nara helt naturligt

It has been some time that I did not post some real information on my Organic skincare product. We ( our team ) are still working on new products to be launched but are delayed a bit.

 Just as the bad news about the next season of Mad Men , that will show in 2012 instead of this summer. To my despair......it is lovely to end the evening once a week with ups and downs of Mad Men.

Well, back to nara.....It is taking us longer to define , test and produce the next coming products than planned. Trust in us, we will arrive eventually.......

Gunn

Argan Oil and Your Beauty

Argan oil , the miracle oil, is a rich source of nourishing benefits for a healthy skin.

I placed a post a few days ago about healthy nails and would like to add another beauty tip for maintaining strong nails.

Place a table spoon of Organic Argan oil in a small cup and about 10 drops of fresh lemon juice. Mix it and massage the clean nails with it. The nails will absorb the healing  E vitamins. 

Argan oil has lots of important benefits and I will list some of them;

* Reduces wrinkles and softens the skin

* Rich in proteins shown to tighten the skin and protect skin's elasticity.

* A regulator for oily skin.

* Treats acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

* Soothes rheumatism and arthritis pain.

* Protects the skin against sun rays and lower the risk of skin cancer.

Read more on www.arganoils.com

If you are a minimalist and like to keep the beauty pouch light. This multi use products could be essential. 

G

B&B in Sassetta, Tuscany

A relaxing Sunday afternoon can start by a warm fireplace with a good healthy lunch in the hills of Tuscany. 

Our did.... We found the information about this organic heaven by chance in a small health food store in Castagneto Carducci. Looked it up and was positively surprised and had a lovely Sunday. 

The Bed & Breakfast or Spa is called La Cerreta and is up in the hills of a small town called Sassetta. Between Bolghari and Castagneto Carducci.  One can renew oneself in their natural spring with sulphate water.  They serve Bio dynamically grown food in their restaurant. We had a delicious meal with vegetables and a plate of Agnelotti pasta with artichokes and cottage cheese. They serve mostly meat for seconds , so we skipped it and enjoyed a plate of cheese and a very nice organic Sangiovese red wine. The sourdough bread, baked from an ancient grain in a firewood oven was excellent.

Food for eyes is to see the first flowers bloom on the hills.

The back side of the restaurant. Should be even lovelier on a sunny day.

The woods are mainly Oaks and Cork-Oaks. A very silent and peaceful atmosphere.

Playing with Tati in the Vineyard.

Free-range chickens having a Sunday meeting.....

Happily relaxed after a few days in the Tuscan hills, 

Gunn

Bolgheri, Tuscany

The most beautiful road in the world, to my opinion must be the famous Cypress Avenue,  leading up to the 1800 Century town Bulghari in Tuscany. The avenue measures 4,962 meters of Cypress trees lining it. 

It is breathtaking and is advisable to see in ones life time.

We spent a lovely weekend touring the hills and having some lovely food and of course some rest as well. We live in a beautiful nature , but sometimes the mountains are over-powering and we crave the sea horizon. 

To read more; click on www.abctuscany.com or www.welcometuscany.it or www.campoalnoce.it

Everlasting Love

One of my favorite flowers is this hardy annual called  Pot Marigold / Calendula Officinalis. 

I think it is a "must" in a country garden and is also one of the easiest to grow. Place a seed in the ground and up comes this gold..... I just love to have the bright colour in the garden and even mix them in with vegetables in the veggie-garden. 

If you have this flower and notice that it is not opening up in the morning, she is telling you that it is going to rain. Helpful for a gardener who always loves a few drops ones in a while. Therefor this flower is also called " flowers of the rain".

It is also a pleasure to sprinkle the happy coloured  petals on the salad or vegetable pasta in the summer. 

It is not very advisable to keep them for cut flowers as they create an unpleasant odor sitting in water. I dry the petals as well, for having them in homemade Bath Salt. 

For people who lived in Antiquity, Marigold flowers when given to a person, they symbolized everlasting love.

To read more go in the link of www.liveandfeel.com,

Gunn

Are You learning Italian ?

Learning a language through music is easy and entertaining at the same time. I can recommend following of my favorites vocalists. I keep them in the car and happily sing loudly in Italian.  

It makes me happy......it might help You too ?

Fabrizio de André is considered an Italian poet. His lyrics are amazing. Sad and Happy and sometimes with situations borrowed from real life of prostitutes, rebellious people and other marginal situations. His voice is powerful. Listen and learn......

Paolo Conte is easy to understand as well. His words are clear. Just love his music....Well I told you this before. 

He is on a tour this Spring and I might go and see him in Lisbon on May 5.....

