Rebalance with Salt

Fight the winter blues with just 1 kilo of Salt.

One of the easiest ways to Relax and Harmonize,  is to soak in salt. Your body will absorb all the needed minerals. it will also increase the quality of sleep and energy. 

 Get un-refind  Sea salt or the Himalayan sea salt. Empty the whole bag of salt into  the bathtub and fill up with a small amount of hot water and let it dissolve for 15 minutes.  Add more water for the bath. My advise is to stay in the tub for no more than 20 minutes, It is perfect just before bedtime or it is important to take the time and relax afterwards.

If you get the habit of doing this once a week you will see the change of energy.

If you can not go to the ocean , bring the ocean to your home....

Gunn

Power of Orange

One can really feel the vibration of energy looking at the colour Orange. The shade of Flames. I Love colours and am always fascinated by the philosophy of hues around us.

The Orange ray is linked with the vital force that flows into the body from the sun. Oh....

Orange is the symbol of energy, physically revitalizing. It is helping positive thinking..... 

One of my favorite scarves is in a warm and bright Orange and every time I wear it, I do feel more content and usually have a positive day.

Why not paint all hospitals ad care centers in Orange as it is promoting increased vitality. This colour is important to keep around. I noticed the other day that my Gym is painted in Orange. Clever. Read more on www.colourtheraphyhealing.com

Counting the days before this will show up again ? I am,

Gunn

Anti-aging Miso.

A cup of Miso a day will keep the Doctor far away....

Health minded friends knows this already. But a reminder is always useful. The fermented paste from Rice or Barley is helping the digestive system to keep our body young. To improve our immune system and is full of full of B12.

This is how I make mine; 

I prepare the vegetable stock twice a week. 

2 carrots, 

1 piece of leek or onions, 

2 pieces of Kombu or 20 cm, 

1 Shitake

Let  boil in 2 liter of Water, slowly for 40 minutes and strain away the veggies etc. This gives me the perfect stock. It stores well in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Morning, lunch, afternoon snack or dinner.....you decide. I heat a cup of the stock and add 1 tablespoon of paste at the end ( it should not boil with the paste ) and love the stingy feeling with freshly grated Ginger. Do not add salt.

If you like to read more go on www.whfoods.com 

Just Go Organic ! 

It makes a difference.

Gunn

Lazy Healthy Cooking

An health Advisor once gave me a great thing, a dried nettle powder to take every day in a form of a drink. Good Iron and perfect for the Spring. It can be tiresome and not inspirational. As I am on a soup diet this month and it is considered, lazy cooking. I make large pots that keep me fed for a week and when I have enough, it goes to the dogs. Sounds awful...but, they are normally delicious.  Made a new invention today, added a big tablespoon of nettle powder and could feel ( as eating ) my blood was thanking me for it. I will not show You a photo of the soup as it turned intensely green and looked like food for a Hulk. 
Yummy and good.


If .... I made a cookbook it would be called " Lazy Healthy Cooking ". I guess I will not make one, as there is so many fantastic books on the market. Not only for lazy chefs...Here are my favorites of the moment;

You can pre-order this book on Amazon or Barnes&Noble "super natural every day" by Heidi Swanson. It looks very exciting and can't wait to receive it. I love her cooking style and have made many of her receipts. See her blog at 101cookbooks.

A very special new book is OM JAG VAR DIN HEMMAFRU by Lotta Lindgren.

Translated into " if I was your housewife". I unfortunately need to tell you that for now, it is out in Swedish only. But with her success, it will not take long before it is out in English as well. She has charm and wit as no other chef ever had. Congratulation ! 

I already told you about my very, very favorite chefs and her books. 

Maybe my " ichiban" is CUCINA RUSTICA by Michele Cranston. The photos are amazing and you wish to be inside the ambient she creates. And the climate, Thank You very much....

Gunn

Vacuum with style.

Once in a while we do need to vacuum clean our house. 

It is a chore I try my best to avoid and persuade everyone around me to do it for me. I am normally a very balanced person and am calm most of the time. The vacuum cleaning noise drives me nuts and the smell of dust likewise and suddenly my nerves are on the edge. I knew for a long time that this can change but never did anything about it. 

I have now found the best cure and am happily vacuuming away..... with just 10 drops of Lavender Essential oil on the filter. The room is filling up with a relaxing and nice scent. Just make sure you buy an organic quality otherwise it will create the opposite mood.

Pia Wallén, Stockholm designed this stylish hoover for Electrolux for a special edition. 

Quiet as snow !  So now vacuuming can also be a very stylish chore. 

Gunn

Ice skating

Sweden are blessed with the ideal climate for ice skating on natural ice.

The winters are cold enough for thick ice to be established on the lakes for several months. Even if there is snow , we make sure we plough the ice so we can enjoy this sport.  Outdoor skating is a  popular sport that thousands of people are out on Sundays. The best ice for skating is " Black Ice " , smooth and strong. Only 3 cm is enough depth to carry a person and 10 cm for a car. 

