Category: Other stories

Up until a few days ago I had no idea that winter allergies even existed! The last couple of years I have been struggling with stuffy nose from October through April and I always thought I had caught a cold that didn’t want to leave! I was so puzzled by it, taking vitamins, trying to consume the ‘right food’ to boost my immune system!

And then, a friend shed some light: Maggie, she said, you are probably suffering from winter allergies… There is no such thing as a cold that starts in October and goes in April!

So, as one does, I started my research. It turns out that although, in this part of the world, pollen which is the culprit for most respiratory allergies, is absent during winter, other allergens can cause issues. Most common allergies can be due to indoor things, such a dust and animals!

Besides keeping a clean house, paying attention to your diet can also help you lessen the impact of allergens. Of course, if you’re dealing with a serious case of allergies, consulting your doctor and managing your situation with medication is the way to go, but for milder cases, the food we eat can overall make us feel better.

For me, it was a combination of meds and a bigger consumption of the below foods that finally did it!

1. Red Bell Peppers

Full of vitamin C red bell peppers not only contribute to strengthening our immune system but they actually also help lower histamine (major contributor in allergic reactions) levels in our bodies.

2. Brussels Sprouts

They are full of phytosterols which, in the case of preventing allergies, is a great thing! These naturally occurring substances in plant cell walls  play an important role in dampening the effect of cytokines (ie overactive antibodies responsible for allergic reactions).

3. Cranberries

Contain antioxidants called quercetin that inhibit the release of histamine and also decrease the pro-inflammatory effect of cytokines antibodies.

4. Sea Vegetables

Studies show that food containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may play a role in reducing inflammation related to asthma and allergic diseases. That’s because omega-3s fatty acids help in the production of three mediators of inflammation in our airway, namely protectins, resolvins, and maresins.

5. Capers

Capers contain a high amount of quercetin.

6. Walnuts

Walnuts are a good source of omega-3s fatty acids.

 

So, if you are struggling with winter allergies, go ahead and boost your diet with the above and let’s see if my research was good! Good luck and stay healthy and allergy free! 

 

I have a confession to make: I am totally crazy about superfood powders! I love reading about them, trying them, feeling their benefits! Here are some of my favourite ones and I hope you give them a try:

Continue reading “Let’s talk about …… superfood powders” →

I was talking about inflammation with my friend Natassa the other day and how it’s really the cause of so much pain and hardship on the body – moodiness, digestion problems, fatigue to name a few of the problems it causes. Basically, inflammation is a sign that something in the body is off balance.

So we did some research and…..

Continue reading “Let’s talk ….. about the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet” →

After two pregnancies, where I gained 20 kilos each time, I realized that diets didn’t work for me.  losing weight is the result of lots of little decisions and choices that add up and should be kept in mind every day. <!– It’s all about adopting a new healthier lifestyle so you lose weight and maintain it.

The below tips helped me a lot, both in terms of losing my pregnancy weight but also keeping my shape, in an easier, tear free way!

Continue reading “Let’s talk …. tips for losing weight without tears” →

In today’s ever changing and superfast pace of living we tend to forget basic principles of what makes us human.. Happy humans..

I too was a victim of this; somehow as I began to feel that this was not all we were here on this earth for – to rush all the time, be selfish and unkind, to count things instead of moments and blessings, to be greedy and unsatisfied – I started my journey back to the basics. And it saved it me. After all, the quality of your life is dependent and in fact shaped by the quality of your thoughts and emotions.

Here are a few traits I now cherish and practice every day:

Continue reading “Let’s talk ……. traits of happy living” →

I’m all for ‘graceful aging’, ‘my wrinkles mean I’ve lived and laughed’, ‘mature look’, ‘my wrinkles give my face a character’. Having said that, I also appreciate that we are what we eat and what we eat soon enough catches up with us. So, why not take care of our health and skin?

Some of my favourite foods, ones which I found have done good to me are the below

Continue reading “Let’s talk …..superfoods for the aging skin” →

Berrylicious!!!

Berries are among the healthiest foods you can eat.

They are delicious, nutritious and provide a number of impressive health benefits.

