodies, and thus quickens skin renewal. In addition to food, there are some supplements we can take in order to minimise the risk of getting burnt by the sun. Astaxanthine is basically the red colour found in algae and some fish, and taken as a supplement is one of the most effective ways to prevent us form sun damage. Lycopene is another antioxidant which can be taken as a supplement and is also red in colour. It is found in some red vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, papaya and watermelon. Lycopene has been proven to have anti-cancer properties and is very powerful in fighting the oxygen produced on the skin during sun exposure (free radicals).

That's it for my part, hope you find these tips useful. Remember that carrots should be eaten for at least 2 moths before sun exposure, and astaxanthine and lycopene should also be taken from a few weeks before going to the tropics, and the use should be continued throughout the trip. Basically, eating all this throughout the year is not a bad idea :)

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about my trip. I'm going for a 1 month yoga holiday, with yoga practice twice a day, 6 days a week. I can't wait! I'm taking my laptop with me so you'll probably get some news from over there at some point, probably yoga-related news ;)


Lots of love and happiness,

Emma

Aussie Observations

Hello all, I have been absent for a while, my apologies. I am now in Australia, and have been here for a month today actually. I will update every once in a while about what I see and eat here.

What people seem to eat most of here would be junk food, in all forms. Chips, crisps, hamburgers, fried chicken, meat in all possible ways, chocolate, ice cream... The list is never-ending. One thing that I find extremely annoying is that they don't really seem to have understood that you can actually make smoothies without dairy or sugar. I tried asking for one made with soy milk (which is definitely not ideal, but still) and what I got was a yellow sugary mass I had to struggle really hard to finish. I'm really missing my favorite smoothie bar in Finland at the moment. I have to admit, I have definitely not been good about my eating here, but I'm improving every day. The one thing that is huge here is juices, you can get freshly squeezed juices pretty much anywhere, so that's a definite plus. Superfoods are definitely not as visible here as they are in Finland, but there are some awesome places for that too, I will be back with reviews at a later point. Everything is pretty expensive here, I thought Finland was expensive, but this does seem to be a bit worse. What I'm struggling with most is to find something healthy and cheap to have for breakfast. At the moment I start my days with muesli, some fruit and almond milk with a cup or two of green tea. I would like to get rid of the muesli, I will see what I come up with. I'm gonna try a banana pancake recipe soon, will get back with details on how it went!

Below is a pic of my very first meal in Australia, buckwheat blueberry pancakes with berries, mango and organic mashed apples.

love,

anna

Canned Dreams

Canned Dreams | Trailer from OktoberFi on Vimeo.

When shopping for food people often complain about the high prices. But have you ever wondered how a can of ravioli can cost 1 euro? If you look at the list of ingredients and the metal used for the can, how can all that be worth so little? This film shows the journey of the ravioli can, and it shows you the sacrifices made in order for you to be able to complain that 1 euro is too much. I saw the film today in the cinema where I work, and I realised it is the answer to the questions of all those people I know who wonder about my strange eating habits. Why do I choose organic? Why do I choose local? Why do I skip prepared and canned food? And why don't I eat meat? Watch this and you will know. I cried because of the cruelty of this world that we call civilisation. And I cried because those animals reproduce, because their sole purpose is to exist for us to walk over them. The Polish guy who murders cows for work, he who is describing how he wants to kill the man his wife fell in love with while he himself was sleeping with another woman; if he worked on a small biodynamic farm, planting beautiful flowers, I hardly think he would like to kill anyone. But there is no use blaming the workers, or even the corporate executives and owners. It is us who are to blame. Us, who buy these products which can hardly be called food. We make all this possible. A complete reconfiguration of values is needed. Next time you think real, organic, natural, healthy food is too expensive, think about whether you need those new jeans or that bigger tv. Or whether you would rather put your money into your well-being, health and happiness. Alarm bells should start to ring when a price is as low as that can of ravioli, it simply is not the right value for food.