I have wonderful memories from my childhood , spending Sundays on the ice all day. Packing the car with blankets, children, food, hot drinks and a broom and driving out on the lake.  Having a great picnic with friends .

Living in Italy, this is one of the activities I miss.

G

Help our hard working Friends.

Bees are working for our health. We can not live a healthy life without them. Our Eco system is depending on their daily work. 


Message from Avaaz.org:
Quietly, globally, billions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food. But a global ban of one group of pesticides could save bees from extinction. 

Four European countries have begun banning these poisons, and some bee populations are recovering. But chemical companies are lobbying hard to keep all killer pesticides on the market. A global outcry now for a ban in the US and EU, where debate is raging, could provoke a total ban and a ripple effect around the world.

Let’s build a giant global buzz calling for these dangerous chemicals to be outlawed in the US and EU until and unless they are proved to be safe. Sign the petition to save bees and our crops and send this to everyone:

Sign the petition with Avaaz.org 

Pollen contains the richest known source of vitamins, minerals, proteins amino acids, hormones, enzymes and fats, as well as significant quantities of natural antibiotics. Most of the known vitamins in pollen exist in perfect proportion, which further enhances their value. Personally I take a table spoon every morning on my cereal to stay away from colds and I also give each dog the same amount every day. 

They are healthy and happy ! 

Gunn

Saffron / Crocus Savitus

An Infusion of Saffron once in a while will make You feel like Alexander the great !

The super precious Zafaran (yellow) can be good for many things, even for snake bites. Good to know...in small doses it rejuvenate , lowers melancholia and stimulate appetite and many more useful things. But it is not so important,  it is just amazingly exotic to drink.

Infusion: steep 6-10 stigmas in a cup of water for 20 minutes. Strain and drink. You can recycle the stigmas in the risotto or pasta  for a golden colour. 

 To read more go on www. holistic-online.com

Gunn

To Detox or not to Detox ?

When you turn the corner of December and enter January , somehow we ( I am ) bombarded with information on how to Detox.

 I was all energized and in between my meals thinking of doing a " Detox " for a week. Got some information together, ordered a few books, the latest called CLEAN by Dr . Junger. 

But as we already arrived at the mid month and it is freaking cold I dropped the idea and will tell You why I do no believe in the idea all together.

We stuff ourselves with too much food, sweets and drinks during the month of December so we can enjoy the pleasure of starving in January...

If we eat just a little better every day, pay attention every week , have our daily exercise , breath some fresh air, when we can, I do not think we need to go into this January routine. This month is so cold that we should allow ourselves to some warming calories and hide that kilo under a comfy sweater.Personally I will leave the fruit drinks to a warmer month, perhaps April or May. 

Just remember that Tropical fruits cool your body, they are to re freshen in a warm climate....If You step outside in a - 10° after having a glass of Orange juice. Dont' be surprised if you are sneezing later in the day.

My advise is to make warm soups this month and stay warm.

 I normally use a grain ( Whole Spelt, Oat, Millet or Barley) as the base. Let it boil with water , Shitake mushroom , Kombu, for a few hours. Add fresh vegetables, mostly in the green colour. I love the addition of a miso paste for taste at the very end (do not boil with Miso paste) and fresh grated Ginger.

If anything, stay away from alcohol and coffee for a month. That will make a difference. Drink more water.

Enjoy !

Gunn

Weekly Peeling !

Put peeling into Your weekly schedule for a constant glow.

 To exfoliate your face is important if You like to have a young looking skin. Just be gentle. The skin on the face is more delicate than skin on other parts of the body and requires a special attention. With natural products or something from your own kitchen cabinet. 

Brown sugar works well. Mix it with a small amount of water and rub it on the face with circular movements. Let it rest for a moment (10 minutes if You have the patience ) and rinse it off carefully with slightly warm water. 

Moisturize well with Your favorite face cream. Mine is Dr Hauska's rose cream.

I found this fabulous photo in the February 2010 issue of French Vouge, taken by Mario Sorrenti.

Karim in London

 

My friend Karim will have a solo show in London 

at London Art Fair Aureus Contemporary.

Anyone passing or staying in London should not miss seeing this show. Karim's painting are beautiful and full of details to explore. I am amazed of his talent and his sense of colours. I call him "my friend who paints porno" and tease him for what a lovely bed spread the painting has. I wish you, Karim all the best of Great success in London. 

See more of Karim's paintings at www.karimhamid.com

A gorgeous flower from Veneto

The region of Venice and perhaps more precise in a town called Treviso, is growing the best flower to eat. When winter arrives and there is nothing in the vegetable garden, this is a gift from heaven. It is very tasty with a slight bitter twist and while you have it for dinner in a risotto it is also purifying the blood and helping to sleep better. It is also perfect raw in a salad. I made this Risotto on the foggiest day and the atmosphere was just perfect.


