22-08-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaLast time I went to Whole Foods in MIami, where I am at the moment, I've got one of my favorite magazines "Whole Living".
While reading it, I came across something I thought was worth sharing it with you guys.
well, I found this article about a Journal! But not any kind of journal. It is specifically dedicated to health/diet/fitness. It is made in way that you can track your goals and results in a creative and fun way. like this it will be easy for you to stick to healthy life style.
I thought it was great idea. Right way me and my girlfriend did order one of these journals for each of us. I can't wait to get back to New York and start using it!
By the way, I have to tell that Whole Foods in MIami is GREAT! Lots of fresh tropical fruits, organic greens and huge selection of raw food items. My new favorite is Raw Almond Butter. I put it on my sprouted toast every morning!
love, Val
visit the website to order your journal!
28-07-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaYesterday I went to one of my favorite raw restaurants here in New York to grab some lunch, and I noticed that they star selling Glass Straw. And I thought "WOW! this is an amazing solution for our plastic waste problem!' it is very small but still a big help!
Think about how much garbage already exists on our planet and plus every time you purchase your smoothie or juice, you use one of those plastic straws. 5 minutes later - its all in the trash. and like this everyday!
Well, now you can buy only one glass straw and carry it around with you. It's made of high quality glass and will last forever.
"- glass straws don't leach toxins into your food as you drink
- each time you use your glass straw equals one less plastic straw ending up in your landfill
-one glass straw replaces thousands of plastic straws"
see more info on the website below.
love, Val
22-06-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaToday I want to share another great recipe. It's super easy to make and very beneficial for your health. I have to tell, the ingredients you'll need for this recipe I'm sure you have in your fridge right now, but you never think to combine them all together. So, let's see:
- 1 or 2 bananas
- 1 apple Gala
- 2 cups of spinach
- 2 cups of fresh water
Put everything in blender and run for 30 sec or until everything blends very well. That's it! The Green Smoothie is ready:)
It's so yummy, you wouldn't believe it! Don'tt worry about spinach, you will not taste it at all. All you taste is bananas and apple! But spinach adds so much vitamins and minerals to this drink!
You can have it for breakfast or dinner or as a snack in between the meals.
If you like this recipe, later you can experiment with different greens: kale, arugula, mint, romaine etc. As well as with fruits: you can use blueberries, pear, melon, mango..
This smoothie contains so much nutritions that your body craves, that you will loose your cravings for unhealthy food.
Love, Val
18-06-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaWe should think of our body as a miracle machine that does everything to keep us healthy and happy.
While you sleeping at night, your body is going thru detox process - it is getting rid of old toxins and waste that you receive thru polluted air, unclean water, unhealthy food ... You name it.
To me , the most important meal of the day is breakfast. How you will feel the whole day is simply depends on what you have first thing in the morning.
My advise to everyone is to start your day with glass of warm water and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Lemons are very alkalizing on your body, so you will have stronger immune system. Besides, lemons are very cleansing for your intestines.
Wait 30 min and then you can have your breakfast, It is very important to have fruit as a first food entering your body. Try to keep is simple - chose one fruit that you enjoy most and have it as much as you want till the lunch time.
My favorite breakfast is melon smoothie!
I take one cantaloupe melon - split it in half - spoon out the seeds. Then I take my blender and put ripe flesh into it. I blend everything well and thats it! Sometimes I add almond milk and it tastes even better!
Love, Val
08-06-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaAll right, I am probably obsessed with tea! I just love to have my warming cup of tea every day. At home I have huge collection of herbal, green and white teas.
I recently bought super cute reusable tea container (made with glass, not plastic!) to take it with me when I go to work or when I'm traveling.
So, what I do is: before I leave my home, I pour hot water into my tea container, add few (or alot!) pieces of fresh ginger and few leaves of jasmine tea. And it seats there, brewing for an hour or so.
When I open the lid, ginger aroma is so refreshing and warming that everyone around me wants to have a sip;)
Either you are a ginger-fan or someone who looks for natural remedies to boost your immune system, you will love this recipe!
love, Val
02-06-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaToday I want to share a great recipe for almond milk. I always have fresh almond milk in my fridge. It stays fresh up to 5 days. Great alternative for cows, soy or rice milk. It's easy to make, super yummy and you know what's in it cause you make it YOURSELF! ( think of other nasty ingredients that you buy together with your supermarket almond milk).
You will need:
-1 cup of organic raw almonds (soaked in water over night)
-3 cups of filtered water
-1-2 dates (pits removed)
-pinch of sea salt (pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt)
-pinch of vanilla (whole dry vanilla powder or vanilla extract without alcohol)
-pinch of cinnamon
-good blender (I use Blendec)
-nut milk bag
Put everything into blender and run for 30-40 seconds. Pour the mixture into a strainer or nut milk bag to separate pulp and milk. That's it!
Use it together with granola for breakfast or make nutritious banana and strawberry smoothie. Put it in your coffee or tea. Add cacao and you've got chocolate almond milk! Variations are endless!