Emma

Roasted müsli

Home-made müsli can be 1000 times better than the ones bought in shops. Yesterday I prepared a wintery kind, focusing on nuts instead of fruits and on warming spices. Here's how to make it:

What you need

The amount should add up to ca 1 litre

Buckwheat flakes

Millet flakes

Almonds

Brazil nuts

Cashew nuts

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Sesame seeds

Goji berries

Cold-pressed sesame seed oil (ca 3 tbsp)

Honey (ca 2 tbsp)

Ground cinnamon (3 tsp)

Ground cardamom (2 tsp)

Ground ginger (2 tsp)

Ground cloves (1 tsp)

How to do it

1. Roughly crush the nuts and almonds (not the seeds) in a mortar.

2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

3. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet with baking paper.

4. Roast in a 150°C oven for ca 20 minutes, turning at times. Be careful not to burn the müsli! When the kitchen starts to smell good and the flakes and nuts gain a golden colour, your müsli is ready.
5. When the müsli has cooled, you can put it in an air-tight glass-jar and store in the fridge.

This müsli is delicious on a cold winter's morning due to its warming properties. Eat with raw milk like I did, or mix with natural organic yogurt. Remember to use organic ingredients for the best taste and health benefits :) I want to add that the roasting process weakens the nutrient potency of the ingredients, as does heating any food. If this is a problem, you can try making the müsli in the same way, only without the oven. For me the roasting is ok because I don't eat müsli very often, although I think I might make one batch without heating at some point.

I shall be back another day with some more recipes on delicious müslies!

<3 Emma

Happy New Year everyone!

As the year is changing I thought it would be appropriate to gather a top 10 of all our posts so far. I began the task and before long I realised that I had ended up with a top 20 before I even had gone through half of our posts.. So I decided to leave it and forget about the whole thing. Instead, I want to urge you to make 2012 a year filled with love. Because I can't think of any better answer to every question you ever had than love. What else is there to want or need? If all your thoughts, words and actions stem from love (and you know in your heart when that love is real) what could possibly go wrong? Living from love is the same as following your heart and that in turn means being happy. And it's what the wise people throughout time keep on saying, even if it is sometimes dressed in the word compassion. So whatever new year's resolutions you are making, let them grow out of love for yourself and for everything and everyone else in the universe, because really it's all one and the same.

<3<3<3

Emma

Clay pampering

Hello there! A week of Christmas has gone by, I hope you all got to enjoy it in the company of loved ones with good food and beautiful words. I've been working almost everyday but nevertheless enjoyed the week (I work in a cinema, mostly selling tickets). I consider my work as a kind of workout or challenge, where I get to practise my social skills and become more confident around people. And it has definitely worked wonders so far. Apart from working I've had many opportunities to conduct "normal" Christmas activities, such as watching films, reading new books, eating really well, and spending quality time with my family. I even had time for a small pampering session which involved a facial mask of natural green clay. Here's the evidence (extremely charming I know):

I want to talk a bit more about this green clay because it's actually quite an amazing substance (perhaps not aesthetically, at least not on my face). The real name for it is Bentonite or Montmorillonite clay, and it is formed from the weathering of volcanic ash. It occurs naturally in many different parts of the world, most notably in the US. Perhaps the most important medicinal property of green clay is its ability to effectively kill bacteria, something that has been shown through various studies and experiments. It contains massive amounts of trace minerals necessary for our health, commonly up to 75 different minerals can be listed.

The most common way of using this clay is probably what I did, to cover your skin with it or take a clay bath, and almost every spa provides such services. This method has been used throughout history to treat various illnesses such as skin infections, acne, ulcers, or arthritis, or to tone the body and reduce fat.

However, external use is not the only way to benefit from the healing properties of clay, and it is also used internally as an extremely effective natural detox method. This is basically due to the negative charge of the particles in the clay which attract other, positively charged particles such as toxins, bacteria, metals and pesticides. These bad particles adhere to the clay particles, which then transport the toxins out of the body.

Here's a list of some health benefits:

• cleansing of the liver, colon and skin
• balancing bacteria in the digestive tract
• improving nutrient assimilation
• strengthening of the immune system
• elimination of food allergies
• healing the body of food poisonings, viral infections and parasites
• treating arthritis, pain wounds, diarrhoea, stomach ulcers, acne, anaemia, digestive conditions
• effective in weight loss
• re-mineralisation of cells and tissues
• alkalisation of the body
• protection against radiation

There are different ways of consuming bentonite clay, but normally ca 1 tablespoon is mixed in a glass of water and drunk daily on an empty stomach.