My Risotto is done this way and we love it,


I start with slicing a *Red onion, while I am heating my cast iron wok . Add a table spoon of *Grape seed oil ( the lightest for health ) and let the onion get slightly transparent. I wash my *Organic Arborio Rice thoroughly and add it to the onion. A pinch of *Salt.  I always have a *Vegetable stock ready in the fridge ( we drink miso every day ) and use this for the risotto ( it would never occur to me to use of these little cube thing...) So now, let it cook for, I guess 20 minutes. It depends on if you like it "al dente" (a bit crunchy). Cut the (of course washed) *Radicchio into pieces and add in the last minute to the rice. I finished off with a cup of *White wine, *Black pepper and *Olive oil. Grate a well seasoned *Parmesan cheese on top. 
Try it and let me know what you think ?


I know my friend A ( pro photographer, who is reading my blog every morning, but never comment...) will think ..Gunn you need a new camera and better light. Well where are you when I need you ? I thought about you taking this photo and heard your voice.


Gunn

Resort in Phu Quoc

We are back from a wonderful holiday in Vietnam and feel completely rested and ready to start positively  a new 2011.

We typically made a last minute decision , found a ticket on the 24th, I closed the shop on Christmas Eve, packed some light items and left the next morning for Vietnam, Saigon Airport. We had no time for any research and was extremely beat after a busy work schedule  and needed most of all some sleep. We ended up in a very commercial beach hotel at the area called Mui Ne. Where it is very windy and perfect for Kite surfing. Not our cup of tea. Left and managed to find our kind of paradise at Phu Quoc. An island in the south of Vietnam.

Chen La Resort& Spa hotel is a very friendly and  stylish resort on the beach and I can highly recommend it to anyone who needs time off. The style is low key and elegant with a very friendly service. There was lots of privacy even if the Resort was fully booked. I take my hat off for the Architect and the Garden Architect.

The buildings are done in a traditional architecture but with a modern twist in local materials. What you see here, is the terrace restaurant , where we had all our meals. It is also possible to have a romantic dinner for 2 on the beach or in the room. The food was so good that I did not have the time to take any photos before it was gone.....Lots of local fruit, fish and herbs.

Apart from the beach, the Spa was our daily spot. The best massage I ever had , by Mr Charly.

This photo makes me nostalgic and wish I had woken up on the beach today as well. The temperature is very comfortable, at a constant 28 - 30°. 

Somehow the sunsets are better in Asia.

New Years Eve on the deck with lots of good food. 

We are planning to return to Vietnam next year in a different way. Prepared ahead of time and wish to start with Laos , which is supposed to be amazing. Move to Vietnam, Hanoi for a few days, return to ChenLa for some peace and end the trip in Saigon. 

Any good tips are welcome for my Vietnam file, 

Gunn

Good reading !

A wonderful fiction with a story within another story about a young poet and his encounters in NY.  I love Paul Auster's way of storytelling. I can highly recommend it, if you did not already read it. It was published in 2009 and it is typical of me to get a bunch of good books and then stack them on a table for a couple of years.

ESKANDAR ( original title )

 I can't get my head out of the book... it is 500 pages of wonderful reading. The story is about a young courageous boy, Eskandar. He is taking us through his life in the 20th century Iran. It is full of details, history , culture, politics and love. I should say it is a " must " to read this book. Some critics are comparing it to " Thousand and one nights " which I fully agree with. I am on the last 50 pages by now and I wish it does not come to an end.

Thinking ahead for Spring.

 Long, tanned skinny legs, for Spring. 

Yes, thank you very much. We can all have them. Or at least improve on what we got.

It takes some walking, biking, running or whatever is suitable. Exercising can help your legs feel younger.

Diet ( we all know that ) is useful and it is boring.  But it helps.

Dry brushing every day and finish with a good oil massage makes wonder to the skin. I spoke about Britt Beautiful Skin before in a post last year. Just click on it for an update. 

You can buy her packages on her website or at Un Momento Nordico.

Let's get started before May is here, 

Gunn

Treat Yourself to a Mango

I did not really tell you , but I am sure it is easy to understand from my last 3 posts, that I am away on a holiday. We practically escaped from the dreadful and much too early cold weather in Europe.

We are in a wonderful resort in Vietnam and will get back to it later on. One of the wonderful things being in a tropical climate is the  abundance of tropical fruit. Mangoes, incredible sweet bananas, papaya, dragon fruit and more. 

Mango is not only heavenly to eat but also very useful in skin care treatments. Being rich in carotene, A and B vitamins, it is very healthy to eat and is helping to stimulate the activity of the kidneys.

As a natural face mask ,

 use the mango rind and rub a clean face with it's pulp. Let rest for 15 minutes and wash off with cool water. It softens and moisturizes the skin.

Make a smoothie with;

 1 mango, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 cup of milk ( I prefer rice milk ) 1 tablespoon of honey. Place all in a blender and mix until a you have a light cream. Drink and enjoy.

Gunn

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Back stage

Just a funny back stage photo from yesterdays, and last of 2010,  post.

I wish You all a lazy day and a good start of the New Year.

Gunn