Here are a few good reasons to include berries in your diet.

1. Berries Are Loaded With Antioxidants

Berries contain antioxidants, which help keep free radicals under control.

It’s important to have a small amount of free radicals in your body to help defend against bacteria and viruses

One study showed that blueberries, blackberries and raspberries have the highest antioxidant activity of commonly consumed fruits.

2. Berries May Help Improve Blood Sugar and Insulin Response

Berries may improve your blood sugar and insulin levels.

3. Berries Are High in Fiber

Berries are a good source of fiber, including soluble fiber. Studies have shown that consuming soluble fiber slows down the movement of food through your digestive tract, leading to reduced hunger and increased feelings of fullness.

This may decrease your calorie intake and make weight management easier.

What’s more, fiber helps reduce the number of calories you absorb from mixed meals.

4. Berries Provide Many Nutrients

Berries are low in calories and extremely nutritious. In addition to being high in antioxidants, they also contain several vitamins and minerals.

Berries, especially strawberries, are high in vitamin C.

With the exception of vitamin C, all berries are fairly similar in terms of their vitamin and mineral contents.

5. The Antioxidants in Them Help Fight Inflammation

 

Berries have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Inflammation is your body’s way of mounting a defense against infection or injury.

6. Berries May Be Good for Your Skin

In addition to their many other health benefits, berries may help reduce skin wrinkling.

This makes sense, given that the antioxidants in berries help control free radicals, one of the leading causes of skin damage that contributes to aging

Ways to use berries:

Smoothies, Chia puddings, Porridge, Sweets, as a snack, as toppings over granola, yoghurt!

My family always make jokes that one of these days I’m going to start growing feathers and turn into a bird! Or a tail and turn into a squirrel! What can I do, I have a thing about nuts and seeds! Apart from the fact that they are delicious they are super healthy – a great natural source of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, and fiber!

Numerous studies have shown that different types of seeds and nuts can actually prevent weight gain and keep our heart healthy and our body disease free.

So, let’s see some of them:

Nuts:

• Almonds have as much calcium as milk, and contain magnesium, vitamin E, selenium and lots of fiber (my personal favourite! I make almond milk, almond butter and use them in so many recipes! Recipes for both in the blog)

• Cashews are rich in minerals like copper, magnesium, zinc, iron and biotin. They are actually a low-fat nut, and like olive oil, they have a high concentration of oleic acid, which is good for your heart.

• Walnuts are extremely good for your heart and brain, and antioxidants (I love making walnut granola – recipe in the blog)

• Pecans have tons of vitamins and minerals like Vitamins E and A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, B vitamins, and zinc.

• Brazil Nuts are a good source of protein, copper, niacin, magnesium, fiber, vitamin E, and a great source of selenium.

• Pine Nuts have Vitamins A, B, D, E, P and contain 70% of your body’s required amino acids.

Seeds:

• Chia seeds are my favourite! Together with hemp seeds! They are rich in omega-3 oils, protein, anti-oxidants, calcium, and fiber. I love using them in my baking, smoothies or porridge! Tip: you can replace eggs with chia seeds as follows: 1 ‘egg’ = 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 3 tablespoon water. Simply mix them together and let them stand for 10 minutes!

• Hemp seeds are high in protein and fiber, with balanced omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. There is a lot of hype lately about their cancer and heart disease prevention abilities.

• Sunflower seeds are high in folate, Vitamin E, selenium and copper.

• Pumpkin Seeds are great for your immune system with lots of antioxidants (carotenoids), omega-3 fatty acids and zinc.

• Sesame Seeds are a good source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, fiber, iron, B1 and phosphorus.   Sesame seeds have also been linked to prevention of many diseases like arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, menopause, osteoporosis.
  And you can also make tahini from them, and add it in your salad, hummus etc!

• Flax seeds are a great source of omega-3s, anti-oxidants and fibers! I love using them in my baking, smoothies or porridge! Tip: like chia seeds, you can replace eggs with flax seeds as follows: 1 ‘egg’ = 1 tablespoon flax seeds and 3 tablespoon water. Simply mix them together and let them stand for 10 minutes!