In my opinion, considering all the toxins and radiation we consume and inhale daily and mostly without noticing, clay is a perfect way of daily healing. Without some sort of detox, our bodies are unable to get rid of all the bad stuff at a rate that would compare to the rate with which it is exposed to them. And the best part of clay is that it's really cheap and can be found in most health food/natural/organic shops everywhere.

More information about bentonite:

http://www.naturalnews.com/025854_clay_body_detox.html

http://curezone.com/cleanse/bowel/bentonite.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/032549_bentonite_clay_health_benefits.html

http://www.eytonsearth.org/drinking-clay-internal-use.php

<3

Emma

Healthier gingerbread

There is also no Christmas here without gingerbread so I had to make up a recipe for those too :)

Fiery Gingerbread

200 g organic butter (you can use coconut oil if you don't eat dairy)

2 dl coconut sugar

1,5 dl agave syrup

2 organic eggs

8 dl wholemeal organic spelt flour (buckwheat flour can also be used)

2 dl organic potato flour

2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tsp ground cardamom

3 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cloves

a pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Leave the butter out to soften for a while and beat into smaller pieces.

2. Add the coconut sugar to the butter.

3. Bring the agave syrup to boil and slowly pour the hot syrup in with the butter and sugar. Mix until even.

4. Add the eggs and turn until even.

5. Mix all the dry ingredients (except the black pepper) in another bowl.

6. Little by little, add the flour mixture into the dough and keep turning. Use your hands when the dough gets thick.

7. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap with clingfilm. Put into the fridge overnight.

8. The next day, pour a little flour on a table and roll out the dough with a rolling pin (we used a sigg bottle..). Use gingerbread-molds to press the gingerbread into their shapes. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to get a nice little kick. Lift the breads onto a baking sheet with baking-paper and bake in 200°C for ca 5 min, or until they gain some colour.

Voilà!

I probably won't have time to post anything tomorrow, so Merry Christmas everyone!!

Lots and lots of love,

Emma

The clothes we wear

For a long time now I have wanted to write something about clothing. Wearing clothes is so obvious to us that we hardly think about it. Well of course we think about how we look and whether we're warm or cool enough, but how often do we really give a thought to what our clothing actually is made of? Acrylic fiber, for example, is something so complicated that I didn't understand any of the descriptions offered by Wikipedia. Same thing with polyester. No wonder these textiles don't feel good on the skin when they're so unnatural. Especially in the winter, synthetic fibres become static and make your hair stand up straight, and they're not even warm. Natural fibres are much more pleasant on the skin, and much more practical too.

Cotton is probably the most common material used for clothing and other everyday products such as sheets, towels, tampons, nappies etc. And even though this is a natural plant it's not so simple, because the word 'natural' lost its meaning long ago. Cotton fields only take up 3% of the world's farmland, but they are sprayed with 25% of the world's pesticides and herbicides, including some of the most toxic ones. This might be 'allowed' because cotton is not directly consumed as a food, but our skin absorbs stuff just like any other organs do. Imagine that you're probably sleeping in sheets full of toxins, rubbing your skin against them every night. And it's not just our outer skin, imagine the amount of pesticides absorbed from tampons.. In fact, we even eat cotton, through cottonseeds and cottonseed oil which is used in some processed foods and as feed for cows, entering our bodies through non-organic meat and dairy. Pesticides are not the only danger however, but dyes can be extremely toxic too, containing cancer-producing chemicals. Have you ever noticed how new jeans colour off on your skin? That's not such a good thing because the skin is just the gateway to the bloodstream and the rest of your body, including the brain. As if this wasn't enough, the biggest threat to 'natural' cotton is perhaps genetic engineering. Most cotton-production is owned by a Monsanto monopoly that pushes GE cotton as a 'green alternative'. The truth is, these plants have been genetically modified in a way that they either emit their own pesticide, or are resistant to mega-doses of pesticides. The problem with this is that other plants too become resistant to pesticides, resulting in a never-ending need of new ever more toxic pesticides. This is a real threat to organic cotton, as the GMO cotton crops spread with the wind and can settle in organic fields. If Monsanto inspectors then find these GMOs in an organic field they can basically fine the farmer for growing Monsanto-owned crops illegally. The farmer is then faced with the option to either pay Monsanto huge sums of money or to start growing the GMO plants and basically being owned by Monsanto. The 'cotton suicides' happening in India are a result of this. Basically, whenever you buy cotton that is not 100% organic, you can be pretty sure you're supporting Monsanto. And even if the cotton is organic, the dyes probably aren't.. If you care about these things, it might prove quite a challenge to go shopping, but I have as a rule to always wash everything I buy before I start using it, especially if it's not organic. It's good to wash them separately from old clothes the first time, in order not to contaminate the rest of your clothes. And also, an extra rinse programme can be used at the end. And this process should probably be repeated..a few times. And it probably still doesn't remove all the toxins. Plus you're still supporting Monsanto (unless you buy organic).. My answer: buy second-hand.