If you are frustrated and need to get it out....Patty Pravo would be a good help.

An amazingly strong voice and wonderful songs. I think she is good to learn from. If you are nostalgic and love the late 60's and early 70's.

If you are more of an advanced student Jovanotti is great to listen to. 

Again fantastic lyrics and RAP......

I love to be angry in Italian and scream out all the words a foreigner should not use.

Try for yourself ! ( but just locked in the car by yourself )

Gunn

Healthy nails.

 

As I am an enthusiastic gardener it is almost impossible to keep my hand out of the dirt. 

And broken nails is a result from it. The best remedy is to moisturize the nails and cuticles regularly. Simple but daily care of our nails and the surrounding skin can help to give them a healthy and attractive look. 

Healthy nails have a uniform, pinkish color. They also have a slight, uniform vertical ridges and are not brittle. Keep hands away from harsh chemicals in soap and washing detergent. Gloves helps to protect.

What you eat will reflect on the health of your nails. 

Vitamin A and calcium are important.You get them from Green vegetables like broccoli and kale. Vitamin C is helping as well. B12 is not to forget. A diet composed of 50% fruit and vegetable will supply the necessary vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Drink plenty of water. ( now I am telling myself...) Drinking fresh carrot juice every day is also very helpful.

My beauty trick is to massage the cuticles every night before bedtime with an organic Shea butter and my manicurist is giving me compliments all the time. 

Lots of work to keep beautiful...G

Funny looking roots

Jerusalem artichokes are growing in the garden and are at times wonderful to have. I say at times... because there are moments I curse them. When the green invasive plant is taking over the flower garden. The yellow flower is pretty, but sticks out as a sore thumb in my blu garden. 

It must be just the perfect soil for them in our garden. I think one root was planted many years ago and now we have trouble to keep them away.  Last year we set aside an area just for them,  a small Jerusalem Artichoke patch. 

In our house we eat them normally in two ways. 

Steamed with Anchovies sauce as a starter.

 I steam them quickly , pay attention not to loose the texture. If they absorb too much water they are not nutty in taste anymore.

Ingredients:   Piedmonte Hot Sauce / Bagna Cauda 

- Anchovies 240 gr, 4 pieces of garlic ( as you like),  3 dl milk, 3 dl olive oil. Clean and cut the garlic into smaller pieces. Heat all ingredients together and let it become a soft creamy sauce.  Serve it warm. 

Roasted in the oven.

 I like to roast them with a sprinkle of salt and olive oil in the oven. Cut them in 5 mm slices. Heat the oven before you bring in the plate. It should be done quickly , just as potatoes. I prefer them simple as they are, without herbs as they have a wonderful nutty taste on their own.

I just found a nice recipe on an Italian food blog " menuturistico.blogspot " Gnocchi with Anchovies sauce.  Love Gnocchi and can imagine them being interesting. If you can read Italian, the recipe is on the blog. If not just wait a few days and I will try it out and translate.

The flower is very decorative and is similar to a sunflower. If, you like Yellow....

Gunn

150 years of Italy

Italy was united as one country on March 17 in 1861, 150 years ago.

We are celebrating the day with having a National Holiday and some festives here and there.

Best, Gunn 

           

Power of nature

It is amazing that we, humans always think that we can conquer and overpower nature. I wish the earthquake and the tsunami can be used as a good example for us how we need  and should  respect  nature. 

This is a beautiful message by Ryuichi Sakamoto, I borrowed from his site. Click on the image, it will easier to read. I love that he is using the word arrogance. 

The aftershocks of the big earthquake has been registered and illustrated on this site: www.msnbc.msn.com  It looks like a mad video-game and it is difficult to take in.

I wish the world could decide on a certain hour and turn of the electricity for an hour as a message that WE DO NOT need more nuclear stations. And we should all light a candle to sympathize with the grief in Japan.

My candle is lit, 

Gunn

Advise from Gandhi

To live a full life every day is easy to advise somebody else. But sometimes difficult to do ! 

It was Sunday yesterday and it is normally the day of gardening. It was cancelled due to a heavy rainstorm. Just managed to place the pumpkin seed in the small planters and bring them out under the rain. Thats it ! So dreaming about tomorrow and a sunny day became the pleasure for the day.

 Love whatever you are doing and enjoy every moment. 

If it was my last day.......  perhaps I would rush off to Paris and indulge desserts and cakes until I faint. I have a sweet tooth and do normally not allow myself an overload. 

Just a silly thought, 

Gunn

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Me and my husband are fans of Ryuishi Sakamoto for a long time. We follow his music and his other activities. I wish politicians could listen more often to artists and other sensitive people. Perhaps many disasters could be avoided. 