Enjoy!
love, Val
29-05-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaNo, I am not trying to promote drugs! In fact, oil made with hemp seeds is the most healthy and nutritious oil you can possibly add to your diet!
Everybody knows that green salad in your diet is very important. More greens you add to your daily intake the healthier and more energetic you will feel. Chlorophyll that all greens contain in abundance alkalizes your blood which is the key to beautiful skin, nail, hair and overall health!
Before I discovered Hemp Oil, I used to add olive oil in all my salads. I love olive oil and I still use it everyday in my recipes. But I wanted something different, something extra special to add to my meals.
I went to Whole Foods and bought bottle of Hemp Oil, out of curiosity. I've read that It's a much better alternative to Fish Oil, which is obviously not vegan and until fish oil supplements get to supermarket they turn rancid and will do more harm to your body then good.
Hempseed oil contains healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids. These fatty acids considered essential because they cannot be manufactured by the body. We must receive them from special foods such as hemp oil.
I star using Hemp Oil not just a s supplement ( 1 Tspoon a day) but also to add to my recipes. To me Hemp Oil has delicious nutty flavor. If you find taste to be too strong, mix it with olive oil half and half. Sometimes I put Hemp Oil in my smoothies and juices.
Store it in the fridge and watch out for expiration date - hemp oil is very sensitive and doesn't last long. Enjoy!
love, Val
22-05-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaYou probably asking yourself: What on Earth is capoeira (pronounce as kah-puh-ei-rah)? It's sounds similar to caipirinha - although capoeira has nothing to do with the drink but both of them came from Brazil.
Capoeira is a fun work out that combines music, fight, dance, flips, jumps, kicks and specific movements. Sounds complicated but it's actually not!
When 3 years ago, friend of my invited me to capoeira class, I didn't want to look ridiculous in front of the other advanced students, but I was too curious to know capoeira. So I went!
At the beginning of the class we did warm up for 20 minutes and after we start doing all those movements - ginga, armada, au, meia lua de frente etc. I was awkward at the beginning but as everyone do, I catch up later and totally loved it.
Now, I own my belt #4. I wish I could do capoeira more often, but I miss too many classes due traveling.
If you want to try capoeira, visit the website for more info (below). It's fun but still a work out, all your muscles will be involved (that's why I love it!). So, be ready to be sore after your first class. But trust me, it is worth it!
love, Val
21-05-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaWhen you change your diet towards healthier choice, you stock up your fridge with organic, whole food products, natural and unprocessed products. But what about your bathroom?
Take a look at your shower shelves and what's behind your mirror. Let's talk about bathroom make over!
Did you know that everything you put on your skin goes into your bloodstream? Soaps, lotions, body creams, shampoo, gels - if it's not natural or organic - they are fully packed with chemicals and preservatives.
I was very happy to find out about Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Made with only 8 ingredients (commercial shower gels got at least 20 unreadable ingredients). Dr. Bronner's Soap is pure organic essential oils! Not only this, but also the company labeled as Fair-trade and No Animal Testing.
On the label says "18-in-1" which means you can find other 18 or even more ways to use this natural soap: for every day body washing, laundry, house cleaning, for plants to keep the bugs way etc (for more info check the website).
The company also makes shaving gels, baby skin care, lip balms and lotions. My personal favorite is Eucalyptus Liquid Body Soap, and for summer days I prefer the one with refreshing Peppermint fragrance.
love, Val
14-05-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaIf you are passionate about travel, adventure, photography, nature, extreme locations then you've got to google this guy: Peter Lik.
An extremely talented landscape and nature photographer who would do anything for The One Winning Shot!
Last time i was walking downtown in New York City, I passed by his gallery, which located on 419 West Broadway. The moment I stepped in, I was so inspired by his work that I immediately wanted to grab my camera and fly to all those amazing places around the world! I couldn't stop thinking How Beautiful our Planet Earth is! His work is beyond spectacular! I can spend hours in his gallery studying each photo.
I especially love his "Ele Dreaming" (see the photo). Apparently, elephants love to "hang out" by marula tree that grows in Africa. Its sweet, yellow fruit is used for making wine, beer, and a liqueur called Amarula. People like to believe that it's a "party" place for animals. And in the morning you can see "drunk" elephants leaning on the tree.
I have visited his gallery in Miami, Lincoln Road. And I found out that they decorate their space with eco friendly furniture made by coconut wood without glue! Another good reason to be a fan.
love, Val
13-05-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaEver wonder if there is a "super product" that you can use as a body moisturizer, hair conditioner, cuticle softener, lip balm, dental care, antibacterial, antifungal, smells good and you can eat it??!!
Well, i finally have found mine - coconut oil! Yes, it does all the above and much more!
Get ride of your petroleum based jelly and creams that plug your pores, causing pimples, and poison your body - start using something that's really good for you and the planet!
Next time you go to health food store for your fruits and veggies, don't forget Organic Cold Press Coconut Oil.
By the way, you also can cook with it. Coconut oil is the only oil that does not create toxic byproducts ( those cause wrinkles on your face!) when heated.
Oh, and my cats love it too!
love, Val