More cotton information:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/clothes/index.cfm

http://www.naturalnews.com/031266_GM_cotton_agriculture.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/030913_Monsanto_suicides.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/wuis-nfi020711.php

http://www.naturalnews.com/029904_organic_cotton.html


In addition to cotton, there are of course other fabrics that are also natural and much easier to find in a non GMO-version. In the summer I love to use linen and hemp because of their coolness. And wool is of course an obvious choice in the winter. And silk is an incredibly pleasant fabric, and it looks very elegant too.

Here's a blog about organic clothing.

If you want to know more about Monsanto:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto

http://www.naturalnews.com/033772_Monsanto_Roundup.html

http://bestmeal.info/monsanto/company-history.shtml

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/planet-2/report/2008/3/7-deadly-sins.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ENPyDuR23s

and a documentary film.


I hope you find what's important for you, and start manifesting it in your life.


Lots of love,

Emma

Yoga

As promised, I am back with a post on yoga. Last weekend I did an astanga yoga course, to help me get started with it in a proper way. It was a really good introduction, and consisted of three days. Day one was just about an hour of theory, we went though practical stuff and got a brief history of astanga yoga. What surprised me most is that even though it is quite an old practice, it was almost forgotten until about 80 years ago, when it hit another upswing in popularity and is now probably the most popular form of yoga. For me, I want to get into yoga because as I'm having tremendous trouble meditating, I think yoga could be another form of it, or a path towards it.

The two other days we did two hours of training per day. Since I am used to running, I found the yoga practice so much more calming, because you do it in such a slow pace, and you still get a super good workout. There is most definitely enough of a challenge in this for me, as I am sure I will never be able to learn all the poses, but I feel like I will gain a lot from trying. What I was left with after the weekend, besides sore thighs and abs, is a burning passion for this form of exercise and determination to commit to training. Today I did my first training at home, and I loved it. This is another wonderful thing about it, once you sort of get the hang of it, you can train at home by yourself whenever you want, all you need is a yoga mat.

I definitely recommend the course offered at Helsingin Astanga joogakoulu for all our Finnish readers.

Love,

Anna

The big D

The importance of vitamin D in basically every aspect of health is being stressed everywhere it seems. Especially on this latitude, where the sun feels like some distant dream during 8 months of the year, it's a simple fact that we need something to substitute sunshine with. Not only do we need vitamin D to maintain some sort of energy levels during the dark months, but it also provides some life-saving attributes to our physical bodies. It prevents toxicity and regulates the concentration of calcium and phosphate in the blood stream, and is thus an essential ingredient for healthy bones. Vitamin D also helps to cure internal inflammations and acts as an immune system by defending the body from bad bacteria. Low vitamin D levels has been associated with cancer, increased mortality, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, alzheimer's, influenza, and tuberculosis.

This super D is basically the only nutrient that needs to be taken as a supplement (unless you eat high amounts of fish daily, or live in Australia). The ridiculous EU recommendation of 5 micrograms per day is nowhere near enough, and should be converted to between 50 and 150 micrograms/day. It's most easily taken in liquid form, free from any other unnecessary ingredients.

Read more about vitamin D here, here and here for example. Or here.


Emma