He was involved in the campaign against nuclear plants in Japan due to the big risk of earthquakes with his site. It is very well made and scary.

Many artist are expressing the fear against it through art on the site called stop-rokkasho.org. It is very powerful to see today at the aftermath of the accident.

This illustration by Shigeru Okada makes me shivering.

A dear friend in Japan just wrote a message to me and said

 " Japanese People Never Give Up"

Love that,

Gunn

So Sad....

I just like to share my grief and sympathy for what happened to Japan yesterday. I hope all my friends in Japan are safe. 

Warmest hugs to all, Gunn 

PS. I sometimes write a few blog posts and give them a date to exit by themselves. The yesterdays post is a bit embarrassing after what was happening in Japan, just at that very moment.

Emotional disaster

I have been away  for some days off in Maremma , Tuscany. 
I normally never travel light and had both the MacBook, I Pad and I Phone with me, mostly for blogging of course....
There was no internet connection and my chip for the IPad did not work. 
You would think there is an Apple store in every corner. No, not in the remote Tuscan hills.This is called an Emotional Disaster...... so, now Post Tuscany I do promise to all You readers that I will be more active and inspirational. Spring and Summer is coming up with lots of resources in the garden. 
By the way, it was one of the windiest week in Tuscany ever and I had picked that week. Will definitely return and tell You more about the heavenly hills.


Thank You for all the patience, 
Gunn

Blueberry benefits !

Blueberries are not only beautiful to look at, they are also very effective for our health. I will list some of the benefits;

1 - Eating Blueberries the belly fat can be decreased with its 80 delicious calories per cup. And it lower the risk of cardiovascular problems. It lowers cholesterol. If they are in a combination with a low-fat diet they will be more powerful. 

2 - Blueberries are helping an enlarged liver to balance itself. The liver is our most important cleansing organ and we need to be kind to it..... An overworked liver can lead to diabetes.

3 - Blueberries are very high in antioxidants and has the highest value of all fruits. 

Vitamin C -  needed for the formation of collagen and to maintain healthy gums and capillaries. Vitamin A,  Selenium , Iron and Zink are some of the important  ingredients in a tiny berry.

The combination is helping to boost the immune system.  I guess, we are all in need of that. There is many ways to get the berries in the winter, in a concentrated natural Juice. Organic is recommendable and check that it does not have  a high % of added water. Or dehydrated and pressed into a small pill. They are also available frozen. Personally i am not fond of frozen food and do not recommend it. 

4- Last but not least...it is also has anti aging properties.

Fresh Blueberries are fantastic on the cereal in the morning. Or added in a healthy smoothy. Personally I love to have fresh blueberries in a light tart for the afternoon tea.

When I was a child in Sweden I would collect them directly in the woods in our summer home and eat them with fresh milk. It was wonderfully tasty.

Have a nice day ! 

Gunn

The energy of flowers

 A good start of Spring is to keep fresh flowers in abundance around you.

They will help to increase your energy level and make you cheerful. And it is difficult not to be moved by their beauty and elegance. Flowers, green plants , herbs or cut some fresh branches of the trees. They will continue to grow in a warm house and pay attention to the energy leaves are growing. I love to take the same walk every day so I can compare the changes day by day, in the nature.

Try it !

Gunn

Woman in Red

Tomorrow is the International Women's Day and Wear Red day 2011, a tradition started by the American Heart association to raise awareness about heart disease in Women.  

It is commonly thought about as an " older man's disease" 

Lately we women live the same life as men.  Greasy food, Sitting long hours, Drinking to much, Smoking too much ( even secondhand smoke counts) Stressing too much, And we even put ourselves at risks taking Birth control pills. .....Heart disease is today the number one killer of women. Sounds awful.

Just a 40 minutes brisk walk every day can make a difference in our health.

 I will be dressed in red, red sweater, red silk top, red nails, red lips.  

Ps. the little red shoe is a pin in Sweden , designed by writer and giornalist Lotta Lewenhaupt to symbolize the day. 

Read more about preventing heart disease on goredforwomen.org 

Trust in a healthy living, 

Gunn

Paolo Conte and Wonderful

The title of this CD is just perfect. The music of Paolo Conte is perfectly wonderful. I played it today during painting a table and it had such a great energy.

" a gruff smokers voice, a piano style that wanders from honkey-tonkey to tango palace to tony cabaret, and a well weathered romantic world view have made. Paolo Conte a well-known songwriter in Italy " ( The New York Times )

I like this description of his music...

Gunn